With the price of gas on the rise it is important to take measure to save money on gas for your car by cutting down the amount of fuel that you are using. There are some tips on how to save money for gas for your car.
Drive Less
Instead of running errands several times a week combine them into one trip. Instead of driving from store to store walk whenever possible. All look for stores that carry a variety of items so you will not have to travel to so many different places. The less you drive the less gas you will need to put into your car, t his will obviously help save money on gas.
Shorten the Warm Up Time
During the winter months many people think that they need to let their car warm up for several minutes before driving off. You only need to warm your car up for 30 seconds to one minute before driving. If you leave the car idling for more than a minute you are wasting gas. Not only that you are putting greenhouse gasses into the air. Many modern cars do not need a long period of time to be ready to go even during cold mornings. One minute is all you need. This will save you both time and gas.
Use Cash to Pay
Many gas stations charge an additional fee to customers that pay with credit cards. This fee is due to the processing fees from the credit card companies. When paying with cash or a debt card the cost of gas is often a couple of cents less. This can add up to savings over the year.
Find the Right Station
When getting gas the location of the station can play a role in the price. Often stations that are right off the highway charge more money for gas than those that are in town. To find the gas station with the lowest price be sure to check an app. There are several apps that will show the prices for gas from various stations around town. When passing by that gas station get the gas while it is cheap. If you belong to a club store be sure to get gas while shopping there as the price is often less than even the cheapest gas station.
Time Your Purchases
The time of the day that you purchase gas can affect the price that you pay. You should either purchase gas early in the morning or later in the way. Due to the cooler temperature the gas will be denser and you will get more gas for your dollar. If the price is gas is going to gas up it usually happens in the afternoon. Getting gas early can help you save several cents per gas.
Slow Down
The faster you drive the more gas your car is going to use. The drag is increased on your car and in order to provide the power that is needs the more gas your car will use. Driving at the speed limit or below it will allow your car to use more gas efficiently. Also be careful not to accelerate too quickly. The faster you accelerate the more gas your car will use.
Watch Your Braking
The more you brake the more gas your car is going to use. Frequent braking will also wear down your brake pads faster. In order to brake less you maintain a safe distance from other cars. This way if they slow down you will not have to hit the brakes. You can also begin to brake earlier and slowly. This will help you save money on gas.
Keep an Eye on the Tires
Make sure that the tires are inflated properly at all times. Be sure that the tires are properly inflated as this will help you get better gas mileage. When there is a change in temperature the tires can lose two to three pounds for every square inch. If you decide to use snow tires in the winter months once spring comes around replace them. While snow tires will help create extra friction and grip to the road they will use more gas.
Close the Windows
During the warmer months many people like to open their windows to feel the cool breeze. While this may feel nice it is wasting a lot of gas. Wind can cause the car to drag and will require more gas to get it moving. Close the windows when possible.
Remove Extras
It is not unusual to see cars with racks and carriers on the top and the back. While these are useful for those on the go and can carry bikes and skies they can also use additional gas. When these items are not being used to carry things take them off. Also do not use the car to store items or keep unneeded things in them. The heavier the car is the more gas it will use to keep going. Be sure to unpack the car and is something is not being use get rid of it.
Conclusion:
These are some tips on how to help you save money on gas. You need gas for your car to run but these simple tips can help you save money and get more gas and mileage for your dollars.
By nature, a child likes to play around, do things on their own, sometimes lousy and even think they are old enough. Because all children are different, they exhibit different types of capabilities and skills. Remember, children have great individual variations of temperament, development and behavior.Every prepper plans and strategize for disasters but an often neglected aspect of prepping is training for children.
Help your growing child understand what is expected of him or her as they grow, with a little help from you as dear parents.
Since knowledge takes time to develop, so we need to start teaching them as soon as possible, and that is now.
Check out this article on the Top 20 Survival Skills a Kid Should Know to see what skills you should be teaching your kiddos.
Know how to make a fire.
Your child needs to know how to make a fire. You must be care to locate fire in a place where the wind wouldn’t blow directly on it, also, it works well in a large boulder. You need to have matches during camping and make sure your kid knows how to keep it safely under your control.
