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Cattails are an often overlooked survival food. These nutrient-rich wild edibles grow throughout the United States and are generally easy to find. Cattails boast a high percentage of vitamins A, B, and C, phosphorous, manganese, and potassium.

Not only can you eat cattails, you can also harvest the pollen from the foraged plant and use it as a shelf-stable substitute for flour. They have a slightly starchy yet mild flavor. To harvest the pollen from a cattail plant, just shake the stalk into a paper sack to release it. Always store the pollen in an airtight container as any air or moisture will decrease its shelf life.

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Because a single acre of cattails can potentially offer a yield of nearly 6,500 pounds of flour, cultivating this wild edible to supplement the diets of soldiers during World War II was common.

Types Of Cattails

In North America, two species of cattails commonly exist. These nearly look-a-like classes of cattails both grow in marshy areas. These are probably the easiest of all foraging items to identify. However, you must learn to tell them apart to determine when to harvest them and how to prepare them to avoid becoming severely ill.

There are two distinct species of cattails, and both grow in marshy areas: Typha angustifolia (narrowleaf cattail) and Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail).

The first part of the species name, Typha, is a Greek root word and translates to “marsh.” The horrific and deadly disease of typhoid stems from the same Greek root word. In fact, the phrase “Typhoid Mary” stems from the scientific name for these two species of cattails.

The second part of the species name refers to the width of the plant. Typha angustifolia has narrow leaves and grows in deeper water along ponds, creeks, and rivers. Typha latifolia has wider leaves and thrives in more shallow water areas. Both varieties of cattails have been known to crossbreed.

Here’s a picture of Typha angustifolia (narrowleaf cattail):

And here’s a picture of Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail):

Cattail Identification

• Cattails usually grow to about 9 feet in height.
• The leaves on the wild edibles have a leather strap-style appearance and are spongy on the inside but stiff on the outside.
• Cattail leaves are brown cigar-shaped or rounded on the back and form together at the base – appearing as if to flatten on the bottom – without truly losing their oval design.
• In the spring, cattails grow both flowers and spikes while filling up with pollen.
• When a cattail plant is blossoming, it is densely filled with tiny flowers. The flowers are green spies initially but then turn a bright shade of yellow as the pollen content on the plant builds.
• The roots on cattails form in a horizontal pattern. This portion of the plant is best eaten during the spring or fall seasons.
• Leaves on cattails are very erect and flat and boast a “D” shaped cross-section. About 15 leaves grow from each shoot on the plant. The thick and ribbon style leaves are a green to pale gray in color.
• Cattail flowers have two parts, a male and a female portion. The top of the cigar-shaped area of the plant is the male yellow spike male that is surrounded by the small female pistillate flowers.
• Both types of flowers become visible from May through July. In the early fall, the brown cigar-shaped flower heads open up to expose the puffy seeds inside.
• You can tell the difference between male and female plants easily by the “T” split between the “gender” specific portions of the plant – unless it is a typha latifolia species.
• The leaves of edible cattail plants will be stiff yet have a spongy texture on both the inside and the outside.
• Cattails should have no distinctive odor at all – with the exception of the mud smell that accompanies them immediately after they are pulled from murky ground.

What Part Of Cattails Are Edible?

When eaten raw, the white lower part of the stem tends to taste like cucumbers. If you cook the lower cattail stem, the flavor resembles corn on the cob. This portion of the plant is best harvested during the summer months.

• The bottom white stalks.
• Rootlets (young roots) – these look a lot like spaghetti noodles and can be used as a pasta substitute in recipes.
• Roots
• Young tips
• Leaves
• Main Root Spurs

Also during the hot weeks of late summer, you can eat the green flower heads from the cattail plant and once again enjoy the taste of corn on the cob. The roots of cattail plants should be harvested in the fall.

Cattail leaves can be eaten raw to make a wild salad. The stems of young plants are especially tasty when boiled, but can be eaten raw. Young shoots must be cooked thoroughly before becoming tender and taste a lot like asparagus.

Roasting the flowers on cattail plants, as noted, above, taste delicious and like corn on the cob. I often add a pinch or two of cattail pollen to pancakes when camping to infuse more nutrients into the morning meal.

