When going camping, hiking, or just to visit your family & friends we always travel with our cell phones attached to our hips. With all electronic products you know you always need a power supply to keep it charged, and when you forget to charge your battery and come across an emergency it is vital to have your phone charged.

That’s when you reach into your glove box, auto emergency kit, or 72 hour kit and pull out your Sidewinder Cell Phone Charger. This is by far one of the most vital items I have in my Auto Emergency Kit, and since we never know when an emergency will strike its always great to have the comfort of knowing that your loved ones can contact you and you don’t have to worry about your battery life.

Now the #1 reason why I adore the Sidewinder Cell Phone Charger is that it is light weight (2.5 oz.) & does not require a large amount of space for storage, and with a carrying case it helps keep your adapter tips contained. For an emergency kit or a simple stocking stuffer the Sidewinder will always be one item you will never regret having. By the way its ‘green‘ so no batteries needed to charge your cell phone just a simple crank of the handle & you will charge your phone. (Note: 2 minutes of charging = up to 6 minutes of talk time, up to 30 minutes of standby)

Is your Cell Phone Compatible?

Check to find your cell phone model bellow.

Audiovox: CDM4000 series, CDM4500 series, CDM 9000, CDM 8400*, 8410*, 8450*, 8900*, 9900*, 9950*

Ericsson: T28z, T39m, T60c, T60d, T60lx, T61c, T61d, T61lx, T61z, T62u, T63, T68, T68i, T200, T226, T237, T300, T306, T310, T316, T608, T610, T616, T630, T637, P800, P900, Z200, Z600, A2218z, R300lx, R300d, R300z, R380 world, T28 world

Kyocera / Qualcomm: Aktiv: K484, Blade: KE424C, KX424, Energi: K493, K494, K404, Koi/KX2, KX440, Phantom: K454, KE413, KX413, KE414, KX414, QCP 2027, 2035, 2035a, Rave: K9, K433, K434, KE433, KE434, KX433, KX434, SoHo/KX1: KX1, KX1i, KX1v, K4130, 1135, 1155, 2119, 2135, 2235, 2255, 2325, 2345, 3225, 3245, 3250, and 7135 Smartphone

LG*: 1200, LX5450, LX5550, VI5225, VX3200, VX7000 (not VX7000BK)

Motorola: V60c, V60g, V60i, V60p, V60s, V60t, V60x, V66, V70, 120c, 120e, 120t, 120x, 270c, 280, A630, A845, C331 and C332 (TDMA versions), C333 (CDMA w/ antenna), C341, C343, C343c, C353 (TDMA), E310, 270c, P280, T720, T720i, T721, T722i, T730, T731, T731c, iDEN i30sx, i35s, i50sx, i55sr, i58sr, i60c, i80s, i85s, i88s, i90c, i90cle, i95cl, i99cl, V200 personal communicator, V265,V300, V400, V505, V551, V600, V710, V810, Nextel i500*, i550*, i700*

Nokia: 252, 282, 1260, 1261, 2260, 3000 series, 5000 series, 6000 series, 7000 series, 8000 series phones

PalmOne*: Tungsten E PDAs

Samsung*: SPH-A460, SPH-A500, SPH-A600, SPH-A620/VGA-1000, SPH-A660/VI600, VM-A680, SPH-N240, N270 Matrix Phone, SPH-N400, X105

Sanyo*: PM-8200, RL-4920, SCP-5500 (VM4500) and SCP-7300 (RL7300)

Congratulations Sandi! You have just won our weekly contest!

We are happy to help Sandi and we also would like to thank everyone who decided to enter the contest this week!

The great thing about this weeks contest is that even if you didn’t win, you still can make money if you put our widget on your blog!

Make sure you tune in on Friday for our next contest!

As always make sure you let us know of any ideas you have on how to help your family get ready!

One of the most common questions that are asked is “Jeff, What is the shelf life of a #10 can once it is opened? I know you state it has a 25-30 year shelf life but does that change once you open the can?” The quick and simple question is, yes the shelf life does change once you open the can. Why you might ask?

When dealing with the freeze-drying process, it is slowly lowers the temperature and pressure in the freeze-drying chamber and is able to remove the oxygen and water  from the food. Once the product is canned they also include oxygen absorbers into the #10 can and it will absorb the remaining oxygen from the #10 can. Now once the #10 Can is opened it is exposed to 2 things that will affect the shelf life oxygen and water, now you might be puzzled where does the water comes into the picture.

