# tents and medical stuff. advice please.



## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

Hey guys, back from a short hiatus for medical and financial recovery and I'm ready to keep plugging away at the Preps! So I've been really focused on body armor and finishing my bugout kits. I know a lot about body armor so I'm good there. Where I am most lacking in my bugout kits, shelter and medical supplies. I know a bit about medical supplies, though I do have questions on it. But I know next to nothing about tents, and having just started college and still working two jobs, I have precious little time to research them, as there is tons of things to know about them.

Tent wise, I am needing a three to four person tent with a decent sized vestibule that will work work well in hot humid and rainy conditions (Central FL). I'd also like it to be under 10 pounds total weight and I cannot spend a fortune. I was looking at this one and it seems to meet my requirements with good reviews. But I am hesitant to pull the trigger as I will be stuck with it for a while and am still kind of shooting in the dark.

Amazon.com : Weanas® Waterproof Double Layer 3-4 Person 3 Season Aluminum Rod Double Skylight Outdoor Camping Tent (Green, 4 Person) : Sports & Outdoors

Medical kit wise (for a group, non-IFAK), I have a good idea of what I need, shears, gauze wraps, ace bandages, beta-dyne, bandaids, a suture kit, Israeli pressure wraps, tourniquets, rubbing alcohol wipes, peroxide, gauze pads, quick-clot, chest seals, wound seal, other assorted bandages, and splints. I'm just wondering if I am forgetting something or not thinking of something, and hoping some of you wouldn't mind posting what is in your kits so I have something to bounce off of before I start buying.

Also, is there any legal way, short of becoming a pharmacist, EMT, or doctor, to procure broad spectrum antibiotics???


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## 2000ShadowACE (Jan 14, 2014)

I don't know much about medical stuff either but I have several tents. This is one area where you truly get what you pay for. Also, How many people will be bugging out with you? You want to double the size of the tent according to your group size. ie: if you have three people get a six man tent. The manufactures rate tents based on a 160 lb human. My family are all considerable bigger than that so four people pretty well fill and eight man tent. If you are bugging out you will likely be carrying a lot of gear with you, so you will need room to keep it in the tent and therefore dry. Remember when the manufacturer claims it is water proof they mean in a light shower not a hurricane. You might want to add some silicone spray to your kit to recharge the water proofing at least once or twice depending on how long you are in your home away from home.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

As to medical supplies...

Pills. I carry a fairly wide variety of over-the-counter meds. Some in small quantities, some in larger quantities. Pain killers are one example. Anti-diarrhea meds are another. Yeah it's hardly glamorous, but if you're on the move and get the runs, it could be very important. I also carry multivitamins, "deep heating" muscle rub, topical anesthetics (10% lidocaine cream sold to ease tattoo pain and 10% benzocaine sold as an oral pain reliever) and a variety of other "comfort meds" and nutritional supplements.

You might add an airway tube. You mentioned IFAK, which contains one, but didn't list it. I also carry several sutures in a variety of materials and thicknesses, but intend to use these to repair boots, packs, and other gear mostly. I carry some disposable scalpels too, and these are for times I need a small, really sharp knife, not for DIY surgery.

I keep a rather extensive trauma kit in my car, and it goes with me to the range. This kit is mainly designed to stop bleeding, and is for *first aid*, not for long term care. Long term care demands a LOT of bandaging materials, ab pads, and surgical dressings... in quantity. If you're prepping for the long haul, don't forget this distinction.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

In Florida, you're way more likely to get a mosquito-borne disease than a sucking chest wound when bugging out. Prep for what's most likely as well as most dramatic. Bug spray, lots. Anti-diarrheals but also stool softeners - constipation is likely during stress and dietary disruption, and it can actually be life-threatening. Triple antibiotic cream. Hydrocortisone. Sunscreen. Sports drink powder (helps prevent cramps that follow extreme sweating). Chemical cold packs are handy, if maybe too bulky. Anti-inflammatories. Anti-histamines for allergies - things such as Claritin, sudafed, and best of all Benadryl (doubles as sleep aid). A couple of 5 hr energy shots. Moleskin for blisters (don't want those suckers to slow you down or get infected, do you?). You do have water purification stuff I hope? Florida has some nasties in the water. Search for threads on fish antibiotics.


