Category: Self-Employment & Home-Based Businesses

The Savvy Barterer: References, Skills, and Tools for TEOTWAWKI Barter

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This is an update and substantial expansion to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in 2008. — One of my long-standing Precepts is that every prepared individual should be ready for both barter and dispensing charity. Today, I’ll be briefly discussing barter. Being ready to barter is not just a matter of having a pile of “stuff” to barter. While barter and charity logistics are important, what is even more important is what is between your ears. A Bazaar Experience Bartering takes practice. Dickering is an acquired skill. Short of buying yourself a plane ticket …


Granberg G-1012XT 12-Volt Chain Grinder, by Thomas Christianson

The ability to effectively sharpen a chain is one of the most basic foundations for productive chainsaw use. Cutting with a well-sharpened chain is a joy. Trying to cut with a dull chain is a frustrating and soul-rending ordeal. In Greek mythology, a man named Sisyphus was punished in the afterlife for his wickedness. He was eternally compelled to roll a large bolder up a steep hill. Every time he neared the top of the hill, the bolder would slip away and roll back down to the bottom of the hill. His punishment was the frustration of being forever engaged …


My Quest For a Wife, by Single Farmer

I am still looking for a wife. I am offering up to $50,000 to be given as a gift after marriage to the person who introduces me to my spouse and if my wife and I become the parents of two healthy children. This gift is in up to three parts: $18,000 will be given after marriage to you if you provided the introduction and two payments of $16,000 given after the birth of each healthy child up to two. Thus, if I get married because of your introduction and we have two healthy children, then you would receive the …


The Time to Plan is Now, by Prepping Engineer

The single biggest reason for failure is failure to plan. “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail” Another way to think of this is: planning is being prepared. That is prepping in a nutshell! This is stated in many publications and articles about many subjects. I have experienced this more times than I can remember in my life. What I have noticed the most is the repetition of this error by both people and groups. Sometimes this seems to persist and someone else “helping” them out of the repeat failure to plan. It is a mistake the first …


Preparing For The Post-Apocalyptic Economy – Part 3, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Location, location, location So you assemble enough barter goods to open a small general store, where, when and how do you trade these goods? Living in a rural area with lots of Mennonite, Amish, and Hutterite families, many of whom own and operate their own small businesses now each one of these small businesses is a potential location for commerce or barter. There is value in forming business relationships now and maintaining those relationships in a post-SHTF world. Being a familiar and trusted neighbor before the SHTF will put you in a …


Preparing For The Post-Apocalyptic Economy – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1.) Service with a smile Besides hard goods for barter, I have several “services” that I can provide. The key to being able to provide these services is to have the required tools and supplies on hand. Although I have several types of saws, I know that many people still have a rusty hand saw hanging up in their garage. Perhaps it was their grandfather’s but it has not been used since the cordless tool craze started. Those saws may need cleaning (rust taken off), sharpening, and perhaps even teeth resetting. Cleaning up the rust means sandpaper …


Preparing For The Post-Apocalyptic Economy – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

One of my survival planning assumptions is that regardless of my stored goods and planning, “Murphy” will appear with the proverbial monkey wrench in hand. At some point, my food stores will wear thin and, something will break along with its spares. Amazon and the local Acme hardware will long be a thing of the past. What is a Prepper to do? Well, like everything we do for our future survival, we ponder, plan and prepare for those contingencies. Bartering is probably about as old as the Earth’s soil. Even with all our economic advances through the centuries, bartering is …


Backyard Chicken Tips, by Tractorguy

Keeping laying hens is an excellent idea for preppers, if you have the space and ability to do so. They are an excellent source of nutrition, particularly fats, which can be problematic to store in a grid-down or survival situation. Back in the early part of the 20th Century, during two world wars, the US government encouraged all households to keep laying hens. It is sage advice. Keeping hens to provide eggs is not hard, and does not require a large amount of time and attention. Much information is available online about raising chickens. This is not meant to be …


Relationships, Communities, and Resources, by 3AD Scout

Multiple relationships equals a community and a community equals resources. This sounds so simplistic but many Preppers do not work on developing relationships which means they do not have a SHTF community. Not having a community means that they are missing out on vital resources they may need during and after a widespread disaster or a societal collapse. I saw this concept in action for myself in the past few weeks. Making a relationship Amish buggies and wagons are a common sight on our road. A keen eye will sometimes allow you to get to know the locals versus those …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 5, 2024

On October 5, 1877 Chief Joseph and his people surrendered to the US Army, ending the Nez Perce War in the Western United States. — On October 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang was finished in a shoot-out with the residents of Coffeyville, Kansas following a bank holdup. Four members of the gang were killed, and a fifth member was captured. — October 5, 1703 was the birthday of Jonathan Edwards. He was a prolific Calvinist theological writer. Many of his writings were later collected in the multi-volume book The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, edited by John Gerstner. Edwards …


Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World – Part 1, by A Grateful Mechanic

“Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.” – George Mueller I am grateful for SurvivalBlog and this community. There is a great wealth of knowledge and inspiration that comes from this project. In the last ten years I have experienced and pursued the development of a survival-focused lifestyle. I do not “do it right.” I have weakness at many points and I do not live in an ideal situation. Regardless I take active steps to improve my survival ability and to improve the resilience of my …


Tools For The Next Generation

In this article, I’d like to emphasize the importance of tools that will be needed by our descendants. To begin, I’d like to stress the importance of buying quality tools. Don’t buy junk tools from Mainland China, often sold at places like Wal-Mart and Harbor Freight. I prefer tools made by companies like Snap-On, MAC, Matco, Irwin, Stahlwille (of Germany), Proto (called Plomb in the company’s early days), SK, Klein, Husky (pre-Taiwan), Cornwell, Kobalt (pre-China), Facom (of France), Worx, Fiskars (of Finland), Knipex, Ridgid, and Craftsman (pre-China). Sadly, many tool companies like Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and Stanley have moved part …


Practical Furniture for End of the World – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Table Project #2 was just the Project #1 design retrofitted with heavier lumber that supports seating for up to six people. It is very comfortable. This design is very sturdy and the table is stable enough that three people can sit on one side without tipping the table. The design lends itself to quick disassembly so that it can be loaded into a full-size 8-foot pickup bed.   Table #3 is similar to Project #1, although its legs are different. There is no cross beam, so standard chairs can be pushed completely …


Practical Furniture for End of the World – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Because I only have a small cabin, when doing large-scale canning, I use my outdoor kitchen that includes a deep stainless steel sink. While there is relatively inexpensive used furniture for sale at thrift stores and online places such as Craigslist, most of it does not meet my standards for that which is rugged or sturdy construction and durable when exposed to a long duration of many years exposed to the elements. This means that it is better if we can make our own, especially if we can not purchase it in the future bad times ahead. Furniture can be …


Homemade Aftershave, by Thomas Christianson

I will be the first to admit that aftershave does not rank high on any list of survival necessities. In fact, if used in the wrong way, products like aftershave may actually produce threats to one’s chances of survival. SurvivalBlog reader David L. shared some insights along this line in the September 13, 2023 Snippets column in SurvivalBlog: Like many well-prepared preppers, I have gotten past location, food, guns, ammo, etc, etc, to stocking toilet paper, paper towels, and things such as shampoo and deodorants. The last two can be literally DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH! Yeah, right, you say! Bear …