9 Things That Can Make a Functioning Faraday Cage

Ask any prepper these days what sort of mega-disaster they are worried about these days, and they’ll probably tell you it’s an EMP.

Three Faraday cages protecting your most vital electronics: a metal trash can, an ammo can, and a cardboard box wrapped in aluminum foil.

A powerful EMP can disable, damage, or even completely destroy electronics, appliances, and anything else plugged into the power grid. It’s also highly likely to destroy the power grid itself!

Plenty of folks worry about nuclear EMPs, but there are other natural sources, like powerful solar storms or coronal mass ejections.

As huge and seemingly unavoidable as these events seem, you don’t have to just sit there and pray. It’s possible to prepare for them by protecting your electronics and gear using Faraday cages.

A Faraday cage is just a conductive enclosure that will block the destructive energy of the EMP. Several related industries make fortunes selling specialized Faraday cage kits and complete units, but you can save a bundle by making your own.

Keep reading, and I’ll tell you about the items that can serve as fully functional Faraday cages.

The materials to make several faraday cages: garbage can, tinfoil, foil tape, ammo can, mylar bag

Metal Trash Can with Lid

This is one trick that pretty much all preppers know about already, and it’s a good one…

You can take a galvanized metal trash can, one with a snug-fitting lid, and use that as a ready-made Faraday cage for protecting gear like large electronics, tools, chargers, and the like.

Now, obviously, you’d be wise to use a clean trash can, and you also can’t just toss your stuff in there and forget about it. You’ll need to insulate the interior or at least set your sensitive gear on something insulating so it’s not in contact with any of the exposed metal.

I like to use foam for this purpose, but I know folks who have used wood, cardboard, molded plastic, and other materials.

And make sure that the lid fits tightly. If there is slop, it can let some of the destructive energies leak inside and damage your stuff anyway. Build up the fit to the rim using aluminum foil if you have to.

Metal Paint Bucket

A paint bucket is another great option for a ready-made cage, and it works on the same principle as the metal trash can above, just on a slightly smaller scale for smaller gear. They’re compact, cheap, stackable, and can be a good portable solution if you are on the road and worried about an imminent EMP threat.

Paint buckets can be repurposed from actual, used paint buckets or purchased clean for the purpose.

I prefer spending a couple of bucks to save over an hour’s worth of time versus cleaning up a used one, and used buckets also have a drawback: if they are dented, punctured, or if the lid no longer fits tightly, the protection could be compromised.

As with the trash can above, you need to insulate the interior to keep vulnerable items out of contact with the metal walls, bottom, and top. Foam, wadded packing paper, and other sturdy but light and thin materials work pretty well.

Don’t forget to put some on the top too, and keep in mind that this will eat up your internal volume somewhat, which will affect how much you can store.

Holiday Popcorn and Cookie Tins

This is one of my favorite repurposed Faraday cages, and one that I see preppers constantly forget about.

Well, maybe they don’t forget about them, and their grandmas just get them first for their sewing and knitting supplies… I’m kidding, but make sure Grandma’s got what she needs before you take one of these for your project.

Basically, these tins work very much like the trash cans above, just in a different shape and scale. Most of them are still stackable, and they have the added benefit o having tightly fitting lids as a rule.

I use these particularly for storing flat, vulnerable electronics like data drives, phones, and things like that. Same as before, insulate the interior and ensure that none of your gear is touching any exposed metal on the inside or this will all be for naught!

Any original packing box (carboard) can be foil wrapped and turned into a faraday cage

Cardboard Box and Foil

Believe it or not, you don’t even have to start out with a metal container to make a Faraday cage from common supplies. A sturdy cardboard box that’s carefully lined with a thick layer of aluminum foil on the outside might well be all you need.

Aluminum foil is, after all, a solid sheet and it is made out of conductive material that should easily be able to defeat all but the most powerful and nearby EMPs.

The cardboard itself is also a fair insulator, but you’ll still want to insulate the interior of whatever box you choose as detailed above.

I recommend you attach the foil using a spray-on or roll-on glue that’s good for the purpose, and take care to keep it as flat and uniform as possible.

Tears will ruin the protective value, and as you might imagine, you’ll have to treat this container with kid gloves because aluminum foil is so easy to tear.

That’s a downside, but if you need Faraday cage protection quickly and very cheaply, you can do a lot worse than this.

The rubber lid gasket that must be removed before this can become an effective faraday cage

Metal Ammo Can

Something that I just know a lot of preppers reading this already have on hand in abundance, the metal, military ammo cans that we all know and love can be a perfect small and portable Faraday cage.

You’re probably starting to get the picture by now. It’s just a metal container of a different kind and shape. Accordingly, subjected to the same scrutiny that we’ve already used on the other container types.

Make sure the lid fits very tightly, and that there are no punctures or holes, and insulate that interior so your electronics aren’t touching bare metal.

Something to keep in mind is that many of these ammo cans, particularly US and NATO ones, have a heavy gasket between the lid and the rest of the can.

You might want to put a layer of aluminum foil around the joint where the lid meets the can just in case it’s possible for some of the energy from the pulse to sneak in that way.

Metal Storage Cabinet / Locker

A large metal storage cabinet or locker is a workable Faraday cage, but one that will need some attention from you before it’s ready to use…

Most of these units have holes or gaps. Holes might be left over from the manufacturing process or slots used to adjust shelves on the inside. Doors typically have a fairly substantial gap at the top and bottom.

Deal with holes by welding over them or tightly covering them with aluminum foil or other sheet metal products. The door gap can be shored up like everything else on this list by using a layer of aluminum foil to increase positive contact.

Then all you have to do is put down a layer of foam, cardboard, or something else on the shelves inside to set your gear on. Once you have it set up right, this is a highly convenient option that you can leave in place.

Galvanized Metal Piping

If you don’t mind the extra weight and it being unable to effectively stack, galvanized metal piping of various sizes can be used to good effect.

It has a major advantage in that threaded caps tend to fit very snugly with precious little room for EMP energy to find its way inside, and the pipes themselves tend to be quite durable. You can improve protection even better by using thin foil or metal thread tape on the threads before screwing on the cap.

One drawback to galvanized piping is the fact that the volume inside is pretty low, and gets even lower when you insulate the items that you’re storing. Large diameter pipes that can hold more stuff get quite heavy and pricey quickly.

Metal Mesh

Fine metal mesh, of the type used to cover windows and screen doors, or sometimes used as a sieve for water tanks, can be repurposed to make small or large-scale Faraday cages.

You can line a box with it as you would with aluminum foil, or make a frame with wood and then make a screened enclosure. This is a great way to protect larger items like vehicles, generators, and more. Just make sure you have protection on the bottom, too!

This mesh material tends to be pretty tough, but it is easily damaged and gets worse quickly once it has taken damage.

Of more concern is the fact that this stuff has not been tested against real deal and very powerful EMPs. Some experts suggest that EMP energy could squirt through the tiny gaps in the mesh, but others claim that it is small enough to prevent this.

Time will tell, so if you are in doubt, use a double layer for extra insurance.

RFID Blocker Bags

When you visit an external link on this page and then make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Read my full advertising disclosure here.

If you have any of that specialty travel luggage that is designed to protect your phone, credit cards, and more from skimmers and other electronic subterfuge, rest easy because these things work wonderfully as Faraday cages. And that’s because they are!

Anything that will completely block cell and radio signals from getting out or in should stop the energy from an EMP cold.

These bags and other containers are great because you know they are purpose-designed to do exactly this.

And, assuming your gear is inside, and the luggage is closed, then you should be good to go. No fuss, no muss. Best of all, these are highly portable by design and very durable for what they are.

The downside is that they’re expensive, and you’re not going to be protecting larger gear with this travel-on-style luggage. Still, if you’re only worried about some small stuff and the cost is no object, I wouldn’t hesitate to get a few just for this purpose.

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My 10-Step Guide to Preparing for an EMP

When it comes to mega disasters, if there is one guaranteed to make any prepper wince these days, it is the looming threat of an EMP, or electromagnetic pulse.

solar flares

A really powerful EMP, be it caused by natural phenomena or man-made weapons, brings with it the possibility of plunging society back to the Stone Age by knocking out and destroying electrical grids and anything that relies on electronics to function.

The worst part is, we just don’t know how bad it’ll be, but experts you can trust say it will be anywhere from utterly devastating to apocalyptic. With so much of what we rely on these days, in day-to-day life and for survival, being electronic in some capacity, you’ve got to know how to prep for this threat.

It’s enough to make anyone anxious, but you don’t have to be afraid. I’ve got a 10-step EMP preparation guide for you below.

Step 1. Stock Up on the Basics

Before we delve into EMP-specific preparations, you need to get prepared on a fundamental level. I’m talking about the essentials: food, water, first aid kit, fuel, clothing, shelter materials, self-defense items, etc.

When it comes right down to it, no matter what sort of disaster you are facing you’ll still have to face the same fundamental threats to your survival. EMPs are no different in that they can expose you to the elements, compromise your food chain, cut you off from reliably safe water, and pose a physical threat from secondary effects.

You must ensure your access to food, water to drink, and shelter supplies so can warm enough that you don’t freeze. That’s why EMP preparation entails stockpiling all of that stuff for yourself and your family so you know you have it in the aftermath. And don’t worry: we’ve covered this topic from front to back here on Survival Sullivan.

If you aren’t ready with these survival basics, you aren’t ready for an EMP at all. Get ready, and only then start making the following EMP-specific preparations.

A selection of small electronics to protect from an EMP (clockwise) Laptop loaded with reference materials, blood pressure monitor, red-dot optic, ham radios, thermometer, pulse-oxygen meter, Kardia mobile EKG monitor, cell phones loaded with offline apps and reference materials, glucometer.

Step 2. Assess Vulnerabilities

The next thing you need to do to get ready for an EMP is to assess your specific weaknesses to the event. Meaning, if all electrical service and all electronics were suddenly, instantly, knocked out in the blink of an eye, how would that affect you in your day-to-day life?

