Page 114 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

“ ... AN
OUNCE OF
PREVENTION
IS WORTH A
POUND OF
CURE.” THAT
OLD SAYING
IS NEVER
TRUER THAN
IN A SURVIVAL
SITUATION.

Lack of enough supplies for the number
of people in your group is the biggest
mistake made by the survival medic. You
can never have enough; any extras would
be valuable barter items. Be wary of kits
that claim to be sufficient for 25 or 50
people, as they are often advertised: Just › When the
SHTF, the
one major hemorrhage can take up the survival medic
will need to
entirety of the bandages in these kits. If deal with dental
you doubt this, empty a liter or two of issues, as well.
fluid onto the floor and see how many
bandages are needed to absorb it.
Although I suggest that medical supplies
could be useful for barter purposes, I
believe it is best to conserve them—while
freely offering to help all who need
medical help. Once it is known you have
skills, supplies and a willingness to help,
you’ll become so valuable to others in
your community that they will expend
resources to protect you.
Another mistake made by the medic
is preparing for traumatic injuries while
ignoring the lesser issues that can affect
work efficiency. Toothaches, foot fungus
and hemorrhoids are just some of the
problems that can plague group members
and make them less productive.
A significant error by the medic is the
failure to know what plants and other
natural substances in their area might
have medicinal benefits. For instance,
aloe plants can be helpful for burn
care. The green underbark of willow
trees and others contains salicin, the
original ingredient in the first aspirins.
Eventually, commercial products will › Anxiety and
depression
be expended, so it’s important to learn will be daily
what’s in your own backyard that can challenges
help you keep your people healthy. Use for the medic
in a survival
all the tools in the medical toolshed. situation.

114 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2017]

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