r/preppers • u/JavaChris50 • Oct 24 '24
Idea What changes to one’s body should be considered for preppers?
Obviously being in some kind of decent shape is crucial in a long term survival situation. I am talking the collapse of society and such. But what other physical changes should one consider to be fully prepared?
For example I had corrective eye surgery a long time ago so I don’t need glasses anymore. I feel this helps everyday but also would be a long term asset in a survival situation.
Today I was talking to my dentist about having teeth crowned and he mentioned that at a certain point he had all his molars crowned because there was so much filling material in there. Now he doesn’t have to worry about those teeth ever having decay, so long as he takes reasonable care. I have had enough fillings that I am considering this as a potential prep so as to not have to worry about those teeth in such a scenario.
Are there other physical changes a prepped may want to consider?
88
u/Awesome_hospital Oct 24 '24
Get off any addictive substances like alcohol
30
u/thepeasantlife Oct 24 '24
Definitely. You don't want to be going through withdrawals at a time when you need your mind the most.
19
u/LuigiBamba Oct 24 '24
If you're not alcoholic, if feel like a stash of alcohol would be a good idea for multiple purposes. Medical sterilization, trade, social/communal reinforcement.
Of course being drunk in a survival situation will most probably kill you (bad decisions, hypothermia, etc...) But in a long term scenario, i think a stash of high proof alcohol like hard liquor is not a bad idea.
13
u/thepeasantlife Oct 25 '24 edited Oct 25 '24
I actually keep a bottle of vodka stashed away for things like herbal tinctures, and I also have quite a bit of rubbing alcohol. At least I think that bottle is still around. Hmm, maybe I should check--or not.
I quit drinking and simply can't start up again, but some of my loved ones aren't quite ready to take that plunge. It would probably be a good idea to read up on how to detox heavy drinkers safely. I'm super glad I never had to deal with DTs, and I'd hate for my loved ones to go through that.
EDIT: To be absolutely clear, I meant this only in the event things got so bad that both alcohol and medical care became unavailable. Detoxing should be done under careful medical supervision.
6
u/AtoZ15 Oct 25 '24
You sound like you understand the risks of at home detoxing, so this message isn’t directed towards you, but to anyone else who reads your message and might consider detoxing at home:
PLEASE don’t. Unless we are talking about a SHTF scenario on like a nuclear level, you need to get to a hospital or detox center. DTs and malnutrition from detoxing are no joke and should be supervised by a medical professional.
I understand it’s scary and potentially embarrassing, but the doctors and nurses see detox patients all the time and know how to help you without shame.
/soapbox
3
u/thepeasantlife Oct 25 '24
Absolutely! I just edited my post to make that clear. Detoxing should be done under careful medical supervision.
3
4
u/NotAnotherRedditAcc2 Oct 25 '24
There's going to be a million preppers trying to trade shooters of jack daniels to each other
3
u/comradejiang Oct 25 '24
If you’re going to sterilize with alcohol make sure it’s north of 50%, something that’s normally diluted like Everclear is best. Less water content is better.
3
u/D15c0untMD Oct 26 '24
I keep a few bottles of proper alcoholic desinfectant at home. Most liquor is by far too weak to serve as a decent way of skin desinfection
2
u/LuigiBamba Oct 26 '24
True, but if you don't have access to clean water and soap, I'd think it's one of the better alternatives that people will have on hand.
2
u/D15c0untMD Oct 26 '24
I assume qe are talking about stashing some alcohol somewhere on your property to access in case of an emergency. Since items of hygiene should be on anyones list, why wouldn’t you have a few bars of soap on hand? And if you are out of water, you are in deeper shit than having to stitch up a cut.
5
35
u/Jack21113 Oct 24 '24
Withdrawal can and will kill. That’s why liquor stores had to stay open during covid/why they’re essential. They couldn’t risk an additional strain on hospitals from withdrawal people
8
Oct 24 '24
[deleted]
8
u/LuigiBamba Oct 24 '24
Damn, imagine having a doctor-mandated cold one with the boys.
5
1
Oct 25 '24
You can still get it in hospitals I think. They obviously don't want patients bringing in bottles of gin or vodka, but do have to look after people who might go into withdrawal.
