In what type of disaster situation would an individual have need for weed?  No not that “WEED”, (though I suspect some would argue the value of that “WEED” in a disaster), I’m talking about your run of the mill lawn variety weeds like dandelions.

As Robert Scott Bell puts it, “Survival depends upon our ability to not only regain the knowledge of nutritional and medicinal plants and weeds, but to begin cultivating them now so that we are ready before disaster hits.”

About a year ago I was up in the Uinta Mountains in Northeastern Utah spending time with my family at my in-laws cabin.  Without going into the long drawn out details my one year-old daughter had stepped out onto the deck barefoot which although the air temperature was in the 70′s the deck was hot enough to burn the bottom of her feet.  Within less than a minute the bottom of her feet were severely burned and blistered.

My initial reaction was the need to immediately get to an emergency room and get the burns treated.  My wife whose a pediatric nurse had different plans.  Instead of the emergency room we made the two hour drive to my sisters house with ice packs on the bottom of daughters feet.  My sister had mixed up a comfrey, honey, wheat germ oil poultice.

The comfrey poultice was placed on my daughters feet and wrapped in gauze.  This miraculously eased the pain and discomfort and we kept the poultice on for two weeks after which her feet were perfectly healed with absolutely no scarring.  The result were nothing short of amazing.

It turns out comfrey is great for treating minor wounds and skin conditions, bites, stings burns, psoriasis and more.  While I’m not an expert in herbs and weeds, I have seen from first hand experience their true value.  The book “Homesteading: A Backyard Guide To: Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More” is a great introduction book to implementing herbal medicine into your emergency preparedness repertoire.

Have you had experiences where your knowledge of herbs and weeds has come in handy?

MREs are great!  The MRE flameless heaters are great.  There is no denying that, but how do you heat up your MRE without one?  One of the most common ways, besides the MRE flameless heater, is to boil some water and put your pouch in the boiling water.

What if you are without a pot, heat and water?  For the answer I went to the best source I knew: a retired Lt. Col in the US Army.  Here are just a few of the ideas he gave me.

Option 1. Your car is one of the best heat sources for your MREs.  Just lay your MRE pouch on the intake manifold after driving around for a little bit.  Lay the pouch flat and wait about 5-8 minutes, turn over for even heating.

Option 2. When the sun is out for long periods of time dashboards are wonderful for heating them up.

Option 3. In the winter you can put your MRE pouch on the defrost vents of your dashboard and crank up the heat.  Added bonus is you stay warm all the while heating up your dinner.

Option 4. If you are in a desert area you can put the MRE pouches in about one inch deep of sand.  You can simply leave the pouch out on a hot blacktop road, or any surface that is hot.  The roof of your home gets pretty warm at times too!

Option 5. You can make a solar oven out of tin foil.  Make a box inside another box and line it with foil.  Put your MRE pouch inside the box and wait for the sun to reflect its heat inwards.   If that is to much work for you, you can empty your MRE contents on a piece of foil and have the sun heat up your food that way. Think tinfoil dinners.

The Lieutenant mentioned that you can use the exhaust pipe of your car though I wouldn’t recommended it.  You can easily burn yourself and sometimes the metal get too hot for the pouches and melt or blow up.

If all of this fails, you can simply just eat the MRE as is.  You don’t have to heat up MREs but they sure taste better when you do!

Got a creative way to heat up your MREs?

Leave us comments and suggestions!

With tornado season here and hurricane season coming up, we all need to be prepared.  Some maybe more than others.  If you live in a rural area there are things that you might not think about if a disaster strikes.  Here are some helpful tips that you will want to keep in mind while you, your family and even your pets and livestock get prepared.

Food and Water: Fresh water is very important for everyone.  Flood water could be very contaminated.  Animals and children should never play or drink flood waters.  You should have at least a 3 day supply of water for everyone.  If you can’t carry a 3 day supply of water have a purifier to filter all of the water you and your pets drink.  Keep enough food for 72 hours in a backpack for everyone.  Pet treats are not considered a supply of food.  Most pet food does not last as long as human food storage does so make sure you are rotating through the pet food.  Don’t forget to have the proper containers for your pets to eat and drink out of.

Clothing/Transporting: Make sure you have jackets, pants, rubber boots, and hats for your family.  Have a clean cage ready to transport smaller animals.  For larger animals have a trailer ready to go.  Ready to go means to have it filled with the tools needed, and gas.  Also, make sure the lights and tires are in working order for a road trip.  Don’t forget blankets for everyone to keep warm and even lay on for comfort.

Knowledge/Communication: Always have a flashlight and radio on hand.  The dynamo powered radio/flashlight that also includes a solar power window and a port to charge cell phones are recommended.  If the radio and/or flashlight take batteries have extra stocked.  Make a note of what stations you need to listen to for emergency news.  Write it down and tape it to the radio.  You will want to know where to take your pets in case you are having to stay at a shelter, or motel that doesn’t allow them.  For the larger pets, if possible, have a pasture that is up hill and fenced off from others and will keep the wild animals out.

Shelter/Surroundings: Have the proper sleeping bags and blankets with you or in a spot that is easily accessible.  If possible have a tent.  Get to know your surroundings.  Know where it is safe to stay and the animals that live in that area.  Keep in mind the wildlife and wild animals.  Their home was destroyed too.  They are going to be looking for food and water too.

Supplies/Sanitary Needs: Have extra clothing packed, along with any medication you would need for at least 3 days.  Have rubber and leather working gloves, and toilet paper.  For the pets have a leash and a long nylon rope to keep the pets close to you at all times.  It is best if this is all kept in a backpack you can grab and go.

If you are forced to leave your home, it is not like camping.  The local store won’t be there to help you out.  You, your pets and livestock will be on their own.  Don’t get caught off guard.  Be prepared.  Don’t loose everything you have.  Make sure everyone you love is going to be fed and cared for.

If you have other tips on surviving in a rural area let us know!

The obvious answer is that they both serve the purpose of protecting us.  The less obvious commonality is Kevlar.  As most people know Kevlar is the material used to make bulletproof vests worn by police officers.  What most people don’t know is that DuPont actually builds emergency bunkers out of the same material.

In fact, for Diana Swenson of Joplin, MO, her Kevlar bunker was put to the test.  “I grabbed my weather radio, my flashlight and my cat and went into my shelter. And then in about 10 minutes that storm hit.”

Amazingly her shelter held strong and weathered what’s been considered one of the most deadliest tornado’s in history.  While her house was completely destroyed she and her cat walked away unharmed.  In the wake of the destruction surrounding Diana, there was no doubt in the fact that her initiative to have a bunker installed saved her life.  Prices for the bunkers range from $5750 – $15,000 depending on the size of the bunker.

Last year FEMA sponsored investigations in areas where tornadoes had hit.  They discovered that in some areas pre-fabricated safe rooms had been installed through grant programs that were federally supported for less than $5,000 each.  Is that a bargain?  Is it too much?

I actually live in a state where tornadoes and hurricanes are literally non-existent and I have questions about how practical it would be in an earthquake.  So here’s the question for you, in your opinion is this a realistic option for you and your family?  Is a Kevlar bunker something you’d realistically consider purchasing?  Are there alternatives that are a better option?