Fluid Thinking: Long-Term Water Storage for Survival

Written by

Water. It’s so essential to life that in a matter of three days or less, most human beings will die without it. Depending on age and gender, the human body is made up of between 50- and 75-percent water. Nevertheless, many of us take water for granted. The latest medical statistics show that about three quarters of Americans are frequently dehydrated, shocking given our country’s widespread availability of clean water. The tragedy, however, is that for many in this world, procuring potable water is an all-day chore, making it a resource more valuable than gold.

What most Americans don’t realize is that our world is in a serious water shortage crisis. Seventy percent of our planet is covered by water, so it may be easy to think that this resource will always be plentiful. Fresh water, the water we drink and bathe in, is very rare, by comparison. Only 3 percent of our water sources on Earth are made up of fresh water, according to the United Nations. Most of that fraction can only be found in glaciers, making it fairly inaccessible.

River Oil Spill

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) estimates that almost 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water, while another 3 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Many in the world are exposed to water-borne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, while over 2 million people — most of whom are children — die each year from diarrhea due to water-borne pathogens. By 2025, the UN estimates that almost two thirds of the world’s population will live in areas of the world that suffer water scarcity as our ecosystem adversely changes. This growing problem can be attributed to several factors.

Causes of Water Scarcity

Climate Change
Over the past few decades, we’ve seen an increase in volatile weather patterns and changes in our water supply throughout the world. While some regions may suffer an increase in flooding, others may experience increased droughts. As glaciers continue to melt, freshwater supplies to downstream communities are often affected. The combination of climate changes may cause less water to be available for agriculture, and decreased energy generation for cities and ecosystems around the world.

Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, believes that there’s a significant correlation between climate change and water scarcity. “Perhaps the greatest compounding factor of existing infectious diseases will be climate change. Climate change will affect soil moisture, which affects the size of harvest, even as increased heat decreases the nutritional value of foods, including the protein content of wheat and rice. The specific effects of global climate change in any given location will vary from drought leading to desertification to rising seawater, leading to massive flooding.”

water pollution in river.

Industrial pollution continues to contaminate clean water supplies and contribute to ongoing water shortages around the...

Pollution
From pesticides to untreated human wastewater, water pollution is on the rise in the world. Many sources of groundwater are also seeing an increase in contamination as many industrial chemicals leach into underground aquifers. High levels of pollutants can immediately make people sick and cause massive illness outbreaks. Their effects can also be long-lasting and overlooked for years, in which case the damage has already been done to our environment and health.

Agriculture
The world’s agricultural system utilizes over 70 percent of its freshwater supply, but over 60 percent of this water is wasted due to faulty irrigation systems, inefficient water application methods, and the cultivation of crops that are too thirsty for their given environments. The inefficient use of agricultural water thus dries out the world’s rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, making some countries in danger of reaching their water resource limit. Add to this the high amounts of pollution due to fertilizers and pesticides, and it becomes clear that increasing harm to our environment and society are soon to follow.

Population Growth
In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled in size, along with its drain on the planet’s resources due to industrialization and increased world hunger. Dr. Khan notes that, “More and more people move to urban areas, creating megacities that dwarf the likes of New York and London, some with peri-urban slums where people live in proximity to livestock. Meanwhile, population growth in general, along with the choices that people make about land use, has led to increasing encroachment on open spaces and disruption of ecosystems.” Because populations tend to build around sources of water, the increase in the world’s population has stressed its water basins, therefore decreasing the availability of fresh water to the planet.

Natural Disaster
Although not necessarily a factor for long-term water shortage, natural disasters adversely affect communities in the short term, often resulting in increased disease transmission and pollution. History provides countless examples of how the lack of freshwater has destroyed civilizations and communities, but Puerto Rico’s devastation due to Hurricane Maria serves as a prime example of how natural disasters can decimate local freshwater supplies.

Water shortages typically accompany the aftermath of natural disasters and often lead to water-borne disease outbreaks.

Moreover, hurricanes aren’t the only destructive force that can cause a water crisis. In 2010, Haiti experienced one of the worst earthquakes in the world’s history, killing more than 92,000 civilians. Of those who died, close to 10,000 died from a cholera outbreak due to unsanitary water conditions. This is particularly due to the 890,000 Haitians who were displaced after the disaster, which in turn stressed an already weak freshwater infrastructure. This furthers the evidence that human displacement and migration only add to the scarcity of fresh water.

Why Store Fresh Water?

For many Americans, the need to store fresh water might be extremely low on their daily list of priorities. With many disasters, nothing is a priority until we don’t have it. But what if we don’t experience an Armageddon-style event, and the problem is subtle, gradual, and causing collateral damage? The 2011 California six-year drought put many of the state’s farmers out of business and devastated its ecosystem. In turn, the world food industry suffered a major economic blow due to California’s drought conditions, thus raising food industry prices throughout the world … all because water was scarce in one state.

Disasters and water scarcity, though, are as varied as the regions they affect. Survival expert and author Creek Stewart notes that, “The only event that people should have real concern with are the natural disasters that happen in their areas routinely. It’s typically natural disasters that lead to some sort of water disruption, whether that’s the loss of local utilities or the pollution of a community’s water supply. Typically, a lack of water stems from a lack of electricity or a grid-down scenario that is directly tied to a natural disaster.”

Because we should have a good idea of what disasters may affect us based on where we hang our hat, we can plan ahead for how readily we should store water and in what amounts. Whether it be the loss of power for several weeks or toxic contamination as seen with high levels of lead in Flint, Michigan’s water supply, every American can and should find a reason to store emergency water in their homes.

Water Storage Options

There are several ways that we can store fresh water in our homes based on a variety of budgets, a little ingenuity, and some education on storage and filtration principles. At a minimum, people need about 1 gallon of water per day, the recommended amount according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Everyone should consider what his or her basic needs are, and if we tracked every drop, we’d probably be surprised at how much water we consume each day.

Beyond basic drinking water, most of us should factor in activities such as hand washing, sanitation, cooking, bathing, and washing our clothes. Storage of water should also be realistically taken into account depending on where we live. Jonathan Yoder, from the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the CDC, emphasizes the importance of water storage based on our residence of choice: “I think that there could be different considerations of water storage based on where you live. If you live in the desert and there are no streams, and every bit of water you have has to be stored, then that would be a different consideration than if you lived in a place in the country with a stream nearby, and you have a means to filter that water. This would be an example of understanding your environment in terms of adequate and safe water storage.”

Water storage should also be increased for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. It’s also important to remember that our pets need water, and should be considered when developing a daily water usage plan. Keep at least two week’s worth of drinkable water based on your needs analysis. Yoder also suggests that water should be stored in “containers meant for water, be it buckets or bladders specifically designed to store only water. They should also be food-grade containers. You certainly wouldn’t want something that has had chemicals in it or other things that could be harmful or have a bad taste or odor.”

Continued climate change causes flooding, which also can disrupt clean water supplies.

Continued climate change causes flooding, which also can disrupt clean water supplies.

To properly store our water, there are several food-grade options to consider, each with their pros and cons:

Stackable Water Containers

Most of these water containers are made with heavy-duty, dark plastic (typically blue) and can be stacked on top of each other to save room. Each container typically contains a spigot and handle to easily transport and dispense water, usually coming in 5- to 7-gallon capacities. Most stackable containers can be found in the camping section of almost any department store and average between $15 and $20 a piece. Be careful not to get overzealous with stacking them though. Stacking too many can result in containers at the bottom cracking under the weight.

Some water storage containers, such as this JerryCan 10000UF from Life- Saver, have integrated filters.

Some water storage containers, such as this JerryCan 10000UF from LifeSaver, have integrated filters.

Collapsible Water Containers

The benefit of a collapsible water container is the obvious storage capability. Much like stackable containers, they’re usually fitted with a spigot and handle. Because the containers are collapsible, the materials used aren’t as rigid as more permanent water containers. While most hold 3 to 5 gallons, owners should make sure that they don’t overfill them as the increased pressure can possibly make them rupture with long-term use.

Bladders

Most home-use water bladders are typically large, can fit inside sinks or bathtubs, and store large amounts of water. Many bathtub water bladders can store up to 100 gallons and come with kits to siphon the water out. The drawback is two-fold: First, it monopolizes an entire bathtub until drained, so hopefully families have more than one bathtub or shower to use. Second, once filled, don’t make any plans to move the bladder until the water is drained, since a full bathtub bladder may weigh well over 100 pounds. There are water bladders on the market that are more heavy duty and can be stored outside, but the tradeoff of losing integrity of the material due to heat, or potentially puncturing it, should be considered.

Long term water storage survival shtf disaster prep filter purifier bleach boiling 2

Above: Check out our previous review of this bathtub water storage kit from AquaPodKit.

2-Liter Soda Bottles

Two-liter soda bottles are a fantastic way to store water cheaply. If you live in the city or a small apartment, 2-liter soda bottles can be collected, washed out thoroughly, filled with water, and stored with relative ease in a closet or food pantry. The plastic of the 2-liter soda bottle is also made of longer-lasting material than most milk jugs we buy from our local grocery stores.

Rain Barrels

Some stored water isn’t suitable to drink without proper filtration and purification, but can be used for non-potable purposes, such as plant irrigation. Utilizing barrels that collect rainwater is a great option for collecting non-consumable water. Rain barrels come in a variety of sizes and styles.

Water storage tanks can be hooked up to your rain gutters to collect water for plant irrigation.

Water storage tanks can be hooked up to your rain gutters to collect water for plant irrigation.

Heavy-Duty Water Barrel

A 55-gallon blue barrel is made of rigid, food-grade plastic and can store enough water for almost two months for an individual. Creek Stewart notes that, “In the past 10 years, the market has exploded in options for water storage. If I were to choose a way for a family to store water, it would be in a 55-gallon food grade drum. The price of the drum itself is very affordable, and they’re sold in ready-to-go kits that are offered in a number of major retailers that can run you anywhere from $100 to $179.” If you have a family, you can upgrade to either add more blue barrels, or dish out the change for an upgraded version of a heavy-duty water container that holds several hundred gallons. Just be sure that once you select your heavy-duty water containment site, you stick a fork in it and call it done, because once it’s filled, it’ll take the strength of Samson to move it.

Storing Water Long-Term

Yoder suggests, “Store your water in a place that’s dark and cool, which limits the amount of sunlight coming into it. This preserves the water as long as possible, because if the water warms up, the water degrades much quicker than if kept cool.” Creek Stewart agrees and adds, “The number-one factor in storing water long-term is temperature. You always want to store water in a cool, dry place. Under a stairwell, or a closet, but the basement is best. You never want to store water in an attic or a garage where it’s going to be really hot.”

Both the CDC and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) urge that water that hasn’t been commercially bottled should be replaced every six months. In addition, check the expiration date on purchased water to ensure that the product is of the safest value to you and loved ones.

Long-term water storage isn’t just for lone survivalists and those preparing for the apocalypse. It boils down to promoting good common sense that each one of us should follow. Although the water in our homes is generally safe, Yoder reminds us about what we take for granted on tap: “There are times when a water main breaks or water gets contaminated, so it’s a good idea for people to store water.” Yoder, Creek Stewart, and Khan all see the writing on the wall when it comes to the increasing scarcity of the Earth’s fresh water supply.

Yoder continues, “I think that there are some clues that people should look out for, and use that as a reminder to store up what they and their family might need. I think that it’s certainly prudent for people to have water stored up for any kind of occasion.” Stagnant thinking is much like stagnant water. It goes nowhere and leads to diseased thoughts. If the human-race is to get ahead of the world’s water crisis, it’ll take personal diligence to ensure our long-term water storage needs are met for ourselves and loved ones. It’ll also take flexible and forward acts of conservation by all of us to ensure others in this world share the same luxury of fresh water as we do.

