Audio-Technica ATR 3350 Lavalier Mic Review

This is a review of the Audio-Technica ATR 3350 Lavalier Microphone. I use it mainly with my Kodak Zi8 camera for tabletop reviews.

This is the first cavalier microphone I've ever purchased, so I made sure to research it before taking the leap.

For under $30 it functions well and should be a suitable entry-level external mic for anyone looking for something to improve their audio (just as long as there's an external mic input, that is.)

Straight out of the box, it comes with a battery, a windscreen, the actual mic. It has a very long cord in case you need to have some distance between you and your camera.

The only downside is that it doesn't have an indicator light that lets you know whether or not the switch is on or off (can get very annoying if you're forgetful like me!). It also doesn't have a way to tell if how much juice the battery has left.

Otherwise, not too bad.

Watch below for my vid review.






Get it Here:



I use it with my Kodak ZI8 (oldie but goodie) - http://amzn.to/1Na8wGT

The table tripod I use for this setup:
http://amzn.to/1J7OPIM

Mountain House Review Part 2: Freeze Dried Food

Hello everyone! Here's part 2 of the Mountain House freeze Dried Food Pouch review. Apologies for the delay. The audio track for the original footage I recorded a few weeks ago was barely audible & I havent had the chance to re-record till today. so here goes:

The preparation for this is pretty straightforward. Boil water (3/4 cup for this one), pour in pouch after removing the oxygen pack, stir, and seal back up. Let it sit for about 10 minutes then serve.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this as far as flavor goes but it was surprisingly tasty - not in a stale, been sitting around forever kind of tasty. It was pretty good.

I've tasted three different entrees so far and I like all of them. This kind of food supply would be beneficial for campers / hikers / RVers / Van dwellers / road trippers or just to have around the house for general preparedness reasons. I would even recommend this for people / families that go on road trips. I know with my family, we get sick and tired of eating the same thing when traveling so I think I'm going to have to take a box of these for our next trip.
It definitely wouldn't hurt to have a few of these in your pantry. It doesn't take up much room at all and the price for each pouch is reasonable.

Disclosure: Nitro-Pak did supply a few of these for review but this is not a paid advertisement meaning I did not receive cash compensation to do this review. I try to be fair and objective with any reviews I do because I'm a consumer too. I like to seek out reviews before I commit to a product and I would want bloggers & vloggers out there to do the same that way I know for sure if the product is worth purchasing or not. There, now that's out of the way. =)

Many thanks to Nitro-Pak for the samples.

Mountain House Freeze Dried Food Review - Part 1

 

First off, many thanks to Nitro-Pak for sending over products for review.

Disclaimer: All opinions are 100% mine. For all reviews, I try my best to be objective and honest about my impression of the product.

***

I received a few sample packets to try out so I started with the chili Mac with Beef. Preparation was pretty straightforward. Remove oxygen absorber from the pouch, add hot water, seal the pouch, and leave it alone to cook for a few minutes.
Afterwards, simply stir and serve.

As I've mentioned on the vlog, I was mainly concerned about it being to salty. I watch my sodium intake for health reasons and I don't eat a lot of processed foods so I was expecting this to be way too salty for my palate. On the contrary, this particular flavor was actually pretty tasty and didn't taste too salty for me. So I'm hoping the rest of the pouches will be just as good.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this video review with accompanying blog post where I'll actually record the preparation of one of these pouches and conclude with my final thoughts.

Stay tuned.

Hisense Sero 7 LT Android Tablet Review

Happy New Year everyone. Here's my first YT post of 2014 - a gadget / tech review.

This is the Hisense Sero 7 LT Android Tablet.7 inch screen, runs on Android JellyBean 4.1.1

Here are some specs:
3GHz dual-core processor, 1gb RAM
3,400mAh battery
Screen resolution of 1024 X 600 pixel
runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean out of the box
has a mini-HDMi port
internal storage of 4 gb, expandable storage (up to 32 gb)

A few things it's lacking:
No GPS capabilities
No Bluetooth capability
No rear-facing camera, and its front facing cam is only 0.3MP

It has a rear audio speaker which is adequate for the casual user.

Purchase price was well below the $100 mark including the shipping.
Straight out of the box it was already charged up but I decided to go ahead and charge it overnight. The package was delivered during a very cold evening so the device felt very cold to the touch as soon as I unpacked it. I ordered it from an online retailer and they did a piss-poor job of packaging the box so right from the get go I had my concerns with this tablet working properly. This is not the fault of Hisense since there's no way they can control how individual retailers ship their products.

