The 5 C's of Survival

1. Cutting Tool. The most important external tool you can carry in a survival situation is a knife. Even a small pocket style knife is handy to have. It is an essential tool.  I always make a point of carrying a knife. My hubby thinks it is funny that I carry a knife in my purse, but there have been many times that we have been away from home and had to pull it out. 

2. Combustion Device. The means to start fire is the next most essential item to carry, even above shelter. A shelter can be fashioned with outdoor materials, even in the most crude fashion, and still be a life-saver. When faced with a survival situation, when you need to start a fire, then you must have a dependable means to start a fire. Learn the many ways there are to make a fire. Have a small mirror in your kit. Waterproof matches.



3. Cover/Shelter. Your first line of defense against the elements; cold, heat, rain and snow; is the clothes you are wearing. An inexpensive poncho can be carried in your mini kit and used as a make-shift shelter or sleeping bag.








4. Container. In order to collect water for drinking, as well as for boiling and cooking, you need a dependable container. In order to boil water in it, your container needs to be metal. A small camping cooking pot works perfect.



5. Cordage. In many instances where you need to build a natural shelter, cordage is a necessity. The ability to make a structure stable is something that cordage can provide. Rope, paracord or some type of twine can be used for countless chores and is a valuable item to have in your kit. Always wear a paracord bracelet.

DIY 72 hour Kit For Baby

If your family includes a baby , meeting the needs of them during a crisis is a top priority. They can pick up on the stress of their parents during a hard time. It will be much easier to be able to reassure your child if you are already prepared for any situation and have items on hand that will make them more comfortable and things that they are used to you having. Have everything ready and on hand for your child , like their favorite blanket, toys, and foods.

Here is a sample list of some other things to have in your 72 hour kit for your baby:

Disposable diapers or cloth diapers.

Wet wipes.

Baby lotion and diaper rash ointment.

Garbage bags for any used disposable diapers.

Way to clean any cloth diapers. I used a EasyGo Washer when I cloth diapered my son. It worked great.

Blankets and extra clothing.

Baby formula.

Evaporated whole milk.

Powdered milk.

Karo syrup.

Bottles and some extra nipples.

Baby food and juice.

Baby spoons.

Any medications that you think they might need.

Toys.

Snacks.

Books.

Games.

coloring books and crayons.

Their favorite stuffed animal or doll.

This is just a sample list. Every child is different and should be prepared for individually.

A Tealight Candle Oven...

I seen this on Pinterest and about jumped out of my chair. I have to try this out soon. Looks like such a great idea and it doesn't cost a lot. I bought my toaster oven at the dollar store , but I see them all of the time at thrift stores. Need to stock up on Tealight Candles !!

http://www.thebusybhomemaker.com/diy-tea-light-oven-off-grid-cooking/

Activities For Kids with Homemade Toys

Activities For Kids with Homemade Toys: Easy Projects Using only Household Items was a free book for the kindle when this post was written. Great book for this time with a lot of kids cooped up inside. Get rid of cabin fever.

 Save a lot of money on buying toys by making them yourself with your kids. For the price of 1 cup of coffee you can have 25 tutorials and ideas of homemade toys and even more activity ideas.

All the toys in the book are made from the items you already have at home: plastic bottles and caps, plastic yogurt containers and lids, chopsticks, cardboard, show boxes, pool noodles, ice cream containers, skewers, old socks, broken umbrella, rocks, marbles, coat hanger, styrofoam packaging, broken toy pieces, cloth pins.

Book is full of beautiful pictures and free 4 template printables.

Create valuable and super fun memories with your children while making the toys.

12 Tips to Follow If You Are Stranded in Your Car in Winter

Natural disasters do not have to be widespread to threaten your safety. A localized snow storm can put you at risk if you are caught up in it.
Here are some before, during and after tips that can improve your chances of survival.

BEFORE --

• It is especially important to maintain your car during winter months. It is easy to neglect fluid levels, brakes, tire conditions, wipers and minor exhaust and ignition problems when it is too cold to check them. This can be a dangerous mistake to make.
• Always keep your fuel level above half during winter months in case you are stranded and must idle your engine to stay warm.
• Even a very basic automobile survival kit is better than nothing. A blanket, or sleeping bag, a flashlight, or 12 hour emergency light sticks, 2 gallons of water and a few energy bars can literally save your life. Light sticks can be placed on top of your car to act as emergency beacons at night. A red bandana can be tied to your antenna, or hung out the driver side window to signal for help.
• If you will be traveling on the highway in winter, always let someone know your route, when you expect to arrive and then call them when you reach your destination.

DURING --
If you are stranded during a winter emergency take the following measures to increase your chances of survival.

