47 Easy DIY Survival Projects

47 Easy DIY Survival Projects
How to Quickly Get Your Family Prepared

for Emergencies in Only Ten Minutes a Day
by Damian Brindle
Copyright © 2018
All Rights Reserved
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Disclaimer
The material covered within is for informational purposes only. I take no responsibility for what you
do with this knowledge and I cannot be held responsible for any property or medical damages caused
by the items or information you read about within. I would advise you to check your local laws as it's
possible that some of the items or advice I offer may be illegal in some areas, and I would highly
advise you against their use in said areas. Moreover, by using any information or material found
within, you assume all risks for the material covered. You agree to indemnify, hold harmless, and
defend the author, Damian Brindle, from all claims and damages arising from the use, possession or
consequences of the information covered. By taking and/or using any informational resources found
within, you agree that you will use this information in a safe and legal manner, consistent with all
applicable laws, safety rules, and good common sense. You further agree that you will take such steps
as may be reasonably necessary or required by applicable law to keep any information out of the
hands of minors as well as untrained and/or irresponsible individuals.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction (Notes to Readers, Plus Free Stuff)
How Easy Will This Really Be?
8 General Survival Projects
5 DIY Water Projects
8 DIY Food Projects
5 DIY Cooking Projects
7 DIY Safety and Security Projects
4 DIY Hygiene Projects
5 “Get Ready to Evacuate” Projects
5 Miscellaneous Projects
DIY Survival Projects Recap
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Introduction (Notes to Readers, Plus Free Stuff)
This book is intended to provide useful, actionable survival strategies as
quickly as possible. As such, it’s written to be fast to read and includes
minimal images—with links to buy referenced products to be provided as
needed—so that it remains small to download.
Grab Your Free 47-Point Checklist
Odds are that you won’t remember everything discussed when you’re done
reading this book. To make your life easier I’ve created a free, easy-to-
reference 47-point DIY survival projects checklist which you can download
that outlines everything discussed herein. You'll find a link to it here (so that
you can follow along if you like) as well as at the end of this book, but
please do read the entire book first.
Now, download your free, easy-to-reference DIY survival projects checklist
here.
Prepare Yourself for Natural Disaster in Only 5 Minutes
Since you clearly have an interest in DIY survival projects, I want to share
with you my unique 5 Minute Survival Blueprint where you'll discover just
how to keep your family safe and secure from disasters of all kinds in only
5 minutes a day, fast, easy, and inexpensively.
More Survival Books You’ll Enjoy
If you liked what you read when finished, you can find more survival books
I’ve written here.
This Book’s Tone
As noted before, this book is written in a quick, simple, easy to read format.
Hence, it is presented in a “Conversational” form and not one that is
intended to be grammatically correct. Getting YOU and your family ready
for emergencies is the sole focus of this book.
And My Thanks…
I also want to thank those folks who took the time to review this book, to
offer their own suggestions, and to correct my mistakes… you know who
you are.
How Easy Will This Really Be?
Do you have 470 minutes to spare? That’s just under eight hours, barely a
working day for most folks. You don’t have that kind of time, you say?
Sure, you do… if you spread it out ten minutes at a time.
In fact, if you choose to do just one of these projects each day you’ll be
done in about a month and a half. But if you work on several in a day, such
as over the weekend, you’ll be done that much faster and better prepared as
well. That’s not so bad when it’s your family’s safety and potential survival
that we’re talking about.
Best of all, when you’re finished you’ll have completed a wide variety of
survival projects, everything from increasing your water supply to making
DIY cleaners, creating a bug out bag, a makeshift stove, documenting your
possessions, and plenty more.
There are really dozens of easy-to-tackle projects found within and if
you’ve been procrastinating getting yourself and your family prepared, now
is the time to make it happen. This book will be your guide to getting better
prepared for emergencies without even realizing it, all via dozens of fun and
useful DIY projects.
Realize, too, that this book merely touches upon what you can and should
do to better your family’s survival. It’s meant to perk your interest, if you
will, in survival and get you to begin to realize what you can do.
In fact, my family survival program, The 12 Pillars of Survival, takes many
of these ideas and expands upon them (as well as many other survival
actions) quite a bit. If you’re truly wanting to supercharge your
preparedness, the 12 Pillars of Survival program is how to make that
happen.
Of course, I’m sure you’re wanting to know whether these projects can
REALLY be done in ten minutes or less?
The short answer is: yes, most of them can be done in a very short period.
Others may only take a few minutes to get started and then you’re just
waiting for it to finish, in which case you should go start another project.
There are a few projects, I’ll admit, which may take you a bit longer to
accomplish. The ideas, however, can be understood and begin to be
implemented in less than ten minutes.
Now, in no particular order, yet categorized for ease of reference, let’s get
on to the list of DIY survival projects you should get started on today…
Start an Emergency Binder
I talk extensively about the importance of (as well as how to) create an
emergency binder inside my family survival program mentioned earlier.
Inside I offer a wide variety of tools to add to your binder, including several
bug out documents, a detailed fire escape plan, assorted checklists, and
more. I recognize, however, that this amount of information can be
overwhelming for some. So, instead of trying to include everything that I
suggest within my survival program, you can start your own binder and add
information as you see fit.
Begin by including basic information, such as emergency phone numbers
for your smartphone (discussed later), basic evacuation details (e.g.,
locations, routes, supplies to take, etc.), food pantry inventory, a fire escape
plan, information about your pets (including photos and vaccination
records), or really anything you may find useful for your family’s
preparedness. You don’t need to go overboard here, just keep adding
documents and information as they become useful to you and be sure to
separate the contents with binder tabs so appropriate information can be
quickly found.
While any binder may suffice, I prefer to use a brightly colored binder (red
is great, mine is partly red on the outside) so that it’s easily recognized by
all family members during an emergency. If you can’t buy a red binder then
perhaps painting the front with a red cross or using red tape, for example,
would make it stand out, but that’s not a requirement whatsoever. Here’s
what I use, it’s a zippered binder which makes it even easier to contain
everything:
Ensure everyone in the family knows where to find the binder so that it’s
readily accessible. Perhaps a highly-trafficked location such as the kitchen
would be advisable. That said, you may well have some sensitive personal
information inside which you wouldn’t want easily accessible to non-family
members. In this case, find a more suitable spot, but I wouldn’t lock it away
in a safe either since this binder is meant to be quickly accessible during a
disaster.
Now, go grab a binder, toss in some divider tabs, and start adding useful
documents. Let me give you a few examples of what can be included right
now...
Compile Insurance Policies and Phone Numbers
While I encourage you to add insurance numbers and information to your
smartphone (as I’ll discuss later) I would also encourage you to create a
hardcopy list to add to your emergency binder as well.
Be sure to include all important insurance policy numbers and associated
phone numbers (include agent names if applicable), such as home, auto,
health, life, renter’s, and business to name the most common, as well as any
riders not typically included, such as for firearms, jewelry, and computer
equipment.
FYI: This is probably also a good time to review your current coverages to
ensure they still meet your needs because circumstances do change over
time.
List Prescription Drugs and Dosages
For each person in the family, list all prescription drugs, dosages, reason for
use, as well as the prescribing doctor and pharmacist. Date the list and
update when major changes occur. Finally, print off the list and include it in
your binder as well.
It couldn’t hurt to also add this information to your smartphone in a note
associated with the doctor’s or pharmacist’s number in case you need to
reference it while on the go. Remember that sometimes even the simplest of
information which you “swear you’ll never forget” can quickly become
forgotten when you’re stressed or pressed for time. Make your life easier
later and compile this information now.
Complete the “One Pager” Document
One of the many bonus files I offer with my family survival program is
what I call the “One Pager” document since it includes all the important
“need to know” emergency details about your family, including utilities
phone numbers, emergency contacts, special needs, medications, and more.
This tool is meant to be completed and posted on your refrigerator or other
highly visible location for reference by family members or a babysitter, for
example.
Ultimately, I don’t want you to be left out on a tool that I feel every family
should have. As such, when you grab the 47-point DIY survival projects
checklist, I’ll also give you the opportunity to download this “One Pager”
tool at that time as well. Please do take the time to complete it (or to
duplicate the idea on your own) so your family is that much more prepared
for personal emergencies. Though not filled out yet, here’s what it looks
like, so you know what I’m talking about:
Take Photos of Household Possessions
A thorough detailing of your home and possessions on paper is always a
good idea but, let’s face it, doing so is a lot of work! I’ve done this in the
past and attempting to detail brands and models along with age and costs is
a nightmare to say the least.