How To Harvest Cattail Starch

There are two ways to harvest starch from a cattail – the peeling method and the water method.

Starch Peeling Method

1. Harvest and then rinse the stalk of the cattail in cold water.
2. Peel the “flesh” from the exterior of the cattail while it is still wet.
3. Chop or chunk the cattail root into small pieces and place them in a bowl.
4. Use a mortar and pestle or a mallet to pound the roots into tiny bits or a powder.
5. Simply scoop the starch out of a bowl and prepare in a cattail recipe as desired or store in an airtight container.

Starch Water Method

1. Harvest and then rinse the cattail roots in cold water.
2. Crush the roots with a mallet.
3. Soak the crushed cattail roots in cold water for about five minutes. During this time, the starch will release and then settle in the base of the bowl.
4. Slowly pour the water out of the bowl, careful not to dislodge the released starch from its bottom. Do not pitch the roots, you are not done with them yet.
5. Scoop out the starch with a butter knife or spoon.
6. Repeat steps three and four at least twice to ensure all of the cattail starch has been released and gathered before pitching the roots.

Cattail Root Preparation Tips

Although cattail roots are typically considered a safe wild edible in their raw state, doing so often gives folks a pretty uncomfortable stomach ache due to the high level of starch they contain.

The roots of cattail plants can be harvested, washed, and then roasted over a campfire. When prepared in this manner, the roots will have a rather spongy consistency and blacken.

Toss the cattail roots onto a BBQ grill or into a smoker to prepare them for eating. The grilled or smoked roots can be eaten alone or used in a recipe after being heated.

You can also boil the roots just as you would if making potatoes.

Cattail Recipes

Scalloped Cattails

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of scalded milk
• 2 cups of cattail tops – chopped
• ½ cup of butter – melted
• 2 eggs – beaten
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine the black pepper, sugar, nutmeg and melted butter in a bowl.
2. Stir the ingredients thoroughly to combine.
3. Add in the eggs and stir thoroughly again.
4. Pour in the chopped cattail tops and once again stir completely to combine.
5. Next, pour in the scalded milk and stir once more.
6. Pour the scalloped cattails into a 9 X 13 baking dish.
7. Bake at 275 degrees for half an hour or until golden brown on top.

Cattail Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 and ½ cups of cattail roots
• 1 whole onion – diced
• ½ of a cup of milk
• 1 cup of shredded cheese
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the cattail roots, breadcrumbs, and milk together thoroughly.
3. Add in the onion and egg and stir completely.
4. Toss in the salt, pepper, and shredded cheese – stirring thoroughly to combine.
5. Bake in a 9 X 13 dish for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cattail Biscuits

Ingredients:

• ¼ of a cup of cattail pollen
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of baking powder
• ¾ of a cup of milk
• 4 tablespoons of lard or shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir thoroughly to combine.
3. Knead the mixture into a dough.
4. Roll out the dough and cut into traditional biscuit shapes using the mouth of a glass or cookie cutters.
5. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes.

Other Uses for Cattails

Cattails can serve as more than a survival food ingredient during an SHTF event. For example…

• The dried leaves can be used as tinder to start a campfire.
• The dried stalks can be used as arrow shafts or in hand drills.
• Dried tops can be light and carried by the sturdy stems and use as a torch.
• You can cut, dry, and then lightly soak the leaves to use for weaving baskets or mats.
• The puffy interior of a cattail top can be dried and used as stuffing in mattresses, pillows, blankets, and for homemade toys.
• Break open a cattail leaf, as you would the leaf of an aloe plant, and use the cool gel inside as a natural antiseptic cream.
• Use the leaves and gell to make a poultice and apply it to bruises, burns, stings, and other mild wounds.
• Take the dried leaves and braid at least three of them together to create cordage.

After reading this article, you’ll probably start noticing cattails all over the place. During the spring and fall, they are often very easy to find.

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Sometimes I’m amazed that the world has made it over 70 years with nuclear weapons. We’ve come incredibly close to doomsday several times, but we keep managing to avoid it. How much longer before it finally happens?

