Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Overlanders

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello

Overlanders: One man’s survival is another man’s vacation.

I’m going to stray away from my home improvement centered writing from time to time; today I want to discuss another passion of mine and it’s overlooked connection to the world of prepping.

While the term “Overlanding” may still be unknown to many, it is in fact a long standing segment of the adventure travel community that traces it’s roots to earliest days of the automobile when brave souls set out to see the world on wheels. Overland Journal, the leading publication on the subject, defines overlanding as:

“Self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. Typically, but not exclusively, accommodated by mechanized off-highway capable transport (from bicycles to trucks) where the principal form of lodging is camping; often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years) and often spanning international boundaries”.

With many of these travelers now blogging as they go, it’s easier than ever to follow along as individuals, teams, and families with kids traverse continents and even circumnavigate the globe and to learn from their unique experiences. Dealing with war zones, limited supplies, civil unrest, stranded vehicles and lack of medical care can all be part of daily life for the overlander. The techniques and gear of these hearty world travelers are tested and proven in the harshest environments on a regular basis–rather than just in theoretical end-times scenarios–and should be looked at by preppers as a valuable resource. An overlander may find themselves in the Amazon, the Sahara, or Siberia and have to be ready for anything. People from all countries and cultures are often quick to assist these travelers, in ways we would never expect in the west. But there are also frequent occasions when an overlander will find themselves in a situation where they are completely dependent upon their own skills and equipment to get themselves through tough situations or terrain.

Motorcyclist Tiffany Coates found herself confronted by AK-47 wielding bandits in Kazakhstan. Pablo Rey’s 4WD broke down in the uninhabited desert of Sudan. Simon Thomas had to ride out of the Brazilian rainforest–with a broken neck after–after his motorcycle veered off a wooden bridge. Anything that can happen in a collapse situation has already happened to members of the overlanding community, and it rarely stops them from continuing on their amazing journeys. Even their day to day living activities such as generating electricity, communicating, and replenishing food stores that many Americans would consider unbearable are just part of the adventure when roaming the globe. The enjoyment of interacting with fascinating cultures and seeing awe inspiring natural wonders far offset the hardships of this method of travel, but the need to prepare is absolute.

Like preppers, overlanders love gear and training. Catalogs and websites provide a wealth of options for mobile self-reliance equipment. Skill building is equally important both before departure and learning location specific techniques from indigenous people while traveling. Knowledge of vehicle recovery comes in handy where tow trucks fear to tread, and medical training can mean the difference between life and death when the nearest hospital is 400 miles away on unpaved roads. Events such as the annual Overland Expo in Arizona or the Horizons Unlimited meetings held worldwide offer clinics and lectures on subjects vital to successfully managing a global journey with confidence.

It’s well worth looking into the world of overlanding to see survival and self reliance skills and gear in action by people who are having the time of their lives. Below are some great links to get you started:

http://www.overlandjournal.com/

http://www.overlandexpo.com/

http://bodeswell.org/

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

http://www.expeditionportal.com/

Momma Bear: Sequestration, Military Life & Our Growing Family

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Trace Adams

The military received a 1% pay raise this year. But with a 2% tax increase, that is the same as a 1% pay cut. I am thankful to report that while this did infuriate me, we were able to absorb the loss with minimal discomfort. Sequestration hit right about the time that we were re-arranging our house to accommodate the two kids we are planning to adopt. While I had been busy spending to get ready for a larger family (beds, linens, 2nd fridge, etc.), some of our friends who are federally employed were getting furlough notices. Our one friend is being furloughed to the tune of a 12% pay cut. With a new mortgage and small children at home, I hope that they can weather the storm. Other friends are being forced to retire early from the military because they are not at the top of their fields and the military needs a drastic reduction in forces. We are lucky in that my husband has a secure job, with a promotion on the horizon, and he is not at risk of a forced retirement. But it is a stark reminder that you can never be financially prepared ENOUGH to survive what life might throw at you.

In addition to all of the sequestration drama, I was reminded recently that we will be facing our next set of military orders to move, sometime in the next year, probably moving in about 16 months . We usually know about 4-6 months prior to our moves (sometimes we know as early as a year in advance), which will allow us time to get our lives ready for the next big adventure. Those months leading up to finding out our next duty station is always filled with speculation about where we will go, how we will get there, etc., and a few times we have been utterly surprised by where the Marine Corps has chosen to send us. For us, this will be the first time that we have moved since beginning a long term food storage program. While the movers will pack food in containers for moves within the U.S., it counts against our overall weight allowance. Foods are typically discouraged on international moves. This will be complicated for us because we will be moving a much larger household than ever before, and there is always the possibility of another international move. After rearranging our storage areas to accommodate the 2nd fridge last weekend, my husband raised the white flag and told me I needed to lay off the food storage (I believe the word “hoarder” may have been mumbled). He said I needed to develop a plan to deal with all this food for our next move. I think in his mind he was envisioning us having to throw out hundreds of pounds of food. Of course in my mind, I am more concerned with our increasing family size and feel the need to store more, but I can see his point.

We have both compromised and developed a plan. All future food storage purchases (in our current location) will need to be for our regular food storage pantry that we routinely eat from. No more long term storage food purchases until we reach our next duty station. The mylar and bucket food storage will be moved with our household goods (unless we are headed overseas and are limited on weight). Once we know where/when we are moving we will begin eating from our easy access long term food storage that I have in 2-liter bottles (see previous article on storage containers). These are containers and food items that are easy to replace once we are relocated. When they come to move us, any surplus pantry items in original containers may then be donated to the local food pantry. I consider this a workable solution that we can both live with, and he promised not to use the word hoarder again.

Has anyone else ever had to deal with moving a great distance with their long term food storage? Any tips or suggestions?

Sarah’s View: Product Review: iTorch External Battery

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Trace Adams

The New Trent iTorch IMP52D is a portable, rechargeable, external lithium battery I use to recharge my cell phone (an iPhone). It is compatible with any device (i.e. phone, MP3 player, tablet) that uses a USB plug.

Currently I am travelling for work…again. There are many things on my ‘must pack’ list these days, but ever since Trace bought each of us an iTorch about a year ago, I don’t go anywhere without it. It stays in my purse and goes with me pretty much everywhere.

The iTorch is 3.5” x 1.5” x1”; not tiny, but certainly a reasonable size. There are four blue lights, one indicates the iTorch is charging a device, and the other three indicate the level of charge remaining. It also includes a built-in red laser pointer and an LED light; just in case you need a laser pointer or emergency flashlight (repetitive and redundant!). It comes in a handy drawstring bag with a cord to charge the iTorch itself. In order to charge our phones we had to supply the needed USB iPhone cord.

The iTorch is advertised as having 3.5x the normal iPhone charge. I honestly don’t know if this is true or not as I’ve never used the iTorch to its full capacity. Even when I’ve needed to recharge my phone multiple times before I could recharge the iTorch, I’ve never fully depleted the iTorch charge. For this trip in particular it’s been useful as a charger in the car because I totally forgot to bring a car charger for the rental car. It’s also been handy during the day as I’m in training sessions and I can charge my phone as needed without crawling all over the place looking for a wall plug.

Trace first heard about the iTorch from Steven Harris’ site: battery1234.com — which lists many useful devices, all of which Steven has thoroughly tested and personally recommends. We own many items on this list, it is our go-to list when we want to expand our back-up energy capabilities.

Recommendation

I highly recommend the iTorch, for travel, for the prepper, but also as a simply back-up charger. I can’t count the number of times it’s allowed me to charge up my phone after a day in someone else’s car, or in training, or at an airport.

It’s reasonably priced (about $40) and a compact, and durable, enough to carry in a purse or backpack on regular basis (weights 4.5 ounces). And we’re not the only ones who like it, it has an Amazon Customer Review rating of 4.11 starts (of 5) with over 900 reviews.

As Trace has said before: as a prepper–trying to be prepared in case of emergencies or disasters–communication is very important. Sure the cell network can go down, but if it’s up and available it’d suck if you couldn’t access it just because your phone’s battery is dead. This is a product that can help prevent that from happening.

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Joining in the Annual Reflections

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello

Since both Trace and Momma Bear have contributed articles reviewing the past year’s accomplishments and plans for the days ahead, I figured I would follow their lead (or rip off their article idea depending on how you look at it) and take a look at what I have done and what’s still on the list.

Though the practice of prepping isn’t exactly new to me, but the terminology and organization of it is. When I was a teenager in coastal South Carolina we all prepared for hurricanes with stored food, water, batteries and evacuation kits, and my frequent camping and hiking excursions kept me involved in outdoor skills. The current trend toward prepping, homesteading and sustainable living have provided me with plenty of new sources of inspiration to further my ability to be self sufficient in good times and bad. Despite financial and time constraints I have managed to make reasonable progress over the past many months.

My preps have been organized into a central location in my basement into bins and shelves. This not only allows for quick and easy access, but allows me to keep track of inventory.

I’ve extended my three-day food supply into a respectable store of non-perishables and water, including food for the dogs. Not a decade’s worth of #10 cans or anything, but enough to carry us through the blizzards and financial fluctuations of my job that we are most likely to encounter.

Fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were positioned on each floor and tested monthly. We made a family evacuation plan in the event of a fire including a meeting place should we leave through different exits.

I began training as a member of a local search and rescue organization. This will further develop my outdoor skills from woodland survival to technical rescue and provide in-depth training in emergency first aid as a wilderness first responder. Acting as a subject for search dog training is also handy for honing my skills of hiding in the outdoors. Plus it’s always good to know how to help others in a disaster scenario.

I began taking Krav Maga courses (a non-competitive self-defense martial art) and started practicing my marksmanship at the local range to improve my self-defense skills. I will always choose to walk the path of peace and kindness, but pacifism does not mean being defenseless to someone who means harm to me or my family.

I have increased my backups for alternative heating/cooking in the event of a long-term winter power outage by supplementing my indoor-safe propane heater with a small generator and an electric heater, and several off grid cooking methods.

There is always more to do and the coming spring is already laid heavy with plans to continue adding helpful gear and, more importantly, essential skills to what we already have. Our urban homesteading skills are at the forefront of our plans including more extensive preserving of our annual vegetable garden’s bounty, growing some fruits such as berries, and a more refined system of rainwater harvesting and grey water reclamation. Some of-interest-to-preppers home improvement projects are looming and I will be sure to thoroughly document them and share them here.

Hopefully by publicly reflecting upon our progresses and plans, we can all further the cycle of information, inspiration and motivation from which we can all grow to become more prepared as individuals and as a community.

Momma Bear: Year One in Review

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Trace Adams

We recently reached our official one year mark for prepping and, like Trace & family, I decided to do our year in review to see where we stand and in which direction we need to focus for the future.

A few months after we first began “prepping” I went back to work, and I have to say that my lack of free time has seriously affected our prepping. Many of my smaller projects took a back seat to the more routine things like food storage. While we did do some amazing stuff, it was only a fraction of what we could have done had I not been working.

Overall our big successes were:

learning to garden
canning
food storage in general
building good BOB’s
building emergency evacuation kits (2 boxed kits with tents, camp stoves, etc)
some basic skills training for the kids

Of all our successes this past year, gardening has been the most rewarding because my husband got so excited by the results. I simply could not grow enough tomatoes to keep him in salsa and he is anxiously awaiting this year’s crop! The big disappointments for me are that I still have not begun a food storage/surplus for my pet foods, I did not have enough free time to read and pursue prepping topics, the HAM radio course was a disaster (no license for me!), and we have currently postponed stock piling firearms/ammo (an intensely personal family decision).

Looking forward, we have a pretty clear idea of our priorities. The good news is that I am quitting my job because our family size is increasing (we are adopting)! I will be staying home, learning to be a mom to a larger family! Of course increasing our food storage this year continues to be the top priority, adding bulk food purchases (Costco) to our regular food preps. We will begin our pet food storage as well. We will be getting a bigger vehicle (in addition to the full size truck we already own), and possibly a small trailer. I will also have more time to focus on our garden this year and go back to working with the dogs on backpacking and maybe carting. I also received HAM Radio for Dummies book (thanks mom!) and will attempt to master that. As an alternative to the firearms we are also looking into archery classes for the whole family.