• Are you a commuter?
• If your car suddenly lost power along with all the other cars around it, how would you handle that?
• How would you get home?
• How much food do you have stored for the long haul that isn’t refrigerated or frozen?
• How far away are your family, friends, and other loved ones?
• If you couldn’t call them on the phone, how would you get in touch with them?
• Do you have a family member who needs some kind of machine for life support or remediation of an illness or ailment?
• Likewise, does anybody depend on refrigerated medicine like insulin?

These are the questions that you must answer, and the context is unique to each individual and family. By understanding these vulnerabilities, you can start prepping against them and ensuring continuity of service or communication after the pulse.

a Briggs & Stratton generator

Step 3. Get a Generator

If you don’t have a generator by now, you really should – especially if you want to be ready for an EMP. They can be absolutely invaluable because you’ll be able to provide your own electricity in a self-contained way.

An in-depth discussion of generators is an entirely separate endeavor, but you’ve got two basic schools of thought. You can try to power just the basics like the refrigerator, freezer, and a few lights, or you can run the whole house so you can stay more comfortable.

Whichever route you want to go, you must protect the generator itself from the EMP, because many modern ones are vulnerable to its effects. I’ll tell you how to do that a little later on, just keep it in mind for now. Something else to consider: it’s possible older generators might be a bit more resistant to EMPs, but this theory has not been properly tested in lab settings. Something to think about!

a Baofeng handheld ham radio

Step 4. Invest in Radios

You might think me a hypocrite or a fool telling you to invest in radios, something inherently electronic, when you’re getting ready for an EMP, but bear with me and I think you’ll see my reasoning…

Radio is definitely old-fashioned compared to our modern cell phones, but unlike phones and phone lines, radios are totally self-contained, meaning they aren’t reliant necessarily on any network infrastructure in order to function.

Your radio can transmit and receive all by itself. A radio will be worth its weight in gold in the aftermath, and it can help you get in touch with first responders, family, friends, or just other survivors.

If you have the cash, stocking up on radios now for a particularly rainy post-EMP day could make for excellent trading. Just make sure you keep them protected until that day comes!

The trick with radio is that you’ve got to know what you’re doing. That takes practice and if you want to use more capable ham radios, getting a license.

And, just like with your generator, you’ll need to protect your radio from the effects of an EMP so it is intact and ready to call when you need it.

Step 5. Consider an Older Vehicle

Depending on who you ask, it is either sad or wondrous how inextricably linked modern automobiles are with electronics and computers. Sure, it might make them faster, more efficient, more comfortable, and more capable overall, but a sad side effect is that these vehicles are hideously vulnerable to EMPs.

Many of these cars can’t be driven at all if they lose even a single essential computer, and an EMP would literally fry the brain and nervous system of these cars and trucks.

It’s worth considering getting an older vehicle, say pre-1982 at the latest, that is less dependent on electronic fuel injection and any sort of computer. Even if you have it put away for this rainy day, it will keep you on the road when everyone with a newer ride is stranded.

The materials to make several faraday cages: garbage can, tinfoil, foil tape, ammo can, mylar bag

Step 6. Protect Critical Gear with Faraday Cages

One of the most important and fundamental EMP-specific preps you should invest in are Faraday cages. I’ll spare you the science lesson, but basically, a Faraday cage is a metallic enclosure that will surround and protect vulnerable electronics and infrastructure – say, for instance, your cell phone or your radio.

Larger ones can even protect vehicles, and specialized bags can even hold a generator that is kept for just such an occasion.

It’s possible to buy specially made Faraday cages for the purpose, or you can DIY your own with a little ingenuity assuming you have an understanding of the principles behind how EMPs cause damage.

Step 7. Have an Alternate Means of Heating Your Home

If your home depends on electricity for heat, you should understand explicitly by now that you’re not going to have heat after an EMP, unless you’ve got a pretty large genny. But don’t count yourself lucky if you have gas, assuming you don’t have an on-property propane tank.

The civic systems that deliver natural gas, and many natural gas furnaces and other appliances, still depend on a certain amount of electronic controls to operate. Controls which will be knocked out by an EMP, making gas infrastructure and appliances unsafe or totally unusable.

Some other types of heating systems, such as a simple propane heater, wood-burning stove, fireplace on could literally save your life, especially if you live in a colder climate. You’ll want to stock up on the appropriate fuel too.

Step 8. Get Analog Gadgets and Tools

One of the very best and, somewhat humorously, most commonly overlooked defenses against the ravaging effects of an EMP is simply going analog.

Basically, any gadget, function, tool, or anything else that can rely on muscle power or something else in order to operate is worth considering, especially if it’s something you need or use all the time.

In the case of power tools, you could instead go with manually operated equivalents. You might replace a car with a bicycle, or even a horse. Trucks can be replaced with draft animals pulling wagons, etc.

Get creative, and you might be surprised to learn how little electricity you actually need with the right approach.

Step 9. Establish a Family Contingency Plan

Crucially important for our purposes is establishing an intricate family contingency plan and then rehearsing it. Truly, I cannot impress upon you enough how total the chaos will be in the aftermath of this awful crisis.

People won’t be able to call each other, they won’t be able to drive anywhere, and even if they could, the roads will be clogged with stalled vehicles, planes may fall out of the sky, electronic currency won’t work- it’s going to be mayhem.

And, because most well-adjusted folks don’t just wait in their homes for the sky to fall, chances are you, your spouse, your kids, your other family members, etc., will all be out and about in different places doing different things at different times.

So now, this is where we start working through those variables…

If an EMP happens, what will you do to get home or get to your family? Should they stay where they are, should they immediately head home, or should they listen to authorities?

Have you some pre-established plan or signal for re-establishing communication with each other? Is there anyone you might send to collect them in your stead? If the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing in this instance, the chaos will only be magnified.

Make a plan, go over it, then rehearse it. Then start adding layers, additional contingencies, and complications, so that everyone is prepared for a true worst-case scenario.

This is arguably going to be one of the most difficult and intensive parts of EMP prep, but I can guarantee you it will be a real comfort if it ever happens, and this type of plan can also serve you well for lots of other disasters.

Step 10. Skill Up

Last but certainly not least, if you are serious about being ready for an EMP, the big one, you’ve got to skill up. But skill up on what? Everything.

Society is going to go completely to pieces, and even if the event only affects a regional level (which is arguably a “best case” scenario compared to the nation or much of the globe) there will be so many victims pile up, and so fast, that no cavalry will be coming.

Even then, first responders’ own capabilities are going to be gravely diminished, almost to zero, under the circumstances.

Because of this, you must become your own sanitation engineer, your own paramedic, your own firefighter, your own security guard, your own logistics specialist, and your own electrical company.

It’s the only way to guarantee that you and yours will have the know-how, and with a little elbow grease, have a chance of surviving what will be a historic event.

Luckily, if you’ve been prepping for any length of time already, there are definitely some of these skills you already bring to the table, but now is not the time to sit on your haunches!

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Can Devices That Are Unplugged or Off Survive EMPs?

Preparing for an EMP is, arguably, one of the most pressing and difficult tasks that a prepper has to undertake. Among the so-called mega disasters, an EMP is frighteningly one of the most likely to occur, and one that can instantly upend society by disabling, damaging, or utterly destroying our power grid and electronics, or anything that relies on electronic components.

A collection of faraday cages protecting your most vital electronics

Some people assert that merely unplugging electronics, or turning them off, is enough to save them though. Is it true? Will unplugged or off devices survive an EMP?

Maybe. Unplugging any electrical device from the power grid will go a long way to saving it from a devastating power surge, but EMPs can directly impart damaging or destructive currents to any conductive material whether it is unplugged or turned off.

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward and simple answer as to whether or not unplugging any device is going to be enough to save it from a big EMP.

It certainly won’t hurt, and indeed will likely improve the chances that your gear will survive, but it is no guarantee for reasons we will learn. Keep reading and I’ll tell you about risk factors and countermeasures for EMP preparation...

EMPs by Nature Induce Currents into Any Conductive Material

I know it’s disappointing to hear that merely unplugging or powering down your electronics isn’t enough to save them from an EMP, not for sure, but there is an important lesson in this.

Understand that EMPs can potentiall damage any unprotected or unshielded technology. Any kind of material that is conductive, be it copper or something else, can serve as an “antenna” for an EMP’s effects. Basically, EMPs are invisible waves of electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic energy. It’s all in the name, after all!

That means that your unplugged computer could suddenly be bombarded with dangerous surges of electricity that could fry it, and the same goes for any other vulnerable device.

Now, things will certainly be a lot worse if it is plugged in at the time, that I can promise you, but unplugging it is only half the battle.

Anything Plugged into the Grid is in Serious Danger During an EMP

One thing we need to make totally clear: turning off a device is not enough to keep it safe if it is still connected to a power grid, wherever that power comes from. All connected devices and appliances are in serious danger of being totally fried during a powerful EMP event.

That’s because EMPs will energize an entire electrical grid in the area of effect, leading to a cascading, dangerous level of voltage that’s more than capable of causing severe damage or total destruction to anything currently connected to the grid in any way.

For sensitive components like batteries, chargers, computers, home electronics, radios, and the like, this is usually game over.

In fact, substantial EMPs, like the infamous Carrington Event, can cause such significant overloading that it can result in a shower of sparks and fires! It doesn’t take much imagination to see how home appliances and other electronics might literally go up in flames during such an instance.

The bottom line is that anything plugged in at the time the EMP occurs is almost certainly going to be toast unless it is protected by special, heavy-duty surge protector equipment or is built in such a way that it can handle substantial overload.

Even then, we just can’t be sure because we haven’t lived through a massive EMP in well over a hundred years!

Take Radios, Phones, and Tools Off of Chargers for Safety

All this is probably pretty worrying, right? For us preppers, we depend on all sorts of electronics to stay ready for tough times, and now, the tough times might, in fact, wipe out our electronics especially!

Don’t panic, because like everything else, there’s always something you can do to improve your chances.

For things like cell phones, walkie-talkies, radios, power tools, flashlights, headlamps, and anything else you are depending on that might be plugged into the wall, simply keep it off of the charger or unplugged as much as you can.

Simply, whatever it is, it will have a much higher chance of surviving an EMP with moderate or even no damage if it isn’t subjected to that devastating initial surge of power.

