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I think intel is a big gap in most preppers’ plans. I am a big fan of a solid intelligence plan. I think we need a serious bit of help when it comes to getting an understanding of survival intelligence.

We are going to be making serious decisions that could result in life or death. It’s a terrifying thing when you really think that each turn and path you take during an SHTF scenario could be your last turn. The more informed you can be the more effective you will be in that decision-making process.

Let’s look at how and why you can gather intel on a wilderness location

Hunting and Fishing 

One of the most important reasons to gather intel on a wilderness location is to find the hunting and fishing spots that are in hiding. 

We all want to find that perfect spot and make that kill or catch that fish. Most success comes from understanding the area and the habitat. You need to prepare for this. It takes an understanding of things like elevation and types of land. 

If you use things like satellite imagery you can certainly discern a good spot to hunt and fish from a bad one. You can also 

Bugout Location

When it comes to a bugout location, its all about intel. Most people probably do more bugout intel in the digital form than in the physical. The bugout location should be something you create digital intel for and you go get physical intel on, as well. 

Another important note on intel is to take the time to observe something like a bugout location form a distance. If you are moving from one location to another in a disaster you should certainly spend some time scouting that location from a distance and building your own intel in the moment. 

After watching recent events unfold and speaking to family and friends, my wife and I decided to start prepping. Preparedness is a big part of our lives now and I would be honored to share some knowledge with you. Here at SHTF Prepping & Homesteading Central we gather the best prepping, survival, homesteading and DIY articles from around the web.
– “Those who prepare today will survive tomorrow.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shtfpreparedness.com/wilderness-and-bugout-intelligence/

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Making your own toothpaste saves money, gives you a feeling of accomplishment, and allows you to leave out all the harmful ingredients commercial toothpaste is made of. 

There is a lot of controversy over the use of fluoride in our water system and in our toothpaste. Well, good luck changing the situation with our water but we can affect what toothpaste we use. None will be better than that which we make ourselves. 

We are going to share a powerful and simple toothpaste recipe with you. 

Dental Health in SHTF

Good dental health is a precursor to good health in general. You see this most in the elderly. All the potential bacteria and infection that can originate in a poorly cared for the mouth is a lot for the body to handle.  

Dont forget, when you get an infection in SHTF you are not going to be numb for the extraction or, worse, a root canal. Poor dental health in SHTF is going to result in the worst pain you are likely to deal with in your life. 

DIY Toothpaste Recipe

Start with 1/4 cup of baking soda and mix into it two heaping tablespoons of melted coconut oil. Mix these two ingredients well. This is going to be the base for your toothpaste. 

Next add about 5 drops of mint oil, 5 drops of clove oil and 3 drops of tea tree oil. This powerful mix of essential oils will fight infection, bad breath and also give you that great clean feeling that you enjoy with traditional toothpaste. 

You can also make your own mouthwash! Its another step in the right direction. Dont take your dental and oral health lightly. You never know when times could get tough and a dentist might be out of the question. 

After watching recent events unfold and speaking to family and friends, my wife and I decided to start prepping. Preparedness is a big part of our lives now and I would be honored to share some knowledge with you. Here at SHTF Prepping & Homesteading Central we gather the best prepping, survival, homesteading and DIY articles from around the web.
– “Those who prepare today will survive tomorrow.”

Permanent link to this article: https://www.shtfpreparedness.com/a-simple-homemade-toothpaste-recipe/

Tires are everywhere you look. During a survival situation, the ability to fix a tire and extend its life is a good skill to have. The supplies in this article are inexpensive and can be bought a little at a time so it is not hard to fit into even a modest prepper budget.

To be honest, these are things you should probably have on hand even during good times if you have any vehicles or machines at all.

Tires Have A Limited Life

During SHTF, getting a new set of tires may not be a possibility. This means that extending the life of what you have is going to be the new reality. Even if you are just using small machines or wheelbarrows, tires are going to be part of your life.

Rolling firewood along in a wheelbarrow means less work and strain then if you are having to carry all that by hand. Tires can make or break the deal. 

