As their name suggests, “forever foods” are items that are meant for long-term survival. All preppers understand that having access to clean food and water is a priority during a crisis, but the question of how to store food for the long-term inevitably comes up. While many survival foods are made to be stored for a few months (or years), perhaps all of them do come with expiration dates.

Luckily there are many foods that never expire. We’ve listed 12 of them below. Take note that a lot of the foods we’ll be talking about will not be enough to prepare a complete meal, but they can add flavor and some calories to typical survival fare.

1. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) — As long as you keep it sealed, ACV will last forever when stored in a cool, dry pantry. You can use ACV as a dressing for salad, as a marinade for meat, or even as a non-toxic cleaning product for your home. ACV also boasts a number of health benefits, from being a great natural hair cleanser to an ideal natural weight loss supplement.
2. Salt — Just make sure to buy the pure kind. Seasoned salt does expire. Pure salt, however, can last indefinitely. You can use salt to also extend the shelf life of other foods like meat or even fruit.
3. Soy sauce — Soy sauce is mostly made of salt, which explains its long shelf life. As long as you leave it unopened, soy sauce can last forever. The condiment is a great way to add some flavor to your meal.
4. Pemmican — Created by Native Americans, pemmican is a concentrated blend of fat and protein from lean and dried meat. Traditionally, pemmican was made from bison, moose, deer, or elk.
5. Raw honey — It is true that honey will crystallize over time, but it is still safe to eat after you heat it for a little bit to get it back to the right consistency. You can combine this with soy sauce to make a simple but delicious glaze to your meats.
6. Corn starch — When kept dry, corn starch can stay good indefinitely. You can use it to thicken stews or gravies.
7. Dried lentils — Lentils are some of the best survival foods because they are easy to cook, have a high nutritional value, and are excellent sources of protein. There is also evidence to suggest that legumes can help regulate blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
8. Alcohol — Distilled liquor serves two purposes. The first is to help uplift spirits when SHTF. While dangerous when taken in excess, alcohol can help people in crisis feel less stressed. During a SHTF scenario, alcohol can also be used as a barter item, or a disinfectant.
9. White rice — Stored in the right conditions, white rice can last forever. Just be sure to store yours in an airtight container to keep bugs out.
10. Powdered milk — This can serve as a good alternative source of calcium and vitamin D during emergencies.
11. Hardtack — Hardtack was a favorite during the Great Depression. It is a mixture of water and flour that is formed into a hard cracker. While the taste may be bland for some, hardtack can provide long-lasting sustenance during an emergency.
12. Ghee — Ghee is butter that has been boiled until all the moisture has evaporated. This helps lengthen its shelf life.

These “forever foods” are important additions to any pantry, and any prepper worth his or her salt should have a least a few of them in their bug-out location.

Sources include:

MDCreekmore.com

Blog.SurvivalFrog.com

MedicalDaily.com

OffTheGridNews.com

Burns should be addressed immediately to prevent infections and to offer relief to the injured individual. But when SHTF and you don’t have access to emergency medical services, you can treat mild or moderate burns using the home remedies detailed below. (h/t to DoomAndBloom.net)

Burn wound treatment basics

When treating burns after a survival scenario, you must first cool the wound with running water for about 10 to 15 minutes for best results. If you don’t have access to clean, running water, submerge the burned area in cool water.

Never use ice on burned skin. The injured skin is traumatized and using ice on the patient’s skin will constrict blood vessels and decrease blood circulation to an area that desperately needs it.

Burns, especially severe ones, should be treated by medical experts. But when you only have access to limited supplies or if the burn is minor, these natural remedies will do in a pinch.

Aloe vera

As a succulent plant, aloe vera has some thick and fleshy parts. These viscous parts allow aloe vera to retain water in its natural habitat. Aloe vera likes warm climates, but it can be grown successfully indoors in pots.

According to studies, aloe vera helps maintain moist conditions in damaged skin. This plant is anti-inflammatory, and it encourages faster healing. Additionally, aloe vera promotes circulation and inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Soothing aloe vera is an important remedy because it’s very simple to use. Just cut a leaf, scoop out the slimy flesh from the leaf, then apply it to a minor burn. Reapply aloe vera several times daily, with or without a bandage covering the burn.

