Category Archives: Beginner prepping

Common Prepping Supplies that Don’t Last Very Long

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After prepping for the last couple of years, I am starting to discover some items in the emergency kit or bug-out bag do not last as long as I thought.  Not only do you need to track your food storage, you also need to pay attention to your non-perishables.  I am not saying you should avoid stocking these items, but I do recommend you rotate these supplies often.

Batteries

I made the mistake of leaving batteries inside flashlights and lanterns and they leaked after a few months, ruining the gadget.  Batteries do expire and lose potency, or they leak battery acid when they get old.  A battery testerwill help you manage your battery supplies.  I still stock up, but I rotate frequently and I now keep rechargeable batteries which are cost effective.

Candles

Many sites don’t even recommend candles for emergencies due to risk of fire hazard, but many people stock up on candles for power outages.  Because we live in a hot climate for several months out of the year, we’ve had candles stored in the garage that have melted and warped.  If you keep candles, make sure to keep in a cool, dry place.  As a backup, learn to make inexpensive lamps from household items

2.5 gallon plastic water bottles

21epDtA-wpL._SL500_AA300_I used to store several 2.5 gallon water bottles but I have found the plastic containers degrade and can easily spring a leak.  I’ve had a few mishaps with them.  I still keep some but I rotate them frequently.   To avoid storage failures, I’ve added these heavy duty water containers to my water storage.

Lip Balm

Most bug out bags contain at least one lip balm and they are highly recommended when you are out in the sun.  However, like candles, they tend to melt into a gooey mess if left in the heat.  Store them in a cool dry place, and inspect them every year.  When they get old they also get more waxy tasting.

Adhesive Bandages

I have several boxes of adhesive bandages stocked up in several places:  car first aid kit, home emergency kit, office kit etc.  I recently used a few of the older ones and found they lose their adhesive properties over time.  They can be used but because they don’t stick as well, they need replacing more often.  You still need to stock up on them, just remember to use and rotate frequently.

Antibacterial wipes

I had a few boxes of individually wrapped antibacterial wipes from a year ago.  I opened a few packets to check and found that many wipes have already dried up.  The liquid antibacterial gel so far does not have any sign of deterioration.   I think the gel gets a bit thicker over time, but remains usable.

Sunscreens, Lotions and Mosquito Repellant

These liquids frequently have expiration dates but we all know most items are still usable post expiration.  However, they do have a shelf life.  Pay attention to the texture, smell and consistency of the liquid.  If you notice that the ingredients have separated, the item smells “off” or has changed color, it is time to get rid of it.  There is no point in hanging on to a product that has lost its potency.

Gasoline

Many apartment preppers are unable to store gasoline.  Due to the fire hazard, storing gasoline is usually prohibited in the lease.   However, if you are able to store gasoline, you will need to use CARB (if you live in California, it’s the California Air Resources Board or EPA compliant gasoline containers.  Even then, gasoline will stay fresh only for about 30-90 days at a maximum, depending on storage conditions.  You will need to use a gasoline stabilizer such as Sta-Bil, and continue to rotate your supplies regularly.

After storing supplies for a couple of years, I’ve learned that reality sometimes falls short of expectations.  I hate throwing unused stuff away but once it’s no longer effective, out it goes.  At that point, these old items are just clutter and you are just fooling yourself thinking you have supplies.  The worst thing would be to have prepping supplies fail you when you need them most, or when you can no longer buy new ones after an emergency.  Keeping close track of your stored items will help you avoid waste and nasty surprises later on.

 

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:

 For beginning preppers

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies:

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies
Good ideas for building a food storage plan can be found here:

Is Defense the Biggest Hole in Your Preps? Read “Prepper’s Home Defense” by Jim Cobb

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preppers home defenseWhen starting the preparedness journey, most people focus on storing food, water and first aid supplies.  But there is one aspect of preparedness that should not be ignored, and that is defense.  You need to be able to protect yourself and your family during normal times; if a collapse happens, defense would become even more critical.