Tire Repair Is A Valuable Skill

Making yourself useful during a crisis can make it a lot more likely that you will come out ok in the end. Tire repair is a skill that is not incredibly hard to learn but it sure is valuable to everyone.

If you have some extra supplies on hand, you can be a major benefit to those around you. Even if everyone starts out with tires that are in good shape, it only takes one sharp object to make a vehicle, machine, or tool, unusable.

Not Just For SHTF

Would you be able to take care of a basic tire issue if you were stuck with a flat? There are plenty of people that just figure they will call AAA to take care of it. That is fine if you are somewhere with a cell signal or when services are not being stressed.

Staying on the side of the road for hours waiting when you could fix it yourself in 20 minutes doesn’t make a lot of sense if it is something minor.

1. Tire Slime

This toxic looking substance is great for making tires last longer. It is actually an excellent preventative measure you can take to prevent a leak from ever happening in the first place.

While this is not an expensive item, you can definitely catch this stuff on sale or use coupons from auto stores to get it at a real bargain level price. It comes in quart and gallon sizes with the gallon being the most economical way to buy it.

It takes a bit to do a large vehicle tire so having a gallon or two extra after you have reinforced your own tires is a good plan. Despite what it looks like, it cleans up well with water and repairs and seals tires for up to 2 years. If your tires are still good by then you can put Slime in them again and keep going.

Tire Slime Leak Prevention Plan

Some household have more wheels than others. If you have a lot then it might take you some time to get all your tires sealed well.

To seal with slime:

Your tires are now sealed and have an extra layer of leak and puncture prevention that will last the life of your tire! If you do get a puncture that goes all the way through, then you will want to reseal with slime again after the more major repair if there is enough tread left on the tire to make it worth it to repair.

Plug Kit

When holes are obvious or when they are large, you need to be able to plug the hole. This is the same thing they do when you get a repair done at a professional tire shop. It takes some time but it is not a repair that is out of the realm of skill for even those with no tire repair experience.

Having two sets of the tools is probably a good idea though just in case you drop or lose one.

At this price point, it is not like you are making a huge investment.

Tire Pump 

Here is the one area where you can pay a little or a lot and there are a ton of different options out there. No hand pump is going to be fast but in an emergency situation any pump is better than none. This being said, do not go out and buy the cheapest pump out there. This is the most expensive item mentioned in this article.

If the grid is up, we just use an air compressor to fill tires at our place but if it were down it would be a challenge. There are 12 volt pumps you can get if you have solar power or some batteries. It takes a lot of pumping to inflate a bigger tire so if you can find a way to not do it by hand then that is a good thing.

The pumps for car emergencies that are frequently sold are slow but you don’t have to hand pump so a little extra patience may be worth it. There are a lot of pumps out there so do some research and read some reviews before purchasing.

You may just want to invest in several types to make life easier during different situations. Having one that works manually and one that is electric for example covers you in varying circumstances.

If a tire is attached to a vehicle or heavy tool then you are going to need a jack to do some repairs. In fact you may want to have several different types on hand. A lot of cars are sold with a small jack included but they are not always the greatest for all purpose use over time.

A floor jack and a bottle jack puts you in a good position for all types of repairs and can be useful for a lot of other things around the home.

The jack you choose is going to potentially be holding up a very heavy thing that you have to work around so this is another tool where you should not just buy the cheapest or lightest weight rating tool that you can find.

1. Pro Lift Bottle Jack 6 Ton

2. Pro Lift Floor Jack

3. Fix A Flat

This canned tire remedy is useful but definitely has its limitations. It is meant to be a good enough fix to allow you to get a vehicle somewhere that permanent repair can be done. At the same time, there are plenty of rebels out there that have went a long time on a tire that was just repaired with Fix A Flat.

While it is better than nothing and definitely worth it to have a few cans of, it is not something you want to trust for a very long term fix. Still, if it allows you to make it home when you have a breakdown, especially when helpful resources are limited or there is a major situation going on, the $5-$10 you spent could even save your life. Little things can sometimes have major consequences for better or worse.

Be aware that Fix A Flat has an expiration. Eventually, it will lose the pressure in the can and be useless so you need to occasionally toss it and buy new if you want to keep it around all the time just in case.