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## SoCal92057 (Apr 12, 2014)

Unless you want to be easily noticed in the bush, a tent should be green, brown or black. Same for backpacks and clothing.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I can agree with what was said about the size of tents. I also double the size so I have a little extra room for gear and wiggle room. I would recommend sticking with known brands that have a good reputation in the hiking and backpacking world. You might consider picking up a copy of backpacker magazine or watching some youtube video reviews. For my ghb I went with a northface 2 person that weighs in under 4 pounds. Since I live at my bol my bug out tent is a huge and heavy 10 man cabin tent.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

For me a tent is too heavy to carry when bugging out. A tarp and a mosquito net will work just as well and ¼ the weight. A tarp is quicker to set up and take down and it also allows you to stand guard while being protected from the weather. Once you get your bag full you will realize that pounds add up quickly.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

An 8 man family tent will sleep 4 with their packs and a dog with room to get out and not step on anyone. But that's all it holds. And they are big and hard to carry. I experimented with a hennesy hammock last year and will again this year. It's light packs fast carries small and can be up set up most anywhere. Spreads you out too so that a few blasts with buck shot don't take everyone in the tent out. About 100 bucks each. Well worth it and they have built in rain flys and noseeum grade mesh netting on the top.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> An 8 man family tent will sleep 4 with their packs and a dog with room to get out and not step on anyone. But that's all it holds. And they are big and hard to carry. I experimented with a hennesy hammock last year and will again this year. It's light packs fast carries small and can be up set up most anywhere. Spreads you out too so that a few blasts with buck shot don't take everyone in the tent out. About 100 bucks each. Well worth it and they have built in rain flys and noseeum grade mesh netting on the top.


You have my interest. I would like to hear more about these hammocks. Does anybody else on here use them or have experience hammock camping? Are they easy to tip over or fall out of? How comfortable are they in a cold weather situation?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> You have my interest. I would like to hear more about these hammocks. Does anybody else on here use them or have experience hammock camping? Are they easy to tip over or fall out of? How comfortable are they in a cold weather situation?


Check out the ENO Hammock systems. (Eagle Nest Outfitters) https://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/

I'm not going to sleep in a hammock for more than a couple of days if I don't have to but throw a tarp over a line above you to keep moisture (rain or dew) off you and it works fine. We all have the double nest hammock (2 person) and it fits one person just fine. Slippy Family approved and endorsed.


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## Big Country1 (Feb 10, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> You have my interest. I would like to hear more about these hammocks. Does anybody else on here use them or have experience hammock camping? Are they easy to tip over or fall out of? How comfortable are they in a cold weather situation?


For cold weather there are alot of options. Heres a couple links:
Hammock Camping in Cold Weather: A Guide To Staying Warm

Cold weather camping: Hennessy Hammock


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## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

Well I'll be go to hell![borrowed phrase from my late Godfather] I have a hammock, did not buy it and never tried it out. Until a few minutes ago. I used to work at a car dealership and when used cars came in, my department reconditioned them for resale. We used to find all sorts of goodies in there that people left behind. We would hold for 30 days if it was marginal crap, contact the owner on more valuable stuff. The hammock was a marginal crap item that had been laying around for a long time and ended up at my house. It has seriously been sitting in the camping gear section of my house for a long time. A few weeks ago I put the hammock in a nylon bag with my prep stuff, I have never tried it out, set it up or had any reason to trust that it could be anything more than useless junk lying about the house. Thread inspiration happened! I broke out the hammock, went into my basement and attached the end ropes to the 2 support poles in my basement. I threw a leg over the hammock, spread the netting apart to cover my backside, put some weight on it(fully expecting the thing to collapse like a cheap card table and me on the floor with a concussion)and to my surprise it held. So I spread the netting a bit further and was able to lay back in it. I could see being able to take a nap in that thing. But I'm a side sleeper so I'm not sure I could get a good night sleep in one. I can experiment while on the job in my bus, plenty of times I have down time and a coirker has one that he strings up in the cargo hold of his bus and hangs out. My question is, I have seen hammocks with a wooden spreader bar that resides at about the side to side shoulder position of the hammock. Does one of those make it easier or harder to use?