• Do not pull off on the shoulder of the highway, or on an exit ramp. Each year, many cars are struck from behind by other traffic, or snowplows. If you cannot get to a rest area, or populated exit, pull off the exit ramp and then park on the entrance ramp. Vehicles entering the highway are going much slower than those exiting.
• Major truck stops are excellent places to shelter from a storm. They provide restaurants, groceries, even private showers, as well as telephones and up-to-date weather bulletins. For the most part, truckers are friendly, courteous and helpful.
• If you are stranded, stay with your car. It is your best shelter. Do not attempt to walk to safety unless your destination is in sight.
• As soon as you have pulled off in a safe place, get whatever survival gear you have out of the trunk and into the passenger compartment. If possible, keep water from freezing by placing it near a heater vent, or covering it with a blanket.
• Run the engine and heater 10 minutes per hour for warmth. Open a window, at least an inch, on the downwind side of the car to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Periodically check your tailpipe to be sure it is not covered with snow. Once the snow has stopped, brush the snow off of the top and rear deck of your car to make it easier to see. Work slowly to avoid perspiring. It is much harder to stay warm when you are wet.

AFTER:

• Stay with your car until help arrives.
• If you must leave your car put a note inside the front window telling rescuers where you have gone.

  You can get free up-to-date downloads and information about all areas of Urban Survival at: [http://www.davehardinonline.com]

607 Essential Oil Uses

607 Essential Oil Uses: FOR HEALTH AND HEALING, FOR BEAUTY, FOR PETS, FOR HOUSE, FOR OUTSIDE AND FOR FOOD. was a free book for the kindle when this post was written.

 This book contains essential 607 oil uses for health and healing, for beauty, for pets, for house, for outside and for food.Could be very useful for when you can't get to a doctor or just want to be healthier.

Make Newspaper Logs For Your Fire

Step One: Roll dry newspaper
There is no need to roll up the newspaper around a pipe because the newspaper isn't soaked and doesn't need to be rolled as tightly. Roll the newspaper just like you would a sleeping bag.
Step Two: Tie string around the ends of the rolled newspaper log
This is simply done in order for the paper to stay rolled up tightly when it is soaked.
Step Three: Soak newspaper logs
Place newspaper logs in a bucket of detergent mixed water and leave for 3 days so that the log will soak evenly.
Step Four: Dry out logs for two to three days.
The logs shouldn't be completely dry, you want them to still be a little bit damp so that they won't burn as quickly.

Food Storage Comes In Handy During Winter

If you do not already have a food storage stockpile or are trying convince someone you know that they need one, all you have to do is turn on the weather. It is -10 right here now and I am so glad that I have a stockpile! It is so great that I do not have to get out. Little Man asked me to make some of his favorite dip for lunch today. It is a layered dip that has refried beans , cream cheese, and he dips his tortilla chips into it. Really tasty. And easy to make out of my stockpile. Cream cheese that I bought on sale a while ago and stocked up in the freezer and the refried beans made from my stockpile of Instant Refried Beans! If we didn't have a stockpile I wouldn't be able to make a lot of things without having to try and get out in this frigid weather.

So, if you are having a hard time trying to come up with a reason for needing a food stockpile - just stick your head outside and feel the cold. or look outside, some of us are having awful snow and ice right now. We are lucking here, a bit, all we have are the dangerous cold temps. Snow and ice on the way though.

Starting a food storage doesn't have to cost a lot of money! If that is what is scaring you or someone you know off. Look back through the archives on this blog and you will see tons of ideas on how to stockpile for very little money.

Winter Weather Survival - 10 Essentials You Should Never Leave Home Without!

Below are the 10 Essentials for winter weather survival that you should never leave home without! These 10 items should be in your car.

1) Clothing . You should always have fleece or pile socks, pants, shirts, jackets and hats in your car. A fleece blanket and goose down jacket and sleeping bag will ensure your comfort should you be stranded for any length of time without power or assistance.

2) Non-perishable food. You should have three days worth of food storage in your vehicle during the winter. Store MRE's or other dehydrated foods and power bars to stave off the hunger in the event of a prolonged stay in your car.

3) Water and/or water filtration capability. When you are surrounded by snow, you are surrounded by water, assuming you have a means to melt and purify the water. Water purifiers and purification tablets are a must for the climber, and you should have both in your car emergency kit. Remember, the human body can last weeks without food, but only a matter of days without water.

4) Knife, lighter, duct tape, utility tool and string. The simplest tools are always the ones that are the most missed in an emergency. Remember Cast Away with Tom Hanks? A simple knife and lighter would have changed his circumstances considerably and you should have both in your car at all times. Also, duck tape in an emergency is a must, you can manufacture any number of inventions with a little duct tape.

