You’re a suburban homesteader.  You know how to raise your own food, protect your land, hunt for your protein, fix just about everything around your home and work with your neighbors to make your world that much better.  But, do you know how to deal with any acute medical emergencies that show up?  Scott Finazzo’s book Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook will help you not only identify medical issues, but also treat them to the point where you can get them to higher-end medical care.

Book Set-Up

Survival medicine is a broad topic as you might image.  Scott Finazzo breaks down this immense topic into sixteen segments that, while still large, make the overall topic a bit more digestible.  This breakdown allows for quicker reference which will be important when seconds count.

The chapters of this book are as follows:

Introduction

The Introduction is just that – an introduction to the book and a general reasoning behind why Scott wrote this book.  His time as a firefighter and the research he did into military medical response are leveraged heavily in the advice provided in the following chapters.

Chapter 1 – Basic Procedures

Sometimes the best place to start is the beginning.  This chapter speaks highly of understanding your situation, working towards a positive outcome and being prepared to take care of things when they go south.  Gear – protective clothing, first aid supplies, and the like – is discussed as are certifications and classes that individuals may want to take part in.  I was especially interested in the section on smartphone apps that may be helpful.

Chapter 2 – Controlling Blood Loss

This chapter is the first in a long line of “meat and potato” chapters with actionable advice.  As you might imagine, topics such as direct pressure, elevation, tourniquets and clotting agents are addressed.

Chapter 3 – Trauma

Trauma is a big word and encompasses a few major different types of injuries.  Scott uses this chapter in Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook to discuss such topics as blunt force trauma, falls, gunshots and stabbings/impalements.

Chapter 4 – Shock

Shock is probably the most overlooked medical situation when a situation goes sideways.  Events such as gunshots or head injuries are quite apparent visually.  Shock can sometimes sneak up on you.  Scott outlines the four stages of shock and how to best treat them.

Chapter 5 – Fractures

Imagine being in the middle of a fifty-mile multi-day hike with a buddy when he slips and breaks his leg.  Would you know how to treat it properly so that he’s both comfortable and not enduring further injury?  This chapter will teach you how.

Chapter 6 – Burns

Burns can range from that sunburn after a little too long at the beach to full blown third-degree burns which result from prolonged exposure to flames.  Scott uses this chapter of Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook to dive into each type of burn and explain how to treat it.

Chapter 7 – Heat-Related Emergencies

Heat-related emergencies include dehydration, heat exhaustion, cramps and heat stroke.  They can be just as dangerous and cold-related emergencies and, sometimes, harder to treat.  Scott’s advice could help you save the day after long exposure to sunny, warm days.

Chapter 8 – Cold-Related Emergencies

The human body does not like to be cold. Frostbite and hypothermia can be dangerous situations.  With the right information, they can be avoided or, at the very least, treated in short order.

Chapter 9 – Allergic Reactions

Like many medical situations, allergic reactions can range from the benign (seasonal allergies) to the severe (deadly food allergies).  Treatment can be tricky as each person can have a different reaction to epinephrine but Scott does his best to help provide solutions that will make the patient comfortable and stabilize them.

Chapter 10 – Bites and Stings

Bites and stings fall into the same category as allergic reactions.  Some are benign – mosquito bites for instance – and some can border on deadly – picture shark bites or some snake venoms.  Learning how to not only identify the guilty predator but also provide the right treatment is critical to success in these situations.

Chapter 11 – Common Medical Emergencies

Cardiac arrest, seizures, and diabetic attacks can all be life-threatening.  Scott spends some time in this chapter of Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook talking about each and how to deal with them if you do not have immediate access to professional medical services.

Chapter 12 – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear First Aid

While the general population is not immune to such situations, this chapter was definitely written with military personnel in mind.  The good news is that the average reader will probably never have to experience this kind of trauma.  The better news is that this chapter gives you a fighting chance of surviving it if you do.

