As Mufasa from The Lion King so rightfully stated, we are all a part of the circle of life. The planet, the ecosystems, and all the plants and animals on Earth are connected on a deep level. In many ways, the survival and existence of one species often depends on the survival of many others.

But we’re not just talking about the animal kingdom here. Human beings are no exception. With the severe impacts of climate change and man-made catastrophes such as deforestation and pollution, humans have become increasingly disconnected from nature. So it’s time to take a step back and look at 10 animals on which we rely for our survival.

10 Bees

Those little creatures that are best-known for so craftily making delicious honey actually play a more vital role in the Earth’s functions than you may think. Across the globe, these hardworking little insects transport pollen from flower to flower on their daily routes.^[1]

Pollination is vital as it’s basically what makes most of the plant life on the planet grow. A life without plants, flowers, trees, and fruits would occur without bees doing their handiwork. Unfortunately, the population of bees has fallen by up to 80 percent in certain parts of the world due to human interaction, climate change, disease, and pesticide usage.

9 Plankton

Yes, those microscopic algae, bacteria, and living creatures that are too small to swim against the current play a vital role in our existence. Despite their minuscule size, plankton sustain billions of marine animals by providing food to creatures even as big as the blue whale.

With over 50,000 different plankton species in the light zone of the ocean, they are even visible from space. These little creatures not only feed fish, whales, dolphins, and seabirds, they also provide us with arguably the most pivotal role of all: They’re the reason we can all breathe.

Phytoplankton absorb energy from the Sun and nutrients from the water, the two ingredients needed for photosynthesis. Plankton photosynthesis is responsible for half the world’s oxygen, with the other half coming from photosynthesis on land by trees and other plants.^[2]

8 Ants

So far, humans have discovered over 12,000 species of ants across the world and chances are that you can find them in abundance in almost every ecosystem. These nifty little creatures help to create and maintain healthy soil conditions for plants (aka our food) to grow.^[3]

This crucial activity happens when ants dig into the dirt, building tunnels and aerating the soil as they go. In turn, this aids in decomposition by recycling the nutrients present in the soil.

7 Bats

Yes, these creatures can be somewhat scary. But contrary to popular belief, these vampire-like animals do more good than harm. With over 1,200 species of bats, they are the second-largest order of mammals on the planet. In fact, one in five mammals is a bat.

They’re also the only ones that can fly. As such, they do a great job of performing insect control all around the globe. Bats consume millions of pest insects, meaning that we don’t even have the discomfort of dealing with them.

In numerous countries, mosquitoes carry dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour. In many countries, however, bats are currently facing the loss of habitat through deforestation and other human actions.^[4]

6 Frogs

If only there were some kind of creature that could reliably and effectively indicate the health of various ecosystems and serve as a warning sign for humans to take action. Oh yeah, frogs can do that.

They serve as bio-indicators because their skin absorbs substances in their surrounding habitat.^[5] Consequently, any changes to their skin will indicate contamination or other issues present in the area. Frogs can exist in water as well as on land, meaning that these miraculous animals will be the first to react to any hazards.

5 Fungi

We know you’re all thinking about the mold growing around the house or those not-so-nice foot fungal infections. With over 144,000 known species of organisms in the kingdom Fungi, it was fungi that allowed plants to obtain the nutrients and water from the soil around them.^[6]

Despite popular beliefs, plants do not directly absorb these essential components of life into their roots. Instead, they have the wondrous fungi gather and deliver them from the surrounding soil.

As their second vital function, fungi are also the main nutrient recyclers in nature. They do this with the remnants of dead plants and animals by decomposing them and returning the nutrients to nature to be used again.

4 Fish

Recent research has given light to something you probably did not know. According to researchers at the University of Exeter, fish can help to reduce the impacts of climate change with their excrement.

Yep, fish excrement can significantly reduce the acidity of oceans. In maintaining an ocean’s delicate pH balance, fish excrement floats to the surface of the water and then ultimately dissolves. When this process happens, it forms carbon dioxide which then helps to create acidity in the ocean.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the pressing issue of overfishing. According to National Geographic, 31 percent of the world’s fish populations are overfished and another 58 percent are fished at the maximum sustainable level.^[7] With seven billion people demanding more fish on their plates, these sea creatures soon won’t be able to reproduce as fast as they are in demand.

3 Worms

How many of you had worm farms growing up? Well, if you did, you may have been onto something. Those wriggly, slimy, little underground creatures can actually help dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Rather than putting waste straight into the garbage disposal, people have started to return to worm composting systems.

This practice of decomposition by worms can aid in cutting down green matter and the sheer amount of waste generated in everyday households. In addition, using a worm composting system can create a wonderful fertilizer for your garden and other plants.^[8]

2 Primates Other Than Humans

These cute creatures aren’t just a wonderful economic earner from tourism ventures or our closest biological link. With over 300 different species in the world, primates provide an important role in maintaining tropical and subtropical forests.

Primates’ dung droppings plant the seeds for the trees of tomorrow and keep these forests growing and healthy. Without such ecosystems, we would be without a permanent source of carbon. Tropical rain forests also influence global rainfall patterns. If there are fewer trees in these rain forests, less moisture goes into the atmosphere, rainfall is reduced, and water supplies decline.^[9]

1 Birds

Although all the previously mentioned animals are masters of their own trades, birds seem to dabble a little bit in everything, making them quite important to our world. Included in their broad variety of ecological roles, birds perform insect control, forest decomposition, nutrient recycling, pollination and seed sowing, and soil aeration.^[10]

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How to survive a zombie apocalypse? “The Zombies are invading the world!” Well, Zombies are really invading the world of television nowadays. Zombies are still far from invading the world that we live in at the moment but have managed to find a sanctuary and a world to conquer in television series and movies instead.

