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This edition of my series, IFAK Essentials will focus on the Emergency Trauma Bandage aka the infamous Israeli Bandage (IZZY).

Any Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) should include, at a minimum, two Israeli Bandages.

This article will describe the ins and outs of the Emergency Trauma Bandage by demonstrating why you need one, how to use them, and where to pick them up.

Lets begin:

Here’s what the First Care Products LTD’s Emergency Trauma Dressing (ETD) looks like:

First Care has gone as far as to provide easy to read instructions on the back of each dressing’s package. Nice of them.

The ETD is essentially an ACE bandage, a tourniquet and a trauma dressing all wrapped into one. They’ve taken elements from the C.A.T. tourniquet, the typical sports (ACE) bandage and the traditional camouflage combat dressing and rolled them into one more efficient, more compact package.

Since it’s invention in 2003, the Emergency Trauma Bandage has become a mainstay for U.S. Combat Forces stationed world wide.

For example: here’s a picture of the new U.S. Army Individual First Aid Kit (Improved) with its standard Emergency Trauma Dressing.

The ETD is very simple to administer properly. First Care’s website writes:

Nine Steps to Apply the Israeli Bandage Properly
1. Remove the emergency trauma bandage package from the casualty’s kit
2. Remove the bandage from the pouch
3. Place the pad (dressing) on the wound
4. Wrap the elastic bandage around the wounded extremity
5. Insert the elastic bandage completely into the pressure bar
6. Pull the elastic bandage back over the top of the pressure bar, forcing the bar down onto the pad
7. Wrap the elastic bandage tightly over the pressure bar
8. Continue to wrap the elastic bandage around the limb so that all edges of the pad are covered
9. Secure the hooking end of the closing bar into the elastic bandage to secure the bandage

Here’s a pictorial representation of how to utilize the above 9 steps:

Open the package and give your ETD it’s first wrap around the trauma site, with the trauma pad against the wound.

Thread the elastic bandage through the pressure bar.

Pull the elastic bandage over the pressure bar, forcing it flat.

Wrap until you’re out of elastic bandage and secure the bandage to itself with the hooking ends of the closure bar.

Here’s a pictorial representation of how you can apply the ETD to cover a very wide range of traumatic injuries to both trunk, head and extremity.

Shoulder

Forearm (with improvised sling, I like this idea)

Chest/torso

Arm

Wrist

The Emergency Trauma Bandage comes in many different sizes and configurations which allows you, the medic, to pick and choose which dressing will best serve your patient’s needs.

Standard 4″ Model

6″ with optional GSW (Gun Shot Wound) slider pad

The massive 8″ which is more adequately suited for large chest/abdominal wounds as seen below:

Here’s a few selling points from the manufacturer:

* Immediate direct pressure to the wound site
* Quick, easy personal and professional application
* Consolidation of numerous treatment equipment into a single unit
* Significant per treatment time and cost savings
* The product is designed with the end-users in mind.
-The Victim and the Care-Giver (sometimes one and the same)

The members of Zombie Squad, civilians and combat medics alike realize the importance of the Emergency Trauma Bandage. Here’s some of their First Aid Kits which include the ETD (in some prudent cases, several ETD’s)

Gunny’s Trauma Bag

TacMedic22’s Trauma Bag (ETD’s are removed from their main wrapper)

Doc Simon’s Trauma Bag (ETD’s are removed from their main wrapper)

WHERE TO BUY
CPR SAVERS
PACIFIC RESCUE
CHINOOK MEDICAL
COUNTRYCOMM
EBAY

Edited To Add: Zombie Squad was contacted by a current Army combat medic with impressive qualifications who stated that the Emergency Trauma Bandage should never be used to treat head wounds in any instance.

She noted:

The Israeli Bandage is NOT for head wounds. If it’s a small
laceration and they have not hit their head or done anything to cause
raised Intracranial pressure (ICP) is fine (very rarely will you ever
see this scenario in the battlefield or on the civilian side).
However, if you apply any elastic bandage to a head injury even the
smallest amount of pressure can raise the ICP (Just think about the
last time you wore a hat that didn’t quite fit right and you got a
headache, that’s a good example of how easily ICP can be raised). This
can cause anything from an anuerism to leakage of blood or
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the brain matter. Obviously this can
cause serious brain damage or kill someone. A simple dressing of 4×4
gauze with a bandage of roller gauze will suffice. The bandage may
even be applied in the same manner you have applied it in your
picture.

