Prepare For Winter Storm

We had pretty nice weather the last couple of months and now the winter is coming on big time. We are under a winter storm watch and it is time to be prepared for it. I don't agree with people I see in the stores buying up all of the bread and milk. I really do not understand why they would just get that. You need to get canned food and other types of food that would be easy to prepare if your power goes out. Items like, canned chili and beef stew. Serve them with rice or noodles. They can easily be cooked on a camping stove if you had to. Plus , they will fill you up.

Have all of your blankets handy. If you have to keep warm you can close off one room and keep warm. Have a couple of different ways to be able to keep your family warm. You could use a kerosene heater or a Mr. Heater Portable Propane Heater .

Prepare for the winter storm before it gets to you. If you are prepared for it ahead of time than your family will be comfortable during it and have no worries. Be well-fed and not frozen.

Tips For Winter Camping

You have got to take extra precautions if you are planning to camp in the winter.

1. Keep track of the weather forecast before you go camp. The weather can change on a dime in the winter.

2. Take more than enough food and preps. You never know what could happen and you might be stuck for a few days because of a snow storm.

3. Have several ways to keep warm. They have foldable wood burning stoves now that would help. Plus have sleeping bags that are graded for below zero weather. Have layers on with thermal underwear. Gloves are a must.

4. Navigation tools for getting anywhere safely in a winter storm. If you have to get anywhere to safety , you need to be able to navigate. Know you surroundings.

5. The right boot could save your life. It can get very slippery in the winter and you have to have traction. My son also has a great Folding Collapsible Travel Hiking Walking Stick Trekking Pole , that he takes with him every time he hikes and camps.

6. Only camp in places that are frequented by other campers and are known camping sites. You will be easily found and you can easily find your way out if the winter weather gets to bothering you.

7. It gets darker earlier in the winter than it does in the summer so have plenty of lighting and batteries.

If you prepare for everything - you can camp in the winter!

So Cool - USB powered items

I found this USB fan at a dollar store and it is supposed to be for plugging into a computer , but the neat thing is that it plugs and works off of the RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Port (Foldable, Portable, iSmart Technology) and the smaller solar powered USB charger also. So cool. Now it is making me want to get all of the USB powered items that I have ever seen LIke:

Neon® New Mini Black USB Fridge Cooler Beverage Drink Cans Cooler/Warmer Refrigerator for Laptop PC Computer (Black)

SunJack CampLight (TM) USB LED Bulb 340 Lumens - Cool White (for Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Backpacking and other Outdoor Activities, as well as Emergency)

iMBAPrice USB-MFAN USB Mini Desktop Fan

2-Pack USB Lightbulb, Set of 2 Camping Tent USB Powered LED Light Bulbs, Works with Any Power Bank, 5v 5w Emergency Led Light Bulb and Night Light, 40" Wire (White)

 There are so many neat things that work off of USB and could make living off-grid so much nicer.

Keep The Kids Happy When Off-Grid

My Little Man got a Nintendo 3DS for Christmas and I was thinking about what would happen if power went out and he wants to play. The power cord that came with the 3DS was made just for it and was just for wall plug. So I first got an adapter for it that makes it to be able to use USB for power. This made it where I could then get a Solar Power USB Charger , plus we already have our RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Port (Foldable, Portable, iSmart Technology) that I can use for my Kindle and our phones , etc.

The other item in the photo is a Solar 11-in-1 Battery Charger that I just bought a lot of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries for to use with other handheld devises and radios. Always prepared. I keep all of these in a small faraday cage that I made with each item in Antistatic Bags. I made a cheap faraday cage that I just made out of a 18 gallon rubbermade tote ($5.00) and 3 rolls of aluminum foil. ($3.00) Each item kept in the antistatic bags. I tested it out with my cell phone. I hope that is all that I had to do. I placed it in there on and tried to call and text myself and it did not go through. I keep my kindle and some other small radios, handheld scanner, walkie-talkies, and more in it.

Prepare For Emergencies & Doomsday Scenarios

Many people across the country prepare for emergencies or doomsday scenarios by storing food and water. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods are a popular way to store food without taking up too much space. You can also learn how to provide your own water supply from companies such as findwaterfirst.com. It is always a good idea to prepare for natural or man-made disasters by advanced planning.

Dehydrating Food Tips

There are basically two convenient ways to store foods that will last for a long time. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods are a great way to store foods for long periods. Preserving food techniques have been around for centuries. Freeze-dried foods are flash-frozen with oxygen and water removed while in their gas state. The process ensures a longer shelf life without sacrificing nutrition or quality.

Dehydrated foods require the moisture is removed at high temperatures. However, this process reduces the nutritional value of food because of high temperatures. Foods that are freeze-dried can last up to 25 years while dehydrated foods last up to 10 years. The process for free-dried foods only takes about 10 minutes while dehydrated foods take 25 minutes to complete.

Water Storage Tips

The first step in storing water is knowing how much you need. The average person requires one gallon of water each day. Calculate how many days of water you will need to prepare. Choose the right container that prohibits light. The containers should also be free from BPA to reduce potential contaminants. Clean the containers with one teaspoon of bleach per quart of water. Wait at least 60 seconds before pouring water into the container. Don’t forget that pets also need a half of gallon of water each day.

Gardening Tips

The purpose of a garden is to make yourself self-sufficient in the future. The first step is to understand what types of foods grow well in your region. You can find this information by visiting your state agricultural department online. You will need to prepare the soil to ensure your plants are healthy. Grow foods that are easy to store such as tomatoes, bell peppers and onions.

The location of your garden is an important factor in how well your plants grow. If you do not have enough sunlight, then consider container gardening instead. Plan to grow enough food each season to store food for everyone in your family. Preparation is the key to survival when an emergency arrives.