2015 ISIS Social Media Force Multiplier Curley

J O U R N A L O F

CivilDEFENSEV O L U M E 4 8 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

Is your medicine cabinet stocked?

Got your BUG-OUT BAGready?

Know how to care for different wounds?

Are your storage bottles SAFE?

The Provident Prepper is writtenfor real people with real lives.It walks through each step of emergency

preparedness and clearly explores possible

options, allowing the reader to discover

which options may work best for their spe-

cific situation. Each chapter concludes by

developing a personalized action plan.

Once the book is completed, the reader will

have developed a comprehensive prepared-

ness plan, tailored to his/her unique needs

and have the knowledge to implement that

plan. It is like hiring a personal emergency

preparedness consultant.

We invite you to join us on the journey of a

lifetime. Walk with us as we guide you step-

by-step on the road to preparing for emer-

gencies. Join the ranks of the “Provident

Preppers” who have foresight to carefully

provide for the future while enjoying the

present. You can be ready.

Special autographed copies will be avail-

able through The TACDA Store exclusively

to TACDA members at special member

pricing.

COPIES MAY BE PURCHASED ON AMAZON.COM, BARNES & NOBLE, AND OTHER BOOK RETAILERS FOR $16.99.

A must-have guidebook on

PREPARING FOREMERGENCIES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Gary M. Sandquist(President)

Sharon Packer (Secretary, Treasurer)Jay R. WhimpeyWilliam D. PerkinsDr. Charles CoxDr. Tammy Taylor

Bruce Curley

ADVISORS

Paul SeyfriedChuck Fenwick Dr. Jane Orient

Michael G. BazinetDr. Landon BealesDr. Dane Dickson

Sid OgdenJonathan JonesKylene Jones

Dr. Mary PerniconePaulette Wohnoutka

Tim HooperDr. Arthur Robinson

OFFICE DIRECTORS

Kylene Jones(Editor)

Polly Wood(Office Manager/Associate Editor)

TACDA12162 South Business Park Dr., #208

Draper, UT [email protected]

Office: (800) 425-5397Fax: (888) 425-5339

ISSN# 0740-5537

JOURNAL OF CivilDEFENSE

2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 1

I N TH I S I S SUE

3 Medical Prepping Made EasyBy Cynthia J. Koelker, MDDoc Cindy makes medical prepping a cinch with step-by-step instructions

6 EMP Protection for Electrical Energy SystemsBy Sharon PackerLearn how to protect your electrical equipment from the effects of an EMP

8 Bronius Cikotas—Exit the Unknown HeroesBy Dr. Peter Vincent PryA tribute to Bronius Cikotas, who has done more than generals and Presidents to keep America safe

9 Terracotta Pot Heater/Cooker: An Inexpensive Solution for Heating and Cooking When the Power Goes OutBy Kylene and Jonathan JonesAn innovative solution to low-cost indoor emergency heating and cooking

12 Minor Wound Management—An Herbal ApproachBy Kyle Christensen, DC, ND, MHNatural wound management techniques that facilitate healingand prevent infection

17 Protecting Your Vital Food StorageBy Kylene and Jonathan JonesTips on effective methods for packaging foods for long-term storage

20 Clarifying the Bug-Out Bag ConceptBy John AlbaOne bug-out bag won’t cover all your needs, you really need three unique types of bags

26 FEMA—Friend or Foe?By Jonathan B. JonesCan FEMA’s recommendation of three days of water and two weeks of food provide the protection you need?

27 ISIS Use of Social Media as a Force MultiplierBy Bruce CurleySocial media can be a force multiplier using an isolated incident to panic millions of Americans

30 Apprio Taps Michael Pena as New Executive Vice President of Homeland SecurityPress Release--Washington D.C., Jan. 20, 2015

31 The PET Bottle Safety DebateBy Kylene and Jonathan JonesPET plastic is accused of leaching dangerous chemicals into stored water. Guilty or not guilty?

The American Civil Defense Association is now on Facebook!Take the time to LIKE us and receive more valuable links and updates!

2 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Republicans now control 247 of 435 seats in the Houseof Representatives and 54 of 100 seats in the Senate as

the 114th U.S. Congress began sessions in early January of2015. The major domestic issues before this Congressinclude the following:

1. The Keystone XL pipeline that Senate Majority Leader MitchMcConnell has declared will be the first measure before the Senate.

2.The Obama Administration’s Health Care Act (ACA) will be targetedby the GOP, particularly legislation that defines full-time employees asthose working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

3. The President’s executive action on immigration now temporarilyshields about 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.Congress will probably vote in February on funding for the Department ofHomeland Security which includes immigration agencies.

4. Republicans may seek to roll back Obama’s executive actions on theenvironment, particularly plans to reduce carbon emissions frompower plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

5.Congress will have to increase the federal debt limit in the spring withRepresentative Tom Price of Georgia assuming the role for budget leg-islation formerly held by Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

6. Expect divisive Senate confirmation hearings for Obama nominees,including Loretta Lynch for attorney general and Ashton Carter fordefense secretary.

7. Normalization of U.S. relations with Cuba by the Administration willentail “rigorous hearings” on Obama’s decision to normalize relationswith Cuba according to Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, Chair, the ForeignRelations Committee.

It is possible that major threats to the safety and welfare of the Americanhomeland will arise in the next two years. ISIS and other Radical Islamistshave demonstrated their utter disregard for human life by the massacre ofschoolchildren in Pakistan and brazen brutality evidenced by public behead-ings to gain international attention for their demands. If these extremists gainaccess to nuclear weapons or lethal chemical agents, there may be efforts byextremists to utilize these weapons of mass distruction to threaten others,particularly the United States. Because of these credible threats, TACDAmembers should be prepared to ensure the safety and well-being of their fam-ilies and homes. The information and advice provided through TACDAresources will be an important service in this regard.

Finally, God bless America and all that America represents for peace lov-ing and compassionate people. We have confidence that good and peace willeventually prevail.

FROM THE EDITOR

W elcome to 2015, a new yearwhich promises to be the bestyear yet. I can envision some of

you rolling your eyes at this announcement,but stay with me for a moment.

I listen to the news and am woefullyaware that our government continues on acorrupt path, natural disasters are on therise, evil men are bent on destruction andterror, and we are on the brink of economiccollapse. I understand the impact this chaot-ic world has on daily life as well as the effectit may have on our children’s future.

I also see many good and wonderfulpeople working together to be a force forgood within their circle of influence.Individuals who value family and workhard to take care of their own and bless thelives of their neighbors. We are surroundedby everyday heroes who, although imper-fect, sacrifice time and resources to helpthose in need. Their quiet examples encour-age me to be a better person.

Life is a grand adventure. It is intendedto be filled with challenges that bring outour true nature and opportunities to grow,learn and become stronger. The length ofour lives is largely out of our control. Howwe choose to spend that time is essentiallyour choice.

I am choosing to make this year the bestever. While keenly aware of the dangerslurking, I am preparing to the best of myability to mitigate the risks and then I amchoosing to focus on the positive. My goalis to make the world a better place becauseI am in it.

Thank you for preparing. Thank youfor helping your neighbors prepare. Whenour most feared events pound on our door,together we will be ready to conquer them.

Sincerely,

Kylene JonesEditor, Journal of Civil Defense

2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 3

By Cynthia J. Koelker, MDwww.ArmageddonMedicine.net

Another year is upon us and with it the resolve to do better, at least to begin. But when it comesto medical preparedness, the task may seem daunting. One simply can’t become a doctorovernight. Even physicians are not prepared for every emergency; nor is our own government(as recently demonstrated with the 2014 Ebola crisis).

Still, it’s fairly straightforward to be better prepared than 90% of Americans. In my Survival Medicineclasses I often refer to the 90% rule. Family physicians handle about 90% of problems they encounter,referring the rest to specialists. Specialists then treat 90% of the problems within their field, referring theremainder to sub-specialists. It’s the 10% of patients and problems which present the greatest challengesand consume enormous amounts of time and resources (perhaps as much as the other 90% combined).It makes the most sense to spend your time and energy where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

Therefore, I want you to be in the top 90% of Americans when it comes to medical preparedness, andthis article will tell you exactly how to get there.

Begin with a well-stocked medicine cabinet. Dozens of medicines which were once by prescriptiononly are now available over-the-counter and are readily affordable. Here’s a baker’s dozen to get youstarted:

• Meclizine (Bonine, Dramamine) – for nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, but may also be useful forinsomnia, anxiety, or runny nose


MEDICAL PREPPINGMade Easy

4 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

MEDICAL PREPPING, continued

• Loperamide (Imodium) – for diarrhea in adults and chil-dren (over age two)

• Ranitidine (Zantac) – primarily for heartburn and acidindigestion, but also useful for hives

• Lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), oresomeprazole (Nexium) – any of these are heavy hittersagainst serious acid problems such as acid reflux or stom-ach ulcers

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) – for itching, hives, runnynose, cough, insomnia, and possibly anxiety. Cetirizine(Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), and fexofenadine (Allegra)are also effective for cold symptoms and itching but areless likely to cause drowsiness

• Doxylamine (in Nyquil) – for insomnia, itching, hives,runny nose, and cough (for many people doxylamine is assedating as prescription sleep aids)

• Bacitracin ointment – for minor skin infections and toprevent infection in damaged skin (This is what doctorsand hospitals use.)

• Hydrocortisone cream or ointment – for nearly any itchyrash such as poison ivy, eczema, bug bites or bee stings

• Ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) –for pain, headache, fever, inflammation, arthritis, gout,aches, breaks, strains, and sprains

• Aspirin – useful for the same problems as ibuprofen (butharder on the stomach) AND can also be used as a bloodthinner to help prevent heart attacks and strokes (whichibuprofen does not)

• Epinephrine for inhalation (Asthmanefrin) – the onlyOTC inhalation medication for asthma, also possibly use-ful for serious allergic reactions or angioedema (it wouldbe wise to discuss this with your doctor before using)

• Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, original formula that youmust sign for) – most potent OTC medication for conges-tion, also somewhat useful for asthma and may preventdrowsiness

• Clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Gyne-Lotrimin) – for yeast andfungal infections including athlete’s foot, female yeastinfections, yeast diaper rash, and ringworm

Note: Although these medications are available over-the-counter, this does NOT mean they are free of side effects. Theantihistamines in particular can cause dry mouth, urinaryretention, even hallucinations, especially in the elderly.Ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers and loperamide maycause serious constipation. Treat all these medicines withrespect.

