Can you believe it's October already?  The chill in the air certainly gives it away!  Speaking of chill, this month we are talking about clothing you should store for an emergency.   Check out this month's video here:

I know, clothing is certainly not the first thing you think of when thinking of emergency storage, but it is something you ought to spend a little time on.  Staying warm and dry - or cool and protected from the sun, may be the thing that keeps you well in an emergency. 

It is important to layer.  The air between the layers traps the heat and keeps up warm.  Layers that you should store for your family members are :

1. An inside thermal layer

2. A wool sweater

3. A synthetic fiber light weight jacket

4. A Water-proof, wind-proof coat

5. Gloves, Hat, socks (wool), underwear

6. Lightweight, waterproof boots

A great place to find all of these layers is at a thrift store.  For pennies on the dollar, you can clothe your family.  Remember to store multiple sizes for children.  And a great tip for boots - buy them out of season online.  you will find great deals on name brand items.

Make sure to store items to wash and dry clothing - laundry detergent, a washing bucket with plunger, clothes pins and a clothes line.

Home-made laundry soap recipe
1 bar shaved or grated  bar soap (Dr. Bronner's Castile, Ivory or Fels-Naptha)
1 C borax
1 C washing soda
Mix together thoroughly for several minutes.  Store in a sealed container with a small scoop.  Use 1 T per load.

September's topic is how to cook during an emergency - and what to store so you can.  In the wake of the hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and fires raging through the country right now, these topics seem very timely.

If you missed any of the previous months, go back and check them out!  They are a quick way to get useful information.  And it's information you will need if any of these emergencies come closer to home.

Having food storage is wonderful, but if you don't have a way to cook it, it's not much use.  So make sure to store some essentials for cooking in am emergency.  Check out all the info first on the video here:

To store:
Long-handled utensils
Oven mits for taking pans out of fires
People-powered cooking devices (can openers, etc)
Pans with metal handles (cast iron is very good)

For cooking, we talked about three options:
1. Your indoor wood burning fireplace (make sure your flue is open)
2. Butane stove
3. Thermal cooker (you do need another heat source for the first 15 min)

Most cooking will be done out of doors.
1. Your BBQ grill - make sure your propane is full
2. Your outdoor firepit - perhaps store a grill or grate for use over the fire
3. Coleman stove with Coleman fuel
4. Solar cooker
5. Volcano Stove (maximizes your fuel)
6. Rocket stove (very little fuel needed)

Here are the cookbook links again. (They are also found in the side bar to the right) PLEASE print this off or call Copy Tec in Pleasant Grove and ask for the Mount Mahogany Cookbook (under my name - Michelle Jorgensen).  Do it before you need it!
Mega Food Storage Cookbook links

September GOAL: Assess which cooking utensils, pans and devices you already have.  Pick one more to add to your storage.