Few of us are completely self-sufficient.  There are always going to be a few things that we cannot make for ourselves.  If your personal preps are in order, consider investing your prep dollars in a new way: purchase barter items!

A lot of things that are inexpensive now will be invaluable later.  As the economy collapses even further, people will be focused on survival and the barter system will reignite.  Barter items will be far better than cash – you can’t eat a dollar!

What kind of items will be worth their weight in gold?  Check out this list for a few suggestions:

• Matches and lighters
• Seeds
• Canning jars, lids and rings
• First aid items
• Tools
• Water Filtration Supplies
• Sewing supplies
• Vitamins
• Salt
• Feminine Hygiene Supplies
• Vitamins
• Fishing Supplies
• Fuel (gasoline, propane, kerosene, etc)
• Sweeteners such as honey, sugar and syrup
• Coffee/Tea
• Carbonated beverages
• Liquor
• Cigarettes/tobacco
• Small packages of food (baggies of beans/rice, etc)
• Livestock
• Cooking oil
• Firewood
• Farm supplies (pesticides, fertilizer, etc.)
• Weapons, Ammo *
• Batteries
• Warm clothing
• Hats/Gloves (think about those little dollar store stretchy items)
• Soap/shampoo
• Hand sanitizer
• Dental care items (toothbrushes/toothpaste/floss)

*Caution: Exercise great discretion when bartering with weapons and ammunition.  It is entirely possible that those items could be used against you to take your supplies.  These are items to be bartered only with someone you trust implicitly or as an absolute last resort.

Barter items can be purchased at the dollar store, the flea market or at liquidation houses.  Don’t forget yard sales – even though you already possess a meat grinder, someone who has ammo that you need might not have one. Items that you can acquire and store inexpensively may one day be more valuable than gold.

Don’t forget about the items that you can produce yourself.  This goes hand-in-hand with the barter of skills.  Stock up on the supplies you need to create the following items for a long-term flow of “income”.

• Fresh produce
• Ammunition (see *caution above)
• Home canned items
• Preserved meats (jerky, ham, etc)
• Warm knitted or crocheted items (mittens, hats, scarves)
• Yarn spun from animal fibers
• Homemade candy
• Homemade soap
• Homemade candles
• Wooden or clay bowls and plates
• Herbal remedies

Use this list to get your creative juices flowing.  What items do you possess the ability to make?  Which of these items will be particularly useful if the grid goes down or if the economy crumbles?

What items are you stocking up on for life in a potential barter-based economy?  Please share your ideas below!

While some choose to prepare for these unforeseen events, there will be others who choose to stay complacent and turn a blind eye. The choice of not to prepare could be for a variety of reasons:

• Some simply do not see the need to prepare.
• Or, do see the need, but make excuses why they can’t prepare.
• Are overwhelmed by the enormity of preparedness.
• Are afraid of the unknown.
• Have a fear of other’s opinions about preparing for extended emergencies.
• Or, have the fear of admitting to themselves that devastating events can penetrate our lives and effect us.

But in the end, life is all about choices; tough choices. In this prepper’s opinion, taking the active steps to prepare for an unforeseen disaster (one that we honestly don’t want to happen), was the only option that made sense, but  it took courage and a big leap of faith to get started.

Taking the leap

Like many of you, when I first began preparing, I started with small scale situations and then began prepping for longer-term disasters. I made the same mistakes that many of you made in the process, and learned from them. What I didn’t understand was the importance of being spiritually and mentally prepared for the magnitude of a long-term disaster. As a result, it sent me into a tailspin of negativity, and my writing and articles reflected it. I eventually came to the conclusion that even though we sometimes don’t see the bigger picture when we’re in the middle of what feels like chaos, there is a larger picture at play, and we have to wait to see what the universe reveals to us in order to take the next steps.

I realized that I didn’t want to promote distress, or for that matter teach others to live in it. Rather than staying in the presence of trepidation, I chose to take another daring step and search for a way to prepare but do so in a way that promotes the freedom and gratification we are all searching for. My goal was to be 100% self reliant during a short or extended disaster. Luckily, I stumbled across the concept of homesteading and instantly knew that was I was searching for. Once I adopted this mind-set, my attitude shifted from living in fear to living with courage of what may come. I had found my balance.

