| Prepared For Survival - Food Storage & Preparedness

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Do You Have Enough Water??

After food storage that next item that needs to be stored up is water. I also want to have an alternate source of water. There is a creek behind my house and I guess we could use that if we had to. Just would have to clean , filter, boil it first. I have seen people fish out of it.
If you are going to stockpile water, you need to remember ONE GALLON OF WATER A DAY PER PERSON. That adds up quick and takes up some room. Make sure that you have some way to kill the bacteria in the water. Bleach, Iodine, should do the trick. You also need a great water filtration system. There are many filters on the market that are either gravity-fed
or use a mechanical pump. They work well, especially when combined with chemical treatment.
If you are storing the water up you can bring back the "fresh water taste" to your stored drinking water, just pour the drinking water from one container to another, and back again a few times.

MORE INFO ON STOCKPILING WATER

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

MRE Polytrays!

I just got one of these and I must say that I wish that I had some way of getting some more of them. There are 18 servings in this one heavy MRE polytray!! I have the Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Breast in gravy. They are on sale this month at Emergencies Essentials! Great deal on some MREs to put back for the whole family. I am not sure how it would do in a Bug Out bag - it does weigh a bit. But it would do good in your house food storage or in the back of your bug out vehicle.
You warm them up the same way as you can a smaller MRE - just boil some water in a big pot and put this in it for a few minutes.

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Monday, January 10, 2011

Dehydrated Mushrooms Today!

This is what I did today!! My grocery store had mushrooms on sale so to try them out I bought one "bucket" of them. They were already sliced so I just wiped them off gently and put them in my dehydrator. Took about 10 hours and they were done. I put each layer of the dehydrator into their own bag, so that I had 3 smaller bags of mushrooms. These will be great to add to soups. I will be buying more mushrooms later this week since I know that it works so good.

Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Samurai Survival Tool

This is a great addition to anyones survival kit. It has an ax, hammer, pull up nails, or use to pry open items. A four in one tool that does not take up a lot of room. I love it. The next thing that I want to try and find for a low price is a shovel. I also need some more garden tools. I plan on having a much bigger one this year and will need some tools for it. Also on the look out for a GPush Reel Lawn Mower. I do not have a very big yard right now , so this might work for it.

Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Make Your Own Powdered Eggs!!



This is the first part of a 2 part video series on Youtube that shows how to make your own powdered eggs. Very simple to do.

*I did this today and it was so easy!! DO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO THE EGGS TO COOK THEM THOUGH, NO OIL, BUTTER, OR MARGARINE!! Just cook them on low and they will not stick. Takes a few more minutes , but it is worth it. I cooked up what eggs I had, which was only 10 of them! I put them in my dehydrator and a few hours later I had them done. I put them in my Magic Bullet until they became a fine powder! Put them in a Food Saver bag and vacuumed and sealed the bag!!

1 Large egg= 3 1/2 Tablespoons of powdered eggs



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Saturday, January 8, 2011

Exactly What is Freeze Dried Food?

Not all naturally occurring food can stay fresh and eatable for a long period after they have been taken of the trees. Meat can also not stay fresh after the animal has been butchered. In order to prevent the food quality from too much degrading, some techniques are adapted which also includes the method of freeze drying.

A freeze drying is a method by which a food object can be dried using a freezing method and the moisture is converted into ice and the food is preserved. The freeze drying for food often uses temperatures as low as -29 Celsius. Later when heat is applied, the product turns back into the normal state but the frozen water sublimes meaning that it turns directly from ice to water vapors and it is not converted into liquid water.

This can help in keeping the food somewhat fresh and its quality is not much compromised. Freeze drying is also considered as a better option than other methods of preservation because the freeze dried food can last for longer periods and also does not add up to any extra weight over the food products because nothing new is added only the water molecules are frozen which will later sublime when the food is heated.

Not all food products may be freeze dried because some of them can be consumed at once without any need of preservation like an orange, apple etc. which can be eaten at once. But there are some food related objects which needs storage even inside homes. Such objects include products like tea, coffee etc. which needs storage over some period of time.

It is however not necessarily true that fruits and vegetables cannot be dried or should not be dried. A number of stores can be seen to sell freeze dried vegetables and sometimes fruit as well. Freeze dried peas and other vegetables can be seen for sale which can be stored for even a whole year and can be used anytime during that period.

This type of food can help in emergency and traveling conditions where there may not be any food available easily. In these cases, freeze dried food can be kept which may only need a little heat for making them or the usual preparing procedure may be needed.

But it can still be said that fresh food can have the taste and nutrition which may be unseen and unheard in present days. The future may bring something unusual about which nothing may be said now and only patience can be adapted.

Mathew Paterson or Matt is an outdoor enthusiast, who loves hunting and camping. If he's not outside he's spending he's time writing and sharing his experiences about the two subjects. He hopes to help people improve their hunting strategies, how to best enjoy the outdoors and how to better plan for an emergency crisis.

GhillieGear.com is an online store that specializes in the latest Emergency Preparedness equipment, 72 Hour Kits, First Aid Experts, Survival Food and water. To purchase surival products visit: Ghillie Gear

For more information about this article and other articles related to this topic please visit http://www.GhillieGear.com


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Friday, January 7, 2011

How to Interpret Packaging Dates on Food

Dates on food are written in many different ways and can be hard for the average consumer to make sense of. Interestingly, only a few of those dates tell you about the safety of consuming food past the stamped on date.

All processed factory-packaged foods are dated. Unfortunately, most of the time the date is in a code that is of no help to the consumer. These dates are used by the manufacturer and grocery store manager in a product recall and is required of all items packaged in the same place, on the same date.

The federal government requires product dating only on poultry, infant formula and some baby foods. Depending on your state regulations, some perishable foods have to have an "open date" that consumers can understand when choosing a product to be sure its fresh. For many other foods, dates are put on products voluntarily by manufacturers to ensure consumers get a "fresh" product.

If you know what those dates mean, you can know whether or not you want to purchase an item and also how long you have to use it. Here are some of the common terms and what they mean:

Packed on - This means the date the food was placed in package. If you are looking at fruit, this date will not tell when the fruit was picked, only the day it was placed in the package. So, this only helpful if you know how long that food stays fresh.

Sell by - This is the last date on which a store should sell a product to you. Another term for this is "pull date." You can usually find a "sell by" date on bread and bread products, dairy products, cold cuts and fresh fruit juices. Bakery products are commonly sold a day or so after their sell by date but for a lower price. Most foods that have gone past their "sell by" dates you can still use safely.

Milk - can be used for about a week after the "sell by" date.

Raw fish, meat and poultry - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze it.