Prepper’s Home Defense contains a lot of useful information without being overwhelming.   It even includes a list of commonly used acronyms that is helpful if you are new prepper.  Some of the subjects covered include post-collapse security, physical defense such as protecting the perimeter, safe rooms, hidden storage, weapons such as firearms and other weapons, guard dogs, communications, etc.  The book was written by Jim Cobb, who writes at Survival Weekly and Survival-Gear.com  Jim has worked in the security and investigation field for 20 years and is a survivalist.

The author points out that post collapse security is vastly different from normal day to day security, as you will be faced with more varied and determined threats.  As an example, he cites how something as basic as answering a ringing doorbell must be approached differently in a post collapse situation.   As an apartment prepper, there are limits to modifications you can make to your home, and therefore you may not be able to implement a few of the strategies.  Some of the tactics described are applicable only on a post collapse scenario, so as not to break any laws, but they are still good to know nonetheless.   There is a good section on weapons and the book does not limit itself to firearms.  It also covers martial arts weapons, improvised weapons, pepper spray and even natural weapons such as elbows, knees and feet.  I also enjoyed the section on guard dogs versus watch dogs, which I have not previously distinguished.

Prepper’s Home Defense has a lot to offer, in a subject that is often overlooked by beginner and intermediate preppers.  If you have not made plans on how you will protect your home and family, or feel that defense is a weak spot in your emergency plans, I recommend you pick up Prepper’s Home Defense.

Free for Three Days – Don’t Pass this Up!

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survivalwoman_3D-Cropped-300px1Just a quick post to pass along this great Valentines Day event – the e-book by George Ure and Gaye Levy, 11 Steps to Living a Strategic Life is available free from Feb. 14-16 2013.

I reviewed this book and highly recommend it.   If you don’t have a Kindle, no worries, you can still download it from Amazon.

What are you waiting for, follow this link and download the book!

 

P.S. Happy Valentines Day!!

 

Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

What to Do if Your Bug Out Vehicle is Too Small

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Prepping in small spaces is a topic we’ve discussed, but we have not discussed space issues in a bug out vehicle.

Many city dwellers are trying to save on gas, and are downsizing to a smaller vehicle.  Several relatives have switched to small economy cars or hybrids after getting tired of high gas prices.  If you live in a city, there is always a chance you may need to get out, hopefully you will be able to drive out while you can.

Now is a good time to evaluate your bug out vehicle, before any emergency happens.  Here are some considerations:

  • Number of people riding with you.
  • Trunk/storage space
  • Gas mileage
  • Ability to drive in flooding and rough terrain
  • Height of the car
  • Condition of the car

How much supplies you want to take with you?  You’ll need to be choosy about what will go into your bug out vehicle.  I realize many preppers favor “bugging in” instead of driving out.  I can understand it is much easier to shelter in place.  But everyone needs a “Plan B” in case you have to flee an immediate danger in the city.  You will need essentials such as water, food, shelter (tents etc), your bug out bags.  If you have pets you will also need space for them and their supplies.  You may also need a gas can or two, depending on the situation.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Clean out your car thoroughly.  I know people who carry a lot of clutter in their trunk such as sports equipment, bags of clothes they need to donate or take to the cleaners, even trash.  I’m not judging anyone, but if you happen to have junk in your car, get rid of it.
  • Maintain your car.  Are you overdue for an oil change or tune-up?   Do your brakes need replacing?  Are your tires balding?  I have been guilty of all of the above at some point in my life when I kept putting off repairs due to budget constraints.  Do your best to get your car serviced.  You don’t want your car to break down when you are trying to get your family to safety.
  • If your car lacks space for emergency supplies, now is the time to look into ways to increase storage space:

41iKFD+0P+L._SL500_AA300_

Roof luggage rack

Roof Cargo bag Rooftop cargo box or rooftop cargo bag

Cargo Carrier

Cargo carrier

Before you buy, check the specifications carefully to make sure the space extender you are buying will fit your car.

