Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

Teaching Preparedness To Family, by Old Bobbert – Part 2

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Step #4 – Warnings About In-House People Problems We specifically included the following blog article for its high self discipline / self management value. This was a last minute find equal to being a “ Golden Nugget “ for our family and for me personally. This is a highly protective tool! Prepper Complacency, by Wood Tamer (May 3, 2019) Another excellent tool we included from the archives was the following: Five Common Mistakes New Preppers Make and How to Avoid Them- Parts 1 & 2  (June 1, 2016) Failure to Properly Assess …


Teaching Preparedness To Family, by Old Bobbert – Part 1

Just a few months ago our family in the Midwest was pummeled by terrible storms and flooding. I knew we had to help them to cope with the dangerous weather events in their neighborhoods. So I put together a “Family Prepper Package“ of information. Here was my process: Step #1 Create a Written PLan We made a copy of the plan a part of the presentation binder contents for each household in our extended family. Our plan evolved loosely into a seven part program based on current interests, current economics, infrastructure lack of maintenance, and the real probability of a …


A Range on the Homestead, by 3AD Scout

Practice makes perfect. And being able to safely practice firearms shooting could truly be a lifesaving skill.  I have been shooting since I was about four years old. Some of my earliest memories are walking out onto our back porch with the Remington .22 single shot rifle (that I still have to this day), that was longer than I was, with my dad and brothers just shooting into the backyard at tin cans.  As time went on, I joined various gun clubs and it was always disappointing that I spent more time waiting for others to go down range and …


Testing My Grid Down Preps in the UK, by Culian

I live in the UK and have been prepping for twelve months. Two things worry me: Brexit and Grid Down. I’ll mention Brexit, but this article is about testing my plan for Grid Down. Brexit is the plan for the UK to leave the European Union (EU). Most of what we consume comes from Continental Europe and we are told that the UK government has got effective contingency plans to cope with leaving the EU. There is nothing in place, however, to import food. Panic buying will empty a supermarket within hours and the distribution hubs only hold food for …


Lessons Learned in Our Orchard, by C.D.

Background: We bought our homestead in November, 2012. At the time we lived in the same area but in a neighborhood with protective covenants on a half acre lot. We found we weren’t able to do the things we needed and wanted to do in order to be resilient no matter what the economic or natural environment threw us. The property we moved to was about 5 acres with plenty of room to incorporate an orchard. I had pre-ordered a number of fruit trees and had prepared the ground to plant them in our old yard. They arrived after right …


My Continued Handgun Search – Part 2, by The Novice

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Anti-Flinch Measures A search of the internet revealed a number of suggestions for combating flinch. There were three that I decided to try first. The first of these measures was more frequent and extensive dry firing. Over the course of the following days, I set out to rack and dry fire the PPQ at least 200 times. I hoped that this might help to dampen my flinch somewhat. It should also serve to gently break in the moving parts and further smooth out the trigger. The second involved wearing both ear plugs …


My Continued Handgun Search – Part 1, by The Novice

I have been on a quest. It is the search for my ideal handgun. The ideal handgun for me may not be the same as the ideal handgun for you. If you have not yet found your ideal handgun, then perhaps the story of my search will give you some ideas and inspiration for your own search. If you have already found your ideal handgun, you may at least find this story to be entertaining. Most modern handguns have an intrinsic accuracy that is more than sufficient to meet my needs. The problem is that I am not a human …


Here’s How The New U.S.-China Trade Talks May End, by Brandon Smith

The following is a guest post that originally appeared in the great Alt-Market.com blog.  Brandon Smith also edits the highly-recommended Wild Bunch Dispatch newsletter. — With the U.S. and China in the midst of a new round of high level trade talks, this Thursday marks 22 months since tariffs were launched and the trade war began. Far from being “easy to win”, the trade war has lasted far longer than most analysts in the mainstream and alternative media predicted. In past articles, I have warned that the trade war itself is probably not meant to be won at all; rather, …


Prepper House Hunting – Part 2, by Mrs. AK

(This installment concludes the article.) — We do have towns here in Vermont that lack any zoning. While some might consider this good, it can get ugly when people turn their properties into junkyards or want to start noxious commercial operations in a residential area. I’d like some protection from that sort of thing, while not living in a place that controls every aspect of your life. I want to avoid large commercial dairy operations and their associated spreading of liquid manure. The odors, traffic, dust and noise can be unbearable and has really caused a diminished quality of life …


Prepper House Hunting – Part 1, by Mrs. AK

After two years spent traveling and volunteering both in the US and overseas, I’m now back in the US and looking for a place to settle down again. For someone who’s definitely oriented towards a preparedness lifestyle, living out of suitcases with no garden and minimal ability to stockpile food, water et cetera for two plus years has been an eye opening experience. After spending many years on my off-grid farm with photovoltaics (PV) and wind, a gravity fed spring, wood heat, an orchard, greenhouses etc. there has definitely been some discomfort associated with having left (and sold) that tie …


Living The Homesteading Life Dream – Part 3, by 3 AD Scout

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the series.) — Monitoring Work I don’t like to micro-manage but at the same time monitoring the progress of work helps ensure that you are getting what you pay for. As I have stated, the building contractor who built our addition had a very detailed quote and nice computer-generated layouts of what it would look like when done. The only drawing he did not have was one for the addition onto the basement. Guess what the only issue we had was? The mason put the man door in the wrong spot. I caught it …


Living The Homesteading Life Dream – Part 2, by 3 AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1.) Construction Type One of the other expectations that I had was that the home be built post-WWII but not past the 1970s due to both construction practices and construction materials. It was not a common building practice to attach the frame of a house to the actual foundation until after WWII. This means that an earthquake or even the winds from a tornado could literally move the house and unfortunately the electric wiring, plumbing and gas lines that are not meant to move. My personal opinion is that the quality of building materials started to fall …


Living The Homesteading Life Dream – Part 1, by 3 AD Scout

For many of us, being able to move to our retreat/homestead/bug out location (BOL) full time is an elusive endeavor but for some the homesteading life dream does become reality. Our permanent move to our BOL was planned for post-retirement but those plans were moved up due to a medical condition. This article will recount the good, the bad and the uncategorized of our journey to find, improve, maintain and move into our BOL. Finding a BOL wasn’t easy. At first, I was looking around the Allegheny National Forest, in Northwestern Pennsylvania. (see “Picking a BOL” by Pete Thorsen, posted …


Optimizing MURS Dakota Alert Sensors – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This installment concludes the article.) — MURS band Dakota Alert systems are very useful, but they often frustrate the user. Read up. It would be a huge loss if one could not operate their sensors correctly. And just like anything else, take one out of the Faraday cage and use it for awhile to gain experience with it. In a time of stress, getting a ‘false alarm’, could be nerve racking, when all hat it needs is batteries. In a pinch, but only in a pinch, would I connect directly to 12 VDC. With higher voltages …


Optimizing MURS Dakota Alert Sensors – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Editor’s Introductory Note: This essay describes one approach to optimizing the performance, extending the range, and securing the signal of MURS band Dakota Alert intrusion detection sensors–and other low power transmitters. — To begin, here’s some ground thruth on perimeter security: Security will be Job One. Everything else supports that objective. Manpower for most tasks will be greatly lacking. Every trick, hack, or tactic should be considered. If we don’t see’em, hear’em or smell’em coming, then it is over before it starts. You lose. Organizing with your community is the best defense for those without their own manpower. Defend at …