Saturday, August 6, 2011

Dealing with Head lice

Head Lice and how to deal with them

I decided to add this one blog onto the food storage blog because of the importance of it, and we all know knowledge if power and because school is starting soon and this is the time we start and hearing about it.

These are things that do come about more so when poverty is high. This is not saying that it’s caused by poverty because it can be found in all homes despite the economic status and despite what we may think cleanliness, has nothing to do with it either. However knowing what you’re dealing with, and knowing the first signs can save a lot of trouble and treating it right away help keep it from reaching epidemic levels.

The subject of Head Lice

Like I mentioned before Head lice don’t care how much money you do or don’t have, if you just happen to be in a place where they’re at, you’re probably going to get them. Doesn’t matter if you shower everyday and wash your hair or blow dry it they will make a nice nest in your head or someone else’s if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when the lice was looking for a host.

First off let’s get rid of the myths told about head lice.

1. TRUE OR FALSE:
Head lice are so small you can't see them with the naked eye.

FALSE: Head Lice are the size of sesame seeds. They may be difficult to see with
the naked eye, but not impossible. They are best viewed in natural light with a
magnifying glass?

2. TRUE OR FALSE:
You're more likely to get head lice if you have poor personal hygiene.

FALSE: Head lice are equal-opportunity parasites; they live exclusively on human
blood. It doesn't matter how often you wash your hair. It doesn't matter if you
have dandruff. They are attracted to blood, not poor hygiene.

3. TRUE OR FALSE:
Your child is more likely to get head lice than you are?

TRUE: Children are more inclined to get lice because they engage in frequent
head-to-head contact -- over secrets, games, sports -- and close contact is the
primary way lice move from person to person. And though lots of parents are
alarmed when their child comes home with lice, there's simply no way to prevent
kids from getting lice and, as disgusting as they may be, they're not a medical
problem -- just a nasty nuisance!

4. TRUE OR FALSE:
Head lice can jump from person to person?

FALSE: Head lice can't jump or fly, they can only crawl. And because head lice
thrive solely on human blood, they move only from person to person, never from
another animal such as a dog or cat. The most common way for head lice to get
from one person to another is via head-to-head contact. They can also move
around via shared hats, combs, and bedding, but because they die within a day or
two without human contact, this path of transmission is much less likely.

5. TRUE OR FALSE:
It's important that you treat head lice quickly, as they spread disease?

FALSE: Head lice don't transmit infections, lead to scabies, or make children sick. In fact, they rarely, if ever, cause any harm -- just a lot of annoyance. Experts
suggest that the greatest harm associated with head lice comes in the well-meaning but misguided use (and overuse) of toxic treatments to eradicate them.

6. TRUE OR FALSE:
To successfully treat head lice, you need to see a doctor?

FALSE: Head lice can be successfully treated at home with over-the-counter lice killing shampoo and diligent combing. If you are unsure whether your child has
head lice, confirm it with your child’s pediatrician or with a school nurse. Once
you're sure you're dealing with live head lice, over-the-counter (OTC) remedies
like anti-lice shampoos generally work, but nothing is 100% effective. You must
apply two applications of medicated shampoo, the second one seven to 10 days
after the first. In between, comb hair daily with a special nit comb.
Combing is the most important weapon you have to get rid of head lice.

7. TRUE OR FALSE:
You can use vinegar or mayonnaise as home remedies for treating head lice.
Many people have reported this works better then the store bought shampoos for lice although there's no scientific proof ever presented publicly, that home remedies such as mayonnaise, white vinegar, or tea tree oil work in getting rid of lice, but many parents say it worked for them.

Advocates say that mayonnaise -- applied thickly and then kept on
overnight under a shower cap -- smothers the lice, while vinegar destroys the
glue that attaches nits to the hair.

Pediatrician Steven Parker, MD, a WebMD consultant, says that as long as there's no risk involved in the assorted home remedies touted as head lice cures, there's no harm in giving them a try. In fact there are more risks involved using the chemicals then the home remedies


8. TRUE OR FALSE:
You must get rid of every last head louse, or another infestation will occur.

FALSE: Head lice and eggs in bedding, on towels, and around the house, usually
die within days without a human host. So while you don't have to worry about
getting all the nits and adult lice from every crevice in the house, you do want to
launder everything you can that has come in close contact with someone with
lice: Bedding, hats, and towels. You'll also want to vacuum spots where an
infested person usually sits or lays. Don’t forget the car seats and cars.


