Assemble a Personal Care Bucket

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Recycled mayonnaise bucket

Five gallon buckets that are commonly used for food storage can be used to organize and store other non food items.  They are very convenient and portable, and they stack well if you get the same types.  I have already made a health supplies bucket but this time I wanted to cover how to make the Personal Care bucket.

Pre-assembly Steps:

1. Obtain a five gallon bucket with a lid. See this article on how to get five gallon buckets for free.

2.  Wash the bucket well with soap and water, and dry thoroughly.

3.  You do not need oxygen absorbers for most personal care items.

4.  Buy your items with a coupon or on sale, for the biggest savings.

What goes into a Personal Care Bucket?

  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner (not essential but nice to have)
  • Soaps
  • Toothpaste and/or Baking Soda
  • Razors
  • Nail/toenail clippers, tweezers
  • Deodorant
  • Lotions
  • Tampons/Sanitary Napkins
  • Alcohol
  • Mouthwash
  • Cotton balls and Q-tips

If you are so inclined, stash your backup makeup bag in there as well.  Toilet paper rolls with the middle cardboard removed would make good space fillers.  You can take soap out of packaging if you live in a dry climate.  I left the soaps in boxes, as the humidity tends to make soap get soft and slimy, and I don’t want it to get into the other items.

You can tailor the contents of the bucket according to who would be using the contents-if you have a baby in the family, then pack baby supplies such as tear free baby shampoo, baby oil, lotion, cloth diapers (disposables may just be too bulky, but you can throw in a few as space fillers if you use them).  Pay attention to the weight and do not overstuff the bucket, as the handle may not hold up or the lid may not shut if you overfill it.

Type up a list of contents and tape it to the inside of the lid.  Label the bucket and date.  I usually note the date I packed the bucket, so I have an idea how long it’s been in storage.  As with other goods, rotate your items to avoid waste.

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Please Welcome our New Sponsor: SafeGuard Clothing

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Monday Musings 5/14/2012 – Prepping is just Plain Common Sense Edition

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Welcome to today’s Monday Musings where we take a look at interesting stuff and noteworthy postings.

OutdoorsNative’s Off Grid Adventure  I received an email from Nick of OutdoorsNative.com, telling me about their upcoming off grid adventure: The husband and wife team plans to travel this July from Las Vegas to Alaska where they will spend a month or more living off the grid. They will write about the experience of traveling and living off the grid for over a month.  They will not be stopping in any hotels along the way and will not be purchasing any food: their tent and sleeping bags will be their shelter, and food will either from supplies they brought or caught in the wild.  We’ve all wondered what it would be like to live off the grid–I think it will be interesting to follow the progress.  Please visit:   www.OutdoorsNative.com
http://kck.st/IYOiAz

Prep and Pantry has renewed with us!  I’m happy to announce Prep and Pantry, the food storage app for your IPhone or IPad has renewed their banner ad with Apartment Prepper.  I tried the Prep and Pantry app before they become a sponsor, and I can attest that it really works.  Thanks for visiting our sponsors – they help keep the blog going.

You can breathe a sigh of relief, but don’t stop prepping.   There may be a lot of media devoted to 2012 fears, but most preppers feel the need to prepare from observations of events and the times in which we live, not due to any specific predictions.  Check out Nevermind the Apocalypse: Earliest Mayan Calendar Found   Dire prophesies come and go, whether anything happens or not, preparing for an emergencies is just plain common sense.

On privacy concerns and threats to our freedoms  You will find great actionable tips on protecting our privacy from someone who really knows- a private investigator.  See the latest article in Strategic Living Are You Safe from Snooping Eyes?   From a totally different perspective, I found it interesting that the following post mirrored some of the observations regarding sheep-like behavior and blind acceptance of the media: The Troubling Nature of Pop Culture over at The Minimalist.

A fun project for when the power goes out  It’s always a challenge to find activities to keep kids busy when there is a power outage.  Check out this fun project at Fluffyland Craft and Sewing Blog, the Starburst bracelet.  It’s a good idea to stock up on fun comforting snacks anyway, so take those candy wrappers and make something fun!

