A pond’s ability to sustain wildlife extends to sustaining us as well if you learn how to use ponds as emergency water sources. Let’s look at how your beautiful little pond can help sustain your family in a disaster.
If you live in cold country, you know that almost anything stored in your vehicle overnight is susceptible to freezing, especially water. You also know how handy a stash of bottled water can be in an emergency. One of the most important items in any winter survival kit for your vehicle is water. It will stave off thirst and help you stay hydrated if you become stranded during a winter storm or blizzard. Unfortunately, water is also one of the things most quickly …
How to Keep Emergency Water in Your Vehicle Unfrozen During Winter Read More »
If it’s springtime, that means that camping season is just days or weeks ahead. If you’ve ever gone long-term camping, you’ll be nodding your head in agreement, and then will have plenty more observations to add to this list! Snails can CEMENT themselves to nearly anything, and often they will do it in the least expected places. You MUST make peace with the giant spiders. They eat mosquitoes. Raccoons have no respect for personal property. If you fall asleep in …
Have you decided to take the Survival Mom Family Camping Challenge? If so, you might find this list interesting and helpful. How many of these skills do you already have? Which do other family members have and which will you need to learn? Keep in mind that these skills aren’t just limited to camping. They are basic survival skills as well, which might come in handy someday if you or your children are lost or need to evacuate to a …
Camping is more than just equipment – Here is a list of skills you need to have Read More »
We don’t believe in waiting until our kids are “old enough” to camp. My first child was 6 months old when we set up the tent in the back yard and spent the night. My second child was 10 months old when we managed to pick the hottest weekend of the entire year to go to a campground. And my youngest was a co-sleeping, nursing infant when we packed her off to the campground with her siblings. Camping with kids …
15 Ways to Make Camping With Kids Easier Than You Think Read More »
In a true survival situation, such as if you’re lost in the woods, the first priority is to do everything you can to maintain your core body temperature. Hypothermia (core temperature too low) can kill a whole lot faster than a lack of food or water. Hyperthermia (core temperature too high) is no fun, either. First Steps The first step is to get out of the elements if at all possible. Rain, snow, wind, and even the hot sun can …
I would be lying if I said I was ready to star in Survival Mom vs. Wild, but believe it or not, I know quite a bit about surviving in the great outdoors. I even taught “Wilderness Survival for Kids” at a local Cabela’s for a while. As a kid, our family went camping frequently. With five kids in the family, it was the cheapest way to get out of town. I still remember how to pitch a tent, use …
When my family spent 2 weeks in Iceland this past fall, surviving cold weather was my top concern. Coming from Arizona and now Texas, I tend to go overboard when it comes to preparing for cold weather and packing for this trip was no exception. I knew that our first and most important prep was our bodies — packing the right type of shoes and clothing to keep us warm from the skin out. Start with your skin No matter …
It seems like the daypack, in one form or another, has become ubiquitous in the United States as well as in other parts of the world. However, the daypack in its early form was an elementary affair. Mostly used by settlers and colonialists, Native Americans, trappers, and mountain men when the United States was young. John Hart, author of Walking Softly in the Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Backpacking, writes, The traditional daypack is simple. A tough fabric bag, …
There you are, lost in the wilderness. You zigged when you should have zagged and have finally come to terms with the thought that you’re going to have to spend the night in the rough. With only an hour or so of daylight left, it is past time to choose your survival shelter location and get going on building it. Thankfully, you have a few supplies with you, such as a knife, an emergency blanket, and some paracord. You’ve also …