EcoZoom Versa Stove

 

One of the issues about backup stoves including barbecue grills is fuel.  In an extended emergency, you can potentially run out of fuel such as charcoal briquets, propane or gas.  The Zoom Versa Stove is a nicely built stove that can use twigs, branches, pinecones, acorns, all very easy to find.

I enjoyed this field test of the EcoZoom Versa Stove by the Prepping Guys  http://www.preppingguys.com/

The stove worked very efficiently.  It's not a portable stove, and would be ideal for a shelter in place type situation.

A Good Addition to Food Storage

Food storage must include some fats and oils as they are essential to health.  You need fats and oils for making breads and other baked goods, to deep fry or stir fry foods.  Oil can even be used as a lighting source.  See this lamp made from vegetable oil. 

One issue with fats and oils is their short shelf life.  Oil can last about a year in storage.  After a while, oil becomes rancid and is no longer safe to consume.  I have olive and canola oils but I rotate them after a year.   Now I have learned extra virgin coconut oil has a two year shelf life.  That is even better.

Coconut oil also has a lot of health benefits: 

• anti-inflammatory
• anti-fungal
• anti-bacterial
• reduces fever

It can even aid weight loss.  See
Coconut Oil: A Nutrient Powerhouse and Metabolism Booster  an article from Natural Health Sherpa.




Part of being prepared is staying healthy, and coconut oil can help.  I am going to add coconut oil to my food storage.

Don't be Afraid to Try Powdered Milk

One of the items I had never tried before storing food is powdered milk.  I just was not sure how it was going to turn out.  I bought the smallest one I could find to first try it out.

I was running out of regular milk anyway, so I thought I'd give it a try.  The instructions say you need to first add warm water to the container, then add the milk.  You should not add milk to the water because it will clump up.  You definitely don't want clumps of powder in your milk.

How to mix powdered milk:

1.  Heat up two cups of water in the microwave for a minute.

2.  Add the warm water to 1 1/2 cups of room temperature water.

3.  Add 13 tablespoons of powdered milk.

4.  Shake up the container to mix well.  Make sure no dry powder is left.

I tasted the milk expecting it to taste bad.  I was surprised!  I actually tastes pretty good.  Chill it in the fridge and it tastes even better.  I also tried it with coffee and hot coco and you cannot tell the difference.  DH and the kids could not taste the difference either. 


I am going to keep using the powdered milk.  Try it out, you may be surprised too.  Powdered milk is good to have as part of your storage food pantry.

Inexpensive Ways to Start Prepping

In the aftermath of monster storm Sandy, many people are taking a fresh look at preparing for emergencies.  But it is not always easy to get started, especially if money is tight.  You can get started with a very limited budget.  The important thing is to just get started.

Here are some good articles to get you thinking:

18 Low Cost Ways to Start Prepping

Prepping Supplies for 99 Cents

Budget Prepping for a Buck

$5 a Week Shopping Challenge

These articles provide great ideas to get prepping supplies inexpensively.  And with all the uncertainties facing us today, we'd better get our emergency supplies in order.

New Book Out - Beyond Collapse

I heard about a new book about preparation and survival and it is available as a free download or paperback.  The author is kind enough to provide the free download here:

(Please note, the free version is not for commercial distribution but for personal use and can be distributed to friends and family.  I recommend you print it out for future use.)
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6e3oH1LuRvzeGZlTHRkeHZQSkk

You can find the paperback here:




http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Collapse-Joseph-Miller-Jr/dp/1480140805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351565239&sr=8-1&keywords=Beyond+Collapse

This promises to be a good book to have.

A Review of the Free Food Storage Analyzer from Emergency Essentials

I tried out the Emergency Essentials free Food Storage Analyzer.  They invite you to try it out and they give you a free $10 Emergency Essentials gift card for your effort.  It's a good offer -  I get to evaluate my own food storage, and I get a reward for doing so.  What a deal!

When you first get in, you are asked to provide the number of people, male or female and age of the persons you are calculating for.

It will tell you the number of calories you need in your food storage per day.

You then proceed to the analyzer.  In the analyzer you fill in the foods that you already have.  It will not allow you to fill in pantry foods unless you log in.  However, once you have finished entering the various categories - cereals, meats, fruits, vegetables etc, it will tell you how much you have on hand and what you will need.

Overall the Food Storage Analyzer was easy to use.  The instructions were thorough and walk you step by step throughout the process.  I learned a lot about my own food storage plan and "holes" in my plan.  I had to look through what I had to fill it out properly.  Including all the listing and finding what I have in the pantry, it took me about 20 minutes or so but it is worth your time.

I have a little ways to go in my food storage but I have at least a month's worth. I am glad I tried out the Emergency Essentials free Food Storage Analyzer.

Survival Tips from a Doctor

Many times you wonder about health issues but can't get to a doctor right away.  This site answers a lot of common questions that have come up especially in families with kids:

- Does green mucus mean you have an infection?

- What is the best way to clear out ear wax?

- How to deal with a child's rash

- Is it safe to irrigate your nasal passages?

Go to The Survival Doctor to find these answers and more.

The site is full of information and is written for readers with a non medical background.   He's got a couple of e-books out that are worth the price. 

Good information!