How To Decide When It Has Come Time To Bug Out

§ May 7th, 2014 § Filed under Prepping Comments Off

When to bugoutThere are a variety of circumstances and situations which will require you to bug out of your home or temporary shelter. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the term bug out refers to when your position has been compromised and you need to move on. Although this term found it’s origins in army and soldier slang, it still rings true for emergency situations. If you and your family are held up after a natural disaster and the damage has been catastrophic, it may be time for you to move on and find a better place to stay. Considering a variety of factors, you will have to make the tough decision to leave your possessions and other valuables behind in favour of a safer environment. Because you can’t take everything with you, having a bug out bag (along with a first-aid kit and food stockpile) is essential for every family. You will need to consider the unique circumstances that surround your disaster to assess when the proper time to bug out is.

Has The Natural Disaster Caused Significant Damage To Your Home And Community

After any disaster, it’s your responsibility to step outside and assess the damage. In some places, tornados and hurricanes can level entire city blocks after a period of only two to five minutes. If your community and home have been destroyed and you’re able to recognize this from the safety of your hideaway, it may be time to bug out and find emergency shelters set up somewhere else. Connecting with other neighbors who are contemplating the same situation can give you a network of people to move with, therefore protecting yourselves from people who are in panic mode and looking to steal from families. By keeping your cool and calmly letting your family know of the situation up top, you can all come to a collective agreement about what your next steps should be.

Do You Feel Unsafe In Your Home Or Shelter

There will come times when you’ll need to bug out from shelters as well, which depends on a variety of different circumstances. If you’ve been held up at home for a while and more damage starts appearing, then it may be time for you to grab the kit and family and move everyone to a safer location. A home that has been destroyed above can still pose some serious threats, especially if your safe zone is located underground. Additional collapse of your home could trap you inside and rescue crews may not reach you for months on end. This is why it is crucial to make a decision early on, for the best possible reasons. Just because you are attached to your home doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Material possessions, just like homes, can be replaced. What matters is if your family is in immediate danger by staying in the same spot. Always consider bugging out a viable option.

For more information about bugout bags, visit uspreppers.com

 

Fishing With Limited Supplies

§ December 7th, 2014 § Filed under Drinks & Eats, Education, Outdoor, Prepping Comments Off

Can I Fish With Limited Supplies?

FishingMany people remember fishing as part of their childhood; at least, they do if they grew up in a rural area. But that was likely with a lot of gear. Fishing poles, bait, hooks, and a number of other items may have been used if you were fishing with your grandpa or going out on the lake with a group of your friends. In a survival situation, however, you may not have access to all those supplies – or your fishing pole may break, or you may have other issues that come up in the process. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to make sure that you and your family can get the fish you need in order to get through a survival situation.

Fishing with Limited Supplies

If you’re bugging out, you want to make sure that you have the lightest supplies possible – which likely means that you are not going to have a fishing pole with you. That being said, there are plenty of different ways that you can fish, even without a fishing pole. You can make sure that you have hooks and fishing line with you, or you can use supplies that you would have for other purposes in order to make the hooks.

Some people will carve hooks out of wood, and they are quite effective. You can also use wire, pins, coconut shells, thorns, and shells off of animals (empty turtle shells, seashells, etc). As long as the material is strong and you can form it or carve it into a hook shape, you will be able to make it into a hook.

That being said, you can also improvise the bait as well. There are lots of things that fish will just eat up without thinking about it, so you can pretty much use anything that you want as bait. Bugs and worms work especially well, because you can find them pretty much anywhere and they will be small enough to put on the hook that you’ve put together.

Alternative Forms of Fishing

Of course, you may be in a situation where you don’t feel like you can stay outside for extended periods of time. That being said, there are a lot of different ways that you can catch fish without having to stay at the pond for hours at a time. You can hook up a stakeout, which is a setup of two reeds with one long line in between the two, and then two shorter lines that have hooks with bait on the end. This sits at the bottom of the lake, and then fish go up to it and eat the bait. Just make sure that the hooks can’t get tangled up, so that you can get multiple fish at a time.