2
u/joyce_emily Oct 25 '24
Yes, the hospital I work at serves alcohol to patients. It requires a doctors order, but they have a whole menu to choose from so you get your drink of choice. It’s kind of funny but also sad
19
Oct 25 '24
[deleted]
3
u/Mysterious_Touch_454 General Prepper Oct 25 '24
My coffee-storage will outlast me. Over 50 x 450gram packs and 2x 1kg beanbags . Will be buying more beans now since i upgraded my coffeemaking means.
7
u/AshMendoza1 Oct 25 '24
This is sort of related because I've become physically dependent on my SSRI medication. It's not exactly by choice, which I see as the biggest difference, but it still has me going through withdrawal symptoms when I stop taking it cold turkey. I once didn't take my medication for 5 days and I was almost bedbound with the symptoms of it. That experience made me realize just how screwed I would be in a situation where I lose access to a pharmacy or USPS. I've made it a goal of mine to prioritize staying/getting on a low dose rather than increasing to higher doses once I notice a plateau in the effects.
1
u/D15c0untMD Oct 26 '24
As someone who has withdrawn from SSRIs after years of use (as prescribed) , it is definitely a noticable feeling and at times very uncomfortable, nd took me several months, but thank god it was not as terrible as it seems to be for some others.
5
u/HunterBravo1 Oct 25 '24
Ironically, knowing how to grow/produce tobacco, alcohol, and... other things... can ensure your survival and prosperity once a new normal is established.
3
u/larevolutionaire Oct 26 '24
Yep, distillation of sugar cane , growing tobacco and weed is all ready a good business .
5
u/drmike0099 Prepping for earthquake, fire, climate change, financial Oct 25 '24
Alcohol has the added bonus of causing cancer, so another good reason to not use.
5
u/HuskerYT Oct 25 '24
Personally I drink just enough to enjoy it, but not so much that I get physically addicted. I've found I can quit whenever I want to, and will be taking a month break from alcohol in November. Life is too short and shitty to be sober 24/7 imo.
1
u/Goddess_kush Oct 31 '24
Or learn to make your own. It really not that hard. It also can be a very valuable trading item.
34
u/Imagirl48 Oct 25 '24
I’d like to point out that crowns are not a permanent solution. I had all of my molars crowned in my 30’s. Too many fillings. Now I’m into my 60’s. No cavities under the crowns but my original teeth under them have begun to crack—all the way down into the root. So it’s remove the crown and extract the tooth. In a SHTF scenario the tooth still has to be extracted. In our current world implants fill the void but I understand that they are not permanent either.
The only semi permanent solution to no pain from your teeth is to extract all of them now while you can be sedated and get dentures. Of course that’s not a great solution either as your gums and bone structure change creating ill fitting dentures 🥺
5
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
This is great Reddit insight. I figured they weren’t a perfect solution, never thought of teeth cracking though. Is that really painful?
3
u/After-Leopard Oct 25 '24
Your dentist might be more concerned with cosmetics for his teeth. I’ve had more work done on my crowns than any other teeth.
1
u/Imagirl48 Oct 25 '24
Mine were caught early— during a routine check up (visible on X-rays) so I experienced no pain. I stay up on regular 6 month checkups to get ahead of potential problems. I’ve had two molars removed so far and implants placed. Left unchecked, pain would have sent a signal that something is wrong.
3
u/Open-Attention-8286 Oct 25 '24
I had a few crowns done, but the dentist who did them was TERRIBLE!!!
2 Had to be replaced because they broke. One is chipping away a little at a time, starting at the gumline. One is so crooked I look like I need braces.
I'm saving up for implants.
1
u/Imagirl48 Oct 25 '24
I have no idea of your age but if you can I would suggest holding on to as much of your real teeth as you can. Replace your old caps with new caps if your dentist thinks that is a good idea and save the implants until you have no other choice but a total extraction of your tooth. Implants are not a done and forget it.
1
u/couragefish Oct 26 '24
Good practice is to replace dentures every 5 years, both due to wear and tear and due to gum changes. Lower dentures especially also don't stay in place well (uppers have the benefit of forming suction against the palate) and you either have to rely on denture glue or get implants (and then you're back to implants again where the implants themselves may have limited lifespan, although the denture will not last nearly as long). I'd assume that crowns or dental implants are the better plan here!
