The basics are always talked about when it comes to survival and emergency preparedness...but what about the stuff that we don't usually include in the list? Below is a list of items that are easily forgotten. We will add to this on a semi regular basis. :)

1. manual can opener (even a P51 or P38 would do in a pinch)
2. plastic and duct tape to cover windows
3. rotating batteries
4. medical filter masks (have a variety of uses, including filtering coffee!)
5. extra plywood to board up windows

In the current issue of Men's Fitness Magazine, Ashton Kutcher talks about being prepared for emergencies and what kind of havoc a major disaster would have on our North American way of life.

He told the magazine "It won't take very much, I'm telling you. It will not take much for people to hit the panic button. The amount of convenience that people rely on based on electricity alone. You start taking out electricity and satellites, and people are going to lose their noodle. People don't have maps anymore. People use their iPhones or GPS systems, so if there's no electricity, nobody has maps."

He talks about the potential for chaos if / when...

"And people are going to go, 'That land's not yours, prove that it's yours,' and the only thing you have to prove it's yours is on an electric file. Then it's like, 'What's the value of currency, and whose food is whose?' People's alarm systems at their homes will no longer work. Neither will our heating, our garbage disposals, hot-water heaters that run on gas but depend on electricity - what happens when all our modern conveniences fail? I'm going to be ready to take myself and my family to a safe place where they don't have to worry."

Interesting thoughts coming from a celebrity in Hollywood, which seems to half-dictate what our modern culture values are. I wonder how many other celebrities are secretly prepping, and to what degree? 

article source: The Huffington Post

What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below.

It is a topic that is debated frequently in a variety of prepping and survival forums. Are space blankets (those cheap tin-foil-like blankets) useful for keeping a person alive in an emergency situation, or do they simply provide a false sense of security?

I believe they are very handy in the right circumstance, but the user needs to have appropriate expectations of this piece of survival gear. After all, if these were the greatest thing since sliced bread then everyone in the Arctic would have all their clothes made out of the stuff! That isn't the case.

Space Blankets are made from aluminum coated mylar plastic (sometimes called mylar blankets), and they fold down to about the size of a pack of cigarettes. There are a few variations of the blankets out there. Here are some links to the blankets from our favorite online survival retailer...

Small, lightweight ("almost" single use) blankets can be found for under $5 at most places. Click on this Discount Space Blanket Link where you can purchase 12 of them (for the whole family). 

This is a more durable version that I personally have used as a ground sheet, and as a shelter tarp. They are a bit more expensive, but well worth it in my mind (they don't pack down as small though). Click here for pricing and more info.

Let's have a look at what these mylar blankets can be used for:

1.  
   1. They are excellent at reflecting heat, so if you wrap yourself in them, they supposedly will retain up to 80% of your body heat. Alternatively, you may want to use them to provide some sort of reflective shield to direct warmth from a fire onto where you are sleeping.
   2. Because they are shiny and colorful, they can be used as a signaling device when needing rescue.
   3. The more durable ones have built in grommets that you can use to string up a make-shift shelter with (and shield from the sun). You can make up a similar shelter with the cheaper, lighter versions but you need to reinforce the edges with duct tape before you start punching holes in the blanket (it will just rip otherwise)
   4. Some models can be worn poncho style as they have a built in hood
   5. They can be used as the lining of a solar oven
   6. They can be taped over the inside of the windows of your home of vehicle to reflect the suns rays / heat AWAY from where you are, keeping you cooler. The opposite is true in the winter when you want to keep heat IN.
   7. They shed rain, snow, and wind (keep in the mind the more compact versions need to be reinforced to stand up to winds
   8. They are VERY small and VERY light - easy to pack

Now, having gone through some of the uses of the blankets, here are some cautionary items:

1.  
   1. They are an impermeable barrier, so they don't breathe. That could be bad for the sweat factor
   2. The smaller ones don't work that well for a tarp
   3. They rip easily (the smaller ones)
   4. They are loud, so in some situations that may not be desired

In the end, there are a variety of situations these space blankets can be used, but it is important to use some common sense and understand their limitations. For a wide variety of space blanket options and survival gear Click here for pricing and more info from Nitro-Pak

Access to dental work is something that you may take for granted in North America. I know I do. I take for granted the fact that if I get a tooth ache or need dental work I can schedule an appointment and in a few days or less, the pain will be gone. However, there are many survival - type situations where access to a dentist may be restricted.

I found a great resource online that may provide some answers for you. Check out "Where there is no dentist". http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_dentist.php

If you are looking for a biodegradable wipe that can be stored in your emergency supplies (or hunting gear, bug out bag etc...), you may have a use for Wysi Wipes.

Essentially, they are a compressed cloth tablet (the size of an oversize Rolaids or Tums), and to use them you just add a few drops of water, and then unravel them into a usable cloth (about the size of a normal facecloth). They store dry, so there is no issue with long term storage, and they are light so you can pack them  anywhere. They are also extremely durable. You may want to store them in your:

• backpack gear for use on the trail
• emergency preparedness kit
• bug out bag
• hunting equipment
• camping gear

Check them out at www.canawipe.com