Health-related items to stock up on

[Nickelless]

Here's a thread from the old Realcent:

http://realcent.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~6031.asp

http://derekclontz.wordpress.com/2008/0 ... ur-family/

Global economic collapse that could leave billions of people without access to adequate medical care for a year or longer is a terrifying specter on the horizon, say experts - but you can protect yourself from a health disaster with an inexpensive medical survival kit that includes the items we recommend below:

1. Five or more gallons of fresh distilled water, bottled, for flushing wounds and other sterile purposes in emergencies.

2. Bandages, gauze, sharp scissors, tweezers, throw-away scalpels, disposable gloves, adhesive bandages, needle and sterile thread and other rudimentary medical and surgical tools.

3. Several bottles of rubbing alcohol.

4. A year’s supply of aspirin or any other pain reliever of your choosing, prescription if you can get it, over-the-counter if you can’t. Herbal stress relievers such as Rescue Remedy and no-stress capsules can help with anxiety generally, as related to the economic crash, and specifically as related to trauma or injury.

5. Several 8-oz. bottles of colloidal nano-silver liquids that can be used in lieu of or in addition to prescription antibiotics for dental and systemic infections. Potent trace-mineral “wound sprays“ derived from purified sea salts have a long shelf-life and will come in handy for direct application as needed.

6. A supply of anti-bacterial, immune-supporting herbs to defend against bacterial outbreaks and epidemics or, if it should happen, a terror attack against the U.S. For sheer affordability, as we gave judged in our long experience with herbals, Carnivora Venus Flytrap Extract and high-powered, guaranteed-potency Cat’s Claw products are excellent choices.

7. A supply of any good anti-viral formulation that contains licorice root, goldenseal root extract, and St. John’s wort extract for additional support against viral outbreaks.

Many people already have these herbs on their medicine shelf already. Survivalists, for example. almost certainly have them stashed away, as do herbalists and people who prefer natural medications over synthetic pharmaceuticals.

8. Toilet paper - and lots of it. Not necessarily a medical need, but important for people who are used to it. Considered a joke by some. survivalists have long made it clear that TP, like ammunition for guns, will become extraordinarily valuable during an economic meltdown.

The Department of Homeland Security and other authorities include the items below for the most comprehensive possible kit to meet any emergency:

Dressings (sterile, applied directly to wound)
Pads:
Sterile eye pads
Sterile gauze pads
Sterile non-adherent pads
Burn dressing (sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel)

Bandages
Gauze roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
Elastic bandages - used for sprains, and pressure bandages
Adhesive, elastic roller bandages - very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging
Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses
Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters)
Straight adhesive bandages
Moleskin— for blister treatment
Butterfly (knuckle) bandages and wound closure strips

Instruments
Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic
Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use
Tweezers
Lighter, for sterilizing tweezers or pliers etc
20-cc syringe with catheter tip for wound irrigation with sterile saline solution
Rubber suction bulb, for clearing the airway of an unconscious patient

Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Gloves, disposable non-latex
CPR mask or other breathing barrier such as a face shield
Scissors
Eye cup or small plastic cup
Torch (also known as a flashlight)
Instant-acting chemical cold packs
Sterile eye wash (commonly saline)
Sterile saline (used for cleaning wounds where clean tap water is not available, but note that even clean tap water should be converted to normal saline by adding salt)
Swabs, sterile non-woven
Space blanket (lightweight plastic foil blanket, also known as “emergency blanket”)
Alcohol rub (hand sanitizer) or antiseptic hand wipes
Thermometer
Penlight