Sadly, I doubt most insurance companies even care. That said, it’s still good
to have something that can jog your memory or to act as proof should you
ever need to recall what you owned after, say, a devastating house fire or
tornado.
An easier way than via meticulous note taking, in my opinion, is to walk
through each room of your house and take photos. I find it easiest to stand
on one side of the room and snap a wide-angle shot, then move around the
room until all walls and contents have been captured.
Occasionally, I will open drawers and whatnot if I can’t quite remember
what’s inside each one but, for most of us, this overview of photos should
be enough to jog our memories within reason. Of course, if there’s anything
which may be disputed by an insurance company, such as expensive
jewelry, be sure to take a photo of that specifically and get it properly
appraised.
You can then take these photos and save them to a flash drive (preferably
stored away from your home) or, better yet, upload them to the Cloud via
any number of free services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft’s
OneDrive. I use both Google Drive and OneDrive and have no complaints
with either.
An even faster—and more thorough—inventory can be done by taking a
video of each room as you walk through the house. You can even narrate as
needed. The important part is to do it now and then redo the inventory
periodically so it’s as up-to-date as is reasonably possible.
Finally, ensure your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy reflects
proper coverage to fully replace your belonging should the need ever arise.
Enlist an Out-of-State Emergency Contact
This information can also be added to your binder if you like, but really
should just be something everyone in the family is aware of.
The idea is simply to designate a reliable family or friend to be the
communication “go between” should you and your immediate family not be
able to communicate directly. For example, my parents are our family’s go-
between.
That is, if I’m unable to communicate directly with my wife because local
communications are down or overwhelmed, it’s quite possible that I may be
able to communicate with my parents who live a long distance away and,
therefore, shouldn’t be affected by any localized disaster.
As such, I may be able to relay text messages through them and vice-versa
should I be unable to do so with my wife. The point is that she knows this
and so do I… and my kids do too. Now I just need to get my kids to
memorize their grandparents phone numbers and, of course, know that
they’re expected to communicate through their grandparents should they be
unable to get ahold of mom or me during an emergency.
You can and should do the same with your family. Although it should be
obvious, ensure the person you choose is reliable, capable of helping (that
is, they have a smartphone and can text), and, most importantly, are willing
to do so.
Backup PC Documents
The most important contents of our computer to my wife—without a doubt
—are the many thousands of photos she’s accumulated over the years. To
me it’s a wide variety of business documents and personal files that would
be all but impossible to replace.
No matter who you ask, there’s plenty of files we’d both lament losing
should the computer irreparably crash, or a lightning strike fries the hard
drive. To avoid this, I regularly (well, usually) backup these files to an
external hard drive which is then kept in a fire safe.
Regrettably, the fire safe isn’t meant to protect the backup drive from fire
since the plastic drive will likely melt in a full blaze but, rather, as a
relatively safe place well away from our main computer and an easy place
to keep the backup drive from getting lost or damaged.
Since we have so many files to back-up, a large external USB drive works
great for me. If you have less to backup (and not very many photos or
videos) then a common USB flash/thumb drive may be perfect.
No matter which option you choose above, remember to leave room for
expansion.
While you can use programs to perform backups, I’ve found it easiest
merely to copy and paste the important files from my computer to the
backup drive. For each subsequent backup I like to create a new folder on
the external drive to copy data to because I also like to keep a few archived
copies of previous backups available just in case I ever needed them. I then
delete the oldest backup, ensuring I always have the most recent three
copies on the backup drive.
Therefore, I need at least three times as much space as I would otherwise.
You don’t have to do this yourself, though I would strongly encourage you
to have plenty of extra storage space on your backup drive or thumb drive
so that it can be useful to you for years to come.
Prepare Your Pets for Emergencies
Odds are that you have a pet or maybe even several. Make sure they’re
ready for emergencies too because they’re every bit as dependent on you for
their survival as a child would be.
Although I go into great detail as to how and what you should do to prepare
your pets for emergencies in my book, The Complete Pet Safety Action
Plan, I’ll point out a few things you can quickly do right now to get them
ready…
One of the most important actions you can take is to ensure your pet(s) are
ready to both shelter in place as well as to evacuate at a moment’s notice
should you be forced to do so.
To ensure your pet is ready to shelter in place, have plenty of their food and
other supplies on hand always. This could be any number of items but focus
on food to start with.
For instance, I always try to have a full extra bag of dog food in addition to
what we’re currently using. In so doing, I know my dog has at least a month
of food in reserve should we be unable to get him more. If you’re not yet
doing the same, just add pet food to your next shopping list and then start
ensuring you always have a backup bag of food. The same can be said for
medications or even dog treats. (FYI, water is another very important need.
Ensure your pet has their own supply of water or, at the very least, you have
enough stored for everyone in the family, including your pets.)
Getting your pet ready to evacuate is a bit more complicated, at least with
respect to all the supplies they may need and how to carry it all. No doubt
they’ll clearly need food, water, and medications. Pack enough food and
medications for a few days to a week, if possible. They may also need chew
toys to calm them down, an extra leash and collar would be a good idea,
veterinarian or immunization records may be in order, and I wouldn’t
overlook a few first aid supplies specifically for your pet either.
We happen to keep our dog’s supplies gathered in a small dog carrier so that
it’s all in one spot and easily grabbed (the blue bag inside the dog carrier is
for his supplies which can be quickly removed):
Whatever you choose to do, now is the time to get it done so that your pet is
covered and ready for an emergency every bit as much as you are.
Fortunately, gathering a few supplies won’t take you long at all.
Assuming you do choose to pack food for evacuation, I find that using a
Foodsaver to better package it is a good idea. Regardless, you should rotate
this food out every so often (maybe twice a year) so that it remains viable.
The same can be said for any medications and water. I’m assuming, of
course, that the food and medications are shelf-stable and that you’re not
storing any of this in an extreme environment, such as a hot car trunk; if so,
the food and medications would need rotated far more often, maybe even
monthly. Use a bit of common sense here and you’ll be fine.
Fill Two-liter Soda Bottles with Water for Emergency Use
This is one of the easiest of preparedness projects to start doing right now.
Whenever you can get your hands on an empty two-liter soda bottle just
rinse it out with a bit of soapy water and then refill with clean tap water.
Remember to leave a bit of headspace at the top for water to expand when it
freezes; I tend to stop filling the bottle when it begins to curve at the top.
Add a drop or two of bleach if you like, though, I never do since tap water
should be fine to store without any additional water purification. That is, so
long as the bottle wasn’t contaminated in some other fashion, such as
during the filling process.
You can store some in the freezer or almost anywhere if you don’t have
space, though, the freezer is best for preparedness purposes because they’ll
also double as blocks of ice. I keep a dozen or so in a small chest freezer for
this very purpose:
As you can see, most of the bottles are clear plastic, though, a few aren’t.
Some bottles have the labels removed while others don’t. I’m not terrible
picky and you shouldn’t be either.
While it’s possible to use milk or juice jugs if you must, I would strongly
discourage you from doing so for two main reasons: (1) the jugs may not be
cleaned well enough to prevent bacteria growth and therefore contaminate
your water and (2) they’re far more likely to bust or leak than soda bottles.
I’ve seen it happen. Soda bottles are very sturdy relative to gallon jugs and
the better choice to be sure.
A few things to note:
Water stored in two-liter bottles should not need to be replaced
for years. If you’ve noticed this water going bad, however, then it
was contaminated somehow. Discard the bottle, check the others,
and fill a new bottle.
There’s no reason to label your two-liter water bottles; however,
if you want to be thorough you can do so and rotate or replace
the water over time to ensure freshness.
Once you’ve used a two-liter bottle of water as a block of ice to
keep refrigerated foods from spoiling, feel free to drink the water
since that’s what it’s ultimately for.
Continue adding soda bottles of water whenever you can and, before you
know it, you’ll have amassed gallons of fresh drinking water in no time.
Drain Hot Water Tank
Your hot water tank can be a great source of clean water to rely upon during
an emergency. Over time, however, the tank can accumulate sediment on
the bottom from years of use. To help keep this potential source of water as
clean as possible consider draining the tank once every year or two.
Realize, however, that’s it’s not quite as simple as opening the drain valve
while you sit back and eat a doughnut. If you’re unsure of how to drain
your hot water tank properly and safely, then please don’t. Of course, you
can look it up online if you’re the relatively handy sort or, better yet,
contact somebody who knows how to drain the tank the right way.
