Prepping for natural disasters, power outages, and other catastrophic events requires you to be self-reliant. After all, you can't depend on infrastructure that's been flooded out after a hurricane, so you have to have the skills and resources to get by as much as possible on your own.
But whether you're going full-on prepper or just preparing for the natural disasters common in your area, trees can be useful. Here are some of the resources and supplies trees can provide that you may need as a prepper.
1. Wood or Bark
The trunk and bark of a tree can be useful in a variety of survival situations. If you have enough land, you can grow a stand of trees that could provide you with firewood for years. Some trees that could work well for this include poplar, aspen, and maple.
However, firewood is just one way to make use of a tree's wood and bark. Wood is, of course, a great building material, and the bark (or inner bark) from a tree can be used to make rope or cord, baskets and cooking vessels, and, in some cases, even food or medicinal tea.
2. Fruit and Nuts
Instead of planting the landscape trees that the rest of the neighborhood has, you may want to invest in fruit and nut trees. While trees will take several years to produce, they can become a reliable producer of food over time. And compared to a vegetable garden, trees require much less care once they're well-established.
Choosing the right fruit and nut trees is critical. For fruit trees, choose fruits that can be easily preserved. Figs, for instance, can be dried and stored for winter. In addition, choose trees that will perform well in your climate. And try to choose a selection of fruit and nut trees that produce at different times for food production throughout the year.
3. Leaves
Green leaves can be a substitute for toilet tissue in a survival situation. Some trees can also provide leaves that are great for fire starting. But even better, you can plant trees that offer edible leaves that you can steep for tea or even cook as a vegetable.
For instance, mulberry trees have leaves that can be edible if cooked properly, and linden tree leaves are even edible raw. A few trees with edible leaves can produce a huge amount of food once they grow to adult size.
4. Shade
If you're a prepper, you may have a system in place for backup power in case the power goes out. You may even have off-the-grid power, such as solar or wind power, that you use. But in order to make the most of these resources, you need an energy-efficient house. And for that, you'll need to make use of passive cooling efforts as well.
Planting shade trees to strategically shade your house is an important passive cooling technique. Others include using awnings on your windows, improving your home's insulation, and installing a cool roof. However, in order to avoid the risk of a tree falling on your house (which could make a disaster even worse), be sure to plant it at a safe distance.
These are just some of the benefits that trees can offer if you're preparing for natural disasters and other scenarios. Trees can also provide sugary sap, pinecones for easy fire starting, and much more.
For more information about which trees will perform best in your area and what professional services you'll need to care for them so they'll provide all these benefits, contact local tree services expert
Kaily's Tree Service
today.
