Today marks the longest day of the year! More sun than any other day!

To celebrate today, it’s been declared Solar Day! At Goal0 – makers of some of the best emergency and camping solar equipment in the industry – Solar Day is like a national holiday (even though I’m sure they probably don’t get the day off…)

Check out this infographic from Goal0′s Solar Squad about some little known info on solar energy and heat.

Check out some of Goal0′s awesome products here.

Our planet is an amazing place! It’s full of plants, animals, geographic anomalies and thousands of other variables that combine to create a perfect space for life.

Even with all this amazing uniqueness, people have begun to notice patterns. Many times, these patterns are helpful when predicting the weather. You can look to clouds, rainbows, colors, animals or even your salt shaker for help with predicting the weather.

Local Geography
While high-pressure and low-pressure systems can create storms, local geography can have a major effect too. Most weather conditions in the United States move west to east. Keep an eye on what is happening to the west of you.

Large bodies of water can have an effect on the weather. Oceans and lakes can keep the temperature more constant. You’ll notice that coast line will be hotter and cool down as you move inland. Many times, lakes can hold in cooler temperatures and you’ll notice cooler air as you get closer to the lakes.

Hills and mountains can also change the weather patterns. For example, the Sierra Nevadas stop most moist clouds from reaching the east side of the slope. Most of the moisture falls on the western side.

Clouds
While you’re imagining what those clouds in the sky resemble, take a moment to notice what type of clouds you’re looking at.

If you see long streamer-like clouds (cirrus clouds) or scale clouds (altocumulus clouds) that typically means that a storm is on its way. Expect a storm within 36 hours.

If you see a lot of cloud cover at night, it typically means that you’ll have a warm night. Heat radiation will be forced to stay underneath the clouds and warm the atmosphere during the night.

If clouds are going two different directions, that typically means that there is a storm coming your way. You’ll notice that one layer of clouds is going right and another layer is going left. This is typical before a hail storm.

Rainbows
Most storms in the United States travel from west to east. Therefore, a rainbow in the west means that moisture is coming your way. If a rainbow is in the east, it typically means that a storm is leaving your area and you can expect some sun.

Remember the adage, “Rainbow in the morning, need for a warning.”

Sky Color
Speaking of adages, most of us have heard “Red sky at night, sailors delight; Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.”

If you see a red sky during sunset (when the sun is in the west), that means that there is a high pressure system stirring up dust particles in that area. Since prevailing front movements typically move from west to east, that means that the dry air is moving your direction.

If the sky is red in the morning (when the sun is in the east), it means that the high pressure system has already moved past you. This typically means that a low pressure system is following close behind and that typically means a storm is coming.

Moon
Look for rings around the moon. These rings are caused from light shining through cirrostratus clouds that are typical of warm fronts. These clouds mean that rain is probable within three days.

If the moon is a pale or red hue, it means there is a lot of dust in the air. Sometimes these colors mean there is a lot of pollution in the air too. However, if the moon looks more sharp and brighter than normal, it typically means that there is a low pressure system moving through the area that has cleared out the dust and dirt. Low-pressure systems are also associated with rain.

Humidity
Humid air typically means that there is a heavy rain on its way. You can notice humidity from people’s hair. People’s hair will typically curl up or get frizzy.

Pine cones are a great way to determine humidity too. If a pine cone’s scales remain closed it means that the humidity is high. If they are open, the air is dry.

Wood usually swells when it gets humid too. You’ll notice that wood doors will get a little tighter and won’t open as easily.

Smells
Scents are typically stronger in moist air. You’ll notice a compost smell that plants release in the atmosphere. Swamps typically release gases just before a storm too. If smells are stronger, it typically means that there is a low pressure system in place and that leads to rainy weather.

Animals
You’ll notice that birds won’t go out as much. If the weather is good, you’ll see birds flying high in the sky. If the pressure is dropping, a lot of birds will be on power lines. If you live on the coast, you’ll notice that seagulls tend to take refuge right before a storm.

Cows are another animal to look to. Cows will typically lay down before a thunderstorm. They will also gather close together to protect themselves. If you notice the cows doing this, a storm might be on its way.

