When was the last time you checked your first aid kit supplies? I needed a bandage recently, so I pulled my container of bandages and found that the adhesive had dried out on most of them. Did you know that the adhesive on a bandage dries out over time? I guess I should have realized that would be the case, but it never occurred to me. Now I need to invest in bandages, again, because the ones in my first aid kit are no longer useful. Then I started thinking about first aid kits in general, noticing that many of the items in my kit had expiration dates that had passed and recognized it was probably past time to inventory and update my kit.
When I started looking, I found there are a variety of folk who want to help you out by providing a list of what they recommend you include in your kit. I settled on the American Red Cross list of what they recommend be in a first aid kit for a family of 4 (yours will vary based on the size of your family and your activities). They recommend your kit contain the following items:
2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches) - I find it is less expensive to buy a box of 20 than it is to buy just 2 luckily, these don't actually expire as long as the seal on the individual packages stay intact
25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) - if you're like me, you don't use them very often, so a smaller package would be appropriate for my family. Personally, I'd go for waterproof finger & knuckle bandages since I am most likely to injure my hands when chopping food for meals while having just a couple of the other sizes
1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch) - adhesive tape has the same problems as bandages, the glue dries out over time
5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram) - these definitely have expiration dates and the smallest box I found on Amazon had 12 for $3.10
5 antiseptic wipe packets - these, too, expire and/or dry out over time, the smallest box had 10 for $4.50
2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each) - in this case, it's actually less expensive to simply purchase a small bottle
1 emergency blanket - I disagree with this count, I think there should be 1 emergency blanket for each person in your household
1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve) - this is for performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation so having 1 for adults and 1 for infants would be recommended
1 instant cold compress - in a SHTF situation, it might well be worth having more than 1 - anyone who has ever needed to use ice packs will tell you that more than 1 is needed in most cases (they are normally applied multiple times a day for multiple days)
2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large) - I buy these by the case because I use them for cleaning, food prep, "dirty" jobs, or handling volatile chemicals (usually for the pool); and I keep both medium and large sizes on hand
Emergency First Aid instructions - While the American Red Cross did not suggest any particular first aid book, these are the ones I have in my library:
emergency phone numbers (doctor, family members, friends)
a copy of your advanced directives for each member of your household
whatever your health professional might recommend
And, of course, check your kit regularly. I'd recommend automatically checking your kit when you replace your fire alarm battery. Look for expired contents and replace those. Also, check that adhesive on your bandages has not dried out!
If you find, like I did, that trying to put together your own kit comes with buying way too much of each item you want to have in your kit, there are plenty of 'ready-made' kits complete with the container for the items and kits are as low as $8; but, remember that you will want to check what is actually in the kit. The ad may state there are 400 pieces in a kit; however, when you look at what is actually IN the kit you will find they count every item (like the 30 Q-tips count as 30 items and the 10 cotton balls count as 10 items). This image from Amazon for the TLIEAO 400 piece all purpose first aid kit shows this in practice. So choosing the kit with the most items is not always the best choice.
If you have not yet made a first aid kit, know that everyone has an opinion on what should be in your primary first aid kit, as well as what size it should be from a mini kit to specialty kits like for backpacking. To put together a kit that is unique to you, first decide what the kit is for (car, camping, hiking, backpacking, travel, etc.), then look through your current supplies and choose a few of each item to put in a container. Sometimes, you can begin with a pre-made kit that has most of what you need; and then augment the kit with specialty items for its specific purpose.
In my car first aid kit, I added stop bleed / quick clot gauze pads because I thought that if I were in an accident or came across an accident, the stop bleed / quick clot gauze pads might come in handy. But, they are only in my car kit. At home, if something happens at home that requires that kind of pad, I can always run out to my car to get it.
In my cruise travel kit, I include bandages (mostly for blisters), antibiotic ointment, anti-histamine packets, anti-diarrhea packets, and stomach upset packets (getting blister packs of these products onboard is very, very expensive whereas you can get them at a Dollar Store (like Dollar Tree or Dollar General) for about $1.25 per package - although I saw recently that they've gone up to $1.75 so check at discount stores like Walmart as well, and a couple sanitizing wipes. In addition, cruise ships are now requiring that medications come in their original labeled container (their way of trying to fight drug trafficking). So a small container of each from one of the dollar stores can be tossed into your travel kit fully sealed without taking up much room in your luggage.
