Prepping For City Dwellers?

[Expedition26]

How to Store Water for Long-Term Emergencies

I found this article a few days ago and it mentions having a waterbob, which would be useful if you’re in the city and can fill it before the water is shut off.

I’m still in the beginner phases of prepping so all I’ll add is if you have a car always keep your gas tank full. And invest in a rifle for hunting, there is always talk about guns for self preservation from people but being able to take down large game is valuable in my opinion. A bow is nice if you are very skilled but there is a large margin for error and a rifle will allow you the opportunity to take out an animal from a distance that a bow or shotgun couldn’t give you.

 

[Expedition26]

I don’t know if it has been mentioned but having a dog or dogs could also be added to the prep list. They’re a bit of a double edged sword though, depending on the dog. They could potentially warn you of an intruder or ward off intruders. However, they could also alert someone to your position if you are in hiding. And they’re another mouth to feed.

A friend once said that your dog is your first line of defense. They will at least alert you and hold off an intruder long enough for you to ready your weapon or flee, even if they are killed in the process. A sad thought but a thought worth having.

 

[Dave_P]

I don’t know if it has been mentioned but having a dog or dogs could also be added to the prep list. They’re a bit of a double edged sword though, depending on the dog. They could potentially warn you of an intruder or ward off intruders. However, they could also alert someone to your position if you are in hiding. And they’re another mouth to feed.

A friend once said that your dog is your first line of defense. They will at least alert you and hold off an intruder long enough for you to ready your weapon or flee, even if they are killed in the process. A sad thought but a thought worth having.

In my opinion it depends on the time and economic income that each one has.
Keeping a dog in good condition is expensive, and if the idea is to store food, you also have to consider a space for the dog.
The character of each dog also influences, but (with knowledge being a dog trainer with my father) that depends on the personality of the owner, training a dog is like installing a computer program, it needs "updates" constantly, and if you don't have the time to reinforce his character, it is "a waste of time" and at the same time the same dog is confused.

on the other hand, they are also a double-edged sword.
I will tell a short anecdote.
My father trained a Doberman for a person, he had a mechanical workshop and was tired of thefts, so after almost a year the dog had learned, he was trained not to attack if the person hit the door 3 times and it said the name of the dog. One day the man came home after several drinks in a fenced-in bar and forgot about it. To sum up, the man ended up with several bites on his neck and leg, he almost died from losing so much blood, the poor dog, euthanized.

 

[Mari]

advised getting "fishmox", stating that it's the exact same as intended for humans and can be purchased readily

I was thinking about antibiotics/penicillin as well and how to get some. This is antibiotics for fishes, right? How do I recognize if it is also for humans?

Does somebody else also have an alternative for antibiotics and how to purchase some?

 

[KJS]

I've found that the Polish government created a very handy booklet regarding crisis situations. It could be downloaded (in English) from here:

https://www.gov.pl/attachment/ac2c8078-d67f-4d07-a10e-15da398df799

I've attached the most interesting pages that I wasn't aware of, especially the meaning of sound signals. Maybe someone will also find it useful. Especially having an evacuation backpack isn't a bad thing to have.

 

[Gwenllian]

I was thinking about antibiotics/penicillin as well and how to get some. This is antibiotics for fishes, right? How do I recognize if it is also for humans?

Does somebody else also have an alternative for antibiotics and how to purchase some?

One year later... Don't know whether this is still useful, Mari, but I bought some antibiotics and penicillin from Fish Mox Fish Flex in the US. For Europeans the prices have gone up though, as the dollar has become more expensive for us.

If you would like to purchase some ask them to ship it to you through DHL. USPS was a disaster.

The authors of The Survival Medicine Handbook actually recommend fish antibiotics (see the thread) and I found the above mentioned fish antibiotics company through their website Doom and Bloom. Here's a quote from Ennio:

There is one chapter on the different types of antibiotics that are usually prescribed for things, when to use them, and how much to use. But because antibiotics
will likely be less available during a collapse situation there are a number of antibiotics that have equivalents sold for pets like fish and birds that have the same ingredients and do not require a Doctor's prescription. Less expensive too.

