A massive storm dumped more than two feet of rain on the Hawaiian island of Kauai over the weekend. The resulting flash floods and landslides caused power outages and road closures, stranding hundreds of residents. Air rescue operations are still ongoing…
This week’s batch of must-read articles looks at the lessons we can all learn from such a disaster — as well as the No. 1 gun accessory to stock for an emergency, 11 powerful medicinal herbs you should be growing, whether or not it’s safe to stock up on fish antibiotics for survival and more.
Here we go…
1. Landslides, Floods, Air Rescues Ongoing on Kauai
This story points to the importance of having multiple emergency plans — including backups for your backups. Let’s say your Plan A is to bug out. What is your Plan B if the roads are closed or impassable? What is your plan C if it’s not safe to return to your home?
Prepping is an exercise in imagination: Try to come up with every possible “worst-case” scenario. Then adjust your survival strategy so that you’re prepared for whatever comes to pass.
This is why it’s also a good idea to stash emergency gear in more than one place. Obviously, if you live in a flood-prone area, store a cache of critical gear on the upper levels of your home. If you have to evacuate in a hurry, it’s useful to have a storage unit stocked with supplies you can hit on your way out of town.
2. The No. 1 Gun Accessory to Stock for an Emergency
No matter how much ammunition you stock, if you don’t have a supply of this one item, your guns may be rendered useless right when you need them most.
This military-approved (Mil-Spec MIL-PRF-63460E) accessory is a critical component for ANY firearm. It ensures your weapons will never clog or jam in a life-or-death situation.
Click on the link above for more details and to stock up now — before it’s too late.
3. 11 Powerful Medicinal Herbs You Should Be Growing
Even if you don’t have room for a large garden where you live, herbs are easy to grow in smaller pots or window boxes. Not only are they a great way to add flavor to your meals but many herbs also have various medicinal qualities — from alleviating headaches to quelling digestion issues and more.
Take a look at the above article published on Homestead Survival Site. It runs down 11 fragrant and delicious herbs you should be growing at home. You’ll also discover what aches and pains you can use each of these herbs to treat, plus some tips on proper care.
Even if you never need to utilize them in a survival situation, these plants will help you savor the season — all year round.
4. Fish Antibiotics for Survival and How to Store Them
There’s a popular idea in prepper circles that one way to procure and stockpile prescription medicines for an emergency is to use veterinary medications — specifically, fish antibiotics.
This post on Survival Sullivan discusses the ins and outs of stockpiling fish antibiotics, including how they’re labeled (why you can ignore expiration dates), important storage considerations (why your medicine cabinet is the WOST place to store them) and one of the biggest risks of taking an antibiotic — fish or otherwise.
And remember, if you are allergic to the human form of amoxicillin (which is a semisynthetic form of penicillin), you will be allergic to the fish form of amoxicillin — it’s the same drug!
5. Poison Ivy: Learn About It the Easy Way
As a kid you were probably taught, “Leaves of three, let it be.” While this is an important idiom to remember when you’re playing or working outside, it’s not a foolproof way to recognize and avoid poison ivy.
Poison ivy also takes the form of thick hairy vines; it has clusters of white berries in the fall, and sometimes the leaves look like clubs — but not always.
Check out this piece from the folks over at Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You for details on how to recognize poison ivy in all its forms, what to do if you think you’ve been exposed to it and the real cause of the nasty rash some people develop.
This is a good article to share with children. It’s never too early to learn how to prevent the uncomfortable effects of coming into contact with poisonous plants.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
