Survival Tampon

One of the most beneficial skills of anyone during an emergency is their ability to think outside of the box. Anyone can use an item for its intended purpose and you will receive little applause, but take an item and using it successfully for an unintended purpose is what separates the men from the boys. The tampon is a common hygiene product that more than half of the world is somewhat familiar with and an item this common deserves some thought into alternative uses for survival.

So tampons are sterile which means they can make excellent dressings for lacerations, GSW’s, and any other time where a bandage is needed and you don’t have anything but a tampon laying around.

It is very important for tampons to be kept dry and since the manufactures do such a good job at sealing these, the contents are often dry under almost any circumstance making for excellent fire starters.

After the contents are used to start you fire you can keep the remaining matches in the packaging to keep them dry.

The wrapper if opened carefully from one end can then be sealed shut by melting after filling it with air to use as a fishing bobber.

However small the string is it can be unwrapped and the small fibers tied together for a short amount of cordage.

Tampons can be cut and used to stop nose bleeds. First you should cut the tampon into thirds. Then take one third and place it into each nostril to block the flow of blood. Then take the remaining third and place it firmly under the upper lip. The part placed under the upper lip places pressure on the main blood vessels supplying the nasal region and will slow blood flow. Also remember to remind the patient to tilt their head forward tucking the chin against the chest to prevent extra blood from being swallowed which may cause emesis (puke).

I am not sure how common the need is for a survival fuse but the material could be ignited and may burn slow enough to give you time to get away. I am not to be held responsible if you make a bomb and blow yourself up.

The contents of the tampon can in theory be used to filter water as a pre filter but it doesn’t remove bacteria or chemicals so be careful when using this option.

The applicator tube can be used as a blow tube for concentrating oxygen on a set of coals while burning a container into a log. This is the same way the Indians used when making a dug out canoe.

It can be used as a lens cleaner. This may not sound very important but if you are dirt biking, motorcycling, snowmobiling, ect. clean goggles make all the difference. Add hand sanitizer to the tampon and apply to both sides of the lens for an anti-fog solution.

I have heard you could it as wadding for a muzzle loader but since I have no experience with muzzleloaders I cannot say for sure.

If you ran out of cleaning patches and you needed to clean your rifle barrel the cotton would be an ok substitute.

If anyone can disprove the muzzleloader idea, come up with more or better ideas feel free to add.

EDC Vehicle

I see a lot of YouTube videos posted with people and their EDC as well as bug out bags. If you are unfamiliar with what EDC is view this link http://nelsoncycles.blogspot.com/2012/09/wilderness-survival-and-being-prepared.html but I feel like too many people are forgetting the obvious keep some useful things in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Most people are spending all of their time explaining what you should keep in your car bug out gear wise incase of… insert your favorite apocalypse scenario here, but what about real everyday emergencies? So here are my thoughts on what should be in every vehicle before you start considering stockpiles of food, ammo, and guns (not that I am against having extras of any of those). So with winter coming this is what I would keep.

If you drive a car you should have AAA or know how to change your own tire and have the appropriate tools need which should be included in the car but take it out and learn how to use it.

First aid kits are a must. It can be as simple as some gauze pads and duct tape or as advanced as your medical training deems needed.

Flares are nice for signaling for help, starting fires, and increasing visibility after a crash to prevent a second impact until rescue personal secure the scene.

High visibility vest medics, police, firefighters, all wear these because they save lives if you are changing that tire alongside a busy free way don’t let it hurt your pride to throw on a safety vest.

Bottled water is a must it is less useful in the winter due to freezing but it’s better to have some then not.

Ice scrapper with a snow brush should be kept in the car. You would think this would be dumb to mention but I couldn’t count how many times in the dead of winter I see someone using their sleeve to wipe off the 4 inches of snow that fell while they were at work.

Phone charger so you can charge your dead phone to call AAA when you are too lazy to change your flat.

