The Survival Mom™ » Preparedness

Space-Saving and Effective Sub-Irrigated Planters (SIPS)

John A. Heatherly — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:05:56 +0000

By John A. Heatherly, Author of The Survival Template and The Cave and The Sea

Earlier in the Spring a friend of mine suggested I try out Sub-Irrigated Planters, also known as “SIPS” or sometimes “Self-Irrigating Planters.” These types of planters can be purchased or improvised, and employ a reservoir of water that allows the plants to wick the proper amount as they grow. My SIPS are mostly constructed from materials I had around the house or purchased from The Dollar Store, while many other effective designs can be found online. I am amazed at how the plants thrive in these planters, and at how little space they require.

This Plant Spa was purchased at The Dollar Store for less than $5 as part of my experiment. Please note the reservoir opening at the bottom.

I improvised two large SIPS by using standard hole-in-the-bottom planters. The reservoir is made from a plastic colander and an inexpensive plastic dish tub (see below.) The colander and tub prevent over-watering and root-rot by allowing excess water to overflow out of the planter. The colander also allows for aeration as the plants “wick” the required moisture.

Lastly, I improvised a “colander” out of a juice bottle so that I could turn an ordinary clay planter in to a small SIP. A hack saw was used to saw the bottle in half.

Next I used the awl of my Swiss Army knife to punch holes in the plastic, giving it the look of a colander.

The clay SIP ended up looking like this:

I stirred a dash of lime into my fertilized potting mix, then added tomato and pepper plants. During the first week, I watered the plants from the top, ensuring that the reservoir below was always full. Since then I only add water to the reservoir as the plants are clearly wicking the perfect amount.

After six weeks of growth, I am thrilled with the size of my plants!

My design was inspired by Jim Annerton’s detailed PDF, which can be downloaded here. I am so thrilled with the results that I cannot wait to try more SIP designs next year!

About the Author:

“Heatherly makes you feel like you could survive on your own (for at least a little while) after reading this book (The Cave and The Sea) — not that I’m going to give it a try any time soon.” -Forever Young Adult

“’The Hunger Games’ smash-hit book and movie got my daughter and one of her friends interested in archery. Maybe John A. Heatherly’s novel ‘The Cave and the Sea’ will do the same for teenagers regarding learning primitive survival skills…” -SurvivalCommonsense.com

“I don’t throw the term ‘life changing’ around lightly but this book (The Survival Template) has very likely altered the way I think, the way I plan and the way I see my future as I’ve laid it out.” -SurvivalMonkey.com.

An Interview with Professional Survival Mom Suzanne

John A. Heatherly — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:10:50 +0000

By John A. Heatherly, Author of The Survival Template and The Cave and The Sea

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Suzanne, professional Survival Mom and Operations Manager at Grey Tactical Outfitters in Destin, FL.

JH: Suzanne, thank you for joining me today.

S: Hi, John. You are welcome. I enjoy Lisa’s blog and visit the site often. My husband and sons are always interested in Instant Survival Tips! It is a pleasure and honor to be here.

JH: Likewise. The work your family is doing here at Grey Tactical Outfitters is rather uncommon. How long have you been in business?

S: We opened the doors on our Retail Store 18 months ago and put the Training Programs in place a few months later. We’ve been part of the military community here in Northwest Florida for many years – it is exciting to see so many Troops frequenting our store! The product feedback we receive from our customers who serve (in the Armed Forces) is invaluable to us.

JH: Did your involvement in the military and Special Ops communities spark your interest in survival and tactical equipment?

S: Yes, though “sparking our interest” is not how I would put it. It rapidly became an emergency management lifestyle. Two decades ago – wow, has it been that long? – two decades ago we were stationed in Guam, with an infant son. While there, we weathered two typhoons as well as one earthquake that shook us for an entire minute! Besides being scary, these events presented me with real problems (my husband was deployed – a lot!) For example, once we went without running water for more than a month. We collected rainwater from the roof in clean garbage cans for the baby’s bath, and grew accustomed to using bleach to ensure that our drinking water was pure. Oh yeah, I contracted giardia while pregnant with our second. Being pregnant, it took a few months to obtain approval for a prescription to treat the giardia. I was miserable and sick but things ended well with a 9 ½ pound baby boy. For a while, in Guam, we only had power for only about one hour per day. We had to preposition laundry and other chores that required power. If the lights came on in the middle of the night, we jumped up and scrambled to vacuum, do dishes, cook, etc…! Shortly thereafter we became the only family to acquire a generator, so we ended making lots of friends out of our neighbors, which was lots of fun.