Tensions with North Korea have gone down thanks to Trump, but our relationships with Russia and China are getting worse, and now Iran may start building nuclear weapons. With all of this happening, we have a responsibility to ourselves and our to families to prepare for nuclear war in every way that we can.

But in order to properly prepare, we need to know what to expect. In this video, Serious Survivor discusses twelve things that will happen during a nuclear war. Here’s what he covers:

1. The Event Itself – How quickly it will happen and how many will die.
2. Firestorms – These will follow the blast waves. The heat will cause massive fires.
3. EMP – Modern electronics will be destroyed and power will go out.
4. Grid Down – When the grid goes down, even places that aren’t on fire will be in chaos.
5. The Fallout – Radioactive material will spread all over and make many people sick.
6. Hot Zones and Hot Spots – Certain areas will be too contaminated for human life.
7. Radiation Poisoning and Sickness – It will be difficult or impossible to treat these people.
8. Flooding – This will happen because dams and hydroelectric power stations will be unmanned.
9. The Rain – Rain with soot and acidic compounds could be common.
10. Water & Food Contamination – Many foods will be unsafe to eat.
11. Nuclear Winter – Black clouds could stop the sun from heating the earth.
12. The Aftermath – There will be few survivors and life will be very different.

There is a lot more information in the video below.

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What are some items that you think you should start hoarding for a major, cataclysmic disaster? Water? Absolutely. Food? Also absolutely. Ammo? For sure. First aid equipment? Definitely. Gasoline? Yep.

The list goes on. All of those things are incredibly valuable items to hoard for survival, and you can probably think of about ten or twenty other types of survival supplies as well.

That being said, there are countless ordinary items–things people use every day–that are relatively cheap and can be used for survival. The wisest among us are already stockpiling them.

Here are some things that everyone, including you, should start hoarding today:

1. Bobby Pins

There are a ton of uses for bobby pins in a survival situation, so they are among the very last items that you will want to throw away.

Examples of what you can use bobby pins for in a survival situation include as a DIY money clip, as fishing hooks, as a lock pick, to short circuit various electronics, or for its intended purpose, to keep hair back.

2. ChapStick

Unless if you want to deal with chapped lips after a major disaster, then chapstick will be a very important item to store for disaster.

You can also use chapstick as a small, makeshift torch (just light it up with a match or a lighter or any other fire starting devices), or you can use it to help heal small wounds such as scrapes or cuts (just apply lightly to the affected area). Those are just a couple of examples of uses for chapstick.

3. Coffee Filters

Besides their obvious intended use for making coffee, you can also use coffee filters for many other things. Here are just a few examples…

You can use it as a food bowl, use it to wipe your butt, soak it in grease and get a fire going, make an air freshener (fill up with baking soda, tie it up, and then leave it out in the middle of a room), clean glasses, and make an emergency bandage or compress.

4. Crayons

If you have children, you can never have enough crayons. Just imagine how bored they will be without their electronics! Crayons will help, at least a little.

Plus, they are very flammable and can be used as makeshift candles. Just remove the wrappers and then light them up, and you’ll be all set. Here’s how.

5. Dryer Lint

Dryer lint is very flammable, just like crayons. It’s also easy to collect as well and can be a fast and efficient way to get a fire going. What’s more, you can easily collect lint in Ziploc bags for ease of storage.

6. Egg Cartons

Egg cartons can be very valuable items for maintaining small gardens. They will certainly be more space efficient in contrast to other kinds of gardens, while also being easy to transport.

All you need to do is pour some soil into each compartment and then plant a little seedling. You can also use paper egg cartons as composting for your larger gardens. Here are some other creative uses for egg cartons.

7. Garbage Bags

Garbage bags have dozens of uses, not only in everyday life but in a critical survival situation as well.

You can use it to keep your supplies dry, make a tourniquet, collect rainwater, block the sun, make a pillow, fix leaks, make a rope, and so much more.

8. Glass Bottles

The biggest advantage to storing glass bottles, as you can probably tell, is that you can use it later to store more water or other drinks (although it may be advisable to clean them out before doing so).

You can also use glass bottles to store other items such as medications, to get a fire going by filling with water and then using it to reflect the sunlight, or you can break them apart and then use the sharp glass as blades.

