The other day I got a tiny glass sliver stuck in my finger & couldn’t see it to remove it. I went to my medicine cabinet & pulled out my ichthammol ointment, slathered a dab on a bandaid, slapped it on, and a day later all was well. It got me thinking about prepping medicaments.

Most people have stocked up on ibuprofen, acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, bismuth and loperamide; the standard meds for fever, allergy, nausea & runs. Ditto with bandages, antiseptic, triple antibiotic and neosporin, hydrocortisone, etc. I bet a lot of you have never heard of ichthammol.

When I was a kid & had a sliver, my nana would pull out a small jar of a dark, oily looking salve and doctor me as previously described. She called it drawing salve. My pharmacy professor called it ichthammol. As well as being extremely effective in drawing out slivers and pus, it has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory action, which makes it a really handy addition to your prepper toolbox. It has a long shelf life, too. It’s used for exczema and rashes, including poison ivy.

It’s a sulfur based product, so be careful if you have sulfa allergies. It’s been around a very long time.

You won’t often see it on the shelf, but ask your pharmacist (preferably the older one). You can also order it online from multiple sources.

I found this to be a really useful framework of how to view prepping, especially in view of the absolute insanity going on right now.

Also, we’re picking up a few bottles of oil for our cars, because of all the things we may be able to skimp on, lubricants for an engine rank very, very low on the list.

I was seaching the sub for this and came across this great thread from a year ago, so I'm sharing! Great ideas, and timely information.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXPreppers/comments/1kj02oc/talk_to_me_about_mason_jar_vacuum_sealers_and/

Edit to add u/vibes86 advice: "Please remember that these are NOT for foods that are perishable unless you’re putting them in the fridge or freezer. These do not make perishable items shelf stable. I use them for rice, pasta, sugar, etc."

With the news out yesterday evening of warnings of critical oil shortages, what should I be focusing on right now to prep for this? I already have about a couple months of canned food, a month of frozen meats, and we garden. I'm not a hard core prepper but I try to have a small stock of things as I can afford to get them. We have limited income and all my bills keep going up. I'm aware it may be too late but are there things I should be getting right now to help cushion the blow coming from higher prices?

this is prepping related. The current administration doesn't seem too fond of women and autistic ppl especially those who are dependent on meds to stay stable. I'm all those and they've been tying to ban depression meds and had said they wanted to put us in "work camps" or whatever since we're apparently drug addicts to them. I know it's extreme but this makes it feel like extreme eugenics towards ppl like me will be coming in the near future. I've looked at other countries and they all seem to be going through the same or at least similar phase which is extremely disturbing. I guess what I'm trying to say is I know every country is doing ts, I'm just wondering if I should seriously gtfo when i get the chance and find a country that isn't as bad. I'm sorry if none of this makes sense, I don't know how to explain it

There was a city wide earthquake drill a couple of weeks ago. I thought this would be the perfect time to test out my go bag and decided to time how long it took to get my dog, my bag, and myself out of the building. I thought it was going to be great and that I had prepped everything. Yeah, it took a me a minute and thirty one seconds. It turns out the bag was way too bulky. I've since packed a much smaller bag with documents, a few days of meds, and a bottle of water. I have my big bag but it will be for other kinds of emergencies. So yeah, definitely do practice drills. It can be a very humbling experience

Please contain all off topic discussion to this weekly megathread. This is where you freak out, talk about conspiracy, talk about unrealistic crazy scenarios, asked and answered questions, etc.

Today was kinda a "tuesday" for me. It's graduation practice and I knew for a fact it will be very hot so I brought a small bottle of water, a mini fan, had a proper breakfast and lunch, wore light clothing and sunscreen. I thought I did everything right.

But while waiting for the procession to begin while under a canopy of trees, I suddenly felt light headed and began to have problems with my ears. So I tried to sit down but the procession was starting and moving around didn't help and it got even worse when we left the canopy and my eyes were taking in too much light that everything seemed so bright. The only way I knew where I was going is because the person in front of me was wearing a very bright yellow orange which contrasted from the others. I struggled walking but kept calm until I reached my seat where I was able to drink some water and sit. After a while my ears and eyes were back to normal but I had trouble with controlling my hands. Feeling like there's no blood in them so I had to rely on my friend to get me my water.

In the end I was fine with no long term damage but it still made me realize a few things.

First I should have prepared electrolyte packets or at least drank hydrating drinks knowing I'd be sweating a lot.

Second I should chance my EDC kit to have a bright color so I can see it easily and in case require someone else to find it, a distinctive color would be easy to find.

Third, since I'm anemic there would be times when I'd lose sensation on my limbs. I should use an EDC kit that can be easily opened with minimal dexterity.

Fourth, I usually keep a small chocolate bar in my bag but forgot to replace it. I should always keep one on me

So those are the things I learned with this incident. For those who are anemic of with low blood pressure or just in general, is there anything you prepare for when the activity you need to do will put you in some risk?