As Amelia Earhart once said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”

My new approach to prepping brought a renewed sense of self and a passion that I wanted to share with anyone who would listen. I have mentioned before that showing others how important it is to be prepared and teaching them the necessary survival skills is something very dear to me, and a cause that I feel is greater than myself.  I started the 52-Weeks to Preparedness series as a result of this realization. There is nothing more important to me than seeing that communities of people are prepared for what may come. But in order for an entire community to be prepared, it takes one person at a time to keep the preparedness fire lit.

Trust your gut

As James T. Stevens says in his preparedness guide, Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook, a paradigm shift occurs once the mindset changes from being prepared to living a preparedness lifestyle, “suddenly it’s neither so daunting or burdensome – it becomes your routine – the way you live on a daily basis!”

That being said, once I adopted this new lifestyle, I realized that my current living situation did not support what I wanted or needed to achieve. Changes were made. Some of those changes have been met with resistance from friends and family members. (Something I am sure that many of you have first-hand experience dealing with.)

As the saying goes, “Do not go where the path may lead, instead go where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

Despite the contradicting view points from others, I still felt strongly enough to take my preparations to the next level. In time, I hope that many will understand why I felt so passionate about this.

So what are you, a prepper, a survivalist, or part of a community? 

As a whole, humans like to compartmentalize things. We naturally gravitate toward this mind-set and feel more at ease when we are part of a group. I have read in other blogs and forums where people are discussing whether there is a difference between being self reliant, being a survivalists and being a prepper.

Once again, we have compartmentalized ourselves. Well, I hate to break it to you all, but we are all one in the same. That’s right folks, same group, different names. Potato, potato. There are however, varying degrees of preparedness and this is where the difference lies. Preppers range from having a first-aid kit in the car to having an underground bunker. That said, it’s about time that we start embracing one another as a preparedness community and be more positive and uplifting towards one another’s endeavors. Our overall goal is the same: to be self reliant and have preparations in place to withstand the after effects of a disaster so that we do not have to compromise our morals and values.

My purpose

Disasters have been going on for centuries and for one to think they are untouchable is naive. Taking the necessary steps to being more prepared begins with you. If you see a need to prepare for something, start taking the steps to get ready for it. No time is better than today! If you need a preparedness path to follow, consider signing up for the 52-Weeks to Preparedness series where the overwhelming nature of getting ready for life’s unexpected events is simplified and broken down into comprehensive and easy to follow lists.

My purpose in all of this is not to promote fear and doom, or to teach others to hide from life, but to help others be aware that disasters do in fact exist and can affect us. Moreover, my goal is to teach others that they can find freedom through self reliance. My website is a testament to my personal preparedness journey, and a way for me to help others become more self reliant in the process.

In closing, we are all different and come from different backgrounds, have diverse goals, conflicting points of view and various forces that drive us to be who we are. My preparedness goals may not be the same one that you have. However, my hope is that you take the experiences that I post, the lists that I made and the mistakes I have made and learn from them so that your transition into preparedness is simpler and easier.

In another article I wrote about the necessity for preparing to live off the grid when the SHTF. I wrote about using solar power. Finding ways to produce energy without the aid of my yacht’s generator was a necessity. It does not take very long to go through 100 gallons of diesel fuel when using a generator. And I suspect that when the SHTF, diesel fuel will be in short supply.
First it was a solar panel, and now, the latest is a wind turbine. I have installed a wind turbine aboard my boat, but you can use these same principles to install one on land.

Wind has been used for producing energy for centuries; first in Persia (present-day Iran) as early as 200 B.C. However, the first known functional windmills were developed by the Dutch in 1300, by means of cloth sails stretched across wooden frames. In some designs these sails could be trimmed to take advantage of unpredictable wind speed conditions. The large windmills of the Dutch design remained in use all across Europe until the introduction of the steam engine in the 1800s.

Wind is in reality a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth’s surface, and revolving of the earth. Wind flow patterns are created by the earth’s terrain, bodies of water, man-made structures and vegetation. We humans can use this wind flow, for many purposes: sailing a boat, flying a kite, flying an airplane and even generating electricity.

The term wind power describes the method by which the wind is used to produce mechanical power. This mechanical power can then be used for specific mechanical tasks such as grinding grain or pumping water. Or as used on a boat, an alternator in a wind turbine can convert this mechanical power into electrical energy.

So how do wind turbines make electricity? Simply stated, a wind turbine works the reverse of a fan. As an alternative to using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft. The shaft connects to an alternator and produces electricity. In our boat’s turbine, the alternator produces 220 volt 3-phase AC current. The controller, converter, then converts the AC power to 12 volt DC power to charge the battery bank.