Filtration & Purification Methods

Water filters and purifiers can remove or kill microscopic pathogens in water.

Water filters and purifiers can remove or kill microscopic pathogens in water.

Filtering Water
Maybe you’ve thought ahead and decided to store your water long before a disaster hits. Bravo! For many people, storing water only becomes a concern in the days or hours immediately preceding a disaster. In a true emergency, or after the disaster has happened, people attempt to obtain their water in the worst of conditions, which is typically unsanitary and non-potable at the time.

Disasters rarely grant us the forewarning needed to secure our basic survival needs if we haven’t prepared ahead of time. For those in this situation, unless provided by the government, nonprofit disaster relief organization, or the best of good Samaritans, the water that’s collected will more than likely need to be filtered and purified before it can be used for drinking — especially if the water source is unknown.

Purifying Water
Many make the mistake of thinking that filtering water is the same as purifying water. This misunderstanding often means the difference between staying hydrated and losing your fluids through bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Micro-filtering can remove many harmful bacteria and protozoan cysts, but it doesn’t eliminate the viruses that cause diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.

Chemical Purifiers
There are several chemical purifiers that can be purchased, such as purification tablets and iodine. “They’re all different,” says survival instructor Creek Stewart. “Some only purify a liter, some do five gallons, so it’s really important to read the instructions on the type of chemical purifiers that you’re using. Also, chemical purifiers in general only work in clear water. They don’t work on water that’s milky or cloudy, or has silt, where it’s a lot less effective. The second thing about chemical purification tablets is that they don’t work immediately. They typically take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for the purifiers to affect the water they’re treating.” Jonathan Yoder adds to Stewart’s sentiment on chemical purifiers. “You also have chlorine dioxide tablets and iodine, but you certainly don’t want to use iodine for an extended amount of time. It’s very much for short periods.”

Chlorine Purification
One common method of purifying water is to add a small amount of household bleach. To ensure that you retain the highest level of purification, only use regular, unscented chlorine bleach that’s intended for disinfection as the label indicates. Users of household bleach should look for an active ingredient that contains 6 or 8.25 percent of sodium hypochlorite. Avoid scented, color-safe, or bleaches with added cleaners. Using a clean medicine dropper, add either eight drops of 6-percent bleach or six drops of 8.25-percent bleach to each gallon of water. If the water is cloudy, colored, or very cold, then the amount of bleach should be doubled. After the bleach has been added, stir the water and let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water doesn’t have a slight chlorine odor, repeat the dosage and let it stand for another 15 minutes before using.

Purifying Water with Bleach

Long term water storage survival shtf disaster prep filter purifier bleach boiling 1

Boiling Water

The ultimate in home water purification is boiling water. Boiling sufficiently kills pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. However, it isn’t effective at removing chemical or metal contaminants in water. If the water is cloudy, it’s best to first let it settle and filter it either through a clean cloth or coffee filter. After your water is clear, bring it to a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute to be safe — three minutes if you live at an altitude above 5,000 feet. After boiling, let the water cool to store it in suitable containers. Boiled water usually tastes flat, so to improve its taste, add a pinch of salt to each liter of water or pour it from one clean container to another several times.

Water Boiling on a Gas Stove, stainless pot.

Long-Term Fuel Storage

Contrary to what you've seen in post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, gasoline will eventually expire and render motorized vehicles inoperable. However, like water, the shelf life of gas and diesel can be extended substantially with proper preparation and storage techniques. We discuss some steps you can take to keep your bug-out vehicle fueled after SHTF in the following OFFGRIDweb article: www.offgridweb.com/?p=9351

Meet Our Panel

Dr. Ali Khan

Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan is a Pakistani-American practicing physician and former Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since July 2014, he has served as dean of the College of Public Health and Retired Assistant General at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. www.unmc.edu/publichealth/departments/epidemiology/facultyandstaff/ali-khan.html

Jonathan Yoder

Jonathan Yoder is the deputy branch chief and water preparedness and response coordinator for the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch in the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role, he works to develop and coordinate waterborne disease outbreak and response activities. Yoder has worked in waterborne disease outbreak and emergency response since joining CDC in 2003. He deployed to support CDC’s Ebola response activities in Liberia and Sierra Leone during 2014 to 2015 and CDC’s hurricane response activities in U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in 2017. www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/index.html

Creek Stewart

Creek Stewart is a survival instructor and host of the Weather Channel’s SOS: How to Survive, and previous host on the Weather Channel’s hit show Fat Guys in the Woods. He has authored over eight books and has been featured as one of the nation’s leading subject matter experts on survival on several television programs and magazine interviews. In 2015, Creek was presented with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) by the Boy Scouts of America. www.creekstewart.com

More From Issue 28

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today!

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 29

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 27

Check out our other publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade | RecoilTV | RECOILtv (YouTube)

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version for the web.

 

Reader’s Tip: Quick-Access Clothing

Written by

Humans are creatures of habit, and we're easily conditioned to expect that something bad won't happen because it hasn't happened yet. This phenomenon is known as normalcy bias — in other words, a bias to believe that things will always function the way things normally function. This is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in order to be adequately prepared for emergencies. Often, it takes a jarring event to snap us out of our normalcy bias and force us to reevaluate the likelihood of something breaking our routine.

Sleep is one of our most routine behaviors — you probably go to bed around the same time every night and wake up at a predictable time each morning. Unless you have a newborn baby or work an on-call job, it's rare for this cycle to be broken, and even rarer for it to be broken by something catastrophic. One of our readers who goes by Mountain Goat recently emailed us about a lesson he learned when his sleep was interrupted:

“Recently, a dogfight occurred in the middle of the night outside my house. During the eternity it took for me to find my clothes, get them on, and tie my boots, a quick-thinking friend broke up the fight. This impressed upon me the need to have some clothes in the bedroom that are always where I can find them. These should be quick to put on and hopefully somewhat weather-appropriate.

If you should need to confront an unexpected guest, fight a fire, evacuate, or break up a dogfight you'd probably rather not do it totally naked.

If you run outside in your skivvies during an emergency, you may be stuck wearing them.

If you run outside in your skivvies during an emergency, you may be stuck wearing them.

In my case, this quick-access clothing is bib overalls hanging on a hook just inside the bedroom door. Also there is a medium-weight hooded jacket, a dark-colored rain shell, and a pair of slip on boots. A good call is for the boots to be one size too small, that way without socks they don't fit sloppily.

Clipped in one pocket of the bibs is a folding knife; in another pocket there's a flashlight. It might also be a good idea to photocopy the important cards from one's wallet and put that into the pocket of the emergency clothes along with some cash in case of evacuation. Of course, then you have to worry about a burglar getting that important info if you're burglarized while not at home. So the dangers need to be weighed against each other. I'll probably do it.

Bibs (left) and coveralls (right) can be combined to provide better cold-weather protection.

Bibs (left) and coveralls (right) can be easy to access in an emergency and provide plenty of warmth.

Another option is for pants, insulated bibs, coveralls or the like to be kept ready slipped down over the boots firefighter-style. I tried the firefighter technique, but the stuff got kicked around and wasn't always right there! So I think for me hanging on a hook by the door is best.

Duck hunting waders with attached boots combined with a jacket might work, but keep in mind that they could melt or burn if exposed to heat or flames. It should also be noted that walking in waders can be noisy and clumsy, so probably not the best if you're trying to sneak up on an intruder. Not to mention the difficulty of convincing one's spouse of the importance having them in the bedroom. But they could be handy in wet weather.

Weather conditions will dramatically affect your SHTF clothing needs.

Weather conditions will dramatically affect your SHTF clothing needs.

Whatever a person decides will work is probably OK. The important thing is to have something! Whatever it is, you have to be able to lay your hands on it on very short notice, possibly in the dark.”

This strikes us as a valuable lesson. In warm climates, a pair of shorts, trail shoes, and a sweatshirt might be sufficient. For those in the Great White North, warm layers should be prepared in such a way that they're easy to put on, as well as insulated waterproof footwear. These items will of course be supplemented by gear in your bug-out bag or get-home bag.

So, what's your take on quick-access clothing for nighttime emergencies? Let us know in the comments, or you can continue the conversation with Mountain Goat via email at mudsnowchains@gmail.com.

Review: SOG TOC 20 Backpack

Written by

Years ago, we got a word of advice from a Special Forces friend that has remained memorable. He told us that there are two pieces of gear you never want to skimp on: footwear and packs. Since then, we have always taken this advice into consideration and it has never done us wrong. Good footwear is critical because your feet are your most important asset for anything from a casual hike to an emergency bug-out situation. But what makes a good pack, and why is that important? Let’s take a deep dive into a backpack from a company you probably know well, but one that might not be the first to come to mind when shopping for a new pack.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 11

Whether it's a multi-day adventure hike, a day trip to the lake, or an overnight away from home, you're bound to have gear you need to bring along. Keeping your belongings secure and carrying them comfortably is vital if you want to make it home alive. Granted, your circumstances may not be that dramatic, but the last thing you want is a bruised back and aching muscles from hauling a cheap, ill-fitting pack around all day.

The SOG TOC 20 Pack

Recently, we picked up the latest addition to our collection of packs. This one is from a company not typically associated with gear bags, but one you've almost certainly heard of in another context. SOG Specialty Knives and Tools is the producer of some of our favorite pocket knives and multi-tools. Today, we're going to show you what they have done to demonstrate their proficiency with fabrics as well as steel.

Just like with their knives, SOG has placed the end user at the forefront of the development of their line of packs. From the day-tripper Ranger 12 to the multi-day Seraphim 35, SOG packs are designed to provide storage, versatility, and comfort as well as a unique look.

For this review, we are going to focus on the TOC 20 pack, which is the middle child of the SOG family of packs. You’ll notice that each pack has a number in the name. As you may have guessed, this number corresponds to the volume of the pack. The TOC 20 is a 20-liter pack, with TOC standing for “Tactical Operating Center”. And that is exactly what the TOC 20 is: a pack for everyday use that serves as a safe and organized home for your gear.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 2

Construction & Features

The first thing we noticed about the TOC 20 is its build quality. Everything from the placement of the zippers to the thickness of the shoulder pads feels well-thought-out and well-made. The pack is constructed from 500D nylon that has been coated in polyurethane for durability and water-resistance.

Unlike other packs we've used, it doesn't have any extraneous straps hanging off it. The straps it does have for the shoulder adjustment have small Velcro loops to keep them secured and out of the way. The large zipper pulls are also a welcome feature. They are large enough to use with or without gloves and allow the user to open zippered compartments quickly and efficiently.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 9

Another area where it is apparent that SOG put time and effort into the engineering of this pack is how it sits on your back. As we all know, packs should be worn high and tight against your back with the weight spread out evenly on the shoulder straps. With the TOC 20, the shoulder straps are nicely padded and paired with a suspension sheet made of 2mm polyethylene, ensuring a structure that's firm enough to support heavier loads.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 6

The integrated adjustable sternum strap is a nice touch to help keep those heavy loads from pulling the shoulder straps down. This is vital to being able to continue to move throughout the day while wearing the pack. It even includes an emergency whistle on the buckle. However, if you don’t need a sternum strap, you can remove it entirely.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 13

This pack features a smooth back panel emblazoned with a large printed SOG logo, rather than the contoured mesh pads seen on many competitors' packs. The design is OK for cooler environments, but it may not provide sufficient airflow for warmer climates, potentially leading to a sweaty back. This is one feature we feel could be improved upon.

