I recently got my hands on one of these to try it out.

Here’s how it worked for me. Warning: many pictures ahead.

Here’s the can itself. It’s the same size around as all those #10 cans of mashed potato pearls that you’ve got stacked in the basement.

To open the can, you need a tool. And by “a tool” I mean “pretty much anything.” A screwdriver, a can opener, or if you’re like me, a knife.

See, I didn’t even have to open the knife. The can opens up like a can of paint.

The little white flecks you see in the picture below are rock salt grains, which my 2-year-old threw at me as I brought the Stove In A Can into the house. Now, you don’t want to use this inside your house unless you’re a big fan of smoke damage, but I brought it in because it was cold and windy outside and I wanted to spend as little time as I could out there.

Here’s everything that comes in a Stove-In-A-Can. 4 compressed fuel cells, an instruction manual, some waterproof matches, a “fuel ring” to lift the fuel off the bottom of the can, and a “cooking ring” that enables airflow. All this retails for $34.99.

Okay, I didn’t have a great place in my yard to text this out, so I threw it on the grill.

To keep the fuel cell off the bottom of the can, I joined the two ends of the fuel ring like so:

I put the fuel ring in the bottom then unwrapped a fuel cell and placed it atop the ring. As the manual suggested, I broke off and crumbled a small piece of the fuel cell there on top. I didn’t want to burn the wrapper, because I wanted to use it to store the partially spent fuel cell after I was done. Anyway, as you can see, it took me three matches to light my little crumbled pile on fire. In all fairness, I didn’t crumble very much, and it was pretty cold and windy outside. Add on top of that the fact that I’m not exactly a fire wizard and now you know my excuses for why I needed three matches.

After I was sure it was going to burn, I put on the cooking ring and the lid. The manual says you can use the lid for stability or even as a cooking surface.

I through a big old stainless steel from the kitchen on top of the stove (don’t tell my wife). After five or ten minutes it felt hot enough to cook on.

I wish I had taken a picture of the scrambled eggs that I cooked for my daughters. They were magnificent. Anyway, after I was done, I put on a glove, removed the cooking ring and lid…

…then flipped the lid over to extinguish the flame.

Okay, so after cooking with the Stove In A Can, here are my overall thoughts.

This is really a great little stove for emergencies. It is easy to store, you don’t have to worry if it falls over while rattling around in the back of your truck, and it really does have everything you need including fuel and matches. You can buy one, throw it in your with your food storage, and you’re set for about a week’s worth of cooking (if you reuse the cells). It gets plenty hot and it very simple to use.

As you can see, there is some soot clean up when you’re done, especially if you want to reload everything into the can when you’re done. Because of this, I’m not sure if I’d use this as my go-to stove for camping. After all, my little propane stove is requires almost no clean up. If you’re not lazy like me, though, this can still be a great option.

All in all I think this is a groovy little product and I’ll be adding it to my food storage pile.

If you’re looking to throw one of these into your emergency supplies, you can get them direct from the manufacturer at QuickStove.com. They are also available at many of the big online emergency supply retailers.

Think you want to buy one? I’ll hook you up.

I chatted with the owner for a bit and was able to work out a great deal for you. How does $10 off sound? That’s almost 30%! If you order from the QuickStove website, just click the “I have a referral code” link and enter in realselfreliance to get your $10 off.

And yes, I get a small commission if you do this, but dang it, it took me hours* to talk the owner into giving you this sweet discount.

*not really, but you’re getting the best possible deal, so why should you care if we both benefit?

The key to dealing with insect bites and stings is this: act quickly, and get as much of the venom or saliva out of (or off) your skin as soon as possible. The insect’s venom or saliva is what is causing you the pain or itch. The sooner you remove the causal agent, the less severe of a reaction you’ll experience.

The following are do-it-yourself, first aid tips that will help you get ahead of the insect bite before too much damage has been done.

Bee or Wasp Stings

The trick with bee and wasp stings is to remove the stinger as quickly as possible and as completely as possible. You don’t want to leave any of the stinger in the skin at all. Most people find a credit card to be an effective tool for scraping the stinger out, but a long fingernail can work just as effectively and is usually available right away.

After you get the stinger out, apply one of the following to the sting site:

• A paste of baking soda and water
• White vinegar
• Half of an onion (sliced side on the sting site)
• An aloe vera leaf, split open (the wet, juicy inside is what will help the sting site)

None of these remedies will take the place of an Epipen in case of a serious allergic reaction. However, these strategies should alleviate the pain quickly if you are not seriously allergic to bee or wasp stings.

Mosquito Bites

Some people handle mosquito bites just fine, but some people swell up terribly. (I happen to be one of those people). However, there’s an easy, effective do-it-yourself remedy that works wonders for me and may for you also.

