The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same ©

 

 

Recently, while reading some early firsthand accounts of scouts, or “spies” as they were called at the time, I was struck by the similarities between the situations that these spies and scouts faced, and those that the Special Forces trained Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers of Vietnam faced.  The Vietnam War was a conflict which had many similarities to the Indian Wars of the Old Northwest Frontier of North America, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. 

 

And one of these parallels, was the impossibility of keeping your feet warm and dry and the likelihood of being afflicted with warm water immersion foot (WWIF) and/or tropical immersion foot (TIF), or as it was known during late 18^th and early 19^th centuries “scald feet”, “scald foot” or “scalded feet”, a common affliction at the time.

  

Recently, while reading some early firsthand accounts of scouts, or “spies” as they were called at the time, I was struck by the similarities between the situations that these spies and scouts faced, and those that the Special Forces trained Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers of Vietnam faced.  The Vietnam War was a conflict which had many similarities to the Indian Wars of the Old Northwest Frontier of North America, during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. 

 

And one of these parallels, was the impossibility of keeping your feet warm and dry and the likelihood of being afflicted with warm water immersion foot (WWIF) and/or tropical immersion foot (TIF), or as it was known during late 18^th and early 19^th centuries “scald feet”, “scald foot” or “scalded feet”, a common affliction at the time.

 

Warm water immersion foot, (WWIF) occurs after long term exposure, over one to three days, to warm and wet conditions.  By the end of the third day, it is nearly certain, that a person will be affected to some degree or another with warm water immersion foot¹.  Generally, it takes more than three days of long term exposure to warm-wet conditions, to move to the second, more serious stage, of warm water immersion foot, tropical immersion foot (TIF). 

 

Both maladies are caused by hyperhydration, or waterlogging, of the skin, through immersion in water between the temperatures of 59^oF to 90^oF (15^o C to 32^oC).  Tropical immersion foot is caused by the passage of water through the compromised outer layer of skin, the epidermis, into inner layer of skin, or the dermis. 

 

Today, warm water immersion foot is treated by bed rest, elevating the feet and pain medication, and recovery usually requires no more than four to five days of hospitalization².  Warm water immersion foot is treated by keeping the injured person off their feet and allowing the feet to dry out  for one to three days.  Symptoms usually disappear quickly after the feet are allowed to dry out, with most people being pain free within 24 hours³.

 

Much like their rangers and ancestors of the Old Northwest Frontier during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) soldiers in Vietnam, had developed some commonsense tips to take care of their feet while on patrol.  These tips were later published as The B-52 Tips, in August 1970, as a means of capturing hard learned lessons.

 

Vietnam war era U.S. Army socks

 

Tip 30.     If you change socks, especially in the rainy season, try to wait until RON (Remain Over Night) and have no more than two patrol members change socks at one time.  Never take off both boots at the same time.

 

Tip 31.     When a team member starts to come down with immersion foot, stop in a secure position, remove injured persons boot, dry off his feet, put foot powder on his feet and place a ground sheet or poncho over his feet so that they can dry out.  Continued walking will make matters worse, ensuring that the man will become a casualty, thereby halting the further progress of the team.

 

Tip 32.     Desenex or Vaseline rubbed on the feet during the rainy season or in wet weather will aid in the prevention of immersion foot.  It will also help avoid chapping if put on the hands.

 

Vietnam war era U.S. Army foot powder, the same ingredients as Desenex foot powder today.

Tip 52.     Carry one extra pair of socks, plus foot powder, on patrol, especially during the rainy season. 

 

During the War in Vietnam, it was found that applying a thick coating of a hydrophobic balm, such as Vaseline® or a silicone grease, daily to the soles of the feet prevented, prevented the hyperhydration and pruning of the soles of the feet, which leads to warm water immersion foot.  Similarly, using Desenex foot powder, a white, free-flowing powder, containing the active ingredients undecylenic acid 2% and zinc undecylenate 20%, would help dry feet out, after they had been exposed to water, and it would help prevent warm water immersion foot brought on by excess sweating.  