Oatmeal

Use oatmeal to relieve itching that may occur when a burn starts to heal. Prepare a lukewarm bath, then add a cup of uncooked oatmeal to the water.

Help the patient get into the tub, which may be slippery because of the oatmeal. Let the patient soak in the oatmeal bath for about 10 to 20 minutes so that a thin coating of oatmeal remains on their skin.

Raw, unprocessed honey

Honey, a common remedy for various kind of wounds, is also used to treat burns. However, it is best to use raw, unprocessed honey since it retains its antibacterial activity and hydrating properties. (Related: Survival medicine: Are you familiar with the medicinal uses of honey?)

Follow the steps below to use honey as a burn remedy:

1. Cool down the burned area with running water, then apply a generous amount of honey over the burned skin.
2. Spread some honey on a waterproof dressing so it doesn’t stick to the patient’s skin. Cover the entire area.
3. The dressing over the burned skin may start to fill up with fluid oozing out from the wound. This will require regular, frequent dressing changes to keep the wound clean.
4. If you used cling wrap on the burned area, let it stay in place for the first 48 hours, then check and add more honey to the damaged skin. After 48 hours, cover the burned area with new cling wrap or non-stick dressings for another 48 hours. Repeat this step for at least eight to 10 days.
5. Do not remove or wash off the honey from the burned area for the first 20 days, or earlier if the wound has already healed.
6. Reapply the honey regularly and fill up any deeper areas of severe burns as needed. When applying honey, make sure it extends over the edges of the burn to prevent exposure to air until healing is completed. Remember, even air contains bacteria that may infect the wound.

Witch hazel

You can use witch hazel to make a cooling compress for burns. Witch hazel extract contains tannins, and these chemicals can help ease inflammation and soothe first degree burns. Apply witch hazel directly to the skin to reduce swelling, repair damaged skin, and prevent infection.

Soak a compress in full-strength witch hazel, then apply to the burned area. Reapply the witch hazel compress as frequently as desired.

When disaster strikes, use these natural remedies to address mild burns.

Sources include:

DoomAndBloom.net

Healthline.com

Before refrigerators, eggs were preserved using different methods to prolong their shelf life. (h/t to PracticalSelfReliance.com)

If you keep chickens in your homestead, you can preserve their eggs so you can cook with eggs even during winter, when chickens ease up on their laying habits. Knowing how to preserve eggs ensures that you have a year-round supply of homegrown eggs.

The simplest way to preserve eggs is by keeping them cool. Eggs have a natural outer coating that preserves the egg inside. If this coating is washed off, refrigerate the eggs.

Store unwashed eggs in a cool closet or back room for weeks. Keep temperature below 50 F and humidity at about 75 percent.

Fermented or salt-cured eggs

Fermentation is an old preservation technique that involves creating the right conditions so natural lactic acid bacteria can thrive while preventing spoilage bacteria from taking hold.

1. Fermented eggs

Salt-cured eggs are a form of a fermented egg. To make whole salt-cured eggs, hard boil the eggs then ferment them as a natural probiotic pickle. Use a salt brine with a bit of starter like sauerkraut juice or whey.

Allow fermented eggs to culture on the counter in a jar of brine and starter for about three days before refrigerating. While the cooler temperatures in the refrigerator slow the lactic acid bacteria considerably, they’ll still be slowly culturing under cold temperatures. Salt-cured eggs must be consumed within two weeks.

To save some time, you can cure eggs directly in a jar of sauerkraut.

2. Salt-preserved egg yolks

Try preserving just the yolk if you want to make a delicious cured product that can be used as an alternative to Parmesan cheese. Grate a bit of cured egg yolk over pasta for an umami boost of flavor.

Freeze the egg whites so you don’t waste anything.

Freezing

Here are several ways to freeze eggs.

3. Freezing raw eggs

Eggs are easy to freeze and they can be stored for several months. When freezing eggs, you have several different options: you can either freeze whole eggs, or you can store the yolks and whites separately.

If you’re freezing eggs, it’s better to store them scrambled. After they’re thawed, use three tablespoons of scrambled egg mix if the recipe calls for one fresh egg.

4. Freezing cooked eggs

To freeze cooked eggs, fry an egg or bake it in a muffin pan, then freeze it. Frozen cooked eggs will keep for several months.

