Category: Survival Mindset

Success and Loss: Hit Twice by the Same Hurricane – Part 2, by PrepperDoc

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Resolution and Improvement Plan Finally, the clouds lifted, more sun arrived, and our power problems dissipated. From that point, we did fine waiting for the utility power to be returned. Eventually it was returned. But I had learned an important lesson: I started hunting for a better charger! Much later, I learned there was a chance that my gasoline “inverter generator” could provide steady enough power to pass for “utility power” and directly power my 48V inverter/charger systems with far more power — but that hasn’t been figured out (yet). What I …


Success and Loss: Hit Twice by the Same Hurricane – Part 1, by PrepperDoc

Intro Note:  In the interest of operational security, some details are missing or slightly altered, without obscuring the learning points we experienced. The Hurricane’s First Approach Our family is very familiar with southeastern USA hurricanes from living in a “hurricane state” for many years. Somewhat inland, we generally have high winds but not significant structural damage. Usually, there are many, many trees/limbs down, causing havoc with roads and power systems. As usual, the US Weather Service and the news media hyped Hurricane Helene to the max, threatening the usual utter destruction. We have learned to look at the National Weather …


Practical Multigenerational Housing, by Hollyberry

Editors’ Introductory Note: Outwardly, the topic of this article might seem tangential to SurvivalBlog. But please consider that a natural disaster, a societal collapse, or even just sudden unemployment might throw some odd groups of people together to live under one roof. It might be relatives, or it might be some close friends. Or it might just be “that guy who you know from church” with the well-honed tactical skills. Take this prospect seriously, and plan accordingly. (The painting above is titled The Bedroom, by Pieter de Hooch, dated 1658.) — JWR Proverbs 16:31 teaches us: “A gray head is …


Leftist Plantation: It’s Now “Treason” For White Farmers To Leave South Africa?, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This guest article (reposted with permission) describes some recent news that might outwardly seem tangential to the focus of SurvivalBlog. But I believe that it is indeed relevant because it highlights the importance of preparedness for international migration. The 20th Century taught us that national politics can change rapidly, and minority groups can be marginalized, exploited, disenfranchised, persecuted, imprisoned, and systematically killed. This happened again and again in places like Armenia, Russia and Ukraine (with the rise of the Bolsheviks and Soviets from the 1920s to 1950s), Greece and Turkey in the 1920s, Nazi Germany, the partition …


Expatriating to the Philippines: 12 Years to Reflect, by M.B.

Twelve years ago, I moved to the Philippines to escape U.S. economic pressures—tax hikes, healthcare mandates, and a struggling economy. Now, with over a decade of experience, I’ve gained a perspective on life here. This guide, refined for aspiring expats, covers natural disasters, construction, security, education, a unique location in Subic, and critical considerations for accessing specialized services like medical care. The Climate and Agriculture The Philippines offers a year-round growing season, but gardening is tough. Red clay soil demands effort, and ants and weeds are relentless. The dry season—hot and arid—requires irrigation or hydroponics. Fresh produce prices spike during …


Prepping: Things That I Got Right – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

In a recent SurvBut ivalblog article, I shared with readers the things that I wish I could re-do in my preparedness journey. It only seemed logical that I also share some things that I got right in that journey as well. Starting the journey Number one has to be that I started the journey into preparedness. Many people write about preparedness being a lifestyle but I think it starts with a particular mindset. I can tell you the event that started me on my journey. It was one Spring in the early 80’s when I got home from middle school …


The Survival Mindset: A Two-Decade Retrospective

Introduction SurvivalBlog is now in its 20th calendar year. I began posting the blog in August, 2005.  That was just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina. Over the past two decades, I’ve had many opportunities to write about what I generally term The Survival Mindset. The following is a mashup and updates to four brief blog essays that I wrote and posted in SurvivalBlog in November, 2005 and in April, 2006: Prepper Angst Many of my recent consulting clients have mentioned the same feeling of unease about the coming years. Perhaps it is just the general predisposition of my consulting …


