http://www.shtfpreparedness.com/useful-survival-items-you-probably-dont-think-about/
1. Feminine pads. If you are a woman or going to have a female with you, their use is pretty obvious. If you don’t think so, ask your wife. What a lot of people don’t think of when thinking of something like a maxi-pad is first aid. Maxipads are designed to absorb blood. They are effectively a HUGE trauma bandage. They are overkill for small cuts and that is probably more of a waste than anything else. But for a large wound that is doing a fair amount of bleeding, these sanitary pads can be invaluable as as a blood stoppage device. Tampons as well, though due to their their shape are more useful for ‘hole’ type wounds, such as a bullet wound or puncture from a stick. Keep them in their packages to keep them clean and sanitary.
2. Condoms (non-lubricated). The average condom expands out to hold about 1 liter of water. They are effectively a collapsible canteen in a pinch. If you have a bit of tubing and a catheter, they can also be used as a fluid IV bag in an emergency. Heat the water up before filling it and it becomes a fairly decent ‘heating pad’ for sore muscles, though obviously don’t lay on it as it will likely pop from the weight, but lay it on top of the sore area. Water cover for rifle barrel, can be used as a latex glove or a small solar still
3. Cigarette lighter. I would think this sort of goes without saying, but many people overlook a couple cheap lighters as fires tarters. Yeah, your super duper fire stick for $30 is great and all, but a handful of $1.50 lighters from the gas station work pretty well too.
4. Leaf/Yard bags. Black, waterproof, easily cut up for a poncho, relatively low-key color. Trash bags can be used over and over and can be folded down to take up virtually no space and weigh close to nothing. Practically a must have for a bug out bag
- Use them as “water-proof” boots/gaiters.
- Shelter; as a tarp or, using 2 of them & duct tape make a “tube-tent”.
- Bandages.
- Water Container
- Fresh water still.
- Lashing material.
- Sleeping bag
- Stuff it with leaves and use it as a blanket or mattress.
- Gear bag; good for “wet or soiled” clothing.
- Orange bag good for a signaling panel.
- Transpiration still.
- Kite.
- Floating device.
- Sail Sled.
- Expedient weapon.
- used as a poncho
- to carry fresh water,
- snare,
- limb lines for set hooks.
- for sewing thread for shoes, coats, or tents; or stitches for you in case you get a deep cut. (You cut 1″ wide strips of trash bag. Stretch it and then spin it…repeat until it is a thin string.)
- rain cover for bag pack
- rain cover for fire wood
- moisture barrier for bedroll
- bear bag for food
- temporary patch w/duct tape for large holes or rips.
- winter coat (stuff with natural materials).
- Temporary dry bag for canoe (not totally dry)
- Can be melted and used as a temporary adhesive
- Camp shower
- Temporary cover to keep injury dry. (It can even be used to cover sucking chest wounds)
5. Pen/writing instrument and a small pad. Leaving notes, making note of certain structures/locations is very useful. A tactical pen can also double as a weapon/tool
6. Sugar. Sugar is obviously a great sweetener, but sugar can also be used as a clotting agent for small cuts and wounds. Honey can also be used as an anti-bacterial. Honey is probably the better choice because of its antibacterial choices and you would much rather have liquid honey on a bandaged wound than granular sugar when moving around
7. Flexible cable ties. The uses for these are endless. They can be used to hold things together temporarily, larger ones can be used to secure doors/windows in a pinch.
8. Bandana. Banadanas make great tourniquet, bandage, signaling device, water collector, sun protection, face mask for smoke/cold weather, ear muff, can be a sling
9. 35mm cans. holds medicine, matches, fishing gear, keeps med/id info dry (roll it up)
10. Ziplock Freezer bags. Stronger than sandwich bag. Will work as a float in water, water proofer, carries water, first aid kit. Can be fashioned into a solar still for water and sleeping with your head on an air filled ziplock beats the hell out of a rock or mound of dirt any day of the week
11. Dental Floss. Keeping your teeth clean is more important than you think. A toothache with no dentist or medicine sucks, but more importantly your mouth is the entrance to your body. If you get an infection in your mouth, its only really got one place to go. Dental floss has many other uses though. Sewing clothing, stiching wounds, fishing line, bundle a bunch together for a shoelaces, snares, can be used as a firestarter or if you wear glasses and lose a screw can be used as sort of a ‘lashing’ for your glasses.
12. Safety pins. Small and easy to pack a handful. Excellent for fish hook, pick out foreign bodies in skin like thorns or a splinter. Pops blisters, will be useful in draining blood under the skin, can hook together ends of broken rope/550 cord.
It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.....
What a great write up! I will have to think about it but will ideally come back with a few to add but you really got alot of good ones here..
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
How to Use a Sharpie in a Survival Situation -10
by Tim MacWelch
I’ll be the first to admit this. Up until recently, I would never have imagined that a Sharpie could be a lifesaving or life altering piece of gear. And I was always puzzled as to the reason that many disaster prep specialists had permanent markers high up on their short lists of equipment. But then I began studying the ways that these markers could help us in times of crisis.
