Hand cuts happen in the least convenient moments. You’re walking around and don’t pay attention where you’re landing your hand. Then, you feel something scratching it, and when you check your hands, it’s too late. Since minor cuts can be treated at home, you’re usually going to look for the nearest available product that can help you. The only problem is that most people get their aid from common wisdom.

The problem with that is that common wisdom is not always right. A minor cut can become a problem if you use the wrong product in the wound. Every time that you open a cut in your skin, you leave room for bacterial proliferation, which can lead to various infections. These infections can be major or minor.

So, that got me thinking can you put hand sanitizer on a cut? You cannot put alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a wound because what it will do is damage the tissue, and quite possibly worsen the injury. At the regular temperature, alcohol will not kill bacteria or disinfect anything. This is why you should stay away from it.

If you want to know what you can safely put in your open cut, you can find out below. You’ll see what kind of hand sanitizer can be applied or other kinds of products instead of alcohol or disinfectants.

The goal is to clean the wound and help the body heal faster. The alcohol and alcohol-based products will only worsen the cut by damaging the tissue. Maybe you can take a few first-aid lessons to learn this better, or read below to find out what you need to know.

Never Use Alcohol-Based Sanitizer

We’ve said it above, but getting more specific and detailed, you should not under any circumstance use alcohol-based product on your wounds. The reason is simple. The alcohol will damage your tissue and make even more vulnerable to bacterial infection.

The whole reason why people use alcohol or alcohol-based products is due to the belief that it will kill bacteria, but that’s not really true. To get something disinfected the alcohol would not be in those conditions that you normally find it.

So, if you can, take a first-aid class to better understand what you should do. There’s a great range of products and procedures that you can do to help your body heal faster, but alcohol isn’t one of them.

Soap & Water Are Great

If you don’t have anything to clean the wound, soap and water will do just fine. This is the best combination that you can use without risking causing more problems to your open cut. Remember that you don’t want to cause any unnecessary damage to the tissue.

The main reason why this will work really well is that the goal of cleaning the cut is to remove any debris or dirt from the wound. These things will make it easier for bacterial infection, which is what causes the pain you feel after the cut has already opened. Damaging your tissue will actually get in the way of your body healing process and make it easier on the bacteria in the wound.

So, if you only have alcohol, wash with soap and water instead. It will get the job done and not slow down your healing process. Once the cut is cleaned, your body will complete the healing process more easily and smoothly.

Antibacterial Sanitizer

Now, let’s talk about the best solutions to your problem in case you want to give your body the best conditions to heal faster and more easily. What you should do is apply hand-sanitizer that is anti-bacterial. This option has no alcohol, which will make sure that the tissue doesn’t get damaged. On the contrary, the tissue will heal faster once it gets cleaned by the antibacterial hand-sanitizer.

All, you have to do is to apply it and wash it with abundant water. Make sure that you clean the tissue thoroughly and that your cut is not that deep. In the case of deep cuts, the best that you can do is to go to a hospital.

So, give preference to antibacterial hand sanitizer. They’re really good to get rid of the bacterial infection that is already trying to form in the second that the cut opens. The CleanWell Botanical Antibacterial is the best antibacterial hand sanitizer that you can find. Pick it up here.

Alcohol-free Sanitizer

The next option for you to consider is alcohol-free hand sanitizer. The main problem of applying hand sanitizer on a cut is that you can potentially damage the tissue with the alcohol in the formula. Now, when you apply hand sanitizer that is free of alcohol, you eliminate that possibility.

It’s important that you read the formula to make sure that what you’re applying is really free of alcohol unless you get a hand sanitizer that specifically tells you that. Then, you can just apply it on the cut and go on with your day. It’s important though that you pay attention to your body reaction to make sure that it’s okay to apply the product.

So, look for alcohol-free hand sanitizer or make sure that the one you have is before applying it.  It will clean the cut from the bacteria and you won’t need to worry about damaging the tissue. The Purell SF607 Hand Sanitizer is a great alcohol-free hand sanitizer. Get yours here.

Hypoallergenic Sanitizer Is A Great Solution

Another great option to consider is hypoallergenic hand sanitizer. They’re perfect for people that have certain skin allergies. Especially those that have allergies to common substances that are in the formula of common hand sanitizers or other products. They’re less aggressive for any skin type and are obviously free of those substances that can cause allergic reactions.

The best way to use hand sanitizers or any other product that will come in direct contact with your skin is to test it before. For instance, apply a little bit on your hands and see if your body acts well. If not, wash it immediately, and if yes, you can go ahead an use it.

So, consider start using a hypoallergenic hand sanitizer. They’re less aggressive on your skin and great for people that have different types of skin allergies. The Puracy Natural is the go-to option for hypoallergenic sanitizers. Snatch yours here.

Hand Sanitizer For Babies Are Less Aggressive

Another great option for someone that has sensitive skin is hand sanitizer for babies. They’re made with the best products and the ones that are the least chemically aggressive. We’re talking about products that won’t be as aggressive to the tissue as the other types that you can find in the market.

Since they’re made for baby-related tasks, your skin will hardly have any problem applying them on a cut. As long as they don’t have alcohol, they won’t cause damage to the tissue. This is a great option for anyone that has sensitive skin or that wants to be as careful as possible with this.

