Whether you’re and avid outdoorsman, hiker, camper or just planning for the downfall of the modern world, these are 6 must learn traps and snares if you ever get stuck in the woods:
Practice each one, so that when the time comes and you need to use one you’ll be ready. Small-game snares can be made from the interior strands of parachute cord, braided strands of sinew, or fishing line. [source]
Use a hockey stick (or an old-fashioned regular stick) to loop sanitized milk jugs through. Sling over shoulders and you’ve enough drinking water to last your hut over a week!
Most likely a desperate and futile gesture, but pop the back of your cell phone case off and hide a twenty spot in there, just in case.
Just because the world ended doesn’t mean you have to stop playing Candy Crush. Get detailed instructions here.
Once you exhaust Grandma’s supply of scented candles, try your nephew’s crayons before cobbling together a beekeeper suit.
Troy used an old A/C casing, duct tape, and gardening gloves, but feel free to get creative!
Shoes are a precious commodity in the wasteland of America so keep them in good condition with these step-by-step instructions.
Just because the world is in chaos, doesn’t mean your tools have to be.
Because no matter how hungry you are, they’ll never taste as good as Cool Ranch.
Created with 10 feet of the versatile rope using this cobra stitch, the colors can also serve to show which gang you owe allegiance too.
A few cuts with a pair of scissors (or a knife if society has degraded far enough that scissors are a precious luxury) and you’ve got an Earth friendly rope holder.
Once you’ve set the bone, use these instructions to hold it in place until it heals.
Forget bottle caps! With its infinite uses, duct tape is the new currency.
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Then it’s a power play making you dictator for life.
While not as good as gloves or just staying inside until spring, baby oil adds a thin layer of protection from the elements to keep you from chafing while foraging for supplies.
Speaking of spring, use brown sugar, yeast, hot water, and an empty two-liter to make a tempting mosquito deathtrap. Instructions here!
Mosquitos aren’t the only summer threat. An old mechanical pencil and some fishing line or thick thread can safely remove them. Not today, Lyme disease!
Requiring more finesse than the toothpick canon but tremendously more effective. Follow the tutorial here and then make some dowel rod arrows to attach them too.
Using this guide to turn bicycle parts, a rubber hose, and a few odds and ends into a safeguard for your turf.
Get the hell out of Dodge, literally. Using PVC pipe, wooden rods, and empty milk cartons, sail off into the wild blue yonder using these step-by-step instructions.
While you float west, where surely everything is better and not a toxic wasteland (right?), snap off the end of a pop top and loop some thread through the hook for a fast fishing lure.
Prepping for disasters can seem overwhelming with so many aspects to be considered. However, for those just beginning to recognize how perilous these times are and are new to prepping, you can find many great survival foods at your local grocery store.
There are many freeze-dried food options offering light-weight ready to eat meals. These are cost effective and great for new preppers. But if you don’t have a lot of $’s laying around to buy a large supply, it may be better to pick up a few buckets quarterly and some basic key items each week at the supermarket to build up your food bank gradually.
It’s best to keep your survival food list simple, and concentrate on storing foods with the highest amount of calories and the longest shelf life. This list is geared toward foods that will help you survive a crisis that lasts for extended periods of time.
Rice
Rice: Every time you go to the store you should buy one 10-lb bag of rice. You can find them for around $5 at most supermarkets. Rice will stay in good condition for 10 years or more if stored properly. It offers high carbohydrates which is especially important if you are exerting a lot of physical energy during a crisis.
Beans
Beans: Beans are known to be one of the best all-round survival foods. They’re high in protein, and if sealed in food-grade buckets with a small amount of dried ice, they’ll stay for up to ten years. Make sure to store them in a cool, dry, dark location. Buy a 4-5 lb bags of dried beans every time you go to the store. All dry beans are good to store; black beans, red beans, pinto beans, lentils, etc.
Cornmeal
Cornmeal: All-purpose flours are good to store, but cornmeal may be the best overall. Cornmeal is packed with dense carbohydrates and contains oils that helps extend its shelf life. Additionally, if the power grid is down during a mega disaster, it is much easier to make good corn breads and tortillas with cornmeal in a simple skillet or solar oven, where refined flour will need yeast and oil to make decent bread or biscuits. Get a 5-lb bag of cornmeal ($10-$15) at each grocery visit. Seal and store the same way as beans (buckets, salt and dry ice), and it will safely keep 8 months to 2 years.
Lard
Lard: If you’re a health-conscious reader, hydrogenated lard does not sound very appetizing, but in a survival situation you can’t afford to be picky. Animal lard or vegetable shortening both offer much-needed calories during times of crisis, cooking oil for multiple uses, and it will keep longer than cooking oils because of the hydrogenation. Buy a 6-lb can ($12) and store in a cool, dry, and dark place and it will stay good for 2-3 years or longer.
Salt
Salt: Salt is one of the most useful survival food items. It’s used for storing food, curing beef, and flavoring most meals. Salt will last forever, so always buy extra when you’re shopping.
Canned Fruit and Vegetables
Canned Fruit & Vegetables: These are another obvious survival food, but not as practical as many would think. They’re heavy and somewhat costly for the calories they deliver. Additionally, acidic fruits and any cans with tomatoes will not keep as long as most people think. But most canned food is good for 5+ years. Buy green vegetables and fruits like peaches and pears for long-term storage, but more importantly, buy what you already eat in case you need to rotate them into your diet before they go bad.
Canned Meats
Canned Meat: Canned meats like ham, tuna, and chicken are excellent to store. They typically will keep for 6-10 years and they’re an excellent source of protein. However, if the grid is down for a long time (apocalyptic), hunting and fishing will likely provide most meats. Therefore, it may be sufficient to buy extra canned meats every other time you go shopping.
Sugar
Sugar: Brown and white sugar will add much-needed flavor and calories to a survival diet and they’ll keep for ten years or more if stored properly. Honey is also excellent as it will store forever. Make sure to buy extra every other time you go grocery shopping. You won’t need too much, but they’ll be well worth having if a crisis strikes.
Pasta
Pasta: Pasta is a good light-weight storable food that is also a great source of carbohydrates. Pasta will not keep as long as rice, but it can stay for around 5 years in good conditions. Pasta is also very inexpensive and extra should be bought at each trip to the store. It will take up more space in your food bank than rice, beans and cornmeal, so plan your space the best you can.
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a terrific source of protein, fat, and calories. Plus, it’s just a great treat to have on hand. Peanut butter can last up to five years in root cellar conditions. Stock up whenever there are good deals at your grocery store. You’ll be happy you did if the SHTF.
If you consistently buy these items 3-4 times per month, you’ll quickly acquire a year’s supply of survival rations for your whole family.
Buying at a bulk grocery store may help you either save money, or get more supplies. There are Costco discount codes to help you get these items at a better price.
How to store it?
A really basic way to store the rice, beans, cornmeal, sugar and pastas is to buy several 5-gallon seal-able paint buckets or food-grade buckets from your local hardware store. Put a cup or so of salt into a sandwich baggie (opened) at the bottom of the buckets. Then fill it with food stuffs and add a couple of ounces of dried ice (found at large grocery stores) which will remove the oxygen from the bucket after it’s sealed. Finally, label each bucket with its contents and the date, and place it in your cellar.
Please let us know what other food items you think will be useful for new preppers….
via Activist Post: 10 Best Survival Foods At Your Local Supermarket.
This would make for an excellent Bug-Out Bike, lightweight and wider tires.
Specialized Fat Boy fat bike. The Fat Boy moniker has been in the Specialized line for more than two decades, gracing BMX race bikes and tires. It’s back for 2014, and is an apt title for the company’s first fat bike.
A size small Fat Boy weighs 14kg 30.8lb with pedalsIt appears that the California-based company has done its homework in creating this beast. The Fat Boy has an aluminum frame with clearance for 4.8in tires and a 100mm-wide PF30 bottom bracket. Front dropout spacing is 135mm, while the rear dropouts are set at 190mm.The tapered carbon fork is loosely based on the Chisel found on several of Specialized’s ridged 29ers, including the Crave 29 SL singlespeed and Stumpjumper Expert Carbon WC.One of the most interesting things about the Fat Boy is its rims, which feature a trusswork design that keeps them stiff and quite light by fat bike standards. They are 90mm wide, have a claimed weight of 795g each, and feature a hookless bead first used on the company’s carbon Roval wheelsets.
I’ve been using old prescription bottles, and plastic gum containers as travel and camping spice containers for years.
But I never thought of this. It’s a great idea. These would be small enough to take in your bug-out bag, instead of big bottles of spices. Takes up way less space. Great for hikers, campers, and RVs too.