General Prepping Archives - Page 2 of 34 - Knowledge Weighs Nothing

4 Common Wild Edible Plants That Could Save Your Life

October 26, 2018

So you’re in that survival situation in the wilderness and you remember all the TV shows and you are immediately thinking about hunting/trapping/fishing for food. In some ways this is correct, in a long term survival situation, animal protein and fat are vital for survival. That said, it might surprise you to know that most of a wilderness survival diet will be made from plants, nuts, seeds and berries…

Below is a great post from ‘Tactical Intelligence’ which lists 4 of the most common wild edibles, all of which are capable of saving your life in different situations. And hey, I hold my hands up, I did not know that about grass!

4 Common Wild Edible Plants That Could Save Your Life

(Photo from: Wikimedia Commons)

101 Uses For A Bandana – Survival, Medical, Tactical, Humorous

October 26, 2018

Earlier in the year we featured a similar video from ‘Dan’s Depot’ 101 Uses For Paracord (Seriously, there’s 101 uses listed here)…

Well the folks from Dan’s Depot are back and today they are presenting 101 uses for a bandana. Bandanas are truly versatile and it is a great idea to include one when you go camping/hiking etc. They are also a good thing to have in a bug-out-bag or survival bag.

Another similar, but even more versatile item to carry is a shemagh. For decades shemaghs have been issued to British soldiers and they are now widely used by US troops. Pretty much everything you can do with a bandana, you can do better with a shemagh.

(Photo from: Dan’s Depot)

How To Prepare For Life In A Peak Oil World

October 25, 2018

I hear so many people saying they are prepping for this and prepping for that, but so far, no one has ever told me they are preparing for peak oil.

Peak oil is when global oil supplies reach a peak. Once oil supplies reach this peak, oil supplies will decrease and never rise again. Demand for oil will be higher than ability to supply it as oil supplies diminish. With so many developing nations catching up to the western world, the demand for oil world wide is increasing. Sure, some nations have their own oil supplies but this is a global crisis, not a national one. If you think that because the US has enough oil now due to hydraulic fracturing or fracking etc, think again! Once China, India and other countries buy up and use all the oil in the Middle East etc, things are going to get difficult for all of us.

To read more about peak oil and preparing for life in a peak oil world, check out the post below.

How To Prepare For Life In A Peak Oil World

(Photo from: Wikipedia)

9 Ways To Start A Fire Without Matches Or A Lighter

October 25, 2018

Firstly, let’s be honest – for all the talk of survival fire starting tools and methods, in most situations you will probably have a lighter or some matches. No one really goes camping or hiking etc without matches.

Preppers often talk about redundancy. When preppers refer to redundancy in this manner, they are talking about creating several fall-back options if the main option fails to work. For example, if your matches get wet, it’s ok as you have a firesteel (like this one!) and know how to use it to start fire.

The ability to start fire will dramatically increase your chances of survival in almost all survival situations. Fire provides warmth and protection, and it enables you to cook and sterilize water. In most situations, if you can’t stay warm and hydrated, you will die, so with this in mind, it is probably worth learning about some of the other ways to start fire in case you do find yourself to be without matches or a lighter.

9 Ways To Start A Fire Without Matches Or A Lighter

Water Bath Canning Cheat Sheet

October 24, 2018

If you are thinking of getting started with water bath canning, but you don’t know your lid-lifter from your air-bubbler, you need to check out the post below from ‘Canning Across America’. The post covers water bath canning tools and equipment, and there is straightforward advice on the actual water bath canning process.

Additionally, I highly, highly recommend the book: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (click to view on Amazon), it may well be the best $14 you ever spend, as it will likely become your canning and food preserving bible.

Water Bath Canning Cheat Sheet

(Photo from: Canning Across America)

If You Don’t Have An IFAK You’re Ignorant…

October 24, 2018

Many of you are reading this post to see just what an IFAK is, and that’s the whole point of the title! IFAK stands for – Individual First Aid Kit. It is a small first aid kit which it carried with you everywhere…

The thing is – many of the people who follow K.W.N. are people who spend a lot of time outdoors doing things which are inherently dangerous, but many of these people don’t carry a adequate first aid kit with them, and that needs to change. No matter what it is you are doing, if you are outdoors and more than 20 minutes from home or help, you should be carrying an IFAK and if you have children with you, it is even more vital to do so… You can read more on individual first aid kits and what they should contain, on the link below.

If You Don’t Have An IFAK You’re Ignorant…

(Photo from: usCrow)

Everyone Should Know About Medicinal Uses Of These 22 Common Foods & Spices

October 24, 2018

If you would prefer to use natural remedies instead of pharmaceutical medicines, this is something you don’t want to miss out on. This information is also particularly important for preppers and those concerned about what the future may bring… If there is ever a total collapse or SHTF event, it will become difficult, if not impossible, to get hold of medicines from the pharmacy/doctors etc.

This list details the medicinal properties of 22 common foods and spices and it also includes advice on dosage and preparation of many of the remedies

Everyone Should Know About Medicinal Uses Of These 22 Common Foods & Spices

(Photo from: Chugy)

Reuse Dead Car Batteries & Laptop Batteries For Other Purposes

October 23, 2018

Here’s the thing – just because a battery can no longer power a high drain device, it doesn’t mean the battery is good for nothing. Car batteries for example have to provide 100s of amps to get that huge engine started. An old/dead car battery might not have the power left to start a high drain engine, but it will likely still be capable of providing a couple of 100 watts of power, which can be used to power things around the home.

Additionally you can use old/dead car batteries with solar panels to provide back-up emergency power on a budget.

As well as reusing car batteries, you can also reuse old sealed lead batteries such as those found in laptops. These might not be able to power the laptop any more, but they can still provide more than enough power to run smaller devices. If you still have the old laptop, you can use it to charge the battery!

Reuse Dead Car Batteries & Laptop Batteries

(Photo from: luxstar via Instructables)

Sage: The Must-Grow Plant (Find Out How & Why To Use It)

October 23, 2018

Wow, I knew sage was good for you, but it didn’t realize how many medicinal properties and medicinal uses it has. I did however know that sage plants are very easy to grow, as we grow our own sage as a herb for recipes… I think I might have to grow several more sage plants now so we can make our own homemade remedies.

I am particularly interested in making the sage tea now that I know about its sedative and relaxation properties. It could be just the thing after a stressful day. Anyway, check out the link below and find out more about the many uses for sage.

Sage: The Must Grow Plant (Find Out How & Why To Use It)

(Photo from: Wikipedia)

Food Security 101

October 23, 2018

Food prices have shot up in the last two years, I would say that our weekly grocery shop costs around twice what it did a few years back. The current high price of food is a major problem for millions of people, and this is happening right now. We are not even considering (I guess we are now!) food security relating to future events such as a total economic collapse, peak oil or any other SHTF scenarios.

Below is a food security 101 post which covers preparing to prep, canning and dehydrating food at home. It’s not a tutorial as such, but more of an eye opener to get you thinking about how secure your food supply is, whilst explaining what you can do to help insulate yourself to some degree.

Food Security 101