Winter brings its share of challenges, from icy roads to frosty mornings. Among the most common—and potentially dangerous—are slips and falls caused by snow and ice. These accidents can lead to serious injuries, especially for older adults or individuals with mobility issues. The good news? Many of these incidents are preventable with the right strategies ... Read more...
from Prepper's Will
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Broody Hens vs. Incubators: Which is Better and Cheaper?
When the time comes to expand your flock of chickens, you’ve only got a couple of choices, assuming you don’t want to buy live babies. You can incubate eggs yourself using an incubator and then raise the chicks in a brooder, or you can let Mother Nature take care of it the way she always ... Read more
Broody Hens vs. Incubators: Which is Better and Cheaper? can be read in full at New Life On A Homestead- Be sure to check it out!
from New Life On A Homestead
Prepper Fitness: Train Like Your Life Depends On It
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The post Prepper Fitness: Train Like Your Life Depends On It appeared first on The Survival Mom.
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Tuesday, January 7, 2025
39 Household Items You Should Put In Your Bug Out Bag
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
There are a lot of lists telling you what to pack in your bug out bag, but what you won’t find on these lists are the everyday items that don’t really scream survival. Things that are cheap, weigh very little, and have multiple uses can be just as valuable as those fancy Leatherman tools.
There are plenty of household items that can be very useful in a survival scenario. When packing your bug out bag, you don’t want to waste valuable space or add unnecessary weight for one-hit-wonders. Everything that goes into your bag should serve multiple purposes.
It's easy to get carried away when you’re packing the one bag that you’re supposed to rely on to survive. The key to any good bug out bag is making it light. You don’t want it to be more than thirty pounds.
Imagine carrying your bug out bag for long periods of time over rough terrain and on little sleep with little food. A bulky bag can throw off your balance, causing a fall and a potential injury. It can be a hindrance if you’re navigating through dense forests and brush. If you’re trying to move quickly, an extra thirty pounds on your back is going to feel like a hundred.
When you’re packing your bug out bag, the goal is to keep it light, yet effective. Only essential items should make the cut. Weigh the benefit of every item against the actual weight it adds to the bag.
With all that in mind, here are some regular household items that might be worth adding to your bug out bag.
Aluminum Foil
You don’t need to carry an entire roll of aluminum foil in your pack. Tear off some squares and neatly fold them. They take up no room and weigh nothing. Store your squares in a Ziploc sandwich bag.
Baby Powder
The container that baby powder comes in is bulky. It’s better to put the powder into a sealable sandwich bag. Just to be extra careful, double bag it. You can use talcum powder or Monkey Butt powder.
Bandanas
You can keep bandanas in your backpack or wear them to save space; not that they really take up much space. Bandanas serve multiple purposes and are really a must have. It’s a good idea to have a few different colors, just in case you need to be incognito.
Black Tape / Electrical Tape
The brother to the duct tape is what is commonly known as black tape. It’s not as sticky, but it serves many uses that duct tape can’t quite fill.
Binder Clips
Those little clips that keeps papers together actually have a use outside the office. A few different sizes will ensure you have exactly what you need in an emergency.
Bobby Pins
Bobby pins need to be kept dry. Storing them in empty prescription bottles is a great way to do that. They weigh nothing and serve many uses.
Carabiners
These are cheap but serve multiple purposes. They can be clipped to the outside of your pack or even your beltloops.
Chapstick
Chapstick is another cheap and lightweight items for your bug out bag. Keep several tubes because once you use it in some of these ways, you might not want to put it on your lips again.
Charcoal
Collecting charcoal from your firepit and storing it in a pill bottle or Ziploc bag will come in handy later. You could buy activated charcoal capsules as well.
Coffee Filters
Coffee filters can be bulky if you stick the whole pack in your bag, but you can take twenty or so out, fold them flat and stuff in bag to use when needed.
Condoms
Condoms may not seem like a survival tool, but they are. Obviously they can be used as intended to keep from making a survival situation more stressful, but they can also be used in other ways like they are listed here.
Cotton Swabs / Q-tips
Store some cotton swabs in an Altoid tin or a Ziploc to keep them dry. Wet Q-tips are not helpful.
Dryer Lint
Dryer lint is free tinder. Store some in Ziploc bags or old pill bottles. Both the bag and bottle can be reused for other purposes. Each time you clean the lint trap, save the lint.
Duct Tape
Everyone knows how multipurpose duct tape is. It is probably one of the most important survival tools you can keep in your bag. There is a quality difference, so this is one of those items you want to splurge on to buy the good stuff.
