Category: Contest

Scavenging and the Law, by JRRT

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There’s a lot to criticize about survival-themed movies, to the point where the only value most of them have is just to get all of us thinking about “what if,” and to entertain us in the process. But the trope that bothers me more than any other is the portrayal of scavenging. In survival movies, the heroes find caches of cool stuff, help themselves to fully stocked but deserted grocery stores, and appropriate vehicles. Survival almost looks fun! Who hasn’t fantasized about being able to have free reign to grab whatever they want from store shelves? As enjoyable as it …


Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 2, by Pete Thorsen

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(Continued from Part 1. This part concludes the article.) Obviously, the best bet is to stay with your vehicle if possible. You can carry a lot of stuff in your vehicle, and the vehicle itself can always be a temporary shelter. You might have to leave your vehicle to be closer to a water supply or for a different reason. Once you are bugging out and away from your residence, you might have to be much more flexible in your thinking. Such as: Your shelter can be anything, depending on the circumstances. If it is hot, maybe all you need …


Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 1, by Pete Thorsen

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We know to be prepared we need certain things. We need water, food, security, and shelter. This article concerns shelter in a future possible emergency situation. This situation could be anything from a gas leak in your apartment building that requires your evacuation, a wildfire approaching your home, a chemical spill that requires your evacuation, maybe even up a nuclear bomb going off and you are in the fallout drift zone, or maybe it is just civil unrest and you want to stay off the streets for awhile. For many things the best shelter is likely your house or apartment. …


Strangers in a Strange Land: Communication, Pt. 2, by L.C.

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS. HUMBLE YOURSELF. We took Danish lessons. It is a very difficult language that has 6 extra vowels that I can’t even hear the differences. After living on our small street for several months, we received an official-looking post card. Using our Danish-to-English dictionary made no sense of the phrases on the card. We had met our neighbors but had not developed friendships. We had learned that all Danes are taught English from 3rd grade onward. If we spoke Danish, they would answer in English. So I humbly …


Strangers in a Strange Land: Communication, Pt. 1, by L.C.

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HOW TO MEET PEOPLE/MAKE FRIENDS IN A NEW AND FOREIGN AREA After growing up on small farms in Ohio, my husband and I were given the opportunity to live in Denmark for his work. Looking back, that was total culture shock to both of us. Also looking at it now in hindsight, I’ve compiled a plethora of hints with anecdotes, to illustrate. HOPEFULLY, THESE HINTS CAN APPLY TO ALL PEOPLE MOVING INTO A NEW HOME, OR TO A BUG OUT LOCATION. To make this meaningful, perhaps a little more background is necessary. As I mentioned, my husband and I each …


End-Times Survival Guide Pt. 2, by Robert Paine

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(Continued from Part 1 — End-Times Survival Guide.) 4. Survival Necessities: Supplies, Tools and Skills In case of the event of an economic collapse or blackout scenario, it’s recommended to have a minimum of six months of supplies prepared. Make sure you have enough food and other survival essentials properly stored and well-hidden. You also need a reliable source of water, and the means to make it safe to drink. Keep in mind, tools and gear should be light, portable and durable. Invest in quality American-made products that you can depend on when the going gets tough. Survivalist Checklist: • …


End-Times Survival Guide Pt. 1, by Robert Paine

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This guide is intended for all those who walk in truth and all those who seek to find it. Brothers and Sisters, we most humbly present to you, a definitive End-Times Survival Guide and Ultimate Salvation! This is a comprehensive, end-times survival guide created to help you and your family prepare for the possible collapse of America and other end-time scenarios that show sign of manifestation. Most importantly, we desperately share with you a message that leads to ultimate salvation. We have a lot of information to share, so we will speak briefly about each topic; please be advised to …


