u/Spiley_spile

I recently found a box of my homemade, instant cold packs leftover from last year.

People often ask how to keep cool with AC and/or in high humidity. There's lots of ideas out there. Here's one more tool you can add to your toolbox. (Much more budget friendly than the store-bought ones!)

- RECIPE (I got it from my NOLS Wilderness First Aid instructor):

- 1 part baking soda

- 1 part citric acid

- 1 part water

- INGREDIENTS NOTE, I used Arm & Hammer baking soda and MB Herbals Anhydrous Citric Acid Powder food grade. This bag was advertised as fine grain. It was not. But that worked out for the best! I tried a much finer grain citric acid first. It easily turned into citric acid dust clouds and coated my kitchen. No bueno.

- Note: Only add the water when you want to activate these cold packs! More info on the way I hand these while activating the reaction further down below.

Together, these 3 ingredients create what's called an "endothermic reaction". Aka things get very cold.

I tinkered with the original recipe last year and was able to get the cold packs to last about 20 minutes each. Sadly, I lost my notes! What I do recall is that the final amount of water was 1/3 cup. So, maybe I ended up at 1/3c of each. But, I also remember I had an alternative recipe from someone else. And when I started experimenting, I started at 2 Tablespoons of each ingredient, and from there I tried different ratios to see what would get me the longest duration of cold.

- Safety notes: Citric acid can irritate the skin, eyes, lungs, etc. Im very sensitive to it. Others less so. Citricacid comes in different sized granuals. I liked the larger size because it didnt turn into clouds of fine dust andend up all over me and everything else as easily. Some people are very lax about handling and mixing because this stuff is nontoxic. But here's what I do.

- PPE for when mixing:

Wear nitril exam gloves, face mask. If you get it on you, rinse with room temperature water.

- Process: I scoop my ingredients into quart-sized, freezer ziplock-style bags. (Freezer version is thicker plastic, which I prefer.) (Not the slide-close version, but the pinch close version. I hope that makes sense!) Before sealing the bags shut, I slowly push out the air by rolling the bag, starting at the bottom. Once most of the air is out, I seal the bag.

- When Ive got as many of these made up as Im wanting, I double check the seal, then rinse off the outside of the bags.

- To ACTIVATE, I pour in the water and re-seal all but about 2 inches of the bag. You'll need to leave at least that much open or the gasses will cause the bag to baloon out and pop. The bag will get very cold to the touch.

- SAFETY NOTE: Just like when using an ice pack, dont put it directly against your skin or it could potentially cause cold damage, like frost bite. A friend of mine sewed some open-top cloth bags for me to set these in while using them. Dont forget the cold pack is open at one corner and accidentally dump it on yourself! (😂 Yes, Ive almost dont this.)

- DISPOSAL: When done with these, add more tap water into the plastic bag until it has doused the chemical reaction and ceased any further release of gasses. These are nontoxic chemicals. So I pour them down my sink drain at this point.

I usually spend a lot of time organizing and tidying what I've written before posting it. My fatigue is very high right now. Hopefully folks will forgive me for writting so messy this time.

I recently found a box of my homemade, instant cold packs leftover from last year.

People often ask how to keep cool with AC and/or in high humidity. There's lots of ideas out there. Here's one more tool you can add to your toolbox. (Much more budget friendly than the store-bought ones!)

- RECIPE (I got it from my NOLS Wilderness First Aid instructor):

- 1 part baking soda

- 1 part citric acid

- 1 part water

• INGREDIENTS Note, I used Arm & Hammer baking soda and MB Herbals Anhydrous Citric Acid Powder food grade. This bag was advertised as fine grain. It was not. But that worked out for the best! I tried a much finer grain citric acid first. It easily turned into citric acid dust clouds and coated my kitchen. No bueno.

- Note: Only add the water when you want to activate these cold packs! More info on the way I hand these while activating the reaction further down below.

Together, these 3 ingredients create what's called an "endothermic reaction". Aka things get very cold.

I tinkered with the original recipe last year and was able to get the cold packs to last about 20 minutes each. Sadly, I lost my notes! What I do recall is that the final amount of water was 1/3 cup. So, maybe I ended up at 1/3c of each. But, I also remember I had an alternative recipe from someone else. And when I started experimenting, I started at 2 Tablespoons of each ingredient, and from there I tried different ratios to see what would get me the longest duration of cold.

