Disasters can happen at any moment. You might not be able to avoid them, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare for them. Having a proper survival plan in place can definitely help you get through even the most difficult situations. Improve your chances of survival by following these essential disaster preparedness tips when SHTF. (h/t to Survivopedia.com)

Learn what potential disasters your area could face

Different geographical locations face different kinds of natural disasters. Read up on your local area’s history to find out what kind of disasters your area is prone to. Does your area frequently experience hurricanes, earthquakes, or other natural calamities? Once you know the past, you can be better prepared for the future. Finding out what you are likely to face can go a long way in helping you formulate your survival plan. (Related: You need to know these 8 essential survival tips to prepare you for the next catastrophe.)

Sign up for emergency alerts

It is important to stay informed and up-to-date on your local news and weather reports. Nowadays, you can easily sign up to receive emergency alerts on your cell phone. That way, you can always know ahead of time when severe weather is on its way.  There are also plenty of emergency apps you can download on your phone that can serve as useful tools when SHTF.

Prepare your family’s emergency kits and bug-out bags

You and your family members should each have a 72-hour emergency kit containing all the essential items that you need to survive for at least that amount of time. If you need to make a sudden evacuation, you should also have bug-out bags ready in easily accessible areas in your home. Some preppers may combine both their emergency kit and bug-out bag in one convenient pack. Depending on your needs and priorities, you can choose to do the same. Some of the important items you should pack include water, food, first aid supplies, flashlights, blankets, a cell phone charger, a multipurpose tool, spare cash, and personal hygiene items. Make sure that you and your family members know how to properly use the items in your emergency kits and bug-out bags.

Learn your local area’s evacuation routes and shelter locations

In dire emergency situations, you might need to bug out somewhere else until it is safe for you and your loved ones to return home. In this case, knowing your local area’s evacuation routes and shelter locations can certainly come in handy, especially if you and your family are separated when the disaster hits. Planning a designated meeting point can let you and your family know where to go, even if the cell phone towers are down and no one has any access to other forms of communication.

Do an indoor and outdoor home assessment

On the other hand, there might also be times when it is simply safer to stay put and bug in. In this case, you will need to do a thorough assessment of the interior and exterior of you home to make sure that it can provide ample protection when SHTF. Get rid of any dead trees or overhanging branches that may pose as hazards during a hurricane. You may also need to upgrade your home’s security and defense systems. Additionally, you should make an inventory of the supplies you will need to wait out a potential disaster and stock up on these items.

Learn more disaster preparedness tips by going to Preparedness.news.

Sources include:

Survivopedia.com

WorkingMother.com

Even in this modern day and age, deadly viruses continue to pose a considerable threat because of how easily they can spread like wildfire. They can come without warning, making them difficult to anticipate and control. Densely populated cities and urban areas are the most vulnerable to these infectious diseases due to how crowded they are. If you want to help prevent the spread of infection, you should become better prepared to handle these deadly diseases by learning how to immediately spot their symptoms. (h/t to DoomAndBloom.net.)

Dengue virus

Commonly found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, the dengue virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The symptoms begin to appear four to seven days after being bitten. These symptoms include high fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rashes, and swollen glands. This disease is sometimes referred to as “breakbone fever” due to the intense pain it causes to the muscles and joints. Fortunately, most people affected by dengue typically recover within a week. However, for those unlucky few with compromised circulatory systems, the illness may progress into a hemorrhagic fever that has a 20 percent death rate. Other severe symptoms that may accompany the fever include spontaneous bleeding under the skin, difficulty breathing, heightened abdominal pain, and blood in the urine, stool or vomit. To prevent the spread of dengue, you should practice good hygiene and avoid areas where there are plenty of mosquitoes.

Rotavirus

The rotavirus is a food-borne illness that is spread through the consumption of contaminated food or water. Every year, this disease kills over half a million children worldwide. While the rotavirus is deadlier in less-developed countries, it is still so prevalent that the World Health Organization believes that every child in the world has been infected with it at least once. After being ingested, the rotavirus attacks the cells of the gut lining, producing a toxin that results in adverse symptoms, such as severe watery diarrhea, fever, cramps, abdominal pain, and vomiting. However, it is the severe watery diarrhea that is the most dangerous symptom of the rotavirus as it may easily lead to severe dehydration in infants and small children. It is important that children afflicted by rotavirus are able to sufficiently replenish their bodily fluids. You can decrease your possibility of contamination by always making sure that your food comes from a clean and reliable source.

