What are we doing?
1. Wisewood Apothecary is hosting a Survival Plant Walk (RSVP required: click here) from 11:00 - 1:00 pm
2. Social time at the Hose and Hound Neighbourhood Pub from 1:30pm - 3:00 pm
Connect with us on Facebook to stay in the loop on the details! 

But what about MacGyver? 
As promised at the booth, we've compiled a list of household items that can be "MacGyvered" in emergency situations. Here's what we've got so far, divided into categories of needs. Have any other suggestiond? Add a comment below! We're all in this together! 
Water

• Plastic pop bottles - use in the construction of a water filter or solar still
• Coffee filters/cheese cloth - helpful to filter out sediment
• Activated charcoal (found in fish tank filters or enclosed kitty litter boxes)) - removes toxins and heavy metals (but not bacteria)

Fire/Warmth

• Crayons - light them on fire and they'll burn for about 15 minutes
• Cardboard tubes + dryer lint/cotton balls/cushion batting - stuff the lint or cotton balls into the toilet paper tube, wrap in alumnim foil or drop into a ziplock bag, and you have a great firestarting "log"
• Cooking oil + shoelace or string - coil the string into a container of cooking oil. The string acts as a wick and the cooking oil is the fuel. Bonus points if you fasion a hangar into a support for the wick! 

Health

• Bra - apparently, the padded foam ones can be used as face mask for dust. 
• Coffee filters - makes an acceptable emergency toilet paper. 
• Plastic wrap - good to wrap around bandaged wounds to keep waterproof. Can also be twisted into cord or braided into rope. 
• Sanitary pads/tampons - bandages or plugs for puncture wounds, can soak and freeze to make an icepack or cold compress. 

Cooking

• cardboard box + aluminum foil = solar oven

MacGyver Essentials - these are powerhouse items found around your house! 

1. Panty hose  - used to secure bandages on arms or legs, can be worn to prevent blisters or protect from ticks when hiking, can stuff with fabric/clothes to prevent drafts, add ice/snow to make an ice pack. It can used as a rope, or add something heavy to make an improvised weapon. Any person who wears dresses in the winter can agree that pantyhose is surprisingly warm, so it can be warm under clothes as an extra layer. 
2. Duct tape - sealant, help in shelter building, can be twisted into rope, can be used for labels, can make a temporary sling for a wounded arm, 
3. 5 gallon bucket - Storage and Containment Essential! Aside from storage of food, , it can be used as a temporary washroom. If you have a lid, it also floats. It's a great place to put valuables that you can't take with you when evacuating from a floor. It will float and should remain sealed. 

...And the kitchen sink!

• I imagine this tip to be used in really dire circumstances: I'm talking seriously snowed in, no power or heat, and dangerously cold temperatures. If you need to start a fire to stay warm or cook inside your home, a metal kitchen sink will apparently work, as long as it is next to a window. I haven't done this myself, so take the advice with a grain of salt! The key for a fire inside is ventilation; if your kitchen sink is next to a window, crack the window open to allow the fumes to vent out. I would imagine the cermaic sinks miight be best, since they wouldn't conduct heat into the counter tops like a metal sink would. You will have to replace your kitchen sink after the emergency is over, but it should be fairly easy to pop the burnt one out and put the new one in. In less dire circumstances, I'd just advice you to build a firepit in your backyard, bylaws be damned.

Good luck out there everyone! Stay warm, stay safe, and stay 10 steps ahead of the zombies! 
-Jayme

Yesterday, to celebrate Emergency Preparedness Week, we started the conversation around Bug Out Bags, or BOBs. Useful in any emergency situation, they are as unique and special as you are. We continue today with a few more suggestions for the categories of items you might want to consider including in your BOB. 

PERSONAL COMFORT 
Having a few nice things can go a long way in managing your mental health. Items might include a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, or a nice pair of comfy socks. Photos of friends and loved ones can help keep feelings of isolation at bay, and don't take up too much room. 

If you're the type to get h-angry, then maybe you should include a few more protein bars in your pack. Smokers, toss in a vaporiser or cigarettes to keep your discomfort at bay as well. Add in a few sources of entertainment; a pack of cards or sudoku can go a long way as you sit in the dark waiting for the horde of zombies to disperse. Consider those you might be traveling with; if you're packing BOBs for your kids, add a few toys to  keep them entertained. 

NAVIGATION AND SIGNALING
Nothing like an EMP or solar flare to ruin your GPS. Having some basic navigational tools can be really helpful; a navigational compass and a map of your city or region can do wonders for your sanity. Word to the wise: make sure you know how to use the tools before Z-Day ever happens. There's nothing like being chased by zombies through back alleys as you run with a map unfolded in front of you. Signalling devices like flares, whistles, lights, or mirrors could come in handy depending on your bug out plans. Tossing in a permanent marker and some paper can help mark "Do Not Enter: Zombies Inside" on any over-run buildings.  

BARTER ITEMS/CURRENCY
Depending on the extent of the emergency, our economy might collapse pretty quickly. In the meantime, it's nice to have a few items to trade with other folks, be it on the street or between the rows of cots in an evacuation centre. Some of our members pack instant coffee packets, cigarettes, extra lighters, or extra comfort items like toothbrushes to use as barter. Buttons and sewings kits take up a little room, but could be important further down the line. You might also want to pack some cash or an extra credit card in the case the whole system hasn't gone down. A low-interest credit card helped a few of us when we were evacuated from our homes in the flood; being able to pay for hotel rooms or buy new damn dress pants made things a little easier. 

