Preparedness

Why Understanding the Brutal Reality of the SHTF Could Save Your Life

There’s something incredibly important for your survival that a lot of folks aren’t doing. I’ve written before about overriding your body’s natural urge to freeze in panic when something terrible happens, but there’s an additional step you must take. You need to know the horrible truth about the SHTF. The ugly, brutal truth. Because as ...Read More »

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A Reality Check for Those Who Plan to Start Prepper Homestead AFTER the SHTF

Lots of preppers are convinced that they’re going to “live off the land” should the world as we know it come tumbling down around our ears. Seed banks are stockpiled, books are purchased, and people are confident that they’ll be able to outlive everyone else based on the sweat of their inexperienced brows. But this may ...Read More »

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DIY Emergency Lights From Solar Yard Lights

When it comes to emergency lighting, flashlights and lanterns rule.  The problem, however, is that they require a power source, be it batteries, propane, or some other type of fuel.  There are candles, of course, but candles do eventually burn out, plus, in some environments and especially around children, candles can represent a safety hazard. ...Read More »

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How to Survive an Earthquake

If you were caught up in the midst of a massive earthquake – the kind that takes down buildings and buckles roads – would you know what to do? I’m not talking about a minor temblor that shakes a glass off the counter and sends it to shatter on the floor. I’m talking about The ...Read More »

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Are You Prepared for Lockdown? How to Stay Safe When All Hell Breaks Loose in America

Tensions are incredibly high in the United States right now. I realized that over the past three years, I’ve written that they’re “at an all-time high” far too many times. So, I’ll just say, they’re high enough that all hell could break loose at any moment given the right (wrong) application of fuel to the ...Read More »

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What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed by All the Terrible Events Going On In the World

Looking at the news lately is bound to hit you right in the feelings. It’s almost impossible not to be overwhelmed by it all. There are so many terrible things happening. Massacres in places of worship. Thousands of people heading to the US all at once, demanding to be let in. Bombs being sent through ...Read More »

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What to Eat When You’re Broke

The lower your income is, the more difficult it is to be particular about what you feed your family. This probably isn’t an earth-shattering revelation to anyone, but if you feel like experimenting, try to buy a week’s worth of healthy food for a family on a budget of, say, $50-75.  Food manufacturers that target ...Read More »

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Acceptance: The Secret to Surviving Any Crisis

When disaster strikes, will you be ready? Will you be organized, calm, and ready to adapt to whatever the situation brings? Sometimes we have some warning, and sometimes things happen out of the blue. There is one simple secret that will allow you to sail through nearly any crisis. It doesn’t cost a lot of money or ...Read More »

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Coconut Oil: 80 Reasons to Add It to Your Stockpile

Coconut oil is a shelf stable product that really does it all. This pantry item can be used (nutritiously) in place of butter, shortening, and cooking oil, and then pressed into duty as a health and beauty aid. One of my favorite things in the stockpile is my big jar of organic virgin coconut oil. And ...Read More »

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How to Survive When You Can’t Pay Your Bills

Let’s talk about poverty. I don’t mean the kind you’re talking about when your friends invite you to go shopping or for a night out and you say, “No, I can’t. I’m poor right now.” I don’t mean the situation when you’d like to get a nicer car but decide you should just stick to ...Read More »

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What If You Prepare for a Disaster and Nothing Happens?

For the people of North Carolina and South Carolina, Hurricane Florence was an epic disaster. But for those who were feverishly preparing in nearby states because they were warned to expect torrential rains and high winds in the days following landfall, they were shocked – and some expressed feeling silly – when the much-touted weather ...Read More »

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Here’s Why a Ballistic Shield is a Practical Addition to Your Home Defense Plan

I don’t tend to write a whole lot about things like body armor and the like. Partly because – and I’m sorry to generalize – that tends to be more of a guy thing and I just never had that much interest in it. But when Hardcore Defense offered to send me a ballistic shield, ...Read More »

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3 Ways to Make Food Go Further That Will Help You Now (AND When the SHTF)

A lot of folks think those Depression Era techniques for stretching food are only for a worst case, SHTF scenario. But in truth, those ideas are good for every day, because the price of food just keeps going up, up, UP. It’s more important now than ever to make your food go further. The ability ...Read More »

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The Psychology of Survival: “He Who Hesitates is Lost”

Preparedness isn’t just about the supplies you stockpile and the skills you learn. It’s about psychology too. And an important step toward survival is understanding the psychology behind hesitation. In a worst-case scenario, hesitation kills. He who hesitates is lost. Swift and resolute action leads to success. Self-doubt is a prelude to disaster. ~Joseph Addison It’s ...Read More »

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Here’s How You’ll Die When the SHTF (and How to Prevent Your Untimely Demise)

When it hits the fan…I mean REALLY hits the fan in a permanent kind of way, the most likely outcome is death. That’s not pretty, and I’m well aware of it. I always try to be positive and optimistic, because, for me, preparedness is the ultimate act of optimism, but sometimes we have to look at ...Read More »

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