Survival kits

, , - November 15, 2011

If you live in an area that is prone to severe winter weather, such as blizzards, ice storms and subzero temperatures, then devising ways to keep warm during extended power outages should be part of your emergency preparedness, along with stocking water, survival food, and other gear to be self sufficient. Before winter arrives, be sure your house is well insulated, and that all cracks around doors and windows have been sealed. Stock up on wood if you have a fireplace or wood stove, or pellets if you have a pellet stove. Consider purchasing space heaters and a good gas...

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, , , - September 20, 2011

A fire in an emergency situation can provide warmth, a method for cooking food and purifying water, a way to signal for help and can repel pesky insects. For these reasons, stocking your survival kit with at least three different methods for starting fires is essential. My gear includes waterproof, easy strike matches, a butane lighter, and a magnesium compound striker. I also pack steel wool and a battery, char cloth (strips of 100% cotton, lit on fire and snuffed out once blackened,) and dryer lint coated in paraffin wax. And there are flammable cotton balls and alcohol rubs in...

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, , - August 26, 2011

Is it fair to say that people don’t build or buy bomb shelters like they did a few decades ago? I would guess so. But as the fears of nuclear war loomed around the world between the 50s and the 80s there were a lot of people who truly believed that a bomb shelter was an emergency preparedness necessity. So they dug holes, built concrete fortresses and cleared the bats out of caves to protect themselves, just in case all hell broke loose. Lucky for the world it never did. Well, I guess you could say that’s debatable. Yet bomb...

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, , , - July 14, 2011

I’ve always had a few battery powered emergency preparedness flashlights tucked away in various spots in my house just in case of a power outage, but they rarely ever get used. In fact, I kind of forget about them until I happen upon them by accident, or open a drawer and notice that for some reason the light is actually on. Having a backup light with a dead battery that you’ve hidden from yourself is not an effective way to be prepared for a blackoutThat’s why portable solar panel and crank flashlights are an important part of an emergency preparedness...

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