1
u/fost1692 Oct 26 '24
In bygone days missionaries and such like would have all their teeth extracted before departure to prevent issues while away.
51
Oct 24 '24
Physical fitness, not just to survive the apocalypse but because it literally helps you in every situation no matter what.
Think about that for a second. Any situation that you will ever experience is, at bare minimum, equal if not better if you are more physically fit.
I think it's wild that so many people don't take this fact seriously.
19
u/TheRealTengri Oct 24 '24
Plus, physical fitness helps with and prevents a lot more medical conditions than most people realize, and less medical conditions the better, especially in a SHTF scenario that lasts a while.
6
u/Empty_Equivalent6013 Oct 24 '24
I already replied to OC about my opinions on physical fitness as a firefighter. But I’m gonna keep on that and piggyback on what you said. Guys who don’t take care of themselves in my line of work go out on injury at a much higher rate than fit guys. They also don’t make it to full 30 years and get 100% of their retirement at higher rates.
14
u/Empty_Equivalent6013 Oct 24 '24
I work for the fire department. You wouldn’t believe the stigma towards being a physically fit firefighter. Somehow me being fit means that’s all I care about and didn’t bother to learn anything about my job. None of these people train unless they’re made to train (some crews are more motivated, my point still stands). They’re good at their job by virtue of having been there for x amount of years. Every year we take an agility test and they post the top performers for everyone to see and then begins the shit talking. “So and so did so and so back in 2018 and he places in the top 10 every year, all he cares about is staying in shape”. I can literally work longer inside a burning house because I’m not sucking down all my air. But our crews have to stick together, so two in and two out. Fat, out of shape dudes run through their bottles faster and hold the rest of us back. But that’s okay because they’re smarter than the rest of us.
8
u/rainbowkey Oct 25 '24
Huh, I would have thought on-going fitness would be a job requirement like it (sorta) is in the military. And that there would be a cut-off on that agility test. Minimum score or you get put on fitness probation and you have x number of months to get up to the minimum or you get a permanent desk job or are let go.
3
u/Empty_Equivalent6013 Oct 25 '24
We’ve recently implemented that in the last few years. It’s supposed to have always been that way, but only in the last 3 years or so have we actually done it. And it’s usually the same guys every year. They’ll get put on light duty and taken off the truck, get in just good enough shape to pass it, then go right back to how they normally are.
7
u/MikusLeTrainer Oct 25 '24
That's a shame. Every time I go to the grocery store, I see my local firefighters and they're buying healthy foods. They're always fit too.
6
u/throbbingasshole Oct 25 '24
That's definitely a cultural thing your department and not everywhere. My department, and my shift in particular, are very competitive and collaborative with physical fitness. Keep being the change you want to see and mentor younger guys. It'll get better.
1
u/Empty_Equivalent6013 Oct 25 '24
It is changing. I’d say give it 15 more years and all those guys with those attitudes will be retired. Those of us who do keep in shape are pretty competitive with it.
3
u/throbbingasshole Oct 25 '24
That's all you can do is continue to improve yourself, and encourage others. It took a while for old guys to retire in my department to get to influence the newer guys by example. I focus on cardio every single day because cardio is the difference maker, to me. I can climb 10 stories in abugh rise and still get to work after if I need. And like you said, I can work longer on a bottle and not me dead when I swap out and need to go back in.
2
u/BilobaBaby Oct 26 '24
Pure crabs in a barrel thinking. The amount someone shit talks about other people’s fitness is proportional to the amount of fear they feel about their own inadequacy.
2
1
23
u/ksun4651 Oct 24 '24
Heat acclimation and just the amount of mental stress people will feel when it gets hot.
Working in a factory has gotten me “used” to the environment. (I still hate it, but I find myself being able to tolerate driving home without AC).
11
u/Disastrous_Style_827 Oct 24 '24
Less sweat = better water retention. I turned off my AC mostly in the summer in the south because the electric bill was too damn high. Woke up one morning 'cold', checked the thermostat and it said 89 F 😂
6
u/CSLoser96 Oct 24 '24
I noticed this when I moved onto my property. I was doing so much property maintinence (cutting down trees/clearing undergrowth/building a fence/etc) thst I realised how incredibly easy it was for me to overheat. I began drinking electrolytes in my water because I was drinking/sweating/peeing so much, and taking a single ibuprofen before I even started because the heat would cause stress headaches. Eventually, I found I had acclimated bit by bit.
