MESSAGE FROM TESS
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:
- Have at least 7 days of water stored up. Remember: 1 gallon of water per person/per day.
- Ensure that you have water purification systems for the home and bug out bag. This gives you a back up for your back up.
- Start practicing water conversation in your home.
- 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:
- Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte
- Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It’s Too Late by Scott B. Williams
- Canning and Preserving Your Own Harvest: An Encyclopedia of Country Living Guide by Carla Emery
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry
- 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.
RECENT ARTICLES
SHTF Survival: 10 Survival Items That Should Be In Your Survival Pack
No Groceries For A Year: One Family’s Transition into Homesteading
The 4 Things You Must Eat to Avoid Malnutrition
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
I share your concern about cooking oil. When I was in Haiti after the earthquake, rice wasn’t terribly hard to come by, but cooking oil was extremely scarce.
I have some canned butter and we always have some olive oil in the freezer, but having a method of getting your own “vegetable oil” would be sweet.
Prep On!