Rabies

The word “rabies” is derived from the Latin word for “madness,” and with good reason. As the disease progresses, it quickly deteriorates the mental state of the infected person, leading to symptoms such as confusion, agitation, paranoia, anxiety, terror, hallucinations, hydrophobia, and general delirium. Rabies directly attacks the salivary glands, which makes the saliva the main route of infection. Rabies is frequently associated with dogs, as they are responsible for over 99 percent of cases in most countries. However, bats and some rodents may also be carriers of rabies. A person can then get infected with rabies through bites or scratches from that animal. After being bitten by a rabid animal, the infected person will not experience the first symptoms until after an incubation period of around one to three months. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and paralysis, but as soon as these symptoms appear, it is almost certainly too late to treat the rabies infection. If left untreated, rabies has a death rate of almost 100 percent. The easiest way to avoid being infected in the first place is to keep away from aggressive dogs and other animals. (Related: From rabies to salmonella: 5 diseases you can get from your pet.)

Learn more about deadly viral infections by going to Outbreak.news.

Sources include: 

DoomAndBloom.net

PlanetDeadly.com

Preppers are frugal and unless it’s absolutely necessary, they won’t spend money on anything that they can make, grow, find, or trade for. This is why it’s important to know how to make biochar, which can boost soil health in your garden, and charcoal, which is used for cooking fuel. (h/t to HomesteadSurvivalSite.com.)

What is biochar?

Biochar is a porous material that can help retain water and nutrients in the soil. This material can significantly boost your garden crop yield since your plants will have access to healthier soil. Certain kinds of biochar can even immobilize heavy metals, herbicides, hormones, and pesticides.

Additionally, biochar can reduce nitrogen oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions from soils. Biochar is “a multi-faceted strategy,” and it produces bio-oil during pyrolysis (decomposition caused by high temperatures) that could replace fossil fuels.

Biochar can improve garden soil by cleaning it and binding together pesticides and other contaminants. This porous material also binds good nutrients together, such as nitrogen, to prevent leaching.

There are other good reasons to use biochar for your garden soil, and one of the main benefits is that is can boost your crop yield by as much as 40 percent. (Related: For the organic farmer: Grow healthier plants with organic fertilizer mixed with compost tea.)

How to make charcoal

Follow the steps below to make charcoal, which you can use to stay warm during winter or to cook outdoors when you’re camping, hiking, or when you run out of fuel for your stove.

You will need:

• Plenty of wood
• A small open top steel barrel (at least 30 gallons)
• A larger open top steel barrel (55-gallon recommended) Drill some air vent holes around the bottom of the larger barrel so oxygen can get sucked inside.

Steps:

1. Fill the smaller barrel with wood that you want to turn into charcoal and biochar.
2. Carefully load the small barrel into the larger barrel. To make things easier, flip both barrels to their sides, then slide the small barrel (top first) into the bigger barrel.
3. Stand the barrels upright, then center the smaller barrel. The sealed end of the smaller barrel should be on top with the open end face-down on the bottom of the larger barrel. This will produce an oven effect once you start burning the wood.
4. Load more wood into the larger barrel, and make sure to get it all around the inner burn chamber, all the way down to the bottom. Don’t pack the wood too tight so the fire burns evenly.
5. Use a bit of accelerant to get the fire going, then set the wood on fire.
6. Keep an eye on the burning wood, and move the material down towards the sides to make room for more wood. As the inner burn chamber heats up, all of the flammable gases are burned off and turned into pure carbon.
7. Let the wood burn for at least three or four hours until it’s burned down completely.
8. Let the wood cool off, then flip the drums to their side. Slide out the small drum to get your homemade charcoal.

Use the charcoal for your next barbecue, or start a campfire in your backyard.

How to make biochar

You can also use the charcoal you made from the first guide to make biochar for your garden.

You will need:

• Charcoal
• A hammer
• A bucket
• Organic fertilizer (e.g., worm casting tea)
• Water

Steps:

1. Place the charcoal in a piece of cloth (that you don’t mind getting dirty), then smash the charcoal until they turn into pea-sized pieces.
2. Put the smashed charcoal in a bucket filled with organic fertilizer and water. Make sure there’s enough water in the bucket to cover the charcoal and the fertilizer.
3. Let the charcoal soak for several days. The nooks and crannies in the charcoal will absorb the fertilizer/water mixture to produce a nutritious addition for your garden soil.

