On Monday May 20th a savage tornado ripped the town of Moore, Oklahoma in half. The National Weather Service rated the tornado as an EF-5 (over 200 mph). At one point the path of obliteration was 1.3 miles wide.

This destruction is a grim reminder of the meat hook realities that can and do happen on a regular basis. Sadly at least 24 people lost their lives, 9 of which were children.

Moore was also destroyed 14 years ago by an EF-5 tornado. The winds in that storm set the fastest wind speed record at 318 mph. That storm killed 36 people, injuring hundreds and caused $1 billion in damages much of which was insured.

Luckily more people did not perish thanks to the deep rooted preparedness of the Oklahomans. After many generations of living on the great plains people have come to a set of best practices to follow in order to survive a tornado, they are outlined below.

Before a Tornado

First off, don’t live in tornado alley.

Secondly, if you do live in an area prone to tornados, get a robust home insurance policy because your home may at some point face one of these monsters. We all know the first thing that races through your mind when you are hunkered down in your bathtub with a matress over your head and listening to your roof get torn off is “oh crap, does my homeowners insurance policy cover that?”

Seriously though, the first step to being prepared is building up and keeping an emergency kit on hand. Also, make a plan for communicating and meeting up with your family.

The most reliable source for severe weather information is through the NOAA Weather Radio, get one and turn it on during a tornado warning.

Be alert and read the skies for danger. Signs to look for include a dark and ominous green sky. Look for large hail and look for a large dark low lying cloud. Anything that starts rotating is definitely not a good sign.

Many times a tornado rolls up before the sound alarms go off. Don’t wait for an alarm, trust your senses. If you hear something like a screaming freight train run for shelter.

During a Tornado

If you are outside with no shelter, then run. Your first option is to get to your car and drive to the nearest structure that looks safe. Don’t forget to buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride.

If a tornado jumps up on you, don’t try to outrun it because you probably can’t. You might be able to get away if there is an unblocked country road. It all depends on the tornado’s trajectory. Things aren’t like the movie Twister where you can have a tornado-car chase sequence and live to tell about it.

If your car is getting nailed with debris, pull over and tuck down under the dashboard, cover yourself with whatever you can. If there are no structures nearby you will be better off locating and getting to the lowest spot you can find on the earth lay in. Lay face down and cover your head.

A mobile home is not considered a safe structure. Get out of a trailer if you are in one and crawl into a ditch or a culvert or even a creekbed.

Structures

If you can get to a structure, go into the basement or the lowest point you can get to. If there is no basement or access is blocked then go to the center of the building to a small room, closet or hallway with no windows. If the center of the structure still has a window visible do not open it. Get under a strong table or anything that can give protection from falling debris, duck down and cover up.

Storm Cellars

The absolute best place to be to survive a tornado is in a storm cellar. Storm cellars are usually accessible from outside and are safely located underground. The best storm cellars are made from steel rebar reinforced concrete. Secure a steel door on storm cellar like that and it doubles as a bomb shelter. The benefit with storm cellars is that they are below ground. Being embedded into and covered with earth makes the shelter wind resistant.

Safe Rooms

Another effective option is a safe room. Safe rooms are convenient because they are located within a home. Safe rooms also can add value to a home. Essentially a safe room is a reinforced structure anchored within the center of a home or building. FEMA construction plans for building a safe room can be found here. A safe room can be modified to withstand more than just high winds. If you line the room with layers of heavy gauge sheet metal or lead it then gets upgraded a fallout shelter.

Supplies

Whether you have a basement, safe room or storm cellar be sure to have your supplies stocked up and in place for use. At a minimum, store things like bottled water, food like MREs, batteries, flashlights and a radio.

You might want to store valuable belongings and documents in your safe room as well, anything you don’t want blown away.

Think about what you will need on hand for the aftermath. You will need sturdy boots, work gloves, a medical kit and a large crowbar.

The Aftermath

After surviving the tornado you will want to go out and start trying to help the injured and the people buried in debris, this is when a medic kit and crowbar comes in handy. Be careful though, 50% of injuries happen after a tornado during rescue efforts and cleaning up.

The prepared and alert citizen will always have the advantage during times of disaster.

About the Author Rich Coffman lives and writes from the front range of Colorado. He designed and produced the Boulder County, Colorado Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Preparedness Guide.

It is a little difficult to pinpoint exactly what a survival kit or bug-out bag is supposed to look like. It is pretty easy to give a vague, general idea of the stuff you would want inside a bag that is supposed to keep you alive, but when it comes to giving specific answers, it can get tricky.

The general rule is each bag is supposed to be designed to fit your needs. Before you get excited and start tossing everything into your bag remember this is something you are going to be carrying. The more you put in the bag, the heavier it will be.

So, we need to revisit that general rule. You are focusing on your NEEDS, not your WANTS. This will help you narrow down the supplies and gear you choose to include in your bug-out bag.

Your first and most important need is your life. Meaning, you need to ensure your personal safety as well as have the ability to cope with first aid needs. The ability to breathe and your heart to pump are obviously pretty crucial to staying alive. You must be prepared to prevent anybody from taking those things from you. However, if at all possible, avoid any confrontations. Whether you win or lose, you are still wasting valuable energy. Along with that, you also need to think before you act. Do not jump into a raging river. It is likely to rob you of your breath and quite possibly your life.

Once your personal safety need is addressed, you need to focus on your core body temperature. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather on hikes or even a trip to the store. Your clothing is your first line of defense against the elements. If you are packing for an overnight trip, keep this in mind.

The third need you must consider is hydration. Either carry water with you or make sure you have access to clean drinking water. If that is not possible, you need to have some way of cleaning any water you come upon before ingesting.

Your last need is food. You need to refuel your body in order to keep going and to stay alive. Remember, food is often a want. You only need to eat enough to survive. Sure, it would be great to sit down and eat three meals a day. Unfortunately, in a survival situation, that just may not be possible.

Craig Caudill teaches about survival kits both online at www.dansdepot.com and also offline at his Nature Reliance School.

Doomsday scenario time. If there was a massive apocalypse and zombies come back from dead or the Nazi party suddenly reforms and invades everywhere, what would you do? Would you be prepared? Probably not. There are a lot of things you would need, and a car is definitely one of them. It has to be a tough car that can survive the ruggedness of off-road driving, debris from apocalyptic war and be reliable on the road at all times. Below are some suggestions for five different vehicles that you might want during a doomsday scenario, all with their own pluses and minuses.

Hummer

The hummer was originally a massive military vehicle, able to withstand a lot of gunfire and shrapnel from war, as well as be a reliable car on the road. With good tires and some extra accessories on the outside of the massive car, you’ll be very set with safety while cruising from place to place and be able to bring a lot of supplies with you. The automobile is big enough to sleep in if necessary. Downsides are horrible gas mileage but when there’s no one manning the fuel pumps, it doesn’t really matter right?

Photo of a Hummer coming out of a lake by TravOC via Flickr

A Motorhome

They have used motorhomes regularly in apocalypse movies and TV shows and there is a good reason for this: They are incredibly helpful to have when all hell is breaking loose around you. The best things about a motorhome is that they are tough and you can sleep and store tons of items inside of them. If you have the proper hook ups, you can shower and cook in a motorhome as well. The downsides are obviously horrific gas mileage and the tendency to breakdown, which is relatively high over a long period of time.

Photo of a motorhome by john millar via Flickr

A Motorcycle

Believe it or not, a motorcycle is an excellent vehicle for the apocalypse, because it is small, fast and gets incredible gas mileage. All you really need is gas and motorcycle tires. However, you must be able to live virtually by yourself or with very few others and rely on your own wits away from the bike. You will be able to get in and out of situations very quickly and will be much more difficult to track down if people or things are chasing after you. Downsides are little-to-no physical protection from the vehicle itself and the general danger that comes with riding a motorcycle.

Photo of a motorcycle by motorblog via Flickr

A Hybrid

Hybrids that are relatively roomy are good, primarily because of gas mileage. They run longer and can run off of an electrical charge from time to time, when gas rations are tight. However, to help improve the incredible gas mileage, the cars are not that tough, meaning they are easily destroyed in a war zone.

Photo of a hybrid car by Stradablog via Flickr

A Massive Pick-Up Truck

As long as you have a good supply of fuel, most likely diesel fuel, there probably isn’t a better car for the apocalypse. Reliable, huge, heavy and tough, a big F-450 with tires and a grill guard can transport people and supplies just about anywhere, ram down blockades and take shrapnel, bullets, bomb blasts and probably attacks from monsters as well, depending on their size. The downside, again, is the terrible gas mileage. But if you can Road Warrior your way into a place with a great gas supply, you should be good for a while.

Photo of a pick-up truck by Loco Steve via Flickr

Ryan Fernandez Ryan loves hiking, spending time outdoors and writing about these pasttimes.

The order of things a true survivalist needs are shelter, fire, water and food. A sudden survival situation puts a person in an immediate need of shelter to gain protection from the elements. Such protection can be clothing or a structure. Fire is used for heat, security, light and cooking. Water is critical, but not an immediate necessity. However, it is needed long before food. The acquisition of the four basic survival needs is attainable by an expert using three simple tools.

A Good Knife

A knife is by far one of the most useful tools that man has invented. It can be used to as anything from a weapon to a cooking utensil. A standard fixed blade knife should be full tang. That is, it is one piece of metal from tip to hilt. There is no separately attached handle. The tang should be overmolded with a tough non-slip material that is impervious to the elements. A so-called "survival knife" with a hollow handle and screw top is a gimmick for amateurs. Be sure to find the right knife such as those by a Benchmade knives dealer.

Cordage

In the hands of an expert, cordage can be used to lash together a lean-to shelter or to set a trap to catch food. It can be used to tie a knife to a stick to make a spear. The uses for cordage are endless. The type of cordage most often preferred by survivalists is simple parachute cord. Long lengths of it can be braided or wound, which makes it easy to carry. It is extremely lightweight and strong making it highly valuable in any survival situation.

Fire Starter

Even those who have started hundreds of fires using bow drills and other primitive methods still benefit from having fire starting materials as part of the basic three tool survival kit. Nature is not going to guarantee dry tinder to easily get a fire going to ward off dangerous hypothermia. Fire steel in a kit with chemically-laced fire starting tinder that burns even when wet, can save a life in a bad situation.

These tools work together to make it possible to build or make other things necessary for survival. This is the goal of every piece of survival kit that is carried. Each piece needs to be able to accomplish multiple things or initiate something, such as fire, that provides multiple benefits. People build homes and communities to more easily support and maintain life. A survival situation is a breakdown of that support structure. A true survivalist can use skills and a few tools to rebuild the basic infrastructure needed to stay alive.

Author Bio:

Annette Hazard is a freelance blogger and enjoys writing about health and outdoors. She enjoys spending her free time hiking.

by Shane White



Mother Earth Products makes several varieties of dehydrated and freeze dried foods including vegetables, TVP meats (textured vegetable protein), teas, herbs, and fruits. They also have a few soup mixes as well. Mother Earth Products does not make the instant cook meals, but an excellent job in focusing on the separate ingredients you will need in preparing the meals you are used to. They sent me a huge variety of samples, so I will try to break it down for you.

TVP Products

While reviewing their TVP products, I found that I don't have a lot of experience with them. You might take my thoughts on TVP meats with a grain of salt, or maybe snicker to yourself if you are more familiar with them. TVP means textured vegetable protein if you don't know. These products are designed to be meat extenders, or a vegetarian meat substitute and to be used in your kitchen for two years, or packaged for long term storage. Their products are also Kosher. We tried several of these including Chicken, Beef Chunks, Peperoni, and Ham. They all tasted good. For my part, I would say that if you are not familiar with this type of meat substitute, it may take a little bit to get used to the flavors. On another note, these TVP meats tasted excellent when prepared in a meal. Vegetarians, should be delighted by their excellent selection.

Fruits

We only got Strawberries to try. I am sorry to say that they were so awesome that we just ate them dry. You had to be there. They were amazing! These are also Kosher, Non-GMO, and perfect for long term storage. If you are more patient than I am, you can apparently prepare them with water in just a few minutes before devouring them. They are so good.

Vegetables

I got to try a whole bunch of these including brocolli, peas, sweet corn, green beans, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, and zuchinni. All were excellent tasting and very easy to prepare with just water. Their dehydrated and their freeze dried foods are also Kosher, Non-GMO, and ideal for long term storage.

Soup Blend

I got to try this with some of their vegetables mixed in. It was an excellent tasting soup and was very easy to prepare with just water.

Ham and 14 Bean Soup Mix

I love Ham and bean soup anyway so this was easy for me to review. I loved it. This product includes TVP ham in is tasted just like regular ham to me. Excellent mix with everything (including the ham) included. It was also very easy to prepare with just water.

Beef Stew

I enjoyed this mix as well. I was able to tell that the meat in it was TVP beef a little bit, but I still liked it. It was very easy to prepare with just water.

Overview

I did find that some of the packages were hard to open, but I assume that won't be a problem for most who would include a knife or other sharp object in their survival kit. Everything I tried was excellent, and upon checking their prices, they are very reasonable.

Mother Earth is also a fairly new family owned company with ambitious plans to add desert and bread mixes, as well as dairy products in the near future so check them back often.

You can check them out by visiting their web site at www.motherearthproducts.com



See our Survival Food Page for more information on Emergency Foods.

Camping spot the First, a photo by Martin Lopatka on Flickr.

When you’re prepping for disaster and emergency situations, you should have appropriate gear on hand in case you need to abandon your home. A zombie attack might not be a good time to leave but something like a hurricane or economic collapse can result in a situation when it’s better to get out of “civilized” areas. A GOOD pack of camping gear as well as your bug-out bag is what you need in case of a situation when you need to leave.

Abandoning your home with all your preps is difficult, especially when you've got three years worth of food and water stocked up. The last thing you want to worry about is not having the right gear for going out to the backwoods, away from other people. Take some time to prep some appropriate camping gear to GOOD and you’ll be set to take off at a moment’s notice.

Shelter

The first thing to buy is an appropriate shelter. Think about the year-round conditions you might bug-out in and where you’re planning on going if you need to leave. You’ll also want to think of what supplies you’ll be bringing with you because a shelter can be a tent or just a tarp and groundcover—it all depends on your experience and how much room you have. If you’re well versed in primitive camping, contemplate saving room with minimal shelter supplies. But if you’re not accustomed to camping, a tent is the way to go because it’ll give you some psychological reassurance.

Sleeping Bag

You might not need a sleeping bag, depending on where you’re bugging-out. But planning for your situation and the conditions is of the utmost importance for your bedding. You’ll want to pack as light as possible but also be prepared for weather conditions for your area. Consider lightweight synthetics as they stand up to getting wet better than down if you are in an area that experiences a lot of rain or snow. If you’re in a warm clime, you can consider something more lightweight than a sleeping bag, as long as you’re comfortable.

Cooking Gear

For the bare minimum, you want to bring cook gear that does double duty both on gas and over a fire. While you might be confident in your fire-making skills, wet wood is very hard to start and can mean going hungry if you’re unable to start a fire. Instead, pack a company gas stove that you can use when you can’t make a fire. You’ll also want to think about options like the Biolite, which turns wood fires into a cellphone charge.

Pack

Finding the perfect pack can be a challenge but make sure that it fits you well and all your gear. You’ll want a pack that keeps your center of gravity as low as possible so you have the ability to maneuver around obstacles quickly without falling. Huge, top heavy packs might be able to store all your gear but can leave you vulnerable. The best way to find the right pack is by trying them out. If you think the pack is too small for all your gear, make sure everything you’re packing in is absolutely necessary. After all, bugging-out supplies aren't a free-for-all, they’re about survival.

Kim Herrington is a freelance writer based in Arkansas.

There are many things that you can do to prepare yourself and your family for a calamity at your home. House fires, floods, tornadoes and other acts of Mother Nature can occur without warning. It is imperative that you are prepared for all types of emergencies.

Pack and Store Necessities

The first thing you need to do is pack bags or luggage that is filled with enough clothing for you and your family. Try to get at least three outfits packed for everyone. Be certain to update your emergency baggage as needed.

You need to include some non-perishable items and enough water for everyone to live off for a few days. There are many food items that you can purchase that will remain safe to eat for a long period of time. Water is by far the most important thing that you need to include in the food supply.

Have First Aid Ready

It is also important to have a first-aid kit ready for any emergency. You can purchase a basic one at many retail stores, but you need to make certain that you have ice packs and warm packs available with the first-aid kit. It is essential to also include blankets and other items to keep everyone warm if needed.

Get Light and Communication Sources

The other thing you should pack is some sort of lighting feature. Purchase some flashlights and batteries. Do not put the batteries in the light until needed. You also need some sort of radio and possibly a burner phone that can be used to call for safety.

Prepare Your Home

Once you have your emergency kits ready, you need to know what to do to stay as safe as possible. Water damage can occur from busted pipes or natural flooding. You need to know how to get the electric and water shut-off to your home. These two areas should be quickly accessible, and everyone should know how to turn the electric and water off.