Next, prepare for musculoskeletal injuries. These includejoint sprains, muscle strains, soft tissue contusions and bruis-es, as well as fractures. Standard treatment for such injuriesbegins with Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (acronymR.I.C.E.) Therefore you should stock:

• Re-usable ice bags and/or gel packs, as well as single-usechemically-activated cold packs

• Elastic compression bandages (Ace wraps), including atleast a few 3-inch and 4-inch bandages for wrists, ankles,and knees, possibly a 6-inch wrap for swollen legs andlarger knees

• Self-adherent wrap (Coban) in assorted sizes (1 to 4 inchwidth) – often cheaper at Tractor Supply or veterinarysuppliers

• Slings in assorted sizes for various family members

• Wrist splints for both right and left hands

• An ankle splint, such as a stirrup brace with air or gelpads. If you’d like even more flexibility for splinting, pur-chase Gypsona plaster bandages (available online), whichcan be molded to any shape or size. Instructional videosare available on YouTube and other sites such aswww.orthocasting.com.

For skin injuries you’ll need wound cleaning and bandag-ing supplies, as well as wound-closure devices for deeperwounds.

• Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) or baby shampoo – for woundcleaning (and hand-washing)

• Large (60-cc) irrigation syringe – to flush blood and dirtfrom wounds

• Baby hair brush – to brush embedded debris from wounds

• An assortment of adhesive bandages (Band Aids)

• Feminine pads – great for bandaging larger wounds

If you invest even $20 a month you’ll beamong the best medically prepared

members of your community

• Wound closure strips (Steri-Strips, butterfly bandages) forwounds that require closure but which are not under ten-sion and do not require suturing or stapling

• Topical lidocaine cream – for numbing purposes

• Skin stapler and remover (Oasis or other brand) – avail-able online

• Skin sutures (Unify or other brand) – sizes 3-0, 4-0, and 5-0 nylon or silk (also online)

• Laceration tray (Dynarex or other brand) – containing atleast a needle holder and iris scissors

Now that you’reequipped with materialsupplies, it’s time to workon medical skills.Learning to suture is agreat and very practicalplace to begin. Althoughit’s ideal to receive train-ing from a qualified med-ical professional, if youdon’t have the time ormoney to attend a class,or if you simply can’t findone, or if you want to pre-pare yourself in advanceof scheduled training,then go to www.sim-vivo.com/simsuture.html and purchase asuture training kit. This web site also includes videos thatdemonstrate basic suturing skills.

Additionally you should learn how to accurately measureblood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Again, thereare numerous videos online, and it shouldn’t be too hard tofind a local nurse or medical assistant to help you.

To manage chronic disease you need to begin with yourown physician. Although your insurance will not pay for extramedicine for an unforeseen disaster, if you approach the prob-lem systematically, you can gradually build up a supply ofblood pressure, diabetic, heart, or other medication to lastwell into the future. If you are on expensive drugs, you maywant to ask your physician to switch you to an inexpensiveoption, making stocking up more affordable.

You should also ask your doctor about over-the-counteralternatives. For example, if for some reason Celebrex wouldbecome unavailable, physicians would likely switch patients toolder anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen.Although these are more likely to irritate the stomach (whichis practically the only reason Celebrex is preferred), the “old”way of doing things was to prescribe an acid-lowering drugsuch as ranitidine or lansoprazole to go along with medica-tions such as ibuprofen, in order to protect the stomachagainst the effects of the anti-inflammatory. As previously

mentioned, all these medications are now avail-able without a prescription. Even certaininsulins can be obtained over the counter, and itmay be possible to control your blood pressureusing herbal preparations.

Lastly, to supplement your supplies, you needthe knowledge to know when and how to usethem. Take advantage of other articles I’ve writ-ten for this journal and on my web site. Begin alibrary of used medical books, often availablefor pennies on the dollar. Check out theAmerican Family Physician web site

www.aafp.org that allows free access to all journal articlesolder than one year. Investigate your own problems and learnhow to manage them like a pro. Print out copies of relevantarticles for your medical kit or bug-out bag for a time you mayneed them.

For both laymen and professionals the most difficult partof medical treatment remains correct diagnosis. I deal withthis extensively in my book, Armageddon Medicine, and inmy Survival Medicine workshops. Additional information isavailable at www.armageddonmedicine.net.

Finally, use this article as a checklist to begin 2015, thencompare your preparedness a year from now. If you investeven $20 a month you’ll be among the best medically preparedmembers of your community, one of the top 10%. (And nextyear, for under $50, you could make a dandy Christmas bas-ket of medical goodies for your family and friends, so they’llbe prepared, too.) •

About The Author: Cynthia J. Koelker, MD is the author ofthe book Armageddon Medicine, How to be your own doctorin 2012 and beyond. She also hosts the popular SurvivalMedicine web site www.armageddonmedicine.net and teachesSurvival Medicine classes across the country. Currently avail-able classes are listed on her web site.

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6 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

M any of us are makingpreparations to live offthe grid, and our alter-native energy systems

must be protected. I would highly rec-ommend that our readers review theEMP articles in the 2009 Winter andSummer Journals of Civil Defense. AllTACDA members can access these jour-nals on our web site (www.tacda.org).

Paul and I continue to follow theseconcepts in our own preparations. Weconsider our remote site to be farenough away from a blast threat toallow for some above ground generatoruse. Two of our diesel generators (a 5kW military generator and a largePerkins 20 kW) are housed in an aboveground steel storage unit. (These unitsshould not be buried because their wallstrength is not sufficient to withstandthe weight and pressure of dirt from thesides and top, and the corrosive natureof the soil against the unprotected steeland welded seams will cause eventualfailure of the unit). All power cables run-ning between the generator and the areaof use have been shielded in buried steelconduit.

Another two diesel generators (5 kWand 6 kW) are stored in a below groundgalvanized steel tank shelter. Galvanizedcorrugated steel pipe (CSP) cylindricalshelters and welded steel fuel tank type

We believe that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack continues

to be the greatest single threat to our very existence.

By Sharon PackerTACDA Board Member

Our small, Honda 2 kW gasoline generators are stored inside the underground CSPshelters for EMP protection. They are lightweight and can easily be carried to the out-side to run. They must not be used inside because of the danger of carbon monoxidepoisoning. I also keep a small gasoline generator at home in my garage. I have care-fully stapled metal screen for EMP protection around, over and under the unit.

EMP Protection for

Electrical Energy Systems


2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 7

shelters do not share the problems asso-ciated with buried shipping containers,and have proven their strength, durabil-ity, and reliability.

The floor bracing has been doubledunder the fuel tanks because of theirmassive weight. The floors of the gener-ator shelters we currently build are linedwith galvanized sheet metal (for protec-tion from diesel spills). These generatorsserve two underground shelters and canbe configured for remote start.

“How is it possible to expect mankind to take advice when theywill not so much as take warning?”

The problem of EMP protection ofelectrical equipment is greater for thoseof you who are building concrete shel-ters. We recommend that you carefullystudy the shielding directions given inthe 2009 Winter Journal of CivilDefense article, “Recognizing EMP” byChuck Fenwick. He recommends thatyou carefully wrap each piece of equip-ment in three alternating layers of bub-ble wrap and heavy metal foil, endingand starting with the bubble wrap layer.Place the package inside a metal can(such as an ammo can or a metalgarbage can). Fold a piece of metalscreen around the lip of the garbage canbefore attaching the lid, and if the gasketof the can has not been removed, tapeboth sides of the gasketed area with ametal tape to prevent a “slot antennae”effect. These multiple layers may seemoverly cautious, but we only have onechance against EMP.

We hope you will take the EMPthreat seriously and prepare according-ly. We have had ample warning. Don’tbe left among those who JonathanSwift decries in his quote, “How is itpossible to expect mankind to takeadvice when they will not so much astake warning?” •We keep redundant solar charge controllers, inverters, chargers and DC breakers (for

each shelter), inside faraday cages for use after an EMP.

We have placed three, 300-watt solar panels in frames on top of the storage unit. Wehave frames ready for five more panels (which are currently stored and EMP protect-ed inside our steel shelters), but will not place them outside until well after an attack.

IN MEMORIAM

8 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

The American CivilDefense Associationwas deeply saddenedto hear of the passingof one of our mostbeloved, long termboard members,Bronius Cikotas. Wewould like to share atribute paid to this

wonderful man by a colleague of his,Dr. Peter Vincent Pry:

“On Wednesday, December 10th at2:30 PM, his heart stopped beating,and we lost another one of our pre-cious unknown and uncelebrated sci-entist heroes. Bron Cikotas did morethan generals and Presidents to keepAmerica safe. But few have ever heardhis name.

Bron was a scientific genius who

dedicated his life to protecting ournational security.

During the Cold War, he devisednew means for safeguarding militarycommunications from electromagneticpulse (EMP) attack. Among his fellowdefense scientists Bron was famed as“the Father of GWEN” for his inven-tion of the Ground Wave EmergencyNetwork. GWEN protected the surviv-ability and preserved the credibility ofthe U.S. nuclear deterrent. BronCikotas EMP hardened the WhiteHouse.

Scientists like Bron are the reasonthe Cold War ended peacefully, with-out the Evil Empire that was the USSRtrying to save itself by rolling ther-monuclear dice.

After the Cold War, Bron served onthe Congressional EMP Commission.His still classified work proved thatnatural EMP from a geomagneticsuper-storm like the Carrington Eventcould kill millions of Americans. Hetraveled far and wide educating thepublic and policymakers about thepreviously classified fact that nuclearor natural EMP constitutes an existen-tial threat to modern electronic civi-lization.

Bron’s testimony to the Maine StateLegislature was instrumental in mov-ing Maine to become the first state toprotect its electric gridfrom EMP while also mit-igating all other threats,including cyber attacks,sabotage, and severeweather.

And Bron was invent-ing new solutions to EMP.He patented dozens ofinventions. He was work-ing on a new way to pro-tect a transformer thatwould lower the cost from$150,000 to $3,000, justbefore he died.

