For Your Survival: The Best Survival Tool

When it comes to playing it safe in the wilderness or anywhere, your best survival tool would have to be preparation. In the long run, knowing the perfect way to track game, move silently, and forage for food may help you, but not so much as always having the right supplies with you. Here are a few ways having the right kits with you can do wonders for improving your camping trip, hiking trip, or hunting expedition.

Food is a common issue when it comes to roughing it in the wilderness. Oftentimes inexperienced campers end up packing too much to too little. However, by investing in various canned, dehydrated, and freeze-dried meals, you can have plenty of food without taking up too much space. Another advantage to these meals is that they take minimal preparation and have a naturally lengthy shelf life, making them ideal for longer trips. For shorter trips, foods such as jerky, dried fruit, trail mix, and granola are all good snacks to carry. Be sure to have extra water with you on all times as well. Should you decide to forage for greens, berries, or mushrooms, be sure to consult a field guide before making any big decisions. Caution is one of the most important survival tool skills, after all, and it wouldn’t do to accidentally ingest anything poisonous.

Having been stranded for a period during an ice storm, I have been thinking about what I would need to do if it happened again. So I invested in a three-month supply of survival foods. Recently, I checked Amazon to see what else was available in freeze dried foods. I found more variety and better prIces. You may want to check these out. I am ordering more. Since I am living on a limited retirement income, I think I arranged this list, so I am an affiliate. It will not cost you anymore but it you check it out and decide to order from here, I might get a few pennies or two. Here is the link to the Amazon freeze dried foods list.

Knowing how to use a survival tool first aid kit is also an important survival tool. Whether you’re planning a short camping trip or a lengthy expedition, it’s essential that you have at least a basic kit on hand. After all, it only takes one slip up to result in a nasty burn, a sprained ankle, or a broken leg. Basic first aid kits often include bandages, disinfectant, antibiotics, and painkillers among other supplies. Larger kits may also have sewing needles, splints, rash creams, vitamin supplements, and other supplies. If you have any medication, be sure to bring a few extra day’s worth of dosages with you in case you need them.

Finally, it’s a good idea to bring a few precautionary devices with you that will be useful if you get lost. The point of this survival tool isn’t just to help you reach civilization, but also to help others reach you in the event of an emergency. Some basic tools for this kit include compasses, GPS navigators, flashlights, and emergency flares. Some GPS devices also come with emergency buttons that allow you to alert authorities of an emergency. Learn more about the importance of a survival tool kit today!

And when I checked Amazon, I found thousands of items on a Survival tools list. (Another affiliate list). So much stuff out there, so little money.

For Your Survival: Staying Safe in a Blackout

In February of 2021, I found out the hard way that my state, Texas, was the only the only state in the country with its own power grid. Then I found out again in February of 2022.

Sometimes it seems like we lose power whenever the weather turns.

A blackout is a power outage caused by a sudden disruption in electric service. There are several different types of blackouts, including those that are planned and those that occur unexpectedly.

If you find yourself in the middle of a blackout, there are some things that you can do to stay safe and help others. If it is daytime, try to stay inside as much as possible to avoid heat exhaustion. If it is nighttime, be sure to have a flashlight handy so that you can see your way around.

If you are using candles for light, be sure to blow them out before you go to sleep. And, if you have a battery-operated radio, listen for updates from local officials about the status of the power outage.

Most importantly, stay calm and help others who may be panicking. Blackouts may be disruptive, but they do not have to be dangerous. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll weather the storm just fine.

· Types of Blackouts

There are several different types of blackouts that can affect your home or business. The most common type is a planned outage, which occurs when power has to be shut off temporarily in order to make repairs or upgrades to the electric grid. Planned outages typically last for several hours and are announced in advance.

An unplanned blackout, on the other hand, occurs without warning and usually lasts longer than planned outages. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires can all lead to unexpected power outages by disrupting substations or transmission lines. Other causes of unplanned power interruptions include accidents involving utility poles and transformers, wildlife interfering with electrical equipment, lightning strikes, and fallen trees or limbs breaking power lines.

· How to Stay Safe During a Blackout

Whether it is planned or unplanned, a blackout can be disruptive and even dangerous. That’s why it’s important to know what to do before, during, and after an interruption in service.

· Before a Blackout:

Charge your cell phone and other electronic devices.

Make sure you have fresh batteries for your flashlight.

Know where your gas shut-off valve is located and how to turn it off.

If you rely on electrically powered medical equipment, talk to your doctor about what to do in the event of a power outage.

· During a Blackout:

If possible, stay inside in a cool, well-ventilated place.

Drink plenty of fluids, even if you do not feel thirsty.

Avoid using candles or other open flames for light.

Do not use your gas stove for heating or cooking.

Listen to a battery-operated radio for updates from local officials.

· After a Blackout:

Throw away any food that has been exposed to heat or spoiled as a result of the power outage.

Do not use your home’s generator indoors, as it can emit harmful fumes.

Report any downed power lines to your local utility company.

Inspect your home for damage before turning on any appliances or lights.

Blackouts can be annoying, but by following these simple tips, you can stay safe and help others do the same. And, if it is a truly unexpected outage, remember that these tips may minimize damage to your home or business as well.

With so much riding on the power grid, blackouts are an inevitable part of life in modern society. However, by taking simple precautions before and after an interruption in service, you can be sure that you’ll weather any storm with ease!

Thank you for reading

Planning for Disasters and Survival: No one’s Really 100% Safe — Does that mean I am becoming a Prepper?

I used to laugh at preppers — not anymore!

I used to pooh-pooh the statement that disaster is everywhere. I read with a great deal of skepticism that disaster was in the streets, inside campuses, and even inside your home. The question is not whether we are safe (because no one is really THAT secure anymore) but whether we can do something to lessen the odds of ever becoming a victim.

I used to laugh at preppers.

We were very happy in our little ranchette in South Central Texas and even laughed in February of 2021 when the weather forecasters predicted a polar freeze coming.

Zap! We were without power for over a week and without water for seven weeks and only got water restored because my son flew in and spent 24 hours repairing the twenty-plus breaks in our line from the well to our house. It took over three months until the plumbers could get to us and inspect his work.

We did not freeze because we had a propane heater in our living area and our bathroom and a propane stove. They operated continuously for three weeks until we could count on electricity again.

We thought it can’t happen again then in Feb 2022, it happened again with a severe ice storm. Although it did not last as long, it still caused significant damage tom our property.

It got me to thinking.

What is a disaster, anyway?  By definition, a disaster is any catastrophe or tragedy that occurs (can also be identified as a destruction or calamity). That doesn’t sound good at all, does it? We should be alarmed at the mere mention of this term, and we have good reasons to be because there are so many kinds of disaster.

Name it and it has it. Think of the natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flood, tornadoes, tsunamis, cyclones, or even fire and, you wouldn’t want this last one, aggression.

So, now, I am starting to invest in some books we found on Amazon to help us survive in case we get involved in another situation. So I am slowly but surely ordering books from this list so we are better prepared. (Full disclosure – have placed this list in an affiliate link where I might get a few pennies if you to order any book from this list.)

We also ordered and received a 90-day supply of emergency food with a 25-year shelf life like the ones on this list (also another affiliate link). I am also looking at ordering more from this list.

I am also looking into putting in a whole house emergency backup power generation system to ensure if the electrical grid goes down again, we will have power.  

In conclusion, things are changing and after being the victim of unforeseen circumstances, I am starting to prepare a little at a time.