Simple Survival Kit

A week ago I was startled awake at 1:00 am by something scary.

It helped me realize that there has been a glaring deficiency in Homesteady over these last few years.

For a show focused so much on self sufficiency and self reliance, we have covered WAY TO LITTLE about preparedness.

Actually we have covered nothing about preparedness.

(except in the roundabout way that homesteading and farming leads to a family being prepared…. but thats another kind of preparedness…).

That ends today! (Actually it ended with that 1:00 am wake up, but I’ll get back to that in a minute)

We are transitioning in our life. More on that next week when we release another episode of the podcast…. Until then lets just say we will not be able to rely on our homestead to provide us with bumper crops to fill our freezers and shelves for the future (ooh… cryptic foreshadowing…).

And so with our life shifting… I find my attention shifting as well.

A person can always be more prepared.

Having a self sustaining farm is one form of preparedness. It’s the kind I am good at.

The kind I’m not so good at? The “Prepper” kind.

The survival gear, food stores, bug out bags….

I said way back in episode 1 of Homesteady (wow! that was time ago now!) that I am not a Prepper.

Honestly, sometimes the prepper mindset bums me out. 

Some preppers are so focused on the possible negatives, it seems like a life lived in fear.

What if the zombies… plague…. bombs…. Russians…. (fill in the blank….)?

I am a bit of a nervous nelly.

If I am not careful, I can find myself imagining the worst. I have to refocus my thoughts to try to think in a more positive way. The preppers who are all doom and gloom and zombies… They operate in a place I actively try to avoid.

BUT… NOT ALL preppers are like that.

There are plenty of prepared individuals out there, with food stored up, and go bags ready, who are more interested in being in a position to help others when a tire goes flat or a car needs a jump, then they are worried about shooting looters coming for there stocked up goods during the zombie apocalypse.

Thats where I find myself headed.

I am trying to face some of my nervous nelly fears head on this upcoming year.

For example, I’m a big wuss with medical issues, so I am going to learn some basic first aid. And I am going to make sure I have the needed supplies.

A week ago something scared me. It woke me up, literally, and figuratively, to the need for change. 

1:00 am, my Carbon Monoxide detector went off.

I did’t believe it. I hit the reset button on the detector. 10 seconds later it started beeping again.

So I quickly woke the kids, and K, and we headed outside.

I Called 911, and we all jumped into the back of our car to wait for help. 

Fortunatly in our car we have a (semi) Go Bag. It’s not great, but it had a blanket in it. And it kept the kids cozy while the firefighters cleared the house.

But there I was, in PJ’s. Cold. kids without warm clothes. And it was a chilly night.

It made me think… 

Our go bags need help. We should have warm clothes for all, some snacks for the kids, a few more blankets? (The one we had was a bit small for 6 people.)

And the go bag should have us covered for a lot more just a nap in the back of the car while the house is cleared for Carbon Monoxide.

And so off to youtube I went. Learning about Go Bags, Get home kits, and other Prepper preparedness items I should have.

Thats where the overwhelm usually sets in.

You say to yourself… I need a go bag. Then you google “Go Bag Items” and 3 weeks later your awaking from a coma.

That is what happened to K and I. Looking over these lists, we got very glassy eyed. Almost gave up before we even started.

THEN… I found the Altoid Survival Kit. 

Talk about SIMPLE SURVIVAL!

1. Buy a $2 tin of Altoids. 
2. Dump out gross overpowered mints
3. Scavenge the house for as much band aids, fishing hooks, and pills as you can stuff into that little tin. 
4. Get your family featured in the next episode of doomsday preppers! 

Ok, so maybe a little Altoid tin isn’t enough to save you from the Zombie hoard.

But it is a first step in the direction of practical preparedness.

And once you get the ball rolling, it gets easier. 

Tonight me and my 3 older kids spent the evening assembling our Altoid kits. It was SO FUN! 

My kit included

• Asprin
  
• Acetaminophen
• Fishing hooks
• A Leatherman Micra
• $20 cash
• Gauze and bandages
• Alchohol wipes
• Razor blades

and a few other emergency essentials that could be crammed in there. Soon I will be adding a lighter, some cordage, and a spare car key.

The kids kit had

• Fishing hooks
• Hot hands heater packets
• A kid friendly pocket knife
• Tack reflectors
• Tin Foil

and a little lego toy, to lighten the mood. Soon we will ad some mini LED lights, whistles, compasses, and a list of important emergency phone numbers.

We had a great time.

The kids were able to customize their kits. I made an extra one up for k.

The coolest thing?
WE HAD ALL OF THIS STUFF (except the $2 tin) ALREADY!

It was essentially a “FREE SURVIVAL KIT” that was just waiting to be assembled.

And I can’t wait to ad it to my EDC (Every Day Carry), which up until this point had been just my phone and Leatherman (various modles, depending on the day ;). 

I feel more prepared than I did last week when that alarm sounded at 1:00 am. 

And with the ball rolling, I know I will be WAY MORE ready the next time I hear an alarm sound.

Will You?

Here are a few vids that helped me get started, maybe they will help you!

• Good Starter Kit
• The Prepared businessmen kit
• School Friendly Kids Kit (this one is so sneaky and awesome 😉

And I promise when our kits are done there will be a vid on our YouTube channel helping you put yours together!

What is the number one item you will make sure goes into your Altoid Survival Kit? Tell Us!

Leave a Comment HERE on the blog!