by Prepare Magazine | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog
“What is the Best Alcohol to Store for Emergencies?” This question is surprisingly not asked often enough. We see many options and percentages on the sales shelves near the bandages but do you really know what is best to purchase and keep on hand for your home emergency kit?
Selecting the type(s) alcohol is 
only one part of the process. Knowing what you intend to use it for helps you to make the selection.
We hope to address a few of the things that are rarely thought of when you’re told to have alcohol on hand for an emergency. With the variety to choose from and what each percentage can mean for potency. The more you know, the better you can make an educated choice for your storage and preparation plans.
There are two differing types of Alcohol: Isopropyl & Ethyl
In reference to health care, “alcohol” refers to two water-soluble chemical compounds—ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol—that each have generally underrated germicidal characteristics.
Isopropyl alcohol – Per britannica.com
Isopropyl alcohol is one of the most common members of the alcohol family of organic compounds. Isopropyl alcohol was the first commercial synthetic alcohol. It is easily synthesized from the reaction of propylene with sulfuric acid, followed by hydrolysis.
In some cases the hydration of propylene is carried out in one step, using water and a catalyst at high pressure. Isopropyl alcohol is mixed with water for use as a rubbing-alcohol antiseptic.
Isopropyl Alcohol is also called: 2-Propanol; Dimethylcarbinol and Rubbing Alcohol
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Ethyl Alcohol – Per brittanica.com
Ethyl Alcohol is an important industrial chemical; it is used as a solvent, in the synthesis of other organic chemicals, and as an additive to automotive gasoline (forming a mixture known as a gasohol). Ethyl alcohol is also the intoxicating ingredient of many alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits.
Ethyl alcohol, also called ethanol, grain alcohol, or simply alcohol.
Both Ethyl & Isopropyl alcohol are effective but not equally.
Isopropyl Alcohol is effective in as little as 10 seconds. It kills bacteria, viruses, fungus, and tubercles on contact. But depending upon potency must come in contact with these contaminants for at least 10 seconds.
Isopropyl Alcohol is often already diluted in a variety of percentages before being sold. Isopropyl is most commonly sold in 70%, 91% and 99% solutions.
Ethyl Alcohol has the percentage is shown by the ‘proof’ on most grain and distilled spirits.
It can be used straight on a topical area or surface but is significantly weaker than Isopropyl Alcohol. If relegated to using a high proof Ethyl Alcohol such as Vodka for sterilization purposes, carefully check the percentage before diluting – especially since Ethyl Alcohol is already less effective against some contaminants than Isopropyl.
Effectiveness for each alcohol drops significantly when concentration is below 50%. So when searching the bottles at the drugstore for puchase or diluting for use – be careful to keep the percentages as high as possible for maximum potency.
Neither Ethyl nor Isopropyl alcohol are capable of killing spores, therefore cannot be used in “high level sterilization.”
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There are Disadvantages & Advantages of both types of alcohol.
The main disadvantage to storing alcohol is that both Ethyl and Isopropyl Alcohol are highly flammable. However, under certain circumstances this may actually be an advantage for fire starting.
Another mix of both advantage and disadvantage is that they can cause damage to rubber (hardening) and destruction of glues. This can work either for or against you, depending upon how it is needed. Either way, being aware is important.
An outright Advantage is that each of these are among the longest shelf-stable disinfectants known. And perfect for long term storage options. With very little breakdown or decomposition, alcohol lasts for a very long time for future use.
Another advantage, unique to the Ethyl Alcohol, is that it can be used to make tinctures and extracts for medicinal herbs. And lastly the advantage of storing Ethyl Alcohol is the opportunity to barter it and offer it up for another person’s consumption or addiction.
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by Prepare Magazine | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog
Maybe you haven’t given it much thought about how Alcohol and Diet Impact Health and Preparedness, but they both do. The use or abuse of either one of these areas of consumption have a great impact not only on one’s current physical state, but also upon the mental acuity to handle
stressful situations when they arise.
In these troubled times and the potential of future struggles ahead, many people turn to substances in an attempt to cope. Alcohol and food are legal substances that when abused, in an attempt to cope, have a long lasting adverse affect on one’s health and ability to be best prepared.
Below is a more detailed article about how alcohol and diet affect the body:
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Alcohol and Diet
The phrase “you are what you eat” is especially true in today’s world. That isn’t to say that if you choose to drink, you will become your favorite libation. What it does suggest, however, is that choosing to drink alcohol or not can affect your well-being and functioning so any decision to indulge should be an informed one.
Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Alcohol affects the body in a variety of ways other than intoxication. It can affect the digestive system and how vitamins and nutrients are utilized by the body. Too much alcohol can slow down digestion as the body prioritizes breaking down alcohol to processing food. Alcohol is a toxin to the body so it is processed ahead of food in the liver’s attempt to keep functioning well. As alcohol is broken down into toxic byproducts, the liver and pancreas can be damaged and become less efficient. Since the liver is an organ that helps to fuel the body and keep it clean of toxins, alcohol makes it work overtime. A single episode of overindulging can actually lower your immune system for up to 24 hours afterwards. [1]
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Depletes Vitamins
Alcohol is also known to deplete the body’s store of vital nutrients needed for good health. B complex is comprised of several different vitamins that link together to make a chain. The most common are B1, B6, B12, riboflavin and niacin. Certain vitamins in the B complex chain are more easily destroyed by alcohol than others. You may have learned that by taking a B complex vitamin before a night out on the town, you can avoid at least part of the nasty hangover from overindulging.
Alcohol and the Diet
Small to moderate amounts of alcohol have been shown to lessen the development of heart disease, however, alcohol in larger amounts long term can harm the heart making it less efficient at pumping oxygen and nutrients to the organs that need them.
Even smaller amounts of alcohol can disrupt neurotransmitters in the brain like glutamate causing forgetfulness or blackouts in more severe cases. Alcohol can affect your speech and motor control causing slurring and balance issues. Alcohol also affects serotonin, a neurotransmitter which helps to regulate your emotion and release endorphins, which explains why drinking alcohol use can feel relaxing and sometimes alters our emotional reactions.
Weight Gain
One of the most common problems associated with drinking alcohol frequently is weight gain. Alcoholic beverages contain what are best known as “empty calories”. They offer minimal, if any, nutritive value, and, when consumed in excess, can add unwanted pounds. An active person who drinks the occasional one or two beers while watching the game will not normally see a dramatic change. This weight gain occurs mainly when the consumption of alcohol escalates to the point where there are more calories being consumed than there are being used through exercise and other forms of activity.
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As the liver and the rest of the body return to functioning at peak performance post drinking, nutrients will be more easily broken down and absorbed by the body. The blood will be able to carry more oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Energy levels will increase and a person’s overall mood and ability to concentrate will rise.
When you begin to understand how alcohol affects your body, you may find you have further motivation to begin or maintain a healthier lifestyle. You can decide if, how much, and when you want to indulge in alcohol and support your use of alcohol so the effects on your body are minimized. You may decide that you enjoy and value the feelings of sobriety more than you enjoy the effects of drinking. It’s all in the choices we make and live with.
References:
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Hangovers/beyondHangovers.pdf
Faith Moore, JD, is the Public Relations Coordinator at Saint Jude Retreats, a non 12 Step alternative to traditional drug and alcohol treatment centers and rehabs. Saint Jude Retreats provides residential, online, and home study programs for people with substance use problems that concentrates on self-directed positive and permanent change. Through the program, individuals with substance use problems are offered the opportunity to self-evaluate and explore avenues for life enhancement and happiness.
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by Prepare Magazine | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog
Guest Post By Tammy Trayer, Trayer Wilderness
I love sitting by my wood stove during the winter months preparing for my garden. I organize my seeds, layout my garden on graph paper and utilize a now faithful tool called the Garden Notebook by Angi Schneider. The Garden Notebook is a printable e-book which allows you to track your garden year after year. Keeping notes of your garden each year can be extremely helpful moving forward in many ways.
Being able to record how much you produced at the end of the year based on how much you planted will aid you in determining if you need to plant more for the following year to fill your pantry shelves. Documenting how you got rid of certain pests and what worked best for your soil is also helpful.
Another book you may find extremely useful is The Art of Gardening by Susan Vinskofski. This book could be a tremendous help to you in working with your soil as well as the Back To Eden film which can be found at BackToEdenFilm.com.
Did you know you can look up your hardiness rating and zone for your area at http://garden.org/zipzone? Knowing your hardiness rating and zone can help you to decide which seeds will work best for your area and when it is best to plant your varying seeds. Purchasing heirloom seeds is important as well. An heirloom seed is a hardy seed that has stood the test of time, has no GMO’s and can be saved for the following year. Here are some examples of some of the seed companies that I purchase from: Seeds from Generations, Mike Gardener’s Seeds of the Month, Good Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Annie’s Heirloom Seeds, Rare Seeds Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, Berlin Seeds, Seeds of Change, and Seed Saver’s Exchange.
Here is a great tool that I have found useful in tracking my planting times based on my zone and last frost date.
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Something else you should give some major consideration to when you are getting prepared for your garden is companion planting. To ensure that you have a bountiful harvest you want to be sure you are planting your plants wisely where they will flourish because not all plants do well side by side.
Vertical planting is something else you may choose to consider. I intend to utilize vertical planting both in my raised beds in my garden and in my greenhouse to provide even more planting space.
One of the reasons I love being able to pre-plan my garden during the winter 
months is because it is a much slower time for us and this provides me with more time to research all the things I would like to accomplish and overall allows me to be much more prepared for the season.
Here in Idaho, we have an extremely short season so being prepared and even ahead of the game is important. Getting your seeds started early enough is key when you have a short season and being able to cover your plants toward the end of the season will eliminate you losing your valuable bounty to frost or even snow in our area.
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If you are new to gardening, don’t be afraid to talk to your local gardeners and farmers for planting tips. If you don’t have space to plant a garden consider checking with your county to see if there are any community gardens to which you can purchase or barter space. If you don’t have such 
options in your area you could check with friends or locals with acreage to see if they would be willing to allow you to use a small space to grow a garden and work out some sort of a deal.
You can also easily plant your garden in large pots on your patios, in your flower beds and even on your apartment balcony. Don’t allow a small space to stop you. It is such a rewarding feeling to be able to work your soil, plant your 
seeds, watch them grow, and to harvest your wholesome edibles.
Another very rewarding aspect of gardening is sharing it with a child. If you have children or grandchildren it is an amazing skill for them to learn and it is always helpful to have extra hands.
I encourage you to embrace gardening this year, if for nothing else, but to put some very wholesome food on your table. Gardening is also a very relaxing and healthy thing to do.
My two favorite things on our homestead aside from our animals is gardening and canning. I love to have full canning shelves at the end of our season.
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Tammy Trayer is a Featured Contributor for PREPARE Magazine. She is a freelance writer, soon to be author, radio show host, web designer specializing in the outdoors, entrepreneur, pioneer, avid hunter, outdoorswoman, homesteader, homeschool mother and wife. She, her husband & Mountain Man of her dreams and family live traditionally off-grid and enjoy educating on autism, gluten free and dairy free cooking, self-reliance, wilderness survival, natural health, gardening and so much more. Find out more about Tammy and her journeys at: http://www.TrayerWilderness.com
by Prepare Magazine | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog
Before dreaming of the joyous hours of singing “Kum ba Ya” in the car on a road trip, we hope you make a vehicle safety checklist. School will soon be coming to a close and many families are thinking of the Summer Family Road Trip to a long awaited vacation. But preparing for life’s little mishaps that could become big ones, starts with a vehicle safety check list first.
You may pack a list of items for a ‘Go Bag’ and that’s great, but before you ever pull out of the driveway the vehicle itself deserves a thorough checking. Some times that means planning to take care of things several days or even weeks in advance of your departure. So that is why we are happy to share the below infographic of a very thorough and image rich reminder of things you need to do on your own vehicle safety check list.
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Source: eReplacementParts.comWe and the folks at eReplacementParts hope you have a safe and fun Summer!
But First – realize that beginning early, and following this list helps you to prepare and be as secure as you can be before the trip even starts.
Please share this image and article with friends and family below. Let’s help each other Prepare!
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by Prepare Magazine | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog
All Bleach is NOT Created Equal! Knowing exactly how to use bleach correctly can disinfect surfaces or purify water. Knowing which bleach contains harmful additives and chemicals and thus must be avoided – Can save your life!
Recently at one of our area Preparedness Meetings we had the opportunity to learn from an active member of our group. Craig, is a Registered Nurse with a background in critical care and emergency leadership. He had recently completed updated training for infectious deceases and modern day epidemic mitigation (including new Ebola Protocols). Craig was so kind to share much of what he learned with our group. The topic of using bleach for disinfecting or purifying water has been widely spread throughout the preparedness community, however, Craig shared information that I’d not read mentioned much in detail. I found it very important and wanted to share this with readers of PREPARE Magazine.
All bleach is widely acceptable as an antimicrobial and can kill microbes on hard non-porous surfaces. Bleach seems to be the ‘go to’ disinfectant for everything from bathrooms to kitchens. In an emergency situation, it’s usually the often touted method for purifying water. For surfaces that may have become contaminated or with a contagious individual in the home, treating an area correctly can be life-saving. But only if it is preformed properly with the right bleach, in the correct ratio, full length of time and dried in the appropriate method.
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What’s Wrong?
When it comes to bleach, you can’t just ‘grab a gallon’ and go. You really need to read the label carefully. “Regular” bleach is the ONLY kind you want for disinfecting surfaces or treating water, not any one of the other formulations. If there is anything other than the word “Regular” describing your bleach, relegate the use of it to laundry only. The thick cling, splash-less and scented varieties contain extremely harmful chemicals that actually can create as much harm as the untreated surface or water. 
Splash-less bleach is not simply splash-less because the spout may be shaped differently, the manufacturer has added a soap/sudsing agent to change the viscosity of the liquid bleach, making it easier to pour. Thick -cling bleach contains more of it than it’s spill-less counter part. If you’ve ever used these you’ll notice a soapy film on the counter top surface or more suds in your washer. This is not only harmful if swallowed (see below the proper way to use the proper Regular Bleach) but also attribute to many asthma and respiratory issues as well.
Scented Bleach has become quite popular for laundering. While for some people they may not appear to pose a problem in the wash water, dyes or perfumes clearly have a negative impact when used on utensils, counter tops and in drinking water. Not only are they highly hazardous to our digestive systems, topically they have been proven to cause skin irritation and allergies, asthma and respiratory problems, developmental and reproductive toxicity and cancer. Again, if you see the proper method for disinfecting, you’ll see why the ingesting and topical reactions are important.
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What’s Right?
Proper Disinfecting Time & Technique:
Two (2) Teaspoons of Clorox Regular Bleach in a Gallon of water will kill germs – but ONLY if it has been in contact with the hard surface for 2 full minutes and then is allowed to air dry, without rinsing.
What’s Important?
Bleach, REGULAR bleach, is a widely used method of cleaning. It should be noted that this is not the only option for disinfecting, however, it is the most widely acceptable one provided you are well aware of which product you are using.
A few downfalls to even using regular bleach, however, are that all bleach is caustic, causes eye irritation, gastric burns, is corrosive to metals in high concentration or long exposure.
For long term storage, regular liquid bleach may not be the best option. In comparison, bleach is relatively unstable when compared to alcohol for prolonged shelf-life of a liquid disinfectant.
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Please share so we can all help each other be better prepared! Thank you!