The water is in the air like humidity, and once the freeze-dried food is exposed to that it wants to soak up the water and hydrate back to its original state. That’s why when ever you buy our #10 cans you get included a plastic lid that will help seal off the outside air & help prolong the shelf life.

But the great thing with the freeze is that you don’t have to worry about once the content is opened that you have to store it in a refrigerator but only when you hydrate the contents then you do have to treat it like you would with any other food that you have prepared. So to finalize the answer to the question it is recommended by Saratoga Farms that once you do open your #10 can it is recommended to consume all the contents within a 6-12 Month period, and if you are able to keep the plastic lid on the contends as much as possible then it will help you maximize the contents shelf life.

You might also take note that if you are wondering if the food has gone bad what will be the signs of the over exposure? If the contents texture & taste does not match up to your first batch then you will know it has been over exposed. If the Fruit or Vegetable is chewy and has a gummy like texture that is caused by over exposure. For more information regarding the shelf life of your open can please feel free to contact our call center & they would be more than happy to assist you with any questions that you need answered.

Most people would never think of using their food storage for their Thanksgiving meal.  But I thought this brings up a Great question… if you had to, could you get away with it?  The truth is that if you had to used traditional or dehydrated food storage, you might get by, but most people would know the difference.  However, with Freeze Dried Food you would have a very different story.  Freeze Dried Food tastes good.  It tastes really good.   Have you ever tried it?  All you have to do is add hot water.

Can you imagine if you had your Thanksgiving dinner prepared in a matter of minutes? It could happen!  Now it is true that Freeze Dried food is best used for emergencies because it lasts so long.  But if you only had freeze dried food to work with, you wouldn’t be disappointed, and would probably still need to loosen your belt a notch after that great Thanksgiving feast.

Here is a sample feast:

• Turkey
• Gravy
• Green Beans
• Peas
• Corn
• Onions
• Cauliflower
• Or you could just go with our ReadyMeals!

Just a start.  But you get the idea.  The point here is that our food storage just tastes better.  Most people are very surprised as soon as they sink their teeth into our food storage.  They think it has to be gross to be food storage.  This is just not the case.  It IS possible for you to have a convenient, fast preparing food storage that lasts a long time and also tastes great.  To say nothing of it’s high nutritional value!

Just imagine yourself in an emergency situation actually liking the food you have stored.  While others are spending hours grinding wheat just to make a small hard to choke down meal, you are focusing on more important things.  Freeze Dried Food can last up to 30 years and beyond so you are always ready.  You don’t have to spend your time and effort rotating your food and worrying if it has gone bad.  Over 30 years, our ultimate year supply of food costs you $100 per year!  (That’s cheap food storage).

We hope you have the greatest of thanksgivings this year.  We all have much to be grateful for even in these tough times.  You can be ready for and also enjoy your food storage.

Our Biscuits & Gravy ReadyMeal Pak takes the guesswork out of your food storage and makes feeding your family easy. Just add water for a tasty meal.

Easy to prepare just-add-water recipes makes feeding your family easy and enjoyable.
#10 can provides rugged durability.

Natural ingredients for the highest quality and shelf life available.

20-30 Year Shelf-Life!

Trusted traditional quality from the Saratoga Farms brand!

Saratoga Farms Premium Selections freeze-dried food and Saratoga Farms Traditional Basics dried and dehydrated foods are second to none in terms of quality and taste.

We take great care to ensure the foods are packaged in optimal conditions with minimal moisture in a licensed and certified clean-room environment. We include an oxygen absorbers in all of our products and verify the integrity of the seal on all our finished items to give you the best quality and shelf-life available.

This week anyone who enters the contest will get an added bonus… They will automatically become an affiliate and start receiving commissions for any sale that originates from their widget.

A Widget is a simple ReadyStore widget that you put on your blog or Website.

If you would like to enter the contest follow these simple instructions:

1. Click on the link at the bottom of this email entitled “CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM”.

2. Fill out the affiliate Sign-Up form.

3. Submit the form.

4. Click on the button to add our widget to your blog or website. (if you don’t have a blogspot blog you can get one for free here. You can also use our NEW website widget on any WordPress blog)

5. IF YOU ALREADY DID THIS LAST WEEK.. GOOD NEWS>> YOU ARE ALREADY ENTERED INTO THIS WEEKS CONTEST!

Each unique entry will be submitted into our contest software which will randomly pick the winner!

