The fact is that emergencies happen more often than we’d like to admit. By definition, they are serious and totally unexpected. But having even the most basic of preparedness supplies and knowledge could be a life saver, or at the very least, may help to prevent panic and confusion.

The next time someone asks you why you prepare, point them to this story submitted to the SHTFplan.com community by contributor Plan Twice, Prep Once.

Merry Christmas to all, and thank you!

Crazy Christmas, I had read about “Israeli trauma bandages” months ago here on Shtfplan.com. Bought some for family Christmas gifts. My Son showed up and had bought some for me, as well, so we’re swimming in them.

After dinner dishes were done, the wife is putting away the big glass platter and dropped it, a shard of glass impaled her foot. Freaking blood everywhere. I peeled her sock off which pulled out the glass, and the blood is gushing. I tell my son to get one of the bandages, and it works just like the YouTube video, and we’re off to the emergency room.

X-rays show I got all the glass is out, looks like no tendon damage, no broken bones.

They unwrap it and the wound is sealed solid by the quick-clot in the bandage, so the stitches are a breeze. They are all mystified by the crazy amazing bandage on my wife’s foot, one dr is annoyed they can be bought without a prescription! What a clueless ass. It’s all about getting someone to medical care without them going into shock or even dying due to blood loss. She got a tetanus shot and antibiotics, and we are home now having pumpkin and apple pie. Putting ice packs on her foot.

The SHTF at the darnedest times! Merry Christmas all. My special thanks to whoever it was that posted a link to the YouTube video about Israeli trauma bandages, so many months ago.

The Israeli Trauma Bandages cited by Plan Twice, Prep Once can literally save your life, but you would be hard-pressed to find them in traditional “doctor recommended” first aid kits.

Israeli Bandage Demonstration:

Israeli Bandage Demonstration II (Graphic but not real and only intended to be a teaching tool):

Amazingly, as noted in the excerpt above, one of the presiding doctors was upset that anyone could buy these bandages without a prescription. While we won’t try to presume his motivations for such a ridiculous assessment, if one suggested that the good doctor had a God Complex or was upset that it kicked into his revenue because the hospital couldn’t charge the patient for a blood transfusion and who knows what other services, they’d probably be fairly close to the reason.

Luckily for us, these life-saving trauma wound dressings are available without a prescription and can be purchased in single units or multi-packs. This is the kind of preparedness item you want to have in all of your emergency bags and should be easily accessible at home. Everyone in your family should be aware of where they are along with other key medical supplies that may include:

• A Combat Application Tourniquet in the event of a major injury that requires the stoppage of blood flow.
• A HALO Chest Seal for penetrating chest trauma (such as gun shots) with excessive bleeding. This sealant can also be utilized in wet or extreme environments.
• An emergency SAM Splint that can be used to splint pretty much every bone in the human body in the event of a break.
• For more detailed medical supply lists check out The Prepper’s Blueprint by Tess Pennington or visit her free online 52 Weeks To Preparedness series for some guidance.

Our society teaches us to be victims. But as you saw in the story above, you don’t have to be one of them.

We’ve all more than likely experienced an emergency in recent years. Some may not have been as serious as the story you read above, but nonetheless, having supplies on hand probably made life a whole lot easier.

We’re sure you’ve got similar stories where your emergency preps saved the day. Please feel free to share them below!