 

For more on “warm water immersion foot” (WWIF), and “tropical immersion foot” (TIF), see “Wet Feet! ... Immersion Foot!? Part One©”, HERE, “Wet Feet! ... Immersion Foot!? Part Two©”, HERE and “Cold Feet...Wet Boots! ©”, HERE.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “A Ranger’s Story, 1756 ©”, where the elderly and enigmatic “Dr. Blank” will recount his adventures as a member of Rogers’ Rangers in 1756, to the “New Contributor”, a young college student, who would later, in May 1845, send it to the Knickerbocker magazine for publication.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ Lt Col. Alfred M. Allen, Internal Medicine in Vietnam: Skin Diseases in Vietnam, 1965-72, Vol. I, Office of the Surgeon General and Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1989, page 115-117

 

² Ibid, page 111

 

³ Ibid, page 117

 

 

Sources

 

Allen, Alfred M., Lt Col.; Internal Medicine in Vietnam: Skin Diseases in Vietnam, 1965-72, Vol. I, [Office of the Surgeon General and Center of Military History, Washington, D.C., 1977], p 102-117, https://books.google.com/books?id=Quw5DlbHKt0C&pg=PR17&dq=Internal+Medicine+in+Vietnam:+Skin+Diseases+in+Vietnam,+1965-72&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiw1cjXjqP9AhWID1kFHf7qBEoQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=Internal%20Medicine%20in%20Vietnam%3A%20Skin%20Diseases%20in%20Vietnam%2C%201965-72&f=false, accessed 2/19/2023

 

An American Physician, Mackenzie’s Five Thousand Receipts, [John I. Kay and Co., Pittsburgh, PA, and James Kay, Jun. and Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1831], page 212, http://books.google.se/books?id=bWLe9UcnYH8C&pg=PA212&dq=rheumatism+symptoms&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OqsKUZnBO-in4gSHnIGQDw&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20symptoms&f=false, accessed March 9, 2023

 

Barber, John W.; Historical Collections of the State of New York, published by Clark, Austin & Co, New York, 1851 page 151

 

Belue, Ted Franklin, edited by; The Life of Daniel Boone by Lyman C. Draper, [Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 1998], page 480 & 490

 

Belue, Ted Franklin, The Long Hunt, [Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA 1996] page 91

 

Buchan, William, M.D.; Domestic Medicine, [Otis, Broaders, and Company, Boston, 1848] page 281, http://books.google.se/books?id=5fArAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA281&dq=rheumatism+%22wet+feet%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=N60KUYW9EqOq4ATZooCACg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20%22wet%20feet%22&f=false, accessed March 9, 2023

 

Cobb, Daniel J.; The Medical Botanist, and Expositor of Diseases and Remedies: In Two Volumes, [Printed by Geo. H. Bidwell, Dansville, NY;1846], page 201,

https://books.google.com/books?id=3omsbZjTso0C&pg=PA201&dq=rheumatism+feet+symptoms+cold+wet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHyd2p2tT9AhW_F1kFHXvBBp44ChDoAXoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=rheumatism%20feet%20symptoms%20cold%20wet&f=false, accessed March 11, 2023

 

Doddridge, Rev. Dr Joseph; Notes on the Settlement and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia & Pennsylvania, from the year 1763 until the year 1783, [Wellsburgh, VA; printed at the office of the Gazette, 1824] page 144 , http://www.archive.org/details/notesonsettlemen00dodd, accessed July 26, 2011

 

James, James Alton; George Rogers Clark Papers: 1771-1781, [Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois, 1912], pages 210 – 212, https://books.google.com/books?id=z0kSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA210&dq=%22our+feet+being+wet+for+three+or+four%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Tz8HUdD9EcrL0QGU74D4CA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22our%20feet%20being%20wet%20for%20three%20or%20four%22&f=false, accessed February 18, 2023

 

Hammon, Neal O., edited by; My Father, Daniel Boone: The Draper Interviews with Nathan Boone, [University Press of Kentucky, 1999, Lexington KY], page 36-37

 

Hartley, Cecil B.; Life and Adventures of Lewis Wetzel, the Virginia Ranger, [Published by G. G. Evans, Philadelphia, PA, 1860], page 264, http://books.google.se/books?id=wUozAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA264&dq=%22moccasins%22++tied++spy&hl=en&sa=X&ei=giwJUdCBMOiI4ATrqIGQDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22moccasins%22%20%20tied%20%20spy&f=false, accessed March 8, 2023

 

Hutchinson, William T.; Kentucky and the Revolutionary Era, 1770-1815, [The University of Chicago, November 1976-February 1977], page 19, http://storage.lib.uchicago.edu/pres/2009/pres2009-0501.pdf, accessed March 7, 2023

 

Pilot Biscuits...the Real Deal, Original Recipe ©

 

A pilot biscuit from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, saved as a souvenir by James and Mabel Fenwick, who were passengers on the RMS Carpathia.