- Safety notes: Citric acid can irritate the skin, eyes, lungs, etc. Im very sensitive to it. Others less so. Citricacid comes in different sized granuals. I liked the larger size because it didnt turn into clouds of fine dust andend up all over me and everything else as easily. Some people are very lax about handling and mixing because this stuff is nontoxic. But here's what I do.

- PPE for when mixing:

Wear nitril exam gloves, face mask. If you get it on you, rinse with room temperature water.

- Process: I scoop my ingredients into quart-sized, freezer ziplock-style bags. (Freezer version is thicker plastic, which I prefer.) (Not the slide-close version, but the pinch close version. I hope that makes sense!) Before sealing the bags shut, I slowly push out the air by rolling the bag, starting at the bottom. Once most of the air is out, I seal the bag.

- When Ive got as many of these made up as Im wanting, I double check the seal, then rinse off the outside of the bags.

- To ACTIVATE, I pour in the water and re-seal all but about 2 inches of the bag. You'll need to leave at least that much open or the CO2 gas this generates from the baking soda will cause the bag to baloon out and pop. The bag will get very cold to the touch.

- SAFETY NOTE: Just like when using an ice pack, dont put it directly against your skin or it could potentially cause cold damage, like frost bite. A friend of mine sewed some open-top cloth bags for me to set these in while using them. Dont forget the cold pack is open at one corner and accidentally dump it on yourself! (😂 Yes, Ive almost dont this.)

- DISPOSAL: When done with these, add more tap water into the plastic bag until it has doused the chemical reaction and ceased any further release of gasses. These are nontoxic chemicals. So I pour them down my sink drain at this point.

I usually spend a lot of time organizing and tidying what I've written before posting it. My fatigue is very high right now. Hopefully folks will forgive me for writting so messy this time.

Q: Where can I learn:

- The names that distinguish one liner shape from another

- Which liner goes between which tools

- The names of the various springs and the tools they belong to

- Which size pins

After looking around, I think the tools I want would fit into a 6-layer mod, outlined below:

- Layer 1: Magnifying glass/in-line philips screwdriver (SC = the one on Swiss Champ)

- Layer 2: Pliers

- Layer 3: Scissors

- Layer 4: Metal File

- Layer 5: Wood saw

- Layer 6: Electrician blade blade/Combo can opener-cap lifter (Compact)

- Back Layer 1: Nothing

- Back Layer 2: Nothing

- Back Layer 3: Parcel Hook (Compact)

- Back Layer 4: Optional: big chisel (SC)

- Back Layer 5: Nothing

- Back Layer 6: Reamer Sewing Awl /cork screw

• Opening Layer 7: Cork Screw

Q: Is there a different arrangement that would allow them to fit in 5-layers instead?

Q: And lastly, are my Layer 6 tools and Back Layer 6 tools all compatible as is?

Ive a brain injury. So Ive been really struggling to try to work out these details before I invest money in the parts and tools to build this. Much appreciation for any assistance folks can lend me in thinking through this process!

Edit to add, if this mod configuration doesnt already have a name, I'm either going to call it the Compact-Vice-Champion, or the Compact-Contender.

Im very short. Before people start throwing tomatoes at the size of it.

It's a $75 tarp, xenon sil. 6oz. 7ft by 5ft. DCF is lighter but more expensive.

I usually cowboy camp unless it's raining. So Im curious if anyone has tried this in the rain and what your rain set up was with it?

Ty!

As the season changes from cold to hot, or hot to cold (depending where you are), dont forget to adjust your supplies.

I Increase/decrease the water levels in my emergency water storage containers. Swap the clothes and temperature-related first aid and outdoor shelter supplies. As well as rotate my emergency supply of prescription medications and OTC.

What other seasonal changovers do you follow for your preps?

Holy shit! Cool update I wanted to share and many thanks to all of you!

In the original post (https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXPreppers/s/89fqIvhE2f), one of you asked which kind of N95 I was wearing during the pepper spray incident. It was the Lighthouse H210.

So many of you stinkers (affectionate) sent iquiries to Lighthouse, that the company messaged me on reddit. (Wild!) They wanted to send me a free box of their newly updated version. (Pro 95 Shield). And they also offered and sent a free box to the disability support group that originally introduced me to their masks!