Create A Family Game Plan

You also need to have a plan for everyone to get out of the house. Go over this plan with your family, and make sure that everyone knows exactly what to do if they need to get out. Arrange a meeting spot to make sure everyone is safe. Your local fire department would likely help you to find the most efficient escape routes and meeting spot. Families should also designate a room in the home that can be used during tornadoes or other emergencies that require you to stay inside.

The nature of disasters is that they're unexpected so you never know when you'll find yourself in a hurricane, fire, flood, or storm damage. Don't procrastinate your preparation because calamity will come when you least expect it.

Author Bio
Angela Prickette is a recent college graduate writing in conjunction with water damage dayton and storm damage in ohio. She works for herself as a freelance writer and photographer. Her favorite activities include, skiing, rock climbing, and personal fitness.

Of course, they are not as sexy as werewolves and vampires but movies about zombies have been a horror movie mainstay since the time your great grandparents wore shorts. Here are a few movies about the walking dead that you should watch.

Return of the Living Dead

Zombies are ready to party and back from the grave in this 1985 movie. A product of its era, this movie is the most popular eighties movie that does not star Molly Ringwald. This movie was the first one to feature brains being demanded by the zombie.

28 Days Later

Released in 2002, this movie is about a man who wakes up in a hospital that has been abandoned and goes outside in order to learn that it is twenty-eight days into the Apocalypse of Zombies. What sets this movie apart from other zombie movies is that it has an urgency sense. The zombies in this movie do not lope and shamble along but actually run quite fast. In itself, the plague manifests quickly and is highly contagious. When survivors believe he got an infection, other people have half a minute to make a decision whether they should shoot him or not. The concept of zombie action that is fast paced at this time was quite new but has since gone on to be popular.

White Zombie

Undeniably the grandfather of all zombie movies in America, White Zombie relates the story of the transformation of a young girl into a zombie due to Bela Lugosi, the evil voodoo master in charge. The reception of this movie which came out in 1932 was not quite positive but has come to become a genre classic. Currently, this film is known best for being where the White Zombie band got its name.

Zombieland

This 2009 movie is not so much a film as an extended sequence of a video game. The story features 4 post apocalyptic survivors of America battling their way to Pacific Playland, which is an amusement park in Los Angeles that is allegedly free of zombies.

Planet Terror

Rob Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino in 2007 had a partnership on Grindhouse, an exploitation and horror movie with intentions of recreating the experience of seeing double features in a rundown, old theater. The contribution of Rodriguez to the undertaking was Planet Terror, a somewhat gore filled, cheese film about Cherry Darling, a go-go dancer who is humanity’s leader versus a zombie onslaught. This is a homage that is over the top and is remembered best for the survivors using tips of their helicopter blades in order to mow through zombies in waves. It is also remembered for the loss of Cherry Darling’s leg to an attack from a zombie replacing this with a grenade/machine gun launcher.

This article was contributed by Artchee Mendoza for www.freegamesinc.com, where you can play online zombie games.

For our May 2013 giveaway, we are proud to be sponsored by Dan's Depot at www.dansdepot.com. They would like you to have one of two awesome prizes. They have Dan's Bug Out Bag and they have a brand new product, their EDC (Everyday Carry) Bag! Dan's Pack - The Ozark!

This bag is one of the basic components of our kit. It is small enough to pack anywhere, but when expanded it will carry all of our gear, plus items that you might add. Approximate dimensions when fully loaded are: 21" high x 13" wide x 13" deep.

This product includes the pack itself, and does not include any gear. See our Survival Kits for tremendous savings on packs loaded with gear and ready to go.



Click for more information on this prize

The Ozark is a fantastic sling bag that can be used to carry a very short-term, 72 hour kit. It can easily be used as your Every-Day-Carry (EDC) bag. It is small enough to store most anywhere, but has enough molle, pockets, and connection points to carry several items for your survivability. You can also use it simply as a daypack for short trips into the woods.

• Two adjustable pockets
• Pouch on top
• Molle webbing on bottom
• Padded back
• Made of 1000 denier material
• Main compartment dimensions are 9" x 6" x 9"
• Weighs 1 pound 12 ounces.

All you need to do is use the Rafflecopter tool below to enter. You can tweet about this giveaway or another link on this blog, follow us on Twitter, "like" us on Facebook, share us at your favorite social network, or follow this blog. You can follow Food Insurance as well. Easy as that. On June 1st we will select the winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sponsored by... www.dansdepot.com

Well, it happened. Define “it” in your own unique way: the world economy collapsed; a meteor struck the earth and only a few – including you – survived; the zombie apocalypse has come, or the Russians finally invaded and Red Dawn is actual reality.

Hope you’ve been buffing up on your survival skills. Because after North Korea initiates a global nuclear war, there won’t be any more grocery stores, running water or Wal-Marts. Simply put: you’re on your own.

If you’ve been preparing, you know how to purify your own water supply and maintain your own garden, not to mention butcher, preserve and cook your own wild game that you trapped or hunted yourself. But chances are you haven’t been preparing, so let’s introduce you to one of the most rudimentary of skills necessary to survive the ever-looming apocalypse: how to build a fire.

Types of Wood to Use to Start a Fire

Get a book on trees, because you’re going to need to know the visual difference between all types of regional trees.

In general, hardwoods burn better than softwoods and produce much less smoke – a major plus in any situation. This way you won’t give away your position to the zombies/highwaymen/Russians. So say yes to oak, ash, aspen, poplar and birch hardwood for long-term burning. Softwoods, including pine, cedar, spruce and firs, serve well as fire starters, as they tend to catch more quickly; but if you’re planning long-term, know that softwoods peter out much faster than hardwoods, so have some of the latter ready to go as the meat of your newfound pyromania.

How to Actually Start Your Fire

So you have the wood. You have the kindling (dry leaves, pine needles and twigs) Now what?

Ideally you’ve somehow acquired a flint and steel – that’s the easiest method that still makes you feel like you actually belong in the backwoods. If not, you’re going all Tom Hanks on this one. You’ll have to utilize friction to create an ember that catches on nearby tinder. Common techniques include the hand drill (spinning a long spindle into your fire board that serves as your base) and fire plough (rubbing your spindle up and down a groove in your fire board). But you better have some time on your hands and patience in your soul, because this might take a while. I definitely recommend checking out some YouTube videos on how to do this, as it’s difficult to understand without seeing it in action or watching Castaway.

Types of Fires

If you’re unfamiliar with fire starting, chances are you haven’t realized that fires for keeping warm and fires for cooking are different. Most of us just know about the big bonfire we build for fun and to keep warm. Well if that’s all you know when that meteor strikes and highwaymen are trolling the roads and brutal warlords have asserted themselves, you’re screwed. So I’m here to save your ass. Here are the different types of fires and how to prepare them.

1. Fire for Keeping Warm
This fire requires less skill to build than the other two, but is no less valuable for cold nights and nuclear winters. Remember, though – if you want it to burn through the night, you will have to utilize hardwoods for longevity. The softwoods are great for starters, but will require constant maintenance and tend to burn inconsistently. I recommend building this fire against a cliffside, boulder or earthen palisade (mound of dirt built for defense against invading Russians). This is more efficient and will reflect most of the heat in the desired direction – toward you.


2. Cooking Fire
Cooking fires should only be utilized when you have some time on your hands and either have dead game in hand or are in an area rife with loping gazelles. You’ll want to start a smaller fire first with dry kindling – if you need to you can create your own kindling by hacking up softwoods with your manly hatchet or long-handled axe. Hatchet works best for this operation, plus you’ll look more like a bad-ass and less like a lumberjack.

Once the fire is going, contain it with two large green logs to either side of it that won’t catch. The larger, greener logs might be harder to find so you may have to range a bit or chop down your own (it’s post-apocalypse so nobody can give you shit about it). From here, if you can set up a roasting pit to turn your gazelle carcasses over the open flame, have at it. Otherwise, utilize your pots, pans and handheld spits to cook what you need, piling good hardwood where you need a hotter flame.


3. Quick “Snack” Fire
Think “tepee.” This is a small fire where you lay twigs in a tepee-like structure with kindling on the ground in the middle. Keep it going and getting hotter by continually adding small twigs as it burns. The snack fire is ideal for boiling water, for coffee, and for small catches like fish, rabbits and squirrels. Roasting spits and placing pots directly on top of the fire are the best methods for cultivation, but beware you keep a close eye on the pots so they don’t burn.

Note that I recommend a cooking fire for any once-living-and-fleeing-from-you food besides fish, but if you need a quick fire on the spot, this is your best bet. You can also expand this into a cooking fire so long as the zombies that are chasing you have been killed, the Russians that are shooting at you have been dealt with, and the mutated bears that have been on your trail for the last three days have been summarily executed.