 Updated 1/24/23 – Author’s Note

Pilot Biscuits, Pilot Bread, and Captain’s Biscuits are all the same thing, but they are not hard tack.   Now, I make hardtack, I enjoy hardtack, but pilot biscuits are not hardtack, because you can bite through them!

 

Hardtack according to the Forest & Stream, 1899, “is harder, and, while less palatable, is more durable”¹, than pilot biscuits.

 

Now, the only difference between hardtack and pilot biscuits, besides the fact that hardtack has been described as “sheet iron”, and will last forever if it is kept dry, is the addition of a little bit of shortening, like lard!  Apparently, a little bit of shortening goes a long way, because it makes the biscuit flakier and easier to eat, but a biscuit with shortening in it (or sugar, which is hygroscopic and adsorbs water from its surroundings) will not last as long as hardtack, as the shortening will eventually become rancid and inedible.

 

An excerpt from the Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, June 17, 1876, page 2, HERE

John Pearson, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, is credited with creating pilot biscuits in 1792.  In 1898 Pearson’s bakery, which was the first commercial bakery in America, was absorbed into the National Biscuit Company, today known as Nabisco.  Nabisco became a leading producer of pilot biscuits, which it sold under the Crown Pilot brand throughout New England.  Unfortunately, Nabisco discontinued Crown Pilot biscuits in 2008, and while other bakeries continue to make pilot biscuits, they have become more difficult to find.

 

Future Essentials pilot biscuits, vacuum sealed in a can, HERE.

So, if you are from Hawaii or Alaska, where pilot biscuits are common snacks², or if you are into homesteading, prepping, experimental archeology, or if maybe you just like the taste of pilot biscuits, you have probably tried to find a recipe for making this delicious trail food.  I know I have, and if you are like me, you have been frustrated with the results.  Oh sure, there are recipes out there that content creators say are for making pilot biscuits, but I am pretty certain they are not the original recipe.

 

I was frustrated with the recipes that I found on the internet, they had sugar and lots of butter and sometimes milk or baking soda, and they all seemed to be more of a modern guess as to what an original pilot biscuit was.  So, I did what I always do, and I did some research and here is what I found.

 

The real deal, original recipe...

 

I found an original recipe for making pilot biscuits in the “The Art of Making Water Crackers”, Bakers Review, 1916, but it called for one barrel, or 196 pounds (89 kilograms), of flour, and since this was more flour than I had laying around, I cut the recipe down to something a bit more manageable, like four cups.

 

 

Top left #1, cutting the lard into the flour, top right #2 clean and clear dough ready to be turned out onto a floured surface, bottom left # 3 the first roll out of dough, and bottom right # 4 pricking the biscuits with a fork to let the steam out, photographs by the Author.

The nutritional value of pilot biscuits made with this recipe are as follows:

Nutritional Value of Pilot Biscuits

                             Per batch of                           Per biscuit          

                             16 biscuits                                                                              

Calories               2,275                                      127            

Net Carbs            460 grams                              23 grams

Fiber                    17 grams                                0.85 grams

Total Carbs         477 grams                              23.85 grams

Proteins               64.5 grams                             3.20 grams

Fats                      6 grams                                   0.30 grams

 

I hope you enjoy making and eating your pilot biscuits, Bon Appetit!

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Winter Survival for Tommy ©”, where we will talk about tips that might not have been included in the U. S. Marine Corp Winter Survival training.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ Professor Charles H. Snow, “Equipment of Camps and Expeditions”, Forest & Stream, August 12, 1899, page 125

 

² Pilot biscuits are an Alaskan treat and are considered to be rural, soul food, and Diamond Bakery’s Saloon pilot crackers have been made in Hawaii for more than 100 years.

 

Sources

 

Berry, Melissa Davenport; “Nabisco: An American Story”, November 5, 2020, https://blog.genealogybank.com/nabisco-an-american-story.html, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Braun, Emil; The Baker’s Book, [Emil Braun, Bath Beach, New York City, 1901], page 231, https://books.google.com/books?id=AuYpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA231&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn2YymnLP7AhXPpIkEHQhtABA4WhDoAXoECAwQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Gluto; “The Art of Making Water Crackers”, Bakers Review, Vol. XXXIII, No. 4, July 1916, [Wm. R. Gregory Co., New York], page 95-96, https://books.google.com/books?id=R6UTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA95&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwia_7GZlrP7AhUOhIkEHYfnAD04FBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Platt, William; “Biscuit and Cake Manufacture”, Chemical Age, Vol. 30, No. 4, [New York, New York, April 1922], https://books.google.com/books?id=qSBDAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA158&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid3P2-m7P7AhX7j4kEHfabCow4UBDoAXoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2022

