Stockpiling is Great, But..........

You also need to make sure that you have a renewable food source. You have got to locate one for your family because you never know how long you will be needing to survive. What if it over a year or two?? Your one year stockpile would dwindle away and you would be left with nothing.
Where we live I think that it would be fine. We live in town , but on the edge and have deer that go through our yard daily. When we first looked at this house before we moved in one ran through the backyard and I looked at my husband and said, "That might be supper one of these days!!". So, you never know what might happen and you need to be prepared for whatever might happen!
Be able to grow your own garden and always have seeds on hand for all kinds of vegetables. Even ones that you might like eat so you can trade with neighbors! Get a few chickens for eggs.

A Treadle Sewing Machine

This is something that would come in handy!! I would love to find one. Imagine being able to sew when there is no power! That would be so awesome. I would be able to mend clothing, sew new clothing, sew stuff for neighbors, etc. That would be a great bartering tool also. Tell your neighbor who has something that you need that you will sew and mend stuff for them for trade. Huh - Great idea. People will always need stuff sewn. This would be a great investment.

Help Birds Survive This Winter!

I think one great way to prepare for survival is to help others that need it.
So why not have your kids make this bird feeder for your bird neighbors.

What your kids will need:

1 Bagel
Peanut butter
Birdseed
Ribbon for hanging

Spread the peanut butter on the bagel and roll it into the birdseed until it is fully covered.
Tie a ribbon around it and hang it from a tree -- Try to hang it in a tree that you can see from your window.

Bagged Omelet

I found this recipe in a camping book , it is an easy recipe that can be cooked with camping gear!

What you need:
Eggs
Milk
Any of the following --- diced ham, cheese, bacon(bacon bits), onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc
Zipper style freezer bag
Crack the eggs into the bag and add the desired amount of milk. Add your other ingredients that you have chosen. Make sure to seal the bag tightly. Place the bag into a pot of boiling water and cook for a few minutes or until done to your liking. Put the egg mixture (bagged Omelet) into pita bread and enjoy!!

Cola Can & Oil Emergency Lamp

In the winter time it seems like we have more power outages. Hopefully , we are all prepared with food, flashlights, water, etc , but what if this power outage is a long one? So what do you do when this happens and you need light?
You can make this simple oil lamp for long term outages. The parts needed for this can be found in most every home.
An empty aluminum cola can, an old cotton sock, and about a tablespoon of cooking oil are all you need.
First stab an empty cola can in the middle and cut around the circumference until you cut the can completely in half. Make sure to se a pair of gloves to hold the cut can, because the metal is very sharp. Use the bottom half of the cola can, and cut half inch deep slits spaced each half inch along the circumference of the can. Fold over to make a safe rim along the edge. Now take the top half of the can and work the pull tab off the top by pulling up and side to side. You can throw the top half of the can in the recycle bin, because you do not need it. Next cut a one inch by 3/8" slip of material from the old sock. Roll the material into a thick rope and feed it into the pull tab attachment hole. Pull through about half an inch so it sticks up while the pull tab rests upside down. Now pour a cap full of cooking oil into the bottom of the can. Place the upside down pull tab with the wick in the middle of the can and drape the cotton wick so it pulls the oil from the edge of the can. The length of the wick pulled through the tab hole will determine the height of the flame. A good quarter inch of wick will give a good flame with virtually no smoke. Now you can light the wick and it should last about three to four hours with each tablespoon or so of corn oil.