Emergency personal do their best to keep people comfortable, but the best course of action is to be entirely self-sufficient. If you find you have to evacuate to a shelter, you’ll be a lot more comfortable if you have everything you need for a few days. And, if you have to evacuate you probably won’t

In a recent blog post we wrote about hurricane predictions for 2014. Hurricane season begins June 1st so now is a good time to check your supplies or get supplies together. The Red Cross has a good list of basic supplies you need in your kit, but here are a few things you may not

From the first of June to the end of November, Atlantic coastal dwellers pay close attention to their local weather channels. eastern Pacific season begins May 15th and Atlantic season begins June 1st, so now is the time to get ready. Anyone who has been through a hurricane will tell you, you don’t want to

No garden? No problem. Container gardening is enjoying a resurgence as people all over the world get involved in vertical gardening, rooftop gardening, urban gardening and even xeriscaping (the concept of replacing a lawn with a garden). Growing edible plants in containers allows you to stretch your grocery dollars through the spring summer and early

While “recycling” means reclaiming materials to make something entirely new, “upcycling “ means converting something you were going to throw away into something new and useful. Upcycling projects are a great way to practice seeing everyday objects in a new light and to get your mind thinking about ways to make the most of what

April 15th is a day that looms large for taxpayers in the U.S.  As we lined up at the post office to mail in our last-minute returns, many of us passed the time dreaming of how we’ll use our refund checks. Using your tax refund to boost your emergency preparedness is an investment in peace of

As the nation recovers from the housing market bust, homeowners seem to be asking themselves if they can be happier with less and in less space. The shift away from McMansions to more modest housing caught our attention because the possibilities to use micro housing for emergency preparedness or off-the-grid living are virtually endless. A

We talk a lot about having freeze-dried meals ready in case of emergency, but our gourmet just-add-water snacks and entrees have plenty more uses than tiding you over until things are back to normal. After all, most of us would say that our daily lives are far from normal! Here are some ideas for using

Last week we wrote about natural ways to repel insects in order to keep your food stores safe – and to keep disease-carrying critters off of you and your pets, but you can also make your own insect repellent products from natural ingredients, which saves you money, is less toxic, and in certain situations can

Wise Company dehydrated entrees and snacks are sealed in Mylar pouches and shipped in durable (reusable) black plastic buckets so you never need to worry about critters finding their way into your stored food. But if your food doesn’t enjoy such protection, you need to find ways to keep those food-loving pests away, and it’s