Gear Organization

Obviously, a key factor when considering purchasing a new pack is storage and organization. The TOC 20 consists of a main compartment with several zippered pockets and sleeves for holding smaller items securely. In front of the main compartment is a pair of side-zip pockets for quick access. In the back of the pack is a pass-through laptop compartment. If you are not in need of a laptop, it also doubles as a hydration bladder compartment.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 7

One of our favorite elements of the TOC 20 is the molded top compartment. This area contains several sleeves and pockets for small items you need access to quickly — pens, a knife, a flashlight, a cell phone, and so on. This entire pocket is impact-resistant and fleece-lined, making it a safe place for glasses, goggles, binoculars, and any other fragile items that need extra protection.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 5

Inside the main compartment and along the front side of the pack and the bottom is MOLLE-compatible webbing with various lash points to attach additional gear to the pack if necessary.

Conclusion

Backpacks are built for one purpose: carrying stuff on your back. However, in the real world they're not always on your back. If you are in a vehicle or at a campsite, packs will be handled and used differently than when they're being worn. A pack’s functionality when not in use can be as important as when it is being used for its obvious purpose.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 10

The TOC 20 is not overly bulbous with extraneous straps, bulging pockets, or a lopsided appearance when not filled to the brim. It is also rather small for its internal capacity, not taking up a ton of room unnecessarily. One unconventional test we've used for backpacks is the pillow test. There may come a time in the woods, an airport, or across the seat of your vehicle that you need to rest your head for a while. The TOC 20 feels great as a pillow when loaded with gear. It's not excessively thick and has a nice gradual slope to it. And when it comes time to hit the road, there is a large handle built into the side of the pack to quickly grab it and get going.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 8

As you can tell, SOG didn’t produce a line of packs as an afterthought to their repertoire. They take them as seriously as their other products. These will hold their ground against many of the other name-brand packs on the market. With well-thought-out features, a durable, waterproof construction, and comfortable ergonomics, the SOG TOC 20 impressed us.

Time will tell if the pack is durable enough to be used for the long haul. However, based off several trips we've taken with it and the initial build quality, this seems like it will be a pack we can use for years to come.

SOG TOC 20 backpack review bugout bag survival prepping edc gear pack 1

For more information on these packs and other products from SOG, visit SOGknives.com.

Infographic: Salary Needed to Afford a Home in U.S. Cities

Written by

Making the most of your finances is an important part of an emergency preparedness plan, although admitting this is easier than putting it into practice. If you're not careful, expenses can add up quickly and can leave you wondering where your paycheck went. But if you're diligent about cutting costs, you'll have more money left over to put towards training, gear, and other important resources.

FIFO food storage medical supplies organization prep 3

For most of us, housing costs — either rent or mortgage payments — make up a large part of our monthly expenses. As a result, cutting even a small portion of these bills can have a big impact on our ability to save money each month.

You're probably aware that housing costs vary quite a bit throughout the United States, but you may be surprised to see exactly how much they vary. The following graphic from FascinatingMaps shows the salary you'd need to afford an average home in major U.S. metropolitan areas. Click here to download the full-size graphic.

Infographic FascinatingMaps income salary home price mortgage survival emergency preparedness 2

These salaries were calculated based on median home values from Zillow, assuming a 30-year fixed mortgage with 10% down payment and normal 4-5% interest rates. Industry experts recommend spending no more than 30% of your income on housing costs, so this was also taken into consideration. You can read more about FascinatingMaps' methodology here.

Unsurprisingly, the West Coast cities top the charts, with San Jose, CA requiring a staggering $313,480 salary to afford an average home. In fact, California takes five of the top six spots on this list — the exception is Hawaii. The chart below shows the corresponding average home values in bar graph form:

Infographic FascinatingMaps income salary home price mortgage survival emergency preparedness 3Infographic FascinatingMaps income salary home price mortgage survival emergency preparedness 4Infographic FascinatingMaps income salary home price mortgage survival emergency preparedness 5

Where does your hometown rank on this list? If it's near the top, it may be worth considering how moving to a less costly area could improve your ability to save for a rainy day.

Flame On: Portable Stove Buyer’s Guide

Written by

The world may have changed significantly since the time a hairy guy in a loincloth struck a couple of rocks together and discovered fire, but the power of controlled combustion to sustain us is the same as it was so long ago. And, the use of fire as a way to prepare food hasn’t changed all that much either. Pots, pans, and ovens are modern adaptions of ancient technology, as is the stove itself.

What’s changed are the materials, mechanisms, and fuels that make cooking far more convenient and safe. A portable stove is a must-have when you step off the grid — whether by choice or by circumstance. Cooking, purifying water, and even producing some simple household necessities, such as glue, are all within reach with a good stove at hand.

So, what do we look for in a portable stove that’ll suit life in a state of flux? We want a combination of features that mesh efficiency, performance, adaptability, and portability. We’ve pulled together a group of stoves to show what we get, and what we give up, when we move the faders on each of our four key traits.

Stove Types

The basic decision point when looking for a portable stove is the type of fuel it’ll burn. There are liquid fuel stoves, canister stoves, and solid fuel stoves. Liquid stove fuels need to be pumped into the stove from a manually pressurized fuel bottle. Canister stoves are self-pressurizing, so there’s no pumping. Solid fuel stoves burn anything that won’t evaporate, from found wood to manmade fuel tablets.

Solid-Fuel Stoves: These burn easily available biomass: twigs, branches, leaves, fuel pellets, etc. Some are set up for manmade hexamine fuel tablets, such as little white Esbit fuel tabs, that burn for about 10 minutes a shot. Solid fuel stoves generally require a flame, via a spark, to ignite the fuel. Hexamine can be lit with a spark, but doing so requires the crumbling of some of the tablet, reducing burn time.

Alcohol Stoves: This type is an unpressurized liquid-fuel stove. Alcohol vaporizes at room temperature, so it mixes with air and burns easily, cleanly, and quickly. Alcohol stoves have an intense following with the ultralight backpacking crowd, but there are significant downsides when looking at them for anything other than recreational use. They burn fuel very quickly, the flame is easily extinguished by wind, and there’s no controlling the output. Many alcohol stoves are also homemade from a tin can and are, therefore, as durable as…a tin can.

Liquid-Fuel Stoves: These are the most versatile options. Most are set up to burn white gas, kerosene, and diesel. There are two things to know about burning liquid fuel. One, the liquid doesn’t burn, the vapor it gives off does. Two, it has very low vapor pressure so the fuel must be pressurized manually to run a stove.

Beyond that, white gas is the cleanest form of liquid fuel, and everything else will be a huge, messy, smelly pain in the ass. Despite the easy availability of diesel and kerosene, we hate dealing with it because, no matter how careful we are, it gets everywhere. Using a diesel stove is like trying to change a playful chimpanzee’s diaper after feeding it beer and pizza; expect diesel on your hands, staining your clothes, getting up in your nose, and leaking inside your pack or vehicle. The upside of liquid fuel (LF) is availability and efficiency. With about 20 reps on the pump and some patient preheating, a good LF stove can burn anything that will flow through the fuel lines and vaporize in the jet.

Canister Stoves: These types run on sealed canisters of propane, butane, isobutane, or isobutane-propane mix. Propane is ideal if we’re not moving much. Its low boiling point means propane tanks will work when temperatures get down to -43 degrees F, but a stronger, heavier tank is required to contain the gas since it’s under more pressure than butane-type fuels.

Butane and isobutane are cheaper than propane and burn as easily until the temps drop. Below the fuel’s boiling point, canisters lose vapor pressure and the fuel gases won’t leave the canister. This happens at 30 degrees F for butane and at 11 degrees F for isobutane. Below these temps, the stoves won’t run, unless they can be used inverted (and most stoves can’t). On the plus side, butane and isobutane fuels are stored at lower pressure than propane, and use smaller, lighter fuel canisters.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 12

Portability

We give up a few things to keep size and weight down. Grande gets us larger pots, bigger controls, increased durability, and greater stability. Better portability means giving up some, or all of that.
Canister stoves are the most portable option. Just make sure you consider the size and weight of a fuel canister, or five; and realize you can’t take fuel canisters on commercial aircraft. Liquid-fuel stoves are generally the second most portable option, and propane stoves are the least portable option because propane fuel containers are heavy, being made of steel.

Solid-fuel stoves run the portability gamut of tiny cups to hold a burning chunk of fuel to sizable contraptions with built-in blowers and batteries.

Efficiency

Fuel is just a storage medium for energy. Think of efficiency as the amount of energy released in combustion and divide that by the effort it takes to turn the fuel into energy. The RECOIL OFFGRID continuum of burnability runs from easily ignited gases, such as propane, to heavy liquid fuels that yawn when confronted by an open flame.

Butane, propane, and other gases will ignite and burn blue and clean with spark. Diesel, though, needs to be wined and dined before giving up its flame, and even then it’s a dirty yellow-tinged bitch that leaves its sooty mark on everything it touches.

Liquid-fuel stoves must be primed. Priming involves igniting a little fuel collected in a catch basin near the stove head. This heats up the burner or generator loop in the fuel line while the fuel flow is off. The heat adds pressure and helps vaporize the fuel in the line, so when it comes out of the jet, it’s going fast enough and the fuel particles are aerosolized, making them easier to burn.

White gas is closer to alcohol and doesn’t take nearly as much coaxing to give up its flame, and it burns cleanly. It primes faster than diesel and kerosene.

Solid-fuel stoves are tougher to ignite and generally require more fuel or time to generate the temps needed to cook compared to gas and LF stoves.

Versatility

Fuel availability is always a chief concern, and more so in a compromised world. Liquid fuel stoves offer the most versatility. Swap the jet, and you can burn any number of easily available liquid fuels. Some LF stoves with large fuel lines and efficient generator loops can burn just about anything that can be forced through the jet. They’ll also run in just about any environment that will sustain a flame.

Canister stoves only run on threaded, single-use fuel canisters. There’s no guarantee you’ll find fuel canisters on the road. If you’re relying on a canister stove for SHTF, you’d best stockpile scores of spare canisters.

Pure butane only run in moderate temps, isobutane will burn just below freezing, and isobutane/propane can operate a little further down the temp scale; but only a LF stove is going to burn reliably when temps go subzero or in alpine altitudes.

For solid-fuel stoves, biomass is generally available in the form of plentiful leaves and twigs. But, if you’re above the tree line, or in a desert, you’ll have to bring wood pellets or some form of engineered solid fuel.

Testing

Our testing was done at room temperature, with all water starting out at 72 degrees F. A thermocouple was submerged and held 1-inch above the center of each pot, and boil times were recorded when the temp hit 212 degrees F. Canister fuel pressure varies with use and temperature, and none of these stoves were meant to work indoors. To account for the reduction in canister pressure as fuel is used, we averaged all our boil times over five consecutive boil cycles, each canister stove starting with a fresh canister. We also threw each of the canisters in the freezer and got them down to 5 degrees F to see how the canister stoves might perform in cold weather.

To account for real-world environmental factors, we set up another boil test with a fan blowing a constant 3-mph breeze at the stoves. If the stove came with a windscreen, we used it. If it didn’t come with one, we didn’t add one.