As much as you may think that a little bit of alcohol won’t be a problem, it can potentially make your wound way worse than it currently is. So, look for the original baby hand sanitizers that actually have less aggressive formulas and will still clean your cut. The Babyganics Foaming Hand Sanitizer is the best option in this case. Take a look here.

Final Thoughts

You can put hand sanitizer as long as it’s alcohol-free, otherwise, you should not do it under any circumstance. If you keep this in mind, you’ll skip a lot of trouble that you could have with your cut. After all the goal is to help your body heal faster and not worsen the wound.

So, make sure to check one of the hand sanitizers recommended above. They’ll be a much better option instead of using alcohol or anything alcohol-based on your cut.

You must’ve noticed at some point that every mall, supermarket, or other public places with a large concentration of people have fire extinguishers in nearly every corner. If you own a public establishment, you also know that you must get one too. The reason is simple. It’s to abide by the fire department standards, so you can get the necessaire licenses to keep your place open.

Now, the reason behind is also simple. It’s for everyone’s safety. A fire can get started at any moment in any place. When you consider places that have lots of people coming and going, the dangers of a catastrophe are even worse. That’s why you should always have the fire extinguishers around. They’re reliable and the first-aid to combat a fire.

That got me thinking, can fire extinguishers expire? Fire extinguishers can expire even if they have not expiration date written on their vessels. There’s a period of 5-15 years that is recommended by manufacturers to replace the extinguishers if you haven’t. Now, there are a few things to help you do the maintenance throughout this period.

So, as long as you understand that you’re supposed to replace the fire extinguisher from time to time, you won’t have problems. Both with safety issues and the fire department. Now, below you can see everything that you need to know to make sure that your fire extinguisher will be in perfect conditions when you need it.

The 5-15 Years Rule

Many manufacturers do not explicitly state when it the expiration date for their fire extinguisher model. This causes all sorts of confusion among owners who are left wondering when they’re supposed to replace their model. Now, even though yours may not have an expiration date, manufacturers say that fire extinguishers last from 5 to 15 years.

Considering that this is a long-range, the best that you can do is to pay attention to certain signs and make sure that you follow instructions. All you have to do is to keep the vessel in the best conditions possible to make sure that it will work when you need it to.

So, be aware that your fire extinguisher will last between 5 to 15 years if kept under the right conditions. The first thing that you should always make sure is that the vessel is in good conditions and without scratches.

Check The Pressure Gauge Monthly

The first thing that you should always check is the pressure gauge. You must do this monthly. This will make sure that your fire extinguisher works. If the pressure is not right, the equipment will become useless. So, to check the pressure gauge, you should make sure that the needle is in the green area. If it is, it’s functional.

This is the most important thing that you should check to make sure that the extinguisher will work. This is so because you can’t really know otherwise if the extinguisher is functional or isn’t.      For instance, the fire extinguisher could last 15 years, but yours could have stopped working 2 years ago, and you wouldn’t know unless you checked the pressure gauge.

So, to make sure that yours last a long time, get one that has a verified high-quality and check the pressure gauge. If you’re looking for a new fire extinguisher that’ll last a long time, we recommend the First Alert Fire Extinguisher. Put out a fire fast here.

Have A Pro To Take A Look

Now, let’s say that you’re still suspicious or insecure about the fire extinguisher you already have. The best thing would be to get a new one. Still, if that’s not what you have in mind, you can get a pro to take a look and make sure that everything is alright. You can get someone from the fire department to check it out for you to make sure that yours is in perfect conditions.

They’ll check the pressure gauge, the state of the vessel, and look for signs that the equipment is not compromised. There are a few damages that are apparent and others that aren’t so much. If you know what you’re looking for, you can accurately determine that the extinguisher will not work properly.

So, even though that’s not the ideal situation, you can ask a professional opinion on your fire extinguisher. After all, you don’t want to risk it not working when you need it. You may want to consider buying your extinguisher from Amazon where you can also purchase professional installation.

Look For Certain Signs

There a few signs that make it obvious to you that you should replace your fire extinguisher. When you have one or more of these signs on your fire extinguisher, you cannot safely be certain that it’ll work. So, the best that you can do is to replace your fire extinguisher with a new one.

The first sign is a crack on the nozzle or the hose. Not only that but if it’s ripped or has debris blocking it, you should get a replacement. Another sign is when the blocking pin on the handle is unsealed or missing. If the handle is wobbly or broken it’s another sign as well. All of these signs are enough to determine that you need a replacement.

As you can see, there are a few signs that make it easier for you to be sure that you need replacement.  If that’s the case, you should get a new one that’ll come in perfect conditions. To ensure that it will last a long time and work when necessaire, the First Alert 1038789 Standard is great. Check it out here.

Make Sure The Vessel Is Always Intact

Fire extinguishers are not decoration items. They’re there to be the first line of defense to avoid a tragedy. They’re safety equipment that can save lives. Helping firefighters to put out a fire, fire extinguishers are crucial to have in a commercial building. That’s why you must take care of them.

So, with that said, you should be extra careful when it comes to their vessel. The red color is painted in the silver, aluminum vessel. This means that you should be careful with scratches and other things that can damage the vessel. If you notice that there are too many scratching marks or that the vessel is deformed, you should get a replacement.

As long as you take care of the state of the vessel and make sure that it’s always in good shape, the extinguisher will last longer. So, be careful to have it always as close as you can to their original appearance and condition.