You can even look to insects for help. Ants will usually build their hills a little steeper just before it rains. This helps against the corroding effects of the rain water.

Other
Trees. Deciduous trees often show the undersides of their leaves when there are unusual winds. This is supposedly because they grow their leaves to face right-side up during typical winds. If you see the wind blowing the underside of deciduous tree’s leaves, you know that something is different.

You can also look at the leaves of an oak or maple tree. Their leaves tend to curl when there is high humidity.

Campfires. Watch the smoke from your campfire. If the smoke swirling or is being pushed down, it means there is a low pressure system in place. If it rises steadily, you should be fine.

Dew. In the morning, check to see if there is dew. If the grass is dry, it typically means that there are clouds and strong breezes. If there is dew on the leaves in the morning, it probably won’t rain that day.

Your Recommendations
So we’ve covered a few points here, but what do you think? Let us know your superb outdoor tricks to predicting the weather!

Last week, The Ready Store wrote a featured article in The Enterprise, a business journal, on how to prepare your business for an earthquake. Take a look:

In February 2008, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit near Wells, Nev., Fortunately, this large earthquake didn’t take any lives. Instead, the quake damaged half of the non-residential buildings in the town.

The disaster cost the city over $9 million dollars and steered businesses off track for months after the event. …

Your Responsibility to Prepare Your Business
If you are preparing your family for an emergency, why should your business be any different? …

When you think about it, an earthquake might not strike while you and your family are at home. Instead, it’s probable that you’ll be at your desk (or perhaps on the golf course if you’re lucky)! You have a responsibility to prepare your business and your employees to know what to do in case of an emergency.

There are a few things that you can do to prepare before a quake, train your employees on what do during a quake, and keep your business financially stable after an earthquake.

Prepare Your Location
The first thing you’ll want to do is assess how ready your business location is for an earthquake. This will help you develop a plan for your business.

Identify potential hazards. Does your office have a lot of pictures hanging on the wall? Is there more than one escape route out of the building? You should assess what concerns your location presents while you create a plan.

Also consider your businesses utilities. Is your water heater properly installed so that it won’t fall over in a quake? Are fire alarms and extinguishers in proper working order?

Your building. There are many factors to take into account to ensure that your building is ready for an earthquake. Even things like design, furnishings and when the building was constructed can have an effect.

The soil underneath a building can also have a major effect on its sustainability during a quake. Soft, clay-like soils tend to absorb the motion of an earthquake better than a rocky soil.

Emergency materials. If you and your employees were trapped inside of the building, would you have the supplies to survive? You should consider purchasing or creating emergency kits for your business. Include things like flashlights, collapsible shovels, first-aid materials, water and some snacks. Be sure to make a few extra kits for customers or guests who might be at your building that day.

These kits should be accessible and easy to grab if you need to exit the building.

Prepare Your Employees
The next step in preparing your business is to prepare your employees to know what to do during the earthquake.

Establish an emergency coordinator. Depending on the size of your business, you may want to establish one of your employees as the emergency coordinator. They can head up projects that deal with emergency planning and conducting drills.

Also consider providing incentives to employees who become CPR certified or take time to teach your customers and the community around you about emergency preparedness.

Under the desk. The best thing that you and your employees can do during an earthquake is get underneath a desk or some sturdy structure and hold on. You might have heard in the past that that getting under a door frame is the best idea. However, Steve Bowman, project manager for Utah Geological Hazards, sets the record straight.

“Getting to a door frame might be harder than you think,” Bowman said. “There might be a lot of falling objects around the room. We recommend getting under a desk and holding on – the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ technique.”

Escape plan. Be sure to have a plan in place and practice it periodically with your employees. They should all know their escape route from the building. You should practice this plan at least once a quarter.

Establish a meeting location. Once the earthquake stops, you and your employees need to know where to meet. Have a location where your business can check in to make sure everyone is OK. This location should be outdoors and easy to access if emergency responders need to help you.

An emergency coordinator will have the responsibility of taking roll and making sure everyone is safe.