BioLite CookStove

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 28

SOLID FUEL

Weight
25.1 oz

Fuel Type
Biomass (wood)

Boil Time – Calm
2:30

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
3:20

MSRP
$100

URL
www.bioliteenergy.com

Notes

The CookStove is a multi-walled, perforated steel bucket a little larger than a Nalgene bottle. It uses a detachable fan pack that travels in the body of the stove and snaps to the exterior for use. Extend the folding legs, dump burning kindling inside, and start the fan to aid combustion. The interior of the stove is perforated to create a cyclonic ducting effect that cranks flames up like a bored pyro with a can of lighter fluid and a crate of matches.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 26

Use: The stove works. The ducted air creates an awesome, hot burning fire from any dry fuel that fits inside. It’s heavy and a bit bulky when compared to every other backpacking stove on the market. Though, if you’re picking fuel on the trail, it may be a wash when it comes to weight and bulk. This thing does burn fuel fast, though. It burns a load of fuel boiling a couple liters of water. Keeping the stove going while cooking a conventional meal is a challenge. It’s a hungry little beast and access to its fuel chamber is blocked by cookware. Although the stove is clean-burning with the fan on, it gets pretty filthy. Plan on using the included carry pouch to keep the blackness from coating everything else in your pack.

Performance: Using commercial fatwood kindling sticks as a test fuel, the stove went bonkers, spitting flame like a portal from hell. Combustion is a lot more complete and cleaner than an open fire. We can’t say it’s smokeless, but it’s close. Using this cheater fuel, boil times are way faster than we expected, and as fast as any liquid or canister stove we’ve used. Using forest fuel, the stove runs well, but needs more tending. If you’ve got fire-starting chops, getting the CookStove roaring is child’s play. Once the stove has a thriving flame, start the fan and watch the flames shoot up. But, keep a lot of fuel ready to dump into its hungry little mouth. It burns hot and fast.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 27

Pros:

  • Weeks of fan use on a single charge
  • Little need for commercial fuel
  • Steel body is extremely durable.

Cons:

  • Every time it’s used, Hades releases a demon from the underworld.
  • Rips through fuel at a rapid pace.
  • We question the service life of a device dependent on a seldom-used rechargeable battery.

Camp Chef Stryker 100

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 25

CANISTER

Weight
17.7 oz

Fuel Type
Canister

Boil Time – Calm
2:20

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
3:40

Boil Time – Cold Fuel
5:00

MSRP
$68

URL
www.campchef.com

The Stryker series doesn’t break new ground in the feature department, but it does in the value department. It’s hard not to avoid the comparison to the ubiquitous Jetboil Flash, so we won’t. The Stryker 100 should blush when the Flash walks by on the trail. Still, on the street, the Stryker stoves come in $20 to $30 under the cost of a competing Jetboil stove with a comparable set of features. Onboard ignition, heat exchanger, twist-and-lock base, neoprene coozy, pot cover, and stabilizing arms for the canister — it’s all there and it all works quite well. The Stryker 100 burns isobutane canisters, while the 150 model runs on 1-pound propane tanks. Out of the box, the Stryker is made to boil water for coffee and dehydrated meals. But, with the optional pot support accessory for $25, the Stryker gains some versatility and can make a real breakfast for a few people. Just be careful, anything this tall and top heavy is begging to be knocked over.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 23

Use: Set up is painless. Just like its single-serve competitors, all of the basic components of the Stryker stove fit in its pot. The valve knob is easy to grasp and offers darn good control of the stove’s output. We like that the stove can be set up, filled with water, and ignited with the pot locked on the burner. No need to set the pot on the burner while the stove is running means less chance of burning something as you set the pot on a lit burner.

Performance: Compared to its peers in our test group, the Stryker 100 is near the back of the pack when it comes to boiling performance. Starting out, boil times were short, but they lengthened over the course of the five-boil test. This indicates the stove doesn’t use a fuel regulator. This is likely one of the ways Camp Chef keeps the price down.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 24

Pros:

  • Easy to light, piezoelectric igniter, solid pot to burner connection, built-in pot handles
  • Even if the average boil time for the Stryker is behind the average, it isn’t by much.
  • Best value for temperate climate use. We won’t say the stove is a Jetboil Flash clone, but it’s safe to say Camp Chef kept the R&D costs on the Stryker low and passed the savings on to its customers.

Cons:

  • The Stryker is a solid lightweight option, but the saved weight feels like it’s paid for in durability.
  • The walls of the metal pot are thinner than its competitors, and the pot insulator is about as thick as four layers of premium toilet paper — but a more useful when it comes to preventing burns.

MSR WindBurner

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 8

CANISTER

Weight
16.6 oz

Fuel Type
Canister

Boil Time – Calm
2:34

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
2:45

Boil Time – Cold Fuel
4:30

MSRP
$130

URL
www.cascadedesigns.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 6

The MSR Windburner stove system is the descendant of the highly regarded Reactor stove. We’re big fans of the Reactor with a 1.7L pot. It’s our go-to for everything except light and fast overnights, especially when there’s a chance of weather. Like it’s bigger brother, the Windburner features radiant burner technology with an enclosed flame working with a specially designed heat exchanger pot system and a regulated fuel delivery system. But, where the Reactor is a larger, snow-melting beast designed for alpine adventures, the Windburner adapts the technology that makes the Reactor so efficient for solo, general backpacking use. It’s compact and light, a little slower to boil, but very frugal with fuel.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 7

Use: The Windburner is a stove system and comes with its own 1L pot that can safely boil 0.6 liter (or 20.29 fluid ounces) of water. Anyone on the move will appreciate the speed and ease of setting the Winburner up. MSR suggests lighting the Windburner with an open flame, but it’s no trouble to light by dropping sparks from a ferrocerium rod. In bright daylight, it can be a little tough to see the flame as the stove gets going, so there’s a thin wire that glows brightly within a few seconds to indicate positive ignition (as shown, middle photo).

Performance: True to its heritage (and marketing), this stove laughs at wind. Successive boil times are nearly identical with no wind, in our 3- to 4-mph test wind, and even when out in a real world, high mountain breeze; all boil times range within seconds of 2:30. While we’re sure the stove uses a regulated fuel system, cold fuel slowed our boil times considerably. The pot locks to the stove head for an incredibly stable base when used with the canister base legs. The coozy and pot strap offer a safe way to handle the pot, and they’re easily removed for cleaning.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 5

Pros:

  • There’s a lot of tech going on in this stove that helps it run when other stoves cannot — all while using less fuel than its competitors.
  • Packs down into a single, compact cylinder
  • It’s practically maintenance-free.
  • MSR designs, builds, and tests every component of its products in-house, in the USA.

Cons:

  • Only works with Windburner compatible pots
  • Slows down in the cold
  • It’s more expensive than competing solo stove systems.
  • No built-in igniter
  • It’s not an MSR Reactor.

Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 22

CANISTER

Weight
9.5 pounds

Fuel Type
Liquid Propane

Boil Time – Calm
2:17

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
2:25

Boil Time – Cold Fuel
2:20

MSRP
$350

URL
www.jetboil.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 21

Bringing it all? The Genesis is your jam. For as much cooking convenience as this stove brings to the basecamp kitchen, it packs up tight. Sure, you’ll need to bring a canister of propane, but if you’re looking for the performance of a KitchenAid in the space of an Easy-Bake, then you’re already committed, and another few pounds of propane canister shouldn’t sway you away.

Use: Jetboil’s fold-open double burner stove is easy to set up — thread a fresh 1-pound propane tank into the valve, or use a hose adapter to run it from a 20-pound tank. Start the flow of gas with either of the two control knobs, and hit the piezoelectric starter for instant flame. The large grates provide a solid cooking surface that are easily removed for cleaning. The Genesis has some of the finest level of flame control of any portable stove on the market thanks to the valve’s fine thread pitch and the angle of the valve seat. The stove packs down to about half the size of most double-burner tailgate/camp stoves by folding in half. The system comes with a heat exchanger pot and a pan that’ll make breakfast for a four-person crew in one shot. If you’re settled in for a stay, the Genesis can run from a 20-pound propane tank with a $25 accessory hose.

Performance: The Genesis goes from car to cuisinator in 60 seconds. Boiling water with the heat exchanger pot is fast, so fast. And, the use of propane means you won’t suffer burger withdrawal during mid-football-season tailgate sessions. We cooked meals ranging from rehydrated camping fare to fully civilized breakfasts without wishing for a larger, or hotter, stove.

Pros:

  • Fast setup for a camp stove
  • Excellent for extended stays in mobile situations
  • Runs on inexpensive, easily available, and temperature insensitive propane
  • Push-button starters on both burners work out of the box without adjustment
  • Nonstick ceramic coating on cookware is tough; ours shows no scratches or flaking from extended use as we’d see with Teflon.

Cons:

  • There’s a lot to like about the Genesis, as long as it fits your budget.
  • We did find the cookware focused heat in the middle of the pan. Not an issue when boiling water, but pay attention to prevent food in the center of the frying pan from burning.

Primus Spider Stove Set

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 11

CANISTER

Weight
24.3 oz

Fuel Type
Canister/optional liquid fuel

Boil Time – Calm
2:25

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
2:44

Boil Time – Cold Fuel
7:00

MSRP
$160

URL
www.primuscamping.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 9

The Spider is one of the latest designs in the Primus stove lineup. It adheres to the company’s Eta concept, wherein the stove uses a heat exchanger pot, dedicated windscreen, and a directed flame all in concert to cook with higher efficiency (less fuel) than prior designs.

Use: For a backpacking stove of its capability, the Spider set is quite compact. Pulling the set apart reveals a three-legged burner, a hella-sturdy windscreen, and one of the most efficient pots we’ve used. The low and wide heat exchanger pot is both stable and fast to boil. The burner has magnets on its feet that adhere to the windscreen base for enhanced stability. The pot lid doubles as a strainer (as many lids do on portable stoves), and the folding pot handles make handling the hot pot a breeze.

Performance: The Eta concept is no joke. The Spider is a solid performer that doesn’t shine brightly in any single timed boiling test, but it’s nearly tied at the head of the pack for overall efficiency with the Soto Micro Regulator in our canister stove category. The low-slung, heat exchanger design of the Spider’s pot makes it the most efficient, easiest to use, and the most flexible pot in terms of types of food it can cook.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 10

Pros:

  • Awesome pot
  • Passable simmering control
  • Nesting storage
  • Good durability
  • Optional liquid-fuel pump and bottle. That’s a huge nod should it come time to use a stove for an extended time in an emergency situation.

Cons:

  • We expected the shielded, heat-exchanger pot base and windscreen to have a larger effect on the stove’s efficiency in our mild-breeze test.
  • The stove boils slowly with cold fuel, suggesting it doesn’t use a pressure-regulated fuel system.

Soto Micro Regulator OD-1R

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 15

CANISTER

Weight
2.5 oz

Fuel Type
Canister

Boil Time – Calm
2:10

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
3:07

Boil Time – Cold Fuel
2:36

MSRP
$65

URL
www.sotooutdoors.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 14

The Soto OD-1R Micro Regulator stove was a great success upon its release six years ago, but we thought the technology in the current crop of stoves would have them looking disdainfully on the tiny OD-1R. Whoops. This stove still kicks ass.

The OD-1R garnered accolades when it was released in 2010 for its combination of a tiny regulator, integral starter, microscopic size, and Space Shuttle-engine performance. We’re impressed to see how well it does when compared to the current crop of stoves.

Use: The Micro Regulator is not a stove system. It’s a head that screws directly to an isobutane canister, relying on the base of the canister for stability. It’s up to you to supply cookware, but it works with just about anything that’ll fit on its tri-legged platform. The stove takes up as much room as a saltshaker when packed, and the three legs fold out and lock into place with gravity. The built in piezoelectric starter is nestled into the stove’s gas tube, well protected during transport.