Fruit juices, coffee, tea, nuts, dried fruit and fresh cranberries - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze them. I make it a practice of keeping my coffee, tea and nuts in the freezer to ensure optimum freshness.

Best if used by (Use by) - By this date, you should use the product if you want maximum taste. You may still consume the product after this date, it just might not have as much flavor.

Expiration date (Exp) - Expiration dates usually appear on yeast and baby formula and sometimes on milk. After the expiration date, most foods should not be used. Apparently, eggs are the exception. Eggs that are federally graded must have expiration dates not later than 30 days from the time they are put in the carton. Stores can't sells the eggs after this date, but you can use the eggs safely for the next month or so assuming you refrigerate your eggs properly.

High acid canned foods (ex. tomatoes) should be used within !8 months of purchase. You risk the chance of them exploding when you open them if you keep them too long.

Low acid canned foods - Fish, meat, most vegetable and fruits will keep in the pantry for two to five years.

For more helpful information about Shelf Life Ingredients visit us at Fasthowto.com


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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Dead Birds & Fish??


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Loving my new food dehydrator & Food Saver!!

This past weekend I went grocery shopping and got a great deal on some apples! So, of course, I had try out my food dehydrator and my new foodsaver!! So far all that had been done in the Dehydrator has been the beef jerky that my son has been making. So I got the apples , diced them up, and treated them for a few minutes in some lemon juice. Then I remembered that I had some leftover strawberries and pineapples in the fridge and decided to do them too. I started the food dehydrator at 9:30 am and by 3:30 pm the apples were done and about 2 hours later the pineapples and strawberries were also done. Yay!!
Then the fun part - I hooked up my Food Saver and got out the roll of bags that came with it. You have to make your own bags with the rolls, but with the heat seal thing on the Food Saver it was a breeze. I made 3 bags - put the stuff in them , stuck it on the machine, and sucked out all of the air. When the vacuum is done it automatically seals the bag with the heat seal. I love it. I had a little assembly line going on.
I can really see how this summer when I garden and go to farmer's markets these two items are going to be heavily used!!! I knew when I bought these at the time of year that I did , that I would not use them a lot. My son has been using the dehydrator a lot for beef jerky , but this time of year is not really a economical time to be buying fresh fruit and veggies. I do want to try some other type of things in it when I can. Like , for example, whenever I buy canned refried beans , we never use the whole can. Well , I have seen online where you can dehydrate them and powder them up. The add water to them when you want to reconstitute them. That could really save some money in our house. Usually a quarter of a can of refried beans gets thrown away in our house.
I diced the apples up because we love oatmeal in our house. Sometimes we add apples, strawberries, and bananas to it. Makes it yummy and gives you something different than just plain old oatmeal!!





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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?

A common misconception is that it is expensive, electricity wise, to operate a food dehydrator. This is not true, even though dehydrators use electricity to operate their heating system and fans for longer periods of time, sometimes up to twelve and eighteen hours.

Food dehydrators are used to dry various foods by eliminating the water within the food. The water content of food is very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. In order to minimize dehydration time, best dehydration practices to follow include slicing food into 1/4 inch or less strips and evenly spreading the food throughout the unit's trays in order to maximize the amount of the food's surface that is exposed to the unit's heat and air flow.

However, even following best dehydration practices, a food drying process can take multiple hours. One temptation is to try and speed up the drying time by increasing the dehydrating temperature. This is not recommended and can result in case hardened food; that is, food that is dried and hard on the outside but moist and containing water on the inside. Case hardened food will spoil due to microbial growth.

So what do typical dehydrators cost to operate? Obviously the costs depend on the state and local area that you live in, however, within the U.S., on average, running a 750 watt unit for one hour would cost about 8 cents. Cost per state, per hour, for the same 750 watt unit varies from about 5 cents on the low end in North Dakota to almost 22 cents in Hawaii.

A typical dehydrator may run for twelve hours. As an example, assuming a dehydrator user lives in the state of California, a food dehydrator calculator can be used to estimate electricity costs required to run a 750 watt food drying appliance for, say, 12 hours straight. In this case the electricity cost would be about $1.21. In fact, most food drying units power on and off during the drying cycle so this would be a maximum electricity cost.

If the same Californian user bought about 3.7 pounds of apples at $1.29 per pound and dried those apples during that 12 hour time period, the user would have about 1 pound of dried apples and the cost of the dried apples would be $4.77. The total operating cost for one pound of homemade dried apples would thus be about $5.98. This homemade cost compares favorably to a well known national brand of dried apples that was recently selling at a major grocery store chain for $2.79 for a 5 ounce bag or a cost per pound of $8.93. Savings for homemade dried apples, made with a dehydrator, versus store bought - about $3.00.

Dehydrate your own dried fruit, dried vegetables and jerky at home using your food dehydrator. You'll continuously save money versus store bought dried fruit and jerky and obtain a return on the cost of the food drying appliance. Further, you can control the ingredients that go into your food (most store bought dried fruit and jerky contain excess sugars and salts) and make great tasting food.

Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our food dehydrator content and calculators to discover the benefits of food dehydrators and dried food.

Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Free Kindle Books

Just want to let all of my readers know that Amazon has a huge list of FREE Kindle books. They are great ones too, for example Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War and many more. I have found some for my PC Kindle (which is also FREE) that will come in handy. Ones about gardening, canning, survival, military, and more. Check them out. They are free and useful.



Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Biggest Mistakes in Self Survival Emergency Preparedness

Preparing for an emergency survival can be a nerve wracking experience especially if these preparations are being made at the very last minute. Due to the unpredictable nature of life and our external surroundings, it's usually next to impossible to be able to predict such catastrophes and crises and be prepared for any self survival situation well in advance.

But with the high rate of catastrophic incidents such as the tsunami, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and even terrorist attacks have propelled the human minds to be readily prepared for any contingency in order to handle it better.

Whenever an unforeseen situation arises and you have to pack your bags and move out, the emergency can create a lot of panic and stress. As a result, one is certainly bound to miss on a lot of essential items while packing. Here are some of the biggest mistakes in self survival emergency preparedness that one can avoid by doing some fast thinking while on your toes:

· Since survival kits are of the utmost importance during any critical times. You have to be very careful about the stuff that is packed in it. You have to be choosy to ensure the kit is mobile and can accommodate all the essential items required for your survival. Try not to carry any unnecessary items that are of no use and will only add to the load.

· There can be numerous crisis situations that can push you into self survival mode. Naturally your survival kit must take these different scenarios into consideration. For example, a survival kit for an earthquake is very different for a kit for wilderness survival.

Of course, the kind of disaster or catastrophe will largely depend on your location. To make your work easier, you can ask survivalists in your area for the type of survival kits you should have ready in your home.