5. Freezing eggs in baked goods

For this method, you need to make an egg-heavy baked good, then freeze it. Try baking brownies or pound cakes. (Related: Knowledge is power: 31 Crucial skills for every homesteader.)

Pickling or canning

Pickling and canning eggs can extend their shelf life by at least four months.

6. Pickled eggs

Eggs pickled in vinegar should be kept in the refrigerator.

To make pickled eggs, hard boil and peel whole eggs. Pack the eggs into a jar, then cover them with a brine. Use a ratio of one cup of vinegar to one teaspoon of salt. Add spices (optional), then let the flavors infuse for about one to two weeks before eating.

You can keep pickled eggs for at least four months in your fridge.

Old-fashioned egg preservation methods

When SHTF and you lose electricity, try some of these methods that don’t require refrigeration.

7. Preserving eggs in wood ash

Wood ash (the ash that you clean out of a wood stove) can be used to preserve eggs.

Eggs stored in wood ash have loss rates of about 20 percent after six months, with only 40 percent spoilage after eight months. Do take note that eggs preserved in wood ash may have a stale taste.

8. Preserving eggs in oats or bran

Oats or oat bran can cushion eggs to keep them from breaking. However, this method won’t preserve high-quality eggs.

The quality of these eggs may degrade over time, but most eggs preserved in oats are still edible. Try coating eggs in beeswax before packing them in oats to prevent dehydration.

9. Wax-preserved eggs (paraffin or beeswax)

Similar to the methods listed above, coating eggs in wax aims to seal the pores in eggshells to prevent spoiling. While wax can seal pores a bit more thoroughly than other oil-based substances, it requires more work than the other methods.

Dip fresh eggs one at a time in hot, melted paraffin. Cover the whole egg, then take it out immediately with wire tongs. Let the paraffin harden then quickly dip it again, but reverse the egg. Let the wax cool.

Carefully wrap each egg separately in waxed or paraffin paper. Avoid scratching or breaking the coating. Pack the eggs in tin cans, then seal with paraffin to keep the air out. Canned waxed eggs will keep for several months when stored in a cool place.

10. Preserving whole eggs in salt

Packing whole eggs in salt is just as effective as using ashes or oats. The eggs won’t spoil, but they lose moisture because of evaporation.

Whole eggs preserved in salt will last longer than eggs left on the counter, but their quality may also degrade. Use this method as a last resort.

Keep these egg preservation methods in mind if you want to make fresh eggs last the whole year round.

Sources include:

PracticalSelfReliance.com

FoodRepublic.com

Preppers plan ahead for everything – from possible disaster scenarios to everyday emergencies like a flat tire. They also plan for the kind of items that they add to their survival food supply. (h/t to TheMerrillProject.com)

If you wish to start setting up your own food stockpile, here are three common mistakes that you need to avoid when buying food.

Buying food in bulk doesn’t always save you money

This may depend on the prepper, but buying items in bulk doesn’t always save you money.

Here are two reasons why:

1. You buy so much of one item that you get sick of it.
2. You buy too much food that you store it in your pantry, you forget about it, and it goes to waste.

Unless you have enough storage space, buying seasonings and baking ingredients in bulk may be to your disadvantage. Purchase the typical size available at the grocery store. With these common bulk items, you only save a couple of cents to the dollar per ounce.

If you have an extra room just for storing your survival supplies, here are items that are better to buy in bulk:

• Canned fruits and vegetables – Preserve your own fruits and vegetables if you have the resources or buy canned organic products.
• Coffee and tea
• Condiments – Buy condiments that your family likes, like BBQ sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, or mustard.
• Dried beans – Buy kidney, Pinto, or white beans, as long as your family likes eating them.
• Granola and granola bars
• Honey
• Jams and jellies
• Oatmeal
• Pasta (e.g. macaroni, spaghetti, etc.)
• Salt and pepper
• Sauces – Ideally, you should also learn how to preserve sauces to ensure the quality of each jar in your pantry.
• Spices and seasonings – Different spices and seasonings are a lifesaver, especially if you want to make each meal delicious even after SHTF.
• White flour
• White rice – Brown rice is healthier, but it has a shorter shelf life.

Think of the items that your family uses or consumes a lot, like beans and rice. You can save more money per ounce if you buy these products in bulk.