Performance: The burner head is made from an exotic material using a form of fission-based, thermal coefficient enhancing metallurgy called flame-rolled titonium. Yes, you read that right, and yes, we totally made that up. We have no idea how the stove puts out so much heat, but we surmise the head shape and spacing of the fuel ports have a lot to do with it. We do know the stove makes use of a regulated fuel system that laughs at cold temps and changes in fuel volume. Boil times are similar from the first boil on a new canister to the fifth, and cold temps slow things by about 10 percent. And, all of our boil times are with a regular-bottomed titanium pot from MSR. For the heck of it, we boiled a few times using the Primus Spider’s heat exchanger pot and boil times dropped to an amazing 1:40. A lot of this performance goes out the window when a breeze is present, so plan on using a windscreen to get the most out of the OD-1R.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 13

Pros:

  • Tiny, light, and powerful
  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Works well in cold temps
  • Our 6-year-old stove has hundreds of uses and shows no signs of slowing down.

Cons:

  • Isobutane fuel canisters can be scarce.
  • The arms can seem locked-in when they’re not.
  • Stove stability is based on the circumference of a fuel canister.
  • Great at boiling water, but it’s a scorcher when trying to cook food.
  • This guy doesn’t sip fuel.

MSR XGK-EX Military

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 4

LIQUID / MULTI-FUEL

Weight
18.6 oz

Fuel Type
Liquid fuel (diesel)

Boil Time – Calm
2:29

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
3:55

MSRP
$340*

URL
www.cascadedesigns.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 1

MSR’s flagship liquid stove has undergone constant refinement since the original Model 9 hit the market in 1973. It now features a compact, polymer body fuel pump that’s lighter and just as durable as an aluminum body pump, monstrous fuel lines feeding a stove that’ll burn anything it can pump and vaporize, and simple, sturdy construction. The stove body’s chunky shape is deceptive. It’s one of the lightest liquid fuel stoves around, and the legs fold in a way that makes it hard to bend anything out of shape.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 2

Use: Taking care of the XGK-EX is pretty easy. Burning white gas keeps the stove clean; burn kerosene, diesel, or JP-8 and you’ll need to punch the jet every couple dozen or so uses. The internal shaker pin clears a clogged jet in the field, but a deep cleaning after every long trip will keep the stove running for many years. Over time, the fuel pump and stove will need some love. MSR provides the tools, and you’ll appreciate the well produced how-to videos on its website.

Performance: Because we hate ourselves, we’ll skip the white gas and run all of our tests with diesel. Priming any liquid-fuel stove is a pain in the ass, and the XGK-EX is no exception. Mercifully, the large generator tube heats up quickly and the lighting holes line up well to ignite the priming pad. Once lit, it burns hot and loud. The stove sips diesel and cranks out impressive heat. Times are consistent between boil tests, and the fuel pump only needs a few maintenance reps to keep the stove running after a handful of boils. Despite its blowtorch visage, the stove’s valve is fine enough to simmer lighter fuels with ease. Like all liquid fuel stoves, the XGK-EX will run in cold temps that’ll render a canister stove impotent. Just plan on longer priming times as temps drop. Using the included windscreen will give the best efficiency in breezy conditions.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 3

Pros:

  • Easy maintenance
  • Unaffected by low temps
  • Stable with big, 1.5-liter pots
  • Burns almost any liquid fuel; huge generator and fuel lines won’t clog
  • Shaker jet means cleaning a clogged jet is as simple as shaking the stove.
  • MSR provides excellent use and maintenance instructions, as well as great customer service.

Cons:

  • Air purge sometimes leaves fuel in line.
  • Synthetic pump cups can stiffen up in truly arctic temps.
  • Liquid fuel in general can be messy.

*NOTE: The XGK-EX Military package shown here is sold only to the U.S. military. While the cool factor might be higher with that tan fuel bottle, the performance is identical to the $160 commercial offering. The only difference between the two is the included accessories. The commercial stove includes white gas and diesel jets, and no fuel bottles. The military kit includes jets for diesel and JP-8 (but no white gas jet), two 20-ounce, tan fuel bottles, and a SealLine drysack. To get the versatility of the military version, you can buy the outdoor store version and hit MSR up for the JP-8 jet if you think you’ll be scavenging fuel from an MRAP or MATV someday.

Primus Omnifuel Stove

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 18

LIQUID / MULTI-FUEL

Weight
24.1 oz

Fuel Type
Liquid fuel (diesel)/canister

Boil Time – Calm
2:48/3:40

Boil Time – 3 mph Wind
4:30/4:35

Boil Time – Cold
NA/6:20

MSRP
$170

URL
www.primuscamping.com

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 16

The Primus Omnifuel is a different animal. Not only is it a Swiss watch of camping stoves, it’s more omni than most omni stoves on the market. Normally, we’d call a liquid-fuel stove with interchangeable jets a universal stove in its own right. But this guy can run your standard liquid petroleum fuels and canister fuels straight out of the box. So, it’s more universal than you might think.

Use: This stove runs on canisters but is always ready to go into crisis support mode with any liquid fuel around. The fuel line terminates in threads compatible with both its liquid fuel pump as well as disposable fuel canister threads. The fuel pump is threaded for use with nearly any fuel bottle and the aluminum bodied pump is set to stand up to a lifetime of abuse. Priming the Omni for liquid fuel is straightforward, but there’s no wick. The fuel just pools in the stove’s base. There’s no downside as far as priming time, but the penalty for knocking the stove over during priming is a little greater when there’s an ounce of burning liquid fuel rolling around the burner bowl. The burner legs fold up, and the stove is quite compact for a liquid burner.

Performance: While there’s a lot to like about the Omnifuel in terms of its versatility, size, reliability, and cost when compared to other liquid fuel stoves, its boil times are slow. We aren’t sure why, but the stove is more like the tortoise than the hare. It’s going to get the cooking job done, but it isn’t going to be fast whether it’s using liquid fuel or isobutane canisters. Even without a regulator in the stove (and there isn’t a generator tube), we can get the stove running with cold fuel by turning the canister upside down, essentially feeding the burner liquid fuel. Again, it isn’t fast, but it’ll get the job done. Eventually.

Portable stove buyers guide review fire cooking wood isobutane alcohol fuel 17

Pros:

  • Massive versatility and excellent construction
  • Good flame control for a liquid stove
  • Convenient onboard jet storage
  • Liquid and canister fuel compatible
  • Comes with basic windscreen and a decent dry bag that will help isolate the inevitable diesel fuel leakage and prevent your pack contents from reeking like a gas station.

Cons:

  • Smaller fuel lines
  • The stove clogged up during the third run in our boil test, and again while in the field. Pulling the stove apart to clean means risking the loss of small parts.

More From Issue 15

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today.

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 16

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 14

Check out our sister publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original print version for the web.

Forever Foods: 10 Long-Lasting Survival Foods

Written by

Day 258: You just ate your furry little house pet. Yep, it came to that. Rather stringy and sour like turkey breast a few days south of the expiration date, Fufu wasn’t delicious by your standards, but she was delicious by your situation. Nobody knows when it will end, but until it does you’re a prisoner in your own house — at least until what’s outside destroys itself or finds a way in.

Rooting around in the corner of the basement under a pile of old towels, you discover a series of large boxes chock full of containers of food, all wrapped with newspaper dating from 1996. You bring it up to the living room, and your salivating family gathers around the box with wide eyes of hope.

Can you eat it? It’s been down there for 20 years. It can’t possibly still be good, can it? Yes, it can. These are forever foods, a small but distinct collection of food that — if properly stored — can be passed down through the generations.

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 1

Spoil Sports

There’s nothing magical about how food spoils. Simply put, something else eats it before you get the chance to, and that something are microbes in the form of yeasts, molds, and bacteria. Improper food storage is the leading cause of spoilage. A fridge kept above 40 degrees F for only a few hours allows for the growth of microorganisms.

Yeasts: There are many uses for the tiny, single-celled fungus called yeast, the main one being the metabolizing of sugar to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide gas (aka fermentation) or to be used as a leavening agent in baking. However, yeast in the Zygosaccharomyces family grows in food with a low pH and causes the unwanted fermentation of sugars in fruits or the mosslike growth on cheeses and meats.

Molds: Growing in filaments, this microorganism forms a tough blanket, which is visible as mold. Dry spores can then float through the air to find suitable conditions where they can start the growth cycle again. The main symptom from eating moldy food is nausea or vomiting (if you can make it past the bad taste and smell). Penicillium digitatum is a blue mold commonly found on oranges, for example, and Botrytis cinerea can be seen on rotting grapes and strawberries.

Bacteria: Round-, rod-, and spiral-shaped microorganisms, bacteria can grow under a wide variety of conditions. There are many types of bacteria that cause spoilage. They’re divided into spore- and non-spore-forming. Eating spoiled food caused by bacteria (such as Clostridium botulinum and Staphylococcus) can cause food poisoning.

Spoil Shields

Besides you, food is the most perishable item in your possession. Under the right circumstances, a loaf of bread can get moldy in only a few hours. On the contrary, the foods that can last indefinitely contain substances that prevent microorganisms from consuming them. Any foods high in salt, acidity, and natural toxicity provide inhospitable environments for microbes and will be able to last longer.

Salt: When you eat salt, you’re eating tiny little rocks, and like rocks, salt doesn’t go bad and can’t be eaten by microorganisms. Salt is a natural food preservative that has been used for thousands of years. It works by sucking the moisture out of food, and the kinds of bacteria that spoil food need moisture to survive.

Acidity: Microorganisms have a difficult time consuming products with a low pH. Acidity makes things very dry, which isn’t an ideal environment for bacteria.

Toxicity: A poisonous environment isn’t very hospitable for bacteria, which is exactly what alcohol is: toxic. Its main ingredient is ethanol, which, even in small doses like what’s in hand sanitizer (60 percent) or rubbing alcohol (50 percent), can kill most all microorganisms (including the good ones that fight off invaders).

With this in mind, we take a look at 10 foods that do a great job of repelling spoilage.

Best If Used By

The longer a food is stored, the more likely the flavor, nutritional value, and health benefits decline. This is dependent partly on how it was packaged when it was originally stored and partly on how it spent its time wandering through the years. Freeze-dried, dehydrated, and vacuum-sealed foods are the best way to store foods for the long run, but temperature, oxygen, light, and moisture are primary factors as to how long it will last.

Temperature: Much like throwing a steak in the oven to cook it, heat will change the food on a molecular level, slowly leaching away its flavor and nutritional value. Proteins break down and vitamins lose their effectiveness. Keeping food stored around 60 degrees F is optimal.

Oxygen: Air and moisture go hand in hand. The reason foods are freeze-dried or vacuum-sealed is to remove as much air as possible. Air traps moisture in the form of humidity, and moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Light: Fats, oils, proteins, and color react to the UV light from the sun and speed up deterioration and decay. Keeping foods in complete darkness will eliminate this.

Moisture: There’s nothing bacteria love more than a wet environment. Foods must remain as dry as possible to keep microorganisms from setting up shop.

1. Bouillon Cubes

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 13

Bouillon cubes are tightly packed dehydrated cubes of meat stock, vegetables, fat, and seasonings. Because bouillon cubes have large amounts of salt — a single 12-gram cube can provide 92 percent of your daily sodium intake — they can last for ages. They’re small and easily portable, so a few should always be stashed in your go-bag, as they can quickly be turned into a broth or a soup. Though they don’t offer much in the way of calories, add one to any stew, pasta, rice, or pot of vegetables.

These will only last forever if they’re properly packed in vacuum-packed bags because any exposure to air will cause them to absorb moisture and begin to spoil.

However, a word of caution: Bouillon cubes contain a great deal of monosodium glutamate (it’s the third ingredient behind salt and palm oil). For those sensitive to MSG, side effects can include headaches and chest pains.