9. Grocery Bags

One of the best uses for grocery bags will be to collect water. What you can do is take a grocery bag in good condition (without holes) and then use it to cover up some green branches or brush at the start of the day. Come back twenty-four hours later, and you should see that a small sip’s worth of drinking water has collected in the bag. You’ll just need to make sure that the plants you select are not venomous in any way, so be extra careful.

You can also use grocery bags to dispose of human waste, for storing any fruit or vegetables you forage, to mark a trail, or to help keep your gear dry from the wind.

10. Newspaper

The most obvious survival use for newspaper, and the use that most people are aware of is to use it as a fire starter. It’s not at all uncommon for people to ignite the edges of a newspaper with a lighter or match, and then place the paper underneath some small pieces of wood and other kindling to build a fire.

But another of the many uses for newspaper is to use it as insulation in a shelter, or to use it as makeshift toilet paper if you have to as well.

11. Paper Clips

Besides their use in better organizing files and papers, you can also use paper clips as makeshift fishing hooks, as clothes hangers, as a finger or toe splint, or as shims for repair mechanics.

If you think about it, paper clips are basically durable twist ties. Here are some more survival uses for paper clips.

12. Pencils

Writing utensils such as pens and paper will be very important to store, in addition to paper. Another use for pencils is that when they are broken, the graphite inside is exposed.

Here’s a fun fact that most people don’t know, when you bring the exposed graphite of a pencil into contact with your car battery and cable, it will turn red hot and then eventually burst into flames to quickly get a fire going.

13. Shoes

Don’t throw your shoes away after they get torn or old! While most people will throw away their old shoes, most of the time those old shoes will still be fully functional. Why throw them away when you can just set them aside for storage should disaster strike?

After all, the protection of your feet should be of paramount importance when things get bad, and other people know this as well. This is why your old shoes could become valuable barter items when the grid goes down.

14. Socks

After cleaning your socks, you can use them as a pre-filter to remove large sediments and particles from water. You can also use socks for storage and to make it easier to carry items.

Finally, you can also use socks as a weapon. Just place rocks, stones, pebbles, or spent brass casings in them, tie the end shut with paracord (or your shoelaces), and you can then wield it with deadly force against an attacker.

15. Shoelaces

Besides your actual shoes, your shoelaces can really help you out in a survival situation as well. For example, you can use them to make traps and snares, as a makeshift tourniquet, to help build shelter, to fashion a splint to a fractured arm or a leg, and so on. In fact, if you think about it, you really should be able to use your own shoelaces for just about anything you could use paracord or smaller strands of rope for.

The lesson? Even if you do end up throwing your old shoes or boots away, at the very least you should save the shoelaces as they could definitely come in handy later. Here are some other uses for shoe laces.

16. Soda Cans

Soda cans fulfill a wide array of different survival uses. You can use them to store water or other beverage or food items, the tab can be shaped into a fishing hook, and the bottom of the can you can polish with chocolate in order to reflect the sunlight and get a fire going if you can hold the can properly and be patient.

In addition, you can also use a soda or beer can as a miniature stove as well. Simply cut it open, and then place a candle with a flame going inside of it. Hold your hands around the can to warm them. Here are some other uses for soda cans.

17. Tin Foil

Tin or aluminum foil truly is among the most versatile of everyday items you can use for survival and disaster preparedness. You can wrap food, such as meat or potatoes, in the foil and then place it in the coals near a fire to bake and cook.

You can also use tin or aluminum foil as fishing lures, to signal for help or use as trail markers, to scrub dirty pots and pans, and to remove rust from metal (just scrub directly against the metal). Here are many more uses for tin foil.

18. Toilet Paper

One of the most essential items to stock up on for a disaster scenario is toilet paper, and for obvious reasons.

And not just the paper, but the leftover toilet rolls. What you can do with them is cut and then flatten them out for easier storage. When brought into contact with a flame from a lighter or a match, they will light up very easily. Here are some other things you can do with them.

Conclusion

The next time you think about throwing away any of the above items, think twice. While it’s not like you should never, ever throw away any of these things, at the very least, you should be stockpiling them.

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Your home is your castle, but what use is a castle without guards or a gate?

