4 Things Most Preppers go W/O But Really, Really, Really Shouldn't



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1. Merino Wool Clothing



As far as I understand, merino wool is one of, if not the best clothing fabrics on the planet. Far superior to both cotton and "under armor".



It is

soft

does not have the ABILITY to retain odor

dries quickly

keeps you warm even when wet

is the warmest fabric by weight

breathes better than under armor in cool weather

fire resistant

offers high UV protection

It never itches, even when worn for over 1 month straight (yes people where this material for that long, and even then the material refuses to retain odors).



The only real downside is that is aint cheap, at least not for the brand I buy,



But the good news is the clothing lasts and lasts. I've worn one short sleeve shirt some.... ~300 times now? Maybe even more. I've worn is 5-6 days a week for over a year and a half now, still holding up fairly well, and looks the exact same the day I bought it (not counting tears that I personally put in it through typical wear and tear).



Anyway, I'll never willingly buy cotton clothes again over merino wool - money aside. It's just awesome... and if you consider it's benefits, I think it's a valuable survival tool. Cotton for one sucks heat when wet, and takes forever to dry. Under armor and other synthetic clothing stink pretty quickly, and can not be worn for extended periods without resulting rashes.



Neither of which insulate or breathe as well as merino wool.



I think you get the point. Probably best to get it on Amazon or BackCountry.com (BC offers a life time warranty on anything you buy from them, including clothes).



2. Coconut Oil



Coconut Oil is another item that isn't discussed much on this board, without good reason.



Coconut Oil is excellent for you, digesting much like a carbohydrate due to it's high concentration of MCT's (medium chain triglycerides). Translation? Fast fast energy, without the same degree of insulin spiking found in carbohydrate.



Better yet, since it's pure fat (mostly saturated, the good kind), it's packing a lot of calories. Without protein or a host of other vitamins/minerals it is not a complete food, but never the less it's a ton of calories. Even a relatively small jar could sustain the average many for quite a few days, especially if keto-adapted (more in a sec).



But food is only one use of coconut oil. It's other uses are just as, if not more important.



Coconut oil is

anti viral

anti bacterial

anti microbial

anti fungal

completely sterile (no kidding)

The first one is perhaps the most important, as it will "kill" any virus it comes into contact with, in addition to virtually all other pathogens.



Better yet, it is easily absorbed by the skin.



Personally I've used it to rid myself of a case of molloscum contagiosum (viral skin infection/irritation).



I had gone to the doc, and he used liquid nitrogen to burn off the red bumps that result from this virus. It hurt pretty bad due to the location (need I say more?), left minor scars, and took over 2 weeks to heal.



Upon healing, some of it came back. I was pi$$ed!



I applied coconut oil liberally for 3 days. On day 4, all remaining bumps were gone, left behind no scars, and I suffered no pain. Bam, never had a problem again (thank god this virus only lives on the surface of our skin!).



Not to mention I spent 1/10th on coconut oil as I spent on the doc.



So, considering all of this (and yes coconut oil is safe to apply to wounds), I find coconut oil especially useful as a survival item. You can eat it, and it can save your life. It's even useful as a skin moisturizer - as in significantly better than almost anything else you can find. Chapped lips? Look no further, this will heal them faster and better than all chap sticks I have ever come into contact with.



And need I take a step back and discuss other skin infections? Oral infections? Coconut oil can even be used to heal eye infections (although I'd be cautious with the amount I applied to my eyes).



3. Keto-adaption



"Fat adapting" or "keto adapting" is more of a trait than an item. It is what happens when one consumes little or no carbohydrate. It takes 2-4 weeks for most individual, during which some head aches can occur due to a magnesium deficiency in the SAD (standard american diet). Producing ketone bodies consistently (keto adapting) requires more magnesium, hence when you dont have enough, you have minor problems.



In any case, that kind of information is something one can Google or search for on Wikipedia. The point I'm trying to make is that once "keto adapted", you are significantly better suited to burn both dietary and bodily fat - when necessary.



You are less hungry, and when you are hungry, there is no serious pain. No stomach cramps, muscle weakness, head aches, grumpiness, etc.



Once fat adapted, your body lives off of, well, mostly fat. Guess what you have plenty of just sitting around?



Fat.



Where this comes into play is in a survival situation. A person who is keto adapted can easily go 24 hours WITHOUT EATING A DAMN THING, and be completely fine, and function normally.



A person who typically consumed 200-350 grams of carbohydrate per day? (very common in Amerikuhhh). They will be RAVENOUS in far less than 24 hours without a fix and regularly scheduled meal.





I think this is a major factor in SHTF scenarios actually. People get hungry, FAST, because they are accustomed to eating 4-6 times a day.



Personally? (I have been fat adapted for many months). I eat once, maybe twice a day. It is extremely rare I eat 3 times a day, and when I do, that third meal is hardly a "meal" but a small snack of jerky or something.



I regularly go more than 24 hours without eating, and while I "know" I should eat some food, I won't blink an eye till it's convenient. I just don't care, and I'm not keeling over from starvation any time soon.



See how this is playing out in a survival situation? Carbohydrate addicted person is freaking out without constant and readily accessible food. When they don't get it, head aches ensue among other problems.



A fat adapted person? Going to last a hell of a lot longer with minimal or no food. You're body is made up of fat, nearly 100% saturated. I recommend you practice using it =).



For more info on keto adaption, check



4. Pemmican



Pemmican (properly made) is the closest thing one can find to a "perfect food". It is a highly stable mix of rendered animal fat, and completely dried animal protein (very lean meat).



Properly made and stored (dry location, relatively low temp, although "warm" temps won't seriously limit it's life span), it has been reported to last for decades. In fact, the taste can even improve over time.



Pemmican, in the absence of any significant amount of carbohydrate, prevents all deficiencies - including scurvy - and satisfies all nutritional requirements. (When significant carbohydrate is present, scurvy would be the primary concern, followed by other lesser deficiencies).



Most will find this hard to believe, as the amount of carbohydrate in animal meat is tiny and insignificant. But, never the less, carbohydrate is not a necessary nutrient for humans.



This doesn't make it useless, or "bad" for everyone- and many people may actually live best on X amount - but for survival purposes, it simply isn't necessary. The body can produce all the carbohydrate that is required, and the brain runs better on ketone bodies.



To learn more about pemmican you can look



That's all. Hope some find this useful. If you have questions let me know



-Svt



edit- and for the record, I know of no place to buy properly made pemmican. GrasslandBeef.com sells it, and I've tried it, and it's good, but it does not resemble home made pemmican. Do not know what they did different. Regardless, the beef fat they sell is great for using in pemmican. AND, try not to eat your jerky as you dry it! I run into this problem a lot as real beef jerky is simply delicious.



