Emergency Preparedness Tip: Survival Books

How much of our information do we get from the internet these days?  Typically when we have a question about how to do or make something, we grab our laptop or phone.  In an emergency/disaster situation, chances are we will lose power, cell phone service and/or the internet.  It's a pretty good idea to have a survival book or two on your shelves.  I picked mine up at a thrift store for $1 each.  I keep them in a bucket in my storage room along with some tarps, a small hammer, a fire-starter and a few other emergency items. 

It reminds me of the line from The Walking Dead, "If I had known the world was ending, I'd have brought better books."  I'm sure if or when disaster strikes and people are forced into a short or long term survival situation most of us with common sense could figure things out.  But just like anything else, you can figure things out by trial and error, or you can do it right the first time by using instructions. 

These books can teach you things like building shelter, sanitizing water to drink, starting a fire, plants that are edible, first aid, heating your house and cooking without power...  Some books are about wilderness survival, some are about dealing with emergencies in a city.   It's a buck.  It takes up very little space in your house.  It could save your life or at least make your life easier in a stressful situation.  Why not?

Crockpot Black Beans

I've made a goal to use up as many beans, rice, etc that I can from my food storage before I move. It will help save grocery money during these next six weeks and it will be less obnoxious boxes for me to move. Juice and pop bottles are how I store my rice, beans, sugar and other food storage items. You can see, even a 20 oz pop bottle will hold a pound of dried beans. These bottles are bug proof and cheap :)

Crockpot beans need to be started the night before. Beans made this way are so simple and are so much cheaper than canned. The first thing you want to do with your beans before you cook them is sort them and wash them in cold water. Look at all the "stuff" I found in this little bottle of beans. You definitely wanna sort them. LOL

After you've sorted and rinsed your beans, put them in some sort of container with a bunch of water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, drain the water off, rinse them well and place in your crockpot. Fill the crockpot up most of the way with water and cook on low all day. That's it! Beans are so easy and they freeze super well. You can sort them into can-sized portions, place in ziplock bags and freeze. This pound made enough beans for dinner (with leftovers) and a good-sized bagful for another meal.

72 Hour Kits Tips and Hints

 I feel really strongly about having 72 Hour Kits in our home and I pray we never have to use them! This week I'd just like to share some tips and hints for your kits!

Now that you know what goes into a 72 kit, let's talk about the perfect container. Rolling backpacks are absolutely the best thing you can use, especially for kids' kits. We use old school backpacks for the kids and larger thrift store found backpacks for the adult and car kits. The smaller the kid, the smaller the backpack. The reason I use rolling backpacks is so they can be thrown on the back if walking over rough terrain, but they can also be rolled for long distances. Bottles full of water get heavy after a short while! My car kit is extremely heavy and I know I wouldn't be able to carry it very far at all. I know of people that keep their 72 hr kits in a 5 gallon bucket. How far could you carry a 5 gallon bucket full of food and water? How far could your kids carry it? Make sure whatever you use for your kit can be easily carried by the person it's intended for.

Some people put off having 72 hr kits because they don't know where to store them. Whether I've been in a big house or a small house I've been able to find a closet bottom to keep the kits in. The backpacks actually stack up pretty nicely.

They take up very little space at all and the bottom of a coat closet is a perfect home for them! Wherever you keep them, just make sure they are easily accessible and that everyone in the house knows where they are.

Every year when I rotate our kits I include the kids in the putting back together part. That way they know what everything is and what it's used for. We discuss why we need the kits and under what circumstances they might need them. It makes for a good family home evening on preparedness and the kids are less fearful of natural disasters if they know they are prepared.

This is all the food that had to be replaced in our kits this year. It costs me about $80 to replace our 72 hr kit food each year. That's for one adult kit, three kids' kits and a car kit. Really $80 a year isn't a bad investment for the peace of mind having these kits gives my family. And not all of it goes into the garbage. Much of the food and water is not expired and only close-dated, which means we use the fruit cups in lunches, munch the jerky, eat tuna casserole, etc. The food and water in my car kit does go in the garbage each year though, just because of the extreme temperatures we have here in Utah. We have everything from blizzards to 100 degree weather and sometimes that's in the same month...  I figure better safe than sorry and all food and water from my car kit is thrown away.