If ever that dreaded day of the dead rising again to eat the living does arrive, can we manage to survive? With human’s basic instinct for survival and many other skills at tow, keeping one’s self alive and probably dying naturally instead of being consumed alive by a zombie is possible. Harness your basic survival skills and follow the top 10 ways to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Top 10 Ways to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

10. Exercise Regularly

Keep yourself in top shape. You should be able to run fast and know how to defend yourself from the Zombies as well as humans that may potential pose a threat to your existence. You only have one body in this life; you might as well take care of it to live further in a Zombie infested world.

9. Make Knives and Weapons Your Favorite Collection

Having a close to unlimited supply of knives and pointed objects and home allows you to have a permanent weapon against the Zombies. Guns are appealing though but if you do not have an unlimited source of ammunition, arrows, bolos, and other pointed weapons are better off to be your weapons. Keeping weapons handy is one of the several ways to survive a zombie apocalypse.

8. Make Target Shooting Your Hobby

Make your spare time productive. Practice throwing knives and make it a hobby. You’ll have your everyday exercise and you’ll feel more confident in your next “run” for supplies outside your walls. Practice on moving objects as well so that you’ll never miss a target in case you ran on a Zombie while outdoors.

7. Raise Animals Inside Your Property

Believe it or not, it is one of the easiest ways to survive a zombie apocalypse. Meat and protein is important to keep you strong and healthy to live longer in a Zombie infested world. Thus having dairy and meat available for consumption is necessary for your existence. Raise animals like chicken and goats in your “safe zone.” They are easy to feed and do not smell a lot compared to raising pigs.

6. Know How to Use Medicinal Plants

You will definitely run out of medicines, and even if you don’t, most medicines will reach their expiry date eventually. For basic medicinal needs, medicinal plants and herbs will do the trick. Have several medicinal plants available in your safe zone area. Several plants and herbs can provide treatment for cough, infections and fever. Tea leaves are also basic organic medicinal plants you can have in your Zombie free zone.

5. Learn To Use Renewable Energy

Renewable energy can be converted to electricity and can come handy surviving in a zombie world. Gas produced from human and animal waste can be harnessed into energy. You can use this energy to generate electricity and charge several appliances in your “safe zone.” Learn to conserve the energy that you generate though, to be able to use it during critical emergencies.

4. Have Deep Water Well in the Property

Having an endless source of water is one of the top 10 ways to survive a zombie apocalypse. Rain is a safe source of drinking water in case the world crumbles with crawling and walking undead. However, you can also have an alternative source by having a deep well inside your “safe zone.” These water sources are usually from aquifers that are naturally occurring underground.

It is better to have different sources so that your water supply will never be compromised. Have big drums and water storage stocked specifically for summer time when water is scarce. Always boil the water that you will drink whether it’s from the rain or from underground.

3. Know How to Build a Fire

Fire is used for cooking, boiling water and keeping yourselves warm. It is also your source of light at night. You can practically start a fire with some dry leaves and a microscope during the day. At night, you can use the extra coal that you managed to create during the day and make fire from sticks and stones.

Constant practice will allow you to easily build a fire even without gasoline, a lighter or a match. If you are still having a hard time creating fire, you can use a small amount of candle wax to help you work out in getting a fire lighted. Fire building skill will not just save you in a zombie infested world but in a non-zombie world too.

2. Stay In a Well-Vegetated Area with Plenty of Fruit Bearing Trees

Now that you are securely protected inside the premises of your Zombie free sanctuary, the next thing to worry about is food. Designate an area where you can plant vegetables, corn, potatoes and other crops. It would also be a bonus if you have fruit bearing trees inside your “safe zone.” A basic knowledge in agriculture and farming will allow you to regenerate your food source.

Your chances of getting bit by a Zombie while running errands to search for food will be minimized if you will generate a source of food within your walls. Choosing to live in certain well-vegetated areas are ways to survive a zombie apocalypse.

1. Build Tall and Sturdy Walls

Tall and sturdy walls are your first line of defense against these flesh eating creatures. And we can’t press enough how important wall building is among the 10 ways to survive a zombie apocalypse. Find a big area that is surrounded by tall, thick and concrete walls. It would be better if these walls have extra features like barbwires on top of it or pointed angular bars that will keep off trespassers from entering your premises.

A strong gate is also recommended, one made of steel with that is solid. It would be better to have two gates so that you can always use the other one, to enter or go out of the area in case the other gate is compromised. A regular guard should also be placed to make their rounds around your wall and your gate.

Learn about some more steps to surviving an apocalypse (according to National Geographic).