Not considering the product’s best buy dates

Before you buy a whole case of ketchup or other products that are on sale, double-check the best buy dates. You don’t want to keep expired food in your stockpile, do you?

Take note of best buy dates so you know how to properly organize food and when to rotate items. The best buy dates of items in your stockpile will also help you keep track of how much food your family consumes in a year. (Related: Food storage tips and tricks for preppers.)

Buying without planning ahead

Never go to the store without planning ahead. There’s no point in buying beans in bulk if your family prefers rice instead.

Consider how often you’re going to use each item before you buy in bulk. For example, you can use rice to make both savory meals like beans and rice, along with desserts like rice pudding. Incorporate versatile ingredients into your recipes so you can make the most out of all the items in your pantry.

If you have pets, don’t forget to buy pet food and treats for them. You may also want to stockpile your kids’ favorite food so they can snack on something familiar even during a disaster.

Avoid these three common mistakes when planning your survival food supply to save money, time, and space in your storage.

Visit FoodStorage.news for more articles with tips on how to maximize your storage space.

Sources include:

TheMerrillProject.com

UrbanSurvivalSite.com

Herbs aren’t just used to enhance the flavor of food. When SHTF, preppers know which medicinal herbs can be used to address different health complaints like headaches or a sore throat.

It’s easy to grow various kinds of medicinal herbs in your garden or on your patio. Even if you live in an apartment, you can grow herbs on a windowsill right in your kitchen, all without spending a fortune.

Before you use any of the plants included in the list below, consult a healthcare professional to determine if they will interact with any medication that you are currently taking.

Here are 10 medicinal herbs that preppers need in their garden. (h/t to HomesteadSurvivalSite.com)

Basil

There are several varieties and sizes of basil. However, holy basil is the most popular because of its healing benefits.

Basil functions as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and it is used to prevent illness and infection. The herb can be used as an antiseptic for scrapes and cuts. Additionally, it can relieve tension headaches since it has muscle-relaxing qualities.

Fresh basil can be used to make a medicinal tea that can address a cough, indigestion, or a sore throat. The herb is also used to relieve congestion due to colds and painful insect bites or stings.

Bergamot

Bergamot, which is also called Oswego tea or bee balm, is an aromatic herb. Add bergamot leaves to salads if you want to make a delicious and nutritious dish.

Bergamot is used to ease digestive issues, lower a fever, and to relieve headaches. You can apply fresh bergamot leaves to your skin to heal pimples and other blemishes.

To make bergamot tea, put a handful of bergamot herb leaves and flowers into a teapot. Pour at least two cups of boiling water over the herbs, then cover the pot. Let the tea steep for five minutes. Add a little honey if you want a sweet tea, then serve while still hot.

Chamomile

Chamomile is often used for its calming properties, but the plant can also help relieve an upset stomach. Additionally, chamomile can help treat skin irritations and acne scars. Chamomile is also used to calm babies with colic.

Cloves

Cloves, the aromatic flower buds of the clove tree, are used as a numbing agent for tooth pain. Use clove if you have a dental emergency while you’re living off the grid. If you have a toothache, apply clove juice or clove oil to the area that hurts for immediate relief.

Cloves are used to address dental problems because of their antibacterial properties.

Additionally, cloves contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fiber can help prevent constipation, vitamin C can boost your immune system, and vitamin K is an important nutrient for blood clotting. Cloves also contain manganese, an essential mineral that can support brain function and help build strong bones.

Lavender

Lavender is a fragrant flower with calming effects. The flower can be used to make a topical antiseptic for the skin. Lavender can relieve digestive problems and headaches, and it can help induce sleep. (Related: Medicinal wildflowers to harvest when hiking.)

Lemon balm

Lemon balm is easy to grow, and this versatile herb can be used to treat digestive problems, insomnia, and wounds. Lip balm made from lemon balm can soothe cold sores.

You can ease digestive problems with lemon balm tea. To make the tea, use two tablespoons of fresh lemon balm leaves or a tablespoon of dried leaves for each cup of boiling water. Let the mixture steep for an hour, then strain and add honey or lemon before drinking the tea.

