DIY Emergency Preparedness

Sometimes we get a warning that everything is gonna hit the fan and other times it happens without warning. Either way, take a look at these six ideas and you’ll be a little more prepared for emergency situations:

Strap a headlamp onto a water jug to make a light (pretty awesome, huh?!?):

Make a candle out of Crisco:

To make this candle you’ll need a big can of Crisco and candle wicks that are longer than the height of the can- cut to fit. Open the can of Crisco. Insert the candle wick into the center of the can of Crisco. If the can has a large diameter, multiple wicks can be inserted. Leave a quarter of an inch of wick showing above the Crisco to make sure the flame is a manageable size.  Even out the top of the Crisco so the candle is smooth. Light the wick and enjoy light.

Convert AAA batteries to AA batteries with tin foil (can’t believe I never thought of this!):

Make a freezer-fail detector:

Say the power goes out while you’re not home- like you’re out of town or on vacation.  How will you know if the power went out or not and if your food is safe to eat or not?  Fill a jar halfway with water then freeze on its side. Put the jar upright before you leave and when you get home, check out if the water has melted and refrozen.

Make firestarter balls out of dryer lint and petroleum jelly:

When you mix dryer link and petroleum jelly you get something that acts as a Fuel extender- this means the flame will burn longer than normal.  To make this, rub a big slab of petroleum jelly on a chunk of dryer lint.  Roll it around in your hands until the ball of dryer lint is totally covered in goop. Roll into little balls and store in a little container.  The awesome thing about this is that the lint will take a spark even when damp, but to be on the safe side, you might want to store your little jelly covered lint balls in a waterproof container.

Keep 100 gallons of clean water in your tub with a WaterBob: