BUCKHORN CLIFFS

Kits and Planning · Reference

Emergency scenarios: find your situation, fast

37 situations across water, first aid, food, pests, garden, home, sanitation, and nuclear. Each names the compound and links straight to the recipe with full instructions.

Quick facts

Contaminated water
Calcium hypochlorite; backup Lugol's iodine. Disinfect first
Burn or sunburn
Cool running water 20 min, never ice
Suspected poisoning
Activated charcoal within 60 min if appropriate; not for all poisons, seek help
Bucket toilet, latrine
100 ft from any water source and above the water table
Radioactive iodine
KI tablets (130 mg adult) within 4 h, one dose daily 7 to 14 days
Avoid
Peroxide and alcohol in a wound

Identify your situation, note the recommended compounds, and open the listed recipe for full instructions.

Water emergenciesMedical and first aidFood and preservationPest controlLand and gardenHome and shelterSanitation and human wasteNuclear and radiological

Water emergencies

Contaminated water sourceCalcium hypochlorite (Recipe 5.2); backup Lugol's iodine (Recipe 6.3). Disinfect first, clarify if needed.
Muddy or cloudy waterSettle, then filter (Recipe 25.3 / 7.3); add alum with a little bentonite clay if still cloudy; then disinfect (Recipe 5.2 or 6.3).
Water tastes bad after treatmentBaking soda, ¼ tsp / gal (Recipe 9.17), or a pinch of ascorbic acid (Recipe 12.1) to cut chlorine; or leave uncovered overnight to off-gas.
Dirty or algae-filled containerCalcium hypochlorite cistern disinfection (Recipe 5.3); soak 2+ h, drain, rinse.

Medical and first aid

Cut or wound needs cleaningFlush with clean water or saline (Recipe 35.1) and wash around it with soap (Recipe 31.3). Keep peroxide and alcohol out of the wound; a dilute iodine antiseptic (Recipe 6.1) can go on the surrounding skin.
Suspected poisoningActivated charcoal within 60 min if appropriate (Recipe 7.1); not for all poisons, seek help.
Insect bite or sting with swellingActivated charcoal + bentonite clay paste (Recipe 7.2), apply 2 to 4 h.
Burn or sunburnCool running water 20 min (never ice), then honey on a small burn (Recipe 37.4), or a cool baking soda soak for sunburn (Recipe 9.7). Deep burns: seek care.

Food and preservation

Produce going bad, preserve itCitric acid or vinegar pickling (Recipe 11.1 / 13.8); ascorbic acid stops browning (Recipe 12.3).
Bugs in stored grain or flourFood-grade diatomaceous earth, about 1 cup per 50 lb (Recipe 17.2).
No commercial yeast for breadBaking soda with an acid like vinegar or citric (Recipe 9.18).

Pest control

Ants or roachesBorax-sugar bait (Recipe 15.1); boric acid or DE powder (Recipe 23.2 / 17.1). Keep from kids and pets.
Bed bugs or fleasFood-grade diatomaceous earth (Recipe 17.3); dust seams weekly for 2 to 3 weeks.
Garden pests (aphids, beetles)Food-grade diatomaceous earth (Recipe 17.1); dust plants and soil, reapply after rain.
Flies around livestock or compostCalcium hydroxide limewash (Recipe 8.2); vinegar deterrent spray (Recipe 13.4).
Mice or rats in food storesBaking soda bait, 1:1:1 with flour and sugar (Recipe 9.12). Place away from living areas.
Moths in stored clothingCamphor blocks in sealed containers (Ch 21); replace every 2 to 3 months.
Mosquitoes around shelterVinegar deterrent spray at windows and doors (Recipe 13.4); remove standing water.

Land and garden

Soil too acidicCalcium hydroxide, 1 to 2 lb / 100 sq ft (Recipe 8.3); apply fall or early spring.
Plants have fungal diseaseSulfur dusting every 7 to 10 days (Recipe 26.1); avoid overhead watering.
Garden needs nitrogenSodium nitrate, 1 to 2 tbsp per plant (Recipe 28.2); early season and growth peaks.
Magnesium deficiencyEpsom salt, 1 tbsp / gal (Recipe 34.2); every 2 weeks while growing.
Weeds in pathwaysVinegar full-strength on foliage (Recipe 13.6); on sunny days, pull roots too.
Tree stump removalPotassium nitrate: drill, fill, keep damp 4 to 6 weeks (Recipe 27.2).

Home and shelter

Start a fire in wet conditionsPetroleum jelly fire starters (Recipe 18.1); paraffin wax backup (Recipe 30.1).
Mold or mildew on surfacesVinegar, borax, or hydrogen peroxide (Recipe 13.3 / 15.3 / 33.2); spray, sit 15 to 30 min, scrub.
Clogged drainBaking soda + vinegar (Ch 9 / Ch 13); or lye for stubborn clogs (Recipe 19.2, or make your own, 19.3). Never mix methods.
Make soap from scratchLye + tallow, cures 4 to 6 weeks (Recipe 19.1); or dissolve a castile bar (Recipe 31.1).
Laundry, no detergent½ cup washing soda + ½ cup borax + 2 tbsp castile per load (Recipe 9.10). No washing soda? Make it from baking soda (Recipe 9.21).
Waterproof gearParaffin wax + camphor or wax alone (Ch 30 / Ch 21); reapply each season.
Rusty toolsVinegar or citric acid soak 24 to 48 h (Recipe 13.2 / 11.3); scrub and dry, then coat with petroleum jelly (Recipe 18.3).
Corroded battery terminalsVinegar scrub (Recipe 13.7); dry, then coat with petroleum jelly (Recipe 18.3).
Candles for light and heatBeeswax candles, best (Recipe 22.3); paraffin acceptable (Recipe 30.1).
Disinfect surfaces and spacesCalcium hypochlorite (Recipe 5.1); or hydrogen peroxide / ethanol (Recipe 33.2 / 20.2), or isopropyl (Ch 36).

Sanitation and human waste

Toilets won't flush, no sewer or septicSet up a bucket toilet or a covered pit latrine and cover each use with hydrated lime (Recipe 8.5). Keep it 100 ft from any water source and above the water table.
Human waste piling up, disease riskContain it and lime each deposit (Recipe 8.5). Lime cuts the germs behind cholera and dysentery but does not sterilize, so bury the waste and wash hands with soap (Recipe 31.1).

Nuclear and radiological

Thyroid protection from radioactive iodineKI tablets (130 mg adult) or Lugol's KI protocol within 4 h (Recipe 6.2). One dose daily 7 to 14 days; protects the thyroid only.

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

What do I use for contaminated water?

Disinfect with calcium hypochlorite (Recipe 5.2), with Lugol's iodine (Recipe 6.3) as the backup. Disinfect first and clarify if needed. For muddy water, settle and filter first, add alum with a little bentonite clay if it is still cloudy, then disinfect.

What do I do when the toilets will not flush?

Set up a bucket toilet or a covered pit latrine and cover each use with hydrated lime (Recipe 8.5). Keep it 100 ft from any water source and above the water table. Lime cuts germs but does not sterilize, so bury the waste and wash hands with soap.

How do I get rid of ants with what I have stored?

Set out a borax and sugar bait (Recipe 15.1), or dust with boric acid or diatomaceous earth powder (Recipe 23.2 or 17.1). Keep all of these away from kids and pets.

Keep going

Read nextFind a recipe by what you need to do (cross-reference index)All 206 jobs the 33 compounds can do, grouped by need: body and health, home and shelter, water and food, land, tools, and storage. Each links to its chapter.Kits and Planning · Reference

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Kits and Planning · ReferenceSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Appendix D, p. 202 · Last reviewed 2026-09-20

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