From Fluffyland Craft and Sewing Blog

Take care and y’all have a great week!

For excellent sources for your security and “go-bag” supplies, please visit:

Check out Emergency Essentials for these preparedness items:
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

Does Makeup Have a Place in your TEOTWAWKI Preps?

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As I got ready for work, putting on lipstick, I got to thinking whether makeup has a place in my preps.  I have some lip balm and lotion in the go-bag, but not much else in terms of adornment.   As it is, my makeup style is on the minimalist side, but I do have some basic items that I keep around:  lipstick, face powder and occasionally, pencil eye liner.  Ladies, you all know there are certain “MUST HAVES.”   Even small tools such as tweezers, razor should be considered, much like the old “What would you bring if you were getting stranded in a desert island?” question.  As for the guys, the women in your life will have their own ideas as well, and let’s face it, this is not something you’ll want to argue about when faced with a bug out situation.

On the other hand, there are so many more essential survival supplies, and with very limited room,  I initially considered doing without cosmetics.

Let’s consider for a moment, a large scale, total disaster type situation:

You don’t need makeup when you are bugging out

One of the first articles I read when I started prepping was on SurvivalBlog, and it talked about how in a widespread, total disaster, grid down situation, you will have to flee looking as inconspicuous as possible.  If you have long hair, you would have to cut it and wear drab and baggy clothes to hide your figure, thus avoiding unwanted attention.  I will admit the article made sense and left a strong impression on me.  At that time, I thought there is no point in keeping any makeup around, unless you want to get yourself killed or worse.

Things will settle down eventually

After reading a lot of survival stories, both fiction and non fiction, I started thinking about the aftermath.  You may be traveling to find a safe place for a while, but eventually, you will reach your destination.  After the period of upheaval, hopefully things will return to some kind of normalcy.  You may find a town to settle in.  At a certain point, women will feel the need to adorn themselves.  There will be social situations such as weddings and other events. Throughout history, during good times and bad, women have found materials to enhance their features:  berries, roots, ground up gems or even ground up bugs for dyes.

Having a small stash of makeup will have its benefits such as:

  • After living through a high stress event, feeling attractive, even for a short while may be a great morale booster.
  • If things return to a “new normal” these products may still be rare or unavailable for a long time, and you will be glad you have a small supply
  • Even if you don’t wear makeup, they will make good barter items.

What would Sarah Connor do?

I always admired the character of Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton in the movie Terminator.  She was strong, resourceful and knew her way around weapons.  Even as she faced the end of her world as she knew it, Sarah Connor had a hint of color on her cheeks and a shine on her smile.  So I think I will at least keep some extra tubes of lipstick.  In addition to a bright smile, lipstick can also be used to add color to your cheeks, making it multipurpose.  And if all else fails, you can use it as fire starter.

 

Food is definitely needed in your preps!  Visit Shelf Reliance for a great selection of freeze dried foods:

An inexpensive but helpful tool to keep track of supplies (Iphone or Ipad users)

Don’t forget to check out our friends at http://PreppingGuys.com for gear review and preparedness projects!

Quick Emergency Prep Project: Build a Texting Tree

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A few weeks ago, we posted a guest post on having a meeting place in times of emergency, which covered having multiple backup plans in place where your family can congregate.  At the same time, when a disaster occurs, we would also want to reach out to loved ones to communicate our situation or inform them of our next move.  In recent emergencies, it was widely observed that while land lines did not work, many people were able to use their cell phones to send text messages.   For this reason it would be a good idea to organize your own texting tree.  Much like the phone trees used by kids’ schools to keep parents informed, the texting tree would be used in times of emergency to keep family and friends informed.

This project is simple:  all you need is your cell phone, contact list and a sheet of paper.  You can either draw it out manually or build the tree using Word or Excel, in the same manner you would create an organization chart. It should only take about an hour at the most, except for the part about explaining how it works to your contacts.