Back to the device - I had no issues with wifi connectivity which is always a plus. It wasn't preloaded with a lot of bloatware. It did prompt me to do a system update as soon as it was connected online which I went ahead and did (took less than a few minutes). The touch screen was quite responsive. I didn't get a chance to test out any games on this but the primary use for this device was for viewing media such as Youtube vids and Netflix so those were the ones I wanted to check first. I also downloaded a forum app, Tapatalk Pro, which worked  fine on it as well. The Hisense Sero 7 LT does come with the Google marketplace. On a full charge, the battery lasted a little over 4.5 hours after doing some web surfing, video watching (via YT & Netflix), trying out various apps. I didn't get to try Instagram or Minecraft on it - I only address this because this seems to be the most commonly asked questions regarding tablets, at least for me.

This would be ideal for an entry level device, especially for a casual user. Originally, I was seeking for the Hisense Sero 7 Pro but was unsuccesful. This LT version showed up during my search for a great reduced price during an extended Cyber Monday sale so we snapped it up.

You can still purchase one at Amazon, here's the link:

http://amzn.to/1kj1MsL

Ultralight Backpacking Stove, Stand and Adapter (Gear Review)

Hello everyone, here's my latest vid of some camping / hiking / backpacking equipment I picked up and used quite a bit this past summer.

The ultralight burner stove

Weight: In orange case: 4.0 oz.

              Burner only: 3.2 oz

Purchase price was less than $15

Pros: Very light, comes in a case, easy to use, quite sturdy, affordable price, compact size

Con: The pin that adjusts the flame can come off, it reattaches back with no problem but just make sue it/s snug and secure before you even attach it to a flammable canister.

Three leg stand and adapter

Weight: 2.9 oz

Puchase price was less than $10

Pros: Light, very sturdy, affordable, compact size

Cons: None

I used this primarily for our road trip this past summer. I had it set up on the ground, on a table, and a countertop. i never had any issues with it being too wobbly. It was quite convenient to have in the truck and doesn't take up much space at all.

Overall, I'm very happy with the products. Hope this helps with your purchasing decision.

First-Aid Remedies: Straight From Your Kitchen

You don’t have to invest in a costly first aid kit to be prepared for a minor emergency. In fact, most people already have a wide variety of food ingredients in their kitchens that double as first aid remedies. Oatmeal, baking soda, vinegar, ice cubes, honey and milk are just a few items from the kitchen that can be used as treat minor ailment, and here's why!

Stop the Itch
Outdoor summer fun or work can lead to an itchy poison ivy or poison oak rash. Stop the itch and soothe the skin with plain oatmeal. Cook a small pot of old-fashioned oatmeal according to directions, adding no flavoring. Allow it to cool, then apply a thin layer of the oatmeal to the skin rash to stop the itch. To sooth all-over dry, itchy skin caused by sunburn or too much time spent in the salt water or chlorinated pool water, pour two cups of old-fashioned oatmeal into a tub of warm water and soak for 15 minutes.

Baking Soda Remedies
Got heartburn? Mix one-half teaspoon of baking soda in a small glass of water and drink to put out the fire. Bee sting or bug bite? Dip the tip of your finger in water, then dip it into baking soda and dab it onto any type of sting or bite to soothe the inflammation and stop the pain.

Vinegar
Vinegar is a disinfectant and will cleanse any minor wound, as well as rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Vinegar also kills nail fungus and promotes healing of minor cuts and scraps. Mix a few drops of white vinegar into baking soda to make a paste (mixture will foam) and spread onto large scraped areas or skin rashes for pain relief and to promote healing.

Ice Cubes
Every cook has (or will) burn their finger while cooking. An ice cube will cool the skin quickly after it has come into contact with a hot pot. Hold an ice cube on the burn for 15 seconds on, then 15 seconds off, until the pain subsides.

Honey
Raw, pure honey contains antibacterial properties and is great to coat, protect and promote healing of minor skin burns and abrasions. Apply a thin layer of honey to injured skin and cover with gauze to keep in place.
Honey also quiets a cough and soothes a sore throat. Swallow a spoonful of honey every hour or so to coat and soothe a sore, irritated throat and kill germs.

