The Common Sense Home Preparedness archives, featuring practical advice on food, water, shelter, skill building, emergency power, and more.
Cold Weather Preparedness – Water – Food – Freeze Drying – Food Storage and Prep – Emergency Cooking – Power and Light – First Aid and Hygiene – Storm Preparedness – General Preparedness – Everyday Emergencies – Bugging Out/ Evacuation – Radiation – Cold and Flu Remedies – Wildcrafting and Herbs
We set out to find the best lighter for every day use (like camping) and emergencies. Sure, heavy duty matches are good, too, but a good lighter is fast and efficient. (And they don’t make matches as sturdy as they used to make them.)
Most people know about boiling water to make it safe to drink, but sometimes boiling isn’t enough. We’ll share when boiling works to make water safe, when it doesn’t, and what to do during a boil water advisory.
We use and recommend the Nitecore UMS4 battery charger. It’s a 4 bay charger that works quickly and reliably and doesn’t heat up the batteries. We discuss features and basic operation.
This small versatile radio lets you listen to AM, FM, NOAA Emergency and Shortwave (HAM). It does not broadcast. The Kaito KA500 can be charged using solar, crank, or USB. The radio can also charge a cellphone or other USB device.  It includes two small lights and a flashing red light. The radio comes in Red, Black or Yellow. We recommend the KA500 over the KA700 or KA500IP.
In our quest to test and compare freeze dried emergency food, we discovered Backpacker’s Pantry. In this review, we’ll share what we liked and didn’t like about the meals, and a little background on the company. We received some product samples, but as always, my opinions are my own.