Anything with a Microchip or Transistor is Still Vulnerable When Unplugged

You must be particularly cautious to protect or harden any devices that depend on a circuit board, microchip, or transistors to function.

Basically, the thinner and finer, and more densely packed, the integrated circuits and conductive pathways are in these devices, the more prone they are to EMP-induced damage.

Obviously, our thoughts go to our PCs, laptops, gaming systems, TVs, and things like that, but increasingly more and more modern technology is completely dependent on such components for even basic function.

Things like modern, high-output flashlights might have tiny circuit boards to control power and maximize battery life.

Older electronics are less prone to this type of damage when unplugged, but only to a degree. I’ll tell you more about protecting these especially sensitive devices in the next sections.

Distance, Obstructions, and Intensity Make a Difference

Something else to keep in mind is that there’s no flat standard for intensity when it comes to major EMP events.

We really don’t have any publicly available data when it comes to the intensity of these things, as all the testing that has been conducted by the government and private interests is being kept secret for the moment. Obviously, count on it being nothing good…

But anyway, your electronics might survive just fine if the EMP happens very far away and there are many obstacles between you and the origin that can disrupt or attenuate the pulse. They do dissipate over time and distance!

Likewise, if you are underground, shielded by mountains, dense forest, or even tall buildings, that might do a lot to stop your electronics from getting fried, but obviously the issue of conduction through the electrical grid will still be a persistent problem even some distance away from the point of origin.

In short, there is a chance you might escape unscathed if conditions are favorable to you when the event takes place.

How Can You Protect Vulnerable Electronics?

Protecting anything, no matter what it is, from an EMP is a matter of just two things: shielding and Faraday cages.

EMP shielding is nothing more than an extra layer of conductive material placed around the vital components of electronics.

Typically, this is done by the manufacturer but, if you are crafty, it is possible to harden your own electronics through various means – though this isn’t going to be practical for most of us.

A better option is to use a Faraday cage. For anything that’s not connected to the power grid, enclosing it in a container of conductive material on all sides, usually in the form of fine metal mesh or foil, will block the destructive energy of the EMP from reaching the vulnerable components.

Depending on the size of the item in question, a Faraday cage can take the form of a box, bag, or can or a larger enclosure for equipment like generators and even vehicles.

The good news is that these cages are fundamentally quite simple, and you can make your own with just a little bit of DIY skill, though purpose-designed units are available if you don’t have the time and are willing to pay.

Stashing your prepper equipment inside an appropriate Faraday cage is the very best way to ensure it will be functional when you need it in the aftermath of a powerful EMP.

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Protein Powder as a Survival Food: Is it Any Good?

Preppers who are getting ready for long-term survival scenarios and living in the aftermath of disasters are always looking for a better survival food option. Something that is more nutritionally complete, longer lasting, easier to prepare, easier to carry, etc.

Stockpiled items: canned chicken breast, emergency blanket, toe warmers, pinto beans, yellow popcorn, compass, poncho, dried milk, peanut butter, canned brown bread, honey, chicken bouillon

Some folks have suggested using protein powder as a survival food, and I must admit this is not something that I myself had thought of before. But what’s the scoop? Is protein powder a good survival food or not?

Yes, protein powder is a pretty good survival food. It’s an easy and convenient way to carry plenty of easily digested protein and calories with you, and is versatile enough to be prepared and drunk as is or mixed in with other foods. It isn’t, though, nutritionally complete.

I must say, whoever first thought of this really had their thinking cap on. Protein powder is a remarkably good survival food, though not a truly complete one.

Nonetheless, it can definitely make your life easier when packing a bug-out bag or stocking a survival pantry. Keep reading and I’ll tell you why below…

Nutritional Info

This is the info that matters. How nutritious is protein powder, generally? All around, it is pretty doggone good, though of course, there’s a huge amount of variation among all the products on the market, and there are many!

But, as a base guideline, you can depend on a 30 g serving of naturally sweetened whey protein powder, which is about one scoop, to provide 120 kcal, anywhere from 20 to 24g of protein, and 3 to 8 g of carbohydrates along with a little bit of fat.

Most powders also have a bit of sodium and lots of vitamins and minerals, especially B vitamins, though some are significantly better fortified than others. In any case, you can count on getting lots of calcium, a decent amount of iron, plenty of potassium, and more.

One thing I’d like you to keep in mind is that many such products are made for folks who are working out and trying to stay fit, and accordingly, they try to keep calories at a minimum. This is usually accomplished through the use of artificial sweeteners.

Think twice before getting one of those products because in a survival situation every calorie counts, and so you’re usually better off going with something sweetened with sugar, honey, maple syrup, or something like that.

Protein Powder Lasts a Long Time in Storage

Aside from good nutrition, the other great thing that protein powder has going for it as a survival food is a very long shelf life. And it’s quite easy to store.

Again, another baseline for the shelf life of protein powder is about 5 years, conservatively, kept at room temp of about 70° F. Do that and you won’t have any issues. A little cooler or warmer isn’t a big deal, but high temps will degrade your powder!

Now, if you care to check the sell-by date on the jug you’ll see that most of them have a date that is about a year, maybe two, from the date of purchase.

Don’t let that misguide you: these dates are arbitrarily set by the manufacturer according to government guidelines and do not accurately reflect the actual shelf life of a product.

Think of them as a best-by or freshness date. Kept in a cool, dark location in a sealed container, protein powder will last a lot longer than that and be completely safe.

Keep Moisture Away and You’re Good to Go

The single most important thing you must do if you want your protein powder to go the distance in a survival situation is to keep it safe from moisture. I hope that would be obvious! We mix it with water or some other liquid to prepare it for consumption, after all.

If protein powder, of any kind, even gets damp, it will soon mold – that’s just going to ruin it.

Consider taking it out of the container, assuming it doesn’t have the factory seal still intact, and pack it in some sort of other heavy-duty packaging.

I like using vacuum-sealed Mylar bags, but you can also make a great case for keeping them in Ziploc freezer bags or smaller versions in pre-measured portions and then placing those inside a Nalgene bottle, storm bag or small Pelican case. That way, even if your pack gets doused, your protein powder will be fine.

Protein Powder is a Lot Easier to Carry on a Per-Calorie Basis

Now, some seasoned preppers might be balking already at the idea of protein powder as a survival food. After all, we have other mainstays like beef jerky, canned tuna, canned chicken, and so forth.

This is undeniably true, however, I assert that protein powder is far easier to carry in terms of weight per calorie and per gram of protein and also in terms of form factor than any of these canned goods, and it even beats out the foil-pouched versions of the same.

Compared to heavy, bulky, and inefficient canned goods, it wins by a mile and it’s still a logistical advantage compared to the other more modern kinds of packaging.

At home in the pantry, it might not make much difference. But in your BOB on your back while you’re hoofing it for your life across unforgiving terrain- I promise that’s an advantage you don’t want to give up.

Use Protein Powder to Fortify Other Food and Beverages

One of my favorite things about this stuff as a survival food is that it is so doggone versatile. If I’m in a hurry and just need to gas up quickly, I can pour a little powder into a cup or bottle, mix it with water, and then chug it down. Done.

But I can also mix it in with other foods like soups and stews, eggs, and more. This is a great way to add bulk, protein, and calories for basically no additional effort.

And before you ask, no, it doesn’t mean you’ll be getting a strawberries and cream omelet; you can get unflavored protein powder which is perfect for the job.

It Also Has Special Utility for the Sick and Injured

One factor that I think, regrettably, many preppers overlook in this discussion is the suitability of liquid nourishment for people who are sick and badly injured.

For those of us who have been there, it’s surprising how difficult, or even impossible, it can be to keep solid food down. When your body is in a crisis and shunting resources away from your stomach, you simply might not be able to process the nutrition that you desperately need.

Protein powder drinks or shakes, though not perfect, are usually a much better bet under the circumstances. This is something you should not discount if you want to be truly ready for all contingencies.

Protein Powder is Great for Making “Comfort” Dessert Beverages

Sort of in the same vein, your sweeter and more flavorful protein powders, stuff like classic fruit, dessert, and milkshake flavors, even more exotic stuff like key lime pie or cereal flavors, can be a great comfort food for adults and kids alike.

I don’t know when the last time you might have tried this stuff is, but most of the modern brands we have today are shockingly good!

Most preppers, myself included, tend to approach packing calories and liquids with a ruthless eye for efficiency, sparing not even a thought for human factors like “want,” “comfort,” “flavor,” and so forth.

Using protein powder, it’s possible to bring along something that will keep you going but also help you feel good under what might be the worst circumstances of your entire life.

Don’t underestimate the value of keeping yourself or someone else mentally in the game by fostering feel-good emotions when you can.

You’ll Need Water, Duh

Another update from Captain Obvious, I know, but don’t forget that at its most basic you’ll need extra water to prepare your protein powder, assuming you aren’t mixing it into food.

No kidding, right, right. But this means that you’ll either have to carry more water with you or be prepared to source water from somewhere in the environment.

I know every prepper’s already familiar with this notion and prepared to do so, but it also bears repeating here because you can’t count on mixing your protein powder with milk, juice, or something else that might make it taste better.

If you’re used to having a delicious protein powder shake after your workout made with whole-fat milk, the same stuff mixed with water might be a rude awakening.

Make sure you try and get comfortable with your chosen protein powder or powders made with water only ahead of time so you know what to expect.

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So, Can You Eat Caterpillars to Survive?

One of the most pressing survival considerations, no matter the setting or the situation, is food. Yeah, everyone knows that you can go for weeks without food before you starve, but you must consider that you’ll be mentally and physically debilitated from a lack of energy long before then!

a caterpillar

Accordingly, smart preppers plan on sourcing wild-caught edibles to keep up their nutritional requirements. Insects are some of the very best survival foods around, and tend to be highly nutritious, but not all insects are good eating or safe. How about caterpillars, for instance? Can you eat caterpillars to survive?

Yes, most caterpillars are safe to eat in a survival situation. They tend to be packed with good protein and fats along with plenty of minerals and decent calories. However, some caterpillars are dangerous, either being highly venomous, toxic, or possessing defensive spines and stingers.

