Experience

Some readers of this blog are aware that I personally have responded to 911 calls and disaster areas where emergency medical care needed to be implemented, patients assessed, began treatments and transported them to an appropriate medical facility. More on appropriate facilities Later.

One of the first hallmarks of administering first aid is: “To Do No Harm”. A simple concern of moving a patient can result in additional serious harm.  It is important that you do not perform any procedure you are not trained to do and that you completely evaluate the situation before intervening for your own safety.  To reduce the possibility of you causing harm while administering care, it is important that you are trained in first aid. This will help you determine the extent of possible injuries and the required intervention for the welfare of the patient.

At anytime during the day in any location you might be in a position to render first aids. In any environment, it is important to understand the actions you are taking and make informed decisions on your treatment protocols.

The four main objectives of administering first aid are the same regardless of the environment or injuries.  So whether you are at home treating a burn or in a remote environment stabilizing a compound fracture the objectives are the same.

These four objectives of first aid are;

1. Preserve Life
2. Prevent further injury
3. Activate EMS
4. Facilitate transport to an appropriate medical facility.

Let’s address each one of these then move on to some of the basic treatments you will learn when you take a first aid courses.

Preserve Life

This is clearly the first priority in the process of administering first aid. Surveying the scene is extremely important as you approach an injured person. Examples, I have responded to automobile accidents where bystanders trying to help were running across major four lane highways, almost causing additional accidents and harm to themselves. Secondly, I have responded to scenes where witnesses acting as rescuers with good intentions were pulling people from cars who may have had serious spinal injuries when there was no immediate need to do so.  These examples of automobile accidents are the most common traumatic scenes and easy for people to relate too.

With these two examples fresh in your mind, stressing the importance of surveying the scene to determine any threats to safety before progressing to aid any injured parties.  It is of no value to injure or kill yourself or others by prematurely rushing in to help an injured person.

Prevent Further Injury

There are numerous ways to exacerbate or make worse, an injury by unnecessary intervention.  So the first step in administering first aid is: Evaluation of the patient or we like to say, conduct a patient assessment.  This is a detailed and extensive process.

Using a systematic approach to examine an injured patient by starting at the head and working toward the feet, or “Head to Toe” is essential to understanding the extent of the patient’s injuries and insuring that you do not miss an injury. It is wasted effort and no help to a patient to bandage wounds if they are not breathing. Not all first aid classes teach this skill but it is a good one to read about, learn and most importantly, practice.

One of the best means to prevent further injury is not to move any patient until all treatments have been administered.  This are not always possible, but if you do not need to move the patient, then do not.

Activate the EMS System

Activating the EMS system as quickly as possible (if available) is of utmost importance.  This action begins with the reduction in time between injury and the application of advanced treatment in a hospital setting.  Once EMT’s and or paramedics arrive on the scene they have advanced training and advanced tools and medications that can significantly contribute to the survival of the patient.  Never hesitate activating the EMS system.

Facilitate Transport to an Appropriate Medical Facility

Activating the EMS system also accomplishes transportation.  For seriously injured trauma patients reaching a medical facility equipped and staffed for trauma patients is paramount to their survival.  During the Korean War we learned that if  a seriously wounded soldier arrived at a “M.A.S.H.” (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit or hospital within one hour, their survival rate was significantly higher than those who did not.  This was later termed the “Golden Hour”, the time in which a patient was injured until they received definitive care.  Not all hospitals are created equal. Not all hospitals accept ambulance transported emergencies. Some hospitals are equipped for Labor and Delivery but not Trauma. It is a good idea to find out what hospitals are in your area and what they are prepared to receive. For example, A range I shoot at has two hospitals within 15 minutes. One is a general emergency receiving hospital, the other is a Trauma center. So if someone on the line falls victim to a GSWGun Shot Wound to the thoracic cavity, they need immediate treatment and transport to the trauma center. It is of extreme essence to get severely injured patients to a trauma facility as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival.  Thus, activation of the EMS system is an important part of rendering first aid.

The Big Three, Important Treatments

There are three vital treatments that one must be prepared to evaluate and treat in any emergency situation.  Airway, Breathing and Circulation, known as the ABC’s of first aid. Correctly identifying a problem with one or more of the ABC’s and properly treating them can and will save a person’s life.  Let’s investigate techniques you will learn in first aid classes to treat these problems.

Airway:

An open patent airway is essential for life.  There are two primary airway obstructions: soft tissue and foreign object. If either issue exists, intervention will most likely be needed for the patient to properly breathe.

The first step is to determine if the patient is breathing. This can be as easy as asking their name. A talking patient is a breathing patient, A breathing patient has an open airway.  If the airway is patent then the next step may be to do nothing and allow the patient to breathe on their own. If the patient is not breathing then it is essential to open the airway.  Two ways to open an airway are the “Head Tilt Chin Lift” or the “Jaw Thrust” technique. The later should always be used if you suspect a spinal injury. It allows the rescuer to open the airway without moving the head and spine. A foreign object in the patient’s mouth must be removed and if the vomit the patient must be rolled onto their side to allow the vomit to drain.