Low budget idea:  If you have a built in roof rack, mount items on the rack with rope and a black or brown tarp,  but you will will need to practice doing this to make sure everything is secure.  Not very attractive, but if you are trying to leave in a hurry then you may not care about appearances, just try to avoid attracting attention.

You could also find these items used.  As people change cars, they will not be needing the old rack for the old car.

I’m not an expert on cars, and you may find other solutions work better for you.  Space in your car may someday be as critical as the space in your home.  The good news is, these space extenders are useful to have even if no emergency ever happens.

 

 

For your gold and silver coins, visit:

 

Compact, Efficient and Lightweight Survival Stove

Solo Stove

For beginning preppers

 

 

Win a Copy of The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency

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Weekend HomesteaderI am excited to announce our February Giveaway at Apartment Prepper.   This month we are giving away a copy of The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency, by Anna Hess.  I am reading a copy of this book as well, thanks to the publisher, Skyhorse Publishing.   I am sure to try one or more projects described in the book, and I will let you know how it went.

The book will help you try your hand at various projects to get you on the road to self-sufficiency without getting you overwhelmed.  It is an attractive book, with full color photos, glossy pages and is packed with information.  You will learn to cut your grocery bills, eat healthier and learn new skills whether you live in an apartment, suburban home or acres of farmland.

To enter, just leave a comment below on one of these topics:

  • the most recent prepping or self sufficiency skill you have tried out OR
  • what self-sufficiency project you are most interested to try out this year and why.

The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, February 9th at 8 pm Central.  Good luck!  I look forward to learning about your new skills!

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:

 For beginning preppers

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies:

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies
Good ideas for building a food storage plan can be found here:

 

A Non-Threatening Way to Get Them to Prep

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One of the most common questions from readers is how to get their loved ones to prep.  Sometimes, you’ll find out by accident as I did while we were watching The Walking Dead; other times, you can approach the subject but no one wants to listen.

If you want to take matters into your own hands, how about giving a prepper themed basket for the next special occasion?  Everyone enjoys receiving baskets and getting to know the contents is part of the fun.

To save money, purchase baskets at Goodwill or thrift stores – they have a huge selection.  Build each basket around a specific theme.  Some examples:

Power Outage Basket

Include matches, flashlights, batteries, small lamp or lantern, solar charger, battery or crank radio, simple board game such as UNO card game or playing cards

Winter Storm Basket

Include similar items as the Power Outage Basket, but add microfiber blankets, instant hot soup mixes, hot chocolate and marshmallows.

All-Purpose Emergency Basket

Include some basic emergency supplies such as: food bars, water bottles, chlorine tablets with instructions on how to use them, Swiss Army knife, matches and/or Bic lighters, flashlights, mini first aid kit, etc.

Multi-Use Emergency Items Basket

Include items that have multiple emergency uses such as multi-tool, plain bleach, baking soda, vinegar, salt, witch hazel, duct tape etc.  Include a list of uses for each item.

Don’t forget to include basic emergency instructions, such as free PDF files.

Your recipient may not have thought about emergency preparedness, but your gift would accomplish a couple of goals:

  • Good conversation starter to get them to at least consider being prepared
  • If they do nothing else, you would know that you gave them something that will help them in the next emergency

 

ReadyMade Resources is a trusted source for your preparedness supplies:

Check out information and products available at SafeGuard Clothing, or click on the link below.

Find products that are equally functional for wilderness survival as well as urban preparedness:

 

 

Unintended Myth about Preppers from TV Shows

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CC Photo by_allison_john

CC Photo by_allison_john

I occasionally get requests for interviews from the media, but have only agreed to less than a handful of phone interviews.   One recent interviewer told me she and her editor had been watching Doomsday Preppers and other shows about building bunkers and they got the impression that you must have a lot of money to be able to prepare.  She said after seeing all the weapons, gear, precious metals and land that was being acquired, it was hard not to come to that conclusion.