Life With Propane Freezers and Refrigerators

Via an e-mail from reader Richard T., I recently had a special request to write an article.  His request: “From a 1975 The Mother Earth News magazine, I found an obscure reference to the Crosley “Icy Ball” refrigerator and a search found it mentioned in a SurvivalBlog article from 2009. I followed the link in the article which led me on to research it some more. Using “Crosley Icy Ball refrigerator” as a search phrase in Youtube I found several short videos on it. I then discovered this was not a lost technology but this is how RV and propane …


A Covid Experience: Three Years Later, by Tom In Alaska 

It was October 31, 2021. I was living in Arizona with a full season of cool weather hiking on the calendar. The first (and last) walk of the season was delightful. The temperatures were on the warm side and a steady breeze was kicking up the omnipresent Arizona dust. I arrived home in the evening filled with the satisfaction of a good first day but told my wife that my throat was slightly sore from the “blowing dust” Waking on November 1st with a 102 F fever was an omen. The next day I immediately drove to the local Urgent …


Your Last Day, by SaraSue

On Monday I seemed extra tired while trying to get morning chores done, and it took longer than normal.  I struggled milking the cow and carrying the milk in.  I felt dizzy, a little short of breath, like walking underwater.  I tried to shake it off, but it wasn’t shakin’.  After morning farm chores were slowly finished, I sat in a lounge chair and put my feet up.  I pretty much stayed there all day.  At least, until, it was time for afternoon chores, and I didn’t milk the cow.  Just couldn’t do it.  Went to bed early and slept …


Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 3, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 2.) There isn’t room here for detailing all the things to look for to see trouble coming, but violence does not usually consist of a bad guy leaping out of the bushes to attack someone. More commonly, the assailant looks for a way to get close to an intended “mark” and to size them up for their suitability as an easy victim. The idea is to gauge your reaction, and to see if it’s safe to victimize you. Marc MacYoung calls this “the interview”. The criminal interview may be as simple as asking for change, or for …


Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 2, by M.B.

(Continued from Part 1.) Some U.S. states and municipalities still practice anarcho-tyranny, with the state of California being a standout example. Homeless people and illegal aliens are largely ignored, while minor infractions by taxpaying residents are zealously enforced. Professor Victor Davis Hanson—affectionately known as “VDH”—is a classicist, author, and podcaster. VDH has written and spoken extensively about the situation in California. Comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster Adam Carolla has similarly spoken about the differential treatment between groups of people in California. He sees the reason that mountains of red tape are heaped onto taxpayers and homeowners is that they’re capable of …


Avoiding the Worst Case Scenario – Part 1, by M.B.

Author’s Introductory Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Although there are references to the legal system in this essay, no part of this essay should not be construed as legal advice. This essay is for informational purposes only. INTRODUCTION On April 11, 1986, near Miami, Florida, eight Federal Bureau of Investigation agents engaged in a four-minute gunfight against two suspected bank and armored car robbers. The shootout took place in front of a home in a residential neighborhood. When it was over, two FBI agents—Special Agent Ben Grogan and Special Agent Jerry Dove—were dead. Five agents were wounded—three seriously. Only …


Retreat Security: What We Can Learn from Israel – Part 1, by Don Shift

Introduction It’s every prepper’s fantasy: living in (mostly) a self-sufficient secure compound surrounded by liked-minded individuals living off the land just out of reach of the ravaging hordes. For novelists and daydreamers, living on the frontier in a simpler way is an appealing escape from the often-disheartening humdrum of ordinary life. Rather than worry about politics and taxes, you worry about raiders and if this summer’s crop will come in. But in the pages of fiction or the corners of our imagination, the good guy always prevails. Reality is much more stark. Those who lived on Israeli kibbutzim—collective compound-style communities— …


If I Could Do It Over, by 3AD Scout

My son played lots of sports growing up and had/has a very competitive nature. Very seldom did his teams lose. When his teams lost, he was a very poor sport about it. I used to tell him winning is easy, but you learn more from losing. That is, we learn what we need to do better or differently, thus making us stronger. The same can be said about preparedness, we learn more from our failures than our successes. Here are some of my prepper follies and what I wish I would have done differently. First and foremost, I would not …