You may have already read or seen a variety of articles about what would happen if the grid went down or how 90% of people would die. You may also think that many of those articles are far-fetched and designed to instill fear in readers rather than seriously discuss the issue.

If that’s the case for you, then you may think the same about this article based on the title alone. But the purpose of this article is not to scare you or to spread so-called ‘doom and gloom,’ but rather to educate you on what very well could happen if the grid really went down and stayed down.

If and when the grid goes down, it’s not going to be like a normal power outage. Not even close. A true grid-down situation would last much longer, perhaps weeks or months, and during that time, a lot of things are going to happen that you never would have imagined.

In this video, i will unearth a long-forgotten secret that helped our ancestors survive famines, wars, economic crisis, diseases, droughts and anything else life trew at them.
So pay chose attention because this video will change your life forever for the good!

Here are ten scary things that would happen if the grid went down. Hopefully, this will remind you of how fragile our society actually is and inspire you to start preparing if you haven’t already.

1. No More Supply Trucks

When the supply trucks stop, no stores and restaurants are going to get resupplied. It’s not that it matters much anyway, because those stores are going to be looted and then abandoned afterward anyway.

This will guarantee that within a few short hours of the grid going down, life will already change dramatically because you will no longer be able to resupply yourself with the things that you need. Suddenly, you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t stocked up like you knew you should have been doing all along.

If you haven’t already, consider reading our beginner’s guide to emergency food storage.

2. All The Stores Would Close

As was just mentioned, without the resupply trucks, stores and restaurants are most certainly going to be shut down. The only real question is, when will looting occur?

In some places, you can fully expect looting and rioting to occur within just a few hours of the grid going down, and perhaps even sooner than that. People are going to freak out, and everyone will recognize that it may be their last chance to get resupplied.

Once some people start looting, many more will join in just for the heck of it, and that’s not an exaggeration. Mobs and looters and raiding parties will form quickly and the general breakdown of society around you will be rapid. One moment things will be as they always were, and in the next everything will be a war zone.

If this happens, you’ll need to avoid the riots and get home fast.

3. Schools Would Be Shut Down

Schools will be shut down, even though you can also guarantee they will hold onto any students in session during the early stages of the grid down situation. It’s incredibly unlikely that school administrators and educators will simply release children into the chaos, making it the responsibility of the parents to show up and retrieve their kids in schools.

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4. Commerce Would Cease

This is one that you’re going to want to think about. A grid down situation is seriously going to lead to a complete and utter breakdown of commerce as we know it. Banks will no longer be open, ATM’s won’t work, and debit and credit cards will no longer be of any use.

Will you still be able to use cash? Possibly. At the very least, you’ll be able to use it in the early hours of the disaster before things get really bad. You can head on down to your local store and buy as much stuff as you can get if you know things are about to head south.

(Here are 23 survival uses for honey that you didn’t know about.)

Beyond that though, it’s difficult seeing cash being of much use for anything. The reason is simple: it has no value other than what people attach to it, and it’s not something we can use to stay alive. In the event of hyperinflation, where the individual dollar will lose value rapidly, it will be of literally no use at all other than as an alternative to Kleenex or toilet paper.

The only type of real commerce that will be going on after then will be bartering, or where people exchange certain goods that we need to survive for other goods. For example, you may be able to trade a box of ammo for several rolls of toilet paper (both of those things are going to be in very high demand following a major disaster).

Preparedness Hacks: Once a nuke is heading your way, you might think that there isn’t much left to do, but you would be wrong!

Because we will show you America’s natural nuclear bunkers that are also EMP proof. When the sirens start wailing, all you need to do is pick the closest one to your home, where you can take cover before it hits.

5. Gasoline Would Be Gone

This is a big one. Gasoline is going to become one of the most precious commodities once people are unable to get any more of it at gas stations.

Everything from cars to motorcycles to ATVs to generators all run on gasoline. We’ve all seen post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows where literally thousands of cars are lying uselessly abandoned by the side of the road. Well, that really won’t be all too far from reality.

In short, once the gasoline supply runs out, we’ll lose everything that runs on gasoline. The only gasoline we’ll have left is what you have stored and what you will be able to barter from other people (and you can guarantee that it’s going to command a very high price).

6. Cell Service Would Stop

Your phone may still work after a grid down, but it’s honestly not going to do you much good if you aren’t able to use it to access cell service or the internet.

It’s one reason why investing in other communication devices will be so important, such as a HAM radio or a CB radio.

Once the Internet and cell service goes down, communication, as we know it in general, is going to get very different (and not at all easier).

7. Post Offices Would Close

You can say goodbye to ordering products from Amazon or sending or receiving mail from people when the grid goes down. This will greatly impact the way that we communicate with people long distance as well.

8. Air Conditioning Won’t Work

Is a lack of air conditioning life-threatening by any means? It depends. In the middle of summer, it very well could be if you don’t take steps to keep yourself cool without AC. At the very least it will be very uncomfortable. And it’s not just air conditioning you won’t have anymore…

9. Heaters Wouldn’t Work

Just as the summer months are going to get really uncomfortable due to the lack of air conditioning, so will the freezing cold winter months due to the lack of heat.

In fact, the lack of heat is going to be a far worse problem than the lack of air conditioning and really could be life-threatening if it ever gets particularly cold outside.

This is why you’re going to want to stock up on as much firewood, propane bottles for heaters, and candles as you can. The firewood will be good if you have a firewood stove inside your home, but even if you lack the stove, you can still use it for getting a small and controllable fire outside.

Meanwhile, propane-run heaters will also be good to stock up on and cost less than five dollars each on average, and you can even use candles for warmth and light as well. Finally, be sure to invest in plenty of warm blankets and sleeping bags to go with it.

10. No More Running Water

This is another big one. You won’t be able to run the dishwasher or the washing machine anymore, nor would you be able to take a shower, run the bath, water your plants, or even fill up a sink.