Using Mesh Networking, by Aden Tate

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  The following primer introduces mesh networking.  As a survivalist, I see the biggest limitations of present-day mesh networks are that: A.) Most are urban, and B.) Most are dependent on  the continuity of grid power.  But one implementation of mesh networking that overcomes both of those limitations is sold under the trade name GoTenna. A competing brand is called Radacat. Either of these will enable your existing Android or iOS phones to become Mesh devices that will continue to work in text mode even if the power grid and cellular networks go down. They both also have …


Food and Sundries Storage – Pt. 3, by Pete Thorsen

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(Note: This is the third and concluding part of this article.) Garden seeds should be included in your preparations. So in theory, unless you live in an apartment you can then grow at least some of your own food, in desperate times. Garden seeds are very inexpensive and take up very little storage space. And if you select non-hybrid (“heirloom”) seeds then you can harvest the seeds from so you have some to plant the next year again. At a dollar store, you can often buy four packages of seeds for a dollar. Growing a large garden takes a lot …


Food and Sundries Storage – Pt. 2, by Pete Thorsen

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(Continued from Part 1.) Keep in mind that if there is no grid power, there will be no refrigerator or freezer to store that meat. [JWR Adds: That is, unless you have an alternative power system.  A generator is only viable in a short term disaster.  For a situation lasting months to a decade or more, then photovoltaic power or perhaps a micro-hydro system is what you will need to provide power for refrigeration. An old-fashioned Spring House can also provide refrigeration, in some climates.] And how are you going to be cooking everything? Plan ahead. If you have an …


Budget Food and Sundries Storage – Pt. 1, by Pete Thorsen

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(This is the first part of a three part series.) Food storage is a very important part of any preparedness, and thoughts on food storage vary widely. Some people store buckets of wheat, corn, beans, and rice. For many people, they would only know what to do with maybe the rice. With the prepper/survivalist fad right now many companies are selling long term storage (LTS) food. Some of these LTS foods are just as is, so to speak, like beans or wheat. Some are dehydrated, and some are freeze dried. And of course, some is your standard canned goods. Advice …


Time and Planning, Pt. 2, by 3ADscout

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(Continued from Part 1.) Learning from history about older technology and ways people lived is great knowledge but having the knowledge without the “tools” still leaves a gap in your preparedness. Finding the tools and devices of bygone eras will also take time. Scouring antique shops, flea markets, garage sales, estate sales and attending auctions takes time but again the time spent can be productive use of your time in several different ways. It can be quality time spent with the family. It can also be used to teach our children about the past and what “things” were used for. …


Time and Planning, Pt. 1, by 3ADscout

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Have you ever considered the influences that time has on your preparedness efforts or will have upon your survival post-TEOTWAWKI? When we take an in-depth look at time, we will realize that time is one of our greatest preparedness resources. This article will discuss ways to use our time wisely now so that we can save even more time in a post-TEOTWAWKI world. We all have a finite supply of time, just 24 hours a day, no more. We can’t buy more time regardless of our income. We all only have seven days a week. There are however, a few …


How NOT to Build a Retreat, by The Jewish Prepper, Pt. 4

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(Continued from Part 3. This part concludes the series.) Final Electric Up until this point, we had been working off generator power. Flashlights and battery powered LED lights were our only light source, and a kerosene heater and an old window AC unit were our only climate control. Once I had the drywall up, the inspector signed off on permanent power. This meant I was legally allowed to have the power company hook up a line to the house. There was only one problem: they needed to be able to get a truck in to set a pole. To get …


How NOT to Build a Retreat, by The Jewish Prepper, Pt. 3

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(Continued from Part 2) Windows and Siding You will often see people recommending salvaged windows for construction projects. Ignore those recommendations! You want new windows, and the ones with a complete rectangle of vinyl trim that snaps into place on the front. I got a good deal on windows that had no interior frame and no exterior vinyl fins, which meant I had to cobble those parts together myself. Every time I drive by a house with beautiful vinyl-framed windows, I feel a pang of jealousy, because mine not only took far longer to install, and they will always look …