In light of the above, I’m removing any mention of using the ETD on head wounds and apologize for this oversight on my part.

–Brad 7/5/2008

Choosing a Pond/Lake site is the obviously the first, and most important step. There are several good reasons why you should use care in selecting a pond site. Construction costs, fish production, usefulness, and length of life of the pond are all affected by its location.

A good pond site should have the following features: (1) soil containing enough clay to hold water, (2) land lying so as to permit the most economical construction, (3) a drainage area of the right size to assure a good water supply, (4) a location suited to the purpose the pond is intended to serve. Avoid sites receiving drainage from feed lots, barn lots, or septic tanks. In case the best site available is somewhat less than ideal, you may find it possible to overcome the deficiencies by careful planning.

Ponds one acre or more in area are better for fish production than those of smaller size; also, for a fish pond it is best to have 15 acres of watershed area for each surface acre of water. Larger ponds also provide more stable sources of water for livestock.

Soil Quality:
The soil over much of Missouri contains enough clay for good pond construction. If you are in doubt about the soil of a particular site, sample the subsoil by using a soil auger or posthole digger in several locations along the proposed dam site.

A simple test for suitable clay content is to squeeze a handful of fairly moist soil into a firm baU. If the ball doesn’t crumble with a little handling, the soil contains enough clay for use in the dam core. If the ball crumbles easily, the soil is not suitable and you must locate a better site.

Topography:
There are several things you should consider about the topography of a pond site. Construction cost is less if the dam can be located where the banks of the proposed pond basin come close together. The area to be flooded should be as flat and wide as possible to obtain the most water volume in relation to dam height, but sufficient depth to prevent excessive growth of water weeds in the sha11ower areas. The banks of the proposed water line should be fairly steep to avoid shallow water in which these weeds may become a problem. If the ground below the dam slopes gently, you can use a sod spillway; if it is steep, you may have to make a more expensive concrete spillway. Avoid sites requiring dams more than 20 feet high; construction costs will be high. It is unwise to build ponds by damming creeks. Usually creek watersheds are too large and the runoff too great to control except by large, expensive dams and spillways. The runoff also is likely to be muddy and the pond soon would become silted. This kind of pond is a poor producer of fish.

A spring is not a good source of water for a fish pond. The water temperature in spring-fed ponds is too low for good production and growth of pond fish, and spring water increases the probIem of weed control. If the spring is large enough that the pond overflows, suitable water fertility and a stabilized spillway are hard to maintain. The ideal watershed will provide enough silt free water to keep the lake full with water seldom running over the spillway. Use of the Bottom Withdrawal Spillway may make a spring source a more visible situation (see Aquaguide).

Drainage Area:
Size and condition of the drainage area are very important. The ratio of watershed area to pond surface recommended by agricultural agencies and the Conservation Department ranges between 10 to 1 and 15 to 1. The type of soil, steepness of the watershed slope, the amount and kind of vegetative cover, and the proposed use of the pond all make a difference in determining the best ratio. The watershed should be proportionately larger if the pond is intended for irrigation or for watering large herds of livestock. If you find a good dam site where the watershed is too large or too small, you may be able to get the proper proportion by building a terrace to divert water either from the pond or into it to control the water level.

For fish ponds a minimum drainage area (10 to 15 acres per surface acre of water) is desirable because the pond will fill more slowly and the total water volume will change much less often. A low rate of water change is important to fish production. If the watershed is too large, even normal runoff will flush out much of the microscopic plant and animal life a fertile pond supports, and much fish food can be lost. Large fish can escape or unwanted fish can get in by swimming up a stream over the spillway during heavy overflows. Too small a watershed will not provide adequate water to keep the pond reasonably full (see Aquaguide on Bottom Withdrawal Spillway).