JH: Your family certainly has an uncommon history. I suppose your sons have grown up with a natural awareness of these often-overlooked survival concerns?

S: Oh yes, the boys are all part of the business, and they all have their own “go-bags.” They once lived without electricity for three days when we were in Okinawa. I had them help to secure all of our outdoor stuff during a hurricane there. It was in Okinawa and Guam that I learned the value of food storage. I bought canned and dry goods when they were available, as there were no guarantees the shelves would be restocked. You never knew when the ports would close and disrupt the supply chain. Those experiences made hurricane season here in Florida feel like home! Speaking of Florida – the gardening here is fabulous. I love to garden and could talk about it for days! Maybe we can speak again on the topic some other time? I will tell you this: we love to have citrus trees around the house. Half of our fruit-bearing trees are planted in the ground, with the other half in planters in case we have to evacuate. I love to grow potatoes in pots as well. The pots prevent the potatoes from contaminating the soil for next year’s garden. So much to think of regarding gardening… I really love it.

JH: Many of those experiences seem difficult to anticipate. In hindsight, what would you do differently to be more prepared?

S: Looking back, I wish I had identified more of the things we weren’t good at and sought out more information or even formal training. In fact, over the years my husband has scheduled a number of courses for us. I took a course on dealing with terrorism. All of us, the boys included, took courses on dynamic driving in unstable environments. It is true – those early experiences taught us the value of training.

JH: Now I understand why you run a preparedness business! Your store is full of top-notch gear – I am working my Birthday and Christmas lists! What advice would you give to someone who wants their family to learn about survival and preparedness?

S: Consider some of the things that could happen and document them in a list. For example, hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, shortages… each presents threats to a family and their needs. Consider canned and dry goods. My boys like rice, so we always have large bags of it packed away. I am gluten-free and like products from Augason Farms. We practice all the fundamentals: canning, gardening, as well as the storage and rotation of medical supplies and other consumables. It is a lifestyle that we built incrementally, over time, and I recommend others do the same.

JH: Yes, I agree, and like how you recommend these things “incrementally.” May I ask what you include in your Every Day Carry (EDC)?

S: Sure. I have one small “go-bag” in my car, in a briefcase (with larger bags packed elsewhere.) It includes a string backpack with sweats and tennis shoes in case of a breakdown. Of course a medical kit, a small amount of food and water, two different flashlights, water purification, fire starter, matches, an emergency blanket, a knife… I believe in carrying a firearm, as well. Even our dog is practicing carrying his go-bag now. We have a canine bag and pack it with water, dog food, and pet medicine for him. It is helping to keep him fit! Truthfully our family sees much of this as fun rather than work.

JH: Given that people are becoming increasingly interested in survival and preparedness, how will your business evolve over the next few years?

S: Our plan is to grow by constantly researching the best new products. Our close ties with the Special Ops world keeps us in tune with the latest and greatest gear and we pass the knowledge on to customers. We want to be force-multipliers for customers through training and education, so I do not hire salespeople in my store. Our employees are experienced in survival and preparedness (note: most are current and former military who are here to serve as trainers.)

JH: I know that I value their input when I am here… so much to learn! Suzanne, thank you again for taking the time to talk to me. As a gear-junkie I could discuss survival equipment every day. If anyone has questions about the work you are doing here at Grey, how can they contact you?

S: You are welcome, John. Our “GTO Store” can be found at GreyTacticalOutfitters.com. I enjoyed our conversation – it really brought back memories!

JH: I enjoyed it as well. With hurricane season approaching, I am happy to have friends like you! I look forward to talking to you again soon.

Visit John’s website The Survival Template.

9 Bugaboos that could ruin your summer fun, and how to plan for them

thesurvivalmom — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:24:56 +0000

Glorious, warm weather has finally hit most of the country, and if your family is like mine, you’re spending more time outside, soaking up lots of Vitamin D!

Along with sunshine, though, come a few not-s0-fun health challenges. Here are just a few, along with some strategies for dealing with them.

1. If anyone in the family has sensitive skin, buy the smallest possible size of sunscreen. There’s no point in spending $10 or more, only to find out too late that it causes a serious, itchy rash on some unfortunate loved one. (I speak from experience!)

2. Speaking of itches and rashes, check out the new Itch Relief Patch! These clear, round medicated patches can be placed directly on any itchy area. From the company itself:

“BeKOOOL’s new Itch Relief Patches can now be found online at Drugstore.comand Walgreens.com , and in the anti-itch sections of the following retailers: Walmart, Dollar General, Harris Teeter and H-E-B.”

My son wandered into a mound of ants two weeks ago, and I was very glad to have some samples of these patches! They prevented him from scratching the ant bites and the novelty of being covered with a few of these patches made the experience kind of fun.

3. Living in the desert, I’ve learned there are 2 ingredients for staying cool: water and moving air. Always have extra water in your vehicle for times when you’re stuck on the side of the road or end up somewhere far from air conditioning! Keeping 1 or 2 small battery-powered fans* in your vehicle emergency kit would be another good idea as well as a small spray bottle.

It’s amazing how just a few mists from a water spray bottle helps keep the body cool.

*Be sure to keep plenty of extra, fresh batteries on hand!

4. A small aloe vera plant can be grown just about anywhere, and it’s one of the best ways that I know of for cooling sunburned skin.

image by Lin Pernille Photography

5. A very simple product to keep on hand for warm weather problems is cornstarch. It’s great for soothing chafing from sweaty skin and diaper rashes.

6. Keep in mind that certain groups of people have a particularly hard time when the weather gets really hot: babies and toddlers, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic health issues.

If anyone in your family fits in one of these categories, have a plan for keeping them cool, especially if the power goes out and takes the air conditioning with it.

7. Dehydration can become a serious issue during the warmest months of the year. Watch for sales on cases of water, Gatorade, and other drinks that include electrolytes. We just discovered Activate, which includes a dose of real vitamins and supplements.

Here’s a recipe for making your own rehydration drinks.

8. Summer air pollution and pollen can set the stage for a really unpleasant asthma season. Make sure you have the right kind of medication with you at home and in your purse and/or vehicle.

Check to see if a local news station posts pollen reports on their website to help keep track of local conditions. You can also visit airnow.gov.

9. Lyme disease continues to affect thousands of people every year. In 2008, there were more than 28,000 who contracted the disease. (I couldn’t fine more recent stats than ’08.)

You should know that the possibility of Lyme disease is greater in some parts of the country than others. If you live in one of the higher-risk zones, keep a vigilant eye out for any sign of a tick bite. Keep in mind that the most dangerous ticks that can carry Lyme disease are the nymphal ticks (babies), and they are about the size of a poppy seed!

10. Sunstroke. I’m adding this one because it happened to me one summer when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember the horrible sunburn, the blistered skin, the fever.

Pay attention to outside temperatures, especially if your kids are playing outdoors during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.* Their little bodies heat up quickly, and if they are distracted by all the summer fun, pool parties, etc., they won’t notice a bad sunburn until it’s too late.

(*Can you believe that we used to call those the, “peak tanning hours”??? How crazy was that??)

Stay safe this summer, Survival Moms!

My Story: Surviving a flood and planning for long-term survival

thesurvivalmom — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:22:36 +0000

Guest post by Ann Johnston.

I will first give you some brief things I went through in 1993 in West Des Moines, Iowa, then I wish to tell you what has changed my mind lately as I poo-pooed my husband with this survival stuff, what brought me back to taking a hard look at our future.

image by jcantroot

In July 1993, a raging river flooded old downtown West Des Moines. I had just moved in to my soon-to-be new house as a single mom. I had been recently divorced by my husband after 26 years. He was my high school sweetheart, and I thought we would be married for life. My little house represented a new beginning for my daughter and I. I had unpacked everything I owned and headed to the lake on July 6th.

July 10, I was swept out of my house

I went to work that day at my salon a couple blocks away. My neighbor had warned me the flood was coming, but I said that I had to get to work. She just looked at me dumbfounded. I had asked about flood insurance when I was preparing to buy the house. The insurance man advised me against it since I had to be totally devastated in order to collect. I was just renting for a month til the abstract could be brought up to date, so no flood insurance.