A home invasion can refer to a wide array of events, but what they all have in common is that the incident is taking place on your territory. When someone comes into your home with the intent of stealing from you or doing harm, you must act.

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You should never leave the outcome of an incident in the hands of the perpetrator. With proper preparation, understanding, and training, you should be able to use your home field advantage to take control of a situation and successfully defend yourself, your property, and your family.

To this end, we put together this article to give you the knowledge you need to begin preparing your home security and defense properly. We will start with some basic crime stats on home invasions and how these incidents go down.

Afterward, we will discuss the training and tactics used by combat professionals. By the end, the groundwork should be laid for you to begin to pursue more in-depth knowledge of home invasion defense and further your training.

Table of Contents

1. Home Invasion Statistics
2. How to Prepare for a Home Invasion
   1. Harden the Exterior
   2. Prepare the Entry Points
   3. Prepare the Interior of Your Home
   4. Learn Your Weapons
   5. Plan an Escape

Home Invasion Statistics

Before we even get into what you should do during a home invasion, it is essential to make sure we understand the reality of these types of situations.

These are some of the most surprising and insightful facts on home invasions contained within a 2010 special report by the U.S. Department of Justice, a study by the University of North Carolina Charlotte on the habits and motivations of burglars, and FBI data from 2015 Crime Statistics on Burglary. (Home invasion stats are broken up between burglaries and violent assaults and are not a statistic within themselves.)

• 25% of home invasions occurred when a household member was home.
• 38% of victims were asleep at the time of the burglary.
• 61% of offenders were unarmed when they committed violent attacks.
• 12% of home invasion offenders were armed with a firearm.
• 2-5% of homes are burglarized a year.
• 60% of burglars said they would seek an alternative target if there were an alarm on-site.
• The top reasons for committing burglaries were related to buying drugs (51%) or money (37%), usually to support drug habits.
• Most burglars forced windows or doors open. One in eight burglars reported picking locks or using a key that they had previously acquired.
• 12% planned the burglary in advance, 41% suggested it was often a “spur of the moment” event.

Looking at these numbers, it is clear that most of these crimes are committed by drug users with little tactical experience, and are often unarmed. Regardless, there is no shortage of examples of these incidents still ending incredibly violently.

How to Prepare for a Home Invasion

While every home and situation will be unique, there are some general steps that we can all take to protect our residences.

Here is a summary of the 5 steps we will discuss:

1. Harden the Exterior

Invest in lights, cameras, and alarm systems to both dissuade home invaders and allow you an early warning system. Non-electrical or digital means are more complicated but still possible.

2. Prepare the Entry Points

Ensure you have solid doors. Ensure doors and windows have upgraded locks. Reinforce the doors against kicks, and the windows against shattering.

3. Prepare the Home Interior

Have weapons and tools ready and on hand within your home. Secondary locks and rooms are good to plan out.

4. Learn to Use the Weapons at Your Disposal (within your home)

Train with your weapons, and understand how to use them in your home.

5. Plan an Escape Route

Have a secondary fall back position where you can call for help or better defend yourself.

Alright, let’s get into how to defend your home from a home invasion.

1. Harden the Exterior

One of the first things you learn working in security is that if you are doing your job correctly, you’ll never know when you’ve prevented an attack. The best security is the kind that completely dissuades an attacker from even making an attempt. Most burglars, or those looking to victimize you, are not usually wanting to take on a ‘hard target’ unless they are incredibly desperate.

You should have a mixture of non-obvious and obvious security measures in place. From the street, you want it to be clear that anyone on your property will be on camera, and perhaps that you own a dog and firearm. These three factors alone will stop 99% of criminals looking for a random score. This is the reason many alarm companies put that little sign in the front yard (in addition to the advertising).

It is worth noting here that when SHTF, and people become more desperate, you may find that stating how you intend to defend yourself could be a tactical error. You will have to balance the psychological effect of being a hard target, with the ability to utilize unforeseen capabilities. This is up to your personal preference and your home.

(Professional services will highlight many key areas.)

Keeping your exterior well lit is useful in both deterring criminals and giving you the ability to see and identify trespassers. You don’t want to give those outside your home the benefit of concealment.

