(Bugout.news) We can all pretty much agree on the fact that the world most of us know is becoming much more chaotic.

From the refugee crisis in Europe to political unrest in the Americas (which is really growing in the United States), from reports that the elite and powerful are buying up remote island locations and getting out of the cities, the signs are all around us: Something tumultuous and history-making is coming.

But far too few of us are prepared for it. Like, really prepared.

There is no way to be 100 percent “ready” for some of the earth-shattering events that could be on the horizon, but knowledge is power and it never hurts to learn more ways to better prepare ourselves for as many different scenarios as possible.

Here are 15 ways to make ourselves a bit more prepared tomorrow than we are right now, and they won’t take a ton of money or effort [H/T How to Survive It]

1. Battery ‘extenders:’ If you have devices that require AA batteries, but you only have AAA’s on hand, ball up some tin foil and use these as current “extenders,” making your smaller batteries fit (and work) in a larger battery capacity.

2. Put a $20 bill (or a $100 bill if you can) inside your cell phone case so you’ll never be completely without cash.

3. Coat some cotton balls or small cotton pads in petroleum jelly or paraffin wax; these make great portable fire-starters.

4. You won’t need crayons to color with, but you might need some small emergency lighting, and a crayon will burn for about 30 minutes.

5. You can fashion a small raft by fashioning a tarp around some tree branches.

6. Use an empty plastic coffee can as a toilet paper dispenser, to keep your supply clean and dry.

7. Emergency food tastes better if you spice it up, and you can use old Tic Tac containers to store your favorite spices.

8. Stuff some corrugated cardboard inside an empty Altoid’s tin and you will have a ready source of heat in an emergency.

9. Keys can be used as self-defense weapons; just put your key ring in the ball of your hand and stick the keys between your fingers when you make a fist, pointing outward.

10. An empty 1-gallon water jug and a head lamp combined make a great lantern.

11. A glowstick and a mousetrap work well to provide you some quick camp perimeter security. Rig the mousetrap so that it will “snap” the glowstick when an intruder approaches. This won’t make a lot of noise so you’ll have to continually watch for glowsticks lighting.

12. If you’re looking for a 30-day candle, you can make one by sticking a wick into a 1-quart can of Crisco or other pasty cooking oil.

13. Get some quick rain relief with trash bags that you can slip over your head and shoulders. Cut out a small opening for your face so you can breath and you’re good to go; these will work just like ponchos.

14. More quick firestarters are the lens of eyeglasses; you need the sunshine, of course, but these will work like magnifying glasses to start fires.

15. You can make a quick shelter using only a tarp and some paracord – both of which you should have in your bugout emergency gear.

More:

• Why adding Alum to your prepper kit will dramatically increase your water purification ability
• How to escape from zip ties in three videos
• What should your gear do for you in times of need?

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