You can also make a net of some sort if you want to try and catch fish that way. You can use parachute suspension line or any other type of elastic to help you go in and catch the fish as you want to catch them. It’s fairly simple, but you may need a little help from making a fishing area – some people will use rocks or other hard objects as a boundary, especially if you are trying to fish on a river or another form of moving fresh water. By making a “pond” to fish out of (with rocks as a border), the fish will get grouped up and end up being a lot easier to catch than they would if they were just going down the river normally.cod on red background

All that being said, fishing in the wilderness takes some practice and some time, but if you’re willing to put both of those things in, you will find that you can have a pretty good supply of food for you and your family. It’s about being creative with what you have and utilizing items in the world around you to make sure that you can get the big catch of the day at a pretty quick pace. By having some of the basics in your survival kit or hoard, you too can enjoy fresh fish as part of your survival diet.

 

Prepping and Your Kids

§ December 3rd, 2014 § Filed under Defense, Education, Prepping Comments Off

Prepping 101 for Younger Family Members

Safety firstAdvanced planning and preparation is the key to surviving any disaster. It is important that every member of your family, especially younger children, know what to do during an emergency. Being organized and prepared will help children feel more confident and less scared during chaotic events.

Things Your Kids Need to Know

Even though they will look to you for guidance during a time of crisis, whether it is a natural disaster or something more ominous, they should have knowledge of some fundamental survival skills. Children can be vulnerable during disasters, especially if they are somehow separated from their parents. However, here are some skills you can teach them in the event of an emergency.

Central Meeting Locations

If your family has to evacuate your home, you should have a central meeting place to go to in order to ensure everyone has escaped safely. Find an area that is easy to find and far enough away from your home in case it becomes engulfed in flames or collapses. Teach your children the importance of going to that place and staying there until you find them.

You will want to choose a meeting location that is away from your home in case you and your children are separated during a crisis. Pick out a location that is easy to get to, but that has camouflage that they can hide in until you can go to them. Make trusted friends and other family members aware of this location as well in case they need to go to your children in your absence.

Teach Basic First Aid

During an emergency, it is imperative that everyone in the family knows what to do for bumps, bruises, cuts, and burns. Teach your kids how to treat their injuries in case you are injured or cannot tend to them yourself. Show them what supplies to use on cuts, how to stop a cut from bleeding, teach them CPR and what to do if they are burned. Make sure your child’s bug out bag should have emergency medical supplies in it.

Create Secret Signals

Smaller children can be very trusting and during a time of chaos, you don’t want them to fall prey to predators. To help prevent them from trusting the wrong people, create hand signals or teach them a phrase to question someone with if they try to pick them up when they are alone.

Teach your children that if the person in question cannot answer the question or if they don’t see the hand signals that they shouldn’t go with that person, no matter the circumstances. Once you’ve settled on a simple phrase and create hand signals, teach them to everyone in the family and trusted friends, so they know to use them when picking up your kids.

Keep Your Kids Active

It is important that children of all ages stay active so they will be healthier and have some stamina in times of crisis. Get them away from their computers and gaming systems on the weekend to go running and swimming. Even smaller kids should be able to run short distances and swim.

Teach your children how to climb trees to hide from animals and people. Make sure they know some basic hunting and fishing skills so if they are alone and stranded, they can survive until you or someone else they trust can find them. Going camping on a regular basis is a good time to teach them basic outdoor survival skills.Explorer kid girl walking with backpack in grass

Teach Skills to Avoid Sickness

It is important to teach your kids which foods they should not eat in case they have food allergies or how to make sure water is safe to drink. It could be days before you can get to a doctor, so staying as healthy as possible during a crisis is important. You should also teach your kids to like vegetables because during an emergency being a picky eater could be problematic.

Practice Your Plans

To ensure your children know what to do in an emergency, routinely practice your emergency plan. Teach them how to escape the house, where to meet at, where they should go if separated from you away from home and practice the survival skills you’ve taught them.

Camping Advice That Really Helps You Enjoy The Trip

§ April 14th, 2014 § Filed under Outdoor Comments Off

An image of a camp siteWith popular reality programming focused on the outdoors, it is no wonder that we are seeing a resurgence of interest in camping. Continue reading if you want to have a camping trip that is enjoyable and memorable.

If you have a new tent to take on your camping trip, you should set it up at home before you go on your camping trip. You can be sure there are no missing pieces and learn ahead of time the correct way to set your tent up. This can eliminate the frustration of trying to set up your tent in a hurry.

Take a class on how to do first aid. This is especially important if you are taking kids with you. You will have all of the medical knowledge you will need in case of an accident. Be sure to research beforehand. Knowing about the native species in your camp area, such as snakes or other dangerous animals, is essential.

