Reaching Out to the Un-Prepped, by Mark C. – Part 2

Here’s Why The vast majority of the population exists in cities or very near them. We’ve already seen what happens in places like New York and Watts when power was lost for just three days. There are riots, looting, and violence. Imagine a long-term or even permanent loss of power. Imagine that the gasoline supply is what is in your vehicle’s gas tank right now, and that’s it. Food in your pantry is what you have, and that’s it. Water? Fill your bathtub, sinks, or anything else you can find, but that’s it. Toilets? You better dig a hole in …


Reaching Out to the Un-Prepped, by Mark C. – Part 1

If you are reading this and you have a high interest in prepping but maybe someone you know or someone close to you does not, read on. You’ve tried to reason with them, but the result is the same. Whether it’s your passion or persistence, they get overwhelmed and simply glaze over. Or, maybe they become unsettled or scared. Either way you lose them, and that frustrates you because you feel time is running out. If they would just read Patriots or survivalblog.com! Right? Well, print this out and give it to them. Now, if you’re reading this because you’re …


Defending The Castle, by R.T.

Numerous articles and blogs have appeared over the last couple of years, targeting the prepper community and those people associated with standing up for our God-given rights as well as those rights afforded us from within the Constitution. These articles are generally positive, and they supply the reader with a fair amount of good quality advice in regards to surviving a “grid down” situation or some other catastrophe that may come about. Being that it is nearly impossible to know which impending event might suddenly occur with little or no notice, it is extremely difficult to plan for ALL possible …


Your Brain On Paper—How to Write Useful Operating Instructions, by M.R. – Part 3

Responsibilities I designed the storage system and have assumed all responsibilities for filling the water containers and replacing the water every two years. In my absence, that responsibility falls to the oldest member of the remaining family who is also responsible for the continued upkeep of this operating instruction and ensuring that it is available to all group members. If group discipline problems erupt in using the water, that person acts with the authority of a group leader. I may be gone, but I’m watching from heaven! Policy Refreshing Water: The blue, plastic, storage containers at the ranch and in …


Your Brain On Paper—How to Write Useful Operating Instructions, by M.R. – Part 2

Topic Areas for Operating Instructions Topics will vary for different groups, depending upon the extent of their preparations and unique specifics. I live in the mountains of California. You will find earthquake instruction in my binder, but you will not find one concerning hurricanes. Choose one or two areas important to you, and start with them. This will allow you to learn and test the format and save a lot of re-do time. On the bright side, you may find that the operating instructions and the binder provide a place to organize and include papers and information that you have …


Your Brain On Paper—How to Write Useful Operating Instructions, by M.R. – Part 1

Do you have any idea how much of your prepper knowledge is actually recorded in your head and nowhere else? I’m talking about details that you think are common knowledge but aren’t actually common among those in your survival party. If you are the key member of the group—the one who has done the lion’s share of planning and training, it’s likely that others don’t know as much as you think they know or that they will be able to remember as much as you think they will. If you drop off your twig unexpectedly or suffer a mentally-incapacitating illness …


Range Brass to Finished Cartridge, Tips For The Ubiquitous .223 Cartridge, by R.W. – Part 3

On full charge cartridges, you need to watch for defects, so: Look for any swelling, cracks, splits, or thinning of the brass. Check for fouling, debris, or dirt jammed into the cavity of the shell case. It may be generally noted that discoloring around the top of the case at the neck radius is common with most military surplus brass and will often be polished off in the cleaning of the shell cases. Watch for any heavy corrosion or pitting, as this should be a warning that the bullet has lost some ductility and integrity due to the oxidization process, …


Range Brass to Finished Cartridge, Tips For The Ubiquitous .223 Cartridge, by R.W. – Part 2

Why would anyone go to the risk or bother to reload their own bullets, if all things are equal? For instance, why reload if reloading materials are just as available as finished bullets and conversely there are no shortages or sticker shock encountered in either? That’s a good question. My advice is to leave no stone unturned, dig a little deeper, and keep all of your options open. Not all bullets are created equal, of course. Even if all manufacturers made the same specifications, performance and accuracy would vary wildly, or else the science of punching holes in paper to …


Wisely Preparing for a Healthy and Secure Future, by J.O.

Growing up, I never put too much thought into “the future”– that long distant and magical place always just beyond the horizon. Born and raised in Queens, New York, I was immersed in the leftist mindset of self-entitlement and self-superiority. Never once did I consider how unremarkable and fragile my existence truly was. I was smart, strong, good in a fight, and clever enough to not get caught when I was up to no good…at least until I wasn’t. Enter a good soul with a badge, who spoke on my behalf, and a kind man with a gavel. The long …


Save A Life, by H.H.

I could not help but reflect, when I read the article under the Odds N’ Sods section about a person being at a range and looking like they did not belong. This was me, too. I appreciate the lady protecting her children. However, I, too, once walked onto a gun range and did not know what I was doing. My first outing at a gun range was while I was in college. I received a Concealed Carry Permit (CCP) from our Sheriff before I was 21 under the circumstances exception rule, as I was driving two hours to college and …


Surviving Homeschool, by M.

As I began this homeschool journey, my expectations and reality have clashed more times than I’d like to count. Being a former teacher, I love to make lesson plans and think of how I can relate a topic or subject to incite excitement and see the light of understanding dawn on the student’s face. I love that part of teaching. (Most teachers do.) However, the daily life of homeschooling was much different than that of a typical school room. My days start when I wake up and don’t end until I go to bed. I am always “ON,” which makes …


BOB(B): Bug Out Bag (Baloney), by R.S.

Many in the prepper community work hard to develop the skills and test the gear that they expect to rely on in a time of collapse. However, I am convinced that many more are “armchair” preppers. These “armchair” preppers are those who are actively involved in reading blogs (including excellent ones like this one, of course!) and purchasing supplies and equipment but never actually using them to verify that they will serve their intended purpose in a time of crisis. I am further convinced that this is nowhere more true than in the oft-discussed area of “bug out bags”. Preppers …


The Twelve Pillars of Preparedness: A Leap of Faith, by R.W.

Suffice it to say that much of this information is floating around in books, print, or cyberspace, and it may or may not be new and informative, but here is my outline for being prepared for possible difficult times and is kind of a value or mission statement that my wife and I have agreed to live by. It is by no means all inclusive or complete; rather, it is a work in progress for our group. Faith/knowledge. I am secure in my faith. I am a child of the most high God. I understand that God is good, holy, …


The World of Bug Out Bags, by D.M. – Part 2

Common Gear to Bring in Your Bag Now the type of bug out bag I have been addressing is one that you might have to use to travel a great distance and spend the night, depending upon only the gear that you have with you. Each situation is different, and each geographic region and season brings different challenges. In some of the articles I have read, I am amazed at what some people list as “survival” or necessary items, like a heavy, solar charger (remember that you are carrying this on your back!), but they forget to pack other important …


The World of the Bug Out Bag, by D.M. – Part 1

To all who are reading this article, all is not well in the world of the bug out bag! It is my hope that this article will: Address the common bug out bag problems. Bring new insight on items that a bug out bag should include but most likely do not. Save you money. There is nothing like putting on a backpack filled with everything that you need to survive and thrive.  After more than 15 years of avid backpacking and other outdoor pursuits, I have learned profound lessons. One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned through hard experience …