· Regardless on the kind of survival scenario it is, don't forget to carry a sufficient supply of water. You can easily stay without food for a day or two. But surviving without water can have fatal consequences for you and your family. So make sure that you carry enough water with you when you plan to move out of your home on a moment's notice.

· People often ignore the importance of tool kits and a handy weapon when preparing a survival kit. But you have to realize that certain tools such as scissors, knives or even a baton can be a lifesaver when you're out hunting and foraging for food. These tools can also be indispensable when your temporary shelter is located in the woodlands. You also have to remember to carry a lighter or few waterproof matches with you.

· Some spare clothes and food items are also indispensable especially if you need to move out on short notice. But don't forget to carry a portable tent with you to avoid exposing you and your family to the elements.

But your best tool is the knowledge and training you have within you. This is your best guarantee that you and your family will survive even if you run out of provisions while encamped in the woods.

Having an urban survival guide around when disaster strikes will make you and your family feel more prepared.

Visit Survival Guide for a comprehensive guide and all your survivalist needs.








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Monday, January 3, 2011

Recycling Number Ten Cans

Any time you have survivalists you also have those large number 10 cans that are used to store their dehydrated foods in. It is only good sense to use what you store and store what you eat. With that thought in mind your food storage should be properly rotated. When new cans of food are introduced to your pantry the older ones should be used up first.

Eventually a survivalist will end up with an abundance of empty number 10 cans and wonder what useful purpose he could put these items to. I can ask yourself what you can do when you have those empty cans available. Each time I go to place one in a recycle bin I keep thinking that there must be some useful thing that I could be accomplishing with it. These cans are great assets for other uses than just their original purpose. This article will hopefully cover several different unique and creative ways to reuse them. Some of the more common uses that I have come up with are listed below.

If you are a pet own they make a great way to store or to scoops out the pet food. As a scoop it will work great for horse and chicken foods. As indicated the number ten cans usually work best if used as a scoop for the larger animals.

It goes without saying that the empty cans have a variety of uses involving arts and craft projects. With a bit of glue and colored paper a child can be kept busy and happy for several hours during a rainy day in the house. They also can be crafted into a great drum for a toddler's toy. You can store your child's crayons in them or even small toys. If you are into making home made candles you would find them a great help for storing melted paraffin.

Out in the garage you can clean paint brushes with them or even use the cans to transfer paint to allow several people so they can use the paint from the same paint can. They are good for storage of used motor oil when you change your cars lubricant.

Creative wives can often take an empty number ten can and make some fabulous accessories for their kitchen. They can skillfully decorate them to just about compliment any theme they might have in their kitchen. They can be spray painted with stickers attached for creating a personalized canister set. She can store cookies readily in them as well.

From a survivalist's point of view you can make yourself a tin can stove. These are useful in the event of a power failure or for storing in your bug out vehicle. They can be reused to store miscellaneous foods that are encased in Mylar pouches. They are perfect for storing small emergency bug out kits in your car. Don't forget their usefulness as targets when practicing your archery, gunnery or other marksmanship skills. If you have a boat many of the older fisherman claim the number ten cans are the best form to use when making a home made boat anchor.

You can't leave out the home office either as these cans can be very useful as a desk organizer. It can hold your extra pencils, pens, rulers or scissors with ease. These too can be lavishly decorated in any way you desire.

Most empty cans can make very effective flower pots for either indoor or outdoor planting. A little spray paint and a few decorating accessories added and you have a personalized work of art.

Your empty cans can add some interesting usefulness as caddies for the bathroom. They can hold your combs, hairbrushes and other hair accessories such as ponytail holders, hair bands or barrettes with ease - keeping them up and safely out of the way. Decorating your can is easy as explained above.

An interesting idea that is popular with youngsters is to create a time capsule using the empty cans. You can bury a new one every year or two adding such items as a local newspaper, the current postage stamp and other items that would prompt conversation in the future when opened.

If your son or daughter is in the scouts you could donate them for use as stilts or for transforming to buddy burners for upcoming camping trips.

As you can clearly see with a slight bit of imagination you can come up with a lot of different ways that you can reuse an empty number ten can. I have merely touched the surface of uses for these items. Use your imagination and some serious thought and I am certain you too can find some great uses for these empty cans.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
Survival Training

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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Creating An Emergency Preparedness Plan: Using Alpine Aire Foods for Long-Term Food Storage

Have you checked your cabinets recently? How much food is inside? Although these contents vary for everyone, only the barebones basics are typically present in this instance: a bag of rice, some flour, a tin of baking powder, a few cans of soup or vegetables, and spices. For everyday, on-the-go needs, this is normal - after all, planning too far ahead for food may make some items go bad - but have you ever considered what you would do if a disaster hit?

You're not alone or unique in this scenario, as the average household typically has less than a week's supply of food on hand. When the power goes out or a natural or personal disaster hits, the small amounts of these basic items aren't sufficient, however. Isolation by snow, a flood, a hurricane, or an earthquake may mean help might not reach you for a few days. Although a freak happening, a natural disaster has the possibility of cutting you off from others - and shutting you off from resources many simply take for granted.

Preparation beforehand is absolutely necessary - even for those who don't live in areas prone to disasters. Building up a survival food storage lets you be prepared for these instances, and should also be a lifestyle. Running out and buying a large supply of canned goods isn't sufficient enough, however stocking up on emergency survival foods over time gives you a well-rounded selection, a fuller pantry, and a clearer plan.

Initiating your plan for emergency preparedness starts with the basics: grains, beans, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, and seeds. Over time, the accumulation of these products in your pantry should result in a year's supply. But, on the other hand, you shouldn't survive alone on bread and milled grains after a disaster hits, and combining these standard items with dehydrated and freeze-dried food products results in a well-rounded diet.

Finding the right kit of emergency survival foods gets this step out of the way. Manufacturers like Alpine Aire, Provident Pantry, and Mountain House Foods put together such survival food kits, all of which contain #10 cans or pouches of freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Foods by Alpine Aire, in particular, retain 98-percent of their original nutritional content and are packaged in cans made from heavy-gauge steel with food-grade enamel coating inside.

Preparation with foods by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers varies. In general, all products will need water. Freeze-dried foods simply need to be mixed with a small amount to rehydrate in a few minutes, while some dehydrated items should sit overnight. Additionally, emergency survival foods by Alpine Aire come as prepared meals or as individual ingredients. For the latter, rehydrated grains, proteins, and vegetables just need to be heated to form a meal. On average, following the instructions with kits by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers yields a diet of 1000 to 1800 calories per day.