Review the medical coverage that you have. If you are going camping out of state, you may have to add an additional policy for full coverage. This can be especially important if you leave the country on your trip, such as camping across the border in Canada. Make sure that you that you are prepared, just in case!

Try to fit swimming into your schedule in some way. You might long for a good shower when you are camping. Spending some time in cool water can help you stay clean and refresh your spirits, so a little swimming can soothe the part of your heart longing for a bath.

New Camper Tips

If you are a camping amateur, keep your camping adventure near your home. You might have gear problems, or you might figure that you want to cut your camping trip short. Also, you can easily get home if you don’t have enough food or clothing. Many issues can occur for new campers, so you should camp near home your first time.

Are you new to camping and now have a brand new tent in your possession? Spend time practicing pitching a tent prior to leaving for your trip. This will allow you take an inventory of all the necessary equipment needed to set up the tent. This will help you quickly pitch a tent before darkness falls at your campsite.

Come prepared before you go camping. Make sure you bring the right things when you go camping. Just neglecting to include a thing or two can completely ruin the outing. It is best to create a list a few weeks before your trip and to use it while packing. A few things that you probably should pack include a sleeping bag, tent, knife, food, soap, and plenty of water.  It is important to be prepared for certain situations. However, your plans never unfold exactly how you want them. Weather conditions may abruptly change for the worse, someone could get sick or injured, along with a number of other possible mishaps. It’s important to not be careless, not take any unnecessary risks, and to think before taking any actions.

Child Safety

If your kids are going camping with you, have a photo of them on you. While it is a worst case scenario, a child can easily be separated from the rest of the party, and a picture will make it easier to locate them. Bring one to use for emergencies, particularly if you are a long way from home.

There are a few important things to keep in mind if you are going camping. Now, you should have the information you need to handle the basics. Being forewarned you can now enjoy your trip away and have a lot of fun on your next camping vacation!

Be Safer With These Smart Home Security Tips

§ April 2nd, 2014 § Filed under Defense, Prepping Comments Off

Man using bricks to defend his homeTo make a better home security decision, you need to take the time to familiarize yourself with the various options. You shouldn’t just make a blind decision. Try focusing on how to boost the safety of your home for your family.

You can hide your spare key on your dog. But, this is only effective if your home has a pet door or your dog stays outdoors when you are not home. Put a key on the dog’s collar so you have access to it when necessary! Don’t just hide your spare key anywhere. Avoid cliched hiding places like over the door frame or beneath the doormat. Experienced criminals will check these places immediately. Try to find somewhere less obvious.

Choosing Security Equipment

When you’re picking out home security equipment and services, don’t forget to ask your friends and family for help. They probably have both positive and negative things to tell you, and those comments will help you make your own decision. Taking a little time to listen can make you a much better decision maker when it comes to home security.

  • Buy fire resistant flooring, roofing and ceiling. This can provide additional safety to the home, particularly in dry regions. Fire prevention is always a good idea, and sometimes it can be a lifesaving idea!
  • Do not open your door for people you do not know. Burglars are getting creative, and they will do anything they can to gain access to your home. You should make sure you only open the door to your home for people that you know and are expecting.
  • Request information from your local law enforcement agencies about home protection packages. Many police departments will offer expert advice, arrange inspections, sponsor neighborhood watches, and help you mark and register your valuables. If your police department does not offer these programs, find a private security company.
  • Avoid coming across as overly shy. Engage your neighbors in conversation. Agree to watch each other’s homes while you are away. Listen for gossip too. You never know what sort of security issues you might become privy to.
  • Always lock your house, no matter how briefly you expect to be gone. Many home thefts start with the thief simply walking in an unlocked door or window. A burglar can steal a lot of expensive stuff in a short amount of time.

Given your exposure to the article above, you certainly have greater knowledge on the topic. It’s useless to enter into home security blindly. Your family’s safety should be priority number one. Keep the ideas from this piece close at hand in the coming days.

No More Sugar Loaded Juice, Juice Your Own!

§ March 22nd, 2014 § Filed under Drinks & Eats, Education Comments Off

No Sweet Drinks or snacks imageMost people, at some point, didn’t want to finish all of their vegetables. However, if you don’t fancy the idea of eating fruit the way nature provides it, juicing is definitely going to appeal to you.

Green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli have many, wonderful health benefits. Shoot for making your juices contain around 50-75% greens, and then throw in some other vegetables and fruits for flavoring. When you make juices primarily of fruit, they tend to be less healthy as they have much more sugar than those juices made with mostly greens.