This is what my living room looks like during the couple of days we work on our kits. I usually take one day to open all the kits, sort the food and make lists of foods and medicines that need to be replaced. And then a day or two later after I've purchased all the provisions the kids and I put them back together.

Something to entertain yourselves is often overlooked while putting together kits. I don't know about you, but the idea of being stuck with my kids for days in a make-shift shelter or my car doesn't sound very appalling. A deck of cards, a notebook w/pen, comfort-type foods, etc. are all a good idea.

Money is also a good idea. Each of our kids' kits have $5 and mine has $15. This isn't a large enough amount that I have to worry about having cash in the backpacks, but it's enough to get me a bit of gas or other necessities if needed. I keep my cash in a mini mint tin. It tucks right into a pocket and is pretty protected. I have 2 $5 bills and 5 ones. Smaller change could come in handy, you never know.


Another thing I've mentioned in past postings, but want to mention again is copies of your important documents such as birth certificates, shot records, drivers licenses, military ID cards, etc. Also when you update your kit each year, update your emergency phone list. Include your own home address and phone numbers on the list. I also keep a list of social security numbers and the phone number for our bank. Copies of insurance cards are also fabulous to have. Security-wise, I don't keep these things in my car kit other than my drivers license copies and phone numbers, but we do have them in each kit in our house. This information could be extremely useful to you if you had to evacuate and in a situation like that, you wouldn't usually think to or want to take the time to grab your important documents like birth certificates.

I hope you've learned something about emergency preparedness during these last few weeks. I know that "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D & C 38:30). 72 hr kits are just one aspect of being prepared for emergencies and disasters, but it's a great place to start!

72 Hour Kits

72 Hour Kits are basically used for any type of emergency situation in which you will not be able to get help within the first day or two... earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc.  You may need to evacuate with them or you may need them inside your house.  You will want a kit for each member of your family.

The above picture shows the contents of Caleb's kit. You can see that the kids' kits are a smaller version of the adult and/or car kits. I use smaller water bottles just because water is so heavy. Each kid has a mini first aid kit basically just containing band-aids and wipes .

 Alyssa's also contains allergy medication because she has pretty severe allergy problems. They each have a small fleece blanket (from the dollar store) and a mylar blanket. They have a heavy duty light stick, a flashlight and a liquid candle. Each kid kit has $5 emergency cash, a copy of their birth certificate and shot records, an emergency phone number and social security number list, the phone number of our bank and copies of their parents driver's licenses and military IDs. If my kids had to evacuate when I wasn't home or if we were separated, I'd want them to have all the available info they would need to track me down.

This is the newly purchased food for the kids' kits. The tuna fish and jerky usually have a longer shelf life and I didn't need to replace those this year for the kids. I put everything in ziplock bags. Granola bars were also placed in their kits and they each got a package of gummy worms (comfort food that doesn't melt or make you too thirsty).

This is the hygiene bag from my kit.

Really you just need the basics.

This is the first aid kit from my kit. Pretty simple and yet it has most everything we would need.


Each person has a pair of socks and underwear, a wash cloth, food, water, etc. Check out the list from last time and it pretty much applies here.

72 Hour Kits for Your Car

I wanted to focus on 72 hr kits for your car. This is something often overlooked when putting together 72 hr kits, but how many of us are home all the time? Or even most of the time? In case of a tornado, earthquake, flood or even an emergency evacuation situation wouldn't it be nice to know you are prepared if you're caught in your car or anywhere your car is with you such as work or running errands.

This is what was inside of my kit when I opened it to rotate it this year. I store all of this in a big back pack with wheels. It is a heavy bag and I'm a wimp. I don't know how my 6th grader carries her massive back pack every day, but I'm not that strong so I need to know that I can move it if necessary, so wheels are a must! But I do like the fact it has straps if it needed to be carried. I bought my car 72 hr kit back pack at a thrift store for $5. It's really large and roomy.