Blankets are wonderful in the winter in case your vehicle is broken down or you come across an emergency. Space blankets are fine but cheap wool blankets are better.

I always keep a change of clothes in my car just because who knows what the day will bring.

Flash light; even though it’s in my EDC and on my handgun I still keep one in my glove box (not drop box Shelby) so it is there if I need it with spare batteries.

Food of some type is great anything that stores well and can tolerate the temperature changes of a vehicle. I am always hungry so I have a cliff bar in my pocket or in my belly at all times. So it’s nice to restock from my car when needed.

Snow chains; when you live in the mountains these are on the must have list and are worth their weight in gold.

Oil dry is great if you have an older vehicle to be courteous but it is also a great traction agent for when you can’t get up that steep driveway but rock salt is also an obvious choice.

Cash is always smart to keep but don’t leave too much laying about or you are asking for a broken window.

Gun safe is optional but if you want to keep a gun in your car it is a wise idea.

These are the few things I kept in my cars before I converted to two wheels only. If you have any suggestions or comments let me know. Am I forgetting anything?  I will be posting more soon about motorcycle winter ridding after we get a few good snows in.  Don't forget to use your turn signals, park in one parking space, and stay out of the passing lane unless you are passing because I am about one commute away from buying a monster truck and running over everyone!  I mean stay safe out there and have a great winter.

Ride your bike to save the world and improve your life

Everyone remembers their first bike, and learning to ride. This was a major turning point in many adolescent’s lives: Transportation, fun, and freedom. Then late teenage years came and the bicycle went into the back of the shed or garage and we hoped in the driver’s seat of our first car. The down turn of society is caused by choices like this, daily, people reach for the keys to their car instead of their bike helmet; gas pedals instead of pedals. Some of societies greatest problems economic crisis, obesity, shortages of fossil fuels, and extreme levels of pollution, could be solved with something as simple as riding a bike rather than turning over the ignition of a fuel sucking, exhaust blowing car. According to fueleconomy.gov only 14-16 % of the fuel used by a vehicle is used to propel the vehicle forward. A bike uses almost 98 % of its energy input for forward motion.

Increasing the amount we use bikes for transportation would decrease the expenses in every home, and with increased unemployment and inflation everyone could benefit from a little extra savings. Cars are one of the biggest expenses in the average family budget, I say this because your home is an investment after ten years in most cases a home will have increased in value where as a car will be worth almost nothing. Then you have the costly repairs, fuel expenses, parking, speeding tickets, and car washes. Now consider the low maintenance involved in a bicycle, free parking, and you enjoy fueling up (eating larger helpings of foods you already enjoy eating) just to name a few benefits. Even if you were unable to be car free the savings in just supplementing your trips with a bike can have a large impact on your budget. One World Two Wheels created this wonderful application to estimate your budget savings by choosing to go by bike, http://1world2wheels.org/go-by-bike-challenge/. According to the CDC 30 % of the United States population is obese. This makes the United States one of the most obese of the developed nations. The Cost directly associated with obesity was 75 billion dollars just in the year 2003! Heart disease’s top two risk factors are inactivity and obesity. When you add that to the 108 billon in cost associated with heart disease in on year that’s a staggering 183 billion per year and growing. I understand that obesity is not always as simple as someone choosing not to exercise and make good food choices but if everyone were to increase their trips by bike we could not only reduce our personal budgets but the National budget too.

Not only is obesity a national crisis but obesity and inactivity are listed by the CDC as the two leading risk factors in heart disease which kills one in four Americans. Exercise and improving diet can reduce these risks significantly, so by making some of your daily trips with a bike, you will improve your health and decrease your risk of heart disease. It is recommended to exercise one hour per day and this exercise could be your bike commute. Riding a bike is great for increasing activity and unlike running or other high impact exercises, cycling is easy on your joints and can be a productive part of your transportation plan. Even if your commute to work or school is too long to ride you can always park and ride or supplement your bike ride with other means of transit such as public transportation.