Communication. After you’ve made sure that everyone is accounted for. Have plans in place to ensure that your employees can reach their family members. While many times, phone lines are jammed after an emergency, the Federal Communications Commission recommends that you send text messages to ensure family members that you are safe. Many times text messages will go through the system easier than a phone call.

Prepare for the Effects on Your Business
There are many smaller business that don’t make it out of an earthquake financially.

“Many times, the impact of being closed for a few days or having their utilities or shipping interrupted for a few days can devastate a business,” Brown said. Remember that your mortgages and bills will not wait because of an earthquake.

Earthquake insurance. Would insurance cover your business location in case of an earthquake? Not all insurance policies do! Check out your insurance policy to see what kind of damage it covers. There are some types of earthquake insurance policies that can be purchased separately, which might be a good fit for your business.

Federal assistance. Interestingly, the majority of federal assistance money after an earthquake goes toward low-interest loans to qualified business.

FEMA assistance is only available when the government declares a federal disaster. Business can apply for loans to help against building damage, employee loss or other working capital needs. However, if a disaster is declared, your business will have to apply to FEMA or the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a loan.

Emergency power. If an earthquake strikes, the power grid might be knocked out. Be sure to have a contingency plan in place for electricity and power at your business. You might consider a generator or installing solar panels.

Helping your local community. As a business, you have a responsibility to your local community and customers. You can include plans to be able to help people in your local community clean up after the mess.

Your business would have to make plans to have access to tools, food, water, extra clothing and more to help the community. Besides fulfilling your duty to the local community, this will also establish a long-lasting relationship with customers and potential customers.

You’ll be prepared!
Once you’ve established a plan and ensured that your business will keep going – you’ll be ready to face an earthquake.

There are lots of resources out there including videos, brochures and reading material on ussc.utah.gov. You can also learn more and sign up to participate in the Utah Shake Out on April 17th at shakeout.org/utah.

We would encourage you to prepare for an earthquake by making plans now!

Read the original article here (subscription required).

Fuel is one of the most important things that you can use in an emergency. Whether it powers a car, generator, or stove; you’ll need to make sure that your fuel is ready for when you need it.

Handle all fuels with care. Remember that all of these could light at a moment’s notice.

We’ve collected a few tips on how to properly store different types of fuels, where you should store them, and how long they can store.

Containers for liquid fuel
When storing fuel, or other fire-starting material, you’ll want to make sure to put them in a different colored container. Most of the time, liquid fuels are stored in red containers. At a minimum, containers should be obviously labeled.

Make sure that containers are sturdy, reliable and have a good seal on them. You want to make sure that the fuel won’t leak. You should also consider a container that isn’t clear or translucent.

Gasoline

The American Petroleum Institute recommends that you only store gasoline for up to two years. This recommendation does not include gasoline that has been treated with a stabilizer.

There are many types of stabilizers on the shelf that can get your gasoline to store for a few years longer.

While I’ve used gasoline that has been stored for years on my lawn mower, using “stale” gasoline that has been stored for an long time can have some diverse effects on your motor. The recommendation for 1-2 years of shelf-life would provide optimal gasoline.

Diesel Fuel
Surprisingly, diesel doesn’t have a very long shelf-life. It can only last for 6-12 months.

The problem with storing diesel is that it begins to oxidize as soon as it leaves the refinery. Sediments begin to form that would clog the motor. This reaction can be slowed by keeping the fuel cooler and by adding stabilizers. The condensation from the gasoline can also form algae.

Some people who store diesel for a long time (the Navy, gas companies) use methods to stabilize their supply. These methods can be pretty expensive though.

We recommend that you store only a maximum of two-month’s worth of diesel at a time and empty the canisters into your car or generator when you rotate. (Thanks to Oblio13’s blog for the insight.)

Kerosene
Kerosene is one of the easiest fuels to store, and is more versatile than most people think. It does not evaporate as readily as gasoline and will remain stable in storage with no special treatment.

Kerosene has a shelf-life of about three months in a plastic container. Storing kerosene for longer than that can result in bacteria and mold forming in the container.