Know how to cook on a fire.
This survival skill is great to teach while you are on a camping trip. Help your kids how to cook on a fire and determine when food is ready to eat. You will need tinder, kindling, and logs.
Know to eat healthy and stay fit.
Your kids should know what foods are healthy to eat and how to stay in good shape. Explain the importance of having a healthy system and what it brings to you. If you are not in good shape, you will have a hard time surviving in a difficult situation.
Know how to handle and use a knife.
Every child should be shown how to hold and carry a knife for their own safety in everyday tasks around the house.
If an emergency occurs, a knife could be the only tool they will have available to help them survive until help arrives. Your child could learn using knife in cutting branches for shelter but also for hunting, if necessary, and to catch fish as well.
Know to find water and see if it’s safe to drink.
Help your child learn to locate water sources, and how to purify and clean the water, that is by using filters and boiling. Your child must know how to find water that is safe to drink.
In case your home has a deep well, you may continue to drink water from it and should be taught how to draw water from that well in case the electric is out. If your home does not have a well, then they need to search for bottled water.
Know basic first aid.
Every child should learn basic first aid and should know to treat wound or injury then tie a sling. Your child needs to be shown where your first aid supplies are stored and how to treat minor wound or injury. They also need to learn how to differentiate minor injuries from ones that require the attention of a doctor.
In case your child is alone, being able to cover and mend a cut or wound could save their life.
Know basic sewing.
Basic sewing should be taught to kids so they can patch clothing or any kind of garments when necessary. Mending clothes or any fabric and even make things like bags or scrap quilts are good advantage you can get when you know basic sewing.
Know basic self-defense.
Self-defense is another vital survival skill everyone should know, and that includes the kiddos. This is a skill your child needs to know to stay safe.
You can teach your child how to get away if someone grabs them. Instead of pulling away, tell your child to push towards the other person. Because of this, it could actually cause a person to lose its balance, then, will let go of your child as they would fall.
You don’t need to teach them any fancy skills – they need to know basic skills. Teach them to always follow their gut instincts. This could save your child’s life in a survival situation.
Know how to find or build shelter.
Your child needs to know how to find shelter away from home. Let them know the importance of a shelter in a survival situation and how to find a shelter when needed. under their clothes or use as a blanket.
Know how to read a map and compass.
A lost child is a scared child, and usually their first instinct is to begin searching for their family.
Teaching the kids reading a map is like making a lesson into a treasure hunt.
You may draw up a map marking the location of the treasure and then help them understand the directions.
Know where your family and friends live.
Your child needs to know where family and friends are to find a safe place especially if your child is in trouble. They need to know how to get to those safe homes.
Know what to do when they get lost.
A child if lost will sure feel uneasy and terrified. Wherever your child is lost; in a grocery store, on a hiking trip or along the street, the instruction is the same. In case your child realizes they lose their way, condition their mind to stop, sit as soon they are in this situation. No matter how scared they might be, assure them that you are searching for them.
Know how to grow garden.
Every child must need to understand how to plant a seed and harvest it. Teaching kids to grow their own food gives them knowledge and power. Encourage your child to learn and appreciate how to grow food.
Know what to do in bad weather.
Your child needs to know what to do when a bad weather is coming regardless he or she is both at home and away. Does your child know what to do if he or she is home alone and a bad storm is coming?
Always plan on them being alone so that they can be independently safe, with this, they will not be dependent, they could count on themselves. Remind them to go to a basement and to stay away from windows.
Know how to swim.
Unfortunately, drowning is the third most common form of accidental death in children, so learning to swim really is an essential life skill. Swimming is one of the few skills that once learned is rarely forgotten. And, this is fun too for kiddos.
Know to raise and care for animals.
Teaching your kids, the responsibility of having a pet is very important and it is another great lesson to them. If you do not have room for livestock, consider keeping a few chickens or rabbits for your kids to care for.
Know basic woodworking.
If your kids could learn basic carpentry that will be a bonus. If they can work well with woods or logs, then they can learn building almost everything. And, if possible, you can teach your kids to safely use tools like axe or hatchet in doing basic woodwork.
Know to Fish.