It was business as usual at the shop. All the gals were busy as well. About mid-morning some of my clients came in and starting packing me up and hauling my things at the salon to nearby garages with the threats of flooding. I just kept working. I was in total denial.

Many other business owners came in and convinced me to hurry and get my things outthe door. My crew and I evacuated what we could and hurried over to my house to put up plastic on the outside and put in the attic what we could. I had the car packed up with keys in it. I went up to help sand bag the river a block away only to see it break and come roaring towards my car and my home.

I had a friend take some of my things into downtown Des Moines to store. He and one of my employees had rode the motorcycle back to check on me. I was running towards my car screaming to the man that my keys were in it. He h

image by University of Salford

urried to drive it around the corner away from the raging water in time for me to escape two blocks.

I turned the one way that turned out to be the wrong way, with the river lapping against my tires and coming from the side streets on both sides of me. Thank heavens it was an uphill drive. After six blocks the water still chased me up the top of a hill in my friend’s yard.

I was safe for the time being My friend and her daughter welcomed me and we went upstairs in her big house, watching the flood waters rise. We expected to have to evacuated any time. That did not happen. We were safe for four days.

Relying on family, friends, and strangers

I suddenly realized I was homeless with no clothes except the ones on my back and my business was full of water. The building that I owned had no flood insurance since there had not been a flood in Valley Junction in 100 years.

Once the water receded, I could go to my house to clean up. There I was inside and feeling devastated at the loss. Wood paneling had bent and bulged out like it was hanging on with a thread. I went in the kitchen, and everything was ruined. The washer, dryer, small appliances, and dishes covered in mud. I opened the basement door only to see the ugly river staring back at me. I was in shock. My brother broke open the window and was able to pump out the water. The house would never be the same.

Thanks to the Red Cross and their hot meals I got cleaning supplies and energy from their help in the neighborhood. People from several churches came to my rescue in cleaning out my home that I would ultimately say good-bye to.

One final thing was to clean out the garage. Thanks to a wonderful friend who lent me a pair of garden boots I was able to use a piece of plywood and scrape the much and mire and a hundred snakes out of my garage. It continued to rain for several days. The day I went up against the snakes in my garage and basement it was raining so hard that when I finished, I just stood under the eaves and let fresh rainwater wash away the bad memories

I was able to find a blanket to put over me. I walked for three blocks in shock looking for help at a nearby church were some people who fed me and let me to a phone bank where I called my son in DC. The wisdom that came from this 19 year old son was like the balm of Gilead upon my bruised heart. He reminded me that I have faith and God was still there.

He convinced me to call an aunt and uncle, cousins, and nearby friends. Family, friends and strangers helped me rebuild my building. Churches donated money. Clients helped. The local lumber yard donated everything I could ever need. Bankers came and dry walled. Folks came from all over the United States when they heard that our little community needed help.

I applied to FEMA for aid two times. I was turned down because they thought I was too poor to pay them back. I was devastated to learn that all my careful monthly statements prepared by a trusted accountant firm had taken me for a ride, they made no sense.

A wonderful woman banker from my church believed in me and loaned me the money, not once but twice. I paid back the money in five years time. God was good. My business was back up and running. I sold the building after 10 years. I am still a hair dresser in Arkansas after 42 years. I

am still thanking God and all the people that came to help me survive 1993.

Preparing for something else

My husband has lately been involved with survival strategy. Given his involvement in 2 tours of the Vietnam war, he is somewhat of an expert on survival, to say the least.

I must say, I was not too keen on his purchase of guns and ammo. My brothers are very active hunters. I have enjoyed all wild game birds, squirrels, and rabbits. It was not until my husband Tom invited me to go to target practice that I decided to appreciate his skill and, surprisingly, mine at handling a gun.

I can remember so well the 50′s and beginning 60′s bomb shelters we prepared in our basement when ever we moved. Mom always had extra canned goods and a fridge and freezer full of meat, bread, most anything we would need in a disaster.

I still was not sold on the idea that we needed to get ready for an uncertain future. I finally gave in and freed up three shelves in a linen closet where we now have a start of supplies. I have agreed with most things Tom has planned for. I am excited about have a small piece of land we can grow a garden and make ready for any future events.

One day I was in the library at the building where I work. I had visited the library three times that day. I even laid out three or four books reading the backs to see the story lines. The third pass through the library on my break I had decided on a book. I stopped and said a prayer, Lord which one of these books should I read. I want a story with meaning. I was getting ready for some heart test and I needed to lay low for a few days.