Some key ideas:

  • You would be on top of the texting tree since you are the organizer.
  • You text a maximum of three people, and they have three people to send their text and so on.  When a disaster occurs you may only have a limited time or means to send a text, so keeping your contacts at a minimum makes it easier.
  • Choose your contacts carefully, you want to make sure they are people you can count on to get the word out.
  • Have a conversation with your contacts ahead of time to explain what you’re trying to do so they know what to do when the time comes.

You can use the texting tree to keep everyone informed in the event of a regional disaster, such as an earthquake or hurricane. Even non preppers in your circle of friends and family would see the need to be able to communicate in the event of an emergency, so getting them involved should be easy enough. 
 

For more preparedness tips, read my book:

For your preparedness needs, please visit:

Get the real deal. Whether bugging out or sheltering in place, you can never have enough clean water for survival: For your water purifier needs, please visit:

 

Monday Musings: 5/7/2012 Lots of Things are Brewing Edition

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Welcome to this week’s Monday Musings where we take a look at note worthy postings and updates.

In the Apartment Prepper household.  This week the ” preserving eggsperiment” (sorry, couldn’t resist) is still underway.  So far no changes noted in the eggs as far as smell or appearance.  In another week I will test for freshness and will keep checking weekly.  I may find another method to preserve eggs and test that as well.  This week I am looking at Introduction to Candle Making with Marie Kauffman to see if candle making is a feasible project for me, and I will be posting my review of the DVD soon.   

For coffee lovers only  If the power goes out, I’ll still want my cup o’ joe so I’ve experimented with  roasting green coffee beans in a campfire popper, but here’s another way to do it How to Roast Your Own Coffee in a Stovetop Popcorn Maker from Root Simple.

You’ll never view a tampon the way same again.  I like finding new uses for things other than intended, so I found this post interesting:  Willow Haven Outdoor posts various survival uses for tampons in “Yes, that’s a Tampon in my mouth : The Swiss Army Survival Tampon : 7 Survival Uses”

If you don’t live in the ground floor   A rope ladder is good to have as an emergency means of escape.  See “How to Easily Create Your Own Rope Ladder”

How much do you reveal about yourself?  Most people don’t realize how much data is being collected about them – it may be a lot more according to this Consumer Reports article:  Facebook & your privacy  Who sees the data you share on the biggest social network?

Have you started your garden yet? For those of you who have the room for a square foot garden, take a look at this infographic from Frugal Dad, one of my favorite personal finance blogs.  

Frugal Dad’s square foot gardening infographic
Gardening Infographic

Source: http://FrugalDad.com

Check out Emergency Essentials for these preparedness items:
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

For more preparedness tips, read my book:

For your preparedness needs, please visit:

Paracord to the Rescue

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Today we found a string securing one of our window blinds snapped.  The blinds could no longer be raised and lowered, and looked lopsided.  It was already fraying from the time we moved to this unit, but since it was not technically broken, it was not repaired before we moved in.  As far as property management is concerned, it was working when we moved in.

This is where the string snapped.

Not wanting to get charged for a new set, Mr. Apt Prepper worked on repairing it.  Here is what he did:

  1. He measured a piece of paracord, then cut off the desired size.  
  2. He then split the small piece of paracord to reveal the inner strings.
  3. He took one of the inner strings, separated it from the outer layer of the paracord.  Then he threaded the string through the slots to reattach the broken blind back into place.

The result was good – the blind no longer tilts to one side, and it can once again be raised and lowered.

I always thought paracord is a helpful item to have around, but now I am convinced it is essential not only for emergencies, but for everyday repairs.

What is paracord? Paracord is a lightweight nylon cord that was used for parachutes in World War II. It is also known as 550 cord, as it is rated to hold up to 550 pounds. Paracord is somewhat elastic; it is composed of inner strands and an outer nylon sheath.

Note:  When you cut paracord, you will need to make a knot at the end or reseal the main cut by burning it or it will keep fraying.

Here are a few other uses for paracord:

  • Replace shoelaces.
  • Make a temporary shelter by stringing tarp or tying branches together.
  • Attach to collar and use as an animal leash.
  • Secure gear such as luggage to a roof rack
  • Secure items to your backpack or go-bag
  • Use as a clothes line
  • Hang your food bag when camping to protect from bears
  • Create bracelets and belts

Inner strings within paracord

The inner strings can be used for:

  •  Dental floss substitute
  • Fishing line
  • Use with a needle as a thread replacement to repair tears and holes.