Keep Your Maintenance Up-to-date

The last thing that you must do to make sure that your fire extinguisher will last a long time is to keep your maintenance up-to-date. Make sure to check it monthly. This will save you from a lot of headaches. For instance, not only check the vessel and its potential scratches but also the pressure gauge.

Also, make sure that you check other things like the tags and certificates that ensure that everything is in place. When you make sure that the maintenance is up-to-date you ensure your safety and everyone else’s. This is why it’s so important to have a regular schedule to check those things out.

So, check pressure gauge, tags, the vessel, and maybe have a pro taking a look at the equipment for you. As long as you do this, you won’t have anything to worry about. Also, make sure that the fire extinguisher that you get is a high-quality one.

Final Thoughts

So, a fire extinguisher can expire. You should be always on the lookout to make sure that yours is good to be used. Otherwise, it’s time to replace it. Obviously, being aware of when it’s time to replace it, can save lives and save you from a lot of trouble.

Go ahead and keep the maintenance up-to-date, check for all the signs that it’s good, and your fire extinguisher will last for a long time.

Everyone should have backup power supply options. When you first start prepping, it can seem overwhelming just to get your EDC together, but that’s why I’m here to help. When it comes to power backups, generators are fantastic. Solar is even better. However, having an inverter, like this one on Amazon, around can help stop your food from spoiling or keep your fans running in the middle of a heatwave.

Always keep at least two backup plans for your needs. Just as you need a bug-in plan and a bug-out plan, or EDC and long term storage, you need more than one power source. Inverters are all too often ignored by preparedness experts because there are more permanent solutions. However, if the roads are blocked, that bug-out-vehicle isn’t going anywhere, you can use the battery to help keep you and your family safe and thriving.

Can I run a mini-fridge off of an inverter? A decent inverter will give you enough juice to run a sixteen cubic foot refrigerator. That’s a full-size fridge, though not a deluxe model. In short, you can run more than just a mini-fridge off an inverter if you have the right one. 

Back To Basics

First, a quick lesson in electronics for those who don’t quite understand what an inverter does. Home electric systems and most appliances run off of AC. That’s alternating current, not air conditioning. Batteries are a form of DC or direct current.

To make a battery compatible with an AC device, you need to convert one form of power to another, which is precisely what your inverter does. In short, it turns battery power into useable household-type power. More importantly, it lets you run your appliances off of standard household wiring.

What is Power

Electricity is not complicated despite the myriad of ‘things’ we do with it. Literally, electricity in the DC form is just a flow of electrons around a circuit. It’s called direct current because the flow is constant and runs in one direction.

AC power is a little different. The power, electrons, still flow, but they change direction about sixty times a second. All the electrons in a power cord, for example, are in constant motion. However, they’re not all headed in the same direction, which works pretty much the same as having one continuous unending flow.

You can see where these two types of power might have a problem with one another. They aren’t compatible if you try to jam them together.

Why Do Cars Run Off of DC & Houses Run Off of AC

A battery is a form of DC power. The energy in the circuit when you connect it runs one direction. Hence a car, or remote control, or anything battery powered is a DC device. Our homes aren’t run on batteries because of a fight between two scientists. The swift and dirty version of the story goes something like this:

Thomas Edison wanted to run everything off of DC power. Nikola Tesla, on the other hand, favored AC. Edison tried very hard to discredit Tesla’s ideas, but Tesla was brilliant. Equally important, Tesla had a business partner, George Westinghouse, who ran Westinghouse Electrical Company. Tesla was the brains, but Westinghouse was more than just a businessman, he was better at marketing than Edison. Now our homes run on AC because Tesla and Westinghouse won the fight for the American public’s opinion and faith.

The Inverter’s Job

Making these two very different systems compatible might seem like a magic trick, but it’s not. A mechanical inverter uses electromagnetic switches. These switches turn on and off very quickly changing the direction. An electronic inverter, like the Energizer 4000 from Amazon, uses inductors and capacitors to do the same thing, but more smoothly. In short, they make DC behave like AC, and it tricks your devices into running off a different power supply.

How Much Power

Before you run out to grab the inverter of your dreams, there are some crucial questions you need to ask about your needs. For example, how long can you run your mini-fridge off of a battery and how many cells would it take you to run a mini-fridge for a year? Make a quick list of what you already have, if anything.

Let’s say you stocked up on some car batteries last time you saw a sale. Knowing what sort of mini fridge will run on them longest and what power rating you need on your inverter is a good start. Just an FYI, car batteries aren’t great for running inverters over long periods, more on that in a minute. Alternately, if you have nothing to start with, make sure you choose compatible items.

Running a Mini Fridge

Since they don’t run continuously, you need a reliable estimate of how long your mini-fridge runs in an hour. Use the middle of the day on a hot day and time it each time it runs for 2-3 hours. That will give you a good average. Multiply that by 24 hours to get a maximum daily run-time.

An incredibly energy efficient mini could run as little as 8 hours a day at 85 watts for 680 watt-hours per day. A hundred and ten volt AC inverter would keep that going just fine. Yours will probably vary. Larger and less efficient models typically range from 100-110 watts.

Batteries

Once you know how many watt-hours you need per day, check your batteries amp ratings. A decent car battery with a 90-hour amp rating can only run about 400v for a couple of hours. That means it’s not a practical solution for longer-term needs, but you could run a mini-fridge like the energy-efficient model in my example for a few hours.