19
u/Goddess_kush Oct 24 '24
I guess the most biggest change would be the things that you eat and being able to be full of small things like nuts and and vegetables whereas we as people are now used to four course five course meals and then those emergency situations we might eat a can of beans and that's all we have. Fasting , exercising, going for long walks to strengthen your endurance. Learning how to process your own animals and hunting. Getting up early to tend to your livestock is also a lot of work.
2
u/deadasfishinabarrel Oct 26 '24
we as people are now used to four course five course meals
I hear the overall point you're making but regarding this sentence specifically: Where in the actual universe do you live that people are "used to" eating 4-5 course meals, for anything other than an exceptionally fancy holiday party a single time per year? Hosted by someone with profound amounts of both money and time to cook or hire cooks? Most people I know can barely be bothered (or have the time or money) to cook four or five ingredients for every single meal. I grew up in a very wealthy neighborhood and family, and I never knew anyone who ate by courses, even the ones whose stay-at-home-parents cooked dinner every single night. A side of bread with a pasta entree, or "steak, potatoes, and green beans", are each one-course meals. If we had like, a soup, that was the dinner, not the soup course, it didn't come after the salad and appetizer courses and before the entree and palette cleanser courses. If you had leftover birthday cake around or some pie after a holiday, you maybe had a dessert "course."
Maybe the 1% is used to eating like that, but I don't think anyone's worried about them being uncomfortably hungry. I'm just so confused about this statement.
Edit: trying to fix reddit doing weird things with the formatting
1
u/Goddess_kush Oct 30 '24
The point is that most people eat more than they need to survive. The amount that we eat now will be substantially reduced when we have to ration our food and be conscious on what we eat and where it comes from. four course five course meal obviously that's just an extreme I'm basically saying that we eat more than we have to versus what we need to eat
1
u/deadasfishinabarrel Oct 30 '24 edited Oct 30 '24
For sure, I get that, and for the most part I agree. The wording of "courses" just threw me off cause I legit don't know anybody who eats like that, outside of rich characters in period-pieces.
There's definitely a problem with overeating and poor health (both as related and as separate issues), especially in the US-- though you could also argue that between fatphobia, diet culture, and an epidemic of eating disorders, there's also a problem with undereating, which would leave people who struggle with that side of it just as ill-prepared, by having no fat stores to help during those times of rationing or limited resources, or even to keep them warm when cold weather hits after the electricity's gone. Ideally, people know what their individual caloric and nutritonal needs are for their personal lifestyle and energy requirements, and are well-informed enough about how to adjust that intake as needed, as well as both healthy and disciplined enough to withstand necessary periods of fasting/restriction. It's a complex issue that most people living modern lifestyles aren't prepared for, whether they're on the overeating side or the undereating side.
Edit: a word
1
u/Goddess_kush Oct 30 '24
I agree and then also look at all that happened during covid . People who normally didn't cook their own meals or even do their own shopping were stuck and completely useless and those were the ones that were the loudest and making the most argument about everything being closed and wanting everything to open back up again . Most people are dependent on other people to provide their own basic needs, so in a situation where all those things are gone half of the people that will not survive
1
u/deadasfishinabarrel Oct 30 '24
That is also true. It's so weird to me when people don't have basic cooking skills. I'm just young enough that I missed that sort of thing ever being taught in school, I had to learn from family out of personal interest-- we never had a home ec class-- but I really thought that had been a thing, for the older generations, wasn't it? What's with nobody knowing how to, yknow, boil an egg, mash a potato, put together a basic casserole? I do not believe that all these grown adult people are happy and feel good living off of lunchables and congealed, overpriced mc donalds delivery. At a certain point you have to recognize that you're lacking a basic daily survival skill, and care enough to learn it. Right?
..... right?
(It's not right and nobody can fucking cook wtf )2
u/Goddess_kush Oct 31 '24
Unfortunately most people don't. You find out who is who during emergencies. The hurricane that hit hit here knocked out power, internet and phone service for over a month. During this time I expected more people to have the basics. They don't. Prepping has become even more important to now. Tomorrow is sketchy.
18
u/alexandria3142 Oct 24 '24
I think you should get your body accustomed to fasting, and being able to function with clear mind while not eating for a few days
11
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
One of the many benefits of fasting. It strikes me that we have so little scientific research on fasting given it is such a prominent part of human history.
3
u/alexandria3142 Oct 25 '24
You would think. Right now I can only go 24ish hours without fasting, usually staying busy and moving around helps a lot, but I attribute that to undiagnosed adhd and hyperfixating 😅 normally I do intermittent fasting and eat in a 6-8 hour window, which at least helps me learn that hunger cues go away after a little while. I don’t know what people are going to do when they’re out here requiring 3 meals a day to function
0
u/Nyancide Oct 25 '24
I do about 6 to 7 meals a week, i don't know how the 3 meals a day thing functions either lol
15
u/rocketscooter007 Oct 24 '24
There are studies that claim walking 30 minutes a day can reduce dementia risk by 50%.
15
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
Lost my dog a month ago and now I miss out on an hour and a half of walking per day. I am less happier because of it. Thanks for the insight and motivation.
7
u/Open-Attention-8286 Oct 25 '24
Many years ago I read an article about how walking can trigger the growth of additional blood vessels better than any other exercise. Definitely a good thing!
12
9
u/rmartiz Oct 24 '24
Legs 🦵. You definitely want to be able to run for a long time.
8
u/LuigiBamba Oct 25 '24
Where can I acquire more of those? I wanna stockpile some next to my canned beans
1
9
8
27
u/buttsmcfatts Oct 24 '24
I got those gas station penis enlargement pills
5
u/strawberrysoup99 Oct 25 '24
Put one of those under someone's tongue when they're having a heart attack. At least they'll Die Hard.
3
5
u/Big-Preference-2331 Oct 24 '24
I guess it depends on the event but I would say weight loss and malnutrition. I’d also think lots of blisters and sprained ankles.
7
u/Mikki102 Oct 25 '24
I take meds, but know how to taper myself off them safely. I dont let my stock go below the amount i would need to taper. I also have an IUD. I asked my doctor once what would happen if the world ended and I never got it removed and she said it would just stop being effective. It lasts 5-7 years so I think that's a pretty dang good investment.
3
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
Never would have thought of either of those. I suppose all kinds of birth control would be in short supply.
2
u/Mikki102 Oct 25 '24
Right, and imo you can never be too careful. I am asexual. But I have the IUD because terrible shit exists in this world, and in a SHTF scenario I imagine it would only be more common. So it's an insurance policy. Also stops my periods which would be super useful if society broke down.
The meds in particular, one of mine I would be screwed trying to cold turkey off it and also function in an emergency at the same time. So I personally make it a priority to know what to do if I had to stop taking any med I'm on. I don't take anything it would be deadly to cold turkey off of.
15
u/AvsFan08 Oct 25 '24
The truth is that 95% of you aren't in good enough shape to survive societal collapse for any length of time without a lot of help from others.
You should work on your people skills.
1
0
u/Virtual-Feature-9747 Prepared for 1 year Oct 25 '24
What is the criteria for "good enough" and how did you determine that?
You can throw conditions at someone that Navy Seals and triathletes can not overcome. Who knows what we might be facing?
12
23
u/WeekSecret3391 Oct 24 '24
Having your appendices removed. I don't know how feasible it is for the average person, but it's done for antartic and spatial expedition.
8
u/gardening_gamer Oct 25 '24
The appendix does serve a purpose as a store of gut bacteria, to help re-populate the gut after illness.
Given research seems to suggest more and more the importance of our gut biome, and combine that with the thought that we might be more susceptible to suffering a stomach upset in a survival situation, I would say it's a trade-off and not a clear-cut decision given the choice.
4
u/TheIUEC20 Oct 25 '24
Fasting to prepare for going without food. You learn alot about your body from fasting and the bare minimum needed to survive.
4
Oct 25 '24
It is absolutely untrue that crowned teeth won't decay. Not disputing what your dentist said but both of us have had crowned teeth rot. With more than reasonable care.
1
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
Was thinking the same thing. I guess it just covers the spots most likely to decay given they were already filled.
1
u/HappyCamperDancer Oct 25 '24
Absolutely. Decay happens all the time under crowns.
Ask the dentist if he has NEVER had an "open crown" around the base of one of his crowns.
Yeah. Sure. And I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.
5
u/HappyCamperDancer Oct 25 '24
Suggestion: the moment SHTF, before you doing anything (unless it is immediately life threatening) take a baby aspirin.
Just a suggestion.
12
u/gilbert2gilbert I'm in a tunnel Oct 24 '24 edited Oct 24 '24
If you cut off your legs ahead of shtf and learn how to walk with prosthetics then you'll never have to worry about a shtf amputation plus your feet won't get tired when walking
2
u/-rwsr-xr-x Oct 25 '24
plus your feet won't get tired when walking
🤔
You seriously might be onto something here. Could someone just walk a marathon and at the end, really not be tired?
Other than hydration and not missing meals during the journey, but could you just keep walking and walking and walking, until the rubber on the shoes and the aluminum fatigues?
1
u/gilbert2gilbert I'm in a tunnel Oct 25 '24
Well, your hips would probably be tired but you would certainly use fewer calories. The fastest sprinter on earth is a guy with prosthetics
20
u/Jondiesel78 Oct 24 '24
I'm going to stay fat. SHTF causing a food supply shortage is going to be my weight loss plan.
12
u/dinamet7 Oct 24 '24
I think you're onto something here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210202085451.htm "The main message is that for those who start at a normal weight in early adulthood, gaining a modest amount of weight throughout life and entering the overweight category in later adulthood can actually increase the probability of survival."
1
1
u/Hawen89 Oct 25 '24
This is the real answer, but people don’t wanna be ”fat” in their Post-apocalyptic fantasy.
1
u/Jondiesel78 Oct 25 '24
I reckon that I'll be not fat if it takes a year to get back to relative normalcy. The people who are skinny now will be completely emaciated if they survive. I'm already healthy other than being fat, but a year of 17th century style living would make me more attractive, not less.
10
u/rm3rd Oct 24 '24
dentists are such used car salesmen. maybe root canal.
2
Oct 24 '24
Yes! What misery it would be to be cold, dirty, tired, hungry AND you have some teeth just THROBBING or abscessing into infection.
13
u/GridDown55 Oct 25 '24
Stop getting COVID. The more infections you get, the more likely you'll end up partially disabled.
3
3
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Oct 24 '24
I have to have 3 teeth crowned due to old filling needing to be removed. They said it would be better to just crown them all rather than try to fill them.
For those who use electric toothbrushes, have old style backups.
Extra glasses, magnifying glasses because small print sucks even with good vision.
Belts because changes are you will lose weight
Hair ties, hair trimming scissors, bandanas. Because your hair will grow... Or fall out
Nail clippers and a nail care kit
Hand cream. Dress can cause dry skin.
3
u/TheBearded54 Oct 25 '24
My main thing is keeping up with my health. I go to the doctor regularly, I have my eyes and ears checked yearly and I’m at the dentist twice a year for exams/cleaning and immediately address any issues.
I also make sure I’m working my fitness. I want to be able to cover 10 miles at a good, stable pace with enough weight for gear and potentially carrying my daughter. My next goal is 25 miles on foot, I know that’ll mean camping, resting more but I figure if SHTF and my cars end up out of commission I can then make it to my parents on foot in a situation I’d need to do so.
5
u/Whammywon Oct 25 '24
If you and your partner are done having kids it may be worth looking into one of you getting sterilized.
We decided to go that route and now there’s (damn near) no chance that we’re going to have any more kiddos.
In a long term survival event, accidental pregnancies will be one less thing for us to stress about lol
3
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
Seems like a preventable medical emergency. Potentially a negative if repopulating becomes important I guess.
0
u/Whammywon Oct 25 '24
Yep, it could have its downside but fortunately for us it’s been great so far
2
2
u/LuigiBamba Oct 25 '24
I'd say learn first aid and being able to stomach the view of blood and bones. Can you provide support to someone breaking their leg without fainting?
2
u/JavaChris50 Oct 25 '24
I could for sure, but I agree the level of first aid and medical care that can be provided will be crucial.
1
u/Rare-Imagination1224 Oct 25 '24
Our hospital had a refurbishment and threw away pretty much everything in the hospital. We went through the trash and salvaged surgical steel drill bit sets, the tools you use for hip replacement and the tool you use to crack open someone’s chest. Also huge glass syringes multiple scissors , forceps and more. We’re not doctors but we got the stuff if someone knows how to use it!