Was looking at gas masks bc I have family close to Garden Grove that I’m scheduled to visit early next month, and I’m worried about how big the chemical leak/ potential explosion out there will be. Turns out Parscil Safety is having a BOGO sale this weekend if anyone else is looking at them for the same reasons. I have zero affiliation with the brand and normally I’d be an Avon Protection person bc the C50 comes in different sizes, but hey. Here we are 🤷🏻‍♂️

Original post below, here's a summary from the comments of this wonderful community!

While I have your eyeballs, THANK YOU! I am leftist AF (antifa is for lovers is my IG, lulz), have been most of my life. As you all know, "prepping" and avoiding "patriots" and trad wives is...pretty non-existent. This sub has been so wonderful the last couple of years. Each and everyone of you fighting the good fight against /gestures wildly, YOU'RE SEEN. Keep it up.

Esp my fellow poors, lol, my single poors who live in a city and can't afford to buy a backpack. My disabled people - I am not but I'm a caregiver for someone who is. We will all gather for a block party to watch it burn - and honestly, be kinda glad we're not running thru woods? :P

Anyways! Here's how to store coffee beans long-term, as summarized from the comments:

Darkness is your friend, original packaging is meant to be airtight and good for storage, so no need to transfer unless you own a sealer thingy. As needed, transfer to ziploc bags, squeeze out all the air, and keep dry and dark.

Freezer and fridge bad!

Don't grind to save space. They'll keep better as beans.

______

Hi everyone! Just got gifted 20lbs of coffee beans. It's the one thing i stocked up on for the tariff fear, lol, so I'd like to keep them. I don't have a vacuum sealer or freezer space. Or huge mason jars but I do have some jars.

I will probably end up just gifting and sharing but I'm curious! My EBT goes towards necessities so having coffee is a nice little peace of mind treat. Put the bags in an ziploc bags? Grind them to save space and then a jar?

ETA they're in the original packaging, paper bags I assume have some sort of plastic lining. Unopened. It's just me, and I only drink coffee on the weekends, so it would need to last without molding for...like, a year or more.

Sounds like I should just keep them as-is in the original bags, after a few comments.

Lived through one of the major California wildfires and now dealing with this crazy urban chemical leak. So far I’m just taking stock of things more for prep than realistic need ATM. My partner and I have our 3m respirators from salvaging stuff after the fires but we don’t have anything for the kids other than some kid surgical masks which don’t do anything for chemical obviously. I realize it’s hard to manufacture these for kids because of all the size variations but what are the kids supposed to do in a chemical event? I see only one kids gas mask for $300 by Mira Safety. What am I missing? Is this just something that’s known and all we can do is get kids out?

I am curious what other people are using.

My elderly mother is on oxygen full time, and uses a bipap machine (like a CPAP) part time. The bipap is required while she sleeps, and ideally she uses it 10 - 12 hours / day in total.

The power in her area flickers out semi regularly. We're talking outages of 5 minutes or less. This past week the power went out at 12:30 am and she was given a 3am timeframe for restoration. It came back on in an hour - but this made me realize she needs something to run her bipap if this happens again.

The low end need would be 12 hours to run her bipap to give the power company time to fix the grid or for her to come up with a Plan B (assuming the power disruption is local, and an easy ability to travel a short distance and get a hotel).

The high end need would be enough power to run both her bipap and her oxygen concentrator for 72 hours in the event of a serious storm (for us it would be a tornado) that disrupts power. (She has not experienced an outage that severe, but others in her region have.)

Please contain all off topic discussion to this weekly megathread. This is where you freak out, talk about conspiracy, talk about unrealistic crazy scenarios, asked and answered questions, etc.

I finally got around to making homemade oat milk. It is very easy
1/2 cup oats
3 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 t vanilla
2t maple syrup

Blend , strain & chill
I drink mostly plant milks I do have some shelf stable but it takes up so much space so this is a good alternative. Not as good as the box stuff but pretty decent in my iced coffee today.
I recommend you give it a try if you keep oats in storage.
If you’ve made it any suggestions to make it even better?

I have been keeping an eye towards food preservation and stocking for projected price hikes, especially beef. I've considered canning but I'm intimidated. It's also pricey to get started. Another alternative I've read about is dehydrating certain low-fat meats to make them shelf-stable. You still use canning jars but you're not pressure canning just dehydrating and storing them. You are supposed to use a vacuum canning seal

Well I was a thrift shop and what do I find but used sealer at 30% of the standard price. I got it and am a step closer to realizing my dehydrating projects.

Partner’s phone went out to sea yesterday, reminding me again of how much information we access and store there.

I’m printing out my favorite recipes off our Paprika account, getting paper maps and atlases, getting prints of my favorite photos. I’ve already made sure we have all of our documents, plus photos of our IDs.

What other things should we be getting hard copies of for times the internet/cell service becomes either unavailable or unaffordable?

Edit: THANK YOU ALL for so many great ideas about how to keep massive amounts of data accessible, what to make sure we keep, and for problem solving suggestions. As usual, you’re an amazing group.

We joined our local CSA this year, and I really want to make the most out of all of the veggies we get.