When you store the kerosene, be sure to label the container properly. You want to make sure that it doesn’t mix with gasoline or another type of fuel. You should store your kerosene in a different color container than gas to ensure that they are not mistakenly mixed.

Be sure to store the kerosene outdoors but protected from direct sunlight. Prolonged sunlight can degrade the kerosene.

Butane
Butane isn’t as popular of a fuel as gasoline or kerosene but many people use the fuel for lighters or other small fire starters. Many backpacking kits use butane fuel.

“Butane comes in pressurized containers and the canisters are required, by law, to have instructions on the label regarding storage and usage of the product. Following the instructions will ensure that you keep your butane supply safe.

Proper storage is the first element in butane safety. Keep it in a safe place at home that is out of any children’s reach. Many containers can withstand even high temperatures. Even if you live in a climate that is rather warm, your butane should still store well … find a dry and cool place, out of the direct sunlight and away from any other sources of extreme heat.

Additionally, also make sure that the tip of the butane container is not damaged or clogged. If the tip is damaged or is clogged through use, remove the clog or throw away the container and buy a new one.“ (Read the Ebay article.)

Propane
You’ll obviously want to store your propane in a well-ventilated area outdoors. Make sure that your propane tank is stored upright – probably on a concrete slab.

Don’t store the propane tank next to anything flammable. Also ensure that it is stored in an area where a large amount of water will not fall on the tank – for example, next to a gutter or in the open under the rainfall.

Never store the propane in a house or garage. Click here to read Propane 101’s article about proper propane safety.

Charcoal
Charcoal is a great option for cooking fuel. They might get your hands a little bit messier but that’s not always a bad thing. The good thing is that you can store this dry fuel inside your home! However, never cook with charcoal indoors!

You can store charcoal in a dry location – like a bin or metal canister. You can also make a waterproof container by placing the charcoal in a bucket and use a gamma lid to seal the top. This should keep the briquets by not letting moisture into the bucket!

Coal
According to the Fireplace Supplier Register, coal can be stored in damp places without harming it. It can also be retained in areas that have little or no protection from the rain and snow. If you choose, so you don’t have to handle wet coal, you can cover it outside with tarps to keep it dry.

Store bagged coal inside the bags until you’re ready to use it. It will be easier to store it and carry it to the stove. Coal either comes by the bag or by the truckload (if you order several tons). Loose coal is easier to contain if it’s stored in wooden bins, but it’s not necessary. (Reference to the eHow article.)

Firewood
Avoid the temptation to keep a lot of firewood in your home. You can obviously carry in a few logs indoors at a time, but the best location to store firewood is outdoors. It’s recommended that you keep your firewood at least 30 feet away from your house – not leaning against the house, next to the door. Ideally, wood should be kept off the ground too.

You can make a simple firewood holder out of two-by-fours in order to stack the wood properly. Be sure to stack the larger pieces of wood on the bottom of the pile. This will help the pile from leaning or falling over. Here is an article on how to build a firewood caddy.

You’ll want to use a cover to protect the wood from getting wet. You can purchase a specific log rack cover or a simple tarp will do. Make sure that the cover is secured so it doesn’t blow away in the wind.

You may notice that there are some bugs in your firewood. Do not spray your wood with insecticide! This can seep into the wood and fume in your house when you burn the log. Instead, the best thing to do is dry out the wood as quickly as possible. This will encourage most of the bugs to leave the wood.

Matches
There are a variety of matches out there. Avoid placing cheap matchbooks in your kits and emergency supplies. They can absorb moisture a lot easier.

Instead, focus on matches that are waterproof and have longer stems. This will allow you to light things from a safe distance and make sure that your matches are safe from moisture.

If you don’t have waterproof matches, you can place your matches in a waterproof container. Make sure that the container is a thick plastic and isn’t stored in direct sunlight.