That said, draining your hot water tank isn’t entirely necessary as the water
should be potable regardless. You may, however, notice some discoloration
or small bits of debris when first collecting water from the tank; that water
shouldn’t be consumed. If it’s just a bit of debris that comes out and then
the tank runs clear then I would close the drain, toss out that first bit of
collected water (or find a non-potable use), and resume collecting water
again.
In an emergency, you can and should (1) let the water sit for a while so that
any additional debris settles to the bottom and then filter it or (2) use this
first collection of water for something other than for consumption or
cooking.
If you’re still unsure as to the safety of the rest of the water you collect then
you can always run it through a quality gravity water filter, such as the Big
Berkey, which is my personal favorite and something we’ve used for years
in our daily lives. Honestly, it’s the safest course of action to take with all
collected water during an emergency no matter the source.
Buy a WaterBOB Water Storage Bladder
Water is so important that you really need to do everything you can to
ensure your family has plenty of clean drinking water during an emergency.
Adding a WaterBOB to your preps is a great way to do just that.
If you’re unaware, a WaterBOB is simply a very large water bladder meant

to be placed in a bathtub and filled before a disaster hits if it is expected to
disrupt your water supply. Be sure to store your WaterBOB near the bathtub
for easy access and instruct all family members to fill it should an
emergency arise where water and/or a long-term power outage is
anticipated, such as a looming hurricane.
Now, while you may be tempted to test it out, I wouldn’t do that because
there will be water trapped inside when you go to put it away which could
promote mold growth or otherwise contaminate the WaterBOB. Instead,
familiarize yourself with the instructions and ensure other household
members know how it works too. Usage is straightforward.
Find a Nearby Source of Water
While I would prefer you have enough stored water in your home to last for
weeks, you may run out because the emergency lasted longer than expected,
or perhaps your water supply was compromised, or you had unexpected
guests. Who knows what might cause you to run out faster than anticipated.
If you run out, though, you’re going to be in trouble and should have a
backup plan to procure more water, if necessary.
Therefore, this is a good opportunity for you to walk around your home or
neighborhood and really take stock of what’s around while you search for a
potential source of water. If you prefer, drive around and scout the area as
best as you can.
Still having trouble? Try using Google Earth which is precisely how you
can get this project done fast! I’ve used Google Earth a few times to scout
my community and have found some interesting things I might not have
known otherwise, that is, besides sources of water.
After you locate a potential source of water on your map, go physically
look at it and decide how you might get back and forth with gallons of
water at a time and possibly without aid of a vehicle; this might be more
difficult than you first imagine.
Print Bleach Dosage Guidelines
Bleach comes in different concentrations, so the amount you need to
“purify” water changes. The generally accepted ratios for purifying water
using “regular” 6% bleach are as follows:
2 drops per quart of water;
8 drops per gallon of water;
1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water.
My revised ratios for purifying water with more concentrated 8.25% bleach
are as follows (assumes 90 drops per teaspoon as per my own testing, but
this does vary by dropper):
1+ (but not more than 2) drops per quart of water;
5-6 drops per gallon of water;
1/3 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water;
FYI, here’s a better reference page you should choose to read and print out.
You should also be aware that bleach takes time to work, generally thirty to
sixty minutes. Plan accordingly. To keep ratios correct, it’s best to treat
more water at a time to avoid variations in droppers. Last, be sure to use
non-scented bleach that includes no perfumes or other additives.
8 DIY Food Projects
Print Food Safety Guidelines
While I’d much prefer that you’re able to keep your refrigerator and freezer
foods viable using a variety of means (such as with the frozen two-liter soda
bottles mentioned previously), who knows for what reason you may need to
toss out questionable foods.
Common sense should dictate most “keep/toss” decisions for questionable
foods. That said, nearly every meat, poultry, and seafood should be
discarded if held above forty degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.
The same goes for most cheeses, dairy, eggs, and leftovers, though there are
a few exceptions.
Just in case you’re unsure about what to keep, simply do a search online for
“power outage food safety” and you’ll find some suggestions or begin by
printing the information found here and including it in your emergency
binder. FYI, there’s a handy print button at the top of the referenced website
which is easier than copying the associated tables into a word processor.
Inventory Pantry Foods
I like to keep track of my bulk food storage foods (e.g., #10 cans of rice,
beans, and oats) and when I’m feeling ambitious I’ll track my pantry foods
as well. Honestly, though, it’s more work than I like to do—especially since
my kids eat nonstop—so tracking pantry foods down to the can each day
just won’t happen in my house.
Regardless, it can’t hurt to occasionally take stock of what you have in your
pantry to ensure you’re not missing anything important. For example, if you
find you have twelve boxes of pasta yet only three cans of pasta sauce then
this inventory list is meant to help you realize an obvious discrepancy like
that and fix it. After all, nobody wants to eat plain pasta… yuck!
Realize, too, that this inventory list is only for shelf-stable foods yet may
include anything from cans of soup to packages of rice, pasta sauce,
seasonings, cereal, flour, and even your long-term bulk foods.
In several minutes you should be able to jot down most of what you have in
your pantry. Now look it over and decide what you can do with what you
have. That is, what meals can they be used for and, equally important, what
may be missing to make that happen? Are you missing cereal or snacks that
your kids eat regularly? What about flour and sugar for baking?
Granted, this initial list probably isn’t going to nail down everything you
may need but, rather, to get you thinking about what you have already and
to consider what’s missing. Now, make a grocery list to round-out your
pantry foods so that you can make use of everything you currently have
should you be unable to replenish your groceries during an emergency.
Finally, don’t throw out your inventory list! Date it and add the list to your
emergency binder. The next time you take inventory of your pantry foods
you can either use the same list—if you’ve saved room to do so—or use it
as a reference to ensure you’re not missing anything important the next time
you do this; I would encourage you to do this once a month or two.
Make Hardtack or Shelf-Stable Survival Bars (Tastier and
Packed with Calories)
Hardtack is probably the worst “cracker” I’ve ever tried to eat. Really. One
simply cannot eat hardtack without soaking the “cracker” in water, milk, or
coffee beforehand, it’s THAT hard. In fact, hardtack is literally just flour,
salt, and water mixed together, baked in the oven, and then further dried
until it turns into a brick. This is precisely why it’s shelf-stable and a trusted
survival food early pioneers relied upon. Here’s how to make hardtack if
you really, truly want to know.
As an alternative to hardtack, try making your own survival bars which are,
no doubt, tastier, easier to eat, and more nutritious. I made some and they
turned out rather well:
Whatever you choose to make, you’re probably going to want to store them
for long-term and there’s no better way to easily store a DIY food like this
than with a vacuum Foodsaver. Regardless of what you choose to make,
remember to write the date you made it on the package and avoid storing
even this food in extreme environments, such as the car trunk.
Make Homemade MRE Meals You’ll Actually Enjoy
Why waste money buying store-bought MREs that you might not enjoy?
Make your own homemade MREs instead, often for less money and
probably even healthier too. In fact, if you don’t yet have a Foodsaver this
is another good reason to get one.
The idea is simple: add your favorite shelf-stable foods together and seal
then in a vacuum bag with your Foodsaver. Basically, anything that’s shelf
stable for many months or years on its own is a prime candidate. Include
your favorites into something that resembles a meal and you’re good to go.
Just be careful to NOT include any foods that might have a high oil content
as these foods can go rancid; Ritz crackers (which I love) and some nuts
come to mind.
Common additions for homemade MRE meals include: packages of tuna or
spam, ramen noodles, saltine crackers, hard candies and gum, powdered
drink mixes, salt and pepper packets, granola bars, small cans of fruit
cocktail, jerky, oatmeal packets, dry soup packets, lemonade or chocolate
drink packets, and so on. Here’s one I made for our bug out bags (there is
more on the backside that you cannot see, which includes oatmeal, tuna,
various drinks, survival rations, and more):
Start Sprouting Grains to Boost Vitamin Yield
In an emergency you may find that you’re not quite getting the nutrition
that you need. According to this article, “Nuts, seeds, grains, and beans are
nutritional powerhouses. However, the natural agents that protect them from
early germination can wreak havoc in our digestive system. Soaking and
sprouting replicates germination, which activates and multiplies nutrients
(particularly Vitamins A, B, and C), neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, and
promotes the growth of vital digestive enzymes.”