Wind Availability

When evaluating whether a wind turbine is economically realistic for your use depends on the quality of your wind resources. Usually, average wind speeds of at least 4 mph are required for a small wind turbine to generate enough electricity to be cost-effective. Being less than ½ mile from the Atlantic coast, we have afternoon sea breezes in the summer which routinely produce 10-15 mph winds. In winter months, we frequently have cold fronts coming through that give us sustained winds of 15-20 mph. If your location is inland, your winds will likely be different.

The most significant component of evaluating your wind resource is an anemometer. Anemometers are wind measuring devices, typically designed with rotating cups mounted on a vertical shaft. The anemometer will allow you to “read” the wind speeds. We have one of these permanently mounted aboard our yacht.

If there is another wind turbine owner in your area, you may be able to obtain useful information from its owners about the electrical output of the system and wind speed data. Such information could be tremendously valuable as an option to installing an anemometer.

Turbine Mounting

Determining the location to mount your wind turbine takes a bit of planning. It must be high enough to capture the wind, preferably away from arches, sails, masts or trees that will block or alter wind flow. There is also the issue of rotating blades. We want to make sure that they do not strike anything while turning, especially someone’s head while moving about.

I chose to use the factory designed pole kit that was built for our turbine. It provides a 3-point connection which also allows us to lay it down for servicing. It is powder coated anodized aluminum, with stainless steel, brackets, designed to withstand the harsh marine environment.

My wind turbine is actually a hybrid system I designed using both wind power and solar power; a schematic is provided in the solar panel article showing the configuration.

Being Neighborly

Many people feel strongly about the need to preserve the views and peace and quiet of their marinas. Expect some questions from your dock mates. Understand your neighbors’ natural fear of the unknown and be prepared to respond to their concerns.

Some of the concerns raised about wind turbines are not true. Wind turbines are not, as many people think, hazardous to birds. A shiny reflective window is more dangerous to birds than a small wind turbine. Wind turbines also have no potential to interfere with radio and television reception.

Wind Turbine Noise

Your neighbors’ concerns involving wind turbine noise are important. Regardless of the size of the wind turbine, the possibility for turbine noise to bother other people always exists. Even if a wind turbine does not emit enough sound to break any noise regulations, the noise it produces may still be offensive to other people.

Older turbines were indeed noisy, but modern day engineering has developed turbine blades that are virtually silent. Our turbine is about 3 feet in diameter and at 4 mph winds; the unit produces a light flutter. At 10 mph the unit produces no sound at all.

Wind Turbine Advantages

•  Wind is free
• Produces no waste or greenhouse gases.

Wind Turbine Disadvantages

• The wind is not always predictable – some days we have no wind at all.
• Some units can be noisy. The small modern wind generators used on boats hardly produce any sound at all.

How Much Power Do They Produce

Turbines can be purchased that produce different power outputs. The turbine that I chose is a Sunforce 450 watt turbine. It has a cut-in speed of 4 mph and has a survival wind speed capacity of 157 mph.

The amps (power) produced is:

• 6 mph winds – 8.3 amps
• 10 mp winds – 25 amps
• 14 mph winds – 58.3 amps

The unit has a built in brake that will engage automatically when the batteries are at full charge, or it can be manually set if so desired.

Now more than ever shopping efficiently and reducing costs wherever possible is a crucial component of managing a household. The current economic climate means that even cutting a few dollars off your grocery bill every week can make a big difference long term, and coupons often offer much more than that. Coupons allow you to stock up your pantry with items that will last for a long time when they are on special, saving a significant amount of money than waiting till you need them.

Most people underestimate the benefits of using coupons and overestimate the time taken and consequently do not make use of this valuable resource. However, if you know just where to look, finding coupons that give you significant savings for your grocery shopping is an easy, even fun task that is well worth the time required.

It is true that to find the best deals available it often takes careful research. In the past, this would involve going through multiple newspapers and magazines, looking for suitable savings and then clipping these out. The modern age makes this a much simpler process. Many supermarkets and stores offer coupons directly on their websites and give you the ability to load them onto your loyalty card, removing the need for the use of physical coupons. Printable coupons are another source. Many websites, such as coupons.com and smartsource.com offer a wide range of coupons from many different manufacturers. Additionally, these sites and similar ones offer the ability to search their coupon database by category and many give you the chance to filter their offers to ones that are available to you locally.

If you do not have the time to research multiple different sites for the best and most recent coupons, then do not be concerned. There are many online sites and blogs where people are more than happy to share their own findings with you, presenting the best offers from a wide range of sources in one easy location. Two such sites that offer this is Penny Pincher Gazette, which collates coupons from three online coupon sites and links these with local discounts. Additionally, if you are looking for ideas for how to incorporate these specials into your meal planning, the site offers a range of recipes and cooking articles that use some of the coupons that are featured.

When you go grocery shopping, there is a tendency to buy on a whim. This can often result in more being spent than if you go to the store with a plan as to what you are going to buy. Using coupons involves a degree of pre-planning; it starts you thinking about what meals you want to make during the week, what you need in your pantry and what you already have. This change in behavior alone has the ability to significantly reduce your spending.

Coupons are fantastic for week-to-week shopping, but they are more useful in the event of stocking up your pantry. In running a household, it is important to keep a substantial stock of food, particularly food that does not get bad quickly and will store for many months. Many of the items that are available through coupons are those that will last a significant amount of time, such as canned goods, and the discounts will often allow you to buy them in bulk. This adds up to a significant saving. Additionally, many coupons are specials such as ‘buy two, get one free’. As canned items don’t go bad, it’s great for stocking up.

Using coupons is a fantastic way of taking advantage of specials and stocking up your pantry without breaking the bank. Each coupon may only save you a few dollars at best, but they soon add up, especially if you tie the use of coupons in with specials that are present at your local store. Once you begin to use coupons, you will be surprised at how much you save, especially if you make use of websites that offer a wide range of different coupons. You will find yourself thinking about what you buy more, and weighing up the benefits of one item versus another. These benefits are significant, and well worth the time that is taken to find the coupons initially.

This post was written by Ella Davidson of Coupons.org. Coupons provides authoritative couponing how-to guides as well as top-retailer coupons and deals.

I realize over the last ten years there has been an influx of natural disasters that can only lead one to believe that earthly changes will only increase and alter our present way of living. Many believed the natural disasters occurring so rapidly were a sign of the sensationalized Doomsday 2012 approaching. However, upon closer reflection, we realized that the  Mayan prediction is not one that predicts the end, only the transition of mankind. Mayan leaders believe that “2012 will teach us to learn to be more compassionate… Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human.”

Isn’t it funny that when we embrace the change in front of us the fear goes away and invites inner growth?  Not only have we witnessed the increase in natural disasters, but we are also watching as our world’s economy sinking into a death spin. As a result many of us are proud to have woken up and embraced a new thought process and have begun taking steps to live a more prepared and self reliant lifestyle. We are pioneers trying to lead by example to show others a different perspective of living their lives. Now that it that new year is here, what else is there to do but forge on and continuing changing into better beings.

To conclude, I leave you with the words of a Mayan leader who translated the 2012 Prophecy:

Develop yourself according to your own tradition and the call of your heart. But remember to respect differences, and strive for unity. Eat wisely — a lot of food is corrupt in either subtle or gross ways. Pay attention to what you are taking into your body. Learn to preserve food, and to conserve energy. Learn some good breathing techniques, so you have mastery of your breath. Be clear. Follow a tradition with great roots. It is not important what tradition, your heart will tell you, but it must have great roots.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. To all you, may you have a very blessed and happy 2012.

 No doubt many of you have changed as a result of adopting a preparedness mindset. Change is the only constant in this crazy universe and will happen whether you like it or not. Rather than viewing change as an unnecessary stress and resisting it altogether, embrace it and become fluid with it. Learning to be more fluid and respectful of change in your day-to-day life will help you adapt to it more quickly.

 As I continue onward in my preparedness journey, I look forward to what is around the corner. Whatever it may be, I know it will be in my best interest because, after all it is in God’s plan. I read once that when God prunes us it is a necessary pain and one that will create beauty and make us healthier.

That being said, I hope all of you had a productive year and have made positive changes in your life. Without further adieu, here is a list of the top articles of 2011 for Ready Nutrition.

Thanks to you all for continuing to come come back to this website to get information on preparedness and homesteading.

Warmly,

Tess Pennington

Top 10 Articles of 2011

11 Emergency Foods That Can Last a Lifetime

13 Signs of a Societal Collapse

Fox News Demonstration: Long Term Food Storage Basics – How to Pack Rice, Wheat, Beans and Dry Goods

The 4 Most Likely Ways You Can Die if the SHTF

6 Most Popular Fuel to Store for Emergencies

SHTF Survival: 10 Survival Tools That Should Be In Your Survival Pack

First Time Shopping List for an Emergency Food Supply

Emergency Items: What Will Disappear First

Survival Food Series: 3 Ways to Naturally Make Yeast

Be Nutrition Ready and Store Super Foods

The Christmas season is wrapped in forgotten Christian symbols where each symbols tells a story of hope, love and the ultimate gift given to us. Take some time with your children and family members during the Christmas holiday to remind them what this season is really about. Help them keep these symbols alive.

