How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It - James Wesley Rawles [59]
Suction
Keeping the airway clear is critical when someone has experienced trauma or is severely ill. Commercial suction devices are available, but a cheap, improvised solution is a standard turkey baster. For less than two dollars, this is a useful addition to a medical kit.
Thin Sharpie Marker and Paper
Useful for recording vital signs. With a Sharpie marker, you can also write the numbers on the patient’s hand, in case the paper is lost during transport/evacuation.
Contact Lenses
Make sure to have at least two pairs of backup glasses in your current prescription. If you feel more comfortable wearing contacts, then I see no reason why you shouldn’t stock up on spare disposable soft contacts and extra bottles of saline and cleaning solutions. Just one proviso: Do not try to stretch your supply by going longer between discarding sets of contacts. Getting an eye infection would be tragic, especially in the midst of a disaster. Once you’ve used up your contact-lens supplies, just switch to wearing your eyeglasses.
One excellent source for very inexpensive contact lenses and supplies is 1800Contacts.com.
Sanitation During a Grid-Down Collapse
We take sanitation for granted so often that we might lose sight of its importance. There are several areas in the sanitation arena that need to be considered:
Food
The most obvious area to consider is that of our food preparation. We are all aware of the importance of washing our hands and avoiding cross-contaminating foods like meats and vegetables. All counters where foods may be prepared should be kept spotlessly clean. This includes areas where butchering is being done. The areas should be hosed and bleached and the meat meticulously washed, making certain the contents of the animals’ intestines do not come into contact with the meat. The animals should be covered with a breathable fabric bag to protect the meat from flies and dirt while the meat is hanging. All utensils, including those being used for dehydrating and canning, should be sterilized by boiling or baking. (Do not bake canning lids; place them in very hot water prior to processing.)
Daily Living
Remaining organized and clutter-free gives us access to items that may be of immediate necessity, as well as less chance of an accident—even something as minor as tripping over clutter could become life threatening. Keeping organized causes us less stress, relieving our minds so they can be put to better use. It also provides activities for the group, giving tasks to those who may not be able to do other things, or just an extra way to get involved.
Clothes that are kept clean are warmer and last longer. (Dryers are hard on fabric.) And shoes should be worn at all times outside. Personal hygiene is important not only for our physical health, but for our mental health as well. It helps us maintain some semblance of normalcy and civility in our lives not only for ourselves but also for the group. When we are clean and groomed it is also easier to spot someone who is not well.
Feminine-hygiene products that are disposable should be burned. Cloth diapers should be either boiled or bleached and hung in the sun. The ultraviolet rays kill lots of bacteria.
Your animals will also benefit from your diligent attention to their well-being. Keeping their pens, bedding, and feeders clean could mean the difference between animals used to fulfill our needs and sickly or dead critters. Most domesticated-animal waste can be safely used as fertilizer after composting with the exception of that of dogs, cats, and pigs. These should never be used around areas that will have vegetables, and pregnant women should never handle cat waste.
Waste Disposal
Waste disposal pertains not only to manure, but to garbage as well. Most containers used for foods will probably be kept for some other need down the road. However, that means time and effort to make sure they are very well cleaned and stowed properly