Having documentation during an emergency can be very helpful and sometimes essential! There are certain identification, insurance and personal documents that you’ll wish you had during an emergency. Here are a few things to consider while collecting your important papers:

How to store
It’s pretty easy to digitize your records to fit them all onto a hard drive or flash drive. If you choose not to go this route, you can always keep copies of these documents in a water-proof folder. You might consider creating a master list (or Excel spreadsheet) to track all of your documents. There is a great tutorial by Lifehacker on how to do this.

However you store your documents, you’ll want to make sure that they are housed in a weather-resistant container of some sort.

Where to store
During an emergency, you’ll want to know where this information is. We recommend that you put this information in a 72-hour kit. By placing this information on one of the exterior pockets, it will be easy to access if you need to get to it quickly.

You can also make copies to be placed in your emergency supplies at home.

Types of documents
Identification papers
Copies of documents like your passport, driver’s license, social security card, birth certificates, and others are important to include in your emergency kit.

Insurance papers
If a natural disaster struck, how would you get in contact with your insurance company? It’s a good idea to have contact information for your insurance company and bank. You should include account numbers.

Be sure to include photos, descriptions and other documentation about the items in your home. Some families have even taken video tours of their home to show proof of them owning certain items in their home.

You could also include copies of house or property ownership if that becomes disputed.

Personal documents
While preparation might not protect certain family heirlooms, you can also take precautions against loosing certain family valuables like marriage certificates, treasured photos, family history records or old family keepsakes.

Some families have completely digitized their records to fit on a single flash drive or hard drive.

Medical documents
Making copies of vital medical records is a great thing to include in emergency plans. These could include allergies, prescriptions that you are on, immunizations, medical conditions, etc.

Contact information
You should have the names and phone numbers of a few vital contacts – a family relative that lives out of state, your insurance contact, etc. You can also include information on who people should contact if you or your pack is found.

List
Here is a list of some of the documents that you should consider:

So what other ideas have you found helpful? What records do you keep? How do you keep them?

So, hopefully you enjoyed part 1 of “What to do with a leftover #10 can.” Previously, we showed you how to use your can to create a lantern, candle and pin cushion. This time we’ll be showing you how to use your leftover can for gardening, cooking and camping.

You can use your leftover food storage cans for a variety of purposes. Here are a few:

Plant Pot
The #10 can is a great option for indoor gardening and growing. Be sure to puncture a few small holes in the bottom of the can before you plant anything inside of them. This will ensure that the water drains correctly.

Bread-In-A-Can Recipes
Believe it or not, there are a few recipes specifically for baking inside of a can.

Banana Bread
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar or turbinado sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cup mashed bananas

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease 4 soup or vegetable tin cans with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir.  In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Stir in eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas until well blended.  Stir banana mixture into flour mixture, until just moistened.  Pour batter evenly into 4 greased soup or vegetable tin cans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until skewer inserted in middle comes out clean.  Allow bread to cool in cans.  After cooling, pour bread out of the can, slice, smear with butter (optional), eat, and enjoy.  Or wrap and give away.  (If not giving away the same day as having baked, you will need to store in a sealed container or bag in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.  Can store up to 3 days in refrigerator or 2 weeks in the freezer.  If placing in freezer, take bread out of can to freeze and return to cleaned can when presenting.)

There is also a recipe for tin can sandwich bread:

Tin Can Sandwich Bread

Ingredients

Dough/Bread machine
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
salt to taste
1/4 cup finely minced sun-dried tomato
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 package (or 1 tablespoon) yeast

Directions
Mix all ingredients to create dough
Spray insides of two tall tomato-juice-size cans
Divide dough and place in cans
Cover cans and let rise for an hour
Place cans in cold oven
Turn oven on to 400 degrees and allow bread to heat inside oven for 15 minutes
After 15 minutes, turn oven down to 350
Let bake for 15 more minutes at 350
Let cool and enjoy!

After you’ve eaten through your food storage, you’re left with a number of empty cans. Now what? We collect a few ideas on what to do with that #10 can.

Lantern
With a simple can opener and candles, you can create an effective lantern. Be sure to wash out the can first. You can use the pointed edge of the can opener to puncture holes in the sides of the can. Place the candle inside the can and it becomes a lantern with direction-light. You can also add handles or sidebars to take the light on the go.

