Random Thoughts On First-Aid/Medical Kits

WWII Era USGI First Aid Kit

Please note that the following are my thoughts on first-aid and medical kit considerations for both for myself and others who are not medical professionals, and have little to no formal training. I am not a medical professional nor do I play one on TV. I’m not even particularly interested in any aspect of the medical field. Yet having been sick or injured, at very inconvenient times, and not having any medicines or proper supplies to do anything about it but suffer, I sort of fell into it. The proverbial straw occurred on an extremely rare vacation and our young daughter ingested some lake water. That night she got a fever and stomachache. We forgot to bring medicines and such. But I digress. Additionally, none of what you’re about to read is intended to be taken as advice or directions. These are simply ideas, conjectures, observations, and deliberations. In other words, they’re something to think about.

Advice on, and definitions of, first-aid/medical kits are all over the map. They’re akin to BOBs, GHBs, and three day survival packs. I’ve seen people whose EDC (every day carry) kit would rival a big city hospital’s ER. Generally, and mind you this is simply my perspective on it based upon my experience, I feel people go way overboard on FAKs (and everything else for that matter). Some are sincerely trying to cover the bases, others are just blatant yuppie-esque gear-queers*. In any case, I thought I put together some thoughts and ideas on the subject to, perhaps, assist people to draw their own conclusions on the matter. Think it through, as thoroughly as possible, before you assemble a kit or kits. Oh and, IMO, don’t buy a kit, assemble your own.

Some things to consider:

• What’s your level of training and experience in emergency first-aid and “Dr. Mom” medicine and how current are you?
• What’s to be accomplished with this particular FAK?
• Consider your history with needing some type of first-aid or administering it to others. In other words, do you even need a kit for this particular application and, if so, what type or types?
• Is this kit for you alone, you and your family, or perhaps the general public?
• Familiarize yourself with the purpose of, and the techniques for using, every item you include in your kit(s). Otherwise, you are merely accumulating rubbish and weight.
• Once you establish what, specifically, the kit is intended to do, stick with that plan. Don’t get carried away with additional bells and whistles based upon “what-ifs” and possible bragging rights.
• If you’re really serious about becoming a self-made medic, not just the owie-booboo/Dr. Mom kind, I suggest training in EFA, CPR, AED, and FAST for starters.

A few examples of the many variations of FAKs:

A personal or minor first-aid kit (irritatingly called a “boo-boo” or “snivel” kit) is just that. It’s for minor scratches, scrapes, and possibly a blister. Our daughter, who has three kids, two of them boys, made one up out of necessity and kept it in her purse. Contents included several antiseptic wipes, a few individual antibiotic ointment packets, and several sizes of band aids (including a couple big enough for a knee scrape), and a few cotton swabs to spread the antibiotic ointment around. That’s it. Perhaps, if you’re prone to afflictions such as headaches or heartburn, put some pain-reliever and antacids in it simply for convenience sake. Just about anyone with a little common sense can use a kit like this.

An individual first-aid kit or IFAK should be geared for you specifically and for your medical emergency possibilities, conceivably under abnormal or adverse conditions. It should be based upon your day-to-day way of life and, of course, your medical knowledge. As well, you should be able to use everything in it on yourself, without assistance, as you may be alone when the time comes. This applies principally to the trauma kit if such is included. Many experts proclaim that an IFAK is a trauma kit, I somewhat disagree. A trauma kit is a trauma kit**. If you’re on a SWAT entry team, as but one example, a trauma kit may be your IFAK while on the job. Nonetheless, a trauma kit might be included in an IFAK depending upon your specific requirements and training. Furthermore, you may want to toss your minor first-aid kit into the IFAK bag and have everything conveniently located.

To the best of my knowledge, my third kit example does not possess an official designation. I suppose you could call it a family or group first-aid/medical kit or bag, if you so choose. It’s easier for me to simply explain what I did and you can take it from there. For brevity’s sake I will leave out the tedious background (this concept started back in the ’80s and continued to evolve into the ’10s) as to why I eventually chose this scheme for mine and most of its evolution. Oh, and NO, this was definitely not an EDC kit. Honestly, I never carried an EDC FAK.