Top 10 Ways to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

1. Build Tall and Sturdy Walls
2. Stay In a Well-Vegetated Area with Plenty of Fruit Bearing Trees
3. Know How to Build a Fire
4. Have Deep Water Well in the Property
5. Learn To Use Renewable Energy
6. Know How to Use Medicinal Plants
7. Raise Animals Inside Your Property
8. Make Target Shooting Your Hobby
9. Make Knives and Weapons Your Favorite Collection
10. Exercise Regularly

Written by: Joie Gahum

This is the first in what is going to be a series of lists on surviving the streets. Living on the streets is not an easy thing – it can be as arduous as a full time job. Therefore it is essential that you carry only the most important things with you. Unlike a camping trip, you have to live light. You can’t carry a backpack with all your worldly goods – it is simply not practical. So, what do you need when living on the streets?

10. Sleeping Bag

A sleeping bag – preferably one made of down because it is lightweight and very compact. This is the most vital piece of equipment you will need. You can either stash the bag, or carry it with you. Carrying it with you makes you more mobile because you can sleep wherever you end up. If you can’t get a good quality down bag, double bagging two poor quality ones will do the job (though definitely not as well).

9. Matting

Matting is also needed (preferably plastic and lightweight) – you must keep your sleeping bag off the ground away from the damp. If you can’t find or buy matting, at least make sure you put your sleeping bag on cardboard – putting it directly on the concrete will result in you feeling like you are sleeping on a block of ice. The cold can cause your back muscles to freeze up and numb and the result is that when you stretch in the night you can tear them – potentially leading to months of difficulty walking (and walking is what you need to be doing every day).

8. Backpacks

A backpack – consider keeping a smaller backpack for use during the day and a larger one that you can stash. You should keep in mind that some states in the US have “camping bans” which make it illegal to walk around the city with a large camping backpack. One homeless man was even refused service at Denny’s because they “do not serve people with backpacks” – clearly discrimination against the homeless – but you need to be aware of this. A small day backpack will spare you all of these problems.

7. Toiletries

You will need: soap, a toothbrush, razors, at the very least. These you should keep with you in your day backpack. It is also worth trying to score a mirror of some kind; just because you are living on the street doesn’t mean you can’t take care of your appearance – you will certainly find life easier when dealing with non-homeless people.

6. Useful Items

Some extra small items are very handy to have when you live on the street. For example, you will want a needle and thread to fix minor tears and loose buttons – this can save you a lot of trouble trying to find new clothes – especially in winter. You will also probably want a couple of pens or pencils (you never know when you might need these). It goes without saying that an essential item is a can opener – without one of these you limiting the types of food you can buy (and canned goods are often the cheapest). You will also want a pair of scissors which you can use for trimming your own hair, cutting your nails, and for any other task that may require the use of something sharp. A bottle opener and / or a corkscrew is also useful. And finally, a box of matches or a lighter is essential.

5. Clothes

Most homeless people prefer to layer their clothes. This means you wear all of your various layers of clothes during the night, but as the day progresses, you can remove each layer successively. This allows you to keep cool when you need, and warm if it gets too cold. A good pair of leg warmers is recommended for wearing under your pants. In addition, you will need a good scarf and a hooded sweatshirt.

4. Headwear

In summer you will need a baseball cap to protect you from the sun – this is essential to prevent you from suffering sun stroke and even potentially getting skin cancer from overexposure. It can also help to conceal a head of hair badly in need of a cut which can be very off-putting to people you may need to deal with. In winter you will need a good warm ski knit hat. A lot of the body’s heat escapes through the head, therefore this is one of the most important things you will need in winter.

3. Shoes

You absolutely must have a good quality pair of shoes – especially in winter. If you have a hole in your shoe and your socks get wet, you will have a miserable few days with wet feet – this can, of course, lead to health problems that you want to avoid. If you do not have quality shoes, forget buying beer – use all the money you can muster to get good shoes without holes. Make sure you wear socks – shoes rubbing on the skin can cause lesions. One homeless guy in the local soup kitchen had been wearing dress shoes that were ill fitting without socks for months – his ankles were covered in festering sores which were being scraped by the shoes every time he walked. It was too late for him to do anything about it – don’t let this happen to you!

2. Bags

Plastic garbage bags are essential to life on the streets. They will be raincoats in winter, and protection from the sun in summer. You can use them to protect your matting from the wet ground. A tip for getting free bags: janitors in large buildings often keep spare bags under the garbage can for easy replacement when emptying. If you make sure you take just one or two per garbage can no one will notice and you will have a constant supply on hand. You will probably also want to keep a few smaller bags on hand just in case you have a need for them.

1. Miscellaneous extras

It is very important that you travel light – you want to keep your belongings to a minimum and the items above cover virtually everything you will need. Having said that, you should consider carrying a few other smaller items that can be invaluable. For example, priority mailing envelopes (free at the post office) are great for storing things and they are durable and water proof. You may also want to keep a bottle or two to store things like coffee. Forget things like flashlights – they are heavy, the batteries run out, and they show everyone exactly where you are – and you probably want to remain fairly anonymous and blend in on the streets.

Other Survival Lists

If you enjoyed this list, you might also like our other survival lists:

Top 10 Prison Survival Tips
Top 7 Zombie Survival Tips
Top 5 Tips for Surviving a Bear Encounter
Top 15 Shipwreck Survival Tips

Insects are fascinating creatures. While they’re considered creepy or unsettling by some, they’re among the most diverse and interesting animals, often armed with a wide variety of defence mechanisms, survival tactics, and highly unique appearances.

Most of us are used to house flies and wasps, perhaps the widely recognisable ladybug beetle, but few are aware of just how distinct and strange insects can be. Evolved in incredible ways to ward off predators, source nourishment, and efficiently reproduce, there are myriads of examples we can look at. We’ll be examining ten of these wild adaptations today.