The best kind of juicer is a masticating juicer. A masticating juicer is a lot gentler than ordinary juicers. This means they will gently extract the juice, thus, extracting more vital nutrients. Juice from masticating juicers also last longer in storage. Pick a veggie that is dark green to use for the foundation of your juice, if you are creating juice to optimize health benefits. To maximize health benefits, you should aim for the juice to contain between fifty and seventy-five percent chard, spinach, broccoli, or a similar vegetable. Fill the rest with your choice of fruits to give it a great taste.

A hearty glass of juice can serve as a meal replacement. After you get used to juicing, you will begin to understand what you need to include in the juice to make it substantial and nutritious. Drink the entire glass as if it is a meal, so the nutrients and vitamins reach your bloodstream more quickly.

Nutritional Information

Use the color of a fruit or vegetable to determine its nutritional content. From bright reds to vibrant greens, all the different colored fruits and vegetables have different nutrients and minerals. Employ a diversity of colors for a complete culinary experience. If you are having a hard time getting your kids to eat vegetables, juice them instead. A lot of kids do not like vegetables. You can make a great tasting vegetable and fruit juice, and the kids won’t know they’re eating vegetables.

Before you start juicing, research your produce. There are a number of different minerals and vitamins found in fruits and vegetables. After you know which produce offers what, you can create a blend of juices that meets a variety of your nutritional needs. Not only will your body benefit from all the healthy nutrients you take in, but your palate might also enjoy some of the blends you’ll be tasting.

When juice sits in the refrigerator for a few days it changes into unappetizing colors. Brown or off-colored juice is less than appetizing. Try juicing half a lemon into the juice you plan to store. Since it is only a small amount, the lemon flavor will not overpower your juice, but it will help keep it fresh looking.

Tips for Beginners

If you’re diabetic or hypoglycemic, just juice veggies until you speak with your doctor. Fruit juice could cause a fast increase when it comes to your blood sugar. You need to monitor the amount of fruit you juice so you can watch your medical needs. Vegetable juicing has less risk for diabetics, as long as you consider the sugar content of items such as carrots.

Listen to your body if it reacts negatively to any of the juice that you drink. For some people, certain ingredients simply do not sit well in the body. If you experience nausea or another stomach upset, take the time to identify the ingredient that might have caused it. Often this will be something you rarely consume. You could use small amounts to let your body adjust to them. We all know that we should eat a certain amount of fruits and vegetables every day to maintain a healthy body and well functioning system. If you use the tips you have read here to add healthy juices to your diet, you can expect to see significant benefits for your mental and physical health.

Excellent Green Energy Solutions For Someone Seeking More Information

§ March 13th, 2014 § Filed under Education, Energy Comments Off

You probably know some of the advantages of using solar panels to save energy in your home. Benefits of using home solar panels range from being eco-friendly to receiving tax breaks. This article will go over the various ways that you can go green and live a more environmentally friendly life.

Save Money With Solar Water Heating

A solar water heater on a roof of homeChanging your heating to solar water can reduce the price to heat your water, hot tub and pool. Solar water heaters are much more energy efficient than electric or gas-driven water heating systems. Solar systems use the sun’s energy to stabilize water temperature. Although these upgrades could cost a lot, they also might qualify for energy tax deductions.

Be a smarter energy consumer by unplugging your electronic device chargers when they are not in use. All the chargers you use for mp3 players, cell phones, laptops and any other devices draw in some charge when they’re plugged in and aren’t being used.

Do you have a farm? If so, you can rent a portion of it so wind turbines can be installed. You and the neighbors can relish in the free energy and installation if it doesn’t require too much space.

If you heat your home with fuel, talk to a technician about using biodiesel. Some systems can easily be changed to biodiesel without having to make major modifications or installing extra parts. Biodiesel is great because it is more efficient and produces less pollution that standard oil, which will reduce your carbon footprint.

When away from home, cover the windows. They will help to keep the temperature and the energy consumption of the house down when the house is vacant. Southern facing windows receive the most sunlight. Dark lined curtains, roman shades or roller shades may be something to consider using on your windows.

Heating your water with the power of the sun can be very efficient. If you live in a place with normally warm temperatures, try installing a system that uses a solar heater. Even though solar water heaters are useful, it is still necessary to have a normal water heater for periods of extended cloudy weather or unusually high hot water use.