Another factor to consider for long-term food storage is the lifespan of all items. Individual basics, such as grains and dehydrated milk, may not last as long as foods packaged in prepared kits by Alpine Aire. Freeze-dried foods in cans may last as long as 30 years, while dehydrated items five to 10 years. But other factors need to be considered, such as the quality of the food and its exposure to heat and light.

Food kept away for several years may experience some deterioration, as will items kept in containers. An airtight environment should be the home to your emergency survival foods, but this can become difficult once items are opened. Your space must be cool, dark, and dry for all items, and all unopened and opened products should be kept here.

Food in unopened cans must be consumed in a year. #10 cans contain multiple servings, and after the top is taken off, the remaining freeze-dried or dehydrated items inside are exposed to air and light. One suggestion after opening is repackaging all of the remaining food in a fully sealed container. Other options include using a commercially-available re-sealer or freezing the food.

All emergency survival foods, including your basics and long-term food storage packages, need to be kept in a dark and dry location, where the temperature is regularly between 55°F and 65°F. A basement, closet, or dry crawl space is ideal, and make sure not to stack cans too high. The area, additionally, should be free from other items; fumes from chemicals or cleaning products stored in the area, for example, could enter the containers. Enjoy storing food for your family and every day you add to your preparedness it only gets easier.



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Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!


I have so many plans for this year. Saving money is the number one thing. I also want to go fishing more this year and hone my fishing skills. I have not been fishing in years. Fishing could become a lifesaver. There is a creek behind my house and I have seen others fishing in it. So I will give it a try.

What do you plan on doing in the upcoming year to get better prepared?????

Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Friday, December 31, 2010

Urban Survival - Food Storage and Preparation

Global warming, climate change, eco-terrorism and an unstable economy should make American families think about returning to some of the practices of our grandparents.

Following a disaster, be it natural, or man-made, local emergency providers will probably be facing the same problems as the rest of the community. It can take three days, 72 hours, for anyone to come to your assistance, but in certain circumstances you may find yourself on your own for much longer than that.

We Americans take an endless supply of food for granted. Recent studies show that the average American family has less than a one week supply of food on hand. Grocery supermarkets and warehouses are the same.

Food storage is a major part of disaster preparedness and one that many people neglect to consider. In my articles I stress the need to be prepared to survive the 1st 72 hours following a disaster, but you would be well advised to store enough food your family to live for a month. In a true fuel crisis, in a widespread winter weather emergency, or following an act of terrorism, our normal food supplies will be depleted quickly.

In our unstable economy no one is sure if they will have a job next month, next week, or even tomorrow. Today, we Americans are more vulnerable to events beyond our control than we have been at any time since world War II. Food storage is an insurance policy that we can take to protect ourselves against such things as loss of power, job loss, unemployment due to injury or illness, or a loss of food supplies due to an interruption of food transportation.

This is not paranoia, survivalist thinking, or hoarding. It is a common sense practice that we have neglected because we could.

Here are some food storage tips that will make the practice more palatable, no pun intended.

The Basics

Always store a larger than normal supply of the basics, grains, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, flour, garden seeds and storable produce like potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, etc.
Store food that is familiar and acceptable to your family and know how to prepare the food you store.
Use food from your stores that have a limited shelf life and replace them with fresh items, immediately.
If you have a limited budget, buy one item at a time until you have your stores in place.
Shopping at wholesale markets can save you a considerable amount of money on such things as salt, flour, oil and sugar.
Protect stored food from rodent and insect infestation by storing it in large tins. Empty potato chip cans make excellent storage containers. Many thrift stores and feed stores have these at rock bottom prices.
Once you have adopted this forgotten practice you will find that you actually feel better about your circumstances. Self-reliance is always better than depending on the charity of others who may, or may not, come to your rescue.

The author is currently certified by the Emergency management Institute under the auspices of FEMA and The Department of Homeland Security. He has been actively involved in disaster preparedness and survival techniques for more than half a century. You can get free up-to-date downloads and information about all facets of Urban Survival at: Dave Hardin Online


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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Map of Fault lines In USA


MORE INFORMATION HERE










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DIY Local Self Reliance

Self reliance is of utmost importance in today's world especially owing to the growing awareness of urban survival. There are a couple of aspects in which urban self reliance can be achieved through DIY methods. One of these is by learning to make your own cleaning products. It'll not only help you save money but also keep you from using harsh chemicals.

It's possible to achieve self reliance with the DIY projects. It's also a great trouble saver, in terms of running to the grocery store every time you need to get some toothpaste or soap. Furthermore, it also prepares you for difficult times ahead such as when the store may be inaccessible or perhaps when the supplies may not be readily available.

Knowing how to prepare this stuff at home sure comes in handy in a lot of situations. And if you maintain a stock of the ingredients needed to make them, it can keep you well prepared to deal with any unforeseen situations.

But the benefits of making your own cleaning products are not limited to this. One of its main advantages is that you know exactly what you're going to use. As you can make your own bath supplies, lotions, and facial creams, you'll know what you'll apply on your body and on your skin. It is a fun learning experience that's also safe. So the whole family can enjoy it together.

The other aspect of becoming self reliant is by learning to meet your food requirements. These requirements may be in terms of vegetables or perhaps your poultry needs. You don't always need a large tract of farmland or a garden to grow vegetables. It is possible to grow vegetables such as lettuce, squash, potatoes as well as tomatoes even on a bale of hay, burlap bag or even in pots or barrels. Self reliant farming is especially healthier as opposed to market vegetables. They're more likely free of pesticides and other cancer-inducing chemicals.

Chickens would make rather interesting pets. You can surely give it a try if they can satisfy your own poultry needs. Taking care of them requires no special equipment. A towel can be used to cushion the eggs and an electric kettle may be used to hatch them. With proper care, your hens may reach adulthood and provide you with eggs on a daily basis. Regulations in most cities may allow you to raise a maximum of six hens. However, you should check the local regulations just be sure.

No doubt that DIY local self reliance can make you and your family independent and self sustaining. Best of all, you know where your produce comes from and you get the satisfaction of having grown them yourself. No doubt you and your family is going to have a lot of fun producing your own food.

Knowing the dangers that await you during a disaster is half the battle. Visit Urban Survival Guide for great info about surviving worst case scenario disaster.




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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Where to Store Your Emergency Home Food Storage

It is very important to have an emergency food storage program; however, one of the first steps of having food storage is having a place to put it! There are many places and spaces to keep your food stored. To get started, I would suggest you take a good look around your living space to determine what area best fits your requirements for your food storage. You want to have a place that has the correct temperature and location for your dehydrated food.