Moving on. Due to personal and professional circumstances at the time, I found a need to pack some basic FA supplies and both prescription and OTC medications and keep them with me in most cases. Akin to what many might call a travel FAK. It started out small, as a travel kit, nevertheless over time it grew. It seemed that whatever I left at home, my family, myself, or someone else, wound up needing. This usually when there were no drug stores available. Therefore, I decided just to take everything with me, so to speak. For those who think they might have to evacuate or bug-out someday, this would be a handy setup should one need to leave home in a hurry; all your medical supplies are already packed.

Being somewhat fastidious in certain areas, this turned into an interesting project for me. Over time I did a heck of a lot of research and analysis. This included speaking with EMTs, nurses, the occasional doctor, and even a special forces medic. This was mainly pertaining to OTC medications, which worked and which didn’t. You’d be amazed at what you can learn asking a simple question or two.

The initial, yet ever changing and increasing, contents included a descent general FAK, any prescription medication, and my preferred OTC meds, which covered most of the common maladies and injuries we all suffer from occasionally. In some cases I repackaged and labeled items into smaller containers. Then I somewhat categorized them and used zip-lock bags for storage of each category. This also eliminated unnecessary redundancy. In the beginning, all this fit well into an old M1936 musette bag that I had laying around, with the zip-locks thus creating a bag of bags. This made finding anything extremely easy. Times change and this evolved into a well stocked grab-n-go medical bag***. Think of it as a nicely supplied home medicine chest in a bag that you could take anywhere. Eventually, I did have to switch to a somewhat larger bag, a GI surplus, hard bottom, duffle type bag.

It paid off many times for my family, friends, and myself, and for various reasons. Thank God none of them were severe. I maintained it for years. Now I don’t need it as we don’t travel and we’re not “bugging out”.

Some noteworthy items (eventually) included were***:

• Various medical instructional sheets, laminated (stored in the appropriate category’s zip-lock).
• ACEP first-aid manual.
• Medical shears (EMT scissors).
• Magnifying glass and OTC reading glasses (aka cheaters).
• Penlight w/spare batteries (eventually a headlamp was added).
• Tweezers (several types and forceps would’ve come in handy as well).
• Disposable forehead thermometer strips.
• Blood pressure gauge/cuff (aka sphygmomanometer, try saying that).
• Blood oxygen/pulse monitor (aka pulse oximeter).
• Infrared digital thermometer.
• Sterilized hand towels (store in zip-lock or vacuum seal bags).
• Eye wash and cup.
• Note pad and several pencils.
• Sawyer extractor.

There’s more but you get the idea.

Examples of other specific kits to consider are a dental FAK, a podiatric or foot FAK, an infant/toddler FAK (including child specific OTC meds), an adult/infant CPR kit, a trauma kit, and, if you have pets, a FAK for them as well. You may also want to consider a climatic based kit depending upon where you live or plan to go. There are also task specific kits to consider. Just ask yourself, for my skill level am I reasonably prepared for what I plan to do and where I plan to do it?

In summary:

• If possible get training.
• Don’t pack more that you need for the task at hand.
• Don’t pack anything you don’t already know how to use.
• Think; use your common sense.

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* Gear-queer: an individual who excessively spends on premium equipment and/or supplies without possessing adequate knowledge of their purpose or usage. Typically a showoff, wannabe, or poser.

** Trauma kit: to the best of my knowledge and recollection, these weren’t a consideration back when I was out and about. For general first-aid, tourniquet usage, especially by amateurs, was highly frowned upon at that time. Direct pressure was in and considered the only way to go. In my FAK kit, I had gauze and clean towels for packing a wound and my belt to use as a tourniquet if need be. Were I to do this again, I would include a specific trauma kit (and I’d definitely take a FAST course). Training notwithstanding, I wouldn’t have anything in the kit I was not comfortable with or trained to use. That should apply to any and all other kits you assemble.