Make your own charcoal so you can stay warm and cook outdoors whenever you want, then use the biochar to boost your vegetable garden yield.

Sources include:

HomesteadSurvivalSite.com

Biochar.international

Self-reliance means being able to take care of yourself without needing help from anyone else. This might be one of the most important skills you can learn to prepare yourself for when SHTF, but it can also help you to get through any difficult situation in your everyday life. It can give you the chance to become a more independent and well-rounded individual. That way, you can live life on your own terms and better plan for your future. Here are some useful tips you can follow to become a more self-reliant person. (h/t to FoodStorageMoms.com.)

Learn how to cook from scratch

No matter how much money you have, there may come a time when you will be unable to simply buy pre-cooked meals at a store or restaurant. You might find yourself all alone during a survival situation. In this scenario, you will have to make do with whatever you have stocked in your pantry or refrigerator. This is also an excellent reason to always keep your pantry well-stocked. Either way, you will need to make a meal from scratch or end up going to bed hungry. Fortunately, learning how to cook basic meals shouldn’t be too hard if you have access to the internet. There are plenty of tutorial videos you can watch to pick up a few easy recipes that make use of common ingredients. If you want a more hands-on approach, you can enroll in a cooking class and learn directly from experts. You can even exchange tips with like-minded people.

Grow an edible garden

Another step you can take towards total self-reliance is to grow your own food supply. What could possibly be more satisfying by cooking a meal from scratch using the vegetables you grew yourself? Even if you don’t reach the level of complete, self-reliant food production, growing an edible garden can certainly supplement your existing food supply. An edible garden can even help you save on expenses. Why make a trip to your local grocery store when you can easily get your fresh pick of produce right in your backyard? The best part is that you aren’t limited by the availability of your favorite fruits and vegetables on the market. As long as you can grow it, you get to eat it. (Related: Self-reliance in the city: One family proves it’s possible.)

Learn more practical skills

You can gain a sense of accomplishment by learning a variety of new and useful skills. With a wider and more diverse skill set, you will become less likely to feel helpless when faced with a challenging situation. Self-reliance can push you out of your comfort zone and force you to adapt to any scenario. It can move you along the right path to self-improvement and progress. Why stop at cooking and gardening? There are so many practical skills out there just waiting for you to learn them. You can apply these skills during a survival situation or even in your everyday life. What is important is that you never stop learning. With an arsenal of practical skills at your disposal, you can overcome anything.

Make a reasonable budget and commit to it

If you really want to save money, it will require discipline. You will have to let go of the occasional luxuries to focus on what you actually need to get by. Live on less money than you make, so that you can set aside money for the future. Try to save a minimum of at least a dollar a week. This can be a feasible goal and you can use the money as an emergency fund if ever SHTF. Another practical skill you can learn is how to make basic repairs. This can also help you to save money, since you will be able to avoid buying items to replace broken ones.

Sources include:

FoodStorageMoms.com

TheLawOfAttraction.com

It can sometimes be difficult for preppers to resist the urge to hoard large quantities of survival gear and other useful items on the off chance that these might come in handy later on. After all, having the right materials at the right time can allow you to be more prepared for a greater variety of challenges. But what is the point of a home so filled to the brim with prepping equipment that it is impossible to find anything when you actually need it?

There is nothing wrong with stocking up on plenty of survival gear as long as everything is properly organized and easily accessible at a moment’s notice. Here are five useful tips on getting organized the prepper way. (h/t to LivingLifeInRuralIowa.com.)

Declutter your home

This is an endeavor that you should commit to entirely. Do a thorough sweep of your home and get rid of all unnecessary junk. Take the time to declutter your home to create more free space. This endeavor shouldn’t be rushed, so you should ideally devote around one to three months to sort out what should stay and what should go. There are many ways to give new life to items that have outlived their usefulness. You can sell them at a yard sale to make a small profit or you can simply donate them to people whom you think would still be able to make use of them. If you can think outside the box, you can even find other uses for items other than what they were originally intended for. (Related: Survival scavenging: 10 Items you can re-purpose when SHTF.)