Oregano

Oregano, often used in Italian cooking, is an aromatic and flavorful herb with many healing properties. The herb can help treat digestive issues, headaches, menstrual cramps, muscle pain, nausea, and toothaches.

Oregano oil can be used to treat insect bites and burns. Finally, inhaling the scent of oregano and oregano oil can help open up nasal passages.

Peppermint

Inhaling the scent of peppermint, sometimes called “the world’s oldest medicine,” can help relieve nausea and vomiting symptoms associated with motion sickness. Peppermint can also promote oral health and prevent bad breath.

Thyme

Thyme is a popular herb used in French cooking and can help ease cold symptoms like congestion, coughing, and indigestion. The herb can also be used to make a poultice that can reduce throat pain. It also supports the heart and circulatory system.

Wooly lamb’s ear

Wooly lamb’s ear is called “Nature’s Band-aid” because the herb’s soft leaves can be applied directly on minor cuts and scrapes to slow down or stop the bleeding. The herb’s leaves also have antibacterial properties that can help prevent infections.

Wooly lamb’s ear can also be used to reduce the pain and swelling caused by bug bites and rashes. If you have an upset stomach or diarrhea, drinking wooly lamb’s ear tea can make you feel better.

Plant these useful herbs in your garden so you always have access to medicinal herbs when SHTF.

Sources include:

HomesteadSurvivalSite.com

Healthline.com

Homesteaders work hard to cultivate the plants in their garden. However, something as small as a weed can wreak havoc even in the most carefully maintained yard. Thankfully, there are two tips that can help you get rid of pesky weeds. (h/t to OldWorldGardenFarms.com)

Did you know that most of the weeds in your garden show up because you work too hard? By easing up on the gardening tasks, you can significantly reduce your weeding chores.

How do weeds end up in your garden?

Like vegetables, weeds have to be “planted.” But while you intentionally plant vegetable seeds, weed seeds invade your garden at will.

Weed seeds will occasionally find their way into the garden surface. Some seeds are blown in by the wind while others may be carried and left behind by birds and other wildlife. Unfortunately, you also unknowingly help weed seeds on the surface get planted.

Whenever garden soil is disturbed by hoeing, shoveling, or tilling, the next crop of weed seeds is planted. This then becomes a vicious cycle that will annoy even the most hardworking gardener.

How to effectively eliminate garden weeds

Not working too hard doesn’t mean neglecting your garden if you want to get rid of weeds. It just means that you can focus on other tasks in your homestead instead of doing things that may aggravate your weed problem.

Here are two secrets to successfully eliminating garden weeds.

1. Don’t till and hoe too much.

It may be considered a crucial gardening tool, but the rototiller is a major planter of weeds. Rototillers are used to rip up sod and prepare the soil for a new garden, but the tool also creates more work and problems in an established garden. Rototillers can be expensive to buy, maintain, and use, and they are weed-planting machines.

In late fall and winter, weed seeds find their way onto the surface of the soil in your garden. These seeds often lay dormant. However, when spring rolls around, using a rototiller will flip the soil along with hundreds or even thousands of weed seeds. This then distributes the seeds all over your vegetable garden.

Once these seeds get a chance to germinate, they will double or triple the weeds in your soil, starting the weed cycle. You will spend a lot of time trying various methods to get rid of the weeds sprouting from the freshly tilled rows and around your plants.

Using a rototiller every few days only tills under the weeds in the rows while hoeing works weeds between the plants. Both these activities only replant more weeds in the soil, which is the last thing you need if you want your garden to thrive.

Tilling and hoeing also affect the soil structure of your garden. The heavy foot traffic and wheels rolling behind a tiller will compact the soil, and a vegetable plant’s growth may be stunted if its roots are compacted. This is one reason to try cultivating a raised row garden, which doesn’t require any tilling on your end. (Related: Tips for starting your own organic garden.)

2. Always cover your soil.

Another easy way to eliminate weeds in your garden is by covering the soil. Once you do this, very few weed seeds will germinate in your garden.

During the growing season, cover all of your walking rows with mulch so you don’t have to spend too much time maintaining them.

You can cover your garden soil with at least six inches of the following materials:

• Bark chips
• Grass clippings
• Newspaper (a biodegradable and garden-safe material)
• Shredded leaves
• Straw

Once the soil is covered, mulch around plants to keep weed seeds out. Use at least two to three inches of mulching around your plants and in your growing rows.

The mulch will help keep out weeds while the compost provides the plants with added nutrients. Make sure you always cover bare soil to keep weeds out of your garden.

Cover your crops in the fall

Lastly, you should plant a fall cover crop every year. When you leave garden soil bare during the winter, you run the risk of creating next year’s weeds. Aside from preventing weeds from sprouting, cover crops help put nutrients back into the soil which your vegetable crop took out while they were growing.

Refrain from tilling and hoeing too much to keep your garden weed-free and don’t forget to put mulch to keep your crops healthy.

Sources include:

OldWorldGardenFarms.com

SundayGardener.net

When SHTF, you need to still wipe your butt. The collapse of modern society aside, it is necessary that you still maintain good sanitary practices so that you stay alive. Without proper sanitation, it becomes incredibly easy for germs to wreak havoc and potentially decimate entire populations.

In order to see the full extent of what improper sanitation can do to your health, let us look at an extreme example. Kibera, which is located in Nairobi, Kenya, is considered Africa’s largest slum and is part of the top 10 worst slums in the world. There are approximately 2.5 million dwellings in this settlement, representing 60 percent of the Nairobi population occupying just six percent of the land. There are no toilet facilities in most of Kibera, and one latrine — which is usually just a hole in the ground — is shared by up to 50 shacks or households. Disease and malnutrition are widespread here, and a fifth of children die before their fifth birthday. Half of Kibera’s population are children under the age of 15, many of whom have become orphaned by AIDS.

We may have it easier here in America, but that doesn’t mean that we can disregard the importance of sanitation when life as we know it turns on its head. Humans need to expel waste regularly to keep our own bodies clean. This means that, no matter what happens, all of us have to keep our backsides clean as well as our hands in the aftermath.

The dirty truth about dookie

Unsanitary conditions can lead to severe illnesses. Human waste is a huge source of contamination in this regard, both as a primary and secondary vector.

Direct contact with feces means possible infection from germs until you thoroughly cleanse and sanitize your hands. Animals are also attracted to waste, and everything from rodents to dogs to insects will gather around your daily deposits, and in turn become possible vectors of disease.

An average adult will produce three-quarters to one pound of solid waste a day. This waste can be deposited in one or more movements, which means that you will have contact with your backside one to three times a day on average. As a result, you will need to wash and sanitize your hands this many times lest they contaminate everything else they touch. (Related: Staying healthy after SHTF: Best hygiene practices.)

How to stay clean

After you do number 2, you will need to wipe somehow. The best way to do this is with toilet paper. This is why we generally recommend that you begin stockpiling this item now way before SHTF.

If you run out of toilet paper, you will need to use something else. Let’s take a look at some alternatives:

• Paper from books, magazines, or newspapers — This can work well, but heavily inked paper can become slippery and hard to manage, especially when wet. The ink may also stain your backside and introduce more germs. Newspapers are also quite stiff and may tear your skin if used incorrectly. We recommend that you crumple up the paper several times before wiping so that they become soft enough to use.
• Cloth — This is a reliable go-to. Just make sure that your cloth is clean before you wipe! Do not use rags or anything else that has been chemically contaminated.
• Leaves — Generally a good idea, but take the time to choose one that is not from a poisonous plant. Leaves are fairly comfortable to use, and are generally plentiful.
• Snow — This has the added benefit of cleaning your butt while wiping.

Whichever method you decide on, remember to always wash your hands after.

Read more articles on how to stay clean even after SHTF at Preparedness.news.

Sources include:

TheSurvivalistBlog.net

BorgenProject.org

Kibera.org.uk

Nyumbani.org.uk

Healthline.com

When preparing an Everyday Carry (EDC) kit, you need to consider how much extra weight you’re willing to carry on a daily basis. As detailed in the guide below, you can opt for a smaller belt EDC kit or a slightly larger pocket EDC kit with more useful items. (h/t to MCCreekmore.com)

If you’re not sure what to include in your EDC kit, think of common scenarios that may occur in your area or any items or gear that you may need when SHTF.

Here are some useful survival items to consider if you want to prepare your own EDC kit.