*** I’m not a gear-queer nor do I think I’m a paramedic or a doctor. Many of these items eventually wound up being in the bag for family health reasons at the time. Additionally, if I had to, I could relay some vital sign information to a medical professional. One example is my friends and I hunted, fished, camped, and hung out in some remote areas and in all seasons. My buddy’s cabin had no cell service and no landline. However, the house “next door” (about a half mile away up a hill) did. The nearest ambulance and hospital was at least 25-miles away. Some of these items would've paid off if the need arose. The basic first-aid and “Dr. Mom” things did and more than once.

Take care and stay safe,

Joe Doakes aka Kilogulf59
Integrated Close Combat Forum

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Please note: prior to commenting or passing judgment, either in a positive or negative manner, I suggest you read About Joe Doakes’ Place and the Disclaimer assuming you haven't already. Thank you.

Dry Fire vs Dry Training

Joe Doakes’ warning: Before I go any further I would strongly advise reading the Firearms Safety Procedures paying special attention to posts #1, Safety With Dry Fire Practice section, and #6, Massad Ayoob Group Safety Rules: Dry Fire. I cannot emphasize these safety procedures enough.

Putting it all together - training in the coldwith my now retired 3-inch S&W M65
Dry Fire vs Dry Training: I reference these two terms somewhat frequently. Just so I’m making myself understood, I am of the opinion that they’re two different concepts. The word “dry” indicates without live ammunition. That all dry fire is dry training, yet not all dry training involves dry fire.

Dry fire is just that: one goes through all the conventional motions and procedures involved in actually shooting one’s particular firearm sans live ammunition. It’s simulated (in a sense) marksmanship practice. It’s also essential if you want to attain and maintain good marksmanship skills. This is where one can concentrate on, and hone, all the fundamentals except recoil management. Dry fire being convenient and/or cheap practice is NOT the reason it’s done. I believe all branches of the United States military still use dry fire training, some extensively.

Dry training is, to me at least, learning to safely and efficiently use the firearm, as you intended to be used, without actually discharging it, i.e. no live ammo. A classic example of this would be practicing the draw or presentation of your pistol. Personally, I never liked training only in draw and fire because I didn’t want to develop an automatic shoot response due to procedural learning. 

Therefore, sometimes I’d shoot and sometimes I wouldn’t. Sometimes I’d draw and fire from the holster top and other times I draw, come to full extension, and simply cover my mythical assailant. Thus “not all dry training involves dry fire”. Other examples of training that should be performed dry are the loading and reloading of one’s firearm of choice and, for automatic firearms, the various forms of the “tap, rack, bang” or malfunction immediate action drill. Therefore, dry training (and practice) is essentially everything involved in learning to use (to include tactics), carry, and maintain the firearm, as your shooting discipline requires, all performed without the arm being loaded.

Out of necessity I discovered dry training for myself, many years ago. I lived in Chicago back then and most of the ranges were indoor, target or “square” type ranges, usually in the back of a Gun Shop. Honestly, if there were any combat ranges intended for civilians back then, I was not aware of them. As I recall, the American Pistol Institute recently opened in 1976 (a timeline reference, not an endorsement). That was, I believe, the first self-defense shooting school open to ordinary citizens. In those days, everything for the armed citizen seemed to be geared towards bullseye shooting. Thus my live fire training/practice was mainly square range, paper-punching, though I did the most with it that I could.

Moving on. To figure out what to do with my self defense weapon of choice, aside from shooting paper targets at 25 and 50-feet, I had to figure things out for myself and experiment with the concepts I came up with, all at home. I had some legitimate formal and informal training prior to this and was fairly well read on the subject, hence I knew safety was of paramount importance (please reference “Joe Doakes' warning” above). Basically, I went from there; I kept reading, discussing, and experimenting, and dry firing and dry training. To an extent I still do. All things considered, I feel I learned a hell of a lot, both good and bad. Especially so on those rare occasions when I was allowed to test what I’d learned using live fire.