1. Fir Tree – The pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year long. This symbolizes the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man’s thoughts turning toward heaven.
2. The star was a heavenly promise from long ago. God promised a savior for the world, and the star was the fulfillment of that promise.
3. The wreath symbolizes the nature of true love. Real love never ceases, like God’s love which has no beginning and no end.
4. Santa Claus represents the generosity and kindness we feel during the month of December.
5. The holly leaf represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Saviour, and the red holly represents the blood shed by Him.
6. Gifts are a representation of the ultimate gift God gave the world – His son. And we should thank God for his precious gift.
7. The candy cane represents the shepherd’s hook. The crook of the staff helps to bring back lost sheep to the flock.
8. Angels announced the news of the birth of Jesus. The angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace and good will towards men.”
9. Bells represent the sound that sheep would here to help them find their way back to the herd. The bell symbolizes guidance and return and it reminds us that we are all precious in eyes of God.

When all we have have is hope, we must remind each other why this season is so important. It’s not about how many gifts that are under the tree, how bright our yards light up at night or how pretty our homes are decorated. Christmas is a season that reminds us that miracles are all around us and that we can always fall upon hope to carry us through just a little longer. 

It is a common misconception that all thieves are brainless halfwits who are easily led by quick cash for drugs. I’m not going to dismiss this, in some cases it is true, however, with the continuing deterioration of the economy, overall crime is going to double and there will be some indivudals who will be desperate enough to turn to a new found life in crime. The sooner you accept this as a reality, the sooner you will realize that these new criminals are more evolved from your everyday petty thief. They will be patient and take their time by researching the best possible way to hit a residence in order to bypass getting caught. That being said, you need to be ready for it and do some research of your own to stay ahead of the game. To beat these criminals, you have to let yourself begin to think like a criminal.

Emerging technology once viewed as a convenience, should now be perceived as a double edged sword. In order gain a bird’s eye view into your home, thieves are now using google maps to find the best vantage points. These thieves used Google Maps to target as many as nine suburban homes in a Chicago neighborhood for break-ins since March 2011, police said.

iPhone even has an application which gives you detailed characteristics of properties (houses) in USA. In this app, you can either search the map or just use your GPS coordinates to get information such as price of the house, number of floors, number of rooms, pictures taken from inside the house if the house was part of any register (letting agencies etc.) before you moved in, and other interesting information.

On the other hand, iPhone also has a app that works in conjunction with an external monitoring service and helps you check your home security system while away from the home, send commands from a computer or cell phone, even manage lighting and thermostat controls remotely.   Home security systems integrated with Alarm.com will keep you updated on what you want to know about the security of your property while you’re away with email or text message alerts when specific sensors are activated. The cost varies depending on what feature you add to your customized alarm system.

Some home owners are fighting back and using cameras installed on their computers as a video surveillance system to monitor their home. All you need is your PC, a webcam or IP camera, and advanced surveillance software like the popular WebCam Monitor. Ensure that you position web cams strategically in hidden areas, and place the computer that is monitoring the locations in a hidden spot so the criminals do not walk off with the computer. 

To further protect your home consider adding some additional home security layers, and using plants to secure the home. In addition, reinforcing the barriers that keep intruders out is a great way to begin protecting the home.  In the book,  How to Survive The End of The World as we Know It, the author, James Wesley, Rawles lists some examples on how to have a defensible advantage from criminals.  Although, this article lists some of these examples, it is highly recommended that you read the book. The following is a constructive list of items you can consider:

• Reinforced doors and locks.
• Barred windows or European-style security/storm shutters.
• Place thorny bushes around windows.
• Intrusion detection systems.
• Position web cams strategically in hidden areas.  Place the computer that is monitoring the locations in a hidden spot so the criminals do not walk off with the computer.
• Create a barrier from approaching vehicles.
• Put a peep hole in the door.
• Add a bolt and chain to the door.
• Guard dogs
• Infrared (IR) floodlights to illuminate the property (These can be motion-sensor activated).
• Fence the entire property, if it is not done so already.
• A gate at the front of the driveway that has spikes at the top to prevent someone from jumping over the fence.
• Extra fire hydrants in the case that the invaders try to burn you out of your home.
• Create a safe room or vault to where a family can go to evade their attackers.
• Create a neighborhood watch.