The reporter asked me how I, an apartment dweller, can prepare for a disaster with lack of space and a limited budget.  The rest of the conversation was devoted to discussing low cost ways to prepare,  and hopefully debunk the myth that you need a lot of money to prepare.

People get ideas and form all sorts of conclusions about things they see or hear in the media.  The impression that “preppers are rich” sounds preposterous but some may be coming away with this image.  After reading Why are Preppers Hated So Much, I really hope “because they must be rich” (untrue as it is) is not added to the list.

 

Money saving tips for beginning preppers

 

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies:

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies

 

Please visit Solo Stove today and tell them Apartment Prepper sent you.


Good ideas for building a food storage plan can be found here:

 

 

Five Home Remedies that Really Work

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Being a preparedness for emergencies, includes knowledge of common home remedies for simple ailments from hiccups to sore throats.   I am not a medical professional, but a mom who knows a few homemade cures that work.  Your results may vary, and if your problem persists, please consult a doctor.

Nose or Chest Congestion

 One of my kids recently had severe congestion and this remedy really helped.

You will need:

  •  Small pot with water
  •  Bath Towel
  •  Eucalyptus oil

Bring the small pot of water to boil.  Using mitts, place the pot of steamy hot water in the sink.

Place three to four drops of eucalyptus oil into the hot water.  To avoid burning, keep your face about a foot above the steamy water.  Drape a towel over your head.  Close your eyes and inhale the fragrant steam slowly.  Keep inhaling the steam for about five minutes until the water cools.

A steamy shower is also known to help congestion, but it does waste a lot more water than the above remedy.

Warts

This remedy actually works better than many over the counter freezing solutions.  You will need the old prepper’s stand-by:  duct tape.

Thoroughly clean the wart area.  Cut a piece of duct tape slightly larger than the wart and tape it over the wart.  Rub it down.  In three days, remove the duct tape.  The wart will soften up.  File down the dead skin with a nail file or emery board.  Repeat the process until it disappears.  What happens is, the duct tape suffocates and eventually kills the wart.

Hiccups

My mom taught me this remedy for hiccups from when I was very young.  It has never failed me.  You will need:

  •  1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 small glass of water

At the first sign of hiccups, pour one teaspoon or packet of sugar into your mouth, then, while pinching your nostrils, drink it down slowly with a glass of water.  Your hiccups will be gone instantly.   Please note, this remedy is not recommended for diabetics.

Sore Throat

Mix the juice of one lemon, 1 teaspoon of honey and a cup of warm water.  Mix well until the honey is dissolved.

Drink the liquid while it’s warm.

The lemon and honey mixture will relieve your sore throat.   Please note, if you have diabetes, this remedy may be inappropriate for you.

Skin Rash

Recently my hands developed a red and itchy rash from some cleaning products.  I tried regular had lotion but it did not work.  I applied coconut oil directly on the rash.  In a few minutes the itching disappeared.  I kept applying it for two days until the redness was completely gone.

What are your favorite home remedies?  Please share in the comments below.

 

 For beginning preppers

 

ReadyMade Resources is a trusted source for your preparedness supplies:

Check out information and products available at SafeGuard Clothing, or click on the link below.

Find products that are equally functional for wilderness survival as well as urban preparedness:

Let’s Talk Trash

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Thinking about trash disposal is not the most glamorous side of emergency preparedness, but is worth some consideration and planning.   With literally tons of trash being generated daily, what would happen if garbage collection in your area were to be interrupted for a period of time?  Or if there were an economic collapse and cities could no longer afford to pay for scheduled trash pickup?  It was getting bad after Hurricane Ike, when it took about a week to 10 days for trash pickup to resume in many areas. It was such a relief when the trucks started coming around again.

If trash collection were to stop for an indefinite period of time, accumulating garbage in the streets will attract flies, rats, cockroaches and other pests.  These pests carry disease, and it will only be a matter of time before an epidemic starts to spread.

