Practical/Tactical Medicine: Understanding Blood Types

Quick question: Do you know your blood type?

How about your spouse and your kids blood type?

Do you know if you could donate blood to them if it was an emergency?

Knowing how to stop traumatic bleeding along with understanding blood types and donor compatibility is one of the most important medical skill sets for the martial civilian.

I urge all of you to take a hard look at your medical skill-sets. In particular, TCCC  in treating gunshot and knife wounds using anti-coagulants and/or tourniquets.

What about your trauma kits? Are they stocked and up to date?

Do you carry on your person or in your vehicle a Personal Trauma Kit (PTK)?

These are all good questions better asked NOW than LATER!

“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur

 

Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!

 

Selecting and Using an Android Tablet

by HCS Technical Staff

Why Android?

• Android tablets are a good option for those who do not have the budget for an Apple device or are simply used to the controls on their Android phone.
• Android devices can be set up to perform the same functions as any good tablet computer.
• Android devices are also readily expandable in their storage capacity for a small amount of money
  • A 32GB SDHC card can be purchased for $30 on Amazon.
• The storage card can have stuff easily placed on it without having to go through a special program
  • A lot of people dislike iTunes because it forces you to go through it to upload movies and music.

Purchasing an Android Tablet and Accessories

• Read the reviews and make sure the store has a good return policy.
  • This will save you a lot of grief later on.
  • Android Device quality can vary widely, so look before you leap!
• Decide on your price point and ADJUST YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
  • Don’t expect the same level of performance and battery life out of a $170 Coby that you would expect out of a $400 Samsung!
  • This is no different from people who wonder why their NCStar AK Top cover mount won’t hold a zero…
• Get a redundant power source
  • Crank and Solar Chargers will come in handy
• Get extra USB charging cables
  • These can be purchased on Amazon for very little.
• Get a rubberized case that fits your model of tablet.

Things to Put on Your Android Tablet

This list is by no means exhaustive but more to give you a good starting point. These apps can also be placed onto an Android Phone.

• Any survival applications or PDF files
• Encryption Applications
  • There are far too many to fit in here.
  • Be sure to read the app reviews and decide on what you need.
• MXPlayer
  • This app is good for playing any sort of movie file.
• PDF Reader
• Appkiller
  • This allows you to close programs running in the background.
  • The more programs you have running at once, the slower your machine will be. This applies to any computer.
• Battery Level and Power Management Application
  • The Android OS has a reputation for excessive battery consumption.
  • Use this in Conjunction with an Appkiller application.
• DropBox
  • This allows you to store and retrieve your documents
• OrBot
  • This allows your Android device to route activity through the TOR Anonymization network.
  • You will need to “root” your Android device to get the most out of it.
• OrWeb
  • This allows you to browse anonymously in conjunction with OrBot
  • You will need to “root” your Android device to get the most out of it.
• History Eraser
  • These are good for an extra layer of security.

Closing Notes

• Make yourself familiar with your specific Android Device and what exact version of the Android OS it is running.
• Understand what it means to “Root” your Android Device
  • This is similar to “jailbreaking” an iPhone in that it carries the same risks and rewards.
  • Disclaimer: HCS and its affiliates are not responsible for anything that you may do.