Emergency Survival Kits - What To Think About Before Making One

It doesn't matter where you live something could happen that makes an emergency survival kit a priority.  Power outages, storms, just to name a couple of things that you should be prepared for. Having an emergency survival kit can be a life-saver. Stocking up on supplies, having a plan, and learning new skills doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. In the end you will be glad that you did it for your family. They will be glad that you did it also. Below is a list of some things to think about before you even start to build your survival kit.

What natural (and unnatural) disasters could happen in your area? Do you live in a quake zone? wildfires? flooding? tornadoes? blizzards? Do you live near a nuclear power plant? These are just a few things to think about and then prepare accordingly. Have a plan on how to protect your home, a map of "escape", and other precautions. Find out what your region's potential for being flooded, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. The more you know about where you live , the better you will be able to get prepared for what might come. Here is a good place to start - Natural Disaster Alert Maps
or here - Alert Map

You also need to think about how long you might be without access to utilities or supplies.  Has anything in your area happened before? If it has than you might have an idea of about how long it might take for power and more to come back online. Take that into account while planning your emergency survival kit. You have to have plenty of clean water, food, etc. If your power is out for an extended time how do you plan on cooking? Cleaning? Heating your home? Get prepared now and learn how to turn off the water, gas, and electric to your home. If something did happen major to your home being able to shut off the gas is very important. It is handy to have a radio, flashlight, etc . I just got one of these, Ambient Weather WR-089 Compact Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio, Flashlight, Smart Phone Charger with Cables, I was really surprised at how small it was, but it charges everything in our house. Cellphones, my Kindle, my little USB fan/light, and more. So the size is probably really perfect. I can grab it and put it in my Bug-out-bag. I am even thinking of buying a second one just to have in the trunk of the car at all times. 

It is not something that you want to happen, but you should also be prepared for any medical emergencies. Have a well-stocked medical kit. Maybe take your family and learn CPR. Does someone in your household have a medical condition that requires prescription medication? It is something to think about and get prepared for now.

If you do have to evacuate your home, do you have a way out and a portable kit at the ready? A Bug-Out-Bag? Each family member should have their own that is always ready. If you have to leave grab it and go. It should have enough supplies in it to last about 72 hours. A Bug-out-bag is more for short term survival. So you should have another plan for long-term survival on top of having a bug-out-bag. You should even keep one in your car. Plan on a meeting place for your household in case something happens when not everyone is at home. Maybe even stash spare set of keys to your vehicles out side of the home , but well hidden. Just in case you are not able to get back into your home. Have all of your important papers, I.D.s , etc in one handy, waterproof, and fireproof container that you can grab easily while you leave.

How many people are you getting your survival kit prepared for? Are you thinking about neighbors and friends also. Do you have any pets and children that you have to prepare for? Children and pets are a whole other thing to prepare for. Pet food, snacks, toys, etc. Have items on hand for little kids to keep them occupied while you do the worrying. You should have at least a 4 week supply of food stocked up. A way to get clean water is another must! You have to have a way to filter and clean water after your stockpile of bottled water runs out.

These are just some of the things to think about while starting your emergency survival kit. If you think about all of this and then what your family needs , you should be well on your way to having a prepared household. 

Food Storage Recipe - 3 ingredient chicken nuggets

NEED
 

1 can chicken

 

1 egg

 

1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

 

 salt and pepper to taste

Mix your chicken, egg, and cheese until fully combined.

 

Shape into chicken nuggets

 

Use parchment paper and throw on a sheet pan.

 

Bake at 375°F 20 mins, flipping half way through

 

Broil for 2 mins on each side when cooking time is done.

 

They do very well in an air fryer.

 

You want that crunch.

 

Dip in Buffalo wing sauce or BBQ sauce,

Single Tea Light Heater : 4 Steps

 

 

 

Single Tea Light Heater : 4 Steps - Instructables

 

Save your cans from tuna and more!! You can make so many useful things with them.

 

How To Build Your Own Solar Power Generator For Under $150

 

 

 

How To Build Your Own Solar Power Generator For Under $150 Pictures, Photos, and Images for Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter

Having a solar powered generator is the easiest way to have power in an off-grid homestead. If you can build your own for a lot less than buying one that is even better. Saving money.