The watershed must be protected from erosion. Permanent grass cover or unburned woodland free from erosion is best. All gullies and bare soil in the watershed should be revegetated. Locate ponds so that they do not receive barnyard, feed lot or septic tank drainage which may stimulate the growth of undesirable filamentous algae (”moss” or “pond scum”). Avoid sites which permit drainage from roads. Road drainage adds greatly to the watershed area, is a source of contamination, especially silt, which keeps the water muddy.

Location:
Locate the pond where it will serve the most uses, bearing in mind that soil and drainage areas must be suitable. Ponds located near the house generally are used more for recreation and are cared for better than those some distance away. You may be able to locate ponds so that they furnish water not only to livestock, but also the barn, house, or truck garden. These are also good reasons for building a larger pond. For wildlife production, locate the pond near permanent wildlife cover, or where you can supply such cover by plantings. Fishless ponds are a good possibility where adequate depth for fish life is not present.

Diversion Terraces:
A diversion terrace may solve the problem of a deficient pond site. If the watershed is too large, part of the runoff can be diverted with a terrace: if it is too small, the watershed could be increased by terracing in more area. Terraces often can be operated to suit different weather conditions: in times of drought, the entire runoff from a large watershed can be diverted into the pond; in wet years runoff can be by-passed after the water reaches spillway level.

Constructing The Pond:
Ponds located on good sites may fail because of faulty construction. Securing a good pond requires special attention during construction.

Brush, trees, stumps, etc., should be completely cleared from the dam site and borrow area, and partially cleared from the pond basin. There should be no roots and tree limbs in the dam fill: they leave holes in the dam when they rot and may cause it to leak. A few stumps, or brushpiles, if not in the vicinity of the dam, will provide extra fish cover.

Building the Dam:
The dam site should be cleared and staked off before beginning excavation. Remove the topsoil in the staked area to a depth of a foot or more (depending on its thickness) and stockpile it. Also remove and stockpile the topsoil from the borrow area. When the dam is finished, use this topsoil to cover the back slope, top and front slope down to the water line. This will be a big help in getting the nurse crop and sod started. Since topsoil usually is too porous to hold water, it should not be placed in the dam itself.

After the topsoil is graded aside, excavate a trench (core cutoff ditch) along the dam centerline for the entire length of the dam. Extend the trench up the side of each hill to spillway level. Dig the trench at least seven feet wide, down into (but not through) the clay subsoil. Next, dig a ditch at right angles to the cut-off ditch, for the water tank supply line. This ditch must be deep enough for the pipe to be below the frostline on the downstream side of the dam. Every pond used for watering livestock should have a pipe no smaller than 11/4 inches in diameter.

The water supply pipe should be bedded firmly with anti-seep collars installed. Extended one end to the stock tank site, and the other end along the pond bottom to about the center of its deepest part. At that point, build a concrete platform 6 inches thick for a solid base for the filter, or use large flat rocks for this. Use a 50-gallon metal barrel for the filter box. Knock out both ends and place it on end on the base over an upright extension of the pipe. The upright pipe should be capped, and must have several rows of 1/4-inch holes bored in it to allow water to flow to the tank. If a 1-1/4-inch pipe is used, drill about 40 holes to give a full flow of water. Cutting several holes in the side of the barrel will also improve flow of the water. After the pipe and barrel are in place, fill the barrel with coarse gravel.

All ponds should have a drain pipe in addition to a water supply pipe. It may be installed separately or as a combination drain and water supply pipe. As a fish management tool, the drain pipe may be used to empty the lake for destroying undesirable fish or to draw down the water level, thereby forcing the small bluegill from the shoreline weeds where they may be more easily preyed upon by bass. This pipe should be large enough to drain the lake rapidly. A 6 to 8 inch pipe is recommended for ponds up to approximately 3 acres and a 8 to 12 inch pipe for larger lakes. A gate valve on the downstream end of this pipe is recommended. Anti-seep collars must be installed on this pipe also.