Belt EDC items

For a basic belt EDC, you can make do with a multitool. Depending on the brand, a multitool can have various features, such as:

• Bottle opener
• File
• Knife
• Pliers
• Saw
• Scissors
• Screwdriver
• Wire cutters

Multitools can cost as much as $15 to $90, so do your research to find a brand and model that suits your budget and prepping needs.

Pocket EDC items

This option depends on how roomy your pockets are. You can also store smaller items in a portable kit that can fit in your pocket for easy access.

• Flashlight – A pocket-sized flashlight is essential for any EDC kit. Consider getting a bright, compact flashlight with multiple settings for brightness and flashing.
• Mini lighter – A lighter is a useful survival item even if you don’t smoke. You should know how to start a fire using basic tools, but having a lighter makes things a lot easier.
• Small pocket knife – Like the multitool, you need to choose a pocket knife with features that are useful for you on a daily basis like a bottle opener, knife, nail file, Philips screwdriver/s, scissors, small flat-head screwdriver, toothpick, and tweezers. (Related: Items that you should carry with you every day… for the ultimate prepper.)
• Tactical blade – A tactical blade is a handy self-defense tool. It’s small enough to hide and you can easily defend yourself using a high-quality, sturdy model.
• Tactical pen – It’s up to you if you want to splurge on an expensive tactical pen, but if you’re only after the basic features, get a pen that you can write with and is sturdy enough for self-defense.
• Wallet – A prepper’s wallet isn’t just used to store credit cards, IDs, and money. You can turn it into a makeshift EDC kit by carrying some Band-Aids for minor cuts and scrapes. Additionally, you can hide a survival card with assorted prepping tools in your wallet.

Wearable EDC items

Wearable EDC items are easier to carry since they don’t need to be concealed like tactical blades or pens, especially if you work in an office setting.

• Belt – Consider wearing a light belt without a metal buckle so it won’t set off metal detectors. In a pinch, you can use your belt as cordage or as a tourniquet.
• Hat – Wear a standard baseball cap to shield your eyes from the sun and to keep warm. During winter, switch to a wool hat for extra warmth.
• Watch – A high-quality prepper watch may include useful features like an altimeter, barometer, compass, and a thermometer.
• Wearable tool bracelet – Leatherman offers bracelets that aren’t just decorative. Each link has a tool that you can easily access, like screwdriver and hex bits. However, the bracelet doesn’t come with a knife blade.

With these EDC items, you can rest easy even if you’re at the office. These small but useful items and tools may help you survive when SHTF in urban areas.

Sources include:

MCCreekmore.com

BackdoorSurvival.com

Food storage, like learning and mastering various prepping skills, takes time and effort. To ensure that your survival stockpile has enough food to last your family for a long time when SHTF, follow the food storage tips enumerated below. (h/t to TheSurvivalMom.com)

1. Stay within your budget. Stockpile different kinds of canned food that are shelf-stable, but don’t spend money you can’t spare on supplies.
2. Learn how to preserve food. If you don’t have the money for a freeze dryer, try home canning to preserve fruits like apples, berries, figs, grapes, or peaches. You can also home-can vegetables like beans, carrots, garlic, and greens so your family has access to nutritious food even after SHTF.
3. Always repackage food. In general, food that comes in a cardboard box or flimsy plastic bag like flour or cornmeal must be repackaged. (Related: How to easily repackage your survival food for long term storage.)
4. Choose a food storage area that is free from pests. If you’re looking for a non-toxic method of controlling pests, sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the floorboards of your pantry. Alternatively, you can set out small containers of cornmeal mixed with borax for a non-toxic way to kill any bugs. Rodents can chew through plastic five-gallon buckets, so keep an eye out for rodent droppings in your pantry.
5. Protect stored food from the “enemies of food storage.” Things like heat, humidity, light, oxygen, pests, and time can make food deteriorate more quickly. Heat is the worst, so store your food in cool areas.
6. Don’t buy food that no one in the family will eat. This only wastes your money and space in your pantry that should be used for items that everyone can enjoy, like pasta or home-canned fruits.
7. Make sure the bulk of the food in your pantry can be used in multiple recipes. Instant meals are convenient, especially for short-term emergencies, but fresh and healthy ingredients are more of a long-term solution.
8. Collect at least a dozen recipes that use only shelf-stable ingredients that your whole family can eat. This way, no one will suffer from food fatigue even if you have to keep eating the same thing for a long time.
9. Rotate the food in your survival stockpile. Rotating food means using the oldest food on the shelf and replacing it with new food to prevent spoilage. Be careful about food storage conditions, especially heat, so the items in your pantry will stay fresher for longer. However, if you have food that is more than five years old, start using and replacing it.
10. Stock up on comfort foods. Even if SHTF, the whole family’s mood can be improved if you cook comforting food like macaroni and cheese or baked desserts. Stock up on the ingredients for their favorite meals so you can cheer them up during a particularly long power outage.
11. Always buy something for your survival stockpile when you’re doing the groceries. You don’t have to spend a fortune on extra cans of canned vegetables – a single can after each trip will add up after a week.