 

 

How to Build a Rocket Stove (10 Awesome Designs)

 

 

 

 

How to Build a Rocket Stove (10 Awesome Designs)

 A list of different designs of rocket stoves that you can build yourself. A great item to be able to make. Being able to cook food in an off-grid situation will be the best thing ever. 

Food Storage Recipe - Quick Chicken Noodles

 

A quick recipe. It can be easily doubled and it taste so good.

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of chicken broth, I used the empty cream of chicken soup can to measure the chicken broth

1 can of chicken

half a bag of noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the soup, broth, and chicken to a boil. 

Add the noodles and cook until they are done and it is thickened a bit.

Serve. 

I served mine tonight with some canned yams and homemade garlic bread.

 

 

Food Storage Recipe - Black Bean Chicken Stew

 It is cooling down some and perfect soup and stew weather. This makes 2 servings. Easy to double.

Black Bean Chicken Stew

NEED

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can of Chicken

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup water

1 can of black beans 

1 can of diced tomatoes

1/2 jalapeno , chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Pinch of salt

Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onion and the chicken for a few minutes.

Add all of the ingredients into that same pot.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Serve. Top with cilantro, sour cream, and /or  shredded cheese , if you want.

 

 

 

Where To Put Your Food Storage

When people decide to begin a food storage program in order to be prepared for emergencies, they may find that actually finding a place to store the food can be problematic. Some people are fortunate to have extra storage space in basement storage areas or spare rooms. It may take some rearranging and planning to facilitate a food storage program.

Some of the places where people store food are:

• Basement storage rooms (which are ideal if available)
• Garage cabinets (which are good but not too great in extremely hot weather)
• Shelves built for the purpose in any spare area of the house
• Cabinets in a spare or little used room
• Pantries (which are used for regular usage items and may not be large enough)
• Closets (which are workable when extra closets are available)
• Plastic storage bins under the beds
• Round barrels covered with a cloth and used as an end table
• Any unused space which is available

If extra space such as basement storage or a spare room are not available in the living quarters, it may require some inventiveness to find a place to keep the stored food intended for emergency use. People living in small apartments are able to find places for food storage if the incentive is there. Some of the more unusual places mentioned above can be fit into regular living areas if necessary.

It is also wise to rotate the food storage which means having it accessible enough to get to once in a while. Some experts in the business suggest using the products once a week so that the family will become used to eating the food. Since much of the food may be dehydrated or freeze-dried with processes which enable longer periods of storage than normal readily consumable food, the taste may be different. If the family is used to eating the food, they should have no problems using it if a serious need arises. The foods prepared are generally tasty and nutritious, but sometimes children need to get accustomed to eating them to enjoy them.

When people want to start a food storage program in order to feel more secure and ready for emergencies, finding space is likely the least of their problems. Finding a program to start with food storage is easy these days with companies offering special plans for any budget. Getting involved before an emergency strikes is sound advice. A monthly plan which includes adding some items on a regular basis makes it easy. There are even companies with a home business component for people who want to get going with food storage and earn some money along the way. 

An Organized Food Storage Pantry

There is nothing worse then trying to find something in a pantry and not being able to find what you need or because the Pantry is so disorganized you don't even know what you do have. You have got to have a plan and an ongoing shopping list so that your food storage is well-stocked and organized. In a pinch you will have what you need to make your family a great meal.

Know what you use the most of and what your family likes. Don't fill your pantry with foods that you do not use often. That is just a waste of space and money. For example: If your family doesn't like rice, then don't rush out and get a 50 pound bag of it.

Only buy in bulk the stuff that you use the most often. You do not want a lot of bulk items in your pantry that will not be used and end up going bad.

Stock up on canned items as often as you can. Canned tomatoes, beans, veggies, etc are a great thing to have a lot of on hand. They can spruce up a soup or any meal in a pinch. Especially when you do not have fresh items on hand. In an emergency you will have canned items on hand to be able to make great food.

