*Edit: There is now a paperback version of this great book available.
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I just became aware of a new book,Getting Home, that is currently on sale in Kindle form for .99
I've lately been reading many fiction books along the same concept & will be giving this non-fiction one a read.
Get it before it goes back up to full price.
What will you do when disaster strikes? How will you get home to your family? What should you have with you to survive?
Getting Home addresses these, and many more questions.
Written
in a clear and concise manner, with the reader that has beginning or
intermediate knowledge of survival and disaster preparedness in mind,
Getting Home explores the following topics:
1. Creating a robust Every Day Carry (EDC) kit 2. Supplementing your EDC with a Daypack (DP) 3. What to store in your office (or other facility while you are away from home) 4. Selecting and outfitting your vehicle 5. Selecting and outfitting a Get Home Bag (GHB) 6. Creating Caches 7. Getting Home: Tips and Tactics for Survival
I'm
always fascinated with EDC stuff...the stuff I carry, the stuff other
people carry, new stuff that looks useful, etc. I get lots of ideas
from this subreddit, as well as from this website and this website, among others.
Each person will devise their own EDC based on their own
unique circumstances and needs, but in case you need some ideas, here
are 100 items you might consider for everyday carry:
Protection
Small firearm
Holster
Extra magazine/ammo
Fixed-blade knife
Knife sheath
Kubotan
Pepper spray
Stun gun
Razor blade
Steel baton
Tech
Cell phone
Flashlight
Headlamp
USB drive
Earbuds
Pocketknife
Multi tool
Folding knife
Watch
Keys
Medical
Bandaids
Wet wipes
Alcohol wipe
Latex gloves
Packet of aspirin
Moleskin
Super Glue
Bandana
Packet of Benadryl
Acidophilous tablets
Outdoor Survival
Whistle
Compass
Matches
Lighter
Flint/steel
Sunglasses
Carabiner
Paracord bracelet
Mylar "Space blanket"
Fire starter (ie: small tube of petroleum jelly)
Office stuff
Business cards
Fisher space pen
Mini Sharpie
Small notebook (ie Moleskein)
Wallet/ID
Magnifying glass
Stamps
Deck of playing cards
Digital camera
Spare memory cards
Fix-It Stuff
Zipties
Duct tape
Floss
Electrical tape
Work gloves
Aluminum foil
Ziploc bag
Snare wire
Pocket survival guide
Mini sewing kit
Food and Water
Bottle of water
Granola bar
M & Ms/chocolate
Breath mints
Gum
Tea bags/packet of instant coffee
Beef jerky
Hard candy
Packet of raisins
Condiment packets: salt, pepper, Tabasco, etc
Currency
Cash
Coins
Credit card
Debit/bank card
Gold coin
Cigarettes
ShotPak (alcohol shot in foil pouch)
Challenge coin
Foreign currency (for country you are most likely to go to)
Prescription pain killers (prescriotion in YOUR name)
Emergency Stuff
Laminated list of emergency contacts
Condom (non lubricated)
Tampon (OB)
Folding "spork"
Flat can opener
Micro prybar
Foam ear plugs
Goggles
Surgical mask
Passport
Other stuff
Necessary prescription medication
Hand lotion
Safety pins
Rubber bands
Nail clippers/nail file
Stuff you need: denture adhesive, hearing aid batteries, eye drops, contacts, glasses, etc
Powdered
milk… I know what many of you are thinking, “Never in a million years
will I substitute dry milk for the real thing.” Up until a few years
ago, I was right there with you, but I have since seen the light. Let me
begin by saying powdered milk has gotten a bad rap.
Powdered milk is a prepper staple that all prepper sites suggest we stock up on. To calculate how much your family needs, click here. Bear in mind that if you have small children or are a nursing mother, it is important to have even more powdered milk stored.
Not many know of the versatility of the nutritional value
of our little powdered friend. One cup of dry milk provides you with a
good source of protein, vitamins A and D, calcium, magnesium and
essential fats.
To reconstitute dry milk:
To reconstitute one quart nonfat milk, sprinkle ¾ cup (3.2 oz) non-instant dry milk powder on top of 3¾ cups water at
room temperature. Beat with mixer, rotary beater or wire whip until dissolved.
To reconstitute one gallon nonfat milk, sprinkle 3 cups (12.8 oz) non-instant dry milk powder on top of 3 qt 3 cups
water at room temperature. Beat with mixer, rotary beater, or wire whip until dissolved.
Tips on preparing powdered milk:
Mix it very well. Using a clean egg beater or mixer helps to break up the clumps.
Mix powdered milk with very cold water. When mixed, keep it very cold.
Make powdered milk the night before use. This helps the flavor come out.
Mixing equal parts of fresh milk to reconstituted milk to help ease fussy drinkers.
A little sweetener can go a long way. Adding a spoonful of sugar, chocolate syrup or vanilla extract can help enhance the flavor.