I have been planning on doing a dry run 4 hour excursion into the local woods and try out a bunch of gear and plans, kind of like do an hour of walking in my gear to get a feel of what it is, critique my boots that I bought for my failed job change (Carolina 4x4 boots with aluminum toes and gortex lining, I think) Look like mountain expedition boots, go up high on the ankle and very supportive and comfortable. From there I would evaluate the Condor 72 hour pack, my fire wood gathering, cutting with Kobalt saw, and splitting with hand axe and Kabar knife. Starting a fire with the striker and tinder method. Cooking up a can of soup or cup of soup from the mix with water using my dual fuel Coleman stove, setting up a shelter using p cord, U nails(these are 1" cable staples, nail into a tree for a low tension anchor point for p cord) and a tarp. Was thinking of placing tarp as a wedge from ground to high point covering the base with leaves to prevent draft and crafting it into a tent cover. Now with this hammock, I could try that out too. And photo journal the whole deal. And post it. So the crankies on here could tell me what an absolute failure my system will be in a real SHTF scenario.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I was in a Costco in central California yesterday. They have a Coleman 4 person tent for $39.99 and it packs small enough for a small group to carry,



Nyet said:


> Hey guys, back from a short hiatus for medical and financial recovery and I'm ready to keep plugging away at the Preps! So I've been really focused on body armor and finishing my bugout kits. I know a lot about body armor so I'm good there. Where I am most lacking in my bugout kits, shelter and medical supplies. I know a bit about medical supplies, though I do have questions on it. But I know next to nothing about tents, and having just started college and still working two jobs, I have precious little time to research them, as there is tons of things to know about them.
> 
> Tent wise, I am needing a three to four person tent with a decent sized vestibule that will work work well in hot humid and rainy conditions (Central FL). I'd also like it to be under 10 pounds total weight and I cannot spend a fortune. I was looking at this one and it seems to meet my requirements with good reviews. But I am hesitant to pull the trigger as I will be stuck with it for a while and am still kind of shooting in the dark.
> 
> ...


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## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

Perhaps you could give a brief overview without "spilling the beans" on where you might bug out to? Or purpose for bugging out to begin with? Or level of expertise with the medical supplies you seek, ie training?

For your tent, I looked at the one you posted. One thing first time tent buyers fail to take into account is ventilation and the thought process is always seal it up tight so that no cold air leaks in. If you have 4 people inside the tent I can tell you from experience 4 people are putting out a tremendous amount of moisture into the air that must be vented or it winds up on top of the roof of the tent or on everything below it and everything gets wet. In sub freeze weather, you wake up with your roof frozen and a layer of frost on top of your bag. If slightly above freezing everything gets wet and now you can get damp and cold. In warm climates, it rains inside your tent and then drips on your face and everything gets wet. The tent you selected on Amazon, I looked at the negative reviews first...someone broke a tent pole during setup. I would look for a tent that has shock corded fiberglass poles. The tent you selected is a dome style, they are strong, self supporting and do not need to be staked down, all positives. You lose about 15% of usable space if not staked, but that may not be important, but if it is windy, it will blow your tent away if no one is inside and that might be towards a campfire. You just had a bad trip. The rain fly looks like it is a full coverage fly, meaning it may trap moisture inside. I own a similar tent to your selection, dome, fly covers the sides, but on the back window, it peaks over the window and front door about 1 foot. The front door and window can zipper completely closed. Has to be really bad weather for me to do that. I keep the door and window 1/3 to 1/2 zipped open to get flow thru ventilation. It is a Jansport, not a high dollar tent but it has not failed to deliver adequate sleeping quarters in all sorts of conditions on multiple week long trips.