This technique alone can save a person’s life. We have a mantra “Airway is King”.

Breathing:

The next step is to verify the patient is breathing.  Even though you open the airway that does not necessarily mean the patient is or will start breathing.  There are several methods to determine if a patient is breathing: observing the patients color, watching for the rise and fall of the chest and placing your ear close to the patient’s mouth, listening for air movement.  The treatment for a non breathing patient is mouth to mouth or mouth to mask resuscitation.   To deliver a breath you must place your mouth over the patient’s mouth and or what ever barrier you may have, then blow slowly and with good volume. Blowing fast and hard will increase the likelihood that the air will go into the patient’s stomach rather than their lungs causing them to vomit.  You should continue to deliver breathes until help arrives or the patient starts breathing on their own.

Circulation:

Finally we get to “C” in the ABC’s, assessing a patients circulatory status.  There are three primary methods for evaluating the circulatory system.  First color, if their skin and mucus membranes are pink that is a good sign. Pale or Blueish on the other hand would be bad.  Second pulse, if the pulse is between 80 and 100 that is another good sign.  Above 100 is of concern however, take into consideration that the individual may be scared or anxious and that will affect the heart rate.  Lastly, capillary refill is measured by squeezing the tip of the patient’s finger and watching the nail bed go white then releasing it and watching it return to pink.  If this takes less than 2 seconds then the circulatory system is fine in that extremity.  The longer this takes the worst the patient’s circulatory condition is and this is a sign of shock.

Trauma is the number one cause of death between the ages of 1 and 44.  Bleeding is one of the top causes of death in trauma.  So in most cases, the treatment of choice in a trauma situation is to stop the bleeding.  Some treatments to stop bleeding are direct pressure on the affected area, followed by elevating the bleed above the heart, applying a pressure bandage and then if needed a tourniquet. Venous bleeding is easily controlled by direct pressure.  Arterial bleeding may be controlled with direct pressure as well.

Training

Clearly there are other emergency situations like fractures, medical illnesses, bites and stings that require some form of first aid.  The treatments for these types of emergency are covered in First Aid classes.

Basic first aid classes are excellent and will help you understand the very basic skills needed.  But if you are planning on hiking, camping or are preparing to be more isolated for an extended period of time then I recommend more advanced training. Basic classes progress as such;

1. First Aid
2. Wilderness First Aid
3. Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
4. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

These courses offer more in depth training and the ability to understand anatomy and physiology concerning medical problems as well as trauma.  If you search your local area you may be able to find a class you can take one to two nights a week until completion.
There are a number of resources where you can take these classes.  The American Red Cross (ARC), the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI)  are all nationwide organizations that provide first aid certifications that are nationally recognized.  For an EMT or more advanced course you can contact your local vocational tech school or Jr. Colleges.

In summary, first aid is an essential skill you should know and can be valuable in a broad spectrum of environments.  The classes are usually only several hours long and you will learn and practice life saving skills.  I highly recommend you take classes based on your expected need.  You can play a vital role in saving a life when properly trained and willing to step in.

Tru-Spec is a brand of Atlanco.

TRU XTREME™ SHIRTS

Product Description:

• Constructed from 50/50 nylon cotton rip-stop material
• Mandarin collar can be worn up or down to keep out debris and contains a locker loop to hang
• Back cape with hook & loop closure with the option for attachment flap and mesh inner lining
• Loop faced upper sleeve pockets for patches, with hook & loop closure and hidden zipper front pocket
• Zippered with hook & loop closure on front placket
• Bellowed chest pockets with inverted pleat, hook & loop closure and hidden front zipper pocket
• SuperFabric® covered external elbow pockets with external opening for elbow pads secured with hook & loop closure
• Articulated elbows
• Tri-pocket on the lower arm with document window flap and hook & loop closure with 3 exterior pen/pencil slots with a special tunnel system for alternating the tri-pocket from left to right for personal comfort
• Adjustable hook & loop cuff
• Imported

MSRP Starting From: $89.95-119.95

TRU XTREME™ PANTS

Product Description:

• Constructed from 50/50 nylon cotton rip-stop material
• Slider waistband for a comfortable fit
• 1″ wide belt loops with 2-1/4″ opening
• Customized TRU-SPEC^® original PRYM^™ snap with YKK^® brass zipper closure
• Hidden internal handcuff key pocket in waistband
• Reinforced front slash pocket openings to cut down on wear
• Deep front pockets with hidden internal pocket
• 2-knife/accessory pockets with stiff fused inner lining on both sides
• Diamond shaped gusseted crotch for ease of movement
• 2-leg cargo pockets with inverted pleat and angled opposing pleats, mitered flaps with hook & loop closure creating a unique pocket bellow that expands into a large space
• Internal hidden front zipper pocket on both leg cargo pockets
• 2-bellowed lower leg cargo pockets with inverted pleat and mitered flaps with hook & loop closure
• SupeFabric^® covered external knee pockets with external openings for knee pads secured with hook & loop closures
• Articulated knees for added mobility and comfort
• Expandable zipper lower leg opening with mesh lining
• 1″ clean finished leg hems with elastic and adjustable button closure
• Imported

MSRP Starting From: $89.95-119.95

I found these items on the rack at Major Surplus, tried them on for fit and comfort and quickly made my decision, Comfort being forefront in mind. Once washed I set them aside staging my equipment for the early morning wake up call. For this exercise I was part of the Training Cadre so I was a little leery about the new garments bringing tried and proven clothing if needed. It was not!

Let’s start with the pants. Well cut, and elastic waist band fit with comfort. Standing, sitting, kneeling and squatting was not an issue. They did not bind or ride up at all. Plenty of pockets to store the little things well dispersed but accessible from any position. In any firearms training course students and cadre alike spend a good deal of time kneeling. The SuperFabric sewn on knee pads made this nice. Not once did I have to adjust my position for comfort which was uprising having not taken advantage of the pocket to add padding.

Zippered pockets made storing and retrieval of items a breeze. And the lower leg packet was a great place to store medical gloves allowing for fast retrieval in the kneeling position.

Overall, I will gladly utilize these pants again and add more of them to my wardrobe.

The Shirt! Again, very comfortable and kept the body temp down throughout the day with it’s vents. I did not spend anytime in the prone position so the SuperFabric elbow pads did not get tested, but they did not get in the way either. I honestly forgot they existed. On the lower sleeves a MOLLE system exists for the Tri Pocket and document holder. I like this idea, however I usually roll up the my sleeves to the mid forearm for comfort so that feature was removed and not used.

For you Morale Patch junkies YES Hook and Loop on both arms so you can represent!

Zippers on the lower leg to vent while at rest or change out your trousers with out removing your boots was a nice touch.

Overall like the pants I will add a few more of these shirts to my wardrobe.

If you are not familiar with Tru-Spec give them a hard look, I personally prefer them over 5-11. I own a few pants in the 24-7 series and am Glad I spent the extra money on the Extreme for this training evolution.

For more information on any of the Co’s I refereed to in this article, link’s are below.

Major Surplus & Survival

Atlanco

Saint Crispian Firearms Training

Thanks for reading and please create an account or Sign In and share your comments or subscribe via E-Mail below. You can also check us out via Social Media, All links below as well.

Stan offers and will bring your skill level up offering 101 – 303 courses along with Combined arms classes. When you feel you are ready to up your game then S.U.L.E. might just be for you.

Small Unit Leadership Evaluation (SULE) “Soo-lee”

The Concept of this operations is based on a course the U.S. Marine Corps uses to train it’s officers. this is a rigorous crucible based course set around a 4-6 person fire team and in some cases 2-3 team elements. Each student will have an opportunity to lead at least once as the Fire Team Leader. Each team leader is issued a mission and aided in the mission planning by a veteran Marine and/or Soldier. Once the mission order is planned it is presented before the rest of the team using proven techniques employed by the military. Every mission climaxes in a live fire and movement course that is rehearsed and supervised for safety.

Once the mission is complete, the Fire Team is led back to an “Assembly Area” and a new Fire Team Leader is appointed for the next mission. After action evaluation and feed back by the team mentors and student comments offers another opportunity to learn about leadership and tactics. 

S.U.L.E. offers so much more than firearms training. It offers you the student a forum to act in a leadership capacity supervised and mentored the entire way. This is a mentally and physically demanding course. You will do a lot of walking, you will exert yourself in this class. Having a good base in cardio-vascular conditioning will help you immensely. Proper hydration and continually in taking fluids will come easy. Pushing your situational awareness, firearms skills, firearms and equipment to the maximum will occur. This is not the place to tryout new gear. You will want proven equipment and the ability to maintain the equipment during this course.

To push you even harder simulated hand to hand with the use of punching bags mixed in throughout the course will give you a glimpse what combat is like. Your ability to lead and follow will be strengthened under the stress of less-peaceful conditions.

First-aid responders are on scene during the entire event keeping on eye on everyone and ready to pull a splinter if needed.

In these trying economic times meerly going to range and spending hard earned rounds is difficult for most of us. St. Crispian’s offers an affordable training experience with instructors and training worth in my opinion twice what you will pay. You will not be disapointed. I hope will progress through the courses and hope to see you at S.U.L.E.