You have the knowledge. You have the power. But, like any skill, this will require practice. You won’t have much time to learn after the bombs drop, the water wars start, or zombies are chasing you through the woods. Teach yourself now and be the Boy Scout all the people that died in the first few months of the fallout couldn’t be.

Jeff Hirz is a writer, freelancer and avid hiker. He contributed this article on behalf of Premier Firewood.

More and more people are making the move from the concrete jungle to a simpler and more sustainable life for their families. And it is not uncommon these days for many families to pack up and move to the middle of nowhere and declare unparalleled happiness without the modern creature comforts our society has come to rely on.

Romantic images of misty Sunday mornings with nothing more than the sound of the content cows mowing the grass in the fields around you, with nature’s orchestra a perfect backdrop to your farmhouse breakfast of homemade bread and organic eggs from your chickens that morning, intoxicate stressed out families to the point that they can no longer fathom another day in the city.

But picking the right piece of land, in the right area, being surrounded by the countryside but still having access to civilization is a difficult combination to achieve. If you are looking to purchase land to start out a new life in the country for your family, here are some important considerations one might want to take into account before jumping ship completely.

Location

The thought of never ever seeing another human being other than a fellow countryman once every 2 months or so may sound extremely appealing to a stressed out corporate executive with an exhausted family. But as alluring as that initially sounds, it may start to crawl into your soul with frustration after a while.

Picking a location that is so very remote, where you are 3 hours from the nearest town may be enchanting for a weekend, but if your sick child needs a doctor or you run out of milk – it will become rather less enchanting almost immediately.

Have a look at just how remote your location is. Draw a circle around the location and sweep out within a 20km -120km radius – have a look at what is there, how easily other areas are accessible in comparison to yours and how long it would take you to get to things like emergencies services.

Decide just how remote you want to go – the further away from amenities you are, the more peace, tranquility and good value for money you are going to get. But isolation still comes at a price. If your kids want to see friends when they are older you are going to spend your life commuting – take this all into account.

Sometimes you can really just travel an hour or two away from the city and find yourself in total paradise – without the serious commitment to the raw countryside. And you could still commute to work if need be – keeping the finances afloat.

Land Restrictions

Find out beforehand from your real estate agent about what kind of land you can buy. There may be laws and restrictions preventing you from ever using the land for farming or agriculture- ever – and you may find you are restricted in building other properties on your land as well.

In some cases, people think they will be able to sub divide their land and sell off sections to other people later on, making some money and reap the rewards, only to find out that because of the zoning restrictions sub division is not allowed under any circumstances – ever. Take the time to read up on the laws of the land, tax liabilities in the state you plan on buying in and information pertaining to access rights, otherwise an uninformed decision to buy a piece of land that you dream of building cottages on for all your children and their families could go up in flames before its even started.

Water

Water is one of society’s most precious commodities and it has never been more apparent until you move out to the country. Water is scarce and many land owners struggle to get the quota of the water that they need with adjacent land owners sometimes using more than their quota – it’s a sticky situation with no municipal meters measuring out everybody’s portion. It can turn into a bit of a bun fight if there is not enough water for everyone and might be the reason the previous owners or sellers want to move.

Find out everything you can about water availability, who gets what and from where? Are there rain water harvesting systems to supplement a short water supply? Does everybody rely on one dam for their main water supply and what happens in summer when the water is short? Don’t be afraid to approach business owners in the area or neighbors to find out everything you can about the water situation. It will have an adverse effect on your quality of life for you and your family if you can’t even get enough water for your household let alone your land.

Plans in the neighborhood

Have a look and see how far away you are from your closest neighbors? Are they right on top of your house and are you looking at purchasing land that is downwind from the new pig pen they are about to build? Ask as many questions as you can about what plans are in the pipeline for your neighbors and what development is being considered for the area.

The tranquility base will be destroyed and the value of your land go down along with everything else if there is an electrical power plant or mobile phone tower gearing to proceed with construction in 2 years’ time. Once they have started to build it will be too late – you can forget about trying to recoup the losses on the investment you put into your land and your view will be spoilt by unsightly towers and the like.

Small town neighbors love to chat and they may give you a totally different scenario on the area than your real estate agent who is trying to get a sale. But don’t buy into all the stories – small town chat is full of plenty of stories as well. Just aim to get as much of a comprehensive look at your investment as you can before you make the decision to purchase.



Author bio: Korah Morrison, writer on College-Paper.org that helps students achieve their academic goals.

While most adults plan to stoically "do what needs to be done" in the face of a crisis, most experts agree that familiar survival food is a great comfort in times of stress, especially for kids.

Three ways to better prepare for post-disaster dining are to integrate your emergency food supply into your regular meal rotation, adapt favorite recipes to storage ingredients, and never underestimate the power of funny names and tasty treats. Here are five sample menus to get you started:

Merry Mac

Kids love macaroni and cheese. You can prepare their favorite boxed mix with rehydrated milk and butter, or try the "just-add-water" freeze dried version.

Serve with tasty salmon patties. For each 6 oz can of skinless, boneless salmon add 1 egg, 1 tsp dried onion, and 1/3 c. bread or cracker crumbs. Fry until golden brown. (Each can makes 2-3 patties.)

For dessert, serve a simple fruit salad made with fresh, canned or rehydrated oranges, pineapple, banana and miniature marshmallows.

Pizza Pasta

Grease a 13x9 cake pan. Pour in a box of rotini pasta, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 jar of water, 1/2 c. of sausage crumbles (fresh or freeze dried), 1 small package pepperoni. Stir together, cover and bake at 350 until pasta is tender. Top with mozzarella cheese (fresh or rehydrated.)

Serve with corn and your favorite fruit jello.

Mystery Meat Sandwiches and Soup

Mix together 1 6 oz. can tuna, 1 6 oz. can white meat chicken, 1 6 oz. can ham, 1 boiled egg (optional), 1/4 c. onion (fresh or dried), 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip to taste. Serve on bread or crackers.

Serve with potato soup (fresh, canned, or dehydrated.) For dessert, top simple graham crackers with canned frosting and a few festive sprinkles.

Wobbly Wiggles

Cook 1 bag of noodles in water with 5 beef bouillon cubes. Do not drain. When noodles are tender, add a can of beef in gravy (or rehydrated beef chunks). If desired, thicken with a few instant mashed potatoes.

Serve with green beans and instant pudding in your family's favorite flavor.

TacoRoni

Brown 1 lb. ground beef with 1 packet of taco seasoning (or use freeze dried taco meat). In a large pan, cook 1 box ziti. Drain. Mix in taco meat, 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce (or tomato powder and water.) Add chili powder to taste. Top with cheddar cheese (fresh or rehydrated.)

Serve with refried beans (fresh, canned, or freeze dried) and peach dumplings.

To make peach dumplings, grease an 8x8 cake pan. Pour in 1 can sliced peaches in syrup. Mix 1 packet of Bisquick as directed on packet and drop by spoonful’s on top of peaches. Bake at 400 until dough is set. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.



Annette Hazard is a freelance writer that usually writes about home and family issues. She is a mother of one and spends her free time exploring the outdoors with her family.

Planning for any major life transition can get in the way of a normal and balanced lifestyle. Things are hectic while designing the perfect wedding, for example, or anticipating the birth of our first child (or parenting that baby in the first year of life). All of our energies and the way we live ahead of— and during— a big event are directed to the challenges connected to it. You can’t very easily go mountain climbing when you or your partner is six-months pregnant, and you probably won’t have the inclination (or the strength) to train for a marathon if you have a four-month-old. Yet the very skills we need to prepare for doomsday can help us live a balanced life right now.

We will be happy and at ease by learning skills that will serve us if the worst happens. Physical activities that enhance endurance lift the mood and raise optimism.

Hiking

Hiking on the weekends, for instance, is a great way to get or stay in shape, bond with family, learn about nature and refine survival skills. Check online for great places to hike within a few hours of where you live. You might even want to attempt one of the five greatest hikes in North America.

Climbing

Climbing at indoor rock wall facilities is a great opportunity to learn about (or teach) tying knots, staying safe, overcoming fear and building trust. So-called “gym” climbing appeals to a lot of people because it’s a noncompetitive, physically taxing but gratifying pursuit. This activity provides a fresh take on what may have become a stale workout. It’s also much more fun than a standard cardio or weight-training routine. In addition, rock gyms are climate controlled.

Defense

Archery has acquired a new appeal and popularity due to shows and movies such as "The Hunger Games." Practicing this sport along with marksmanship will heighten confidence and increase physical fitness. Certified instruction and education about safely handling and discharging firearms and bows and arrows also result in a greater sense of freedom and control over personal property.