 

Snow, Charles H. Professor; “Equipment of Camps and Expeditions”, Forest & Stream, August 12, 1899, page 125, https://books.google.com/books?id=RtowAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA125&dq=%22is+harder,+and,+while+less+palatable,+is+more+durable%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwisuY_3va78AhWBFlkFHW0GAvMQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22is%20harder%2C%20and%2C%20while%20less%20palatable%2C%20is%20more%20durable%22&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

W.T.R.; “Dog Biscuit”, Bakers’ Helper, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 458, September 1, 1922, page 516, https://books.google.com/books?id=x7c2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA516&dq=%22pilot+bread%22+oven+temperature&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDrYn05Kz8AhU1FVkFHVxqBBgQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22pilot%20bread%22%20oven%20temperature&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Building a WWII Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1, Part Two: or What’s in Pocket One©

 

 

An Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1, from the National Museum of the United States Air Force HERE and HERE.  Numbered by the Author.

This is the second in a series of articles, Part One is HERE, don’t forget to come back and read the rest – Author’s Note

 

So, you want to build a survival vest like the “Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1” of the late 1940’s and 50’s, a really, cool, piece of survival gear that is no longer available.  OK, this week we are going to talk about what was in pocket one and what similar items we can put into a modern emergency survival vest today, and where to find them.

 

The first pocket, conforming with the priorities in the Rule of Threes, is for first aid supplies.  Graphic by the Author.

Finding out what went into pocket one was the easy part, replicating them with items easily available today is a little more difficult, since for example morphine syrettes and Benzedrine sulfate tablets, or “bennies”¹ are not easily available!

 

The other problem was determining just how much space each of the pocket’s contained.  This is a bit of a problem since I haven’t been able to run down the original military specifications for the “Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1”.  Therefore, we are going to do some math and estimate from the photograph below².

 

A close-up of a period photo titled “Kit, vest type assy., type C-1 2-29-44”, an excerpt from the Army Air Force; “Technical Data Digest”, January 1945, page 56.

What’s in pocket one...?

 

Pocket one was for the pilot’s personal first aid kit.  This pocket appears from the photo to be about 2 ¾ inches wide, by about 3 ³/₁₆ inches tall and 1-¼ inches deep (7 cm wide

x 8 cm tall by 3.2 cm deep), which means it will hold almost 11 cubic inches of first aid supplies (about 180 cubic centimeters). 

 

An Altoids® candy tin, photograph by the Author.

For comparison an Altoids® candy tin is about 2-¹/₈ inches wide by 2-⁷/₈ inches tall by ¾ inches deep (5.4 cm wide x 7.3 cm tall x 1.9 cm deep) and hold 1.76 fluid ounces, or 50 grams.  Pocket number one could have comfortably held an Altoids® candy tin sized personal first aid kit, with some room to spare.

 

A listing of what was in pocket one of the “Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1”, an excerpt from the Army Air Force; “Technical Data Digest”, January 1945, page 56, modified by the Author.

Ignoring the fact that the original pilot’s first aid kit included a morphine syrette and “uppers” or Benzedrine sulfate tablets; based on the original listing of the contents, this was NOT a trauma kit.  It is a personal first aid kit, a comfort kit, otherwise known as a “Boo, boo” kit, to take care of minor aches, pains, and scratches.

 

1 -- tube boric acid ointment

 

From the National Museum of American History, Behring Center.

This first aid kit included a .6 ounce, or 18-gram, tube of boric acid ointment, which was a topical antiseptic to treat minor cuts or scratches, skin irritations, fungal infections and as an ophthalmic ointment, when in a 5% concentration with white petrolatum.  However, as of 2020, it is not recommended for use by the FDA and is not available over the counter because of toxicity and potential lethality³. 

 

Instead of boric acid ointment, 25% zinc oxide ointment should be used to treat wind or sunburn, chaffed or itchy skin, minor scrapes, insect bites, and the weeping associated with poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.  Also zinc oxide may help block both UV-A and UV-B rays, and some consider it the safest among all broad-spectrum UV filters, as it doesn’t break down into unstable substance in the sun.  Dynarex No. 1190 Zinc Oxide Ointment comes in 1 ounce (28 grams) tube.

 

1 -- small vial iodine

 

An example of Benzalkonium Chloride wipes, photo by the Author.