This is why when you stockpile water, you need to stockpile both drinking and cleaning/personal hygiene water. The recommended amount will be at least one gallon of water per person per day. One half of that gallon will be for drinking, and the other half will be for cleaning and personal hygiene.

Water filters and purification tablets will also be immensely important because when you do manage to procure more water for drinking purposes from other sources, it may not be safe to drink. Drinking unsafe water can oftentimes be more unsafe than not drinking any water at all, which will make a water filter device even more important and critical to own.

This guide below can help you in a survival situation

Guns have been referred to as “the great equalizer,” and there’s no weapon which can come close to them in that regard.

A lot of the popularity of firearms is due to the fact that anyone can use them effectively, not only the strong and agile. The young, the old, men, women and child can take up firearms in defense of home and family and do so effectively.

But what do you do if you can’t use a gun – or if you don’t have a gun — to protect yourself?

Do a search for “bug out bag list” and you’ll find hundreds of different checklists all over the Internet. So which one is right? The truth is, there’s no perfect list of items you should put in your bug out bag. It all depends on you, who will be with you, where you live, what types of survival items you prefer, and so forth.

However, there are some basic items that should be in almost every bug out bag (check out the article, What Goes In A Bug Out Bag for some suggestions). But once you have all the basics covered, you’ll need to make sure there aren’t any items you forgot. That’s where this post comes in.

You probably won’t be able to fit all of these items in your bug out bag, but this post is not meant to be a checklist. This post is to remind you of any items you would have put in your bag but forgot, and it’s to give you some ideas you might not have considered. The list is in alphabetical order.

1. Antibiotics

These could save your life. To fight 90% of infections, be sure to pack some cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, and metronidazole.

2. Baby Wipes

A very easy and convenient way to keep clean.

3. Backpack Rain Cover

Keep your bug out bag and its contents dry even if it’s pouring down rain.

4. Bandanas

You wouldn’t think so, but bandanas have dozens of uses.

5. Benadryl

If you’re outdoors and on foot, allergies could become a major problem.

6. Can Opener

If you have any canned food in your bag, then for God’s sake don’t forget to bring a can opener.

7. Celox Blood Clotting Powder

This stuff is great. It will stop small, penetrating wounds from bleeding.

8. ChapStick

Use it to moisten chapped skin, stop small cuts from bleeding, prevent blisters, start fires, and much more.

9. Clothesline and Pins

Even if you take a lot of clothes with you, you’ll still have to wash and dry them at some point.

10. Collapsible Bowl

A sturdy bowl that takes up very little space.

11. Compact Survival Fishing Kit

If you pass any lakes or rivers, try to catch some fish so you don’t go through your packed food as quickly.

12. Dental First Aid Kit

Tooth pain can be excruciating, but a temporary filling can help relieve the pain until you can get to a dentist.

13. Duct Tape

There’s a reason MacGyver liked duct tape. It has all sorts of surprising uses.

14. Ear Muffs

Frostbite on your ears will make you miserable. Don’t let that happen.

15. EpiPen

These are used in emergencies to treat severe allergic reactions. Ask your doctor to prescribe one.

16. Faraday shield

This will protect your electronics in case of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse).

17. Flash Drive

Scan all your important documents, forms of identification, pictures, books, etc. on this key chain flash drive.

18. Hoyle’s Rules of Games

If you pack a deck of cards, make sure you also pack this book.

19. Glow Sticks

You can use these to mark things in and around your camp so you’re not fumbling in the dark.

20. Goggles

Useful if you have to swim, and they’ll also protect your eyes from sand and debris in a storm.

21. Gum

I always have a pack of gum on me. And if you also have an AA battery, you can use that and the gum wrapper to start a fire.

22. Instant Coffee

If you’re a caffeine addict, be sure to pack this so you can avoid caffeine headaches.

23. Kindle Paperwhite 3G

Get one of these and load it with free ebooks so you can look up important information in the sunlight or in the dark. The battery lasts for weeks.

24. LifeStraw

Drink water directly from the source. This awesome invention filters up to 260 gallons of water.

25. Liquid Bandage

An invisible, flexible, waterproof, antiseptic bandage to prevent infections.

26. N95 Masks

Filter out dust, smoke, ash, and other small particles.

27. Moleskin

Protect calluses, blisters, and sore spots from painful friction.

28. Pantyhose

Has all sorts of surprising uses, from building shelters to hunting animals and more.

29. Paper Clips

Here are a couple dozen survival uses for paper clips.

30. Pen or Pencil and Pad of Paper

I recommend this space pen which works in all weather conditions and these waterproof notebooks.

31. Penny Can Stove and Denatured Alcohol

A small, lightweight stove that gets very hot and is very efficient.

32. Pictures of Family and Friends

This is important in case you get separated. People you encounter might be able to help you find your family and friends again.

33. Pocket Chain Saw

This takes up very little space but can cut through thick branches.

34. Poncho Liner Blanket

A weather-resistant blanket that can also be used for building a shelter.

35. Potassium Permanganate

Useful for starting fire, cleaning wounds, purifying water, and more.

36. Power Inverter

Even if you’re bugging out on foot, maybe you’ll come across an abandoned vehicle and be able to use this. It turns a cigarette lighter into an outlet and USB charger.

37. Ranger Bands

Secure belts, cables, cords, hoses, lines, straps, etc.

38. Seasoning Kit

Great thing to have if you’re hunting and foraging. Also bring some cayenne pepper as it has several health benefits and can keep pests away.

39. Sewing Kit

If it’s the end of the world as we know it and you’ve bugged out to a remote location far away from any stores, you’ll have to mend damaged clothes.

40. Sillcock Key

Great urban survival tool. This allows you to take water from buildings with outside spigots.

41. Siphon

Refuel your vehicle with gas from abandoned vehicles.

42. Sling Shot

Hunt birds and small game without wasting ammo.

43. Solar Charging Kit

Charge your devices and batteries whenever the sun is out. You can attach this to the outside of your bug out bag so it works even while you’re walking.