Bron knew that we as anation are running out oftime to protect ourselvesfrom an EMP that couldkill nine of ten Americansfrom starvation, disease,and societal collapse.

In July, NASA warned that theEarth in 2012 narrowly escaped anencounter with a geomagnetic super-storm that could have caused a plane-tary blackout and put at risk the livesof billions. NASA estimates the likeli-hood of such an event as 12 percentper decade - which virtually guaranteesthat we or our children will experiencea natural EMP catastrophe.

We are also running out of talent toprotect ourselves from EMP and otherthreats. The Congressional EMPCommission warned that we are nottraining a new generation of scientiststo replace EMP experts and geniuseslike Bron Cikotas.

The Congressional StrategicPosture Commission warned that weare not raising up a new cadre of scien-tists and engineers capable of replacingthe Cold War generation who built ourexisting nuclear weapons, strategicmissiles and bombers, submarines andaircraft carriers. America slowly butsurely is losing its best defense scien-tists to mortality.

Instead of educating scientists andengineers, our universities are churningout lawyers.

By contrast, our adversaries haveplenty of work for their new genera-tion of defense scientists.

Bronius CikotasExit the

Unknown Heros

About the Author

Dr. Peter Vincent Pry isExecutive Director ofthe Task Force onNational and HomelandSecurity and Director ofthe U.S. NuclearStrategy Forum, bothCongressional AdvisoryBoards, and served onthe Congressional EMP

Commission, the Congressional StrategicPosture Commission, the House ArmedServices Committee, and the CIA. He isauthor of Apocalypse Unknown: TheStruggle To Protect America From AnElectromagnetic Pulse Catastrophe andElectric Armageddon, both available fromCreateSpace.com and Amazon.com.

Continues on page 29

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Terracotta Pot HEATER/COOKER

An Inexpensive Solution for Heating and Cooking When the Power Goes Out

By Kylene and Jonathan Jones

TACDA Advisory Board


We are always interested in exploring newideas to help keep warm when thepower goes out. We were intrigued when

we watched the viral video demonstrating how toheat a room using tea lights, flower pots, and abread pan. Could it really work? Well, yes and no.

In the video, four tea lights were placed in a bread pan and lit.Then a smaller terracotta pot was placed upside down over the breadpan and the hole was covered to prevent the heat from escaping theinner pot. (We added a cooling rack on top of the bread pan for bet-ter stability.) A second slightly larger pot was placed on top of thesmaller pot. This set up creates a type of convection which providesnice warm heat. The air coming out of the top of the second pot isbetween 250-400 degrees F. The inner pot reaches a very high tem-perature, while the outer pot is almost cool enough to touch. Thiscan provide a little space heating, but is mostly a very nice handwarmer.

The downside - The tea lights produced an unwelcome scent andbothered those with sensitive lungs in the house. The heavy pots onthe bread pans were unstable, even after adding a cooling rack forincreased support. The concept was great, but we knew there had tobe a better, safer solution, so we decided to experiment.

THE EXPERIMENT

W e experimented with the original design using a bread panand tea lights. Four tea lights were placed in the bread panand lit. The smaller pot was placed upside down over the

bread pan and cooling rack. The hole in the top of the pot was cov-ered with a piece of aluminum foil. The larger pot was placed overthe smaller one. It worked as reported, producing enough heat towarm your hands and a little bit of space heating. (The photo showstwo different sized set-ups. One with a smaller bread pan and potswhile the other is a standard bread pan with larger pots.)

Our biggest concern was the stability of the design. It was topheavy and could easily be knocked over. We improved upon thedesign by utilizing a round pan and cooling rack to create a moresolid base. What we found was that the tea lights have to be changedout every few hours and can produce a little carbon monoxide whenburned. Changing the tea lights required lifting the very hot pots offthe base and presented a burn risk. We still wanted a better solution.

Our experiment progressed and we decided to use canned heat inplace of tea lights. One can produces much more heat than a few tealights and burns cleaner. In order to use the can, we needed a deepercontainer so we tried using a few kitchen pots with cooling racks overthem to hold up the terracotta pots. This worked very well, produc-ing more heat. But we were still concerned about the set up. It wouldabsolutely work in an emergency, but could we make it better?

Terracotta pots were unstable on bread pan

Tea lights in bread pan can create unpleasant odor

A round cake pan made the design more stable

1 0 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 1 0 •

HEATER/COOKER, continued

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We were excited when we realized what agreat solution this would be for a power out-age for someone who lives in an apartmentor who doesn’t have the financial resourcesto purchase a more expensive option.

The solution came when we remembered the portable foldingcamp stoves which are designed to be used with Sterno canned heat.The stove is stable, compact, and keeps the heat source just off thesurface to prevent damage to the table or counter top. It is easy tolight, extinguish, or replace the can without having to touch the hotsurface of the pots ... increasing the safety.

We were excited when we realized what a great solution thiswould be for a power outage for someone who lives in an apartmentor who doesn’t have the financial resources to purchase a moreexpensive option. One portable folding camp stove ($10), two terra-cotta pots (total $6-7), and canned heat ($13 at Sam’s Club for a caseof 12 cans for 72 hours burn time) could take care of cooking andprovide a little heat during a short term power outage.

An alcohol burner could also be used in place of the canned heat.Alcohol burners are the same size as the canned heat and interchange-able in most devices. The big plus to an alcohol burner is that it canbe refilled with alcohol, while canned heat containers are designed tobe disposable.

Safety demanded that we explore better options than a bread panand tea lights. We experimented until we came up with a significant-ly safer solution and a better final product. We encourage you toexercise safety in all that you do. This inexpensive device has the abil-ity to provide a little bit of warmth as well as heat your food duringan emergency. •

Kylene and Jonathan Jones are authors of The ProvidentPrepper – A Common-Sense Guide to Preparing forEmergencies. Visit them at www.TheProvidentPrepper.org andwww.YourFamilyArk.org.


Deep cooking pots made it possible to use cannedheat

Portable camp stove increased safety and stability

Inexpensive, simple design for emergency cooking andheating

Alcohol burners can be refilled

1 2 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

MinorWOUNDMANAGEMENT

An Herbal ApproachBy Kyle Christensen, DC, ND, MH

o


2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 1 3

Injury AssessmentThe amount of blood or bleeding doesnot always directly correlate with theseverity of the injury. Relatively minorcuts to the head or face will bleed pro-fusely, while a deep puncture woundmay have little or no external bleeding.Assess for dislocation and fractures(breaks) of bones or joints. Check forpain and swelling – particularly overinternal organs. Apply direct pressure tostop bleeding if necessary. Check forshock. Even minor injuries may result indeath if the victim goes into shock.Shock occurs when the blood volumewithin the arteries and veins is dimin-ished by being pushed into the intersti-tial tissue (the tissue around the capillar-ies where the blood moves from arteryto vein).

If the wound is beyond your expert-ise, take appropriate first aid measuresand seek help.

Minor Cuts, Scratches andAbrasionsAn injury that falls into this category isnot usually a big deal as long as it iscleaned and dressed to prevent infec-tion. Wash your hands thoroughlybefore treating any wound to minimizethe risk of an infection. Clean the skinaround the wound with soap and water.Wash in a direction away from thewound, not toward it, to avoid contam-ination.

Clean the WoundAdequate cleansing is the most impor-tant aspect of wound management.Especially when in an isolated or sur-vival situation, the prevention of infec-tion is critically important and requiresaggressive cleansing techniques. There is

an adage in nature: “The solution topollution is dilution.” In wound carethis means copious irrigation.

Water irrigation is the mainstay ofwound cleaning. Use sterile water forirrigating the wound. Sterilize water byboiling for five minutes. If boiling is notpossible, at least use water that is fit fordrinking. Use an irrigating syringe ordevise something that will allow you tosquirt the water with some force. Evena Ziploc plastic bag with a hole pokedinto it can be squeezed so water willcome out forcefully. The object is toallow the velocity of the water to aid indislodging debris and any germs fromthe wound site.

Diluted soap or colloidal silver solu-tion may be used, but it is still necessaryto adequately clean the wound. The bestsolution to really cleanse and disinfect awound medically is provodine iodinefollowed by sterile water. Extended useof alcohol, iodine tincture or mer-curochrome are all very harsh andshould be avoided except for a shortwashing. Hydrogen peroxide destroysgood tissue as well as germs—do notuse this to irrigate a fresh wound.Hydrogen peroxide can be used incleaning an infected wound as it is apowerful anti-bacterial wash.

Besides irrigation, you might consid-er a technique commonly used by physi-cians in the operating room called“debridement”. This literally means theremoval of foreign material and con-taminated or devitalized tissue from thetraumatic or infected lesion. By cleaningthe debris or damaged tissue away,healthy tissue is exposed which can healmore easily. Another purpose for scrub-bing a wound is to reduce the totalnumber of potentially harmful bacteria.

You won’t get them all out, but if thetotal number of germs is small enough,the body’s immune system will be ableto take care of them without an infec-tion setting in.

Without proper lighting, equipmentand training, you will not be able to doa surgical quality job, but you CANsafely come close by rubbing the areavigorously with a piece of sterile gauzeor a clean cloth. The rigorous scrubbingaction will remove blood clots, torn bitsof tissue, pieces of foreign bodies (dirt,rocks, etc.)—all of which have higherbacteria counts. The scrubbing processis painful and must be performed quick-ly.

Have everything ready: clean, drydressing to apply afterward; plenty ofsterile water; and an instrument tospread the wound open (a splinter for-ceps is ideal); and sterile gauze to scrubthe wound. If you do not have enoughsterile dressings use what you haveavailable. A rough cloth works better atcleaning a wound than a smooth cloth,such as cotton.