Repair Skills

Building projects at home or tackling repairs around the house can make you more comfortable in your environment and sharpen skills you might need in the future. Projects that kids can help with are an especially productive use of your time. The website Built by Kids has some great ideas for do-it-yourself construction, including a bean-bag toss, a footstool, a backyard BMX bike track, a kids’ play kitchen, a folding camping stool and even fireplace childproofing.

A balanced life isn’t difficult when learning new skills that are fundamental to both successful, happy living today and to getting ready for whatever scenarios may come our way.

Michelle Herrera
Known by her friends as the DIY diva, Michelle is always coming up with new and creative ways to decorate on a limited budget.

Alright, we’ve all imagined the zombie apocalypse as it might go down – a lighting fast virus that starts in the news, and ends on the streets. Zombies will terrorize all corners of the Earth, with only the most prepared and resilient left fighting for survival. But ask around, and you’ll get quite a wide variety of the “right” depiction of what a zombie will be. Are they ultra-fast “infecteds” that “rage” and hunt down humans with increased strength and speed? Are they the slow mob of rigamortis riddled corpses that are only dangerous in large groups? Perhaps zombies will resemble humans evolved into a complete other form, bent on consuming and converting their former ancestors? Let’s take a look at the breakdown of different types of zombies we might expect, and what their unique benefits and drawbacks would be…

The Shirker

The shirker is the most popular depiction of a zombie, and what most people statistically would expect. They are in fact a corpse – affected by rigamortis, partially rotten, and often hobbling or crawling across the landscape. The benefits to shirkers are, they move slow – and can typically be easily beaten one, or even two at a time in an open area. Downsides to the shirker are that they persist the longest; being that even partial corpses could crawl up from behind a park bench to bite your ankle. In a shirker zombie apocalypse, strategy can almost always endure – as humans possess superiority in every element except minor injury. You could practically print a guide on how to beat shirkers with enough notice.

The Rager

The rager is the zombie who catches a disease, dies – but is somehow faster, stronger, and of course angrier than his human form ever could have imagined. The benefits to this type of zombie vs. others would be few, other than maybe that they got so enraged that they hurdled themselves off a bridge or the like. Drawbacks to a rager zombie apocalypse would be the strong mobs would chase you down faster than you could run, beat you in a short fight before the kill, and probably reach you in any type of protective environment you’ve created for yourself. A rager apocalypse is not widely followed – as most of us imagine the shirker image of a zombie as the most logical form.

The Evolver

The evolver is a zombie who hardly even resembles a human once they’ve caught the virus. Like the rager, they’re often stronger and faster than they’re previous human state – but they’ve changed into some kind of alien life form. One could argue that this hardly even qualifies as a “zombie” anymore, but it’s the natural extension of the “rager” scenario. Benefits of the Evolver apocalypse would be an ease of identification, and emotional ease of separation in fighting them. Believe it or not, many people simply wouldn’t want to battle zombies no matter what – they look too much like us! Not the evolver though, they would be totally changed to something else. Drawbacks to the evolver apocalypse would be the increased likelihood that these new life forms would simply take over the world – heck, they’re not even dying off of a disease, so much as the virus as pushed them into a stronger state of life.

What do you say?

I’d love to throw this one to the crowd – what do you think the zombies of our final apocalypse will look like? If you think there’s unanimous agreement out there, just ask a few people, and you’ll be in a debate in no time! So, make your vote – will zombies be Shirkers, Ragers, Evolvers – or something else altogether?!

Author Bio:

Tyler Watkins is a online blogger and web contributor, his content can be found across many website genres.

There was an idea in the 1960s that we were entering an enlightened Age of Aquarius. They were only 50 percent correct. Although we wouldn’t reach enlightenment, we have indeed entered the era of water.

Water will be the single most important resource in the coming century. Already in 1995 the VP of the World Bank said that the wars of the 21st century would not be over oil, but over water. There is a name for this: water wars.

One of the unexpected effects of global warming has been a diminishing supply of fresh water, as many parts of the world have been experiencing droughts. There are already a large number of flashpoints around the world where water wars are in the process of breaking out.

Israel and Syria will likely enter a dispute over access to fresh water. Egypt will likely enter a conflict with Ethiopia over access to the Nile. India and Pakistan are already in conflict over Kashmir.

Of all the nations in the world, it is expected that Yemen will soon not have enough water for its growing population in an already arid landmass. By 2030, it is estimated that fully half the world’s population will not have access to drinking water. The Middle East—an already volatile area of the world—is set to run out of water in the next decade, which sets the stage for massive conflict.

What Can Be Done?

Several countries are already preparing for the coming shortages in potable water. By all estimates, water will become the most sought after commodity in the world, poising Canada to be the Saudi Arabia of the new century. Instead of oil, their main export will be their vast clean water stores.

Australia is expected to be hit hard in coming years. They are among the trailblazers in using a vapor compression system for purifying the saltwater that surrounds their continent. Desalination is one of the emerging technologies that will dominate the near future. It is currently prohibitively expensive for most countries to implement. Indeed, although Israel develops the technology and sells it to Australia, it lacks the funds to set itself up to desalinate water from its Mediterranean coastline.

But Is It Real?

To drive the point home, the United States has already experienced a minor domestic water conflict. The town of Orme, Tenn., officially ran out of water in 2007. Furthermore, the states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida have had to sign to a water-use agreement, which pre-empts an escalation of conflict once the water supplies can’t keep up with the population.

The question, it is agreed, is not whether there will be water wars in the future. The question is when. Of course it is always possible that scientists could find a way to avoid these wars by making clean sources that can be distributed worldwide without bloodshed and with an eye to helping our fellow man. But that may be a shade optimistic.



Adrienne is a skeptical blogger who writes on a variety of topics. To catch up with her latest work/paranoia, check her Twitter at @adrienneerin.

by Shane White

The world has finally fallen apart. That one big event that everyone has been hoping would never happen has finally come and tipped the planet over the point of no return. It probably won't be back to normal for a long time. It is back to the dark ages for us. it looks like horse and buggies, grow your own food, and government silence for us. Electricity has become very scarce and is certainly not a normal product that a company would produce. After all, companies can't stay open if people can only pay them with excess pinto beans. So how do we succeed in this brave new world?

Food

We are all very thankful that we all had the foresight to store food for our long and short term goals. We stored canned food, freeze dried foods, MREs, dehydrated foods, and dried foods. We learned how to grow our own food from plants, and can them ourselves. We also learned how to raise and butcher our own animals. Now what? If we set up a good system here, we should have a good excess that we can use to barter with our neighbors. On top of that we should be willing to teach these skills to others as well. They thought this was silly before everything came crashing down around them, but now they need help. Teaching these skills is essential to your survival. Not only are you now the smartest person on the block. If you are there to trickle out information to your new best friends. Many of them may even be there to return a few favors for you when troubles come your way.

Water

There are lots of ways to clean up your water, and you were wise enough to set up a system that would give you a long term supply of water for many years to come. Again, this is something you will need to teach your neighbors, and quick. After all, you only planned on just a little more than enough for you and your family. Teaching your neighbors how to obtain and purify up their own water system and helping them to set it up quickly is essential to your survival. You certainly don't want these people to rise up against you and take yours.

Goodies

Now that you have set up your client base with food and water, you can get to the good stuff. All these skills and supplies are putting you in the unusual position of having a products that everyone else needs. Guess what all these skills and products are worth? Whatever you want to sell them for. Don't get too greedy now, or your neighbors will just take them from you. This is a great time for you to trade what you know and the excess that you are producing for products that you need, or products that you know will be worth something again someday. Essentially, you are the new Walmart.

Gold

It has been said that after a major catastrophic event, gold, silver, and other precious metals will take a huge dive in value. After all, you can't eat gold. This will be the best time to get your hands on as much as you can. I am not saying make this a priority over the other things that you need. I am saying this is your new retirement account. You should be able to get lots of gold and silver very cheap for the skills and services you are providing. In the future, when the world that you helped to rebuild has begun to stabilize again, your cache of rings, necklaces, and coins will begin to approach normal levels again. What does this mean? Huge profits for you. You saved the world, and now you are a very wealthy person for doing it. Everybody wins.

What do you think?

There are a few types of people who preserve their own food. There are those who can jams, jellies and pickled items, for fun. Then there are those who are health conscious, they love organic foods and love knowing what they are eating. When you can food that you’ve grown in your own garden you can know exactly what you are getting. You know what the quality of that food is, you know who has handled that food and you have control over your diet. These are great reasons for canning and home preserving.

However, I’m guessing that a lot of the readers here at Doomsday Moose are people who are concerned for the future. You are concerned about what you will do if the world as we know it changes. Most survivalist websites encourage you to look at food storage as a part of your overall preparedness plan. Good idea!

I have two suggestions for you today.