Sometimes they’re even tasty. The idea is easy enough to make it worth
your while during an emergency. Just take wheat seeds, for example, and
soak them in water overnight (but usually not more than 24 hours), drain
the water, then let the seeds sprout in an open-air, yet covered container for
about 48-72 hours. A quart-sized mason jar usually works great. Within a
day or so you’ll notice that they start to sprout; give them a few days and
they’ll really have sprouted:
Sprinkle on a salad during normal times or add to your canned soup during
an emergency to give it a nutritional boost. Be sure to use your sprouted
grains within a few days to avoid mold growth. The same article referenced
previously is a good tutorial for sprouting seeds which I suggest you read if
this interests you.
Start a Compost Bin
Take any 30+ gallon plastic trash bin with lid and drill about a dozen or two
equally spaced one-inch holes in the sides (for airflow) and a few in the
bottom (for drainage) then start adding your food scraps and yard waste.
Here’s an example of what to do, or take a look at my own compost bins:
About once every week or two be sure to mix in some cut grass or tree
leaves with the food scraps so they breakdown faster and don’t go rancid,
get slimy, and smell horrible... ask me how I know that.
When the trash cans get about half full or so dump the compost somewhere
useful. If the food scraps aren’t mostly broken down, then you’ll just need
to wait longer before dumping the contents or start another compost bin.
You might be asking: why is this project survival-related?
While it may not seem directly related right now, post-disaster you could
find yourself with quite a bit of compostable materials and no trash service
for quite some time. As such, rather than having your garbage go rancid
while you’re patiently waiting for your trash service to resume, you can be
proactive and choose to compost a wide variety of foodstuffs. Doing so will
help minimize your trash from piling up and certainly help to keep pesky
critters and other pests away, thereby reducing the spread of some nasty
diseases to you and your family.
Starting this process now gets you into the habit of composting so you’re
not making an uneducated and feeble attempt at doing so when necessary.
Besides, it’s supposedly good for your yard and the environment. Plus, it
makes my wife happy. That’s a win-win-win in my book.
Start Container Vegetable Gardening
Don’t have room for a full-fledged garden? No problem, plant one in
containers. Five- or six-gallon buckets work great here, though nearly any
container that can hold dirt will work. I’ve used five-gallon buckets along
with this VersaPot Self-Watering Grow Bucket Gardening System in the
past (shown partially assembled on the righthand side in the photo below)
and it’s been easy to use:
Just place the assembled VersaPot parts into the bottom of a bucket along
with a coffee filter to hold back the dirt, fill with potting soil, add seedlings
and you’re just about done. Use the provided fill tube to add water as
needed and the rest happens almost on its own.
Really, though, all you must do to get started with container gardening is to
drill a few very small holes a few inches up from the bottom of the bucket
for drainage, add some gravel to the bottom, toss in a mixture of soil,
compost, and/or peat moss and you’re set. The only caution I would point
out is that you should be wary of water draining out of the bottom of the
bucket if you choose to move the buckets inside where said drainage could
damage something.
The best part of these self-watering bucket systems, in my opinion, is that
they can be moved around easily to make the best use of sunlight (or shade)
and can even be brought inside during colder Spring days to keep young
seedlings from freezing. Here’s a brief article further discussing the idea.
Make Newspaper Seed Starters
If you’re going to try container gardening, then you might want to get your
seeds started in their own little pots. If you can get your hands on used
newspaper, make some seed starter pots for this very purpose. It’s not hard,
simply fashion a little pot from a sheet of newspaper, add some quality
potting soil, and then place your seedlings in a relatively warm and sunny
spot. Now, spend the next few weeks caring for them like they’re your kids
or, at least, like they’re going to feed your kids soon enough. Here’s a quick
tutorial on how to do so, that is, making the seed starter pots… not how to
feed your kids.
Try Cooking in a Thermos to Save Fuel
Most folks just use their thermos to keep already cooked food warm. I want
you to take it a step further and use one to finish cooking food. Doing so
will reduce fuel usage if/when fuel is in short supply. For example, if you
expect to use a propane stove to cook with during an emergency, there’s no
reason to use more fuel than necessary, and thermos cooking can help you
do just that.
It doesn’t matter to me what it is you cook—even a cup of rice is fine—it’s
the experience I want you to get. To start, boil water in a pot and, instead of
simmering rice to finish cooking like normal, turn off the stove and add the
rice and boiled water to the thermos instead. Close the lid and leave it be.
Here’s an example of some white rice I made in my thermos which needed
about fifty minutes to fully cook as opposed to the twenty it normally
would:
In my experience, foods will take significantly longer to cook in a thermos,
often two or three times as long. If the thermos is particularly cold to start
with then it would be best to warm the thermos before adding the boiled
water and rice, in this case. Once you’ve cooked rice move on to something
else and see what’s possible. You’d be surprised at what you can do to save
precious fuel resources with this idea.
I happen to like the Thermos King Wide-Mouth Jars (because of the wider
mouth), but the one I keep in my bug out bag is only a 16-ounce capacity
which is barely big enough to cook a half-cup of rice. This 24-ouce
Thermos King is a bit bigger, though, still not quite big enough. To cook a
real meal, you’re going to want the two-quart option.
Remember, this idea is about saving fuel, particularly propane, but there’s
no harm in making use of a thermos to cook with whenever possible so long
as you can spare the time and coordinate other cooking activities.
Build an Efficient, Easily-Assembled Brick Rocket Stove
A brick rocket stove is simply a few to dozens of some sort of brick block
arranged in such a way as to create a makeshift stove. The designs always
include a flue for the heat to rise as well as a side port for wood and another
for drawing air into the fire. It’s really a neat idea and one I’m sure you’ll
be glad to know about should you ever need it.
Why build one, you ask?
According to this site, “In the aftermath of a natural disaster such as an
earthquake or tornado, there will probably be a lot of biomass and wood
debris laying around. Suppose you have to boil water or cook, using
whatever materials are available. If you can salvage some bricks, you can
make this stove. It is simple to build, and is easily fueled with bits and
pieces of wood debris or biomass. It is sturdy, so the top will hold heavy
pots and pans easily. It is also very fuel efficient and works under a variety
of challenging circumstances.”
I couldn’t agree more. They’re quite efficient and can easily be fueled with
small, thumb-sized tree branches. Here’s one I threw together in about 30
seconds—once I remembered how to assemble it—with some very specific
cinder blocks I got from the hardware store years ago:
The stove above is a double-burner option because, although you can’t quite
tell, the design in the foreground is the same on the opposite side which
means I can simply start another fire on the other side and cook something
over there as well.
To make this rocket stove you’re going to need five common cinder blocks,
all of which are 16” x 8” x 8” with two of those being special “U-shaped”
blocks (shown on the far left and far right below) that I don’t know the
proper name of, though, you can clearly see the difference:
Now, take one of the “U-shaped” blocks and place it on the ground as
shown here:
Note: The chicken wire is for the wood to rest upon when using the stove. It
may not be entirely necessary in some cases, but the chicken wire sure does
help.
Now, take the other “U-shaped” block and place it on top such that, from
the side, it looks like this (with the chicken wire sandwiched between
them):
To finish, place the remaining three common cinder blocks around the
outside so that it looks like this:
Finally, from the top down, the stove will look like what you see here (you
can add more chicken wire to the other side so that you can use it like a
double-burner stove):
I should point out that, although not shown in the above photos, you’re
going to want something to raise the pot or pan you cook with so that the
heat and smoke from the fire below has a place to escape, otherwise, the
fire may ultimately die or be very smoky.
Most of these brick rocket stoves are so easy to build that you can make one
in only minutes, just like I did above. Here’s a 16-brick option that will get
the job done as well, though, there are plenty of other designs and a bit
more that goes into them than arranging a few bricks.
One point to be aware of: you may need to be careful with using bricks or
blocks which may have retained water because it’s possible that water-
logged bricks could crumble or, worse, explode when heated with a fire. I
haven’t personally seen that happen, but I’ve read that it can. As such, I
would strongly encourage you to (1) keep the bricks dry when not in use
and (2) wear appropriate eye/face protection whenever you use it, just in
case it happens.
Build a Mini Vegetable Can Stove
This vegetable can stove idea is very similar in nature to the brick rocket
stove we just talked about with the difference being that, instead of using
bricks or cinder blocks to make the stove, you’re going to use a typical
vegetable can (e.g. a can of corn or green beans) and a few smaller tomato
paste cans.
