Category: Survival Mindset

Be The Gray Man, by M.F.

Blending In for Survival One of the lesser-discussed survival topics, even among preppers, is the eventual need to go out into what’s left of the world after the fan turns brown. Most preppers focus on making preparations to survive the onslaught of unforeseeable calamities that are more than likely heading our way in the near future. While none of us can say for sure what exactly will happen to bring on a survival situation, we are all pretty sure that something wicked this way comes. Even non-preppers can “feel” that something is wrong. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to …


Eating That Preparedness Elephant, One Bite At a Time, by M.H.

It’s probably safe to assume that if you’re a regular reader of this blog and a follower of Mr. Rawles’ books and writings, you are no newbie prepper. I have been making a concerted effort to become prepared since Y2K, and I have bumped up my efforts in the past couple of years, as events have become more disconcerting; even so, I’m sure that compared to many of you fine folks I am just wet behind the ears. Based on what I have learned from Mr. Rawles’ books and others, my attendance at several Prepper Expo’s and participation with various …


Why You Should Build Community Before SHTF, by J.W.

Establishing a network of local contacts is imperative for long-term survival during and after SHTF. As survivalists and preppers, we take excruciating measures to prepare the tiniest details for what events might come. We read up on which ammo will pierce an engine block the best. We invest time choosing food-grade plastic in which to store kitchen staples, and we upgrade to the fanciest water-purification systems and run practice drills for if an intruder were to crash through our front door. Then, we debate those things on the Internet, because we as humans love to get lost in the details. …


Prepping for Prepping: Initiating the Uninitiated, by R.S.

If you are like many in the prepping community (not of the lone wolf variety), then you have developed or are working to develop a network of people with similar ideology regarding SHTF or TEOTWAWKI. We’ve been taught to believe that there is strength in numbers, and OPSEC aside, I tend to agree that surviving together beats surviving alone. In that case, you will inevitably need to reach out to people to build your network, and if you’ve had more than two if these conversations, I’m sure you’ve run into someone that either thinks you’re crazy or needs a great …


Getting Prepared, A Philosophical Perspective, by ShepherdFarmerGeek- Part 2

Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about making choices, being informed, and how to deal with the “best case”. Now, let’s look at the worst case. Worst Case So there’s the best case– a wholesale economic collapse, which has, actually, already begun. On the other hand, I think the worst case scenario would be some combination of: World economic collapse driven by people who want to cripple the United States so its Constitution and sovereignty can be overthrown, PLUS A human-engineered, actually-deadly viral pandemic and mandatory mass vaccination with actually-dangerous ingredients (thimerosol preservative and squalene adjuvant come to mind), resulting …


Getting Prepared, A Philosophical Perspective, by ShepherdFarmerGeek- Part 1

“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” – Proverbs 22:3 Some credible, Christian people who are highly educated and very well informed, experienced and mature, savvy and responsible, and very knowledgeable about the Bible are saying there is a catastrophe coming very soon to the United States. Many other equally authentic followers of Jesus reach different conclusions, and still more find the very idea too disturbing to even consider, so they refuse to mention it to other Christians. They choose to believe that the idea of a national …


Tactical Aging, by G.D.

The above title to this article was drafted tongue in cheek, but it seems correct for the points that I hope to make. The article will contain a lot of “I”s and “me”s, but I promise that I am not a raging narcissist. I am only relating events as they have happened to me and how they helped me to navigate the uncertainties of the future. I would like to take credit for planning each positive event, but a lot of it was due to dumb luck and good fortune. Hopefully, however, there may be something in this narrative that …


Letter Re: Lessons on Prepping From an Afghanistan Deployment, by A.K.

Hugh, I’m always glad to hear stories from fellow Marines on your blog. Having served as a combat Marine in Fallujah (2004), I can appreciate the lessons he’s disseminating and vouch for their effectiveness. However, there is one detail I want to clarify to your readers: The 9mm is not a bad round. It’s actually quite an effective round with the right bullet. The military is restricted to using mostly ball type ammunition, due to the obsolete Hague Convention, and 9mm ball is, unequivocally, a terrible round for stopping humans. It’s great for light barrier penetration and target shooting, and …


The Good News About Nuclear Destruction, by S.C.

What possible “good news” could there ever be about nuclear destruction coming to America, whether in the form of dirty bombs, terrorist nukes, or ICBM’s from afar? In a word, they are all survivable, at least for the vast majority of American families, IF they know what to do beforehand and have made even the most modest of preparations. Tragically, though, most Americans today won’t give much credence to this good news, much less seek out such vital life-saving instruction, as they have been jaded by our culture’s pervasive myths of nuclear un-survivability. Most people think that if nukes go …


Lessons on Prepping From an Afghanistan Deployment, by A.K. – Part 2

We are continuing this article, from a Marine Sergeant, about lessons learned while living in a remote region of Afghanistan, Marjeh district, which seem similar to a possible TEOTWAWKI environment. Food After two months of eating nothing but MREs, I began to get sick of them and started losing weight. Many of my fellow Marines experienced the same thing. We started to barter batteries for food that the ANA ate. They had a cook and bought bread every morning from the Bazaar. They had chickens for eggs and meat, and occasionally they had a goat. Eventually we bought 12 chickens …


Letter Re: Theology and Prepardeness – Some Thoughts

Mr. Rawles, First, Mr. Wesley, I want you to know that I’m deeply thankful for the work that you do. Sound theology is what drove me to preparedness in the first place, and your commitment to the application of sound theology to the subject of preparing for the times ahead has been a tremendous blessing and personal inspiration to me. I love you for your dedication to Christ, your love for His law, and your faithful witness. I’m sending this message in the hope that it will encourage you and provide you with some profitable reflection. The Scriptures are clear …


Lessons on Prepping From an Afghanistan Deployment, by A.K. – Part 1

My experiences as a Sergeant in a Marine Infantry battalion have ultimately changed my philosophy towards prepping. Living in a remote region of Afghanistan, Marjeh district, was very much like living in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. There were no roads, other than small cart paths, used by civilian and Taliban alike. There was no running water and no electricity. Locals pumped water from wells, if lucky, or drank from the canals. Electricity was a luxury and power came from a generator. Many of the locals were so poor they had never owned a single piece of any currency; barter was a …


How To Be As Prepared On The Inside As On The Outside, by A.K.

So, you have made your basement bomb-proof, installed solar panels, dug a well, and canned enough food to last ten years. You’ve engineered, on your own, a heating system that is not reliant on electricity, and you’ve rigged a longer-lasting septic system. You’ve stocked up on guns and ammo, bought night vision goggles, mapped all your exits, created an EMP-proof shelter for your electronics, stocked up on medicine and herbs, planted a garden, invested in silver, got a gas mask, and bought enough nutella and coffee for trading value. But…are you ready? Most prepers would reply, “More ready than that.” …


The Road to Ultimate Self-Reliance, by M.R.

When I was only 5, my father reached down and rubbed my head and said, “I wish times were always joyful and peaceful like this, but they won’t be. In fact, in your lifetime, you are gonna see some horrible things. You’ll probably see financial hard times and maybe even have to see all of your freedoms, well-earned freedoms, stripped from you, and you will have two choices: fight and risk everything in order to restore those freedoms, or conform and lose that famous American Dream.” Of course, it went in one ear and out the other, to a little …


The Case For Being A Prepper, by Quilliam Franklin

My goal in writing this article is to explain my thoughts and reasoning behind my choice to become a Prepper. I believe that being more prepared is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. However, sometimes Preppers can be seen as strange, eccentric, or even crazy. My hope is that as you read my thoughts in this essay you will get ideas that can help you have good heartfelt conversations with your loved ones. Ultimately, I hope you will realize what I did; preparing for the uncertainties in this world is anything but crazy. …