You'll want to cater your kit to your own family's size and needs. This is what mine contains:

-water
-food (ready to serve rice w/veggies, tuna fish/salmon packets, peanut butter, pork and beans, spam, energy bars, granola bars, fruit snacks, candy)
-mini first aid kit (I have a larger one in the trunk separate from this kit)
-a rain poncho for each of us
-mylar blankets for each of us
-2 shaking flashlights (if you use battery operated flashlights, don't store the batteries in the flashlights)
-bright colored rope/utility line
-hand warmers (I found awesome reusable ones at the dollar store this winter)
-compass
-copies of mine and my husband's drivers licenses & military IDs
-list of important phone numbers, etc
-baby wipes & antibacterial wipes
-hand sanitzer
-toothbrushes/toothpaste for each of us
-pain & allergy medication
-throat drops & eye drops (both are good in case of flying debris/dust)
-soap & wash cloth
-toilet paper/tissues
-feminine hygiene products
-lighter/matches & candle (in a tin so it won't melt)

I separate like items into ziplock bags. This keep things from leaking on each other and/or making your food taste like soap, etc. If you think something could leak, it probably will, especially in a climate like ours where this thing will be in below freezing and over 100 degree weather during the year. This April we've had snow storms and 70+ degree weather... you just never know in Utah. So... you need to put things in the car that are ok in changing temperatures.

I love using liquid candles in 72 hr kits, but I learned to not use them in my car kit. They leaked everywhere. Thank goodness they were in a bag!

I opted this time for a lovely smelling candle in a tin. That way if it melts it will be contained.


I always put the bottled water and other heavy items in the bottom of the bag for obvious reasons. We have four members of the family that would most likely be in the car, so I have eight water bottles. I also keep a couple of 2 liter soda-pop bottles full of water in the trunk too. It's not quite as fresh as these, but in an emergency situation it'll be appreciated.

The front pocket is where I slide the things I'd probably need first, such as flashlights, rain ponchos, a compass (if I really knew how to use it then it might be more of a benefit to me).

You can see how much you can fit into a ziplock bag. I love using the rice and tuna pouches in 72 hr kits because they are ready to eat, they're relatively cheap and they don't take up much space.

In one gallon sized bag I have six tuna/salmon pouches, two rice pouches and two things of jerky.

Here it is all in it's little home.

When I rotate my regular 72 hr kits, we eat most of the food and drink the water. In my car kit I throw it away because of the temperature changes it's been through. It seems like a waste to throw away so much food each year when I change it, but it goes back to the insurance thing. It's a necessary expense that you don't appreciate until you really need it.

Mini 72 Hour Kits

If you have no other emergency preparedness items in your home, please, please put together 72 hour kits. In any sort of natural disaster or evacuation, these could be life saving! It is said that in an emergency disaster situation it will take 72 hours for help to reach you. I have 72 hour kits in my home. I have one in my car and my kids even belong to a fabulous school where they have them there. We live a mile from a major earthquake fault line and not just a fault line, one that is hundreds of years past due for a huge quake.

We also live in a place where unexpected storms are common. Last year my husband and I were stuck in our car for hours and finally had to hike it in a blizzard to get home to the kids. In that same storm there were people stranded at our school that had to rely on their 72 hour kits. No matter where you live it's a good idea to have at least one. I'd like to show you that they can be simple and actually kind of fun to put together.

Today I want to talk about mini 72 hour kits. These are simple, they're inexpensive and they're a good way to start if you don't have the money to put together full blown kits.

Everything in a mini 72 hour kit fits nicely into a one gallon-sized or two gallon-sized ziplock bag. These are the types of kits we have at our school and if you don't have regular 72 hour kits in your home, they can be a great alternative until you can get your larger ones completed. Think of a 72 hour kit as an insurance policy. It costs you money and sometimes it seems like a waste, but when you need it, boy you're glad it's there! If you were involved in a disaster or if you needed to be evacuated for any reason, wouldn't it be nice to know this was there just waiting for you to grab and go?