Take an active stance on your home security and find ways to deter these criminals from breaking into your home. Your safety and security rests in your hands.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Week after week, we have returned here to begin or build upon our existing emergency supply. Our overall goal is to build an emergency foundation and find practical solutions to help us survive. At week 24, we are refocusing our attention on water preparedness. In this issue, we will discuss why water is so important, alternative ways to store water, as well as explore other preparedness products that can help you with longer-term water supplies.

Two years have passed since my first post on this website. In that time, I have not lost sight of my focus or goal to help equip the readers of this website with knowledge and skills on how to survive and thrive amidst the coming hardships of this world. I still believe that we can find freedom through self reliance, but it is essential not to let fear drive our need to prepare. Instead, the driving motivation should be because we see the need in preparing our family for unexpected situations we may face, as well as seeing the importance of acquiring essential survival and preparedness knowledge. I firmly believe that in order to move forward we must accept and find solutions to the problems we face today.

To start your preparedness endeavors, ensure you have enough food for your family by using our food storage calculator. It gives you a customized chart on how much food is needed to survive. Also, in order to have all the preparedness and self-reliance information at your finger tips, an easy-to-access banner for the 52-Weeks to Preparedness series has been placed on Ready Nutrition. It’s the big, red banner – you can’t miss it!

If you haven’t already, follow us on Twitter or see what we are doing on Facebook. I love to interact with the preparedness community, because, after all, we are all in this together! Don’t forget to share the prepared love and invite your friends and family to read Ready Nutrition and help build our community.

Thank you for taking the time to better prepare yourselves for life’s unexpected disasters, and especially for being a part of this amazing community.

Regards,

Tess Pennington

PREP OF THE WEEK

Week 24 of 52: Water Preparedness (List 2)

Never can enough be said about water purification and quality water sources during an emergency. One of the reasons I am placing so much emphasis on potable water is because improper drinking water is one of the leading causes of death in third-world countries. It is also one of the four most likely ways to die in a SHTF scenario. That being said, we must take steps to have water on hand for cooking, cleaning ourselves and ensuring that our households are properly sanitized. Learn more about how to properly disperse of waste and how to create a sanitation kit.

When water is unavailable, we must trust in the skills and knowledge we have amassed. One essential skill is knowing how to properly treat water. Here are two videos you can watch to create a Homemade Water Distiller and a Solar Powered Water Distiller.

Those of you who do not have access to natural water sources will need to be more clever at finding water in an emergency situation. Knowing the hidden water sources in your home can help you find immediate water (for short time use) when you need it the most. Many preppers use some of the following methods of having additional water on hand during emergencies:

• Freeze ice cubes and place them into zip-loc bags to melt when the electricity goes off.
• Use plastic soda cans filled with the treated water.
• Use emergency bath tub water storage containers to fill with water.
• Collecting rain water in plastic containers or water barrels.

Further, those that have wells on their property with electric pumps may want to consider an alternative hand or solar pump to have on hand during disasters where the electricity is out. Hand pumps such as Flojak pumps are very popular amongst preppers and would be a solid investment for those of you needing a non-electric pump for your well.

Having multiple ways to treat water will ensure that you are able to drink clean water during times that the water supply may be contaminated or turned off. Further, having potable water will ensure that your family has what they need to survive and thrive.

Preps To Buy:

• Collapsible 2-gallon water containers (as many as you think your family needs)
• 1-2 Bath tub storage – This is a large food grade plastic container that holds up to 65 gallons of water and fits convenienctly into your tub.
• Water filtration system – Big Berkey Water Filtration Sytems are, by far a great investment for your preparedness foundation. As for pocket water filters nothing comes close to the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter. It has a 20-year warranty and can filter up to 13,000 gallons of water. All in a compact size for your bug out bags. Also, the life straw also has some great reviews and would be in your best interest to check it out. It removes 99.9% of waterborne bacteria, 99.9% waterborne protozoan parasites, and will filter approximately 264 gallons of water.
• Purchase extra filters for any water filtration systems
• Water purification tablets – my family has stocked up on micropur tablets, but there are a host of other purification tablets out there. These tablets are great to carry in your bug out bags, evacuation vehicles and even to use on camping trips.

Action Items:

1. Have at least 7 days of water stored up. Remember: 1 gallon of water per person/per day.
2. Ensure that you have water purification systems for the home and bug out bag. This gives you a back up for your back up.
3. Start practicing water conversation in your home.
4. Learn some alternative ways to collecting water.