One more type of training and practice I eventually discovered for myself was, what could best be described by me as, imaginary training. I’d learn a procedure, say loading my pistol for example. Once I had it down pat physically, I found myself thinking the procedure through, carefully visualizing step by step, usually in moments of boredom. Like in a waiting room or laying in bed unable to fall asleep and so forth. You’d be amazed at what you can commit to memory this way. One caveat is you’d better know how to do the technique safely and correctly or you’ll memorize sloppy or bad (or dangerous) habits. You can also go through the physical motions while you mentally visualize the method. A caveat here is I highly recommend you do this in private or an observer will think you’re nuts (please don’t ask me how I found that out 😥).

To conclude, I take no credit for originating anything I mentioned above and had no intent to imply such. Only in discovering it for myself could I be so accredited. Dry firing is as old as the hills and was taught to me at a young age. The others I picked up on my own, nevertheless I am quite certain that I am not the first person to think of these methodologies. Frankly, I’m just not that smart. Also, everything I’ve written is simply what I did and still do. I did the best I could with the means I had available. Each of these factors was shaped by my individual reality during that period. Sadly, it was a somewhat different world back then.

Please remember, in all things firearms related, keep your wits about you, use your common sense, think things through, and remember safety first, last, and always.

Take care and stay safe,
Joe Doakes aka Kilogulf59
Integrated Close Combat Forum

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Please note: prior to commenting or passing judgment, either in a positive or negative manner, I suggest you read About Joe Doakes’ Place and the Disclaimer assuming you haven't already. Thank you.

The Sight Continuum

Joe Doakes' note: this is an excellent bit of knowledge and I do have it in my personal notes. 7677 is the nom de plume of an active Federal Officer, renowned trainer, and ICCF Staff Member. He is definitely a man worth listening to, not to mention a heck of a nice guy.

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The Sight ContinuumBy 7677

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The "Sight Continuum" is merely a guide to which shooting technique you will use in a deadly force situation.

I came up with the sight continuum to explain when to use point shooting and when to use the sights by the urgency of making shot and the distance involved. Other things like movement, and the use of cover are other considerations that play a part in the sight continuum.

The final piece of sight continuum came to me one day while watching simunitions training and I noticed that people A) do as they were trained or B) spray and prey or C) nothing (until to late). Well sometimes people do what they were trained a little to well. No one every told them that they could go from the mind set of I’m going to draw and take a aimed shot to of oh crap I need to make the shot right now. When this happened most shooters didn’t use point shooting and make the shot but rushed the draw stroke which usually threw the gun even more off target and then it took them even longer to recover their sight picture and by this time you could play connect the dots on them.

The distance which most handgun fights take place at are within 10 feet and the victim is usually reacting to the attacker which further puts them behind the reactionary curve. The only way I have found to off set the attackers advantage is for the victim to move, draw and fire the second the gun comes on target and continue to zipper up the body until the attacker is down.

The "Sight Continuum" starts with "hip shooting" and continues to the use of sights and this give a person the ability to shoot at any point within their draw stoke one hand or two handed. In combat, I did not have to think about which method I would use as it just came to me.

The body is amazing as if you keep the weapon with the centerline of the body or the nose with the gun in the peripheral vision the mind will determine when to take the shot. All you have to do is focus on the spot you intend to hit. Your subconscious mind will worry about the alignment of the gun and the spot your focusing on. This is especially useful while shooting and moving fast.

When I attempt to move and use aimed shooting, I have found that if I attempt to aim to make the same shot it slows me down as I have to consciously think about the front sight, the target, and when to fire. This is the reason so many schools teach the groucho walk. While I'm in the process of trying to align my front sight on the target, I tend to slow down my movement in order to keep the front sight from bouncing and begin to get tunnel vision on the front sight.