Personally I would never again treat my children with the over the counter medicine for the treatment of head lice. Besides it being so expensive, the chemicals used if left on too long can (and has done in too many cases) cause BRAIN DAMAGE to children and anyone using these products! There are other effective ways of treating lice.

The eggs hatch so often and many times the dangerous medicine doesn’t even kill the eggs all the way so it is necessary to be on it and keep a watchful eye out for eggs hatching every few days. Most of all try to get rid of all the eggs. They do lay their eggs so close to the scalp that sometimes its so hard to even se them unless the hair grows out a few days later. So even cutting the hair very short does not always take care of the problem- it may reduce it dramatically but because they lay the eggs so close to the scalp they can come back if the eggs are allowed to hatch. So you have to keep on the eggs and not allow a single one to hatch..

What are the signs and symptoms of head lice infestation?
The signs and symptoms are


• A tickling feeling of something moving in the hair;

• Itching (caused by the an allergic reaction to the bites);

• Sores on the head (caused by scratching);

• These sores on the head can sometimes become infected;

Detection

Head lice can be detected by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs, or adults. Locating a nymph or adult may be difficult; there are usually only a few of them, and they can move quickly from searching fingers. However, the presence of nits close to the scalp confirms that a person is infested. If the nits are located more than 1/4 inch from the scalp, the infestation is probably an old one. If you are not sure whether or not a person has head lice, the diagnosis should be made by a health-care provider, school nurse, or a professional from the local health department or agricultural extension service. The nits of head lice are easily visible with a microscope. Using a flashlight may help to se ethe louse and eggs hidden in the hair.


Natural remedies for getting rid of Head Lice:

*Mayonnaise--completely saturate your child's [dry] hair with any full fat mayo. Cover with a regular plastic beauty cap such as you would find at a beauty shop OR use one of the larger Plastic bowl covers with the elastic [Saran Quick Covers] and leave to sit for 2-3 hours.

Wash the mayo out by using Dawn dish washing liquid [you may have to wash hair 3 or 4 times, but it's worth it.]. The oil from the mayo also helps make nit removal very easy comparatively. This worked much better than Clear Nit Remover.

Wash out the mayonnaise hair (and make sure it’s tightly wrapped with Saran wrap/Plastic wrap, I'd recommend sleeping on it). This suffocates the lice and kills them. Then, wash with vinegar. It helps the mayonnaise come out better AND it aids in killing lice eggs because of its PH. :) This worked on a cabin of 12 kids at a summer camp, who all passed it on to each other.

*Non-alcohol hair gel worked great also, saturate the hair (dry) with gel, put a shower cap on it, sleep on it and wash out it the a.m., then remove the nits. The gel suffocates the live lice.

If you so choose to use (OTC) Over the counter treatment or prescription medications to treat the affected people and their families.

Follow these treatment steps:
Remember NEVER LEAVE ON LONGER THEN DIRECTIONS SAY IN SOME CASES SEVERE BRAIN DAMAGE CAN OCCUR!

1. Remove all clothing.

2. Apply lice medicine, also called pediculicide, according to the label instructions. If your child has extra long hair, you may need to use a second bottle. WARNING: Do not use a cream rinse or combination shampoo/conditioner before using lice medicine. Do not re-wash hair for one to two days after treatment.

3. Have the infested person put on clean clothing after treatment.

4. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment but are moving more slowly than before, do not retreat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair. The medicine sometimes takes longer to kill the lice.

5. If, eight to 12 hours after treatment, no dead lice are found and lice seem as active as before, the medicine may not be working. See your health-care provider for a different medication and follow their treatment instructions.

6. Nit (head lice egg) combs, often found in lice medicine packages should be used to remove nits and lice from the hair shaft. Many flea combs made for cats and dogs are also effective.

7. After the initial treatment, check, comb, and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days.

8. Re-treat in seven to 10 days.

9. Check all treated people for two to three weeks until you are sure all lice and nits are gone.
Treating the house:


Treating the whole house is a laborious but important task. Follow these steps:

1. Machine wash all washable clothing and bed linens that the infested person touched during the two days before treatment (to kill the lice and nits). Use the hot water cycle (130 degrees F; 55 degrees C) to wash clothes. Dry laundry using the hot cycle for at least 20 minutes.

2. Dry clean clothing that is not washable (coats, hats, scarves, etc.), or store all clothing, stuffed animals, comforters, etc., that cannot be washed or dry cleaned into a plastic bag and seal it for two weeks.

3. Soak combs and brushes for one hour in rubbing alcohol, Lysol, or wash with soap and hot (130 degrees F; 55 degrees C) water and then place in bag and leave in freezer for two days.

