Your Camping Survival Guide Checklist

Today I want to provide you with some reminders about what to make sure to take with you on your next camping trip, regardless of its length.

If you are one of the 40 million Americans who goes camping annually, it may have been a while since you’ve done it, so I don’t want you to forget anything important.

21 camping ‘musts’

Everyone’s list of camping essentials will be different, but here are some basics I think everyone would benefit from having on-hand:

A sturdy, waterproof camping tent
Sleeping bag, pillows; blow-up mattress or sleeping pad
Extra clothes including socks, swimsuit, etc.
Toiletries and toilet paper
Cellphone
Flashlights and extra batteries
Power banks for your phone and other electronic devices
Survival knife
Compass
Compact cooking stove
Fire-starters
Non-perishable food, including granola bars and healthy snacks
Water and water bottles
Cooler for perishable food and drinks
Disposable cups, plates, utensils
Cleaning supplies, dish soap
Towels and washcloths
Extension cord, tarp, bungees
Paper clips (handy as a zipper pull, eyeglasses repair, makeshift compass, & more)
Fully-stocked first-aid kit
Sunscreen, bug spray (or dryer sheets for insect repellent!)

Some folks may want to include a weapon in their camping gear, assuming they have a concealed carry license.

Making memories in the outdoors

People who have never gone camping may not understand its value. Why sleep on the ground outdoors when you could be in a nice comfortable bed?

But what they learn after they try it is how therapeutic it can be to leave the stress of their lifestyle behind for a few days and get back to nature. The change in environment can be a significant mood booster. And basking in nature’s beauty relieves anxiety.

Camping trips are about making memories with family and friends. You’ll enjoy new experiences that would be impossible to duplicate back at home. And you just may learn a few survival skills that will come in handy down the road. Including fire-starting and cooking over a campfire.

Many people come back home from camping trips being bonded to others better than ever before. Your shared experiences, late-night chats, and early-morning walks all combine to bring you together as a cohesive unit.

A bug-out scenario rehearsal

A couple more things about camping. While it’s important to take everything you need on a camping trip – especially one lasting longer than a couple of days – you don’t want to overdo it.

If you end up taking a bunch of “just in case” stuff that you don’t end up requiring, it could bog you down and tire you out.

Even more important, try to look at your camping experience as a dry run for a potential bug-out scenario. Surviving in the wild with a limited amount of food, water, and other items will be much easier to deal with if you’ve already practiced this type of thing while camping.

Oops, looks like I failed to mention the most important thing of all – s’mores. Yeah, you can make and eat them at home too, but it’s just not the same.

Happy camping!

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Outdoor Survival | 13 Winter Camping Tips For Every Survivalist

Winter camping or exploring the wilderness in the winter season can be very dangerous and at the same time a wonderful experience. Feel the freedom, solitude, and peace that this adventure has to offer. But if you are unprepared or not properly guided then it will suck all the fun of what supposedly is an awesome endeavor. So check this winter camping tips that will serve as your guide for your next trip.

Total Whiteout | A Compilation Of Winter Storm Survival Tips

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[VIDEO] Survival Minutes | Toothpaste for Stings

Join former Navy SEAL Cade Courtley as he unveils a self-reliance hack for insect stings using ordinary toothpaste. Discover how toothpaste, a staple in every survivalist’s bug-out-bag, can draw out venom and provide instant pain relief. Tune in for this “Survival Minute” and learn how to be a survivor, not a statistic.

The Inside Scoop 🎬:
– In this “Survival Minute” Courtley presents tips for treating insect stings.

– If stung by an insect, the first step is to promptly remove the stinger, preferably in the direction of hair growth.

– Toothpaste can be applied to a sting site and significantly reduce pain almost immediately.

– Toothpaste contains an astringent which helps to extract venom and menthol that provides a cooling sensation.

Transcript 🎞️:
“Hey folks, this is former Navy SEAL Cade Courtley with your 4Patriots Survival Minute. Now let’s say you just got stung by a bee, a yellowjacket, a wasp. First thing you want to do is you want to get that stinger out of there, okay? Generally speaking, if you can go with the direction of your hair… and you can try and get that out of there.