Fossil fuels are precious and very limited yet we exploit them for short trips to the store that are almost walking distance away yet most would never think to dust off their old bike and pedal down to that store. Pollution caused by burning these fossil fuels are damaging to our environment. For every mile driven by car one pound of co2 is released into the atmosphere. Even riding your bike for short trips can make a big difference because the majority of the pollution caused by car s occurs during the start-up and initial few minutes of driving. The United States could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips. By riding your bike you are fueling your trips with fruit and vegetables instead of gasoline or diesel.

Cycling is the simple solution to a lot of complex problems. Cycling will improve individual quality of life and community quality of life through reduction in pollution and national debt. Cycling improves health and reduces the risk of disease. It is each individuals responsibility to ride their bike for themselves, their neighbors, and the future.

Martial Arts

Martial arts should be an important part of everyone’s training.  I say this because of its focus on total body health, self defense, and athletic power.  So I have been toying around with the idea of practicing a martial art for a long time.  There are a lot of different options available especially to me living in a big city.  I decided with my firearms training that a logical choice in martial arts is the Israeli Krav Maga.  In Krav Maga there are no points, competitions, or choreography.  Krav is combat oriented and you are encouraged to gouge eyes kick below the belt or whatever else is needed to win.  I started my intro class and for the first time in a long while this ultra endurance athlete felt his lunch coming up to greet him after a rigorous training session.  I have to say I like knowing I am pushing myself as hard as I can.  The classes balance out right exhausting work outs with instruction on proper execution of combatitives.  I have also considered Muy Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu so I would like to take a few intro classes in each before the beginning of the New Year.  After I make my decision on which form to practice I will train 3 days a week and record my improvement over the course of the year through photographs and performance on the mat.  My greatest weakness is my lack of flexibility something my girlfriend (a true athlete) gets on me about on the regular, so I plan to create a self test for fitness to gauge improvement over this twelve month trial.  I figure improvements in fighting strength would be gauged will by measuring my ability to jump rope, stand and reach for flexibility, the splits (maybe), pull-ups, push-ups, and a plank.  If my fitness is improved in the ways I desire from martial arts I should improve across the board on this fitness test.  Anyone who has advice give me a shout.

Booze for Survival

The most useful survival tool… booze

I did some thinking the other day and I tried to come up with the most useful survival item for someone to keep around the house just in case there is an emergency. Duct tape and parachute cord sure are useful but I think it would be hard to beat 151 alcohol! Alcohol has been made since the ancient Egyptians which means it has been used in medicine and for drink a few thousand years before nylon or duct tape were even a thought. Most may laugh and say yeah get drunk that will solve your problems… I say no but it will make you forget them, but seriously here is why you should throw a few bottles back with your extra ammo, first aid, or hell there is nothing wrong with a mini bar. Here we go….

Antiseptic- alcohol has been used for years because of its antiseptic properties. In the field when you are covered in dirt a little alcohol can do wonders for cleaning dilute it with water because this stuff is expensive!

Analgesic- are you in pain drink a shot or two just don’t forget that alcohol does reduce clotting factors so if you are bleeding and it is not under control man up and feel the pain, besides no one ever died from pain.

Water Sterilization- when you don’t have a fire or a filter, pour a shot of alcohol into your liter of drinking water to make fire water. This water will actually hydrate you and if you waited 3hrs before drinking it will have far less bacteria, protozoa, but you are still screwed if it is a virus. Cowboys use to do this all of the time since water quality was always in question.

Fuel/Fire Starting- there is a reason I choose 151 it isn’t because of the taste that is for sure but one thing 151 has over the smooth refreshing taste of tequila is it’s high “octane” use it in a cut soda can as an alcohol burning stove or pour a little on some tinder when you can’t get a fire started… scratch that what a party foul learn how to build a fire and save the alcohol for a drink with a friend by the fire.