Also, the authors of Home Doctor: Practical Medicine for Every Household recommend them with the same caveat as above:

We do not recommend or advocate the everyday use of pet or fish antibiotics. We suggest stockpiling these antibiotics and using them only in case of an extraordinary event like an Apocalypse that changes the World as we know it, leading to the collapse of society, medical system, law and order AND the dissolution of the social fabric.

A quote from Thorbiorn about the book:

Another book is Home Doctor: Practical Medicine for Every Household by
Dr. Maybell Nieves, Dr. Rodrigo Alterio, Claude Davis which is only about 300 pages.
What is special about the book is that the two doctors are from Venezuela, where they have experienced sanctions and violence for many years, leading to deterioration of the healthcare system. There are quite a number of photos which might have been taken at an emergency room, some of them are not pleasant at all, but that is what doctors and nurses in general practice and emergency rooms are dealing with every day, and I think seeing them could be important for preparing the nonmedical person learning about the conditions.

Even if you can't afford any fish antibiotics buying the above mentioned books could be a lifesaver!

 

[Mari]

Don't know whether this is still useful, Mari, but I bought some antibiotics and penicillin from Fish Mox Fish Flex in the US.

Yes, it is!!! Thank you very much! I was busy with much other stuff and completely forgot about antibiotics!
Thank you!

Which one did you buy?

 

[michaelrc]

Not cheap. . . your money is losing its value everyday and therefore stocking up in the future could become problematic.

United states and Canada shipping only last l checked.



Amoxicillin-Clavulanate: Used to treat bite wounds, pneumonia, and sinusitis.

Azithromycin: Used to treat pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and traveler’s diarrhea.

Ciprofloxacin: Used to treat anthrax poisoning, plague infection, traveler’s diarrhea, and tularemia.

Doxycycline: Used to treat anthrax poisoning, bite wounds, plague infection, skin infection, tetanus, and tularemia.

Metronidazole: Used to treat bacterial vaginosis, diarrhea, giardiasis, tetanus, and trichomoniasis.

Jase Case Review: The Emergency Antibiotics Kit Every Traveler Needs - Road Affair

 

[Gwenllian]

Which one did you buy?

I followed the list of preferred antibiotics of The Survival Medicine Handbook which is almost identical to michaelrc's list above and includes:
1. Amoxicillin
2. Doxycycline
3. Metronidazole
4. Azithromycin
5. (Clindamycin), wasn't available
6. Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim

The authors of Home Doctor: Practical Medicine for Every Household preferred the following 4 antibiotics:

There are some over the counter veterinary antibiotics that can be used in humans in extreme cases,
when the need arises. Nonetheless, it is important that you consult your physician before taking any of
these four veterinary antibiotics.

Azithromycin is an antimicrobial drug that belongs to the family of the macrolides, containing an active
ingredient called azithromycin. It is used in the treatment of respiratory infections such as pneumonia,
pharyngitis, and tonsillitis in humans. It can also be used to treat uncomplicated skin infections caused
by staphylococcus aureus, genital ulcers, urethritis, and cervicitis in women. In the case of a shortage
or in an emergency where there is no access to azithromycin, a veterinary over the counter antibiotic
called Eritromycin, which belongs to the same family of drugs, can be taken as a replacement.

Doxycycline is an antibiotic of the tetracycline family; it is used in humans to treat a variety of bacterial
infections such as pneumonias, skin infections, urinary tract infections, STIs (sexually transmitted
infections) and in the prevention of malaria. However, in the absence of this drug, Tetracycline, which
is used in treating infections in poultry, cattle, sheep, and swine can come in handy to replace
doxycycline.

Neomycin is used in the treatment of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in cattle, sheep and goats. It
belongs to a family of antibiotics called aminoglycosides and can be used in the place of other
aminoglycoside family members such as gentamycin and amikacin. Gentamicin and amikacin are
effective in treating abdominal and urinary tract infections and are also used in the treatment and
prophylaxis of endocarditis in humans. However, precaution must be taken as aminoglycosides in
excess dosage can lead to renal failure or deafness.

