Convert A Truck Or Van Into A Camper!

I really like this idea for converting a mini van, truck, bus, etc into a camper so that there is a well stocked way to scram if you have to! This really is a great idea and is a much bigger way to have a 72 hour survival kit , but on wheels. All ready to go!!

We have a Chevy Astro van that we have been wanting to do something with. The poor thing is over 20 years old, but she has a new engine and has been going strong for the last 2 years that we have had her. I would love to make her into a camper so that we can go camping and for being prepared. I found this website that has tons of information on how to convert vans and trucks. I really like the ideas and tips. It should be pretty simple , even for me and my husband who both are not very handy. We can get by , but if it gets too detailed or elaborate - forget it! Our van is already set up with things in the back to give us electricity. I think that who had it first did a lot of camping , just not in the van. I have a fan hooked up in there now for the riders in the back because we do not have A/C!!

We were just talking about this and my husband said that this would be a great idea and that we should try and find a cheap second car so that we can outfit the mini van and have it always ready as a bug-out vehicle!!

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Perfect For Summer!!

I have not tried this yet, but I am planning on doing it in the next couple of days. I want to try it out and see if I can do it and we are getting low on bread. So Perfect time to try and Bake bread on the grill!!!

I know it will work , but I just hope that I can do it. That is one of the reasons that I am going to try it out now. Get to practice. Practice makes perfect. Do it now and learn how to do it now and then when the time comes and it might be the only way to make bread , I can do it easily!!

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Frugal & Easy Supper !!

None of us really felt like doing anything this weekend, not even really cook. So, I was trying to come up with something that would be easy and that I could throw on the grill to cook. I remembered Hobo Packets ( this recipe is for the oven , but if you read in the comments you can see how to do it on campfire , which is what I do on my grill ) and fixed them up real quick , put them in the grill on the back porch and about an hour and 15 minutes later we ate!! Yummy!!

Do you know any other type of cheap and easy recipes??????


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Homemade upside-down tomato planters

This is a great thing to do with any extra cloth bags that you have laying around. I have quite a few of them that I have gotten free in the mail.

This is so easy to do. Take the bag, cut a small hole in the bottom, insert the root ball (I wrapped the root ball in the fabric first to make it easier to get it through the hole), spread the fabric out across the hole to keep the soil in, add the soil, and water thoroughly. Hang up somewhere strong because these are HEAVY. Also , remember to hang them where they will get full sunshine for a few hours a day.

Use the smaller sized reuseable bags. This can get too heavy in one of those bigger sized bags.

You can also do this with a hanging planter. Just use the same idea with cutting a hole into the bottom of the pot.

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Dehydrate Food In Your Car??

When I first saw this , Car Dehydrator , I was thinking "No Way". But I tired just a small piece of apple in mine and it worked. Great idea and FREE!! It just really works on the same idea as a solar dehydrator

. I could do a ton of food in my mini van!! This weekend it is supposed to get HOT here and I am going to do some more apples. My toddler loves apple chips. WOW! My mind is going a mile a minute with this one. I LOVE anything that is free and uses no power!!

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Have A Safe & Happy 4th Of July!!

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Make An Olive Oil Lamp

How cool is this. I just seen this on Mother Earth News on how to make your own Olive Oil Lamp. I really like this idea and the ease of it. Plus , It gives me something to use all of my jars that I have been saving.


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Staying Cool With No Power?

How do we stay cool when we have no power?? I have ordered a small solar powered fan that I hope to get soon, but what do we do if we do not have one of those??

I have thick curtains on my south facing windows to keep the hot sun out. But when there is no breeze and it is 95 degrees out , what else can we do to keep cool??

Please post in comments any ideas.......



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A Solar Shower

When times get bad you are still going to want to keep clean and comfortable. I am trying to get my husband up and about to making a solar shower. I have seen a bunch of information on Google and it does not seem to hard or expensive. I would love to be able to get a shower even while power and more are out of commission. I also want to build a solar water heater , which I have plans for out of one of my magazines or books. That way I can have warm water on hand to wash clothes , my hair, or hands with!!
I have even thought of buying one of those camping solar showers. That might work if my husband cannot build one.

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72 Hour Survival Kit - What's in Your Bag?

You have already heard about survival kits, and you see the importance of protecting yourself and your family by having one for each member of the family. These kits are also known as 72 hour survival kits, disaster kits, emegency kits or emergency disaster kits. Whatever you call them, the question now is, what should you put in your survival kit.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Dept for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness experts your survival kit should contain at least the following.

* Water -
* Food -
* Flashlight
* Waterproof blanket / sleeping bag
* Emergency Radio
* First Aid Kit


Those are just the bare essentials, you may want to include several other items to help you make it through an emergency, and perhaps even allowing you help others. Other items you could consider are:

Light and Communication:

Hand cranked cellphone charger

Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight

36 Hour Emergency Candles - These can also be used for a emergency stove

Green Emergency Glow Sticks - These typically last 12 hours each

Survival Whistle

Compass

Signal mirror

Flint starter - for starting fires

Waterproof containers or bags

Box of 50 Waterproof Matches

Bic Style Lighter

Shelter and Warmth:

Emergency Survival Sleeping Bag

6-20 Hour Body Warmer - these can heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.

2-Person Tent

Emergency Poncho with Hood

Tools:

Mulit-Function Knife

Leather Palm Working Gloves

Respirator Dust Masks

At least 45 Feet of Nylon Rope

Hygiene and Sanitation:

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Wetnaps and soap

Dental floss pick

Hand and body lotion

Feminine Hygiene items

After putting toghether these essential, you can also add items that may be of particular interest to you, or add prescription medications that you would need to keep taking. Perhaps an extra set of eyeglasses.

The best way to pack these items is in a backpack or other easily portable container that you can easily grab and go when an emergency strikes.

A 72 hour survival kits are worth their weight in gold during a disaster, I have over 20 years Military experience and have provided emergency relief several times, and I know that having a survival kit is indispensible. I would never go into a disaster relief situation without the proper survival supplies. I strongly advise everyone to have a emergency disaster survival kit for every member of the family

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