Medication
Antiseptics/antimicrobial:
--Povidone iodine wipes (use for first-aid disputed)
--Benzalkonium Chloride (use for first-aid disputed)
Alcohol pads - used to prep unbroken skin for injections etc. or to disinfect equipment such as thermometers.
Antibiotic pills (use for first-aid disputed)
Antibiotic ointment - single, double, or triple antibiotic ointment in petroleum jelly base (use for first-aid disputed)
Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment, fluid or spray, for example Lidocaine
Anti-fungal cream
Anti-itch ointment:
--Hydrocortisone cream
--Calamine lotion
Painkillers / fever reducers:
--Acetaminophen
--Ibuprofen - anti-inflammatory, often more effective than acetaminophen.
--Naproxen/Aleve - another over-the-counter anti-inflammatory
--Aspirin
Anti diarrhea medication such as Loperamide Immodium
Oral rehydration salt
Antihistamine:
--diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl)
Aloe vera gel - used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin; used as a substitute for triple-antibiotic gel to keep a wound moist and prevent bandages from sticking
Burn gel - a water-based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
Epinephrine auto-injector (brand name Epipen) - often included in kits for wilderness use and in places such as summer camps, to treat anaphylactic shock.
Poison treatments
Activated charcoal
Syrup of ipecac
QuikClot is a hemostatic agent sometimes included in first aid kits, especially military kits, to control severe bleeding.
Tincture of benzoin— improves tape adhesion to skin, toughens cracked skin.

[Caridad]

Don't forget personal hygiene. Toothbrushes, soaps, toothpastes, mouth washes, feminine napkins, etc.

[Caridad]

i plan to stock up on soap bars of various strengths. i plan to stock up on soft non/less-abbrasive foods for those with sensitive skins. i plan to stock up on lever 2000 for those dirty jobs! i also plan to stock up on bath soaps like johnson and johnson's bath soap used on newborns.
i went to costco; a 20-pak seems doable in one shot from there. AND NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

[Devil Soundwave]

Why would anyone ask any questions?

[justoneguy]

Why would anyone ask any questions?

even at costco, when i'm buying a couple of hundred dollars of preps
& much less in preps elsewhere cashiers & customers will comment or ask about "what all that is for."

[Devil Soundwave]

Why would anyone ask any questions?

even at costco, when i'm buying a couple of hundred dollars of preps
& much less in preps elsewhere cashiers & customers will comment or ask about "what all that is for."

And why would you feel the need to provide a realistic answer? Something like "I eat a lot" should suffice, but if not just say you help run a meal plan for local homeless people. They might even give you a discount...

[Nickelless]

Why would anyone ask any questions?

even at costco, when i'm buying a couple of hundred dollars of preps
& much less in preps elsewhere cashiers & customers will comment or ask about "what all that is for."

And why would you feel the need to provide a realistic answer? Something like "I eat a lot" should suffice, but if not just say you help run a meal plan for local homeless people. They might even give you a discount...

One morning at about 6 a.m., I went through the checkout at Walmart with a little over $100 worth of oatmeal, raisins, coffee and a couple other items for my food storage. The cashier asked if the purchase was tax-exempt for a nonprofit organization. I just smiled and winked and said "Nope, I'm just a little hungry this morning!" End of conversation. If you're paying cash (which is better than leaving a paper trail), I wouldn't worry about what other people think. If you can just pass yourself off as a happy-go-lucky eccentric who likes to buy a lot of a few things, I don't think they'll mess with you or that they'll think twice about it. Cashiers at Walmart and other such places see a ton of weird stuff. We're pretty normal compared to a lot of people.

[Caridad]

The thing is people ask questions. Cashiers always ask questions just to pass the time of day.

[Rodebaugh]

5. Several 8-oz. bottles of colloidal nano-silver liquids that can be used in lieu of or in addition to prescription antibiotics for dental and systemic infections.

An abscess.... yeah that won't work.......the doc

topical applications.....yep....but....I am not on board for systemic infections.....sorry

[Devil Soundwave]

Yep, and there is no harm in saying "none of your business pal!".

[Rodebaugh]

Yep, and there is no harm in saying "none of your business pal!".

By all means,...... Explain?

Something I missed?