The shooter’s focus should be on the target with their surrounding in their peripheral vision not on the front sight. Continual focusing on the front sight while moving leads to tunnel vision. Furthermore, on the squared range, there are usually no obstructions to trip over but in the real world there are many hazards one can find themselves negotiating in the middle of a gunfight.

In point shooting, the index is very important just as it is with sighted shooting. The index gets the gun on target and with point shooting eye/hand coordination places the bullet on the same spot that the eyes are focused on and with sighted shooting the index gets the gun on target and the gun is brought a little further up to the point where the eyes pick up the sights and verify the gun is on target. As the distance increases, the effectiveness of indexing and eye/hand coordination decreases.

From 0 to 3 feet, or at what is commonly referred to as bad breathe distance, a retention techniques needs to be employed. These Techniques rely heavily on body index with very little to no hand/eye coordination.

Indexing will only take you so far and with all point shooting techniques there still needs to be some degree of hand to eye coordination. The further away the target is from the shooter the shooter goes from relying on indexing and more to the ability of putting rounds on the spot where the eyes are focused on. It is similar to throwing a punch but only at an increased distance. Your fist is replaced by bullets. Index alone will get hits on the target out to 10 yards however you want your point of focus and your point aim to be on the same point (hand/eye coordination).

From 0 to 3 yards, most people use techniques similar to Fairbairn's "Half Hip". With the Half Hip position, I use my body's centerline as an index with my gun in my peripheral vision. This technique relies on both body index and hand/eye coordination.

For extreme close quarter gun fights with “half hip” the shooter needs to explode off the line. The draw of the weapon occurs while the support arm forearm is driven into the attacker throat. The shooter dives the attacker back and zippers up the attackers body.

From 5 to 10 yards, I use either in one handed or two-handed point shooting, which will be under the line of sight, I use my nose as the index. The person uses the index to get the gun on target and the eye/hand coordination places the on the spot where the eyes are focused on.

NOTE: The above yard estimates are not absolute and will change do to shooter and/or target movement.

Aimed shooting comes at the end of my sighting continuum. Why because I can start to draw my weapon and anywhere in the steps of my draw I can point shoot off of body index/eye hand coordination or I can continue to bring the weapon up to eye level and make a precision shot. The steps of the draw that I use are the same with point shooting as with sighted shooting. Time (the urgency of making the shot) combined with distance will determine which method I use in the Sight Continuum.

In closing, I'm not exclusively a "Point Shooter" or a "Sighted Shooter" I simply use whatever method will allow me to go home at the end of the night.

The PDF version: The Sight Continuum - 7677

Take care and stay safe,

Joe Doakes aka Kilogulf59
Integrated Close Combat Forum

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Please note: prior to commenting or passing judgment, either in a positive or negative manner, I suggest you read About Joe Doakes’ Place and the Disclaimer assuming you haven't already. Thank you.

The 7 Shooting Fundamentals

The seven fundamentals of pistol shooting are grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, breath control, trigger control, and follow through. This article attempts to succinctly explain them. Please note that this has been in my archives for a long time. I do not know from whence it came. I did not write it nor do I seek false accreditation. The idea is to get the information out there.

 

The 7 Shooting FundamentalsAuthor Unknown  

If you’re new to shooting, you’ll be learning about the seven fundamentals that make up a good shot. Each of these elements should be followed for every attempt to improve and maintain consistency. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Grip: When it comes to grip, the most important thing to remember is that you want to grip with enough strength to prevent the pistol from moving during the shot but relaxed enough so that your hand doesn’t shake from the pressure. Here are some tips for better gun grip:

• Make a “v” with your dominant hand; your thumb should be on one side and all the other fingers on the other.
• The gun is placed in the center of the v with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers wrapped around the pistol’s grip.
• Place the area between the joint and the tip of the index finger pad on the trigger. Do not over insert the finger; otherwise, it may cause the other fingers to move and interfere with your shot when you squeeze the trigger.