44. Spare Glasses and/or Eyeglass Repair Kit

The last thing you want is to be half blind in a survival scenario.

45. Stanley Wonderbar

Not just for prying open doors. This is a very versatile tool.

46. Trail Marking Tape

Find your way back in case you get lost or help others find you.

47. Trash Bags

There are dozens of reasons to pack trash bags.

48. Trick Candles

Since these refuse to go out, they’re great for building a fire in windy conditions.

49. Umbrella

Pretty self-explanatory. Being wet isn’t very fun, especially if it’s cold and you’re walking.

50. Zip Ties

Yet another small item with multiple uses. Even just a few of them could be useful.

Learn how to pick a lock quickly. Lock picking is a fun hobby and important urban survivalist skill when SHTF comes to find shelter, food, and more.

In this video, i will unearth a long-forgotten secret that helped our ancestors survive famines, wars, economic crisis, diseases, droughts and anything else life trew at them.
So pay chose attention because this video will change your life forever for the good!

DISCLAIMER: We do not condone criminal activity in any way, these skills are for shtf situations only!! Lock picking is always a controversial subject. We are not advocating lock picking for illegal purposes. Lock picking is a fun hobby and is legal to practice on your own property, plus it’s fun and a great survival skill. In many areas it’s a crime to carry picks on your person/in your vehicle unless you are licensed.

Lock picking basics are very easy to learn and once you have a set of picks, you will be opening all the doors and padlocks in your home in no time at all.

A simple lock picking guide (like this one) can teach you how to easily gain entry to doors, cars, and even small safes if you’ve lost the key.

Knowing how to pick a lock, and just as importantly, how to make a lock pick set from scraps, are valuable skills today and even more so in SHTF.

Why Learn How To Pick A Lock?

We like to share urban survival tips from time to time, and knowing how to pick a lock could be vital for your safety and at least a valuable skill in SHTF no doubt, especially for an urban survivalist. You could open locks without anyone ever knowing, and additionally having the ability and tools to pick locks is a skill you could barter with.

Not to mention that knowing how to pick a lock could save a call to a locksmithing and their costs, not to mention the time wasted waiting around for them to show up. Lock yourself out of your house? Knowing how to pick a door lock could save you $125 or more.

Left your keys in your car (the most common reason to call a locksmith)? It’s simple and only takes a few minutes to open it yourself, if you learn how to pick a car lock ahead of time that is. The same can be said for padlocks, cabinets, and small safes when you’ve lost your key.

Pro Tip: A lock is not a deterrent against thieves! They are easily busted open, worked around, or simply picked. This is the most important takeaway for a prepper. You need more than a lock to protect yourself and your property!

On the other hand, knowing how to pick a lock during SHTF could get you out of handcuffs, let you open doors to abandoned buildings for a safe nights sleep, or even give you access to abandoned food, water, and other survival gear.

The Morals Of Picking Locks

Many people assume only criminals need to know how to pick locks but In reality common criminals rarely pick locks, they almost always smash and pry their way through instead.

Lock picking has grown into a hobby for many. While picking most locks is surprisingly easy, lock-picking is really only if you want to be quiet, are in no hurry, and want to save the lock.

If something has a lock on it and it isn’t your possession it could be seen as a criminal act, regardless if you have good intentions or not. Don’t go messing around with other peoples property unless you have permission.

The Legality Of Lock Picking

Carrying lock picking gear is a criminal offence in some areas, or will at least result in a lot of hassle. Always check your local laws and know your rights before buying any lock picking tools.

Don’t assume that just because one lock picking tool is legal in your area that they all are. While some areas may allow a simple lock pick set, they may outlaw bump keysor slim jim’s (the flat bar used to pop some car door locks).

Lock picking tools for opening car doors are particularly illegal in some areas, so again make sure you know before you buy and don’t carry them around with you.

If you are doing something that could looks like a crime, even if it’s not, there is an attached risk and ignorant people could give you trouble. Lock picking trips a lot of false alarms in many people’s heads.

Say for example, you wanted to know how to pick a deadbolt lock so you practice on your front door. If someone walking by saw you they probably wouldn’t understand it’s just practice and may call the police. Would you be in trouble? Of course not, but you’ll still have to spend 30 minutes explaining why you want to know how to pick locks to the cops.

Anyone attempting to pick locks they don’t own will need permission from the owner, else they are likely breaking the law.

Preparedness Hacks: Once a nuke is heading your way, you might think that there isn’t much left to do, but you would be wrong!

Because we will show you America’s natural nuclear bunkers that are also EMP proof. When the sirens start wailing, all you need to do is pick the closest one to your home, where you can take cover before it hits.

Learn Lock Picking

If your interested in learning and practicing this skill yourself I recommend a set of practice locks. They are clear housings with standard locks inside. Practice locks are invaluable learning tools because you can actually see what you’re doing and don’t have to go by feel alone.

In this excellent video below you will learn how to pick a lock with paperclips. bobby pins or just about any small and bendable metal object could also work.

In this video, you’ll get an understanding of how lock picking works and you’ll learn how to pick a lock with hairpins. With this video and just a bit of practice, you will add a new skill to your portfolio.

How To Make A Lock Pick Set

You can print out lock pick templates online and then cut or bend the shapes out of your metal of choice.

During SHTF you may not have the time or tools to make intricate lock pick tools. If you find yourself in a pinch without any lock picking tools (or a printer to make the templates because all of society has collapsed), you can make a DIY lock pick tool from two paperclips using a multi tool or a pair of needle nose pliers to shape them, bending one into a simple “L” shape and giving the other two raised bumps near the end as shown in the picture.

The most common scavenged lock picking tool in movies is the bobby pin. While they can certainly be used, in reality you have a much better chance of finding something like a paperclip.

A standard hose clamp off of a car and a pair of pliers to cut and shape it make an excellent set. You can also make them from hacksaw blades, coke cans, or just about any stiff and thin metal that you can work into an L shape and a “double bump”.