Beef Bouillon Rice
4 cups water
2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cubes beef bouillon
(chicken optional)

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and bouillon and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix well before serving.

2. Baking Soda

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 12

Used primarily as a leavening agent in baking, its prime ingredient is sodium bicarbonate, which is a technically a salt combined with a hydrogen carbonate ion. However, it can be used as a toothpaste, antacid, deodorant, dish soap additive, household cleaner, and even a fire extinguisher.

Like the box says, “hundreds of uses,” that is, as long as you properly store it (vacuum pack it). Any moisture that reaches the baking soda will send it down the road to spoilage. Though there’s an expiration date on the back of the box (ours says it’s good until the next decade), if properly sealed to keep out moisture, baking soda will stay potent for a lifetime. To test it, add one teaspoon of baking soda into three tablespoons of vinegar. If the mixture bubbles, your baking soda is still potent enough to use for baking.

Since baking soda absorbs flavors (like the one that’s been in the back of your mom’s fridge since you were 12), it’ll eventually go bad, even if it’s left in its box and unopened. It’s best to repackage it in a vacuum-sealed container.

Nausea Remedy
8 ounces water
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar

Stir well the baking soda in the water. Add in the vinegar. Wait for the bubbles to die down and drink it all in about 10 seconds. If there’s no improvement in 15 minutes, drink another glass (with slightly more baking soda in it).

3. Hard Alcohol

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 11

No one will blame you if you want a stiff drink after witnessing a total apocalypse, but make sure to save some ethanol for the future. Because liquor is made from the fermentation of grains and fruits (and then distilled), it has a high ethanol content, making it completely uninhabitable for microorganisms. So, it’ll last forever (as long as you’re not a raging alcoholic).

Researchers exploring a 19th-century sunken vessel in the Baltic Sea found several cases of champagne, and when one of the corks popped off because of the change in pressure, they all enjoyed a very refreshing drink.

Grain alcohol has a multitude of uses and can never go bad (just keep the cap on it and keep it cool and in a dark place). Not only can it be used to barter for other stuff, but it can be used to start fires, as an antiseptic, to sterilize medical instruments, as a bug repellent, and even to clear the sinuses, among many other uses.

Whiskey Cough Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 cup honey
1 pint of whiskey

Boil brown sugar, vinegar, and honey for about 25 minutes or until thick. Let cool to room temperature. Pour in the whiskey and use as needed. For a sore throat or a cough, take two tablespoons before bed.

4. Honey

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 10

Despite being a thick liquid at room temperature, honey has an extremely low water content, making it hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water very well because it’s so dry. Honey has been collected by man for thousands of years, as it’s probably one of the oldest known non-meat foods. A jar of honey was found in an Egyptian tomb, and it was completely edible (and delicious), and future archeologists will likely find little honey bear jars long after society crumbles.

Bees process pollen into honey (it’s bee vomit actually), which is 80-percent pure sugar. It contains protein, Vitamin B, various minerals (calcium, phosphorus, fluoride), and antioxidants, such as flavonoids, ascorbic acid, catalase, and selenium. Natural enzymes found in honey are saccharase, amylase, and glucose oxidase, which produce a natural antibacterial.

Honey has many uses besides adding sweetness to foods; it’s a preservative used in canned goods and a hangover cure (helping metabolize alcohol). It soothes bug bites and burns. It can be used to help relieve nausea (see No. 2). Taken regularly, it reportedly can boost the body’s natural immune system. Mostly unknown in modern times, honey can be used to treat wounds (see sidebar).
Honey is affected by light and temperature, but not permanently. Even though it might crystalize under certain adverse circumstances, it’s still completely edible.

Helpful Honey Milk Sleep Aid
6 ounces warm milk
1 drop vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey

Gently stir in the honey and vanilla to the milk. Drink right before bed.

5. Salt

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 9

Salt can never go bad because it isn’t actually a food. It’s a mineral. Like your granite countertop, it’ll never spoil. It was used as a form of currency nearly 10,000 years ago (and can be again if society comes to a screeching halt), and has even caused a war or two — see the San Elizario Salt War.

A chemical compound of sodium and chlorine and essential for life on Earth, salt has been used as a food preservative and a seasoning since the dawn of recorded civilization. Only about 6 percent of salt is used in food. Most of the rest is used in manufacturing. However, it has many uses around the house. It can be used to remove rust, clean pots and pans, soothe sore throats, clean as a toothpaste, and melt ice on sidewalks.

Salted Pork
½ pound salt
¼ cup sugar
12 pounds pork
12 mason jars

Mix together the salt and brown sugar. Cut the meat into 4- to 6-inch slabs and coat the pieces with the salt/sugar mixture. Pack the meat into the sterilized jars. Keep at a temperature between 36 and 38 degrees F for one month.

6. Sugar

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 8

Similar to honey, sugar, which includes most of its forms (powdered sugar and corn syrups), can last forever. Known by a wealth of names — glucose, dextrose, fructose, and galactose (monosaccharides), just to name a few — simple sugar is a short-chain, soluble carbohydrate composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It’s commonly derived from sugarcane and sugar beets, which are cultivated in tropical climates around the world. It can then be converted into a variety of products from simple granulated table sugar to syrups and other powders.

There are certain methods to helping it through time. Don’t store it in its original packaging as moisture will quickly ruin it. Contrary to that, don’t vacuum seal all of the oxygen out of the package either as it’ll turn into one big rock (which will still be edible, though). Place it in airtight bags and store in a cool, dry place (off of concrete floors and away from anything that has a strong odor).

Remember that sugar isn’t a health food. It’ll provide you with a kick of energy and definitely makes flavorless foods easier to eat. It contains very little nutritional value besides calories (hence the energy). It can be a valuable asset to your cache for its tradability and as an ingredient found in many comfort foods.

Hard Candy
3¾ cups sugar
1½ light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 tablespoon flavored extract

Dissolve sugar in the corn syrup and water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Heat the mixture to 300 to 310 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the flavored extract, and pour into a greased cookie sheet. Let cool. Break into pieces.

7. Rice

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 7

The only things that keep rice from becoming inedible are bugs that might get into it. Barring that, white, wild, Arborio, jasmine, and basmati rice will last indefinitely in an airtight container (or in its original bag, or whatever, really). Brown rice has a high oil content and will spoil over time, so avoid it. Regular white rice is a cereal grain that is the world’s most widely consumed food on a daily basis, as it provides one-fifth of human’s calorie intake.

Naturally gluten free, it’s a great source of calories and is cheap to hoard in large quantities. One pound of cooked rice contains 590 calories (200 per cup). It contains large quantities of vitamin B, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.

Simple Rice Side
3 cups water
2 cups white rice
½ teaspoon salt

If you don’t own a rice cooker or if you’ve lost electricity, try this: Bring the salted water to a boil. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand (covered) for 5 minutes.

8. Instant Hot Cocoa/Coffee

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 6

Nothing boosts morale like a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a soothing mug of cocoa at night. Packets of individual instant coffee and hot cocoa are freeze-dried. The process of freeze-drying is where all liquids are vaporized from frozen coffee so it goes directly to a powder state. This sacrifices some of the original taste (but it’s supplemented before packaging). After that, as long as the packets aren’t punctured, it’ll last the ages.

Besides improving energy levels, coffee contains a host of nutrients — i.e. riboflavin, manganese, potassium, niacin, and magnesium — and massive amounts of antioxidants. As well, it has proven to fight depression and relieve stress (something every survival situation has in spades).

Cocoa contains over 700 known compounds, including antioxidants and polyphenols, such as anthocyanins and flavanols. These naturally occurring substances not only protect the cells of our bodies from premature destruction, but they also help to reduce the risk of killer diseases. Cocoa is rich in agents that enhance the production of various feel-good chemicals in the brain, notably serotonin and dopamine. This means that cocoa possesses anti-depressant, mood-elevating properties.

If the purity of your water is in doubt, boil it then make coffee or cocoa with it.

Swiss Mocha Beverage Mix
1 cup instant coffee
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups powdered milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Mix ingredients thoroughly and blend to a fine powder. To use, add approximately 2 rounded teaspoons per cup of boiling water (or to taste).

9. Powdered Milk

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 4

Powdered milk (aka dry milk) is normal milk that has been heated so the liquids evaporate, and once the liquids are removed from anything, it drastically increases the shelf life — in this case, indefinitely. This is especially true if kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If freezing it, use a vacuum-sealed container to remove as much air as possible.

There are two kinds: dry milk and instant dry milk. Dry milk can be turned into yogurt, cream cheese, and sour cream, whereas instant dry milk cannot. Conversely, instant dry milk is readily available, but regular dry milk can be difficult to find.

Powdered milk contains a host of vitamins such as A, D, E, and K, but they’re added back into the powder. It contains a great deal of proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates, such as lactose and glucose. Lactose also helps your body absorb calcium but, of course, poses a problem for people who are lactose intolerant.

Dry Chocolate Pudding Mix
1¾ cups sugar
2½ cups instant dry milk
1¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder

Stir the ingredients together until well mixed. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool place. Makes enough mix for 24 servings.

10. Dried Beans

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 5

Beans are classified as legumes and aren’t technically a vegetable. Basically, they’re seeds — although, sometimes, the whole pod can be eaten, as in green beans. Because of their low-cost, low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-maintenance attributes and their high-protein, high-fiber, high-vitamin, and high-versatility characteristics, beans are a great addition to a survivalist’s meal.
Stored in a cool, dry place, dried beans will last — you guessed it — forever. Make sure the container is airtight.

Although beans are one of the most difficult foods for your stomach to digest (hence all the farting), they help regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and are high in iron and vitamin B. They have a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein, providing a slow, steady source of glucose instead of the sudden surge that can occur after eating simple carbohydrates (such as candy).

The downside for some people is that beans trigger migraines or headaches if eaten too frequently. As well, beans may cause gout to flare up because of its high purine content (which increases uric acid).

Simple Chili
1 pound ground beef or turkey
15 ounces diced tomatoes and chilies
15 ounces beans
2 tablespoons chili powder

Stirring frequently, brown the meat in a pan. Drain the excess grease. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Bonus Tip: Sweet Salve

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 2

Long before anti-inflammatories and antibacterial medicines, honey and sugar were used effectively to treat wounds, heal burns, and stave off infections, in particular puncture wounds and battle injuries, where a loss of flesh led to prolonged open wounds that could not be easily closed. The use of sugar in treating an open wound is based on its high osmolality, or its ability to draw fluid out of the wound. Reducing water in the wound inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Making a Honey-Based Poultice

To be effective, the wound has to stop bleeding, otherwise the honey and sugar will merely wash away. Also, the wound needs to be clean of all foreign debris such as dirt. The Egyptians washed their injuries with beer, while the Greeks used wine, and the Romans, vinegar. Clean water or a saline solution will suffice.

The sugar and honey are hygroscopic, so they dehydrate all bacteria. Bacteria require moisture to survive and multiply, and a lack of water will result in their death. No bacteria, no infection. The oil, on the other hand, coats the walls of the bacteria cells, blocking their ability to import food and water and export waste. This helps kill bacterial cells as well.

Wound Treatment With Sugar and Honey

Survival foods shelf life shtf prepper food drink supplies 3

Step 1: Clean out the wound with clean water or a saline solution. Pat the area dry and remove all debris or foreign objects.

Step 2: If the wound is especially large, or sugar by itself won’t stay in place, use honey or combine it with sugar and oil to make a poultice.

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Step 3: A thick layer (¼ to ½ inch) is then applied directly inside the wound. Make sure to get the poultice as deep into the wound as possible.