4. Vacuum the floor and furniture. Do not use fumigant sprays. (They can be toxic if inhaled.)

~~~♥~♥~♥~♥~~~

Make sure to tell children never exchange hat’s, sweaters, or jackets either; this is another way of passing them along to another person.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Nut For Nuts



From almonds to walnuts, nuts are packed with nutrition.

The Romans considered certain nuts to be food of the gods. Because walnuts resemble the brain, they were used to treat head ailments during the Renaissance. The Incas made pottery in the shape of the highly prized peanut.



Most of us today just like to eat them.

Nuts are versatile: They can be eaten as a snack or as part of a meal. They make tasty additions to fruit or vegetable salads, casseroles, baked breads or muffins, oatmeal, pilafs and meat dishes.

Nuts also are nutritious. They are placed in the meat group of the Food Guide Pyramid because of their protein content. Ounce for ounce, they are one of the best plant sources of protein and contain no cholesterol.

Many also are good sources of fiber; minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium, selenium, copper, and zinc; vitamin E, folacin and other B vitamins; and fat.

Fat - there's good news and bad news. Fat is high in calories - 9 per gram versus the 4 per gram in carbohydrates and protein. If you're tipping the scales a little more than you should, it's best to cut some calories (and add exercise) to get that weight down. Because of their calorie density, fats are a logical choice for lowering our calorie intake. Therefore, use nuts in small amounts.

Although dry-roasted nuts are not cooked in oil, they are not significantly lower in fat that regular roasted (fried) ones. The other bad news is that the salted varieties add a significant amount of sodium.

Some studies have indicated that people who eat nuts fairly often have a lower risk of heart disease than those who seldom eat them.

When buying nuts in the shell, choose clean nuts that are free of splits, cracks, stains, mold or holes. Nutmeats that rattle in their shells are usually stale.

Shelled nuts should be plump and fairly uniform in color and size. Limp, rubbery, dark or shriveled nuts may be stale. Nuts in the shell retain their quality longer than shelled nuts. They can be kept at room temperature for a short time. For longer storage, keep them in a cool, dry place. Shelled nuts will keep fresh for several months stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Shelled or unshelled nuts can be frozen in tightly closed freezer containers at zero degrees or lower.

Add nuts to homemade trail mix.

For the flavor of fall, sprinkle baked squash, sweet potatoes or apples with chopped nuts.
Nuts add texture and taste appeal to fruit, vegetable and main-dish salads.
Sprinkle hot cereal with chopped nuts or add them to pancake, waffle, cookie, cake, quick bread and muffin batters.

Try using one-half whole wheat flour when baking - the flavor of whole grains especially complements nuts.

Brown baggers delight: Stuff whole grain pocket bread with a mixture of chopped nuts, apple, banana and pineapple chunks and sprinkle with raisins.

Nuts can be ground into a meat like paste and used in place of flour and meat too.


Chestnuts are the only low-fat nut with 1 gram fat and 70 calories in one ounce of dried or roasted nuts. Macadamia nuts are the highest with 19 grams of fat and 199 calories. Some other favorites stack up this way per ounce:

Nut fat calories
Almonds 14 g 167
Brazil nuts 19 186
Cashews 13 163
Hazel nuts 19 188
Hickory nuts 18 179
Peanuts 14 164
Pecans 18 187
Pine nuts 5 161
Pistachios 14 164
Walnuts 1 8 182

When it comes to storing things like nuts you must understand a few simple rules of food storage.

Not all foods have a long shelf life no matter what.
Nuts have a lot of oil in them so they tend to go rancid quicker then most dried foods. The higher the oil content the quicker they will go bad- and when I say bad I mean the flavor will taste off- If you ever opened a package of rice or old flour you will know that smell that comes from the oils that have gone bad - that’s what happens to nuts.


In order to try and extend the shelf life of your nuts you can vacuum pack the in plastic and freeze them. This can extend your nut shelf life to 2 years or more depending. Or you can store them in glass jars in your fridge for about up to one year. I have read that you should not store unshelled unroasted nuts, but I'm unsure that’s true. You are better off storing the nuts in bulk in the shell as the shell helps it last longer- it has to do with the oils in the nut being released, so the more you do to the nut in its natural state the quicker its demise.

With the current situation going on in Wall Street seeing today that the Diamond Farms nut company took the BIGGEST DIVE downward who knows what will happen to the company now. One thing I am certain as in all food products no matter what- THE PROCES WILL GO UP! That you can count and place your bets on - so thinking smart get some nuts today and start storing them because there is a very real possibility the current nut farms will be out of business here in no time flat- that translates into NO NUTS or Nuts being very expensive really soon.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tip of The day



As previous mentioned in this blog - Depending on your budget and your space everyone’s food storage may differ. One such food to consider when looking for your perfect food storage items.

Instant Mashed Potatoes!

Instant Mashed Potatoes can make a variety of foods and are delicious now days.

