The BottleKeeper is a stainless steel contraption that slides over a 12 oz glass beer bottle (they also make a big one for bombers) and keeps it ice-cold, thanks to a special neoprene lining. Seems like the perfect incognito way to enjoy a cold one on the beach or at a game or concert. the BottleKeeper is safer than naked glass around the pool, and it’s even FAA approved if you decide to take it on a plane flight.
1. Find tinder. Anything that is dry, fibrous, and will take a spark or “catch” and ignite should do. Pocket lint, feather down, dried mosses, and shredded plant fibers such as cedar bark are all good examples.
2. Gather firewood. Gather several handfuls of kindling, typically tiny pieces of wood in various sizes. You want some that are as thin or thinner than a toothpick but longer; several handfuls of wood about the thickness and length of a pencil; and lots of wood up to about the thickness of your arm.
3. Make a nest. Use small fiber, such as cattail, to ignite the coal and slightly thicker fiber on the outside, such as dry leaves, to shelter the nest. Make sure you leave a hole for the coal. A cotton ball size of tinder will do.
Freeze dried food pouches are the best option for long term emergency food preparation. We at Survival Kit Guide like Mountain House’s offering and suggest that you take a few moments to address your stash. Mountain House offers several packages depending on the volume of freeze dried food you and your family will require.
Just remember that buying the food doesn’t mean you’re finished; you’ll need water and a way to boil it in order to make your emergency meals. Along with your drinking water, make sure to include enough for your freeze dried preps, and stock up the fuel you need for the water boiling method of your choice. We recommend the Jet Boil system, as it is both easy to use and very convenient, and the propane refill canisters are affordable enough to stock up on as well.
Here’s a quick guide to figure out the amount of water you will need per pouch:
Pro Pak Entrees – 1 ½ cup boiling
Double Serve Entrees – 2 cups boiling (53171 1 ½ cups boiling) Continue reading
In 2012, Hurricane Isaac made landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River and proceeded to drop copious amounts of rain over the Gulf Coast States . Isaac reached the shore as a category 1 storm but due to its large size and slow-moving speed, Isaac let loose so much rain that flooding became prevalent all across the Midwest. Not to mention it spawned numerous tornadoes and led to hundreds of thousands of power outages.
Isaac left thousands of residents under water and without power, and left communities scrambling for shelter and supplies. Being prepared and having a plan for such an emergency is too important to ignore. Even though we were informed of Isaac’s approach, the flooding and loss of power tested everyone in its path. Be proactive and start building your disaster kits and survival cache today; don’t wait until it’s too late.
Below are some great new tool and supply ideas:
“There are a lot of different additive forces in survival. Certainly, the will to live is the most important. But that’s followed by luck, what kinda shape you’re in…geographically where you are, whether you’re alone or with other people, and a big one for me is whether or not you have a survival kit. It might seem like a small thing at the time, but there are items in a survival kit that CAN ACTUALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE and make a big difference. And I’m not talking about grab-off-the-shelf survival kits that are available today. I’m talking about putting stuff together yourself so you know what you’ve got, you know how to use it, and you know that it works…That’s the only type of survival kit to have, in my books.”
Food, water, defense, and shelter– the “4 food groups” of preparedness. Traditional shelter may not be portable enough to fit in your bug out bag. But resourceful preppers can build decent shelter from pack staples like paracord and a tarp. We’ve narrowed it down to 3 basic shelter options.
Tarp Shelter
A makeshift tarp shelter is minimal, portable and generally effective for providing cover from the elements and keeping you dry. In order to take full advantage of a tarp’s ability, be sure to include some paracord and duct tape. The paracord will allow you to tie off the tarp to a tree or other structure to create a roof over your head and the duct tape will come in handy for repairs should your tarp become damaged. This method will at least provide you with a dry place to hunker down in and can be pulled out of or packed back into your BOB quickly. A tarp is also light and won’t take up valuable room inside your BOB. Continue reading
Military grade 550 paracord should always be included in your bug out bag, survival gear stash, and disaster kits. There are hundreds of uses for it. Tell us how you’ve made use of paracord. Share your ideas, and let’s see if we can’t come up with a list of 50 uses of paracord. I’ll start.
Wildfires are fast moving and unpredictable. In the recent years wildfires have become a real threat to areas that were once thought not prone. You can see the smoke from miles away, but your first clue that there’s a forest fire nearby is falling ash. Hopefully you will never be that close, but if you are, evasive action may be required.
Here’s 10 simple rules to help you survive a wildfire:
Bladder Systems: A CamelBak (Bladder System) can be very useful in any emergency situation. They come in a variety of sizes and allow you to have your hands free while staying hydrated. The bladder systems can require regular cleaning, particularly in hot and humid environments. To prevent mold from developing, you can store most bladders in the freezer. The CamelBak Skeeter Hydration Pack is designed specifically to be stored in the freezer and requires no cleaning. I’ve been storing my CamelBak in the freezer for years and it works great with limited cleaning. Continue reading
Bendable memory titanium frames $15.95
Prescription Eyewear
For those of you that require corrective lenses or glasses, don’t loose your focus during an emergency situation. Do this by including extra eyeglasses and contact lenses with your preps. I have a pair of eyeglasses and a 2 week supply of contacts in my BOB (bug out bag) and in both my vehicle and home survival kits. Be sure to keep them in a protective case too. Visit your eyewear supplier and see what their best deals are for inexpensive sets. Or better yet, SAVE A TON OF MONEY by shopping online- we found bendable titanium frames for under $20 here. Don’t worry about how they look either. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing mine in public- but if disaster strikes I may be left for dead without them. Continue reading