Cure Diaper Rash
An irritated baby’s bottom needs some quick first aid to stop the pain and crying. A little cow’s milk will soothe skin, stop the burn and promote healing. Gently wash the area with plain water to remove all urine, then soak a clean soft wash cloth in milk and gently place on the diaper rash area and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and let skin air-dry before re-diapering. Milk is a natural anti-inflammatory and will calm the inflammation on contact and begin to cure the diaper rash pronto.

Milk It!
The next time you get a heel blister from an ill-fitting shoe or a hand blister from a DIY project, soak a cotton ball in milk and hold it on the blister for 15 minutes to relieve the pain, prevent infection and promote healing.

Jose Jimenez writes all about natural health and home remedies. His recent work is on the best rn-bsn online programs in the US.

The Perfect First Aid Kit Suitable for Many Different Purposes

Note: Special thanks to Danielle McAnn for this blog post.


Every home should have a first aid kit, most people know this, but not many people actually have them. Even having the most basic of supplies in a household first aid kit could ward off tragedy, stopping a bad situation from becoming any worse. Situations like a bad cut could lead to drastic blood loss if not treated properly with the right supplies. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to buy a first aid kit or put one together yourself. Here are some of the basics to include in a good, all-purpose first aid kit:

- a first aid manual
- disposable gloves
- various adhesive and non-adhesive dressings
- adhesive tape
- assorted bandages (elastic, crepe, triangular)
- a splint
- antiseptic wipes and cream for burns and cuts
- saline solution
- scissors, tweezers and safety pins
- torch with batteries
- a face mask of some kind

Remember these are just the BASICS for a first aid kit, but there are so many other things you could add to make a more thorough kit, and it’s something to consider if you have young kids or someone in the family who works with dangerous tools as the risks are higher and more varied. In addition to being prepared with a first aid kit, you should also equip yourself with the right first aid knowledge, after all, the first aid kit is a little useless if you have no idea how to treat different injuries. Receiving training in first aid is relatively easy because there are so many places that offer short, concise courses, like First Aid Management. With the knowledge of how to treat allergic reaction, injuries, or even illness, you can reduce your medical costs and have the peace of mind that you know how to respond appropriately to an emergency situation.

CardSharp Credit Card Folding Knife (Budget EDC)

This is a quick look at the Cardshark folding knife. Purchased this for less than $10 on sale.

Some things I like about it:
Lightweight - weighs ~14gms
Fits perfectly in your wallet due to its credit card size dimensions.
Durable (so far) - I've carried this around in my wallet/pocket and so far no damage done to it.
Easy & safe to use - it has a lock for the blade so it doesn't accidentally flip on the open position. It turns into a knife in 4 motions - unlock safety, flip blade, fold smaller portion, fold large portion over that which clicks it into place.
Price (see above) - good for the budget conscious.

Some things I don't like about it:
There's only one actually - The final fold of the large portion to the smaller one doesn't always stay in place. After a couple of times, it pops open so you end up having to readjust your grip on the handle to keep it locked.

Here's a caveat: This knife might be awkward to handle for those who have really big hands.

For what it is, it's not too bad of an investment as far as having a knife with you for general purpose only.

IKEA Cook Set (Budget Camping Gear Under $10)

 

For this video I wanted to share this great find from IKEA - a stainless steel 4-piece of cookset that can easily be integrated into anyone's camping gear. As I've mentioned on the vid, we were originally there to purchase a bookshelf for our ever-growing collection of books (we found one for a great price by the way).

I also picked up a utensil caddy that I've seen in various DIY sites and vids used as a wood stove/ fire pit. Not bad for $5.99. They did have a shorter version of the same caddy but I went with the taller piece.

I've made it a habit to seek out items that may be used or repurposed as camping/outdoors gear whenever I'm at a shop. You just never know where you'll find something useful with a matching low cost to boot.

I'll be testing both items out hopefully soon to see how it holds up and will post the results here and on YouTube, of course.

Safety Survival Hacks (Infographic)

Click here for a larger image

Many thanks to Lee Flynn for the image!

Follow him at Twitter @foodstorage101

2013 Summer Apocalypse Movie Trailers

The first one is the 2nd trailer for World War Z

The 2nd is for Seth Rogen's This is the End (just a head's up, NSFW)

Netflix Review: Exit Humanity (2011)

To say that Exit Humanity is a zombie movie set during the Civil War era seems misleading since the zombie factor is more of a background element of the movie and doesn't really take center-stage. The driving force of the film and what's really at the heart of the story is the main character's relationship with his family and how he copes with his grief from their loss.