As soon as you realize you’ve been bitten, wash the area with warm soapy water. Dry the bite and then apply a couple drops of olive oil infused with comfrey leaves.

What’s comfrey, you ask? An herb that’s probably growing in your yard right now. You can order live comfrey plants online and grow them in a pot on your patio or in your garden. I keep a jar of olive oil with comfrey leaves in it nearby for any unidentified insect bites, and it usually relieves the sting, itch, and swelling right away.

Chigger Bites

You’ll read all kinds of crazy remedies for chiggers, but the important thing to realize is there are no chiggers under your skin. Because of the way chigger bites rise up and form rigid bumps, people mistaken think the chiggers have burrowed inside your skin and need to be suffocated. Whatever you do, do NOT put nail polish, bleach, paint thinner, or any other crazy substance on your chigger bites. You’ll just make an itchy situation worse.

Chiggers remain on the surface of your skin and actually can be washed or even wiped away quite easily with a damp cloth. In fact, it’s a good idea to carry a wet wipe in your pocket when you’re out in the woods or garden so you can swipe at your exposed ankles and knees (the most common place for chiggers to bite) once in a while.

If you’ve got chigger bites, wash the area with warm soapy water and concentrate on soothing the irritated skin. You can use ice (wrapped in a towel), hot baths, and aloe vera (split open a leaf and rub the juice on the bites). The maddening itch is from the chigger’s saliva; it causes a reaction in our skin that makes the cells around the bite become hard and raised. However, the best thing you can do for chigger bites is to soothe the area and resist scratching (which can make the bites itch worse and turn into open wounds).

As with all insect bites, see a doctor if you have serious allergy symptoms such as swelling of the face or throat or difficulty breathing.

Author Bio:

Erinn Stam is the Managing Editor for nursing scholarships. She attends Wake Technical Community College and is learning about grants for nursing students. She lives in Durham, NC with her lovely 4-year-old daughter and exuberant husband.

Here’s what you need to know about picking the best handgun for an emergency:

• Know the limitations of a handgun. Any handgun you buy is going to be less effective and less powerful than a rifle or a shotgun. That’s the thing about emergencies, however; rifles and shotguns usually aren’t available. Handguns are. That’s why it’s so important to pick the right one.
• Some handguns have more stopping power than others. Larger bullets do more damage, and are more likely to stop an attacker in an emergency. You want to choose a caliber from this list of four: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and .357 Magnum.
• Manufacturer matters, but only to a point. Some manufacturers enjoy a better reputation than others. If you choose a lesser-known gun maker, quality can become an issue. Do some research before buying a particular gun. The last thing you want is to find out in that moment of need that your handgun has poor craftsmanship. Manufacturers you can generally trust include Beretta, Colt, Ruger, Glock, Smith & Wesson, and a few more.
• Aim and penetration are as important as caliber. If you want to make effective use of a handgun in an emergency, you need to know how to fire it and hit your target. You need to be able to place a shot in a vital organ area and then penetrate far enough to actually reach those vital organs.
• If you don’t follow safety procedures, a gun becomes a liability. If an attacker can get to a handgun before you can, that handgun becomes a danger to you rather than to them. A locking gun case or a gun box that you can access quickly via keypad entry is usually your best bet in terms of storage, for example.

A poorly-chosen or poorly-cared for handgun won’t help in an emergency. Take the time necessary and spend a little bit more money to get the right handgun.

Bio: This article was written by Mark Solomon, who enjoys writing about financial self-reliance and survivalism. Mark is an outdoorsman who enjoys driving to the mountains, so he’s always on the prowl for the best deals on tires to the best discounts on electronics and gadgets.

Battery power has provided many conveniences to our lives, many of which we have taken for granted. When it comes to putting together your own emergency preparedness kit, there may be some portable battery operated devices you may have overlooked. You may be thinking that you don’t exactly have the budget to purchase items you may not use often, but you’ll see that you can stock your emergency kits without draining your online savings account.

Below is a list of the most essential (and some less needed but still pretty damn cool) battery powered items you should keep handy in the case of an emergency.

Non-essential but pretty awesome battery powered devices, could do without but would be nice to have:

Portable Camping Shower ($25-$50) – If you happen to be nearby a clean water source (such as a river or a lake) and the water lines have been cut off to your home, a portable camping shower is useful when you need to get a stream of flowing water. Most devices are powered by standard D batteries and can be found for cheap at any outdoors specialty retail stores, such as REI.

Battery Powered Socks/Gloves ($20-$100) – Using the same concept of an electric blanket, these battery powered accessories are equipped with heating pads to help keep your hands and feet warmer during the winter months. Definitely nice to have when the weather is colder, but not necessarily essential.

Battery Powered Ipod Charger ($40-$200) – Some gadgets have been developed to power your USB devices, such as cameras or Ipods. Some devices are run off of standard AA batteries, other larger devices with multiple USB inputs may use multiple D batteries.