Once everything is ready, grab anassistant (someone to squirt the waterinto the wound and help comfort thepatient), and go for it. The outcome willbe best if the cleaning is done right. Thispart of wound care is far more impor-tant than closing the wound. Woundcleansing will be messy and painful, butit must be done. Spread the woundapart, blast the water in there and scrubbriskly with the gauze pad for 20 to 30seconds. Be vigorous and thorough.You may need to remove deeply embed-ded gravel with tweezers. Once com-pleted, the bleeding will have startedagain, the blood clots being knocked offduring the scrubbing process. Apply a

The care and treatment of even the most simple of injuries can be dauntingfor many. While minor wound injuries are rarely life threatening, devotingthe appropriate time and attention can prevent potential problems such asinfection or scarring. In this article I will review proper wound manage-

ment and herbal treatments to facilitate healing and control pain.

sterile dressing and use direct pressureto stop the bleeding. Usually five to tenminutes will be enough, but apply pres-sure for an hour or more if necessary.

Close the WoundAs a general rule, closing a wound withsutures (stitches), staples or butterflybandages that could potentially trap aninfection is not recommended. I know, Iknow there are those of you who maybe itching to break out the needle andthread (there is something psychicallyheroic about stitching somebody up),the wisest course in field medicine isdress the wound, but don’t close it toavoid the risk of life threatening infec-tions.

Apply a thick coating of HealingOintment (instructions for making yourown later in this article) to the afflictedarea. The Healing Ointment will sootheand speed the healing process as well asprevent the area from drying out andscabbing over. Unsightly scars are morelikely to occur when the wound scabsover. Keeping it moist with the HealingOintment amazingly prevents orreduces scarring.

Cover the wound with sterile gauze,or the cleanest cloth available, held inplace by adhesive tape. If the area islarge, you may want to apply a layer ofclear plastic wrap (for larger areas) tohold the Healing Ointment to thewound and prevent the ointment frombeing rubbed away or absorbed by thebandage. Over the plastic coveredwound, wrap gauze or an ace bandageto hold everything in place. A couple oftimes each day add more HealingOintment to the wound. Do not try toremove the old Healing Ointment, justkeep adding to it. The body will absorbmost of the ointment.

Allowing the wounds to breathe andscab over is fine, although the healingwill take longer than if you keep it moistwith the Healing Ointment. Within six-seven days most superficial wounds willbe completely healed. We have seen veryquick healing, which we attribute to theHealing Ointment. Take an herbal painremedy (see recipe within this article)for pain, hourly if necessary.

Wound Infection andInflammation Lacerations or cuts which have beencleaned and either taped, sutured or sta-pled together will generally becomeslightly inflamed. Inflammation is partof the healing process and does not indi-cate infection, yet the appearance is sim-ilar. It is a matter of degree.Inflammation has slight swelling andred color. The hallmarks of infectioninclude swelling, warmth, reddish color,and pain. Pus oozing out of a wound isanother clue for infection. If the cut hasred swelling that extends beyond ¼ inchfrom the wound edge, infection hasprobably started.

Treating an infected wound is simple.Remove some of the tapes (sutures orstaples) and allow the wound to openand drain. Apply warm, moist com-presses of salt water for 15 to 20 min-utes every two hours (2 TBS of saltmixed with enough water to form apaste). The warm salt compresses willpromote drainage of the wound andincrease the local circulation, thusbringing large numbers of friendlywhite blood cells and fibroblasts intothe area. The fibroblast (scar tissue cell)tries to wall off the infection and pre-vent further spread of the germs.

If you haven’t begun using immuneboosting herbs (such as Echinacea,Goldenseal, etc.), begin by using 1-2droppers full of extracts every wakinghour for the next three to seven days.Vitamin C should also be used to boostand strengthen the immune system.Vitamin C, when used medicinally, istaken to bowel tolerance. For a woundthat is really festering, you may make apoultice of clay mixed with herbs suchas plantain to assist in drawing out tox-ins.

Remember that with any woundthere is always danger of tetanus (lock-jaw); in deep, extensive or dirtywounds, the threat can be serious.(Tetanus is a topic for another time -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus)

Monitor the victim’s signs and symp-toms: pain level, temperature, whetheror not the area of infection is close toany vital areas of the body (face, groin,internal organs, etc.). Use your good

sense and judgment as to when youshould seek professional help.

Herbal Treatment for MinorWoundsNerve calming herbs and the HerbalPain Formula detailed in this article canbe used. Cayenne can be used internallyor externally to stop bleeding (even afew drops of Cayenne tincture in themouth can stop or curtail bleeding in allparts of the body). Use immune boost-ing herbs prophylactically to preventinfection (2 dropperfuls three-four timesdaily). Apply a generous amount ofHealing Ointment to the wound tospeed the healing. Dress and bandagethe wound appropriately.

Pain Management Adequate pain control may be obtainedwith a mixture of proper herbs and atti-tude. The attitude of both the victimand the person treating is important. Acalm professional approach is veryimportant. Pain is a very importantsymptom that tells you something iswrong. It generally “localizes” or pointsto the exact cause of the trouble.

An application of cold water or icecan frequently relieve pain. This isimportant in burns, orthopedic (muscleor bone) injuries, and skin irritations.Cold can sometimes relieve musclespasm. Gentle massage and local hotcompresses are also effective treatmentsfor muscle spasm. Massaging lobelia(an antispasmodic herb) tincture orointment can often relax and break amuscle spasm.

The most powerful pain reliever isopium. When used medicinally it is safeand very effective. Many medical pain-relieving drugs are opium derived orbased. Natural forms of opium are ille-gal for general use because of the addic-tive nature of this herb. Cannabis isanother natural herb effective for painmanagement, but is illegal for use inmost places in the United States. Otherherbs which can be effective in painreduction are California poppy,Jamaican Dogwood, Kava Kava root,Valerian root, Lobelia herb/seed andChamomile flower.

1 4 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

MINOR WOUND MANAGEMENT, continued

2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 1 5


Healing Ointment

This powerful healing ointment is based on Dr. JohnChristopher’s classic Bone, Flesh & Cartilage formula.

Dry Herb Mixture

3 oz. Comfrey root– cut/sifted1/2 oz. St. John’s wort herb/flowers – cut/sifted1/2 oz. Lobelia herb – cut/sifted3 oz. White Oak bark – cut/sifted

1.5 oz. Marshmallow root – cut/sifted1.5 oz. Mullein – cut/sifted1.5 oz. Black Walnut hulls – cut/sifted1.5 oz. Gravel root – cut/sifted1 oz. Wormwood herb – cut/sifted

1/2 oz. Skullcap herb – cut/sifted1 oz. White Willow bark – cut/sifted

1/2 oz. Horsetail – cut/sifted5 oz. Comfrey leaf – cut/sifted

Measure these herbs by weight and mix together – you will use3 cups of dry herb blended with olive oil to fill a two quart jar.

Extra virgin organic olive oil – enough to blend and fill a twoquart jar.Beeswax2 quart jarPaint strainer

Measure your herbs – All of these herbs are cut/sifted. Notpowdered! Cut and sifted means cut into approximately 1/4inch particle size. All measurements are dry volume measure-ments. Don’t be stingy with your herbs. Put your herbs intothe blender. It should be about three cups of herb. We likeusing BlendTec or VitaMix blenders.

Add Extra Virgin organic olive oil so that it is at least a

couple inches over the herb. We recommend the very bestolive oil you can get. Blend the herb and the oil. Pour mix-ture into a 2 quart canning jar. Rinse out the remaining herbfrom the blender with more olive oil. Fill your jar with oiluntil about an inch from the top.

Set your jar on the kitchen counter and shake at least acouple times daily. This assists in extracting the herbal good-ness into the liquid. After at least two weeks, you can strainyour olive oil extract. Too soon and you will be missing outand losing strength. The herbs kept in the olive oil suspen-sion will last about five years.

Strain your extract using a nylon paint strainer. Seriously,these are great! You will strain out five to six cups if yousqueeze really hard.

Next we will thicken the oil into an ointment by addingbeeswax. Ideally there should be an eight to one ratio of oilto beeswax. Melt the beeswax in a pot on the stove. I use adedicated little cast iron skillet. Gently heat the strained oilextract in a separate pot. It must be warm, otherwise whenyou add the melted beeswax, the wax will instantly solidifyrather than blending throughout the oil. Pour some of yourmelted beeswax into the oil. To test for proper consistency,drip a few drops of the oil/wax combo on a cold or coolcounter top. It will solidify quickly. Test for the right consis-tency/firmness. Add more beeswax until you have the desiredfirmness for your ointment.

Bottle in jars or tubs. We like using the 4 oz. canning jarsused for jam. Apply generously as a topical ointment.

This Healing Ointment and others like it are historicallyused by natural healers and herbalists to help regeneratehealthy skin and connective tissue, healthy bones, healthyteeth and gums, healthy hair, skin and nails. These herbsmixed together in bulk are user-friendly to make fomenta-tions, poultices, teas (water infusion) (cut is preferred). TheFDA has determined that products containing comfrey arenot to be consumed internally and are for external use only.Warning: Contains comfrey. For external use only. Do notuse if pregnant or nursing.

The Healing Ointment will soothe and speed the healing process as wellas prevent the area from drying out and scabbing over.

1 6 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

MINOR WOUND MANAGEMENT, continued

Pain Relief Remedy

Non-narcotic pain relief particularly suited for chronic pain.Relaxes and calms the nervous system helping to relieve pain.This remedy does not have the power of pain relief associatedwith opium or cannabis based products, but this is legal tomake and use and really does offer relief without causing harmto the stomach, kidney or liver as does prolonged used ofNSAID’s. (All herbs measured by dry volume measurement.)

RECIPE

1/4 cup Kava Kava – cut/sifted1/4 cup Jamaican Dogwood – cut/sifted1/4 cup California Poppy – cut/sifted1/8 cup Chamomile Flower – cut/sifted1/4 cup Valerian Root – cut/sifted1/8 cup Comfrey Leaf – cut/sifted1/4 cup Lobelia herb – cut/sifted1/8 cup Wild Yam Root – cut/sifted1/4 cup White Willow Bark – cut/sifted1/4 cup Devils Claw – cut/sifted

1.75 liters vodka (80 proof)2 quart jarPaint strainerYield: approx. 48-54 oz.

Measure your herbs – All of these herbs are cut/sifted. NOTPowdered! Cut and sifted means cut into approximately 1/4inch size. Measurements are either dry volume measurementsor weight on a scale measurement. Put your herbs into theblender. We like using BlendTec or VitaMix blenders.

