Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

IBS and Disease Prevention, by S.P.

During the summer of 2013 I experienced my very first health scare. I was thirty-eight years old at the time, and aside from catching the flu or suffering from an occasional sinus infection as a result of seasonal allergies, I had been very fortunate to not have any major health issues. Well my perception of good health changed drastically after I began having some very unpleasant digestive problems. There was a very abrupt change in the pattern of my bowel movements, and for the very first time in my life I experienced excruciating abdominal pain. The stomach cramps became so …


Key Leadership Guidelines, by Old Bobbert

Let’s assume that you find yourself in charge of an extended family or group retreat. Without daily leadership communication efforts, and some serious daily security procedures, there will be nothing left to secure, nothing to eat, no water to drink. There will be NOTHING! No one will survive. Post-event survival will be dependent on decisions that are made in advance of stress, necessity, or coercion. “No man is a leader until his appointment is ratified in the minds and hearts of his men” – The Infantry Journal Security Team and the General Parameters Now is the time to decide on the minimum talents, …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 3, by JR

(Continued from Part 2. This installment concludes the series. The recipe for Magic Mix is included in Part 2.) Magic Mix Gravy When we think of holiday celebrations, what we most cherish about them are being with family, and eating good food. And I want to be able to provide the best food possible. Unfortunately, that may not always be the most fresh and the way I would prepare it under normal conditions. Like our topic for today. I like to make my gravy from the drippings of whatever cut of meat it is that we’re having. Add a little …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 2, by JR

(Continued from Part 1.) DIY Survival Bars 2 cups                quick oats 2 1/2 cups          dry milk 1 cup                  sugar 3 tablespoons     honey 1 3-ounce package Jell-O, lemon or orange taste best 1/4 cup               water Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl.  Mix the next three ingredients in a saucepan, and,   stirring constantly, bring to boil.  Remove from heat, combine with the dry ingredients, and mix well. This dough is rather stiff, so I’d recommend using a food processor or heavy duty mixer if you have …


Making the Best of Powdered Milk, Part 1, by J.R.

Editor’s Introductory Note: This article is a compilation from several articles in J.R.’s Prep School Daily blog. Because of its length, it will be posted in three parts.  It is re-posted with permission. – JWR Introduction I love including powdered milk in my food storage plan for my family.  I love it because nobody else does.  Nobody wants it, now or ever.  People who have had it never want it again, and people who have not had it are not that into eating healthy or storing food anyway, so there are no worries from them either. But still, powdered milk …


Useless and Useful TEOTWAWKI Skills, by Pete Thorsen

Survivalists prepare for many different things and prepare in many different ways. The two most popular subjects of prepping are food preps and security preps. Sometimes the subject of skills comes up. Often the skills discussed center around bugging out. Skills like bushcraft, shelter building, the ever-popular fire starting, and sometimes navigation but these are more for bugging out and temporary stays in some wilderness area. And those are valid skills that could certainly be useful. TEOTWAWKI Skills This article is about both useless and useful skills for a long term SHTF situation, or maybe in a TEOTWAWKI situation. The …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 3, by E.M.

(Continued from Part 2. This part concludes the series.) A friend of mine in Southern California lived for a few years in a cabin at a location served only by a power company’s dirt access road. The original access road crossed a property that ultimately changed hands and the new owner denied access. As an alternative, the landowners who lived near my friend’s place were asked to contribute money for additional maintenance efforts concerning the Southern California Edison access road which they began to use. The road was usable, but it was rough. Some landowners refused to contribute. I suppose …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 2, by E.M.

(Continued from Part 1) For a group of neighbors who first come together after a disaster has already occurred, many of whom will barely know each other, if at all, the level of cohesiveness and trust will likely be stretched thin. So expect the question, “Why defend your house, and not mine?” It would be better if decisions about which properties/neighborhoods would be defended were made in advance of a disaster. While apartment dwellers may be very flexible about the issue because they have little skin in the game, for homeowners in the group, the decision could obviously be a …


Post-TEOTWAWKI: Groups and Retreats, Pt. 1, by E.M.