I know a fat, juicy caterpillar is the last thing on Earth you probably want to eat given a choice, but that’s kind of the point after all: you probably won’t have a choice given the circumstances. And under these circumstances, you can do a whole lot worse than caterpillars…

They’ll definitely keep you alive and they can even fill you up. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything else you need to know about eating these little creepy crawlies.

Is There a Precedent for Eating Caterpillars?

Yes, there sure is! Caterpillars as a survival food are nothing new, at all, and anyone who’s been through in-depth, hardcore survival training in the military or any other organization where getting lost all alone out in the wilderness is a legitimate on-the-job hazard will tell you as much.

So, let that comfort you: you won’t be the first person who’s been forced to eat caterpillars in extremis.

But, something else you should know is it caterpillars happen to be something of a dietary staple in various countries and cultures around the world, from Africa to South America, Asia to Australia, and elsewhere.

In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that about 75% of cultures and nations on the planet eat caterpillars as an ingredient, snack, or mainstay food.

And there’s a good reason for this: Caterpillars are highly nutritious and very easy to prepare in a variety of ways. They are also easy to catch once you know a few tricks which we will learn later.

Where Can You Find Them?

Because most countries around the world do eat caterpillars in one form or another, you can depend on finding them nearly anywhere.

Note that you won’t find them in the coldest regions on Earth, but pretty much everywhere else they are present, at least seasonally. In the US, you’ll find them in every single state in various environments (if you know where to look).

You’ll find them in grasslands, forests, savannahs marshes, mountains, and everywhere else. Everywhere you’ll find moths or butterflies, you can find caterpillars. The trick is learning what types of plants make for typical caterpillar food, because that’s where they hang out.

As a rule of thumb, most caterpillar species prefer to eat new, tender plants and other vegetative growth instead of mature, tougher ones.

What plants they eat exactly depends on the species, so it is worth learning which ones are in your area or in the area where you will be working or traveling so you know what to look for.

Often their distinctive bite marks are easier to spot than they are! Find the food, and you’ll find the caterpillars.

Something else to keep in mind is that where you find one caterpillar you’ll likely find more.

Some are actually communal, or semi-gregarious, and intend to stay together in a sort of herd. Others will just naturally flock to choice food as a matter of course, meaning you can probably make a great meal of caterpillars alone.

Warning: Not All Caterpillars are Safe to Eat

Now, there is an obvious downside to caterpillars as with many other insects. Some, though not most, are venomous and possess stingers or spines capable of delivering that venom. Others are toxic or else covered in defensive spines, barbs, bristly hairs, and other defensive adaptations.

A few caterpillar species, like the Southern Flannel Moth caterpillar and Saddleback caterpillar, are actually capable of delivering stings or packing toxic poison that can absolutely debilitate you, make you gravely sick, or even kill you outright.

The rule of thumb is that you want to avoid any of them that are covered with a plush coat of hair, obvious prickly spines or guard hairs, or bright, vivid colors and patterns which are a universal warning sign to all predators that are either dangerous or terrible to eat.

How Can You Tell Which Are Okay to Eat?

A thorough, in-depth review of safe caterpillar species is beyond the confines of this article, but there is a trusty rule of thumb that will rarely steer you wrong.

If your working knowledge of a caterpillar taxonomy is a little lacking, you should always look for ones that have smooth skin without any hair, spine, or barbs and are colored light green, dark green, tan, or brown. As long as they meet these criteria they probably won’t hurt you.

To be clear, there are some dangerous types that will still fall under this description also, and likewise, there are some safe varieties that are brightly colored or have loud patterns. But those are exceptions!

Obviously, if you want to make caterpillars a part of your survival food plan, it pays to brush up your knowledge on different species.

And as always, you are very wise to employ the field edibility safety test prior to tucking in. A little patience and some cautious inspection might save your life.

Always Cook Caterpillars for Safety

Now, let’s assume that you’ve caught caterpillars and they are absolutely, 100% safe to eat. Should you just chow down on them raw? You can, if you have no other choice, but it’s in your best interest to cook them in any way that you can.

That’s because caterpillars are frequent hosts of germs and parasites that could still hurt you or make you terribly sick. Even if it’s a fresh and relatively healthy caterpillar, there’s no telling what it’s been crawling over, so at the very least you want to give them a rinse in clean water.

If you have any way to cook them, they can be gently boiled, pan-fried, roasted, or prepared in any number of other ways. You can even dry them out, grind them into power, and then add them to a soup or stew if you want to.

However you do it, just make sure they are cooked thoroughly. That will kill the germs and parasites alike and keep you safe. Plus, take it from me; they taste a hell of a lot better when cooked!

Learn How to Harvest Caterpillars in a Survival Situation

Getting your hands on enough caterpillars to make a proper meal might be easier than you think.

Of course, you can go around picking them off of leaves and branches wherever you spot them but this can be quite a task: many caterpillars employ highly effective camouflage!

If you are hunting for them in anything but ideal lighting conditions (hardly guaranteed in a survival situation) you’ll probably waste more time than you need to.

A better bet for catching them en masse it’s the place a drop cloth or net made out of mosquito mesh beneath a plant that you know they will frequent for food, and then vigorously shake or tap the branches or the whole plant in an up-and-down motion to flick the caterpillars down onto your catcher.

Although they are great climbers and can go almost anywhere, most caterpillars don’t have a great grip like beetles and will easily be knocked free. Once you suspect that you’ve cleaned out a bush, move on to the next one and soon you’ll be rolling in caterpillars ready for the frying pan.

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Does Bleach Keep Raccoons Away?

Some of the most persistent pests that you’ll have to deal with in the suburbs or out in the country are raccoons. Yeah, I get it: They are definitely cute and charming, but you won’t think they are quite so appealing when you have to pick up shredded bags of trash off your driveway at 3:00AM in the morning. Raccoons are smart, and they adapt quickly, and so scaring them off isn’t a sure thing.

two raccoons on wooden fence

You need something that’s actually going to drive them away. Some folks say that bleach is actually a good raccoon repellent. Is that true? Does bleach keep raccoons away?

Yes, bleach can keep raccoons away but it is generally a short-lived solution. The odor of bleach degrades quickly and some raccoons can become resistant to it.

To be perfectly clear, bleach is a strong chemical that can be hazardous to people and wildlife alike, so we’ve got to be smart here.

That being said, if you need a quick and sure solution to prowling raccoons, bleach can do the trick or at least buy you some time to implement a more permanent fix. Keep reading, and you’ll learn a lot more about using bleach to repel raccoons.

How Does Bleach Work Against Raccoons?

Bleach works to repel raccoons by exploiting these animals’ incredibly sensitive noses against them. Raccoons have a genuinely amazing sense of smell, but the trade-off is that they themselves are easily disturbed by harsh chemicals and fumes. Bleach happens to be just such a chemical, and a caustic one to boot.

When raccoons get a whiff of this stuff it is overwhelming to them, maybe even a little bit painful, and if they are already used to coming and going without any problems such a sudden change, and apparent threat, in their environment is likely to make them retreat.

It might only be for a short time, but they might decide to take their chances elsewhere in a place that doesn’t have such an awful nuisance around.

Is it OK to Use Bleach as a Raccoon Repellent?

It’s reasonably safe to use bleach as a raccoon repellent, though this is definitely not a use you’ll find on the factory packaging. Bleach is highly caustic and highly reactive, and that presents some real dangers that you need to be aware of.

For starters, when you are using it yourself, it will ruin any clothing that it gets on, obviously, but more importantly, it can hurt your eyes and skin on contact. You must be cautious to avoid spills and inhaling those fumes yourself.

Another, bigger problem is that bleach will combine and react furiously with many other chemicals, and some of them can produce extremely dangerous toxic gases or liquids.

Ammonia is probably the most well-known and dangerous, producing a variant of mustard gas. And that ammonia can come from a source that you might not expect, like urine! Ask anyone who has ever used bleach unknowingly to try and clean up a pet accident and they will tell you.

This means you must be very careful when deploying bleach around your home especially in or around trash cans as raccoon repellent.

The good news is that the chemical compound that makes bleach what it is breaks down in time with exposure to air and becomes harmless salt water. Just know that it will remain a risk factor the entire time until then.

Is Bleach Harmful to Them?

It can be, yes. Chances are you can count on raccoons running the other way when they encounter bleach, especially a close range, but if the animal were to get some on their eyes, directly on their nose, or in their mouth it is going to injure it, maybe even kill it.

As mentioned above, bleach will readily burn eyes, sensitive skin, mucous membranes, and the tissue of the lungs. Any raccoon that blunders into a container of bleach or, whatever reason, it’s trapped in an enclosed space with it is in for a bad time and might die horribly.

This can be more likely than you think if you try to rely on bleach as a long-term repellent, because raccoons are prone to overcoming their initial aversion and soldiering on in spite of it in quest of food or shelter.

Think this through before you use bleach as raccoon repellent!

How Do You Use It to Repel Raccoons?

You can use bleach in containers or repellent “stations” around your home or other areas that you want to protect from raccoons, or as a spray that you can use to form a kind of perimeter.

If you want to use bleach in stations to form a sort of network of protection or to repel raccoons from specific areas, simply fill up small containers with it, put a lid on them, and then poke large holes in the lid to let the aroma out. This will hopefully help protect it from spilling and contamination.

Your other alternative is to mix bleach with water, using equal parts of each, and then load it up in a sprayer or spray bottle to leave a perimeter around your home or property to hopefully repel the raccoons.

Obviously, take great care of that anything you are spraying the bleach on either it won’t be harmed by it, damaged by it, or that you just don’t care what harm comes to it before going this route.

Remember that bleach breaks down in time with exposure to air, and once you can no longer smell that bleachy smell it isn’t doing anything to repel raccoons.

Check your containers or reapply your spray as needed to maintain protection, and remember what I said about raccoons getting used to it in time.

What Should You Do if Bleach Does Not Work?

You should expect your temporary bleach deterrent to start failing if raccoons remain in the area. When that happens, you need a good plan B. Ideally, if it’s legal or if you can pay for a trapper, you can trap and relocate the raccoon somewhere far away from your property.