If your family still doesn’t like the taste of reconstituted milk,
use it for cooking purposely only and save your real milk for drinking.
For those of us trying to find more economical ways to deal with the
ever-increasing grocery bill, powdered milk is your best friend! Many of
our diets are centered around dairy products: milk, cheese, sour cream,
coffee creamer, and heavy cream. All of these products can be made with
powdered milk!
Storing powdered milk:
According to USA Emergency Supply,
“Dry milk products are probably the most sensitive to environmental
conditions storage foods there are, particularly to temperature and
moisture content. Their vitamins A and D are also photosensitive and
will break down rapidly if exposed to light.
The area where your dry milk is stored should be kept as cool as
possible. If it is possible to do so, air-conditioning or even
refrigeration can greatly extend the nutrient shelf life. After opening a
package of dry milk, transfer the powder to a tightly covered glass or
metal container (dry milk can pick up odors from plastic containers) and
keep it in the refrigerator. Unsealed nonfat dry milk keeps for a few
months; dry whole milk for a few weeks.
My family stores powdered milk in sealed Mylar bags (In my opinion,
this is the best long-term storage method). Adding desiccant pouches to
minimize moisture will also prevent “lumping” in the powdered milk. Once
opened, we store the unused powdered milk in the refrigerator for
prolonged freshness. Use the instructions outlined in this article to store powdered dry milk in Mylar bags.
Aside from using powdered milk as a substitute for the real thing,
there are other ways that you can use this essential pantry item when
cooking. The following are just a few of the recipes found in The Prepper’s Cookbook: 365 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe Equivalent to 14 ounce can
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup hot water
1 cup nonfat dry milk
¾ cup sugar
In a small saucepan, add the butter in the hot water and stir until combined.
Pour into a bowl and stir in the dry milk powder and sugar. Mix well until the sugar and milk powder are dissolved.
Evaporated Milk Recipe Equivalent to 12 oz. can
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup nonfat instant dry milk
Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously.
Hot Cocoa Mix Makes 6 cups
Ingredients:
2 c. dry milk powder
½ c. non-dairy creamer
¾ c. sugar
½ c. cocoa
Dash of spice such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cayenne or pepper
Mix all ingredients together and store in a cool, dry space.
To make drink, add 1 cup of warm milk or water to 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa mixture.
Heavy Cream Substitute
1 cup milk
¼ cup nonfat dry milk
Whirl the milk and dry milk powder in a blender until thoroughly
mixed. Use in baking or cooking dishes that call for heavy whipping
cream.
Instant Oatmeal Mix Makes 14 – half cup servings
6 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup dry powdered milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried fruit or nuts
In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients. Then store in airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 month.
To prepare oatmeal:
Place 1/2 cup of mix and add 1/2 cup boiling water or milk to the mix and stir until oats are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Pudding Mix Serves 4
3 cups nonfat dry milk
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir all the ingredients together until well blended. Store in a covered container or in individual 1-cup packages.
To make pudding, place 1 cup pudding mix in a small saucepan. Slowly
sir in 2 cups boiling water. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes,
stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened. Let the mixture
cool slightly and then pour into individual containers to make homemade
pudding cups or into a single container. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Vanilla pudding—Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon butter once the pudding has thickened. Chocolate pudding—Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
to 1 cup of dry mixture before cooking. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and
1 tablespoon butter once the pudding has thickened.
*Place plastic wrap on top to prevent a skin from
forming – me, I love pudding skin, but maybe I’m weird. Cool for 15
minutes till room temp and then spoon into individual bowls if you want,
refrigerate for at least an hour
For more delicious recipes, The Prepper’s Cookbook: 365 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals is available in bookstores now.
Another great book in the "Survival Porn" genre that I have recently read.
I love a good storyline. The type of book that you just can't put down and will read in just one day.
On a Friday afternoon before Labor Day, Americans are getting ready for
the holiday weekend, completely unaware of a long-planned terrorist plot
about to be launched against the country. Kyle Tait is settling in for
his flight home to Montana when a single nuclear bomb is detonated 300
miles above the heart of America. The blast, an Electro-Magnetic Pulse
(EMP), destroys every electrical device in the country, and results in
the crippling of the power grid, the shutting down of modern
communications, and bringing to a halt most forms of transportation.
Kyle
narrowly escapes when his airplane crashes on take-off, only to find
himself stranded 2,000 miles from home in a country that has been
forced, from a technological standpoint, back to the 19th Century.
Confused, hurt, scared, and alone, Kyle must make his way across a
hostile continent to a family he’s not even sure has survived the
effects of the attack. As Kyle forges his way home, his frightened
family faces their own struggles for survival in a community trying to
halt its slow spiral into chaos and anarchy.
A great storyline with a great amount of detail on the gear used by the main characters.
I'd almost call it a reference book disguised as excellent fiction.
*EDIT:
Just had a nice conversation with the author and was informed that book 2 is well in the works.