It was more of the Civil War aspect that sold me on the film initially. Amidst the slew of zombie apocalypse movies I've viewed on Netflix, this has got to be one of the better ones but it's not without flaws. It wasn't great but it wasn't too unbearable to watch either.

This film exuded a big budget feel throughout with haunting shots although that bluish tint throughout became harder to look at after some time (or maybe it's just me). Its use of animated sequences (similar to the ones in Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows) to move the story forward works in this case. It wasn't overused and the quality of the actual animation was equally impressive. The division of the film by chapters as written by the main character in his journal, was also a clever way of breaking up the film into segments that displays Edward Young's (played by Mark Gibson) journey and transformation.

The performers played their parts well especially the lead character. Yes, this is despite one major complaint from me which is coming up in the next couple of lines. There were parts where it felt like Edward's crying and wailing would never stop. Picture the end of the film version of Stephen King's The Mist where Thomas Jane lets the most heart-breaking rip-whatever's-left-of-my-tormented-soul kind of wail, only it doesn't stop. Or it stops for a few segments then he continues where he last left off. Understandable of course, considering he had just lost his family, but still...how many times are they going to show him drop down to his knees and cry. After the first few times, it's pretty much understood that he is a grieving man. We got it.

I also had some worries with the narration in the beginning. I was concerned that it would be overdone and we'd be continuously told about the story rather than seeing it for our own eyes but thankfully the narration was used in moderation and only when it was warranted.

The soundtrack for the film wasn't bad either. It had that Appalachian twangy sound that lent itself to the period piece.

The zombies didn't seem like much of a threat really. The make-up was alright considering the Z-Horde weren't really the main focus of the movie. I think they were trying to do too much with this film, trying to address way too many things. It was like an attempt at horror (scare factor was not there to be honest), with social commentary infused, and a bit of love story thrown in for color.

There was one main source of distraction for me though and I just couldn't get past it which essentially brought down the level of authenticity of it being a period piece - the leather jacket. I'm no expert in Civil War era clothing but his leather jacket looked like he stole it from the Rocketeer's closet. Plus I think I saw a zipper on it.

Exit Humanity is not your typical non-stop action-packed gorefest. So if that's the kind of movie you're into, then let me save you some aggravation and just skip this one. This movie is more of a slow burn. If you're up for trying something different then you just might enjoy this drama set in a zombie-infested 19th century setting.

In a nutshell, this movie gets brownie points for the animated sequence, the soundtrack and the overall visual production.

It gets points deducted for the seemingly out-of-place Rocketeer jacket and the excessive dramatic wailing.

ApocalypseHub gives Exit Humanity (2011) 3 out of 5 stars.

Director: John Geddes

Health Benefits of Freeze Drying Food [Infographic]

 

 

Click on the image for an enlarged view

Courtesy of http://www.foodinsurance.com

Radiated Wasteland (Browser based Post-Apocalyptic MMORPG) in Open Beta Now

Browser game studio Pixel Pandemic has opened up its free beta of Radiated Wasteland.Radiated Wasteland is a post-apocalyptic, free-to-play browser based MMORPG.

The ambition of the development team has been to adapt classic gameplay features from the great RPGs of the past two decades to the browser format.

“We feel that there are way too few challenging browser based RPGs for gamers like us who
are or at least used to be hardcore gamers. In my opinion the market is flooded by cute farm
animals and boring linear gameplay. We wanted to develop a complex MMORPG with a
complex skill and character customization system. We also wanted a game that featured
tactical turn based combat gameplay and exploration of a huge map with multiple NPCs, story
driven missions and other things to engage in. We feel that we have achieved that with
Radiated Wasteland and hope to develop things from the open beta with a focus on what the
game community wants like we have been doing to great extend with our 1st game
www.zombiepandemic.com”, says CEO Thomas Jacobsen

Dirt Cheap Preps: LED Clip-On Light

Hello everyone. Been awhile since I posted any new prep related vids or blog posts. Here's the latest one.

These LED clip-on lights are less than a couple of bucks a piece. I have several of them in stock. It's small enough to keep in your glove compartment or carry around with you but it's also good to have in stock since it doesn't take up too much space.

As an urban newbie prepper, I always talk about space being very limited. Each addition really has to be multifunctional or doesn't take up too much space.