One of the first sectors we are going to look at is our nations Dams and Levees; I think they highlight how large of a problem we’re facing and show how our government has allowed the problem to spiral out of control.

Our Nations Failing Levee System

During Hurricane Katrina , over 50 levees that protected the city of New Orleans failed, causing tens of billion of gallons of flood water to come rushing into the city. Economic damages were estimated at over $200 billion and more that 1,800 people lost their life.

How quickly our nation forgets; since August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans,  very little has been done to address our nations deteriorating Levee Systems. Although most people dismiss the problem as something that can only happen in New Orleans, the fact is, levees can be found in every state in the U.S.

It’s estimated that nearly 14 million people are currently living behind a one of these barriers, and at least one-third of out nations communities with a population of 50,000 or higher rely on a levee system to protect their community from flooding.

Over 100,000 miles of levees are built in all 50 states;  these barriers protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure like highways and power plants from flooding. The problem is, most of these levees are over 50 years old, and many were never built to last longer than a couple decades. In fact, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the reliability of our nations levee system is a serious problem.

During a recent survey, the USACE found only 8% of our nations levees to be in acceptable condition. Even more troubling, is the fact that know one seems to know where a good portion of the nations levees are even located.

According to the Army Corp of Engineers, there could be as many as 100,000 miles of levees that have never been inspected. In an interview with NBC News, Eric Halpin, the Army Corps’ special assistant for dam and levee safety and vice chairman of the levee safety committee said, “The reality is, we don’t know how many levees are out there.”

Of the estimated 10% have been inspected, 11.6 percent were rated likely to fail during a flood.

The Dangers of a Levee Failure

As we witnessed during Hurricane Katina, the consequences of a levee failure can be catastrophic for those living in the affected areas. Since there’s so much uncertainty to the location, the age, and even the condition of our nations levee system, we face a growing threat that has left many communities more vulnerable than they realize.

Preparing for Disaster:

The first step you should take is to try to determine whether or not your community is being protected by levee system. Although many of these systems are unknown to even local officials, you should be able to determine whether or not your general area lies in a known flood zone.

If you feel you may be one of the estimated 14 million American who live in one of these danger zones, you should think about the following recommendations.

Gather Information: Research what the possible effects of flooding could be on your community and determine what it will take to evacuate your home should it become necessary.

Make a Plan: Develop an emergency evacuation plan for your family, and make sure everyone in your family, our group, knows exactly what this plan is and how to get a hold of each other during a disaster.

Gather Your Emergency Supplies: Just like preparing for any other sort of disaster, you should always have a Bugout Bag that you can quickly grab should you need to evacuate. This bag should be filled with everything you need to survive an extended stay away from your home.

Safeguard Your Records: If you live in a potential flood zone, make sure you keep all of your records in a safe place that’s not prone to flooding. You may also want to carry a digital backup of your records on a small thumb drive that can be carried inside your bugout bag.

Protect Your Home: If a flood warning is issued in your area, immediately start to take action. Move your valuables to the highest point in your home, turn off all gas lines, turn off your electricity at the breaker or fuse box, sand bag your home, and of course be ready to leave immediately.

Our Vulnerable Infrastructure: Failing Levee Systems

http://offgridsurvival.com/feed/rss/

Off Grid Survival – Wilderness & Urban Survival Skills
An online resource for survival information. From wilderness and urban survival to emergency preparedness and off grid living, we provide you with the knowledge you need to survive in any situation.

-The agreement doesn’t need to be voted on by the Cyprus parliament, explains Business Insider.

-Cyprus had to come up with 5.8 billion euros somehow to secure the bailout.

-Depositors in the country’s second-largest bank, Laiki, with accounts of more than 100,000 euros will lose an unspecified amount of their money. The move is expected to yield 4.2 billion euros overall – or most of the needed amount.

-Reuters describes it as a “raid” on those above-100k euro accounts:

Deposits above 100,000 euros in both banks, which are not guaranteed under EU law, will be frozen and used to resolve Laiki’s debts and recapitalize Bank of Cyprus through a deposit/equity conversion.

The raid on uninsured Laiki depositors is expected to raise 4.2 billion euros, Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijssebloem said.

-This is what depositors with more than 100k euros reportedly saw when they logged in to the UK version of the Laiki bank website (from Twitter user Tukxi Piaggio Ape):

-The remainder of the money will come from tax increases and privatizations.

-Cyprus had to agree to restructure its banking sector, which is unusually large for the size of its economy.

-Laiki will be dissolved at once and split into a “good bank” and a “bad bank.” The “good bank” portion of Laiki will be folded into the largest bank, the Bank of Cyprus.

-CNBC says Russian investors lose big.

