Learning + Tutorials

One of the most important reasons to have an Emergency Survival Kit / Bug Out Bag is to prepare for home fires. Why? Because in only a matter of minutes a small flame can turn into a raging house fire, and you and your family may only have seconds to escape.

You wouldn't have time to grab anything that wasn't already prepared near an exit.

Home fires, more than any other thing we prepare for (other than a tornado) strike the fastest and pose the most significant threat us.

Having long to medium-term food reserves can be a tricky subject for those of us who grew up relying on a refrigerator and mom going grocery shopping every week, or Dominos *cough* Pizza.

There is a simple and easy way to store months worth of food at home without purchasing freeze-dried foods (although we have those too, most with a 25 year shelf life!)

All it takes is a brake bleeder vacuum pump, some jars, a Foodsaver and Tattler lids.

Should traditional modern communication systems be unavailable, having a backup way to communicate far distances is a smart thing to have.

It's not uncommon for large storms to take out cellphone and land line phone systems and with them likely goes the internet as well.

The easiest and most useful backup option is one that's been around a very long time - and it's long range radio communication via voice and telegraph.

You may have heard it referred to as Ham radio which is slang for Amateur Radio.