Although there were as many ups as downs last year, the future is looking fine for us! How did your year of prepping turn out?

Sarah’s View: Goats

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Trace Adams

As the possibility of our own property becomes more and more real Trace and I have been talking about what livestock we want. We already have Kate, our border collie, as well as the rabbits. We have talked about getting chickens shortly after we move. The other animals we’ve talked about are an additional dog, bees and goats.

GoatMilkProducts

I’ve been doing more research on goats. We look forward to having goats ‘browse’ on our property and help keep down weeds and other unwanted plants, however, our primary goal with goats is to use them for milk and other dairy products – we hope to learn to make our own yogurt and cheese. We would also like goats that are friendly, if we’re going to be milking them we want them to not dislike us! Plus, I think it makes sense to look for a breed known for higher fat milk; a higher fat content tends to result in creamier products (duh) and neither Trace nor I drink much milk so the higher fat content isn’t an issue there. Finally, while we want a good milk producer we don’t want to be overwhelmed by the amount of milk we get; we have no desire (at this time) to become a dairy.

To this end I wanted to determine how owning and raising goats works as well as figure out the best breed for our goals. As with most things there are a ton of resources on the web. And honestly, with goats I had start at the basics. What does it take to care for a goat? How do you get milk from a goat? What do you do with the babies? Because it finally gelled for me that in order to have a female producing milk she will have had to have a kid.

The first couple of sites I ran across talked about bottle-feeding the kids. This had me thinking second thoughts about goats all together. I have no desire to bottle-feed baby goats. After reading more I found a number of people who allow the babies to remain with their moms until their weaned and either don’t milk the does during this period or only milk once a day. Phew. I can handle that, especially since the kids are old enough to be sold around 8 weeks yet the does will produce milk for 10 months.

Once I was feeling good about having goats again, I started perusing the various breeds. There are about 7 to 8 well-known dairy goat breeds in addition to any mixes you might run across. They all have their pros and cons, but I have to say that I’m pretty hooked on the Nigerian Dwarf Goats. First, they’re cute, not that this should be a deciding factor, but it did make me more interested in reading about them. Second, they’re smaller than the other breeds. For me, at 5’3”, a smaller more manageable goat seems like a positive. Now, we may decide that the Nigerians are too small (between 16” and 23” usually) especially for Trace, but we’ll see. Third, they’re very friendly. And finally, their milk is between 6 – 10% fat (other breeds are in the 3 – 4% range).

We still have a few steps between now and getting goats, most glaringly actually closing on a homestead. But I’m definitely excited at the prospect of having goats and being able to produce our own cheese and yogurt. Can we do goat’s milk butter? Definitely more to learn.

If anyone has any thoughts or advice on goats, please let us know!

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Home Center EDC Kit

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello -

I spend an exceptionally large amount of time at hardware stores, and big-box home centers, acquiring materials for my work. I’m usually rushing through with a list of specifics but on occasion I have a chance to browse and consider items for use outside of the scope of my business. When looking through the eyes of a prepper, stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and True Value are a goldmine of survival and readiness gear. Big ticket items like generators and chain saws are obvious, but there is a wealth of smaller preps hidden throughout the shelves that won’t break the bank. If you haven’t had the chance, it’s well worth the time to visit your local home center and just explore the isles.

To put this idea into practice I decided to assemble a thorough, yet budget-minded, Every Day Carry (EDC) kit from items only available at the Home Depot I frequent. Here is what this kit contains:

A. First Aid Supplies: I purchased a small first aid kit, and then paired it down to what was practical for this kit.
B. Folding Knife: Any Boy Scout will tell you not to leave home without one of these.
C. Mini Multi Tool: Pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, file etc. Multi tools pack a lot of function into a small package. This mini multi tool came packaged together with the knife above and a full size multi tool on clearance for $5.
D. Carpenters Pencil: Thicker and more durable than a regular pencil, it could also be carved into a toggle for fishing or whittled into a pile of dry shavings for tinder.
E. Ball Point Pen: You never know when you will need to write something down.
F. Carabiner: Useful anytime something needs to be clipped to something else.
G. Hand Warmers: It’s January in Pittsburgh so can you blame me for throwing a couple of these into the kit? In the summer you can delete these to make room for a sweatband.
H. Paint Can Opener with Duct Tape: Paint can openers are usually free when you buy a can of paint and are handy for use as a miniature pry bar. The top is a bottle opener. Duct tape is wrapped around the middle for easy access.
I. LED Flashlight: This LED penlight outputs 23 lumens, far better than the 2 lumens of the comparable xenon bulb penlight. Plus the bulb never needs replacing.
J. Lighter: Fire good!
K. Picture Wire: 9 feet of 40lb wire can make some pretty strong improvised repairs and wont be affected by heat.
L. Masons Line: Basically a heavy duty braided twine that can become anything from a shoelace or a belt to emergency fishing line.
M. Mini Razorblades: Five of these come in a protective case for $.99 and weigh almost nothing. They would be useful for any extremely fine cutting tasks (particularly medically related) that the folding knife is too bulky for.

The whole kit fits into a sturdy belt pouch and cost around $35.

EDC is a personal matter and can range from keys and a wallet to handguns and survival knives; so don’t take this necessarily as what I think you should carry but rather as an example of some of the resources available from places you may not have previously considered. While specialized survival gear sites and catalogs are endlessly fun to look through, don’t forget the local hardware and building supply spots. There are plenty of wallet friendly options for the thrifty prepper. What can you find that will help you be prepared?

Momma Bear: Thoughts On The Flu

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Trace Adams

My worst-case SHTF scenario: Facing a global pandemic. A pandemic that cuts all supply chains, destroys public services (electricity, water, medical, and government) and throws civilization into uncontrolled chaos.

Unless you have had your head in the sand this past month, you are probably thinking about, and watching, this current flu epidemic. I took this as an opportunity to study up on the biggest global bout with the flu, known as the Flu of 1918 or the “Spanish Flu”. We’ve all heard how tons of people died from this flu (it killed 20 to 50 million people — 1 to 3 percent of the world’s population at that time). But there were three giant facts that surprised me:

This flu actually lasted two full years (1918-1920), and had three specific “waves” of infection at a time when the world population was not very mobile.
It killed quickly (in some instances only one day of symptoms)
It killed healthy people in the 20-40 age group (not the norm for flu related deaths).

We are a million times more mobile, as a population, than we were in 1918 so our transmission rates are much higher. Although we have modern medicines, we are also starting to see resistance to those medications. A pandemic is a very believable SHTF scenario.

Our family got hit with the flu over the long holiday. Because we instituted some severe tactics, only two of us got moderately sick, one was minimally ill, and three escaped unharmed. When the first person became ill, it started quickly with chills, 102+ fevers, and a croupy, nasty cough. Initially thinking it was just a severe cold, he didn’t go to the doctor right away so he missed the two day window for Tamiflu but he did test positive for flu. The first thing we did was to isolate him to his room. When he wasn’t in his room he wore a mask, hand sanitized multiple times, did not touch any food/cupboards/fridge to serve himself, only used disposable plates and cups, and we sanitized the counter area where he ate. Medications he took, to treat the symptoms, were ibuprofen and MucinexDM (12 hour doses of guaifenesin and dextromethorphan) with moderate success (but he still felt crappy). The second person, our daughter, became ill by accidentally drinking from the first person’s cup. Like the first person, we isolated her at home and treated her with the MucinexDM. Unfortunately she got the vomit portion of the flu and she DID have to go to the emergency room for an IV to treat the dehydration migraine and vomiting. The last person to become ill only suffered from cold symptoms and chills. In all three cases, the people have suffered from a long term dry cough that has taken weeks to go completely away.