Ideal Conditions for Food Storage. You want to find a cool, dry place that has a constant temperature of 40 to 60 degrees F. Stay away from any kind of furnace, freezers, refrigerators, and water heaters because this will cause the temperature to fluctuate. If there is a change in the temperature of the area, the nutritive value of your food can be damaged and shorten the shelf life of the item. The coolest room in the house is always a good place to start - basements (if you are lucky enough to have one), root cellars, temperature controlled garages, spare bedrooms, unfinished rooms, under beds, under stairways, closets, utility rooms and crawl spaces are just a few areas that may be appropriate for your storage. Make sure your room or space is dry at all times. It is important that you select a space that is relatively close to your kitchen so you have easy access to the items and can rotate them on a regular basis.

Location, Location, Location. Obviously, not everyone has a full basement with nothing in it, so you sometimes have to be creative in finding a space for your storage. If you have a stairway in your home, the space under the stairs is usually wasted space. Put in shelves to line the space and you have room for your 5 gallon buckets as well as any canned goods. Make sure you measure your shelves to fit your can and buckets exactly so you don't have any wasted space.

Most garages are not climate controlled, so there is a temperature fluctuation. If that is your situation, you may want to use your garage to store your paper goods, such as paper towels, toilet paper and napkins - or any other non-foodstuff items.

For smaller house or apartment dwellers, space is a rare commodity, so you have to make your own storage areas. Under your bed is a perfect spot. Make sure to put the items you use the most on the outside perimeter of your bed. You can always use your storage to create book shelves by adding a few boards, or an end table by using a large bucket with a round board on top and covered with a table cloth.

Whatever your situation is and what kind of space you have available to you, the most important thing to remember is to pick or create a space and fill it with your emergency food storage. Make the decision to be prepared and then get started!

Terri R. Simmons currently works as an Human Resource Manager for a small company. She is concerned about the state of the economy and wants to share different ideas that may be helpful in preparing for the future. She has many years of experience in using food storage. Find out more about emergency food storage by visiting Food Storage for You










Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Last big purchase.

I just made my last purchase for the year. From now on out all that I will spend money on is bills and food. Mini Plus Kitis something that we needed so that I can store the food I do get and the food that I dehydrate. Now we are set. I have our bills down to just the water, gas, cell phones and electric. This spring we plan on buying a vehicle , but by then I should have a bit in savings. I am not missing the expense of having a car. That is the only thing I dread about getting a car. But, with it getting close to my son going to college, we better get one!


Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

A 72 Hour Kit

When planning emergency survival kits one of the more important ones that you can put together are the 72 hour kits. These emergency preparedness packages are frequently referred to as the first step towards become prepared for any sort of emergency.

The objective behind these kits is that they can be created ahead of time and placed in a closet or cabinet near the door ready and waiting to be grabbed at a moments notice. Their very existence originates from the concept of being quick to grab and get to the bug out vehicle. These are the perfect solution to being prepared if you have to depart the area at a moments notice.

In any emergency a person wishes they had specific items that they need. As an example a fire which I recently dealt with involved a family who literally lost everything they owned. They had nothing left what so ever. We provided them with the necessities of life but in many cases what would these people have done if we were not around to help them?

In times of emergencies complete communities are affected in a similar manner. Emergency supplies are few and often unavailable. What if your town is suddenly informed that they must depart the area would you and your family be prepared? You would if you had a 72 hour kit ready and waiting near your door.

A 72 hour kit should contain the essential supplies which your family would need to take you through three days of taking care of yourself. The reason that a 72 hour kit is valuable is because it has been shown that it could take up to three to four days before emergency personnel could get supplies moving during a disaster. What this amounts to is that until the emergency crews and their supplies are in place you and your neighbors will be on your own. According to how bad your emergency situation is the time limit could even be much longer.

To get you started on construction of a personalized 72 hour kit I will provide you with a few supplies to include. These are not bound in stone items and each kit should reflect the individual's desires and likes.

You could include one or several first aid kits in your pack. I have one in my vehicle, a personal kit and a family kit. In my family kit I include both foot and body powder. I have included both a means of making light such as a flashlight or lantern as well as some ways of creating a fire by either matches or a magnesium block.

In the event that you end up traveling it's always a good idea to include a compass and a set of maps in your kit. Today everyone seems to want GPS systems but you really should know how to use a map and compass as well.

If you can only have one tool in our kit the best item to have would be a "Leatherman" multi-tool. If you are fortunate enough to be able to include several you could easily add things such as a saw and an axe with a sheath.

For cooking your food you may need some sort of folding frying pan, a P-38 can opener and naturally food to go with these items. Your sanitary equipment should include some toilet tissue, soap, and personal hygiene products.

Always include some cash with your kit. I like to have one or two hundred dollars in small bills along with about 10 or 20 dollars in quarters. You can take your credit card and your debt card but never rely solely upon them for funds as you will never know if the ATM machines will be functioning.

Lastly include clothing appropriate for the season and geographical location. Don't pack summer clothing in your kit for use in the winter time. There you have a rough idea as to what you can include in your kit. The rest is up to you. You can personalize your kit as you see fit.

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
http://www.survival-training.info

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.infSimple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Monday, December 27, 2010

Food Storage Guidelines

Just am wanting to share a couple of links with my readers about the shelf life of food. It is a Chart that I plan on printing off for reference. USA Emergency Supply has some great points on storage life of foods.



Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

The Survival Homestead

Imagine walking onto a cobble stone path out in your back yard. As you are wandering through the path you begin looking at your garden growing in the distance. The plants have grown and are beginning to bear their fruits. This is you and your family's second garden after the Crunch happened. You are giving in to your fantasies of fresh tomato salsa, pickles, watermelon, husks of fresh grilled corn. These are the fruits of your tireless labor. The satisfaction of knowing your family is going to eat is overwhelming. You quietly laugh to your self thinking, "Wow, you give 'em half-decent conditions and they just do what they know how to do. "

Medicinal Garden

As you are nearing your garden off to the right is a smaller garden full of small bushy medicinal herbs. They too are growing into attractive looking adult plants. The way you placed them looks almost as they were there for aesthetic reasons. Seeing that the echinacea is blooming and the sage and thyme flanking it is a sigh of relief knowing that you can create natural medicines for your family as well as dry it for seasonings. Peppermint is spreading its way through the garden. You make a mental note to cut some of that back. You took a basil leaf in your hand and instantly bring it up to your nose. The fragrance is intoxicating. The soft spikes of chives, dill and lavender are swaying in the mild breeze.

Companion Planting and Crop Rotation

You are glad that you took your neighbors advice to create a companion garden to naturally repel insects and nourish the plants. The 12 tomato plants are growing in nicely and the fruit is ready to be picked. The marigolds that you grew as a companion plants are protecting the tomatoes from pests and enriching your soil. You reach the garden and smell the sweet air that the corn is giving off. The small melon vines that are slowing growing and twisting on the corn stalk looks as if they are making their way up to touch the sun.

Your wise neighbor came by to bring a basket of okra he had grown and noticed your mistake of placing the tomatoes and potatoes next to each other and advised that they be moved away from one another because of their heavy feeding. He went on to add that there are certain plants that work well with each other and are companions, so to speak. Some plants have little personalities: some like their space, some are invasive, some take a lot of nutrients and some give off nutrients in the soil.

Crop Rotation

You think back on your life two years ago and realize how much you took for granted driving down to the store to pick up a few vegetables and some meat for dinner. On the south side of your land is where your crop rotation is. After reading different farming books and talking with wise neighbors, you decided that crop rotation was the best way to grow food and condition the earth. Your neighbor describes that crop rotation is that each year a person rotates a set of crops that nourish the soil with nitrogen, and then in the next line of crops you add a plant that is a high feeder on the soil's nutrients. This swapping will create balance in your soil. Looks like it paid off. You have beans, carrots, onions, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, peas and potatoes.

Irrigation Area

Walking around the "country swimming pool" filled with fish and ducks swimming around each other, you only feel blessed seeing the mini ecosystem that you assisted in creating. You smile back and realize that the earth is giving its blessing back to you. The fish pond is not only another source to find food, but it can also be used to irrigate the vegetables and crops growing. After reading more from the many farming resources you have, you discovered that the Native Americans used fish to fertilize the soil. And after using this method, the vegetables were even healthier and robust.

Livestock and Compost

Not far from your crops and the pond are where the small goats are feeding. They are feeding on the left over wheat hulls that had fallen when the crop was threshed the other day, and they seem quite attentive to their task at cleaning up. Their manure has been a God send to the composting area. Once again, you see that you are creating a ecosystem where each aspect of the system is supporting one another. To think this Eden that you have created only started out with a dream put on paper. Your well planned micro farm is utilizing every resource available.

Find some answers to your homesteading and survival questions at http://www.readynutrition.com

Tess Pennington is the lead content contributor for Ready Nutition. Ready Nutrition is an educational resource for those wanting to learn more about home safety preparedness, learning how to cope in disaster situations, and for those wanting to learn how to be more self sustaining. Her career at the American Red Cross left her with years of experience in safety and disaster preparedness. Tess is establishing herself as one of the foremost authorities on safety development and disaster preparedness on the internet. She describes herself as a mixture of Martha Stewart and Les Stroud.

Tess Pennington's work today encompasses:
Teaching disaster preparedness
Informing readers about the importance of preparing for any given situation.
Writing
Speaking
Media consultation





Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Complete Survivalist

I got my free copy of the Complete Survivalist today and I have to say it is pretty good. I have already looked through it and have some articles marked to read later when little one goes to bed. I liked what I seen so far. The timing was perfect for getting it. Just in time to count as a Christmas gift to myself! Check out the website when you get the time and look through all of the information on it. Tons of it.












Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Sixty Great Uses For Salt

Sixty Great Uses For Salt


Although you may not realize it, simple table salt has a
great number of uses other than simply seasoning your
food.

The following list will give you sixty uses of salt, many of
which you probably didn't realize:


Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.


Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.


Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off
easier.


Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring.


Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.


Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink;
bad ones float.


Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a
cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.


A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.


Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk
them up.


Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.


Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they
will last longer.


Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.



Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of

their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to

break it open easily.


Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last
longer.


Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and
vinegar, thickened with flour


Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a
longer life.


Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt
soak up the stain.


Clean you iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the
ironing surface.


Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double
boiler will make the food cook faster.


Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.


To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and
starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.


Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.


Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot
for a sore throat gargle.


Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth
polisher.


Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.


Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.

A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.



Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for
awhile.


A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.


Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.


Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from
freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse to
prevent the clothes from freezing.


Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent
yellowing.


Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.


Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.


Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in
them next day to remove burned-on stains.


Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.


Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.


Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor.


Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.


Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.


Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.


Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.


Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove
stains.


Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.


Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.



Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more
quickly.


Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odour.


A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.


Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out
matched.


Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.


Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water later.


Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon.


A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.


To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four
parts alcohol.


Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.


Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass
growing.


Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look.


Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of
salt water.


If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of
the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry,
light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.





Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Safety Tips For Using a Portable Generator

The last couple of years many portable electric generators are sold. Many of these generators are user as a backup for the household electricity. But these small generators are also used for outdoor activities like camping or hunting. And because of the electrical power they generate, safety is a very important issue. It is a fact that generators made by well known manufacturers, are built conform strict safety rules. But if not properly installed or operated even the safest generator can become a lethal hazard! In this article I will give you some tips to avoid the most common mistakes.

My first tip is: read the Instruction Manual that you received when buying your generator. It is important that you know the basics of operating the generator. If you have to read the manual during an emergency for the first time you will loose too much time that is needed elsewhere. So read the manual NOW. If you lost your manual, then you can always download a copy of it at the website of the manufacturer of your generator. Be sure to have the type or serial code of your generator at hand (in case of doubt check the identification data on your generator), so you can be sure to download the right manual.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offer a checklist for portable generator owners. First of all they recommend that a qualified, licensed electrician should install portable electric generators to ensure that they meet local electrical codes. Because power from incorrectly installed generators can backfeed along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including line workers making repairs.

Make sure your generator is properly grounded.
Keep the generator dry.
Make sure extension cords used with generators are rated for the load, and are free of cuts and worn insulation and have three-pronged plugs.
Do not overload the generator. A portable generator should be used only when necessary and only to power essential equipment or appliances.
Never operate the generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. Use carbon monoxide detectors in nearby enclosed spaces to monitor levels. Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly, which can be deadly.
Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries. Portable GFCIs require no tools to install and are available at prices ranging from $12 to $30.
Make sure fuel for the generator is stored safely, away from living areas, in properly labeled containers and away from fuel-burning appliances. Before re-fueling, always turn the generator off and let it cool down.
Turn off all appliances powered by the generator before shutting down the generator.
Keep children away from portable generators at all times.
I hope you find these tips useful and help you use your generator in the most safe way.
David Marsden has written many articles for the internet. If you want to read more tips from him about portable generators, then visit his website about small diesel generators.


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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Do You Know What a Gas Mask Can Do and Which Gas Mask is Right For You?

If we were to think back several decades ago, it would be awkward to think about owning your own personal gas mask. However, times have definitely changed, and so has the personal protection products. In this day and age, it is very wise for any family to own gas masks for every member of your household. There is no reason why one should not own such a security device, especially know that prices on such respirators have dramatically dropped. Gas masks are perfect for protecting you against chemical or biological attacks. However, gas masks have far more uses than just protecting you from the above attacks. They are perfect for industrial workers, which will protect them from dust and various chemicals in paint spray.