#1 Leaving Notes And Making Signs
Need to meet up with somebody and communications are down? Lost your pet after the tornado? Then leave a note, or use some cast-off material to make a sign. The permanent marker will put your message out there.
#2 So They Know How To Make Out Your Tombstone
This one’s a little grim, but in really bad emergencies you can use your marker to write your name or your Social Security Number on your limbs and torso. If you’re thinking about that one, you’re in a bad scenario, which brings us to number three.
#3 I Bequeath Unto My Nephew The Following…
Yep, you guessed it. You could use your marker to scribe out your last will and testament. You can write this up on a flat rock, or a car hood, or even on your favorite shirt. Of course, due to your stressful survival situation, no lawyers or courts will honor your last wishes, and all kinds of vicious gold digging battles will break out after your demise. I’d say that’s all the more reason to stay alive. But you should still have a will, and a homemade one is better than none at all.
#4 Trail Blazing
Sorry to start with the somber stuff, but I wanted to leave you on a positive note. With a simple permanent marker, you now have the ability to write and make marks on virtually any dry surface. Did you get lost? A marker (plus a little survey tape) can indicate trails that you can use to prevent further wandering, and create weatherproof trails so that rescuers can better find you. Don’t have the survey tape? Then write on surfaces on which the marker will show up, smooth rocks, bark-less logs, or whatever.
It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.....
Pisssed...I can do just about all that with Duct Tape. Just sayin.
On a serious note thanks for putting that together. These are the types of discussions we can all benefit from and at the very least prompt us to consider the possibilities as we learn from each other. Stand up.
Cheers
Old blue jeans have multiple uses in survival kits
By Leon Pantenburg - Wed May 23, 9:58 am
Most preppers and survivalists have a waste-not, want-not philosophy, and tossing or throwing away a pair of jeans with some wear left in them just goes against the grain! Here’s how to make the best use of these materials in your survival gear.
Click here to buy survival kits
by Leon Pantenburg
What can you use worn-out jeans for? You know, the kind that are just used up because they were worn constantly. We’re talking about plain, 100 percent cotton denim, probably dyed blue or black, jeans. The idea, here, is to make the best use of this worn-out pair and not waste anything!
Here are some suggestions:
Hand them down: If the jeans are just outgrown, the best choice is to give them to somebody. (Some expensive, new designer jeans look like beat-up, worm, ragged hand-me-downs anyway!)
Don’t forget your local thrift or charity shop – they can use the donations!
Quilting: The original idea of sewing quilts was to use up scrapes of cloth. Cut up the useable denim in the legs and seat and give it to the local quilting club, senior center or crafters group. Or, you can cut up larger pieces of denim and save them until you come up with a suitable project.
Save the pockets: The cargo pockets with buttons or snaps make great little bags for miscellaneous small items. I save such pockets and store strikers and rocks for flint-and-steel firemaking. If you think about it, there are all sorts of things that can be stored in these cut-out pockets.
Recycle the zippers, snaps and buttons: Cut around the hardware, leaving about an inch of material around each one. These can be used in other projects, and/or donated to someone who sews.
Charcloth, made from old denim, will catch any spark and should be included in every survival kit! The finished product should be completely black, but flexible and not brittle.
Make charcloth: Charcloth is charred material that has been specially “cooked” to catch a spark, and it’s very easy to make. Charcloth is a must-have article in your wilderness or urban survival kit. If you can make a spark with something, it can be caught with charcloth, and it will create a hot ember. Learn the skills to make a tinder bundle and blow this ember into a fire.
The local Boy Scout troop makes charcloth out of 100 percent cotton jeans, generally Levi or Wrangler brand. Some of the designer jeans apparently have an additive that inhibits flammability, so you want to check that out first.
In a survival situation, if you can make a spark with something, it can be caught with charcloth. The spark will grow on the charcloth, and create a hot ember. You should have the skills to make a tinder bundle and blow this ember into a fire. (Click to learn how to make charcloth,)
Make waxed firestarter: Here’s where we use up the seams, waistband and any leftover, odd-sized thick pieces. This project also uses up those tacky old Christmas and decorative candles. Melt the candles together until it is liquidized and very hot, then SHUT OFF THE HEAT, and dip the seams into it. Once the wax is infused into the material, pull out the seams and let dry.
Presto! You have created a waterproof, virtually fool-proof survival firestarter. This firestarter lasts indefinitely and is so cheap (as in Free!) that it can be kept in all your survival kits. (Before you rely on anything in a survival kit, make sure you have tested it. All wax is not created equal! Some of the dripless waxes may be hard to light. )
If you have a wood stove, you’ll use a lot of this firestarter, and it makes a great gift for camper friends, people who cook with charcoal or who have fireplaces or wood heat!
If you look at those worn-out jeans as a survival resource, you can think up new ways to use them. Let me know what you come up with!
It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.....