The Mind4Survival Podcast

What is situational awareness? Situational awareness is being aware of your surroundings and understanding what is happening within your environment. If you only focus on what is within your bubble, you won’t be aware of what is going on around you.   Levels of Situational Awareness Situational awareness applies to multiple levels It applies everywhere…

What is Wilderness First Aid? You may know regular first aid, but what is wilderness first aid? It's a set of skills that will serve you well when medical help could be hours, or even days, away. Wilderness first aid requires a mindset of self-confidence, calmness under pressure, and the belief that you can do it. What is Wilderness First Aid in Comparison to Urban Medicine An ambulance with trained paramedics and appropriate equipment can be at your house within minutes in urban settings. The paramedics then transport the severely ill or injured person to the hospital. There, the patient is turned over to doctors and nurses, often in less than an hour from the time of injury or illness. Wilderness first aid is totally different. In many cases of wilderness first aid, you're completely on your own in a setting that is anything but sterile. There, the fate of the ill or injured person (which can sometimes be you!) is totally in your hands and may remain so for hours or even days. What Is Wilderness Medicine? In remote and rural settings, help is hours, days, or even longer away. You may be the sole caregiver. There may be no one but you to save the life of yourself, a friend, or a loved one. In addition to the lack of support, you may have to conduct extended field care. This means you will have to take care of the patient for a long time. When doing this, you will have to monitor, assess and reassess the injured person. It includes wound care, hydration management, and treatment with the supplies that you have on hand. Prevention Is Your Number One Priority Of course, prevention is the top priority of wilderness first aid. If nobody becomes injured, there will be no treatment needed. Conduct a proper risk assessment to help prevent dangerous situations. When you identify a potentially risky situation, try to avoid it. When thinking about wilderness first aid, remember that avoidance is key! Constantly monitor your environment. That means 360-degree observation, including up above you. When out in the woods, be careful of falling branches, wild animals, poisonous plants, and places where someone is likely to fall. Half of all hiking-related accidents are related to falling, as this person found out. What is Wilderness First Aid Planning? Be careful when responding that you don't put yourself in the same danger as the victim. Rather than rushing to help, take a moment to evaluate the situation. Then examine your planned response. You may realize there are some flaws in your plan. Address those problems. Make sure you’re flexible and can think outside of the box. Sometimes creativity and ingenuity are critical to overcoming a dangerous situation. What Is Wilderness Supply Gear That Is Essential? Before heading out into remote areas, check your gear to make sure you have the things you may need to deal with an injury or illness while you are out. This article on hiking safety has some good tips.  Your most life-threatening and debilitating priorities are most likely to be dealing with broken bones, sprains, burns, and blood loss, so pack accordingly. Injuries likely to occur in the great outdoors are: Sprains Fractures Burns Cuts Head injuries Blisters Dehydration Think about the items you'd need to treat the injuries above and pack those with you. Be prepared to think outside the first aid kit and use items found in nature to stabilize a patient, like a straight stick for a splint, for example. When deciding what to put in your first aid kit, trauma bag, etc., think of PAWS. P – Prevent or Procedures A – Analgesics, Antibiotics, and Antiseptics W – Wound Care S – Survival Gear

What is Wilderness First Aid? Wilderness first aid involves a mindset of self-confidence and the belief you can do it.   Urban Medicine In urban settings, an ambulance can be at your house within minutes. The patient is turned over to hospital staff, often in less than an hour from the time of injury, or illness.…