The Essentials:

Flashlight/Battery Powered Candles (Varies, inexpensive) – This is a given. If/when the power goes out in the middle of an emergency, you’re going to be glad you have these around. Battery powered candles can be found cheap and provide a good source of stationary light and can be found virtually anywhere for cheap.

Portable Radio ($10-$100) – This may also sound obvious, but a portable radio may be your only source of contact to the rest of the world in the middle of any unrest. Make sure you have an AM tuner, since FM signals normally can only reach 50-75 miles from the source of transmission. Like flashlights, portable radios can be found virtually anywhere.

Portable TV ($30-$100) – This falls along the same line of having a radio as a source of communication. While many local TV stations may or may not still be broadcasting news, it would still be useful to have a visual of what’s going on in the rest of the world. NOTE: Also be sure to invest in a battery powered digital TV converter (an extra $30-$40).

Battery Powered Cell Phone Charger (~$20) – A number of manufacturers (Samsung, Sanyo) have developed battery powered cell phone chargers to ensure you can charge your phone wherever you may go. Landline phones are ideal, but if there is no service available, a fully charged cell phone would suffice. Many of these nifty devices are powered on standard AA, C, or D batteries and can be found online or at a local electronics retailer such as Best Buy or Target.

2 Way Radio/Walkie-Talkies ($20-$150) – Many commercially available 2 way radios are powered on standard AA batteries and can have ranges of up to 10 miles. The more professional radios can reach as far up to 36 miles, but will cost accordingly. These are especially useful if phone service is not available.

GPS ($40-$200) – If you end up having to travel anywhere during an emergency, it would be good to know where exactly you are and what direction you’re going in. Luckily, GPS units have become quite common in the past decade, so you can easily find one for an affordable price at any major retailer.

Battery Powered Fan/Air Conditioner/Heater ($10-$100) – Even in the middle of an emergency, Mother Nature will still be as extreme as she’d like to be. Therefore, you’ll be glad to have portable fans and air conditioners going to keep cool during the hot summer months or a portable space heater to gather around in case disaster strikes during the colder seasons. Fans are common enough to be found at any retailer, however a quick search on Amazon will find you a portable air conditioner for no more than $100.

If you happen to have access to your vehicle:

Portable Stove ($20-$100) – Yes, battery powered stoves/hot plates do exist! That is, if you’re close to your car battery. There are plenty of stoves that are powered through your vehicle’s DC outlet, and some that may even be connected directly to your car battery. If you’re looking for a portable stove that doesn’t require your car battery, the compact Sierra Zip Stove allows you control over a flame using a battery operated fan. There’s no telling whether the gas lines or power lines will still be available in an emergency, so these will prove to be handy. Alternatively, a wood burning stove would also be sufficient.

Portable Microwave Oven ($200) – There aren’t many choices for a battery powered microwave ovens out there, but the WaveBox Portable microwave oven should be sufficient. This device can be found through various online retailers and are powered directly through your car battery or through your vehicle’s DC power socket.

And finally…

Batteries! – Considering your new collection of portable gadgets, be sure to have an extensive supply of batteries to ensure you will have a constant source of power. Be sure to keep a variety of batteries available (AA, D, 9V, etc) so you can guarantee to be able to power any type of device.

What other battery operated devices do you believe are essential in any emergency preparedness kit?

Editor’s note: This article was written by Todd Miller and originally appeared on his personal blog. Todd recently had the food storage advertisement that was on the top of the blog for most of December.

We have a problem in the United States. Ok, we have quite a few challenges right now but there’s one in particular that we as individuals can personally control and many choose not to. Our problem is food storage…or lack thereof.

Let’s face it, we all need food and cannot live without it, yet many people have less than seven days worth of it on hand. Making a case for having long term food storage is pretty simple but getting people to act is not. In most situations it comes down to personal experience as to whether or not a person decides to take action and have “food insurance”.

If you compare having food storage to something like life insurance or saving for retirement there are several similarities as to why people don’t take action. They have heard all the benefits of protecting their family’s financial future with insurance and retirement savings but put off preparing for a later time, which by then it’s too late.  Food is even more vital because you can only go several days without it!

When it comes to food many people have a hard time believing that their supply could be cut off for a prolonged period of time.

Look at how those who have several months to a years worth of food storage are sometimes mocked and ridiculed as hoarders and doomsdayers. People have gotten so comfortable with a plentiful supply of food because there’s a grocery store within a couple miles of most homes.  Probably nothing other than a moderate snow or rain storm has affected their ability to access food.

My family and I never had long term food storage.

