Will Your Family Go Hungry? Is Your Family Prepared for an Emergency?

Emergencies come in various forms, ranging from severe storms to unexpected power outages. Just like having insurance coverage for your home or car, it’s crucial to be prepared for the unexpected by stocking up on long-term food items. These food reserves act as a safety net, ensuring that your family won’t go hungry during times of crisis.

By incorporating freeze-dried foods into your emergency food supply, you can be ready for almost any unexpected event. Consider how invaluable these foods can be when a storm knocks out your electricity for several days. With long-term food items and a simple one-burner stove or candle to heat water (cold water can suffice in a pinch), you can still enjoy a hot and satisfying meal in less than 10 minutes.

Creating a private food reserve makes perfect sense, both from a financial and security standpoint. Using pouches is ideal for limited short-term emergencies, while cans are more suitable for potential extended emergencies or situations that may affect a large number of people. You can also mix and match your short-term and long-term food items to cater to your specific needs.

Expert Advice:

1. Assess Your Family’s Dietary Needs: Consider the dietary requirements and preferences of each family member when planning your emergency food supply. Take into account any allergies, dietary restrictions, or special considerations to ensure that everyone’s needs are met during an emergency.

2. Calculate the Right Amount: Determine the appropriate quantity of food to store for your family based on the number of members and the estimated duration of the emergency. The general recommendation is to have at least a two-week supply of non-perishable food items.

3. Focus on Balanced Nutrition: While it’s essential to have a sufficient food supply, it’s equally important to maintain a balanced diet during emergencies. Include a variety of food items that provide essential nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins.

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Store Food, The Free Way

I found a very affordable way to store rice, beans, flour, noodles and any other food item (my dry stock food is stored in 15 of them). This is also a great way to store any paper products or paper towels, matches, and anything else that has to be kept dry, away from heat, and bug proof.

Go to a bakery in your area (groceries stores, bread bakers or cake bakers), and ask for their icing or dough pales with lids. Generally, they are more than willing to give them to you for FREE. Ask them when they get their shipments in, and find out when they empty the buckets. Make sure to find out when they throw the buckets in the trash. For me, I go in no later than Thursday, because they throw the buckets out on Friday and Saturday.

5 gallon bucket storage tip from Year Zero Survival.

Be sure to clean the buckets out with a little bleach. You can then use them to store food, fuel disks, tooth paste and floss. I even made first aid kits out of two of the buckets.
You can stack them easily, label them with a marker, and lift them with ease. The buckets take up just a little space, and protect my emergency food and supplies.

Unique Improvised Grills – Ideas For Cooking In A Survival Situation

By Dian Thomas

A few weeks ago, I got a call to give a presentation on preparedness. My approach was not to focus on preparing for a rainy day, but to get out and have a great time learning outdoor cooking and camping skills. Then when the rainy day comes, your skills are up to speed.One of the key places to practice your skills is in the backyard, a park, or in the woods. Decide to take the time now to enjoy your family and prepare them for their summer camps, outings and rainy days.

My parents were raised in the depression by pioneer parents. Creating and improvising was the norm. I grew up watching my mother and father make do with what we had instead of running to the store to buy Survival Food Supplies the next item that was needed. A great by product of challenging times is that we have to look inward for solutions, instead of looking out. What a great skill to teach your children which will prepare them for whatever challenges come.

If you do not have a grill, here are some fun creative ways to use your ingenuity to make one. When you create using items you have, it shows you children it is possible to make do with what you have. What a great skill to develop.

Tin Can Grill

An improvised, inexpensive grill can be made in just a few minutes. This is a favorite of children at scouting and campfire cookouts. All that is needed is a #10-size can, tin snips, aluminum foil and a pair of safety gloves.

Beginning at the open end of the can, cut 2-inch-wide parallel slits down the side, to about 3 inches from the bottom, repeating around the can. Bend the strips away from the center of the can to form a low basket like container. Fill the bottom of the can with dirt. Cover the dirt and strips with heavy duty aluminum foil. You have now created an improvised tin can grill. Place the charcoal on top of the foil and lay the grilling rack on top of the metal strips. It is important to keep

the distance between the grilling rack and the charcoal at about 3 to 4 inches (Bend the strips to this distance.)

Bonus of this grill is that it can be discarded after one use, and replaced at very little cost. Individual stoves can be made by a group to involve more people in the fun.

A #10-size tin can will make an easy and economical grill.

Use tin snips to cut two-inch strips down the sides of the can

Line the tin can with heavy duty foil before adding charcoal

Add a rack, and you’re ready to grill

Unique Improvised Grills

If you don’t own a barbecue or if you are having a “dry run,” enjoying a day at the beach, visiting a picnic area, or camping in your backyard, you might be happy with a child’s wagon grill, a wheelbarrow grill, a metal garbage can lid, or even a terra-cotta flowerpot.

The wagon or the wheelbarrow might tote your supplies to your site. Adapting it for grilling is as easy as filling the base with 6 inches of gravel, sand or dirt to insulate the bottom from the heat. Cover the dirt with extra-heavy-duty aluminum foil, which prevents coals from sinking into the dirt and insures that air will circulate. On top of the foil in the center make a pyramid of charcoal briquettes.

Pour lighter fluid over the charcoal and light. Drape a pair of oven mitts over the wagon tongue or wheelbarrow handles so they’ll be close by when needed. When briquettes are burning, arrange bricks around the outside edge, adapting them for the gill or rotisserie. If you simply want to do stick cooking, omit the bricks. The most efficient height for grilling is 3 to 4 inches about the coals.

Dirt can be stored between uses by covering the wheelbarrow or wagon with an old plastic tablecloth with Velcro stitched to seal the corners. Moisture will rust out the bottom of the wagon or wheelbarrow if it gets wet.

Backpacker’s Grill

A backpacker’s rack can be purchased from a sporting goods store. To use the backpacker’s grill, place coals on the ground; the backpacker’s rack sits on legs about 4 to 8 inches above. If

the dirt is loose or sandy, assure uniform heat by placing a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the dirt to keep the briquettes from settling into the sand and causing the briquettes to lose heat.

The heat for the backpacker’s grill is very simple to regulate. To increase heat, simply push the rack toward the ground. To decrease heat, raise the rack farther from the coals.

More survival cooking ideas…

DIY Chicken Watering Hole (and Other Critters Too)

Easy Fill Chicken Waterer

We keep our chickens in big cages to keep them safe from predators and so we have an easy time finding the eggs. One of the biggest hassles of this is filling the waterers inside the cages, especially after it rains. I decided there had to be a better way. Here it is and it doesn’t cost a lot.

The parts list is:

1 5 gallon bucket with lid
1 new oil pan
And some 1.5″ PVC pipe, some fittings, PVC primer and cement, some gasket material, and a valveI started by using a hole saw to cut a hole in the top of the bucket for the pipe to fit through.

You can see that the hole ended up a little bigger than the pipe but I’ll take care of that.

Here is the label from the gasket material I used. It comes in sheets. This kind came from Lowe’s but I’m sure you can get some at any hardware store.I used some snips to cut the gasket into squares and to cut holes into the squares. These were my first cuts, so to speak. I had to enlarge them a little to fit around the pipe perfectly.

Here are the fittings I used. Put a gasket over the long threaded piece on the left, then put it through the hole. Put the other gasket over the fitting on the inside of the lid, then install the nut on the inside and tighten it up.

Here it is with the gasket on the upper fitting. It looks a little sloppy but I don’t think the chickens will care.

After you tighten up these fittings you need to make sure that the pipes and fittings fit together. Here is what it looks like.

Then I used the PVC primer and cement to make the connections permanent. You probably don’t want to cement the valve on at this point because you will want to put the pipe through the side of your cage. If you have the valve cemented on you will have to cut a big hole in the side of your cage and then repair it. You might want to assemble this in your chicken cage to make sure you have the height and angle of the fittings correct before you use the cement. Here is the primer and cement I used.

Next, I used a drill with a 3/16″ bit to drill four holes in the bucket about a 1/2″ above the bottom.

Here is the assembly placed into the oil pan.

Here is the assembly in the corner of the cage.

Here is the valve I used. It will keep bugs and vermin out of the water tank and it creates a vacuum that keeps all the water from pouring out.

I used a tie wrap to hold the pipe to the side of the cage and used wire to hold the bucket steady.

To fill it just turn on the garden hose, open the valve and pour water in. The pipe is big enough to let the air out while you are filling it. When you get it full just close the valve and you are done.The total cost was about $15 and now I don’t have to get my feet muddy when it rains.

source

Emergency Food Items That Can Last a Lifetime

Did you know that with proper storage techniques, you can have a lifetime supply of certain foods? Certain foods can stand the test of time, and continue being a lifeline to the families that stored it. Knowing which foods last indefinitely and how to store them are you keys to success.

The best way to store food for the long term is by using a multi-barrier system. This system protects the food from natural elements such as moisture and sunlight, as well as from insect infestations.

Typically, those who store bulk foods look for inexpensive items that have multi-purposes and will last long term. Listed below are 11 food items that are not only multi-purpose preps, but they can last a lifetime!

Honey

Honey never really goes bad. In a tomb in Egypt 3,000 years ago, honey was found and was still edible. If there are temperature fluctuations and sunlight, then the consistency and color can change. Many honey harvesters say that when honey crystallizes, then it can be re-heated and used just like fresh honey. Because of honey’s low water content, microorganisms do not like the environment.

Uses: curing, baking, medicinal, wine (mead)

Salt

Although salt is prone to absorbing moisture, it’s shelf life is indefinite. This indispensable mineral will be a valuable commodity in a long term disaster and will be a essential bartering item.

Uses: curing, preservative, cooking, cleaning, medicinal, tanning hides

Sugar

Life would be so boring without sugar. Much like salt, sugar is also prone to absorbing moisture, but this problem can be eradicated by adding some rice granules into the storage container.

Uses: sweetener for beverages, breads, cakes, preservative, curing, gardening, insecticide (equal parts of sugar and baking powder will kill cockroaches).

Wheat

Wheat is a major part of the diet for over 1/3 of the world. This popular staple supplies 20% of daily calories to a majority of the world population. Besides being a high carbohydrate food, wheat contains valuable protein, minerals, and vitamins. Wheat protein, when balanced by other foods that supply certain amino acids such as lysine, is an efficient source of protein.

Uses: baking, making alcohol, livestock feed, leavening agent

Dried corn

Essentially, dried corn can be substituted for any recipe that calls for fresh corn. Our ancestors began drying corn because of it’s short lived season. To extend the shelf life of corn, it has to be preserved by drying it out so it can be used later in the year.

Uses: soups, cornmeal, livestock feed, hominy and grits, heating source (do a search for corn burning fireplaces).

Baking soda

This multi-purpose prep is a must have for long term storage.

Uses: teeth cleaner, household cleaner, dish cleaner, laundry detergent booster, leavening agent for baked goods, tarnish remover

Instant coffee, tea, and cocoa

Adding these to your long term storage will not only add a variety to just drinking water, but will also lift morale. Instant coffee is high vacuum freeze dried. So, as long as it is not introduced to moisture, then it will last. Storage life for all teas and cocoas can be extended by using desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets, and by repackaging the items with a vacuum sealing.

Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods

Non-carbonated soft drinks

Although many of us prefer carbonated beverages, over time the sugars break down and the drink flavor is altered. Non-carbonated beverages stand a longer test of time. And, as long as the bottles are stored in optimum conditions, they will last. Non-carbonated beverages include: vitamin water, Gatorade, juices, bottled water.

Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods

White rice

White rice is a major staple item that preppers like to put away because it’s a great source for calories, cheap and has a long shelf life. If properly stored this popular food staple can last 30 years or more.

Uses: breakfast meal, addition to soups, side dishes, alternative to wheat flour

Bouillon products

Because bouillon products contain large amounts of salt, the product is preserved. However, over time, the taste of the bouillon could be altered. If storing bouillon cubes, it would be best repackage them using a food sealer or sealed in mylar bags.

Uses: flavoring dishes

Powdered milk – in nitrogen packed cans

Powdered milk can last indefinitely, however, it is advised to prolong it’s shelf life by either repackaging it for longer term storage, or placing it in the freezer. If the powdered milk developes an odor or has turned a yellowish tint, it’s time to discard.

Uses: beverage, dessert, ingredient for certain breads, addition to soup and baked goods.

source:

Author: Tess Pennington
Web Site: http://www.ReadyNutrition.com/

What Do Rat Whiskers And Surviving Have in Common?

by Guest Blogger OmegaMan

Ever heard of Psychiatrist Curt Richter? He studied the consequences of emotional stress when trying to survive. He noticed that when living things are subjected to great pressure, many will just give up and die. If the stress was psychological, then why did the subjects mind and body appear to collapse?