Of course, with professional lock pick kits cheaply and freely available one has to wonder why not simply buy them now and put them in your prepping supplies.

Experts predict that an EMP strike that wipes out electricity across the nation would ultimately lead to the demise of up to 90% of the population. However, this figure begs an important question: if we were able to live thousands of years without even the concept of electricity, why would we suddenly all die without it?

In this infographic by PickerOfLocks.com you can see how to use lock picking tools and how to pick a lock in four simplified steps.

The Alternative

You may find yourself in a situation without any sort of lock pick or with no desire to save the lock. If you’re not trying to be stealthy… simply prying, cutting, or smashing your way in are always alternatives.

Pry bars, bolt cutters, wedges etc… All these tools can be used as alternatives to picking a lock. They are usually faster, but the downside is how loud they can be and it’s very obvious someone has been in a place or is there now, not so good for OPSEC. If that’s not a concern and you don’t care if someone knows you’ve been there feel free to smash away.

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A lock pick kit (or MUCH better for the inexperienced, a pick gun), a small pry bar, a flat head screw driver, and a few door stoppers are lightweight enough and will get you into just about anything quickly and you’ll have many options for whatever you come against.

The door stoppers act as wedges to keep the door open when you pry it. Once you have that gap, you can open the door by slipping in the screwdriver. This is what many locksmiths do, and they can do it in under 30 seconds. Wedges even work on car doors, just wedge it open and then use a clothes hanger or other long and flexible item to hit/pull the locks.

Bottom Line

Be prepared and have many lightweight tools in your prepping supplies. Get a practice lock and a high quality lock picking kit, or an automatic lock pick gun. These pick guns work very quickly on most locks (residential doors, padlocks, etc…) and require almost no skill at all.

That all being said, lock picking is fun to practice and an important skill to know today and when SHTF comes. Those in cities can especially benefit from knowing how to pick a deadbolt or master lock of an abandoned building during SHTF to find shelter.

This guide below can help you in a survival situation

Guns have been referred to as “the great equalizer,” and there’s no weapon which can come close to them in that regard.

A lot of the popularity of firearms is due to the fact that anyone can use them effectively, not only the strong and agile. The young, the old, men, women and child can take up firearms in defense of home and family and do so effectively.

But what do you do if you can’t use a gun – or if you don’t have a gun — to protect yourself?

The energy that heats your food in a microwave, the data sent to your smart phone and the music you listen to on a terrestrial radio – these are all forms of electromagnetic energy.

An EMP test tower in Nevada

What makes the EMP unique is that this electromagnetic energy is sent in large amounts over a very short period of time.

The EMP attack is portrayed as sending modern society back to medieval times. Whether this is true or not is subject to much debate. One often discussed topic is whether a typical vehicle could survive an EMP and if so, what vehicle would have the best chance of doing so.

Preparedness Hacks: Once a nuke is heading your way, you might think that there isn’t much left to do, but you would be wrong!

Because we will show you America’s natural nuclear bunkers that are also EMP proof. When the sirens start wailing, all you need to do is pick the closest one to your home, where you can take cover before it hits.

Conventional wisdom is that the older the vehicle, the more likely it can survive an EMP strike. This may be true in theory, but may not always be true in practice. One reason for this is that modern vehicles have some shielding against unwanted electromagnetic energy interference. For example, car engineers understand that you wouldn’t want a TV, radio, walkie-talkie, Wi-Fi or other wireless signal to interfere with your vehicle’s onboard computers.

But there are many other variables that will determine if a given vehicle will survive an EMP attack and to what extent it would survive it. The only way to know for sure is to actually test the vehicle. But even with extensive testing, you wouldn’t necessary have a perfect list of EMP-proof vehicles.

Therefore, the following list provides a good starting point as to what vehicles stand the best chance of surviving an EMP strike in drivable condition and are also affordable for the average person.

Option 1: 1979 Jeep CJ5 4×4. Average Street Value = $7,100

The Jeep (AMC) CJ5 is one of the most famous versions of the venerable “Willys Jeep.” Given its reliability and performance, it’s no wonder the CJ5 had one of the longest production runs of any Jeep. Starting in the 1980s, the CJ5 Jeeps were made with more advanced electronics, such as AM/FM radios and more complex electronic control units. Getting a CJ5 older than a 1979 model can’t hurt, but the prices tend to rise as the model years get older, so the affordability advantage is diminished.

Contributing to its EMP survivability is a naturally aspirated engine utilizing a carburetor. As one might expect, the CJ5s are typically found with manual transmissions, which are easier to repair, should the need arise.

The CJ5 also makes a fantastic off-road vehicle, which can be of great use in a survival situation. Lastly, the CJ5 doesn’t stand out too much (except to the most fanatic Jeep fans), so it’s unlikely to draw any unwanted attention.

Related: 10 Things to Have Ready before the Huge EMP !!!

Option 2: 1984 Chevrolet Blazer. Average Street Value = $6,100

The Chevrolet Blazer is a popular classic vehicle and it’s easy to see why, given its traditional styling, history and off-road capability. Like other vehicles listed in this article, the 1984 Chevrolet Blazer’s engine uses a carburetor and natural aspiration, so there are fewer sensitive electronics controlling engine performance. The Blazer is also very popular for making additions and modifications, with many options available.

There are other models of the Blazer that would do well surviving an EMP, such as a model from the 1970s or early 1980s, but they are significantly more expensive, almost double the price on the used car market.

(Here are 23 survival uses for honey that you didn’t know about.)

Option 3: 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. Average Street Value = $5,900

The Volkswagen Beetle is one of the most recognizable vehicles ever manufactured; in fact, it is the best-selling vehicle in history. It’s also another iconic vehicle that’s noted in pop culture (The Love Bug comes to mind).