Feel free to share in the comments section what kind of kits you use and what items you include in your kit(s) that's not on the Red Cross suggested list.
Pet Disaster Kit: Easy As 1-2-3! Checklist pdf that covers documents; food, water, and medications; other supplies like leash, harness, collar, ID; toys; carrier; cleaning supplies for accidents; and a pet bed. Also include a litterbox and litter for those animals that use a litter box.
Pet boarding Instructions pdf which is a 'fill-in-the-blank' form to let the boarder know about your pet's needs, such as food and medications;' medical info; and any behavior quirks they might want to know about (like my pet is scared of thunder or fireworks).
I thought my various first aid kits were complete . . . until . . . my youtube feed presented me with a video that suggested canning washcloths in saline solution would be good to have on hand during a SHTF scenario. That got me to thinking. I really would not want to use my limited drinking and cooking water supply to irrigate or clean wounds. Plus, depending on how long we've been without, I might not have truly 'clean' cloths with which to clean open wounds. With canned washcloths, I know they are as sterile as an individual person can make them and are immersed in a saline solution like what is used by hospitals to irrigate open wounds. And, while time consuming, it's really easy to do.
To can washcloths, there is a choice between waterbath canning, steam canning, and pressure canning.
Waterbath canning is used primarily for highly acidic foods, like tomatoes and fruits with a pH of 4.6 or below.
Steam canning is also used primarily for highly acidic foods, like tomatoes and fruits with a pH of 4.6 or below.
Pressure canning is used primarily for foods that are alkaline like meat & potatoes with a pH of 4.6 or above.
If you are unsure as to whether what you plan to can is acidic or alkaline, there are pH test strips you can use that will tell you what the approximate pH of the item is. Just dip the strip and it changes color. Then compare the color to the provided chart. If you have difficulty judging color gradients (or are colorblind), there is also a digital Food pH Meter (for liquid and semi-solid foods) that will give you an actual pH number (just make sure you check the batteries and the calibration solution when you review your kit).
I chose to pressure can the washcloths because they are more alkaline than they are acidic. And, I chose 30 minutes (the recommendation was 10 to 20 minutes for all methods and you can a pint jar of meat for 75 minutes) because I wanted to be sure the process made everything as sterile as an individual can achieve at home. Plus, it's not food, so processing it longer can't 'ruin' the food.
*Note - if you have hard water, adding 1 or 2 tbs of white vinegar to the pot's water will help prevent hard-water scaling.
Here's how it's done using the pressure canner method:
Equipment - your manual pressure canner OR an electric one (manual ones scare me, so I went electric):
for canning jars, I have had more success going to places like Walmart - be sure to check to make sure there are no broken ones in the package before you purchase - if you need to order them online:
distilled or filtered water (if filtered, let sit 24 hours so the chlorine will dissipate)
Caution:
Do not place jars directly into the pot - make sure there is a towel or rack between the jars and the bottom of the pot
Process:
Prepare the jars, lids, & rings
I soak mine in bleach water for about 10 minutes
rinse
let air dry
Prepare the washcloths
wash & dry (do not add softener)
boil in filtered water for at least 15 minutes
remove from boiling water and allow to cool enough to handle
Place washcloths in prepared jars
fold in thirds then roll loosely
put in jar
add 1/2 tsp canning salt, sea salt, or Himalayan salt
add (distilled water) water (1 gallon will fill 12 jars) to within 1" of the jar mouth
debubble
add water if needed to bring water level to within 1" of jar mouth
Prepare filled jars for canning
put on lids
put on rings and twist to finger-tightness
Can them (see below for specific instructions for both the Presto and the Instant Pot Canners)
load canner according to your canner's directions
process 10-30 minutes (I chose 30 minutes)
when finished, remove lid, let jars sit in open canner for 5 minutes
move jars to an area where you can allow the jars to sit for 24 hours
After 24 hours
loosen rings (you can store them elsewhere or leave them barely fastened to the jar)
store (do not stack them)
To use your canned washcloths:
Remove the lid
Remove and wring most of the water out of the washcloth back into the jar
Use washcloth to clean the wound
Use the liquid to flush the wound.
Dry & bandage wound if needed.