Take a look at the offerings at www.campmor.com. I have been buying from them for years. Think I may have bought my tent from them plus bags and a second tent.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

I am currently looking at the SnugPak Scorpion 3 tent. It gets great reviews on youtube. However, my use is different from yours. I'm an avid camper, and spend a lot of nights in the woods. The tent will not be used for bug out, since I don't plan on bugging out. If I absolutely had to bug out, I would take the tent. It see as to pack small, a little over 7 lbs., and appears to be extremely storm resistant. It could be a little out of your price range per your OP.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

GasholeWillie said:


> Well I'll be go to hell![borrowed phrase from my late Godfather] I have a hammock, did not buy it and never tried it out. Until a few minutes ago. I used to work at a car dealership and when used cars came in, my department reconditioned them for resale. We used to find all sorts of goodies in there that people left behind. We would hold for 30 days if it was marginal crap, contact the owner on more valuable stuff. The hammock was a marginal crap item that had been laying around for a long time and ended up at my house. It has seriously been sitting in the camping gear section of my house for a long time. A few weeks ago I put the hammock in a nylon bag with my prep stuff, I have never tried it out, set it up or had any reason to trust that it could be anything more than useless junk lying about the house. Thread inspiration happened! I broke out the hammock, went into my basement and attached the end ropes to the 2 support poles in my basement. I threw a leg over the hammock, spread the netting apart to cover my backside, put some weight on it(fully expecting the thing to collapse like a cheap card table and me on the floor with a concussion)and to my surprise it held. So I spread the netting a bit further and was able to lay back in it. I could see being able to take a nap in that thing. But I'm a side sleeper so I'm not sure I could get a good night sleep in one. I can experiment while on the job in my bus, plenty of times I have down time and a coirker has one that he strings up in the cargo hold of his bus and hangs out. My question is, I have seen hammocks with a wooden spreader bar that resides at about the side to side shoulder position of the hammock. Does one of those make it easier or harder to use?
> 
> I have been planning on doing a dry run 4 hour excursion into the local woods and try out a bunch of gear and plans, kind of like do an hour of walking in my gear to get a feel of what it is, critique my boots that I bought for my failed job change (Carolina 4x4 boots with aluminum toes and gortex lining, I think) Look like mountain expedition boots, go up high on the ankle and very supportive and comfortable. From there I would evaluate the Condor 72 hour pack, my fire wood gathering, cutting with Kobalt saw, and splitting with hand axe and Kabar knife. Starting a fire with the striker and tinder method. Cooking up a can of soup or cup of soup from the mix with water using my dual fuel Coleman stove, setting up a shelter using p cord, U nails(these are 1" cable staples, nail into a tree for a low tension anchor point for p cord) and a tarp. Was thinking of placing tarp as a wedge from ground to high point covering the base with leaves to prevent draft and crafting it into a tent cover. Now with this hammock, I could try that out too. And photo journal the whole deal. And post it. So the crankies on here could tell me what an absolute failure my system will be in a real SHTF scenario.


Glad you tested out your gear! I'm a side sleeper too and there are ways to sleep in a hammock on your side. Go to You Tube and do a search. FYI I have a hammock and tarp in my INCH bag for shelter and if you think sleeping in a hammock on your back is bad try sleeping on the cold, hard, wet ground on your side. The ground gets harder the older you get.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Spice said:


> In Florida, you're way more likely to get a mosquito-borne disease than a sucking chest wound when bugging out. Prep for what's most likely as well as most dramatic. Bug spray, lots. Anti-diarrheals but also stool softeners - constipation is likely during stress and dietary disruption, and it can actually be life-threatening. Triple antibiotic cream. Hydrocortisone. Sunscreen. Sports drink powder (helps prevent cramps that follow extreme sweating). Chemical cold packs are handy, if maybe too bulky. Anti-inflammatories. Anti-histamines for allergies - things such as Claritin, sudafed, and best of all Benadryl (doubles as sleep aid). A couple of 5 hr energy shots. Moleskin for blisters (don't want those suckers to slow you down or get infected, do you?). You do have water purification stuff I hope? Florida has some nasties in the water. Search for threads on fish antibiotics.





SoCal92057 said:


> Unless you want to be easily noticed in the bush, a tent should be green, brown or black. Same for backpacks and clothing.