Starting around 1975, the VW Beetles were made with the Bosch fuel injected engines, which added extra electronics to the vehicle. While this addition is not very advanced by today’s standards, it adds a weak link to the VW Beetle’s EMP resistance. Therefore, most VW Beetles from the early 1970s or older would serve as the most ideal versions for surviving an EMP strike.

If a truck or SUV isn’t your thing, the VW Beetle is definitely a vehicle you should look into getting.

Option 4: 1983 Ford Bronco. Average Street Value = $5,000

The Ford Bronco was first released back in 1966 and was discontinued 20 years later in 1996. However, it’s a popular vehicle and has a bit of history, especially in pop culture (OJ Simpson’s infamous Ford Bronco is of the 1993 model year).

The 1983 Ford Bronco makes a great vehicle for surviving an EMP because it has a naturally aspirated carburetor engine. This means a simple air intake system is used and the air-fuel mixing doesn’t rely on electronic assistance.

But why is the 1983 model recommended in particular? Starting with the 1984 model Ford Broncos, electronic emissions equipment became standard. Besides creating another area of potential failure in an EMP strike, it also reduces the vehicle’s performance. Additionally, certain 1985 Ford Broncos have electronic fuel injection, which creates yet another potential weak point against an EMP.

Other Things to Consider

This article lists only a handful of vehicles that are likely to survive an EMP. Basically, any vehicle from the 1960s or earlier will probably survive an EMP event in drivable, if not perfect condition. However, they’re unlikely to be the most affordable or practical. Obviously, an even older vehicle, such as one that’s steam or animal-powered would have the absolute best chance of surviving the EMP, but they wouldn’t be practical to operate (for most people) and are quite expensive to purchase and maintain.

Even if you find a great vehicle for surviving an EMP, don’t forget other practical considerations, such as parts availability, ease of maintenance and repair, performance, inconspicuousness and fuel availability (gasoline versus diesel).

In this video, i will unearth a long-forgotten secret that helped our ancestors survive famines, wars, economic crisis, diseases, droughts and anything else life trew at them.
So pay chose attention because this video will change your life forever for the good!

Having in your survival bag a versatile item like a tarp will come in handy during an emergency situation. It will help you gather water, camouflage your supplies and it will provide an excellent shelter in case nothing else is available. Improvising a basic tarp shelter can keep your head dry. It will help you conserve heat and it provides a sense of comfort and safety.

A polyethylene tarp will go a long way and you should definitely get one for your bug out bag. It is lightweight, durable, draft-proof and waterproof. They come in a variety of sizes and color, and they won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Making a tarp shelter is easy and there are dozens of different ways and patterns to construct a suitable shelter with only a single tarp.

The Lost Ways – Pemmican Tutorial Guide

The Lost Ways website has an awesome step-by-step how to make Pemmican video. While having a written guide is important and helpful to a lot of people, watching a video guide is even better.

They cover a few things I did not and demonstrate how to make your own pemmican.

This video is an excellent pemmican making resource.

Before you make your tarp shelter you must consider the following:

• The location of your shelter is crucial and you should stop and think about it before building your shelter.
• The direction from which the wind is blowing should be taken into account or your shelter will sail away.
• The ground should be comfortable enough if you plan to get some sleep. Pointy rocks will keep you awake.
• The ground should slope slightly for the water to runoff.
• If there is no slope, you will have to dig some trenches around your shelter to aid drainage.
• Take into account the purpose of the shelter and make it as large as it needs to be.
• Consider the weather and chose a model that is stable and won’t collapse if rain or snow are expected.

Tarp Shelter Designs:

For all the shelter examples provided here, you can use a 10X10 foot tarp.

1. The A-frame tarp shelter

The A-Frame shelter is probably the most common shelter one can make. It can be made by stringing the paracord between two trees. Draping over the tarp and staking it down are the final steps required to make this standard shelter.

The 30-degree angle of the tarp’s roof will create a ten-foot-long living area. The shelter will be 8.6 feet wide and 2.5 feet tall. This shelter provides a good rain and snow runoff and a proper wind deflection.

The downside of the A-frame shelter is that there is no floor and if you haven’t stretchered the paracord tight enough, there will be sagging in the middle.

2. The Sunshade tarp shelter

To create this type of shelter, you will need four anchoring points to which you will tie the paracord. This is a shelter parallel to the ground and it’s designed to provide 100 square feet of shade against the sun.

Some people use this type of shelter during the rain because the water will pool in the middle and it’s easier to collect it. To make it sturdier, you can add support poles to the corners. (Here are 23 survival uses for honey that you didn’t know about.)

This basic sunshade tarp shelter will provide maximum protection against the sun, but it’s not suitable for cold weather and it can’t support rain for long.

3. The Lean-To tarp shelter

This is another shelter that it’s simple to make and it’s excellent for deflecting wind or providing sunshade. To make this shelter, you need to secure the tarp to the ground on the windward side and support it with the paracord between two anchor points.

A 30-degree angle of the tarp will provide five feet of height and 8 feet of width under the shelter. This is an “on the go” shelter because it’s easy to erect and you can quickly take it down. It provides excellent wind deflection and it will keep you safe from rain or sun heat.

The downside of this shelter is that there are no sides and no floor to offer protection against other elements.

4. The tube tent tarp shelter

This is a sturdy shelter that provides a floor and, if suitably secured to the ground, will prevent rain from seeping in.

To make it, you will need to secure the paracord between two trees and drape over the tarp with the opposite ends secured together.

The sixty degrees walls will provide 3 feet in width and almost 3 feet of headroom. This should be enough room for a single adult.

5. The mushroom fly tarp shelter

This type of shelter is very similar to the primary sunshade shelter but it adds a central support pole at the tarp’s midpoint. It is designed for rain or snow runoff and it’s pretty sturdy if you secure the four corners of the tarp well enough.

You can make it as tall or as short as you need depending on the length of the pole. This shelter provides an excellent runoff for rain or snow, but it doesn’t have any sides to protect you from the wind or cold.