Identify and prioritize your belongings

Go through all of your personal belongings and categorize them based on their practical use or what they personally mean to you. Your main priority should be survival gear and items that are beneficial to your health and well-being. Decorative and sentimental items can still have a place in your home, as long as they can justify the amount of space they take up. This means that if they really do have sentimental value for you, they shouldn’t just be tucked away in a corner gathering dust. Keepsakes can inspire you and keep memories alive, but you shouldn’t accumulate them to the point of hoarding. Follow the “Power of Three” by keeping only three of each type of item. For example, you can keep up to three motivational posters and get rid of any duplicates.

Have a system in place

In an emergency situation, every second counts. If you suddenly need to get your first aid kit, do you instinctively know where it is? You can’t waste precious time looking through your belongings when someone’s life could be on the line. Having an organized system in place can go a long way. Your critical survival gear should be in the most easily accessible areas of your home. Familiarize yourself with where you place everything, so that you can quickly grab your prepping items without even thinking. You can also keep better track of your supplies by having an inventory.

Buy storage containers

In order to keep your personal belongings out of sight and organized in a logical way, you should store them in convenient baskets, buckets, bins, or other storage containers. Your storage cases don’t even have to be brand new. Second-hand containers can do the job just as well as new ones. Use post-it notes to label your containers so that you know where everything is. Everything should be neatly tucked away and properly arranged when not in use. Storage containers can also be stacked on top of each other to maximize your free space.

Put together your kits and bug-out bags

If you haven’t prepared them already, take this chance to put together your family’s 72-hour survival kits, first aid kits, and bug-out bags (BOB). You can make an inventory list for the items in these kits as well. That way, while you’re organizing your home, you can already set aside items on the list as soon as you find them. Keep your BOB just as organized as your home by packing everything in an orderly and easily accessible manner.

Sources include:

LivingLifeInRuralIowa.com

SurvivalBlog.com

When it comes to learning how to survive in the city with nothing but the clothes on your back, it will do you good to learn from the homeless – they may have a thing or two to teach you about urban survival, after all.

1. Dress in layers — When SHTF, your priority is your personal safety. This includes staying and keeping warm. It’s not far off to think that you may have to sleep outside if things go down. In a survival situation, you will need to dress in layers. The first layer is the layer in direct contact with your skin, so it should be relatively comfortable and can be reasonably thin. The second layer is the insulation layer and is meant to keep you warm. We suggest wearing bulkier fabrics for this layer. The third, and last, layer is meant to protect you from the weather, so choose fabrics that can resist wind, rain, and snow. If you do not have enough clothes for three layers, you can use plastic, cardboard, and newspapers as your second layer.
2. Newspapers are your friends — True, most of us don’t read actual newspapers anymore, but they have many survival uses. For one, you can use a stack of newspapers as a pillow, blanket, or even as a shelter. Newspapers can double-up as toilet paper and can be used as fuel for fire. (Related: 5 Effortless ways to use old newspapers instead of tossing them to landfill.)
3. Use water bottles — You can keep warm by placing hot water bottles inside your clothes, or by surrounding yourself with hot bottles as you sleep. Now, you might not have access to tap water or a water heater when SHTF, but you can heat water in a tin pot over a small fire or trash can fire and use that water to fill the bottles. As a last resort, you can pee into a bottle and keep it in your pocket until it’s not warm anymore.
4. Go in groups — This one is a bit tricky, but it is generally a good idea to sleep near, and hang around, other people during emergencies. While it can be dangerous to sleep near other people (who are, most likely, incredibly paranoid, stressed, or worried about the situation), you will find that there is power in numbers. The key here is to choose people who seem more-or-less trustworthy and won’t rob you while you sleep.
5. Always be ready to go on the fly — Homeless people are constantly on the go and can leave an area immediately. When SHTF, you need to have a similar mindset. It is unlikely that you will be able to stay in one location for long in an urban survival situation.
6. Pack well — In our prepping articles, we talk about the importance of every day carry (EDC) bags. These are bags that you carry with you every day and contain essential items for survival. The same principle applies in an urban survival situation. In this case, however, you may need to carry a bigger bag as you will also need to store items meant for shelter.
7. Know how to blend in — There is a social stigma to being homeless. Most of us pass over our eyes on the guy lying down on the street. Being homeless essentially makes a person invisible. However, that doesn’t mean that the homeless don’t know how to blend in with the crowd, either. In a survival situation, it is important that you become a “gray man” (or woman). A gray man is someone who is not easily noticeable and does not attract attention. Opt for clothes that are neither too flashy nor obviously worn out.