An alarm system is also an obvious safety measure to add to your home exterior. Many of the new networks can link up with your smart devices and camera systems to give you a vast array of capabilities.

In a study by the University of North Carolina Charlotte on the habits and motivations of burglars, it was stated that most burglars considered the proximity of other people “including traffic, people in the house or business … the lack of escape routes; and signs of increased security – including alarm signs, alarms, dogs inside, and outdoor cameras or other surveillance equipment” when selecting a good target.

Roughly 83% of criminals said they look for an alarm before attempting a burglary. 60% percent said they would seek an alternative destination if there were an alarm on-site

If you are prepping for a situation where the electrical grid or cell phone service is not available, these electrical and digital security options will be less viable. Investing in some oil lanterns to keep the exterior well lit may be your next best option, but may also single your house out during a power failure. You will have to use your judgment in those sorts of cases.

In addition to signs, alarms, cameras, and lights, there are a plethora of natural additions you can add to the exterior of your home. For example, rose bushes or other clingy and/or noisy plants for home security are great for planting underneath windows or other access points.

Pay attention to the materials, surfaces, windows, and doorways any intruder will have to walk in or around to get into your home.

2. Prepare the Entry Points

The first thing you should do once you start working on the defense of the home itself is to check the integrity of the doors and windows.

Are the doors able to resist a kick? Can they be taken directly off the hinges from the outside? Are your locking mechanisms of a decent quality? If not, you should reinforce your doors immediately.

How many windows are easily accessible to the outside? If I have a TV on, will I honestly hear someone carefully break the glass?

Think about these sorts of things and put yourself in the mind of someone breaking in. Honestly try and see how hard it was for you to get into your own home. This is the sort of training and visualization you need to do if you take your home’s security seriously.

Reinforce the jamb, hinges, etc. of your exterior passageways to thwart the most common forms of break-ins. I shouldn’t have to say this, but make sure they all have locks. Most common household locks are effortless for criminals to bypass. Invest in some higher grade locks and anti-kick door protectors.

Make an effort to dissuade break-ins from occurring at hard-to-guard windows. Bars are ugly and a fire hazard, but there is a reason you see them in so many areas with crime problems. Alternatively, there are secondary locking mechanisms, anti-break films, and other more advanced window security measures available today.

3. Prepare the Interior of Your Home

While it is easy to make some Home Alone jokes here, the reality isn’t too far off. I’m not saying swing paint cans down the stairwell, but I am saying that understanding the layout and natural advantages and disadvantages your home offers may allow you to funnel and ambush an intruder on your own terms. We will talk more about this and ‘fatal funnels’ as it pertains to in-home weapons usage in the next section.

If everything else fails, stashing weapons and tools (like phones, knives or handcuff keys) or other useful items in areas you are likely to be detained is also a smart move. If you or your family is held at gunpoint and brought to a room, you want to give yourself options. Often these will be the back rooms or rooms without windows. Have items in every room that you could use to thwart an attack or free yourself from bindings. Please be mindful of children and put weapons somewhere out of their reach.

Prepare a secondary fall back line, like an interior room, that you can lock and secure your family in should your home be breached. Ensure that room is easily defended and supplied and has outside communication abilities. Safe rooms are built into expensive mansion and celebrity homes for these reasons.

Owning a dog is a also a great addition to your security lineup. Most friendly pups aren’t going to be much good in a fight, but they make for great early warning systems. Many criminals simply won’t break into homes once they hear a dog start barking.

4. Learn Your Weapons

Your brain is your best weapon. Train yourself to overcome different threats like restraints and to use various blades and firearms. Krav Maga, U.S. Marine Corp MCMAP, Jeet Kune Do, Kali, and other martial arts all deal with fighting with bladed weapons, sticks and weapons of opportunity (fire pokers, pool cues, etc.) While a firearm will, of course, be your primary weapon, you never know under what circumstances a life or death struggle will occur.

I recall one story where a man broke into another’s home while wielding an AR-15. The homeowner was able to grab the barrel of the gun and put his fingers into the criminal’s eye sockets. He disarmed the man and kept his hands there until the police arrived.