Chapter 13 – Specific Climate Survival

The big three – fire, water and shelter – are discussed heavily here.  After all, they are three of the most important skills to survival.  Food and medicinal plants are also discussed at length.  Specific climates such as desserts, cold/icy environments, mountain ranges and forest areas are presented as well.  Each terrain style is broken down into detail about what to look for and how to make do in your surroundings.  While interest, this chapter could be a book unto itself.  I would caution the reader that each topic is just touched on and not gone into detail due to the need for some kind of brevity.

Chapter 14 – Rescue Operations

So you’ve made your buddy comfortable after that fall or traumatic event.  How do you go about extricating yourself and him from the situation?  Do you know how to perform one- or two-man carries? Build a stretcher? Or even drag your fallen buddy appropriately?

Chapter 15 – Psychological First Aid

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious issue and one that can raise it’s ugly head after a situation goes sideways.  Learn how to identify it and possibly treat it so that everyone can get out of the situation safely.

Chapter 16 – Resuscitation

Blood flow and oxygen are critical to survival.  Scott goes into great detail in this chapter of Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook to talk about resuscitating someone who has stopped one or both of these critical functions.

Editor’s Note: While the information provided in this chapter is high quality, it in no way replaces a Red Cross CPR certification.

What I Liked About Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook

Scott took a very straightforward approach with this book.  His chapters read clearly and both the identification and treatment sections are quite clear.  It’s evident that his years as a firefighter and his time researching military medical response have aggregated into all the information in this book.

What I Didn’t Like

Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook was definitely written from more of a military/group perspective than a homesteader or suburbanite.  That’s not a knock on the book; it’s more of a heads up for the readers of this site.

Overall Thoughts on Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook

Those of you who were ever a Boy Scout remember the booklets that each merit badge had associated with it.  Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook reminds me of those booklets on steroids!  It’s chock full of both identification and treatment information.  It’s definitely geared more towards immediate treatment so that you can get the patient to more professional treatment.

I’d recommend this book as a good back-up to any formal first aid training you’ve received in the past.

Disclaimer: Scott Finazzo supplied a copy of Prepper’s Survival Medicine Handbook via Ulysses Press for me to review. I can assure my readers that I gave it a fair and honest review.

Riots, EMP threats, NASA’s megadrought, clashes between religious fanatics, the U.S. debt increasing and the coming elections – all of these situations point to the same thing: the world may go down south at any time. I’m not saying they will – I hope they won’t – but are we really crazy for prepping for them?

Our minds are running in overdrive about prepping while the Government’s telling us everything is fine and we don’t need to worry. Sometimes they call us crazy… even though preppers are some of the nicest and friendliest people you’ll ever meet.

I wrote this piece to give you tips on how to prepare without appearing crazy or freaked out about what’s to come. You’ll find my prepping suggestions reasonable. Acting on them will make you feel safer and I can almost guarantee you’ll sleep sounder knowing you’re ready for what might come.

Seven Reasonable Prepping Tips

#1. Get Into Shape

Bad situations bring out the worst in people.  When push comes to shove, people will start thinking they have more of a right to something than you and you may need to fight one or more thugs one on one. You may need to jump, crawl, climb and run to save your life. You may need to pull or carry an injured loved one to safety. All of these require strength, flexibility, speed and stamina.

Fortunately, it’s easy to improve all of them. The easiest thing you can do is just walk more! I, for one, love walking and I always find excuses to leave my car in the garage and run errands on foot. Jogging, hiking and going to the gym will all improve your fitness levels and work your muscles. I suggest you focus on tactical fitness exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, jumping jacks and so on.  Remember, prepping is just as much about gaining skills as it is gathering gear.

#2. Get Out Of Debt

I don’t know if an economic collapse will come before the next major natural disaster or if it’s going to be the other way around. What I do know is that, in the case of either one, you don’t want to be owing money to banks or to anyone else.

We’ve always said that you should start of prepping by paying off your debts right now even if that means more effort or not eating out every day. You know what they say, the more you sweat, the less you bleed…

#3. Move Out Of The City

What usually happens during riots is that the downtown area of a city turns into a battlefield. That’s the last place you want to live because you can’t get in, you can’t get out meaning you might get stuck inside for days, even weeks. Even worse, you might get yourself injured trying to get home.

