I’m drawing on 50 years of experiences in EMERGENCY situations (and we have tons of those with our harsh Canadian weather 🇨🇦) to share with you.
These are my top Survival tips anybody can do and we will be "Kicking it Old School”.
Let's get into it!
🔴 WATER
Fill jugs of water. You don't have to buy it. You can use tap water.
Clean out your bathtub. Rinse it thoroughly and fill it up again. This large amount of water can be very useful for washing, flushing toilets, etc. Add a little bit of bleach to it to keep it bacteria free.
🔴 GAS In Your Home
If a disaster is imminent TURN OFF the GAS in your home. If you sustain any damage to your home don't turn it back on again until the gas lines have been inspected by the authorities. This may take time and create hardships but is far superior to being poisoned by a gas leak or having your home blow up if somebody strikes a match.
🔴 LIGHT SOURCE
Vegetable Shortening (like Crisco) lasts MUCH longer than a regular candle.
Get out GLASS jars.
Slowly melt the shortening on your stove and pour into jars.
Place into the Fridge for a few minutes until it firms up a bit, then place a regular tapered candle into the center of it.
Make sure the oil is right up to where the wick begins but not over the wick.
(a birthday candle can be used for smaller jars)
🔴 FOOD
Concentrate on CANNED goods, jars of pickles and jams and things like DRY CEREAL. (Remember, you need a MANUAL can opener.)
DON'T get things like Pasta, Rice or anything that needs to be boiled. You may need to be rationing your water and/or you may not have the means to boil water and cook.
Packets of Baby Food is a good idea too. Full of nutrients for young and old.
Honey and Chocolate never expire and are good sources of quick energy.
To HEAT food during a power outage, turn a muffin pan upside down, place tea lights in between the cups and put pot on top. (Don't leave unattended and keep pets and small children away)
If you have access to an outdoor space, want to Cook but have a limited amount of fuel, put a Terracotta pot on a couple of bricks or cement blocks so that the hole in the bottom has access to oxygen.
Set a dorito or corn chip on fire (they are coated with oil) place in bottom, and put a few briquettes or broken branches on top of chip and cover with Barbecue grill or Cake cooling grill on top.
Put your pot on it or directly grill food on it.
It concentrates the heat.
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🔴 PAPER PRODUCTS
If you don't have much time to prepare everybody else might head to the store and stockpile Toilet Tissue and Paper Towels so there might not be much available to you.
Get old bed sheets and towels and put them together in a big, plastic garbage bag to keep them clean and dry.
They can be invaluable when paper products run out. You can't flush them but a small piece of sheet dipped into water (from your full bathtub), then disposed of in a plastic garbage bag next to the toilet is a fabulous solution to the drip dry method.
Plus, they can be used as bandages too.
🔴 TOILET
Have a large bucket handy in case your toilet doesn't work. Your toilet can be “Flushed” by pouring water DIRECTLY into the bowl.
If your sewage is backed up, fill the bottom of the Bucket with a small amount of Bleach and water and have some kind of LID (even just a piece of cardboard) to place over it in case you need to use it as the Toilet.
🔴 TOOLS
Gather any tools you have and keep them handy, but store safely in a sturdy container or box.
Pliers, Flat head screwdriver, Sharp knife (wrapped in a piece of sturdy paper to prevent being cut when reaching for things).
Reliable Scissors
Sewing needles (various sizes and poked into a piece of cardboard so you don't lose them)
Sturdy thread
Rope and string.
Extra plastic containers with lids
Ziploc bags
Garbage bags
Duct Tape or Box Tape
🔴 STRUCTURAL SECURITY
Put your mattress under the Kitchen Table and surround with the chairs to sleep. This will protect you from falling or flying debris.
Stay away from windows and store away any objects that may fly around the room and cause an injury. (I place knick knacks into my dresser drawers amongst my clothing.)
Doorways are sturdy places and, once the storm has passed, keep doors shut to enhance your home's structure.
If you are in an apartment building, Inner Stairwells are a good place for protection.
Inside a Fireplace is a good place too. (if there isn't a fire in it at the time) 😉
🔴 FIRST AID
Put steady, even pressure on cuts.
Regular All Purpose Flour on a cut can help to stop the bleeding.
Immobilize sprains or any limb out of joint. The bed sheets can be good for this too.
Splint on a broken bone. Find two firm sticks, cut to appropriate length and tie them to either side of a limb to keep it stable.
TREATING TRAUMA
If someone has been through a physical or emotional trauma you need to give them something sweet. Fruit juice, coffee or tea with extra sugar or even a candy will help (if there is no danger they will choke on it).
It's a good idea in general to keep a Chocolate bar or some candy in your pockets during a crisis. This simple thing has saved MANY lives in the past.
Also you need to SLIGHTLY elevate their feet above the level of their chest to increase oxygen flow to their brains. The exception to this is if they have a wound on their head or torso.
Keep them warm because they will SUDDENLY get very cold and start to shake.
Here's a trick if you still have power. Put a bath towel in the dryer on high for a few minutes then cover them with it.
If you have no electricity but access to a fire heat a brick or stone then wrap it in a Sheet and put it near their feet.
🔴 IDENTIFICATION & SIGNALING
Take a SHARPIE and write your FULL name and contact info somewhere on your TORSO (like across your chest). If you are wounded and unconscious this could save your life.
Have a whistle around your neck (Just like Rose in Titanic). It can alert people to your whereabouts.
Compact mirror. This can be used to signal for help if somebody is searching for you.
Hang a Sheet outside your window or from your balcony to alert authorities you require Emergency aid.
These are a few of the basics I’ve come up with off the top of my head that others (primarily young people who are so used to technology) might not have thought of.
I’ll add more as I think about it more.
I’m praying for your safety.
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
*** NOTE
These things are for quick solutions if you have little time to prepare, but there is NOTHING like being KNOWLEDGEABLE to get you through an Emergency. So start learning NOW.
