Practical skills for when things go wrong

Supplies get you through the first days. Skills get you through the weeks after, and most of them are useful in ordinary times too.

Reviewed October 2026

• Home canningWater-bath and pressure canning, done the tested way
• Canning altitude calculatorAdjust processing time or canner pressure for your elevation
• Staying warmKeep heat in, dress in layers and heat one room safely
• First aid kitWhat goes in a family first aid kit, from the Red Cross list
• Growing foodFast crops, frost dates and keeping seeds ready

Also on this site

• Purifying water: how to boil or disinfect water with bleach is in our water storage guide.
• Cooking without power: the safe way to use a camp stove or grill is in our food storage guide.
• Carbon monoxide: generators, grills and heaters are the biggest dangers after a storm. See the power outage guide and the smoke and CO alarm check.

Every safety figure in these guides comes from an official source such as the CDC, USDA or Red Cross, linked at the end of each page.