Seven Steps Week 27
I hope you have all had a great week and you are ready to move ahead. We have another fire threatening our area again today. It has been such an awful summer. The smoke seems to be here to stay. Texas experienced a hurricane this week and tornadoes in New England. Would you ever have associated tornadoes with New England? I know many of you live in Europe, Canada and Australia and you are also experiencing awful natural disasters. We are taking matters into our own hands. It’s a great feeling as I watch people evacuating and know those of us who are preparing would know what to grab and how to evacuate with fewer regrets. If you have not already completed your household inventory make that your goal this week and get it checked off your list. It is one of the most important things you can do. If you were to lose your home an inventory can save you time, money and regrets. In most cases if you fail to list an items as being lost, with the insurance company, it is too late later to be reimbursed for the items.
1. This week we are going to begin our Car Kits. For those of you who commute these are essential. It does not take an extreme natural disaster for you to break into your kits. Not too long ago there was a massive accident on a freeway causing traffic to be stopped for 12 hours! Can you imagine being stuck in the car for that many hours! Wouldn’t it be nice to have something to eat and drink, something to provide a little light, or a whistle to attract help if you should have a health emergency. When traveling long distances a Car Kit can be a real life saver. If you need to put on tire chains a bright orange vest may save your life as people can see you from a distance. Mylar blankets can protect you from the desert sun and provide warmth during a snow storm. This week find an old back pack or purchase one so you are ready to begin adding items next week. We have our packs on sale at Totally Ready this week and the Child’s backpack is the perfect size for a car kit.
2. Add a hammer to your Grab and Go Kit
3. Practice building a fire. If you have a fire pit in your yard use that or check around for another family who does and practice together. Practice starting a fire with items that you may have on hand if you are stranded on the road. Use a pair of eye glasses to light the fire. Collect some pine needles, dried leaves or small sticks and use them as kindling. Try starting a fire using a battery and steel wool. Get a 9 volt battery and a small piece of steel wool. Wrap the steel wool in a little paper, TP, tissue or other flammable material. Leave a little of the steel wool exposed. Gently rub the steel wool against the battery connection. This will cause sparks so be careful. Blow to increase the flames and drop onto your prepared kindling. Gently blow to keep the fire going until the kindling catches. If you have purchased the ebook That Won’t Happen to Me copy the article Ordinary Items for Extraordinary Survival and practice using some of those items to build a fire. Once you have practiced and have a fire going strong make smores!
4. Learn a new skill. Ask a friend to teach you to can or make freezer jam. Learn to change a tire. Invite a friend to teach your family to build that fire if it is all a mystery to you. Take a CPR class. Learn to sew or jump your car battery.
5. Add a cooking pot to your Grab and Go Kit. I like a Dutch Oven because they are so versatile, they hold a lot, you can use them directly in a fire and they can take lots of abuse.
6 . Purchase milk for your food storage. If you have purchased a copy of Mother Hubbard: What She’s Doing Now you have the calculator to do the math for you. If you haven’t purchased the ebook do it now…or figure the amount yourself by going to the Where to begin Food Storage section.
7. Practice your new skill.
I have had some of you asking about my cook book for rotating your food storage. I’m working on it! I hope to get it to the printer in the next few weeks. Thanks for asking.