There are many articles on the internet concerning the benefits of forming a group of like-minded individuals who could support each other when times get “spicy” for months or even years, either in their own neighborhood or at a remote retreat.  These groups are sometimes referred to as mutual assistance groups. These articles are based on the premise that choosing a “lone wolf” approach after TEOTWAWKI is unsustainable in the long run, and that even expecting a single family to live and thrive on a remote mountaintop after a societal meltdown is unrealistic and ripe for tragedy in the long …


Preparing for Everyday Life, by D.W.

This article doesn’t address When The Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF). No, this is just about preparing for everyday life, and everyday hazards to your property. Life will always be a higher level of importance than property. However, in this article we will be discussing property and how to mitigate its loss. When we think of being prepared, we think about the worst things imaginable happening, EMP blackout, Nuclear war and civil unrest are just a few. But more likely than not, our individual lives can be affected more frequently by smaller-scale incidents that can have a huge impact on …


Are You Building Capacity or Capability?, by 3ADScout

First let’s define “capacity.” Capacity is how much of something we have. Think about your “capacity” in terms of beans, bullets and band-aids. For food, your capacity might be 72-hours’ worth of food in a bug-out-bag, or 1-year supply for 4 people. Your capacity for bullets might be 1,000 rounds for rifles and 500 rounds per pistol. For band-aids, you might have 10 boxes of 4×4 gauze pads, 2 boxes of gauze rollers and 2 rolls of tape enough to dress one small wound for about a week. When your capacity runs out, you have no more unless you somehow …


4H Shooting Sports, by Zoe Harris

All across the nation, youth are getting exceptional training in firearms and archery. They are being taught how to be safe, responsible hunters. They are interacting with nature and learning about conservation. And all of this is through the 4H Shooting Sports Program and the generosity of sponsors such as Browning, Midway USA, Hornady Ammunition, CZ-USA, Bushnell, The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), Savage Arms, White Flyer, Champion Traps and Targets, Archery Advocates Association, SCI Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Hodgdon, NWTF, Whitetails Unlimited, Vista Outdoor, and Federal Premium Ammunition. Youth shooters are taught by instructors that are educated and certified …


Surviving a Move to the Middle of Nowhere, by Ozarks S.

One women’s view on leaving the city behind and enduring tough lessons of love in training to become a “warrior mom.” The Move Moving from the city to the middle of the woods has done a lot to change my thinking on preparedness. I have studied survival training, read all the JWR (James Wesley, Rawles) novels, and practically majored in understanding the preparedness movement, from the reasonable to the extreme. However, reading and living are two very different things. My dear husband and son have been helping me to improve in areas that I have less exposure. They have both …


Perimeter Defense Part 2, by L.K.R.

(Coninued from Part 1.  This part concludes the article.) Defensive Equipment – Each capable team member should have an AR, AK, or similar rifle — plus a handgun. It is useful to have at least one shotgun for close in firepower and an accurate, scoped bolt action rifle if you have longer range potential threats. While handguns and shotguns are useful in or immediately around the house, perimeter defense will depend on your rifle skills. Assuming you are capable of safe, accurate and reasonably fast target engagement with your rifles, then here are a few additional considerations: Sights – While …


Perimeter Defense Part 1, by L.K.R.

Unless you plan to live off the land in the middle of nowhere, then you will have some type of shelter. Regardless of location, your homestead can be threatened and you need to plan for security.  Some key security considerations include: Physical Barriers Surveillance Communications Defensive Equipment Tactics These elements need to be considered for three layers or rings of defense: Perimeter (property boundary) Structural (building exterior) Interior (within the structure) In a true SHTF situation, controlling your perimeter is the most critical. We normally think of security in an orderly society where people are living independently, utilities are functioning …