Gaye Levy
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Without question, the number one concern for preppers after setting aside water is health,wellness, and medical preparedness. Not only are there concerns about wound control and injuries, but also the availability of antibiotics and life-sustaining medications for individuals with a chronic illness. This is just the tip of the medical iceberg, however. Survival medicine encompasses such a wide range of topics that my head hurts just thinking about it.
This is a subject I have addressed many times on this website and still, it is not enough. That is why I am proud today to showcase the newly released Survival Medicine Handbook Third Edition by Joseph and Amy Alton. You may already know Joe for his many articles here Backdoor Survival. He and his wife, “Nurse Amy”, have their own website and a store chock full of medical supplies suitable for all types of emergency situations.
As with the two previous editions, The Survival Medicine Handbook is my bible for all things health related and not just for those times when help is not on the way. Being someone who does not run to the doctor at the drop of a hat, this book is my initial resource when an ailment or injury occurs in my household. (Okay, truth be told I also consult my big fat book on essential oils but that is a topic for another time).
To my way of thinking, following the advice of the Altons during normal times is the very best drill I can come up with for practicing medical self-care during dire times.
Today I share an all-new interview with Dr. Alton, plus I have three copies of The Survival Medicine Handbook up for grabs in a giveaway. Enjoy the interview then be sure to check in below to learn about the giveaway.
An Interview with Joseph Alton, MD Author of THE SURVIVAL MEDICINE HANDBOOK
What one single event (or point in time) did you decide to become a prepper?
After Hurricane Katrina, when it was clear that there were deaths that could have been prevented if there had been a person in every family with some medical supplies and training. It made me realize how fragile society could be, and how little it would take for us to circle the drain. Since then, I’ve become convinced that we’re circling the drain faster and faster each year.
Most preppers have some sort of EDC (Every Day Carry). What items do you carry with you at all times?
My everyday carry consists of an item for personal protection and a compact equivalent of our First Aid Bleeding Control kit, in case I come across a car accident or have to be where there are large numbers of people.
Have you ever lived through a real disaster and therefore had to live on your preps? If so, for how long? What were some of the mistakes you encountered along the way? If not, what steps have you taken to ensure that your and your family are disaster-proof?
During Hurricane Andrew in 1992, I spent the storm monitoring a number of women in late pregnancy at the local hospital (2 delivered during the storm). When I finally came home, the power was down and we were lucky to have 2 weeks’ worth supply of food and water (we were “hurricane preppers” back then, not as stocked as we are now).
If I knew then what I know now, I would have offered to cut down the coconuts from the neighbor’s trees, which flew like missiles into my shutters, denting a number of them from 100 feet away, as well as smashing a large planter and some roof tiles.
Bugging out poses a major dilemma for many preppers. Family obligations, money, jobs, and health considerations all play a role in the bug-out, bug-in decision. What advice do you have for those that who will be required to bug-in?
It depends on the scenario. In a short-term event, do everything you can to help your neighbors. In a long-term event, be less visible. That goes for everyone but the medics, who should offer their expertise to help those injured and sick. If you become known as someone who will give medical help in an emergency, fellow survivors will see you as an important asset and, in many cases, they will expend resources to protect you.
What specifically would you like Backdoor Survival readers to learn from your book?
Our mission is simple: To put a medical prepared person in every family for any disaster. We truly believe that you will be able to handle the grand majority of medical issues you’ll encounter in a survival setting if you get some education, training, and supplies.
We devoted our efforts to put it all in plain English in the Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Medical Help is Not on the Way, so that the average citizen can become a medical asset to their loved ones in times of trouble.
The Giveaway
Joe and Amy Alton have reserved three copies of their book in this newest Book Festival Giveaway.
The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific Tuesday with the winners notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter in the article. Please note that the winners must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.
Note: Due to customs requirements, this giveaway is only open to individuals with a mailing address in the United States.
The Final Word
What you don’t know may kill you. This applies as much to first aid and medical knowledge as it does to the plethora of other survival skills. Don’t kid yourself; following a major disruptive event, people may die. That being said, we need to arm ourselves with as much knowledge and as many credible reference materials as we can.
I personally would not trust my long term survival to memory. As a hard copy medical references, this is my top choice,.
For more information about the books in this latest book festival, visit Prepper Book Festival #13: Books to Help You Prepare.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Spotlight: Survival Medicine Handbook Third Edition
If you had to deal with an injury or illness in a disaster, would you know what to do? The Survival Medicine Handbook is a 670 page detailed guide for those who want to be medically prepared for any disaster where help is NOT on the way. This book is written by Joe Alton, M.D. and Amy Alton, A.R.N.P., the premiere medical preparedness professionals from the top ten survival website www.doomandbloom.net.