Make sure you train with your weapon. For firearms, you must practice reloads, clearing gun jams, and your accuracy. You must also pressure test all of your training. If something takes you five seconds in training, it will take you an eternity in a real confrontation, that’s how you have to think about these engagements and how ready you really are.

Every home layout is different. Familiarize yourself with how you can best tactically move about your home. Clear the corners, check behind furniture, all the while not putting your weapon within reach of an adversary.

The U.S. Army Close Quarters Battle Manual goes in-depth on how to clear rooms in multiple man teams as well as how to quickly incapacitate an enemy and to detect (or make) door booby-traps. Another great resource is this Wise County, Texas Police Officer Guide for building entries.

(An example of a two-man room entry.)

CQB professionals strongly emphasize that room clearing should be done with at least two people (two is one, one is none), but in your home you will likely be clearing rooms on your own. Luckily, you will have the advantage of knowing the layout of your home forward and back. Single person room clearing requires you to “slice the pie” in a doorway. You ‘slice the pie’ by angling across a doorway in sections (or slices) so you can clear a room while exposing as little of yourself as possible.

Practice, practice, practice. Get a buddy and workshop scenarios inside your home and figure out what does and doesn’t work for you. Get creative and test yourself.

The Fatal Funnels

Doorways, stairways, and any other choke point in a building are referred to as fatal funnels. This is because the majority of casualties happen in these areas. Defenders of a room know you have to enter through the doorway and thus will often shoot intruders as they enter the room (or climb up the stairs).

If you are attempting to breach a room, you must clear and get through the fatal funnels as quickly as possible. If you are defending a room or your home, you will want to take advantage of these hard points. Put obstructions in the way to slow them down, and lay heavy covering fire into the area once they try and breach it. You may put some holes in your drywall*, but at least you’ll still be breathing.

*Remember most weapons will punch right through your home’s walls. Plan accordingly and use this to your advantage.

These soldiers are currently entering through, and are inside, a fatal funnel).

5. Plan an Escape

As stated in the step 3, the preparation of a safe room is a good idea. You shouldn’t care about preserving a few belongings when your family is at stake (especially if you have cameras that may have caught their faces for later prosecution anyways). Evacuation and avoidance will always be your best bet for preserving you and your loved one’s life.

If your home isn’t big enough, or the layout doesn’t allow for a safe room, plan an evacuation route and a secondary meet-up position for you, your roommates, or family. Stash a cell phone at that point so whoever reaches it can call the police.

These plans should involve trusted neighbors if that option is available to you.

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There’s an old saying that knowledge weighs nothing. You can only carry so many survival tools, especially if you’re bugging out on foot or have to leave in a hurry. However, you can carry an almost limitless amount of knowledge – if you take the time to learn.

I highly recommend taking the time to learn about survival uses for everyday objects. That way if you’re ever in a survival scenario but don’t have your tools, you’ll be able to make do with what you have.

Belts are something probably half of you wear every day. Since it’s always with you, you may as well learn how to use it. In this video, Sensible Prepper goes over 25 survival uses for belts.

Now keep in mind, he’s talking about leather belts. A cloth belt might not work for some of these. Here are some of the ideas he suggests:

• Roll clothes into an easy-carry bundle.
• Hang food off the ground to keep critters away.
• Wrap up and carry firewood.
• Create a strap / longer handle for buckets.
• Create a sling in case your arm is hurt.
• Use it as a tourniquet.
• Use it as a rope to lower supplies.
• Use it as a rope to pull someone up.
• Use it as a lifeline for someone stuck in the water.
• Use it as an improvised weapon.
• Use it as a strop to keep your knives sharp.
• Use it as a pot holder.
• Use it to pull yourself up when climbing a tree.

Be sure to watch the video below to see these ideas demonstrated and to learn some other ideas. He also talks about various types of belts and which ones are best for survival.

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For those who are preparing for tougher times, canned foods are invaluable. Of all the food storage methods, few are more convenient or long-lasting than canned food.

If all you’ve ever done is browse the canned goods aisle of your supermarket, you may be surprised to learn just how much variety there is when it comes to canned foods. There is a lot more than just canned meat, veggies, and soups. All sorts of foods can be canned.