2. Stance:* Stance is the first fundamental for every shot. Stance refers to the position of your feet and body in relation to the target. All other shooting fundamentals are built upon a steady position when firing. Different shots require different stances, including:

• Bullseye – For the bullseye shooter using only one hand on the gun, the stance is at a 45-degree angle to the target with the feet shoulder-width apart. The thumb of the non-firing hand should anchor securely in the pocket to prevent the free arm from swaying and throwing your shot off- balance.
• Weaver – This stance is for the action shooter with both hands on the gun. The feet are at an angle to the target, the strong arm is straight, and the weak arm is bent. The weaver stance helps lock in the upper body and provides tension in the pistol grip for better recoil control.
• Isosceles – The body is facing directly toward the target in this stance. Both hands are on the gun, and arms are straight out in front of the shooter. The upper body leans slightly forward.

3. Sight alignment: Sight alignment refers to the process of lining up the rear and front sights on the gun. For a well-aimed shot, the shooter must pay attention to the rear sight aperture and how it lines up with the front sight, with most of the focus on the front sight post. The actual target will appear blurry if done correctly as the shooter’s attention is focused on the front sight post. Not all guns have sight-aligned requirements for accuracy, such as red dot sights, which emit an illuminated dot, or a prism sight where the sight places target objects in a circle for aim. If there are no sights to align, the shooter then focuses on a sight picture to prepare the shot.

4. Sight picture: Any shooter who wants a well-aimed shot must have the correct sight picture. The sight picture is the image seen when the sights align with the target. This is true for all types of sights when holding a rifle, handgun, or any other firearm. Sight picture does not rely on the natural ability to shoot. Instead, the shooter utilizes a precise system to center objects in preparation for a shot.

Not all guns have sight-aligned requirements for accuracy, such as red dot sights, which emit an illuminated dot, or a prism sight where the sight places target objects in a circle for aim. If there are no sights to align, the shooter then focuses on a sight picture to prepare the shot.

5. Breath control: In any type of shooting, breath control is extremely important. In general, it’s good to keep a calm, regular breath throughout your preparation, aim, and fire. This helps to:

• Oxygenate the blood – Regular breathing adequately oxygenates the blood, which sharpens vision and keeps you alert.
• Relaxes the nerves – Regular breaths help to relax the muscles and nerves for optimal shots.
• Steady movement – Prevent jerky movements and forced breathing that can quickly mess up your shot.

The optimal moment to pull the trigger is when your breathing cycle reaches a natural pause, like at the end of an exhale. Your aiming breath should be calm and consistent, and the ideal shot fits into your breathing rhythm. It’s not a good idea to hold your breath in or force your breath out. This can create unnecessary tension in your chest muscles or make your body feel like it needs to gasp for air. Working with your natural breathing rhythm allows for a more relaxed shot with less tension and movement in the body.

6. Trigger control: Trigger control involves pressing the trigger to complete the shot without upsetting your sight alignment. There are two main issues when it comes to proper trigger control:

• Pulling – Pulling the gun is caused by placing too much finger on the trigger, causing a hooked finger that pulls the gun to the side when the shot is discharged. This causes your shot to hit to the right of the target.
• Pushing – Pushing is caused by too little finger in the gun, which creates a side push of the trigger instead of straight back, producing a shot that will be hitting left of the target.

The ideal trigger control position allows for independent movement of the index finger with trigger contact on the finger’s pad. This part of the finger is most sensitive and allows for accurate control and discharge of the gun.

7. Follow through: Once you’ve discharged the gun, you want to be sure to follow through with each shot. Follow-through is when you end the shot by keeping the trigger finger fully depressed until your gun has completed recoil and the shooter’s sights are back on the target. Once your sights are back on target, then you can release the trigger.

Follow-through is especially important when more than one shot or sustained fire is the goal. With each follow-through, focusing on trigger control, breath, grip, and aim prevents the shooter from abandoning the shot too early, as well as returning to a pre-firing position to prepare for the next shot.

Here's a PDF for your convenience: The 7 Shooting Fundamentals 

* Kilogulf59’s note: I am not terribly impressed with the stance descriptions listed in the above outline. Perhaps a thread on just the stances is in order.