When I was growing up, my parents never had even a moderate amount of food storage in case of an emergency.  Heck, with three boys in the house we were lucky to have two days worth of food in the house!  More recently for me it wasn’t until about a year ago that I had more than one week’s worth of food storage. Luckily, our family never had a real food emergency, otherwise we would have been looking to someone else for help.

This is where most people are in their thought process regarding food storage right now.

They know it’s a good idea but they never actually ran out of food for an extended period of time and prices have been pretty stable the last 20-30 years. The only people that experienced long term food shortages are those that were affected by a major flood, earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster. I’m sure if you ask them before and after their ordeal if they have food reserves you would get very different responses.

So other than preparing in case of a natural disaster, why start your own food storage?  Let’s review the top 3 reasons why you should have food stored away and why you should do it right now. Why right now?  Because we live in unique times.

The challenges we face now and in the next several years are global. Not only can an event in the United States affect our ability to obtain food, but so can a global one.

Which One Of These Reasons For Food Storage Will Soon Affect You?

In order of importance…

1.  Inflation – Why is this number one?  Because there’s not much you can do to control the price of the food you buy. Prices are set by the market and you can only adjust your eating habits and how much you buy based on how much you can afford. Most people that shop for food have noticed some moderate increase in the prices at the grocery store. However, this is just the beginning. Take a look at the stats below and you’ll see why you should be concerned about inflation and even the possibility of hyperinflation in the near future.

According to the National Inflation Association, in September and October of 2010:
– corn prices rose by 29%
– soybean prices rose by 22%
– orange juice prices rose by 17%
– sugar prices rose by 51%
– wheat prices rose 36% since the beginning of July

In just the month of November 2010:
– the cost of food rose 1 full percentage point, equivalent to 12%
annual inflation.
– eggs rose by 23%
– fruit jumped 14%

From December 1 to December 15, 2010:
– corn was up 3%
– coffee was up more than 8%
– sugar was up 8.49%
– oats were up nearly 6%

2.   Disruptions in the Supply Chain – In many areas throughout the country the food supply is not generated locally. In fact, we import a large portion of our food from countries with no safety standards for insecticides, fertilizers, bacterial and chemical contamination.

Because most of our food is not from local sources we are much more susceptible to a variety of disruptions not only in the US but now globally as well.  Any of the following events around the world could cause food shortages: natural disasters, terrorist attacks, crop failures, major shifts in political power, spike in fuel costs, etc.

3. Unemployment – Unfortunately this scenario has hit home with a large percentage of people in the last 2 years.  As of the writing of this article the unemployment rate stands at just under 10% (according to government records). That’s 1 in 10 people that are out of work and the outlook is not expected to improve anytime soon.

As a result, we have seen the number of people on food stamps hit an all-time high in 2010.  Take away the possibility of losing a job for a moment and let’s say you had some kind of illness for an extended period of time.  Would you have the money and/or food storage to see you through until you were back on your feet?

In the end, the biggest reason for starting your own food storage is self-reliance.  If a natural disaster, unemployment, inflation or even hyperinflation occurs, those without food storage and basic supplies will be reliant on someone else which in many cases will be the government. I don’t know about you but I don’t like to be reliant on anyone else for much of anything, especially food.

Will there be a time in the near future that we experience food shortages for whatever reason?

No one knows for sure but the number of people seeking food storage is growing which is a step in the right direction. The worst that could happen if everyone has a lot of extra food is that they have to eat it and share it with others. When/If times do get tough, the stronger communities, families and individuals will be those with plenty of food on hand.

PS. There are many ways to start your own food storage. Many people are educated and skilled at canning food while others use store-bought items and do well rotating it on a regular basis. For me, the best way was pre-packaged, dehydrated food with a long shelf life (15 yrs +). If you would like to learn more about the company and try some of their food for free you can do so by clicking here.

There’s no such thing as a stress-free life. Most of us deal with stress on a daily basis, from getting the kids off to school and on time, to driving to work in heavy traffic to taking care of a sick family member. Our bodies were designed to deal with stress on a short-term basis, then to [...]

Post from: The Survivalist Blog dot Net – Copyright © 2010 – All Rights Reserved

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I’m currently reading “The First National Bank of Dad”, and like this article, it says that the best way to teach kids about money it to give them some.

America, Australia, Europe or Antarctica. No Matter Where You Live, The Most Important Thing Is… Water?  Food?  Firearms?  A good Bug-out Location, or reliable vehicle to get to it?  There are probably as many answers to the important question of  what the most important thing to have in a…

The Damsel would like to introduce one of her favorite sistah bloggers. The amazing and beautiful Jocelyn, who knows her way around an Old School kitchen. Please find her online at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. Bisquick and me.  We’re tight. I would go so far as to say that the Big [...]

Make your own pancake mix.

Hot Chocolate Mix
recipe adapted from familyfun.com

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 unsweetened cocoa

[...]

How to make your own Hot Chocolate mix.