'
You can always opt to build blinds around the tent. A simple marpat tarp poncho csn go a long way to build a campsite. You build the floor up so water is uder. Fallen logs are good for building a floor up natural foilage around trees is good for concielment so are grasses


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

The thing to remember about any sort of medication is that they ALL have an expiration date. While you can take them after that date they usually aren't nearly as effective. I've responded to a lot of chest pain calls and my patients tell me they took their nitroglycerin for example and it didn't do much to help their pain. Looking at the bottle it expired a year ago. They were prescribed to take it, "as needed," and this was the first time they needed it but it didn't do much to help them. That's always a huge concern about storing a lot of meds. You're going to put in a lot of money for something you may not use. Bandages, gauze, slings, ace wraps, band-aids, things like that are great because they don't really expire the way medications do. 

A good first aid and CPR course is a great idea unless you want to go the whole hog and get an First Responder or EMT certification. Wilderness EMT might actually be a better idea since it's geared to training in austere conditions where one can't just load up the patient and drive them to the nearest (usually) Emergency Room. Like anything else training and the mentality to actually use that training are going to be the keys to successfully using any medical preps. I help teach new EMT's and Paramedics and we've had our fair share of people who just simply can't handle it. Treating major wounds, injuries, and illnesses is not something everyone can do. Just adding my two cents on that subject is all.


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## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> The thing to remember about any sort of medication is that they ALL have an expiration date. While you can take them after that date they usually aren't nearly as effective. I've responded to a lot of chest pain calls and my patients tell me they took their nitroglycerin for example and it didn't do much to help their pain. Looking at the bottle it expired a year ago. They were prescribed to take it, "as needed," and this was the first time they needed it but it didn't do much to help them. That's always a huge concern about storing a lot of meds. You're going to put in a lot of money for something you may not use. Bandages, gauze, slings, ace wraps, band-aids, things like that are great because they don't really expire the way medications do.
> 
> A good first aid and CPR course is a great idea unless you want to go the whole hog and get an First Responder or EMT certification. Wilderness EMT might actually be a better idea since it's geared to training in austere conditions where one can't just load up the patient and drive them to the nearest (usually) Emergency Room. Like anything else training and the mentality to actually use that training are going to be the keys to successfully using any medical preps. I help teach new EMT's and Paramedics and we've had our fair share of people who just simply can't handle it. Treating major wounds, injuries, and illnesses is not something everyone can do. Just adding my two cents on that subject is all.


was sort of the point of my question, you can buy all the best expensive gear you want, but if you don't have that mental connection of what/when/how to use it, well then it is just expensive gear.


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

GasholeWillie said:


> Perhaps you could give a brief overview without "spilling the beans" on where you might bug out to? Or purpose for bugging out to begin with? Or level of expertise with the medical supplies you seek, ie training?
> 
> For your tent, I looked at the one you posted. One thing first time tent buyers fail to take into account is ventilation and the thought process is always seal it up tight so that no cold air leaks in. If you have 4 people inside the tent I can tell you from experience 4 people are putting out a tremendous amount of moisture into the air that must be vented or it winds up on top of the roof of the tent or on everything below it and everything gets wet. In sub freeze weather, you wake up with your roof frozen and a layer of frost on top of your bag. If slightly above freezing everything gets wet and now you can get damp and cold. In warm climates, it rains inside your tent and then drips on your face and everything gets wet. The tent you selected on Amazon, I looked at the negative reviews first...someone broke a tent pole during setup. I would look for a tent that has shock corded fiberglass poles. The tent you selected is a dome style, they are strong, self supporting and do not need to be staked down, all positives. You lose about 15% of usable space if not staked, but that may not be important, but if it is windy, it will blow your tent away if no one is inside and that might be towards a campfire. You just had a bad trip. The rain fly looks like it is a full coverage fly, meaning it may trap moisture inside. I own a similar tent to your selection, dome, fly covers the sides, but on the back window, it peaks over the window and front door about 1 foot. The front door and window can zipper completely closed. Has to be really bad weather for me to do that. I keep the door and window 1/3 to 1/2 zipped open to get flow thru ventilation. It is a Jansport, not a high dollar tent but it has not failed to deliver adequate sleeping quarters in all sorts of conditions on multiple week long trips.
> 
> Take a look at the offerings at Camping Gear & Outdoor Gear - Outerwear & Outdoor Clothing from Campmor.com. I have been buying from them for years. Think I may have bought my tent from them plus bags and a second tent.