When people hear the phrase disaster medicine, they generally envision a field hospital full of traumatic injuries. But disaster medicine is about a lot more than that. This could be all the medical care available for a long time after a major crisis, with no doctor in sight.  Disaster medicine isn't just about first aid. It's about sanitation, disease control, long-term wound care to prevent infections, and caring for people with illnesses. Let's take a look at each of these important issues. Disaster Medicine: Sanitation, Hygiene, and Disease Control Major medical concerns during a crisis are sanitation and hygiene. If correct sanitation methods are not instituted, infections are more likely, as are sanitation-based illnesses. Both are far more likely to be deadly in a scenario without hospitals, doctors, and a pharmacy full of medications. Personal hygiene is a good preventative. If people and areas aren't kept clean, people will get sick, which will reduce your ability to deal with other problems. Disasters are dirty, but regardless of the situation, people must manage their hygiene and cleanliness. Make sure to clean up before going to sleep and throughout the day when possible. Disaster Medicine Hand Washing Process If you're going to be dealing with ill or injured people, you need to scrub down first. You need soap, water, and a clean towel. Use the cleanest water possible. Filter out the nastiness and boil it beforehand. Don't just wash your hands. Wash all the way up to your elbows. The longer you scrub, the better you'll be. Follow up with gel hand sanitizer. How to Dig a Latrine Your restroom area is important. Dig your latrine 100 meters or one terrain feature away from the area that people will cook or sleep. It should be 2 feet deep and 1.5 feet wide. Don't let it fill all the way up, and cover it up as you go. When one area is filled, move to another. Insect Prevention Insects are more than a pesky nuisance. First of all, your body needs to be in a deep sleep to maximize healing time. With only interrupted and crummy sleep, you will not heal as fast.  One key to getting essential sleep is keeping the bugs away. As well, insects can carry a variety of diseases, depending on where you are. Here are some ways to reduce contact with insects/ If you have power, use fans - the airflow will keep mosquitoes and bugs from landing on you. Encircle your sleeping area with mosquito netting Use DEET Keep as much of your skin as possible covered. Tie off your pants. Use rubber bands, gaiters, or blouse your pants into your boots to keep the ticks and bugs from making contact with your skin. Disaster Medicine: Treating Illness Part of disaster medicine is taking care of people who become sick - and that includes YOU. Don't be a tough guy. Be the smart guy so you stay healthy and can continue functioning. Listen to the people around you when you feel ill because they may be more aware of what is wrong with you than you are. Sometimes when we are ill or running a fever, we may not be able to assess ourselves accurately. When you're sick, take yourself out of the equation and focus on rest to heal up. Quarantine people who become ill until you are certain their illness is not contagious. Use measures like gloves and masks when caring for the sick person and discard those before touching anything else. Carefully disinfect dishes and cutlery used by the sick person. Your goal is to prevent the illness from spreading throughout your group. Children and the elderly get sick more easily, as do people with chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems. Medications to Keep on Hand Have a plan to manage medications. Always stock up on extra prescription medications...

Grid Down Medicine – Sanitation, Cleanliness and Disease Control Number one medical concern is sanitation and cleanliness. Hand and arm washing Food preparation Clean facilities/area Sanitized restroom area If people and areas aren’t kept clean, people will get sick and hurt your ability to deal with other problems. People are going to get dirty. Regardless…

What Are Counter Surveillance Measures? Counter surveillance measures (also called surveillance detection) are attempts to determine whether someone is watching you, and hopefully identify them.  It is essential to be aware of whether other people are surveilling you. They may do it for various reasons.  Regardless of the reason, all are likely to be nefarious. Violent criminals often surveil their victims before an attack. It’s no different than an animal on the prowl, which sheds light on the predatory nature of those crimes. Rely on your instincts Do not ignore “gut feelings” that tell you to leave a date, meeting, area, etc. It’s nature’s way of telling you something is off. It’s not up to you to prove Mother Nature wrong. No meeting is worth being hurt over. Check out Gavin de Becker's classic book, The Gift of Fear, for more information about tapping into your instincts. It can be easier to detect surveillance in a rural area or small town. Outsiders stick out in rural areas and areas you may move to in the event of an SHTF situation. Knowing how to move so that you are not watched or walk into a dangerous situation is important.  Understanding how to move will help you get to your vacation home, bug out location (BOL), or just meeting a friend without being compromised. Be Boring First things first, one of the easiest counter surveillance measures is to BORE the people who may be watching you. Bored people will not want to continue watching you. People watch you for two reasons. They think you might be up to something interesting or that you will lead them to a gold mine. Therefore, whenever possible make every single day boring to watch.  If you do, they will eventually lose interest because they will believe that you simply aren’t worth the time. Surveillance is tedious and boring and requires a lot of discipline, which most opportunists lack. The Danger Zones Departure points and arrival points are the most dangerous locations along any route. In other words, these are the two most predictable locations. Those watching you may not know your route, but it's a lot easier to find out when you are leaving and where you are going. Vary the times you come and go. Change up your routes. By doing so, you will make it harder for anyone trying to watch you. Know your terrain so that you can take evasive action if needed. Blend into Your Environment Think about your clothes and vehicle. Don’t wear a suit if you’re going to the country because you will be easy to identify. Likewise, don’t look like a Bass Pro Shop model if you’re meeting someone in a major city. Blending in with your environment will change based on your environment. Some of the tactics of being the gray man can help you present a non-interesting appearance. By not doing anything that makes you stand out from the crowd, you'll be the boring target you hope to be and more difficult to spot in a group. Counter Surveillance Measures for Detecting a Tail Drive a pre-planned route that closely mimics your daily stop (Home, Coffee, Work, Gym, Groceries, Home), for instance. Doing so allows you time to take counter surveillance measures: stop, get out, assess whether any vehicles are falling in behind you.  TEDD (Time, Environment, Demeanor, Distance) T.E.D.D. stands for: Time Environment Distance Demeanor If you see the same person at different times, in various locations that are spread out, assume they’re following you. How Do You Get There? Use different forms of transportation. Drive a car one day. The next day use a truck. Then jump on a bus. Another day, hop on a bike. Keep anyone watching you guessing and off-balance. You’ve Arrived! Remember the two most dangerous points? Your arrival point is one of them.