I like being able to use preparedness gear for everyday occurrences. If you have other uses for paracord, please share them in the comments!

 

ReadyMade Resources is a trusted source for your preparedness supplies:

You’ll find valuable information when you read the Holding Your Ground books. Check out:

Please visit our our friends at http://PreppingGuys.com for gear review and preparedness projects!

Self Sufficiency Project: Preserving Eggs

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I like eggs for breakfast, especially “over easy” eggs.  Dehydrated eggs are great for scrambled eggs but I have not found a dehydrated egg product that can make eggs over easy.  So when I saw that Doomsday Preppers episode with Kellene Bishop explaining you can indeed preserve whole eggs, I knew I had to investigate further.

I checked online and found her site and the Safely Preserving Eggs post.  All you really need are fresh eggs and mineral oil, so I went and bought them.  Mineral oil is found in the first aid section of a pharmacy or even the grocery store, next to stomach remedies.   I did some more checking and found the article Preserving Eggs for the Long Term that included some caveats about preserving only eggs laid within 24 hours.  Unfortunately I do not have access to egg laying hens, so I had to settle for what I can find in the city.

Here are the steps that I took:

  1. I found out that you can check an egg’s freshness by dropping it in a jar of water.  If it sinks, then it is fresh.  If it floats then it is no longer fresh.  So I tested the egg prior to oiling it.

This egg sank so it is fresh.

2.  I dried the egg and put on some gloves.

3.  I poured about a quarter size amount of mineral oil into my palm and rubbed it all over the egg, and repeated the process on six eggs.

That’s it!  I am leaving the eggs on the counter and I will check them weekly.  I am not sure how they will turn out.  It is starting to get humid and warm around here.  With air-conditioning, the temperature in the kitchen is around 75-78 degrees.  I will test the eggs for freshness in two weeks.  In the meantime I will do some more research on other ways to preserve eggs such as pickling etc.

I will definitely keep you posted!

 
For excellent sources for your security and “go-bag” supplies, please visit:

Check out Emergency Essentials for these preparedness items:
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

Monday Musings: 4/30/2012 Two Year Anniversary Edition

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Welcome to another week’s Monday Musings, where we cover blog updates and interesting stuff we’ve found.

Please resubscribe to get your blog updates!  One of our regular readers (thank you Sandy!)  mentioned she stopped getting her blog updates after we did our site redesign, and only realized it after our revamped site was mentioned in SurvivalBlog’s Odds ‘n Sods.  Since the subscription was done with the previous theme, the switch may have caused a disruption in the subscription updates.  If yours no longer works,  please take a minute to resubscribe.  I apologize for any inconvenience.

Great ideas for apartment gardeners  Check out this article over at Backwoods Home Magazine,   Start a self-sufficiency garden even in a cramped apartment.  Now is the perfect time to get your balcony garden started!

Drip irrigation using an old soda bottle  I forgot to water one of my plants for two days and it was close to wilting when I checked it.  This is a great idea – punch holes in a recycled soda bottle, plant it in your container garden and fill with water, for slow drip irrigation!  Check out Repurpose a Soda Bottle Into a DIY Irrigation System.  You know I am going to have to try this.

You don’t need to go to San Francisco to get good sourdough  Leon over at Survival Common Sense posted How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter and followed it up with Dutch Oven Recipe Sourdough Italian herb dinner rolls, his prize winning recipe.

Check out this great sale on Mountain House!  Ready Made Resources is offering Mountain House Food in #10 cans  25% off and FREE shipping on case lots.

Please visit:  http://www.readymaderesources.com/cart//storable-food-units/1-mountain-house-free-shipping/cat_201.html

Looking forward to another year  Has it been two years already?!  I started this blog on April 30th, two years ago.  I’ve learned a lot these last couple of years, and readers’ comments and suggestions have been valuable.  A few other bloggers I know online have been helpful as well.  Though we’ve never met in person we all share a kindred spirit.  I am grateful to our sponsors for helping us cover some of the financial costs associated with maintaining this blog.  Most of all, my special thanks to our readers for your continued support.  Here’s to another year and more to come, of prepping, self sufficiency and camaraderie.