It only takes a couple of days between pickups for those apartment bins to fill up to overflowing.   Stock up on short term waste disposal supplies such as:

  • large heavy duty trash bags – lawn and leaf bags, or construction bags
  • an extra garbage can or two
  • bleach for sanitizing
  • gloves you can use for handling trash
  • insecticide for pest control

Longer Term Options

Burn it.  Burning trash is not be a good option in the city due to the danger of fire.  It would be even worse in a grid down situation, if there is no fire department available.

Bury It.  You may have to find an empty lot to bury the trash.

Composting.  You can deal with organic wastes such as food scraps, by composting.  This can be done outside if you have a yard or in a bucket.

Recycling and Repurposing.  People will find new uses for all sorts of items if the shops were closed or if they have no money to buy things.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to form new habits and minimize our garbage output.

  1. Start being conscious of how much is getting thrown out in your household.  Are you overly dependent on packaged goods such as frozen entrees?  Try cooking from scratch and you will notice how much less waste and trash it generates.
  2. Think about how you recycle or re-purpose certain items.  I save 2-liter soda bottles and 64 ounce juice bottles for water storage.  I also keep spray bottles with the plastic nozzles so I can make homemade cleaners.
  3. Minimize food trash by using up leftover food instead of throwing it out.
  4. Get into the habit of consolidating and tearing up large pieces of garbage into smaller more manageable pieces.  As a bonus benefit, you will save money by using less  garbage bags.

 

ReadyMade Resources is a trusted source for your preparedness supplies:

 

10 “Must Have” Emergency Gear for Apartment Dwellers

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A few months ago we covered 10 Fast Track Tips for the Single Apartment Prepper; this week we’ll talk about tools you should have in your apartment in case of emergency.

One of the advantages of living in an apartment is that most repairs and maintenance are covered by management.  All you have to do is make a call.  However, this does not mean that you should take things for granted and be completely dependent on the maintenance crew.  If there is an emergency, the office will be closed and you will have to take care of things on your own.

I am not going to include “cell phone” to the list, I am going to consider that you already have one.  You do keep your cell phone charged and with you at all times don’t you?  Don’t scoff, I know folks who wait until their cell phone turns off before charging, or never hear their phone ringing as it is buried somewhere.  It won’t do any good in an emergency if you can’t get to it, so remember to have it charged and close by.

Here are some essential tools (in no particular order):

1.  Swiss Army Knife.  Don’t leave home without it.  I like mine so much I now keep it with my car keys..  It has come in handy more times than I can count.

2.  Can opener.   It’ll be really hard to eat your canned foods without one.  “Two is one, and one is none” is definitely applicable to this one.  Keep a couple of good can openers in your home at all times.

3.  Multi-tool.  For anyone who is space challenged, the multi-tool that combines a screwdriver, pliers, knives can be essential for doing emergency fixes around your unit.

4.  Duct tape.  From packing up boxes to repairing tears, and even sealing up leaky windows, duct tape is essential to have around.  Keep a few spares just in case.

5.  Portable water filter.  You never know when water can become contaminated or scarce.

6.  Flashlight.  You should have a flashlight in your bedside table within easy reach.

7.  USB flash drive.   Back up your important documents in a USB flash drive.  Even if a disaster never happens, computers crash all the time.

8.  Weather radio.  We used ours a lot during the last hurricane.  When the power goes out, you still need a way to find out what’s going on.

9.  Solar Charger.  A good solar charger will charge your cell phone and other small appliances in case there is no power.  Here’s a review of one:  Goal Zero Nomad 7 solar charger

10.  Hiking shoes.  In case you have to leave the city on foot, you should keep a comfortable pair of hiking shoes.

This list is by no means all inclusive – there are many more items that are handy to have around, but these items are some of the first ones that come in handy frequently.

For more preparedness tips, read my book:

 

Check out information and products available at SafeGuard Clothing, or click on the link below.

 

 

Emergency Essentials/BePrepared
Emergency Essentials/BePrepared