Try to find cheaper housing in the suburbs. You’ll have to be careful about the location, though, to avoid high-crime neighborhoods. You want to be safe before and after a riot, not just during, when those low-income rioters who also live in the suburbs decide to take justice into their own hands. You’ll also want a quick way out of the city if need be.

Fortunately, you needn’t go further than this website to learn about life in the suburbs.

#4. Start Stockpiling

No, you don’t have to fill an entire room with toilet paper.  You should, however, have a pantry full of foods with a long shelf-life such as canned veggies, jams, peanut butter and honey. All you need to do is buy a little more food than usual with each time you go to the supermarket.  Make sure you’re paying attention to the nutritional content of your stored food as well.  A healthy you is a stronger you.

Buy the things you like to eat so you can easily incorporate them into your diet. Food rotation is important because you don’t want to end up with a spoiled pantry. Of course, you can get other things in bulk such as the aforementioned toilet paper, floss, soap and other hygiene products. You should never run out of any of them – catastrophe or not.

#5. Find New Hobbies and Passions

Hiking, camping, fishing, woodworking, gardening, crafts – these can all make you better prepared without anyone suspecting the real reason why you’re doing them. If you thought about finding a new hobby, maybe now’s the time.

Who says you have to start a hobby on your own? You can do many of these things with your kids (and bond with them) or with your spouse (and possibly bring back the romance into your marriage). Hobbies are great bonding opportunities. Who knows, maybe one of them will turn into a passion.

#6. Prepping Your Car

Engine oil, transmission fluid, a toolbox, a spare tire, a shovel, these are things every driver should have in an emergency. To go the extra mile, why not add water and even a few snacks in your trunk? Not just for SHTF events but also in case you get stuck in traffic for longer periods of time. Add an AM/FM radio and a few blankets, too. If you’re stuck in heavy snow for hours, you don’t want to use fuel and your car’s battery to stay warm and hear the latest news.

Last but not least, make sure you have a good first aid kit. Not the basic one that came with the car, of course. You can make your own from scratch to make sure you have everything you need.  Keep an eye open for sales on first aid equipment and you should be able to do this step on the cheap.  For example, I bought some Ibuprofen last night and they had a “buy one get one free” promotion. Now, I can keep the extra pack with the other in my bug out bag or I can add it to my car’s survival kit.

#7. Start a Medicine Cabinet

Keeping in mind that I’m not a doctor and that you should only use my advice for information purposes only, I want you to build on the previous idea of assembling a custom first aid kit. You can take it even further by buying things such as:

• Bandages (triangular, 2×2, 4×4, H bandages etc.)
• Nitrile Gloves
• Burn and Trauma Dressings
• Sam Splint
• Instant Cold Packs
• Dental Kits (dental care is going to be tough in a post-collapse world)
• …and more.

Note: You shouldn’t store your medicine in your bathroom. Keep them in a dark, cool place because the heat and moisture from your shower will decrease their shelf life.

Final Word

Truth be told, I could write another five articles with all the basic prepping actions you could take and not look crazy. This one should give you a great head start in tackling all sorts of scenarios, including a natural disaster, riots or an economic collapse.

The prepping population knows their stuff. Knowing your stuff is sort of the name of the game when it comes to preparing for the worst. It’s necessary to be innovative, resourceful and aware in order to be in control when life as we know it changes drastically. There are many different ways that this scenario can play out and, luckily, many prepping practices cover a lot of different possibilities. We know the basics: food storage, water, protection, shelter, etc. But what about the little tips, or prepping hacks, we’ve learned without thinking about them, little things that make prepping just a little bit easier? We all have some, and here is a list of some survival and prepping hacks I’ve come across.