-Citi (via Business Insider) explains that this sets a very bad precedent for the future:

We would expect the EUR to be trading lower by the end of the NY day. The reason is that the Cyprus crisis has opened up some precedents that will make investors more worried about how future euro zone crises will evolve and does nothing to enhance growth, and if anything brings back the Germany that can say ‘no’ to just about everything. So we think that the EUR will have trouble regaining 1.31 and will probably drift below 1.30 in the course of time. It is not a first-order negative for the euro but adds to the baggage it will carry in future crises.

[...]

It makes the euro zone more susceptible to bank deposit runs in the event that banks come under question. This may make any future bank-related crisis more intense. The fact that deposit insurance was called into question so casually will make other depositors wary of policymaker assurances that they would not behave similarly. It told depositors that policymakers could act that way if they wanted to. The German FM’s comments that deposit insurance does not apply to levies and is only as good as the sovereign backing the insurance will be remembered at the next crisis. So now we have a deal that does not involve repudiating deposit insurance or imposing a levy on deposits  — yet is has managed to raise fears of deposit insurance repudiation and deposit levies down the road.

-Zero Hedge points out that it’s not all roses and tulips now:

UBS’ conclusion: all in all, turbulence from the Euro crisis is not over. Let us not forget that Italy still does not have a government and the German national parliament will have to give its seal of approval on Cyprus as we await more bailout details.

To maximize my growing output this year I am starting to use the ides of the “Square Foot Gardening” that were developed by Mel Bartholomew.

What is Square foot gardening?

Square foot gardening is the practice of planning and creating small but intensively planted gardens. The practice combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including a strong focus on compost, densely planted raised beds and biointensive attention to a small, clearly defined area. Proponents claim that the method is particularly well-suited for areas with poor soil, beginner gardeners or as adaptive recreation for those with disabilities. The phrase “square foot gardening” was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and subsequent PBS television series.

Overview

Conventional gardening can require heavy tools to loosen the soil, whereas in square foot gardening methods the soil is typically not walked on and thus not compacted, and it remains loose and more easily workable. Weeds may be easier to remove due to the light soil, and accessing them can be easier as raised beds bring the soil level closer to the gardener.

Using specific soil mixtures within the beds can help to increase water-holding capacities, so that the garden needs less additional water than in systems reliant on the native soil. Water is also spared by hand-watering directly at the plant roots, so that there is very little waste and tender young plants and seedlings are preserved.

Densely planted crops can form a living mulch, and also prevent weeds from establishing or even germinating.

Natural insect repellent methods such as companion planting (i.e. planting marigolds or other naturally pest-repelling plants) become more efficient in a close space, which may reduce the need to use pesticides. The large variety of crops in a small space also prevents plant diseases from spreading easily

A plywood bottom can be attached to the bottom of a box, which can then be placed on a tabletop or raised platform for those who wish to garden without bending or squatting, or to make gardening easily accessible for wheelchair, cane or walker users.

Since the beds are typically small, making covers or cages to protect plants from pests, cold, or sun is more practical than with larger gardens.

Mel Bartholomew’s synopsis

The phrase “square foot gardening” was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and subsequent PBS television series.[ A full-length companion DVD, “Square Foot Gardening” (2010), was released in collaboration with Patti Moreno, the “garden girl”.

The original square-foot-gardening method (per Bartholomew) uses a four-sided box with no top or bottom to contain a finite amount of soil, which was divided with a grid into sections. To encourage variety of different crops over time, each square would be planted with a different kind of plant, the number of plants per square depending on an individual plant’s size. A single tomato plant might take a full square, as might herbs such as oregano, basil or mint, while most strawberry plants could be planted four per square, with up to sixteen radishes per square. Tall or climbing plants such as maize or pole beans might be planted in a northern row (south in the southern hemisphere) so as not to shade other plants, and supported with lattice or netting.

The logic behind using smaller beds is that they are easily adapted, and the gardener can easily reach the entire area, without stepping on and compacting the soil. In the second edition, Bartholomew suggests using a “weed barrier” beneath the box, and filling it completely with “Mel’s mix,” a combination by volume of one third of decayed sphagnum peat moss, one-third expanded vermiculite and one-third blended compost. New compost should be added and mixed in each year. For accessibility, raised boxes may have bottoms to sit like tables at a convenient height, with approximately 6″ (15 cm) of manufactured soil per square foot. For some plants, such as carrots or asparagus, it is recommended to build areas deeper than 6″ in order to facilitate a deeper root requirement.

In Bartholomew’s method, the garden space is divided into beds that are easily accessed from every side. A 4′ x 4′, 16 sq ft (1.5 m2) or 120 cm x 120 cm, 1.4 m2 garden is recommended for the first garden, and a path wide enough to comfortably work from should be made on each side of the bed, if possible, or if the bed must be accessed by reaching across it, a narrower one should be used so that no discomfort results from tending the garden. Each of the beds is divided into approximately one square foot units and marked out with sticks, twine, or sturdy slats to ensure that the square foot units remain visible as the garden matures.

