7 Ways To Get Started Prepping Today

When most people decide that it is time to take charge of there family’s security and preparedness, the first resource that they turn to is the Internet. This can be both good and bad as the entire gamut of the Prepping world is on display all from the comfort of your couch, and the entire Prepping world can be a bit, how to put this delicately. . . Bat Shit Crazy at times. While AR-15’s and EOTechs are cool they might not be of much use during the next Ice Storm or Blackout.

#1 Assemble A Black Out Kit

Whether it is a big storm or a drunk hitting a telephone pole, sometimes the lights go out. A Black Out Kit is set up for when things go dark. It has the stuff you will be looking for immediately: a flashlight (the cheap ones are fantastic for this), some spare batteries, a few glow sticks, a candle, and some matches. I have one in each bedroom, minus the flammable stuff in the kid’s room. A few cheap kits like this will get you through the the short term power outages without ransacking the house looking for light!

#2 Put Together A 72 Hour Kit

A step up on the Preparedness scale but still firmly rooted in Common Sense Preparedness is putting together a 72 Hour Kit. This the sort of kit that sites like Ready.gov have been squawking about for years now. A 72 hour should have enough emergency supplies to get you and your family through those crucial first 3 days following a disaster.
A good basic kit will have:

• Non-Perishable and easy to prepare food.
• 3 Gallons of water per family member
• Emergency Radio
• First Aid Kit
• Flashlight and Extra Batteries
• Blankets. Those Space-Saver vacuum bags make excellent waterproof storage for these.
• Paper plates and plastic utensils
• Candles
• Matches
• Camp Stove

 

#3 Meet The Neighbors

When it comes to Common Sense Preparedness getting to know your neighbors just make good sense. Neighbors can come together to accomplish a lot in times of disaster. Clearing trees, bringing a load of firewood to the older couple next door, cooking a meal, running an extension cord to the house next door, keeping an eye out for those looking to take advantage of a disaster, or running down to the gas lines together are all good examples of the benefits of a strong neighborhood.

#4 Buy A Generator

Buying a generator is one of the best Preparedness investments you can make. If the lights are out for more than 3 days or so you will be amazed at how much you will crave a little bit of light. A generator just makes everything easier, being able to keep the fridge cold, cook a meal, and take a hot shower are just a few of the things a generator makes possible.
No matter what kind of generator you get fuel will be a big concern. A generator without fuel is just a very large paperweight. Having a few days worth of fuel on hand is a good level to strive for. During Hurricane Sandy the Northeast was hit with crippling fuel shortages and long gas lines, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the 70’s, were the norm. 20 or 30 gallons of extra gas and some restraint with the run times could mean keeping the lights on or being forced to stand in line with a bunch of angry irritable people who are just looking for an excuse to lash out.

#5 Get Started On Food Storage

When you mention Food Storage automatically the non-Prepper begins to think of rows and rows of gleaming #10 cans filling a basement. I’m here to tell you that is a noble goal to work towards but I figure that working towards 30 days of food stored is a realistic goal for most people. By using methods like copy canning, shopping sales, and remembering the old adage “Store what you eat and eat what you store” you can begin right away to build a deep pantry that will see you through 99% of disasters.

#6 Talk About Prepping With Your Spouse And Family

Getting a spouse on board with Prepping is a lot easier if you have some common sense goals in mind. Saying you would like to dig a bunker in the backyard is most likely going to earn you a glazed over look at best and divorce papers at worst. Having a family that can move forward together is much better than one partner prepping in secret!

#7 Go Camping

Getting the family out of the house and into a tent in the Great Outdoors is still the #1 way to get a family ready to face most short term disasters. Plus a lot of emergency gear is really just re-purposed camping gear. Fancy flashlights and lanterns are easier to get past the significant other if you are actually going to use them. Camping also lets you hone all those short term survival skills that will come in handy in the event of a disaster.