The next thing you want to do, which is really easy, is you can use toothpaste. Now toothpaste has what’s called an astringent. It’s a fancy word for saying it’s a sponge that will help suck whatever venom’s in your arm out. The other cool thing about using toothpaste, especially the white ones, is generally speaking, they have menthol in them, which is a cooling agent.

So between the astringent and the menthol, you’re going to reduce any of the pain that you’re going to feel from that sting almost immediately. Alright folks, this is Cade Courtley with your 4Patriots Survival Minute. Be a survivor, not a statistic.”

What Do Fall Activities & Survival Have in Common?

What does fall mean to you? For many of us, it represents the welcome relief of cooler temperatures following a hot summer.

We also love fall colors as leaves in our area and in neighboring states turn beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Fall is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the weather, the sights, and the sounds of the season. It’s also a good time to think about how our fall activities relate to preparedness.

Today I’m going to provide you with 13 fall activity ideas and their connection with getting ready for a crisis. In each case, I hope you can combine family fun with survival preparation.

13 ways to fall in love with preparing

Take a hike in the woods or in a state park. While getting back to nature, you can practice for a potential bug-out in the woods. Including distinguishing between safe and unsafe plants and berries.

Go on a camping trip. This will be good practice for preparing to take care of your power, food, and shelter needs in the outdoors. It will remind you of which portable items you most need when you’re on the go.

Get lost in a corn maize. Then use your deductive reasoning and any tools at your disposal such as a GPS to practice escaping from a situation in which you feel trapped in order to reach safety.

Walk or run a fall 5K. This is a great way to help build up the stamina you will need for a bug-out and/or survival scenario.

Visit a farmer’s market and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables you can freeze for meals in the winter when it may be too cold to go to the store.

Plant fall crops in your garden for harvesting later in the year or in the spring. Some plants do very well in the fall, including carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.

Carve pumpkins. This is good practice for using a survival knife, as you may be out of the habit of using it regularly.

Set up an apple toss. Aiming for a basket will help improve the physical dexterity you will need to deal with an emergency.

Rake leaves. Does that sound more like work than play? Well, think about some of the preparedness uses you could have for leaves. Including composting for your garden, saving for tinder, cushioning your feet to avoid blisters, and insulation and padding for a sleeping bag,

Take family fall photos. You can enjoy these outdoors photos now, but also save them for potential identification purposes should your family get separated during a disaster.

Go to the library on an inclement day when you can’t enjoy the outdoors and check out a couple of books on survival and preparedness.

Get a jumpstart on holiday shopping. This is also a very good reminder to get ahead in your preparedness efforts.

Use a mini solar-powered generator to power a slow cooker to make a hot meal or heat up your apple cider during a power outage. This will be good practice should a blackout last longer than normal this fall or winter.

Fall is a wonderful season to enjoy the outdoors. But why not learn a few things about preparedness along the way?

It’s Finally Fall! Are You Ready for Winter?

After the record-breaking heat many of us experienced the past few months, millions of Americans are relieved fall is finally here.

And while cooler temperatures are more comfortable and fall colors are beautiful, we can’t escape the thought that winter is just around the corner.

The best time to prepare for our coldest season of the year is now. Otherwise, it will sneak up on us. And that means getting our homes, vehicles, and pets ready to face winter.

Today I want to delve briefly into each of those areas. I’ll provide you with lists of activities you can carry out over the next couple of months so you’re prepared for what Old Man Winter might throw at us.

Home

Let’s start with our homes. That’s where we’ll spend the majority of our time once winter sets in. It’s crucial to make sure you’ll be fed, safe, and warm if you have to hunker down for a while due to the weather.

Food – Stockpile as much non-perishable food as possible. Winter storms can knock out power, making it difficult to keep perishable food cold. And they can block roads, making it challenging for food delivery services to get through. Not to mention affecting your grocery store trips.

Water – The general rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day for drinking. As well as another half-gallon for cleaning, bathing, etc. But we don’t know how long water quality will be affected by extreme weather, so you also need a way to filter tap water.