Emergency Blanket
Again, quality matters. Once you unfold one of these, you’re not going to get it back into the tiny little square they are packaged in. The blankets serve many, many purposes. You’ll want to have several in your bag.
Fishing Line
You’ll want plenty of fishing line for fishing, but it can also serve other purposes if you’re in a survival situation. Go with a stronger line because it will have more uses.
Floss
Floss isn't just for dental hygiene. To save space, you can remove the roll from the plastic container and store in a pill bottle, allowing you to store several rolls. It’s a cheap, useful tool that can save your life.
Glow Sticks
Those fun little sticks the kids love can also be used for survival. They are lightweight and you can buy in bulk for every cheap.
Hand Sanitizer
Bottles of hand sanitizer can be a little cumbersome, but fortunately, a little goes a long way. Not only can use it as it is intended to clean your hands, but it serves other purposes as well.
Pantyhose
They aren’t just for looks. Don’t throw away old pantyhose. Save them to use for survival. Stuff these in a pocket in the pack or store in a Ziploc bag to keep dry.
Paperclips
A box of one hundred paperclips is only a buck or so. Take them out of the box and divide them into a few pockets. They serve many, many needs and should be a part of every bug out bag.
Paracord
Every survivalist knows the value of paracord. You can keep the cordage in your bag or save space by wearing it on your wrist or clipped to the outside or inside of your bag in a keychain form.
Plastic Bags
If you’re in a state that still gives you plastic bags, you probably already use them around the house. You’ll want to add a few more to your bug out bag as well.
Ponchos
Again, you can buy ponchos as the dollar store, but you would be better off buying higher quality for just a little more. Buy in bulk to save some money. They don’t typically last more than a couple of uses so you’ll want to have a few in your pack.
Ranger Bands
Ranger bands aren’t too common, but you want them. Buy in bulk. You can wear them on your wrist or stuff in your pack. You absolutely need to have a handful of these in your bag.
Rubber Bands
Big or small, rubber bands deserve a spot in your bug out bag. You can buy a bag for cheap. Use the rubber bands in your bag to keep gear organized.
Safety Pin
Safety pins can be stored in an Altoid tin or loose in a pocket. It’s a good idea to have a few different sizes to use for different reasons.
Sewing Kit
You can put together your own sewing kit or buy one. Putting together a sewing kit in an Altoid can or sticking it in old pill bottles will keep things dry and you won’t have to worry about loose needles.
Shoelaces
Your shoes are going to be very useful and you want to make sure they stay on your feet. Packing a few extra shoelaces will also help with other tasks.
Snare Wire
Obviously you’ll want snare wire to set snares, but there are many other ways you can use it to justify keeping it in your bag. You’ll want to keep it dry, so yet another sandwich bag.
Socks
Again, socks are important in general because your feet are going to be some of your most valuable tools in a survival situation. Store a couple of extra pairs for survival uses as well as making sure your feet are always dry.
Steel Wool
Steel wool can be a little bulky, but it's almost weightless. Find a space for it in your bag. As usual, store in a plastic bag or stuff it in a pill bottle.
Super Glue
With super glue, you can buy the cheap stuff. A few packs along with at least one of the name brand tubes will save your bacon in many situations.
Tampons
A couple of tampons might not be useful in the way they were intended, but they can be useful in survival as well.
Trash Bags
By trash bags, I'm talking about typical kitchen bags. However, it’s a good idea to pack some of the thicker lawn bags for other uses.
Vaseline
A small container of Vaseline is worth the space in your bag because it has so many uses. It will make your life easier.
Wet Wipes
Wet wipes are great for cleaning your hands, but they also serve other purposes. Hygiene is crucial in survival. But wipes can be used for other things as well.
Zip Ties
Zip ties are another prepper favorite because they have so many uses. You can buy the cheap ones, but you’ll also want to have some of the higher quality ones for some of the other uses.
Ziploc Bags
Throughout the list, we’ve said store your stuff in Ziploc bags. It’s a good idea to toss a few more in for future use as well. A variety of sizes is a good idea. And yes, quality matters. Maybe a couple cheap ones and a few from a brand known for quality.
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The post 39 Household Items You Should Put In Your Bug Out Bag appeared first on Urban Survival Site.
from Urban Survival Site
What You Need in Your Car for Winter
Today, it’s all about what you need in your car for winter. Did you know it’s a good idea to have specific items packed in your vehicle during winter?
A lot can happen when the temperature drops and the roads become hazardous due to snow, ice, rain, and sleet. You don’t want to end up stranded in your vehicle with nothing available to keep you comfortable and safe while waiting for help.