One can take care of fixing and inflating a standard tire. Really large truck tires may require one or more cans.

Getting Some Practice

If you have absolutely never had to fix a tire then it may be worth it to get an old tire and practice plugging holes a few times. Like any skill it may take a few tries before you are comfortable.

Old tires are easy to get a hold of. You may have one just laying around if you have lived at your place for very long or if you were blessed like we were with old tires that relatives threw out in random places.

I don’t really think the practice is 100% necessary but if you are lacking confidence in your ability to do repairs it can help. There are a ton of Youtube videos to show you the basics and those would be worth watching a few of.

Tube Versus Tubeless Tires

How and what you use for fixes is dependent on what type of tire you have. There are different types of tire slime for tubed tires. The vast majority of tires are tubeless. The major exceptions are wheelbarrows and bicycles.

Tubed Tire Know How

A tube patch kit is really inexpensive so definitely worth it to put back a few in your tire repair kit. Bicycles can become a more common method of transportation depending on the circumstances.

Tube Tire Repair Kit

The kit you can get works well for motorcycles, atvs, bicycles and more. You get 5 rubber patches in the kit.

Knowing When Not To Repair

It is not considered safe to try to patch the side area of a tire. There is just too much pressure on the sidewalls so a weakness is going to often cause tire blow outs or a continued leak. Tread areas are what you can fix.

A tire blowing out can cause loss of control and fatalities so it is not worth it to risk it to repair a sidewall unless you are in a very dire situation indeed. Also some states require inspections on vehicles to per performed annually and a shoddy repair can mean you fail and cannot be insured.

Valve Stems

Sometimes a valve stem can become damaged. This is the one exception to the not fixing something located on the side of the tire.

A kit like this should be on hand for any emergency tire repair. The included tool is small and a bit easy to lose so it would be worth it to have two of these.

Valve Stem Repair Kit

Never Repair A Repair

There is only so much you can do to get some use out of a tire.

If it is obvious that a tire has been patched in an area and then it gets another leak in the same space, chances are there is a weak spot that is only going to get worse and possibly cause harm if goes out at an appropriate speed.

Kit For The Road & Home

If you have some extra space it is not a bad idea to keep most of the things listed above both in your car and at home. This allows you to pretty much always have access to some tire repair supplies.

What if your significant other is away on a trip and you have to make a repair? What about being stuck on the side of the road and finding out you left the Fix A Flat in the garage?

Start Your Tire Prepping Today

The great thing about getting a tire kit together besides being on top of it with your prepping is that you can put it together with a little at a time. $10 here and there and before you know it you have a complete set up for getting the most out of your tires.

What tips do you have for tire repair or making tires last longer in general? Let us know by commenting below.

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When thinking about what to stockpile in case of a major collapse, it’s easy to get caught up in the big stuff and forget about all the little things. I’m talking about small items we use almost every single day and never think twice about until they’re gone.

Things like soap, trash bags, toilet paper, and so forth. These things are inexpensive right now, but after the shit hits the fan they will be very valuable.

That’s why when you’re preparing for a disaster, you need to make sure you don’t forget all the little things. When the power is out and you don’t know when (or if) it will come back on, a simple toothbrush will be worth far more than smartphones, video games, and fancy flat-screen televisions.

The world will be turned on its head and what was once expensive will be cheap and what was once cheap will be expensive. And that is all the more reason you should stock up on the cheap stuff while you still can. If a total collapse never happens, you’ll be able to use this stuff anyway, so no harm done.

Now without further ado, here is my list of dirt-cheap items that will be worth their weight in gold after the SHTF.

1. Toilet paper is essential. You don’t even have to buy the good stuff. Anything will do after a major collapse; even the cheap stuff will be valuable.

2. Duct tape is so useful. Even the stuff at the dollar store will do for minor jobs around the house. Duct tape is a miracle worker in a survival situation.

3. Baking soda is a multipurpose tool you will want to have plenty of. It can be used to deodorize (think about the lack of sanitation), clean, brush your teeth, and of course, bake with.

4. Feminine hygiene products will be in huge demand. Stock up on them now when they don’t cost a fortune.

5. Toothbrushes can be purchased at any dollar store. Dental hygiene is going to be a big deal when you can’t run to the dentist to fix a cavity.