Fishing is easy to learn, easy to teach and doesn’t have to involve lots of expensive equipment. This can be a good bonding with the whole family especially on a vacation.
Know how to answer the door when they are home alone.
The best way is either not to answer or open the door. When the door is opened and closed with kids in and out, it leaves those in the home vulnerable to someone who is watching the home. Train your kid to be keen in keeping the windows locked, your blinds and curtains always closed.
Know how to climb a tree.
This is part of the dangerous things you should let your kids do, as long as they are under your control.
Teach them how to climb safely which is really important, tell them when to stop climbing and when it is dangerous.
This skill can be useful because it eliminates a potential accident risk.
Final Say
One of the most important of parental goals is to make them independent and autonomous while they’re still young as soon as possible. As crises or emergencies arise, their survival training and real determination will decide if you get to ever tuck them in bed again.
When crisis strikes, knowing as many survival skills as possible may it’s a life and death situation for your children. You don’t have to be aggressive or scary about it, but you should teach your kids how to take care of themselves as they grow.
The sooner the children become self-sufficient, the greater their chance of surviving in any type of collapse. Make a game out of teaching survival skills and have fun with your child. You never know when your child may need to take care of himself/herself for a few days.
Every individual needs to be able to take care of his or herself, including children. They may not be adults yet, and they may have fewer responsibilities than most of us, but they do need to learn how to survive in this cruel world, especially when outdoors. Hence, in this post, we’ll be rounding up the top survival skills your child should know.
It is every parent’s responsibility to teach their kids various skills they can use throughout their lives. In this modern world of ready-to-eat food and high-tech gadgets made for utmost convenience, the art of survival skills fade as majority of us rarely use them.
However, the greatest thing about survival skills is that no one can predict when and where to use them.
Apparently, it’s better to know how to execute a certain necessary skill, such as starting a fire with wet wood, in case of an emergency than to be stuck without any knowledge.
So without further ado, here’s a list of the top survival skills every kid should learn.
Top 10 Survival Skills Your Child Should Know Right Now
1. Finding Safe Drinking Water
Finding safe drinking water is a crucial skill since the human body can live without food for several days, but not without water. It is, therefore, necessary for every kid to know how to locate water sources and how to purify them.
First off, if the potable water you consume in your home is sourced from a deep well or faucet, you might want to teach your kids how to continue drawing water from them if electricity’s out.
When outdoors, make sure your child brings a bottle of water at all times. Otherwise, the safest water sources outdoors are springs, streams, ice, and snow. Lakes, ponds, and creeks are unsafe, no matter how clear they can be. Next, show them the proper way of testing spring water and other water sources to make them safe for drinking.
Water can be boiled, filtered, or treated with chemicals such as iodine to rid it of bacteria and viruses.
2. Basic First Aid
Every child and adult should learn basic first aid. First aid is beneficial during emergency situations. It could be a life saver, especially if your child is alone and injured.
Your kid needs to be shown where the first aid supplies can be found, emergency numbers to call, as well as some basic skills such as treating minor wounds, burns, and tying a sling.
This animated video below will teach your kids how to do basic first aid in case of accidents.
3. Building Fire
Building fire is an essential outdoor skill.
Teach kids how to gather wood, light matches, keep the fire under control, cook with it, and most importantly, kill it when not in use to prevent forest fires.
Differentiating poisonous plants and shrubs from non-poisonous ones is a great skill to possess. You can teach your kids this lesson by simply taking them on nature walks and pointing out which are edible or poisonous as you go along.
Since it may be hard for kids to keep track of so much information, encourage them to keep a journal with pictures and names of each plant for future reference.
Start with non-poisonous and edible plants first then move on to those with dangerous look-alikes such as nettle, berries, watercress, dandelions, and cattails.
5. How to find or build shelter in the wilderness
Kids should acknowledge the importance of a shelter in a survival situation and how to find one when needed.
You can teach them how to find the right spot to position a tent, areas to avoid, and creating makeshift shelters if you don’t have a tent with you.
This skill is one of the most fun things to learn, especially building makeshift shelters. You can teach them how to use fallen trees, dry leaves, and other outdoor objects to stimulate their resourcefulness.
