Episode # 460, You Can't Eat Your Gear, and Non-medication Ways To Manage Arthritis

You Can't Eat Your Gear, and Non-medication Ways To Manage Arthritis

In the world of prepping, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of acquiring gear, stocking up on supplies, and fortifying your defenses.
However, one crucial principle often overlooked is the simple fact that you can't eat gear.

We have two episodes today: "You can't eat gear", and "non-medication ways to deal with arthritis, now or in a grid-down event."

Segment #1, You Can't Eat Gear"

In the world of prepping, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of acquiring gear, stocking up on supplies, and fortifying your defenses.

However, one crucial principle often overlooked is the simple fact that you can't eat gear.
While having the right tools and equipment is essential for survival, focusing solely on gear without considering your long-term sustenance can be a fatal mistake in any survival scenario.

The basis of the "You can't eat gear" principle is straightforward: when it comes down to it, water and food are the ultimate necessitates for survival.
No matter how well-equipped you are with knives, tents, or water filters, if you don't have enough water and food to sustain yourself and your loved ones, your chances of survival diminish rapidly.

The "You can't eat gear" principle...
Here's the rationale behind this principle:

Survival Hierarchy: In any survival situation, your needs follow a hierarchy: water, shelter, fire, and food.
While gear can help with these needs, water is at the top of the list because it provides the hydration necessary to sustain life.

Water
1 gal per person per day, for drinking AND cooking
We've talked about about water a lot, but you have to have some stored, you have to have a way to procure more, and you need to have several ways to purify it.
SEE EPISODE #  86,  August 2021 for an episode on water purification

Shelter
Shelter means you have to have a way to be protected from the elements. Most of the time, that is our residence.
In very hard times, that could mean having some means of sheltering outside your residence.
It could be a situation of having to make a multi-day trip on foot getting home, or it could be getting lost in the woods.
Shelter could be a tent, bivy, debris shelter, or even digging out an area in the snow under an evergreen tree.
We consider shelter second in the hierarchy, because exposure to extreme elements can kill in just a few hours.

Fire
When we discuss fire, we are talking about not only something like a campfire, but being able to stay warm and cook fire.
This could be alternative heating such as a wood burning stove, a propane heater, a fireplace, or a campfire.

Food
Food may not be as important for a day, but the body can live only about three weeks without food, and cognative and reasoning can become greatly diminished after two weeks.
We'll discuss that in more detail in a bit.


Limited Resources:
Your gear is finite. Once you've used up your supplies or they become damaged or lost, you may not have access to replacements.
This is where "two is one, one is none" applies. We must have backups for critical gear.
On the other hand, food can be renewable if you know how to forage, hunt, fish, or grow your own.

Long-Term Sustainability: Gear can only sustain you for so long, especially if you're in a prolonged survival situation.
Without a sustainable water and food sources, you'll eventually run out of provisions and be left vulnerable.

Physical and Mental Well-being:
Proper hydration and nutrition are crucial for maintaining both physical and mental health.
In a survival scenario, stress levels are high, and having enough water, shelter, fire and food can provide a sense of security and stability.

So, while it's important to invest in quality gear and learn essential survival skills, it's equally—if not more—important to prioritize water, shelter, fire/heat, and food in your prepping efforts.

Here are some practical steps to ensure you're adequately prepared on the food front:

Stockpile Non-Perishable Foods:
Build up a supply of non-perishable foods like canned goods, dried beans, rice, and pasta.
These foods have a long shelf life and can sustain you in the short term.

Early in your prepping journey, don't start storing 5 gal buckets or beans, and don't worry about twenty-five year storage food. Not at this point. You need to get a store of food, at least a couple of months worth.
Freeze dried food is great, once you have enough food that you cant rotate it every year.

With that said, and this may sound like a contradiction, but if you have a few months of food you normally eat, you can start adding in a little bit of long term storage food along, if you wish. The reason is, you don't want to dig into the long term storage stuff for a two week event, or in a time of shortages in the grocery store.

So, Stockpile Non-Perishable Foods


You can Develop Foraging and Hunting Skills:
Learn how to identify edible plants in your area and acquire basic hunting and fishing skills. This knowledge can provide you with a renewable food source in a survival situation.

You could Start a Garden:
Consider starting a garden to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Gardening not only provides fresh, nutritious food but also teaches valuable self-sufficiency skills.
Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow something.
You can grow herbs in the kitchen, you can grow vegetables in buckets on the patio or balcony.
If you have even a small space, you can put in a small garden, even if it it is a 4'x4' spot.

Another thing you can do is
Learn Food Preservation Techniques:

Buying fresh vegetables at the farmer's market, a roadside market, or a local farmer is a great option for fresh vegetables.
Acquire knowledge of food preservation techniques such as canning, dehydrating, and fermenting.
These methods can help extend the shelf life of fresh foods and allow you to store them for longer periods, as well as give you fresh vegetables during the winter.

By incorporating these strategies into your prepping efforts, you'll be better equipped to handle whatever challenges come your way. Remember, while gear is important, water and food are the ultimate key to survival. Don't overlook this fundamental principle in your preparedness planning.
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Segment #2, "Non-medication Ways To Deal With Arthritis"

Some of us have some arthritis, it could be a minor annoyance, or it could be severe, and life altering.
In a grid-down situation we may not have access to medications to relieve debilitating pain.
There are several non-medication ways to manage arthritis, including:

Exercise:
Regular physical activity helps strengthen muscles around the joints, improves flexibility, and reduces pain.

Weight management:
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce stress on joints, especially for weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.

Hot and cold therapy:
Applying heat or cold to affected joints can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Physical therapy:
May not have a physical therapist available in a grid down event.
If you have arthritis, it could help, if we learned now, some targeted exercises and stretches to
improve joint function and mobility.

Massage therapy:
Gentle massage can help improve blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and alleviate pain in affected joints.

Dietary changes:
Some foods, like those high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, may help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis.

Stress management:
Stress can exacerbate arthritis symptoms, so techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga may help reduce stress levels and improve overall well-being.

Assistive devices:
Using ergonomic tools or modifying your home and work environment to reduce strain on joints can also be helpful.

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