Medical training wise, 5 years USMC; required yearly and extensive first aide and trauma care training. Also have received much training and advice from; My uncle is a retired Chemical and Pharmaceutical engineer, my sister in law and mother are a nurses, my wife worked in a medical lab for a number of years, and my father and myself worked in the Biomedical engineering field. I've also taken anatomy, biology, sociology, and psychology. Copious amounts of experience with personal trainers and dietitians and tons of associated personal experience treating my own sports injuries and assisting others treating theirs. also have dealt with several "severe" injuries myself and experienced shock first hand.

As far as bugging out... Right now I don't have a particular location. ATM I am more of a bugging in sort of guy, but I work about 40 miles from home and I'm trying to put together more of a "get home bag". But If I absolutely had to for sure bug out, my three most likely places would be; A; a particular family member's home to fortify the bugging in concept, B; a ranch which I will not disclose the location or relation. or C, being the absolute worst case scenario; a random site in the Everglades. I am currently working on my own bug out location, but it will be a while before I am in that position.

The only way I see myself bugging out is right before, during, or immediately following, a natural or man made disaster that is at high risk to or already has created a prolonged period of civil unrest in which my general locale is for all intents and purposes "under siege".


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

BTW guys, the four person tent is just for me, lol. i like space! I did attempt to try to take ventilation into account, as you can see from the pics of the one I posted, under the fly there is a lot of mesh. and unless its actually raining or cold out, i will probably not use the rain fly. BUUUUTTTTT.... I have no idea if that is a good thing or bad thing for ventilation or if my concept of tent ventilation is skewed. i have a water proof bivy cover for my sleeping system just in case. And any tent I get will be water proofed and camouflaged. from where I see myself, my inexperience is mostly in the materials used, brand familiarity in a saturated market..what's good and bad? Again, am mostly inexperienced in this so any advice is always welcome.

To further touch on the training aspect medically, I consider myself some what experienced, fairly well trained, always looking for new information, and plan to further my training as I go. I will say this though, When I had a gun blow up in my hands and took a piece of shrapnel from it, I surprised my self at how calmly I responded. Granted it was a small injury. I feel that mentally I am in a good place to treat myself or others, providing I'm within my knowledge base, but only time will tell.


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm kind of liking this one. What could I do to effectively spray camo this for waterproofing? Duracoat?

Eureka Midori 3 Tent, 28966 | Backpacking Tents | Tents | GEAR | items from Campmor.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I don't use a tent. I carry 2 backpacking tarps and a Catoma bed net.

Tarps seem more versatile to me. I keep my small one (5X7) handy, because it does double duty as my rain gear. I can put it over my head and pack, and wrap it around me to stay pretty dry. I can also use it as a ground cloth. I can use it as a rain fly. It's silicone impregnated nylon (Silni), and weighs very little.

The second tarp is 10x12 (or is it 10 x 8?), well, it's pretty big. In clear weather, usually don't bother to set it up, but in wind, rain, or snow, I'm glad to have it. I can rig it a lot of different ways. In rainy weather, I usually rig it in a shallow V shape so I can catch and use the runoff. In windier rain, I sometimes rig it in sort of an M shape to catch rain and also keep me dry. In extreme weather, I rig it like a totally enclosed tent. I don't usually rig it with sides, so I can still see out all around me. I sometimes use the 5x7 to block the wind side though. This is also a silicone/nylon backpack tarp, and weighs very little.

I had a rattlesnake crawl into a sleeping bag with me once, which is less than the ideal situation. This is when I discovered I can low-crawl at like 83 miles an hour.  So now I carry a "bug bivy" to keep stuff off me. I use the Catoma bed net which I believe is made for the USMC. It's mostly netting, but has a 5" tall bathtub style floor and doesn't really need a groundcloth (but I usually use one anyway) You set it up by getting it out of its pouch and throwing it onto the ground. POOF, it pops open, ready to go. Stake it down so it doesn't blow away and yer set. The whole side zips open so you don't have to crawl into a tunnel.


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## globetruck (Jul 3, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> You have my interest. I would like to hear more about these hammocks. Does anybody else on here use them or have experience hammock camping? Are they easy to tip over or fall out of? How comfortable are they in a cold weather situation?


