Barbering at Home, by SwampFox

Stereotypes are not a good thing. You know the “survivalist” or “mountain man” look that you see on television –long beard, unkempt hair, and generally rough clothing. While outdoor work and lack of supplies can lead to this condition, I believe it is possible to weather the hard times with good hygiene and style. When I was young, haircuts were usually done at home. Occasionally, I would go with my father to a barbershop, but that did not happen very often. Mostly, haircuts were done with a pair of scissors, and my father did a very good job with it. …


What Would Robinson Crusoe Get at WalMart?, by A.B.B.

Let’s suppose that you are Robinson Crusoe at TEOTWAWKI. If you have one last opportunity to go to a store, then what would you get? Where would you get it? Bic Ligters? Vitamin C tablets? Water purifiers? Your answers to these questions will predetermine your actions on TEOTWAWKI. My wife and I have decided to each carry cash, a 1 oz gold Krugerrand coin on our persons and twenty dollars face value of 90% junk silver in our book bags for the foreseeable future. If or when something hits, minimally the credit card systems will go down. Cash will become …


The Deuce and a Half as a BOV, by B.F. 

I am often amused at the articles in both mainstream publications and in the preparedness press that talk about using surplus military vehicles as “bug out vehicles” (BOVs). Sometimes these vehicles are basically stock, other times they are highly customized packages priced at $100,000 or more. In any event, I believe they are off the mark in their suggestions, although they do make for enjoyable reading. Now don’t get me wrong, I like surplus military vehicles. I own (or have owned) several including an M35A2 Deuce and a Half with winch. an M818 semi-tractor, an M1009 CUCV, an M998 HMMWV, …


Update: A 21st Century Tangibles Investing Rationale

Introductory Note:  This is an update and substantial expansion to an article that I posted to SurvivalBlog back in 2018. — I often have people ask me: “Why do you stress tangibles investing, Mr. Rawles?” In my estimation, tangibles always trump intangibles. I have three primary reasons why I distrust intangibles: First: Nearly all intangible investments are denominated in fiat currencies. Because of this there is an underlying currency inflation, revaluation, or repudiation risk. Even when buying stock in the safest, most secure and impeccably-managed company it still has some risk when the investment is denominated in Dollars. Ditto for …


Favorite Purchases Under $50 for Our Remote Home, by Mrs. Alaska

Introductory Note: I have received no compensation for any of the following recommendations, all of which we have used for many years. Living far from any store means that any rural or remote property owner relies on supplies on hand. Some of our least expensive purchases have been worth their weight in gold because we use them over and over, or in a variety of ways, or because they specialize in a way that no other item can do as well. I have purposely not included obviously important items, like matches or an axe, that anyone should know. Here, I …


Shortages? Why?, by Patrice Lewis

Introductory Note From JWR: This article was first posted in the excellent Rural Revolution homesteading blog.  It is reposted with permission. — I have a friend in Maine. Last week she e-mailed and said, “I noticed in the past few weeks big gaps on shelves in the grocery store in next town. In two areas today, all the shelves – top, middle, and bottom, for 1/4 length of the aisle – were completely empty! To be honest, I don’t know what was there, but it’s not there now. And the prices!!!!!!! Eggs are $4.59, a can of SPAM is $4.39. …


Two-Ingredient Hygiene Treatments, by Mrs. Alaska

Have you ever wondered how people cleaned themselves for centuries without access to a thousand different commercial soaps, shampoos, and lotions? Several answers lie in the treatments below, which largely utilize kitchen staples, and, in many cases, only one or two ingredients. Ancient Romans, for example, slathered olive oil on their skin and then scraped it off with a dull blade (called a strigil), removing dead skin cells and moisturizing the skin at the same time. Contemporary friends in India swear to the efficacy of coconut oil for their luxuriant hair and lovely skin. A clay tablet, from about 2200 …