Different seeds are planted in each square, to ensure a rational amount of each type of crop is grown, and to conserve seeds instead of over planting, crowding and thinning plants. Common spacing is one plant per square for larger plants (broccoli, basil, etc.), four plants per square for medium large plants like lettuce, nine plants per square for medium-small plants like spinach, and sixteen per square for small plants such as onions and carrots. Plants that normally take up yards of space as runners, such as squash or cucumbers, are grown vertically on sturdy frames that are hung with netting or string to support the developing crops. Ones that grow deep underground, such as potatoes or carrots, are grown in a square foot section that has foot tall sides and a planting surface above the ground, so that a foot or more of framed soil depth is provided above the garden surface rather than below it.

The beds are weeded and watered from the pathways, so the garden soil is never stepped on or compacted. Because a new soil mixture is used to create the garden, and a few handfuls of compost are added with each harvest to maintain soil fertility over time, the state of the site’s underlying soil is irrelevant. This gardening method has been employed successfully in every region, including in deserts, on high arid mountain plateaus, in cramped urban locations, and in areas with polluted or high salinity soils. It is equally useful for growing flowers, vegetables, herbs and some fruits in containers, raised beds, on tabletops or at ground level, in only 4 to 6 inches (150 mm) of soil. A few seeds per square foot, the ability to make compost, to water by hand, and to set up the initial garden in a sunny position or where a container, table or platform garden may be moved on wheels to receive light is all that is needed to set up a square foot garden.

Here is a review of the product conducted by Mike over at Frontline TacTactical.

We gave Mike Parks from Frontline Tactical Solutions the opportunity to take our plates to the range and attempt to put some holes in it.

A little disclaiming! The product tested in the video below was NIJ Level IIIA. This level of protection is designed to stop common hand gun rounds not .223 Remington / 5.56 NATO.

Check out the video evidence with your own eye’s.

Check out Bullet Proof Pack’s website and find them on FaceBook.

I wanted to share this show with you and the website of Jame Wong. Here is an episode for your enjoyment

With my occupation and extra curricular activities like Bear Flag Trading Co. I have the opportunity to talk to many people. On occasions I am approached and asked if joining the group I belong to is an option. I offer a brief explanation of the hierarchy and areas of expertise and areas we are lacking. They usually offer information of where they can fit in or augment the team.

Not that this attempted pitch is falling on deaf ears, I know what my next questions are;

1. How many souls are in your household?
2. How many can shoot?
3. What is your current communications capabilities? (i.e. HAMAmateur Radio Operator, or Amateur Radio, CB, etc.)
4. What is your level of medical training?
5. What medical issues exist?
6. How much Food Storage do you currently have?
7. Do you have a vehicle to move your household and supplies?

The list goes on.

Skills are valuable, however bringing a few mouths to the table in trade for food, security and other services the group provides isn’t always what’s best for the group.

I find myself at a crossroads. My current group has dwindled a bit. Life sometimes get’s in the way and priorities adjust. Training has slowed witch hinders cohesiveness. So I am taking this opportunity to not necessarily turn my back on this group but focus time on working with a new one. Several people have expressed an interest so why not?

I will document progress so check back and follow along. I will discuss numbers, strengths, training and attendance. I am doing this to share common situations that most groups may face. In the Corps, we often referenced  one of “Murphy’s Law of Combat”, “No battle plan survives the first shot”. Translated, discussion and planning is good but when it comes time to get together and train, people fall off the bandwagon and the excuses role.

I will disclose our challenges for all to learn. Please comment, I would like to learn from all of you as well.

What causes dehydration?

Dehydration occurs because there is too much water lost, not enough water taken in, or most commonly, a combination of the two.

Diarrhea: Diarrhea is the most common reason for a person to lose excess amounts of water. A significant amount of water can be lost with each bowel movement. Worldwide, more than four million children die each year because of dehydration from diarrhea.

Vomiting:

Vomiting can also be a cause of fluid loss. Not only can an individual lose fluid in the vomitus, but it may be difficult to replace water by drinking because of that same nausea and vomiting.

Sweat:

The body can lose significant amounts of water in the form of sweat when it tries to cool itself. Whether the body temperature is increased because of working or exercising in a hot environment or because a fever is present due to an infection; the body uses water in the form of sweat to cool itself. Depending upon weather conditions, a brisk walk may generate up to 16 ounces of sweat (a pound of water) an hour to allow body cooling, and that water needs to be replaced by the thirst mechanism signaling the person to drink fluids.

Diabetes:

In people with diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels cause sugar to spill into the urine and water then follows, which may cause significant dehydration. For this reason, frequent urination and excessive thirst are among the early symptoms of diabetes.