Add Vodka so that it is at least a couple inches over theherb. Now understand that the vodka/alcohol is a tool. If youremember back to your 8th grade chemistry (of course, youdon’t), you will recall that because of the O-H (that’s oxygen-hydrogen group) that defines an alcohol – it is hungry andlooking to grab on to something making it more stable. Thechemical formula for water is H2O or H-O-H – which is verystable. The alcohol is necessary to pull the phytochemicals(that’s the medicinal properties from the herb) out of the herband into the solution. For those who hesitate to use alcohol,I’m sorry to say that grain alcohol really is the best extractionsolvent. If you are not willing to purchase or use alcohol, youwill end up with a pitifully weak product that is one stepabove useless.

Blend the herb and the vodka. Pour mixture into a twoquart jar. Rinse out the remaining herb from the blender withthe alcohol. Fill your jar with vodka until about an inch fromthe top. Set your jar on the kitchen counter and shake at leasta couple times daily. This assists in extracting the herbal good-ness (phytochemicals) into the liquid.

After at least two weeks, you can strain your tincture.Straining it any earlier will not allow it to reach maximum

strength. It can be stored unstrained indefinitely. Strain yourtincture using your nylon paint strainer (purchase at HomeDepot or a paint retailer). You will strain out five to six cups.Squeeze really hard.

Bottle your Pain Relief Formula in dark glass bottles. Welike using 6 oz. San Pellegrino bottles because they have screwon caps. Recommendations for use: Take one-two dropperfuls(about 30 drops) three to four times daily, or as needed.

The management of minor wounds through natural meansusing herbal remedies combined with proven medical treat-ment methods is very effective. The herbal ointments rapidlyspeed the healing process as well as reduce the risk for infec-tion and other complications. •

Dr. Kyle Christensen 2015Kyle Christensen, DC, ND, MH is the author of Herbal FirstAid and Health Care, which is available at Amazon.com.

FDA DisclaimerThese statements have not been evaluated by the Food andDrug Administration. These products or recommendationsare not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any dis-ease. Consult a licensed health care professional before start-ing any supplement, dietary, or exercise program, especially ifyou are pregnant or have any pre-existing injuries or medicalconditions.

Building your family food stores isa critical component of prepared-ness. The best longer term food

storage programs are based on a varietyof grains, legumes and dehydrated fruitsand vegetables. When packaged andstored correctly in a cool, dry environ-ment these foods can retain their usefullife for 20-30+ years. Food storage isgreat hunger insurance!

Start by selecting high quality, lowmoisture (10 percent or less) foods. Thequality of the food will not improvewith storage so purchase the best quali-ty available. Next, package the foodcarefully in appropriate packaging forlong term storage. It may cost a littlemore, but it will significantly extend theuseable life of the food. Take steps toprotect the food from insect infestationfrom within the package and from envi-ronmental contamination.

Let’s review some packaging andtreatment options for long term foodstorage.

Long Term Storage Containers#10 Cans – Cans are perfect for long-term storage of dry (10 percent mois-ture or less), shelf-stable, and low-oilcontent foods. All dry foods, exceptsugar, should be packed with an oxygenabsorber to prevent insect infestationand preserve quality of food. These cansprovide a true oxygen barrier whichmake them a great choice. Protect cansfrom moisture to prevent rust. Do notstore in direct contact with concretefloors or walls.

Foil Pouches/Mylar Bags – Pouches aremade from several layers of laminatedplastic and aluminum. Food-grade plas-tic separates the food from the alu-minum. The bags effectively protectagainst moisture and insects. Mylarbags allow for a very small amount ofoxygen transfer over time. Pouches arenot rodent proof. Consider storingpouches in rodent and other pest resist-ant containers. Do not allow pouches to

come in contact with concrete floors orwalls. Store only foods low in moisture(10 percent or less), shelf-stable, andlow in oil content in foil pouches.

PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)Plastic Bottles – Use only PETE bottlesas other bottles may not provide an ade-quate moisture or oxygen barrier. PETEbottles will have “PETE” or “PET”under the recyclable symbol on the bot-tom of the bottle. Examples may besome two-liter soda bottles, juice bot-tles, etc. Never use containers whichpreviously stored non-food items.

Make sure to clean bottles well andallow to air dry for several days. Thesebottles will work to store grains, butwill not maintain the same quality overtime as #10 cans. Use one oxygenabsorber packet for each bottle up toone gallon. Protect from light androdents. PETE bottles may also be usedfor water storage.

Plastic Buckets – Food-grade plasticbuckets with gasket seals are good can-didates for grain storage. Dry ice (CO2)should be used to prevent insect infesta-tion. Oxygen absorbers are not effectivein plastic buckets as they depend on theabsence of oxygen to kill insects. Plasticbuckets are not a true oxygen barrier.There is a slow transmission of oxygenthrough the polyethylene walls of thecontainer over time. Store buckets atleast one half inch off the floor to allowfor air circulation. Do not stack overthree buckets high. Check periodicallyto ensure lids have not broken from theweight.

Dry foods (less than 10 percentmoisture) are candidates for bucketstorage. Some leaching of the plasticinto the food may occur. This is notharmful. You may consider lining thebucket with food-grade plastic or aMylar bag if this is a concern. The fivegallon buckets, as well as polyethylene(plastic) bags, do not maintain an oxy-gen-free environment.

We store packaged items such asbags of pasta, salt, baking powder, pow-dered sugar and a variety of other itemsin their original packaging inside of plas-tic buckets. The bucket provides an

2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 • 1 7


Protecting YourVital

FOODSTORAGE

By Kylene & Jonathan Jones

1 8 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

FOOD STORAGE, continued

extra layer of protection from critters aswell as maintaining freshness. Problemswith high levels of moisture can also besolved by keeping food in original pack-aging inside of plastic buckets. Thismethod does not prevent insects origi-nally inside the packages from multiply-ing.

Treatment MethodsDesiccant/Silica Gel – Desiccantremoves the moisture from the sur-rounding air. When placed in an airtightcontainer, it will produce a low humidi-ty environment. It prevents rust, corro-sion, oxidation, mildew, fungus, mold,etc. Silica Gel packaged in Tyvex meetsFDA requirements to be used in dryfood packaging.

Layer small packets throughoutstorage container and seal immediately.Discard after opening. Some forms ofbulk desiccant may be “rechargeable”by exposing to heat for an extendedperiod to release absorbed moisture.Place in shallow baking pan at 250 forfive hours. Desiccant is not edible so besure you do not spill it in your food.

Desiccant should be placed on thebottom of the container or buried deepin the grain. It should not be placed nextto an oxygen absorber. Desiccant nega-tively affects the performance of theoxygen absorber if in close proximity.

Diatomaceous Earth – A natural sub-stance in the form of a white powderfrom the fossilized remains of marinediatoms. They are microscopic withsharp spines making them hazardous toexoskeletal insects. Creatures withinternal skeletons are unaffected by thediatom shells. The spines create micro-scopic wounds in the insects, resultingin death.

There are different forms ofdiatomaceous earth, some of which aredangerous to humans. Do not use thetype intended for pool filters. Safe formsmay be purchased at your local feedstore, garden center, or hardware store.Read the label before purchasing. Mixone cup of diatomaceous earth thor-oughly with 40 pounds of grain, grainproducts or legumes. It is a dust soavoid breathing it in while mixing. It is

All dry foods, except sugar, should be packed with an oxygen

absorber to prevent insect infestation and preserve quality of food.

Pouches are not rodent proof. Consider storing pouches in rodent

and other pest resistant containers.

These bottles will work to store grains, but will not maintain the

same quality over time as #10 cans.


2015 I S S U E 1 • 1 9

tasteless and is not harmful to humans.Note: diatomaceous earth does not killeggs or pupae until after they havebecome adult insects.

Dry Ice – Dry ice is frozen carbon diox-ide (CO2). It displaces oxygen and is therecommended treatment for grains andlegumes stored in plastic buckets. It willcontrol most adult and larval stageinsects, but will not destroy eggs orpupae. Multiple applications are notnecessary unless there is an infestation.If you decide to treat again, wait 2-3weeks for insects to mature from thesurviving eggs and pupae.

Use one ounce of dry ice per gallonor 3-4 ounces in a 5 gallon bucket. Thedry ice will slowly sublimate (changefrom solid state to a gas) and the CO2will displace the lighter air pushing itout the top of the bucket. It may be agood idea to use a desiccant packagealong with the dry ice for moisture con-trol.

Wipe ice crystals from the dry icewith a clean towel. Wrap dry ice inpaper towel to prevent it from burningthe food it comes in contact with. Placewrapped dry ice in the bottom of thecontainer. Pour grains on top of the iceleaving one inch at the top of the con-tainer. Snap the lid down only half-wayon the container to allow carbon diox-ide to escape as the dry ice sublimates.This can take a few hours depending onthe amount of dry ice. Seal only afterthe dry ice has completely sublimated.Monitor bucket for a few moments toensure the lid does not bulge. If it does,open and release the pressure. The lidbeing pulled down slightly is an indica-tion of the partial vacuum created bythe carbon dioxide being absorbed intothe product.

Freezing – Freezing will kill live pests,but may not kill insect eggs. Multiplefreezing and warming cycles may berequired to kill all insects and hatchingeggs. Freeze 1 to 15 pound bags of grainfor two to three days, then allow togradually warm for 24 hours.

Oxygen Absorbers – These remove theoxygen from the container and will kill

adult insects and prevent larval insectsfrom surviving. Oxygen absorbers aresmall packets which contain iron pow-der. They are made of a material whichallows oxygen and moisture to enter,but does not let the iron powder leakout. The moisture in the food causes theiron to rust. As it oxidizes, the ironabsorbs oxygen.

Oxygen absorbers are more effec-tive at removing oxygen than vacuumpackaging. Air is roughly 21 percentoxygen and 79 percent nitrogen. Theoxygen absorber packets remove onlythe oxygen. The remaining air is mostlynitrogen and does not allow for thegrowth of insects. Use only with prod-ucts which are low in moisture (10 per-cent or less) and low in oil content.Remember botulism poisoning mayresult from storing products high in

moisture in a low oxygen environment.Use oxygen absorbers in containers

which provide a sufficient moisture andoxygen barrier such as; #10 cans withseamed lids, foil pouches, PETE bottleswith airtight, screw-on lids, and glasscanning jars with metal lids that havegaskets.