Anti-Fog- Alcohol vaporizes much slower than most fuels which means that you can clean and anti fog your ski goggles, windshield, or sunglasses. If you are really fortunate mix a small quantity of dish soap with the alcohol for longer anti-fog resistance.

Sterilization- When you have to perform that emergency tracheotomy in the field like you see in the movies grab some booze and clean your tools. Seriously though you never know when you have to debrided a wound, amputate an entrapped limb, ect. use your imagination.

Ethel Glycol Poisoning Treatment- This sounds like a stretch but the definitive medical care for someone who ingested anti-freeze is Alcohol of the drinking variety. I would never recommend self treatment or practicing any form of medicine without a license but sometimes when in remote environments you have to make the best out of a worst situation. Also alcohol can be delivered via the rectal route as well as the oral route but if someone cannot control their airway don’t put anything in their mouth (I know I am leaving myself open for all kinds of jokes here but it must be said).

Methyl Poisoning Treatment- Same routes as Ethel glycol treatment these types of poisonings have severe consequences but so can miss treatment or mis diagnosing so consult with medical control or poison control whenever possible at 1-800-222-1222.

Fever- If you have a fever a home remedy that some swear on is a shot of alcohol and lemon juice it helps break the fever and will put you to sleep. Don’t drink alcohol if you have been vomiting profusely because it will further dehydrate you.

Mouth Wash- If you are in the field for extended periods of time and cannot brush your teeth rinse your mouth with alcohol which will kill some of the harmful bacteria in your mouth. This is not a substitute for brushing your teeth contrary to Ke$ha’s song but when you have no other option do what you can.

Personal Hygiene- Women in the field have hygiene needs that are different from their men counterparts. Using a small quantity can prevent illnesses caused by poor hygiene (don’t forget too much cleaning down there will get you drunk no I am not kidding that area is very vascular). Guys you can clean up with this too and both sexes can clear up oily skin with a few dabs of the good stuff.

Clean Permanent Marker- I personally always try to use laminated maps when in the field. The nice thing about lamination is you can use permanent markers which are very waterproof and add a little alcohol; your map is clean again.

Poison Ivy Treatment- Poison Ivy and other topical poisonous plants cause irritation because of the oils they release onto the skin. What this means to the average Joe is until you remove the oils you will be uncomfortable and “spread” your poison ivy all over yourself and possibly your friends… clean up with a little 151.

Drink- Ever heard of saving it for a rainy day, boost moral with a few sips. Heck if your date isn’t as attractive as you hoped change your perspective with a few drinks.

Trade- with as useful as this stuff is who would trade it. If you decide you need something more than this wonderful nectar it is so useful I am sure someone would be willing to trade you anything you need for a bottle.

The information above is provided for entertainment and maybe to be helpful. It is your job as someone reading something off the internet to verify this information before you use it and just use common sense. I am not accepting any liability for your actions as this is for “entertainment”.  As always if you can think of some more useful ways to use alcohol post em, email them, or facebook me and I'll add them to the list if they are worthy.  Until next time.