Burns:

The skin acts as a protective barrier for the body and is also responsible for regulating fluid loss. Burn victims become dehydrated because the damaged skin cannot prevent fluid from seeping out of the body. Other inflammatory diseases of the skin such as toxic epidermal necrolysis, also may be associated with significant fluid loss.

Inability to drink fluids:

The inability to drink adequately is the other potential cause of dehydration. Whether it is the lack of availability of water, intense nausea with or without vomiting, or the lack of strength to drink, this, coupled with routine or extraordinary water losses can compound the degree of dehydration.

What are the signs and symptoms of dehydration?

The body’s initial responses to dehydration are thirst to increase water intake, and decreased urine output to try to conserve water loss. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.

As the level of water loss increases, more symptoms can become apparent. The following are further signs and symptoms of dehydration.

Dry mouth

The eyes stop making tears

Sweating may stop

Muscle cramps

Nausea and vomiting

Heart palpitations

Lightheadedness (especially when standing)

Weakness

Decreased urine output

The body tries to maintain cardiac output (the amount of blood that is pumped by the heart to the body); and if the amount of fluid in the intravascular space is decreased, the body tries to compensate for this decrease by increasing the heart rate and making blood vessels constrict to try to maintain blood pressure and blood flow to the vital organs of the body. The body shunts blood flow away from the skin to internal organs, for example, the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and intestines; causing the skin to feel cool and clammy. This coping mechanism begins to fail as the level of dehydration increases.

With severe dehydration, confusion and weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood. Finally, coma, organ failure, and death eventually will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.

How is dehydration diagnosed?

Dehydration is often a clinical diagnosis. Aside from diagnosing the reason for dehydration, the health care practitioner’s examination of the patient will assess the level of dehydration. Initial evaluations may include:

Mental status tests to evaluate whether the patient is awake, alert, and oriented. Infants and children may appear listless and have whiny cries and decreased muscle tone.

Vital signs may include postural readings (blood pressure and pulse rate are taken lying down and standing). With dehydration, the pulse rate may increase and the blood pressure may drop because the blood is depleted of fluid. People taking beta blocker medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, or other indications, occasionally lose the ability to increase their heart rate as a compensation mechanism since these medications block the adrenaline receptors in the body.

Temperature may be measured to assess fever. While it is common to measure temperature in the ear (tympanic) or by mouth (orally), a rectal thermometer may be used to assess core body temperature if the patient appears warm, but no fever is noted tympanically or orally.

Skin may be checked to see if sweat is present and to assess the degree of elasticity (turgor). As dehydration progresses, the skin loses its water content and becomes less elastic. The amount of sweat is often felt in the armpit or groin, two areas that tend to have moisture normally.

The mouth can become dry and the health care practitioner may look at or feel the tongue to see how wet it is.

Infants may have additional evaluations performed, including checking for a soft spot on the skull (sunken fontanelle),  and assessing the suck mechanism, muscle tone, loss of sweat in the armpits and groin, and muscle tone. All are signs of potential significant dehydration.

Pediatric patients are often weighed during routine child visits, thus a body weight measurement may be helpful in assessing how much water has been lost with the acute illness. This is very rough estimate because all scales are not the same, and for infants and children, it is important to know what clothing they were wearing when the original weight was taken.

Laboratory testing

The purpose of blood tests is to assess potential electrolyte abnormalities(including sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide levels) associated with the dehydration. Tests may or may not be ordered depending upon the underlying cause of dehydration, the severity of illness, the health care practitioner’s assessment of their needs and resources available.

Other blood tests may be helpful in determining the level of dehydration. Hemoglobin and red blood cell counts may be elevated because the blood is more concentrated with water loss.

Kidney function tests including BUN and creatinine may be elevated, and this is a sign of dehydration.

Urinalysis may be ordered to determine urine concentration, the more concentrated the urine, the more dehydrated the patient.

How is dehydration treated?

As is often the case in medicine, prevention is the important first step in the treatment of dehydration. (Please see the home treatment and prevention sections.)

Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This may be attempted by replacing fluid by mouth, but if this fails, intravenous fluid (IV) may be required. Should oral rehydration be attempted, frequent small amounts of clear fluids should be used.

Clear fluids include:

water (please note that water alone is not necessarily safe to use in infants and can lead to significant electrolyte problems, for this reason, Pedialyte or other balanced electrolyte solutions should be used.

clear broths,

popsicles,

Jell-O, and

other replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)

Decisions about the use of intravenous fluids depend upon the health care practitioner’s assessment of the extent of dehydration and the ability for the patient to recover from the underlying cause.

The success of the rehydration therapy can be monitored by urine output. When the body is dry, the kidneys try to hold on to as much fluid as possible, urine output is decreased, and the urine itself is concentrated. As treatment occurs, the kidneys sense the increased amount of fluid, and urine output increases.