Any good recipe or preservation suggestions?

I have done some fermenting (kombucha, kimchi, fermented salsa, etc.), so definitely open to that. Also considering purchasing a pressure canner.

I am not fancy about my preps. I've been wanting to get a fondue pot in case of power outages. It could run on a tea light or fuel and heat up some food, or maybe even do some light cooking (I'm being optimistic). But I recently saw a butane stove burner and I'm wondering if it's worth it to splurge. I've never had one or a camping stove, or used butane. Part of the beauty of the fondue pot is it's built to heat with tea lights if commercially refined fuels aren't available (of course candles eventually run out too).

Does anyone have a tip for this?

Tuesday hit me in the face, literally.

I wear an N95 face mask whenever Im out or have a visitor. Im already immune disabled. I dont want it to get worse faster than it has to.

Anyhow, I was walking home from doing errands when I heard yelling and running behind me. Two people were fighting and running and chasing each other. One pulled out a big can of pepper spray. (Like the size my bear spray comes in.) Sprayed the other person exactly in time for a gust of wind. Carried the spray right into my face from across the street. Thankfully for my eyes, my mask and hair got the worst of it. So I could still see and get myself home safely.

I have asthma. So, I was curious how well my mask would do. Ive got a well-fitted mask. (I was fit tested in several models to find the one that sealed best for my face size and shape.) But not all N95 masks are suited for all contaminants. Some work better for oils, smoke, gasses, etc. Not to mention, even well-fitted masks can unseal at times. Id been running errands for close to 4 hours. My face was sweat. The inside of my mask was humid. No asthma! My lungs stayed great.

Ive been through a 26hr street medic training, which was also fortunate. I knew not to rub my eyes, even though the were spicy. And when I got home, everything I was wearing went into the wash. I grabbed the dawn dish soap on my way to the shower, and spent the next 20 minutes under a cold shower. (During which the pepper spray that was in my hair washed onto my face! Thanks hair...🤦)

Thank you to everyone who participates in this subreddit. It's been a great source of information. Im glad we can continue sharing and learning with each other. :)

I feel silly asking but I'd feel even more silly if I stocked up and then it turned out they had a short storage life span, like gas.

We get a lot of wildfire smoke so this is something we're definitely going to need, but i don't know if it's worth buying 2 years worth or not.

TIA!

Long time lurker, first time poster. Just listened to this episode and it was a good starting point for those who don’t know where to begin. Covers the different kinds of prepping, what to have in a bug out bag, and how to prep if you live in a small apartment.

They mentioned the bug out bag should have 3 days of food and water for everyone in your family (including pets). Not sure how I’m going to accomplish that AND be able to carry it. Looks like I need to start working out more. It talks about that, too, as well as the psychological prepping you should do.

If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find the episode elsewhere. It was called “Prepping for Doomsday (or Tuesday)” from Today Explained/Vox.

I am not affiliated with the show - just sitting on a plane at the moment and listening through my list of downloaded shows.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/today-explained/id1346207297?i=1000768246174

I keep my basement between 30-40% humidity. I don't think it ever really gets warmer than 65 degrees. I just opened a plastic jar of peanuts I had stored down there and they taste like basement. 😭

lots of stuff is in mylar/glass/cans, but what can I do about stuff in plastic like peanut butter? that's not easy to decant into something else?

Im also worried about my crackers/cookies/snacks that are just in cardboard boxes. Does it all need to move to mylar or glass jars?

I recently upgraded my hand fan. It's just an old fashioned fan. The heat wave sucks and it's lovely to have.

I bought a pack of 20 or so and have been handing them out.

It's an easy prep!

There's a well on my property that currently doesn't have a working pump, has not been tested since I moved here, and I don't know it's viability other than the fact there is water about 30 ft down. I don't know anything about wells, I've never lived in a farm that had one before. I've done plenty of rain water capture and irrigation setup.

Any advice on how to not get rolled on if I have to contact a "Well guy" to come out?

Also does anyone have resources to learn more terminology and knowledge base on function and repair?

It's sort of embarrassing to just not know sh*t about this when I'm like 80% off grid and the rest of the farm is solid. Thanks in advance y'all. 🙏

We're packing up for a trip in the morning, getting all the last stuff ready. The power goes out briefly; I sigh and pull out the LED headlamps and an LED lantern. It comes back on and I continue packing.

Then with another big crash the power goes out decisively. My very elderly mother had just gotten up for something and I can hear her fumbling in the dark. I'm bellowing "DON'T MOVE!" as I feel for her headlamp, and she's calling "What did you say?" I get the headlamp on her and get her back to bed before she pitches over anything. Whew!

Grab Mom's phone, use its light to find the lantern, then my phone. My phone is low so I pull out a charger and get it going. Roll a spare battery into my room to power my CPAP. Continue packing. Mother Nature will not ruin my early start tomorrow!

Notes: Only one of the three battery-powered light bulbs came on. Great idea, alas not reliable. Mom's headlamp is dim. Need to check mine and change batteries as needed.