Suggestion One: Get sustainable with your food storage and preparedness plan.

Think about it. What happens when your store of number 10 cans runs out? It doesn’t matter how much you prepare and how much you stock up. If you start using that food on an everyday basis…. It will run out eventually. It will not last forever. Gardening, canning and dehydrating is a sustainable way to provide for your family.

Don’t get me wrong! Traditional food storage from the many food storage suppliers has its place. But my opinion is it should just be a buffer. Freeze dried foods should give you time to plant a garden and grow your own food.

Gardening and preserving foods will sustain you year after year. Grow it in season; preserve it for out of season. People lived that way for years as an everyday self-reliant lifestyle.

Suggestion Two: Don’t wait to learn. Skills are another important part of a good preparedness plan.

You don’t have to be like me and grow and preserve all your food right NOW! I’d seriously think about adding this to your list of skills to learn. When it counts, you’ll be spending a LOT of time canning and dehydrating. It takes a lot of food to provide for a family.

Spend the time learning now. Start small, start with making your own applesauce or canning tomatoes. Then you can gradually learn and add more foods to your skill set. Believe me this is much easier than a crash course when your food supply for the winter will depend on your ability and knowledge.

Check out SimplyCanning.com. I’ve got instructions for canning vegetables, fruits, even meat, chili and soups. Do you know what foods require a pressure canner? Do you know why? Do you know what types of canners you’ll need?

If you do want to learn the skill of home preserving there are things you must know. I’d love to help!

Sharon
www.simplycanning.com
www.simply-sharon.com

It is not something we want to think about, but in a survival situation, we may be forced to defend ourselves and family members. Unfortunately, crisis situations tend to bring out the worst in people. Although you may be putting in a lot of time and effort to prepare for your family’s survival, there are those who are not and will be forced to resort to harsh measures to take what is yours.

Ideally, you want to avoid any nasty situations. Physical altercations rarely end well. Whether you are the victor or not, you are likely to get injured in some way. If you can, avoid the situation. That is your only guarantee you will not get hurt. Part of our emergency response system includes a place for survivors to gather. These places get crowded. Think back to Hurricane Katrina. You get a lot of people in close quarters and things get a little crazy. Obviously, the gathering place provided shelter and some necessities, but knowing what you do about human behavior, it would behoove you to plan ahead and make other arrangements. These are a few things you could do to hopefully prevent any altercations.

• Get together with a small group and start planning how to rely on yourself in an emergency situation. This also takes some of the strain off FEMA and the Red Cross.
• If you have to move, do so at night when there are likely to be fewer people about. Early in the morning is also ideal.
• Do what you can to go undetected. Be quiet and do your best to avoid being noticed by others.

If you have tried your best to avoid a situation and it is just inevitable, you must be prepared to defend yourself, mentally. Yes, your mindset plays a huge role in self-defense.

• Get ready now. Do not put it off.
• In a physical assault, you must set your mind to being victorious or at least left alive. Do not give up.
• Mentally prepare yourself to deliver an incredible “violence of action.” Physically, you must be prepared to dole out more, repeated violence on your attacker.
• If possible, take some kind of formal martial arts training 2 to 3 days a week. Keep in mind, the real world is not exactly like your martial arts studio.

These are just a few tips. These suggestions are not meant to be your comprehensive guide to self-defense. This is a good place to start. Find somebody in your area who can provide you with professional instruction. In the meantime, you can get yourself in good physical shape.

Craig Caudill puts together disaster survival kits for Dan’s Depot. He also teaches at his Nature Reliance School.

When putting together a survival kit, everyone knows to include food, water and some kind of shelter. But besides waterproof matches, iodine tablets and a flashlight with spare batteries, what extras do you need?

Toiletries

Especially if you aren't roughing it, you don't want to look (or smell) like you are. Include toilet paper, pack a small kit with travel-size shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, soap and deodorant. Tuck in a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as contacts and solution if you wear them, a comb and feminine products if you are a woman.

Hand-Crank radio

Great because you won't need to pack extra batteries, a hand-crank radio is a necessary edition to your survival bag. It can provide information about world events or weather conditions if you are stranded or on the run.

Garbage Bags

Useful buggers, garbage bags can be torn to wear as a poncho or tied to keep things sanitary. Fold a few and keep them in your bag for whatever needs may arise.

Portable Power

A compact portable-power source is easy to include in your survival kit and handy for several reasons. You may need to make a life-saving call, or power your phone to access helpful apps. Some security systems allow users to view video feeds from their phone, including home alarm systems from Lifeshield.com. This could be useful if you need to see what's going on at home before you go inside.

Whistle

Pack a whistle in case you need to signal for help. Most dollar stores carry them by the bagful.

Money

In some situations, greenbacks will get you absolutely nothing. But in others, cold hard cash will do the trick. Keep a wad of bills in your bag, but store them in separate pockets so you aren't easily robbed.

Distractions

No matter the reason you are on the run, you will inevitably have some downtime. Whether it's your turn at night-watch duty or you are stuck on floor at a bus station, you'll need something to do. Pack a deck of cards or Rubik's Cube to keep yourself from going insane.

First-aid Kit

If you don't want to buy a pre-packaged one, make one yourself. Gather up a few bandages, sterilizing creams, latex gloves and pain killers. If you are on prescription medication, include a week's worth of it in your bag. Instead of including scissors, slip in a multi-tool pocket knife.

Clothes

Depending on what type of emergency you are preparing for, pack clothes to fit the part. If you think you may be roughing it in the wilderness, pack sturdy shoes and a sweatshirt. If it's a storm evacuation you are worried about, fresh underwear and socks will do.

Copies of Important Documents

Depending on the emergency, a copy of your passport, medical insurance, credit card information and photo identification can be helpful and while it may not be enough it can at least speed up the process.

Contact Information

Chances are you rely on your cell phone a little too much. Write down emergency contact information and other details you'd need if you couldn't turn on your phone. Put them in a plastic baggy before including them in your survival bag.

Blanket

A small, foldable, emergency space blanket that can fit in your pocket cost about $3 at Walmart. They reflect and retain body heat and are waterproof, meaning you don't need to pack a poncho.

Recent Photos

A few recent photos serve several purposes: not only will they be nice to look at if you are bored or lonely, but they could be used to identify you or whoever you are with in case something goes awry.

Frank Wood
Frank encourages all homeowners to protect their investment and get a top-notch security system. He also shares other tips on how you can protect your home.

When it comes time to put your preparedness to the test it will be all about making the most of what you have. Lucky for you, if you have PVC, there are a plethora of things you can make. PVC is light weight, inexpensive, easy to assemble, and highly durable. Here are just some of the ways PVC can come in handy in a survival situation.

PVC Survival Cache

Many preppers have taken up caching supplies. This is where you put together a small collection of things you might need and hide or burry them in designated places only you know about. PVC makes a great cache storage container. Take a length of PVC pipe in whatever diameter you need to fit your supplies. Use two PVC caps or threaded plugs to close up the ends and secure them with some PVC cement to make a closure that’s watertight. (See instructions at www.commercial-industrial-supply.com/resource-center/)

PVC Survival Fishing Kit

There are a few absolute necessities to survival. One of those is a food source. Try using about a foot of 1-1/2 or 2” PVC pipe and fit it with two end caps. Inside store hooks, weights, floats and fishing line. Tie some durable rope around it to make a handle, and you have a self-contained fishing kit.

PVC Longbow

In situations where you aren’t near water, you might want to try your luck on land. You can make a pretty nice longbow from PVC pipe and bow string. Take about six feet of ½” PVC pipe. Mark off a foot long section in the center of the pipe for your handle. Cut or shave the surrounding pipe along the front side to allow for bending. Make a notch at each end for the string and stretch it tight as your bend the bow to shape. Tie it off and you’re ready for action.

PVC Blow Gun

Shooting for smaller game? Simple blow guns have been used for centuries to hunt birds and small animals. These air-propelled weapons can be extremely accurate, and can be used with metal, wood or clay ammunition. All you need is a 5-6” length of small diameter PVC pipe. Insert your dart, aim, and blow.

PVC Well Bucket

A well can be an invaluable resource – if you can get to the water that is. Create a retrieval bucket using a PVC pipe with end cap and a hole drilled in the cap. Insert a bulb syringe and attach a weight to the end. Tie the pipe to a length of rope and lower into the well. The bulb will act like a check valve, allowing water into the pipe as you lower it down, but stopping up the hole as you raise it up. If you want to get more advanced try an actual PVC check valve Z (styles to choose from).

