You may be prepared for emergencies, but how about how about others? Here’s a way to help those around you – for free, too. Apparently 3M’s Nexcare division puts out free 32-page, index-card-sized booklet of first aid tips. This is a convenient, compact form that can be placed in easily-reachable locations such as in a first aid kit, your car’s glove compartment, in a purse or briefcase. 3M will send you a bunch of these booklets for free – just ask nicely when calling (US number) 800-537-2191. You can then distribute the booklets to your neighbours, local schools, work colleagues, or anyone else who needs it.
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Throughout the United States, and across much of the northern hemisphere, this summer seeing reaching record temperatures. As airconditioner use goes, up, parts of California, New York and other places are seeing blackouts as outdated, central energy grid infrastsructure struggles to cope with the demand. Xantrex Technology Inc has come up with a timely solution called the XPower Powerpacks. The XPower Powerpacks are designed for families and small businesses, and there’s a whole range of Powerpacks to suit your budget (starting from US$80) and power needs (the top of the range can keep a 8.8 cu. ft. freezer going for six hours).
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How much do you think it will cost to create a food stockpile for 2 people to last a year? Would you believe that you can do it from just US$5 a week? The Mormons are old hands at preparedness – and you can benefit from their knowledge. There’s a week by week list of things to buy, to build up your supplies. They even let you skip a few weeks, too – just add the spare fivers to your emergency cash stash. For every 2 additional people in your household, just add another five bucks.
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Solar power is great – it’s pollution-free, it’s plentiful in most places in the world, and it’s free. The Solar Cooking Archive has a lot of information about cooking with solar power. They have plans for various solar cookers, a multimedia gallery, and even case studies of how people use solar cooking globally.
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Now that summer’s in full swing, how about some outdoor DIY activity? Hannu’s Boatyard has designs, instructions and photos on building your own boats. The choice ranges from a simple boat created from a single sheet of plywood, to many more elaborate designs. The boats are not just for show – they actually float on water.
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So you have a shiny and wicked sharp new blade – how do you keep the edge? Here are some knife sharpening tricks from Tim Anderson. He recommends buying a cheap sharpening stone (a water stone) and shows you how to flatten it properly. There are plenty of photos for you to follow along. Learning how to do it right takes practice, so try it out on your cheapest knives first!
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It sounds impossible – how could it be possible to make fire from ice? In this case, the ice takes the role traditionally associated with the magnifying glass. Rob Bicevskis of Wildwood Survival shows us how.
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