Colorado is a state that is rapidly moving away from its culture of independence and self-determination, instead becoming infected by the same type of overbearing pro-intrusion bugthought that has laid low California and much of Cascadia. This is evident in its increasingly restrictive laws on weapons and regrettably that includes the carry of common knives. … Read more
Arizona is a generally easygoing state when it comes to knife ownership and the carry of knives, with one small point of contention: only pocket knives are legal to concealed carry without a permit if you are under the age of 21, and the word “pocketknife” is not confidently defined within the state’s laws. As … Read more
Unless you are a complete newbie to prepping, you are probably familiar with the concept of the bug out bag, seemingly every prepper’s favorite piece of equipment. You can think of a bug-out bag as your survival parachute, a survival scuba tank if you will, representing that one prep that will let you survive an … Read more
Earthquakes are one of the most common natural disasters, and though nearly everyone is familiar with them conceptually comparatively, very few people have experienced one and mercifully fewer still understand how cataclysmic and biblically destructive a severe earthquake really is. Earthquakes are events that are not encountered evenly around the world, as they occur most … Read more
The AR-15 remains the rifle of choice for the modern era, and can be found in any shooting discipline, in any shooting activity. From competition to home defense and law enforcement to military service the AR-15 family of rifles remain completely dominant, the total choice for the discerning shooter. But there is still one area … Read more
For preppers who lack the built-in survival group of a family made up of well-prepared people, like-minded friends or just a loose coalition of associates who they can turn to in times of trouble, the solution to the “lone wolf” prepping problem might be a mutual assistance group. A mutual assistance group, or MAG, is … 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
For many preppers concerned about self-defense, guns take center stage and with good reason. Only firearms can afford a concerned citizen the tremendous combination of standoff capability, lethal power and pinpoint accuracy, and can deliver all the above repeatedly with just the click of a trigger. But there’s another weapon that almost every prepper carries … Read more
Cities of steel and concrete are testaments to mankind’s ingenuity. We take a lot for granted today, including the internet, our motor vehicles, indoor plumbing and sewage, running water and more. These are far more than niceties; these public utilities and advanced technologies are what make modern life so luxurious and indeed possible. What you … Read more
Maryland is a generally permissive state when it comes to the carry of knives, but you will be sharply limited on the style or type of knife you are allowed to carry. Pretty much the only kind of knife you are able to carry concealed is a penknife, a definition that is not commonly encountered … Read more
Paracord is one of those items that you’ll never see a prepper without. This incredibly versatile, super handy cordage is known for rot resistance, flexibility, and tremendous strength out of all proportion with its diameter. Paracord is useful for just about everything: you can easily pitch a tent with it, hang a hammock, use it … Read more
Alabama is a state with easy-to-understand trespassing laws. There aren’t too many of them, they aren’t too long, they are generally logical, and make sense. No matter what kind of trespassing is committed in the state, it only results in misdemeanor charges, assuming no other crimes were committed while trespassing or trespassing was done with … 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
As some of the readership is probably expecting, Washington State is not particularly friendly when it comes to their citizens owning and carrying weapons. Certainly not firearms, and not particularly knives either. All one has to do is slog through the lengthy, complicated and vaguely written statutes concerning knives to see for yourself. The state’s … Read more
Jerusalem artichokes are the one plant preppers should be growing even if they are not cultivating another single thing. Of course, it is highly recommended to grow your own groceries, but sadly many don’t think they have enough room (they do if they get clever even in an urban environment) and skip this vital part … Read more
Colorado is a state with generally sane and logical trespassing laws. There are relatively few of them, they are short, and they don’t beat around the bush. This makes them easy to understand compared to some other states with long, run-on statutes and byzantine language. But as an unfortunate side-effect, the general and plainspoken language … Read more
Bugging out is a central idea in prepping, and serious preppers are constantly refining, inventing and debating which procedures are best suited for keeping themselves and their families alive when the time comes to hit the road during a major disaster or some other crisis. For many preppers, making use of a motor vehicle’s speed … Read more
Michigan knife laws all around are surprisingly solid and easy to follow, with a couple of standout exceptions being restricted concealed carry of fixed blade knives. Open carry of fixed blades are permissible, but I would advise most of our readers to do so with great care. But things aren’t all bad in Michigan, where … Read more
When most people think of a safe room, they envision a completely enclosed, hardened vault-like room within an existing structure that is completely safe against any threat, against any form of attack or natural disaster. While these popular conceptions certainly do qualify as safe rooms, and very good ones at that, this typical imagining is … Read more
Armed robbery is an ancient crime that persists even today. Call it whatever you want: a hold up, a mugging, a stick up, daylight robbery, a shakedown, the outcome is the same. If you don’t part with what the crook wants, it may cost you your life, or if you’re lucky, just some flesh and … Read more
Any piece of equipment, no matter what it is, no matter how good it might be, is just a starting point. Somehow, someway, it can always be improved. Maybe you spent a lot on a particular piece of gear, or maybe you just spent a little bit. With most things you get what you pay … Read more
No matter what kind of disaster you are facing, you generally don’t want to be stuck in the city when it happens, and you especially do not want to be stuck in the city during the aftermath. Cities often turn into hives of bedlam whenever things go wrong, and the delicate economic and supply mechanisms … 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
Preppers are champions at making lists; some of us even have lists of lists to ensure we keep all of our preps in order. Stockpiling gear and supplies is an essential part of a prepper’s survival plan, but those vital goods (and skills) will only be beneficial if you know where they are, how to … Read more