6. Kleenex will help keep your nose from getting raw while you battle colds that are bound to happen after a disaster. Kleenex can also help keep things a bit more sanitary. You don’t want to be wiping boogers and snot on your sleeves, especially if there’s no running water.

7. Socks are going to be critical for keeping your feet warm and dry, and they can prevent blisters. Buy extra packs of socks so your family‘s feet will always be dry and comfortable.

8. Shoestrings are easily overlooked today, but when you are trying to walk a mile without your shoe tied because the lace broke, you are going to be in bad shape. Buy loads of cheap shoestrings in various sizes. You can always fix a shoe, but the laces are pretty much done when they break.

9. Plasticware and paper plates will help keep your area tidy, and they’ll save on water because you won’t need to wash dishes. You can burn the plates for heat after they are used.

10. Paper, pens, crayons and whatnot. We take these things for granted today and don’t think twice about finding a pencil around the house. But after a collapse, you will be responsible for educating any children you might have, and writing is going to be a big deal. You may also want to keep a journal. Historic times!

11. Candy, the hard candies mostly, will be a welcome treat. They can be used as incentives for grumpy kids and help keep your mouth wet on a hot day. Stock up on hard candy after Halloween.

12. Chap stick is going to be a big deal when you’re spending a lot of time outdoors. Some people will be willing to barter food and other valuables for your $1 tube of chap stick after a collapse.

13. Sandwich bags are also important. You will use these quite a bit to keep organized, pack lunches, keep matches dry, store leftover food, and so forth. In most cases, you can even wash and reuse them.

14. Soap in any form is going to be extremely valuable after a collapse. Buy the cheap stuff, bars or liquid, it doesn’t matter. People need to be able to clean themselves, their clothes, and their surroundings.

15. Hand sanitizer is also going to be very needed and valuable. You can buy a bottle for a buck. Have plenty to use around the house and barter with.

16. Trash bags should be purchased by the case if you can swing it. They’re only a couple bucks a box. After a disaster, you’ll be going through them like crazy. Not only will they help keep smells down, you can use them to make toilets as well.

17. Lotion will be a luxury as well as a necessity. Manual labor will lead to dry, chapped hands. Moisturizing them can prevent the dry, cracked skin that can be painful and eventually lead to sores that could put you at risk of infection.

18. Vitamins are going to be critical for maintaining your health when your diet is lacking raw fruits and veggies. You can load up on these in bulk or buy them at the dollar store. Have a variety of the important ones like vitamins A, C, D and E on hand.

19. Razors for the ladies and the guys. You can buy cheap, universal, disposable razors. Just because the world has gone to hell doesn’t mean you should give up every last nicety in life, like being clean-shaven. Razors will also come in handy if you need to shave around a wound.

20. Zip ties are about as important as duct tape. They can be used to hold a shelter together, hang items from trees, fix fences, and so on. Buy them in bulk; they only cost a few cents each.

21. Cans of Lysol will be very helpful in keeping your home relatively germ free. When you are battling the many germs and viruses that are running rampant, Lysol can help you fight back. It will also be very handy around the latrine or wherever you have set up your toilet. Bleach expires within 6 months, but Lysol will be fully effective for at least 2 years.

22. Matches and lighters are going to be sought after by everyone. Buy lots and lots of them because believe me, unless you’re an experienced outdoorsman, you don’t want to be stuck trying to build a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

23. Tylenol, Advil, and other painkillers will also be a big deal. They do weaken and lose potency over time, so make sure you are constantly updating your stockpile.

24. Ammunition may not seem cheap in the grand scheme of things, but it is cheaper than it will be down the road. Buy as much as you can now. You can never have too much ammunition.

25. Sunscreen will be very helpful on those days you will be spending outside. It does expire and weaken after a couple of years so always add new stock to your stash. Buy it on clearance at the end of the year to save even more money.

These items are just the little extras that are easily overlooked. Don’t forget about the more widely known things like first aid supplies, spices, and batteries. Remember, these things may be dirt cheap right now, but someday they could be as rare as gold.