Basic principles for successfullonger term food storage require high-quality, low-moisture foods, correctpackaging and steps to prevent insectinfestation. This little bit of extra careresults in extended food security. In 25years, you will open a can of wheat anddiscover a beautifully preserved, nutri-tious grain ready for use. How is yourfood insurance? What can you do toimprove your food security when toughtimes come knocking on your door? •

Do not stack over three buckets high. Check periodically

to ensure lids have not broken from the weight.

Oxygen absorbers are more effective at removing

oxygen than vacuum packaging.

2 0 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

Iam preaching to the choir when Idiscuss the importance of havinga well-equipped Bug-Out Bag(BOB) to use when a catastroph-ic event knocks at your door.

Depending on the circumstances sur-rounding this event, you may be forcedto evacuate at a moment’s notice. A dis-aster can occur anytime; day or night. Itcan strike anywhere; work, school,home or on the road.

A common practice in the prepperand survival community is to puttogether a BOB that is stored at home.What good is that BOB if it is safelystored at home while you find yourselfface-to-face with danger or stuck in aprecarious situation and unable to getto that bag? Smart prepping demands aquality personalized BOB that is strate-gically located and readily accessiblewhile you are on the road or at work.The bag should be stocked with all thenecessary gear to enable the owner tosurvive any emergency situation.

In this article, I will review threetypes of bags; Everyday Carry Gear/Bag(EDC), Get Home Bag (GHB), and 72Hour/3-Day Bug-Out Bag (BOB). Thesethree emergency bags, when correctlyassembled and strategically located, willprovide the user with the best tools andsupplies to effectively respond to anynumber of threats.

A strong emphasis should be placedon selecting emergency supplies and sur-vival gear that is compact and modularin both size and shape. When possible,each item should serve multiple func-tions (e.g. wet wipe as an antiseptic andfire starter). Build redundancy into thepack for increased effectiveness and util-ity (e.g. pack a mini-lighter as well aswaterproof matches for fire starting). I

have compiled a comprehensive list ofitems you may want to consider foreach type of bag on the chart thataccompanies this article.

Most emergency preparednessexperts agree that the Everyday CarryBag is a critical prep to handle a poten-tial threat quickly. The items selected foran EDC are survival tools such as a neckchain knife, tactical pen, key chain pho-ton LED light, pocket survival kit, andother items which are located on yourperson. This gear is secured and storedin your every day clothing, pockets,purse, simple backpack, jacket, keychain, wallet, belt and neck chain orlanyard. Being prepared means keepingit simple and readily available!

It is paramount that EDC items beextremely compact, lightweight, dis-creet and preferably of high quality. Allyour EDC pieces and tools combinedmake for a complete and thorough firstline of defense. It serves to provide foryour emergency needs until you are ableto access your GHB or larger BOB.

There is a limitation to the amountand ability for the EDC gear to give youextended coverage for emergencies.Thus, the EDC serves as a stop gapmeasure until you are able to reach themore substantial emergency itemsfound in your BOB.

The likelihood that a disaster willoccur during the normal part of yourday is high. One only needs to recall theevents of September 11th, to recognizethe potential for a dangerous situationto occur during school or work. It is notonly possible but plausible. The majori-ty of US citizens are at work or schoolfor at least one third of the day. It makessense to maintain a Get Home Bag in asecure place that is easily accessible to

you while you are away from home. As the name implies, a Get Home

Bag provides the user all the necessarygear and emergency preparedness itemsin a bag or backpack for the purpose ofgetting home safe and sound. The GHBis commonly stored in a locker, deskdrawer, filing cabinet, or in a vehicle.Don’t confuse this with a Bug-OutVehicle Bag. A GHB typically hasenough provisions for one to two daysand is intended to get you safely homeor to your planned Bug-Out Location(BOL). The key is to make it light-weight, compact and inconspicuoussince your walk home could be long andarduous.

By far the most popular and bestknown of the Bug-Out Bags is the 72hour or three-day bag. According tosome top emergency preparednessexperts, a 72 hour BOB is designed tosupport you and the people who arewith you, for 72 hours and to get youfrom point A to point B as safely andcomfortably as possible. Therefore, a 72hour bug-out bag would not be a tacti-cal bag which is mostly used in a battlescenario or for a defensive militaryresponse.

One factor often overlooked inyour choice of a bag is color and style.According to most experts, camouflagebeige or green, although popular, is notthe best choice. This style of bag bringsthe most unwanted attention by would-be thieves and armed authorities duringand after a period of turmoil. Selectinga neutral or basic color BOB would notraise any red flags for potentially law-less individuals or law enforcementgroups. This would be the one time youdo not want to stand out in the crowd!

For the best level of emergency pre-paredness, I recommend that each per-son is prepared with a well-stockedEveryday Carry Bag, a Get Home Bagas well as a 3 day Bug-Out Bag. Visitwww.ABOBList.com for ideas to per-sonalize your bags to fit your individualneeds. Choose well and wisely. Thismight be obvious for some but for thosejust awakening to emergency prepared-ness, this is one lesson one needs tolearn before it is too late. •

Clarifying the BUG-OUT BAG Concept

By John Albawww.aboblist.com

2015 I S S U E 1 • 2 1

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2015 I S S U E 1 • 2 3





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Significance

2 6 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

SURVIVAL LANDSCAPING, continued

On several recent occasions, people have informedme they are prepared because they have betweenthree days and two weeks supply of food andwater, just as instructed by Federal EmergencyManagement Agency. I find myself absolutelyastounded that my definition of being prepared

and theirs (or FEMA’s) are so radically different. This hasresulted in some interesting reflection and pondering. I willshare some of those thoughts with you.

While I do not consider myself to be an extreme prepper, Ido believe (as I’m sure many of you do) that the provisionsmentioned above are the proverbial small drop in a big buck-et. I sometimes have the inclination to say, though I rarely do,that their efforts simply are not enough. Instead, I try to com-pliment them on their progress thus far and encourage them toconsider other important aspects such as first aid, sanitation,etc. I also try to share with them my belief that we should beable to care for our families with no outside assistance for anextended period of time (such as may be needed in the eventof a pandemic or an EMP) - I generally use three months as aplace to start.

To some this is a bit overwhelming, but more often it pro-motes further discussion, and an awakening of sorts, that pro-vokes a new determination to take some next steps. While I donot believe that we should be motivated by fear, I do believethat we sometimes need some help understanding some of thethreats that we may face. Personally, I hope that none of thethings I am preparing for ever happen, but I derive great peace

from having prepared for them.Now, back to FEMA. I have been known to be pretty crit-

ical of this agency, particularly with respect to the guidancementioned above. I have thought them irresponsible for sugar-coating the threats and for being short-sighted as to the needfor longer-term provisions and plans. Perhaps I am gettingsoft, but I am going to cut them a bit of slack. They have apretty tough job when it comes to motivating the general pub-lic to do some basic important activities. Yes, we all can recog-nize the importance of doing these things when they are pre-sented in a logical way, but with all the distractions of ourmodern world, there is a great deal of good intention, but notso much in the way of actual accomplishment.

My point is this: Is it productive to preach the need forlong-term preparations, when most people struggle to do afew basic items? Perhaps if they were asked to do more, theywould become overwhelmed and actually do nothing. I don’tknow and I don’t know anyone who does know.

So what is the point of this article? Good question. Mypoint is this, if FEMA can encourage our friends and neigh-bors and communities to do a few basic things, at least it issomething. That is where we must take over. Fortunately,those of you reading this article are the ones that can inspirethose around us to see with clearer vision and take responsi-bility. We can, in our own unique ways, make a huge differ-ence, given our situation. It won’t happen any other way.That’s my point! Thanks for being part of the solution! •

FEMA Friend or Foe?By Jonathan B. Jones

2015 I S S U E 1 • 2 7

Islamic State in Iraq and Syria hasproven very adept at using socialmedia tools to win power, influ-ence recruits and gain strategicadvantage over their opponents.In this article I will examine howthey could, and likely will, usesocial media as a significant forcemultiplier as they coordinatetheir assault with their social

media skills to cause panic, chaos, deathand destruction in the United States.

Basically, after muchresearch, I believe ISIS willcreate widespread panicthrough the use of socialmedia such as Twitter,Facebook, YouTube, andInstagram. They will usesocial media as a forcemultiplier in tandem with an actualphysical assault within the UnitedStates.

A social media force multiplier, as Iuse the term here, is an individual orsmall team who, through the use of spe-cial tactics, can do the damage of a

much larger force. It is easy to under-stand that a skilled sniper is a force mul-tiplier on the battle field. Why? Becauseone sniper can tie up an enemy battalionand are capable of force multiplicationwithout ever directly engaging theenemy, they are a commonly knownforce multiplier. I propose that a fewjihadi social media “snipers” can createa similar kind of chaos, death, destruc-tion, and panic to millions of Americancivilians.

Enter #ISIS or #ISIL as a search termin Twitter. You will be amazed at thenumber of entries that display when youdo, and most of those entries supportthem.

With social media tools, whateversafety we enjoyed once behind oceans

and land masses is gone. Every day andnight, state sponsored and individualhackers strike at our government, ourcorporations, and our infrastructure.(Most recently was the hacker attackagainst SONY.) As they are after specif-ic information, be it financial, military,or otherwise, they generally do notdestroy the servers or data or destroyelectronic, digital, water, financial orother networks.

But what if ISIS were to strike thosesame networks? And what if they usedtheir substantial knowledge of socialmedia as a force multiplier to increasetheir destructive capability?

They’ve already proven themselvesto be very adept at using their socialmedia tools to recruit and train candi-dates from dozens of nations. They’veuploaded their combat and recruitmentfilms to Facebook, YouTube andTwitter. Their assault on Syria and Iraqwas probably the first combat operationthat was widely carried live on Twitter,Facebook, YouTube and other socialmedia.

ISIS Use of Social Media as a

FORCE MULTIPLIERBy Bruce Curley

TACDA Board Member

“Every day and night, state spon-sored and individual hackers strike atour government, our corporations,

and our infrastructure.”

