Powdered Charcoal for Medical Uses.

Original Article

from Preparedness Advice Blog by admin

Activated charcoal U.S.P, is a pure naturally produced, wood charcoal carbon.  One teaspoonful has a surface area of more than 10,000 square feet.  This allows it to adsorb large amounts of chemicals or poisons.  Always store charcoal in a tightly sealed container.  It readily adsorbs impurities from the atmosphere.  Charcoal from burnt toast is not effective, and charcoal briquettes can be dangerous because they contain fillers and petrochemicals to help them ignite.

Activated charcoal can help with mild digestive upsets, stop diarrhea, viral and bacterial infections. Activated charcoal adsorbs toxins, renders them inert and carries them through the digestive tract. Charcoal is not metabolized or digested by the human body. It is a valuable aid in the treatment of accidental poisonings.
A 1981 study shows that activated charcoal cuts down on the amount of gas produced by beans and other gas-producing foods.  Charcoal adsorbs excess gas as well as the bacteria that form the gas.  It is also helpful in relieving symptoms of nervous diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea,  spastic colon, indigestion, and peptic ulcers.  For such problems, it is suggested that you take 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon of powdered charcoal up to 3 times a day.  Take it between meals, as food can reduce its effectiveness.  If you are using charcoal tablets instead of capsules mix the charcoal in a glass of water and drink.

Activated charcoal is inexpensive, simple to use and is a time-tested natural remedy that has many valuable uses without dangerous side effects

Do not take charcoal with other medications it may adsorb and inactivate them.  Usually you can take charcoal two hours before or after other medications . If you are taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor before beginning treatment with charcoal.

Tablets or capsules of activated carbon are used in many countries as an over-the-counter drug to treat diarrhea, indigestion, and flatulence

The 1 July 1977 issue of the Special Forces Medical Specialist Handbook in Appendix 33 Primitive Medicine in a Survival Situation discusses the uses of charcoal.  One of the big problems in prisoner of war camps in Korea was dysentery.  One of the treatments that helped was to take charcoal.  Their method was to take a partially burned piece of wood, scrape off the charred portions and swallow them.  They would take about a handful.  This charcoal was not activated but still helped.  The more you break it into powder the better.
If you decide to make your own, use charcoal from a fire in which only clean wood has been burned.
I have used charcoal for upset stomach problems for many years with good success.  I always keep some around.  It is is available at most health food stores, some pharmacies and on the internet.

Howard

Survival Kit: Signal Mirror

Original Article

from Modern Survival Blog - surviving hard times by Ken (MSB)

A signal mirror is one of the many things that you could choose to add to your survival kit. It is a tool that could save your life. A signal mirror is, you guessed it, a mirror – but it’s design and purpose is to alert others of your location.

An ordinary reflective mirror is better than nothing, and will work if handled properly. The thing is, it will not be as effective as a mirror designed to be a ‘signal mirror’ which includes features that help you to aim the mirror precisely at the target (an aircraft, ship, vehicle, spotter, etc.).

The secret to a true signal mirror is something called retro-reflecting material, or a retro-reflective mesh style ‘aimer’.


“Retro-reflective” means that the light is reflected back to the source. In the context of a signal mirror aiming device (the round hole and mesh in the middle), this material consists of tiny glass beads glued to a mesh screen, which creates a fireball on the mesh (an image of the sun), which is used to indicate where to point the mirror. You tilt the mirror to overlay the fireball on your target.



The original patent for the signal mirror (# 2,557,108) was issued in 1951 to inventor, Richard Hunter.

A few key notes from the Mil-Spec…
Military Specification MIL-M-18371D(ASG), Mirrors, Emergency Signaling

• 2 different types of signal mirror, a 2×3″ and a 3×5″
• 2 layers of glass laminated together with a sighting device and lanyard
• Wide angle retro reflecting material for sighting

Signal Mirror Aiming Instructions:

• Reflect sunlight from mirror onto a nearby surface, hand, etc.
• Slowly bring mirror up to eye level and look through sighting hole. You will see a bright light spot. This is the aim indicator.
• Hold the mirror close to the eye and slowly turn and manipulate it so that the bright light spot is on the target.
• Even though no aircraft or ships are in sight, continue sweeping the horizon, for mirror flashes may be seen for many miles, even in hazy weather.

Note: Never look directly at the sun, that includes through the aiming hole!

Not every signal mirror is made from glass. In fact most are made with plastics and other reflective coated materials for lighter weight and cost. However, the signal flash produced from a glass mirror cannot be beat. Here’s one that I found online:
Military Glass Signal Mirror


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How to Light Up Your World, part 1: Oil Lamps

Original Article

from PreppingToSurvive.com by Laura

“Light” and “darkness” have been important features since the creation of the world.  The two opposites provide division of our days and help set the rhythm of our body clocks.  In addition to providing us the opportunity to see once the sun has gone down, light has always been important to people as a source of comfort.
We like to have candles to light when a storm knocks out the power.  We want to have a flashlight handy to determine the cause of the thump in the night.  If the electrical grid should fail for any length of time, how would you provide that precious light?
In this series, I want to cover some of the various possibilities you might consider for light sources.  I will focus on one or two per posting, discussing the pros and cons of that source, and list some choices in style or brand.  I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions too.