Isolation is the best method for treating a big flu outbreak. But in America that is something we just aren’t good at. We are very mobile and we insist on working, shopping and doing pretty much everything while we are sick (all the while spreading our germs as we go along). In Japan though, when we had a big flu outbreak, it was routine to close a public school down (or businesses or whatever) for a week and decontaminate it; while allowing the virus to, hopefully, work its way through the population AT HOME. What a great way to keep from infecting more people!

Medical masks are also key in reducing contamination rates in a mobile population but most people misunderstand how they work. When sneezing or coughing, germs can travel in the air up to six feet or so and remain active for hours. Masks are primarily used to keep an infected person from spraying their germs outward, NOT to prevent a person from breathing in germs. When you see pictures from Japan of people wearing masks, those are the sick people going about their lives while limiting their illness from transferring to others. This is a culture that is centered on being considerate and concerned with how their behavior affects others and it is considered rude to cough and hack in public and NOT wear a mask. Masks are available everywhere in Japan, including a big section at the dollar store where they come in all different sizes, colors and cartoon characters. But here in America you rarely see anyone cover their cough with a mask and most often that masked person is looked down on as being some sort of germaphobe. Our own cultural norms work against us when it comes to how we deal with illness.

In a medical study testing the efficiency of masks at preventing an infected person from spraying their germs, it was found that N95 masks had the same effectiveness rate as a plain medical mask at suppressing the passing of germs into the air through coughing and sneezing. So the good news is that you can stock up on the plain and less expensive masks! You certainly can choose to wear a mask in an effort to prevent breathing in germs, though the masks are not air tight and germs can enter from the sides. You are also still susceptible to any surface contact with germs; they can live up to eigh hours on surfaces so it is important to wash your hands regularly, use hand sanitizer and clean any and all surfaces touched by an infected person. Similarly, most people are contagious with the flu for a day or two prior to experiencing symptoms. If you go out in public, mask or not, you are going to come in contact with the virus.

Our bout with the flu was by no means what I would term as a severe case because in both instances the fever was reduced by medications and overall the symptoms were manageable at home. My daughter suffers from recurring migraines so we do not necessarily consider her ER visit an acute occurrence of the flu. All that said, we were prepared to treat the flu here at home for an extended period of time if necessary, but how many “average citizens” have a stock pile of food, meds, masks, and sanitizer in their closet? Keep up the good preps folks, and cover that cough!

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Tool in focus – Cordless Reciprocating Saw

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Trace Adams

by Nick Romaniello -

On December 26th the snow was falling fast and heavy here in Pittsburgh. I opened the curtain and saw a vehicle stuck a few houses down on my steep front road. It’s a spot where cars often get stuck in bad snow, I grabbed my shovel and salt bucket and went down to offer help. The older gentleman inside informed me that in addition to being stuck that he had a flat, and a tow truck may be hours away due to the weather. His Dodge Caravan had the spare mounted underneath the chassis held in place by a metal and plastic retainer and lowered by turning a nut inside the tailgate. The retainer was corroded into place and could not be lowered. I returned to the scene with my trusty cordless reciprocating saw. I slid under the stuck van and within moments had cut through the retainer allowing the spare tire to be removed. In no time the tire was installed, and with some shoveling and salt, the driver was on his way.

I have a lot of tools, but in a disaster situation where I could only take one power tool it would likely be my cordless reciprocating saw. It is commonly called a “sawzall” (original trademarked name) because that’s exactly what it does. With the right blade it can hack its way through anything from metal to wood to plastics and even some masonry applications. Easier to handle and more versatile than a chainsaw and faster than handsaws, a sawzall is a good choice for emergency cutting. In construction it’s used most often in demolition and rough carpentry, but with its wide variety of blade choices the sawzall is able to step in and do the job of almost any other saw in a pinch. A corded sawzall is more efficient for extensive work, but battery power will work where and when an outlet isn’t an option. Definitely choose lithium ion batteries over NiCad since sawzall’s are energy hungry. I will make a plug: the Ryobi One+ 18-Volt Cordless Reciprocating Saw (available at Home Depot for about $60 plus battery). I have one that, despite its hobbyist status in the tool hierarchy, has been in my professional tool kit for seven years. The One+ system has multiple tools that operate with the same interchangeable battery and is reasonably priced. A car charger is even available so that the batteries can be maintained on the road. Whichever brand or model you choose, make sure that you also purchase an assortment of blades, including a few “fire and rescue” blades which cut aggressively through a variety of materials.