Pipes – As we saw with Winter Storm Uri in Texas, water pipes can freeze when temperatures are frigid. Look around your home for exposed pipes, especially in the attic and crawl space, and insulate them. When temps are nearing the freezing mark, allow a slow drip from all faucets.

Generator – A back-up power source such as a generator will enable you to keep some lights on, your refrigerator working, and a portable heater functioning. Solar-powered generators are safer and quieter than gas generators, and can be used indoors.

Miscellaneous – Keep a number of miscellaneous items handy in case you’re stuck at home when a crisis hits. Including an emergency weather radio, flashlights, small power banks, and extra blankets, coats, and other clothes.

Vehicles

Even before winter officially begins, inclement weather including snowstorms, freezing rain, and high winds can strike at any time. If you have a properly maintained automobile, your odds of getting stranded somewhere outside your home will be reduced.

Have your battery checked by a trained mechanic. Make sure it’s in top condition to handle winter. Engines need more current from the battery in cold temperatures.

Make sure your tires have enough tread to handle slippery roads. Nearly bald tires may get your vehicle from here to there in dry conditions. But they’re a death trap on snow-covered roads.

Check your tires’ air pressure. Cold weather can cause air pressure to drop. For safe traction, you want properly inflated tires.

Ensure that your anti-freeze mixture is about 50 percent anti-freeze and 50 percent water, or 60/40 in colder climates. That way, the radiator coolant won’t freeze.

Cold weather reduces your oil’s effectiveness, so make sure your vehicle is current on oil changes. A properly lubricated engine will run best. Use a thinner oil in winter. While you’re at it, check all other fluid levels.

Change your wiper blades and fill your wiper fluid compartment. Being able to clear rain and snow off your windshield is crucial. Salt on the road gives you better traction by melting ice, but it can smear a windshield.

Make sure your defrosters in front and back are working properly. When a windshield fogs up, driving becomes dangerous. Check the car’s heater while you’re at it.

Lubricate window tracks. Freezing rain can seep into window tracks and negatively affect window regulator cables. Use spray silicone or dry Teflon spray lubricant in those tracks. Do the same with door locks.

Get a tune-up. A mechanic can check your belts and hoses, ignition, brakes, wiring, spark plugs, and your fuel and emission filters.

Keep your gas tank as full as possible throughout winter. You never know when you might be stuck on a road for several hours and you’ll want to keep the heat running.

Build or purchase an emergency car kit. It should include extra hats, coats, gloves, and blankets. As well as a shovel, windshield scraper and brush, battery-powered radio, flashlight, escape tool on the driver’s side of the car, and flares. Plus nonperishable food, water, first-aid kit, jumper cables, tool kit, and cellphone charger. And salt to melt ice and cat litter for traction. Not to mention canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair. And a power bank.

Pets

Some folks forget to include pets in their winter preparations, but that’s a mistake. Make sure you’re ready to take care of them as well.

Prepare a bug-out bag for your pets. This bag should contain the types of things an animal will need to survive and stay occupied in a crisis. It should include:

A large bag of the food they normally eat. The way to keep this food from becoming stale is to rotate new bags in an out of the bug-out bag each time you buy one. Better yet for dogs, acquire long-lasting survival food and be done with it.

Chew toys. Depending on how long the emergency lasts, you will want to keep your animals occupied. For dogs, this would include treats they can swallow and ones that they will only chew on.

Any medications your animals need. Ask your vet if you can stay at least one month ahead on their prescriptions. For items protecting against heartworm and against fleas and ticks, you should be able to stay six months to a year ahead.

Extra collars, leashes, harnesses, and carrying cages. You never know when you might have to transport your pets on several occasions during a crisis, so make sure those carriers are sturdy and secure.

Papers proving your pets are current with their shots. In an emergency, you might not be able to acquire that information from your vet quickly. But you may have to prove to someone at a different animal clinic or a pet-friendly hotel that their vaccinations are up to date.

Have current ID tags attached to your animals’ collars, including one or more of your cellphone numbers. Add photos of your pets to their bag for potential re-identification purposes.

Make a list of local pet-friendly hotels with phone numbers and keep it in their bug-out bag.

Taking care of your home, vehicle, and pet needs BEFORE winter arrives will provide you with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re ready.

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