Survival Guide

Here’s what I keep in a home emergency first aid kit, what basic kits often miss, and what I want ready when professional help may be delayed.

Wilderness survival is a poor place to discover how little experience you have. This brief warning is aimed at beginners who are considering heading into the wild before they learn what they are getting into.

I explain what I unplug during a power outage, what I leave alone, what can restart unexpectedly, and how I handle appliances when electricity returns.

People with lower incomes often give a larger share of what they earn than wealthier people, a finding linked to empathy shaped by personal experience with need. The article also explains why generosity can mean time, skills, or a listening ear, not just money.

Not sure what size generator your sump pump needs? Here’s how I check running watts, startup surge, and other loads before choosing one.

A power station can run some sump pumps, but startup surge and battery size matter. Here’s how I check whether mine will actually work during a storm.

How long will a sump pump battery backup last? Here’s how pump cycles, battery size, water inflow, and storm conditions change the real answer.

When heavy rain knocks out my power, my sump pump can stop when I need it most. Here’s how I plan battery, generator, and backup power beforehand.

Borax can turn a campfire emerald, Epsom salt can make it glow white, and sugar adds starry sparks without changing the flame’s color. Get the full color-by-color list, along with the ventilation, cleanup, and no-mixing precautions that keep this experiment responsible.

I don’t stay home just to prove I can handle a blackout. Here are the warning signs that tell me it’s safer to leave during a long power outage.

After a week without power, my priorities change. Here’s how I handle water, food, fuel, sanitation, medications, communication, and staying home safely.

If my power could be out for 3 days, these are the supplies I actually want at home for water, food, lighting, charging, heat, cooking, and safety.

Some gas water heaters work without electricity and others don’t. Here’s how I tell what I have and whether I’ll still have hot water in a blackout.

When my AC stops during a summer blackout, I block heat, use the coolest rooms, conserve battery power, and know when the house is too hot to stay.