Just when I thought I had found the book, suddenly my eyes fell on a book called the Last Light by Terri Blackstock. Noticing it was published by Zondervan, I knew it was a Christian based book. Once I opened the book it sucked me in to where I could not put it down. I laid three days of the Memorial Day holiday in bed reading and resting. One week to the day I started, I finished this book with a whole new perspective on survival.

I looked back to see when it was written, 2005, I was in shock. I learned so much from this book about the end of the world as we know it that it seems to have jump started me into a new awareness that has reshaped my life.

My new goal is to learn all about herbs for health and healing. I want to get on board and dig out my great grandmothers recipes for home remedies. I want to brush up on my gardening days from my youth. We canned everything coming from a large family and we had an acre garden.

I am diving in the Mary Jane Farm Girls magazine and others. I am looking forward to retiring in the near future. Before I do I plan to get the next three books in Terri Gladstock’s Restoration series. May God bless you abundantly today and tomorrow and beyond.

Looking for our May Survival Mom of the Month!

thesurvivalmom — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:36:27 +0000

This month YOU or someone you nominate could become our Survival Mom of the Month! We want to recognize you for what you have accomplished to help your family be ready for anything.

Winners will receive a copy of my book, Survival Mom, a set of Marjory Wildcraft’s DVD series Grow Your Own Groceries,a PurifiCup Portable Water Purifier and a $25 Amazon gift card. Sorry, you’ll have to furnish your own tiara!

Complete the form below and submit it by May 5. The winner will be notified on May 6, and will reign as our official Survival Mom throughout the month!

SPONSORS:

Survival Mom of the Month Nomination

Please nominate the next Survival Mom of the Month!

Name of the Person you are Nominating*
Email Address*
What possible emergencies are you preparing for?*
What have you done to prepare your home and family for these possible emergencies?*
What have you done to prepare your home and family for these possible emergencies?*
What advice to you have for new Survival Moms who want to prepare their families as well?*
Do we have your permission to publish your answers to the previous questions?*
- Yes
- No
Only entries that give us this permission will be considered. We want others to learn from your experiences!

This Boston mom was ready for the worst

thesurvivalmom — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:32:22 +0000

I received this email tonight, and it really touched my heart. Thank you, Laura.

Dear Lisa,

I wanted to reach out to you because I found your website last fall when I was bracing for a hurricane and had a 3 week old. I had not thought before he arrived about what to do in an emergency. But since

image by Ed Yourdon

finding you I have slowly begun to change some things for long term storage and safety for my family.

We have since been through a blizzard that had us stuck indoors for several days, and last Friday, we were sequestered unexpectedly in our home for 15 hours due to the Boston bombing manhunt. It hit very close to home emotionally and physically, but, I was prepared, thanks in part to you.

Since the fall, I have begun stocking up on water and have a freeze dried food delivery each month. I have also made a list of items I want to have on hand for “green living” such as a solar oven, and have begun requesting these items for holiday and birthday presents, etc. I have stocked up my emergency kit supplies in the hall closet and continue to discuss with my husband different scenarios of where we would go if we needed to leave our home in an emergency.

We have friends and neighbors who were caught off guard on Friday, with empty cabinets, a sense of helplessness, and they were worried about being stuck in their homes for days. In my family, that was one less thing to worry about amidst all the chaos of the day. I am truly grateful to you for your dedication to helping others be safe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Namaste, Laura

The Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency

thesurvivalmom — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:14:23 +0000

Guest post by Tom Sciacca of Camping Survival.

Have you ever noticed how, whenever a big storm is predicted, people start rushing to stores to clean them out of ever food item and supply they have on the shelves? In one sense, it’s probably good that they are trying to anticipate the emergency, despite being last-minute about it. It sure beats those people who don’t bother to prepare at all, then complain when emergency services are overwhelmed by requests for assistance.

image by kirstyhall

But why panic in the first place? Why not have a stash of necessary items always ready for such an emergency? Even if there isn’t a storm approaching, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to rush out to the store every time you run out of toilet paper. Keeping some extra around the house is always a good idea!