1. Remember The Crisco

Crisco is an amazing and versatile product. This may not seem like a necessity to have in your storage, but there are many ways that Crisco can be used. It’s great for frying food, greasing pans, and making baked goods. It’s great for the skin in harsh conditions, scaly skin irritants, and can prevent rashes. Other uses include keeping cockroaches away, makeshift soap, making candles, getting things out of your hair, fixing squeaky hinges, preventing diaper rash, and many others. By putting a wick in a tub of Crisco you will have a candle that will reportedly burn for 45 days. There are other alternatives for Crisco including lard or coconut oil. Crisco, however, has a longer shelf life if stored properly and combines the perks and prepping hacks of these alternatives in one product.

2. Get The Seeds

Like I said before, as preppers, we know the importance of food storage. This practice will be vitally important if we are forced to live off of what we have and aren’t able to go out and grab some groceries. It’s important to understand food longevity, creative cooking methods, and the ability to hunt. Food storage, however, shouldn’t be the only way you are preparing to eat if the worst happens. The downside to food storage is that you are forced to leave a lot behind if you are forced to relocate. The solution to this problem is one of the easiest prepping hacks: buy and store a pack of seeds. This will enable you to grow your own, fresh food source and something easy to barter with. The seeds I’d recommend because of their ease to grow are:

• Beets
• Radishes
• Beans
• Basil
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes

3. Don’t Forget The Medicine

Storing medicine is one of the first prepping hacks you should consider.  The uses for medicine are an obvious necessity when prepping. It’s extremely important to have a stockpile of medicine that you need for your own specialized medical issues like insulin, inhalers or any other life-saving medication you need. This approach can be tricky for some types of medicine as some prescriptions are quite hard to refill before you’ve finished the amount you were prescribed. Some other types of medicine that are important to keep on hand are pain relievers, antidiarrheal medicines, orajel, amoxicillin, antacids, rubbing alcohol, and antibiotic ointment. A wound dressing is important as well so be sure to remember gauze. Infection can be an overlooked issue with prepping but can easily cause limb loss or death if not treated properly.

4. Bring The Baby Oil

Baby oil is another product that is easily overlooked but can be useful in a survival situation. In cold areas where you are outside in the elements a lot, baby oil can protect your exposed skin from dry or frostbitten skin. The risk for frostbite is highest for people who have reduced blood circulation. It is important for frostbite affected tissue to be removed immediately or gangrene and infection will take hold. Without the proper medication, infection can cause death.  Baby oil will not completely eliminate the risk of frostbite, of course, but it will help delay the effects and is one of the easiest prepping hacks to follow.

5. It’s All About The Silver

There are many different types of disaster that can happen at any moment and an economic collapse is one of those possibilities. If it ends up that the dollar no longer means anything in our society we will have to revert back to a monetary system that was in place before paper money was in place as a sort of IOU for the gold and silver it was supposed to represent. Like gold, silver can be used as a hedge against inflation, deflation or currency debasement.

6. The Multi-Purpose Pad

The pad, primarily used for feminine hygiene, is an extremely versatile tool and prepping hack. Along with compiling stockpiles of food, water, and other important supplies, pick up a package of pads for your survival stash. Pads can be used for absorbing lighter fluid to be used later and is extremely light to carry. The cotton material inside the pad can be used for water filtration or creating a wick. You can use it to stop bleeding if you have a wound or clean a wound. They can be used with string to create a mask, shoe insoles, or an ice pack.

7. Creative Uses For Condoms

Condoms are another cheap and easy-to-carry item that will be great in a survival situation. Aside for their intended purpose, these great prepping hacks can hold a gallon of water which can be a lot easier than toting around a water jug to do the same. However, once you fill a condom up with water they become highly susceptible to puncture even by small or blunt objects. I’d recommend keeping them around just in case, but not as your main means for keeping water. They are also great for keeping things dry like kindling or matches. The downside to using condoms for water or keeping things dry is the lubricant on the outside, but it’s a small price to pay as an easy substitution for a water jug in a pinch or a way to keep life-saving matches dry.

Survival and Prepping Hacks Wrap Up

Whether your prepping stash includes a giant storage warehouse filled with all of the necessary belongings needed in case disaster strikes or just a small tote filled with a few necessities, hopefully, you discovered a few extra hacks to think about in the case of emergency. What unique prepping or survival hacks have you discovered?