You could include a vial of iodine tincture as a topical antiseptic, it is one of the best antiseptics, but it is alcohol-based, it stings, and some people are allergic to it, so substitute several triple antibiotic ointments single-use packets and several BZK (benzalkonium chloride) antiseptic towelettes, for it instead. 

 

Benzalkonium Chloride or BZK wipes are excellent for cleaning minor cuts, scrapes and burns as BZK will not damage already fragile tissue.  BZK wipes do not sting, and they do not dry out the skin, the way that alcohol wipes do, so they are ideal for use on sensitive skin.⁴ 

 

For more on BZK towelettes, see “Alcohol Prep Pads...BZK Towelettes……Hand Wipes…Wound Wipes...What?!©”, HERE.

 

1 -- vial aspirin tablets

Including some form of fever or pain relief tablets in a personal first aid kit is a good idea, and aspirin has an added, extra advantage, it can help with heart attacks.  

 

The Mayo Clinic notes, “Taking aspirin during a heart attack is safe and recommended.  If you think you're having a heart attack, call 911 or emergency medical services.  Don't delay calling for help.  Aspirin alone won't save your life if you're having a heart attack”⁶.

 

Aspirin tablets and other small first aid supplies can be packed in small craft 2.5 mil Reclosable Seal Clear Plastic Poly Bag available at Walmart, HERE, and at other craft stores.

 

1 -- vial salt tablets

 

 Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information on the size of the salt tablets in the first aid kit in the “Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1”, however in the “Individual Aid and Survival Kit”, circa 1963, the military recommended 10-grain (648 milligrams) salt tablets which could be used to replace salt lost due to sweating.⁴ 

 

Ordinarily , according to FM 21-18, Foot Marches, June 1990, page 2-5, “...salt in food compensates for the daily salt requirements.  Additional intake of salt should be under the direction and supervision of a physician or physician’s assistant^”.  However, since the designers of the “Emergency Sustenance Vest”, anticipated that the downed pilots might miss some meals, it was felt that salt tablets would be necessary.  Two, 10-grain or 650 milligram, salt tablets are equal ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) of salt, which when combined with a quart of water (.95 liter) creates a 0.1% salt solution, which is the ideal concentration for rehydrating.  The salt tablets should be crushed before mixing them with water and should not be eaten by themselves as they can irritate the stomach and cause vomiting.⁵

 

The salt tablets in the picture above are only 500 mg each, not 650 mg, and are available HERE.

 

1 -- vial halazone tablets

 

A Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System, HERE.  If mini water filters had existed during World War II, I am sure they would have been included in the “Emergency Sustenance Vest”.

You should ALWAYS disinfect ALL water during a survival situation, you have enough to worry about without including potentially life-threatening diarrhea!  

 

The designers of the “Emergency Sustenance Vest”, included 24 tablets of halazone in the first aid kit, which would treat 24 quarts or liters of water.  Halazone tablets were commonly used during World War II by U.S. soldiers for portable water purification, and a typical dosage was one 4 mg tablet into each one-quart canteen.

 

One problem with most chemical water disinfection tablets, is they have a short shelf life, and worse yet once the bottle is opened, they degrade rapidly due to contact with the air.  The exception to this is Polar Pure Iodine Crystal Kit which uses 99.5% crystalline iodine; these crystals are not affected by age, air, or temperature.  Each kit of Polar Pure can treat 2,000 quarts water.

 

Don’t forget that boiling is the best and safest method of disinfecting water and is preferred over all methods of chemical disinfection, because most disease-causing pathogenss cannot survive at a boil of 212^oF, or 100^oC.  The water must be heated to rolling or vigorous rolling boil for 1 minutes at sea level and for an additional three minutes at elevations above 6,562 feet, or 2,000 meters.  For more information, read “Water Disinfection: When is boiled, boiled enough…? ©”, HERE.

 

Additionally, and better still, you could substitute a Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System, which at 5 ¼ inches, (13.3 cm) long wouldn’t have fit into the first aid kit or into pocket number one, but that would be able to filter 100,000 gallons of water and which weighs only 2 ounces (57 grams).

 

1 -- vial sodamint tablets

 

Sodamint tablets were made with sodium bicarbonate, the same chemical in baking soda or in Alka-Seltzer ® brand antacids.  They were used as an antacid to treat heartburn, indigestion, and upset stomach, and it is a very quick-acting antacid, providing temporary relief.  Alternatively, you could use a 12-tablet roll of Rolaids® Regular Strength Tablets, which contain calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide , instead of sodium bicarbonate, and which comes in a mint flavor.