PVC Chicken Feeder

Keeping your own chickens is a great way to provide your family with eggs and meat without having to rely on other sources. PVC pipe and fittings can make wonderful livestock feeders. Try using a length of pipe vertically with an elbow and second length of pipe attached to the bottom. Drill holes in the bottom pipe for animals to get to the feed. Cap off both pipe ends – leaving the top cap removable. Pour your feed into the top of the vertical pipe, and as the animals eat, more will be released. Experiment to find the best design for your unique setup.

PVC Planter

A fruit and vegetable garden can be an affordable and sustainable food source for survivalists. Try making your own portable planters by taking PVC pipe and laying it down horizontally. Cut out a section of the top of the pipe for the plants to grow out off. Cap off the ends to hold in the dirt, and drill small holes for drainage. These PVC planters take up minimal space and can be stacked on racks for convenience. Move them indoors during cold spells or to keep them out of sight.

PVC Soap Mold

In a survival situation hygiene might not be the first thing on your mind, but if you’ve made the proper preparations, you’ll be around long enough to start stinking. Consider keeping a small length of PVC pipe on hand to use as a homemade soap mold. Use a removable cap one on one side. When it’s set, the two open ends make it easy to push out the soap and start scrubbing up.

Makeshift PVC Sink

Since you have soap, you might as well have a nice fresh water sink to wash in. Take two five gallon buckets, one for clean water and one for waste water. Install a PVC pipeline from the clean water bucket and add a PVC ball valve to the end for easy on/off function. Elevate the clean barrel using PVC scaffolding so it’s above the waste barrel and you’re good to go. Add a big plastic bowl with drain hole over the waste bucket if you really want to get fancy with it.

PVC Periscope

Have an underground bunker (things to consider) or just want to keep an eye out for intruders without being seen? Try making a periscope using two feet of PVC pipe, two 90 degree PVC elbows, and two small mirrors. Position the mirrors at 45 degree angles in each elbow and glue into place. For extra cover spray paint the PVC to match your surroundings.

These are only a few of the many ways PVC can be used for survival. Remember, PVC is inexpensive and easy to find now, but in a doomsday situation it might not be. Have your own ideas for using PVC or detailed instructions for one of the items above? Share them with your fellow preppers here.

This list of PVC Prepper Ideas was created and brought to you by Amanda Hill a PVC project expert. Amanda contributes to Commercial Industrial Supply's Resource Center. To connect with Amanda or ask her questions follow her on twitter @AmandaBlogsPVC

Almost all newspaper headlines from around the world have these very words screaming at you, ‘Cyprus saved from disaster’. But let not this bold, black and white letters fool you. Cyprus may be saved, although for the moment, but Europe is still very much a boiling hot mess. You might think that staying in the other end of the world keeps you save from the financial crisis of Cyprus, but that actually may not be the case. It is very important to understand the Cyprus financial crisis, Cyprus bailout and its possible effects on the stock market. It is important to also note that the Cyprus bailout may affect the Euro Zone crisis as well. Before we dwell deep into these murky topics, let’s first understand the Cyprus crisis and the bail out in detail.

Background:

Cyprus, a small island nation nestled in between Greece, Syria, Israel, Egypt and other countries, joined the European Union in the year 2004. It adopted the Euro sometime in 2008. Although Cyprus accounts for a bare minimum of 0.2% of European Union’s annual output, it was until recently known as a safe haven in the banking sector. Many rich multinational corporations and Russians reached the banks of Cyprus for many years. The reason for this was the country’s political stability and economic status prior to its sudden collapse.

Cyprus Financial Crisis:

Called as the Cypriot Financial Crisis, it involved Cypriot banks and their reaction to their neighboring country Greek’s Debt Crisis. This was further accentuated by the fact that Cypriot’s economy status was reduced to an abysmally low rating by international rating agencies such as Moody’s and Fitch and S&P. The domino effect of the financial crisis of Greece and Ireland was felt even in Cyprus.

Another reason for the fall in economy was due to the steep fall in its tourism and shipping sectors as well. The Cyprus economy contracted and the rate of unemployment shot up alarmingly, the investors didn’t turn up and the banks were running almost dry. This pushed the economy in to recession.

The Cyprus economy, unlike other economies, is a strange contradiction in itself. The country’s complete economic output is less than 25% of its bank deposits. This disproportion between the countries economy and its banking sector was huge enough to mean that a collapse of the Cypriot banks ultimately had a catastrophic effect on its already fragile economy.

Cyprus Bail Out:

The Cyprus bailout, sealed in the small hours of Monday, aimed at pulling the island nation out of bankruptcy. According to the deal, Cyprus is to receive €10 billion from the EU-IMF officials. Furthermore, all bank deposits amounting to more than €100,000 will attract a one-off bank deposit levy of 6.7% and higher deposits will attract a 9.9% tax. Cyprus’s second most popular bank was closed and all its assets are to be transferred to the Bank of Cyprus. The bailout money cannot be used by the Bank of Cyprus to recapitalize itself. Measures have been put in place to prevent excessive withdrawal or money transfers from the bank as well. Although Cyprus, presently, is sitting pretty on the €10 billion cushion, the deal includes restructuring the complete Cyprus banking structure.

Cyprus banks were closed over the weekend to prevent excessive bank runs. The population of Cyprus has been restricted to using cash transactions only.

Cyprus Deal and its Effects on Stock Market:

Even as many analysts say that the savers would be compensated for any losses they may incur by bank shares, the public don’t seem to be sharing the same enthusiasm. The stock markets around the world seemed volatile after the controversial Cyprus deal. Euro tumbled in Asia trade, falling below its lowest level this year. The Asian Stock Markets were colored red as fears of another recession loomed large. It was not only the Asian Stock Markets that reacted to the Cyprus bailout; European markets fell sharply as well. There were more concerns after key officials suggested that the Cyprus deal would be used as a model to bail out other struggling economies like Slovenia, Malta and Luxemburg.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said that he had to accept to the bailout deal and to tax bank deposits in order to receive international aid. He went on to say that without the deal the island nation would be reeling under the threat of bankruptcy. In exchange for the €10 billion bailout deal, Cyprus agreed to revamp its banking sector, reduce its budget, increase taxes, implement more stringent economic reforms, reduce withdrawals, retain currency within its borders and privatize many state assets.

This deal has further intensified the eurozone crisis, as the continuation of the present day eurozone is threatened. The crisis can actually also pose a grave threat to Euro to recover any of its potentialities. But when the banks did reopen on Thursday, after remaining closed for nearly two weeks, there was palpable anger and pain among its people. Cash laden trucks were shipped around Cyprus to make sure that when the banks opened, they would be having sufficient funds to manage. Cyprus, for now, seems calm and composed. But when the dust settles down, the Cyprus deal will resemble a jumbled and botched up bailout deal that threatens to engulf the whole nation.



This is a guest post by Mark Bennett of OnlineComcast.com, a site that offers savings and current information on comcast bundle deals.

For our April 2013 giveaway, we are proud to be sponsored by Food Insurance Emergency Supply Food at www.foodinsurance.com. They would like to give away two awesome prizes. They have a box of Freeze Dried Ice Cream Sandwiches, and a Water Bottle with Filter.

The Water Bottle & Filter is a perfect addition to your survival bag, for outdoor activities, or any other place you will need clean drinking water. Features of this water bottle as indicated on the Food Insurance Web Site are:

• Safely removes 99.9% of giardia and cryptosporidium.
• Removes organic sediment and other contaminants.
• Removes chlorine taste.
• Each filter treats up to 460 refills (100 gallons).

More information is available at the Food Insurance web site.



Freeze Dried Ice Cream Sandwiches! Need I say more? This is a a good mood food addition to your survival food cache or maybe just a fun way to get introduced to Freeze Dried Foods.



All you need to do is use the rafflecopter tool below to enter. You can tweet about this giveaway or another link on this blog, follow us on Twitter, "like" us on Facebook, share us at your favorite social network, or follow this blog. You can follow Food Insurance as well. Easy as that. On May 1st we will select the winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sponsored by... www.foodinsurance.com

Philip J Reed on behalf of Exede, a high speed satellite internet provider – learn more about how Exede’s rural internet service also assists the Red Cross in emergency situations.

In October 2012, the Northeast was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The brutal storm, which knocked out electricity and cell phone service in many cities, was the worst-case scenario for many who were not prepared. In total, over 8 million people lost power, and the outage spread across 17 states. While officials scrambled to repair the damage, many people were not able to contact their concerned loved ones.

When a disaster hits, it doesn’t just affect the ones living in the area; family members living elsewhere worry to the point of panic. How do you make sure you can communicate with the outside world during and after a disaster? Here are some tips to help you be prepared in case a disaster strikes.