WHAT WE’RE UP TO

In Our Home:

Even though the weather hasn’t drastically cooled off here in Texas, Fall is in the air and I love it. As a result, I have been cooking soups constantly. So far, I made a pot of savory beef soup with homemade noodles and a pot of chicken and pea soup. I’m planning on making abbig pot of bean soup this weekend. You can view some of my favorite recipes here.

Family Preps:

Call me crazy, but I bought an oil press this week. I’ve been a little concerned with the short expiration dates that oil has, and wanted to find a way to make my own oil. The piteba oil expreller is made from heavy duty metal with a hand crank. It grinds small seeds from plants (like sunflower seeds) and the reviews on this are all good. You can buy them online at Amazon. I can’t wait to try this out! I’ll let you all know how well it performs.

I have also wanted to extend my survival and self reliance library, so I also splurged on some books that have been on my wish list for quite some time. I bought:

1. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte
2. Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It’s Too Late by Scott B. Williams
3. Canning and Preserving Your Own Harvest: An Encyclopedia of Country Living Guide by Carla Emery
4. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry
5. Wild Cards: Edible Wild Foods by Linda Runyon

Do any of you have these books? What do you think of them? Send me an email and let me know if you’ve read these books and what you think if them. You can email me at: getprepped@readynutrition.com

In the Garden:

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, I am finding myself outside working in the garden. I planted most of the Fall vegetables and am waiting for the weather to get a little cooler so that I can plant the broccoli, beets and cabbage. The hot weather didn’t do my corn any good and stunted its growth. The corn I did get out of it would certainly not be enough to feed my family in an emergency. The tomatoes that were growing this summer are finally putting out fruit. However, because they were grown in such harsh weather, the fruit is very small. I have two other tomato plants that are still young, so I’m crossing my fingers that they will give me larger fruit.

Gardening is definitely a skill that takes time to acquire. From what I have learned so far is it’s all about timing and putting the plants in the right living environment (good soil, temperature, LOTS of water and compost)! There is no easy way to produce vegetables without chemicals, but I haven’t given up. My husband has been so encouraging and keeps telling me that with all the work I put into it will one day will pay off and I will have the harvest of my dreams.

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STATS AND FACTS

Evacuating on a moments notice will be next to impossible if you are not ready for it. And because emergencies usually happen when we least expect them to, we need to be ready for what may come our way.

Keeping your vehicle evacuation ready is the best way to stay ahead of the evacuation and the mass exodus. This checklist can be helpful when planning to evacuate. In addition, the most important part of preparing is to have a well thought out plan that needs to be in place before you evacuate. Further, always have a few back up plans as well. Those that have evacuated in the past can attest to the role road blocks, car accidents and heavy congestion can play in delaying your evacuation. Because organization plays a large roll in preparedness, check your evacuation supplies every 6 months to change out seasonal clothing, food, etc.

Here are 5 ways to prepare for and maintain your evacuation vehicle:

1. Have vehicle bug out supplies.

2. Keep your vehicle properly maintained.

3. Keep your gas tank full.

4. Make sure you have extra navigational items.

5. Have multiple pre-planned evacuation locations.

LETTERS TO TESS

One of the perks of my job at Ready Nutrition is to address questions and/or concerns that you may have with your prepping endeavors. Feel free to ask anything that is on your mind because no question is too big or small. You can email questions to: getprepped@readynutrition.com

This week’s question addresses cold weather preparedness.

Tess,

I just moved up North and the weather is starting to get chilly fast. What foods can I store for the winter in case I get snowed in?

S.N

Answer:

S.N.,

Great job getting ready for the cold months ahead! But, don’t limit your winter preparedness to only food. Staying warm in the winter also means having a ready supply of fire wood or fuel, warm clothing, and extra blankets. Further, remember there are times when the weather gets so bad that electricity will go out, so plan to have candles or flashlights on hand and some warm clothing. In fact, remember to use the layer clothing principle during cold weather. When you layer your clothing, you are able to conserve more body heat.

Having a short term supply of food for those “snowed in” days will save you a miserable trip to the store. You can start purchasing a few extra items each time you go shopping or if your budget allows, you can buy these all at once. Being prepared for the cold will keep you safe and warm inside your home. Here are a few suggested food items that will last the duration of the winter or short-term emergencies:

• Pasta
• Canned Soups
• Canned Vegetables
• Water
• Coffee/Tea
• Drink Mixes
• Powdered Milk
• Legumes
• Infant Needs – Diapers, Formula
• Flour
• Sugar
• Food For Pets

I hope this advice helps to keep you warm!