With that said, there is also a variation of the Weaver stance. In this, the shooting arm is fully extended and locked at the elbow. It was developed by Ray Chapman and is known as the Chapman Stance or the Modified Weaver. I prefer the former moniker. I also much prefer the Chapman to the Weaver.

There’s also a variation of the Isosceles Stance. This goes by many names, the most common being the Modern Isosceles. The original Isosceles was an upright stance with the legs straight, the knees unlocked, and feet shoulder width apart and parallel. The so-called Modern Isosceles has the shooter’s upper body leaning into the target, knees are slightly bent, feet shoulder width apart or farther, and the strong side foot is about a half-step behind the off side. Somewhat akin to a boxer’s stance. There’s varying degrees to the lean, knee bend, and foot spacing depending upon which Guru you’re listening to at the time. Try them, pick one that feels the most natural and comfortable, and adjust it to suit your body.

Here’s a mnemonic device I use to remember the steps:

  

Take care and stay safe,
Joe Doakes aka Kilogulf59
Integrated Close Combat Forum

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Please note: prior to commenting or passing judgment, either in a positive or negative manner, I suggest you read About Joe Doakes’ Place and the Disclaimer assuming you haven't already. Thank you.

Understanding Humidity, the Dew Point, and Your Comfort

I posted this for those of us who are heat/humidity sensitive...like me. Our dew points have been running in the low to mid 70's here of late (3rd week of August Juneau Co. WI) and it is miserable.

DEW POINT - THE BEST INDICATOR OF COMFORT

By Chief Meteorologist Brian Neudorff

Ever wonder why television meteorologist and weather broadcasters rarely show the current humidity numbers? During the summer, especially when it is as hot and sticky like it has been we will get a few emails maybe even a phone call or two asking why aren't you showing the humidity? Even though we use the term "Humid" to describe the air outside, humidity is actually a bad indication of just how comfortable or uncomfortable the air really is.

Relative humidity is just that... relative. It is relative to the temperature and moisture content of the air. Here is an example of what I mean.

• On a hot, sticky, rather uncomfortable summer day you could have an outside temperature of 92 with a dew point temperature of 68 (which is listed in the uncomfortable zone in the chart above) this would give you a relative humidity of about 46%.
• On a pleasant, warm yet comfortable spring day you could have an outside temperature of 72 with a dew point temperature of 55 (which is listed as pleasant in the above chart) you would have a relative humidity of about 55%.

Although the summer day feels more humid than the spring day its relative humidity is actually lower.

The dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer hold all of its water vapor, and some of the water vapor must condense into liquid water. At 100% relative humidity, the dew point temperature and the air temperature are the same, and clouds or fog can begin to form. While relative humidity is a relative measure of how humid it is, the dew point temperature is an absolute measure of how much water vapor is in the air (how humid it is). In very warm, humid conditions, the dew point temperature can reach 75 to 77 degrees F, but rarely exceeds 80 degrees.

That means if you hear someone say it is 90 degrees and 90 or 100% humidity they are absolutely wrong. For that to happen you would need a dew point temperature of 86 to 90 degrees. Around here and most of the United States that is nearly impossible.

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on the Persian Gulf, recorded a dew point of 95°F on July 8, 2003. In the USA, the highest dew points (above 80°F) occur near the Gulf of Mexico and in parts of the upper Mississippi Valley (lucky me, we're located in the Upper Mississippi Valley).

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A good, succinct, explanation of the topic and something we should all be aware of.

Addendum: Since a picture's worth a thousand words, this picture explains it nicely.

Here's some sites you might find interesting and useful:

• Dew Point Calculator
• Heat Index Calculator
• Wind Chill Calculator

Take care and stay safe,
Joe Doakes aka Kilogulf59
Integrated Close Combat Forum

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Please note: prior to commenting or passing judgment, either in a positive or negative manner, I suggest you read About Joe Doakes’ Place and the Disclaimer assuming you haven't already. Thank you.