What You Need in Your Car for Winter
Because rough conditions can make it challenging for help to arrive, you don’t know how long you’ll need to wait in the car until someone can get to you and provide assistance. You’ll feel more at ease if you have the right essentials stored in your vehicle.
Make sure you have items packed for each person who’d typically ride in the car with you, such as your significant other and children.
Blankets
It’s always beneficial to have a supply of blankets in your vehicle. During those cold winter months, you could find yourself not only cold but dangerously so. If someone in the car gets chilly, you’ll have a blanket available for them to use.
If the heat stops working and you find yourself stranded while waiting for assistance, you don’t want to be unprepared and subject to severe exposure due to the elements.
So, ensure you’re protected from the cold weather by using heavy-duty blankets to stay warm. You can fold these blankets and have them in a convenient storage tote bag that you can put in the backseat of the car or the trunk, whichever you prefer.
Be sure to have a minimum of three blankets to use and more than that if you’re traveling with multiple passengers.
Flashlights with Batteries
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to evaluate your surroundings or check your vehicle’s condition, it helps to have flashlights with workable batteries. Always ensure you have some backup batteries to use just in case the ones inside the flashlight have died out.
You may think bigger flashlights are better, but they are not so much anymore. Then, you can conveniently fit them in the back of your vehicle or the trunk, keeping them with the blankets and other items you’ll keep in the car for winter.
Matt, in our comment forum, a good friend of mine suggested this brand of flashlights; this is the first one I purchased. I will buy as much as I can. OLIGHT, but I want this one, OLIGHT
Change of Clothes
Always have at least one pair of clothes you can change into inside the vehicle. Then, if you’ve had to exit the car for some reason, or something spills or gets all over you, you can take off the wet clothes, place them in a plastic bag, and put on your clean, dry clothes to feel comfortable again.
You wouldn’t want to get stuck sitting in cold, wet, or soiled clothing for hours. Of course, when you’re packing a change of clothes, pack something you won’t need in the short term since it will sit in the car most of the time.
A pair of jeans or sweatpants with a warm shirt and sweater should suffice unless you feel an extra coat would provide the additional protection you may want.
Extra Gloves
Pack some extra warm and protective gloves to have with you in the car. If you get stuck and need to wait for help, or you get stuck and need to exit the vehicle as you work to get the car up and going again, you might need to put on an extra pair of gloves as your fingers start to get exposed to the cold air and possibly wet conditions.
Excessive exposure to freezing temperatures could easily cause frostbite that you don’t want to experience. As a result, it pays to be safe by packing comfortable and durable gloves that will keep your fingers warm.
Emergency Car Kit
I have two of these bags that I made into a car kit for emergencies, and they are secured in the back of my Honda CRV. My Dewalt tool kit is my first aid kit, and I added the RED first aid symbol so people would hopefully realize I do not have expensive DeWalt tools in it. I love these Husky Tool Bags.
Road Flares
Have some road flares in the car to set outside when dealing with an emergency. It’s one of the best ways to draw attention to yourself when you need help but also alert others that you are there if visibility is reduced due to a storm.
People are more likely to notice the flares and then come to your vehicle to check on things. It’s also an excellent way to let the tow truck or the person you’re waiting for figure out where you are from the location you’ve given them because they can see the road flares from a distance.
You can buy road flares online, have them shipped directly to you, and place them in your car for emergencies. These work for me. Emergency Flares
Kitty Litter and a Small Shovel
Some people don’t realize it, but kitty litter can help a car’s tires gain more traction. You spread the kitty litter as far under and in front of the traction wheels and let it sit for a minute or two.
It should give those wheels some extra traction to get out of that “stuck” situation unless you are in so deep you’ll need an extra assist. That’s where the small shovel comes in.
Use the shovel to remove the snow in front of and behind the wheels so you can apply the kitty litter and rock the car enough for it to get the necessary traction.
First-Aid Kit
I had a friend who is a professional photographer take the two pictures of my PLANO Fishing Tackle Box below (which is no longer available), so this is why they have a black background.
Closed:
Open:
It always pays off to have a first-aid kit in your car. You can buy a first-aid kit or prepare one by adding items to a plastic container. Some of the things you should have in the first-aid kit include:
- Rubbing alcohol packets
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Gauze
- Bandages
- Benadryl
- Topical ointment
- Scissors
- Other essentials
These items get put to good use when you’re dealing with injuries or other issues and you can’t get help right away.