Once the pipe is properly installed, you can begin building up the dam. It is best to make the entire fill of the same quality clay for the core. If there is not enough good clay, use the best for the core, the next best to fill the front (water) side, and the poorest material on the back side. The front side of the dam should be built to a 3 to 1 slope, and the back side to a 2 to 1 slope. Steeper slopes will erode badly or will slough off and ruin the dam. The top of the dam should be about 3 feet above the floor of the spillway or waterline when the pond is full. This space between the waterline and the top of the dam is call the freeboard, and is very important in protecting the dam from overflow and from muskrat damage. The dam should be slightly crowned in the center to allow for settling. It should be at least 12 feet wide at the top to avoid muskrat damage and to provide a roadway across it.

The dam can be protected from wave action in at least three ways. A dense sod is protection enough where ponds are not exposed to strong winds. One of the best grasses for this purpose is Reeds canary grass. It should be sown with a nurse crop, or plugs of canary grass sod may be set out at intervals of about 2-1/2 feet across the slope of the dam about at waterline. If the threat of wave-cut banks is serious, you can riprap the banks. On Missouri prairies it’s a good idea to locate the pond so the prevailing southwest wind won’t blow waves against the dam.

Spillway Construction:
The most common cause of dam failure is poorly designed spillways. Frequently, they are built too narrow and with not enough freeboard. A well designed and constructed spillway is important for good fish management and muskrat control. The spillway should be located on solid soil next to the dam and should be wide and level enough to carry the overflow in a slow, shallow stream not more than 3 to 6 inches deep. With such a shallow outlet flow, large fish are less likely to leave the pond, and undesirable fish have less chance of swimming up into the pond. To prevent erosion by flowing water, the slope of the spi11way should be as gentle as the topography allows. The floor must be level from side to side. Even the slightest depression can lead to serious erosion. The spillway should be fertilized and seeded as soon as it is finished to provide a tough protective sod. Don’t make the mistake of erecting a screen across the spillway “to keep from losing fish”. The spillway is the “safety-valve” of the pond. Screens inevitably get plugged with trash, causing water to back up, overflow, and damage the earth fill. You may want to build an auxiliary spillway at the other end of the dam if the slope behind the dam is steep.

A pipe spillway system can be an important alternate (See Bottom Withdrawal Spillway Aquaguide). It may be desirable to install a pipe spillway in conjunction with the vegetative spillway. This may be particularly true if the watershed is larger than that recommended. Under normal conditions the pipe inlet should be placed approximately 1 foot below the elevation of the vegetative spillway. In this manner the pipe spillway will handle the burden of all but the very heavy rains. This will limit the amount of erosion on the vegetative spillway and will also help keep out undesirable fish that might otherwise enter the pond from a gently sloping vegetative spillway. The size needed will depend upon the volume of outflow but a 10-inch size is recommended as a minimum to prevent clogging. This pipe should have a concrete apron or other erosion control device at the lower end. The upper end may be open or it may have a riser or enter a concrete box drop inlet. Drop inlets or risers provide for more efficient drainage of the water. The pipe spillway should be placed in undisturbed soil to one side of the dam if possible and should have anti-seep collars. If placed in the dam, the soil should be well compacted.

The diversion terrace should have the same gentle slope as the spillway. Its design depends on the amount of water it is expected to carry. It must be well sodded to prevent erosion that might ruin the terrace and muddy the pond. The opening through which water is diverted into the pond should be at least 6 feet wide. The opening may be blocked if you want to run the water around the pond instead of into it.

If terracing is needed, consult the local County Extension Agent or Field Service Agent for advice on staking out the terrace and engaging equipment.

Deepening the Pond Edges:
One important construction feature in fish ponds is to deepen the edges of waterline to eliminate very shallow water. Most weed problems start in shallow water. By grading the edges down at a rather steep slope (2 to 1) to a depth of 4 feet, you can avoid later trouble with shallow water plants.

The water level should be staked out at the same time as the dam and spillway. The excess dirt removed in edge-deepening should be used on the surface of the dam or spread above the waterline to give a higher bank. The entire marginal area should then be smoothed down and planted with grass to protect the shoreline. Another way of using any extra dirt is to make an island, but islands should not be constructed in small ponds. They increase the amount of shallow water and take up too much of the area.