Another big difference is that this vegetable can stove isn’t quite as sturdy
as a brick rocket stove would be, nevertheless, it is significantly more
portable by design. Realize, too, that you don’t have to use a vegetable can
to make such a stove, many people make them out of larger #10 tin cans.
Regardless, I stuck with this idea because it’s ideal for boiling small cups of
water for coffee and whatnot using only a few twigs. I once made one out of
a can of green beans and two tomato paste cans just to see how easy it was,
and it worked too:
Honestly, this idea will take a bit longer for you to make than ten minutes
given the cutting involved, but the idea is simple enough assuming you
have a vegetable can and a few tomato paste cans to make use of. Just
search YouTube for “vegetable can rocket stove” or “#10 can rocket stove”
and you’ll find plenty of ideas; here’s a good one to get you started.
Create Ready-to-Use Fire Starters
Seeing as though you have two different stoves built now, you’re going to
need a way to get them started and DIY fire-starters are just the thing for
that. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to make them, each of which
seemingly last forever.
One way is to smear some Vaseline on cotton balls or even dryer lint, then
store them inside small sandwich bags to keep everything contained and
mostly from becoming a big mess. In my experience, the easiest thing to do
is to turn a sandwich bag inside-out and add a tablespoon or two of Vaseline
to the bag. Next, return the bag right-side-in and add a handful of cotton
balls to the bag. Last, smear the cotton balls around while ensuring the
Vaseline mixes thoroughly by squishing from the outside of the bag, then
close the bag’s seal. If done right, you can do this without touching the
Vaseline with your fingers thereby avoiding a gooey mess. Also, like I said,
you could use dryer lint, but cotton balls or cotton pads work even better for
this purpose because they don’t crumble apart quite as easily.
Another idea would be to make an “Uber” match, not to be confused with
the driving company. An Uber match is basically a preassembled
combination of matches, cotton balls (or cotton pads), some string to hold it
together, and melted wax, as shown here:
If neither of those ideas work for you, try a commercially-made fire starter,
such as these Light-A-Fire Fire Starters instead, but that wouldn’t be much
fun, now would it?
Make a Visor Solar Cooker
Hopefully you’ve chosen to make the aforementioned wood-burning stoves.
But, what will you do if you’ve run out of wood or you live somewhere
(like Arizona) that has few trees or bushes, yet plenty of sunlight? You’d be
hard-pressed to cook food or to boil water for sure. Consider making a solar
cooker instead.
In fact, making a homemade solar cooker is easier than you might think.
Ultimately, all you really need are two boxes (one a bit larger than the
other), something to act as insulation (such as shredded paper or crumpled
newspaper or even old towels) to go between the two boxes, a reflective sun
visor (the shinier the better), and plastic wrap.
You can get a bit more elaborate by spray painting the inside of the smaller
box—the cooking chamber—with black paint to better absorb the sun’s
energy or by using something better than plastic wrap, such as a pane of
plexiglass. Really, you’ll be pleased if you spend a bit more time to get this
right from the start.
Here’s an example of a visor solar cooker I’d made years ago. (FYI, it’s not
posted on my survival site but, rather, as a guest post on another wonderful
site.) I got the temperatures almost up to the boiling point, though not quite,
which is plenty to ensure pasteurization:
There are plenty of other DIY solar oven ideas out there to choose from;
what I created was just one option you can try. Honestly, though, if you
truly expect to use a solar oven for any length of time during an emergency
then I would strongly encourage you to buy an All-American Sun Oven.
Personally, I’ve used a solar oven (the predecessor to the newer, All-
American Sun Oven referenced above) many dozens of times and I was
always pleasantly surprised at how well it worked to cook all sorts of food,
from fish or pizza to cobblers and more. You really can’t go wrong with a
quality solar oven for your preparedness plans unless, of course, you live in
the Pacific Northwest as I do where it’s consistently rainy or cloudy and
there are tall trees everywhere… in that case, stick with the wood-burning
stoves.
Buy a NOAA Weather Radio, Program It Properly
If you’ve been procrastinating buying a NOAA weather radio, stop. Go buy
one now! Get something like the Midland WR300. It’s a decent radio for a
good price and is what I own after having tried a lesser expensive radio that
I didn’t like because I couldn’t program it to only alert for specific events.
This Midland radio, on the other hand, is great because it’s highly
customizable.
After the radio shows up, spend a few minutes programming the unit so it
doesn’t drive you crazy alerting you to weather events you don’t want to
know about, then place the radio in your bedroom or perhaps your kitchen
and be done with it.
Personally, I keep ours in the bedroom which is usually where I’d
recommend you keep yours as well. An exception would be if, for example,
you have a rather large house or multiple stories where you wouldn’t be
able to hear the weather radio when not in the bedroom. In this case, you’ll
want to experiment with placement or maybe even buy a second weather
radio.
Create a Fire Escape Plan
This could be the most important project you tackle yet because a house
fire, particularly after a disaster, is more common than most people realize.
While you can certainly complete a traditional fire escape plan where one
draws their way out of each room, this is only useful for young children to
visualize their escape routes.
Instead, take the time to educate your family about the dangers of fire
(especially smoke inhalation), plan a family meeting location outside the
home (such as the neighbor’s house or your mailbox), and ensure all family
members know how to operate all door and window locks and latches in
each room. Better yet, have each person—especially young children—
physically open doors and windows so they understand how each one works
as sometimes they have funny latches or locks.
Realize, too, there are additional details you can include in your fire escape
plan, such as contact information for fire restoration services and security
services, to name two.
Create Disaster Response Plans
House fires aren’t the only possible disaster you should plan for. There are,
no doubt, a wide variety of additional disasters to plan for and I would
encourage you to take some time to decide what you’ll do in response to
each of them. Granted, where you live largely determines what you need to
prepare for, that is, if you live in California then you should be planning for
earthquakes, not hurricanes, and if you live in Kansas or “tornado alley”
then prepare for tornadoes... you get the idea.
Once you’ve identified the major disaster scenarios to prepare for, you’ll
want to determine what to do for each of them, that is, will you choose to
shelter in place or evacuate? If your plan is to evacuate, where will you go?
How will you get there? If your intended route is inaccessible, do you have
an alternate? If everyone isn’t home at the time or they cannot be reached
by phone, what should they be expected to do? Will everyone be expected
to meet up first, or just evacuate on their own?
There are many questions like this that should be covered. And, while I
cover them and give you the tools to do so in my 12 Pillars of Survival
program, you can certainly get a “leg up” on most potential emergencies
simply by taking a few minutes now to jot down your response plans. Once
you’re finished, share them with the family so they know what’s expected
and how to react, and be sure to add these plans to your emergency binder.
Test Smoke Alarms and Fire Extinguishers (They May be Bad
Without You Knowing)
While you’re working on your fire escape plan take the time to test each of
your smoke alarms (as well as any carbon monoxide alarms) and replace
batteries if you haven’t done so in a while. If you need a quality, yet
inexpensive, battery-powered smoke alarm, here’s one. The only major
drawback is that it uses 9-volt batteries, though, I’ve noticed that some
newer smoke alarms are beginning to use AA batteries, if you prefer.
Also, check that all fire extinguishers are still good, in other words, that the
needle points in the green. Surprisingly, it is possible for a fire extinguisher
to indicate it’s full yet not work when needed if it’s old. I experienced this
very problem and what an eye-opening mistake it was!
As such, if you have rather old fire extinguishers (let’s say older than
several years) then it’s probably a good idea to replace them no matter what
the needle indicates, especially if they have plastic heads because this style
does tend to leak over time.
Take a moment to educate family members about how fire extinguishers
work as well as when to use them and when not to. This is an interesting
video on how most people don’t know how to properly use a fire
extinguisher… it’s another eye-opening realization.
Finally, if you haven’t done so yet, add regular smoke alarm and fire
extinguisher checks to your calendar; I would recommend every six
months, if not more often. Realize, however, that you’re not actually going
to be dispensing the fire extinguisher when you check it; instead, just check
that the needle indicates the extinguisher is full or points to the green
marking, and if it’s empty or in the red then please do replace it ASAP.
Know Carbon Monoxide Dangers, Signs, Symptoms
If you have anything that can produce carbon monoxide (CO) then take a
few moments to explain the potential dangers to your family, warning signs,
and of course what to do to prevent or minimize the threat. This article is a
good reference for the most common CO sources and warning signs, if you
need it. And be sure to add appropriate CO alarms too, such as this one.
