skills

It is wise to learn from the experience of others. We can look to the trials, tribulations, and lived experience of others who persevered through challenging circumstances that we ourselves may yet face. Their choices, skills, training and attitudes should inform our own. It is no stretch to say that there is nothing new under … Read more

Everyone reading this right now knows how it feels to get hoodwinked. Ripped off. Tricked. Scammed. Straight-up lied to. There is one category of people that you will always have to deal with, and those people are liars. It doesn’t matter where you live or what you do liars will always be there to complicate … Read more

The term “pioneer” evokes a gritty, somewhat romantic image; the first people in a new land or frontier to start carving out civilization from the wild and sometimes hostile bounty of nature all around them. In every culture around the world it is the pioneers who command a certain respect and not a little bit … Read more

Sandbags are excellent at keeping back flood water, and deserve a spot on every homesteader’s supply list – even if they live far away from the floodplain. They’re really cheap to buy, and have almost as many uses as the often lauded duct tape. Not only is stockpiling copious amounts of sandbags an extremely inexpensive … Read more

If you are like me you have probably long hoped that you would come across some buried money in your excavations. It is a pleasant thought, but you likely have not given much serious thought to burying your own cash for safekeeping. Pirates did it, your great-grandparents did it, and perhaps the time is right … Read more

With pandemics sweeping the globe and governments responding more and more frequently with total societal lockdowns that stifle all civilian movement, non-essential businesses and much of the comings and goings of commerce… …many citizens are for the first time experiencing being under what is effectively house arrest for the first time: allowed to leave only … Read more

If you’ve been prepping for any length of time, chances are you’ve probably encountered someone who is a little bit too taken with the idea being a sort of secret agent. I can certainly understand why: the roguish, completely self-reliant badass with a checkered past that stops at nothing in pursuit of his objective is … Read more

The Trucker’s Hitch is a mechanically advantageous block and tackle (pulley) system made only of one piece of rope. This has hundreds of uses. It’s great for guy lines for tents and tarps, it makes hoisting weights vertically significantly easier, it can produce some of the tightest tie-downs for lashing things onto a truck, cart … Read more

When it comes to an extended power outage, whether living off grid by choice or due to a SHTF situation, one of the things just about everyone will have to figure out eventually is how to do laundry. Your standard electric powered washer and dryer set most likely won’t be functioning unless you’ve planned ahead … Read more

by Tara When preparing for a doomsday disaster, we must also prep to survive (perhaps even thrive) during what comes next. Stockpiling items for bartering purposes is a common prepping practice, but thinking beyond what might be needed after an apocalyptic event, could vastly enhance the chances of long-term survival. Eventually, society will begin to … Read more

by Tara Staying warm during a long-term disaster will be as essential to your survival as having access to water and food. Failure to stay warm can lead not only to the obvious frostbite and hypothermia, but also cause a person to become sick at the exact time it is most dangerous to contract even … Read more

by Megan When SHTF, the most important thing for you to understand is that everything you know about how the world works can change very quickly. Most new preppers do their planning as if they will all be at home when SHTF. But the truth is you and your family members could be anywhere when … Read more

You probably already know that water is essential to your survival… …and a huge problem if you’re stuck without. (In fact, just 3 days without can be fatal) Imagine you’re stranded outdoors with no water, desperate to stay alive. What would you do? How would you get water? Today I’m going to show you the … Read more

by Ryan If you want to become more prepared for a survival situation, the information available can be overwhelming. Some sites are trying to teach you how to start a fire with a block of ice, while celebrities on television are telling you to drink your own urine. What? Thankfully there are a few simple … Read more

It’s no secret that in a post-SHTF situation, most women will be at a distinct disadvantage. Men are perceived as stronger, more prone to violence, and naturally more intimidating than women. The only thing women can do to combat this is to use this perception to their advantage when becoming a gray woman. We notice … Read more

by Karen Sometimes, when we are in a situation where our survival is at stake we have to deal with people we would rather not have to deal with.  We have food, water, and supplies to protect.  More importantly, we have people to protect and we want to be sure we have a way to … Read more

One of the things that is so chaotic about emergencies, including criminal acts like home invasions, riots, and other disasters like tornadoes, floods, power outages, or even a SHTF event, is that they are unpredictable. They often come out of nowhere and the situation is made worse by the fact that most people panic. Okay … Read more