Even if you’re not in pain or dealing with a severe injury, someone else in your vehicle may end up in that situation, and you can make sure you’re fully prepared for the most unexpected challenges that can happen while out on the road.
Here is what the inside of the fishing tackle looks like; this will give you ideas on what YOU need in your emergency first aid kit for your car or truck. In case you missed this post, First Aid: What You Need To Survive.
Hand and Foot Warmers
Kylie reminded me about having hand and foot warmers in the car. You can pick them up at the dollar stores or even Sam’s Club or Costco. Hand and Foot Warmers. You remove the hand warmer from the packaging, shake it, and in 15-30 minutes it will warm your hands and feet for up to 10 hours. They are for one-time use.
Personal Hygiene Items
After we empty one of our #10 cans, which are approximately six inches in diameter and nine inches tall, we should never throw them out. If you are like me…I think to myself, “I might need this for something”! So, I stash them in the pantry or garage. Well, I have read in the newspaper that cars with adults, toddlers, and babies are sometimes stranded for hours on a highway.
All you need is the #10 can with the lid, some 4-gallon garbage bags, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and some Toilet Deodorizer or some Biffy Bags are good to go, literally! Leanne reminded me about a piece of cloth for privacy; if you don’t have some cloth, consider getting a small popup tent for the occasion. Small Popup Tent
Non-Perishable Food and Water
If you get stuck in a situation where you can’t move your vehicle and have to wait for help, having non-perishable food and water in your car will be useful.
Be sure to have several options available, including protein bars, granola bars, a peanut butter container, trail mix, and other items that can provide you with protein, vitamins, and nutrients.
Hazel mentioned some comfort candy, like chocolate or just candy! Maybe M&M’s would be awesome unless the car gets hot.
If the items will be in the car for an extended period, be sure to rotate the food items from time to time so they stay as fresh as possible.
It’s also a good idea to have a pack of bottled water available to drink. While you may not expect to get stuck and stranded, you don’t know what could happen, so it’s best to be prepared for what could happen just in case.
12 – Volt Air Compressor
A 12-volt air compressor is a must. Last summer I experienced a flat tire while heading home from a quick Wal-Mart trip. Thank goodness my granddaughter was with me to help with the tire change tasks.
Our challenge was having a spare tire that had gone flat since the last time we had the car serviced and the tires checked out. Without that 12-volt air compressor to plug into the car’s 12-volt outlet and use to pump up the spare, we would have been in a world of hurt!
Having a pair of work gloves in the car also proved very helpful. Working with that lug wrench was hard on the hands, so the gloves were lifesaving.
Although we didn’t need one, a tire plug set (buy them cheaply at Wal-Mart) may be something you consider having if you need a quick and temporary tire repair you can perform on the spot. 12 Volt Car Tire Pump Compressor
Window Break Tool
If you get locked out of your car, the doors become frozen shut, or the door lock mechanisms won’t work for some reason, you may need to use a car window break tool to get into or out of the vehicle.
We all hope we don’t have to face this type of situation, but we see emergencies where car occupants can’t get out of a vehicle on the news.
This tool could prove the difference between life and death. It is worth having in your emergency supplies as you prepare the car for winter travel or a fun weekend road trip.
Cash/Small Bills
This is one that’s been critical from the time I started driving. My dad made me keep $5.00 in the car if I got stranded. At the time $5.00 was a lot of money, it wouldn’t go far today! That was back in 1966, driving my 1951 Chevy to school and work.
You need to decide how much you feel comfortable putting in your car, it would be way more than $5.00, these days. Anyway, slip some cash in small bills, in your wallet, purse, or another place in your car to keep it in case of emergencies. It would be enough to fill your car with gas and buy food and water to get you to a safe place.
Entertainment Items
If you are like me, you have been stranded a time or two due to car accidents, icy roads, or snow-packed roads. Mark and I were parked on a California main road between Barstow, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada for three hours. It got boring; people were thirsty, hungry, and frustrated.
If you are stuck for 3-4 hours on the highway, it would be nice to have something to help time pass a bit faster, playing cards, reading books, or whatever.
Final Word
Be sure to have these essential items in your car during winter. You don’t know when they might come in handy. Be safe instead of sorry by packing a bag full of these essential items, including a first-aid kit, non-perishable food, heavy blankets, and more.
It doesn’t hurt to have these items readily available and easily accessible, especially during the winter when the roads are wet and slippery.
If you’re prepared for the hazardous road conditions, you can stay safe while waiting for help if you ever need it. May God Bless this world, Linda
The post What You Need in Your Car for Winter appeared first on Food Storage Moms.
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