Emergency Essentials

March 04, 2014 05:16 AM MST

Home fires, downed power lines, and winter weather can be just as deadly as earthquakes and tornadoes. It’s important to prepare for natural disasters, but our NEW Disaster Preparedness Guide, “When Disaster Hits Home” is a great reminder to be ready for any crisis that may strike—big or small.

1 Min Read

How to Plan a Preparedness Fair

By Emergency Essentials

February 25, 2014 05:00 AM MST

Follow these simple steps for a successful fair:

4 Min Read

10 Easy & Delicious Food Storage Meals

By Emergency Essentials

February 19, 2014 05:01 AM MST

With our ever busy schedules, sometimes it seems there just isn't time to make gourmet meals, what with the prepping, cooking, eating, and cleaning up. With these food storage recipes, however, you get delicious meals every night of the week with less effort.

2 Min Read

7 Tips for Surviving Winter

By Emergency Essentials

February 11, 2014 05:00 AM MST

Update emergency kits

3 Min Read

Prepper Style New Year's Resolutions: Outdoor Gear

By Emergency Essentials

February 04, 2014 05:03 AM MST

This week we are talking about Outdoor Gear. Click here to check out Last week’s resolutions for indoor gear.

2 Min Read

Prepper Style New Year's Resolutions: Survival Skills

By Emergency Essentials

January 28, 2014 05:24 AM MST

This week we're talking about survival skills. Take a look at last week’s resolutions for Food and Water Storage.

2 Min Read

Prepper Style New Year's Resolutions: Indoor Gear

By Emergency Essentials

January 28, 2014 05:04 AM MST

This week we are talking about Indoor Gear. Click here to check out Last week’s resolutions for Preparedness Skills.

2 Min Read

Prepper Style New Year's Resolutions: Food & Water

By Emergency Essentials

January 14, 2014 05:04 AM MST

Each Monday in January, we’re sharing our preparedness New Year’s resolutions. If you’d like to make some Prepping Resolutions of your own, but don’t know where to start, borrow some of ours or use this series to get some ideas.

3 Min Read

5 Crucial Survival Tips

By Emergency Essentials

January 07, 2014 07:41 PM MST

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to be doing during an emergency is reading an instruction manual. All the gear in the world—and I know, there’s some pretty sweet gear out there—is not going to build that shelter or clean that water by itself. As crucial as stocking up on the right supplies is, we also need to be actively building a base of survival skills to call on in a crisis. We can’t all be Bear Grylls, but the following list and resources offers a good place to start.

2 Min Read

How to Recognize and Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

By Emergency Essentials

December 27, 2013 05:30 AM MST

Carbon monoxide poisoning often occurs in the winter—the same time that cold and flu season thrives. This is because as we burn fuels to heat our homes in the winter, these fuels omit carbon monoxide. Cars, generators, stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, and other fuel burning appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

5 Min Read

10 Ideas to Make Your Christmas Easier

By Emergency Essentials

December 20, 2013 05:17 AM MST

1. Keep your nights merry and bright, and avoid accidents in the dark. Never go caroling without our handy 12 hour Light Stick.

1 Min Read

Know Your Avalanche Safety

By Emergency Essentials

December 13, 2013 07:05 PM MST

Winter is just around the corner; in some parts of the country, skiers are already watching the skies. If your local mountain doesn’t open the slopes until after Christmas (or even if the slopes have been running for a month already), it’s tempting to strike out on your own. Nowadays, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and exploring are more popular than ever. But the best season for snowy views is also the worst season for avalanches.

5 Min Read

Food Storage Recipe: Cinnamon Apple French Toast—A Christmas Tradition

By Emergency Essentials

December 12, 2013 05:12 AM MST

My family goes all out for breakfast on Christmas morning, but we keep the cooking to a minimum. (Don’t be so surprised—it is actually possible.) It’s a tradition that has carried on for years in my family and has even slipped into my own little family’s tradition now that I’m married.

