Hi henry. For the most part I agree with your post. I do however feel that personal hygene will be VERY important. Not the luxury items such as deoderant... but soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Even baking soda will do. You have to take care of the basics to maintain health especially dental health since any sort of care will be brutal if you have to have a tooth extracted. Same goes for dental infections. May I ask what country you were in when they came?

It does seem like many people are prepping to try and keep living life as they know it. Maybe,its because, and I certainly don't know, that many have never lived in a world without all the amenities so it doesn't really hit home that they could disappear for real and if you have never done without, you really don't know what is or is not important. Batteries ect.. are not sustainable so if you are in the bad ass doom and gloom catagory, I don't know why anyone would bother with them and what they power. Me, I like a sack load of pocket knives. I feel empty handed without one of those.

I look at all the medical supply lists, and think wow..we never had all that when we were growing up; not even a doctor and it doesn't scare me to go without one. Heck, I have been here in Ontario for years now, and I still haven't managed to find one. Most doctors without a modern hospital cannot do much more then the ave. Joe with a good book and a needle. We all have better medical knowledge then was available back in the day. When I was 10 I sewed up my brothers thigh with needle and thread, he was cut to the bone, and when he finally got to a Dr. all they did was open it up, make sure it was clean and sew it up again. If anything important had been messed up, he would have had to live or die with it either way.

The best prep is to keep all your vaccinations up to date. If things go south that will do you for a good long time along with some commom sense. Stocking anti-biotic creams and anti-biotics I can see, but you would be surprised at how healthy people will get if they get locked out of the groc. store and have to go foraging for real food. If you can afford the works, than you should do it, if not, then it is what it is. Its all useless without knowledge so stock up on that first and formost.

Dental hygiene would be important. So stock dental floss. Good for so many things after it is used as well. If you forgot your toothbrush, make one.

Toothpaste, soaps ect.. are easily made and I have no need to stock them. Shampoo is a modern invention for corporations to get rich. There are plenty of ways to wash you hair without it. I don't stock it. Toilet paper is another funny one to me. Its impossible to stock enoough of that. Why bother. It goes under the luxury heading.

I lived they way they did a hundred years ago, and its really not so bad but it is hard, hard, hard, work. Its the people in the cities that are going to be in a world of hurt, because the populations there are nothing like a hundred years ago, so it will be hell on earth. I believe that may be why some people cannot get down to the nitty gritty basics Henry listed. Their perspectives and situations are different.

I think it is good to have a happy medium. I agree that many (read most) luxury items will be gone or at least very hard to get. Toilet paper is one that comes to mind. Once it is gone it is gone and you will have to come up with an alternative. Time is now to decide what that will be and how you will manage it. Some things will be a trade off. Soap for example. Yes you can make it but the time and effort will be better spent in the beginning making shelter, tools and growing food. Yes knowledge is forst and foremost.... and COMMON SENSE. Much of the population has been educated to be stupid and dependant. Someone will make the decision.. take the responsibility... an expert... hit your head.. go to Emergency... It amazes me that any of us survived growing up with no helmets, pads or daily visits to the Doctor. Not too many years ago everyone knew common remedies for simple healthcare needs. A cut (keep it clean and dry), an infection( hot soaks in salt water)... if it has obvious pus then open it up and drain it... then soak in hot salty water.. Magic potion. I work in healthcare and it astounds me the number of people who present for what amounts to advice. A cut, scrape, a pain with a known cause ( a fall) with no obvious real damage. They come to have it "checked out". Please people. Assume some responsibility for yourselves. Once the SHTF YOU will have to figure it out. The time to begin is now not after. Sorry for the rant.

Not a rant. Fact! Could not agree with you more. Don't you just love those TV adds by the Ontario Government that give a multiple choice solution if you have a minor cut, burn or rash. Should I phone? Go to emerge? See my healthcare practitioner (or something like that). How about just deal with it? It is no wonder that our emergency rooms are so full and you have to wait up to 19 hours (Sudbury) to see someone.

OddDuck I don't agree with your assessment on batteries. SHTF or Teotwawki, if there are survivors there will be batteries. They we used almost 3,000 years ago, somewhere along the way the knowledge on how to make them or how to use them was lost until the late eighteenth century. A battery is not a difficult item to make if you are aware of the concept. I think this time they are around to stay.