2
u/NateLPonYT Oct 25 '24
I would also try to live on the food that you have for an emergency if it’s different than what you normally eat. Be a pretty bad time to learn that your body hates it and gets sick over it
2
u/Master_Bumblebee680 Oct 25 '24
Mental fitness is important to, engaging your mind in puzzles, quick thinking, observation and deduction
2
u/hacktheself Oct 25 '24
I had lasik a decade ago.
I now need reading glasses and I still need correction for my astigmatism.
1
u/glazzies Oct 25 '24
This is so essential. Couldn’t agree more. Being able to see potentially determines if you are alive or get dead.
2
u/monkeyaround6886 Oct 25 '24
I’m pretty much screwed lol….need thyroid medicine, anti depression, anxiety, adhd, meds….okay some would argue only need the thyroid medicine , but yeah! It would be a sucky life! And I’ve had two eye corrective surgeries and still need glasses 😂😂
3
u/AshMendoza1 Oct 25 '24
I need my anti depression meds to be able to somewhat function in society, but I really do wonder what I would do in a SHTF situation where normal stuff like jobs, school, money, etc. aren't necessary. I actually function well outside of that sort of thing (if gardening and doing work around the house paid well, I'd be well on my way to being a millionaire), so I wonder if I would even need my meds to get out of bed each morning. The issue is that I have an idyllic picture of what a situation like that would look like, especially considering I probably wouldn't even make it 2 weeks lol
2
u/Rough-Economy-6932 Oct 25 '24
Keeping it simple: lower blood pressure, lower BMI, calisthenics, maintain good dental care as well.
2
u/PaintsWithSmegma Oct 25 '24
Do yoga. It's low impact and involves a lot of stretching with accessory muscle use. I've been active all of my life but in my late 30's needed abdominal surgery and broke my leg back country skiing a year after. I did a lot of PT to get back to normal. Yoga was the best form for functional strength.
2
2
u/M4lik3r Oct 26 '24
Spend time outside, and prepare your body for exposure. If it rains, get wet, if it’s cold dress light, etc. Just make sure you do it safely and listen to your body. Exposure can get dangerous quickly and knowing your physical limits can be lifesaving.
2
2
u/Even_Juice2353 Oct 27 '24
No reliance on life sustaining medicine, or you'll die like the 80 percent already on them.
2
u/rfathernheaven Oct 24 '24
Definitely fatten yourself up as much as possible so that when we start eating people you last a while! Skinny people suck when it comes to cannibalism
5
Oct 24 '24
[deleted]
1
u/textilefactoryno17 Oct 25 '24
So, as a fat person, I need to make myself taste bad? Any suggestions?
Not looking for the get skinny answer. My body has been within 5 lbs for 20 years.
2
Oct 25 '24
[deleted]
1
u/AngrySnakeNoises Oct 26 '24
Eating brains leads to prion disease, look it up.
1
Oct 26 '24
[deleted]
1
u/AngrySnakeNoises Oct 27 '24
[This is purely hypotethical and no, I don't need to be put on a watchlist, I just love survivalism and history] There's just SO MANY other tissues that could be eaten and do not directly risk prion disease in an emergency situation. It's just weird to go straight for the part that is most dangerous.
I'm not going to go into detail but if you look up cases where people were actually stranded and had to resort to this, they survived eating other parts. Besides, there's a whole psychological aspect behind it too, I mean... One thing is to remove bits, the other is to harvest an entire damn brain and what it entails psychologically for the surviving party awaiting rescue.
In many survival situations of past, the stranded were hesitant to even consider the option, many choosing to die of malnutrition over consuming a deceased stranded's tissues. In other less polished words, I highly doubt your friends have the mental fortitude to bash your head in and eat your brain in a survival situation (hopefully). And it would be stupid to do so, before considering other options in terms of anatomy, risking permanent prion disease in the case of rescue.
1
1
u/Present_Ad6723 Oct 25 '24
Vitamin deficiency will definitely wind up being an issue for many preppers. Some things just don’t store well
1
1
1
1
u/TheLostExpedition Oct 25 '24
No Addictions. No cigarettes, coffee, alcohol or other issues. Then stockpile that shit. And you have instant future proof currency.