Lastly, one overlooked aspect of survival is knowing how to control your emotions. It is easy to become desperate when SHTF, but remember to keep a cool head. People who explode in an emotional outburst during a survival situation can put themselves in danger.

Sources include:

UrbanSurvivalSite.com

TheBugOutBagGuide.com

Homesteaders prioritize self-reliance and the cultivation of organic produce, but this doesn’t mean you can’t make your home garden look pretty. If you want to beautify your property, start a practice called edible landscaping. (h/t to RockinWHomestead.com)

What is edible landscaping?

Edible landscaping represents a different take on how to design and interact with yards and urban green spaces. The practice prioritizes the cultivation of food-producing plants and native perennials, and it helps home gardeners create green space and provide healthy, fresh food to their family.

Replacing even just a fraction of traditional lawns with edible landscapes designed around locally appropriate plants offers various benefits.

These benefits require little to no irrigation or fertilizer and can increase food production potential in cities, as well as attract pollinators and improve ecological diversity.

Flowers for your edible landscape

Edible flowers are a common feature of edible landscapes. But flowering plants aren’t just pretty, they also attract pollinators that can help your fruit-bearing plants thrive. (Related: Edible Landscaping Ideas For Small Spaces.)

Popular options include daisies, lilacs, pansies, and sunflowers.

Edible flowers can also be used for food decorating and subtle flavoring.

Herbs for your edible landscape

Herbs are another staple in edible landscapes. You can plant the following herbs in your yard:

• Basil and thyme – Basil and thyme are beautiful additions to any garden. Both herbs are fairly easy to grow, and you can use them both as nutritious ingredients in different dishes.
• Chives – Chives bear beautiful flowers that can add to the aesthetic appeal of your garden. This delicious herb is also the perfect addition to baked potatoes and other savory side dishes.
• Mint – Mint is an extremely versatile herb that grows easily. This herb is a perfect spread for areas that you want to cover with foliage. If you don’t want mint to spread, plant it in large containers.

Another option is to grow herbal tea plants so you have access to ingredients for herbal teas all year long.

Shrubs for your edible landscape

Shrubs are a nice addition to your edible landscape because they’re often of medium height. Shrubs can be used to bridge the gap between trees and shorter plants, like edible flowers. Additionally, shrubs can function as wildlife deterrents and windbreaks.

Plan ahead when selecting a shrub, and use a plant that produces something your family likes to eat. You also need to choose the right shrub for a site. Plant something that can thrive in your location so you don’t waste any of your resources.

You can plant the following shrubs in your landscape based on your needs and preferences:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Fig
• Currants
• Gooseberries
• Pomegranate
• Raspberries
• Rosemary
• Rugosa roses/beach roses

Trees for your edible landscape

If your yard is spacious enough, you can include fruit or medicinal trees in your edible landscape. Check which fruit tree varieties suit your geographic area.

Your options include:

• Apple trees – Apple trees are popular among home gardeners, especially since you can choose from many different kinds. If you don’t have enough time to look after full-sized fruit trees, try cultivating crabapples, which are perfect for cooking and require less maintenance.
• Cherry trees – Cherry trees produce tasty fruit that looks great in any yard.
• Olive trees – Plant olive trees if you want a savory harvest.
• Pine trees – Pine trees have medicinal properties. The dried bark peels of pine trees or tea brewed from pine needles contain vitamin C, which can boost your immunity. Pine needle tea and bark also has vitamin A, which can improve your eye health.

Vegetable for your edible landscape

If you already have a traditional vegetable garden plot but you still want to boost your crop yield, you can grow annual edibles in your regular landscape.

Listed below are vegetables that you can incorporate into your edible landscape:

• Carrots and radishes –Both carrots and radishes produce edible greens and taproots that are nutritious.
• Lettuce and Swiss chard – These beautiful, leafy vegetables can cover the ground with different shades of green.
• Tomatoes – While tomatoes are scientifically classified as a fruit, they’re often included in gardens because they’re beautiful. Tomatoes also produce nutritious vegetables for your kitchen.

You can also intermix these edible plants to make your landscape stand out.

Like with other aspects of home gardening, the only thing that limits your edible landscaping ideas is your imagination.

Sources include:

RockinWHomestead.com

FoodRevolution.org

OrganicFacts.net

The legacy and memory of homesteading live on in us. And while the era that our great-great-grandparents had to live through is long over, there are still some lessons we can learn from that time that we can use in our own homesteading plans today. (h/t to BackdoorSurvival.com)

Keep it simple, go back to the basics

Our ancestors had to cross the Great Plains with nothing but the bare essentials and understood how to rely only on themselves. If one of their equipment failed, they knew how to repair them. It was normal for them to be jacks-of-all-trades, and very skilled craftsmen.

It is wrong to think that things were “made better” then, or that “in the good old days” somehow materials were built to last eons. The truth is, technological advancements, while helpful for some things, have made us slightly impaired in terms of relying on our own skills and capabilities.

If you’re planning on building a homestead, recognize that you will need to expand your skill set. Doing so will also make you more self-reliant.

Buy the best equipment

Sure, good things don’t come cheap — but they’ll save you money in the long run. When you buy shoddy material, you can expect it to last only for a short time. You get what you pay for, after all. Whenever possible, try to buy the best goods you can, focusing on durability and reliability. (Related: Living simply and frugally is key: Homesteading on a limited income.)

Homesteaders need to have the best equipment they can get. This way, once the initial expense is given, they can focus their time and energy on other things.

Understand that good food is key

Back in the day, doctors were few and far between, and may live miles away from where you were. This meant that during emergencies, you had to wait for a long time before a trained medical professional could see you. American pioneers understood this, and just prevented themselves from getting sick in the first place. They did this by eating clean, nutritious food.

Nothing can destroy health more than a poor diet. Many of our ancestors died from food-related illnesses.

Homesteaders today can maintain their health by growing their own vegetable garden. This ensures that you know exactly what you’re putting in your mouth!

Plan ahead

To thrive as a homesteader, you have to learn how to plan ahead. Even today, we homesteaders are ruled by the seasons and weather. This encourages us to plan for every aspect of life, from planting and harvesting, to gardening and property maintenance. While it is true that modern life makes things a lot easier, it will still do you good to know how to plan for every possibility. Homesteaders need to know how to adapt to whatever eventuality.

Go with, instead of against, nature

This was a hard lesson we all learned from the Dust Bowl during the 1930s. This period of severe dust storms caused by poor land management practices during the Great Depression made many a homesteader cry out of frustration and sadness. As drought and wind swept through the Great Plains, tons of topsoil were stripped from the land and created an apocalyptic landscape never before seen in our country.

The Dust Bowl reminds us what can happen when we ignore the natural world around us. Modern homesteaders should understand that it benefits them to work in harmony with nature rather than against it. Trust the land, take care of it, and it will take care of you.

These five lessons are as relevant today as they were a century-and-a-half ago. The important thing to remember is that while homesteading requires a lot of patience, diligence, and effort, it is also one of the more richly rewarding endeavors you can do.

Sources include:

BackdoorSurvival.com

History.com

If you have a home garden, you need to prepare ahead of time so you can still harvest crops even during winter. After all, you wouldn’t want to run out of resources just when the weather starts getting frosty again, would you? (h/t to MDCreekmore.com).

Factors to consider for cold climate gardening

While it’s better to grow your own vegetables, you need to consider some factors, such as space (or a lack of it), to devise a gardening system that works for you. If you don’t have a yard or a home garden, you can still grow herbs or sprouts indoors. Every step counts if you want to minimize your exposure to chemically-treated foods and other products.

Below are some things that you need to consider, along with your own needs and growing zone, before you start growing crops that will survive during winter. (Related: How to prepare your survival garden for winter.)

Will these crops thrive in your growing zone? 

Ask fellow home gardeners to learn what kinds of crops can grow in your zone. Make use of the space you have, and only grow what you can consume so you don’t waste time and effort.

What kinds of dried, frozen, or tinned foods are cheaper to buy than cultivate?

If dried beans, grains, and legumes are cheaper to buy, plant something else that can thrive in your zone.

Can you eat or use the whole plant?