Source

SHTF Prepping:: 100+ Amazing Tips, Tricks, Hacks & DIY Prepper Projects, Along With 77 Items You Need In Your STHF Stockpile Now! (Off Grid Living, ... & Disaster Preparedness Survival Guide)

You Don’t Have to Be a Gourmet Chef to Cook With Food Storage

March 7, 2016 By M.D. Creekmore

One of the most common food storage questions, readers ask me, is “what do we do with all those grains and beans you suggest we store in our pantry”. This is a good question and one that I’m sure has been asked by many while facing their buckets of grains and wondering what to do next.
To be honest, when I started doing this, I asked the same, but with the help of several  good books, recipes and a bit of trial and error, I can now whip up a tasty meal from what most people, would think was a bucket of horse feed. It’s not at all difficult, so don’t be intimidated (or afraid to throw out a botched batch of whatever you are making) all you have to do is start.
This is the main reason (aside from saving money) that I stress that you need to use what you store, so you can learn and know how to use what you have when needed. Never stockpile and think you’ll learn what to do with it “when you have to” do it now… You’ll gain confidence and a valuable skill.
Before listing my five favorite recipes here, I would like to suggest three books, that I think will be a great help to you when learning how to use and prepare these basic foods.
The first book is “How to live on wheat” by John Hill this is a great book that I reviewed here. The other two books are by Peggy Layton Cookin’ With Beans and Rice and Cookin’ with Home Storage, these three books will help answer any questions you have about using basic foods from your pantry and are loaded with recipes that you can use in your kitchen.
Below are five of my favorite recipes  using foods from my food storage…

Cooked Pinto Beans

• 2 cups of beans
• 8 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of lard (you can make your own lard)

Sort beans, wash and soak overnight. Beans can be cooked on the stove top, over an open fire or in a Crock-Pot or pressure cooker. Mix everything in an appropriately sized cooker and cook over heat until soft.
If I am going to be home all day I prefer the open fire, gives the beans a unique taste not found with the other methods. The fastest and most convenient way to cook pinto beans is with a pressure cooker.

Pinto Bean Cakes

• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Press beans into a paste with a fork and add cornmeal, salt, flour and chili powder. Stir well. Add the chopped onion and mix until well blended. If the mixture is too dry, thin it with bean juice or a small amount of water. Heat a skillet and grease it with bacon drippings, lard or cooking oil. When the pan is hot, drop in the bean mixture by the spoonful and press each bean cake flat with a spoon or spatula. Brown and serve.

Corn and Bean Pone

Grind ½ cup of whole corn and ½ cup of pinto beans to the consistency of flour, combine in a bowl mixing well, add one teaspoon of salt and gradually add ¾ cup of boiling water. Melt enough lard to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of grease, after the pan is greased, pour the mixture into the pan and blend with the grease.
The mix shouldn’t stand more than an inch thick in the pan to start, rising very little during preparation. (To make it rise like cornbread add two teaspoons of baking powder.) Bake at 350 degrees until done. The pone will develop a brown crunchy crust when done. This can also be fried on the stove top, like pancakes. I like to chop up a batch of wild onion and mix with the batter before baking this adds flavor and texture. Also makes a makes a good breakfast – for breakfast don’t add the onions and instead cover with maple syrup or add a little honey.

Wheat Sprouts

Soak wheat in warm water for 24 hours, drain and pour the wheat into a large jar. Cover the mouth of the jar with a thin cloth or screen – sprouting wheat needs oxygen so be sure it can “breathe”.  Flood the jar three or four times a day, draining off any remaining liquid each time.
The wheat will start to sprout in about two-five days depending on the surrounding temperatures – when the sprouts have grown to 1/4 – 1 inch in length they can be used. The sprouts can be eaten raw or dried and ground into a flour then added to recipes and bread. Drying reduces the vitamin content, so I prefer to eat the sprouts fresh.
With sprouts, you can have fresh greens even in winter and they only cost cents per pound. Besides sprouting wheat you can also sprout other seeds and legumes such as sunflower, buckwheat, soybeans, mung beans, alfalfa, clover etcetera.
One of my favorite sprout recipes is from the afore mention “How to live on wheat”  is cooked sprout cereal – you’ll need, 4 cups freshly sprouted wheat, cook the sprouts for a few minutes or until they are soft. Add to a large bowl and add salt and honey to taste and cover with warm milk. Makes a nutritious breakfast or midday snack.

Simple Sourdough Bread

To make simple sourdough bread mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup sourdough batter
• ½ cup legume protein complement
• 1 tsp salt

Knead dough thoroughly and allow to rise to about twice its original height. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until done.
Have you tried preparing food from your food storage? What worked best for you? What did you learn? Let us know in the comments.

