Viable Eastern Retreats, by H.A.

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One of the prime considerations of anyone interested in preparing for a serious man-caused or natural disaster in the near future, is the matter of geography. James Rawles coined the concept of the American Redoubt, giving name and definition to an area widely-held to be ideal survival terrain. This area by one of its own main core criteria, is very low population density. But the majority of American people attempting to prepare are not in the American Redoubt. It is difficult for economic and other considerations to uproot and relocate there. More power to anyone seriously considering relocating to the …


TEOTWAWKI: Thoughts on Wild Game Populations by Pete Thorsen

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Anyone that ever visits a prepper website or has ever heard a prepper conversation has certainly heard that after any TEOTWAWKI societal collapse event that all wild game populations will drop to near zero immediately. While this might be true in a few locations, overall I just don’t think it will happen–at least not over any large area of our country. While statements on either side of this debate are pure conjecture we can look at some facts that back up the guesses on one side or the other. The first obvious thing we should do is look at the …


IBS and Disease Prevention, by S.P.

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During the summer of 2013 I experienced my very first health scare. I was thirty-eight years old at the time, and aside from catching the flu or suffering from an occasional sinus infection as a result of seasonal allergies, I had been very fortunate to not have any major health issues. Well my perception of good health changed drastically after I began having some very unpleasant digestive problems. There was a very abrupt change in the pattern of my bowel movements, and for the very first time in my life I experienced excruciating abdominal pain. The stomach cramps became so …


Key Leadership Guidelines, by Old Bobbert

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Let’s assume that you find yourself in charge of an extended family or group retreat. Without daily leadership communication efforts, and some serious daily security procedures, there will be nothing left to secure, nothing to eat, no water to drink. There will be NOTHING! No one will survive. Post-event survival will be dependent on decisions that are made in advance of stress, necessity, or coercion. “No man is a leader until his appointment is ratified in the minds and hearts of his men” – The Infantry Journal Security Team and the General Parameters Now is the time to decide on the minimum talents, …


Rhubarb: Four Book Reviews, by S.A.

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When I was a child in elementary school, I always felt cheated when the cafeteria served rhubarb pie masquerading as cherry pie for dessert. Long time gardeners know all about rhubarb, but I’ve encountered a fair number of young people who tell me that they’ve never tasted rhubarb. However, from a survival perspective, rhubarb is a perennial worth considering. You could grow it in a a front yard flowerbed and it’s doubtful the homeowner’s association (HOA) would recognize it. It’s easy to grow, nutritious, stealthy, forgiving (last year I transplanted plants from one bed to another in early Texas summer, …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 3, by JR

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(Continued from Part 2. This installment concludes the series. The recipe for Magic Mix is included in Part 2.) Magic Mix Gravy When we think of holiday celebrations, what we most cherish about them are being with family, and eating good food. And I want to be able to provide the best food possible. Unfortunately, that may not always be the most fresh and the way I would prepare it under normal conditions. Like our topic for today. I like to make my gravy from the drippings of whatever cut of meat it is that we’re having. Add a little …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 2, by JR

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(Continued from Part 1.) DIY Survival Bars 2 cups                quick oats 2 1/2 cups          dry milk 1 cup                  sugar 3 tablespoons     honey 1 3-ounce package Jell-O, lemon or orange taste best 1/4 cup               water Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl.  Mix the next three ingredients in a saucepan, and,   stirring constantly, bring to boil.  Remove from heat, combine with the dry ingredients, and mix well. This dough is rather stiff, so I’d recommend using a food processor or heavy duty mixer if you have …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 1, by J.R.

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Editor’s Introductory Note: This article is a compilation from several articles in J.R.’s Prep School Daily blog. Because of its length, it will be posted in three parts.  It is re-posted with permission. – JWR Introduction I love including powdered milk in my food storage plan for my family.  I love it because nobody else does.  Nobody wants it, now or ever.  People who have had it never want it again, and people who have not had it are not that into eating healthy or storing food anyway, so there are no worries from them either. But still, powdered milk …


Useless and Useful TEOTWAWKI Skills, by Pete Thorsen

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Survivalists prepare for many different things and prepare in many different ways. The two most popular subjects of prepping are food preps and security preps. Sometimes the subject of skills comes up. Often the skills discussed center around bugging out. Skills like bushcraft, shelter building, the ever-popular fire starting, and sometimes navigation but these are more for bugging out and temporary stays in some wilderness area. And those are valid skills that could certainly be useful. TEOTWAWKI Skills This article is about both useless and useful skills for a long term SHTF situation, or maybe in a TEOTWAWKI situation. The …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 3, by E.M.

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(Continued from Part 2. This part concludes the series.) A friend of mine in Southern California lived for a few years in a cabin at a location served only by a power company’s dirt access road. The original access road crossed a property that ultimately changed hands and the new owner denied access. As an alternative, the landowners who lived near my friend’s place were asked to contribute money for additional maintenance efforts concerning the Southern California Edison access road which they began to use. The road was usable, but it was rough. Some landowners refused to contribute. I suppose …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 2, by E.M.

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(Continued from Part 1) For a group of neighbors who first come together after a disaster has already occurred, many of whom will barely know each other, if at all, the level of cohesiveness and trust will likely be stretched thin. So expect the question, “Why defend your house, and not mine?” It would be better if decisions about which properties/neighborhoods would be defended were made in advance of a disaster. While apartment dwellers may be very flexible about the issue because they have little skin in the game, for homeowners in the group, the decision could obviously be a …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 1, by E.M.

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There are many articles on the internet concerning the benefits of forming a group of like-minded individuals who could support each other when times get “spicy” for months or even years, either in their own neighborhood or at a remote retreat.  These groups are sometimes referred to as mutual assistance groups. These articles are based on the premise that choosing a “lone wolf” approach after TEOTWAWKI is unsustainable in the long run, and that even expecting a single family to live and thrive on a remote mountaintop after a societal meltdown is unrealistic and ripe for tragedy in the long …


The Unraveling: A Book Review, by S.A.

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Spoilers Alert: I don’t believe this review gives the story away, but if you don’t like any details in advance, then you might not want to read this. The Unraveling, Book 1 of the Bound to Survive Series by Charley Hogwood 324 pages Kindle $5.99 First, who names their baby Tempest? Even in this day and age of last names being used as first names (for example, Smith, Parker, Jackson, Davis for little girls or little boys) and the revival of old-timey girl names (Donna, Ruth, Hazel, Myrtle), “Tempest” seems over the top, unless maybe you are a Shakespeare scholar. …


Preparing for Everyday Life, by D.W.

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This article doesn’t address When The Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF). No, this is just about preparing for everyday life, and everyday hazards to your property. Life will always be a higher level of importance than property. However, in this article we will be discussing property and how to mitigate its loss. When we think of being prepared, we think about the worst things imaginable happening, EMP blackout, Nuclear war and civil unrest are just a few. But more likely than not, our individual lives can be affected more frequently by smaller-scale incidents that can have a huge impact on …


Are You Building Capacity or Capability?, by 3ADScout

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First let’s define “capacity.” Capacity is how much of something we have. Think about your “capacity” in terms of beans, bullets and band-aids. For food, your capacity might be 72-hours’ worth of food in a bug-out-bag, or 1-year supply for 4 people. Your capacity for bullets might be 1,000 rounds for rifles and 500 rounds per pistol. For band-aids, you might have 10 boxes of 4×4 gauze pads, 2 boxes of gauze rollers and 2 rolls of tape enough to dress one small wound for about a week. When your capacity runs out, you have no more unless you somehow …