When SHTF, you’ll need more than food in your survival stockpile. Use coupons to save money on other essential items like cleaning supplies (e.g. baking soda and bleach) and toiletries.

Stocking up on survival food means you’re buying them at cheaper prices and planning ahead for a time when those prices will increase. Food price inflation is tricky since it isn’t always about the price of the item but the size of the package and the number of ounces the package contains.

Follow these tips to gradually build up your survival food stockpile before SHTF.

Sources include:

TheSurvivalMom.com

MomWithAPrep.com

Blame it on the media: Preppers don’t actually wear tactical clothes in public. We don’t wear tin foil hats over our heads, either. When you look at our lifestyle, you’ll see that everything we do is done for preparing for the unknown. We understand that while no one can truly know what the future brings, we can try to plan for whatever eventuality. Whether SHTF or not, it brings peace to our minds to know that that we’ve done all that we could to prepare for a potential disaster.

This seemingly “pessimistic” outlook on life has labeled us as the kooks of society. Many people believe that you can spot a “prepper” by the clothes we wear. To wit, that we all wear military clothing.

But seasoned preppers understand the dangers of standing out. You can be tactical without looking the part, and it is especially important for beginner preppers to consider this.

An article on The Organic Prepper gives a perfect example. Here, one person was busted for being a “prepper” after being caught wearing tactical gray pants, a 5.11 shirt, and dark glasses. This “survivalist” was wearing these clothes in the middle of an airport, where everyone else was in vacation clothes (i.e. funny shirts, shorts, jeans, etc.). Not only was he dressed extremely out-of-norm, but the person was also walking around with a “tough” expression on his face, leering at other people and generally giving off the impression that he was — by all means — “tactical.”

However, this behavior does more harm than good. In a real grid down situation, it is in your best interest to blend in with the crowd. People are often operating on their basic instincts when SHTF and will target people who they consider to be vulnerable or weak — including, yes, people who stick out like a sore thumb.

You may be scratching your hand at the irony of it. If a person looks “scary,” surely people wouldn’t attack them, right? To a certain extent, this is true, but mobs also target people who look like they’re play-acting as well. People who generally overdress in military or tactical clothes look like they’re trying too hard to be scary. And even if they did have some training in self-defense, they still become a target because of their potential value. A scary-looking person will probably have essential survival items like a knife or something. A mob can easily overpower a single person. It’s a crowd against one, after all.

No, the best course of action before, during, or after-SHTF is to maintain anonymity. Other prepper articles will be more extensive on how to achieve this, but in general:

• Look like everyone else — During a crisis, most people will lose weight due to a lack of food. They will also have not enough water to bathe often or wash their clothes. Even if you have properly stocked up on crucial survival items, it will do you good to lose weight (or look like you have) when SHTF. We also recommend that you avoid washing your clothes too often. Because it is still important to maintain cleanliness when SHTF, we still recommend that you shower regularly — just don’t look like you have. (Related: Tips on how to not stand out once SHTF.)
• Make an effort not to stand out — Do not put your attractiveness on display during SHTF. As we’ve discussed earlier, you still need to be prepared for potential disaster, but you should be very careful with how you appear to the public. This extends to the clothes you wear. Our earlier example described a person who wore tactical clothing, but this also applies to bright clothing or exceedingly flashy items.

The most important thing to remember is that you should never display what you have during an emergency. You should always be prepared, yes, but you do not need to broadcast this to the world.

Sources include:

TheOrganicPrepper.com

BackdoorSurvival.com