For information about applying herbicides and other managment techniques:

http://www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/fish/ponds/area_estimator.pdf

And to have your Pond stocked, free of charge:

http://www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/fish/ponds/pondapp.pdf?bcsi_scan_E9D92E3993078901=0&bcsi_scan_filename=pondapp.pdf

Contrary to popular belief, you DO NOT have to allow public access to your pond if the DoC stocks it.

On of the first lessons I learned about firewood is to cut the wood several months before burning so the wood has time to season. Freshly cut firewood doesn’t burn efficiently because it contains too much water. It can also cause a build up of a tar like substance called creosote inside the flue pipe that can lead to fires.

And as anyone that has had this happen, or even witnessed this, it can be quite devastating to the structure involved. Basically the creosote heats to a point of spontaneous combustion and ignites, throwing a flame out of the chimney like Lucifer himself is in your flue. This sucks air from the fireplace, or stove, causing a venturi (?sp) effect in the flue, think a very very basic jet engine and you have the idea. But be secure in the knowledge that this only happens if it doesn’t just blow the chimney completely apart.

For best results, and to keep creosote build up to a minimum, firewood should be cured for at least six months. The bark of properly dried wood will be loose enough to pull of by hand.

How good the wood is for fuel depends on its density and moisture content. Any wood will burn, but the denser (heavier), if properly dried, will deliver more heat. Some people will choose wood that is easier to split over wood that might burn well, but is more difficult to split.

The species of wood that have the most energy content include basswood, cottonwood, ceder, pine, silver maple, elm, and sycamore. I will include a chart at the bottom for BTUs provided by the most common woods for your reference. Note these are Missouri local woods, check with your local DNR, Department of Conservation, or Forest Ranger for your State and Local Woods.*

The amount of energy that you get from wood very much depends on the efficiency of the stove you have. If you have a open fireplace nearly all the heat goes up and out. Which looks nice, but in a PAW situation will end up cooling the place as it draws cool air into the house and the warm up,a nd out, the chimney.

Fireplaces with glass doors do a better job, and good fireplace insert increases efficiency even more. To get the most from your wood, though, you need a high efficiency wood stove. Wood stove technology has increased sense Grandma Lambert (My Mothers Mother) was burning wood in Bearden Arkansas. You can now find a safe, non-smoking stove and furnaces that burn wood efficiently AND circulate heat throughout the house. Grandma Lambert eat your heart out!

To buy your wood, assuming you’re in a consumer market and not in a PAW situation, different units of measurement to measure wood can confuse you. They are Rick, Rank, Cord, Pick-up Load, Fireplace Cord, and Face Cord.

The standard is a cord, which is 128 cubic feet. This may be 4 feet by 4 feet, by 8 feet, or any other mathematical combination that when multiplied out yields 128. A Rick is a Third or Half a Cord, even though Rick really means a pile of wood that has no certain size.

Another common term is a Face Cord which is 4 feet by 8 feet with no determined third value. The standard on a face cord third value, however, is usually between 14 and 24 inches, this is not set in stone so check before you buy. A Rank and Fireplace Cord are the same thing as a Face Cord.

Missouri Law requires that in any sale of firewood a bill of sale be provided showing that name and address of the purchaser and the seller, and the cords, or fraction thereof, be notated on the bill of sale.

Grandma Lambert always told me that cutting firewood warms you twice. When you cut it, and when you burn it. Well Grandma Lambert is right, but what she didn’t know was that it has a third advantage as well. Cutting wood can improve the health of your forest.

Taking out unhealthy, or poorly growing, trees from your forest frees desirable trees from competition and gives them more opportunity to thrive. When choosing trees to cut for firewood always look for undesirable species, low forked or crooked trees, trunks with fire scars, swellings or bumps, spreading trees with excessive limbs or multiple trunks that sprout from a single stump.

Avoid trying to make your forest look like a park though. Avoid removing brush and small trees in the understory. Low growing fruiting shrubs like iron wood, red bud, and dogwood are important to wildlife. They provide food and cover without severely competing with the taller trees.