It is worth mentioning that this was actually the second time I had to perform this exact same procedure on a Dodge Caravan. The first I went out to rescue a friend who’s Caravan got a flat on the interstate in the heat of August with her infant daughter aboard and she was unable to lower her spare. Everyone, apparently Caravan owners especially, should take the time to locate their spare tire, familiarize themselves with how it is deployed, and make sure that everything related to changing the tire is actually in working order. Practice changing a tire in your driveway on a nice day so you don’t have to learn how on the side of a busy road in a snowstorm.

My cordless sawzall is the ‘go to’ tool for all-around cutting, from pruning trees to extracting someone from a wrecked car. Its seemingly limitless abilities should earn it a place in every prepper’s tool kit. But just like the spare tire, be sure to familiarize yourself with it’s operation before you need to put it into use.

Momma Bear: Back-Up Cooking Systems & a Review of the Jetboil Zip Stove

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Trace Adams

the kids with their hobo stoves

Redundancy is key in good prepping. We live in the D.C. area and I worry about another Snowmageddon that could result in multiple days without power. We have a nice propane fireplace, so we would have heat for quite a while without electricity, but cooking can really be a chore in the cold. We can always use our BBQ grill, but who really wants to go outside if it’s THAT cold? Therefore, here at our suburban fortress I keep multiple cooking systems in reserve for just such an emergency. I divide my cooking into two categories: home cooking and field cooking. While many of you probably have the exact same home cooking systems.

My first line of defense, for heating things up at home, is a case of sterno I picked up at Costco (for less than $20). I have two different sterno cooking setups: one is a fondue set, and the other is actually a hot beverage urn holder. Sterno is also super easy for the kids to use! Our second and third lines of ‘electricity-free cooking’ are my small cooking stoves, one uses propane and the other butane. The butane comes in a giant can that looks like a big can of hairspray. You don’t tend to see butane stoves as much as the propane ones, but we have had ours for some time and it’s a pretty compact piece of equipment. Typically I have each stove packed in a bug-out kit in the garage. Last, for the home cooking, I keep two of the small portable grills for better fuel economy in an emergency.

When it comes to field cooking, we have a small variety of hobo stoves that we have in our bug-out bags. These have been great for the kids to get hands on fire making experience. But my husband, Mr. Marine, likes something a little bit quicker when he is in the field so I thought you would enjoy my husband’s review of his new Jetboil Zip Stove. Since he goes to the field so often, we have recently invested in the Jetboil Zip Stove. This is a smaller version of the original Jetboil and cost about $70 online. The big plus here for him is that it is a self-contained non-stick stove and coffee mug/cook pot all in one, with a coozie, handle, bowl and even a sipper lid. The pot even serves as the holder for the stove and fuel. The compactness is awesome for field use. Please note, we bought the one without the igniter so ours requires a lighter or matches to start. The cook system gets its name based on the extreme flame it puts off, which looks very much like a jet engine burning!

After recently spending a week in the field with his new stove, Mr. Marine said he was boiling 16 oz. of water in about 3-4 minutes, half of which would be used for his meal and the other for his instant coffee. A Jetboil fuel canister costs about $5, and in a week of light usage he still had fuel. Compared to a number of past field stoves, from years of deployments, he found this one to be far superior, primarily because of its compactness, simplicity and rapid cooking speed. The biggest downsides are you have to buy the Jetfuel pre-filled fuel canisters, and he mentioned that the pot gets extremely hot. The sippy lid and coozie are there to protect from the hot metal, so make sure you use it. You won’t forget after the first time you burn your lip!

We intend to eventually buy a couple more and stick them in the bug-out bags. I could also see putting one in the vehicle if I was taking any sort of winter driving trip where we could encounter serious weather. For anyone who preps, camps, hunts, or hikes regularly, the Jetboil Zip is a great stove.

TraceMyPreps

Optimistic, Moderate Prepping (not whack-job crazy)

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