Prepare Your Windshield for Rain

Re-post courtesy of MatthiasJ from Kentucky Preppers Network

A rain storm is something that can slow down driving and if the rain is coming down hard enough, it can stop you in your tracks. Rain can hurt yours and other drivers visibility quite a bit. Rain at night can be even worse because it becomes harder to see the yellow lines in the road. The rain keeps them from being as reflective so it can be hazardous while driving in the rain at night. Part of your vehicle maintenance is making sure your windshield wipers are in good working condition. This is something you should check on a monthly basis, and replace when they become worn. You can take this even further and dramatically increase your visibility with one easy step.

Rain-X is a great way to keep your windshield clear during rain and also assist your windshield wipers. When water hits a Rain-X treated windshield it will bead right off. Rain-X works best when moving at higher speeds. Usually above 50 mph. That way the wind can help bead the rain right off. If it's not raining too hard you can drive without using your windshield wipers and see perfectly fine. Rain-X is something that I always keep on my windshield because it dramatically increases your visibility in a rainy situation.

Rain-X comes in a lot of different forms and I have found that the best way to use it is to apply the Rain-X wax. It comes in a squirt bottle and you apply it the same way you apply wax to the paint of your car. Use a foam or cloth applicator and put a good coat on the windshield. Wait a few minutes and allow the Rain-X to dry to a haze. Once dried take a clean cloth and buff until all the Rain-X is removed. This also helps keep bugs from sticking when they hit your windshield at night. A lot of them will just slide off instead of bursting and covering the windshield.

As cheap as it is it's a no brainer that you need to keep a good coat on your windshield. One good coat of the Rain-X wax will last you about a month, depending on how much rain you are driving in. There are a lot of other great Rain-X products including wipes and other types of application. Whichever you choose make sure your windshield is treated and you will thank yourself when the next rain comes.

*Note: You can also put a coat of regular car wax on the windshield and it will work almost as good as Rain-X.

Getting Your Body Prepared

Re-post courtesy of MatthiasJ from Kentucky Preppers Network

One of the important aspects of being a prepper is preparing for your future. This does include your food storage and other preparedness items. It also includes your health. Staying healthy and in shape will increase your quality of life, and your life span. Most Americans get little to no exercise. This is probably why America has the largest number of obese people than any country in the world. Also due to the poor diet of most Americans.

I know it's hard to eat the best diet due to our fast and busy lives but by just cutting out fast foods and sugary snacks you're going to do yourself a lot of good. And by getting 20-30 minutes of physical exercise each day you're going to improve your health and overall well being. Low stress exercises like walking or riding a bicycle are a great ways to get in your daily physical activity and burn a few pounds.

Physical exercise is also a great way to relive stress. Most of us work all day couped up in an office somewhere and don't get the outdoors time we need. Going for a walk or jog after a long day at work will make you feel 10 times better and make you forget about all the problems from work. Getting out and exercising will allow you to get your daily dose of Vitamin D; which is critical to a healthy body and healthy immune system. If you spend 15-20 minutes outdoors in direct sunlight each day your body will produce all the Vitamin D it needs.

Getting exercise will also benefit you if you are in a situation that you have to put your survival skills to the test. If you have to hike home with your get home bag you will be happy you spent 30 minutes each afternoon exercising. Getting daily exercise makes you feel better overall. You get a chance to get out of the house and away from the television or computer. Try it out for a week. Let me know if your overall attitude improves and you feel a lot better.

Water Storage Options

Re-post courtesy of MatthiasJ from Kentucky Preppers Network

There are a lot of options out there when trying to decide how to store your water. Regardless of the method you choose, water is extremely important and your water storage needs to match your food storage. Your method of water storage will depend on your living arrangements, and should be tailored to your location and housing situation.