What I like most about this alarm is that it plugs into an outlet to utilize
your house power but also has a battery backup. There are others that have
digital readouts (at about twice the price) as well as combination smoke
detectors and CO alarms.
Personally, I prefer separate smoke alarms and CO detectors. I don’t have a
good reason for doing so, I’ve just always kept them separate. Anyway, be
sure to add a CO alarm to each level of your home if you have anything
which can produce carbon monoxide in your home.
Replace Exterior Door Hinge Screws
Did you know that your exterior doors probably aren’t securely attached to
your house? Usually they’re held in place via three or four door hinges
which are then secured with only three or four roughly one-half-inch to
three-quarter-inch screws that barely hold the door to the frame, let alone to
the actual studs that the door frame attaches to. That doesn’t sound very
secure to me, not if my family’s safety is potentially at risk because of it.
Luckily, you can easily beef up your door’s security for only a few dollars
and a few minutes of time per door. Simply go buy a one-pound box of
three-inch deck screws and replace all exterior door hinge screws with
them. This will quickly add better security to your doors because these
hinge screws will contact the door frame studs, which is MUCH more
secure than before.
While you’re at it, replace the door deadbolt strike plate screws (the part
that attaches to the door frame) as well. You could attempt to replace the
door deadbolt screws (the part that attaches to the door) also, but you need
to be aware of anything these longer screws might contact that they
shouldn’t, particularly door glass. Odds are that won’t happen, but you do
need to verify you’re not going to inadvertently break something inside the
door. Here’s a great video showing just how much better three-inch screws
hold up to an intruder.
Add Earthquake “Proofing” to Pantry Shelves
The idea here is to keep your pantry items—especially glass mason jars—
from easily falling off shelving during an earthquake, breaking, and
subsequently causing a serious hazard to walk over or ruining perfectly
good food. Usually, that means placing something midway between the top
and bottom of each shelf to stop them from easily sliding off.
This could be something as simple as bungee cords stretched from wall to
wall attached with eyelets on either side, or a sturdier option such as 1”x2”
boards screwed into place. Whatever you choose is better than doing
nothing, in my opinion.
As an example, here’s something I did with boxes and a bungee cord for the
shelving above our washer and dryer to keep the many bottles (some of
which are glass) from being less likely to fall off and cause a hazard to walk
over:
Even if you’re just keeping foodstuffs from falling off shelves I would ask
you to consider what would happen to your foods if it all started falling
onto the ground, one atop the other. No doubt some cans may be dented,
others may break open and make a mess, who knows… but it’s usually
worth the effort to keep things where they belong, especially when disasters
strike.
Add Door and Window Alarms
Most people think that these tiny door or window alarms are only to alert
parents of young children that they’ve opened a door and are quickly high-
tailing it down the open road without a care in the world. While surely a
useful reason to have such alarms, for our purposes they’re more for
alerting you to potential security concerns, for example, of somebody trying
to gain access to your home via a typically unoccupied room or obscure
window.
Granted, the odds of this happening are very low. Regardless, there’s no
harm in ensuring you have as much warning as possible, even if it’s only a
few extra seconds (just as you would expect to have with smoke detectors)
so that you may respond appropriately or, at the very least, so that the
intrusion isn’t a complete surprise. If may even be possible that such an
alarm is enough to warn them off, but likely not.
In any case, I would suggest that you add inexpensive battery-powered door
and window alarms to rooms that are rarely used or unoccupied. While you
could attempt to cover every door or window in the home, in my opinion,
that’s a bit much for most of us.
The only major problem I’ve noticed over the years is that the sensors may
occasionally fall off because the tape didn’t hold in hot or sometimes cold
weather which then makes them alert. Better alarms usually have better
tape, or you can use quality double-sided tape from the start.
You’ll find a variety of options on Amazon, here’s one that gets good
reviews (I don’t own these but something similar). Once you get them,
place the alarms up high, like so:
Perhaps an even better option than the door or window alarms as mentioned
above would be door security stop/wedge, such as these. The only possible
problem I see with using these instead is that they may not work well with
door thresholds, though, I haven’t used them personally.
Make DIY Cleaners
I’m sure that cleaning your house will be far from your mind during an
emergency. That said, if it goes on long enough, ensuring your home stays
relatively clean is paramount to keeping you and your family healthy and to
avoid making a bad situation worse.
Do a quick internet search and you’ll find plenty of recipes for all sorts of
common household cleaners, you just need to find recipes that you like.
Personally, I’ve made my own all-purpose, glass, floor, sink and other
cleaners for years. I keep them in used bottles of store-bought cleaners
which works out great:
In most cases you won’t ever go back to store-bought cleaners since DIY
cleaners are easy to make, less expensive than their store-bought
counterparts, about as good at cleaning, and healthier too. Here’s a post I
wrote about the “big 3” homemade cleaners to get you started.
Create an Emergency Toilet
In some emergency situations the toilets won’t flush because they’re
backed-up, or the water stops flowing, or both. If this happens, you’re going
to need an alternative toilet ASAP. Although it’s possible to, at times, go
outside, dig a hole, and use that… there are other instances where that’s not
entirely feasible, such as during the middle of winter, or maybe the ladies
don’t want to have to go outside all the time. Makeshift a portable toilet
instead.
It’s simple to do, just take any five- or six-gallon bucket with tight-fitting
lid and toss in the following: 13-gallon trash bags (dozens), latex-free
gloves (dozens), liquid hand soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper (a few rolls),
wet wipes (a few packages), bottled water (for use with hand soap), paper
towels (for drying hands), face masks (several) and some sort of
disinfectant cleaner or spray.
It’s best to have two buckets: one for urine and another for feces. Be sure
both buckets have tight-fitting lids with rubber gaskets to hold in smells
until the contents can be properly disposed of. You’re also going to want to
double- or triple-line the feces bags just in case one rips and spills the
contents as you dispose of it; the urine bucket doesn’t need bags. I would
also suggest that you purchase a bucket toilet seat for comfort. Here’s an
example of what I have with the toilet seat lid only partially shown:
Make a Homemade Mosquito Trap
As I’ve said before, disasters tend to bring pests, all sorts of them, including
pesky bugs, such as mosquitoes, gnats, and more. Fortunately, many of
these flying pests are also attracted to sweets and a homemade mosquito
trap gives them plenty of that.
It’s also very simple to make. Take a two-liter bottle, cut off the top third,
invert the top third and insert into the bottom two-thirds. Now, fill the
bottom with a few inches of sugar water or apple cider vinegar to attract
most any flying insect, then set it out in your kitchen. You may also want to
duct tape the top edges of the trap together, I tend to.
Here’s a tutorial if you like which recommends adding yeast to better attract
mosquitoes, though, I’ve never done that as it’s not a requirement. In fact, I
put this one together in only a few minutes in preparation for the coming
Spring and Summer bugs:
Make a Bucket Mouse Trap
Another quick and easy trap to make. All you need are an old five-gallon
bucket, an empty soda can, a wire coat hanger (or better yet a thin wooden
dowel rod), and a bit of peanut butter.
To make this, start by drilling holes at the top of the bucket on opposite
sides big enough to insert the dowel rod you choose or a wire coat hanger
through.
Next, poke a hole in the bottom of a soda can and insert the straightened
coat hanger or wooden dowel through the hole on one side of the bucket,
then through the bottom of the soda can and out of the other end, and finally
through the hole on the other side of the bucket. Align the soda can so that
it’s halfway between the sides of the bucket.
Now, smear plenty of peanut butter on the soda can to attract the rats and
mice, fill the bucket with several inches of water (or don’t if you’d rather
they live), and finally lean a board up against the bucket in alignment with
the dowel to give the rodents an easy path to their eventual demise. Here’s a
video tutorial if you prefer.
5 “Get Ready to Evacuate” Projects
Stash Ready-to-Grab Gear Next to Your Bed
It seems to me that disasters tend to strike when we’re least ready for them
and being asleep is clearly a time when we’re least ready to react. Realize
that a good portion of your time is spent in bed and, no doubt, a disaster
won’t wait until you’re awake and you’ve had your three cups of coffee. To
give you a leg-up, I would suggest you include a few ready-to-grab items
next to your bedside so that you’re able to react at a moment’s notice.
What you include is totally up to you. I’d suggest at minimum having a
sturdy flashlight (such as a MagLite) and quick-donning shoes—something
better than slippers which can be easily cut by broken glass—within reach
of your bedside. The flashlight is there in case the power goes out and the
shoes are in case you must step over unexpected debris, even inside the
house.