One Gallon Kit

tuna fish pouch ($1 at Walmart)
salmon pouch ($1 at Walmart)
beef jerky ($1 at DollarTree)
granola bar
2 20 oz bottles of water
hooded poncho ($1 at Walmart or DollarTree)
mylar blanket ($2 at Walmart)
whistle ($1)
travel roll of toilet paper ($1 at Walmart)
mini first aid kit ($1 at Walmart)
flashlight (the shaking kind is best) (under $5)
hand sanitizer (.50 at Walmart)



2 Gallon Kit

tuna fish pouch ($1 at Walmart)
salmon pouch ($1 at Walmart)
beef jerky ($1 at DollarTree)
3 granola bars
3 20 oz bottles of water
hooded poncho ($1 at Walmart or DollarTree)
mylar blanket ($2 at Walmart)
whistle ($1)
travel roll of toilet paper ($1 at Walmart)
mini first aid kit ($1 at Walmart)
flashlight (the shaking kind is best) (under $5)
hand sanitizer (.50 at Walmart)
emergency glow stick ($1-2 at Walmart)
3 fruit cups ($1.50 at Walmart)
3 veggie cups ($1.50 at Walmart)
3 plastic spoons
fruit snacks
handi wipes
small tissue pack
pack of gum

Everything in a mini kit can be later transferred to a regular-sized kit, so it's not a bad place to start. I check and rotate my kits once a year. Tuna fish and salmon pouches usually last two or more years, so they don't have to be changed as often.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza... one for now and more for the freezer

PIZZA CRUST
This is a simple recipe I got at a home-ec class. You can double or triple the recipe to bake one now and freeze the other(s) for another day.

1 pkg yeast
1 c warm water
2 ½ c flour (whole wheat works great)
2 T oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let rest for five minutes before stretching onto a cornmeal-sprinkled pizza pan. Bake at 475 for 5 minutes then top with your favorite sauce, toppings and cheese or if you're like my kids, just sauce and cheese... LOL Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crust is done and cheese is hot and bubbly.

For frozen pizzas:
Cover your pizza pan with tin foil. Leave the tin foil long enough you'll be able to wrap it up and around the pizza. Sprinkle the foil with cornmeal. Press your crust onto the pan. Bake at 475 for 5 minutes. Add the sauce and toppings. Cover the whole pizza with tin foil. You can add plastic wrap around that if you like for extra protection against freezer burn. Place the pizza flat to freeze. Once frozen you can stand it up on it's side. To cook, do not thaw. Remove from freezer, unwrap, place on your pizza pan and bake at 475 checking after 15 minutes. They come out just as delicious as fresh!


NO YEAST PIZZA CRUST
One day I planned pizza for dinner, and realized I had no yeast. I found a quick pizza dough recipe and altered it (of course, because I’m not capable of keeping a recipe “as is”). I was surprised at how delicious it turned out.

2 c flour
2/3 c milk
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ c oil
1 T honey

Preheat oven to 475. Combine all ingredients. Stir until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl. Gently knead 10 times to get everything mixed fully. Roll out onto your cornmeal-sprinkled pizza pan. Brush with olive oil (I like to use garlic olive oil). Bake 5 minutes. Top with sauce, toppings and cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is hot and bubbly.

And WOW! I ground my own wheat for the first time. I swore I was never going to grind wheat... LOL and then as I was making pizza crusts I realized I was out of flour. I went down to my food storage room to get some and I was all out there too! But I had several cans of wheat my (now ex) mother-in-law had given me years ago. When she gave me wheat I was like... um... what do you want me to do with it. So she bought me a wheat grinder for a couple hundred dollars which has stayed in it's box until now. It was really simple to use, so I figured I'll keep grinding wheat until it's gone. Then I don't have to lug cans of wheat if I move again.

It was so simple the kids were doing it too. The instructions cracked me up. There were lots of warnings about not grinding grain with nails in them. Is this normally a problem? I don't know why there would be nails in wheat, first off and second, why would someone want to grind them up in their food if the nails were there? Weird!

Round out your homemade cheese pizza with broccoli and cheese sauce and your kids will love you! Caleb said it was so good that I should be on tv teaching everyone how to make it.  He's seven and pizza is his very favorite food.