 

4 -- sterile bandaids

 

Four large bandaids to cover minor cuts and scrapes were included in the original “Emergency Sustenance Vest”, first aid kit and are always a good idea.  Bandaids make everything better!

 

2 -- 2 - inch compress

 

A Compression Bandage, 2", from Genuine First Aid, HERE.

I am uncertain, from the photograph and the content listing, of whether the designers were describing a 2-inch off center trauma dressing or a 2” x 2” gauze sterile pad.  

Off center trauma dressings can be used as a major or minor wound pads or can be compressed and secured over the wound with first aid tape.  Gauze sterile pads can be used, folded to 2” x 2” or unfolded to 2” x 6”, to cover wounds or apply medicines.  Both would be very helpful and perhaps it would be a good idea to include both in your personal first aid kit, if you have the space.

 

1 -- small cake of soap

 

One of the best ways to prevent infections or intestinal issues, is to keep your hands and body, and any cuts or scrapes clean.  Also, the soap in the first aid kit can be used with the safety razor, which the designers “Emergency Sustenance Vest” included for hygiene reasons, but which can also be used to shave body hair, so that wounds can be bandaged easily.

 

Overall, in the event of a wilderness survival event, all of these items will make waiting for rescue or trekking to friendly territory much more comfortable and easier.  For other suggestions on what to include in a personal first aid kit, read an “Individual Aid and Survival Kit, Circa 1963, Part One ©, HERE, and Part Two HERE.

 

The Author’s personal first aid kit, or “Boo, boo” kit; and an Altoids® box for comparison.  Photograph by the Author.

I put my personal first aid kit into the outer, middle pocket, shown as number one in the picture.  Photograph by the Author.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Turnep-bread, a 17th Century Recipe, How Does it Taste? ©”, where we will talk about how the turnep-bread that we made tasted and the different dishes it can be used in. 

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ Uppers during military operations have some practical applications, but during civilian emergencies in the wilderness they are not necessary.  I do not carry anything like that since I don’t have to worry about falling asleep and being surprised by the enemy if I become lost.

 

² The pockets were scaled by comparing the known dimensions of the large pocketknife and the compass matchbox.

 

³ “Boric Acid”, by the University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (M-CERSI), University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

 

⁴ As a disinfectant, BZK works by disrupting the pathogen’s membrane and is effective against gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria; enveloped, or lipophilic, viruses, yeasts, fungi, and protozoa.  The concentration of benzalkonium chloride in BZK towelettes ranges from .1% to .13%.

 

⁵ Eric A Weiss, MD, A Comprehensive Guide To Wilderness & Travel Medicine, 3^rd Edition

 

⁶ Mayo Clinic Staff, “Daily aspirin therapy: Understand the benefits and risks”, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/daily-aspirin-therapy/art-20046797

 

Sources

 

“AD 401819, Department of Army Approved Small Development Requirement for Individual Aid and Survival Kit for Special Warfare”, [Reproduced by Defense Documentation Center for Scientific and Technical Information, Cameron Station, Alexandria, Virginia, Originally by the Headquarters United States Army Combat Developments Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, April 17, 1963], https://ia902804.us.archive.org/19/items/DTIC_AD0401819/DTIC_AD0401819.pdf, accessed September 14, 2018

 

“374659, Employment Of A Special Forces Group (U)”, [Army Concept Team In Vietnam, April 20, 1966], https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/374659.pdf, accessed May 20 2020, page H-4 to H-6

 

National Museum of the United States Air Force; “C-1 Emergency Sustenance Vest”, https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195884/air-rescue/, accessed October 31, 2022

 

The National Museum of American History, Behring Center; “Boric Acid 5% Ophthalmic Ointment”, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1215884, and accessed December 16, 2022

 

The National Museum of American History, Behring Center; “Boric Acid Ointment 10%”, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1215859, and accessed December 16, 2022

 

University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (M-CERSI), University of Maryland School of Pharmacy; “Boric Acid”, January 2020, page 9, https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/bitstream/handle/10713/12085/Boric%20acid_Final_2020_01.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y, accessed December 16, 2022

 

United States Army, ST 31-91B, US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook, [Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado, March 1, 1982], pages 11-1 to 11-2

 

Weiss, Eric A, MD, A Comprehensive Guide To Wilderness & Travel Medicine, 3^rd Edition [Adventure Medical Kits, Oakland, CA, 2005], page 150-151