10 Incredible Firsts In The Evolution Of Life On Earth

10 Defensive Odour—Stink Bugs

Starting off with a unique defensive mechanism that many of us may have already observed in some animals; releasing a horrible odour when threatened. Stink bugs are a widely disliked insect, having gained an extremely negative reputation largely attributed to the facts that they’re very common and attempting taking one outside will most likely result in one’s room smelling awful.

Not a unique mechanism, as strange as it is, skunks infamously resort to a similar defence and some other insects have such a mechanism as well. Even so, stink bugs remain a mainstay in our collective experiences, given the fact that there are thousands of species worldwide. Given these facts and that many of the most widespread species are invasive, their defence clearly works fabulously. So fabulously, in fact, that a group of scientists have been working for years on introducing a wasp species that would get rid of the invasive stink bugs supposedly without harming the native wildlife. This group felt extremely lucky when said wasp showed up in the area naturally without any introduction efforts, though the results are unknown.

9 Sexual Cannibalism—Praying Mantis

Another infamous behaviour, the female praying mantis, just like the equally infamous female black widow, will frequently eat their mate after it’s done their job in the reproduction cycle. While it certainly seems cruel and unacceptable to us—and it certainly would be as humans or arguably at any scale—it is an effective survival tactic for these insects and not one done as an act of cruelty.

In studies, roughly half of the males survived mating, though in nature it’s estimated that only between 13 and 28 percent of them actually get eaten. The female half who ate their partners in the study, however, didn’t just get a certainly extremely useful meal to sustain themselves while laying eggs, but also laid a significantly higher amount of eggs to begin with.

In addition to this, it was shown that a large portion of the nutrition gained from eating the male actually went to the offspring rather than the mother. It certainly seems cruel, and it’s certainly a fortunate thing that humans aren’t a species that rely on this behaviour. It may be horrible, but it is an efficient act of survival.

8 Defensive Vomit—Pine Sawfly Larvae

Back to defence mechanisms with one that’s certainly unique, at the very least. Simply and quite grossly put, the larvae of the pine sawfly band together in groups and vomit at their predators to fend them off. If that wasn’t strange enough, apparently some of them don’t even do it but still get the benefits! They gain protection from the group but refuse to actually contribute at all, living as freeloaders.

Males are apparently more likely to avoid contributing than females, growing faster as a result without having to actually work. Some larvae, however, simply stop vomiting because they’ve done it so much. This tactic, while effective, takes a lot out of the insect, weakening them and lowering their chance of survival.

To make things worse, pine sawfly larvae are widely considered a pest. They consume pine needles, heavily damaging the trees in the process.

7 Pit Viper Caterpillar—Hawk Moth

Caterpillars don’t seem too unusual. Most of us learn about them in school, we’re aware that some are venomous to touch, but not many of us think about these larval forms. Colourful and interesting by themselves, caterpillars deserve probably more recognition than they currently have. This is especially true for the hawk moth’s curious looking larva.

The fascinating ability that truly makes these caterpillars stand out from the rest is the fact that they mimic snakes! They can be a variety of colours from brown to green and, when threatened, they’re able to puff up, taking on the shape and overall look of a snake’s head, which many have likened to an extremely dangerous pit viper. While the caterpillar is actually harmless, the disguise is so convincing that it’s an effective survival tactic by itself, able to fool any predatory birds and even humans that may cross paths with this fearsome ‘snake’.

6 Washing Children With Poison—Ants

Everyone’s aware of the hardworking ant, eusocial, part of incredible colonies, cleaning their young using poison—apparently. Behaviour that could be considered personal hygiene is common among insects, though some ordinary ants do a lot in the name of cleanliness. It is, after all, paramount for ants to avoid a disease outbreak, a single one quite possibly wiping an entire nest out.

With this in mind, their solution seems to be the unique technique of sucking poison from their backsides out of their acidopore, and simply drooling it over their young to destroy potentially harmful fungi infecting them, thus preventing it from spreading. Apparently, some opted to simply spray the poison but most felt that licking up their own poison directly from the acidopore and releasing that was a better option. The good news in all of this is that this appears to work wonders; even the fungi that aren’t destroyed are far less likely to spread. Nature is truly amazing, even when it’s a tad unappealing.

5 Glowing Cockroach—Lucihormetica luckae

Cockroaches are a pest, yet also deeply misunderstood. Out of the 4,600 species scientists have discovered so far, only a few actually act as pests, occupying human households. The vast majority do no such thing and simply live in forests. That being said, it’s entirely understandable that people have major problems with the ones that do infest our habitats—they are simply horrible. Even then, we can feel lucky knowing that we perhaps got a better deal than we could’ve. The cockroaches we mostly encounter don’t actually do much besides being a hygiene and potential health hazard, many other species are far more exciting, or perhaps unsettling.

Lucihormetica luckae is, simply put, a cockroach that glows green in the dark, only leaving a dark spot that creepily resembles a face, perhaps a skull. While a glowing cockroach seems easier to kill, and it certainly would be for us, it also seems to be an effect of mimicry. Scientists believe that this strange species mimics the bioluminescent click beetle, a poisonous insect. Yet again, the strangeness seems to work, even if it may seem odd or redundant at first.

4 Sweet ‘Vomit’—Bees

The statement ‘honey is bee vomit’ has become a bit of a viral saying largely in the past decade or so. Whether that’s true depends on one’s definition of vomit—honey does not come from a bee’s stomach but rather a separate ‘honey stomach’. The delicious substance is, however, regurgitated nonetheless.

While we’ve grown accustomed to honey as a staple food item, the reason bees make honey to begin with has fallen by the wayside a little. The sweet, regurgitated substance is, like virtually all things in the animal kingdom, simply for survival. Honey keeps pretty much indefinitely as it’s an unsuitable environment for bacteria. Bees take advantage of this even more than we do. In the cold winter months when flowers are unavailable, bees use their stored honey as a long-lasting food source. Whether it’s ‘bee vomit’ or ‘bee spit’ or not, honeybees and humans alike have found it delicious and deeply useful for a long, long time, and will continue to do so indefinitely.

3 Scorpion Tail Genitals—Scorpion Fly

Seeing a flying insect with a scorpion tail would likely be a scary experience for anyone uninitiated with the aptly named scorpion fly. For those who are aware of this insect, however, the fear just turns into bewilderment and perhaps repulsion. What looks like a clear scorpion tail with a stinger on the end isn’t quite what it seems.

This strange appendage is, interestingly, only present on male scorpion flies. Yes, the ‘scorpion tail’ is in fact a mating display, and, as the male’s claspers, acts similarly to the respective genitalia in other species. Aside from their deeply odd biology, mating for scorpion flies seems to involve the frequent giving of gifts to the female in the form of dead insects scavenged from the ground or spiders’ webs, or, alternatively, simply a decent amount of saliva.

2 Hummingbird Insect—Hummingbird Moth

You may assume hummingbird moths simply mimic hummingbirds. Sure, that would be quite interesting, perhaps visually pleasing, but not exceedingly special. Thankfully, these insects go many steps further. They, incredibly, don’t just have the ability to hover like hummingbirds and even share some visual features with these unrelated birds, they feed and live much the same way as well.

A brilliant and fascinating example of convergent evolution, these unfortunately short-lived moths are relatively rare, and do unfortunately die in the span of months or even weeks. This isn’t a product of this lifestyle, however, just an unfortunate side effect of being a moth. If these animals weren’t wonderful enough already, though, the fact that they’re decently efficient pollinators also adds to their incredible charm. Several species can be found in North America and many others in the Old World, so, if one’s able to see one, it’ll be an experience definitely worth remembering.

1 Exploding—Bombardier Beetle

Finishing off the list not with hummingbird moths’ wonderful charms but something significantly more extreme, bombardier beetles are capable of the impressive survival feat of.. exploding. While they’re small and only live weeks, hopefully not due to this daring technique, they’re truly incredible insects. Armed with the ability to release a burning-hot, foul smelling liquid to kill other insects and drive off small and large predators alike, the bombardier beetle isn’t an animal worth messing with.

This amazing mechanism can send them flying, save their life when swallowed by forcing a predator to spit the insect out, and more. The liquid is powerful enough to incapacitate many animals and cause a nasty burn even on human skin, releasing from the beetle’s body at a boiling 100°C. Bombardier beetles have famously—or infamously—been used as an argument against evolution, but scientists maintain that the beetles evolved incrementally, which is certainly where the evidence points, a fact that only makes these small creatures even more impressive.

10 People Killed By Animals You Wouldn’t Expect

About The Author: Just a curious person with a passion for all things science, history, mysteries, the paranormal, animals, and strange cultural phenomena!

History is incredibly important when it comes to surviving something that has happened sometime in the past. We learned what not to do during a plague from the Black Death. When economies crumble into dust, there are lessons to learn there as well.

The economy is a tricky thing, and it’s vulnerable to all sorts of external threats, as the recent decline of the U.S. Stock Market has proven with the outbreak of COVID-19. Looking back through history, we can prepare and survive so long as we learn the lessons of the past.

Top 10 Tips To Prepare For A Depression

10 Forget About Throwing Stuff Away

If there’s one thing we can say about the developed world in the 21st century, it’s that society has embraced the idea of single-use items. That works alright when everything is going well, but the Great Depression taught people to use, reuse, and recycle anything and everything. It was rare for people to throw something away back then, and that’s a way of life that needs to be embraced once more. Think about the last time you bothered to take an appliance into a repair shop… been a while, hasn’t it?

That’s mostly our fault, as it’s infinitely easier and only slightly more expensive to replace our coffee maker once it breaks. Hold onto your receipts and warranties, as you may need them in a downed economy. Learning how to reuse items is paramount to surviving something like a depression, so learn to sew, so you can stitch together your torn clothes instead of throwing them away. Learn how to patch items and reuse bottles you would otherwise recycle or throw in the trash. Recycling needs to be a part of everyone’s lives, and it starts at home.^[1]

9 You Need To Get To Know Your Neighbors

For a lot of people in the world, neighbors are something of an afterthought. You may politely smile and wave when one passes by on the street or shares an elevator ride with you, but do you really know them? Can you turn to them when you’re in a pinch for help watching your kids? If the answer to those questions is ‘no,’ you need to fix that as soon as possible. During the Great Depression, the Long Depression, and other periods of severe economic slowdown, people learned to work with and rely on one another. A community of neighbors is much stronger than a single person or family, and people learned that quickly.