They can be used as topping to casseroles.

Side dishes
Soups
Sauces
Breads
Batter


And some easy inexpensive main dishes like..

Fried ham & potato balls
Gnocchi
Meatloaves and Meatballs
Potato & Cheese Tacos

Let’s not forget how good they are all by themselves with butter on top.

The list goes on and on, use your imagination or look up some recipes online.. Instant Mashed Potatoes provides a lot of food from a small amount of storage space.

Note: Prices right now range from about $3.57 - $5.79 for a 27-28 oz container prices will go up soon.

Tip Of The Day




If you have been reading my blog posts and your thinking along the lines I've set out in the below articles, then you can see that it's not always safe to count on "always" having the luxury of electricity, so putting up items that can be eaten in such dire emergencies can be helpful in stressful situations.

Another food to consider having plenty on hand is Oatmeal.
Oatmeal is extremely useful and can not only be made into a bowl of belly filling hot cereal, but it can be made into quick breads, cookies, bars, home made granola and many other dishes if you use your imagination. It can also be ground into flour for use in all things where flour is required.

Oatmeal is very inexpensive, you can either buy it from the store for a few bucks, about(2.79) for a 48 ounce container (regular or old fashioned) are usually the same price, or buy it bulk for much less.
Also you can buy the prepackaged for a bit more money that has the sugar, spices and milk products already in the mix just at water. Either way it's inexpensive and good for you.

Quick cooking Oatmeal requires less time to prepare the regular Oats however I always strive to have both in abundance on hand as you wouldn't want to use Quick cooking oats for making granola, however the quick cooking cooks way faster then the whole oats and its can just be soaked in water to make it edible.

Note: Most Oatmeal is sold in cardboard box containers, I would for (food safety) open my containers and place them in heavy freezer zip lock bags to keep them pest free – once in the bag you can either store them in a larger plastic container or put them back into the round boxes originally came in and re-seal them back up with packaging tape to keep them from being attacked by rodents.

Always remember when storing such items as grains and such, you have to always consider the possibility of rodents. In some situations its best to double store by securing the grains in a zip lock bag then back into another plastic container. Rodents are known for eating right through cardboard containers and even plastic ones are not always 100% safe if the plastic is very cheap and thin. Make sure to save yourself money in the long run by investing in GOOD heavy duty containers. The worse possible thing is to have this food stored up, then when and if you need it you come to find someone had beaten you to it and contaminated whatever was left. It always pays to not scrimp on your investments and buy good heavy duty continers..

Low Budget Food Storage Solutions

Low Budget Food Storage Solutions


*****UPDATE*******

When I wrote this blog out over a year ago TOP RAMEN in my area King Soopers, Denver Colorado the price was @ 17 cents each - Today the price is **12** cents and that's without a sale. So as you can See the price has gone down in this market where prices are going up on many food items.

The below prices will need to be adjusted as they werE calculated at 17 cents each- It's always good news when prices go down on food items but don't count on them staying that this low - GET SOME WHILE YOU CAN!

TOP RAMEN MAKES AN EXCELLENT BARTER ITEM TOO!


No More Excuses!


Do you think it's possible to live off of $3.57 a week?

If I told you getting some emergency food storage doesn't have to cost a lot of money, would you believe me?


If you can't afford much and want to get some security in having a food storage plan then listen up it can be done. Food storage for one person for one year is as little as $171.35 that's three meals a day for one whole year.



You can have emergency back up food storage that's very affordable and easily ready at any store. If you shop around you may be able to get it cheaper too.


Top Ramen is the answer for many who are on a low budget but want to have something to store. Top Ramen requires little cooking and for dire situations it can be eaten uncooked or can be soaked in water as the noodles will absorb the water.


It's filling and versatile. You can add a number of food items such as eggs, mushrooms, meat, vegetable or even lemon and limes to give additional nutrition.

In the prison systems Top Ramen is used to barter so in real life this little product can likewise be used to gain needed supplies, others may have in exchange for a hot cup of belly filling Top Ramen.


I know what your probably thinking, YUCK TOP RAMEN! I would get so sick of that. But let me tell you, when you go without food for a few day Top Ramen will be a meal fit for a hungry King.



The problem is many of us are short sited when it comes to food. Many, if not all of us, have never gone without it for very long which does one thing to us, it makes us ignorant to some very
important and simple facts.



Fact #1.

The average person can survive for three weeks with no food, if your overweight you have more time added as your body will feed off of the fat- if your underweight then you can cut that time down from 3 weeks to possibly 2 or less depending.


Fact #2.

You can survive only 3 days without water and 3 minutes without air.