Otherwise, you should look into more persistent and effective deterrents that can irritate and repel raccoons with greater effectiveness and also a higher degree of safety. Natural ones like spicy pepper powder or cinnamon can work, as can commercial deterrents.

Lastly, consider that raccoons are classified as pest animals in many areas, and you might be able to dispatch them using lethal traps or other means legally.

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Raccoons on the Roof? How to Scare Them

Raccoons are definitely some of the coolest and most interesting animals out there, but only if they aren’t causing problems on your property.

two raccoons on wooden fence

They are relentless break-in artists when it comes to garbage cans, pet food, chicken coops, and more and if you get a large troop of them hanging around you’re bound to have issues. Those issues will turn into a legitimate nightmare if they get inside your attic or elsewhere in your home.

And when it comes to home invasion, raccoons typically find their way in off of the roof, sneaking in through soffits, attic vents, chimneys, and more. Accordingly, if you have one on your roof you need to get it down from there and scare it away, and hopefully not break your neck in the process.

To help you do that I’m bringing you a list of tips that will help you scare raccoons off of your roof easily, in addition to using baits and traps which I’ve already covered. Keep reading and we will get right to it…

Motion Lighting

It’s not unheard of to see a raccoon in the daytime, but they’re predominantly nocturnal. Being prey animals, being illuminated and exposed raises their levels of anxiety, and might cause them to retreat to cover wherever they are.

You can use this quirk of psychology against them by employing motion lighting around your home and, if necessary, up on your roof that will activate when raccoons come near. Lacking that, spotlight them with a powerful flashlight if you are out on “patrol.”

Loud, Sharp Sounds

Even though raccoons are often urbanized, a term meaning that they have learned to live near and alongside human habitation and activity, they’re still startled and unnerved by loud noises. Raise enough ruckus, and a raccoon might decide that discretion is the better part of valor and hit the trail.

To do this, you can yell, bang sticks or boards together, rattle a trash can lid, or use a pail full of gravel. Anything that will create a sharp, loud sound might be enough to spook them away.

Just pay attention, because if they duck inside your house, you’ll have to try a new tactic to get them out!

Garden Twirlers

Garden twirlers are those wind-powered decorations that take the form of pinwheels, spirals, or concentric rings of reflective discs.

Whatever they are and whatever they look like, if you get some that are a bright, shiny reflective metal you might be able to rely on them to keep raccoons and other mammals away.

There’s something about the glint and movement of these things that just unsettles most animals.

Being so unsure of what they are, most raccoons will choose to take their chances elsewhere. Hang these up strategically around your home and especially near the known approaches that raccoons use to scamper up to your roof. Hopefully it will deter them!

Mothballs

One of the oldest and best-known methods for deterring raccoons, mice, rats and other varmints is the use of mothballs. Chances are this is what your great-granddad did to keep pesky critters at bay, and if it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for us…

Mothballs have that strong, nose-stinging odor because of a compound called naphthalene. It’s deadly to moths, but merely a strong deterrent to animals with sensitive noses. Animals like raccoons!

All you need to do is place mothballs at strategic points around the foundation of your property, especially near spots where raccoons like to climb up to the roof.

Placing a few up at the roof line by tucking them under shingles is also a good idea, as is putting them inside the attic near vents and other potential entrances. They don’t last forever, and you’ll have to replace them occasionally (and sooner after it rains), but this is one of the cheapest and best options.

Epsom Salt

This is another one of my favorite and time-tested raccoon repellents, and one that I didn’t know about until just recently.

To us humans, Epsom salt doesn’t really have any odor at all, but for whatever reason the chemical composition of the stuff is intolerable to many mammals. I can guarantee you that raccoons positively hate it!

Even better, the smell seems to drift for quite a long distance, so putting rings of Epsom salt around your home and elsewhere on your property might keep raccoons off of your land entirely.

The best part is Epsom salt is cheap, freely available, and pretty friendly, environmentally speaking- though you don’t want it to get into the soil where you plan on growing anything!

Remember to refresh it periodically as it degrades and washes away.

Black or White Pepper

Raccoons, as mentioned, have incredibly sensitive noses. They are sensitive both in terms of overall efficiency at sniffing out food, mates, and threats, but also in their vulnerability to irritants.

Pepper is delicious on our own food, but if you’ve ever gotten a nose full of the stuff you know how unpleasant it can be! Imagine how much worse it’ll be for a raccoon.

Grind this stuff up fresh and then sprinkle it literally wherever you know raccoons go and move around.

Once they get a good snoutful of stuff it is going to send them into a coughing and sneezing fit, and after one or two close encounters they will probably associate your home and roof with pain, and leave you alone.

Red Pepper Flakes or Powder

Red pepper flakes work very much like black pepper and white pepper when it comes to repelling raccoons from your roof. Any raccoon that runs into the stuff and either tries a taste or gets a good whiff of it is going to be in for a searing surprise.

Even though the compound contained in red pepper flakes, and all other spicy peppers, causes mammals significant pain when it comes into contact with skin, mucous membranes, taste buds, or eyes, it isn’t overtly harmful.

This is really going to knock any trespassing raccoon for a loop, but it will leave them no worse for the wear after the effects subside in half an hour or so.

Best of all, this is another extremely cheap and environmentally friendly option: you won’t have to worry about this hurting the environment, your land, or any materials on your home. Just don’t get it in your own eyes!

Cinnamon

Another raccoon repellent that you’ve probably got in your own pantry right now. Sure, it makes our desserts taste wonderful, but this stuff is ferociously irritating to many mammals. Indeed, that flavor we love so much is actually a defense mechanism developed by the plant to prevent it from being eaten!

You probably don’t need me to tell you how to use cinnamon at this point: scatter it liberally anywhere that you know the raccoons will go and be sure to coat all of their approaches and climbing points that they use to get up on your roof.

Grab yourself a big economy jug if you want to, and don’t hesitate to lay a thick perimeter around the edge of your roof so the raccoons will run into it nose-first as they climb.

Predator Scent

Raccoons might be notorious predators of chicken and duck coops, but they themselves are prey for larger and more capable animals like wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and more.

Accordingly, they are always alert to any indication that a predator might be nearby, and the number one tool they use to figure that out is their nose.

If a raccoon can physically smell the predator, or even evidence of their passage in the form of urine or droppings, they will be a lot more fearful and more prone to head the other way.

Exploit this predator nervousness by acquiring predator scent from a hunting supply retailer or a pest control outlet.

Note that this stuff can be pretty stinky, obviously, and you probably don’t want to smell it yourself but it works wonderfully for repelling raccoons especially if they are already setting up a nest inside your home.

Boar Raccoon Scent

Most mommy raccoons that are looking for a safe place to nest, like inside your attic for instance, will avoid male, or boar, raccoons because they have a tendency to kill little babies.

Just like we used predator scent above, you can acquire specialty male raccoon scent and use it to scare off any adventurous, exploring females and younger, nervous males from your property and roof.

As usual, spray liberally and reapply often as it wears out. Once you know the raccoons are long gone, you can stop.

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Is Moss Edible or Poisonous? 6 Types of Moss You Can Eat

When it comes to survival, everything is about necessities. One of the most important necessities is food. You can go a long time before you starve, but diminishing energy levels will seriously hamper your efforts to survive. Accordingly, making use of wild-caught and foraged food is high on the priority list for preppers.

moss

There’s lots to eat out in the world, and much of it is plentiful if you know what’s safe and what’s not. One of the most common kinds of plant life out there is moss. But is moss edible or poisonous?

Moss, as a rule, is edible though there are a few toxic varieties out there. And while moss is very plentiful, it offers very little in the way of calories or other nutrients. In all cases, it’s best to properly cook it to minimize the chances of food poisoning or digestive trouble.

Moss is one of those things that probably isn’t your first choice out in the wild, and even if it is you should look for something better. It doesn’t have much for you in terms of nutrients that your body has to have for optimum function and calories for energy.

That said, you can definitely use moss to get a little bit in the way of food, or to bulk up other items that you might have. There’s a whole lot more you’ll want to know before you start harvesting, and I’ll tell you about it below…

Most Mosses are Indeed Edible

The good news, as far as survival food is concerned, is it the vast majority of mosses you’ll find around the United States and indeed much of the world are edible.

This is to say they aren’t overtly toxic or poisonous, and you shouldn’t expect terrible outcomes from eating them as long as you prepare them correctly.

Considering how plentiful most varieties of moss are in different biomes, this is something of a comfort because you’ll be able to find at least something to eat if you know where to look and how to harvest it. Definitely good news in a survival situation.

Even better news is that there is a precedent for people eating moss, and there has been for a very long time. A few types of moss have actually been important cultural foods, survival staples, or emergency rations in the United States and elsewhere in the world for centuries.

I’m not saying they are particularly good- they aren’t- but it’s nice to know that you won’t be blazing a trail when it comes to eating moss!

Moss Has Very Little to Offer, Nutritionally

But it’s not all good news concerning moss as survival food. Moss, whatever kind it is, has only very little to offer you in terms of nutrients, both macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates and also micronutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals.

Basically, you’ll have to eat a ton of the stuff if you want to have a meaningful meal or even get a proper fraction of your daily requirements.

It’s a lot more likely that you’ll use moss as a sort of “filler food” to bulk up your diet a little bit and perhaps make the most of other foraged or hunted foods that you’ve managed to lay your hands on.

That is in fact how moss has most often been used for food historically: added to dough and porridge, used as a thickener for soups, etc.

Plus, even if you are gathering a type of moss that’s particularly abundant like Spanish moss, you aren’t necessarily best served by eating a ton of it…

Many types of moss are either intensely acidic or have other compounds that can cause stomach problems and other digestive distress if you overeat.

In short, moss can’t be a primary food item even if you’re desperate.

A Few Kinds of Mosses are Dangerously Toxic

Now, most kinds of moss are safe to eat, or at least not particularly harmful, but there are a couple types out there which can really mess you up.

Some of them contain dangerous toxins that they use as protection against predators that would eat them, and others are known to be incidentally dangerous to humans because of high amounts of certain harmful compounds.

We’ll talk a little bit more about these in detail later, but for now, all you need to know is that you must treat moss like you would any other edible, foraged plant: it’s critical that you know exactly what you are dealing with.