I'm a huge fan of hammock camping! Check out hammockforums or search youtube for "shug hammock videos." He will get you off to a good start.

Hammock considerations
- staying warm is more challenging because you will compress any insulation that you lay atop. 
- under quilts are the best solution, but good ones aren't cheap
- you can make do with a foam pad underneath you, but condensation can become a problem
- lots of different suspensions to play around with. 
- lots of different tarp options
- most comfortable sleep I've had in the woods, but there's definitely a learning curve.


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

I like the ideas of the bed net and hammock camping. Especially the bed net, they are both light weight options and are relatively easy to pack out, pack up, and store, and are inexpensive when compared to tents. But the draw back, and for me this is a big deal, is that I like the extra security of having the space to put my pack and gear in the tent with me. But, at least for FL's summer, it may be prudent for me to rethink that requirement.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Nyet said:


> Medical training wise, 5 years USMC; required yearly and extensive first aide and trauma care training. Also have received much training and advice from; My uncle is a retired Chemical and Pharmaceutical engineer, my sister in law and mother are a nurses, my wife worked in a medical lab for a number of years, and my father and myself worked in the Biomedical engineering field. I've also taken anatomy, biology, sociology, and psychology. Copious amounts of experience with personal trainers and dietitians and tons of associated personal experience treating my own sports injuries and assisting others treating theirs. also have dealt with several "severe" injuries myself and experienced shock first hand.
> 
> As far as bugging out... Right now I don't have a particular location. ATM I am more of a bugging in sort of guy, but I work about 40 miles from home and I'm trying to put together more of a "get home bag". But If I absolutely had to for sure bug out, my three most likely places would be; A; a particular family member's home to fortify the bugging in concept, B; a ranch which I will not disclose the location or relation. or C, being the absolute worst case scenario; a random site in the Everglades. I am currently working on my own bug out location, but it will be a while before I am in that position.
> 
> The only way I see myself bugging out is right before, during, or immediately following, a natural or man made disaster that is at high risk to or already has created a prolonged period of civil unrest in which my general locale is for all intents and purposes "under siege".


Ok, well, the fact that you are thinking "get home bag" as opposed to a bug out bag changes the concept a lot. 40 miles is not that far. 4 days on foot, tops. Skip the tent. It is wasted weight. A good poncho, and the skills to quickly build a temporary shelter out of what you can find are all you need. I operate under the same pretext, in the same area. I work far from home, in South Florida. Carry mosquito repellant., pack very light, and get home quickly. There is no tent in my get home bag.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

I sleep like a baby in a hammock. And you can have full feild of vision around you. And the fresh air is so good for the lungs while in deep sleep. Staying warm can be a challenge i got a chill in my back first night out. Learned quick what to do. By far my fav way to sleep in the woods.


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## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

Nyet said:


> BTW guys, the four person tent is just for me, lol. i like space! I did attempt to try to take ventilation into account, as you can see from the pics of the one I posted, under the fly there is a lot of mesh. and unless its actually raining or cold out, i will probably not use the rain fly. BUUUUTTTTT.... I have no idea if that is a good thing or bad thing for ventilation or if my concept of tent ventilation is skewed. i have a water proof bivy cover for my sleeping system just in case. And any tent I get will be water proofed and camouflaged. from where I see myself, my inexperience is mostly in the materials used, brand familiarity in a saturated market..what's good and bad? Again, am mostly inexperienced in this so any advice is always welcome.
> 
> To further touch on the training aspect medically, I consider myself some what experienced, fairly well trained, always looking for new information, and plan to further my training as I go. I will say this though, When I had a gun blow up in my hands and took a piece of shrapnel from it, I surprised my self at how calmly I responded. Granted it was a small injury. I feel that mentally I am in a good place to treat myself or others, providing I'm within my knowledge base, but only time will tell.


you are waaaaaaay ahead of the curve of most in the medical knowledge department.