1 Min Read

Have Yourself a Merry Little Road Trip

By Emergency Essentials

December 04, 2013 05:28 PM MST

Add to those fun numbers the possibilities of nasty weather, drunk drivers, car trouble, and carsick children, and you’ve got tons of reasons to be extra prepared this December. In terms of peace of mind, a little planning can go a long way. Take these precautions, and turn your Grinch-y road trip into a jingle-all-the-way adventure.

2 Min Read

How to Winterize Your Car

By Emergency Essentials

December 04, 2013 05:23 PM MST

Vans, trucks, cars, and SUVs all handle the winter weather differently, but there are five universal parts of your vehicle that you should winterize before the weather turns:

2 Min Read

Winter Camping (and other Signs of Insanity)

By Emergency Essentials

December 04, 2013 05:08 PM MST

My own husband is one of these lunatics, I mean enthusiasts, who believes that unless there’s 18 inches of snow on the ground, it’s not a real campout. Winter camping is a popular adventure, but definitely involves a level of planning beyond your typical summer spree. For those of you already busting out the long johns, here are my top winter camping tips:

4 Min Read

Food Storage Recipe: Old-fashioned Veggie Soup

By Emergency Essentials

December 04, 2013 04:43 PM MST

This recipe has only been made using fresh ingredients . . . until now. I accepted the challenge of making this vegetable beef soup using ONLY freeze dried veggies and meats. The results? This is probably one of the tastiest vegetable beef soups that I’ve ever had! Here’s how you make it:

2 Min Read

How to Make Baby Food from Food Storage

By Emergency Essentials

December 04, 2013 04:29 PM MST

Since many freeze dried foods come chopped, sliced, and peeled, cooking baby food with food storage will cut the prep time at least in half.

3 Min Read

Freeze Dried vs. Just Add Water: What are the Differences?

By Emergency Essentials

November 13, 2012 05:03 AM MST

Not all entrees labeled "Freeze Dried" are created equal. Some companies label a "just-add-water" entree as freeze-dried, when in reality it may be only the meat or a vegetable in the product that is freeze-dried, while the rest of the ingredients are simply dehydrated. This does not mean that the product isn't good, but it is an example of less-than-honest advertising. It would be something like labeling a gelatin dessert as a "fresh fruit" product because it contains a little powdered lime juice along with all the sugar, gelatin, and so forth.

2 Min Read

Returning Home After a Disaster

By Emergency Essentials

November 06, 2012 05:04 AM MST

When returning to your home after an evacuation, you should first assess the damage from the outside. Check your roof, walls, concrete, and chimney for structural damage. If everything looks structurally sound, then enter your home. If you have any doubt of the stability of your home, call a qualified safety inspector or specialist. If there are any fallen or damaged electrical wires surrounding your home, stay away from them because they could still be active. Wait for utility workers to repair them for you. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, such as a safety inspector, the utility company, fire and police stations, in your wallet and emergency kit.

6 Min Read

Almost Guiltless Chocolate Cake with Whole Wheat and Raspberries

By Emergency Essentials

October 30, 2012 04:21 AM MDT

Ingredients

1 Min Read

Recipe: Creamy Sausage Crumble and Vegetable Stew

By Emergency Essentials

October 23, 2012 04:04 AM MDT

Recently, Faye from West Virginia submitted a

1 Min Read

New Tips for Old Food Storage

By Emergency Essentials

October 16, 2012 04:03 AM MDT

As the lead researcher of BYU's Long-Term Food Storage Research team and chair of the Brigham Young University Department of Nutrition, Dietetic, and Food Science, Oscar A. Pike (BS '80) is reshaping what we think about those cans of rolled oats in the back of the pantry.

1 Min Read

Make Your Food Storage Last with Proper Packaging

By Emergency Essentials

October 09, 2012 04:03 AM MDT

The shelf-life of long-term storage food products (including flavor and nutrition) depends upon the storage conditions and the type of containers in which they are packed. Generally speaking, the darker the storage area and the cooler and more constant the temperature, the better the shelf life of the food. The enemies of stored food are heat, light, moisture, oxygen, and insects.

3 Min Read