Thank you to Lighthouse, and also (and especially) to all of you out there still wearing masks! ❤️‍🔥

Im not a new CPAP user. But I am new to the ResMed Airfit20. I woke up and my nose was red and really painful where it was in contact with the mask's pillow. I figured it would chill out and Id just losen the straps, since that was the only thing I coukd think of as the source for pain and redness. But it stayed painful all day.

I was just getting ready for bed when I realized lots of tiny blisters have popped up in the red areas. Im baffled! Anyone know what's going on?

I plan to call the clinic I got the mask and parts from. It was all brand new and in sealed packaging when they handed them to me.

Update:

They look just like this person has! But on the top of my nose! https://www.reddit.com/r/CPAP/s/mST2PHbGEo

Crud. I switched to this mask from the nasal cushion because Im developing a rea tion to the mouth tape adhesive.

Tuesday hit me in the face, literally.

I wear an N95 face mask whenever Im out or have a visitor. Im already immune disabled. I dont want it to get worse faster than it has to.

Anyhow, I was walking home from doing errands when I heard yelling and running behind me. Two people were fighting and running and chasing each other. One pulled out a big can of pepper spray. (Like the size my bear spray comes in.) Sprayed the other person exactly in time for a gust of wind. Carried the spray right into my face from across the street. Thankfully for my eyes, my mask and hair got the worst of it. So I could still see and get myself home safely.

I have asthma. So, I was curious how well my mask would do. Ive got a well-fitted mask. (I was fit tested in several models to find the one that sealed best for my face size and shape.) But not all N95 masks are suited for all contaminants. Some work better for oils, smoke, gasses, etc. Not to mention, even well-fitted masks can unseal at times. Id been running errands for close to 4 hours. My face was sweat. The inside of my mask was humid. No asthma! My lungs stayed great.

Ive been through a 26hr street medic training, which was also fortunate. I knew not to rub my eyes, even though the were spicy. And when I got home, everything I was wearing went into the wash. I grabbed the dawn dish soap on my way to the shower, and spent the next 20 minutes under a cold shower. (During which the pepper spray that was in my hair washed onto my face! Thanks hair...🤦)

Thank you to everyone who participates in this subreddit. It's been a great source of information. Im glad we can continue sharing and learning with each other. :)

My insurance sent me a power station (Generac GB1000), to run my CPAP in case of power outages. (I didnt get to pick the one they sent.)

Im worried about night-time power outages happening after I fall asleep though. This power station doesnt have the UPS, power outage detection technology of the one I wanted.

Does anyone use one of these Generac power stations? What is your game plan if the power goes out when you're sleeping? I dont know what to do/expect and Im having anxiety about it.

Thank you!

My insurance sent me a power station Generac GB1000, to run my CPAP in case of power outages. (I didnt get to pick the one they sent.)

Im worried about night time power outages happening after I fall asleep though. And this power station doesnt have the USP, power outage detection technology.

Does anyone use one of these Generac power stations? What is your game plan if the power goes out when you're sleeping? I dont know what to do/expect and Im having anxiety about it.

Thank you!

My original post about the dangerous "tactical tampon" myth, received outrage in the comment section. (I'll link to that post a little further down.)

So here is a post from North American Rescue about the myth.

https://www.narescue.com/nar-blog/fact-crap-tampons.html

And this article examining the hystory of the myth.

https://emj.bmj.com/content/ill-advised-use-tampons-gunshot-wounds

And here is my original post

https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXPreppers/s/89qmEids5Y

Some people can adapt to new information. For others, no amout of debunking and facts can change an erroneous belief, once a person has become attached to it. This post will either do nothing for them, or even cause them to become even more attached to an erroneous belief. A phenomenon called "belief perseverence". https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/belief-perseverance

Some people hold onto false beliefs because they are reinforced by very strong, false memories. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public\_education/publications/insights-on-law-and-society/volume-18/insights-issue-2---vol-18/seeing-bugs-bunny-at-disney-world/

Others may struggle to accept or completely reject new information because the person who initially gave them erroneous information was someone they trusted. "Source credibility". For some their attachment to a messenger can be stronger than evidence.

Mental prep includes knowing ourselves, including our common pitfalls. Adaptability is essential.