Hard-Wired/Landline Telephone

This is the era of portable technology. However, during a disaster, that same technology that allows us to always be “plugged in” may not work. During Hurricane Sandy, about one-fourth of the cell phone towers were not working, and in many cases it took days to restore the exhausted systems. For times like this, a small, inexpensive non-cordless phone should be kept in an easily accessible place to plug in after a disaster. And in today’s day and age when most important numbers are stored in cell phones, make sure that all these numbers are written down and kept in a safe place.

Cell Phones

Other times, cell phones are the only way to contact loved ones quickly in the event of a disaster. Instead of calling and speaking to loved ones, disaster victims should send a simple text to assure others that they are okay, which will take less time than speaking directly on the phone and won’t clog up the already busy radio waves.

As seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it can take days to restore power to an affected area, so having a back-up plan for charging the cell phone is ideal. Following Hurricane Sandy, images of business and homeowners who were sharing their power sources with those without any started appearing on social media websites. Although this was a very hospitable way to help their neighbors, for individuals affected in rural areas, this may not have been possible. Make sure to include a cell phone car charger in the disaster preparedness pack. The phone can be charged in the car or from any 12-volt source with the appropriate adapter. 

Radio

Emergency broadcasts help reduce frustration and panic during a disaster. A radio is essential equipment for the emergency preparedness box. The least expensive option is just a simple, battery-operated AM/FM radio, but the batteries in the emergency box will need to be changed regularly to make sure the batteries aren’t dead when needed. Also, store the radio with the batteries separate to avoid the batteries leaking inside the radio and damaging it. 

A better choice for radio would be the wind-up version that can be hand-cranked for power. While it typically holds only an hour-and-a-half charge for radio use, some models also come with built-in LED flashlight and adapters to charge cell phones and other essential items. A more costly option is to include a solar-powered radio in the emergency kit.

Citizen’s Band (CB) Radio

Because telephone and radio networks are not always operational, many survivalists like to include CB scanners and radios in their Disaster Preparedness Kits. While these devices only have a local range, they allow two-way communication, and the scanners provide information as to the progress of emergency efforts. However, they have the same power-source restrictions as cell phones and radios.

Solar Power Chargers

There are now solar-powered chargers that can take the place of batteries that lose energy or be used in lieu of car chargers. Some solar chargers can recharge both cells phone and radio batteries. It is important to know how much power will be needed for charging the equipment in the preparedness kit. There are different sizes of solar chargers that handle various types of technology, but a one-time investment that handles all the technology will eliminate frustration during a disaster when quick recharging is ideal.

Preparing ahead of time is the only way to ensure maintaining contact with the rest of the world in the event of a disaster. Water, food and basic necessities should be kept in a Disaster Preparedness Kit somewhere easily accessible in the home. However, communication tools that allow you to keep in touch with the world beyond the disaster are essential as well.

Written by Steven Hill

Author of

http://42rants.blogspot.co.uk/

http://notfridaythe13th.blogspot.co.uk/

There are two schools of thought about what zombies will be like when the inevitable zombie apocalypse descends upon us. These two whilst different are both based in scientific thought and also tap into our different fears. Both have political undertones and both have large budget big screen and small screen adaptations. So how can we prepare for the arrival of these beasts if we don’t know which to expect? Well there is no harm in having contingency built into your plan depending upon the type you face, and if there is some resident evil style mutation of the zombie then you can throw both plans out the window and start again.

George A Romero Type

Let’s refer this type to the most genius of all zombie creators. The slow moving, sluggish, single minded and instinctive zombie has been around for longer than the zombie preparedness movement has.

Characteristics

These are the living dead; once a human has passed away they rise again. This first became popular with the phrase "when hell is full the dead shall rise" and it has religious thought behind it. The rising of a corpse means that all living tissue is dead; they continue to rot and have one mission which is to consume your brain and living flesh. They are slow moving and work most effectively in large groups so avoid any gatherings of people and especially places of lots of bodies, cemetery and morgue. This type is most likely to have already infected the living (as per the Walking Dead) you are a carrier of the disease which does not manifest until you are dead.

Political Undertone

The rise in popularity of this type of zombie is said to be a commentary on our inability to affect our own lives. During a global recession where many people are enslaved to large corporations and unfeeling governments we are simply zombies in our own lives. This political undertone is best brought to life in the rise of the global zombie walk gatherings which parade around cities across the globe often with messages of political significance like the 99% movement.

Scientific Support

The re animation of dead cells is likely to only happen if the soul or conscience has left the body. Meaning that there is no reasoning or thought behind the actions of the zombie but just a primal urge. Much like many diseases they simply seek to reproduce themselves and spread with no regard as to why. The main key here is that the zombie is brain dead and therefore has poor motor skills, they cannot coordinate themselves the way you or I can and they simply lurch around in search of a new host/meal.

Survival Tips

Encountering this type of zombie one on one is an easy thing to survive, you can outrun them and outsmart them. But often the arrival of one zombie is followed by a whole lot more of them as they hunt in packs attracted to the scent of blood or brains. Do not attempt to navigate large conurbations of people as this will increase your chances of encountering a large group. Remote survival locations are key and if you are set up correctly then your survival plan should be around longevity. Making sure you live for as long as it takes for the zombies to completely decompose is a good strategy that will stand you in good stead.

28 Days Later type

The fast paced, infected type zombie is a more modern invention in popular media and has fuelled some of the biggest movies and games of the current generation.

Characteristics

These infected as living people who have become infected with an illness of disease that kills the person own self but controls their body. Often faster and smarter than the original host they move quickly and they can reason when it comes to finding their next victim. These zombies are often tougher to kill and appeared possessed.

Political Undertones

These zombies are said to be the result of a fast paced lifestyle that we all lead. Consumer capitalism at its worst acting like some sort of possessed demon in search of its next big purchase. The disease manifests like rage, the same kind of rage that you can see most days in a traffic jam or at the supermarket between angry housewives.

Scientific Support

The recent scientific breakthrough in zombie cells showed that the zombie cell would actually outperform its living counterpart, faster, stronger and more resistant than the original. The likelihood of a large corporation accidentally leaking this into the general population is one of the most realistic and likely scenarios to occur. Consider large corporates record on public safety and you will see accidents occur frequently causing all kinds of mutations in people. Also the cause of concern in a world more reliant on nuclear energy and large scale production points to the fact if an accident did occur it would be on a big scale.

Survival Tips

Avoid. This is your one and only strategy of survival in this scenario. Depending on the original source of infection this type of zombie may have the ability to turn you from bodily fluid so hand to hand combat is certainly out of the question. You may also find that infections occur from air borne leak so avoid large industrial areas and cities. The problem with your plan of surviving is that this apocalypse may never end, if the cells do outperform living cells you will discover that you may not live as long as those infected.

Have you ever been hiking, biking or simply traveling through a wooded area and stopped to take in the utter silence around you? Now imagine being lost or injured and alone in that very silent wilderness. Maybe you panic and make a fatal mistake, or maybe you calm down and recall some of the valuable wilderness survival advice given by TV's wilderness survival pros. While you may not be able to rock climb quite like a professional, if you know how to survive you will make it out of a very dangerous situation alive and well. Use these five essentials to survive the wilderness like a pro.

Make a good survival shelter

If you are lost in the wilderness you are most likely going to spend a few nights alone out there. That means you will have to sleep somewhere away from the dangers of wild animals, the cold and any inclement weather that comes your way. The best way to do this is to build an effective and safe shelter. The easiest shelter to build quickly is a lean-to. A lean-to is simply a stack of wood leaned up against two trees or large rocks, with an optional stack of wood to one side. Layer your lean-to wood stacks with large ferns or moss to keep in heat and stay safe during the night. If you can, also look for existing shelter under rocks, in a small cave, or under a canopy of trees.

Build a fire

The number one most important survival tip given by survival pros on TV is to make a good fire as soon as possible. Not only does fire warm you up, it also serves as a beacon to any search parties looking for you. If you carry sharp tools like knives by Gerber you can find a flint rock and strike them together to create the needed sparks for a fire.

Locate fresh water

Humans can only survive for a few days without any water at all. Drinkable fresh water is extremely important in any survival scenario. Be sure to disinfect any water taken from the ground by heating it up until it boils. Try to collect any rain water you can as well, as rain water is safe to drink.

Protect yourself from animals

Sometimes wild animals get hungry and attack humans. The easiest way to protect yourself in a dangerous situation like this is to attach your trusty knife to a long stick, creating a spear. This gives you length and a very potent weapon that may end up saving your life.

Find help

The key to surviving a wilderness scenario is to simply get help as soon as possible. If you build a fire, fan the flames with wet leaves to create a distinct pattern of smoke that may attract invaluable attention and search parties.

Author Bio

This article was written by Dixie Somers. Dixie is a freelance writer and avid blogger who gets her inspiration from her wonderful husband and three little girls.