6. The cornet tarp shelter

This shelter utilizes the entire length of the paracord strung from a tree to the ground. The tarp is draped over the paracord diagonally, while the leading edges fold under to form the floor. The corner of the shelter must be faced towards the direction of the wind.

You will also need to tie off some drip lines above the entrance of the shelter to prevent rain from running down the paracord and into the shelter.

This is a good design for wind deflection and rain/debris shedding. The downside of this model is that it doesn’t offer too much headroom and if you are a tall person, you might not have enough room for you and your gear.

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7. The dining fly tarp shelter

This is the favorite design for many campers and it’s a simple open-air cover. It provides a good sunshade and enough headroom without sacrificing too much space. It keeps away rain but it offers limited protection against the other elements due to its lack of sides.

When properly tied down and staked, the dining fly becomes a sturdy shelter and the height of the support pole will dictate the amount of headroom.

This is a good model for desert survival because it provides proper ventilation and adequate coverage.

8. The wind shed tarp shelter

This type of shelter requires a little practice to get it done the right way. You will need to fold the tarp into thirds and make sure the leading edge of the roof hangs over the groundsheet for adequate rain runoff. The main ridgeline has to be secured with paracords while stretched between two trees.

A length of paracord must be added to the bottom fold, where the back panel meets the groundsheet. It provides excellent wind deflection, but it requires a lot of secure points.

The hanging roofline could also sag under rain loads and channel the water onto the groundsheet.

9. The Fold-Over Wind Shed tarp shelter

This design is similar to the traditional wind shed, but it provides more coverage by sacrificing the groundsheet.

The height of the paracord ridgeline determines the angle of the roof and the footprint of the shelter.

It offers excellent wind deflection and rain runoff, but it doesn’t protect entirely against the elements due to its lack of floor, flaps or sides.

10. The diamond fly tarp shelter

This shelter is suitable for two persons and it’s easy to make. You will need to secure the paracord to a tree and the ground and drape over the tarp at a diagonal. The length of the paracord and the angle with which it is tied to a tree will determine the overall headroom and width of the shelter. The steep walls will shed rain and will deflect wind if they are well staked. This model will require drip lines, just like the cornet shelter.

Depending on the size of the tarp, this shelter can accommodate more than two persons or more equipment. However, the lack of a floor and flaps won’t keep out the elements. If the wind changes direction frequently, the shelter can be compromised.

11. The arrowhead shelter

Start the construction of this shelter by supporting the center of two perpendicular edges with five foot long poles or by attaching those edges to trees using a paracord. You will need to stake to the ground the opposite corner so that it creates a series of four triangles.

This design will provide 35 square feet of living space and five feet of headroom at the opening. The flap will hand down and make a partial closure. The poles need to be supported by paracord tie-downs.

This shelter deflects wind with its low profile and it’s very roomy.

12. The half box tarp shelter

This shelter will require some time to be built and you need to use at least four support poles and as many or more tie downs to hold it all up. The footprint provided is 25 square feet and it has two sides of protection from the elements.

If not supported in the middle or kept taut from the sides, it will sag under the weight of water or snow. A full one-quarter of the tarp goes unused and folded up behind the rear corner.

This type of tarp shelter provides good sunshade throughout the entire day if you position it correctly.

13. The barn stall tarp shelter

To make this shelter, you can either use four five-foot poles for support or two poles and a paracord attached to two anchor points. The front is supported by poles and the single 90-degree wall provides enough protection, although strong wind can damage the entire structure.

This shelter produces a 50 square feet living area but it has no floor. It’s simple to build, but it doesn’t provide adequate protection from the weather.

14. The Square arch tarp shelter

As the name implies, this shelter is an arch with a square top. Starting with two parallel lengths of paracord attached to anchor points approximately 3 feet apart and 3 feet high, drape the ground cloth over the two lengths of paracord and secure the long ends of the tarp with stakes.

This is a good shelter for narrow spaces, but the odds of finding four anchor points in the needed proximity is quite low. To allow rain to runoff, make sure you secure one paracord slightly higher than the other.

This shelter is three feet wide, three feet wide and ten feet long.

15. The shade sail tarp shelter

This is an easy and quick to build shelter and it requires to diagonally drape the tarp over a length of paracord attached to two anchor points. The opposite corners of the tarp are staked to the ground.

This is an open and airy shelter and the lower the angles of the sides are, the better it will deflect wind and the more shade will provide.

It provides all-day shade and it requires minimal stakes and set up, but it’s not weather resistant and it will not keep you dry.

What not to do when building a tarp shelter:

• Don’t make your shelter over an ant nest or any type of burrows
• Never set up your shelter beneath a dead tree or in the vicinity of one
• Don’t attach tarp lines to a tree standing alone or too tall trees. Always go for the short tree in a group of taller trees.
• Never set up your shelter below the high tide mark of a shoreline
• Don’t set up your shelter on top of a hill or ridge.
• Don’t set up your shelter on a river bank

Making a proper tarp shelter also depends on what you bring along. Things like a backpacking knife, durable paracord, and one or two space blankets will help you improve the quality of your shelter. It takes time to master the art of making a proper shelter using just a tarp. However, once you manage to do so, you will be able to build various shelters in all sorts of environment.

Conclusion

Making a tarp shelter is not rocket science. With a little bit of practice, anyone should be able to make one. Learning these tarp shelter patterns will come in handy during an emergency preparedness situation. If you are looking to buy a tarp explicitly designed for the backcountry, I recommend going with the Sanctuary SilTarp or Aqua Quest Safari models.

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In this article we’ll talk about 5 things you must include in a root cellar design, plus 10 tips for fruit and vegetable storage. There’s also a printable storage guide for over 30 fruits and veggies, and jump links to additional information at the bottom of the post.

A root cellar is a great low-cost way to store food – not just root vegetables, but other fresh produce, too. They require no energy to use and very little maintenance. You can build in a root cellar when your home is under construction, but it’s also possible to add a root cellar to your basement, or build one outside your home.

(21 wild edibles you can find in urban areas)

What is a root cellar?

Dig a deep enough hole, and you’ll find that the ground is cool (and often moist). Root cellars tap into those cool, moist soil conditions and use them to store produce – like your refrigerator produce bin.

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Building a Root Cellar

There are five major elements that a root cellar requires:

1. Ventilation:  Some produce gives off ethylene gas, which can cause other produce to spoil. Also, a tightly sealed cellar will increase the risk of mold. Make sure fresh air can get in, stale air can get out, and air can circulate around the produce.
2. Earth-shelter:  The soil insulates and maintains a cool temperature. A packed earth floor or gravel floor is better than concrete for keeping moisture levels high.
3. Darkness:  Light can trigger sprouting, so if you have a window in your root cellar, keep it covered, and don’t leave the lights on.
4. Humidity:  A high humidity level of 85-95% keeps produce from drying out. Note: Humidity that is high enough for produce may cause canning jar lids to rust, so be sure to check lids and rotate stock if you store canned goods in the root cellar.
5. Shelving/Storage bins: Wood shelving and bins are naturally antibacterial. Wood also conducts heat more slowly than metal, and doesn’t rust. Avoid treated wood, and stick to those that are naturally rot resistant.

Types of Root Cellars and Natural Cold Storage Options

Natural cold storage options include (click on any item in the list to jump to more information below):

• Basement or Under Porch Root Cellar (accessible from inside the home)
• Traditional Root Cellar (buried below ground, accessible from outside)
• Earth Berm (at ground level or partially above ground)
• Barrel in the ground

These earth sheltered fruit and vegetable options work best for those in cooler climates, where the ground temp is naturally cooler. For those in warmer areas, check out the posts Above Ground Root Cellars and Build Your Own Walk In Cooler with a CoolBot Controller and A/C Unit.

(Here are 23 survival uses for honey that you didn’t know about.)

You may not be able to store things like we northerners can, but the Above Ground Root Cellar post will give you some ideas of what you can store, plus tips for year round food production so you always have fresh, local food to enjoy. The Coolbot makes it very affordable to use a standard AC unit for refrigerated fruit and vegetable storage.

10 Tips for Fruit and Vegetable Storage in a Root Cellar

Key storage tips to remember:

1. Late-maturing crops store better than early maturing crops. Specific varieties also store better than others. Watch for varieties that are noted for good storage quality.
2. Check fruit and vegetable condition at storage time. If you note any damage on produce, use those items first. One bad apple or onion can spoil the whole bin, so it’s good to regularly inspect produce during storage, too.
3. Cure the vegetables that need it before storage. Vegetables that require curing include onions, garlic, winter squash (pumpkins) and potatoes.
4. Most root vegetables store best in the root cellar if they are wiped off rather than washed. Wipe excess dirt off of carrots, beets, rutabagas and turnips and store them in lightly dampened leaves or straw. Use fresh leaves each year to prevent potential pathogen buildup. Sand and sawdust will also work, but are messier.
5. If you have a muddy garden at harvest time, it’s okay to wash, but make sure dry up excess moisture (and cure if needed) before storage to avoid rot.
6. Less-than-ideal conditions shorten storage life – try to get as close as possible to target temps and moisture levels. Use different areas of your storage for crops that are a best fit, such as storing carrots and beets lower (colder) and tomatoes and winter squash higher (warmer). (See chart below.)
7. Store fruits that give off ethylene gas away from produce that can be spoiled easily by ethylene gas. You can also wrap fruit that produces excess ethylene in newspaper to contain the gas. See Ethylene Gas below for more information.
8. The odor of strong smelling vegetables, like turnips and cabbage, can be absorbed by fruits and other vegetables. Store them away from other food and where the odor cannot waft into the house.
9. Do not allow fruits and vegetables to freeze. They will get mushy and rot. 
10. Track temperature and humidity to measure your root cellar performance. The SensePushunit can track up to 20 days and sync with your smartphone.

Fruit and Vegetable Storage Chart

The chart below gives preferred temperature and moisture ranges for root cellar storage of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Adapted from the University of Missouri Extension Office. 

Root Cellar Location – In the Basement or Buried Outside?

By default, the word “cellar” means “underground”. A big part of why root cellars work as well as they do is that the earth remains at a relatively constant (cool) temperature. This temperature will vary, depending on your location. Closer to the equator, and it may be cooler than air temp, but still isn’t likely to act well as a root cellar. At the opposite extreme, you have arctic permafrost, which the native folks use to store whole animals.

Retrofitting a Root Cellar in an Existing Home

The easiest option for building a root cellar is to section off a part of the basement (or maybe even the whole basement, if you live in an old farmhouse) for produce storage. Old dirt floor basements without heat are great for maintaining proper temperature and humidity levels.

Select an area with an existing window if possible, and use the window for ventilation. Fill the window with exterior grade plywood, and cut the necessary vent holes through the plywood. (The plywood also helps block light.)

North facing corners work well, because you can leave the two exterior walls uninsulated, and only insulate the interior walls. A north facing wall won’t gain heat from the sun. Use materials that tolerate moisture exposure.

Your basement root cellar should have no standard heating or cooling. Take note of ductwork or piping that runs through the ceiling above your root cellar (if any), and make sure vents or hot water pipes are well insulated so they don’t bleed heat into your root cellar.

For additional food storage space, build shelving on the outside of your basement root cellar for canned goods or other items.

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Adding a Root Cellar in a New Home

Many new homes have small concrete exterior porch. Typically this area has 4ft footings and is filled under the porch with dirt. You need to put a foundation wall under it anyway, so why not put this area to good use?

To turn this under porch area into a root cellar, have the builder put in full footings, an insulated exterior grade access door from the basement and two 4 inch vent holes. Add concrete slab on top as normal. This area could also be a wine cellar or safe room.