Oil Lamps

The oil lamp has been around in one form or another for a LONG time.  One of my favorite passages in the Bible even mentions the wise young ladies who brought extra oil along for their lamps and those who ran out while they waited (Matthew 25) .
An oil lamp can be made at home with found materials-  as simple as a wick of some sort sticking up out of a jar of olive oil or even something fun and unusual.  There are also lots of reputable companies that make durable ones, too.  Lehman’s carries some.  Beyond the old-timey looking and lantern styles, there are some beautiful tabletop versions that look like porcelain or brass lamps even.

Benefits vs. Drawbacks

Some of the pros for choosing oil lamps for a light source include:
1.  you have a choice of oils to use-  kerosene, “lamp oil, and olive oil will all usually burn in the typical oil lamp.   It’s possible to even burn used cooking oil, but it will likely give off the smell of whatever you cooked in it
2.  they can be nearly odorless- kerosene is the exception here
3.  little to no smoke-  this will depend on what type of oil you choose, but they tend to produce less smoke than candles and some other fuels
4.  many can be hung or mounted on the walls to provide something like a sconce;  others are made to be portable
And the cons:
1.  kerosene is a non-renewable fossil fuel that produces an odor many find disagreeable, especially indoors
2.  it’s not advisable to put different kinds of fuel/oil in the same lamp.  Many advise replacing the wick if you have to empty the lamp and fill with a different oil
3.  lamps need occasional cleaning and filling
4.  lamps may contain breakable glass
I’d advise stocking oil and extra wicks.  If you run out of wicks, it is possible to fashion your own.  Note that the addition of salt to the wicking material will help make it stiff and slow down the rate of burn of the wick itself.
Important note:  In the U.S., “paraffin” oil is a liquid candle-like oil.  In the UK, “paraffin” means kerosene.  Be sure you know what you are buying and how it can safely be burned.  Kerosene is less viscous and draws up the wick more easily, often producing a brighter light.  It has a lower “flash point” than paraffin lamp oil.  Sometimes lamps or wicks work better with one fuel vs. the other.  Be sure you read the instructions that come with any lamp you purchase.  NEVER put an unapproved petroleum based oil in a lamp to burn- it may explode!
Got a favorite brand of lamp or oil?  Any tips to share?  Do you scent the oil?  Please share in the comments section below.

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Grains: Millet

Original Article

from Safely Gathered In by Abs

 

Millet is a type of grain cultivated in East Asia. It is safe to eat for those with celiac disease, making it a good grain to store in your food storage in place of wheat.

To make millet we need water...and millet.

Add 1 cup millet to a pan

and add 3 cups water.   The ratio to cook millet is 1 part millet to 3 parts water.

Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat for 12 minutes.  When that 12 minutes is up, remove from heat entirely and keep covered for another 20 minutes.

After the cooking time is over, this is what your millet will look like. All the water will have been absorbed by the millet.  It looks a bit like couscous at this point. Although a bit thicker.

Fluff with a fork and add seasonings. Millet is very bland on its own so be sure to add salt and pepper and other seasonings if desired.  You could also cook the millet in chicken broth/vegetable broth instead of water if desired.

I believe Mountain Man added dried parsley and oregano, and a little lemon juice to this version.

Serve as the main carbohydrate alongside your protein and vegetable!

I thought millet tasted like a cross between couscous and quinoa.  With the right seasonings, it was quite delicious.


Millet

1 cup millet
3 cups water
salt and pepper
other seasonings (optional)

Combine millet and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat, let simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat entirely and let sit for 20 minutes (keep covered).  Fluff with a fork and add seasonings as desired.

Makes 4 servings




Have any of you tried millet before? What did you think?  Any tips for us?

The Value of Books Post-Collapse

Image via Wikipedia

Original Article

from TEOTWAWKI Blog by TEOTWAWKI Blog / Alexander Wolf

 

In the comet/apocalypse classic Lucifer's Hammer, one of the survivors takes the effort to cache hundreds of books--individually sealed and then buried an a cleared out septic tank. They're books on a wide range of topics--science, industry, history--with the intent that they could be used to one day rebuild civilization.

No survivor should be without a library of useful books, be they military manuals and survival guides, technical manuals, religious texts, histories or more theoretical. They can teach useful skills and knowledge pre-collapse, and help with survival and rebuilding efforts if/when the collapse comes.

In this day and age of easily available internet info and digital readers, physical printed books are often overlooked. Unfortunately, in a collapse scenario, this information would quickly become unavailable. Good luck getting those how-to's on YouTube when the grid is down.


Printing could quickly become a valued skill post-collapse. Community bulletins, newsletters and updates could become a primary means of communication. Then there's of course the ability to copy other books and print new ones--the printing press is hailed as one of man's greatest achievements for a reason. Something to think about for those considering their role in an apocalyptic society.

A library of useful books could also become a source of barter and support--some books could become essentially priceless. Without the grid--computers, TV, movies--even B-grade novels would be highly valued as forms of diversion and escape.

I'm one of those who dislikes the massive clutter that comes with a large book collection, so the siren's call of digital readers is sweet to me. An eReader like a Kindle powered by a solar set up is a potential option, and a heck of a lot more mobile than a library of a couple thousand books. Unfortunately, they're prone to damage, breaking, etc. We have printed books that are centuries old--let's see your Kindle last that long.

What are some of your must-have books for after the fall of civilization? What's your strategy--are you focused on a single topic of interest (woodlands survival, blacksmithing, medical, etc.) or more widely spread?