A standard car battery isn’t meant to run at maximum for long. Furthermore, they aren’t meant to discharge fully at all if you can avoid it. Car batteries are intended to give a large current for a short time.

Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, can give current over an extended period of time. They’re designed for more prolonged use. Deep cycle batteries are a smarter option. You can even replace a gas-powered generator with this system.

The difference is all in the plates. Car batteries, which give that massive burst of energy needed to start a car, use very thin plates. Deep cycle batteries are the opposite, with thicker plates to provide long and consistent power. Additionally, you can use them over and over because they’re made to recharge.

Pro-Tip: Add Solar

If you add a solar collector to help recharge your deep cycle batteries, it changes the game. Rotate between two or more DCBs, and you can keep that mini-fridge running for ages. If you’re looking at a mid to long term solution for running your fridge, then I’d suggest using the solar-deep cycle rotation-inverter combo to get the most bang for your buck. Not to mention it will keep your food from spoiling and your beer cold.

Final Thoughts

Before you rush off to buy your new inverter, make sure you double-check your power draw on whatever refrigerator you want to use it with. If you plan to use your inverter to run more than just a fridge, you’ll need that information for every device. Do some basic addition to make sure you can run everything you need off of the inverter and power source you have.

Don’t forget about the intermittent nature of your refrigerator. Since mini-fridges don’t run continuously, so you need to know how long yours is actually running each hour. You can end up shorting yourself with the wrong calculation. Learning to use what you have efficiently is one of the best and most essential skills a prepper can possess.

Choose the right batteries and inverter for your needs. Don’t run a full-sized refrigerator if you live alone and only need a few cubic feet for an emergency. The less you use, the more you’ll have and the longer you can survive on your supplies.

Unless you’re a vegetarian, there’s nothing quite like a slab of salmon or a good steak to raise your dinner game and your spirits. If we’re honest, meat is good stuff. It smells and tastes spectacular because we are genetically programmed to be omnivorous. All you have to do is look at our teeth to know what we’re meant to eat. For most of us, that also means a tasty baked potato, some rolls, sauteed onions, and other side dishes.

Can you survive on an all-meat diet? Surprisingly, yes, it is possible to get everything you need from various forms of meat. However, you can’t just eat a steak for every meal and expect a long and healthy life. For example, you have to drink fermented meat products to get some of the nutrients you need. 

Eat What Your Body Needs

I don’t want to denigrate or bag-on anyone’s dietary choices here. We’re talking about survival under any circumstance that is survivable, so we need to be sensible adults about the issues involved. Limiting your options in either direction voluntarily is risky. Not unlike deciding to pack half a medical bag, or leaving your Bug-Out-Bag behind because it’s a little heavy and it makes you sweat to carry it.

Ideally, you need a wide variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits and some carbs at the very least, but that’s not quite the whole story. What you actually need is the ‘stuff’ your body extracts from these foods.

What a Body Needs

The building blocks of life, other than water and carbon, are pretty standard for all of us. To function properly, you need a whole laundry list of ingredients. Some you can live without for a long time, others will weaken you and eventually cause death if you can’t get them regularly. You might want to consider buying a multivitamin supplement like Amazon’s Solimo (found Here) as a backup for emergencies in addition to your other long term food storage solutions.

• Protein- Protein is in every cell of your body. Meats are a complete protein source.
• Carbs- Carbohydrate is not a bad word. Your body uses carbs for energy and makes antigens on the surfaces of your cells with them.
• Fiber- Without fiber, you won’t poop correctly. Unfortunately, that can make you sick and lead to constipation and diarrhea.
• Fat-Soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K- Different vitamins serve different purposes. For example, D is necessary for bone and immune health. Alternately, vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. Without it, you could bleed out from even a small cut.
• Water-Soluble Vitamins C, B, and Folate- Just like their fat-soluble cousins, these have various functions in your body, all of them essential to your health. Biotin and Pantothenic acid are also in the water-soluble group.
• Minerals Like Calcium and Iron- Calcium is what your bones are made from, and iron is necessary for healthy blood among other useful effects.
• Trace Elements such as Iodine and Fluorine- You only need a tiny amount of these, but without them, your body will weaken and could even die. Iodine, which many of us get in our Morton Salt is necessary for thyroid hormones.

Dangers of an All-Meat Diet

If you’re considering going full carnivore for a non-survival reason, you may want to think twice. It’s challenging to stay healthy when you eat only meat. As a result, when you tank your health, you are less capable as a survivor. Hence, make choices that give you the best chance of making it until you can establish a sustainable lifestyle without social conveniences. I’m not saying it can’t be done right, just be wary.

Fat

As demonized as fat is, it can be a lifesaver in a survival situation. Fat and bone marrow help build collagen, which keeps your skin, hair, and nails healthy, but too much is a bad thing. A high-fat diet can lead to obesity and heart troubles, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid all fats. Instead, be careful and check your own physical requirements based on age and any health issues you may have.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is tricky. Good cholesterol or HDL can still be bad for you if you have too much. Sadly, bad or LDL cholesterol contributes to heart disease and other vascular difficulties. Bad cholesterol, like the LDL present in meats, can clog up your arteries and eventually lead to death.

Sodium

All meats have naturally occurring sodium (Salt in layman’s terms). We need some sodium in our diets to stay healthy, but too much can lead to dehydration. A little salt keeps the balance of water around your cells working because it’s an electrolyte. Your body needs this for proper muscle and nerve function.

