Survival Gear

I was going through one of the containers, and ran across a few things that don’t make it onto a lot of “Survival Gear” lists, but can come in very, very handy.

1. A “4-in-1” Farriers’s Rasp

Now, I haven’t been in kicking distance of a horse in a long, long time, and this tool is intended for trimming horse’s hooves for shoeing them.

However, if you ever plan on doing any “rough” woodwork, ever, you probably want one of these in your kit. This tool is a half-round wood rasp and wood file, all in a compact 8-inch package.  Steel projects will wreck it, but it will clean up after your knife/axe work in record time.

2. A Dollar Store metal-bristle BBQ grill cleaning brush.

If you use that rasp/file on green wood, or plastic or aluminum, the teeth WILL clog with a lot of “compressed crap” and eventually work about as well as the back of a credit card. The same goes for metal-cutting files.

You can go buy a specialist machinist’s tool called a “File Card”- a brass or steel bristled brush intended for cleaning files, for $20-50. Or, you can go to a Dollar Store or a Walmart and get a metal-bristle brush for a buck or 2. You have sharpening tools for your blades, same thing for files and rasps.

3. Canned Sardines (imports, in olive oil)

This is definitely a “WTH?” item. I’m not at all a “picky eater”, but, after growing up in the 50’s and 60’s with a Mom who couldn’t cook her way out of a paper sack, canned sardines is one of the few food items that makes me run for the latrine, immediately.

BUT, these are not the stinky, rotten-smelling canned sardines my dad used to mix with ketchup and chopped onions for sandwiches, every Friday.

They taste GOOD. Really- I’m not kidding. 3 pieces (according to label) are 200 calories/ 13 grams protein. Right around 2 bucks a can at most grocery stores, or pick up a case of 25 cans here.

Even though we have six nice glass lanterns with globes for our own use, several solar lights that can be charged during the day and brought in at night, three very nice LED lanterns, and enough “puck” light (LED’s) to light an airport (plus T-lights, votive candles, alcohol lanterns and Sterno), we know that in an emergency, there would be neighbors that would be without lights if the power went down.

One of the things that we’ve determined to keep adding to our emergency pantry are “hand out” candles for those neighbors to keep them from feeling so terribly threatened if the power goes out. The decision about whether or not to help out your neighbors is a personal one, but we see the benefit.

I remember a couple of years ago the power went down in our whole city, so knowing Mother relies on oxygen and doesn’t drive, we jumped in our vehicle and headed to her house.

When we went in the living room she was sitting in her recliner clutching her portable oxygen tank … in the dark with nothing but a hand held flashlight.  She was VERY glad to see us!  We decided then and there that she too needed LED’s. Not candles because her shaky hands would be dangerous with a match, etc.

Last year during a summer storm our neighbors took a lightning strike to a nearby tree that traveled the power line to the power box on the side of their house, knocking out the power to their complete house for several days waiting for the power company to come repair the outside lines and they had to repair their box and inside wiring. They were really happy when we walked across the alley with a few of our Dollar Tree candles and a puck light.

That is (in our opinion) good “community building”.  They watch our home like a hawk! When a group of thugs tried to take MrWE2 down, they immediately called 911 and told them “you better get here in a hurry.  This is an older couple and somebody is gonna get hurt”. When the dispatcher asked, “Are there any weapons?”  They said, “Yes, the elderly man has a shotgun“.

These candles cost us $1 each and burn for hours and, as far we’re concerned, are priceless in community building.  Letting people know you care about their welfare.  We’re stocking up at the roost also for this very reason. Even though we haven’t “moved in” there yet, it’s our sort of “bug out location” and we’d be there if we had to leave here in an emergency.

That’s why we’re also planning to plant our raised bed garden right smack dab in the front yard at the Roost, to create curiosity and build relationships with the small neighborhood there (about 10 houses). We also think it creates the mindset that if we’re planting a garden we must need the food.

Even if it’s just a bag of T-lights, they’ll be worth handing out to your neighbors even if you have to walk a ways to get it to them.  We can then show them how with a handful of bricks & twigs they can cook for themselves or heat a cup of the Ramen-type cup of soups with hot water for a warm meal…which we also plan to stock up on to give away.

We can buy cases and cases of Ramen noodles at Aldi’s for nickels and dimes and they would be worth their weight in gold if your neighbors are cold, hungry and in the dark.

Natural or manmade disasters can occur!

What are the basics for you to survive without electricity, water service, heat, cooling, or sewage disposal for seven days in your home?

If you have your Bug Out Bag stocked and ready to go and have a 72 hour In-Home Survival Box prepared, along with a Get Home Bag in your vehicle you are almost there!

Now it is up to you to decide how comfortable you (and your family) want to be for a week without power.

Here’s what you need to add to the 72 Hour Box for In-Home Survival:

• Toilet paper—at least two rolls per person.
• Additional water—at least one gallon per person per day.
• More paper plates, plastic utensils and paper towels.
• Four more days of canned and/or non-perishable foods. Your BOB and Get Home Bag probably only contain energy bars.
• More sturdy garbage bags for sanitation.
• Another roll of heavy duty aluminum foil.
• More replacement batteries for radio, flashlight and lantern.
• A box of baby wipes for sponge baths.
• Baby powder for a dry hair wash and general freshener.
• One reusable emergency blanket per person if in a climate that gets below freezing.

Comfortable Self-Reliance for One Week

• A portable heater with enough fuel for a week. Be sure to have a working carbon monoxide detector.
• An extra bottle of propane for your grill for three seasons of cooking outside. A camp stove with extra fuel for inside cooking.
• Add comfort food to your supplies—chocolate, popcorn, mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, marshmallows… Whatever will store well and taste good to you and your family. A good quality manual can opener.
• A popup tent for “camping” in your living room or outside if the weather is nice.
• A plastic, passive solar camp shower.
• Two coolers in case you can access ice to keep your refrigerated goods from spoiling and dry ice to keep your frozen foods from spoiling. If not, have a block party!
• More flashlights and lanterns.
• Decks of cards and games.
• Some wine or spirits to relax with.

Thriving Off-Grid for One Week

• If you have a natural gas furnace, a natural gas garage heater mounted in the basement or upstairs – will it work without electricity? Heat rises and there will a comfortable area near the heater—these usually cost less than $300 installed. Be sure to have a working carbon monoxide detector.
• Upgrade to a gas range and you will have burners, and, check before you buy, an oven to back in or use as an extra space heater.
• A generator of at least 3500 watts

So it is your choice! Survive, be comfortable, or thrive and potentially be able to help others during a disaster!

Time’s running out, and if you haven’t found that hard to get person a gift yet, you could be in potential trouble!

Here’s an idea that will hopefully help. Try giving a Prepping gift, like a kerosene lamp! Wally World has a nice selection of kerosene lamps at prices that should fit into any budget. There are various decorative glass styles, but they even have the old outside barn style too.

This, with a bottle of lamp oil, would make the perfect Prepping gift without breaking the bank. The lamp oils even come in various scents if you want add a special touch.

If the time comes when it is needed in a power outage, you’ll be thanked many times over! Kerosene lamps are much safer than candles, and were used in our recent past for many years. Good common sense must prevail in their use though, as with any item that uses fire.

For a long while they were the only source of night time light that there was. The Amish still use them to light their homes to this day.

Most of the lamps come with instructions on how to trim the wick. Remind the gift recipient to pay close attention to it and do it for the best lighting results.