USEFUL TRAVEL CLOTHING QUALITIES

Survival scenarios rarely arrive with prior notice. Most people will be improvising and dealing with materials on hand. However, there are some circumstances that arrive with advanced notice allowing you the opportunity to select carefully what items you pack. Selecting the right garments can give you a great advantage in your ability to regulate your body temperature, protect yourself from the elements, or avoid standing out in a crowd. When selecting what to take, consider carefully your fabric choices.

It’s impossible to state with certainty which fabrics will work best in every climate and every situation. However, research reveals some qualities that are consistently desirable.

NEUTRAL COLORS
The clothing you pack needs to be versatile enough to wear well in a variety of locations. Neutral colors coordinate well with each other, allowing you to pack fewer items which can be mixed and matched. Brown, black and khaki colors work especially well for pants, shorts and skirts. If you are traveling to a warm location avoid dark colors for your outerwear as these colors can make you uncomfortably hot.

COMFORT
It would seem that other considerations would have greater importance. Comfort is key however when selecting garments which give you greatest mobility. Look for clothing that feels good against your skin allowing for ease of movement. What may be a pinch or an itch now could turn into a blister later. Listen to your body and ignore the mirror when testing garments for comfort.

QUICK DRYING
Again and again the importance of having quick drying material is recommended by experts. Fabrics that can be washed and dried completely are given high ratings for desirability. This quality prevents trace amounts of moisture from being trapped in seams where bacteria can grow. This is of great importance when trying to avoid fungal infections on your skin and avoiding mold growth in your pack.

LIGHT WEIGHT
Another point on which experts agree is that garments should be very light weight. For comfort in cooler temperatures, layering ls recommended so that the body temperature could be regulated by removing or adding layers. Making sure that layers are not heavy means you will use less energy carrying those items. Remember that bulky items can often weigh less than more compact ones.

MOISTURE WICKING AND BREATHABILITY
Clothing should be made of materials that breathe well and wick moisture away from your skin. This serves a dual purpose. Moving moisture away from the skin means that you will more easily regulate your core body temperature. Additionally it means that your skin isn’t as susceptible to opportunistic inflammation and blisters that occur when friction is applied to wet skin.

WRINKLE FREE
This isn’t necessarily an essential quality. However, if you are traveling light, it often means that you will be packing garments into a small space. Knowing that you can arrive at your destination and not have tell-tale creases running through your clothing is an added bonus, especially if you are trying to be inconspicuous and not draw attention to yourself. This particular feature, however, is a subjective quality and not one that should be given highest priority. Many times, hanging a freshly washed garment to dry will eliminate most wrinkles. Another hint is to select garments that are made of fabrics with a pattern which will mask wrinkles.

When preparing an emergency pack or a bug out bag, take these qualities into consideration. You’ll be glad to have clothing on hand that will travel well and hold up under a variety of conditions.


The following 5 minute video -- Selecting Clothes to Pack -- discusses many of these considerations when packing.

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BACK PAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE

When your back muscles are spasming in pain, it's difficult to think. The pain can become so severe, that it leaves you nauseous. In some cases, the event can go on for days, leaving a sufferer feeling as though he is recovering from a bad case of the flu.

These are my best recommendations for stopping back pain in its tracks.

FIRST
Don't ignore your pain! As soon as you start hurting, acknowledge that something is wrong and take steps to remedy the situation. Ignoring a painful back, or trying to 'work through the pain,' can lead to further injury and greater pain. This leads to more down time which will keep you away from the things you most enjoy doing or tasks that require your attention.

Use alternating cold and hot water. This gives immediate relief. Use your shower and work on it for at least 15 minutes, starting with cold and ending with cold. The longer you can keep this up, the better. This settles things down right away.

This article offers a more detailed description of this method: Remedy for Inflammatory Pain
This article explains why cold and hot applications help relieve pain: Treatment for Swollen Feet and Hands

NEXT
Keep hydrated! Drink lots of WATER! Water helps flush your system of toxins that have accumulated in your painful muscles and joints. It's easy to forget to drink when you are hurting. You may even avoihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd fluids thinking that it's so painful to move, you don't want a full bladder with which to contend. However, water is your friend in the journey to stop an aching back. Dehydration can even make the pain worse by leading to constipation, which can actually cause additional back pain. To determine how much water you should be drinking, read this post: Healthy Hydration -- How Much Water Should You Drink?

Add ginger to your water. Drinking ginger tea can help ease the pain. If you can't find this, a well made ginger ale can help. Ginger root helps reduce spasms and pain. Read more about ginger's properties here.
Benefits of Ginger Root

FOLLOW THROUGH
After you've reduced the pain, use a cabbage leaf wrap overnight. Seriously, put a cabbage leaf on the area and go to bed. I know it sounds strange, but you'll be amazed by how well it works. One man could barely walk with knee pain before he was willing to give this a try. His tired stiff knee felt like new after being wrapped in cabbage. Here's an article on how to use cabbage leaves: Cabbage Leaves Relieve Pain and Swelling

An additional thing you can do that can really help relieve the pain is to take a good quality cod liver oil. We like to purchase Nature's Answer, Liquid Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Natural Lemon-Lime Flavor from iHerb as my husband doesn't care for those that taste of fish. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory. Read your labels and use care in your selection. When hurting, we simply take a couple of tablespoons and repeat every 2 hours or so until the pain subsides. This works well for other inflammatory conditions as well, including things like mild allergic reactions.

DISCLAIMER: As always, use your own judgment and common sense when applying these remedies. These are methods that have worked in my own home and for others. This article presents ideas and information designed to enrich the reader. This is not offered in lieu of sound medical advice. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.

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