Step 4: Cover with a clean bandage immediately. The bandage will prevent the honey and sugar from leaking out.

Step 5: Change the bandage, clean out the wound, and apply fresh sugar/honey once a day or when you notice the bandages are wet (from the removed fluid).

Conclusion

When the end of the world befalls us, there’s an excellent chance your local grocery store is going to be pillaged bare in a matter of hours. Most stores have only a three-day supply of goods on hand before they run dry, which means even in short-term disasters, inventory will be depleted quickly. In any sort of long-term survival situation, forget it. You’re on your own with what supplies you have on hand. Though you should always keep at least a six-month supply of food available, it never hurts to stock up on these foods that will outlast the march of time.

More on Survival Food and Preparation

Review: BioLite HeadLamp

Written by

This week, BioLite snuck out a Kickstarter campaign to launch their new low-profile HeadLamp to the public. A company mostly known for impressing the ultralight camping crowd with its smart backpacking stoves, BioLite has decided to show some attention recently to lanterns and other outdoor lighting products. We had a feeling that a lightweight headlamp was bound to come, and our suspicions were confirmed with a pre-release peek at their first entry to this segment.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 1

The campaign fired up late at night on September 17th, and was funded almost immediately. The HeadLamp’s crowdfunding campaign will run through October 19th with the bonus benefit to backers of assured delivery in time for “Holiday 2018” gift season. Beyond the Kickstarter, a full commercial launch of the product is planned for Spring 2019. (See the Conclusion for an update on its retail release.)

So that’s how you can get one. But do you want one? We got our hands on a pre-release sample to help you decide.

The BioLite HeadLamp

There are plenty of small headlamps out there, but BioLite is taking a wise approach to the genre with this new unit. If you're anything like us, you've got a closet full of lights. This would include at least a few you don't use, because they're dim, uncomfortable, or flop around on saggy elastic when you move your head. BioLite is calling their construction “3D Slim Fit” which to them means the following:

  1. A flush / integrated light module up front
  2. Balanced weight front-to-back for stability
  3. Smart fabrics throughout

It's not just lightweight — there's already plenty of light… lights… but this unit stays put to an impressive degree. It's not a tight head-grabber torture device either.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 6

When BioLite makes their pitch that they're using “smart fabrics,” that means it's more than an ordinary elastic band that sags and bounces around. And we found this to be a legit claim. The fabric is definitely a modern feel, super soft, without any hard seams or abrasion points. It feels like the high-quality, seamless fabric you'd find on athletic apparel. The LED lamp portion is integrated directly into the headband, not just clipped to it. Most of its cabling is seamlessly channeled through the band to prevent snags. The multiple low-profile adjustment buckles don't get in the way or stick out at all.

As we've mentioned it's really light, tipping scales at 2.4 ounces. It’s not just the weight though: the whole design philosophy is about integration and modernization of the system.

BioLite’s co-founder and CEO Jonathan Cedar says, “You look at where wearables have evolved, like headphones and footwear, and you can see real strides in design and how these products integrate onto a users’ body. The headlamp category has been stuck in the same basic design for decades, and it was time to look at it with a fresh perspective. If you forget you’re wearing our HeadLamp, we’ve done our job.” The whole unit shows low-profile design cues throughout: you can definitely wad this up and fit it in a pocket with nary a tangle.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 5

Power Source

The BioLite HeadLamp is USB rechargeable, with decent run times as well as output levels for how small it is. They’re claiming 330 Lumens, with a 3.5 hour run time on high output. Or you can squeeze out 40 hour run time on low.

A rubber door covers the charging port, and the whole system is IPX-4 water-resistant. Although you won't be snorkeling with it, it will keep sweat and moisture from zapping the electronics. There are also tiny indicator lights on the battery pod, showing the remaining power level and charging status.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 4

The battery is a lithium-ion setup. It can recharge via any micro-USB power source, eliminating the need for wasteful alkaline batteries. While some users might value the ability to pop disposable batteries in to assure (and extend) operation whenever, BioLite’s eco-friendly side made the call to opt for less waste and batteries in the trash. If it’s really an issue for you, the option is always there for you to recharge it with a portable USB powerbank in your pack that weighs the same as a bag of AA’s. In truly off-the-grid settings, the battery can also be charged via a solar panel.

Operation & Adjustment

One button handles all the the light selections. There's a narrow white spotlight as well as a wider soft white flood. You can max out lumens by turning both white lights on at once. A soft red mode is great for hunters, or if you just don't want to phosphene out your night-adapted eyesight. Conversely, if you're signaling that you're lost (or want a backcountry rave), there's that near-seizure-inducing strobe mode.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 2

Brightness for each of the white lights is adjustable — just press and hold down the button to gradually brighten or dim the active light. The lights blink once when you've reached the end of the minimum or maximum output level. As for the red mode, it only offers a fixed low-level of output.

Print

The lamp itself has five positions of adjustment, allowing the user to point the light down at work surfaces or ahead to the trail. The LED head tilts downwards in solid increments, each with a tactile “click”. Both the button and the little ridge used to click the head into positions are on the tiny side, so the HeadLamp might be a little hard to operate with gloved hands. On the plus side, there’s a lockout feature where you can hold down the switch for a few seconds and it won’t turn on accidentally in a pack, draining the battery, etc. if the button is pushed unknowingly.

The LED light element itself is slim at less than half an inch thick, and the battery pod is right at one inch thick. When donned, it balances nicely. The whole unit really feels like you're wearing a second-skin headband, not a bouncy head lamp. No center headstrap needed, nor headache-tightness to keep this in place. Metal fans in need of illumination are in great luck: headbanging and jumping up and down did not result in the light shifting around. In fact, our two testers reported zero movement, and the band was not torqued down — all was comfortable. Good fit, good kit.

BioLite HeadLamp review hiking camping backpacking survival flashlight LED 3

Conclusion

The BioLite HeadLamp will be offered at an MSRP of $50, which should put its street price at a decent point for what looks like a really smart piece of gear. The unit pictured is a pre-release sample, but the HeadLamp will be available for everybody in Spring 2019 through normal retail channels. If you go the Kickstarter route, you get first crack at them now, delivering soon. The Kickstarter backers also get a freebie carry bag that also doubles as a hanging “lampshade” you can string up in a tent for diffused light.

For more info on the BioLite HeadLamp, go to BioLite.com or check out the Kickstarter page.

UPDATE 2/23/19: The BioLite HeadLamp is now known as the BioLite Headlamp 330. It’s no longer only available on Kickstarter, and can be purchased at select retail outlets including REI, Amazon, and BioLiteEnergy.com.

Specifications

Print

Weight: 2.42oz (69 grams)
Output: 330 Lumens
Run Time: 3.5 hours on high, 40 hours on low
Battery: 900mAh Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
Beam Distance: Flood – 16 Meters, Spot – 75 Meters
Modes: Dimmable White spot, Dimmable White Flood, Dimmable Spot/Flood, Red Flood, and Strobe
MSRP: $50

New: Zenbivy Light Bed

Written by

Sleeping bags are great for camping and backpacking, but there's a reason we don't sleep in them at home every night — they're far more restrictive and stifling than a loose quilt. Mummy bags are especially tight-fitting, while rectangular bags offer more room. Last year, Zenbivy developed a system that blends the features of a quilt, rectangular bag, and mummy bag into one modular sleep system.

Zenbivy light bed quilt indiegogo shelter sleeping bag 1

Based on feedback from the original Zenbivy, the company has created a second model that offers reduced weight and a zipperless design. The new Zenbivy Light Bed recently launched via a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo. It will be available in either a 10°F or 25°F temperature rating, each filled with 800 fill power HyperDRY water-resistant duck down.

Zenbivy light bed quilt indiegogo shelter sleeping bag 2

Like the original, the Zenbivy Light Bed is designed to be used in tandem with an air mattress. The lower layer of the Zenbivy system attaches to the mattress, providing a hood and under-body sheet, while the upper quilt layer attaches to the lower layer with hook-and-loop fasteners. This allows the Zenbivy Light Bed to be used as a flat standalone quilt, a wide rectangular bag, or a sealed mummy bag.

Zenbivy light bed quilt indiegogo shelter sleeping bag 3

To see how it works, check out the video below:

The Light Bed is available in Regular, Large, or Extra Large for either 20×72 or 25×77 mattress sizes. Weight ranges from 1lb 13oz to 2lbs 12oz; MSRP ranges from $359 to $469. “Early Bird Special” prices of about 20% off are available for a limited time via IndieGoGo. For more information, go to Zenbivy.com or check out the IndieGoGo campaign.

Video: Super Glue Strength Testing

Written by

Whether we're consciously aware of it or not, brand names, packaging, and marketing strategies can play a major role in determining the products we buy. When faced with a dozen options on a store shelf, we might reach for the brand we're most familiar with, or the one with colorful packaging that catches our eye. Or, putting all this psychology aside, we might make a decision based on price alone. The real challenge is determining the item that provides the most value or “bang for the buck” — and this often requires some testing and research.

Super glue comparison test review adhesive cyanoacrylate 3

Project Farm used weights to test the strength of a super glue bond on PVC pipe.

Super glue is a substance that has a place in just about every home toolbox. It's also valuable in survival kits, since a single vial can quickly repair broken gear or even seal cuts. But, considering the above points, have you ever done any research on which glue performs best for your needs? In the following video from Project Farm, six brands of super glue are tested head-to-head for adhesion to both metal and plastic surfaces.

We appreciate this unbiased performance-based approach to evaluating the glue, as well as its inclusion of multiple types of strength tests — lateral, tensile, and torsional. Price is also a consideration, since it's important to remember that an expensive glue with mediocre performance will offer less value than an average-priced glue with that same performance.

Super glue comparison test review adhesive cyanoacrylate 2

Although Project Farm doesn't make a judgement on which glue is the best all-around choice, the Loctite brand seems like a strong contender, especially if you frequently use glue on plastics.

For more product testing along these lines, check out Project Farm's head-to-head duct tape tests.

Eye for an Eye: Hurricane Preparedness & Survival

Written by

A hurricane is the haymaker of sucker-punches; nature’s fist of fury. Starting low, loose, and below the belt, it loops upward and lands in an arcing trajectory with enough force to take off your head. At worst, winds and waters combine for a one-two punch that leaves you for dead in a blind alley — Hurricane Alley.

Can you take the hit? Will you be caught flat-footed? Survival for you and loved ones may depend on developing the ability to stay aware and stay prepped prior to and during the six-month Atlantic hurricane season. It runs June through November, when hurricane eye walls narrow into deadly killing funnels, with nice sounding names like Florence, Harvey, and Katrina.

To learn how to prepare for and move (or not) before, during, and after a hurricane, we look at hurricane formation, what’s new in tropic storm survival techniques, and what might be called the hurricane mindset. By developing what we call the “eye for an eye,” you reduce the probability that you’ll end up posting a cardboard sign on your roof reading, “Rescue Us!”

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 3

Above: Before the hurricane winds make this task impossible, install high-impact plastic window coverings and aluminum-door coverings, using pre-installed aluminum channels above and below the door with wing nut anchors. A 4×8 sheet of plywood is a sail when climbing a ladder and has sent many last-minute preppers airborne.

Hurricane Mindset

For 2016, disaster planning officials say the No. 1 public danger during hurricane season is the same vulnerability evident years after the September 11 terrorist attacks: complacency. Just as the warnings of a global jihadist movement may be dismissed at our own peril, disaster officials say ignoring the threat of widespread yet unpredictable hurricanes is to woefully turn a blind eye to the inevitable.