For such a small little device, this LED clip-on light is not only versatile but also very bright. Usually when you buy clip-on things, the clip part fails because it doesn't have much of a grip.

These lights however are pretty secure once you clip them on to the brim of your hat or your shirt/jacket. The battery for it is just your standard watch batteries. Another positive with this particular item is that it pivots around so it is adjustable which give you a bit more flexibility.

I've used this light as a booklight as well. Although my prepper library is mostly digital, we do have a large collection of print books so on occasion this clips on nicely on a book cover.

It just goes to show you don't have to spend a whole lot of money to have some emergency temp lighting. Always good to diversify what you have.

A lot of my viewers in YouTube are budget conscious (as they should be) so I try to review things that they can easily pick up. Good rule to have for newbie preppers: keep things simple and budget friendly.

***

Site updates:

The tech editions of my YouTube channel have been a nice change of pace but I do have a lot of new articles/vids/reviews I'd like to put up. I have several prep vids already on standby. I actually have more equipment to review, specifically knives. There's also book reviews forthcoming.

As for the site itself: Some additional changes I was planning on implementing is put on hold for now for lack of time.

The site has reached over 50,000 views. Many thanks for all the support!

Emerson 4.3 Inch Android Tablet ICS Review

Unboxing video 

First Impressions Review

Emerson 4.3 inch screen size (multitouch screen)

Operating system: 4.0 ICS Android Tablet

Model EM543

Color: White

Price is $60

Screen is capacitive.

Ram: 512MB DDR3

Internal memory 4gb

Has external microsd slot - can use up to 32gb

Since this seems to be popular with the entry level android tablet crowd - be sure to charge it up fully before attempting to use it straight out of the box.

What it comes with:

The tablet, USB cable (for charging battery and file transfers), a quick start guide and a slip of paper that has the info regarding where you can purchase the AC adapter which is $14.95. It's an 800 number.

It has a front facing camera - works fine for vid, still photos, and video chat.

I didn't have any issues connecting to the wifi at all.

It comes with preloaded apps. Some of them you can uninstall and some you'll have to find a root app remover from the app store.

It has 1mobileapp and amazon apps market installed. I ended up just keeping and using 1mobileapp.

Originally I intended to install Google market in this but after comparing the available apps between the two, I decided against it. 1mobileapp is sufficient.

We bought this for our younger son who is autistic so I customized the apps according to stuff he will use it for. Mainly for some games, surfing, YouTube, Netflix, and as an AAC talker (brief review of this particular app is up on my YT channel).

After cleaning up the preloaded apps I freed up quite a bit of space. We also put in a 4gb microsd card in the device.

Games:

Tried out several games to see if there's any lag on any of them - surprisingly everything worked as expected. It does have 3D game support, the accelerator works just fine.

Web browsing:

Pages loaded up quickly.

Video playback:

Netflix - works seamlessly. The initial time I synced the account, the image blurred and pixellated for a few seconds. After that, no issues.

YouTube - Very good load time, no issues encountered.

I would say this a great portable media device. I was happy with the quality of the image and for such a small device it's extremely loud.

Battery time:

I played games for 2 hours straight on it on a full charge and still had plenty of power to go by for maybe an hour of light browsing. I would say for general web use you can probably stretch out usage to 4 hours, maybe even 5 if you optimize everything (shut down unnecessary apps running in the background).

The only complaint I have on this is that it doesn't include an ac adapter.

Also it might be a little challenging to find a case for it. I ended up getting a Nintendo DS case - it fits perfectly in it.

Overall I would give the device 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Great entry level android device for the casual user. If you intend on using it as e-reader you're better off getting at least a 7 inch screen to reduce eyestrain.

Here's the manufacturer site for this tablet.

http://southerntelecom.com/emersonsupport/index.html

It has FAQs, system updates, download, quick start guide. Really helpful place to answer most of  your questions.

Note: I will sometimes do gadget reviews and tech editions here at ApocalypseHub since I'm a big fan of gadgets and I rely on a lot of it to run and maintain this site as well as many others. 

 

I'm not one for impulse purchases especially on electronics so I usually do a considerable amount of research first before buying something.

I hope these reviews helps people to be smarter consumers. 

 

Thank you kindly for your support!

NASA Video: Why the World Didn't End Yesterday

NASA delivers a video message 10 days early which explains why the world didn't end yesterday. It essentially goes through the myths of doomsday and debunks each one.