Counter Surveillance Counter surveillance and surveillance detection are your attempt to notice anyone who may be watching you. It is essential because other people may be surveilling you. They may do it for various reasons.  Regardless of the reason, all likely to be nefarious. Violent criminals often surveil their victims before an attack. It’s no…

What is Surveillance Surveillance is keeping close watch over someone, someplace or something. In other words, learn about the person, place or thing before engaging.   Focus When you watch the area, do so with a purpose and focus.  You are trying to learn whether there’s a danger, so take it seriously and do your…

What is Surveillance Surveillance is keeping close watch over someone, someplace or something. In other words, learn about the person, place or thing before engaging.   Focus When you watch the area, do so with a purpose and focus.  You are trying to learn whether there’s a danger, so take it seriously and do your…

Prepping Mindset is Individual-Focused A necessary prepping mindset begins with each of us as individuals. To become a solid prepper, we need to become more situationally aware. We should also work on improving our preparedness skill level and decision-making abilities. As you become more proficient with your prepping mindset and skills, you will be able…

Prepping Mindset is Individual-Focused A necessary prepping mindset begins with each of us as individuals. To become a solid prepper, we need to become more situationally aware. We should also work on improving our preparedness skill level and decision-making abilities. As you become more proficient with your prepping mindset and skills, you will be able…

Pre-Planning Pre-planning is preparing yourself to plan. All plans need information, and things sorted out to make them effective. Take the time ahead of the plan to figure out the information below. Doing so will help a lot when working on your plan.   Pre-Planning Steps Step 1: Make Time to Plan You need to…

There are 9 components to successful preparedness planning to ensure that your strategies work when it really counts. To create a plan that will work for you and your family, you need to take some time to figure out the information below so that you have all the data you need to increase your likelihood of success. Preparedness Planning Steps You've probably heard that saying, "How do you eat a whole elephant?" with the answer "one bite at a time." Well, the same holds true with preparedness planning.  The steps below seem really simple, but this helps to take the overwhelm out of something as huge as potentially saving your family member's lives. Step 1: Make Time to Plan You need to set aside time to make the plan. Write it down on your schedule like an appointment, and stop putting it off. You need to treat this time seriously and focus completely on what you're doing. You may be doing all the planning by yourself, or you may be coordinating with your partner, so be sure to accommodate their schedule too. Not doing so can cause you to rush or wait until the last minute. If you do your preparedness planning while the event is unfolding, you’ll increase the possibility of making mistakes at the worst possible time. Step: 2:  List Who and What You Are Protecting You will need to decide on who and what you can protect. You can’t protect everyone and everything. You’ll have to decide who and what is most important to you personally and for survival. While you might want to save the entire neighborhood, it may come down to just being able to save your family. So take some time to prioritize. Obviously, your family comes first. You may be able to include some close neighbors or friends in your plan. Put it all in order. You may be planning to protect things as well as people. Your home, garden, and vehicle might all be on your list of things to protect. For example, if you live in hurricane country, boarding up your windows helps protect your home from storm damage. Remember, protection isn't just about violence. It's about a multitude of potential threats, which leads us to the next step. Step 3: What Do You Want to Protect From? Now, think about what threats you are the most likely to be facing. For some, the main focus of their preparedness planning is directed toward natural disasters like tornados, floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes. Perhaps you live near a nuclear or chemical plant and worry about an industrial incident. Or is your plan directed towards knucklehead terrorists or a random auto accident? Think about what is most likely for you, not about a more far-fetched Mad Max scenario. Step 4: What Are Your Resources What resources do you have available? Resources can include many different things, such as time money supplies food housing skills storage space natural resources (water source, etc.) vehicles equipment secondary location You’ll need to analyze what you have, whether you have enough, and if you need to add resources. Step 5: What Is Your Daily Life? Disasters and bad guys strike at different times and are unpredictable. You need to think about different scenarios and how to handle them based on your daily schedules. Where will you and your family members be at certain times of the day? Do you have a central meeting point? A plan for picking up the kids? Preparedness planning needs to be able to be flexible and keep up with your changing life. Step 6: How Long Will You Be Required to Execute the Plan? You will need to have an idea of how long you are going to be in and executing your plan. Obviously, disasters are rarely isolated events,

Prepare Your Mind We prepare for stressful situations by planning logistically, strategically and tactically. We buy long term storage food and plan routes to safety. But, how often do we train and prepare our mind?   Don't Forget Emotional Self-Care (ESC) is an often forgotten and neglected tool for your brain.   What is Emotional…

Prepare Your Mind We prepare for stressful situations by planning logistically, strategically and tactically. We buy long term storage food and plan routes to safety. But, how often do we train and prepare our mind? Don’t Forget Emotional Self-Care (ESC) is an often forgotten and neglected tool for your brain. What is Emotional Self-Care It…