Mothers Day is May 11. What useful, fun gift can you get the prepper and/or survival mom when the budget is tight?
by Leon Pantenburg
The best gifts show some thought. Even if you don’t have a lot to spend, you can either make or improvise these gifts to help make your mother feel appreciated. Cost of materials is less than $10 for each item. You have time to work on these, so get started!
Everybody has a prescription for something, or you can recycle plastic containers. Use these to carry firestarter.
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Recycled Firemaking kit: Everybody has a prescription for something. Those small bottles make great containers for firestarter. Infuse cotton balls with petroleum jelly, fill the bottle, and you have my go-to firestarter and container.
Paracord shoelaces: One of the most useful ways to carry several feet of paracord is to substitute it for shoelaces in your shoes. Just check out the length of the shoelaces, cut the paracord to fit, and fuse the ends with a match or lighter. (Here’s another way to make shoelaces.) Not only do the laces a long time, but in an emergency, several feet of strong cordage is available. And there are a rainbow of colors available to help brighten up mom’s feet.
Credit Card Sized Signal Mirror: Several years ago, I was researching materials to include in a wallet survival kit. I went to the local car parts store and found some flexible plastic mirror material. I used a utility knife to cut it to size, and drilled a hole in the center. The mirror is flexible, and fits in the credit card part of a wallet. It can be used for signaling, of course, but it you get something in your eye, or need to adjust a contact lens, the mirror proves its worth. Cost per mirror is about 50 to 75 cents.
A memo book is really handy, and mom will use it every day. (Pantenburg photo)
Notebook and pencil: As a working journalist, I feel naked without a pocket-sized notebook and writing utensil. The internet is full of suggestions on making notebooks from recycled paper. (I made a bunch of these a couple years ago and distributed them to Central Oregon Community College journalism students). Make mom a pocket-sized notebook, and decorate the cover with magic markers. Mom will use the notebook every day.
Individual hand wipes: These are not appreciated until you get done eating that sticky doughnut in the car. The individual hand wipes are cheap, and they will be used a lot. I carry them in all my daypacks and used to include them in my kids’ lunches.
Solar powered lamp: Go to the nearest ReStore or Habitat for Humanity recycle store and buy some chandelier globes that fit together. Get some Liquid Nails. Glue the globes together to make a lamp-like shape, then put in a solar powered landscape light. It will look really cool in the garden, and if there is a power outage, the lamp can supply some interior illumination
Add several feet of duct tape and a poptop to a standard BIC mini lighter and you have a firestarting kit. Secure the lighter to a lanyard with the poptop.
BIC lighter: I don’t smoke, but I carry a mini BIC lighter as part of my everyday survival gear. Wrap the lighter with duct tape, and add a pop top for easy carry and you’ve created a firestarting kit for about a buck.
Charcloth: Charcloth is a material that will catch a spark, develop into an ember, and allow you to blow that heat source into a flame. All you need to make charcloth is a heat source, an Altoids tin and some old 100 percent cotton cloth. Here is how to make it.
Lip Balm: Get a tube of Chapstick or something with a sunscreen in it. Mom can use this for protecting her lips, nose, cheeks and ears. Lip balm is also a great firestarter when rubbed on cotton or some other very fine tinder. Tape a poptop, paperclip or loop of paracord to the case so it can be clipped to something.
Keyring whistle: Everybody should have a whistle on their keychain for emergency signalling. Get a small, east to carry model that is obnoxiously loud. Put it on a keyring with a LED light, and put it with mom’s keys.
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