Lincomycin belongs to the lincosamide group antibiotics. It is used in animals such as dogs, cats, pigs,
and birds to treat gram positive infections. It can be used in the absence of clindamycin, which is used
in treating the following conditions in humans: skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, septic
arthritis, acute sinusitis, pharyngitis, and otitis media.
It is important to note that the above-mentioned medications will only treat infections caused by
bacteria. They are useless in the presence of infections caused by viruses such as a cold or flu. Also
taking into consideration that every antibiotic has adverse effects, it is imperative that you consult your
physician for an accurate diagnosis before consuming any of the above-mentioned drugs. If you run out
of medications and have any of these veterinary drugs in your home, please consult your physician
before consumption.

I couldn't find the last two antibiotics at Fish Mox. Perhaps you could keep an eye on their website or others, as they have special offers from time to time which may offset the more expensive US dollar.

 

[PERLOU]

L'ostéopathe de mes petits Yorks m'a fait acheter de l'Extrait de Pepin de Pamplemousse
C'est comme un antibiotique naturel, j'en donne quelques gouttes à ma petite Hella qui les prends très bien...

The osteopath of my little Yorks made me buy some Grapefruit Seed Extract (cheap in pharmacy)
It's like a natural antibiotic, I give some drops to my little Hella who takes them very well...

 

[Gwenllian]

Yes, it is!!! Thank you very much! I was busy with much other stuff and completely forgot about antibiotics!
Thank you!

I hope I'm not too late, but European customs are making it really difficult/impossible to obtain fish antibiotics, at least this is the case in Holland. So, it is probably wise to bear this in mind. An alternative could indeed be natural antibiotics although I doubt they will help against all bacteria, but some research may go a long way...

 

[cinnamon]

Been doing some cleaning and reorganizing with the new year, which meant digging through "preps", including rotating food, and... I've had the curious experience of going through a lot of it and realizing that I don't eat much of it anymore, particularly dairy, but also, a fair amount of it is adulterated with seed oils, maybe contains undeclared "bioengineered" ingredients, is composed of nightshades, or is otherwise incompatible with acquired knowledge and diet changes downstream of acquired knowledge. Can't imagine creating a ton of inflammation or switching diets in the middle of an emergency is particularly wise.

Might be a good idea for people to go double check if the 'preps' are things they actually use or have a crystal clear potential need and plan for use, I guess?

 

[BHelmet]

I don’t live in a big city but I have a general question. If there is an electromagnetic event, whether caused by man or nature, which technology is going to be more sturdy: the new SSD drives or the old school disc hard drives? Even in a faraday cage, somehow in other fields, old school seems to be better? Thoughts or hopefully knowledge?

 

[Quill]

I don’t live in a big city but I have a general question. If there is an electromagnetic event, whether caused by man or nature, which technology is going to be more sturdy: the new SSD drives or the old school disc hard drives? Even in a faraday cage, somehow in other fields, old school seems to be better? Thoughts or hopefully knowledge?

I'm not a pro by any means, what comes to computer hardware, but I have a feeling, that none - be it hdd's or ssd's - may not survive, if/when "the current starts to flow", in whatever form it takes.

One could make a cd, or dvd backups of important information, but then again, how to read that information, if all the rest of the computer electronics is fried?

Well, ultimate solution could be to record all that data to vinyl records, but meh, how many of us have access to recording companies, that have the means - or will to do that?

I can only imagine, how many vinyl discs it would take to record just 1 gigabyte, at acceptable/usable resolution.

And of course, I guess it would require some spesific hardware/software to read that data.

 

[Honzap]

As stated above, the biggest problem will be having means to read the data out of a media given the media is isolated from the outside influences (Faraday cage) to prevent damage/wipe via EMP. The only advantage of SSD to a spin drive is that SSD should withstand damage by dropping. Should...my wife managed to destroy one of the portable SSDs by a single drop to the ground from about 3 feet.

Old school - books - for the win. Or the brain/memory