The Dark Reality of First Aid After the SHTF

There's no denying the importance of first aid in urban survival. Whether a small cut or something worth a call, having the tools to contend with a medical emergency cannot not be understated. But when we push into the dark corners of prolonged disaster, the realities of first aid can become a hard pill to swallow. Tourniquets and bandages be damned, the truth is rather grim.

A Whole New World

While an individual first aid kit (IFAK) can make or break survival in the best of times, many of us prepare for what's beyond. In a true urban survival scenario, emergency services would become nothing more than a history lesson - right along with the hospital and the critical care required to win out against a forever nap. Deep lacerations, penetrating wounds, and blunt force trauma all require medical intervention to respond and repair. Breezing past the inevitabilities of surgury, infection becomes an issue far greater than most are equipped to contend with, even with a pocket full of mox. So, what happens once we've done our best?

It's a Downhill Battle

Out and about, your partner manages to invite a piece of scrap to his leg. No amount of wound packing or pressure can slow the bleed, so you opt for a tourniquet. You slowly loosen the TQ after an hour and a half later to check the flow, but come up from the wound with a fresh coat of paint. The wound has picked up more bacteria than your tourniquet, permanent tissue damage is well underway, and the artery is in clear need of repair.

The End of the Line

No matter who you consult, the instruction remains the same: start a course of antibiotics in the field, and seek immediate medical attention for serious injury. End of the line texts like 'Where There is No Doctor' will tell you the same, so where does that leave us when the hospitals are down and the doctors are away? Well, for those of us who lack the surgical skills and resources required to contend with life-altering injuries, our long story would be cut rather short. At least it's tidy. So, as you prepare for the unknowns ahead, be sure to approach them with an honest assessment of how bad things can get (see: American Civil War). You only get one chance to do things right, so prepare yourself and your team accordingly.

Have you given much thought as to what would happen if the healthcare system crashed during an Urban Disaster, and you or someone you cared about was in need?

First AidJHSeptember 12, 2023SHTF Blog, SHTF, Urban Prepping, Urban Preparedness, Urban Survival, Prepping Blog, Prepper Blog, Prepping, Apartment Prepping, First Aid, City Prepping, TEOTWAWKIComment

On Shotguns: Shotgun Breaching For Urban Survival

We've all encountered a locked barrier at some point in our lives. Locked keys in the car? Call roadside assistance. Late night as a teen? There's a basement window for that. At the end of the day, these are all easy fixes with ample opportunity. But in an urban survival scenario where self-rescue is required - and a locked door may hold you or your loved ones firmly in harm's way - a heavy-handed solution may be the only way to safety. If a lockpick or hard kick won't clear a path, perhaps it's time to knock a little louder. Enter the shotgun.

The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered

During a period of civil unrest, you're either a number or a target. No matter how well equipped you or your small group may be for conflict, full battle rattle is going to draw a world of unwanted attention from the hoods and have-nots. That overt plate carrier and camo you're wearing? The city will eventually swallow you whole, thinking you're another cop, criminal, or loot drop. But at what point does our affinity for load bearing equipment or camo become a liability in urban preparedness? With big city problems, I figure it's sooner rather than later.

Your Daily Dose of First Aid For Urban Preparedness

While first aid holds an important place in urban survival, many of us continue to focus on the long game. We look solely to the horizon, building out full-scale solutions to face troubled times ahead. But with a world of misadventure just beyond our doors, it's important not to lose sight of the daily unknowns. Whether we like it or not, disaster usually crops up when we're least prepared.