Paper Plates in my Survival Kit - What are they good for? Absolutely EVERYTHING!

Paper Plates - such an ordinary object, with extraordinary abilities!  It is one of the many ordinary household things that make a great addition to your survival and emergency kit.
I bet you have a stash of birthday plates that didn't get used up last year - throw them in your emergency survival kit!

Here is a list of 10 uses for paper plates in an emergency situation - if you have more to add to the list, leave a comment and let me know, I'd love to hear more ideas!

1. Conserve water, use paper instead - in an emergency situation, water might be a precious asset and you don't want to waste it for washing dishes.  So, don't bother using your plates from the cupboard, just eat off the paper plates!
2. Fuel for your fire - if you are ready to throw a soiled plate out, don't!  Use it instead to help get your fire started.
3. Funnel - roll it up so that one end is smaller and one end is larger to make a funnel.
4. Make a paper cup/bowl -  If you are using it for liquid, this solution will only work temporarily until it is soaked through.  Fold your plate in half, and then fold the left and right side inward securely to make a temporary cup or bowl to scoop or transport almost whatever you want!  Use it to scoop rice or grain; use it as a temporary cup for water; use it to gather berries or nuts, and more!  When it does soak through, lay it out to dry and then either use it again, or use it to start the fire.
5. Entertainment for the kids - paper plates can become endless craft projects for the kids to help them pass the time - mask, Frisbee, crown, paper airplane, etc.
6. Protect food from flies - you can use them to cover your food if you have to step away, to help protect against flies and other bugs from spreading disease or germs onto your food
7. Use them to leave a Hansel & Gretel style trail to aid rescue efforts - you can write your names on the plate and use them to mark your trail and you can also leave instructions on the plates for how to find you.  You could set a rock on top, or attach it to a tree to reduce the chance of it flying away.  Don't forget to put a pencil in your kit!
8. Make a visor - if it is sunny and you are stranded without your sunglasses, you will want eye protection as well as protection for your nose from the sun. You can cut a circle from the top so that hopefully the plate is large enough to place onto your head to serve as a visor.
9. Fly or Mosquito Swatter - just roll it up like a roll of newspaper, and swat away!
10. Megaphone - although it doesn't work quite as well as a real megaphone, it can help direct the sound of your voice so that the sound doesn't disperse as quickly and will carry a farther distance.  This will help your call for help be more effective.  Just roll it up so that one end is smaller and one end is larger, and call for help through the smaller end.

Surviving the Storm - What should be in an Emergency Survival Kit?

Prepare before the weather forecast.
As we saw with Hurricane Irene, being prepared before the storm hits can make evacuation, rescue and repair efforts go more smoothly and with less casualties.  Being prepared before the storm is even predicted can take a lot of stress off of you and your family, and make evacuation more comfortable.  Having the emergency survival basics already packed up and ready to go at a moments notice can provide you with extra time to do other preparations such as boarding up your windows and packing up the car with other items you want to bring with you.  For those of you who choose to stay and weather out the storm, having an emergency survival kit would be CRUCIAL to your survival should the storm take a turn for the worse and you are left to fend for yourself.

What should be in an Emergency Survival Kit?  Here is a basic list of items so that you can compile one of your own, or save yourself some time and money by purchasing a pre-assembled kit that already has all of the items contained in a handy bag or bucket (like the ones we sell HERE and HERE).  There are many different items you could add to your kit, these are just the basics,

1.  Food and Water

• Compact food bars are a great food solution because they take up little space, require no utensils and are easy to share.  Look for ones with a high calorie count.
• Freeze-dried and Dehydrated meals are VERY lightweight, come in waterproof packages and maintain most of their nutritional value.  They only require water to prepare and most are very delicious and taste just like a home-cooked meal.
• Water. Drinking water boxes or pouches, plus water purification tablets or water purification device in case your emergency is prolonged and you run out of drinking water.  This water bottle is really cool - it has water filtration built-in, so you can have filtered drinking water wherever you are! 

2. Warmth and Shelter

• Rain Poncho - one for each family member
• Emergency Blanket or Sleeping Bag
• Source of heat or fire - waterproof matches, warming pads, emergency candle
• A simple, compact tube tent is a nice bonus
• A pair of dry socks for everyone in your family
• Warm gloves for everyone in your family

 

3. Light and Communication

• Flashlight. I prefer flashlights that do not require batteries so you don't have to pack batteries and risk them running low when you need them most.  Shake Flashlights are really cool - you simply shake it to charge it up, no batteries required!  There are also wind-up flashlights, squeeze flashlights and solar-powered options as well.
• Radio. I like the ones that run on both batteries and also an alternate form of power such as solar or wind-up, so that you don't have to worry when the battery runs low.  Choose one that also has the Weather Band.
• One of the above could also be a multi-tool that includes things like a compass, knife, emergency flashing light, etc.
• Glow sticks. These are handy in case you need to flag down an emergency crew, or to tie onto you, your child or your pet so that you all can be better spotted at night.  Especially helpful because kids and animals are known to run off, and if you are in the dark it might be hard to find them again.

4. Helpful Tools

• Knife.  This can be a army multi-tool, or something more advanced like a hunting knife.  A knife is useful in many situations and can help you prepare food and shelter.
• Multi-Tool.  This will save much space in your kit.  A tool that has things like a compass, a knife, a light, emergency siren, even a radio all-in-one would be very helpful.
• This multi-function survival shovel is AWESOME
• Nylon Rope.
• Duct Tape
• Gloves
• Dust Mask

5. First Aid, Hygiene and Sanitation

• Compact or portable basic First Aid Kit
• Wet naps and/or hand sanitizer
• Bags for infectious waste
• Compact toothbrush and travel toothpaste
• Pocket Tissues (can also be used as toilet paper)

I don't have room for Long Term Food Storage... or, do I?!

Earthquake, tornado, pandemic, hurricane, tsunami, terrorist attack - oh my!
When I first decided to start putting together an emergency supply of food, I did a little research and found that most people suggest to work up to having a year's worth.  YIKES!  Just thinking about having a month, a three-month, let alone a year's supply of food stocked up on the shelves conjured images of canned food taking over my kitchen cabinets and spilling out onto the counters... or images of spending countless hours preserving foods in jars, sticky everywhere (preserving food is actually really fun, but I shutter to think about making enough to feed our family for 3 months straight, or even buying and making space for that many glass jars).  I don't really buy canned food because of the studies done on the harmful effects that BPA has on your body, and most canned food can liners contain BPA.  After doing more research on the subject of long term food storage and emergency food supply, I came to realize that it doesn't have to be canned or preserved jar foods, and it doesn't have to be in my kitchen AT ALL!  I could store dehydrated and freeze-dried food in the garage, under my bed and even in the coat closet!

Some of the most compact food solutions we found are made by Wise brand in a square-shaped bucket so they are more efficient with space than a round one, and are easily stacked in the coat closet, with plenty of room left for our coats. Each freeze-dried or dehydrated meal is individually packaged and safely stored within the bucket. They are also more compact than stacks and stacks of #10 cans like the Thrive brand (which we also own, and are good but I like the efficient storage Wise brand provides). So, the Wise food buckets are the ones we decided to sell in our store.

Having a stockpile of food is a really good idea so that you wont be left with bare shelves and an empty refrigerator if disaster were to strike, or if you get laid off from work and you have to change your budget drastically and suddenly. A "run on the stores" is another concern, wiping the store clean due to looters or genuine buyers of the food during a crisis.

In addition to our long shelf life food supply, we have a garden and just bought a greenhouse this summer so we can try our hand at growing over the winter! So far, we have 6 months of "Long Term Food Storage" food stored up; I'm working towards a years worth as our budget allows.

p.s. These food packets don't have to be reserved for an emergency, they are GREAT for busy moms or bachelors needing a quick dinner solution!  Just pour the package contents into a pan, add water, stir and cook... in about 12 minutes, dinner is ready on the table!  Or, if you have a last-minute potluck to attend!