Freeze dried foods have their place in a well rounded food storage plan. Visit Shelf Reliance for a great selection:

An inexpensive but helpful tool to keep track of supplies (Iphone or Ipad users)

Please visit the Holding Your Own website by clicking on the banner below. You’ll gain a lot of survival knowledge from the books.

Don’t forget to check out our friends at http://PreppingGuys.com for gear review and preparedness projects!

A Fitness Plan that Uses Food Storage

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We all know that a grid down, disaster situation, which we hope never happens, would be physically exhausting.  Just think, how long would it take you to walk home from work.  If you work downtown and commute from the suburbs, it may take a whole day or two.  In a long term collapse, you may have to evacuate and leave the city on foot, carrying whatever supplies you can take with you.  Even worse, if some ruffians were trying to rob you, can you possibly outrun them?

You may not consider “getting in shape” a skill you really need to be prepared, but if you really think about it, having some endurance and stamina would really help you physically cope with what lies ahead.  Even if nothing happens, all of us would benefit from working out on a regular basis.

I had the following fitness goals:

  • I wanted to gain some cardiovascular exercise as well as build strength.
  • The fitness plan has to be free and easily accessible.  No gym memberships for me, I don’t have the budget for a new bill.
  • It can’t be too time consuming, as I work full time and write on my free time, there is not much time for anything else.

I started going up and down the apartment stairs to get in shape.

The first day I did it, I felt good and kept doing it for 10 minutes.  What I didn’t realize was, the soreness does not come in until the next afternoon.  Because I overdid it, I was so sore I could not move my leg to even take one step!  I had to recuperate for a couple of days before I could start back up.  I did the routine in five minute increments, until I got used to it then increased five minutes each time.

Once I got used to going up and down the stairs for 15 minutes straight, I started carrying a full backpack.  I filled an old backpack with rice, beans, sugar, industrial size peanut butter until it weighed close to 20 lbs.  I started slow and easy, doing five minute increments.   If you encounter anyone they will assume you are getting in shape for a backpacking trip.  I actually see quite a few people walking around town with a full backpack, so it doesn’t raise any eyebrows.

I do this workout every other day, giving my muscles time to rest in between.

After a few weeks of doing this, I feel a lot stronger and more energetic.   Note:  I am not a fitness professional.  This is not to be taken a recommendation or advise, just sharing my new exercise routine.  Check with your doctor before starting any fitness program.

If you want to try this, here are a few tips:

  • Make sure you stretch before you start the workout.  Do some marching in place, swing your arms around.
  • Do not overdo your first time-you may feel energetic but you will feel sore the next day.
  • Make sure you know all entrances and exits and where the stairwell leads – some floors are locked from the other side and you would not want to get stuck
  • Wear sturdy athletic shoes that protect your feet.
  • Go with a buddy or only use stairs that are well-lit and secure.   If you see someone who “gives you the creeps, steer clear and go later.
  • Music is optional but helps relieve boredom.  If you have an MP3 player, listen to some lively songs to help get you going.
  • If you have bad knees, this may not be the workout for you; instead do a gradual walking program and carry the backpack when you feel ready.
  • Bring water and a small towel for when you get sweaty.

If I ever had to run out of the city, I hope to be fit enough at least to carry some of my preps.  This workout shows me how much preps I can actually carry.
For more preparedness tips, read my book:

For your preparedness needs, please visit:

Get the real deal. Whether bugging out or sheltering in place, you can never have enough clean water for survival: For your water purifier needs, please visit:

Don’t forget, I will be on Get Real–Get Prepared with Vickilynn Haycraft by Preparedness Radio at 6 pm, today 4/28/2012 from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Eastern.   Here is the hyperlink to the show. You can access it live at 6:00 PM or listen to it archived, anytime after 7:30 PM.