We wish you all the luck in the world and hope you are enjoying these contests. If you need help with anything just let us know!

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM

Congratulations Jason! You have just won our weekly contest!

“I’m a Software Engineer that grew in the Pacific Northwest. I moved to Utah for a job in 98 and have stuck around ever since. I’ve always been preparedness-minded, since my family always had that as a focus. I love the great outdoors, enjoying the dichotomy of the split from regular gadget driven life to back country minimalist experiences. An avid scouter, and camper.”

We are happy to help Jason and we also would like to thank everyone who decided to enter the contest this week!

The great thing about this weeks contest is that even if you didn’t win, you still can make money if you put our widget on your blog!

Make sure you tune in on Friday for our next contest!

As always make sure you let us know of any ideas you have on how to help your family get ready!

Yesterday’s storm that slammed into Oregon and western Washington is yet another reminder that none of us are out of harm’s way and that we all need to be prepared for emergencies, disasters, power outages, and especially at this time of year…. storms.

Regardless of whether you live on the pacific coast, in the middle of the Kansas prairie, nestled in the rocky mountains, or on the sunny shores of the gulf… everyone has storms. They can be mild and melancholy or disastrous and deadly.

Roads and infrastructure can be damaged or inaccessible, power can be cut off, sewers can be backed up, homes can flood, water treatment facilities can be shut down, grocery store shelves can be barren, and gas station tanks can be emptied. So in the likely event that a storm hits your neighborhood, even if just the power goes out for a few hours, here’s a reminder of five things that would be handy or perhaps crucial to have:

#1 – Some Way to Keep Your Family Warm: You need to have a safe way of keeping your family warm. If the power goes out in the middle of a blizzard, Your home won’t stay warm for long. Propane space heaters are a good option that doesn’t require electricity.

#2 – Clean Water for Drinking, Cleaning, and Cooking: 1 gallon per day per person is the standard, so for a family of four for one week you would need a 30-gallon water barrel or six 5-gallon stackables.

#3 – Shelf-Stable and Easy-to-Cook Food: If the power goes out, you’ll need food that will last without refridgeration, and you’ll need food that is easy to cook with just hot water or on a camping stove like the the JetBoil or some other shelter-in-place cooking option. If you have a gas cooking range, you’ve got the cooking part covered, but FEMA still recommends that you have at least 2-weeks supply of food on hand at all times.

#4 – First Aid if Someone Gets Hurt: First aid kits are inexpensive and easy to store… just get one like our 200-piece Soft Case First Aid Kit… and know how to use it. You might not be able to get to a hospital or other medical assistance if the weather or roads are too bad. It’s always a good idea to have a first aid kit handy at home and in the car.

#5 – A Different Way to Use the Restroom: If water tables are too high and flooding is occuring, it is likely that your sewers may be backed up and your toilet could not be available for use. A port-a-potty is a simple temporary solution to use until things get flowing again. Unless you want to brave the weather and go in a bush or just hold it for a few days, a port-a-potty would be a good idea.

A Tropical Storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39–73 MPH (34–63 knots).

Tropical Storm “Ida” just hit the gulf coast.  Many people make the mistake of not preparing for a tropical storm because they don’t view it in the same way they do a Hurricane.  While it’s true that a Tropical Storm doesn’t do as much damage as a full blown Hurricane, they can cause a great deal of damage and even kill people.

So how do you prepare?  The rule of thumb is to over prepare for any possible disaster.  This means if your area is prone to big storms like tropical storms and Hurricanes, you should prepare for the largest possible storm.  If you are prepared for a Category 5 Hurricane, you are prepared for a Tropical Storm.

Here are a few steps that can get you prepared:

1. Get or update your Grab-N-Go Survival kits

2. Store an adequate amount of potable water.

3. Make sure your home is secure and windows are boarded up.

4. Secure local and out of state contacts

5. Make a plan on whether to evacuate or not. How do you know whether you should stay or evacuate?

If a hurricane threatens, the government will set up emergency evacuation shelters. You have to decide on evacuation well before the hurricane strikes, not while the hurricane is advancing down your street. It’s far too dangerous to attempt to drive to an evacuation center in high winds: the roads may be impassible due to high water at bridges or flooded underpasses, or they may be obstructed by fallen power poles–and your vehicle can provide little protection from flying debris carried by 100-mph winds.