Tess Pennington

“A spider bit the goat, so we didn’t have dairy for a month,” says Rachel Hoff describing one of the misadventures that occurred during her family’s year without groceries. As for bread, she, her husband Tom Ferguson, and teenage son, Tom, Jr., had to do without when the both the oven and the bread machine went kaput in the same week. Despite occasional mishaps and deprivations, Hoff describes the experience, which she documented in her blog  ”Another Year Without Groceries, as “surprisingly easy.” And, as of October 1 st , the family is sticking with the challenge for another year.

Although they already grew some fruits and vegetables and raised chickens, rabbits, three turkeys, and four goats on their quarter-acre lot in the city of Vallejo, California, their initial goal was not to try to be self-sufficient. In fact, they barely had any of their own crops ready to harvest for the first six and a half months of the project. Concerned about pesticides on conventional produce and chemicals in processed and packaged foods, they mainly wanted to eat healthy and know where their food was coming from. Hoff points out that even “mom and pop sounding companies” such as Ben and Jerry’s, Stonyfield Farms, and Walnut Acres are now owned by huge corporations.

Over the course of the year, the family reaped more benefits than they had expected. They saved at least $2,000 dollars on groceries despite the fact that everything they were eating was either locally grown or organic. They saved even more money by avoiding restaurants. Purchasing and freezing an eighth of a steer from a local farm lowered the price of grass-fed, organic beef to $2/per pound and a loaf of fresh bread cost them 50 cents to bake. Eating higher quality food paid off health-wise. Both Hoff and Ferguson avoided colds all year and felt more energized. Hoff lost 20 pounds “without counting calories.”

Hoff describes the economically depressed downtown area of Vallejo as a “food desert” — lacking a supermarket and with little access to organic or local goods. The foodie mecca of San Francisco lies 30 miles south, but both Hoff and Ferguson work full-time and neither had the inclination to spend all of their free time grocery shopping.  After reading the book No Impact Man, which chronicles a New York City family’s effort to live sustainably, including giving up processed foods, for a year, they thought, “If they can do it in an apartment in New York City, we can certainly do it here.”

In August 2010, Hoff and Ferguson started preparing for their year without groceries, which would begin in October. Aside from planning all the family’s meals around seasonal produce, the most challenging aspect of the project was the research phase and figuring out where they could obtain certain items such as milk, says Hoff. They were allowed to purchase produce, meat, and dairy from the weekly farmer’s market and directly from farms. For staples such as sugar, rice and flour, Hoff located a local woman who had set up a buying club in her garage where members pooled resources to buy organic food in bulk directly from the source. They were also allowed to barter and trade.

They were not allowed to buy food at regular grocery stores, supermarkets, or convenience stores or eat at restaurants. The first weekend without groceries, with the help of a 30-minute mozzarella kit purchased online, Hoff was able to deliver on her promise of serving lasagna for her son’s thirteenth birthday. Hoff says he still likes eating junk food and soft drinks (at friend’s houses), but the he thinks the project is “pretty cool” and talks about it in class. To make it easier to adjust, they designated Fridays as pizza night.

The first six months were so easy, that the family decided to up the ante, and for the last three months they could eat only what they already had on hand, could produce on their urban farm, or barter.

Hoff doesn’t recommend trying go without buying food at all and admits that after a couple of months, “I was close being fed up.” Their fruit trees didn’t produce and they were stuck with eating zucchini, green beans, and cucumbers for weeks on end. Ferguson became sick of the limited choices but tried to focus on “the bigger picture of what they had accomplished over the year.” Hoff, on the other hand, posted on the blog, “I’m so over not buying food.” When I spoke with them the day after their project ended, they had just returned from their first trip to the farmer’s market and were happily cooking up a feast of pork with potatoes and corn.

For Hoff, the best thing about the project was that it “brought us closer together. We’ve become a team and work together really well.” She also loves grabbing food for dinner right out of the garden and says, “Shopping doesn’t feel like a chore any more.” Their friends and family claim they could never do it, but she insists that, “you don’t have to have an urban farm to eliminate the grocery store from your vocabulary.”

Hoff advises people to make the transition gradually and to try to replace one item at a time, such as pickles or bread, with something homemade.  The blog offers tips on how to get started.

Photo courtesy of Lori Eanes