Sometimes unwrapping items will make them fit better in your pantry and make room for more of that item. I have to do this a lot since I have such a small place to put food and paper items.

Keep your Pantry cool. Don't store long term food storage next to any appliance that might give off heat. This can greatly reduce the shelf life of your food storage.

Manage your pantry by keeping an ongoing inventory. I have a notebook right with my stockpile where I keep track of what is used and what is added. That way I know exactly what is needed. Also this helps remind me to rotate the food storage! The new goes into the back and older in the front so that it gets used first. No risk of wasting food with this set up. Saves us money and keeps up stocked up. Right now I am pretty confident that we have about 6 months worth of food storage. Slowly building up to a year. Now that I have a bit of extra money each week it will be built on a bit quicker.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Painless Ways To Save Money

There are many ways to save money that will not cause anyone in your family any pain. You can still have a life.

1. This is a great time of year for this tip - go to yard sales! Yeah, you can save a ton of money buying your families clothing at yard sales. I always find name-brand clothing for my kids and spend next to nothing in it. No one knows that you got them at a yard sale. Yard sales are also a great way to get new furniture and household items. Books are my number one thing to get at yard sales. 25 cents for an 8.00 book!! YEP that is for me. Toys are a great thing to buy at yard sales. My little man has all of that Little Tykes stuff , tractor, turtle with lid he uses for a pool, a huge boat that has to be used as a sand box because the other owners for some reason cut a small hole in the bottom to drain the water out even though there is a plug, he has the picnic table , and more Little Tykes stuff that I bet I haven't paid more than $10.00 for all of it. The boat and tractor were free!! You can also get a lot of home schooling items at yard sales. Plus going to yard sales can be a lot of fun.

2. Hang your clothes out to dry. Or at least most of them. My oldest son has to have his t-shirts done in the dryer, but since I am hanging everything else, it is still saving me a ton of money. His t-shirts only take a few minutes to get wrinkle free, then I take them out and dry them the rest of the way outside. He never has complained.

3. Take your lunch to work and make your own coffee to take with you in the morning. You will save so much money if you don't eat out at lunch and don't stop to get that expensive fancy coffee.

4. Make pizza, cookies, bread, etc at home by hand. It is fun doing this and it saves money. I can make my own pizza at home for a fraction of what it cost to order from a pizza place. Also it is better for your family than a frozen pizza. You can bake your own cookies and breads for pennies on the dollar.

5. This one took my family a while to do - STOP DRINKING SODA! The reason we really stopped was for health issues. Never even thought of money. It took about 3 months to totally get it out of the house, but now that it is totally gone and we don't drink it anymore, I realized we saved a ton of money. We now drink a lot of water, homemade juice, and sun tea. None of us miss the soda and it has saved our health and our bank account.

6. If you have to have a birthday party for your little one or any type of party - make your own decorations and food for it. Fun and does not cost a lot. My daughter is already starting on some stuff for her wedding stuff. It really does save a lot of money to make your own decorations.

7. This one needs no explanation and benefits your health and your pocket book - GIVE UP SMOKING.

8. It actually saves a bit to substitute dry milk in your cooking. Just buy a bit of milk for cereal and use dry milk in your cooking. With how much milk is anymore this can really save you a lot of money.

9. Block the hot summer sun out of your house. This is one that we have to do anyway because we do not have one tree in our yard. I hate that so much. Next house is going to nothing but trees. I wouldn't even hate living in a tree house after living in this house. LOL.

10. Plant a garden. No matter how small it is or if you just have room for one thing, like tomatoes, DO IT!! Not too much work and you do save some money.

11. Have a STAYCATION. Do a search on this blog and you will find a whole blog posts on ideas for a staycation. Fun and low cost.

12. Just starting out with food storage, start small. Maybe each week when something is on sale that your family uses , like cans of beef stew, buy 3 cans instead of 1 and stick the 2 extra back. You will be surprised at how fast your stockpile will grow if you do this every week. It does not have to take a lot of money to get a food storage. I have had to do it this way. I do not have the money to go and buy 100 cans of tuna or whatever. I have had to do it small.

These are just a few ideas. I am sure that you can think of more to do to save money at home.