Nor, in your zeal to thin, should you cut all the den trees. Den Trees provide homes for wild life. Leaving a few dead trees (we in the business call snags) per acre creates a habitat for woodpeckers, bats, and several other species of wildlife that are quite valuable to removing pests such as Mosquitoes and Termites.

If you want to provide lots of cover and valuable food for many different species of wildlife, try removing all the trees around a field edge. This practice is called Edge Feathering. You can either cut the trees yourself and sell, or barter in a PAW setting, the logs.. Or cure them and have wood enough for the next few months or years in the form of tree tops and cull logs. This method is the best in a PAW situation in my opinion.

You can also take down trees to create openings in your forest. The openings will provide early seasonal habitat for wildlife. It will also form game trails that you can then sit on and hunt. As the wildlife wises up to to that trail you make others, leaving the older ones to regrow. Arrange any leftover wood that you can’t burn into brush piles, which provide outstanding habitat for small critters for you to hunt.

Given that wood is bulky, heavy, usually dirty, and most the time contain incests you might wish to build a special outcropping or house for your wood to cure in. There is nothing worse that to infect your own house with pests that in a PAW situation you can’t get rid of.

*Fire Wood Table BTUs

Ash 23.6
Boxelder 17.5
Cottenwood 16.1
Elm 31.4
Hickory 29.1
Locust, Black 28.1
Oak, Red 25.3
Oak, White 27.0
Osage Orange (Hedge) 30.7
Pine, Shortleaf 19.0
Red Ceder 18.9

A BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1 degree F.

The MSR Pocket Rocket is an Isobutane/Propane blend canister stove. The canisters are sold in 4 or 8oz sizes. The actual weight for the 8 oz canister full is 12.6 oz. The stove and container is 4 oz. Here is the technical information from the MSR web site:

http://www.msrcorp.com/stoves/pocket_rocket.asp

“When it comes to canister-mounted stoves, MSR proves less is more. The PocketRocket is a favorite of BACKPACKER Magazine Tester Andy Dappen, who said, “This midget flamethrower is one of the lightest backpacking stoves available, and the best cartridge stove I’ve used.”

- Ultralight, Pocket-Sized
Weights just 3 oz. (86 g). Palm-size dimensions, 4×4x2 inches.
- Simple, Lightening-Fast Operation
No need for priming, pressurizing or maintenance.
- Blazing Heat Output
Boils a liter of water in under 3.5 minutes.
- Simmer or Boil
Glove-friendly controls allow precise flame adjustment and stability.
- Windclipâ„¢ Windshield
Micro-burner, tri-sectional clip protects flame in light wind gusts.
- Burns MSR IsoProâ„¢ Premium Fuel

Clean burning, ultimate performance from start to finish of canister life.
Weight: 3 oz. (86 g)”

The stove comes with a protective plastic case that even includes a drainage hole. For scale here is a photo of the stove and canister next to a 32 oz canteen.

The Pocket rockets uses an integral 3 point pot support that folds for easy storage.

The pot supports fold out in a reverse tri pod system. Any 3 point support system tends to be more stable on un level ground than a 4 point support. I have found the Pocket Rocket very stable when using backpacker sized cookware. But it is very possible to dump any cook pot if the user accidentally bumps into it with sufficient force.

To set up the Pocket Rocket the user simply checks that the fuel adjustment valve is off than screws the stove to the top of the canister. The adjustment valve folds out and is easy to work. No priming or pumping is required. The stove does not come with a self ignition system so it is necessary to turn the gas on and use a match or lighter. I tend to light the stove with my Fire steel. Just toss some sparks into the burner.

The company web site has a listed boil time of 3.5 minutes per what I am to assume is one liter. The total liters boiled per 8oz canister is listed as 16. This would imply a greater efficiency than my MSR Whisperlite International. It has a listed boil time of 3.75 minutes per liter with a total of 14.3 liters of water boiled using 11 oz of White gas. I have never verified any of these boil times or total quantities boiled per canister of IsoPro fuel however it does seem that the Pocket Rocket is a fast boiler from my unscientific observations.

One thing I have always liked about the Pocket Rocket is the small pack down especially when combined with the MSR Titian Titanium kettle.

http://www.msrcorp.com/cookware/titan_kettle.asp

For pack storage the fuel canister fits into the kettle. Just place the canister inside.