Neighborly alienation is a relatively modern concern, and when people lived in smaller communities, they tended to bond with one another, but that is mostly a thing of the past. When the economy takes a nosedive, and several people on your block are suddenly out of work, you need to be there to help them — they will do the same should it happen to you. At least, that’s how people survived the recessions and depressions of the past, so get over your social anxiety, and get close to the people who are literally closest to you.^[2]

8 Learn A New Trade

For most kids throughout the world, they were asked to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Invariably, a child would speak a profession, and many would grow up to fill those roles. For others, a talent or skill might have pushed them into another area of the workforce, but for the most part, this meant that each person knew a single trade, and it’s what they trained to do. Unfortunately, a depression hits specific industries harder than others, and the ones that suffer the most are often the lower-paid jobs.

If at all possible, you need to learn another trade. You need to be able to walk away from your job you’ve done for years and be ready to start over in a new industry. That’s far easier to say than it is to do; after all, we train hard to become a schoolteacher, a doctor, a nurse, or any of thousands of different trades, but whatever your skills, they need to be as diverse as your investments should be. If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to learn a new skill, try and find one that aligns with what you already know, and take help wherever you can to learn something new. For journalists and the mainstream media, we recommending learning to code or looking into a more respected occupation such as a big tobacco or Pharma lobbyist.^[3]

7 Get To Know The Difference Between “Want” and “Need”

The modern world offers much in the way of personal entertainment, and because of this, gaming and movies have become one of the most profitable industries in the world. When you get right down to it, most of the entertainment we enjoy daily isn’t necessities in our lives. They are things we want rather than the things we need, and it can be difficult for many of us to identify the difference between the two. After all, our entertainment isn’t something we take lightly, but needs and wants extend beyond entertainment into most of what we consume throughout our daily lives.

That $5 coffee you can’t live without every morning? It’s time to pick up a machine so you can brew it at home. Your best bet would be to wean yourself off of coffee altogether. Believe it or not, it’s not a necessity. During a depression or even a recession, it’s important to identify these things so you can save your money for the real needs in life: food, water, shelter, clothing, and sanitation. You should never trade any of those for something you don’t truly need, and that becomes crystal clear in a depression.^[4]

6 Be Cautious And Be Prepared For Anything

One of the biggest problems people faced during the Great Depression was a marked increase in crime. Without anywhere else to turn, people all over the world opted to steal whatever they could to survive, and as a result, there was a lot of violence. That isn’t to say you need to run out and by all the guns so you can hole up in your home and protect your family; it’s about keeping you and your loved ones safe during a potentially turbulent time by preparing for your safety.

There are tons of ways you can keep safe during a crisis, and they don’t all require firearms. Simply getting close to your neighbors and organizing a neighborhood watch can be more than enough to push criminals to look elsewhere. It won’t hurt to get a dog if that’s something you can afford and keep in your home, as dogs act as living alarm systems with minimal training. The most important thing to remember when keeping you and your loved ones safe is that you should never travel alone. Always work or travel in groups, and pay attention to your surroundings.^[5]

10 Uplifting Stories From The Great Depression

5 Learn The Value Of Discounts And Coupons

Coupons are things most people take for granted. They arrive in the mail or newspapers, but most folks don’t take advantage of them. That is a trend that needs to come to an end during a downed economy. Every cent counts, and if you can save twenty cents off a gallon of milk, do it. Clip those coupons, go to the store, and get those savings. Fortunately, there are tons of resources online, which make it somewhat unnecessary to clip coupons from something that arrives in the mail, and you should get familiar with them if you aren’t already.

Coupons didn’t originate during the Great Depression, but economic events resulted in their widespread use throughout the United States. Frugality was something of an art form back then, and coupons were a great way to sell products to consumers desperate for a good deal. The use of coupons continued after the Great Depression, and they continue to thrive today. You can find them online while you’re waiting in line at a store, you can get them emailed to you, and you can often find them right there in the store.^[6]

4 Don’t Let A Depression Make You Depressed

It’s a hard life, living through a depression, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it get you down all the time. During the Great Depression, people found refuge from their worries in movie theaters. Granted, they were a lot cheaper back then, and you could stay for as many movies as you wanted for about a nickel, but films remain a great way to escape the harsh reality of life every now and again. Fortunately, we aren’t forced to go to a theater to see movies any longer, and just about every home has access to thousands of films and television series at a relatively low cost or no cost at all.

Granted, you’re not going to want to stay inside all the time, so you should look for little escapes you can take that don’t empty your bank account. There are plenty of free options available in most cities, where you can go for a quiet afternoon. City, state, and national parks are a great way to get out and see the world without dwelling on a bad financial situation. Find the inexpensive activities in your area, and make a day of it with the family. It’s far better than brooding at home all day, and it’s good for your health as well.^[7]

3 Grow Your Own Food

This one seems obvious, and while it isn’t possible for everyone, seeing as many people live in cities without much land, the people who can grow their food absolutely should. Growing your food gives you an extra layer of sustenance security, so you don’t have to necessarily worry about what’s going to be on the dinner table when you know you can harvest some corn in the backyard. Planting your own crops on even a small plot of land can help save a bundle, and there are numerous herbs you can grow inside near a window.

