Category: Contest

From the Deep South to Northern Rockies: Pt. 3, by GritsInMontana

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(Continued from Part 2. This installment concludes the series.) The Homestead We ultimately settled on a home with some acreage. The hilarity ensued as we moved farm animals (cue the Benny Hill music), hay, our combined supply of preps, furnishing, farm equipment, and other items. The move took weeks…literally weeks. We fell into bed each night, exhausted and cranky. As much fun as all this sounds, our regular full-time jobs and household chores continued. By the time the last load was hauled, we had injured backs, knees, and ankles… And the work was just beginning. Fortunately, the skills I learned …


From the Deep South to Northern Rockies: Pt. 2, by GritsInMontana

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(Continued from Part 1.) Critters Goats: My neighbors decided to be “goat foster parents” for the summer. (“It will be a great experience for the children!”, they said.) The plan was to return the goats to the rightful owners when September rolled around. My response was “That owner is probably three states away by now….” Sure enough, as fall approached, the owner was nowhere to be found and my neighbors now had to figure out what to do with their foster-goat-situation for the winter. You see, getting rid of a goat will almost always require some level of treachery and …


From the Deep South to Northern Rockies: Pt. 1, by GritsInMontana

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Redoubt Relocation – From the Deep South to Northern Rockies: A Move to Self-Sufficiency Gentle Reader, the purpose of this article is to share with you my first-hand experience of moving my family from a balmy Southern locale to a small mountain town in the Redoubt. I believe many of my homesteading experiences, regarding everything from critters to cabbage, may provide practical and helpful insight to anyone envisioning a new life in the Northern Rockies. For those slow-talking, sweet-tea-sippin’ Southerners who may be contemplating such a move, I have also included some of the learning curve I encountered regarding cold …


It is Time to Build Several ARs, by D.B.

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I believe that it is time to build several AR-15s. There are many reasons why. These include: You will soon need them. Prices are down, due to the Trump Slump in firearms sales. A reasonable cost for an AR equates to $600 today.  This is definitely a “low point” in pricing and hence the ideal time to buy or build. Your family is not building them, so you should. The government doesn’t want you to build them. (Read: The threat of upcoming legislation.) It will help you to better understand how the firearm runs. Building your own is just fun. …


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 …