[Verbane]

Yep, and there is no harm in saying "none of your business pal!".

By all means,...... Explain?

Something I missed?

I think Devil S. was responding to this...

The thing is people ask questions. Cashiers always ask questions just to pass the time of day.

[Nickelless]

You could also rotate stores if there's more than one Wally World or other such store in your area, and you could tell each cashier who raises an eyebrow about the volume of what you're buying that you don't like to shop much so you try to stock up as much as possible on each trip. The only shopping trip I've had where I've gotten a comment from the cashier is when I came through the line with about 50 pounds of oatmeal, a couple cases of coffee and a couple cases of Ovaltine for my food storage. The cashier asked me if I had a tax ID number, thinking I was buying stuff for a local food pantry or soup kitchen since this was about 6 a.m. or so. I told her no, that I just really like breakfast, and boy was I hungry! Humor can stop a lot of questions from proceeding any further, although other people will understand when you're trying to take advantage of a great bargain--like the time last fall when I saw Alberto VO5 conditioner (my usual brand) on sale for 77 cents at Kroger, so I bought the last 36 bottles on the shelf! I have long hair, so that made sense to the cashier, plus the fact that the price was really good. The total was only about $25, which price-wise really isn't much.

Another thing that I do in stores with discount cards like at Kroger is I filled out bogus information on the customer info form for the card (not sure if I even filled one out at another store, but was given the card anyway) so that nobody will know who that crazy guy is who has the great-looking hair and all the cases of coffee!

And be sure to shop around on health-related items. There are some items at Walmart that are cheaper than at Sam's Club (non-pseudoephedrine decongestant tablets are one thing that comes to mind), while Sam's Club may have things that Costco doesn't have and vice-versa. I'm out of town this weekend and don't have my notebook from my trip to Costco last week, but I clearly remember that there were some products that had a better price or better availability than Sam's Club, at least at the Costco I visited.

[rickygee]

Just make sure you use cash and not credit cards or checks with those "customer courtesy cards". Screw up just once and you're on the grid.

[Nickelless]

Just make sure you use cash and not credit cards or checks with those "customer courtesy cards". Screw up just once and you're on the grid.

I fill out customer courtesy card applications with fake info. Good luck tracking down me and my preps.

[misteroman]

i think he was saying if you use your CC they have ya

[Nickelless]

i think he was saying if you use your CC they have ya

Not if I put my name on the application as Ted Nugent and list my address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They don't check ID when I use my Kroger Card, so for all they know I really am Ted! I've never put my real name on any of their forms and I don't intend to.

[Rodebaugh]

i think he was saying if you use your CC they have ya

Not if I put my name on the application as Ted Nugent and list my address as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They don't check ID when I use my Kroger Card, so for all they know I really am Ted! I've never put my real name on any of their forms and I don't intend to.

Food prep fever…..na. na. na….. naahhh

[Devil Soundwave]

Yep, and there is no harm in saying "none of your business pal!".

By all means,...... Explain?

Something I missed?

I think Devil S. was responding to this...

The thing is people ask questions. Cashiers always ask questions just to pass the time of day.

Yep, I was. Cheers Verbane.

[Rodebaugh]

Thought so......good man DS.....sorry if I seemed like a butt.

[Devil Soundwave]

Thought so......good man DS.....sorry if I seemed like a butt.

No worries chap.

[Drill Baby Drill]

If someone asks why you are buying alot of anything, tell them " None of your d @#n business

[.02FYI]

I bought a 20 lb bag of rice today. 14.06 at International market grown in California. Asian Letters on Bag.

[nero12345]

what about centrium or other multivitimans. a few bottles might not hurt.

[Nickelless]

Last night at Wally World I picked up eight more quarts of hydrogen peroxide and three 1.5-liter bottles of generic Listerine (the amber-colored kind, which burns like crazy but is an awesome oral antiseptic). All of these cost me just $18.