First there is the water barrel. Available in sizes from 15 - 55 gallons, these are pretty easy to store and are very versatile. *Note: One thing to consider is that water weighs almost 8.5 pounds per gallon. A 55 gallon drum filled would weigh over 450 pounds. Make sure they're supported on a sturdy surface. The best thing to do is get the barrels used. Syrup at cola bottling plants come in these containers, as well as other food related liquids. You can get these for free sometimes if you talk to the right person, they usually throw them out. If you can't find free ones my local Rural King sells them used for $12. Check locally but if all else fails you can always order offline.

If you get creative you can find places around the house to hind them in plain sight. One of these in the living room with a piece of plywood on top (cut in a circle) with a sheet draped over it would look like a regular table. On the Preparedness Pro Facebook Page there is a photo posted of using them to create a bed with wood on top of the barrels then the mattress and sheets. I've also heard of people using them for a computer desk. It would make them easy to get to if they were in the living room or bedroom. Just make sure you have a good hand pump to get the water out.


There is a company that makes a product called the Water Bob. It is a large plastic bag designed to fit in a bathtub. The bag is made of strong, and safe plastic with a hole to fill it with. The idea is that in the event of an emergency, you put it in the bathtub and can fill it with up to 100 gallons of water. This is a great product, and for the price it's great to have in the closet. They fold down into a small box to there's no problem storing them. The only problem is see is if you wake up with no water at all then you can't fill them up. This would be great to have along with your existing water storage just to give you a few extra gallons in the event you might need it.


At most Wal-Mart's you can purchase these 7 gallon Reliance water containers. They're blue containers that come with a pour spout and a convenient carrying handle. They usually run around $12 each and I have quite a few of these full of water. They are great quality and are a great way to store water in small amounts. Even if you have all your water in 55 gallon barrels you can keep a few of these to transport water. They will sit on a table and you can use the included spout to pour water with ease.


I talked about this in my post about "Free Water Storage" but I will mention it again. If you drink a lot of juice (and you should) then you're going to end up with a lot of empty jugs. Juice bottles are perfect because they are easy to clean, just wash and fill with tap water. These will store for years and is a great way to add just that much more water to your water storage without costing you any additional money.

One thing to also remember is that your hot water heater is essentially a tank full of water. In an emergency this can also be tapped into for drinking and cooking. Most hot water heaters have a valve and nozzle at the bottom for draining. It would be a good idea to have an attachment with a hose on hand so you could dispense the water without risking a spill.


There are also larger water storage solutions available if you have the space. You can get containers from 100 to 300 gallons or more. If you have a barn, or garage with the space this might not be a bad idea. Just make sure you have a way to transport the water into your house for use.

There are probably a few things I missed but this should give you an idea on how to store your water. Water is more important than having food. You can go 3 weeks without food but won't last 3 days without water.

Cooking with Ramen Noodles

Re-post courtesy of MatthiasJ from Kentucky Preppers Network

Ramen noodles is one of the best and most versatile survival foods you can have. Mainly because they are cheap, quick, and easy to prepare. There are lots of different types of Ramen; from chicken, to shrimp, and beef flavored. I personally like Ramen noodles and eat them often. They don't have a lot of nutritional value but will fill your belly and keep you going.

The great thing about Ramen is the fact that it is so versatile. You can mix just about anything in with Ramen noodles and create a delicious dish. In my food storage I keep Ramen noodles as the base for any noodle dish. Ramen can also be added to other dishes that require noodles. They cook very fast (around 3 min) which is usually a lot faster than other noodles on the market. If you just use the noodles and not the spice packets, you can save those for a later dish. No need to waste.

Ramen noodles are great with spaghetti sauce. I keep Ramen and spaghetti sauce in my food storage for making a quick spaghetti dish. You can also add Ramen to chili, I like noodles with my chili and Ramen goes great with it. You can also add any "cream of" soups to Ramen with some spices and have a nice filling soup. There are endless combinations of cooking with Ramen. It's a great addition to your food storage, and will take the place of most other noodles in any dish. Toni Patrick has a book called 101 Things to do with Ramen Noodles. I've read this is a good book with lots of good recipes.