If you’ve never read a first-hand account of what English settlers endured in the first years in North America, you’re missing some important food for thought when it comes to prepping. If we take away all of our modern conveniences and start from scratch, we become pilgrims ourselves because we essentially would be living in a whole new world. History, after all, is the best educator. Here are a few things we can learn from the pilgrims:

A long-term survival plan should revolve around the seasons. Today we don’t change our routines much with the seasons. We may change what we wear or some of the leisure things we do, otherwise, we’re able to get pineapples in January and make ice cream in July. Pilgrims, however, spent most of every season preparing to get through the next season. Spring was for planting, Summer was for tending crops, Fall was for harvest and Winter was for catching up on what could be done inside – making and mending tools, textiles and household repairs. Read a first-hand account of what life was like as families settled any part of North America and you’ll quickly discover that basic survival took the entire day, every day. 

You need to become an expert on your region. For example, even though you can get pineapple in January (or any month for that matter), you need to step back and learn what crops and game are indigenous to your region. You need to know what can be grown and harvested when and what’s dangerous or poisonous. You need to know how to prepare soil in your geography so that it’s fertile, then you need to know how to take care of plants during the extremes of your region. Families died (and still do in developing nations) when extreme weather wipes out the crops (or livestock) they were depending on to get through the next season and they don’t have contingency crops, livestock or stored supplies. You’ll also need to learn how to manage the natural resources that are around you so they don’t deplete.

Learn to make alliances. Friendships are one thing, but alliances - mutually beneficial relationships or pacts - help both parties further their goals regardless of how they feel about each other’s principles or worldviews. In modern society we rarely have to make alliances or pacts because we can always just buy what we need (no need to trade), we can sign contracts and then we can sue people if they violate agreements. When you take away these options, the people who come out on top long-term are always the ones who are skilled at negotiating relationships and pacts based on generosity, trust, respect (as opposed to violence and threat), and fulfilling mutual needs.

Groups survive longer than individuals. It may be tempting to isolate yourself or your family in a new world order, but history shows that communities who share skills and supplies are more likely to survive than individuals. In fact, the most successful societies are the ones that encourage specialization – and it’s just common sense. When you consider the vast range of skills required to survive (farming, carpentry, animal husbandry, medicine, textiles, etc.), no one person, or one family, can master them all. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Pilgrims and what they did to survive, here are some good historical references:

The Story of the Pilgrims by Morton Dexter

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

Bradford’s History of “Plimoth Plantation” by William Bradford

Oh how we take for granted the magically clean clothes, sheets and towels that come out of advanced machines that do everything but fold and put things away. Today’s appliances virtually think for themselves – which has left most of us pretty clueless on how to get things clean without them. 

Whether you find yourself in a short-term outage from a storm or a long-term outage, doing laundry by hand is something you’ll have to face. It’s not quite as simple as dunking things in the river and drying them on the bushes – but fortunately, you’ve got some options. But first, you may want to make a note of the recipe for homemade laundry soap:

• 1 bar grated castile soap, or own homemade laundry bar soap
• 1 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 cup super washing soda
• 1 cup borax
    

On medium-high heat, in a large pot, simmer 1 quart of pure water along with the grated castile soap, stirring continuously, until melted. Do not allow to boil. Remove pot from heat and add remaining ingredients stirring vigorously until completely dissolved. Pour contents of pot into a 5 gallon bucket and begin to slowly add 2 gallons of pure water while continuing to stir. Let laundry soap sit for 24 hours prior to use (this allows it to thicken). (Thanks to the Frugally Sustainable blogger for the recipe!)

Your first and most basic option is using a tub, sink or 5-gallon bucket. Many people love the Hand Operated Washing Machine,($14.99) which looks sort of like a plunger but has vents. The point of using a (clean!) plunger or the Hand Operated Washing Machine is to push and pull soapy water through the fabric without wearing out your clothes. Use 2 gallons of warm water, 1 tablespoon of homemade laundry detergent or commercial detergent and ½ cup of white vinegar (to brighten whites, cut oils and preserve colors). Plunge for 2 minutes, rinse, wring and hang to dry.

For laundry, you can use clean water from a rain barrel, snow melt, lake or stream (but not saltwater). This water doesn’t have to be so clean that it’s potable but it should be clean enough that it won’t leave your clothes dirtier or smellier than before the washing.

Now, just in case you don’t have your grandma’s old wringer washer sitting around and you want to get fancier than a 5-gallon bucket, there are alternatives. For example, MIT has developed the GiraDora, a pedal-powered washing machine that looks much like a beverage dispenser cooler. The Up-Stream has the ability to “spin” clothes and the Wonder Wash is a commercially available option already being used in dorms and small urban apartments all over the U.S.

Don’t wait until the lights go out to figure out a plan for clean clothes, sheets and blankets. Basic hygiene is right at the top of the list for long-term survival – and short-term comfort.

In many parts of the country February is a slower time of year – great for catching up on your reading. Here are our recommendations for five books that will give your prepping plans a boost:

 1. The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster by Bernie Carr – This small guide encourages readers to make a sensible evaluation of potential risks then make incremental preparations that don’t break the bank. If you’re just getting started on your emergency plan, this is a great starting point. 

2. When There Is No Doctor: Preventive and Emergency Healthcare in Challenging Times by Gerard S. Doyle, M.D. – In addition to teaching and practicing emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Doyle is in charge of the hospital’s emergency plan. Who better to write a book full of medical tips for emergency situations? This book is about protecting health in difficult situations but it also is about what you can do if real medical care isn’t an option. Used by preppers and budget-minded people alike, this is guide to “improvised medicine” in hard times.  

3. Mini Farming: Self Sufficiency in ¼ an Acre by Brent Markham – We’re all about self-sufficiency and urban agriculture. Enough food to raise a family can be grown in a small area, but it takes planning and development before a disaster hits. This bookdescribes small-area farming for non-gardeners and includes the basics of buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Markham also discusses raising backyard chickens and home canning along. We also like that there is a list of materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.

4. Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail R. Gehring – This is a great read for anyone brushing up on basic skills that can be adapted for a more simple life now or after a disaster. The author provides instruction, step-by-step sequences, photographs, charts, and illustrations for dying textiles with plant pigments, grafting trees, raising chickens, creating furniture with hand tools, and even how to make small comforts such as jam and cheese. Once you’ve mastered those skills, the book will even teach you how to build a log cabin or an adobe brick homestead.

5. The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer – Edible plants are nature’s fast food – they can boost the nutritional content of dehydrated emergency meals and help stores stretch. However, eating the wrong plant and you’ll have to deal with serious illness (or worse!). This is a great pictorial guide to plants that are abundant, safe and tasty. The time to learn about them is well ahead of an emergency.

Rain barrels are an ancient innovation but they should be part of every modern Prepper’s strategy. Using one seems pretty simple, right? Well, yes. But, not exactly. There are some things you should know to use your rain barrel safely, and there are some modern ideas in the marketplace that may give a significant boost to the utility of the rain barrel.

A rain barrel is a 55-gallon drum that is used to collect and store rainwater from runoff areas, like your roof. Rain barrels usually sit right under a downspout and have a screen grate on top to keep out debris and insects. This is a diagram of the Spruce Creek Rainsaver (See Right).

Because rainwater is “soft” water, there’s no chlorine, lime or calcium – perfect for watering plants. But what about for drinking? If it came off of your roof the water has been exposed to chemicals, dirt, dead insects, bird droppings and leaf mold – it isn’t safe to drink without going through the same filtering and boiling or chemical purification process you’d go through with any other suspect water source. However, water from rain barrels can be collected and used for washing clothes, bathing and watering plants.

Obviously, the first consideration for a rain barrel is that it is watertight. Second, it must not let in any light – translucent barrels encourage the growth of algae. Then, you need to determine the right size barrel for your roof - check out this cool calculator at Save the Rain. You also don’t want to store more water than you can use – water stagnates and becomes unpleasant pretty fast. You can build your own barrel or buy one for about $100 - $250.  The Family Handyman blog has good instructions for a double barrel system.

Place your rain barrel under a downspout – and level the spot with sand, a cement tile, bricks or cinder blocks if necessary. Be sure the lid is tight enough or weighted enough to keep out curious small children and animals.

Rain barrels need just a little maintenance on a regular basis, especially if you live in a climate where the water in the barrel could freeze (and damage the barrel). No matter where you are, check the barrel, the diverter and screen regularly for debris. If your climate gets freezing temperatures, drain your barrel and store it upside down for the winter.

As more and more people become interested in being prepared for long and short-term emergencies, the quantity of survival information seems to multiply. However, we all know not to believe everything we read on the Internet or watch on TV – right? When it comes to planning for life-or-death situations, it pays to be discerning about the information you’re basing a survival plan on.

Here are five survival myths that may surprise you:

1.     You can go for weeks without food.  
Sure, it happens and people survive, but try going just one day without food and you’ll quickly discover that you can’t engage in any meaningful physical activity. You might be able to sit and play Angry Birds until your iPhone battery dies, but you won’t be able to walk, run, dig, build or hunt.
  

2.     Eating snow is a safe way to rehydrate. Actually, eating snow can get you into big trouble. If it’s been on the ground for a while it can contain bacteria or other organisms. Also, it takes a fair amount of energy for your body to heat it once it’s liquid – that can contribute to hypothermia. Eating snow should be an absolute last resort if you can’t heat or purify it just like you would water. Which leads us to another surprising myth:

3.     Water in the mountains /away from civilization is clean and safe to drink. Sadly, even water far away from civilization can be tainted with organisms that can make you seriously sick. To be absolutely sure water is safe to drink, it should be purified by filtration, boiling or iodine tablets.
  

4.     I have invested in enough high-tech survival gadgets that life in survival mode will be almost like normal – maybe even kind of fun. Ask anyone who has actually had their survival plan put to the test and they’ll tell you nothing is like normal and nothing is very much fun, no matter how many gadgets they have. Gadgets can only do so much – and they’ll all eventually fail. It doesn’t make sense to depend on them for long-term survival.
  

1. 5.     I can live off the land. This may have been true a couple hundred years ago but it is extremely difficult to do now. If you need confirmation, read any account that details what the pilgrims went through when they landed at Plymouth Rock (here’s a good resource). They had weapons, food, seed, building tools and animals. They even had access to the wisdom of indigenous peoples – still most of the settlers died and those that survived had a horrendous experience. “Living off the land” can be brutal and iffy. Wild animals are scarce (and will be more than ever if everyone is after them for food), arable land is also scarce and the knowledge of how to grow crops without modern machinery, fertilizer and pesticides is lost to most of us.   

Survival is all about planning based on realism. If anything in your plan is based on something you’ve seen on TV or anything you’ve seen Tom Cruise do, you probably need to go back to the drawing board and start with the basics – having a reliable resource for food, water and shelter

Pinterest is a content sharing website that allows members to "pin" images and videos to “pinboards” they create on different topics. Membership is free, all you have to do is sign up here.  After you sign up you too can create “boards” that relate to things you’re interested in. For example, if you are a woodworker from the planet Xenon who enjoys raising goats and making your own pizzas while living on Earth, you might have boards for “Wood Projects”, “Space Travel”, “Goats” and “Pizzas”. Then when you take a photo or come across interesting content on the Internet you can “pin” that content or photo to your boards. Once you’ve built some boards, other people who have interest in those subjects are likely to come across your “pins” and can choose to add your pins to their boards and/or “Follow” your boards. Of course, you in turn can do the same.

Now, Pinterest is not just for crafters or alien woodworkers or fashionistas or people who want to share pictures of chihuahuas in little sweaters. Yes, there is that. But there is also an excellent and growing contingent of Preppers who are sharing some pretty cool content about prepping, so we at Wise started some boards of our own on prepper topics that are full of interesting, useful ideas.. Here’s some examples of our boards:

We’ve actually got lots of boards and the list of topics grows all the time! After you join Pinterest, just type “wisefoodstorage” into the search box to find us…or just click here. Social media can sometimes feel like a lot of white noise, we know. But we’re really digging the Prepper community on Pinterest – come join us and share what you’re up to.

You may be looking to military books for survival training but if that’s your sole source of information you’re likely missing out on tried-and-true, gadget-free survival skills that can carry you through a long-term emergency. One of the best sources for information is history – in fact, you might be able to learn as much from an archaeologist as an Army Ranger. Here are 10 survival skills to consider learning this year:

Start, control and use fire - If you’ve got a Firesteel you may feel like you’ve got everything you need to start and use a fire. However, starting a fire is just the beginning. You’ll want to learn how to start different kinds of fires (cooking, heating, signaling) from different kinds of materials, how to keep them burning in different situations as well as how to control fire for safety. If you’re using fire for heating and cooking in a shelter, you’ll want to learn how to keep it going and how to throttle it up or down as needed. With this in mind, consider keeping a supply of WiseFire on hand. 

Make functional pottery – Vessels that hold water and food are incredibly important when it comes to a long-term plan. Functional pottery is exceedingly simple if you know where to look for clay (geological areas called “clay veins”), how to shape it and how to fire it so it’s waterproof and can be used for cooking. Some good tips can be found here and here. 

Weaving – Eventually, machine made fabrics are going to wear out. Learn how to find or collect natural fiber, prepare it and how to weave it into baskets for storage or portage, blankets and basic clothing. Learn how to weave a basket from willow here and how to make a loom and weave a blanket here. 

Cooking over an open fire – How hard can it be, right? If you haven’t tried cooking over an open fire you don’t yet know the joys of burned food or raw food or food that turns out to be dangerous because it wasn’t cooked to the right temperature or for the right amount of time. Cooking over an open fire means learning about safety and control.

Make a cutting blade – Fortunately, this is an area where archaeological evidence is broad enough and recent enough to reconstruct effective techniques for making stone cutting tools. Blades can be used for weaponry, sure, but blades are necessary for building shelters, first aid and in textile projects. A good tutorial can be seen here. 

Grow plants – If you don’t have a green thumb, this is the year to get one. You don’t need to learn to grow orchids or cultivate entire fields of corn, you need to learn about soil, water, seeds and sun. Start with a small garden or a tomato plant and get to know the lifecycle of a plant. 

Purify water – We all love our portable water filters but even the best have a finite number of uses. Eventually, you’ll need to know how to find the best water source and how to purify water for drinking and cooking. Learn about sand filters, boiling techniques and rain collection. 

Make a shelter – Depending on your situation, you may need a shelter for sleeping, protection from the elements or maybe even hiding. There are as many ways to build a shelter as there are situations – learn basic construction techniques for sturdy shelters that will keep you warm or cool, and basic camouflage techniques so that your shelter keeps your whereabouts secret if necessary. Pay attention to advice about the best locations for shelters and consider how your chosen spot may change depending on weather. 
 
Store food and water – once you’ve mastered gardening, gathering and even fishing or hunting, you’ll need a way to store food and water safely so you don’t spend every waking moment going through all the steps necessary to feed yourself. If you get sick from spoiled food or tainted water, everything you’ve learned to this point may not mean much. Learn about safe vessels for storage, storage temperatures and natural “cellars” and preservation techniques. 
  
First aid and hygiene – Another lesson we learned from history is that poor basic hygiene causes disease very quickly. Brush up on basic biology of organisms and how to keep yourself and your shelter site clean. Then brush up on basic first aid for burns, breaks, bites and illness.

Start learning about the history of survival skills and you’ll likely be able to combine your new knowledge with modern techniques and your own abilities, interests and supplies for a more holistic view of staying prepared.

A Guest Blog Post by Jeff Ordonez

Note: Author, researcher, and teacher Jeff Ordonez has studied world religions for over 25 years. He’s traveled extensively throughout North America and South America seeking the truth and now appears on nationally syndicated radio. To learn more about Jeff and his book, Seven Predicted Disasters, visit:  http://7predicteddisasters.com 

Fiery words of doom and gloom have existed for millennia and predictions of global cataclysms have seized the mind for ions. Almost all faiths and cultures have some type of prophetic warning about the future, which are detailed in my book, Seven Predicted Disasters. In light of this, my team and I put together a list of best survival practices. Here’s a list of the most important things you can do to survive a disaster – whether small or large.

Top 10 Keys to Surviving a Disaster

1. One year or more of food

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing food and water to last three days, survival experts often store enough food and water to last well over a year.

This prudent measure has historically shown to save lives during major disasters. After the Fukushima tsunami a news report out of Japan told the story about a man who fed family and friends for nearly two weeks before adequate food supplies arrived. The reporter highlighted the fact that the man had stored nearly a years’ worth of dried food sealed in water tight packaging which he had stored in closets throughout the house. This technique can save more lives than you think.

2. Keep portable cases of food and water

This is a frequently overlooked technique. Our survey found that most survival experts recommend having on hand portable kits of food and water. Unlike a food stock, portable food kits contain all essential meals to last a week or two in one to-go bag.

These types of to-go bags should be prepared in advance and placed in easily accessible areas. When disaster strikes a portable food kit allows you the flexibility of simply grabbing the bag and escaping without delay.

3. Geo Stashing

Hiding stashes of food and water along escape routes is an old time tested practice. First you need to preplan multiple escape routes from your city. If disaster strikes you want to be able to open your map and know exactly which way to go.

Once you’ve determined the most viable escape routes, consider hiding or camouflaging small stores of food along your escape routes. Be sure not to trespass on private property. Food and water must be stored in air tight containers for maximum storage life. As you store your stashes of food, be sure to be as discreet as possible to reduce your visibility. You can store food along hundreds of miles of road to ensure safe passage, but be sure to cleverly mark your locations. GPS coordinates, maps, and written notes should all be considered when devising a geo-stashing plan.  

4. Three-Day bug out bag

The three-day bug out bag is a true and tried friend of survival. A portable bag that contains the essentials for 3 days of survival is as varied as the needs of its designer, but there are several core principles to keep in mind when preparing a survival bag.

Remember, a bug out bag provides short term support in the case of immediate evacuation. Most survival experts agree that the following items should be considered when assembling a grab-and-go bag:

• 3 days of non-perishable food and water (Consider pet, child, and elderly care)
• Water purification supplies
• Portable cooking supplies
• A first aid kit (consider allergies, the flu, and any regular medication)
• Fire starting tools (e.g., matches, ferrocerium rod, lighter, etc.)
• A disaster plan including location of emergency centers, meeting points, possible evacuation routes, etc.
• Emergency literature explaining how to survive and escape various types of disasters. (Study and understood in advance but packed for reference.)
• Maps and travel information.
• Standard camping equipment. (include hygiene and toiletries, fixed-blade and folding knife, compass, slingshot, pellet gun, blowgun or other small game hunting equipment, wire for binding and animal traps, a flexible saw, etc.)
• Weather appropriate clothing (e.g., water proof poncho, headwear, gloves, etc.)
• Bedding items - sleeping bags and blankets.
• Records (Drivers license, car registration and insurance, copy of mortgage and title, credit card records, property insurance, medical insurance, medical records, state I.D. card, social security, birth certificate and/or passport etc.)
• Battery or crank-operated radio.
• Lighting (battery or crank operated flashlight, glow sticks)
• Cash and change. (Automated Teller Machines ATM’s may not be available)
• Duct tape and rope or paracord.
• Plastic tarps for shelter and water collection.

5. Alternate communication

Imagine the electrical grid going out and your television goes dark. All regular and mobile phones stop working, and even the Internet is no longer accessible. What do you do?

Not many people consider alternate forms of communication when preparing, yet it can be a life-saving move that can get you and your family out of harm’s way. The top two alternatives are ham radios and cb radios (Citizens Band). Of the two, CB radios require no license and virtually no training, unlike ham radios.

A properly trained and licensed ham radio operator can communicate over continents, while a cb radio may be limited to just 5 or 10 miles. Weighing factors like training, alternate power sources, portability, and expense will determine the best option for you.

The average person feels most comfortable with a portable cb radio. They don’t require a license, are easy to operate, require less power, can be portable, and are inexpensive.

6. Self defense

It’s common knowledge that in a disaster situation the rule of law quickly breaks down. After a devastating situation a massive disruption of power and communication can cripple emergency services and police protection.

In these situations there are two types of self defense tactics, non-lethal and lethal. Non-lethal tools and methods include mace, pepper sprays, tasers, stun guns, personal attack alarms, self-defense training, and home protection devices. The lethal category includes knifes and firearms, although they can also be used as non-lethal tools. Unfortunately crime exists, and catastrophes are a criminal’s window of opportunity. It’s better to prepare now. 

7. Suit Up!

Nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) warfare can hurt entire populations, and yet for as little as $50 to $100 you can defend yourself from these invisible assailants.

A personal protective suit is designed to protect you against the harmful, sometimes lethal affects of nuclear, biological, and chemical agents. It protects by restricting direct contact with contamination. In general it’s designed for short term use to facilitate safe escape, or survival, in a mass contamination situation.    

8. Alternate currency

Today the standard currency is the “dollar”. It’s a medium of exchange, or payment, and a standard of value. But what if the value of currencies collapses or you run out of cash in an emergency situation? A small gold coin or silver can go a long way.

Exchanging goods and services for items of value is nothing new, it’s called bartering. Bartering used play an important role in our history and may play role in a disastrous situation. Consider a few extra supplies of value just in case it takes a while before things return to normal.

Here’s a top ten list of things that have been historically known to have value during tough times: 

1. Alcohol – There’s always demand for alcohol. It can also be used medically, plus is has flamable properties.
2. Seed – Depending on where you live and the situation, vegetable and fruit seeds may be worth more than silver and gold.
3. Toilet Paper – There are many alternatives to toilet paper, but nothing beats it. Toilet paper is a luxury when supplies are low.
4. Fire – Any fire starting kit is essential if you’re going to stay alive. Matches, lighters, ferrocerium rods (fire steel), magnesium fire tools, are always in demand. Another great product to consider for keeping a reliable source of fire is WiseFire.
5. Food and water – Everyone needs to food and water. Food and water are of vital importance when any disaster strikes.
6. Pain relief – Items like ibuprofen and aspirin are small compact items that are excellent in a battering situation.
7. Sweets – In a world of survival, a pack of sweets like chocolate temporarily helps escape the drudgery surviving. Plus it’s a good source of calories.
8. Toiletries – Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant, are things that provide comfort and hygiene.
9. Spices – The human palette craves food with flavor. Extra salt, pepper, and flavorings in general are great to have on hand.
10. Coffee – Another small luxury that can be worth gold. Keep extra on hand.    

9. Alternate Transportation

There are many forms of transportation that use alternate forms of energy. Looking into them you’ll find a myriad of options that use of the sun, wood, water, cooking oil, and even waste to fuel vehicles.

The time-tested form of energy is the human body. Walking and cycling are at the top of the list when fuel runs out, or when highways are jammed shut with cars.

10. Health

The most important tool in your arsenal is your health. If you can maintain a strong and healthy body with good food and water, you’ll be able to escape and survive almost any situation.

To learn more about Jeff and his book, Seven Predicted Disasters, visit: http://7predicteddisasters.com/ 

Portable solar charging panels allow you to charge and power electronics even when you’re off the grid. Trekkers, boaters and RV’ers have been testing them out and giving feedback to manufacturers for a few years now. That’s good news for Preppers who want reliable, compact, lightweight portable power in a disaster, emergency – or if they just decide to slide off the grid for a while.

Depending on the size, portable panels can power cell phones, tablets and laptops, while larger versions can power appliances and lighting. (Larger panels may be critical for those with medical equipment that depends on electricity.) Prices range from $50 - $3,000 and charging times vary from 3 or 4 hours to a new invention that claims to charge cell phones and tablets at the same rate they would charge if plugged into the wall.

The right panel for you is the right combination of price, portability and charging speed and power.

If price and portability are most important, the Solio H1000 ($80) is an interesting option because it comes with a carabineer clip so you can charge while you walk or hike. You’ll get about 45 minutes of power from about 4 hours in the sun. Solio also offers a more expensive option, the Solio Classic ($100). The Classic is a popular, travel-friendly option that provides around 160 minutes of power from 3 or 4 hours of charging. If you can handle a little more size and weight, the FatCat Solstice ($100) is about half a pound and the size of a couple of cell phones. It has the largest battery capacity and the double folding panels mean it charges faster.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Goal Zero Yeti ($2600) powers appliances and medical equipment indoors or out with none of the emissions or other problems generators have. It requires a 40+ hour charge, so it’s something you’ll need work into your preparedness maintenance.

With all sizes, makes and models, slow charging has been the major complaint of portable solar panel users. However, there’s a new kid on the block that claims he’s made slow charging a problem of the past. The SunVolt Portable Solar Power Station was a Kickstarter project undertaken by a sailboat owner who wanted to charge his iPad on the water. He claims his invention charges his tablet at the same speed it would charge plugged into the wall. The SonVolt even looks like an iPad, which means it’s portable and folds into it’s own carrying case. The project was just fully funded in September of this year, so you may want to wait and see if the SonVolt delivers.

Portable solar panels make sense for long- and short-term emergency preparedness plans, and they come in a range of prices and functionality to fit a range of budgets and needs. (Be sure to check the specs on any portable panel before you buy to be sure it is compatible with your devices.)

Americans like to eat. The average adult male consumes 2,500 calories a day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we’re accustomed to an abundant supply of food no matter what the season. But Scott Hunt, an emergency survival consultant who is one of the advisors on the National Geographic Channel reality show Doomsday Preppers, warns that in the event of a disaster that disrupts our food system, we could easily go from feast to famine. That is, unless we’re prepared.

In the TV series, Hunt—drawing upon his background an engineer and farmer—and his fellow consultant David Kobler, a former U.S. Army paratrooper who served in the invasion of Iraq—evaluate the survival preparations of various families who are concerned about future cataclysms. A substantial portion of Hunt’s and Kobler’s checklist is devoted to emergency food storage and preparation, since maintaining a nutritious diet in trying circumstances is crucial to survival.

Hunt cautions that preppers often make the mistake of underestimating what their nutritional needs would be in a crisis situation, where a collapse of order and shortages of electricity and/or fuel might require them to expend a lot more muscle power. “Start cutting your own wood and using hand tools and going on patrols, and pretty soon you’re up to needing 5,000 or 6,000 calories a day,” Hunt warns. Worse yet, lack of nutritional foresight may mean a diet low in crucial nutrients such as vitamin C or protein, making a survivor weaker and vulnerable to illness.  Conversely, “if your food and water are squared away, you’ll be in a much better position to deal with whatever happens.”

Hunt says that pre-prepared, packaged stockpiles of food, such as the freeze-dried entrees sold by Wise, are an excellent option for preppers, even those who aim for food self-sufficiency. In the event of a long-term disruption, having such a supply can give preppers added time to get their gardens and other food sources organized, and can serve as a fallback in case of a drought or other weather disaster.

Hunt recommends having a secure, temperature-controlled storage space for food—a room in a cool cellar is ideal—since even prepackaged food lasts longer when not subjected to heat. Space is a big consideration. Hunt estimates that a year’s worth of food for a person—enough to supply 2,200 calories a day—can weigh as much as 700 pounds, depending upon the type of food chosen. Dehydrated foods provide an advantage, because they may only require a seventh of the space of fully constituted foods; a year’s supply, for example, might take up two or three feet in the bottom of a closet.

Hunt also recommends selecting foods for your emergency supply that as much as possible resemble your normal diet. If you’re accustomed to eating a lot of meat, as most Americans are, suddenly switching to beans and rice is going to add to your stress, and eat away at your morale. Hunt warns that people who are forced to eat the same foods continually can experience a phenomenon called appetite fatigue, in which they eventually will prefer hunger to eating another bite of a food that they’ve grown tired of.

Having a kitchen that is equipped to keep functioning in emergencies is also vital, Hunt says. A wood stove is probably the best option, because it runs on a fuel that’s renewable if you live in an area with trees. Cooking with a wood stove may require some adjustments, since the stove-top may not become as hot as a gas or electric range, which makes cooking with a skillet more difficult. On the plus side, the oven inside the stove can be used in a fashion similar to a charcoal grill to cook vegetables and meat.

I believe it was the Oregon Disaster Response team that coined the term “prepariphenalia.” We liked it so much that we decided to share our Top 5 list of favorite emergency preparedness gadgets, more affectionately known as prepariphenalia:

1. Emergency Mylar Blankets – we appreciate anything that has more than one use and Mylar blankets are a must-have in every emergency stash and every emergency kit. Mylar resists ultraviolet radiation so they are very effective at making shade and serving as sun protection, they’re windproof and waterproof so they can serve as lean-to material in a pinch, and when you wrap yourself in one it prevents about 90% of the body’s heat loss. They can also be used the other way, to insulate things you want to keep cold. It’s also interesting to note that if you’re under a Mylar blanket you won’t be detectible by heat-sensing devices.  These blankets are cheap, lightweight and fold up extremely small. They usually come in 10-packs, so you should have no trouble coming up with uses for all 10.

Recently a reader told us that they use our freeze-dried meals to get through the unhealthy, expensive airport food gauntlet when they travel. We thought that was pretty clever since it is generally easy to find hot water – often at no charge. So we did some in-depth thinking about the perils of airport food and how to avoid them.

Restrictions. Travel restrictions severely limit what you can bring with you, which pretty much eliminates all the good stuff in that yummy lunch you were about to pack yourself. Dehydrated food packets are small and pass security checks.

Pre-boarding regulations. These force us to spend a lot more time hanging out in airports these days – and airport managers know it. It seems like every airport in the world suddenly has a cinnamon roll kiosk that smells like Christmas strategically placed at the point where you’re going to feel the most tired and sorry for yourself. If you’ve got a tasty meal with you, you’re less likely to give into temptation while you wait.

Nutritional content. In airport food it can be a mystery, and it’s bad news if you’re watching what you eat (880 calories and 36 grams of fat in that cinnamon roll, by the way). Some airports aren’t so bad – fly through San Francisco and you’ll enjoy some of the best eats in the country. Fly through Detroit and…maybe not so much. Wise Foods proudly displays nutritional content so you can plan your calorie or protein / carbohydrate balance and stay on track.

Limited opportunities. Because you don’t know what you’ll find and where you’ll find it,  you may find yourself eating airport food even if you’re not hungry, especially if you know you won’t have another chance for hours. Cook-in-the-pouch meals only take a few minutes and a little hot water to rehydrate.

It’s expensive. (Wait, this deserves emphasis.) It’s EXPENSIVE. A sandwich, chips and drink can cost as much as $20 per person. Although some major airports have adopted “street prices”, a rule that requires restaurants keep neighborhood pricing, most haven’t. They know a hungry, captive customer is a customer who doesn’t have a choice. Dehydrated meals average $3.25 per serving.

Time constraints. You may have to opt for whatever the coffee kiosk at the gate has left, or it might mean you don’t eat at all until you reach your destination. If you have to make a run for it somewhere along the way, you don’t have to skip meals or feel at the mercy of the limited and over-priced snack cart on the plane. Flight attendants usually have a pot of hot water for tea when they come down the aisle offering beverages.

Geographic questionability. This is a term we made up for airports in which we wouldn’t eat anything, no way – no how. Find a tea or coffee shop, ask for a cup of hot water and you won’t have to douse everything in antibacterial gel.

Food safety. When restaurants aren’t catering to returning customers, food safety isn’t as much of a priority. If you’re traveling internationally, especially in developing countries, food freshness and safety can be a big concern. Make sure your water is boiled (or use a water purifying tablet) and you can relax over your Wise dehydrated meal.

Norovirus. Also known as the stomach flu, norovirus is highly contagious and loves to spread through contaminated food. The CDC reported 23 million cases last year, putting norovirus just behind the common cold. Use a cook-in-the pouch meal for your travel days, then pick a reputable restaurant at your leisure on other days.

Traveler’s Tummy. This malady is known by a lot of colorful names but it can be a result of suddenly changing flora in the intestinal tract. A dehydrated meal once a day for the first two or three travel days can help ease the transition to local fare.

Whether you’re traveling for business or for fun, travel days can mean bad news for your wallet and your stomach. Stash a couple of your favorite dehydrated meals in your carry on luggage and you’ll stay in control instead of being at the mercy of the airport food court

In our last post we recommended you keep a couple packs of regular playing cards on hand and learn the rules to some basic games in advance. We’ve found that a diversion helps pass time and soothe kids (even adults!) in an emergency, even if it’s just a power outage.

There is sound reasoning behind this plan; part of preparing for an emergency isn’t just making sure you have food, water and shelter. If you’ve got a family, preparing for an emergency is also about a plan to retain as much normalcy as possible.

Ready Kids is a great website you can use with your kids to help them feel involved with the plan. Helping your kids feel prepared is one of the best things you can do to keep them safe and calm if there is an emergency. The site teaches kids the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning, what kind of things they need in their emergency kit and even lets them graduate from “Readiness U”.

Experts know, preparing kids ahead of time and helping them feel like part of the plan is extremely important to their health and well-being. Now, at Wise Foods we know that kids are notoriously picky eaters. We also know you don’t want a weeklong lights-out with a little one who refuses to eat the food you’ve stashed for just such an occasion.

We’ve found that most food-related meltdowns are averted if kids are already acclimated to freeze-dried food. Here are some tips:

• Choose some freeze-dried meals that are already familiar to your child. Our Cheesy Macaroni and Chili Macaroni are favorites with kids.
• Add some freeze-dried fruits with dipping sauces to their meals. Not only will it balance the nutritional intake, kids are endlessly fascinated with the freedom to dip food.
• Make a game of trying the various entrees and letting them pick their favorite. When they’ve picked it, they feel like it’s “theirs”.
• Keep their favorites in a semi-regular rotation on non-emergency days so freeze-dried meals don’t seem unusual. 
• Use the Ready Kids site to involve your child in the family emergency plan – let them help order and stash their own favorite meals.
• If they’re old enough to safely handle hot water, let them help prepare their own freeze-dried meals.
• Use your Smartphone to let kids record their own “cooking show” – let them be the star while they prepare and garnish their own just-add-water meal. Share it with us on Facebook!

For a growing number of people, backyard beekeeping is the next logical step in their long-term self-reliance plan. The benefits are numerous and beekeepers say that if you can keep a garden or a pet, you can keep bees.

Backyard beekeepers not only enjoy dramatic improvements in garden yields, there is, of course, the honey and other products that can be harvested, used, sold or traded:

• Beeswax is the glandular secretions of honeybees that divide the cells of a hive. Common uses are lubrication for wood and metal (think natural WD40), wax, sealant, polish, waterproof for leather,
• Propolis is a mixture of beeswax and resins collected by the honeybee from plants. This resin is used as an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
• Royal jelly is what honeybees make and eat. Though there have been no clinical trials, it’s believed to have antimicrobial, antitumor, antihypertensive, and immunoregulatory properties. It also seems to have an insulin-like action and may affect estrogen production, providing fertility and hormonal-balancing benefits. Royal jelly is also full of B vitamins, which can be difficult to get outside of a supplement.
• Bee Pollen is high in protein and may also be useful in balancing hormones, healing prostrate issues, and stabilizing blood sugar.

No bees = No Food

Honeybees play a critical role in agriculture - over 1/3 of all the food we consume (over 150 species of edible plants and fruits in the U.S.) relies on honeybees for pollination.  Without bees, we’re stuck with mostly rice, wheat, and corn and we’d be without fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Doesn’t sound like a fun diet. However, there is a critical decline in honeybee populations. Yale University reports that “colony collapse disorder”, a phenomenon caused by a decline in flowering plants, increased use of insecticides and air pollution, has destroyed over 35 percent of the U.S. honeybee population since 2006. Backyard and urban beekeepers are rallying to grow the population, placing and nurturing new hives on rooftops and pocket gardens all over the country. Since bees can fly long distances to do their work (up to two miles!), it’s not necessary to have a garden nearby.

Getting Started

If you’re interested in getting started, there’s no shortage of online information. Your community may even have free or inexpensive basic classes offered by enthusiastic backyard beekeepers in your area. Here are some basics:

1. Find out if there are zoning regulations concerning beekeeping in your area.
2. Educate yourself about beekeeping safety. Most “bee stings” are really from yellow jackets, not docile, non-aggressive honeybees, however, it’s important to ensure you or anyone in your family doesn’t have a severe bee sting allergy.
3. Plan where to put your hives. An area as small a tenth of an acre can support a hive, but you’ll want a screen of hedge plants or the wall of a building or behind a building so the bees are protected from curious people and so the bees have to fly up and away when leaving the hive (so that they aren't flying at human height).
4. Discuss your plans with your neighbors, most complaints have to do with the fear of being stung, so a little information about the safety and benefits may go a long way to winning them over.

After you’ve done your homework and gotten the green light from family, neighbors and zoning boards, take a basic class or get in contact with an online community of beekeepers who can answer questions and help you set up a healthy bee community.

Some good resources for getting started and getting plugged in:

Outdoor Place: http://outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/citybees.htm

HoneyLove Urban Beekeepers: http://iheartbees.tumblr.com/

Glory Bee Beekeeping: http://beekeeping.glorybee.com/beeblog

Are Food Prices Rising?

Every year the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) releases a report that details food prices and their predictions on whether food prices will rise or fall. Their predictions aren’t based on guesses or groundhog behavior, they are based on a landslide of data that has to do with things like weather, political climates, the economies of the world and population.

Last year’s report (the 2012 edition is forthcoming) reported that “high food prices are likely to continue and volatility may increase in coming years, making farmers, consumers and countries more vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity”. (You can read the full report here.)

Why?

Some factors are the increasing demand for food in fast-growing economies, increased biofuel production and population growth, production and transportation costs inflated by the rising price of oil, major currency fluctuations, and food trade and energy policies.

Of course, weather is a major factor and we don’t need climate experts to remind us that extreme weather is getting more common and the trend is expected to continue. Extreme weather anywhere in the world affects food everywhere in the world. Last year Russia and Argentina suffered crippling droughts, Australia and Canada suffered devastating rain. Business Week reported that 10 million acres of wheat farmland went unplanted in Saskatchewan while a cold, wet summer in the Midwest delayed the harvest and drove wheat prices up 74%. The corn harvest was not spared - prices soared over 87%. China’s wheat crop, the largest in the world, suffered from widespread drought that affected almost half the wheat production in Chinese provinces.

Even if the weather cooperates this harvest season, economists predict grain prices will keep rising because importers are speeding up purchases to outrun inflation. American commodities buyers are feeling the global pain because production of all grain-based products can’t keep up with demand.

Food Insurance to Control Costs

We can’t control the weather, we can’t control currency fluctuation and we have very little say when it comes to policy, fuel production and population growth. However, we do control our household budgets and prosperity plans. If food costs continue to rise, will we react by simply increasing the family’s food budget or will we take other steps to keep that budget steady?

Recently we’ve been discussing Urban Farming, which seems to be the new national pastime. And, it’s a good one. If you’re growing your own tomatoes, it’s just one more thing that you and Mother Nature control instead of you, Mother Nature, a commodities broker and a global transportation infrastructure. Another way to stabilize the budget and keep food costs neutral during a global spike (or unemployment!) is to keep a store of dehydrated or freeze-dried food that can be used to supplement fresh food. The right kind of freeze-dried food stays stable and retains good taste for up to 25 years. If you buy a store of food this year, you have the ability to have a meal in 2037 at $3.30 a serving instead of $4.35 a serving, which is where average inflation is taking food prices.

Keeping a store of dehydrated food need not only be for power outages and other emergencies. It can be used to keep your budget in your control.

A recent study funded by the Meals on Wheels organization revealed that 5 million senior Americans, that’s almost 12% of the senior population, face hunger every day. Half of those 5 million are living above the federal poverty line and two thirds of them are younger seniors between the ages of 60 to 65.

Trying to figure out how much emergency food you need? We’ve got an easy online food storage calculator to share with you, but you’ll need to think through your food insurance plan a bit first.

• How many people over 10 years old will you be feeding?
• How many children under 10?
• How many servings of freeze dried food per day do you want to plan for? Some families plan for 2 meals per day for reduced costs and storage space and some plan for 3 per day. If you have the space and budget we recommend planning for 3 servings per day per person, and not just because we sell survival food. In an emergency it’s likely you’ll end up with extended family, neighbors or unexpected guests in need – other mouths to feed in other words – and you don’t want to cut meals down to 1 per day.
• How long of an emergency do you want to plan for?

Once you’ve thought through your plan, use the online calculator to see how much emergency food you’ll need.