In short, Richter was experimenting putting rats in a tub of water. At room temperature the rat could swim about 80 hrs non-stop before giving up. If he stressed the rat by lowering or raising the water temperature or even blowing air into its face, a rat could still swim between 20 and 40 hrs. He also found that once a rat picked its direction, it would generally stick with either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction without changing. Many things from ants to lobsters will do this if one or their antennae or whiskers are cut also.

Richter decided to study the effects on direction by cutting the whiskers on just one side of a rats face. By accident…guess what they discovered? The rat swam for only a few minutes, gave up and sank to the bottom! Just for the record, they actually rescued it.

How could this happen? What effect could cutting whiskers have on survival longevity? Well, upon investigation, it wasn’t so much in the cutting of the whiskers as it was in the procedure. He found that his assistants had un-intentionally frightened and stressed the rat by first capturing it in a firmly held black bag and then dropping it into water. It was the “trauma” induced fear response that had sent the rat into over stimulated exhaustion.

Curt Richter also found if he removed the rat just before sinking, let it rest for a few minutes, the rat would relax and seem to realize it in fact that it could survive. If thrown back into the water, it could swim for hours. If it was allowed to play with the stressful black bag first and then thrown back into the water and rescued several times…its survival training would cause it to perform better than those rats without training. Interesting how this relates to the survivability of humans thrown into their own survival situation.

In summary, it was concluded that momentary “HOPE” had an extreme influence on helping the body & mind, cope with an adverse survival situation.

Remember…Never panic! Never give up…!

Extreme Couponers Can Teach Preppers A Thing Or Two…

Extreme couponers can teach preppers a thing or two about stockpiling and storing the bounty they reap.

Not only saving money but getting creative on how to store their collected treasures. I really like the idea of using unsuspecting furniture items to hide and conceal their supplies…

Some Common Prepper Terms and Definitions

72 hour kit – see Bug Out Bag

AR-15 – Is the civilian version of the military M-16 and M-4 rifle.

Bugging Out – leaving your current position and moving to a designated area or suitable location for your safety.

Bug Out Bag (aka BOB) – A bag used for moving from one place to another in an emergency that carries bare essentials to last you at least 72 hours. Mainly the bag focuses on grabbing it and going without having to “pack”. You have no time to pack, you just grab it and go. Common items include food bars, fire starters, first aid kit, water, maps, cash, firearms, emergency medicine, solar blanket, and copies of personal identification (photos of passports, drivers licenses, social security card etc).

BOL – Bug out Location, a preplanned position to retreat to (other than your home) if you had the need to escape danger or disaster.

BOV – Bug out Vehicle

EDC – Everyday carry, what a person caries on their person on a daily basis.

EMP – An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. The resulting rapidly-changing electric fields and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges, destroying the majority of electronic devices.

CME – Coronal Mass Ejection. (Solar flares.) See EMP.

GO bag – see Bug Out Bag

JIC – Just In Case

“Junk” Silver – 1964 or earlier mint date circulated U.S. silver dimes, quarters, or half dollars with little or no numismatic value. These coin have a silver content of 90%.

M.A.G – Mutual Aid Group, made up of individuals in a specific geographic area. These individuals meet for the purpose of discussing, sharing ideas and planning for emergencies in their area. Think of it as neighbors banning together to help each other out in a time of need.

MBR – Main Battle Rifle

Multi-tool – This is a combination survival knife, pliers and will usually have a wide assortment of tools built in. One example is theMulti-tool.

MRE – Meal Ready To Eat. This is a military ration. Its normal shelf life is several years. The contents are sealed in a tough plastic coating.

OPSEC = Operational Security

Peak Oil – the point in time when the maximum rate of petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production is expected to enter terminal decline, causing huge ripple effects in societies transportation, energy and manufacturing systems.

P.E.R.K – (Personal Emergency Relocation Kit) see Bug Out Bag

PSK – Personal Survival Kit

SHTF – Sh*t hits the Fan. – This means that some kind of event has happened. This is a term used in relation to your location. A SHTF situation is not normally world wide.

TEOTWAWKI – The End of the World as We Know it – a global shift in society. An Apocalyptic event.

WROL – (Without Rule of Law) A time when government bodies (police, military, etc) have either lost control, or no longer exist causing civil unrest and instability.

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