With this in mind, I decided to ask CampingSurvival.com’s Facebook fans what they felt were the emergency supplies that stores were most likely to run out of when people start to panic. Then I compiled the top comments in various categories so I could share it with you. Since this list is based on the comments of our Facebook fan page, some of the items (canned meat, for instance) may not be the absolute first things for a store to run out of, but are still items that you should consider having among your emergency supplies nonetheless.

Without further ado, here the list of the Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency, compiled by yours truly:

FOOD

Bread
Butter
Cereal
Coffee
Eggs
Flour
Fruit, canned and fresh
Honey
Meats, canned
Milk
Peanut butter
Pet food
Salt
Sugar
Vegetables, canned and root vegetables
Water

POWER AND LIGHT

Batteries
Candles
Charcoal
Coolers
Flashlights
Gasoline
Generators
Glow sticks
Ice
Lamp oil and oil lanterns
Lighter fluid
Matches
Propane, propane stoves

FUN

Alcohol, drinking
Beer
Cigarettes
Condoms

FIRST AID

Alcohol, rubbing
Antiseptic
Aspirin/pain relievers
Cold medicine
First aid kits

HYGIENE

Feminine hygiene products
Paper plates/napkins
Shampoo
Soap
Toilet paper

BABIES

Baby food/formula
Diapers

IMPROVISATION

Duct tape
Plastic bags
Plywood
Radios
Rope

Now, before you file this away as mildly interesting reading, take this list and compare it to what you have stocked up. Check to see what you may be missing or what you need more of. And don’t forget that this is only a Top 50 list, so there are plenty of other items that I don’t have space to talk about in this (already long!) blog entry.

Feel free to offer feedback on our Facebook page and, as always, stay aware and prepared.

Tom Sciacca is a former US Marine, a veteran of the Gulf War, a survival enthusiast and President of CampingSurvival.com.

4 Lessons from living through a severe water shortage

thesurvivalmom — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:10:05 +0000

Guest post by Laurel.

I wanted to share with you a learning situation my family and I had the weekend of Thanksgiving. We have been working on our disaster preparedness over the last few years, but this situation helped to show us some kinks in our armor.

We live out on 5 acres with a well for our water supply. One day I walked out into our garage to find water gushing out of the pressure release valve on our water storage tank. The hose that should have been connected to direct the water outside had been removed because it was in the way.

After rushing around to find any hose, we attempted to connect the hose. If you have ever tried to attach a hose to a water source on full blast you can imagine that we were thoroughly soaked before we could get it attached.

Shortly after successfully connecting the hose we found the end had a spray gun restricting the flow. With two tool boxes in the garage we could not find a pair of vise grips with which to help us remove the spray gun. We were forced to sever the hose with a pocket knife. My husband then walked down the very steep and long hill to the bottom of our property to shut off the pump still trying to flood our garage.

Little did we realize at the time, that we could have turn off the signal to the pump house by pulling the power cord to the electronic eye that is plugged in right next to the water tank.

image by themissiah

We spent about four days without water. Since it was a holiday weekend there was no one who could help us. Everyone was closed or out of town. Our tank had punctured its bladder and needed to be replaced and there was nothing my husband and I could do while we waited. We still had to go to work and continue our normal lives. Since I had been storing water, I decided this was a test of our preparedness and refused to buy water unless absolutely necessary. I also chose not to drive to my mother’s for a shower.

We started practicing the old adage “If its yellow let it mellow”; of course, I had just started my period, so frequently I HAD to flush. I quickly discovered that our toilet takes no less than 4 gallons of water to flush. Since all the water I had stored was purchased drinking water, it cost me almost $4 a flush!

LESSON #1: Store any kind of water; just label it as “Do Not Drink”.

Now I fill used bleach bottles, vinegar bottles, etc. I was very lucky in the fact I could fit a gallon bottle of water into my microwave to heat for bathing. I quickly discovered it takes less than 1 gallon of water to wash my body and long hair. I would collect the run off and pour it in the toilet tank.

LESSON #2: We waste a lot of water during our daily habits.

If we experienced a financial crisis, we could save propane by heating less water for bathing. Our water tank holds 82-gallons and we routinely drain that for a shower. What a waste in a time of crisis!

I was not prepared when it came to the laundry situation. Since I still had to go to work, I had to hand wash my work uniform. I work around food and my uniforms do not lend well toward wearing twice before washing. Hand washing everything but pants is easy. Pants take at least a gallon of water or more to wash because they soak up so much.