6. Self-defense
Children can protect themselves through acquiring self-defense skills. Enrolling them in a self-defense class can benefit him or her in many ways.
They can learn self-discipline, feel more confident, and be able to defend themselves against attackers and potentially dangerous situations.
For the meantime, you can refer to the video below for basic self-defense techniques for kids.
7. Handling a knife
The mere thought of sharp objects scares children away. Knives have become a taboo subject among the youngsters because of its possible dangers, but these tools are also present in our daily lives; that’s why children need to know how to use it safely.
The more aware and knowledgeable they become about knives, the less likely they are to experiment with it. Children should be taught how to hold a knife, walk with a knife, cutting objects with knives, and storing them properly.
8. How to swim
Sadly, drowning is one of the most common forms of accidents faced by children outdoors. Children do love the water, and it’s inevitable to keep them away from it. Hence, the only way to make sure they’re safe while enjoying the waters is to teach them how to swim and float.
Don’t know how to swim yourself? Let little Emma help you!
9. How to fish
Fishing is fun. It’s a good form of bonding for parents and kids. It’s easy to learn, and it’s not complicated at all – it doesn’t involve lots of expensive equipment.
Furthermore, kids can appreciate the outdoors more if they know how to fish because of the free food. Teach your children how to fish in 10 simple steps from this article.
10. Reading a map, compass, and GPS
Maps, compasses, and GPS devices let children know where they are and help them find their way in case they get lost.
GPS systems can let you know your location instantly, but if you run out of battery, compass and maps are your only options for navigation.
Not only will reading these tools provide children with information on their whereabouts, but they also help in enriching kids’ spatial thinking by making them visualize objects in relation with one another.
Final Thoughts
Children should be taught survival skills early on so they can be prepared anytime, especially during a zombie apocalypse. Kidding! So, there you have it — the top 10 survival skills that are extremely helpful for children and for adults too. Know that those 10 bullets are just the tip of the iceberg as there are about a hundred or so skills you can learn from the outdoors.
Hey, camper! Did you find this post useful? Have you learned a lot? Do you know other survival tips or tricks? Let us know in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this post. Cheers!
When it comes to survival, the key is having the right mix of gear and skill available to solve a wide array of potential problems that might come up.
As most of us already know, a bug out bag (BOB) is a particular set of gear that is intended to keep you alive for up to 72 hours. Basically it helps you reach your predetermined bug out location (BOL).
For a great refresher on the different type of emergency kits, check out David’s summary.
Before we dive into the battery strategy, I want to share the main assumptions behind a great BOB.
The type of gear that you put in your BOB should be thought around meeting your needs of shelter, water, and food (for energy).
It is important to think about it in that order of priority. On average you can live up to 3 hours in adverse weather, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
Keep Working on the BOB
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time revising my bug out bag in order to get it down in weight so that its mean and lean. My current total BOB weight, including the clothes that I will be wearing, is at 37.3 pounds.
I have found that shelter, including clothes, easily consumes about 33% of the total weight.
Next comes water purification and initial water for the first stretch of the trip, weighing about 20% of the total. Food in terms of energy needs can be had surprisingly light at less than 2 pounds.
The rest of the space, which is about 25%, is reserved for tools, fire making, lighting, health, and miscellaneous other items. It is in these areas where the need for batteries are bound to come up.
Common Batteries Used In BOBs
Devices that are often found in BOBs include flashlights, lanterns, walkie talkies, weather and emergency radios, or other items based on your own specific needs.
The main issue here is that electronics tend to be bulky and heavy. On top of that, they require batteries to run, which are also bulky and heavy.
With a BOB, your goal should be weight reduction to the point of meeting the requirements of keeping you alive for 3 days without injury. If you have never carried a backpack that weighs more than 35 pounds, I suggest you try it out before you load your BOB to the brim.
Over the course of 3 days, you will need a flashlight at a bare minimum to operate and navigate in the dark. Depending on other necessities, you might choose more devices to add to your bag. It is recommended that you at least have a handheld flashlight, a headlamp, and a key-chain light.
The most common battery types that you will encounter with these devices include: AAA, AA, 123A, and 18650. We will go over the main details for each of these next.
AAA
The AAA battery is a common size that you can find almost anywhere. For a typical Alkaline version, the voltage is 1.5 Volts, and the energy it contains will last you about 10 hours at 0.1 Amps of current consumption for the average Duracell. The weight is 0.35 ounces per battery.
AA
The AA battery is similarly common like the AAA. The voltage is the same at 1.5 Volts, however the size is bigger, giving it more energy. In contrast, the AA battery can last about 26 hours at 0.1 Amps of current consumption. This is over 2.5 times more than the AAA. The weight of the AA is 0.85 ounces, which is about 2.5 times more than the AAA, naturally.
123A
The 123A is a specialty Lithium type of battery that you find in higher power flashlights. The voltage is 3.0 Volts, which is similar to two AAA/AA stacked together in series. A Duracell 123A can last around 16 hours at 0.1 Amps of current pull. This puts it somewhere in between the AAA and AA. It weighs in at 0.5 ounces.
18650
The 18650 is a rechargeable Lithium battery at 4.2 Volts. These batteries vary in performance by manufacturer quite a bit, but on average you can expect it to last about 20 hours at 0.1 Amps of current pull. The weight is higher at 1.6 ounces. Note that many flashlights these days will come with an option of using either a 18650 or a pod that takes 3 AAA batteries instead.
Best Battery Strategy
We just looked at four common battery types that you will see most often for these types of electronics. They vary in voltage, current capacity, volume, and weight.
When it comes to thinking about a strategy, one thing to note is that you most likely won’t be using all of your gear at the same time. The core item that may overlap use with other devices is going to be the flashlight if you are using something in the dark.
Otherwise, chances are you won’t be using your walkie talkie while also listening to your emergency radio. If you are using your lantern, you won’t be using your flashlight, and so on.
With this in mind, we can start thinking about the advantages of choosing one specific battery type to go for on our electronics instead of just buying electronics and separate batteries for each device.
The best way for this to work is to select your most important piece of gear first, which is typically the walkie talkies, and then down selecting your other gear to match the same battery type.
For example, there are some very great performing flashlights out there in all of the battery types that we have covered. David posted two awesome flashlights that he was considering for his BOB. It was between the Klarus XT11S (18650 battery) and the Felix LD41 (AA batteries).
Buy a Light Based on Battery First
What I learned is that it might be more strategic to choose a flashlight based on its battery type first, and then based on its other features.
I did a ton of research and put together the top performers in flashlights. From the top 10 AA flashlights, one of the best for your BOB is the J5 Tactical V1 Pro, which runs on a single AA battery.
I bought one, tested it, and found that it can run on high for 4 hours and on low for 20 hours from one battery. That’s pretty amazing. It’s not the brightest flashlight out there, but for the price, weight, light output, and performance, it is hard to beat.
As for the top AAA flashlights, the Streamlight Stylus Pro is a great option and runs on 2 AAA batteries. The run time is about 6 hours.
Obviously, you are going to have the best opportunity to replenish your batteries if you go with either AAA or AA. They are commonly found almost everywhere. That way, if your batteries get run down before you get to your BOL, you have a much better chance of finding replacements.
Gear Experiments
Let’s do a simple experiment to see what kind of savings we can get by eliminating multiple battery types. We will pretend that we are being sloppy and not paying attention to battery type or caring about weight reduction.
A typical set of walkie talkies can take 3 AA batteries for each headset. So we will need 6 AA batteries to use them. That equals about 5 ounces of battery weight. Should we pack a spare set of batteries and double the weight? Let’s do it. There, that’s 10 ounces for 12 AA batteries.
Now let’s grab a 18650 flashlight which adds another 1.6 ounces of battery weight. We also want a headlamp that runs on 3 AAA batteries, which is another 1 ounce. Of course we want spares for these, so here we have about 5 ounces for all of these batteries.
Combine these three battery types together for these devices including spare batteries and we have a whopping 15 ounces of battery weight! That is nearly a pound just for batteries. In BOB land, that kind of weight is insane to add to your pack. If we were using an emergency radio as well, it would be even worse.
Now, what if we instead chose all of our gear to work off of AA batteries? Let’s use the same walkie talkies that require 6 AA batteries to operate. We can also select a single AA flashlight and a single AA headlamp.
The spare set that we have for the walkie talkies, which is 6 AA batteries could also be used as spares to power our flashlight and headlamp. Adding it all up (I count 14 AA batteries total), this scheme gives us a total of 12 ounces of battery weight. That is a savings of 3 ounces (0.2 pounds) by just being smart with our battery plan. It also gives us a much better pool of backup batteries. If you have multiple family members, the savings on spare batteries can really start stacking up.
Conclusion
It’s clear that battery and device selection is one of the best ways to remove wasted weight out of your bug out bag. Ounces count big time. As we discussed, if you blindly choose your electronics and they happen to have different battery types, then you will have some wasted weight in your pack.
The Best Battery Strategy here is to select your most important electronic device first, and ideally select one that runs on AA or AAA batteries, which will give you the best chance to be consistent across your other electronics.
It’s much easier to select flashlights and headlamps in either the AA or AAA battery variety. If you do this well, you have the opportunity to save at least 3 ounces or more as seen from our gear experiment.
If you have already built your BOB, then give your battery plan another look. It just might be a great way to shave off some much needed weight, while offering you a much better pool of backup batteries.
About the Author
Tom Sheppard spends a lot of his free time prepping. He also enjoys camping out in North Texas. With his technical background, Tom does a lot of tinkering with gear. He often shares his knowledge with survival articles at Trek Warrior.
I am a Renaissance Republican, another one of the silent majority of Americans who are too busy working on taking care of myself and fulfilling my own responsibilities to do much beyond vote and watch in disgust at modern politics.
But it has gotten to the point where I am tired of watching the contract our government has with me being rewritten without my consent. I am tired of wondering what gives that Washington bunch the authority to take my taxes to increase their own power. Have they not read the 10th Amendment of our Constitution?
They speak about charity and fairness but they don’t pay for their schemes with their dollars, they steal mine. I don’t want to bail out bankers and then watch them use the money to buy up smaller banks that followed the rules. I don’t want to give money to car companies that for years used their influence to shut-out innovative startup car manufacturers. I don’t want to pay other people’s mortgages while my own home equity disappears. I don’t want to pay for health care for criminals who have been breaking our laws from the day they invaded our borders.
Most of all I am tired of being forced to subsidize the ideas of those that dismiss my personal beliefs and rights. Why is the 2nd amendment considered outdated while the 1st is being perverted to protect pornographers. Why am I ridiculed for my beliefs, when others get federal dollars to expand theirs? Why does their discomfort at the idea of a man that can and will protect himself and his family, outweigh my right and duty to be able to do so.
I believe that in this country, people have the right to believe as they want, to love who they want, and pray to whoever they want. And while I may believe my way is better (at least for me), I don’t have the right to force my beliefs on others. I believe they do NOT have the right to force their beliefs on me either!
I believe in our Constitution as it was written. I believe that if the 1st Amendment protects more than printing presses and quill pens, then the 2nd protects more than muskets. We don’t get to pick and choose; the law applies to everyone, WITHOUT prejudice.
I believe that it as an American I have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that if I should fail in my pursuit, I don’t have the right to ask the government to steal from others to make it “fair” for me.
I believe that our government does not listen to my demands for justice. That the system works for those who have their hands out, while ignoring the vast, silent few that work every day to support the system.
But mostly, I have a deep belief in this Country. I believe deep in my being that the majority of citizens feel as I do. I believe people are tired of being told that their beliefs don’t matter. I believe that most of us submit to taxation but don’t get equal representation.
Now for the question…
What do you believe?
Email me. I want to know what you think. Am I wrong about the middle class? If you agree, tell me, if you don’t tell me why…
When it comes to survival, the key is having the right mix of gear and skill available to solve a wide array of potential problems that might come up.
I am a Renaissance Republican, another one of the silent majority of Americans who are too busy working on taking care of myself and fulfilling my own responsibilities to do much beyond vote and watch in disgust at modern politics.