Playing the odds might make a bad situation even worse if you’re in a survival situation, and it’s not out of the question you could wind up dead.

If you’re really in a jam, remember to perform the universal field edibility test before you dig in. It could save your life!

Lichens are Also Edible

Something else you should keep in mind while you’re on the subject of moss is that many kinds of lichen are edible too.

Though often confused, lichens are completely distinct, taxonomically, from moss, but the two are often found growing in the same environments or even right alongside each other.

Lichens are different from moss because they are basically colonies of symbiotic organisms, typically fungi and certain kinds of bacteria or algae. One provides shelter for the other, and the two can even trade types of food for the mutual benefit of both. They really are fascinating!

I don’t bring this up to derail our important conversation about moss, proper, but to make you aware of what resources you’re likely to find while looking for moss. And there’s another very important reason why that we’ll talk about in the next section…

Many Kinds of Lichen are Called “Moss”!

To make this subject even more confusing than it has to be, you should know that there are many kinds of lichen that are called mosses, and I don’t mean colloquially by folks who don’t know better. “Moss” is actually in the common name of these organisms!

That’s right: this can make tracking down and categorizing actual mosses confusing if you don’t have a guidebook or expert help.

But I want to clear this up: it doesn’t matter what the vegetation is called so long as you know exactly what it is and whether or not it is safe. You don’t need to dig into the taxonomy and differences of moss and lichens to make use of either.

Can You Eat Raw Moss?

Yes, you can, but there are some risk factors. Namely, raw moss is a lot more likely to harbor germs that can make you sick. Cooking your food, as always, eliminates or reduces these germs and makes it safer to eat.

That said, if you don’t have the resources or don’t have the time, or you just desperately need something to fill your stomach with, you can eat most varieties of safe moss without too much worry.

Is it Best to Cook Moss?

Often, yes, but there are still more trade-offs to consider. Cooking moss will kill any germs, parasites, and other nasty things that you don’t want to eat, but it will also significantly reduce the already meager nutrition that moss has to offer you. Specifically, it’ll lose out on vitamins and minerals which it can’t afford to give up.

That said, if your food situation isn’t in total crisis, you have the resources to cook, and the time to do it, I recommend that you at least cook it gently to improve its safety.

What Does Moss Taste Like, Anyway?

Moss does not taste very good. At its absolute best, it tastes very grassy, vegetative, and often earthy. And at its worst, it has a slimy and ashy taste that is downright repulsive, and it takes a whole lot of seasoning and expert preparation to make it even passingly palatable.

Doesn’t mean you can’t eat it safely, but it does mean you are unlikely to enjoy the experience!

What’s the Best Way to Prepare Moss for Eating?

The best way to prepare any moss for consumption without completely spoiling its nutritional content is to soak it in fresh, clean water.

Soaking it for just 10 minutes before shaking it off and giving it one final rinse can remove most of the contaminants that are on the outside and significantly increase safety.

Safe and Edible Moss Varieties

And finally, we get to a list of known edible and nominally nutritious moss varieties that you should always be on the lookout for.

Willa

Willa has a place of honor on our list of edible masses both because it is a lichen, not a moss, and because it has a long history of being eaten in the United States.

Used as a staple and local delicacy, and also harvested en masse during times of food shortage, it looks like long, stringy tumbleweeds and is often found growing high up in dead trees.

Reindeer Moss

Another noteworthy “moss,” and another lichen in reality. Often grows in northern latitudes where it is extremely cold. Named both because of its appearance (which is similar to caribou antlers) and also because it is an important food for them when they are migrating.

This one is still eaten today in various Scandinavian countries. It’s intensely astringent and acidic and should be prepared properly prior to eating to avoid major stomach trouble.

Oakmoss

You guessed it. Oakmoss isn’t really a moss. It’s a lichen. This is another one that grows in colder regions and is commonly found on evergreen plants. Easily spotted by its light gray or mint green color and tangled growth habit.

Iceland Moss

Yes, Iceland moss is actually… a lichen. Ha, got ya! But jokes aside, it is one lichen that looks very much like its namesake because it has a low-growing, spreading, and almost furry appearance. Look for it on rocks and fallen trunks.

Spanish Moss

Sometimes called “old man’s beard,” this is neither a moss nor a lichen but is instead a type of flowering plant that is invasive but naturalized to the United States.

It’s a very common sight in the Deep South and Tidewater region of the US. Only very small, choice bits of the plant are safely edible and palatable, but it’s possible to boil it and mix in sugar or other ingredients to make a type of tea or syrup that has some calories and nutrients.

Kalpasi

This lichen is native to many parts of Asia, and has a distinguished culinary history as an ingredient in various spice mixes for Indian cuisine, and others. It is easily recognized by its fern-like growth habit, and striking pale green-gray to black “leaf” coloration.

Toxic Mosses You Must Avoid

Before we get to the list of edible mosses that you should keep your eye out for, we need to talk about two really nasty ones that you must avoid at all costs. Truly poisonous mosses are rare, but they do exist!

Powdered Sunshine

This uncommon moss is actually a lichen, and one that is easily identifiable when it is found growing on birch trees throughout Europe and much of the United States and Canada.

It has a distinct and sunny but vaguely ominous yellow color which is an obvious warning sign, and the reason for its name.

It has a particular toxin that can cause severe abdominal pain and eventually damage and failure in the liver if you eat it. Learn what it looks like and avoid it, and be very cautious when collecting moss from birch trees!

Wolf Lichen

Another notorious “moss,” and obviously from the name a lichen, this stuff is found all over the Western half of North America and some parts of Europe. It has a ragged, almost ruffled appearance and resembles a shrub that has had all of its leaves and greenery knocked off.

Historically, it has been employed as a poison against dogs and wolves, hence the name. This is due to high concentrations of vulpinic acid which is quite toxic to mammals. Learn to recognize it by sight and steer clear!

The post Is Moss Edible or Poisonous? 6 Types of Moss You Can Eat appeared first on Modern Survival Online.

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Checklist of 101 Things All Preppers Should Have

One of the most anxiety-inducing parts about being a prepper is trying to make sure you are truly ready. I mean to say holistically ready to face whatever comes your way. When it comes to personal preparedness, you get the test first and then you get the lesson assuming you survive.

stockpiled items: water bottles, bleach, salt, toothbrushes, snap-blade utility knives, hot sauce, dried beans, peanut butter, garlic and onion powder, lightsticks, powdered juice, lighters, winter gloves and more

Accordingly, most preppers I know who are serious spend tons of time reviewing and rehearsing their plans, procedures, and lists of equipment and supplies- over and over and over again- until everything is accounted for.

No matter how skilled you are, no matter how much gear and supplies you have on hand, chances are pretty good you’ve missed an element or two. This giant checklist will help you reassess and reevaluate your own readiness by category. Sharpen your pencil and let’s get going.

Water

Water is absolutely critical for life. You know that, I know that, everybody knows that. But it’s easy to forget that you won’t just need water for drinking. You’ll need it for washing, cleaning, laundry and hygiene too.

Gear:

• Water Storage Containers. Water storage containers come in all shapes and sizes, from small bricks you can fit under a bed to giant barrels and tanks that can hold dozens and hundreds of gallons.
• Potable Water. You’d be wise to have water on hand before trouble strikes. Cases of bottled water, gallon jugs, or water you’ve already stashed in the containers above.
• Water Filters. When water stops coming out of a tap, or when treatment systems fail you’ll need a way to make water safe to drink. Water filters such as the Lifestraw remove solid contaminants and some chemicals.
• Purification Chemicals. Water filters can’t get rid of quite everything. For removing biological contaminants like bacteria and viruses solid or liquid purification chemicals can do the job. Make sure you rotate these, they don’t last forever.
• Water Bottles. For taking water with you on the go. Plastic and metal types are both good with pros and cons of their own. Metal ones will let you boil water in them, though.
• Bathtub Basin. An invaluable piece of water storage gear if you are bugging in. Unfold this large bag in your bathtub and fill it up as soon as things go wrong and you’ll have many dozens of gallons of water on hand, convenient and ready to use. The WaterBOB is pretty popular.

Skills:

• Water Purification. Knowing how to properly purify water through various means and using various improvised chemicals (think bleach) and methodologies can keep you and your family alive when all other means fail.
• Natural Water Sources. Do you know where viable natural water sources are? Do you know how you’d get water out of it? Are they relatively clean, totally filthy, or something in between? It pays to know this ahead of time.
• Man-Made Water Sources. If you live in suburbia or in the middle of the city, there will be plenty of places to get water if you know where to look and how to extract it. Pools, pipes, fountains, things like that.
• Safe Storage Techniques. Getting the water is only half the battle. Storing it and keeping it fresh is the other. Learning how to treat your containers and your water to maximize a shelf life and keep germs at bay is essential in a survival situation

Food

You’ve got to eat no matter what’s going on, and though everyone likes to think they can go for weeks without any food the lack of energy will degrade you severely both mentally and physically. Don’t risk it; keep plenty of food on hand and know how to get more.

A small food stockpile: canned food, canned Ragu, ramen noodles, bottled water, packs of salt, and more.

Gear:

• Shelf-Stable Food. All preppers love shelf-stable food. From canned soups, stews, and veggies to trusty standbys like honey, grains, dried beans, and more. You’ll need around 2,000 calories per day per adult in your household or group.
• Utensils and Plates. Nobody wants to eat with their hands like some kind of animal. Make sure you’ve got utensils and plates for everyone. You can make a good case for disposables at least in the short term to cut down on water usage.
• Cookware. If you want to prepare food you’ve got to have something to heat it or cook it in. A cook set for your home or a portable camping cutlery set (if you are on the move) is necessary.
• Alternate Cooking Appliance. Assume that your microwave, stove top, and other usual appliances are out of commission. Do you have another way to cook? Fireplace, charcoal or gas grill, camp stove? You have a large supply of firewood, and a fire pit?
• Vacuum Sealer. Vacuum sealers are a godsend for preppers, dramatically increasing the shelf life of dry goods and all kinds of other foods by keeping out oxygen, bugs, and moisture. Probably won’t help much during a survival scenario, but storing your food with one ahead of time is a great move.
• Food Storage Buckets. For stashing massive amounts of basic staples like grains, beans, salt, and sugar, food storage buckets are tops. You can also use them for making individual menus or caches of food that can easily be handed off to neighbors or family members.