The Time Thief

(Knock Knock) I hear someone at the front door.  The front door of course being the door strangers come to, because anyone who has visited me before knows the front door is a bloody pain to open.  I reluctantly get the keys, for the dead bolt with the hesitation you feel as you are being approached by a persistent Jehovah’s Witness at 8 am on a Saturday morning; maybe I think to myself, as my stomach growls, maybe it's Girl Scout cookies.  I finally fumble through my pockets and find the house key and I examine the intruder a man in his middle fifties.  I open the door and the man informs me that he is one of my neighbors, which by the way when a neighbor you haven’t met show up at your door unannounced and you have lived in that home for longer than 2 weeks it is because they need a jump start for their car or they are selling something.  Of course as I predicted it was the latter.  Every four years it is an election year and like every other means of communication I am being forcefully distracted from the task at hand by someone wanting a few moments to “inform me” about their candidate for office.  I am not saying that politics are not an important topic worthy of my time but I am being bombarded like every other citizen of this fine nation with political campaign adds at every moment from my door step to my web browser.  The man a thief of my time begins to inform me of how he would love to take some of my time and talk about his candidate.  The only thing I could think of at the time was to say, “I don’t have time to talk to my own mother so no I’m sorry I don’t have time for you.”  I think what makes me mad about the whole thing is that people always say that time is money, well if that is the case then why do people think it is ok to drive slow in the fast lane, bother me with campaign ads, walk diagonal across a road (wasting my time so they can have a more direct route), and businesses still put you on hold for half an hour while you wait to speak with customer services.  I am tired of all whom waste my time thieves they are stealing my time away that could be spent on much more useful tasks like work, education, rants, and spending time socializing with people I like.  I propose that much in the likes of Robin Hood I should steal from the rich and give to the poor, the poor of time.  80 percent of people do only 20 percent of the work so I think that the 20 percent doing 80 percent of the work should be entitled to more time.  I haven’t yet devised a scheme to steal the time from the time wealthy for redistribution to the time poor.  I have grown tired of the unfair distribution of free time, I hear people speak of lazy Sundays, holidays, and watching of shows like Jersey Shore which is a clear indication of having a surplus of time which should be redistributed to those lacking sleep, over worked, and in great need of just a few measly hours to finish the weeks tasks. 

The redistribution of time will start on a voluntary basis.  All those time wealthy individuals are encouraged to stop by my home where they will receive their assignments.  The super wealthy “one percenters” will be expected to give the most since they have the most to give.  That means the unemployed lifelong welfare abusers and prisoners (which I only classify together based on time wealth) should come by and clean my house and provide me with laundry service.  A sliding time tax schedule will go from there.  If you work less than 30hrs per week you should be expected to wash my motorcycle and clean my guns.  If you work 40hrs or greater per week your expected contribution is only to cook one meal for me per week.  The last major tax bracket if reserved for those working 50 or greater hours, full time employees that are full time students, and those with full time jobs and kids… these people have far too little time as it is and shall be receive their redistributions upon successful passing of purposed legislation.

Vote Nelson Ballard as a write in 2012 election and I will make it my duty to see that your time is not squandered.  My platform will be simple and clearly stated.  Gun rights will not be infringed because gun control only regulates law abiding citizens.  So if you are a law abiding citizen and wish to prevent yourself from purchasing a firearm because you feel it is unsafe in your hands feel free to do so.  The only way to balance the budget is to offer less in the way of government programs but charge more in taxes.  I know no one wants to pay more and get less but lets quit talking about balancing the budget if we are unwilling as people to make sacrifices.  Medical insurance will be reformed to a point where medical insurance will only cover emergency medicine.  If citizens were forced to pay out of pocket for all non-emergency medicine then they would be more concerned about shopping for a better price and becoming informed consumers which would cause the cost of medical care to decrease.  Higher education will be provided by the government to those who are in the top 10 percent of their class in high school while all others will be forced to work their way through college or take out private loans.  If free tuition was offered to the students with the highest chances for success then we would be more competitive in free market.  Our government offers financial aid to all citizens who wish to go to college without making any effort to confirm these individuals have intentions of getting a job, having the ability to finish their degree, or choosing a degree that will benefit the country.  I am not say that we should live in a fascist dictatorship where the government makes all of our choices but i do think that if you want to study an obscure major like film studies then you should be required to take out private loans for that not government back loans.  With close to one trillion in education debt we need to start thinking about who we as a country can afford to send to college.  Not everyone can be a chief, we need to have plenty of Indians too.   