2 8 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

SOCIAL MEDIA, continued

They have demonstrated a profes-sional grasp of messaging and messag-ing tools. They understand that the

optics as captured in social media is asimportant to their victory as anythingthey achieve on the battlefield.

So - let’s take just one scenario.Let’s assume that for a year or two

ISIS and their sympathizers accumulateweapons and explosives inside the

United States. If they preposition opera-tives and supplies in just 20 U.S. neigh-borhoods, they have a rather formida-

ble force. Then,they pick a dayfor a coordinat-ed attack andhit hard.

But knowinghow powerfulsocial mediacan be as a

force multiplier, they not only stock-piled arms and explosives, they also setup hundreds of accounts on Twitter,Facebook, YouTube, Instagram andother social media, and preprogrammedsmart phones to spread their messagerapidly - all as a force multiplier.

As in Syria and Iraq, they have oneoperative with a cell phone recordingevery action. As fast as it happens, theyupload it to social media websites likeYouTube, Twitter, Instagram, andFacebook using accounts they havealready established. And they commentabout it all, enjoying the element of sur-prise and the advantage of first reportwithout counterviews reported.

With a terrorist journalist assigned toeach strike force, they could quickly andwidely disseminate their message. A vio-lent, coordinated, well-executed attackon a large number of American neigh-borhoods, accompanied by a profes-sionally executed social media cam-paign, in addition to causing a large lossof life and significant damage to proper-

“His tweets … were seen two million timeseach month, making him perhaps the mostinfluential Islamic State Twitter account, withover 17,700 followers.”

ty, could accomplish the penultimategoal of every terrorist organization:panic.

They have mastered this abilityalready. Just one Tweeter named Mahdiunder the name “Shami Witness,” anexecutive from Bangalore, India: “…spent his mornings, afternoons andevenings sending thousands of tweets ofpropaganda about the Islamic State mil-itant group, acting as the leading con-duit of information between jihadi’s,supporters, and recruits.

His tweets … were seen two milliontimes each month, making him perhapsthe most influential Islamic StateTwitter account, with over 17,700 fol-lowers.”1

Remember how adept at using socialmedia as a force multiplier the Islamicterrorist was? Who struck the patronsof the Lindt Café and chocolate store inSydney, Australia? It was at the heightof the Christmas shopping season andin the heart of their financial district.

In contrast to prior terrorist hostagetakings going all the way back to whenthe Palestine Liberation Organizationwho when they would hijack planes inthe 1970’s silenced all hostages, the jiha-di at the Lindt Café allowed theirhostages to keep their phones. And hesent out a barrage of tweets to newsmedia outlets and others. Why?

Why would they do that when doingso would provide an opportunity forthem to communicate with their fami-lies and the media?

He had some hostages call news out-lets to try to get on the air. Again, why?I argue they know by now how power-ful a force multiplier social media canbe as a way to get on the networks.While misguided, uninformed ordefeatist analysts in the West may labelthese actors “lone wolfs,” they are wellaware they are part of a larger, globaljihad. They now use social media as aforce multiplier with the sword to con-tinue their 1,400 year long drive forworld domination.

Orson Wells, in his famous 1938drama “War of the Worlds,” achievedmassive citizen panic using just his voiceand an earlier social media tool, the

radio. ISIS has far more sophisticatedtools at its disposal, and it knows howto use them.

Once underway, this kind of large-scale citizen panic is difficult to contain.As they have already cut off captivesheads, engaged in mass murder andrape, enslaved thousands, turnedChristian churches into prisons, recruit-ed, trained and activated suicidebombers and engaged in other wide-spread and repeated violent behavior,their launching multiple attacks insidethe U.S. is easily imaginable.

Given their proven global proficiencyand experience coordinating theirattacks with social media propaganda,ISIS, using social media as a force mul-tiplier when they strike the UnitedStates, is easily conceivable. The fullimpact of that attack through their useof these social media tools for the pastseveral years in the Middle East andglobally, shows they are proficient intheir use and they will use them herewhen they hit hard.

We can shut down ISIS social mediatools BEFORE their use of them resultsin large numbers of American deaths,panic, mayhem and destruction. Theconsequences of waiting until AFTERthis social media force multiplier is usedon a larger scale are unimaginable. •

Footnotes:http://www.channel4.com/news/unmasked-the-man-behind-top-islamic-state-twitter-account-shami-witness-mehdi

Background Resourceshttp: / /www.npr.org/blogs/paral-lels/2014/11/11/363018388/how-the-islamic-state-wages-its-propaganda-warhttp://isisstudygroup.com/http://www.npr.org/2014/12/11/370022514/isis-used-predatory-tools-and-tac-tics-to-convince-u-s-teens-to-joinhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/12/12/inside-the-battle-for-ask-fm-the-site-where-islam-ic-state-recruited-three-american-teens/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

Houston Hawkins of Los AlamosNational Laboratory, in a recent

article for the American Center forDemocracy, writes: “Just as the UnitedStates surprised its adversaries in WorldWar II with technological advances suchas the atomic bomb, its adversariestoday can do the same to it. Today, incontrast to what is happening at theAmerican counterparts ... Russian insti-tutes are seeing ... year-round experi-mentation at their Novaya Zemlya TestSite, which is leading to developmentand deployment of new Russian nuclearweapons for newly designed deliverysystems ... China’s nuclear weapon pro-gram is enjoying similar ... vigor and isdirectly benefitting from the rapid infu-sion of foreign advanced technologies.”

What is to be done? I have a modest proposal for

Senator Harry Reid, who I hope willnot mind my disclosing that he and hisstaff have been very helpful to those ofus trying to protect the nation fromEMP. Senator Reid, before thisCongress ends, please pass the CriticalInfrastructure Protection Act (CIPA)that on December 1 passed the Houseunanimously. CIPA would protect ournation’s critical infrastructures and peo-ples from the existential threat of a nat-ural or nuclear EMP catastrophe, andwould secure your legacy.”

But please share the credit a little,and rechristen it the Bron CikotasCritical Infrastructure Protection Act. •

Originally published at Family Security

Matters: http://www.familysecuritymatters.

org/publications/detail/bronius-cikotas-exit-the-

unknown-heroes?f=must_reads#ixzz3Odx

DfEUW

2015 I S S U E 1 • 2 9

Bronius CikotasContinued from page 5

3 0 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 13 0 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015 —Apprio, a leading provider of special-ized technology solutions, particularlyfor the health, defense and homelandsecurity markets, today announced thecompany has hired Michael Pena tolead the company’s homeland securityoperations. Pena will oversee Apprio’sgrowing homeland security practice thatcurrently includes work with suchclients as the Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS), the National DisasterMedical System and U.S. Coast Guard.

Pena brings an extensive 35 yearcareer in first response, emergency pre-paredness, homeland security and facil-ity protection. Pena’s backgroundincludes first responder experience withthe New York City Fire Department’sSpecial Operations Command andFEMA, as well as homeland securityand critical infrastructure protectionexperience with the Department ofEnergy’s (DOE) Brookhaven NationalLaboratory.

“Michael brings an incredibly valu-able perspective to Apprio and ourclients,” said Darryl Britt, Apprio’spresident. “We’re advising clients howto deal with situations that quite literal-ly involve life and death decisions.Michael has worked at the frontline ofemergency response; his knowledge ofhow to plan for and respond to criticalincidents isn’t hypothetical; it’s based onhis real-world experience.”

Most recently, Pena managed

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s(BNL) Laboratory Protection Divisionwhere he directed the protective force,fire rescue, emergency managementoffice and security operations for classi-fied programs. His responsibilitiesincluded critical infrastructure protec-tion, emergency preparedness andresponse, training, audits, assessmentsand program development.

Before joining BNL, Pena wasdirector of disaster response operationsfor DHS FEMA Region 2. In this posi-tion, he directed the response for feder-al agencies and the Department ofDefense to natural emergencies and ter-rorism-related events within New York,New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands. He managed and direct-ed the regional response coordinationcenter and served as the chairperson ofthe regional interagency steering com-mittee.

In 2002, Pena joined DHS, FEMARegion 2 in the Operations andPlanning Branch, serving as operationschief and lead planner. Pena was theregional operations chief forPresidential-declared national disastersas well as special national securityevents (Republican and DemocraticParty conventions, Papal visit, UNGeneral Assembly).

As the DHS FEMA Region 2 repre-sentative to the FBI Joint TerrorismTask Force, Pena coordinated terrorismpreparedness and situational awarenessfor the region. His interagency experi-ence includes liaisons with the U.S. StateDepartment; the Foreign ConsequenceManagement Program Office for emer-gency preparedness assistance for the2004 Summer Olympics in Athens; theU.S. Department of EnergyRadiological Detection Program foremergency response assistance for theMegaports Initiative; the U.S. ArmySouthern Command; and the U.S. SecretService for dignitary visit special event

planning.Prior to joining FEMA, Pena served

as the U.S. General ServicesAdministration Region 2 regional emer-gency coordinator. His responsibilitiesincluded continuity of operations plan-ning, training and exercises for all feder-al buildings within the region.

Pena’s emergency response careerbegan in 1981 with the FDNY. Sixteenof Pena’s 21-year career was in theSpecial Operations Command. As afirefighter and officer in the SpecialOperations Command, Pena receivedadvanced technical training in areassuch as hazardous materials, technicaland collapse rescue, and incident com-mand training.

While with the FDNY, Pena was anoriginal member and served 13 years asa rescue team manager with the NewYork City Urban Search and RescueTask Force for FEMA. Deploymentsincluded hurricane relief for theDominican Republic and the 1996Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Pena has attended the NationalEmergency Training Center and theNational Fire Academy. He has takenprofessional development coursessponsored by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency, National DomesticPreparedness Program, N.Y. StateDepartment of Health, and N.Y. StateOffice of Fire Prevention and Control.He has instructor certifications in tech-nical rescue, emergency response toterrorism and weapons of massdestruction, and emergency planning.

About ApprioApprio is a provider of specialized tech-nology solutions, particularly for thehealth, defense and homeland securitymarkets. The company provides inno-vative IT and program services inhealthcare IT, emergency response man-agement and financial management.Apprio delivers the methodologies, dis-cipline and thought-leadership providedby the large integrators, with the coststructure and collaboration offered bysmaller firms.