5) Communication. Your cell phone is vital. Make sure you have the means to recharge your phone with a crank device in the event you are without battery power. If you can't communicate with the outside world, you are really on your own.


6) Heat and stove. Your car emergency kit should include a camp stove and fuel for melting water and cooking food. A warm meal or drink soothes the soul in a long winter emergency, and will provide an indirect source of heat to boot. (Remember that a camp stove emits dangerous carbon monoxide, so you should only use one in a well-ventilated space. Open the car windows or cook outside when you use one.)

7) GPS. If you don't know where you are...you are truly lost. A good GPS unit will give you a sense of direction, but more importantly, it will give you a position for rescue. A portable GPS unit is a great addition to your car emergency kit.

8) Light. You should always carry a crank operated light and/or lantern for those unforeseen emergencies. Flash lights are good, but they rely on batteries that run out of power. Crank operated lights and snap lights for those long dark knights are the best companion you can buy in a winter emergency.

9 ) Hygiene & first aid. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Sanitation wipe for those wilderness privy's and cleaning needs are a must, and there is nothing better than brushing your teeth with real toothpaste after a long day in the wilderness. Basic cleaning soaps, gloves, lotion, essential medications (Benadryl, Tylenol, etc.), and basic first aid tools should be key ingredients in your safety kit.

10) Survival Book. There are many out there and I recommend you research them. Find your favorite and make sure you keep it in your car emergency kit. You never know, one day you may need to make fire from sticks...without a how-to guide, you may never see the glow or warmth of fire.

Food Storage Recipe - Chicken & Dumplings

So easy to make and so yummy! Plus it utilizes a lot of the items in my food stockpile.

NEED:

1 whole chicken

1/3 cup of dried whole eggs, like these Powdered Whole Eggs

1 cup of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons powdered milk

1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup of water

Get out your stockpot and cook the whole chicken in a pot of water.

Save the broth and debone the chicken.

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

Sift all of the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter (or margarine) until the mixture is the consistency of the cornmeal. Add the 1/2 cup of water to the flour mixture. Mix it up to moisten the dry ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls into the boiling chicken broth. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE LID DURING THIS COOKING TIME.

Add the pieces of deboned cooked chicken to the broth to make a thicker soup.

Wilderness Survival Handbook

Wilderness Survival Handbook was a free book for the kindle when this post was written.

When you head into the wilderness, you want to have some fun, to see, feel and experience the wonders. But a dream can turn into a nightmare, putting you in a survival situation, injured or lost. Those are the situations this book prepares you for. Full of invaluable information, it tells you how to deal with a self-reliant survival situation. From constructing shelter to starting fires. From purifying water to setting traps and snares. About signalling and how to navigate. The basics of first aid. You learn about weapons and tools you can improvise from the hardware store that is Nature. This book is a compilation of some useful tips and tricks that everyone venturing out into the wilderness should know about. Literally, a book full of awesome.

Food Storage Recipe - Potato Bacon Soup

Great way to warm yourself up on a cold day.

NEED:

2 cans of chicken broth

3 potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1teaspoon dried thyme

5 strips of bacon , chopped

shredded cheese

Combine the broth, potatoes, onion , and thyme into a dutch oven.

Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it cook until the potatoes are tender.

While they are cooking - cook up the bacon until it is crisp.

Break the bacon up and add it to the soup. Simmer a few more minutes .

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put into bowls and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.

Keeping Warm During a Power Outage

Winter storms are responsible for many electrical power outages. These outages present a problem for us when we are trying to keep warm and comfortable in the cold weather, but it can be done.

The thing to remember is that you need to keep as much heat from escaping as possible and not trying to heat the whole house. It is much better to designate a warm room for the whole family to stay in while the power is off.

Choose a small, well-insulated room with least number of windows as your emergency living quarters. If there is a room in your home with a wood stove or a fireplace that is properly vented, that would be the one to pick. If your home does not have a wood stove or fireplace, you can still make your warm room comfortable.

Block your warm room off from the rest of the house and put blankets over the windows at night to minimize heat loss.

Then seal off all drafts from entering. If your windows are drafty, apply a window insulation kit. This is the clear plastic sheets that you adhere to the window frame with double-sided tape.

Insulation is the key to keeping warmth in and keeping out cold. Besides the windows, you also should seal your entrance doors and the doors to the unused rooms in the house. A rolled up towel will help stop drafts from under the doors.

The whole family, including the family pets, should group together in the warm room to benefit from the combined body heat.