Some Practical Greeenhouse Gardening Experience, by Hollyberry

People tend to think if you have a greenhouse you sprinkle some seeds, water them, and the plants magically grow. It’s not that easy! Having a greenhouse, especially in a cold weather state, like where we live, has its own challenges. My goal with this article is to speed up the decade-long learning curve that we endured. Our greenhouse in Maine extends our growing season about a month and a half on the front end and about a month and a half on the back end. This is just an estimation, anything can happen with the weather! Before building your …


Why The US Economy is Actually A Disaster In Progress, by Brandon Smith

One of my favorite false narratives floating around corporate media platforms has been the argument that the American people “just don’t seem to understand how good the economy really is right now.” If only they would look at the stats, they would realize that we are in the middle of a financial renaissance, right? It must be that people have been brainwashed by negative press from conservative sources… I have to laugh at this claim because it’s a very common one throughout history – It’s an assertion made by almost every single political regime right before a major collapse. These …


Life Without Running Water – Part 2, by E. Homesteader

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Collection Frequency and Usage Amounts Living in such a dry environment for so many years in Colorado instilled a natural water conservancy in us. Now that we live next to a lake and have abundant rainfall throughout the year, we feel very fortunate to have so much water “at our fingertips.” Currently, our water usage is very low since we don’t have a flush toilet, washing machine, or plants/garden that need watering. Until recently, we didn’t have an indoor shower, either. Laundry and car washing are done in our nearby small town. …


Life Without Running Water – Part 1, by E. Homesteader

When I was in my 30s I began to practice an off-the-grid, alternative lifestyle. But the unique circumstances of 2020 tested my adage: “make the best of what life offers,” and polished my homesteading skills like nothing before. By trial, and not too much error, I’ve learned to live without running water and want to share my experiences with you. I’m now in my 60s. Our story, or Why we Live without Running Water In September of 2019, we sold our 42 acre, off-grid Colorado homestead where we lived for 14 years, raising various small animals, tending a large garden, …


Cowboy Hot Tubs, by A Bielski Brother

Hygiene and clean clothes.  When you first hear those words, they sound boring.  Hygiene and clean clothes are not sexy like, “30-round magazines”, “Bug-Out-Bags”, or LP/OPs (listening posts/observation posts).  They are not sexy. They are something more.  They are essential. When, not if, the grid goes down, you will want to wash your clothes and stay clean.  I spent three years in Afghanistan and two years in Iraq as a military contractor.  Having hot showers was a mini-vacation for us.  When you’re outside in the elements continuously, it wears you down.  When the grid goes down, the elderly and young …


The Rise of the ALPR Bots, by Anon-12

America is quietly being populated with Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems in towns, cities, and on highways. Most Americans drive by these devices daily unaware that they are being watched and recorded into a state database and probably a national database. The ALPR units are often very small and not easily detectable when mounted on electric poles and highway sign poles. I work in a small city along the I-75 corridor which runs through six states from Florida and Michigan. I work in technology for a local company and know a few higher-ups in the local police department. One …


A Well-Stocked Pantry, by Hollyberry

The crazy Covid lock downs taught us many lessons. One of the biggest take a ways was just how fragile the supply chain is. Most people I know are somewhat prepared with basics as our nearest grocery store is 20 minutes away. The big box stores are an hour away. When the covid lock down was announced, our little grocery store had it’s shelves stripped in hours, followed by the dollar stores. We are stocked up but were still surprised at how fast this occurred. As we are rural, we learned years ago that our stores get whatever is left …


Lambing Woes, by H.F.K.

Sheep are mostly binary creatures: Zero or One. Either they are strong and healthy, or they’re dead. There isn’t much in between. Once they’ve lived for 24 hours, they are likely to do well for the rest of their lives. But the exception to that rule is when they’re lambing. Sheep farmers of today are not like Biblical shepherds. When the Bible was written, time was measured by most people in days, or fractions of days, according to the movement of the sun. Shepherds could take the time to search for a lost sheep, or dress the injuries of a …