Some people have even used a small nail to create designs on the sides of their lanterns

Candles
This advice comes from CountryLiving.com.

Supplies:
Four 6-inch-length wire-core wicks, primed
4 wick holders
4 tin cans, approximately 4 inches deep and 2 inches wide
2.5 ounces stearin
1 disk wax dye, if desired
1.5 pounds paraffin wax

Directions:
1. Insert a length of primed wick into each wick holder and place a wick in the center of each tin.
2. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the stearin and wax dye, if using.
3. Add the wax. Melt and mix thoroughly. Heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Anchor the wicks in the tins by pouring enough wax into each tin to cover about 1/2 inch of each wick. Allow the wax to cool for about 30 minutes.
5. Wrap the end of the wicks around tie rods and rest the rods on the tops of the containers. Take up any slack in the wicks and center them within the tins. Be careful not to dislodge the anchors.
6. Reheat the wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and fill the tins to within 1/2 inch of the top. Allow to cool for one hour.
7. If the wax settles, reheat the remaining wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and top off the candles as necessary.
8. Cool for several hours or overnight. Remove the tie rods, trim the wicks to 1/4 inch, and the candles are ready to light.

Pin Cushion
DesignSponge.com has a great tutorial on how to create a pincushion out of a smaller can – like a tuna or cat food can.

Supplies:
1 Small tin can
1 Piece of fabric, approx. 8” x 8”
Handful of poly-fil
Small piece of gift wrap or other decorative paper
Double-stick tape
Hot glue
Blade and straight edge for cutting paper

Directions:
1. Carefully remove label from outside of can.
2. Trace label onto your piece of decorative paper, adding 1/2″ to the length for overlap.
3. Attach to can with one small strip of double-stick tape, and overlap ends with a second piece of tape.
4. Place a handful of poly-fil in the center of your fabric square, gathering the ends to create a loose ball shape.
5. Line the inside rim of the can with hot glue and insert the fabric/poly-fil ball, with raw edges going into the bottom of the can.
6. Tuck in fabric until it is taut. insert pins.

Be sure to read our part 2 of “What to do with a leftover #10 can.”

By The Ready Store

Previously, we discussed emergency lighting using candles, flashlights and lanterns. In this section we’ll discuss how car light strips can be used along with generators.

Car lights
A really creative idea that we came across was using car’s under-carriage strips. These lights are flexible and shouldn’t take up a ton of energy. If you needed to tack them on to a wall or ceiling they would be really easy.

Generators
If you have the means to get a generator, you’ll need to decide on purchasing a permanent or portable generator. The Learning Center at StateFarm, mentions that a permanent generator “remain permanently outside the home and on standby. They run on an existing fuel source – either liquid propane or natural gas – and are capable of generating enough wattage to re-energize your home only seconds after it loses power.”

Make sure that you have a qualified electrician look at how you set up your permanent generator. If they are hooked up incorrectly, they can lead to “back feed” of a home’s wiring. These generators can also be fairly expensive.

[Portable generators ]offer a more affordable option, when only a few vital electrical items are needed during a power outage. These generators are smaller and can be wheeled out of the garage. Their primary fuel is gasoline, so they should never be run inside the home or any enclosed area, where deadly carbon monoxide gas can accumulate.

In order to select the best backup generator for yourself and your family, determine just how much power you would need in the event of a blackout. What could you do without for a few days? Hot water? Cold food? Check the manufacturer information for each appliance to find out the wattage of your necessary appliances, and then tally their numbers. A portable generator may be your best option if you stay aware of your energy consumption, and hold to using the wattage limit of the generator. Depending on the model, portables can generate between 2,500 and 4,500 watts. By using energy wisely, you’ll still be able to comfortably endure a blackout. (Read full article at StateFarm’s Learning Center.)

If you are wanting more information about generators, please read a post that we sent out a while back.

There are a lot of options for emergency lighting needs. While some might just be getting started with their lighting needs, others might be well prepared. Just be sure to be prepared to give yourself peace of mind in an emergency situation.