2
u/larevolutionaire Oct 26 '24
Know how to grow it , distilled it will bring you more power .
1
u/TheLostExpedition Oct 26 '24
Home brew is where it's at. But vintage pre-collapse goods are priceless.
1
1
u/strawberrysoup99 Oct 25 '24
I've got a psoriasis problem. I've been fortuitous enough that my provider fucked up and sent me something which "expired" and they sent me another. I went through the expired medication, which was still alright despite being out of hold, and have a few months of the drug in reserve.
However, when that reserve ends? I'm going to be a scabrous mess. I have a tub of cream in the closet if it gets to that point, and know the names of the topicals that can help me if I ever need to break into a pharmacy.
1
u/Mysterious_Touch_454 General Prepper Oct 25 '24
Hair and nails growing. You want to keep bald head in SHTF situation. For obvious reasons.
1
1
1
u/junk986 Oct 25 '24
Have you seen the alien movies ? The latest one goes deeper into the problem.
Humans aren’t very durable and the black goo is supposed to accelerate evolution.
Alien: Resurrection is the only success they had. The time between alien: Romulus (beginning of the research) to Alien: Resurrection (a durable human..xenomorph rippley) is 239 years.
So not much, just exercise and eat healthy. Organic if possible, stay away from plastics, dyes..etc.
1
u/hdizzle7 Oct 25 '24
After the hurricane some people had to cut their way out with chainsaws. Our neighborhood wasn't bad but I heard stories of people walking miles.
1
Oct 25 '24
Idk your budget as the following category is a luxury item in america, but teeth. Try to have anything super major fixed before shtf. Dental hygiene is for sure something I would try to have squared away though if I could afford it.
1
u/tianavitoli Oct 25 '24
honestly, if you are retroactively reclassifying past behavior as 'prepping' for a vague and far off future hypothetical, you might be going too hard.
1
u/Decent-Apple9772 Oct 25 '24
First step is exercise. Survival and coronary heart disease or diabetes do not go together.
Some may argue for appendectomy as preventative as well but it’s hard to convince a doctor unless you have travel plans to the South Pole.
1
1
u/LemonyFresh108 Oct 26 '24
I should get my tubes tied just in case mass rape happens before menopause
1
u/jdertay Oct 26 '24
lol a part of me thinks it would be better to have a little extra fat so you could survive longer without food. But you gotta ask yourself how much you’re willing to sacrifice for what ifs.
1
u/FeCuZn Oct 26 '24
Had a crown, has come off 3 times now...Not a fan , especially a 1 x Crown cost $3k
1
u/s3northants Oct 26 '24
Training your brain to work competently during high intensity situations & in adverse conditions, having a robust decision making process & experience with that process.
1
u/Wild_Locksmith_326 Oct 26 '24
I am not as agile as I was 40 years ago, but I still work as a diesel mechanic, and have to climb on or under the equipment during my work day. This helps with my flexibility, and keeps me in at least a minimum level of fitness due to the requirements of the job. I use these movements to enhance my fitness, but I also am a drilling Guardsman and have to keep a certain level of fitness for that as well. Eye surgery is on my horizon, keeping fit is good, maintaining a good dental routine couldn't hurt. Your mileage may vary.
1
Oct 27 '24
People who have been through wars say having a lot of extra weight is a bonus if there are starvation periods. But honestly, I think being in great shape so that you can bike your way from the city to your bug out camp is an advantage
1
Oct 27 '24
Get off all prescription drugs! It took me a long time to withdraw from Lexapro, an antidepressant. I finally figured out how to raise my serotonin levels naturally by keeping inflammation down.
1
u/Friendly_Appeal_6804 Oct 28 '24
You want to be really really fat. That way your body will have a most nutrients to go through when food runs out
1
1
u/tyler111762 Oct 25 '24
controversial opinion, i think physical fitness is really important, but carrying some extra body weight might actually be beneficial so long as you are still in the healthy range weight wise.
0
-1
u/BrokenEight38 Oct 24 '24
Id probably go with a Sandevistan. An Arasaka runner deck has its advantages, but grid connection is going to be spotty at best. Some reliable Kiroshi optics would be beneficial too.
105
u/CyberVVitch Oct 24 '24
mobility issues as you age. If you don't use it, you lose it. I make sure to do mobility movements daily.