Skills:

• Canning. Everybody knows someone who cans, and if you don’t have anyone in your family that does, it’s time for you to start. Canning is one of the best skills you can learn to expand your own survival food stash.
• Storing and Rotating. Preserving the food is only half of it. Storing it properly for maximum longevity and rotating it before it spoils so you always have a viable stock on hand is the other half. It can be a logistically challenging administrative task, so make sure you master it now.
• Improvised Cooking. If you didn’t have a single thing to cook with, not even a utensil, could you manage? Learning how to cook well enough and safely enough even in the most austere environments is a good skill for prayers.
• Prepper Recipes. Let’s face it, most of your favorite foods will be long gone when the chips are really down. But knowing how to whip up a reasonable facsimile of peach cobbler from canned fruit and Bisquick or put together chili mac from instant pasta and dried ground beef can boost spirits and beat menu fatigue.

Shelter

It is exposure, not dehydration, that is the single most common and most lethal killer in survival situations of all kinds.

Especially when the weather turns cold, if you can’t stay warm you won’t have to worry about staying warm ever again if you take my drift. You must be prepared to provide or create shelter no matter the conditions and situation.

Gear:

• Tents. A tent will allow you to get inside out of the wind and rain no matter the situation. Ideally, it will be spacious enough for at least a couple of adults. They even come in handy inside a home when the power is out.
• Sleeping Bags. Wriggling down into a sleeping bag will be quite comforting indeed when you are very cold and there is no chance of obtaining heat from any source. A good sleeping bag can keep you alive even in the most severe weather.
• Blankets. It’s always good to curl up with a blanket, and survival or space blankets can help hold in upwards of 90% of your body heat. They’re light, portable and affordable. Get some.
• Adequate Seasonal Clothing. Wherever you live, you must have adequate seasonal clothing for all weather conditions in all seasons that are reasonably likely to occur. Make sure you have more than one set to allow for damage and washing.
• Home Repair Materials. The event that starts the emergency might damage your home and compromise the protection it affords from the elements. Having basic building supplies and tools on hand can help you shore up damage.
• Plastic Sheeting. Plastic sheeting comes in really handy for blocking drafts, patching up busted windows, and keeping water out. Make sure you have a few extra large rolls.
• Duct Tape. You know it, you love it. Duct tape can fix anything, at least temporarily, and is invaluable when you are repairing or waterproofing a damaged home.

Skills:

• Principles of Thermoregulation. Understanding the principles behind keeping warm and more importantly the factors of heat loss will allow you to make good decisions to keep warm, and cool down likewise.
• Creating a Microclimate. Similarly, understanding how to create a microclimate, a small contained environment that is easy to heat or cool, is greatly beneficial whether you are indoors or out.
• Construction and Repair. Providing substantial shelter usually involves a certain amount of building, even if it is just a primitive shelter made from all-natural materials. These skills also come in handy for repairing your home as you might imagine.
• Improvised Shelters. There are dozens of classic primitive and improvised shelters that can be made from all-natural and man-made materials. They’ve worked for countless generations before we got here, and they work today. Know how to make a few for any environment.

Stockpiling

A big part of prepping is just having enough on hand. And by enough I mean enough of whatever you need. Aside from food and water, it’s going to be clothing, tools, fasteners, consumables, medicine, spare parts, and anything else you can think of.

Stockpiled items: canned chicken breast, emergency blanket, toe warmers, pinto beans, yellow popcorn, compass, poncho, dried milk, peanut butter, canned brown bread, honey, chicken bouillon

Gear:

• Shelves. Maximizing storage space is only possible if you’ve got shelves. Make sure your shelves are sturdy enough and wide enough to hold everything that you need.
• Containers. Containers prevent clutter. Enough said, and they also make it easier to move and rearrange your supplies and gear.
• Checklists. Checklists cannot be beat for keeping track of what you have, what you need, and what you need to do.
• First-Aid. Lots of preppers overlook the importance of medical supplies and first aid materials among their stores. Don’t be one of them. Remember, having enough supplies on hand might allow someone with the skills to save your life or someone else’s.
• Medicine. Medicines of all kinds are another critical item in any prepper survival stash. Over-the-counter medications of all kinds, of course, but also prescription medications that you or loved ones need. Make sure you rotate them, they don’t last forever.
• Batteries. All kinds of essential gear, from flashlights to lanterns, cameras, night vision goggles, and a lot more depend on batteries. You’ve got to feed the machine if you want it to work, so accordingly you’ll need plenty of these.

Skills:

• Planning. Planning around likely consumption rates and contingencies can be brain-twisting but it is necessary if you want to stockpile enough goods and gear to last.
• Rotation and Inspection. Just as important as planning are rotation and inspection. Things can go bad simply from sitting in storage too long, and consumables like medicine and batteries slowly go bad over time. Learning how to inspect and rotate all of your gear and supplies at regular intervals will prevent a nasty surprise.
• Barter. Just because your region or the entire world has gone to pot doesn’t mean people won’t trade among themselves to get what they need. They always have and they always will. Learn how to barter and haggle the right way so you can always make a deal when you need to.

Communications

Keeping in touch is always paramount in a survival scenario. Whether it is maintaining radio communications with your friends and family, signaling to rescuers, or discreetly warning your scouts that something nasty is waiting as they come back, communication skills and gear are a must-have.

Gear:

• Backup Cellphone. Don’t be so quick to think that your phone will be useless when the balloon goes up. Under most circumstances, it will continue to work even if it is in a degraded capacity. Modern smartphones are borderline wondrous in their capability, so it’s good to have a backup against loss or destruction.
• Power Bank. Your phone, just like all other electronics, is a power-hungry little gremlin. Keep it alive during critical moments with a power bank that you can connect to it.
• Walkie-Talkies. Sometimes cellular networks will be too busy or will actually be down and in that case, the next best way to keep in touch with an individual is by using a walkie-talkie.
• Ham/GMRS Radioset. Walkie-talkies don’t reach very far. A ham radio or a GMRS radio set will indeed reach out a lot farther. These aren’t intuitive to use, so you’ve got to have the accompanying skillset.
• Emergency/Weather Radio. Sometimes you don’t need to talk to anyone, but you do need to know what’s going on. Listen for updates from regional and national authorities by tuning into a specialty emergency or weather radio set. Most feature a built-in crank dynamo so they can always be powered.

Skills:

• Radio Operation. Want to make use of that walkie-talkie, ham radio, or GMRS set? You’ll have to learn the principles of radio communication and also the basic procedures for operating any given type of radio set.
• Morse Code. An old, eccentric and intricate mode of communication but still an entirely viable one that is worth learning. Even better, it works visually and through sound, making it highly adaptable with a little bit of creative thinking.
• Semaphore. Semaphore, also known as flag code, is typically used to visually communicate between two ships at sea but it has many other uses besides including passive signaling. Another golden oldie well worth learning.
• Family/Neighborhood Comms Plan. One of the most essential skills. Learning how to put together a family or, if applicable, neighborhood comms plan so friends and neighbors can reestablish communication links with each other when the usual go-to’s fail might be the difference between disaster and survival.

Getting Home

Many preppers fail to plan that sometimes the first and indeed most difficult part of a survival situation could just be getting home or all of your preps and loved ones are. This can be a survival situation and challenge unto itself, one that you should prepare for.

Gear:

• Get-Home Bag. Unless you are truly a house mouse, you go out at regular intervals for something. Maybe it’s work, school, or facilitating someone else’s activities. For this reason, you need to get home back. A lightweight bag of supplies that will enable you to move home as quickly as possible with or without your vehicle.

Skills:

• Shelter and Evasion Plan. If you travel the same regular routes week in and week out, or are a dedicated commuter, you should put together a shelter and evasion plan for lengthy moves home. Knowing where you can lay up for a time, get some rest, or get away from trouble that might be pursuing you can save your life.
• Family Contingency Plan. Your loved ones might be going crazy if you aren’t at home when the event kicks off. Or, they too might be scattered to the four winds. An intricate and carefully rehearsed family contingency plan will help everyone link up and rendezvous as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
• Cardio. When it comes to getting home, cardio will make all the difference. You must assume that you won’t just be able to turn your car around and drive there. Plan on a long, grueling foot movement home. If you can’t keep moving at of brisk pace, it’ll take longer than it should, or you might just wind up dead.

Bugging-In

Lots of peppers dream of grabbing their pack and bugging out when the sky turns dark, but invariably a much better and safer option if you’re able to just bug in. Stay put, batten down the hatches, and make use of all this carefully stashed gear we are talking about here.

Gear:

• Heavy-Duty Contractor Bags. If you were staying put at home or anywhere else, you must assume that you’ll be responsible for dealing with garbage and human waste alike. Believe me when I say that an immense supply of heavy-duty contractor bags will make both challenges a lot simpler and more tolerable.
• Camp Toilet. You cannot count on your indoor plumbing to keep working in a major situation, especially in the aftermath of a destructive disaster or other event. A camp toilet will allow you to keep doing your business more or less as you always have, and will make waste management a lot more straightforward compared to an improvised method.
• Everything Else on this list. No joke here. Basically, everything we are discussing on our checklist is intended to help you get home or to another location and then stay there, riding out whatever comes with the things you need to survive.
• Battery Bank. A whole-house battery bank can offer plenty of power to keep lights on, run appliances, charge devices, and a lot more. They are expensive and require money or significant electrical work experience to set up and install, but are well worth it for the freedom, flexibility and energy economy they can provide you in a long- or unknown-duration event.
• Generator. When you need to supply power to vital appliances, your home, or power tools, nothing beats a generator. You can even get a whole-house generator for full-time backup power. Combined with a battery bank system your unused power can be stored for future use, maximizing fuel economy. Consider a dual-fuel model for versatility.
• Sandbags. For holding back floodwater or stopping bullets, nothing beats a stack of sandbags. You’ll need plenty of clean sand or dirt and lots and lots of labor to fill them when needed, but nothing works as well as they do when things are looking really hairy.