Nelson Mandella, no relation

It's Halloween; Don't be Someone's Food

Zombie Avoidance

It is Halloween and what better time to talk about zombie apocalypse than now?  It is the topic of many movies and television shows today and it has become a very important part of popular culture.  The most important thing to remember is as simple a rule as there is don’t be food.  From the dawn of time the stronger and faster have made food of the weaker and slower.  I think the most exciting thing about the zombie apocalypse is the thought of a lawless society of monsters trying to kill you and your loved ones and stock piling all kinds of cool gear like rifles and night vision.  At the end of the day some of this zombie apocalypse craze can have some serious benefits in bringing awareness to disaster preparedness.  http://mobile.masslive.com/advmasslive/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=PbwVCZ5L&full=true# display this article really embraces the idea of taking an idea that is already so popular and using it as a tool for practical training.  This got me to thinking about disasters in general be it earth quakes, volcanos, zombies, or anything that changes the possible outcome of your survival.  So the following are some short notes on preparation for disaster.

Being prepared for a disaster is a difficult task because disasters are not planned and no matter what scenario you plan for and train for the world will throw you a curve ball just as soon as you think you have it all figured out.  The only way to really prepare for disaster is mental preparedness.  Mental preparedness is so important because you mind will always be the most important tool for any disaster.  The first thing that people need to do to protect themselves and their loved ones is to be aware of your situation and constantly assess the risk of a given situation.

You leave a bar late at night after having a few beers with your buddies.  You get to that point where you split off in different directions to return to your car after the evening.  Your car is a short walk maybe 6 blocks from the bar so you grab your ear phones and start listening to your favorite song as you walk briskly to your car.  It is late and the evening cold has set in so you have your hands tucked in tight in your sweatshirt.  You continue walking quickly to your car eager to get out of the cold and into your warm bed when BAM! Out of no-where you take a cheap shot to the head; laying on the cold ground in a slight daze you hear the man demand your wallet and phone…

This is a great stopping point for this little scenario because you don’t have any control over what happened up until now but from this point on your training and preparedness are going to dictate a lot of how this outcome plays out as well as just your dumb luck.  Wait, I mean let’s think did you really have no control on the outcome of this event up until now?  The person in this made up story made a series of bad decisions which led him down the path of being an easy target.  Don’t take this the wrong way I am not blaming the victims of crimes but people must realize it is their responsibility to keep themselves protected.

Situational awareness is the difference between life and death.  Like driving a car the person who can see the whole picture and can predict the outcome of an event before it happens gives them more time to react to it.

Same story the guy is leaving the bar late at night but chooses to drink within his limits so that he can maintain situational awareness gains decreases his likelihood of being surprised.  Also if he was to wear the appropriate clothing for the weather and choose not to deaden his sense of hearing with music he would be less distracted from the discomfort of cold as well as having an increased auditory acuity.  Other things come into play as well like traveling in groups, choosing safe places to park, predicting possible scenario that could take place and thinking through how you would handle them is another useful technique.  The reason awareness is the most important skill is because without awareness you may lose opportunities to use other tools at your disposal.  If you were not coming from a bar, let’s say you were just coming home late from work and similar attack took place.  If you were a top level martial arts fighter without awareness you would not have recognized the threat in an adequate amount of time to use your fighting skills.  What if you have a hand gun or some other form of weapon; how effectively can you use that weapon if you don’t recognize the threat until it is too late?  The fact is that awareness helps fuel avoidance and at a minimum leaves you more options for defending yourself.

 

If you want to use any weapon you need to be proficient with it.  This does not mean that if you are not a SWAT officer you can’t defend yourself with a gun, or If you don’t have formal boxing training you can’t fight off a predator, but what it does mean is you improve your odds of having a successful outcome every time you work on these skills. 

http://nelsoncycles.blogspot.com/2012/10/3-days-and-1700-rounds.html Some awesome pistol training.  I am currently adding Krav Maga into my tool box’o self defense.  I’ll share more on that after I survive the first month.  The fitness required for this style of fighting is a greater effort than I have ever exerted.  Untill next time be safe have a Happy Halloween and don't be someone elses food!