off-grid.info/blog

The unexpected can strike when you’re at home or hiking out in the woods. The key is to be as prepared as you can be for these unexpected events. This article contains 7 great hacks or tips that can really help in emergency situations.

There’s a short, informative video that demonstrates each survival or safety idea. It’s hard to pick a favorite but I do like the compass hack and the cereal box microwave.

Click on the 7 Survival Life Hacks That Could Save Your Life link below for some hacks or tips that really could save your life.

7 Survival Life Hacks That Could Save Your Life

commonsensehome.com

The power grid is is an linked network that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers. The network is made up of power stations that create electrical power, electrical transmission lines that carry the electricity and lines that connect customers to the grid. There are concerns that our power grid is aging, over-stressed and vulnerable.

In this eye-opening post, Laurie discusses 10 things you need to prepare in case the power grid fails. It could be a short-term blackout or a longer blackout. If you prepare in advance, it will be easier to manage any type of outage.

There are a LOT of useful product links. She explores:

• Lighting
• Batteries
• Water
• Backup Power
• Cooking Supplies
• Garbage Disposal
• Food
• Heating and Cooling
• Communications
• First Aid Supplies

She also looks at many other things you should consider in preparing for a power outage.

When the Power Grid Fails – 10 Things You Need to Prepare

offthegridnews.com

Rich shares plans for a permanent solar still that can be used to distill water on a continuous basis. He chose the distillation approach in particular to get rid of salt and chemicals that could be found in the source water. He includes directions on the best dimensions for the still and how to build it.

This approach calls for putting water into pans inside the still and then letting the sun distill the impurities out of the water. The recaptured purified water runs down a hose into a bucket or container that you provide. The still can be used on cloudy days too.

It’s a neat project! Click on the How to Build a Solar-Powered Still to Purify Drinking Water link below to see the details.

How to Build a Solar-Powered Still to Purify Drinking Water

prepared-housewives.com

This is pretty amazing. If you lose heat or gas at home and can’t use your kitchen stove, the Rocket Stove makes a great emergency backup. Since it only weighs 1 pound, it’s also great for camping.

There’s a Supplies list and a very thorough tutorial. You make the stove out of 4 large tin cans. There are step-by-step photographs to help you through the build process.

Click on the How to Build a #10 Can ROCKET STOVE: It Cooks an Entire Meal With Twigs!  link below to see the complete tutorial.

How to Build a #10 Can ROCKET STOVE: It Cooks an Entire Meal With Twigs!

mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com

This is a preparedness tutorial that explains how to make an emergency candle out of sawdust. It uses just 4 ingredients. After reading the article, this is really not only a candle but an amazing alternate source of heat. It’s also reusable. The author says this type of candle will heat a 9 x 12 room and keep it from freezing for 10 hours. She also plans to experiment with smaller versions that you can cook meals on.

I can see a lot of applications for a heating source like this: emergency heating backup if you lose heat during winter, heating backup for long hikes and camping trips, and a heat source for cooking.

Click on the How to Make an Amazing Sawdust Emergency Candle & Heater  link below to see the complete tutorial.

How to Make an Amazing Sawdust Emergency Candle & Heater (Tutorial)