Even for people who don’t have land to plant their own crops, there are community gardens available in many municipal areas you can take advantage of. If times are really tough, you can group with your neighbors to rent a space for such a purpose. During the Great Depression, many cities allowed citizens to farm vacant lots, which may be an option should things get bad once more. If you don’t know how to plant and tend crops, there are plenty of guides online, and if you’re into some old tech, head to your local library and read a book on how to do it.^[8]

2 Focus On The Family

The most important thing everyone needs to remember during a depression is that the family comes first. No matter who you are or where you fit within your family structure, you need to look out for yourself and the ones you love. If there was one thing that helped families get through the Great Depression, it was the closeness of one another. There wasn’t much families could turn to for help and support, so they relied on one another. If one parent could work, the other would take care of the home, and if both needed to work, the oldest child would watch the younger ones.

Whatever could be done to support one another, the families came together to make it happen. In our modern world, where families are split up in different states and countries, being close with one another isn’t as easy as it used to be. If at all possible, try to change this, and take a lesson from history. Help each other out, play board games, read to one another, or do whatever it takes to get through the bad economy, and know that if history has taught us anything about depressions, it’s that they eventually come to an end.^[9]

1 Forget Everything You Know About Modern Society

Forget everything you know about society. If the markets truly do crash to depression levels, you won’t be thinking about social media, or politics, or carbon credits and climate change. You will be thinking about where your next meal is going to come from. You will be thinking about how to fix the last pair of shoes you were able to afford (unfixable Nikes from a Chinese sweatshop, probably). I know this sounds bleak, but it is the reality of a Great Depression and it needs to color your thinking and preparation.

All the advice on this list is good . . . but the most important advice of all is you need to realize that a depression will cause a whole new world that will barely resemble anything you have known before (unless you come from a third world nation with dire poverty). Sure, the rich celebs will still be on Twitter telling everyone how much they care and want to help . . . but they won’t. A Great Depression will certainly pull the curtain back on virtue signalling. Because virtue signals don’t fill hungry bellies.^[10]

10 Things Your Ancestors Did Better Than You

Every day, we face new challenges that force us to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Whether we are at home, in the wilderness, or out in the ocean, an accident can endanger our lives and reduce our chances of survival. According to survivalists, preparation is the first step towards conquering anything, especially when we can’t control whatever is happening. For example, when a boat is sinking or we get lost in the woods, how would we react? While knowledge and training are valuable for surviving, having a good complementary kit improves our chances of staying alive.

Here are the top 10 kits you can buy to survive any situation.

10 Out-in-the Wilderness Survival Kit

Ever heard the phrase that “cities are urban jungles?” Well, no matter how tough life in your neighborhood, city, or apartment gets, it can never compare to the wild outdoors. Whether you are going camping, hiking, or climbing, the wilderness can be challenging for anyone. Anything can go wrong at any moment and if you are not well prepared, there is no corner bodega to save you. Fortunately, the world came up with wilderness survival kits.

Kits like the Jinager wilderness survival kit has everything you need to survive the wilderness—if you know how to use everything in it, of course. If you are a survivalist or know enough to get you through a night lost in the woods, the kit comes with some pretty handy tools.

• Firestarter to make the freezing nights warmer.
• Whistle to signal your location and ward off wild animals.
• Woodcutter to make splinters fire-worthy.
• Tactical pen for self-defense and peace of mind.
• Rescue blankets to protect you against all the elements.

9 Stranded In-The-Middle Of The Ocean Survival Kit

Ah, the majestic ocean blue. To sail upon its waters is a luxury. But, as history proves, the ocean is as scary as it is beautiful. Stories of the Titanic and other tragic seafarers show that the ocean can be punishing to those that are not prepared for it. Once a ship starts sinking, passengers have little time to prepare tools that can help them stay afloat as they await help.

Depending on where you are in the ocean and how terrible the wreck, you could survive! How, you ask? With a kit worthy of landlubbers. Something like the Landfall stranded in the ocean survival kit prepares you for an emergency at sea. The kit’s tools include:

• PW SOLAS Flare that burns brighter and longer to signal help.
• Emergency Space blankets for maximum warmth.
• Alkaline batteries for lights.
• A Comprehensive Guide to Marine Medicine Handbook.
• A Standard VHF Radio to communicate with nearby ships.  

8 Festival Party-Of-A-Lifetime Survival Kit

Forget sliced bread, antibiotics, and Beyonce. Any true raver knows that festivals are the best things to ever happen to humanity. Whether you are 21 or 51 years old, going to Burning Man or Coachella will leave you broke and wanting more. After all, we only live once right? Totes rage, bro.

Yet, while partygoers post the best pictures on the dance floor, they never share what happens after dark. Once the music dies down and the performers leave to the comfort of their tour buses, everyone fights for survival. The weather, the hangovers, the questionable decisions… Fortunately, humans have invented a kit to help you out with your uninhibited festival experience. You could make a kit on your own—or you could just buy one. The Gentlemen’s Hardware festival survival kit is a good example of what you’d need to help your post-rager recovery.

• Red ponchos to keep the stinging wind away.
• Flashlight torch stash to light your way in unfamiliar territory.
• Earplugs to keep all the unwanted noise out.
• Spork to help you dig into whatever festival food is easiest to digest.

7 Roadside Emergency Survival Kit

Despite their utility, safety ratings, and widespread use, cars are unpredictable. They break down when you don’t want them to, they run out of gas on a country backroad where there’s no service, and no matter what name you give them, they never respond to it. Even more frustrating, cars like to give us problems when we are the most underprepared. Luckily, with the right tools, you can be your own roadside assistance.

