Preparedness doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom—it’s about peace of mind, smart planning, and sometimes even discovering some weirdly useful facts. Here are a few nuggets that might surprise you:
🔦 1. Crayons Can Be Used as Emergency Candles
One crayon can burn for up to 30 minutes. It’s not ideal lighting, but in a pinch, it can get you through a quick power outage or help light a fire.
🚽 2. Your Toilet Tank Holds Usable Water
(Not the bowl—let’s be clear!) The tank in the back of your toilet can be a source of clean water in an emergency, especially if the municipal supply stops.
🥫 3. Canned Food Can Last Decades
Even if the “best by” date has long passed, canned goods stored properly (cool, dark place with no dents or rust) are often still safe to eat for 5-10 years, sometimes more.
📻 4. Shortwave Radio Still Works When Cell Towers Don’t
Modern cell networks are vulnerable to outages, but a solid shortwave radio (like the Tecsun PL-880 or others) can pick up international broadcasts, ham traffic, and emergency alerts from thousands of miles away.
💧 5. You Can Survive 3 Weeks Without Food… But Only 3 Days Without Water
Water is always the top priority. Keep at least one gallon per person, per day stored—and remember to rotate your supply every 6-12 months.
🐿️ 6. Squirrels Bury Food for Winter—You Should Too
Okay, maybe not literally bury it, but having caches of supplies in multiple places (home, vehicle, bug-out location) is a smart strategy. Nature figured this out long ago.
More tips, guides, and how-to posts coming soon. For now, just remember: prepping isn’t panic—it’s preparedness. And the more you know now, the less you’ll stress later.