You might also consider including a:
robe or something similar (in case you tend to sleep less than
fully clothed);
pair of work gloves;
whistle (if trapped in the bedroom);
bug out bag;
firearm or another personal self-defense item;
extra pair of anything you need to keep your senses working
(e.g., glasses, hearing aids).
These items shouldn’t be overlooked as it’s an easy preparation to make.
And remember your spouse or kids too… they’re just as vulnerable at night
as you are.
Make a Pocket Survival Kit (e.g., Altoids Kit)
These nifty little pocket survival kits can usually be made rather quickly…
there’s no end to what can be added to them. I’ve made a few of these over
the years myself as a fun survival project and have tried to add so many
different survival items.
Here’s quite a few ideas of what you might include, in no particular order:
a small knife or utility blade
P38 can opener
bandages or gauze
alcohol prep pads
zip ties
button compass
mini key chain light
cotton balls
small pencil and paper
super glue
spare change or dollar bills
aluminum foil
commando wire saw
mini whistle
OTC medications
duct tape (rolled or folded)
matches and/or mini lighter
firesteel
mini multi tool
flash drive (with important files included)
tweezers
needle and thread
fishing line and hooks
birthday candle (as a long-burning fire starter)
safety pins
No doubt, all the above listed items won’t fit in a typical Altoids tin, so
you’ll have to choose what’s most important to you, though, you can often
fit more than you realize. Here’s a good article detailing the idea if you need
some help visualizing it.
Remember, too, that you’re not required to use an Altoids tin to make your
pocket survival kit. Anything that is small, sturdy, and relatively water-tight
would work. For example, I’ve used a waterproof Lexan case for this
purpose for quite a long time and it works great.
I was able to fit many potentially useful items in the Lexan case, such as
fire-starting supplies, a whistle, compass and, as you can see, I’ve wrapped
several feet of paracord around the outside as well. Granted, this setup is a
bit bulkier than an Altoids tin, but I prefer a bit more with me than not. Go
give it a shot, you’ll be glad you did.
Add Important Phone Numbers to Your Smartphone
This is another easy one to checkoff your list. If you’ve yet to do so, start
adding important phone numbers to your smartphone, including doctors,
your pet’s veterinarian, a nearby hospital or two, insurance agents
(especially home and auto), utilities (especially the power, water, and gas
companies), poison control (800-222-1222), and animal control.
It can’t hurt to also include a trusted neighbor or two, a reliable tow truck
company (or AAA if you have it), church leaders, local police and fire
numbers besides 9-1-1, your ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts, and a
reliable locksmith.
Most smartphone contacts can add notes as well, so if you need to include
additional information, such as insurance policy numbers, prescription
information, or other health-related details, you should be able to do so and
keep everything organized too.
Of course, smartphones can do so much more than store phone numbers.
There are, in fact, dozens of useful (and free) survival apps to include. I
detail all of them inside my book, 27 Crucial Smartphone Apps for
Survival.
Create a Bug Out Bag
While you can write a book on the topic of bug out bags and what to
include—I sure did—I’m not suggesting we go that in depth here.
Rather, if you don’t yet have a bug out bag put together then just grab any
old backpack and toss in a few items you know you can use, such as a spare
change of clothes, tennis shoes, a rain poncho (or large garbage bag), a
flashlight with extra batteries, a bottle of water or two, a few shelf-stable
snacks (like granola bars), maybe a toothbrush, as well as any personal
items you may need, such as an extra pair of glasses.
Again, this bag isn’t meant to be all-inclusive but, rather, a place to start if
you don’t have anything put together yet. And, while there are many
opinions out there as to what to include, I would encourage you to strongly
consider where that advice is coming from, especially if the list of items is
intended for wilderness survival. The truth is that most of us just won’t find
ourselves in that situation, in my opinion.
With that in mind, if you really want to understand how to build a “go bag”
that you can rely upon then read my book, 53 Essential Bug Out Bag
Supplies, where I go in depth about putting together a bug out bag that is
actually useful in a suburban evacuation.
Toss Together an Offsite Bin of Supplies
Similar in scope to a bug out bag, the idea here is to fill a large tote bin with
a variety of items you may need should a disaster strike and you’re left
unable to get home or, worse, your home was utterly devastated and now
you have nothing to rely upon. You would then take this bin and store it at a
family or friend’s house in a nearby city or across town. You want them to
be close enough that you could walk there if you had to, yet far enough
away that the same disaster is likely to not affect their home as well.
That said, this project may not work so well with some natural disasters
(hurricanes come to mind) because they affect such a large geographical
area. Regardless, there are many more possible scenarios where this idea
may be of use that you really should choose to do it, including earthquakes,
tornadoes, floods, fires, and more.
I should point out that you don’t even need to stash this bin completely off
your property. If you have a detached garage or shed, for instance, even
stashing this bin there is better than having all your supplies in your home
where they could become compromised. If you’re going to take this
approach (stashing items away from your home but still on your own
property) I would encourage you to have more than one bin of supplies, as I
do. Here’s one bin of supplies:
The bin shown above happens to have a lockable lid which may be of
interest to you, especially if you’re going to take it to a family or friend’s
house. Such locking bins can be a bit expensive and, thus, any large, sturdy
tote bin will work. I’ve found that these heavy-duty 27-gallon “Homz
Tough Storage Totes” (shown on the left-hand side in the photo below)
work great for this purpose and can fit quite a bit of clothes or supplies
inside:
I would link to it on Amazon, but they’re excessively priced for some
reason. Instead, look at your local hardware store; I know Home Depot sells
them.
As for what to include, focus more on personal items that you may need
since it’s assumed that your friend or family member’s home will have
functioning electricity, lights, stoves, and so on. With that in mind, clothes
and shoes will take up most of the bin, followed closely by anything you
may need to keep you alive and functioning, including medications if
they’re shelf-stable, extra glasses, daily medical supplies, etc. You might
also want to include some cash (but not too much) and a spare credit card or
a few checks if you’re confident none of it will get stolen. If you add items
you’d hate to have stolen, at least, get a locking tote bin and combination
lock.
If these bins are to be placed in a detached garage or shed on your own
property then I would get a second bin and include a variety of additional
supplies, as if you were putting together another bug out bag. Include
everything you may need to survive for a few days at minimum, such as
water, food, flashlights, extra batteries, fire-starting supplies, and so on. You
may even need a handful of bins to hold it all, I seem to.
Stockpile Cash
The next time you’re at the bank—or if you win the lottery—begin
stockpiling some cash if you can. Add $40-60 to your wallet or purse, the
same amount to your cars (I find the back of the owner’s manual is a great
hiding place because, honestly, who looks there) and whatever you can
afford to add to a safe, secret spot in your home.
Note: If you need some fresh ideas for hiding spots then check out my
book, 75 of the Best Secret Hiding Places, which covers the topic of hiding
cash, valuables, and even survival supplies in detail.
Now, don’t stress out trying to stockpile cash all at once if you can’t afford
to do so. Just add $5-10 here and there when you can. Start with adding
money on your person, then your car, and finally in your home, in that
order. The reason being that you’re most likely to need cash when you’re
away from home. Before you know it, you’ll have a nice little stash you can
rely upon so long as “cash is still king.”
Makeshift a DIY Faraday Cage
Some people worry about the possibility of an HEMP event or solar flare
disrupting the power grid, thereby “frying” sensitive electronics and
sending us “back to the Dark Ages” for lack of a better analogy. If you’re
concerned about this possibility, you may also want to protect sensitive
electronics from such a catastrophe by making a DIY Faraday cage which is
meant to shield small electronics from the devastation of such an event.
Any solid, truly metal container should work, from a large steel trash can to
a wood ash container. So long as the container is metal from top to bottom
and includes a tight-fitting metal lid then you should be good to go.
Most folks suggest creating a buffer between your sensitive electronics and
the outside of the container so that any electrical current won’t accidentally
contact your gear; nearly any non-conductive material should work, such as
wood or even cardboard.
You can test your makeshift cage by placing a cell phone inside the DIY
Faraday cage and calling the phone. If there’s no ringing, then that’s a good
sign the cage is working. If you can hear the phone ringing, then there’s a
“leak” or the container isn’t going to work for some other reason.
Once you’re satisfied with your handiwork, consider adding critical
electronics to your Faraday cage, such as a small radio, two-way radios, a
flashlight, tablet, etc. Here’s a neat video on using a larger metal trash can
to make this DIY Faraday cage.
Make a Crisco Lamp (or Vegetable Oil Lamp)
In need of an emergency lamp because you forgot to stockpile batteries, or
the one flashlight you have died? You’re in luck because you can quickly
make an emergency lantern from used vegetable oil or even a jar of Crisco
in minutes, even using a makeshift wick, such as toilet paper. Here’s an
example of something I did quite a long time ago to perk your interest:
On the other hand, if you prefer a vegetable oil lamp then here’s one of
likely many videos on how to do precisely that.
Honestly, though, besides you just being aware that you can do this—and to
have a little fun—I would much prefer you use your Crisco and cooking
oils for their intended purpose. Choose, instead, to buy battery-powered
lamps as part of your preparedness supplies.
Make Newspaper Logs
I’ve seen some interesting newspaper logs, but you know the easiest way to
make them? Just tightly roll up a whole newspaper (or several sections) and
bind it with some twine or even masking tape if you don’t have twine.
That’s it. Granted, they won’t be as good as a piece of solid wood burning,
but they will be great relatively long-lasting fire-starters.
You could choose to make them a bit better by soaking the newspaper log in
water with about a teaspoon of dish soap for several hours and then
removing them and letting the “logs” thoroughly dry, which can take weeks.
(FYI, soaking in water tends to make the newspaper bind together better
and burn longer.) Coasting them in melted wax may work too, though, I’ve
never actually tried that.
If you can collect used newspapers from friends and neighbors, you will
have something that can be quickly useful to you during a lengthy disaster;
just don’t turn into one of those people you see on hoarder’s television
shows with six-foot tall stacks of newspapers along every wall.
Start Following Survival Sites via RSS
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know it all. In fact, I often discover new
prepping strategies from other folks just by searching the Net and, of
course, attempting and then passing on what I’ve found to you in one way
or another.
Why not continue to increase your own survival knowledge even beyond
what I show you by following a few of the better survival blogs out there?
TopPrepperWebsites.com is a great place to start and is run by a blogger
acquaintance whom I’ve known for years and trust.
DIY Survival Projects Recap
Now that you’ve been through it all, you may be wondering how useful any
of this really is. Understand that we’ve covered a lot... far more than you
may realize. We’ve touched on nearly every major area of preparedness,
including water, food, medical, safety, cooking, gardening, lighting,
evacuation, you name it.
Specifically, we’ve ensured that you have multiple sources of water to drink
and food to eat as well as multiple ways to cook food or boil water so that
it’s safe to drink.
We’ve also taken steps to minimize your chances of getting seriously sick
during a disaster and even discussed several actions you can and should
take to keep your family safe. If all else fails we’ve tackled your ability to
evacuate using bug out bags, mini survival kits, offsite bins, and more.
Finally, we’ve taken the time to work out plans and to gather crucial
information that you may need after disaster, including creating an
emergency binder, documenting your household possessions for insurance
purposes, and developing an out-of-state emergency “go between” contact
for your family.
Clearly there’s plenty more that we’ve covered above but didn’t mention in
this recap—such as preparing your pets or stockpiling cash—which could
prove useful in your time of need as well.
Honestly, none of these projects should be considered as more important
than another. None should be ignored either.
Remember, if you choose to do just one of these projects each day you’ll be
far better prepared for emergencies less than two months from now and, if
you’re feeling rather ambitious, I’m willing to bet you could get it all done
in a single weekend or two.
Now you have no excuses, go get it done!
Get Your Free Checklist Here
Before you grab your checklist, be a good friend or family member and
choose to help others who could use this crucial information...
Spread the Word, Share the Knowledge
I’m willing to bet that you have family and friends who could benefit from
this book as well, so please take a moment right now and quickly share a
link to it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest... you can easily do so here.
Now, download your free, easy-to-reference 47-point DIY survival projects
checklist here. Or, if you prefer, the entire checklist is reproduced here for
your convenience:
Start an Emergency Binder
Compile Insurance Policies and Phone Numbers
List Prescription Drugs and Dosages
Complete the “One Pager” Document
Take Photos of Household Possessions
Enlist an Out-of-State Emergency Contact
Backup PC Documents
Prepare Your Pets for Emergencies
Fill 2-liter Soda Bottles with Water for Emergency Use, Blocks
of Ice
Drain Hot Water Tank
Buy a WaterBOB Water Storage Bladder
Find a Nearby Source of Water
Print Bleach Dosage Guidelines
8 DIY Food Projects
Print Food Safety Guidelines
Inventory Pantry Foods
Make Hardtack or Shelf-Stable Survival Bars (Tastier and
Packed with Calories)
Make Homemade MRE Meals You’ll Actually Enjoy
Start Sprouting Grains to Boost Vitamin Yield
Start a Compost Bin
Start Container Vegetable Gardening
Make Newspaper Seed Starters
Try Cooking in a Thermos to Save Fuel
Build an Efficient, Easily Assembled Brick Rocket Stove
Build a Mini Vegetable Can Stove
Create Ready-to-Use Fire Starters
Make a Visor Solar Cooker
Buy a NOAA Weather Radio, Program It Properly
Create a Fire Escape Plan
Create Disaster Response Plans
Test Smoke Alarms and Fire Extinguishers (They May be Bad
Without You Knowing)
Replace Exterior Door Hinge Screws
Add Earthquake “Proofing” to Pantry Shelves
Add Door and Window Alarms
Make DIY Cleaners
Create an Emergency Toilet
Make a Homemade Mosquito Trap
Make a Bucket Mouse Trap
5 Get Ready to Evacuate Projects
Stash Ready-to-Grab Gear Next to Your Bed
Make a Pocket Survival Kit (e.g., Altoids Kit)
Add Important Phone Numbers to Your Smartphone
Create a Bug Out Bag
Toss Together an Offsite Bin of Supplies
Stockpile Cash
Makeshift a DIY Faraday Cage
Make a Crisco Lamp (or Vegetable Oil Lamp)
Make Newspaper Logs
Start Following Survival Sites via RSS
Discover More Survival Books Here
If you liked what you read within then you're going to love my other
survival books. Here’s a sampling, just click on any book title below to find
out more or use the link provided above to see them all…
53 Essential Bug Out Bag Supplies
The Complete Pet Safety Action Plan
28 Powerful Home Security Solutions
27 Crucial Smartphone Apps for Survival
57 Scientifically-Proven Survival Foods to Stockpile
75 of the Best Secret Hiding Places
Your Identity Theft Protection Game Plan
144 Survival Uses for 10 Common Items
And if you would like to be among the first to know when new survival
books become available, fill out this form and you’ll be notified via email.
Recommended for You…
I want to point out one book from the above list, in particular, since you
clear recognize how important disaster preparation is: 53 Essential Bug Out
Bag Supplies: How to Build a Suburban “Go Bag” You Can Rely Upon.
Sadly, most every bug out bag list has some unwritten expectation that
you’ll be evacuating into a plentiful nearby wilderness with fish to catch,
streams to rest alongside, mountains to navigate, and debris huts to build.
This just isn’t the case for most of us.
Most Americans are going to be slogging their way through the urban
“jungle” with nothing to catch for food or even a good source of water to
drink! There may even be potentially unrecognizable building and roads as
well as a shortage of safe shelter spots to get out of the elements.
These juxtapositions in bug out environments are quite different and should
be treated as such.
Click here to discover precisely how to create a “go bag” you can rely upon
in a suburban environment.
Your Opinion Matters to Me
I’d love to hear your feedback about this book, especially anything I might
be able to add or improve upon for future revisions. Please send me an
email at rethinksurvival@gmail.com with the word “book” in the subject if
you have something for me. (And be sure to include the book title so I’m
not confused.)
Review This Book on Amazon
Because reviews are critical in spreading the word about books, I ask that
you take a moment and write a review of the book so that others know what
to expect, particularly if you've found my advice useful. (Note: you’ll be
sent to Amazon.com to write the review after clicking this link.)
I do hope that you’ve enjoyed this book and that you will choose to
implement my recommendations to help you and your family stay safe from
disasters of all kinds, big or small.
I encourage you to please take a moment and download the checklist above,
share this book with your friends and family using the link I provided
previously, and leave a quick review on Amazon.com while you’re at it.
May God bless you and your family.
Thank you for your time, Damian

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47 Easy DIY Survival Projects

How to Quickly Get Your Family Prepared

If you’re unaware, a WaterBOB is simply a very large water bladder meant

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