OTHER EQUIPMENT
From a pocket knife to a compact cook stove, feel free to include whatever else you might want to make your travels easier. Rope and paracord come in handy regardless of the type of emergency, and tarps can be fashioned into shelter or used to collect rain water. Tools are heavy, so try to pack multi-use items if you can. If you plan on bugging out with someone else, try to spread the equipment around; there's no sense in two of you carrying around cook stoves and fuel. Just make sure to field test your equipment first so you know how to use it and you know you can trust it! 

SELF DEFENCE
In a zombie apocalypse, it will be essential to arm yourself against the hordes of the undead. In a flood, it might not be such an important thing. Keep in mind that if you look dangerous, you will be treated as dangerous by authorities and other survivors. If you have a weapon of choice, make sure you practice using it! We're big fans of self defence training and improvising on the go! 

LASTLY: PICK YOUR PACK!
We cannot reiterate how important it is that you don't overpack your BOB. You must be able to carry it comfortably and for great distances. Make sure your bag fits properly, both in terms of torso length and waist support. We're told that a good backpack should transfer 80% of the weight to your waist, so having a good hip belt can dramatically affect how long you can carry your bag. Frames, sternum straps, number of pockets; these are all up to your personal choice. Some of our members like the military-style bags, and others prefer to remain more incognito with an tired looking backpack. We definitely recommend that no matter what, you spend some time carrying your pack. From 15 minutes a day on the treadmill to taking a leisurely walk around Fish Creek, do whatever you need to condition yourself! 

That's it for now! Do you have any other recommendations for your fellow survivors? 

In honour of Emergency Preparedness Week, we're posting a few tips and tricks to help you better plan for emergencies. 

Today, we focus on Bug Out Bags (lovingly known as BOBs) and how they can help you in an emergency situation. Bugging out is military slang that means to move away from your current location as quickly as possible and usually means your position has been compromised. A BOB is usually a backpack that contains the right gear to help you survive until you reach a specified destination. 

The nice thing about BOBs is that they are extremely personal; you can have anything you want or think you might need, but you should also be able to carry it on your own. Depending on what you are planning for, the items in your BOB might vary dramatically. In the zombie apocalypse, your BOB might contain enough to get you to your bug out location, which might be kilometres away. If you plan your BOB for house fires or flood-related evacuation,  your pack might contain weather-appropriate clothing, important documents, cell phone charger, money/card,  whatever else you deem necessary. Below are a few things we encourage folks to have in their BOBs, no matter what. Every single category can be expanded into its own blog post, so be sure to do your research and find what's right for you! 

SHELTER
This might be actual shelter building supplies, like a tarp and rope,  or it might simply be clothing....to shelter you from the weather....get it? Make sure it is seasonally appropriate. Some folks down High River way remind us that while it might be your apocalypse, the rest of the world might carry on. If you have a job that requires dress clothes, throw a pair of wrinkle-free pants and shirt into your bag. Same goes for any identification or security clearances you might need for work. 

FOOD
Especially important if you have food sensitivities or dietary restraints, since most evacuation centres won't be set up right away to manage gluten-free or vegan diets in any meaningful way. Grab a few protein bars or some dehydrated foods (camping meals are great); but remember you might not have access to cooking utensils or a stove if you don't pack them. 

HEAT
Which brings us to heat: matches, lighters, or instant hand warmers are all great to have in your pack. Keep matches and lighters in water-tight containers; some of our folks have used sealable containers found at camping stores, but others find that simple things like empty candy or gum containers work just as well. 

WATER
Having access to clean drinking water is important, but carrying water bottles poses a challenge: they're so heavy! You can make any water potable in three ways: filtering, purification, or boiling. Consider packing  a portable water filter or a camel pack to manage the weight issue. You can also buy water purification tablets or drops at your local camping store. These might leave a weird taste in the water, but that's better than weird bacteria. These are often chlorine or iodine tablets; in fact, you can just buy a small container of iodine to purify water.  This method is not instantaneous; you often have to wait for the tablets to become effective.  We recommend carrying two bottles, so one bottle is always being purified. An easy way to keep your tablets safe in your bag is to store them in a dry, empty water bottle that's snapped on to your pack with a carabiner.  Finally, for those hardcore lightweight folks, you may just want to pack a metal container to easily boil water over a camp fire. 

HEALTH/MEDICINE
Knowing your own medical requirements in essential, but consider those you are traveling with as well. If possible, pack extras of your friends/family medications in your pack in case they lose their bag or the medication is damaged. Ladies, consider the time of the month, and have a few extra supplies on hand. Have you've noticed that hardly any apocalyptic movies ever mention birth control? If you're the age of consent, then you might want to think about having something to prevent any apocalypse babies. Having a good ol' fashion first aid kit is nice, and many of our members will recommend carrying good blister bandages or mole skin if you plan on walking any great distances. 

LIGHT
Since you never know when the apocalypse might happen, having a good headlamp or flashlight can come in really handy while navigating dark streets in a power outage, or scavenging through empty apartment buildings. LED bike lights are lightweight and usually clip on easily to packs, and can serve as a signal if you need. 

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
You'll need to make sure you have identification, whether it's to get through security checks or to claim your government financial support. Pack copies of passports, birth certificates, wills, social insurance numbers, and any financial or real estate documentation you might need.  Some of our members keep this info on a handy USB stick, while others might have copies held at friend's or family member's in another city. Consider your pets! Have full body pictures and tattoos if necessary. For our rural friends, if a fire rips through your area, you may not have time to load livestock. In some cases, you might just have to open the gates and then high-tail it out of there. Be sure to have photos and records so you can claim your animals after the emergency has passed. 


Check back with us tomorrow for more items you might want in your Bug Out Bag! 

It's  EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK in Canada! We at the ZSG hope you are staying safe and thinking proactively about what you would do in an emergency, be it the zombie apocalypse or your house catching on fire. Here is a good list of starter questions to think about as you create your plan and consider your options for survival.