Tent ventilation. Think front to rear or rear to front. If the winds are prevailing from a west to east direction, orientate the window to the wind and the door away from the wind. Wind will move the moisture. The moisture you put out will be warmer than the surrounding ambient air temps (in theory). It will rise and be trapped by the rain fly if you have everything sealed up (window and door zipped up). Most of the time winds will not blow at night as no sun energy, they do if a front is approaching. The best demonstration of the moisture that a body puts out I have witnessed was a winter camping trip. Sub freezing air in the tent and had been in the sack for a few hours and I had to pee. Turned on the overhead light, zipped open the bag and a cloud of steam rose from the bag. This was all trapped moisture that was making the sleeping bag wet and the reason for all the moisture was that I had too many clothes on and was producing an almost unperceptible light sweat. When I got back into the bag I stripped down to a pair of running shorts, socks and a hat and was okay for the rest of the night. So where did that steam go? Straight to the roof where it formed dew droplets and froze upon contact to the inside of the rain fly, the meshing, the top of my bag. The area above my face where I was breathing was melted and drops of water would fall off and hit me in the forehead, sort of like the Chinese water torture. We had kept the tent sealed up and the 2 of us in the tent put out that much moisture. It is almost imperative to have 2 vents open on a tent to provide adequate flow thru air for venting.

So everything was slightly wet the next morning. The sun was out and bright, but it was about 15*F. We pulled out anything that was wet, turned the sleeping bags inside out and they freeze dried in a few minutes, shook the frost off and replaced inside the tent. In warm climates you have a hard time doing that and things dry much slower in hot humid climate. Ventilation is key to staying dry. Use it as much as you can. I was looking at a 4 person Eureka standard A frame tent. We used a 6 man on a winter trip one year, plenty of ventilation.


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

GasholeWillie said:


> you are waaaaaaay ahead of the curve of most in the medical knowledge department.


How so? I'd like to know what I am doing right so I can continue to do so.


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## Nyet (Jul 28, 2014)

sparkyprep said:


> Ok, well, the fact that you are thinking "get home bag" as opposed to a bug out bag changes the concept a lot. 40 miles is not that far. 4 days on foot, tops. Skip the tent. It is wasted weight. A good poncho, and the skills to quickly build a temporary shelter out of what you can find are all you need. I operate under the same pretext, in the same area. I work far from home, in South Florida. Carry mosquito repellant., pack very light, and get home quickly. There is no tent in my get home bag.


OK, point is well taken and already considered. But I guess what I am specifically aiming for in my "bug out/get home" bag is just that. and I'm sorry if I am running in circles thought wise. But I'm looking for an all arounder that can easily be used for either bugging out or getting home, sense they would share much of the same equip. either way this bag will stay in my trunk. I already have a loaded IFAK for it, and I'm going to put together a small ancillary bag to keep in the trunk as well with a jacket and some warming equip, just in case I'm stuck during the winter months I can just attach it to my bag and go. In central FL on the water it can get into the 30s. Not necessarily in-survivable, but I'd rather be comfortable.

As far as my medical questions go, I'm putting together a series of large first aide back packs for storage and long term use. Also, I have ideas for small solar power freezers to store antibiotics and other meds in and see if that will prolong their shelf life. I'll be conferring with my uncle and father on the practicality of such a device once I am at that point. but that is a way off.

Fish antibiotics...who'd have thought???


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## Gunner's Mate (Aug 13, 2013)

Check out Helliberg tents these are expedition quality tents and the prices reflect that quality


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Nyet said:


> Fish antibiotics...who'd have thought???


Check out this article on fish antibiotics on doom and bloom.

Alternative Antibiotics in Survival | Collapse Medicine | Doom and Bloom (TM) | Doom and Bloom (TM)

Survival Antibiotics | Medical Preparedness | Doom and Bloom (TM) | Doom and Bloom (TM)

Something I have in my first aid kit is the Sawyer Extractor. This thing really works great. It has a lot of suction that they claim works on snake bites that you may have to worry about there in the south. Here in Michigan, we only have to worry about insect bites and I can attest that it works on these bites.

From a legal stand point, if you have prescription pain killers or other narcotics keep them in the pharmacy issued bottle. If a police officer searches you and finds them out of the bottle then you have to prove that you were prescribed them and could lead to legal problems.

Did you pick out your tent yet?


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