How many washcloths should you can?
Think about how you plant to use them. I would say can as many as your pressure canner will hold in one processing (for the Presto 12 quart that would be 6, for the Instant Pot that would be 4).
Processing with the Presto - You are limited to 6 quart jars or 6 pint jars or 12 half-pint jars in the 12 qt Presto.:
Make sure the rack is in the bottom of the pot
Add water (about 2" up the pot side)
Plug in
Select pressure can
Set 15-30 minutes (I used 30)
I go ahead and put my jars in
Press the ok button (the bigger one in the middle)
Wait about 10 minutes
Press ok button (this is to allow the inside to pressurize)
Wait about 15 minutes
Press ok button (to actually pressure can the contents)
This will take the amount of time you specified in the beginning (I used 30 minutes)
Press the ok button to start the pressure-release/cool-down process
About 60 minutes later
Turn knob to vent
Open lid
Let jars sit in pot for an additional 5 minutes
Using a jar lifter (I do not recommend using pot holders), transfer the jars from the pot to a cooling rack
Space the jars so the air circulates around them
Wait 24 hours
Release rings (a storage trick for rings is to simply unscrew the lid but leave it sitting around the jar
Total processing time for the Presto canner with a pressure canning time of 30 minutes is 2 hours (with 4 interactions with the canner between the start and finish of the process).
Processing with the Instant Pot - You are limited to 4 pint or 8 half-pint jars at a time in the Instant Pot.
Make sure the rack is in the bottom of the pot
Add water (about 2" up the side of the pot)
Plug in
Choose pressure can
set time between 15 and 30 minutes (I used 30)
uncheck "keep warm"
press start
Wait 2 hours and 30 minutes
Vent (if there is a knob to turn)
Open lid
Let jars sit in pot for an additional 5 minutes
Using a jar lifter (I do not recommend using pot holders), transfer the jars from the pot to a cooling rack
Space the jars so the air circulates around them
Wait 24 hours
Release rings (a storage trick for rings is to simply unscrew the lid but leave it sitting around the jar
Total processing time for the Instant Pot canner with a pressure canning time of 30 minutes is 2 hours and 30 minutes (with 0 interactions with the canner between starting it and the end).
While I covered canning in a pressure canner, you can also waterbath can using either the Presto canner, a canner made specifically for waterbath canning, or just a deep pot where your jars are covered with 2 inches of water.
If you do not have a canner (either manual or electric), but you have a pot large enough to cover the pint jars with 2" of water, then make sure there is a towel or a rack on the bottom of the pot, place the jars in the pot, fill the pot with water such that the jars are submerged fully and there is 1-2 inches of water over the top of the jar. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove jars from pot, place on a cooling rack, wait 24 hours, release rings, store.
This video, from GrowVeg, shows one method of waterbath canning.
This video, from Normal Prepping, shows how to use a steam canner to can.
A word of caution concerning the idea of "dry pressure canning" which is the process of canning something without putting water in the jar. As RoseRed Homestead demonstrates at the beginning of the video below on The Science Behind Dry Canning Potatoes, water is a better conductor of heat than air is. If you have only air in the jar, the outside of the jar, and anything on the inside that is touching the jar, will heat much faster leaving whatever is in the center of the jar unable to reach safe temperatures while canning. They use the example of sticking your hand in an oven set at 220 degrees Fahrenheit versus pot of water set to boil. You can handle the 'dry heat' of the oven (at about 220 degrees Fahrenheit ) much, much better than water as it comes to a boil (tapping out at 120 degrees Fahrenheit). So, anytime you run across someone "dry canning" remember that the middle of the jar never reaches safe temperatures for the designated period of time!
Personally, I will be putting one jar in a sealed Ziploc bag, wrapping it in bubble wrap, and carrying it in my car along with my car medical kit. And when I travel distances by car again, I will be sure to include a few extra jars for those unexpected circumstances when I wished I had a clean washcloth and some clean water (that is not allocated for drinking) to use.
Please add to the comment section with how you might use canned jars of sterile wash cloths canned in saline solution.
Those are some of the exact words used by Google’s censors, aka 'Orwellian content police,' in describing many of our controversial stories. Stories later proven to be truthful and light years ahead of the mainstream media. But because we reported those 'inconvenient truths' they're trying to bankrupt ANP.