After that put the lid back on and fold the pot support and adjustment valve than slide the stove into its container. The total package is very small and fairly lightweight.

Pros:

1. Few moving parts so the stove is very reliable.
2. Stove and fuel is light weight.
3. Fast boil times.
4. Packs down small
5. The stove in not overly expensive.
6. Fairly stable pot support.
7. No priming or pumping.
8. Safe to operate.
9. Does not smell or char pots.

Cons:

1. The fuel is more expensive than white gas or standard Propane.

2. The Pocket Rocket can use other IsoPro type canisters like those made from Primus but unlike a multi fuel liquid gas stove, wood burning stove or to some extent an alcohol stove once the fuel runs out it is game over. The chances of finding more IsoPro canisters on the fly seem unlikely in an emergency situation.

3. You can’t use a wind screen. It does have a “Windclip Windshield” but this is not to be confused with a windscreen. Do to the fact that the fuel canister is a working part of the stove support system it would become dangerously hot if surrounded by a windscreen. If used in high winds someone must block the prevailing winds. I often just use my body, tarp or a tree.

4. Canister performance is reduced by extreme cold. I tend to warm it up inside the sleeping bag or under my jacket in temperatures below the 20’s.

5. They don’t call it a rocket for nothing. It sounds just like one.

Conclusion:

The pocket Rocket is in my view a reliable lightweight easy to pack stove. It does have its limitations but overall I like it.

The original discussion can be found here: http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=503294

Let’s talk about tackling those terrible, tenacious, tiny ticks. OK folk I realize the jokes are lame, but you have to admit that most the information is good…

You can’t spend time outdoors without being a target for ticks. These little vermin wait patiently on blades of grass or other vegetation for opportunities to attach to any animal, including you or your pets. Not only are they pests, their bite has the potential to transmit disease.

Only mosquitoes surpass ticks in the ability to transmit disease to animals and humans. About 850 species of ticks have been identified worldwide. They hunger for the blood of mammals, birds and reptiles. It’s during their meal that they can introduce a wide array of disease-causing organisms.

Ticks are closely related to mites, spiders and scorpions. They are divided into two families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks). The soft ticks generally parasitize birds. The hard ticks are primarily parasites of mammals. They are the villains Missourians most often encounter.

A tick’s life is divided into four stages: egg, larva (often called seed ticks), nymph and adult. Ticks advance through these stages by molting, during which they shed their outer skin.

After an egg hatches, the emerging larva is about the size of a poppy seed and has six legs. After a blood meal, typically from a small rodent, the larva drops off its host, casts its skin and becomes an 8-legged nymph. After attaching and feeding on another mammal, the nymph drops to the ground and transforms into an 8-legged adult. Adult ticks are 1/16 to 1/4 inch long, or about the size of a sesame seed. When engorged with blood, female ticks might expand to 3/8 inch or longer.

Soon after feeding and mating, which usually occurs on a host, the adult male dies. The female drops to the ground to lay thousands of eggs, and then she dies, too. Eggs may not hatch for several months, depending on humidity, temperature and other conditions.

Ticks are hardy parasites, unlike most the girlfriends that I’ve had in the past. Their skin is so tough it’s hard to crush one. The larva, nymph and adult can survive several months without feeding. When not climbing onto low vegetation to wait for an animal or human to pass, they remain on or near the ground. Dehydration is their worst enemy. They often have to leave their perches to rehydrate themselves with ground moisture.

Questing

Ticks cannot run, leap or fly. They only crawl, and only slowly. To find and attach to a host, they use a wait-and-watch technique called questing. They climb to the top of grass stems or take a position on the branches of bushes. They hold on with their three pairs of back legs and extend their hooked front legs away from their body.

When a potential host brushes against the vegetation,the tick’s extended legs snag fur, hair or clothing. This pulls them off the vegetation. Ticks sense exhaled carbon dioxide and emitted body odors, and will crawl a short distance to the source. They also detect vibrations and changes in light intensity caused by movement. These alert them to an approaching potential meal.