So you can have all the food storage in the world and if you don't have the water to go along with it then your dead in 3 weeks.


Fact #3.

A few days or weeks without any food at all- Top Ramen will be the most delicious thing you have ever tasted in your whole life, I promise.

So what I say to people who always complaining they don't have the money to buy food storage, I say rubbish, then recommend they buy in bulk "Top Ramen" if nothing else.

But make sure for every Top Ramen pack you put up as food storage, also store along with it one bottle of water. Most bottles water in 8-16 oz bottles are sold in packs of 24- so every time you buy a case of water buy 24 Top Ramens to go along with it. This is a good way to start off you food storage for the low budget.


Below I've made a chart of the cost per person, by month, year & two year.


Keep this in mind also..

When selecting a food storage program that's good for you and fits your budget, consider what it would be like if everyone around you also had no food A smart person will think ahead and consider storing extra food or items to be used as barter - Top Ramen is perfect for this

Go Get Some Now while you still can!


Top Ramen Food Storage Cost

3 Meals a day per person- per week
For 1-10 People
.17c per package

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Cost

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 3.57
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 7.14
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 10.71
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 14.28
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 17.85
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 21.42
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 24.99
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 28.56
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 32.13
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 $ 35.70

*********************
New price 12c each 1 person Calculation
1wk $2.52
2wk $5.04
3wk $7.56
4wk $10.08 = 1 year 120.96
*********************


Feed 1 Person for 10 weeks or 10 People for 1 week

1 person 1 week = $3.57 1 Year = $171.36 2 years = $342.72
2 persons 1 week= $7.14 1 year = $342.72 2 years =$685.44
3 persons 1 week = $10.71 1 year = $514.08 2 years = $1028.16
4 persons 1 week = $14.28 1 year = $685.44 2 years = $1370.16
5 persons 1 week = $17.85 1 year = $856.08 2 years = $1712.16
6 persons 1 week = $21.42 1 year = $899.64 2 years = $1799.28
7 persons 1 week = $24.99 1 year = $1199.52 2 years = $2399.04
8 persons 1 week = $28.56 1 year = $1370.88 2 years = $2741.76
9 persons 1 week = $32.12 1 year = $1541.76 2 years = $30.38.52
10 persons 1 week = $35.70 1 Year =$1713.06 2 years = $3426.12




Note:
I buy the 33 Gal (Sterilite) plastic latch containers to store my top ramen in - they stack 2 high and 3 across 18 back so in one box you can fit 108 Top Ramen packages in one container- they easily stack on top of one another and can fit perfectly on top of your fridge or under your bed or sofa. I store mine on top of my fridge they stack three high and two wide 6 all together. Walmart currently sells the storage containers 6 @ $41.00 - the boxes can always be reused for other things.Also note I've had them stored there now for about 7 months or more and the only piece of advice I would add not that I've done it is this- consider covering each top container with a cheap vinyl table cloth because what I have found is the top containers get a bit of dust mixed with a bit of grease which can easily be remedied by adding a cover- it doesn't need to be anything fancy and you can fine the inexpensive vinyl tablecloths for very cheap in dollar stores,Kmart and Walmart you can cut them to fit so you don't have a lot of excess hang on the sides.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Tip Of The Day


When planning your food storage think outside the box - always consider the stressful situation it will be to have to rely on your food storage and try and make it as uncomplicated as possible- One food storage item I think is essential is Instant pancake mix - you can buy these in large 25 lbs bags for very cheap- this can make life a little easier cooking with instant items. All you add is water to the pancake mix and you can make a variety of things.
Don't forget to add syrup and Jams to the storage shelf also.

Instant pancake mix can be made into Pancakes - more diluted down you can make crepes - you can make coffee cakes - or a dinner time bread along with meat and vegetables - the possibilities are up to your imagination.

Monday, September 28, 2009

100 Items to Disappear First in an Emergency or War.

100 Items to Disappear First

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Work Boots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soy Sauce, vinegar, bullion's/gravy/soup base
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens


From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.

1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources.

2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.

3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's.

4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the easiest to do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)

5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.

6. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me, you'll have a lot of time on your hands.

7. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.

8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches!