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Flashlights are one of the more basic and useful survival supplies for the suburban survivalist. The ability to have fast and effective light with no smoke or odor is an advantage in the first few months of an emergency.

Purchase several flashlights over time: When money is tight, buy several of the more inexpensive flashlights first. Try to have at least one flash light for every major room in the house, and at least one flash light for each person that is likely to show up at the door during an emergency. Also have an extra flashlight for the driver seat of each vehicle, and for each emergency bag.

When selecting flashlights, make sure that there is at least one that takes AAA, AA, C and D celled batteries. At first it might seem to make sense to have all flashlights using the same battery, and stocking up on that battery only. However, flashlights are not the only product that will use batteries, and having batteries that are multi-purpose is a generally good idea. (Batteries meant to be used in the radio may be used for light instead if the situation calls for it). Also some batteries may be available after an emergency has settled down, and being able to use most batteries will give the well-prepared an edge. Although it is good to have flashlights in all battery sizes, it may also be a good idea to focus most of the effort on the single size that makes the most sense for each person.

During normal times, try to keep the flashlights in each room, and in a standardized place. In an unannounced power outage during the middle of the night, it would be advisable to be able to go directly to a flashlight instead of having to search in the dark for hours.

First Year: Plant (or buy) in spring, grow all year. Take them inside for the winter: Taste the leaves & mark your strongest in sweetness plants. If any are very week in sweetness mark them also.

Second year:  Put the plants back outside in the spring as soon as possible (but protect from frost). After a week or two, taste the leaves again. Take cuttings of the ’strongest’ (in sweetness and growth) and plant them in new pots to grow. Treat these cuttings as year 1 plants. Harvest the strong sweetness plants (completely): Dry and use like tea leave (or do other crazy stuff to get the white powder form). Let the less than sweet plants go to seed, and save the seeds for the following year.

Stevia will grow for several years when protected from frost. The second year is almost always the best year for sweetness level & taste.  The “sweetness” of the leaves does not seem to be passed from parent to child by seed. The seeds of a very sweet plant may produce bland leaves or vice versa. Plants grown by cuttings do seem (for the most part) to hold true on the level of sweetness.

Do save seed and plant some from seed each year… otherwise your gene pool will be very poor over many years from just cuttings.

Also during the year, leaves can be pulled at any time, and used like mint leaves to sweet teas and drinks during brewing.

The leaf of the Stevia Plant is called “honey leaf” by the natives of Paraguay, where it has been used for centuries as a sweetener, and Japanese food companies have been using Stevia for over 25 years.   However the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned the import of Stevia to the United States because it had not undergone expensive testing.  A change in the law in 1994 allowed Stevia to be imported into the United States but it could only be sold only as a supplement, not as a sweetener.

The Stevia plant is tropical, and will not survive a light freeze, and will struggle in dry areas.

Hiding canned (or any longer term storage food) is both important and requires pre-planning. A recent hint from SurvivalBlog.com is as follows:

First, buy a “hide-a-bed” couch (queen size is the best). Remove and discard the entire bed frame internals and mattress (or find another use for them). This will require some tools, and before purchasing this couch, it would be good to inspect it to make sure it can be removed without damaging the structure of the couch. Then build a framework of 2×2s to replace the bed frame that was just removed. Cover the wood framework with a cut piece of 3/4″ plywood to support the seat cushions.

Store food (or other supplies) in the wooden framework and then cover with the plywood (but leave detached for easy access). Cover with cushions and make sure the wood is not detectible. A throw, blanket, or sofa cover may be used to add to the camouflage.

The conventional wisdom for cleaning Cast Iron is to never ever use soap. This is because soap (or any detergent) will remove some of the oil and grease that makes of the seasoning layer. There is some debate about this amongst those on the internet: Some say that there is no proof that the detergents will hurt the seasoning layers, and that it makes cleaning easier.

There is no debate however that soap is not needed to get the Cast Iron clean and safe to use. Rinse with water and use a cloth or plastic scouring pad (not steel wool) to remove any visible food particles. Dry it well. The entire process of cleaning should only take a few minutes: Do not soak Cast Iron or hours! To sterilize the Cast Iron, simply put it back into a hot stove for a few minutes and let cool before putting away.

Brand new Cast Iron cookware will have a gray tint. This cookware will need to be seasoned before use, and then will be dark black in color. Some cookware can be purchased pre-seasoned.

To season the Cast Iron piece pre-heat an oven to 300 degrees, coat the Cast Iron in vegetable shortening (or lard), and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Pour out the excess grease (liquid) and then bake the piece for at least an additional hour. Turn off the oven, and let the pot cool slowly in the oven for a couple of hours (until cool to the touch). Repeat at necessary as desired.

The more often a piece is seasoned the darker and better the Cast Iron will perform. Seasoning fills the pores in the iron leaving a protective (generally) non-stick surface. Also note that smoke will be created by seasoning Cast Iron, and the first time a fan may be placed in the window to draw the smoke outside.

It is widely believed that cooking with Cast Iron leeches very small amounts of iron into the food (trace amounts). This can be a benefit when there is a risk of iron deficiency due to diet. In an emergency there may be limited amounts of red meat or other sources of iron in the standard diet. Although the iron from the cookware will not help those with severe deficiencies, it may help those with an average diet.

There are a couple of disadvantages to using Cast Iron cookware:

First of course, it is very heavy. Even a slight collision with an easy to break item, such as glass will end badly.

Cast Iron must be cared for differently. As an example it can not be washed in an automatic dish washer. Cast Iron must be seasoned, and cleaned in specific ways. Also if improperly cared for, it will rust.

High acid foods such as tomato sauce have a tendency to react with the iron and change the seasoning of the food.

Cast Iron skillets and pots can be extremely versatile. They can be used on most modern stoves (ceramic and glass top stoves be careful), in the oven, on an open fire, or directly in coals. Buying two pots will suit most cooking needs: Skillet and a Dutch oven. Food can be fried, deep fried, stewed, and roasted. Food can also be “slow cooked” in a Dutch oven over night in the left over coals.

There are two types of Cast Iron cookware.

The first class of cast iron cookware is made by pouring liquid hot iron into a mold. They can be identified by having a generally rough appearance in the cooking area.

The second class of cast iron is made the same way, however a second step of machining out the rough surface (to make a generally smooth or less-rough) cooking area. This second class of cast iron is relatively rare (because it was much more expensive to make), and are apparently no longer made or are very difficult to find. This second class of smooth cast iron is far superior for cooking and cleaning.

Most survivalists will have to start with the first class of cast iron, which is fully functional (but is harder to clean). Search garage sales and flea markets for the second class of cast iron (or as a cheap source for the first class of cast iron).