Gas masks not only come in the bulkier items that many people are familiar with, they also come in smaller packets, which can easily be stored in the car or in your home. There is a whole line of discrete, pocket-sized gas masks. One example of a perfect discrete gas mask is The Breath of Life Emergency Escape Mask. This particular mask can last up to 15 to 20 minutes, and is perfect for personal and commercial airborne hazardous matter. This gas mask will protect its users from simple smoke or dust, as well as the unfortunate biological terrorist attacks. However, if you live in sections of the world where natural disasters may become an issue, The Breath of Life Emergency Escape Mask is ideal for protection from the various toxins that can be released in the air via an earthquake, tornado or any other type of natural disaster. But, how does this gas mask protect you from the various airborne toxins that threaten us? This personal protection is brought to you through four filtered layers. These filters are compiled of polyester fibers, Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), as well as micron particles, which are put through the grueling Fraizer Air Permeability Method. And the big ingredient in this gas mask is the use of charcoal. When you breath through this gas mask, the charcoal is literally purifying the air you breath and is removing the toxic gasses that are in the air around you. This gas mask is made for portable use, and is ideal for storing away in your car's glove box or in your pocketbook.

One of the gas masks is Breath of Life Emergency Escape Mask, is small and extremely portable. However, this type of gas mask is mainly intended for short term use in a case of emergency. There are other gas masks that are rugged and are made for longer more intense use. SGE 400/3 gas mask is the best of the gas masks. This mask is perfect for use whenever the users respiratory system is in line of becoming endangered. There are several different ways this gas mask can be used. One of these uses is for industrial gas protection, by using it whenever you are on the job and toxins fill the air, such as sandblasting, paint spraying, metalworking and demolition. If you are needing job protection, this mask will give you the heavy-duty protection you need for your heavy-duty workplace. Although, the SGE 400/3 Gas Mask can be used in the work place, it is also perfect for when the threat of Chemical Biological Warfare (CBW) is present. There are also various filter protection classes which are available for purchase. The SGE 400/3 gas mask is suitable for children ages 12 and up.

Knowing that there are such personal protection gas masks on the market is a comforting feeling. However, how do gas masks work? Basically, a gas mask filter can use up to three different techniques in order to get the air pure again. These options include particle filtration, chemical absorption or adsorption and chemical reaction to neutralize a chemical. Even though there are many different steps in the actual filtration process, the most common filtration method used is by activated charcoal. Activated Charcoal is charcoal which has been treated with oxygen in order to literally "open up" millions of pores between the carbon atoms.

Whether you are needing a gas mask for industrial use within your place of work, or if you are heading towards biological warfare dead on, there are hundreds of various respiratory protection products on the market today. Make an educated decision as it is your or your loved ones life.

Andy Jones

Media Relations - Name Brands Inc

Gas Masks - Best NBC Protection

Ezine Articles Expert Author

Copyright Name Brands Inc. Free Reprint rights with proper credit to author without removing the links



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Friday, December 17, 2010

The New Year Ahead

Are you getting ready for the new year? How has the last year changed you and how are you going to do things different next year?

This last year has changed me a lot and I hope that next year I can really buck down and get things done that need done to become more prepared. I have been working on my stockpile so that is off to a great start, I have been getting some seeds stocked up, and have my food dehydrator. The number one thing that I want to work on this year are some safety issues. Like weapons, etc. We also really need a new vehicle. I would love to get a truck, but another mini van would work awesome.

I know that we are going to be spending less money!! So, I am going to be learning to do a lot of things.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming year??

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Are You Prepared??






Take These Important Steps NOW Before an Emergency Strikes

Preparedness used to be a word reserved for 'conspiracy theorists'. People
would think you were a little strange if you were ready at a moment’s notice
to evacuate with an emergency kit, or if you stored extra food and water in
case the stores shut down due to a natural disaster. That’s no longer the
case. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, state emergency management
agencies, the American Red Cross, and other leading government and
non-profit agencies are consistently delivering the same message to the
public: Be prepared.

Your Responsibility for Emergency Preparedness

It’s your responsibility and yours alone to prepare yourself and your family
for emergencies. There’s no escaping the fact that everyone is at risk.
Earthquakes and hurricanes do not discriminate. There are also the everyday
disasters that you hear about on the news, such fires and floods that wipe
out the home of an entire family and cause serious injuries or death to
those who were not prepared. Disasters can strike any region. The Department
of Homeland Security continues to issue alerts and warn citizens about
emergency preparedness. You cannot rely on others to bail you out of an
emergency, and you’ve been warned by the very agencies that might come to
your aid that they may not be able to help you. You are responsible for
purchasing preparedness kits and supplies for your family to overcome and
survive disasters.

Where to Purchase Supplies

There are four things to look for before selecting a company to buy your
preparedness supplies:

  • Trusted brand
  • Expanding line of products
  • Education for customers
  • One stop shop

Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail...

Trusted Brand

You don’t want to go with a fly-by-night seller for your preparedness
supplies. Those companies buy and resell junk to customers with a shorter or
expiring shelf life. For example, if you buy an emergency kit with a food
bar and water, the supplies may expire within months, or they may have
already expired. A company with a trusted brand will offer quality products,
and the contents of the kit will have a shelf life of five or more years.

Expanded Line of Products

You first step to be prepared is to an buy emergency kit. It’s a great
start, but it’s not sufficient for all of your needs beyond the first three
days of an emergency. To extend your supplies to last you two, four, eight
weeks or more, you’ll need to buy more products. The same company you buy
your emergency kits from should have an ever expanding line of products to
choose from. New and cutting edge tools and supplies may improve your state
of preparedness, but if you buy from a 'stale' company, you won’t know that
more options exist.

Education for Consumers

The information on the Internet and in well-intentioned books can be
overwhelming for the beginner. A catalog of supplies does you no good if you
don’t know how to prepare for emergencies and why you need certain things. A
company who is dedicated to educating its customers will be tremendous
resource and guide to helping you make the right buying decisions.

One-Stop-Shop

The last thing you have time for is to hunt down hard-to-find preparedness
supplies. You end up paying more because of inconsistent shipping costs and
purchase prices. It’s not only convenient to have everything in one place,
it also saves you money.

Our Recommendation

Having done the research and compared what’s available using our four point
evaluation criteria, we’ve found the preparedness products and education
offered by 1-800-PREPARE.com exceed all others. They are a virtual
one-stop-shop for all your preparedness supplies and information.
We urge
you to visit 1-800-PREPARE.com and get prepared now -- before the next
emergency or disaster strikes.