Medications may be used to treat underlying illnesses and to control fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Can I treat dehydration at home?

Dehydration occurs over time. If it can be recognized in its earliest stages, and if its cause can be addressed, home treatment may be beneficial and adequate.

Steps a person can take at home to prevent severe dehydration include:

Individuals with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss. Clear fluids are recommended as the diet of choice for the first 24 hours, with gradual progression to a regular diet is recommended.

Loperamide (Imodium) may be considered to control diarrhea. If the affected individual has a fever, or if there is blood in the diarrhea, medical advice should be obtained before administering medications to control diarrhea.

Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever. Ibuprofen may irritate the stomach and cause nausea and vomiting, so it should be used with caution in patients who already have these symptoms.

Fluid replacements may be attempted by small, frequent amounts of clear fluids (see clear fluids information in previous section). The amount of fluid required to maintain hydration depends upon the individual’s weight. The average adult needs between 2 and 3 liters of fluid per day.

If the person becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed.

Emergency medical system (EMS) or 911 should be activated for any individual with altered mental status – confusion, lethargy, or coma.

What are the complications of dehydration?

Complications of dehydration may occur because of the consequences of dehydration, and/or because of the underlying disease or situation that causes the fluid loss.

Kidney failure

Kidney failure is a common occurrence and often is reversible, although if it is due to dehydration and is treated early. As dehydration progresses, the volume of fluid in the blood decreases, and blood pressure may fall. This can decrease blood flow to vital organs like the kidneys, and like any organ with a decreased blood flow; it has the potential to fail to do its job.

Coma

Decreased blood supply to the brain may cause confusion and even coma.

Shock

When the fluid loss overwhelms the body’s ability to compensate, blood flow and oxygen delivery to the body’s vital organs become inadequate and cell and organ function can begin to fail. If enough organs begin to malfunction, the body itself may fail and death can occur.

Heat-related illnesses and associated complications

In heat-related illness, the body’s attempt to cool itself by sweating may cause dehydration to the point that muscles may go into spasm (heat cramps). It is often the muscles that are being stressed that will spasm (for example, in people who work outside in a hot environment, arm and leg muscles may spasm from lifting and moving heavy objects or equipment; in athletes, leg muscles may cramp from running). As fluid loss increases, the symptoms of heat exhaustion can occur and include weakness, lightheadedness, nausea, and vomiting. If the symptoms are recognized and the patient isn’t moved from the heat and rehydrated, heat stroke may occur. The patient will stop sweating, have a change in mental status that includes confusion and coma, and the body temperature may spike to 106 F (41 C) Heat stroke is a true medical emergency and 911 or the emergency response system should be activated immediately in this situation.

Electrolyte abnormalities

In dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities may occur since important chemicals (like sodium, potassium, and chloride) are lost from the body through sweat. For example, patients with profuse diarrhea or vomiting may lose significant amounts of potassium, causing muscle weakness and heart rhythm disturbances. The doctor is often aware of the fluid and electrolyte balance in the dehydrated patient and may decide to monitor electrolyte levels by checking blood tests. Examples of symptoms caused by abnormal electrolyte levels include muscle weakness due to low potassium, heart rhythm disturbances due to either low or high potassium, and seizures due to low (hyponatremia) or high sodium (hypernatremia). In many patients with dehydration, the kidneys are able to compensate and regulate electrolyte levels.

It is important to remember that dehydration does not occur quickly, and sometimes it may take hours to slowly correct the fluid deficit and allow the electrolytes to redistribute themselves appropriately in the different spaces in the body. If rehydration is done too slowly, the patient may remain hypotensive and in shock for too long. If done too quickly, water and electrolyte concentrations within organ cells can be negatively affected, causing cells to swell and eventually die.

Can dehydration be prevented?

Environment: Dehydration due to the weather is a preventable condition. If possible, activities should not be scheduled in the heat of the day. If they are, adequate fluids should be available, and cooler, shaded areas should be used if possible. Of course, people should be monitored to make certain they are safe. Those working in hot environments need to take care to rehydrate often. In heat waves, it is important to routinely check on neighbors, especially the elderly or those that do not have air conditioning.

Environment: People exercising and working in a hot environment need to drink adequate amounts of water. People can become dehydrated in the ocean, lakes, or pools if the water and and environmental temperatures are warm enough.

Age: The young and elderly are most at risk because of poor temperature regulation systems. During heat waves, attempts should be made to check on the elderly in their homes. During the Chicago heat wave of 1995, more than 600 people died in their homes from heat exposure.

Heat related conditions: Know the signs and symptoms of heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Preventing dehydration is one step to avoid these conditions.

Dehydration at A Glance

The body needs water to function.

Dehydration occurs when water intake is less than water loss.

Symptoms range from mild to life-threatening.

The young and the elderly are especially susceptible to dehydration.