Skills:

• Home-Defense. The world will go crazy if something really terrible happens. Even in the case of localized and regional disasters, the worst parts of humanity always come scurrying out of the cracks. It’s terrible to think about, but you must be prepared to deal with them if they come for what you have.
• Sanitation Protocols. Any group of people that stays in one place long enough will generate tremendous amounts of waste, household garbage, and bodily waste alike. Learning how to properly manage, handle, and dispose of this waste is critical to prevent devastating outbreaks of disease.
• Leadership. Keeping people focused, reasonably calm, and working together is difficult in the best of times. During a crisis event, it is a nightmare. Your leadership skills will be put to a severe test so work on them now.
• Bug-Out Plan. As much as we want to bunker down at home or at another fixed location, the situation might dictate that that is impossible. Having a bug-out plan is still mandatory.

Bugging Out

Like I said just above, sometimes you don’t get any choice of whether or not you can stay put. Whether you need to move to a pre-selected fallback point or just get the hell out of Dodge having the right bug-out gear and bug-out skills might be the only thing that keeps you alive.

Gear:

• Bug-Out Bag. A bug-out bag is basically a mobile store room containing most of the survival necessities that you’ll need to stay alive and sustain while moving to a safer location. I’ll talk more about it in the next section.
• Maps. Do you know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there? You really don’t if you don’t have maps.
• Good Boots. There’s a non-zero chance you might have to hoof it to get to where you were going. Your footwear, whatever it is, must be durable and up to the task.

Skills:

• Land Navigation. Learning how to read the terrain and correlate it with a map whether you are hiking or driving is a fundamental bug-out skill.
• Route Planning. Well before the fateful day comes, understanding all of the variables attendant with choosing a route for maximum speed, safety or discretion is crucial.
• Concealment. If things are bad enough that you are bugging out, you’ll probably have cause to avoid people, stay out of sight, and mind your own business. Concealment and evasion skills will help you keep a low profile.
• Rucking. You don’t know what it’s truly like to bug out on foot until you are hauling an immensely heavy backpack with you every step of the way. Practice rucking now or curse it later.

Bug-Out Bag

More ink has been spilled on bug-out bags than any other topic in prepperdom. There’s a good reason for it, because a BOB is the equivalent to a parachute when things really go wrong.

Gear:

• Food. Portable, calorie-dense, and shelf-stable rations are what belong in a bug-out bag.
• Water. You’ll need a little bit of water to get you started, but containers, filters, and chemicals to treat gathered water as you go.
• Shelter. Tent or bivy, ground pad, hammock, blanket.
• Tools. Knife, hatchet, folding saw, multi-tool. Things to help you make and fix.
• Clothing. Seasonally appropriate clothing with additional layers as they might be required.
• Fire-Starting. Fire is always needed in a survival situation. Matches, lighters, ferro rods, and similar tools will help you make it.
• Self-Defense. You’ll likely run into dangerous people and dangerous critters when bugging out. A few trusty weapons will help keep you safe.

Skills:

• Packing. It sounds funny, but learning how to properly pack a bug-out bag for maximum comfort, efficiency, access, and load-carrying capability is foundational to success. A sloppily packed bag is likely to break or it will just make you utterly miserable and wear you out.

Bug-Out Vehicle

If you are fortunate, clever, or just very good it is possible to bug out using your vehicle. This is a great way to increase speed, safety, and security but it is a skill set and sector for preparation unto itself.

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Gear:

• Spare Parts. No matter what sort of vehicle you were relying on to ferry you to safety, no matter how well maintained it is, there’s a chance that things will break when you can least afford it. Spare parts, along with the right tools and skills, will get you running again.
• Cargo Racks/Bays. One of the best advantages any vehicle can offer you is expanded cargo room for the things that you and others need to survive, and without having to carry it on your back. Whether it is external cargo baskets and rooftop racks, a truck bed or something else make sure your vehicle can carry what you need.
• Good Tires. Good, sturdy, well-maintained tires will help you negotiate most terrain that your vehicle could be expected to cross in the first place. Cheap tires are more likely to blow out, again when you can least afford it.
• Flat Tire Kit. No matter how good your tires are, I guarantee you they will go flat. They will, not might. A flat tire kit consisting of patches and a good jack can get you back on the road quickly enough.
• Spare Tire. Sometimes a tire cannot be fixed or reinflated. Or it cannot be repaired in a timely fashion. Fix it later; throw a full-size spare on there and get back on the road.
• Jump Box. Batteries are another notorious failure point for most vehicles. Unlike most times, you won’t be able to depend on someone willingly and cheerfully giving you a jump. A high-quality, charged jump box will let you give that battery a boost to get you back on the road.
• Portable Compressor. Fixing a flat is only part of the solution. The other part is getting air back in the tire. Forgot your compressor? I hope not.
• Drone. Don’t neglect the huge intel-gathering and reconnaissance capability that a drone provides. Modern drones are surprisingly affordable, have long ranges, can operate at high altitudes (comparatively speaking), and can provide high-def, real-time video of terrain, people, and problems. Sending a drone out to scout routes and look for threats during a stop or bivouac is a great idea when conducting a vehicular bug-out.

Skills:

• Performance Driving. Dropping onto the shoulder at speed, going off-road, hopping a curb, tackling an incline, dodging a speeding or wrecked car. All of this and a lot more might happen during a vehicular bug out and if you don’t know how to handle your vehicle in these extremes you are going to become another casualty on the side of the road.
• Route Assessment/Selection. Picking a route based on known data is something you’ll have to do even when you don’t have the whole picture, but then learning to read and adapt to changing conditions and, if necessary, detour on the fly will keep you moving and keep your family alive.

Homesteading

As hard as it is to contemplate, the world might not go back to normal for a very, very long time if it ever does. But, life must go on, and it will go on in a way that is a lot simpler and more like things used to be. This means you might be living on a modern homestead.

a baby goat and a rooster

Gear:

• Land. If you want to have a plot to call your own you’ve got to have a plot. You needn’t think you’ll be able to squat or just lay claim to any parcel that looks appealing when the time comes.
• Cabin/House. If you were settling in for the long haul in a new and strange world, you’d need a proper homestead. It could be something as simple as a primitive cabin or identical to the houses that we live in today. Whatever it looks like, it needs to be move-in ready.
• Livestock. Different livestock species can provide all sorts of valuable materials and supplies along with food. Whether you’ve got a ton of room or just a little, there is a species that will work for you.
• Garden. People have been growing their own food for sustenance basically forever, but as you’d expect it takes a long time for fruits, veggies, and grains to grow. You need to get a garden started before you need it.

Skills:

• Animal Husbandry. If you think taking care of a pet is hard, wait until you get to take care of a whole bunch of animals! Even more complicated, different species have vastly different needs and you’ve got to learn all of them if you want your animals to take care of you.
• Gardening. As with animals, taking care of different plants is a lot more complicated than neophytes think. Soil quality, climate factors, fertilization, pests, diseases, and lots of other factors interact if you want a big harvest. This is not a test you want to cram for when winter is approaching!
• Maintenance. Self-sufficiency is the name of the game, and that means solving your own problems, specifically when things break down, wear out, or stop working as expected. Being a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the construction and maintenance of structures and machines alike can make all the difference on a homestead.
• Hunting. Sometimes you simply have to go out there and bag dinner yourself, and when it comes to nutrition hardly anything is better than fresh, high-quality, wild-sourced meat. Whether you don’t have any animals fit for slaughter or you just looking to supplement your stores, there are plenty of animals out in nature that make for good eating if you can bring them down.

Everyday Carry (EDC)

So many of the emergencies that accost us are barely newsworthy as far as the rest of the world is concerned, though they can change our lives and not for the better. Be ready for these micro disasters by carrying a few smart tools to make sure you get to go home at the end of the day.

EDC items: wallet, sunglasses, keys, flashlight, pen, carabiner, mints and multi-tool.

Gear:

• Flashlight. One of the single most useful tools that any prepper can have. People are just no good in the dark, and whether you’re moving into a darkened building interior or basement, or caught outside at nighttime, a flashlight will help keep you safe.
• Tourniquet. One of the leading causes of death from injury and accident is exsanguination due to an extremity hemorrhage; basically bleeding to death from a wound to a limb. A tourniquet, and the skills to use it, can save you or someone else from this unfortunate fate.
• Multi-Tool. A good multi-tool, be it a pliers-type like a Leatherman or a classic Swiss army knife, will let you deal with 90% of the tasks, chores, and quick fixes that you’ll encounter. If it’s good enough for a MacGyver it’s good enough for us!
• Pocketknife. Every prepper knows that a good knife is the first and foremost tool for confronting the world. No one should ever leave the house without a pocketknife and that’s a fact.
• Bandana. A bandana is not just a fashion statement. You don’t even have to wear it to get used to it! It can be used as an improvised bandage, for blotting sweat, carrying small parts, and countless other tasks. Your granddad carried a handkerchief at all times and you should too.
• Pepper Spray. Pepper spray is one of the very best self-defense options available, and is highly effective at shutting down confrontations before they start. Even better, it rarely inflicts any permanent harm so your liability from using it is much lower. If somebody’s getting froggy and you’re not justified in using lethal force, pepper spray is the answer.

Skills:

• First-Aid. First aid skills are indispensable, and you’ll have more opportunity to use them than nearly any other emergency skill set, especially outside of your home. CPR, dealing with broken bones, lacerations, and other ailments, these and more should be at the top of your training list.
• Verbal Judo. Lots of folks, especially armed folks, gravely underestimate the utility of knowing how to talk your way out of a bad situation. It is a much subtler art than you might think, and understanding cultural, class, and lifeway differences along with some choice words at the right time could keep you from being jumped.
• Combatives. When it comes to self-defense, you’ll have way, way more opportunity to protect yourself using fists and feet than you will with lethal force in the form of a gun or knife. If you are carrying a lethal force option but don’t know how to handle yourself in a fistfight, you’ve got everything backwards. Boxing, judo, MMA, all can serve as great foundations for a well-rounded fighter.

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