These canned foods probably sound weird, but they’re actually very good. If you’re looking to add some variety to your food stockpile, check these out.

1. Canned Bacon

If you are one of the many people who consider bacon to be the world’s finest delicacy, you’ll be excited to know that it is possible to stockpile bacon in a can. Canned bacon comes fully cooked, which means that it is ready to eat right out of the can.

And while it may not taste quite as fresh as the bacon you are used to buying, canned bacon is certainly a passable substitute. Just heat it up in a skillet and enjoy.

2. Canned Bread

Of all the foods that might come to mind when you think of canned foods, bread is probably at the bottom of the list. However, there is such a thing as canned bread, and it’s actually quite popular in certain parts of the country such as the Northeast.

As you might imagine, canned bread isn’t something you can use to make a sandwich. However, it can be a tasty addition to a number of recipes. I personally like slicing it up and adding butter and jam.

3. Canned Haggis

If you’ve never had haggis, you’re in for a treat. It’s a Scottish dish made of sheep entrails mixed with oatmeal, suet, and seasonings. Now I know that probably doesn’t sound great, but you have to try it for yourself.

If you already love haggis and want to enjoy it post-disaster, you’ll be thrilled to know that haggis is available in cans. Just pour it into a saucepan and heat it up.

4. Canned Hot Dogs

The fact that “fresh” hot dogs are able to last up to six months is, for many people, cause for concern. If you need even more shelf life out of your hot dogs, though, you can always purchase them in a can. Several companies offer cans that are packed full of individual hot dogs. Not Vienna sausages, but actual hot dogs.

Figuring out how to acquire hot dog buns in a post-disaster scenario is a different matter, but at least you’ll have the hot dogs themselves. Or you could slice them up and mix them with the next canned food on our list.

5. Canned Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is an American classic, and if you are worried about having to give up this food when SHTF, worry no more – Heinz along with a couple other companies offers macaroni and cheese in a can.

Canned macaroni and cheese isn’t that much of stretch when you consider the fact that many types of pastas are sold in cans. However, given the popularity of boxed macaroni and cheese, canned macaroni and cheese is a food item that many people don’t know about.

6. Canned Pancake Mix

Purchasing pancake mix in a box is a convenient way to prepare this breakfast treat. However, boxed pancake mix doesn’t have a particularly long shelf life.

Canned pancake mix, on the other hand, lasts much longer and arguably works just as well. If you stockpile canned pancake mix along with maple syrup stored in glass bottles – which has a near indefinite shelf life – you can always have the makings for a breakfast classic.

7. Canned Pork Brains

Yes, this is exactly what you think it is — pork brains in a can. And it’s delicious! However, you can’t eat it out of the can. Cook it up first, and for a great breakfast, try mixing it with scrambled eggs.

One thing that should be noted is the amount of cholesterol: 1060% the daily recommended value! So if you’re trying to watch your cholesterol intake, don’t eat this. Otherwise, enjoy.

8. Canned Potato Salad

A summertime classic, potato salad is known for spoiling rather quickly. Seal it off in a tin can, though, and potato salad is able to last for quite a long time. Outside of disaster prepping, we’re not sure why anyone would want to purchase canned potato salad.

If you still want to put together all the fixings for a summertime picnic after disaster has struck, stocking up on canned potato salad is certainly a viable option.

9. Canned Reindeer

As one of the reviewers on Amazon said, “Nothing says ‘Merry Christmas’ like a can of reindeer meat.” The Newport Jerky Company sells Alaskan reindeer chunked in gravy. It’s good enough to eat right out of the can!

Given the price, it’s probably not the best food to stockpile for doomsday. However, it makes a really great gag gift or stocking stuffer.

10. Canned Whole Chicken

Canned chicken is a relatively common food item that you would likely have no trouble finding on the shelves of your local supermarket. A canned whole chicken, however, is another matter. Thanks to a company called Sweet Sue, you can purchase a 50 ounce can that contains an entire whole chicken stuffed inside it.

Whether you find this idea appetizing or not is ultimately a personal preference. However, there’s no denying the appeal of being able to cook an entire chicken at a time when canned foods are the only thing you have available.

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