You can compost any spent vegetables, but you must prioritize crops that have the most edible parts, even those that take up space for a long time, like:

• Garlic – Garlic is a cool climate vegetable that you can plant very close together in rows. Thin out the shoots as they grow. You can first use the shoots, then move on to the slightly swollen bulbs as green garlic starts to bulb up. Once the bulbs really start to swell as the weather warms, give the remaining garlic some space to encourage the growth of large bulbs. If you have leftover garlic, plant it by the time it’s ready to sprout again in autumn. Smoke excess garlic to make them last a couple of months longer in your fridge.
• Broccoli – Broccoli produces little flowering side shoots for a long time. The leaves can also be eaten as greens. Remember, broccoli that matures during cool weather produces healthy heads that taste sweeter than those harvested at any other time. To get the best-tasting broccoli, harvest broccoli heads while the buds are just starting to swell but before the yellow petals start to grow.
• Carrots – Carrots grow fast, and you can use the tops as steamed or salad greens and in soups. Alternatively, you can use carrot tops to make pesto.
• Parsley – Parsley produces lush leaves until it flowers and goes to seed. Parsley flowers will help attract insects to your garden. In the second year, you can start collecting parsley seeds. Green seeds can be added to salads and soups, but after the seeds have dried on the plant you can use them as a cooking spice. When it’s time to pull the plant out, clean the root and use it to flavor stock.
• Radish – Radish grows very fast. When planted at the right time, some winter varieties of radish will overwinter in your garden. Young radish leaves can be used in salads or as steamed greens.

Before you switch to a diet of fruits, vegetables, and foraged foods, double-check the nutrient profiles of the foods you plan to eat to ensure that they provide you with enough nutrients. Consult a healthcare professional to determine if any of the crops that you grow will interfere with the medications that you take.

Always plan ahead so when winter comes, you can still harvest crops in your home garden.

Sources include:

MDCreekmore.com

GoodHousekeeping.com

If you’re new to prepping, remember that it’s better to stock up on supplies and miscellaneous items that you may need before SHTF. Don’t wait until it’s too late to fill your pantry or stockroom with useful items. (h/t to Survivopedia.com)

Most stockrooms are filled with food and water, but wise preppers know that you also need to keep unconventional materials in your pantry.

Here are some unusual but useful items that you can repurpose when disaster strikes.

• Chopsticks – Chopsticks aren’t just for Chinese takeout. You can use chopsticks as extra kindling, so stock up on them whenever you can. Alternatively, you can use chopsticks to build efficient fires, for minor supports and building, or for craft projects.
• Egg cartons – Egg cartons can be used as makeshift starter kits for herbs or other plants. To make starter kits, fill each egg section with a small amount of rich soil then plant your seeds. Water the seeds lightly, then place the carton by a window. Use egg carton starter kits to start several small seeds at the same time. Alternatively, you can use egg cartons as fuel for a fire.
• Female hygiene items – These items are crucial, especially if you have women in your family or survival group. Stock up on items like menstrual cups, pads, and tampons. These items can also be used as makeshift firestarters in a pinch.
• Leftover lumber – Lumber is an essential SHTF supply, but it has several cons: they’re usually large and heavy so you need to find a secure place to store them, or you may have problems taking them with you if you need to leave in a hurry. Consider stocking up on leftover lumber only if you have secure storage space for them. When disaster strikes, you can use lumber to make repairs around the house.
• Plastic grocery bags – A single plastic grocery bag is flimsy, but if you save up a hundred or more of them, you can use these bags as insulation materials. When the weather gets cold, stuff grocery bags in cracks, in shed walls, or anywhere else where you need extra warmth. The only downside is, you’ll need lots of plastic grocery bags to fill up spots before you can trap tiny pockets of air for effective insulation. Take note that you can’t use plastic bags near fireplaces, furnaces, and other sources of heat.
• Small wheels – When you’re in a hurry and short on storage space, you may have trouble bringing a cart, scooter, or wheelbarrow with you. But small wheels don’t take up too much space, and you can use them if you need to create a cart or platform for transportation once you find basic scrap materials.
• Socks – Socks are essential supplies to have, especially if you live in an area that is prone to cold weather. When SHTF, you can also use socks as bartering supplies.
• Tin cans – Put some curled cardboard and leftover wax in a tin can to make a mini heater. Alternatively, you can use tin cans to make perimeter alarms or weapons. (Related: Prepping to barter when SHTF: What skills to learn and items to stockpile.)
• Wax materials – This includes anything waxy, such as beeswax, crayons, or melted candles. Once you gather enough leftover wax, you can melt them down again to make a new, recycled candle. All you need is a wick and a heat-resistant glass jar.

Learn useful skills, secure your home, and stock up on these supplies so you’re ready before disaster strikes.

Sources include:

Survivopedia.com

PrimalSurvivor.net