 

25% OFF Family Preparedness Package! Includes a 5 Person Deluxe Survival Kit, two Economy Road Warrior Auto Kits, and an Solar-Powered Emergency Radio & Flashlight. If purchased separately, these items total $216.84... buy them together now as our Family Preparedness Package and save 25%! This is a limited time offer and may be ended at any time. Be prepared -- check out the Family Preparedness Package now!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

One Second After

I am waiting on this book to come. I am giving it to my son for a Christmas present, but plan on reading it myself. Has anyone else read it and how did you like it?? My son is an avid reader and loves books like this. He is also into The Walking Dead. But those books are so high. What other fiction books about survival should I look into getting?? One of our favorites is Alas, Babylon. Great book. If you have not read it - you should.


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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Food Dehydrator Arrived!!

I got my Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator yesterday! I cleaned it and my son promptly made him some beef jerky. He loves the dehydrator more than I do. It was fast!! This is a great dehydrator. I had a Mr. Coffee one years ago and it took forever to do anything. He had some jerky in just a few hours. So, my shopping list this weekend will include a ton of fruit, veggies, some lean beef, and anything else that I will need. Like lemon juice for treating the fruit. I am so glad that I broke down and bought one. I have been wanting one for a long time. This is going to really help this summer too with stuff from the garden.

Next thing on my list is to learn how to can!!




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Monday, December 13, 2010

Freeze Dried Food Shortage

Just want to give my readers the heads up that Mountain House is saying that they are having a shortage of their freeze dried foods. Please read the article for more details.


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Survival Food: Peanut Butter

There is an increasing trend across America - people are storing more food. Why? The reasons are many and they include increasing food prices and concerns over the economy. Food storage programs generally consist of buying quantities of canned goods as well as staples like beans, sugar, salt, and wheat.

One of my biggest priorities in Preparedness is increasing my food stores. Although not difficult - for me it is a matter of money, space, organization and planning.

One of my favorite food storage staples is peanut butter. It can be eaten right out of the jar, on crackers, on bread - it just tastes great. From a nutritional viewpoint - peanut butter does pretty well. High in fat and containing equal amounts of carbohydrates and protein - it has the calories needed to make a big dent in your caloric intake needs daily.

Now - I have no plans to live on peanut butter - but it certainly can be included in a post-TSHTF diet. It also could be a great morale booster for those that may be getting board with their survival diet. Peanut butter is also very useful as an ingredient in baking.

Shelf life is excellent - coming in easily between 1.5 to 2 years or more for a jar. I have found that some brands are lower than others - so shop around. Since my family consumes peanut butter on a regular basis - it is an easy food item to rotate on the shelf to keep fresh.

Cost? Very cheap. Buying on sale as well as using coupons a typical jar can run under $2.00. Also - multi-packs as well as large value sized jar can be purchased at a discount at wholesale clubs like Costco, BJ's and SAM's Club.

Peanut butter is a great addition to any size food storage program - whether it be a 72 hour kit or a 1 year supply.

Time to go get some Ritz crackers and a jar of peanut butter. Yum!

John Rourke

ModernSurvivalOnline.com.

John Rourke is the owner of http://www.modernsurvivalonline.com - a daily blog with thoughts on survival and the world today. John has had a life long interest in survivalism.Download our free toolbar

Sunday, December 12, 2010

My Last Big Purchase Before The New Year

I broke down and bought me a Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator and I cannot wait until it gets here! This is my last purchase before the new year and my plan to save money. I think that this will be a great thing to have and will be used a lot. Especially this time of year, my son will be making deer jerky. I will be working daily dehydrating stuff to stockpile. I think that it will be fun. I had been doing stuff in the oven all week. I did diced carrots, celery, and green peppers. They turned out great. But I wanted a regular dehydrator, because I was worried about the electric bill with the oven on all day! I might be wrong , but the oven being on all day just seems like a power runner upper. If anyone knows what the power usage of ovens as dehydrators and actual food dehydrators is , I would love to know.


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Friday, December 10, 2010

Want to Start Stockpiling Food But Can't Afford to Stockpile Food?

Many parents are saying, "I simply can't afford to stockpile food right now."

Unfortunately, many people are just barely surviving and struggling to make ends meet so stockpiling food seems to be out of the question when the electric bill needs to be paid and fuel put into the car. But in the back of our minds, there is this nagging fear that all the talk about a coming food shortage will actually happen one day and we will not be able to feed our families.

Here are a few simple tips to help you get a small food storage started for your family. I know it works because we have done it while on a monthly income of $1000 as a family of six!

We all go grocery shopping, whether it is at a Walmart superstore (my all time favorite for stockpiling groceries!) or a regular grocery store. And I dare say that most of us love sales. I like to shop sales myself, so here is what I like to do.
Allow yourself five to ten bucks to spend towards your stockpile food list every week. That may not sound like much but what will happen is that as you start building up your emergency food supply, you will find other ways to add to it.

Be careful to only stock up on things that have a fairly long shelf life, and things that you use a lot of. A lot of folks are really worried about their food getting outdated, but you really do not have to worry about that. If you have a pretty good food storage going in about a year, you can start rotating items. (for most of us with families, it is rare that food stays stored for more than a few months anyways!) If your family rarely uses stewed tomatoes, then for heaven's sake, DON'T stock it up just because there is a really good sale on them!

For instance, if you use a ton of ketchup and the ketchup is on sale one week, stock up on $5 - $10 worth of ketchup. Next week, it may be salt. Get $5 - $10 worth of salt.

As you build your stockpile of food,try to stick with plastic or metal containers and bottles. It seems almost everything is in plastic these days anyways, but if you have a choice, choose plastic and that way, if you ever have to move everything quickly, you will not have to worry about glass jars breaking, etc.

I know, you can't get pickles in plastic... yet. (And I sure like my pickles...)

But you get the idea. What will happen, and it has happened for many others, is that as you start your emergency food storage in the small ways that you can, you will be amazed at how quickly you will start thinking - "Oh, we can make it without ice-cream this week, and get that case of fruit that is on sale instead"... especially if you make a family thing.

The beauty of starting to stockpile food is that even though there may not be a food crisis within the next year or two, as we build up our storage, we have the comfort of knowing that should even harder economic times hit us, we will be prepared for it... Plus, you save a ton on your grocery bill by getting into the habit of buying when things are on sale!

Viola Bontrager is the author of Emergency-Survival-Skills.com where she talks about the basics of survival. Visit her blog to learn more about how to stockpile food, emergency food storage, how to make your own emergency kits, etc...Download our free toolbar





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