If there is sunshine during the day, open the window coverings to let the sun in.

Put on several thin layers of clothing and don't forget to wear a hat. As much as 80% of a person's body heat can be lost without one. Thermal underwear is also very effective.

The body burns food to produce calories, which in turn keeps you warm. Prepare meals regularly and make sure everyone eats something.

If you have a propane BBQ outside, food cans could be opened inside and heated in the BBQ outside. Hot food is always preferable to cold and helps warm you up. You may prefer to cook most meals outside on the gas grill or BBQ, then bring them back inside.

Always try to keep an extra full propane tank in safe storage for these emergencies. Of course one family member will have to go outside to accomplish this.

A supply of emergency food bars or freeze-dried meals in self-heating packages are an excellent alternative, if no other cooking source is readily available.

At night use a couple of layers of blankets to cover you. If it is still too cold, wear some clothes and a hat to bed. Sleep with two or three people together under the blankets to maximize body heat.

Emergency survival sleeping bags retain as much as 90% of body heat, are inexpensive and easy to store. They would make an excellent addition to your emergency preparedness kit.

Above all, DO NOT USE kerosene or propane heaters, BBQ's, or any outdoor type heater inside your home. These appliances generate poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas that is given off by combustion.

Allan Wright is a qualified writer with a keen interest in Family Health and Safety. He is presently the Project Manager for First Aid Kit Products, his articles reflect many of his thoughts and views concerning all avenues of Family Health and Safety.

Be Prepared for a power outage with a Black Out Emergency Kit from First Aid Kit Products

Food Storage Recipe - Creamy Beef & Vegetables

This is a simple and quick little dish. I serve mine over rice.

NEED:

1 pound of ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 16 ounce of frozen mixed vegetables

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Brown the beef and onions. Make sure you drain it very well.

In another pan cook the vegetables.

Stir in the beef and soup. Cook over medium heat until heated through.

SERVE OVER RICE OR NOODLES. 

That's it!! Very quick meal. 

Prepping: Preppers Survival Guide / Prepppers Survival Pantry / Preppers Home Guide (3 BOOK SET)

Prepping: Preppers Survival Guide / Prepppers Survival Pantry / Preppers Home Guide (3 BOOK SET) A Quick Start Guide to Safe Survival and Self Sufficient ... for beginners, prepping books, prepper) was a free book for the kindle when this post was written.

BOOK #1 -- "PREPPER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE - A QUICK START GUIDE TO SAFE SURVIVAL AND SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING"

I will guide you and prepare you to survive in the wild in a worst case scenario situation. Learn how to be prepared to survive the unknown.

I WILL TEACH YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CRITICAL NECESSITIES:

~How to clean and filter your own water for safe drinking
~Food supply planning and preparation
~Bedding and clothing
~Medical Supplies
~Essential tools needed
~Building shelter

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN INSIDE!...

• The Importance of Prepping For Survival Outside Of Your Home
• What You Will Need
• What To Carry
• Bedding, Clothing, Personal Hygiene
• Survival Gear, Firearms, Maps
• Money, Optical Items, Medical Supplies
• Building Shelter
• Tips and Advice
• Much, Much, More!

BOOK #2 -- "PREPPER'S SURVIVAL PANTRY - A PREPPER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO EMERGENCY FOOD"

I will guide you and prepare you to build a survival food pantry that will have you ready for anything. Learn how to be prepared to survive the unknown.

WE WILL COVER IN DEPTH ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

~Proper Water Storage
~Water Purification Techniques
~Water Filtration
~Hidden Sources Of Water
~Building A Food Supply
~Extensive Foods List
~Food Survival Plan
~How To Calculate A Proper Food Supply

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN INSIDE!...

• Water Preparation
• How To Conserve Water
• Hidden Sources of Water
• Survival Food Preparation And Storage
• 3 Month Food Supply Planning
• Water Bath Canning
• Pressure Canning
• Free Preview "Prepper's Home Guide"
• Much, Much, More!
• Free Bonus Included!

Download your copy today!

BOOK #3 -- "THE PREPPER'S HOME GUIDE - ESSENTIAL TIPS AND STRATEGIES TO READY YOUR HOME FOR A DISASTER"

I will guide you and prepare you to survive in a disaster situation so you can keep you and your family safe. Learn how to be prepared to survive the unknown.

WE WILL COVER IN DEPTH ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

~How To Prepare The Ultimate Supply Kit
~Water, Food, First Aid, Tools
~Dealing With Total Anarchy and Uncontrolled Chaos
~How To Prepare For Floods
~What To Do About Hazardous Materials and Chemicals
~What You Need To Know About A Disease Outbreak
~What You Can Do In A Nuclear Disaster
~What Are The Critical Items Of A Bug-Out-Bag
~Much More!