Keep Your Food Storage Hidden in Plain Sight

Editor's Note: Many thanks to Lee Flynn for this guest post. Kindly check out his links after the article.

Planning for a disaster scenario in which you are left without power or water for a few days in not too difficult to do. Most of the food from your pantry and extra water will get you though most emergencies. But what if you were left without power and water for, let’s say, a month… or longer? How can you store the food you need to survive and also keep it secret from bands of pillaging people who didn’t prep for disaster like you did? You can store the food you need in a small space and we are going to examine how.

Have you ever seen how much food it actually takes to sustain one person for one year? The amount is tremendous and adding the size of your family can leave you with a legitimate storage space issue. You will roughly need 80 sq/ft of storage space to sustain a family of three.

 

Rather than trying to convince your family that the 50 buckets of emergency food will make a great TV stand or bookshelf look for creative ways to keep that amount of food hidden in plain sight. That’s right you can have a home with limited space and still have a large supply of backup food and supplies.



Food Storage Safety

First let’s address one of the big concerns with food storage - safety. Making sure the food you are keeping in case of an emergency is free from contamination is a big deal. If your food is full of bacteria, mold, fungus, insects, or other pests not only will the food be inedible but if ingested could be a serious health risk. Botulism can be fatal people, be careful!

Food and water must be safely prepared and packaged for storage to avoid getting sick or losing the food due to spoilage. Water needs to be stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Check your water every six months to make sure nothing has contaminated it making it undrinkable. Green or blue containers work best for water. Don’t reuse water containers that had other liquid in them. Chances are you won’t be able to completely clean them making the water undrinkable quickly.

Avoid storing food in places that change temperature, like the garage or a shed, for long term because it can get very hot in the summer months destroying food quality. If you vacuum seal food use an oxygen absorbers in each container. Keep a journal of the shelf life in your food storage and rotate out items which may be expiring soon. This isn’t a big concern with prepackaged food storage due to the fact that they last for 25 years on average.



Hiding Your Food in Plain Sight

Take a look at the type of containers each type of food comes in to decide where to hide it. The standard food storage container is a 5 or 6 gallon bucket filled with Mylar bags full of food. These hefty buckets can make great replacements for box springs or a bed frame. Simply place your buckets under the bed evenly cover it with a piece of plywood and place the matters on top. Under a full size bed you can store 15 – 20 buckets of food! Converting each family member’s bed like this will provide lots of extra room. Don’t forget the bed skirt to hide it from view.

Another way to hide food in the open is turning household items into dual purpose pieces of furniture. Some of the easiest conversions are changing nightstands and end tables into food storage containers. The inside is full of food and you can still rest your drink on the top.

Tall furniture that is be close to the ceiling like a bookshelf can also hide food but be careful. Placing food on the top of bookshelves will keep it above eye level if positioned correctly. Remember a thief may peer through the window. A well placed bookshelf near a window can completely hide the top.

Do you have a kitchen island? The island can be converted into a can rack or shelved storage container. Can racks can literally hold hundred of cans of food in a small space freeing up cupboard space. Unfortunately if you suffer a home invasion during the dystopian nightmare the kitchen is the first place they go for food. Lock the island to deter theft and put it on wheels to keep it mobile.

Do you have room for another dresser or just extra space for one? A hollowed out dresser filled with food hold lots of food and may not be the first place an intruder would look. If you don’t want a new dresser for food just convert some of the drawers to food storage, easy.

The closet is another small space food storage option.  Many closets have lots of wasted space if they don’t have shelves. The bar for clothes and one shelf above that isn’t good enough to be useful. Take the measurements of the closet and find some heavy duty racks that will fit inside. Then use the racks to store food.

The utility room where the washer dryer live is like the closet because you can have significant wasted space. Build or buy shelves or even install a can rack that can fit over the washer/dryer. It will fill up the space nicely.

Do you have books on bookshelves? There are probably a few extra inches of space that canned goods could fit nicely behind the books and stay concealed.

Organizing food into a small space can be easy. It will require some creativity and may require some sacrifice. If you have to get rid of some unused clothes or junk to make more room for food, do it! Best of all the organization and storage of your food can be done economically. You don’t need to buy expensive items to hide cans behind books or under the bed. Don’t let uncertainties about actually fitting food storage in a small space stop you. Build it up slowly and steadily.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lee Flynn is a freelance writer and expert in emergency food storage.