Because Mommy is a Prepper

The following article is a great little lesson that prepping doesn’t have to be for some great future Zombie Apocalypse.  It also brings to mind a bike trip that my wife and I took with our friends from Iowa when the were out to visit.  It was on the Hiawatha Trial.  You can read my story at the end of  ’Because Mommy is a Prepper’

Because Mommy is a Prepper.

survival-mom

It doesn’t have to be a Zombie Apocalypse to benefit from being a Prepper. My daughter, the eldest of two toddlers has been reliably potty trained for about 9 months. My son is about halfway trained so I still keep a small diaper bag in the car with a few pull ups, a pair of shorts and some wipe-ees. For the casual observer this should be enough. today we went to a local State Park to do a bit of fishing and alligator watch.
All was well until we left my husband to fish on his own and went to play at the playground. Suddenly a shriek split the air. A primal scream from my little girl as she starts running towards the nearby buildings. “I have to go POTTY!!!!” she didn’t make it. Was I upset by the possibility of cutting our trip short to return home? Nope. Why not? Because, Mommy is a Prepper.
I have an overnight bag with a complete change of clothes for each of us, a washrag and soap that I keep in the car. No tears, no stress.
While Daddy continued to chase elusive fish we casually returned to play. Until it started getting on to dusk and the Mosquitos came out. Did I call my husband and nag him to put his toys away? Nope. Mommy is a Prepper. I have bug spray in the GoBag. I also went ahead and snagged a couple of Cliff bars and some bottled water as my children began the “I’m hungry” song. Sure, we brought a cooler of drinks – its down by the water with my husband and the two alligators that keep chasing his fish away.
When we came to the park for spring break – before I consciously began to “prep” – a little boy fell while biking and ended up with a compound fracture of his arm. My Mom, a nurse, worked with the parents and rangers to stabilize the boy – but no one had even a basic first aid kit. The bleeding wouldn’t stop and he was eventually Life Flighted to a nearby hospital. I wasn’t prepared. He could have died. It could have been my child. But it’s ok, now. There are more than clothes and Cliff Bars in my car. Because, Mommy is a Prepper.

Biking the Hiawatha Trail

And as I promised at the top of the post, here is my own First Aid story and lessons learned.  We were on the Hiawatha Trail, (A great bike ride if you are in the Western Montana /Idaho Panhandle area by the way) and came across a bike accident.  Coming out of a tunnel we found an extended family with an elderly woman who had taken a serious spill.  She had several gashes, lots scrapes and road rash and bruising.   No one in the group had any First Aid items.

One of several old train tunnels

For everything that  I brought; spare inner tubes, water, warm clothes and a large picnic lunch for four, I had only a small First Aid kit.  A few bandages, a little old cotton tape and dried out burn cream.  (I actually had carried it for a long time but not looked in it.)   Needless to say my few old band-aids were not much help in this instance.   Fortunately within a few more minutes a group came along with much better First Aid kits.  There is no cell phone reception on most of the Hiawatha Trail and it is miles to get help.  I took away a few lessons from this event.

1. Check your First Aid kits and other important gear at least once a year.  Check for expired items, through them out and replace them right away.  Get rid of bandages that don’t stick any more.  Having useless supplies doesn’t help you in an emergency!
2. Make sure that you have proper First Aid supplies for the situation you  will be in.  If you are going to the mall or office a little kit with a few band-aids, alcohol pads and burn cream may get you by.  If you are miles from help in the back woods, forests or deserts then you will need a much more comprehensive First Aid kit.
3. Make sure you have the knowledge to use what you have.  Think about taking CPR and other Red Cross and first aid courses.  You can make do with a little if you have knowledge of what to do.  It is best to have the knowledge and the supplies!

My general kit I take into the backwoods now is much more complete to handle more serious injuries.  We also have a larger medic bag that includes airways, sutures, QuikClot, blood stop bandages, burn creams and much more.  It is not something you would take with you everyday but definitely on long trips, and anytime you have a larger group or are far from help.  Plan ahead so that the next time you run into an emergency you are ready.

Regular Joe

Related articles

• “Doomsday Preppers,” the Truth about the Prepper Movement (prweb.com)
• Prepper Education: Be Strong To Be Useful (theeducationvigilante.com)
• The Ultimate Bug Out Kit – by Ready Nutrition (postamericana.wordpress.com)
• First Aid Kit Essentials (everydayhealth.com)
• Check Out National Geographic’s New Series ‘Doomsday Preppers’ | Video | TheBlaze.com (visionary102.wordpress.com)