Our under porch root cellar measures about 6’x8′, which provides plenty of room for our stash of root veggies, plus gives a nice sized porch above. Locating the root cellar outside the footprint of the home allows the root cellar to maintain cooler temperatures more easily than a cellar located within the house.

Building a Root Cellar Outside the Home

For an exterior root cellar, similar rules apply – have good ventilation, keep it earth sheltered and dark. A north facing door is preferred, to avoid sun beating in and heating your cellar up. Aim for at least one to two feet of soil covering the root cellar, and make sure you choose a premade option (some people have used new septic tanks) or materials that are rot resistant and can stand the weight of wet soil.

Traditional Root Cellar

This is what most of us think of when we hear the phrase “root cellar”. There are insulated doors that lead down into the earth. It’s dug down or into the side of a hill. Walls are concrete, cinder block, or more creative materials like old tires. You need to make sure the roof and walls are well supported to avoid collapse. Engage an engineer to help ensure safety.

Earth Berm Root Cellar

Above ground root cellars are usually partly sunken with earth mounded on 3 sides and the door avoiding the direct sun. See the  Above Ground Root Cellars post for more information.

For a great resource on building a homestead root cellar, check out the book below by my friend, Teri, of Homestead Honey.

Barrel in the ground A (approximately Zones 6-9)

The size and depth depends on the zone you live in. A simple bucket, with holes drilled in the bottom and top, buried level with the soil with a bale of hay as an insulating cover will work into zone 7 and possibly into zone 6 depending on cover and conditions. The colder and hotter zones require the bucket or barrel to be deeper, and more insulation on the top to avoid the freezing surface temps.

Barrel in the ground B (approximately Zones 3-6)

Buy one large heavy duty garbage can, and a smaller garbage can that fits inside the larger one (with an inch or two gap). Both the larger garbage can and the smaller one need holes in the bottom. The inside one needs a cover with vents / screen. Cover exterior holes with screens to keep rodents out. It also needs significant insulation above it.

Prepare a hole that is deeper than the large garbage can, with rocks and gravel in the bottom to create a simple French drain. If water drains well, you will need a small amount of rocks and gravel. If soil doesn’t drain well, you need to go deeper and wider so your underground storage barrel doesn’t turn into a water hole. Another trick is to dig a very deep, large hole next to the garbage can hole and fill that hole with rocks. The deeper hole acts as a drain for your shallower garbage can root cellar.

Once you have the large garbage can in the ground and secure, lower the smaller one into the larger barrel. Store food in the small barrel. When you need access, grab from the top or pull out the smaller barrel. This makes it easier to reach food the bottom. There are many variations on this. Search “garbage can root cellar” for examples.

Root Cellar Ventilation

Improper ventilation is one of most common mistakes that people make when designing/installing a root cellar. They build their underground food storage airtight to keep things nice and cold, and everything spoils. Why? Because some foods give off ethylene gas, which speeds ripening (and rotting). A root cellar that is too airtight may also build up excess humidity, leading to mold and mildew.

How should you ventilate your root cellar? Use two vents, about 3-4 inches in diameter. Place the vents so that one is near the top of the root cellar to exhaust stale air and ethylene gas. The other vent should be run down to near the floor, to drop in fresh air. 4 inch vents should be adequate for to up to around an 8’x10’ room. If your cellar is larger than this, consider additional ventilation. Make sure to put screen on the outside to keep mice and other small animals out!

Ethylene Gas

As fruits such as apples and pears ripen, they give off ethylene gas, which decreases the storage life of some produce. Ethylene gas can cause sprouting, decay, mold, yellowing, shrinking, toughness, softness, bitterness and other damage.

To combat spoilage from ethylene gas, segregate fruits and veggies that produce excess ethylene gas from those that are easily damaged from ethylene gas. (This is a good idea for your refrigerator produce bins, too.)

Fruits and Vegetables that may create excess ethylene gas include:

Apples, apricots, avocados, ripening bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, citrus fruit (not grapefruit), cranberries, figs, guavas, grapes, green onions, honeydew, ripe kiwi fruit, mangoes, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, okra, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, peppers, persimmons, pineapple, plantains, plums, prunes, quinces, tomatoes and watermelon.

Fruits and vegetables that may be damaged by excess ethylene gas include:

Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, cut flowers, eggplant, endive, escarole, florist greens, green beans, kale, kiwi fruit, leafy greens, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes, potted plants, romaine lettuce spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress and yams.

Root Cellar Lighting

Light exposure is the enemy of food storage. Every time I see people lining up their canning jars or spices on open shelves, I cringe. It looks beautiful, but light bleaches out the color and the nutrient value of foods.

In the root cellar, light exposure may lead to sprouting and green potatoes. If you’re venting through a window, cover the rest of the window. If you have a light in your root cellar so you can see your food storage better, don’t leave the light on when you’re not using it. A hunk of burlap drawn over bins of potatoes or fruit will allow ventilation while still blocking the light. A single incandescent light (switched on exterior) should provide adequate lighting (unless your room is really huge) and, if for some reason your storage gets too cold, you can always use it to introduce a little heat.

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Root Cellar Humidity – Keep Things Moist But Not Wet

Checking the fruit and vegetable storage chart, you’ll see that most store best with fairly high humidity. If you have a dirt or gravel floor in your root cellar, you’re in luck, because the natural ground moisture will help keep your produce damp.

Produce will give off some moisture on its own, but if you note that your produce is shriveling, your root cellar is probably too dry. Take a tip from the grocery stores, and try a little misting action with a spray bottle. Avoid getting any area too wet, as that can lead to standing water and potential mold growth. Some people leave trays of water in the root cellar to increase humidity. Be careful with this option, as it can also result in bacteria or mold growth.

Root Cellar Shelving

Shelving should allow airflow and add storage. Keep a gap between the shelving or storage bins and wall to encourage air flow. Remember to check the chart and keep produce that likes cooler temps lower and food that like warmer temps higher.