Excess sodium that your body can’t use causes you to retain water. As a result, your blood pressure goes up to compensate. If that sounds contrary to what I just said about dehydration, it’s not. Holding water and using water is not the same thing. Think of it like swallowing small balloons full of water instead of just drinking what you need.

Stay Healthy

If you plan to survive on meat alone, you’ll need a combination of meats. Choose organ meats, fermented meats, and a combination of fresh and carefully cooked options to feel your best. I suggest the Mountain House Classic Bucket of freeze-dried meats from Amazon to make quick meals and for long term emergency preparedness. Storing your meats in case of an eventual disaster is a great way to assure that, whatever your diet, you’ll be one of the survivors.

Long Term Meat Storage

There are numerous ways to store meat for the long haul. Preservation methods have been around for centuries. In fact, it’s about as old as humanity. Our early ancestors in the ice age froze their food outdoors. In warmer climates, using sunlight to dry food was the first form of dehydration used by humans. Down the centuries we’ve gotten very good at making our supplies last as long as possible.

Meat Storage For Emergencies

• Freezing- Frozen food isn’t perfect, but it will keep things from rotting quickly.
• Drying- We all know someone who has a food preserver that will dry apples, but drying beef, chicken, and fish are also popular choices. After all, who doesn’t like a bit of jerky now and then?
• Fermentation- Mostly made of water and time, this method of preservation allows us to create delicious and nutritious treats that are supremely healthy.
• Pickling- Adding alcohol or vinegar to food and sealing it for later use is a great way to preserve when you have too much to eat right away.
• Salt Cure- On long voyages, salt-cured meats were one way to keep a hearty crew in good health and keep your meats from going off. Of course, you have to soak salt-cured meat a long time, and there will still be a lot of salt in your meals.
• Canning- The process of cooking, cooling, and then storing your food inside airtight jars or metal cans is relatively recent. If you haven’t begun learning about the art of canning, I suggest you consider it. In the meantime, pick up some Keystone canned meats for your pantry from Amazon.
• Freeze Drying- The fast preservation of freeze-drying is the most recent in a long line of food preservation traditions. Like canning, it helps keep a great flavor in your food as well as extend it’s shelf life, sometimes for years.

DIY

Learning to preserve your food is an outstanding survival life skill. Of course, it’s useful now too because you can save a ton of money. Buy in bulk and make your own long term supplies while you learn the skill. I call that a win-win. Any of the methods I just mentioned can be done at home, though there are some exceptions. Certain types of freeze-drying pretty much require a commercial setup. Likewise, there are a few things you probably shouldn’t can yourself. This is because the risk of botulism and other issues are just too considerable without ultra-high temperatures you’d be hard-pressed to reach in a kitchen.

Final Thoughts

Switching to an all-meat diet is not for everyone. Much like becoming a raw, paleo, keto vegan, it requires research and scrupulously rigid diet control to succeed. Additionally, some people simply cannot process that much meat. Most vitally, you’ll need to watch your cholesterol, especially if you have other related heart issues.

Where survival is concerned, your best bet is to be as flexible as possible. A restricted diet is one of the first things that usually fail when the SHTF. Practically speaking, you need all the resources available to you when times get tough. You may not find all the meat you need right away even if you’re a great hunter.

If you plan to live on meat alone, have a good stock of canned and freeze-dried meats on hand. You’ll want enough to keep you and whatever carnivores you live with to eat for a couple of years at least.

Not feeling the bite until it’s too late, plus the itching. Then the annoying sound of their buzz drives you crazy. These are just some of the reasons we all hate mosquitoes. No one wants to be a meal for miniature vampires who might leave you with a disease.

Is mud a good mosquito repellent? Unfortunately, mud is a mediocre mosquito repellent at best. If you coat your body thickly enough to keep the bugs out then, you’re covered in drying mud. You need to reapply often and stay moist to avoid cracking your protective layer. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if something works when it’s not practical. 

Mosquito-Borne Diseases

More than a nuisance, mosquitoes are a source of illness and danger to humans. Even animals are at risk, so don’t forget to protect fido and fluffy during mosquito season. Mosquitos can carry heartworm.

Avoiding unnecessary illness and preventable death is one of those common-sense things, so few people think about regularly. Unsurprisingly, anyone who’s seen the Hunger Games knows that most survivors aren’t going to die from murders. Instead, they die from a lack of sense and necessary skills.

For humans, there are nearly a dozen diseases you could get from a mosquito bite. Because many are deadly or debilitating, mosquito diseases are a significant issue for survival. The last thing you need when the chips are down is more problems. Use a good repellent such as my favorite plant-based option REPEL. You can get yours right here on Amazon.

• Malaria

This parasite can be deadly if left untreated. Symptoms range from infections to stomach upset, shaking chills, high fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. More seriously, profuse sweating, headache, nausea, and vomiting, among other issues, can occur.

• Chikungunya

Most often, the Chikungunya virus causes fever and joint pain. You may get a headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. Usually, it’s not deadly, but it can be debilitating.

• Dengue Fever

High fever, muscle, and joint pain or rash are common for Dengue. Severe cases can have bleeding and shock, which could be deadly.

• Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever can cause heart, liver, and kidney problem in severe cases. Other symptoms include pain in the abdomen or muscles, loss of appetite, fever, chills, and nausea. Sadly, the more dangerous symptoms include vomiting, fatigue, yellow skin and eyes, headaches, bleeding, and delirium.

• Eastern Equine Encephalitis

With a one-in-three death rate, EEE is really bad news. Symptoms include altered mental status, seizures, headaches, high fever, muscle pain, photophobia, and meningeal irritation.

• St. Louis Encephalitis

Nine out of ten people survive this virus with modern medicine, but when the SHTF, you probably won’t have access to hospitals. Mild symptoms are a headache, high fever, neck stiffness, and tremors. Severe symptoms include occasional convulsions stupor, disorientation, coma, and spastic paralysis.

• LaCrosse Encephalitis

With seizures, coma, and paralysis on the more severe end of this disease, it’s most dangerous to the young and the elderly. Typically it affects people more like a non-specific summertime illness.

• Western Equine Encephalitis

The good news is that only around 5-15% of patients die from this disease. The bad news is half of surviving infants will have permanent brain damage. Symptoms include high fevers, neck stiffness, confusion, headaches, shaking and seizures, paralysis, and coma.

• West Nile Virus

Despite the rumors and fearmongering only about one in every hundred-fifty people will die from West Nile Virus. Mild symptoms range from head and body aches to fever, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rash. Serious cases might include sleepiness, disorientation, stiff neck, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and coma.

• Zika Virus

While many of the mosquito-borne diseases are bad, Zika is one of the most horrific. When you have a family or want one, then this is vital. Although Zika doesn’t kill people often on the record, it certainly can. More importantly, it can kill or cause permanent damage to unborn children.

According to the Mayo Clinic Zika has, “…been linked to miscarriage and microcephaly, a potentially fatal congenital brain condition. Sadly, the Zika virus may also cause congenital Zika syndrome, which includes these birth defects: Severe microcephaly with a partly collapsed skull. Brain damage and reduced brain tissue.”

Discourage Mosquitoes

You can’t avoid every problem and illness when you’re in a survival situation. Luckily, you can prepare smarter and help prevent unnecessary issues. Take care of your health, and keep your survival gear and skills current.

Actual repellents, like the permethrin I get from Amazon, for clothing, work beautifully to keep virus bearing mosquitos away. I suggest always keeping some on hand. Still, there are some other things you can do to help deter mosquitos from heading your direction.

• Choose light-colored clothing

Darker colors draw the bugs to you. Plus they hold in heat better, which is undesirable during peak mosquito season, which is when it’s hot out.

• Wear loose clothing that covers your body

It may seem counter-intuitive to wear full sleeves and long pants in summer. Realistically, take a lesson from anyone who’s ever lived in or worked outside in a desert and go with the flow(y) when picking your summer wardrobe. Skip the sandals, and you won’t get bitten on your feet.

• Tuck it in

Wear pants you can tuck into your boots or shoes. Tuck in your shirt or undershirt, and button your sleeves and collar all the way up. Less exposed skin is less risk; it’s that simple.

• Pick a hat with mosquito netting

Yes, it’s silly looking, but it’s also very practical. Plus a net hat will look better than a bunch of swollen and red lumps on your face from mosquito bites.

• Hang out by the fire

Wood smoke tends to deter mosquitoes and other bugs, so building a fire will help keep them away. Please be aware, a charcoal grill or tiki torch isn’t a good substitute for a real, honest-to-goodness wood-burning fire.

Taking extra steps to protect yourself from mosquitoes has other beneficial side effects. Less exposed skin means fewer chances for sunburn, ticks, and other issues that arise in nature. Nothing beats being savvy as a preventative measure.

Prevent Mosquitoes At Bug-In & Bug-Out Locations

Even scratching yourself open and getting a small infection is a much bigger deal in a survival situation. When you don’t have enough water for regular bathing, or access to new medical supplies, small things can become deadly. Protecting your body with a good repellant and the right clothing is the first step. Next, you need to lower the risk by preventing mosquitoes near home. 

Plant Natural Repellents

If you can plant lemon trees, eucalyptus or citronella, do so immediately. Having your natural mosquito repellants around will help in the long run. Since they take time to grow and reach maturity, it’s best not to wait until you need them.

Other Plants That Prevent Mosquitos

• Clove
• Cedar
• Lavender
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Lemongrass
• Geraniums

Reduce Standing Water

Make sure you have adequate drainage to avoid standing pools of water. Fill in potholes and puddles with gravel and soil, so they don’t become mosquito breeding grounds. If you have gutters, don’t let them clog up. Likewise, if you’re using any water catchments like rain barrels, and you should, cover them. Anytime you’re not using them, put a lid on it, so bugs and debris don’t get inside.

Debris Removal & Coffee

When no standing water is available, mosquitoes lay their eggs in damp areas. Rotting logs, moist soil, and piles of leaves are perfect examples of breeding grounds. Keeping your home and the area around it clean is essential for sanitation anyhow. Preventing insect invasions is a happy side effect. Anywhere you can’t get all the water and debris up, sprinkle coffee grounds to kill mosquito larvae.

Foggers, Candles & More

Tiki torches full of citronella make a great light source and help keep the biters away. Similarly, you can pick up candles infused with lemon oil or other preventatives. In fact, you can even get DEET free Murphy’s Mosquito Sticks on Amazon. They burn for a long time, and I love the smell, so I use them all summer and keep them in my preps because the tubes are easy to pack. 

Chemicals

Also, consider using a fogger or similar solution in your yard when the summer hits. Foggers will cover a fuller area and don’t require as much effort. You can use handheld sprayers if you prefer. The ability to spot check areas with extra moisture is a nice bonus. Controlling the whole area around your home is a big task, but very doable. Moreover, it could save your life when TEOTWAWKI happens, and you can’t call an exterminator.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ever stuck in the woods while it’s raining, you could probably slather yourself in the mud like you’re trying to avoid the Predator. However, there are much better ways to ward off the Zika, Dengue Fever, or Malaria that mosquitoes can carry. Choose a good repellent with permethrin or eucalyptus for your EDC.

Ignoring the problem can lead to severe consequences, and not just annoying itchy bumps. Just as forgetting your sunscreen can result in cancer. Likewise, mosquito repellent is one of those necessary small items that can save your skin. You won’t find this on any preparedness list, but simply not signing up for additional issues is almost a skill on its own.

When you’re in a bind, use whatever you can and survive. Preparedness is just a great way to make sure you have a lot more on hand to help raise your chances of making it.

 

Microchipping pets is a practice that has been around for years. Locating lost dogs and cats has saved many pet owners trouble and heartache. The chips in our credit cards are newer. Resultantly, people have some concerns about the abuse of tech and hacking. However, it is people chipping that has always been a tetchy topic.

While the uses of RFID and the safeguards to prevent theft and tampering are many and growing all the time, people worry about having a trackable chip with personal data inside them. The typical counterarguments range from biblical references to baseless fears over cancer. However, the question of individual liberty and privacy is a different matter.

Will the RFID chip be mandatory? Unfortunately, I can’t accurately predict the future. There are some solid indications that RFID chips, implanted or not, are becoming ubiquitous. However, they won’t be mandatory as implants anytime soon. Lawmakers in at least twenty states have already enacted legislation protecting some or all people from this sort of oversight to prevent abuse. 

What’s In It For Me

The myriad uses of RFID chips extend well beyond credit cards and locks. Let’s take a look at what this technology is doing for us already.

• Asset Tracking- The ability to check in every individual item at every stop along its route is changing business. Tracking from manufacturing to the consumer cuts out much of the theft and abuse potential. Fewer losses mean more profit for companies. Additionally the ability to scan means you cut wasted work time. Employees don’t have to visually verify an item or shipment since their RFID scanner can do that with no delay.
• Lost Pets- Chipped pets are scannable. Happily, that lets you get them back promptly.
• Keyless Entry- From Private homes to cars and secure facilities, RFID chips as key fobs, badges or implants make sure no one gets in who shouldn’t be there.
• Attendance- Whether in school ID’s or a document implant in ticket stubs, RFID can verify attendance rates. Sometimes it can log individuals. As implants, it could guarantee students were in school. Plus RFID would cut down on wasted learning time since teachers wouldn’t need to handle role calls.
• Laundry- From uniforms and hotel towels to hi-tech dry cleaning solutions, not losing your washables thanks to RFID is revolutionizing the Laundry industry.  Saving time and money is always a bonus.
• Borrowers- Movie rentals and even libraries can easily use RFID tags to be certain whether their stock is in-stock.
• Racing- Figuring out the winner doesn’t need to rely on a visual confirmation when an RFID chip can scan in at the speed of light and leave no question which crossed the line first.
• So Much More- Starting with the ability to interact with smart objects, RFID chips are on the verge of taking the IoT (Internet of Things) by storm.

This list is far from complete. New uses for RFID chips are being added daily.

Unfortunate Side Effects

The downside of microchip implants should be evident after the Snowden revelations, but let’s take a more in-depth look into the dark side of chipping everything. From involuntary tracking to hackers, there are plenty of reasons to approach RFID with caution, but is it more dangerous than current technology?

Tracking

First, you need to understand that there are three types of RFID chips: Active, semi-active, and passive chips work differently. An active chip transmits continually when powered, and a passive chip only responds to an electrical query and uses the energy from the signal request to respond. A semi-active chip needs a battery. While any variety can be tracked with the right equipment, you cannot, for example, track RFID by satellite as though it was GPS.

The good news is that RFID chips can be keyed to respond only to a particular device. Unfortunately, radio frequencies can be ‘tuned in’ by anyone with sufficient technology. Luckily, RFID is among the safest and most secure technologies ever created.

It’s Not What You Think

Tracking chips don’t allow for continuous following as GPS does. It merely allows someone with the right equipment to see the chip at close range. This verifies that the item, or pet, is where the reader scanned it. Chips would be useful for shipping containers, schools, offices, and vets, but not so great for spies and stalkers.

Embedding RFID in documents or credit cards actually makes them much harder to forge. Research teams at North Dakota State University made some stunning breakthroughs in embedding RFID. For documents that means things like a currency would be much harder to counterfeit. Laser Enabled Advanced Packaging uses a laser to transmit and assemble incredibly tiny chips onto paper and other flexible surfaces. Believe it or not, this means more security instead of less.

Hacking

A secure encrypted signal might be picked up, but it would be more complicated than you expect to unscramble the information in any useable way. Not to mention, RFID is capable of much more than what we’ve done with it so far. For example, we can now open car and house doors. Likewise, secure checkpoints for high-security businesses can use chips to keep intruders out.

A hacker who picks up an RFID signal can’t necessarily use that for anything. While the potential for abuse is always there, a hacker would need some incredibly expensive and specific equipment to create a second chip. Not to mention, they have to program it with the original signal they stole. The short explanation is that chipped items are less prone to abuse than traditional methods because of the RFID chips.

In The End

Think about it this way. If someone steals your wallet and it has cash, they scored and can spend it. The second thieves try to use an RFID the chip reader sends a signal to your bank. Store surveillance can show who used the card based on the time stamp on the video.

Furthermore, a thief can’t use it as a debit and take money from your accounts without your PIN. RFID cards don’t transmit PIN codes. Also, credit card fraud is protected by the FDIC. Your money is safe, despite the hassle, as long as society functions. But for those still desiring or finding the need for added protection, There are plenty of RFID Blocking products available on Amazon. To find out more, Click Here.

Cancer

The big “C” is a word frequently used to scare people. Cancer is frightening. Back in 2007, there were some serious concerns over RFID chips causing cancer in animals and what that might mean for humans. Scott Silverman, the CEO of VeriChip Corp told the Associated Press that “millions of pets have RFID implants and there have been no reports of significant problems,” according to medical news today. They also note that it is significantly easier to cause cancer in lab rats than in humans. That’s part of what makes them such ideal test subjects.

In case you are unclear on what all that means, there is no evidence that RFID causes cancer in humans. Furthermore, the radiation from RFID chips might save lives. There’s some sound evidence that “…found that the energy effectively killed/retarded the growth of the three different types of cancer cells.” That means that not only does RFID not cause cancer, but it may, in fact, be a more effective method of treating cancer cells.

New Old Criminal Activities

Some people would rather die, or carry a severed hand with them from a properly chipped person than be tracked, and they admit it openly. All you have to do is read the comments on a story about mandatory chipping to see how crazy people get. Moreover, we know for a fact that thieves will cut someone’s hand off to get at valuables. In 2014 a woman was held down in broad daylight in LA and her attackers cut her hand off for a watch and a bracelet.

Conclusions About the Worst Problems Related to RFID

While the idea of mandatory chipping sounds awful, the reality of what it means isn’t as bad as naysayers fear. Indeed, having your hand cut off is horrifying. At least a chip is less noticeable than an expensive watch, which puts you at the same risk. Additionally, the risks of hacking and cancer are less than negligible.

Can The Government Make Me Get a Chip

Hopefully, you know enough about how the world works to understand it’s preposterous to wonder if the government can flex its muscles. Simply put, yes, it could force you if the legislation changed enough to allow it. Of course, when things are that bad, then citizens usually resist and fight back.

Beyond concerns of violence to obtain false information, there’s already been a petition to prevent human implantation. Sadly the petition was based on false claims and as a result, was mostly unsupported.

India

In Delhi, RFID chips became mandatory for commercial vehicles this month. Is that a sign of things to come? Maybe, but then again, license plates are compulsory for vehicles, and we don’t have those attached to our trousers yet. The US government even discussed using tags for migrant workers, but given the objections, the idea was dropped. At least, for now, you should be safe, but your pets, wallets, cars, and even your clothing is a different story.

Reality Check

The real problem with RFID chips in people isn’t that they’ll be mandatory for US citizens anytime soon, it’s that they’ll be optional. To be perfectly honest, RFID is looking a lot like it will be the new cell phones, bank accounts, or credit cards. You probably won’t be required to have a chip.  However, refusing may put you at a severe disadvantage. There will be options that are closed to you.

RFID Privacy

There’s a relatively simple, yet unexplored option for resolving the RFID chip problem, at least for most daily uses. If you have a chip in your wallet, then you already know RFID reader blockers exist. Many of us carry RFID protection wallets already. Some of the are useful, and others are more like novelty items. Before we talk about the solution, there are two things you need to know.

Skimming Doesn’t Work

First and foremost, RFID skimming may exist, but there has never been a recorded incident of RFID skimming theft that was verified. The kicker here is that the data transmitted doesn’t include the necessary codes to use the information. In short, there’s no such thing as RFID crime. Now that you know that, it makes this next part almost pointless, but I’ll share it anyhow.

RFID Blocking

Secondly, RFID blockers are variable. Some are less useful than foil and others work just fine. Primarily, at this point someone can read ‘something’ off a chip, but not something useful, so buying and selling RFID blockers is a bit of a scam. However, given the potential future uses of the tech, you might want to look into RFID blocking material.

While the materials vary as much as their effectiveness, a blend of copper and nickel wires creating a faraday cage-like effect is pretty effective at mucking up the transmission. You can pick up these materials now. Resultantly, you might want to look into keeping a bolt of RFID blocker material in your emergency preparedness supplies. After all, it could also be great for keeping other equipment safe from an EMP or similar attack.

Final Thoughts

Will RFID chips be mandatory for people? What about livestock, pets, paperwork, and shipments? RFID will likely become the dominant technology that helps us keep track of vital things. Encoding a chip in a patient with Alzheimer’s who wanders off so that they can be safely picked up by police or medical staff and sent home promptly is just one example of how RFID will help.

The abuse potential is undeniable. Anything that can contain all your personal information and open everything from your house to your bank accounts is a potential disaster. However, I would strongly suggest tempering the paranoia. After all, a safe can do the same if it has keys and bank info inside. Plus, they’re a lot easier to get into than an encoded RFID chip.

RFID as a security measure might turn out to be more useful than dangerous. Sadly, that doesn’t mean it’s foolproof. Most importantly, if RFID chips are suddenly required by law, someone will find a way to exploit them.