I work in one of those ER's in Southern Ontario and see it every day. The enabling and reinforcement of stupidity and dependance. Much of medical care is based on legal worries.. NOT treating disease or injury. It is doing what is deemed reasonable by the insurance companies to ensure there can be no claim of negigence. Time was Doctors were clinicians first... now they are perveyors of medical knowdge in exchange for money. There is very little if any altruism in the profession.

I hope I did not offend anybody ,that is my way of thinking .I know how powerful the first shock is until reality sets in.(russian invasion of czechoslovakia 1968)I worked in some countries in Asia where You went to a drug store and my bathroom is 3 times more drugs then in a small town drugstore.Last operation I had in Egypt where the doctor had to pull the table to the window so he could see to saw up my leg.I remember some places cleaning my teeth with ashes (works really good) .For headache just drop hot ashes in cold water and drink the water (instead ASPIRIN) It is funny when I see doctors on TV discovering medicines that My grandmother used all the time.To prevent cold eat lot of sour craft (we make it in bar ell every year)That what Icall basics. Henry

No offense in any way henry. In fact we highly value the information from those who have actually been there. We have ideas and conjecture. You have actual hands on experience. Thank you.

I value your contributions Henry. Thank you

Great thoughts and points Henry,

being ex military, they pounded into us Field Hygiene for a lot of reasons, I will always be brushing my teeth and doing field cleaning as well, too many reasons to count. The Deodorant I agree with, but hey, if someone makes it in your area, that is a good trade item or income for them after a total collapse or economic disaster.

Henry... post away, do not worry on the spelling or grammar as well, we like the content, the message here, so go for it and welcome to our little neck of the woods.
cheers ~WildE

OddDuck I don't agree with your assessment on batteries. SHTF or Teotwawki, if there are survivors there will be batteries. They we used almost 3,000 years ago, somewhere along the way the knowledge on how to make them or how to use them was lost until the late eighteenth century. A battery is not a difficult item to make if you are aware of the concept. I think this time they are around to stay.

Actually, I agree with you on this as well. The point is, most will not or cannot learn to make them, nor will they be able to make or repair the equipment they run. The question is if this stuff is a need or a want. Its not rocket science as you say, but as JustABear said, people are being raised to be ignorant these days.

Henry,

You started a thread which has people discussing issues in a civilized manner. You have first hand experience. Keep posting.

No offense at all henry and like the others I value your input. Many of us have not had to live through the experiences you have.

On the other hand I find most do prep to stay in, I do. That doesn't mean I'm not prepared to head out either. Most don't talk too much about that because as you point out, it's unpredictable to prep for. I'm a minimulist and have learned to live in the bush with as very little as possible. That was just done as a personal challenge and experience to better understand what that would be. Not everyone's cup of tea. Although I was able to easily provide for and shelter myself because there is space a resource here it requires skills. It is also not overly pleasant - summers you have to deal with bugs while the winter is deadly to just consider existence.

It never ceases to interest me to read the experiences of others who have lived through real disasterous times in our world's histories. I don't think too many Europeans or Asians didn't think the haulocost had fallen during the last big war. Amazing how most in battle areas survived, even those who weren't were challenged with poverty,no means and food.

Tough people, I often wonder if our people of our times are made of the same stock if put to the test.

I hope I did not offend anybody ,that is my way of thinking .I know how powerful the first shock is until reality sets in.(russian invasion of czechoslovakia 1968)I worked in some countries in Asia where You went to a drug store and my bathroom is 3 times more drugs then in a small town drugstore.Last operation I had in Egypt where the doctor had to pull the table to the window so he could see to saw up my leg.I remember some places cleaning my teeth with ashes (works really good) .For headache just drop hot ashes in cold water and drink the water (instead ASPIRIN) It is funny when I see doctors on TV discovering medicines that My grandmother used all the time.To prevent cold eat lot of sour craft (we make it in bar ell every year)That what Icall basics. Henry

hey Henry. Do you have any more of these wonderful cures from Russia? I would love to hear more!