Research the different energy sources available in your community. Check the cost of running your home using these utilities, taking into consideration any recent legislation regarding energy costs. For instance, you may save on energy costs by heating your home with gas instead of with electricity or by using well water instead of city water. If you clean your dishes using a dishwasher, don’t run it until it’s completely full. Your dishwasher consumes the same energy and water, even if it is half full. Also, use your dishwasher’s energy-saver setting so that the load will air-dry.

Heating & Cooling Tips

Air flow is controlled best in homes with storm windows and doors. This will reduce drafts, make your home more comfortable, and reduce your energy usage. Energy efficiency is increased by 45 percent in homes that have stormed doors and windows, which will save a lot of money on electricity.

Electric heaters should only be used when necessary in order to be more green. Dress more warmly when around the house. Wear slippers and a heavy top, and light up your fireplace or pellet stove for increased warmth at low cost. By inhaling cooler air during the sleeping hours, your breathing will be better as your airways are less likely to get dry.

In addition to saving energy and money, solar panels have a lot of benefits that can improve your residence. Many of these technologies are affordable, easy to install, and are able to last for many years. Switch to solar panels and you are not only making a sound investment in your home, but making a positive green impact on the environment.

A Quick Reference List Of Homeschooling Tips

§ February 28th, 2014 § Filed under Education, Prepping Comments Off

Money is sometimes an issue when it comes to selecting a private school, but all parents want the best education for their child. For them, homeschooling is a great option. Using the current best practices in homeschooling, you will know that your children are getting a good education. Assistance and information can be found in the following article.

Laws and Requirments

Every state has a set of homeschooling laws in place. There are varied rules and regulations in different areas, and you have to follow them to create a successful school. You frequently won’t be handed a curriculum, instead you’ll have to draft your own. Keep the school district’s school day set up in mind when planning your own schedule. While you may not want your kids to hang out with the kids in public school, they have to have some external social interaction. Schedule playtimes with family and neighbors. Take your kids to the park and let them play with the children there. Look into sports teams, clubs or other organizations.

Mom homeschooling her little girlUtilize art in all your subjects, not just Art class. Draw pictures about things you are learning or make a quilt with fabric. Sculpting, singing and acting are only a few options, The sky is the limit. Teaching the material through many different mediums is known to improve educational outcomes, so get creative. Make sure that your kids do their share of chores, and you can even hire help if needed. Taking care of everything will prove to be impossible. Consider that cooking, cleaning, childcare, and shopping are simply added on to the stress of homeschooling, and will wear you out much more quickly. Say yes to some help whenever it is offered, and do not be afraid to hire someone if your budget allows.

It is important to fully understand what homeschooling is all about. The Internet has an abundance of helpful information to help you make this huge decision. Remember that there are prerequisites that have to be met before a homeschooling program can succeed, including sufficient money, time and a good relationship with your child. Network with others who are homeschooling their children. There are any number of reasons that people decide to homeschool, so find people who have similar objectives as you do. You can likely find or create a group of others with similar goals as yours. This can help you form a group or community with others who are going through the same thing.

Family Tips

Allow your kids to have break times so that they can run around and use up extra energy stores. This helps to improve concentration and focus for you and your child. Schedule some breaks and tell them when it’s about time for their break. Come up with ways that your kids can socialize with others. This calls for a bit of creativity. A field trip with other families that homeschool is an excellent idea. Your community will also have sports groups to join. Always remember, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops are available as well.

It won’t always be a barrel of laughs. At some times, you will have to use your authority to get your children to study. Some activities that are required for learning are just not fun, but must be done. To motivate your children in learning topics that may not be exciting, use a reward system.

image of lunch durring homeschoolWhen homeschooling, meals should be planned out. There are a few ways to attack this problem, including preparing a bunch of meals and freezing them, or just preparing a single meal the night before. If you cook and freeze your meals in advance, you will be less stressed throughout the week. Utilize new cooking plans to determine what is appropriate for your schedule.

Make sure you keep up your relationships with your family during homeschooling. You significant other will appreciate you setting aside some free time that might be lost while you are busy teaching your kids. Remind them of how important they are by spending quality time together on date nights, catching a movie or in some other special way. You can really help your relationship by doing a little something together.

After learning more about teaching your kids at home, you should know that you can do it. With enough knowledge, you can do it. Use the information from this article to give your kids a great education.