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN INSIDE!...

• Prepping Basics
• Prepping A Disaster Supply Kit For Your House
• Prepping For Floods
• Prepping For Outbreaks Of Disease
• Prepping For Chemicals And Other Hazards
• Prepping For Nuclear Incidents
• Handling A Total Breakdown Of Society
• Bug Out Bag Necessities
• Much, Much, More!
• Free Bonus Included

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY!

See What Others Have Said Already...

I knew nothing about prepping other than what I seen on a few TV shows. This book was awesome and I learned a ton about how to prepare for emergencies. I already started creating a bug out bag and buying certain supplies to get ready for anything. Cool book wiht good info. --- (Troy – Slinger, WI)

“This book was great because I learned so much about what it takes to get ready in case of a disaster and emergency. The info was easy to understand and made sense to me. I love the prepper shows on TV and I am slowly starting to prepare like one now.--- (Tina D. –Chicago, IL)

The SHTF Stockpile: 13 Items Every Prepper Should Stockpile Before SHTF

The SHTF Stockpile: 13 Items Every Prepper Should Stockpile Before SHTF (The SHTF Stockpile, the shtf stockpile shtf survival shtf plan, the shtf stockpile survival guide) was a free book for the kindle when this post was written.

13 Items Every Prepper Should Stockpile Before SHTF

Are we talking about the overall collapse of civilization as we know it, when we hear the term “SHTF?”
In reality, we cannot be meaning a zombie apocalypse, as that is simply fiction. However, what is the likelihood of a catastrophic event, that might make our world, as we know it, come to an end?

Modern civilization does seem to be constantly teetering on the edges of infrastructure collapse. Could it be:

• Solar storm from the sun, knocking out all power grids and electronics
• Nuclear threat leading to WWIII
• Terrorists getting hold of serious weaponry against mankind
• Asteroids hitting Earth
• A superbug
• Cyberwar

The list could go on much longer, but we will end it there, for now.
By reading this book, you will learn the 13 most important things that you can be doing NOW, in readiness for surviving.

The 13 most important things that you should be thinking about:

• Food
• Water
• Containers
• Weapons
• Tools
• Hunting Equipment
• Hygiene
• Medicines
• Clothing
• Camping
• Lighting and Heating
• Bartering
• Transport

These are all things we can do something about NOW. We need to be learning how to survive; what we will need; how will we cope? It could be that there is no one left out there, to protect us, such as the armed forces and the doctors and police. They may all be gone. So now is the time to learn and prepare.

DIY Survival Hacks

DIY Survival Hacks was a free book as of the writing of this post for the kindle.

DIY Survival Tactics Everyone Should Know

How ready are you right now to cope with a calamity? Will you survive when things turn for the worse? These uncertain times demand your vigilance and responsibility. Be a survivalist by equipping yourself with vital information for coping with disasters and emergencies. This book talks about the mind of a true survivalist and guides you into developing the mindset of a survivor. It teaches how to develop effective skills and gather essential materials to guarantee your survival despite challenging situations. Specifically, you will learn these:

• What to expect if you become a survivalist
• What being a survivalist means
• How to live like a survivalist
• How to develop the mindset of a survivor
• How to control emotions and think clearly
• What you need to survive
• The essentials of survival
• How to prioritize your needs
• How to acquire important resources
• How to prepare for survival
• What to include in your stockpile
• How to survive common disasters (natural calamities and accidents)
• How to prevent dangerous situations
• How to deal with health emergencies
• How to activate your survival knowledge
• How to hone your survival competence

This book contains more than enough information to prepare you for disasters of various kinds. More importantly, it helps you think and act like a survivor – this is very important because knowledge not used properly is knowledge wasted. Read this and practice what you will learn regularly so that you will be confident enough to face whatever life throws at you and even save other people’s lives.

What You’ll Know from “DIY Survival Hacks”

• The Survivalist Attitude
• Essentials of Survival
• Preparing for Survival – A Prepper Checklist
• Surviving Common Disasters and Survival Situations
• Dealing with Health Emergencies

Want to Know More?

Doomsday Devotions: Inspiration For Perilous Times

Doomsday Devotions: Inspiration For Perilous Times was a free kindle book when this post was written.

Whether the end is near or already here, Doomsday Devotions is a valuable prep offering spiritual survival tips, a practical overview of the end times versus TEOTWAWKI scenarios, and fifty-two weekly devotionals to inspire and motivate. When the stuff hits the fan, don’t leave home without a copy of Doomsday Devotions in your Bug-Out-Bag.