The habitat of hard ticks supports their questing behavior. They frequent woods, tall grass, weeds and brushy areas. Overgrown, vacant lots, waste farm-fields, and weedy edges of paths and trails are prime tick areas, particularly where wildlife is abundant. They are not typically found in well-maintained lawns.

Missouri has many species of ticks, but the two most often encountered hard ticks are the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), sometimes called the blacklegged tick, is another common Missouri species.

The lone star tick is reported to be one of the most aggressive ticks and actually will pursue a potential host a relatively long distance. The female of this species is easily identified by the white dot in the center of her back.

The American dog tick is found throughout most of the United States. Newly hatched larvae are yellow. Adults are brown. Blood-engorged females become slategray.

These ticks are most active from April through July. Another tick that parasitizes dogs and may be carried inside the home to become an indoor pest is the brown dog tick. It is one of the most widely distributed ticks in the world and can infest window and door moldings, baseboards and furniture if brought into the house by the family pet.

Ticks and Disease

Any tick bite is dangerous because of the threat of disease. The three most prevalent tick-borne diseases are Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by a rickettsia, a species of bacteria. The disease was originally called black measles because of its characteristic dark spotted rash on victims. It occurs throughout the United States. The American dog tick is the primary carrier, but the lone star tick is also suspected.

Disease symptoms appear in three to 12 days after the initial bite and include high fever, headache, backache, aching muscles and a rash that starts on the wrists and ankles by the fifth day. The rash spreads to other parts of the body, including palms of hands and soles of feet. It is essential to see your physician if such symptoms occur. A delay in seeking medical attention can cause serious complications and possibly death.

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium. Lyme disease is currently considered the number one arthropod-borne disease in the country. The deer tick is considered to be the main carrier, but the lone star tick is also suspected.

Lyme disease is difficult to diagnosis because its early symptoms mimic the flu. These symptoms include fatigue, headache, stiffness or pain in neck, muscles or joints, fever and swollen glands. An expanding circular or oval-shaped red rash or bump may appear at the site of a tick bite within two to 32 days and become a spreading red ring or bull’s-eye. Treating the disease in its early stage with antibiotics is essential. If untreated, damage to joints and nervous system can occur, including arthritis, chronic pain, numbness and cardiac abnormalities.

Ehrlichiosis is a more recently recognized tick-borne disease caused by the bacterial species Ehrlichia. The bacteria is primarily spread by the lone star tick, but the deer tick and the American dog tick are suspected carriers. Early symptoms of ehrlichiosis are tiredness, high fever, muscle aches, headache and, in some cases, a rash that appears five to 10 days after a tick bite. The disease attacks the blood cells and is usually treated with antibiotics.

Other tick-borne diseases include tularemia, babesiosis, relapsing fever and the little-understood tick paralysis.

Because timely treatment is essential for tick-borne diseases, it’s important to monitor yourself for unusual symptoms following any tick bite. Especially look for flulike symptoms or rashes that occur within several days after a tick bite. Report such symptoms to your family physician.

Tick Bite First Aid

You cannot contract a tick-borne disease unless a tick bites you, or you come in contact with tick body fluids through your mouth or eyes, or through a skin cut. Even if a tick bites you, promptly removing the tick diminishes the potential for disease transmittal.

Don’t just grab the tick and pull it out. Squeezing the rear portion of its body may force the tick to inject body fluids into your flesh. Besides, you should avoid touching the tick with your bare hands because some fluids may enter your system through small cuts.

Use sturdy tweezers or blunt forceps to remove the tick. Pinch the tick lightly as close to your skin as possible and remove the tick with a steady lifting motion—no twisting. Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the tick’s body. It’s a good idea to save the tick in case you do come down with something. Put it in a sealed plastic bag marked
with the date and keep it in the refrigerator.

After removing the tick, bathe the bite area (maybe even scrub it with cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide), apply antibiotic ointment and cover it with a bandage.

Beware of some often-cited tick removal methods. Some people, for example, recommend touching the tick with a hot match. This might cause the tick to rupture, increasing the chances of disease transmission. Coating the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly might cause the tick to regurgitate into your flesh.