The key: prepare intelligently and show a little respect. Hurricane mindset takes the long view, recognizing that almost one-third of hurricanes historically reach major strength. Envision a hurricane up close and personal and plan or practice moves prior to threats becoming real. Get in the zone now so you won’t zone out later.

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 2

’Cane Patch

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone formed over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean, sometimes referred to around the world as typhoons or tropical cyclones. Hurricane strength refers to a tropical cyclone with defined circular winds of Force 12 on the Beaufort Wind Scale, equal to or exceeding 64 knots (74 mph or 119 kph), accompanied by rain, lightning, and possible storm surge even before making landfall.

Atlantic hurricane formation occurs in four stages, requiring warm moist air for fuel, a surface temperature of 80 degrees F to a depth of about 50 meters (165 feet), combined with warm westward winds from Africa. Winds lift water vapor upward, condensing into cumulonimbus cloud towers. This causes heat to release into the air and to form a circulating wind pattern, producing a cluster of thunderstorm clouds called a tropical disturbance.

In stage two, winds within the cloud column increase in a circular motion, reaching speeds of 25 to 38 mph. Once wind speeds hit 39 mph and twist around the eye (counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere), it enters stage three. This is when the tropical storm gets named by the World Meteorological Organization.

Stage four occurs when wind speeds hit 74 mph. Here, the hurricane is at least 50,000 feet high and 125 miles across, with an eye that’s 5 to 30 miles wide. In 2004, Hurricane Charley covered Florida, coast to coast, and its eye crushed Charlotte Harbor with 100-mph winds.

A Five-Step Approach

This year you don’t have to make that midnight run to Walmart and enter the shopping cart demolition derby. In hurricane season, forewarned is forearmed. The five-step plan below launches any time of year based on risk, lifestyle, and construction budget. Some common denominators apply fairly consistently among single- and multi-family homes, offices, or even while traveling on vacation or a business trip.

1. Determine your risk and tolerance

For coastal and inland residents alike, this is a rapid, research-based phase using existing flood zone mapping available from local, state, and federal agencies for your home, school, or business property. Start with the FEMA flood and storm surge mapping, then zero in using state and county water management or flood control districts. Cross-reference with emergency planning information for all family work locations.

This baseline info can drive decisions from insurance policies to safe-room construction. Evaluate the threat, vulnerability, and availability of utilities, law enforcement, emergency medical response, hospital access, potential impassable roadways, and any other obstacles — including criminal activity like trespassing — that may influence your decision matrix during changing conditions. Identify key players and actions needed for information, including the availability of hurricane home mitigation projects to reduce potential damage and possibly lower insurance rates.

Above: Garage doors easily collapse and cave during hurricane force winds, providing an open invitation for winds to pressure your internal home walls. Guard against this with a steel- grid-reinforced door. 

2. Develop an evacuation/communications plan

This is tough, possibly requiring you to leave while the sun is still shining when ordered to do so, even when you want to shelter in place. Still, if the storm surges, or you’re ordered to leave, you should have a backup or alternate location. Run the drills, north, south, east, and west with your family (for when you’re home) or coworkers (for when you’re at the office). Establish contact points with relatives and make sure elderly relatives are on early evacuation lists, if they have special needs or are in assisted living facilities.

You should devise similar plans when on vacation. This author has twice experienced this in Monroe County (Florida Keys) when a knock on the motel door after check-in resulted in an early, same-day checkout. Don’t tune out local news and weather sources just because you clock out for a few days of R&R.

Determine your threshold and be prepared to lead rather than be passive. A communications component will ensure you have multiple levels of two-way comms, as well as capability to monitor weather broadcasts and security instructions. This can include radios or sat phones for when landlines and cellphone towers fail. Know the exact GPS coordinates of your family’s safe room to provide to emergency responders when the street signs blow away.

3. Conduct insurance check

While the sun is shining, place insurance policies for all property (and vehicles) into a safe place. Review them with a trusted attorney and insurance agent to make sure your coverage is adequate. Photo and video record all valuables and home conditions to establish your baseline. Specifically ask “what if” questions regarding wind and wave damage, and differentiate between FEMA-related relief, Federal Flood Insurance, and separate policies, including riders for specialty items. Be prepared to bug out with these documents.

Above: Damaged wood from the previous storm season needs to be fixed long before the next hurricane.

4. Assemble disaster supplies

Gradually rotate and build your emergency supplies, from food to batteries, for short- and long-term duration. If needed, consider generators for maintaining electricity, and don’t forget medicine customized for your family. Keep separate lists and dates for restocking, and help family members build their own kits.

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 7

5. Identify trusted sources for hurricane information

Authoritative weather information should come from the emergency management pros, and not necessarily secondhand through local news reporters. Go to the source, and buy or acquire the tools to own and maintain your awareness 24/7. This includes weather apps for your phone, plus separate VHF-capable weather radios, including hand-crank or solar-generator varieties. Some may have satellite phones and rescue beacons — all good to go if it fits in the budget, and you have the time and discipline to keep them operational.

Use the info you gather to fine-tune your plan and to make that stay-or-go decision, even if for a moderate distance to a safe comfort zone. Be aware, and weigh the mobility-versus-gridlock factor, because a vehicle is seldom the optimum place to ride out a cyclone or flash flooding. And even then, watch your six until it’s safe to return home.

Bugging In

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 8

Space is tight in a safe room, a bug-out vehicle, or your interior bathroom, if that’s where you decide to hunker down and ride out the storm. Pre-staged gear should allow for basic hydration and nutrition without elaborate preparation, perhaps for one to three days before the storm passes, with reserves on hand. Essentials should include:

Water: 1-gallon potable water per person for three days, plus 1 gallon for washing

Food: Three meals per day per person plus utensils

Sanitation: Bathroom facilities and trash storage, or disposable wipes, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, and bleach, used for water treatment and as a general disinfectant

Apparel: Dry change of clothes with waterproof shell, strong-soled boots or hiking shoes, gloves, respirator, and protective glasses

Personal Kit: Individually selected items of value and need — i.e. cash, documentation, and reading glasses

Medical: First-aid kit, medicines and prescriptions, sunblock, bug repellent, compact reflective blanket (space blanket), etc.

Self-Defense Tools: Firearms, ammo, knife, etc.

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 12

Above: Ammo in popular calibers is the first to disappear from store shelves before a huge tropical storm. Before one incoming hurricane, this author found that the only remaining ammo was three boxes of 170-grain .30-30 — perfect for his old 16-inch Winchester. (Also shown is a newer 24-inch Winchester, with John Browning’s .45-70 loaded with Federal .300-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.)

Electronics: Chargers, batteries, communications (radios, mobile or satellite phones), self-charging weather radio, flashlight, headlamps, chem lights, etc.

Also consider:

  • Signaling Devices: Whistle, flare, mirror, air horn, fire-starter
  • Evacuation Tool(s): Axe, pry bars, saws, wrenches, etc.
  • ABC-rated fire extinguisher

Bugging Out

Whether you choose to GTFO early or you’re ordered by local authorities to evacuate, make sure your vehicle (preferably a capable 4×4) is in good working order. And much like the items outlined in the “Bugging In” sidebar, you should pack essentials in your vehicle such as food, water, fire-starter, medical supplies, and self-defense tools. Also consider loading your ride with the following:

BOB(s): Fully packed bug-out bag for each family member

Spare Fuel

Vehicle Recovery Tools: Air compressor, tire-repair kit, tow strap, come-along, tallboy jack, rope

Additional Tools: Toolkit, shovel, chainsaw, pry bar, or axe

Visibility Tools: Spotlight, binoculars, and protective eye wear

Overnight Considerations: Cash, tape, window screening, tent, camp stove, cook set

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 9

Above: Reduce potential tree damage to your home by trimming early with a professional-level pruning tool like this Stihl chainsaw. If you have room, you can also pack it in your off-road rig to clear branches blocking roads. A winch, chainsaw, and spare fuel make a vital mobility combo when nature attacks.

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 10

Above: Don’t forget eyewear, like the author’s personal Mil-spec prescription glasses from Wiley X that also provide protection from flying storm debris or hot brass.

Prepping for a hurricane survival natural disaster shtf bug out preparedness storm 11

Above: A fixed blade — like this Benchmade Bushcrafter — should be a part of every prepper’s bug-in or bug-out kit. The S30V blade with a G-10 handle makes for a great camp knife, survival blade, and self-defense weapon.

Returning Home

After the “all clear,” you might be tempted to rush home to see if your house is still standing or to just collapse in your own bed. But caution is needed. Here are some brief tips:

  • Approach your home with gloves, boots, mask, and eye protection
  • Prepare to evaluate damage while avoiding injury due to utilities/hazards
  • Prepare to install rolls of nylon screen for mosquito/disease control
  • Document damage with digital photos and lists, prepare claims and guard against looters and predators, contact and initiate all claims
  • Apply storm tarps, tie-down cords, post signage
  • Communicate with family, emergency plan contacts

Web Exclusive: For additional content and more detailed information on what to do after a hurricane hits, go to www.offgridweb.com/survival/hurricane-aftermath.

Mistakes to Avoid

Thinking You Can Fuel Up: Chosen or ordered to evacuate? Then you better understand the capacity and range of your vehicle, and the need for space for fuel in the event none is available en route. Follow the boater’s rule of thirds: one third to reach your destination, a third to maneuver, and one third to return. Fill up spare cans for alternate destinations.

Staying Clueless About Flats: Emergency responders have discovered that storm debris can often result in punctured tires. Carry a patch kit as well as a hand pump or onboard compressor, plus blocks and a working jack and tire tool for each vehicle.

Forgetting That Looters Are Shooters Too: If you’re hunkering down, don’t set up a lawn chair and an umbrella on your front porch and sit beside a spray-painted plywood sign reading, “Looters will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.” There are few things more desirable to robbers than money and guns. Not only will this sign mark you as gun owner, but shade and sunscreen don’t qualify as concealment or cover. And no need to make first responders reluctant to respond to emergency calls in your ’hood.

Cracking Open a Window: This popular misconception results from post-storm images of buildings that appear to explode during hurricane force winds. Like blowing into a balloon, fast-moving air entering a building applies pressure inwardly, potentially lifting roofs and blowing out walls. Seasonal storm shutters, or even plywood, can block the forces and protect you against flying debris.

Lacking large-scale situational awareness: Don’t focus so intently on the hurricane eye coordinates that you lose perspective on peripheral threats. Even when avoiding potential storm surge, many deaths still result from drivers and even pedestrians underestimating inland freshwater flooding on roadways, 100 miles from the eye.

Procrastinating About Protection: Many homeowners are injured immediately prior to storms when attempting to climb ladders to install 4×8-foot plywood panels during high winds. Beef up your home in the spring, or as a year-round home improvement project. Things like storm shutters, fortified garage doors, and impact-resistant windows can fortify your residence or office and provide potential insurance advantages.

Conclusion

“Don’t let it get you down and keep you down” sounds cliché, but that is what you must do. If a hurricane is on the horizon, show strong leadership and a caring face to those around you. Fortify and strong point your patch of earth; prepare to stand your ground or maneuver. Sometimes you must get knocked flat and a little broken before redemption. Get back up.

About the Author

David H. Martin’s earliest hurricane memories are of candles and power outages in his boyhood Houston home. He weathers the storms of Southwest Florida as a Sarasota kayak and canoe fishing guide, paddle skills teacher, and firearms instructor. He has worked in local, state, and federal emergency management, planning, and disaster response and recovery. He can be emailed at davidhmartin@me.com.

More From Issue 15

Don’t miss essential survival insights—sign up for Recoil Offgrid's free newsletter today.

Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 16

Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 14

Check out our sister publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade

Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original print version for the web.