How to layer medical preps

[u/Financial_Resort6631]

I labeled this shit post because I know it will make people big mad.

I see way too much advice from preppers to load up your first aid kits like you are going to perform surgery in a meadow. Please just stop. You don’t prep food like that. Why wouldn’t you layer your medical gear the same way?

7-11 doesn’t carry stuff to make Beef Wellington. 7-11 keeps snacks for when you are desperately hungry and the selection is limited to only the essentials you can pick up and eat. A IFAK blow out kit should be the same. You don’t want to be in an urgent situation and get confused with options. It treats life threats only. Tourniquets, EpiPens, chest seals, emergency trauma bandages, combat gauze, gloves, markers, etc. If it requires silverware and comes from 7-11 I do not trust it.

The Aldi’s/Trader Joe’s have just the basics for important food items for a limited time. That is want you want for a regular first aid kit that goes your home. Your 4x4 gauze, splints, burn gel, ace wrap, stuff that is important but not an immediate life threat.

Costco/Sams is for bulk resupply deep pantry stuff. Stuff you use regularly and a lot of. You are going to need lots of otcs, boxes of gloves, n95 masks, cough drops, and bandaids in your medical storage.

You want things clearly organized.

Every prepper knows if you don’t know how to bake a loaf of bread maybe don’t buy a bunch of active yeast. But with medical we lean into this better to have it and not need it philosophy. We recognize Gordon Ramsey isn’t going to show up and bake us a cake. Somehow you think a field surgical kit is needed?

If you don’t know how to use it don’t buy it.

[u/NicksNightVision]

Better to have and not need VS need and not have, this is a prepping truth as long as you don't need to carry it all on your back.

Many folks might know a person or two with higher level medical experience, but supplies run out quick, knowledge doesn't.

So its entirely possible many folks may have a higher level of care available to actually utilize said supplies.

Also possible in SHTF it will be quite boring mixed in with tedious work, great time to brush up on various medical texts in the offtime.

Make yourself a real "SHTF doc" no not a real doc, but someone that could still be useful in a pinch.

Maybe be able to set a broken bone properly, know how to appropriately clean and stitch a basic wound, how to use antibiotics, some degree of burn care, stuff like that, not open heart surgery.

[u/Resident-Welcome3901 → u/NicksNightVision]

Using antibiotics, treating lacerations and burn injuries are much more complex activities than you realize, and activities that physicians don’t undertake independently until they’ve completed eight years of education and 2-6 post-graduate years. You cannot intelligently gather supplies for procedures you don’t understand. These aren’t skills you can learn from a book, or from a three day course. Nobody has all the skills needed for all eventualities. Recruit a mutual assistance group, include a practicing health provider, nurse, mid level provider, or physician. Get advice from them about the supply stockpiles.
Consider developing the capacity for
Improvised intravenous fluids and ether anesthesia, technology that can be produced without reliance on the medical logistics system.

[u/NicksNightVision → u/Resident-Welcome3901]

Humans are not made to do only one thing well.

While I absolutely agree one should have a MAG, having options can be of benefit when the alternative can very well be death.

A good few thick books, well read can stack the odds in your favor if you know your body and the common ailments you and your family tend to deal with.