edit2- should also mention, pemmican is going to MURDER any of "survival" food in terms of caloric content. Properly made pemmican is 50/50 fat/protein by weight, which turns out to be 80/20 caloric content by weight since there are more than twice as many calories in the fat than in the protein. 20% protein may seem low, but it is not, especially in a survival situation, or even daily living where people consume copious amounts of sugar and grain oils (soy/rapeseed/corn mostly, rapeseed being canola with a spiffy new name). There are 4 "things" I rarely see discussed - if at all - on this forum, that I find incredibly important. One in particular is shocking to see ignored by this community (and somewhat related to another item on this list).As far as I understand, merino wool is one of, if not the best clothing fabrics on the planet. Far superior to both cotton and "under armor".It isIt never itches, even when worn for over 1 month straight (yes people where this material for that long, and even then the material refuses to retain odors).The only real downside is that is aint cheap, at least not for the brand I buy, Icebreaker But the good news is the clothing lasts and lasts. I've worn one short sleeve shirt some.... ~300 times now? Maybe even more. I've worn is 5-6 days a week for over a year and a half now, still holding up fairly well, and looks the exact same the day I bought it (not counting tears that I personally put in it through typical wear and tear).Anyway, I'll never willingly buy cotton clothes again over merino wool - money aside. It's just awesome... and if you consider it's benefits, I think it's a valuable survival tool. Cotton for one sucks heat when wet, and takes forever to dry. Under armor and other synthetic clothing stink pretty quickly, and can not be worn for extended periods without resulting rashes.Neither of which insulate or breathe as well as merino wool.I think you get the point. Probably best to get it on Amazon or BackCountry.com (BC offers a life time warranty on anything you buy from them, including clothes).Coconut Oil is another item that isn't discussed much on this board, without good reason.Coconut Oil is excellent for you, digesting much like a carbohydrate due to it's high concentration of MCT's (medium chain triglycerides). Translation? Fast fast energy, without the same degree of insulin spiking found in carbohydrate.Better yet, since it's pure fat (mostly saturated, the good kind), it's packing a lot of calories. Without protein or a host of other vitamins/minerals it is not a complete food, but never the less it's a ton of calories. Even a relatively small jar could sustain the average many for quite a few days, especially if keto-adapted (more in a sec).But food is only one use of coconut oil. It's other uses are just as, if not more important.Coconut oil isThe first one is perhaps the most important, as it will "kill" any virus it comes into contact with, in addition to virtually all other pathogens.Better yet, it is easily absorbed by the skin.Personally I've used it to rid myself of a case of molloscum contagiosum (viral skin infection/irritation).I had gone to the doc, and he used liquid nitrogen to burn off the red bumps that result from this virus. It hurt pretty bad due to the location (need I say more?), left minor scars, and took over 2 weeks to heal.Upon healing, some of it came back. I was pi$$ed!I applied coconut oil liberally for 3 days. On day 4, all remaining bumps were gone, left behind no scars, and I suffered no pain. Bam, never had a problem again (thank god this virus only lives on the surface of our skin!).Not to mention I spent 1/10th on coconut oil as I spent on the doc.So, considering all of this (and yes coconut oil is safe to apply to wounds), I find coconut oil especially useful as a survival item. You can eat it, and it can save your life. It's even useful as a skin moisturizer - as in significantly better than almost anything else you can find. Chapped lips? Look no further, this will heal them faster and better than all chap sticks I have ever come into contact with.And need I take a step back and discuss other skin infections? Oral infections? Coconut oil can even be used to heal eye infections (although I'd be cautious with the amount I applied to my eyes)."Fat adapting" or "keto adapting" is more of a trait than an item. It is what happens when one consumes little or no carbohydrate. It takes 2-4 weeks for most individual, during which some head aches can occur due to a magnesium deficiency in the SAD (standard american diet). Producing ketone bodies consistently (keto adapting) requires more magnesium, hence when you dont have enough, you have minor problems.In any case, that kind of information is something one can Google or search for on Wikipedia. The point I'm trying to make is that once "keto adapted", you are significantly better suited to burn both dietary and bodily fat - when necessary.You are less hungry, and when you are hungry, there is no serious pain. No stomach cramps, muscle weakness, head aches, grumpiness, etc.Once fat adapted, your body lives off of, well, mostly fat. Guess what you have plenty of just sitting around?Fat.Where this comes into play is in a survival situation. A person who is keto adapted can easily go 24 hours WITHOUT EATING A DAMN THING, and be completely fine, and function normally.A person who typically consumed 200-350 grams of carbohydrate per day? (very common in Amerikuhhh). They will be RAVENOUS in far less than 24 hours without a fix and regularly scheduled meal.I think this is a major factor in SHTF scenarios actually. People get hungry, FAST, because they are accustomed to eating 4-6 times a day.Personally? (I have been fat adapted for many months). I eat once, maybe twice a day. It is extremely rare I eat 3 times a day, and when I do, that third meal is hardly a "meal" but a small snack of jerky or something.I regularly go more than 24 hours without eating, and while I "know" I should eat some food, I won't blink an eye till it's convenient. I just don't care, and I'm not keeling over from starvation any time soon.See how this is playing out in a survival situation? Carbohydrate addicted person is freaking out without constant and readily accessible food. When they don't get it, head aches ensue among other problems.A fat adapted person? Going to last a hell of a lot longer with minimal or no food. You're body is made up of fat, nearly 100% saturated. I recommend you practice using it =).For more info on keto adaption, check here Pemmican (properly made) is the closest thing one can find to a "perfect food". It is a highly stable mix of rendered animal fat, and completely dried animal protein (very lean meat).Properly made and stored (dry location, relatively low temp, although "warm" temps won't seriously limit it's life span), it has been reported to last for. In fact, the taste can even improve over time.Pemmican, in the absence of any significant amount of carbohydrate, prevents all deficiencies - including scurvy - and. (When significant carbohydrate is present, scurvy would be the primary concern, followed by other lesser deficiencies).Most will find this hard to believe, as the amount of carbohydrate in animal meat is tiny and insignificant. But, never the less, carbohydrate is not a necessary nutrient for humans.This doesn't make it useless, or "bad" for everyone- and many people may actually live best on X amount - but for survival purposes, it simply isn't necessary. The body can produce all the carbohydrate that is required, and the brain runs better on ketone bodies.To learn more about pemmican you can look here and here (a bit more colorful).That's all. Hope some find this useful. If you have questions let me know-Svtedit- and for the record, I know of no place to buy properly made pemmican. GrasslandBeef.com sells it, and I've tried it, and it's good, but it does not resemble home made pemmican. Do not know what they did different. Regardless, the beef fat they sell is great for using in pemmican. AND, try not to eat your jerky as you dry it! I run into this problem a lot as real beef jerky is simply delicious.edit2- should also mention, pemmican is going to MURDER any of "survival" food in terms of caloric content. Properly made pemmican is 50/50 fat/protein by weight, which turns out to be 80/20 caloric content by weight since there are more than twice as many calories in the fat than in the protein. 20% protein may seem low, but it is not, especially in a survival situation, or even daily living where people consume copious amounts of sugar and grain oils (soy/rapeseed/corn mostly, rapeseed being canola with a spiffy new name). Last edited by Svt; 02-19-2010 at 10:26 PM .. Reason: where to buy p