For more information, visitwww.apprioinc.com. •

Apprio Taps MICHAEL PENA as New Executive Vice President of Homeland Security

Emergency ResponseVeteran with 35Years of HomelandSecurity Expertise toLead Apprio’sGrowing Practice

DISASTER RESEARCH, continued from page 11

2015 I S S U E 1 • 3 1


CChatter in the prepper circles is specu-lating about the dangerous chemicalsleaching into water storage from plasticcontainers. Word on the street is thatPET bottles are not safe for water stor-age. Fact or fiction? Let’s take a closerlook at the research.

First, let us establish a foundationalunderstanding of the various forms ofplastics and how they are used for stor-ing food products. This informationwas obtained from a Smart PlasticGuide published by Sea Studios

Foundation.1 On the bottom of mostplastic bottles there is a recycling sym-bol that identifies the type of resin usedin the production. Some plastics havepotential health risks and should not beused to store food products, while oth-ers appear to be safe.

Plastic #1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate(PET)There are no known health issues withthis plastic. PET is used to produce bot-tles for soft drinks, water, beverages,

peanut butter and other food contain-ers.

Plastic #2 – High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)There are no known health issues withthis plastic. HDPE is used for foodssuch as milk and water jugs in additionto containers for a host of non-fooditems.Plastic #3 – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVCor V)Harmful chemicals are produced in the

The PET Bottle

Safety DebateBy Kylene and Jonathan Jones

3 2 • 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1

PET BOTTLE SAFETY DEBATE, continued

manufacturing, disposal or destructionof PVC including: lead,di(2ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA), diox-ins, ethylene dichloride, and vinyl chlo-ride.1 This plastic is used for clear foodpackaging, cling wrap, squeeze bottles,cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars,and many non-food plastic items.

Plastic #4 – Low Density Polyethylene(LDPE)There are no known health issues. Thisplastic is used to produce bags forbread, frozen food bags and grocerybags. Most plastic wraps are made fromLDPE and some bottles. Some organicpollutants are formed during manufac-turing.

Plastic #5 – Polypropylene (PP)No known health issues are associatedwith PP. It is used to make containersfor deli soups, syrups, yogurt and mar-garine containers, baby bottles, straws,and many non-food items.

Plastic #6 – Polystyrene (PS)Styrene can leach from polystyrene andbe absorbed by food. It is stored in bodyfat and over the long term, acts as a neu-rotoxin. Repeated exposure may bedangerous. Formed polystyrene is alsoknown as Styrofoam and is used to pro-duce food containers, egg cartons andother packaging.

Plastic #7 – Mixed (Other)Health effects vary with the resin andplasticizers. Polycarbonate plastic leach-es BPA which is a known endocrine dis-ruptor.

Sea Studios recommends that onlyplastic containers with the recycling #1,#2, #4 and #5 be used for food storage.When practical, they recommend usingglass containers. They are a safer alter-native as glass will not leach chemicalsinto the food.

Now with that foundation, let’sexplore the PET controversy. Is it safe tostore food and water in PET containersfor emergency preparedness? Are dan-gerous chemicals leaching into mywater storage from the plastic?

One chemical of concern is antimony(Sb), a metal found in natural deposits.It is present in low levels in the environ-ment. Antimony is found in food, drink-ing water and in the air. The short-termhealth effects of high exposure levelsmay include gastrointestinal disorders,nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.2

According to the EPA, exposure of anti-mony in drinking water above the max-imum contaminant level (MCL) formany years may result in increases inblood cholesterol and a decrease inblood sugar. The EPA established MCLfor antimony is 0.006mg/l or 6ppb(6000 ng/l).3

A study from 2005 entitled,Contamination of Canadian andEuropean bottled waters with antimonyfrom PET containers, found evidencethat some leaching of antimony doesoccur from PET bottles.

“The data presented here leave littledoubt that bottled waters stored in PETare contaminated with Sb from theircontainers. … We wish to emphasizethat all of the waters measured in ourlab to date were found to contain Sb inconcentrations well below the guide-lines commonly recommended fordrinking water…”6

In response to two European studiesthat found evidence of estrogenic activ-ity in mineral water bottled in PETEplastic, Julia R. Barrett published anarticle in Environmental HealthPerspectives in June 2009. She con-cludes:

Neither of the European studies canbe used to deduce anything aboutpotential human health effects of drink-ing PET−bottled beverages.5

In addition she includes the follow-ing quote in her article:

“It has been demonstrated throughextensive studies that PET meets allestablished safety standards for use infood and beverage packaging and hasbeen safely used for that purpose fordecades,” says Ralph Vasami, executivedirector of PETRA. The organizationalso emphasizes that PET destined forfood and beverage containers does notcontain bisphenol A or orthophthalates,both of which have been heavily scruti-

nized as endocrine disruptors.The studies report that length of stor-

age and heat may impact the amount ofchemicals that leach into water andfood products. A study published in theJournal of Environmental Monitoring(Issue 4, 2012), states, “Bottle aging andincrease in bottle volume were associat-ed with decreased migration of antimo-ny from bottles.”9 If aging of bottlesdecreases the migration of antimonyinto the water there might be a casemade for rotating water more frequent-ly when water storage containers arenew.

What about using PET bottles forsolar water disinfection? In response tothe concern, scientists at SODIS.ch pub-lished this document.

Reports from around the worldregarding substances in PET bottles thatcause cancer are worrying users of theSODIS method. Therefore, a number ofresearch institutions tested the scientificaccuracy of these reports and carriedout their own analyses of the materials.Studies have been produced for the fol-lowing substances: antimony, adipates,phthalates, acetaldehydes and formalde-hydes. These studies show that whenthe SODIS method is applied correctlywith PET bottles, there is no danger tohuman health.

AntimonyAntimony speeds up chemical processesin the manufacture of PET (catalyst).However, antimony does not get intothe water unless the bottles are storedfor a very long time or heated to veryhigh temperatures. The storage timesand temperatures in question far exceedthose that are involved in the correctapplication of the SODIS method.There is therefore no danger to thehealth of SODIS users.

Adipates and phthalatesAdipates and phthalates are used as sof-teners in the production of certain typesof plastics and packaging materials (e.g.PVC). Adding these substances to theplastic makes it more flexible and easierto work. Although these softeners arenot particularly toxic, they do represent

2015 I S S U E 1 • 3 3

a threat to health if they are consumedin large quantities. However, softenersare not needed in the production ofPET. If softeners are found in the waterfrom PET bottles, they must have beenin the water before the bottles werefilled.

AldehydesAldehydes are formed when the plasticis heated in the manufacturing processfor PET bottles. A research group inEawag, the Swiss Federal Institute ofAquatic Science and Technology, there-fore re-searched the questions ofwhether formaldehydes and acetaldehy-des are transferred from the PET bottlesto the water when the SODIS method isapplied, and if so, in what quantities. Itwas found that exposure to the sun hasno effect on the concentration ofacetaldehydes, though the concentra-tion of formaldehydes does increasewith the length of exposure. Howeverthe concentrations of aliphatic aldehy-des remained far below the state regula-tory limit for drinking water in all sam-ples. Therefore, the SODIS method doesnot pose a health risk.7

According to research presentedabove, solar water disinfection pre-formed in PET bottles is safe as long asit is done correctly. One final study pub-lished in Food Additives andContaminants: Part A Volume 28, Issue1, 2011 reaches the following conclu-sion:

It was concluded that antimony lev-els in beverages due to migration fromPET bottles manufactured according tothe state of the art can never reach orexceed the European-specific migrationlimit of 40 microg kg(-1). Maximummigration levels caused by room-tem-perature storage even after three yearswill never be essentially higher than 2.5microg kg(-1) and in any case will bebelow the European limit of 5 microgkg(-1) for drinking water. The results ofthis study confirm that the exposure ofthe consumer by antimony migrationfrom PET bottles into beverages andeven into edible oils reaches approxi-mately 1% of the current tolerable dailyintake (TDI) established by World

Health Organization (WHO).Having substantiated suchlow antimony levels inPET-bottled beverages,the often addressedquestion on oestro-genic effects causedby antimony fromPET bottlesappears to begroundless.8

We have foundno evidence in ourresearch that makesus uncomfortablestoring water for ourfamily in PET bottles.However, if you are con-cerned about the levels ofany chemical in your water, fil-ter it before consuming with a fil-ter that is rated to remove the substanceyou are concerned about. Coagulation/filtration and reverse osmosis are effec-tive methods for removing antimonyfrom water.

Water storage is a critical element ofemergency preparedness. We cannotstress enough the importance of storingwater. The risk of contracting nastywater-water borne illness from drinkingwater from a contaminated watersource, or dehydration from lack ofwater, is far greater than the risk of any-thing that might possibly have leachedinto your stored water from food gradeplastic containers. We encourage you tocontinue to store as much water as you

reasonably can as part of your prepara-tions.

Fact or fiction? Ideally water shouldbe stored in new containers specificallydesigned for long term water storage.However, we’ve done the research andare highly confident that PET bottlesare safe for our family to use for emer-gency preparedness. Clean, used sodaand juice bottles are cheap and plentifulmaking emergency water storage possi-ble for everyone, regardless of financialresources. We invite you to explore theevidence and decide for yourself. •

FACT OR FICTION?

Ideally water should be

stored in new containers

specifically designed for long

term water storage.

References:1. http://www-tc.pbs.org/strangedays/pdf/ StrangeDaysSmartPlasticsGuide.pdf 2. http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/water/publications/reportpdfs/Primer%20Files/08%20-%20

Antimony.pdf3. http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/antimony.cfm4. http://www.clubsportif.de/tl_files/downloads/PDF/fulltext%20hormone%20water.pdf5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702426/ 6. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/pdf/article/2006/em/b517844b7. http://www.sodis.ch/methode/forschung/ pet/index_EN8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 211843109. http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/em/c2em10917d#!divAbstract

Kylene and Jonathan Jones are the authors of The Provident Prepper—A Common-SenseGuide to Preparing for Emergencies.Visit them online at: www.TheProvidentPrepper.org and www.YourFamilyArk.org

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