Houses that are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes include:

• Those on ridges, where winds accelerate
• Those in valleys, adjacent to streams, which may flood
• Those on shorelines, which may experience storm surge, or hurricane-generated waves flooding far inland

If you choose not to evacuate, but your roof blows away, remain inside. Shelter in the smallest interior room in your house, likely a bathroom or a closet, which offers the greatest strength and protection from flying debris.

Datrex food bars provide essential energy and nutrition in emergency situations and are an excellent addition to any emergency preparedness supply. These food bars taste great and have enough energy to sustain an individual for up to three days. These individually packaged and tabletized rations will last 5 years and are great in 72-hour kits, for your home, vehicle or office.

• 60-90 day food supply each.

• High energy value and ready to eat.

• Non thirst provoking.

• Small & lightweight.

• Tabletized and individually wrapped 200-calorie portions.

• All natural ingredients and no preservatives.

• US Coast Guard approved quality from the Datrex brand.

• 5-Year Shelf Life.

At The Ready Store, we always focus on the QUALITY of our products first, rather than quantity, because we want you to get the best value for your hard-earned money.

This week anyone who enters the contest will get an added bonus… They will automatically become an affiliate and start recieving commissions for any sale that originates from their widget.

A Widget is a simple ReadyStore widget that you put on your blog or Website.

If you would like to enter the contest follow these simple instructions:

1. Click on the link at the bottom of this email entitled “CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM”.

2. Fill out the affiliate Sign-Up form.

3. Submit the form.

4. Click on the button to add our widget to your blog or website. (if you don’t have a blogspot blog you can get one for free here. You can also use our NEW website widget on any WordPress blog)

5. IF YOU ALREADY DID THIS LAST WEEK.. GOOD NEWS>> YOU ARE ALREADY ENTERED INTO THIS WEEKS CONTEST! BUT YOU MUST POST A COMMENT WITH A LINK TO YOUR BLOG, here.

(NOTE: If you just post a comment with your name (and no link back to your blog), it will not count this week. To enter the contest you must follow the instructions above.)

Each unique entry will be submitted into our contest software which will randomly pick the winner!

We wish you all the luck in the world and hope you are enjoying these contests. If you need help with anything just let us know!

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM

When you see the trees change colors & when winterizing your house, car, or truck you should also take into consideration having a Winter Survival Kit in your vehicle. Though some of the products are what you can find in your 72 hour kit, others only apply in a winter environment and that makes it a must for your Winter Survival Kit.

• Blanket or Sleeping bag – I recommend having enough for every seat in the car.
• Flash Light – Its best if you can have a Dynamo Flash light or a Spot Light that has the adapter that can be charged in the car.
• Winter Cloths -  Its best to have a duffel bag with items such as gloves, heavy socks, scarf, cap, mittens, cap, and any other clothing that you have available to store.
• First-Aid Kit – Always a must in any emergency situation.
• Heat Source – Matches, Candle, or Hand Warmers can be a life saver & help prevent frost bite.
• Shovel – If you have to shovel your way out of an emergency situation remember not to overexert your self.
• High Calorie/Energy Food – If you are in need of a large amount of energy to shoveling snow it is best to have a simple source of energy.
• Bottle Water – Hydration is one of the most important things when building  any Survival Kits.
• Kitty Litter/Sand – If you are in need of traction having a small sack of kitty litter or sand can provide you with the traction to get out of any slippery situations.
• Basic Tool Kit – Simple items like pliers, screw driver, adjustable wrench, and electrical tape.
• Tow Chain/Strap – If you drift into a snow bank or ditch its best to have a something that someone can pull you out with.
• Signal Device – Road flairs or Light Sticks are great to notify someone, also a piece of hunters orange or bright colored fabric will do.
• Axe/Saw – If you have to make a fire or build a shelter having access to an Axe or Saw can make the emergency easy to deal with.

Other Tips to take into consideration

• Let someone know where you are going & the route that you are taking.
• If all possible travel in a convoy, safety in numbers.
• Pay attention to the radio weather broadcast & make sure no storms are expected.
• If you are in a town and do receive a winter storm advisory, stay in doors and wait out the storm.

Now just always remember to follow simple guide lines to dealing with driving in the winter and stay safe this holiday season.