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A Practical Guide To Keeping Chickens

When I first got chickens, the #1 question that my friends and family asked was, “Do you need a rooster to get eggs?” The answer is no. I usually like to respond with something cheeky, like, “Do you need a man so that you can ovulate each month?” Nope, us ladies do that all on our own. And so do the hens – almost every day.  The only time you would need a rooster is if you want to have baby chickens! Since most municipalities outlaw roosters within city limits, put your dreams of growing a lovely chicken family on hold.
Now, if you are anything like me, I didn’t know much about chickens. I am going to go through just a few of the common terms associated with chickens to get you up to speed.  Some of these may be familiar to you, some might not!

Read More From The Source


Raising Chickens For Dummies

The Chicken Whisperer's Guide to Keeping Chickens: Everything You Need to Know . . . and Didn't Know You Needed to Know About Backyard and Urban Chickens

Mini Encyclopedia of Chicken Breeds and Care: A Color Directory of the Most Popular Breeds and Their Care

Homemade Heated Chicken Waterer

This do-it-yourself poultry waterer is easy to make and will make winter watering chores easier.

Illustration By Nate Skow

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            This do-it-yourself poultry waterer is easy to make and will make winter watering chores easier.

We have developed a line of poultry waterers, including this heated one you can make yourself. To construct the heated waterer, start with a 5-gallon bucket waterer with poultry nipples (visit Avian Aqua Miser for details). Additional supplies you’ll need include a second bucket, a 3-foot pipe-heating cable (aka heat tape, usually about $25) and duct tape. (Note: This project may not conform to the safety instructions provided by some heat tape manufacturers. — MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
First, cut the bottom off of your extra bucket by starting your hole with the drill, then make your cut with the jigsaw. Remove the handle. Starting from the bottom edge of the bottomless bucket, use a coping saw to make a small slit about 3 inches up the side, then set aside the modified bucket.
Wrap the heat tape around the outside of the unmodified bucket near the bottom, using duct tape to hold it in place. Then push the bottomless bucket onto the bucket waterer, letting the heat tape’s cord feed out of the slit. The bottomless bucket should extend a few inches beyond the bottom of the original bucket waterer.
A last, optional step is to wrap chicken-friendly insulation (such as Reflectix, a foil-backed bubble wrap insulation) around the sides and top of the bucket. Here in Zone 6, the resulting waterer provides frost-free hydration for our flock all winter long. For more information, you can visit our website (given above) and click on “Heated Waterers.”
Anna Hess
Dungannon, Virginia
Source
 

Easy Heat 115 15 Foot Water Pipe Freeze Protection Heating Cable Heat Tape Kit

Here Are 40 Vintage Life Hacks From 100 Years Ago That Are Still Genius Today

The term life hacks is relatively new, but did you know that they have been around for a very long time? That’s right. In the 1900s, Gallaher’s Cigarettes started putting stiff paper in their packs of cigarettes to help add some strength because it made them last longer. Over time, someone came up with the idea that these pieces of stiff paper should have trivia, artwork, and pictures of famous people printed on them. This idea quickly caught on and they started to include “How To Do It” cards in each pack of cigarettes. Some of the tips were extremely useful, while others were more fun. Lucky for us, the entire collection which contains 100 cards is on display at the New York Public Library’s George Arents Collection. They also recently made these cards available online for all to see, but here are 40 of our favorite vintage life hacks from the Gallaher Cigarette packs.






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Herbs and Old Time Remedies

How to Make Moonshine

Not that you should make it. But if you really want to, here’s an easy, step-by-step guide to making moonshine.



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Sneaky Survival Snare Traps To Keep You Alive

When SHTF, your supplies will only get you so far. So what do you do when your stockpile is dwindling? Mother Nature always has an answer. Knowing how to make these simple, yet dangerous, survival traps using your resources can keep you alive in an emergency situation.
Booby traps may help you catch food and ward off unwanted intruders. These skills will also save you time and energy that need to be spent elsewhere. Check out these sneaky survival traps, guaranteed to catch who and what you want to catch....More from the source

The Walking Dead One Person Survival Kit


The Walking Dead Survival Kit - One Person Kit