If you’re like me and are car illiterate—outside of being able to drive the car safely, of course—sometimes it’s better to just trust that you’re getting everything you need in one purchase. This SlimK Roadside Emergency kit is a lifesaver for any car trouble emergency.

• Jumper cables for reviving a dead battery.
• Heavy-duty tow rope for the push when all hope is lost.
• Tire pressure gauge to measure tires for stability.
• Car toolkit for every need.

6 Pet (Cat or Dog) Survival Kit

Animal lovers know that a happy pet makes the best companion. Pets have fairly simple needs. They aren’t these complicated, spoiled balls of human emotion that constantly mix up that craving for a donut as a need rather than a want. If your pet has food, water, and shelter, they have little else to worry about.

So, when preparing for any event or disaster, it’s important to treat pets as family members and prepare for their safety. A pet survival kit may be the difference between a happy pet and a sad one. And sad pets are the actual saddest.

• Quality dog food enough for one dog or two cats.
• Clean water for hydration.
• Shelter for your little friend’s best comfort.

5 “The World Is Ending” Doomsday Survival Kit

The world could end any second. It could be a nuclear war, viral pandemics, or even deadly meteors. Whichever doomsday theory you support, you can only be so prepared. A bunker may do well for a zombie apocalypse, or your typical fall-out shelter situation. But if a series of asteroids hit the Earth, well, it may not make a difference where you’re hiding.

While there’s no single doomsday survival kit with everything you would need, the best option is to have a little of everything. No—you don’t need a truck full of toilet paper. A good doomsday emergency survival kit should have at least the following gear to make the apocalypse a little more bearable.

• Emergency survival gear for every scenario.
• Medical suppliers to dress any wound.
• Fishing tools for scouring food in nearby waterways.
• The perfect outdoor gear set.

4 Newborn Baby Care Survival Kit

Babies. They are precious. They are also hungry, crying, pooping bundles of “oh my gosh, what am I doing, how am I supposed to take care of this human?” When faced with raising an infant, especially as a new parent, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Plus, it’s not like you can just take care of them using the things you use. Babies require gentler, smaller tools. Although there’s no proverbial “guide” to raising kids, there are plenty of survival kits to help you get through those early days. But don’t rush it. Babies are only babies once—and are actually pretty easy to take care of compared to adults.

This baby grooming kit comes with the right tools to keep your baby looking healthy and put together—unlike your 4-days unshowered hair because you’re taking care of a baby. One of you has to look good, right?

• Baby scissors for cutting delicate fingernails.
• Nail files and clippers.
• Special baby brush and comb to smoothen hair without hurting the scalp.
• Nasal aspirator and drug feeder.
• Finger toothbrush for gently cleaning the baby’s teeth and gums.

3 The-Day-After Hangover Kit

Everyone loves a good party and if we are being honest, the best parties are those we can’t remember. (Drink responsibly, my friends.) Still, after a night of superhuman socializing, dancing, and bonding over sweet cocktails, our bodies can and will shut down. We weren’t meant for that kind of sustained greatness, no matter what our alcohol tolerance may be.

Whoever came up with the festival survival kit must be friends with the hangover kit guy. Hangovers are the body’s response to too much alcohol. For most people, especially if you’re over 30 years old, a hangover makes waking up practically impossible. Though we should learn from our night of excess, we instead created a kit to make those bad decisions “worth it” and repeatable. For example, “Hey, you survived the night!” “Yeah, and this morning. Let’s do it again!” 

If you’re planning on doing it all over again, or are getting ready for the hangover of a lifetime, these items are hangover survival kit must-haves.

• Electrolyte packets to restart your body faster than water alone.
• Stomach relievers to calm the storm brewing in your bowels.
• Makeup remover wipes for the ladies.
• Mints, gum, and Tic Tacs for fresh breath.
• Pain relievers to dull a pounding headache.
• Eye drops to eliminate irritation and sleepy eyes.

2 Bride-zilla Emergency Survival Kit

For every bride, careful planning is the first step towards that perfect wedding. Yet, even the best wedding planners make a few mistakes and forget to order the small things that do make a difference (despite the groom’s instance that they don’t). A bride needs peace of mind, even at the last minute, otherwise, they probably will not emotionally survive the day. And ultimately, the most important details are the one’s she wears. Having been there, even with 100 bobby pins in my hair to hold everything in place, I still needed one more at the last minute. And I didn’t have it. Nobody had one… If only I had a wedding day survival kit.

This floral wedding survival kit has all the supplies a wedding might need to be successful.

• Striking makeup bag that won’t be easily missed amid the wedding hassles. 
• A cache of makeup and hair supplies a bride and her maids need for the entire day.

1 Public Bathroom Nightmare Survival Kit

Everyone has at least one story about an unfortunate trip to a public restroom. For most of us, visiting the public bathroom is like a trip to the underworld. I mean, how can you miss the toilet bowl? Sometimes, it seems like the person that visited the stall was waging war with their digestive system. But at other times, some people are just savages who choose to leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

This public restroom survival kit ensures that your trip to the gas stop toilet is safe and sanitary.

• Charmin toilet seat covers for protection.
• Charmin Freshmates to go wipes that work better than dry tissue paper.
• On-the-go hand wipes that are handy when there’s no soap or water.
• Compressed towel tablets.
• Discreet carrying case for all your essentials.