LESSON #3: Don’t let your laundry or dishes get behind! You never know when your power or water will go out.

LESSON#4: Keep tool boxes stocked with basic tools, and when you use a tool, PUT IT BACK afterwards.

So after our mini water crisis, my family and I discussed how we could have improved our situation in the event of a very long term water crisis. One of the first things I started doing was collecting water that wasn’t just for drinking.

Second, I decided that we needed a non-water based waste collection solution. I told my husband and son that next time we would use a bag in a bucket and kitty-litter for our toilet needs. Both of them turned their noses up and said they would rather go outside, as my 10-year old son put it, “Mom, I’m a boy, I can do that!” Funny, I don’t find the kitty-litter idea so bad.

Third, I really need to invest in some water barrels outside and water filters so we can drink it in the time of need.

I hope that my experience is helpful to others.

Book review & giveaway: The Prepper’s Cookbook by Tess Pennington

thesurvivalmom — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:09:01 +0000

This giveaway has ended, and winners have been notified by email. They are: Lara R., Julie R., inSANEmom, Jessica, and Debi.

Tess Pennington was one of my first readers and regular commenters on my blog. I remember reading her comments and thinking, “What a fabulous name! I should get to know this person!”

Well, since then, I learned that Tess blogs at Ready Nutrition, and we’ve become good friends. As you might imagine, I was thrilled when her first book, a cookbook, arrived on my doorstep. The Prepper’s Cookbook is an attractive book with more than 200 pages, nicely indexed.

At first I thought it was “just” a cookbook, which would have been fine, but when I opened the book and began reading, I was thrilled to find that it was so much more.

Tess draws on her background as a caseworker specialist with the American Red Cross to include a first chapter devoted to an introduction to prepping and basic water and food storage principles.

It’s more than a cookbook. It’s also a handy guide for beginning preppers who have wondered, “So what do I actually do with all this extra food I’m buying?”

Tess provides dozens of simple, food storage friendly recipes and some great tips along the way. I loved the pop-out boxes with titles such as, “Canning Off the Grid”, “Use Your Noodle” (ideas for using ramen noodles in a variety of ways), and “The Tasty Tater.”

I invited Tess to be the very first guest on my new radio show, and you can listen to our interview here in Episode 1.

As a bonus, I have a copy of her book to give away to a lucky winner! Simply leave a comment following this post, and a winner will be selected at random on Monday, April 22.

You’ll enjoy Tess’s collection of preparedness tips and recipes in The Prepper’s Cookbook.

A vague feeling of uneasiness is good enough reason to prepare

thesurvivalmom — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:25:37 +0000

image by beccafawley

In the first chapter of my book, I talk about identifying why you are preparing. From the book

Here are a few possible disasters to consider. Which ones are most likely to affect you?

Natural disasters—Mother Nature at her worst: wildfires, floods,
earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and more
Extreme weather—“Storm of the Century,” ice storms, drought,
intense heat waves, blizzards
Personal disasters—loss of job, decreased work hours, illness
or injury affecting the ability to work, your mother-in-law
moving in
Nuclear events—including, but not limited to, an electromagnetic
pulse (EMP), suitcase bombs, and actual mushroom clouds
Terrorist attacks—these could happen anywhere, anytime, although I
have to admit that terrorists seem to favor New York City
Social unrest—riots, strikes, large-scale and violent protests
Increased crime rate—home invasions, car-jackings, burglaries
Economic collapse—the devaluation of the dollar, bank closures,
hyperinflation, a significant stock market crash
Biological catastrophes—epidemics or pandemics, biological
warfare
Utter and complete collapse of civilization—it’s happened before,
and it can happen again

This is all very good advice, of course, but many of you are prepping, “just because.” Maybe you’ve just had, “a really bad feeling about stuff.” Or, if you’re a spiritual person, you believe that you’ve “been led” to prepare.

It could be just a gut feeling, an instinct, your intuition, but whatever it is, you can’t quite put your finger on why you’re preparing.

Well, guess what?

That’s okay. I am a strong believer in the accuracy of those vague warnings. In fact, I’ve taught my kids to trust their instincts if/when something ever just doesn’t feel right.

In this video I go into more detail about being okay with vague feelings of uneasiness when it comes to preparing and survival.