The expanded third edition of the 3 category (Survival Skills, Disaster Relief, Safety/First Aid) is geared to enable the non-medical professional to deal with all the likely issues they will encounter in catastrophic short or long-term scenarios. The third (2016) edition of The Survival Medicine Handbook is not your standard first aid book: Unlike other so-called “survival” medical books, it assumes that a disaster, natural or man-made, has removed all access to hospitals or doctors for the foreseeable future; you, the average person, are now the highest medical resource left to your family.
The Survival Medicine Handbook will give you the tools, in plain English, to competently handle injuries and illness for any situation that leaves you as the end of the line with regards to your family’s medical well-being.
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Third Edition: The SURVIVAL MEDICINE Handbook
A frequent question I get on Backdoor Survival has to do with healthcare matters when there is no doctor around. This is the definite source of survival medical information for all Prepper’s and is my go-to bible for survival medicine.
103 Responses to “Prepper Book Festival 13: Survival Medicine Handbook Third Edition”
Tape, tweezers, bandages, antiseptics, & ointments.
I like old-fashioned physical books; especially hardcover because they hold up better. What drives me crazy is all the survival stuff being sold out there via DVD and on-line reading. In my way of thinking those formats are only for making money because in the long run you either know it all or have references; and us common Joe’s and Jane’s do not know it all. If folks are really into survival stuff then digital is a unreliable source and need to obtain physical aides.
Any open format digital content (like PDFs or ePub files) can be printed out if the info is critical. Many preppers print out info they find online and create binders of useful information to have in case all the digital readers become unusable. But some things like video aren’t suitable for books, so DVDs are necessary in situations where it really helps to see something done rather just reading about it.
And if you have to bug out, how many reference books can you take with you? If my kindle doesn’t get fried, I can carry it, a solar charger and a small battery pack for just over 2 pounds of weight in my backpack and have my full reference library (over 1600 books at last count.) Sure, I have about a hundred printed books with info that I considered critical enough to buy in print form and have even if all electronics are dead, but if I have to bug out I can’t take more than a couple without overloading my get out of dodge bag…
Everyone has different priorities for prepping, but don’t completely discount the weight and space savings of digital books since in some situations it’s a good idea.
Bandaids, gauze, medical tape, neosporin, salt
5 items only? Alcohol (disinfectant), superglue (sealing small wounds), sterile bandages, first aid tape and pain relievers (ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen.)
Home medical kit is a LOT more comprehensive. 🙂 But I’ll definitely put this book on my wishlist if I can’t win a copy!
I’m hoping to win this book so I can learn what I need to have on hand.
Some obvious things to have on hand would be antibiotics, bandages, antiseptic, antidiarreal,duct tape.
There are no better preps than the ones you don’t need to worry about if something happens.
1. Up to date on all vaccinations. For children, all the prescribed ones for disease. For all, including adults, keeping your tetanus up to date may be vital. I know there are many preppers who are resistant to vaccination, but very few of them have seen the devastating severity of commonly preventable diseases.
2. Questionable food and water are a possibility. Despite proper food and water preparation, you might slip up. Or you night be evacuated to a campground or area with a lot of people (many unprepared) where sanitation is less than ideal. did you know that safe vaccines for cholera and typhoid are readily available? While not 100% effective (but what is?), they can go a long way toward protecting you, and allowing you to treat the sick.
3. Insecticides and repellents. After a hurricane there will be standing pools of water everywhere, perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Flies are draw to food and toilet areas. In an area of widespread destruction people may be spending a lot more time outside. Insecticides can reduce these vectors of disease.
4. Antibacterial wipes. You won’t always be able to bathe.
5. A very large supply of common, OTC treatments. You can go to any of the big box stores and buy bulk bottles of loparimide (for diarrhea) and benadryl (for allergies, and a lot of other illnesses), vitamins, baking soda, antacids–the list goes on. These can be stored in a small space, and could provide relief for many people for weeks or months.
Colloidal silver, Israeli bandage, tweezers, ace bandage, and a large bottle of “good luck”.
I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Joe at a Self Reliance Expo here in FL a few months back. He gave a very informative talk. Very dynamic person. It was great! I really appreciate how much I have learned here and am grateful for knowledge. Still working on being at readiness and always will.
Fell down, hurt my hand, doctors and hospital put me right – but – what if, what if they had not been there? I would love to win this book, to add to my prepping skills and knowledge and resources.
This question reminds me that I need to get an organized first aid kit ready. Five items would include bandages, pain relief (from Excedrin to morphine would be nice), knife, antiseptic or sterile solutions, and a comprehensive trusted medical handbook for civilians.