Category: Survival Mindset

Frustrations of Prepping with an Unsupportive Spouse, by B.C.

I actually began writing this as an email to a close friend in order to vent my frustrations. After several conversations, I realized that there may be others going through the same struggles, and hopefully what I share can help them. I think in order to fully understand the situation, I need to share some information about myself as well as my wife. I believe the best way to understand where someone is coming from is to know WHERE they come from. I feel that Eric Haney in his book “Inside Delta Force” captures this best for me: “The larger …


A Get Home Plan, by H.H.

First, I want to thank all the contributors for all the time and effort that they have put into this blog. I won’t say I have read all of them, but I have considered a significant portion of them not only in my own lifestyle but in my preparation. My own situation is that I work in a large city in the south and the family is miles away. I have been prepping for a few years now and would just like to offer a few observations. I have done all the normal things at the retreat, including food to …


Two Letters Re: So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI

Hugh, Finally someone has addressed something that has been on my mind for quite some time. Thanks Dr. Prepper for pointing out that gardening alone will be an insufficient means to provide adequate food when the SHTF! Your 2000 cal/day figure easily shows the shortfalls of relying solely on a vegetable diet, but under the high stress and increased activity levels that will be required when the SHTF a 3000cal/day requirement often is used as a more realistic figure. This would increase the required amount of the harvest by 33%! I wonder what the net caloric gain is with the …


Surviving the Collapse, Not Only Physically But Spiritually, by F.C.

So often, we hear about how to prepare for the future collapse. We hear, and correctly so, that we should store up food and other essentials to survive in the future. However, what will life really be like after the collapse has taken place? What will we do besides just survive? What should we do? Let’s assume that there is no longer any electrical power, either due to an EMP, general societal collapse, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or some other reason. This means there is no more Internet, cable or satellite service, television, Facebook, video gaming, and texting, and it …


Negotiating, by KMD

Negotiating is a useful skill in all aspects of life. Negotiating effectively in a SHTF scenario may be the difference between life and death. Whether haggling over the price of your next vehicle, home-repair service, that last box of shells, or something even more important, you want to make sure you walk away from the exchange, and walk away satisfied with the outcome. Below I present some tips to help in this regard. General Discussion As with all serious endeavours, careful planning and preparation prior to the affair, can pay healthy dividends. Actively negotiating is typically an exciting, stressful experience. …


So You Think Starting a Garden Will Be Easy After TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Prepper – Part 3

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the preparation of a survival garden where grass used to be, amending the existing soil with compost, and the creation of rows or raised beds. In Part 2, I discussed the construction of an eight foot tall fence and gate with the intent of keeping out varmints. Specifically, and perhaps strangely to some readers, no mention has been made yet as to WHAT should be planted in the garden or how much and why. This is because many who are not familiar with subsistence gardening may be surprised at the true facts …


Letter Re: Confiscation of Stored Foods

Hi Hugh, I really enjoy the blog. There is a lot of good info. You mentioned about losing weight during TSHTF along with everyone else. I and others in my group have bought used clothing in bigger sizes than we wear now. I have worn this clothing around people who haven’t seen me in awhile. All of them commented on how much weight I had lost. Some even asked if I had been sick. In truth, I was the same size I was before. The clothes made it appear I had dropped 20-30 pounds. Perception goes a long way. I …


Letter Re: Confiscation of Stored Foods

Hugh, Thanks for your comments to my “letter”. I have another thought that I would like for you to address. Many of us have practiced good OPSEC, while others have not. Even those that have done a good job likely have a breech somewhere– a friend they were trying to “get on board” or family members that “talk too much”, et cetera. What might any of us that feel there is a breech of whatever magnitude do to “patch” the hole? Hugh Replies: Most of us are in a similar situation. You must be careful to maintain a high moral …


Guest Article: Prepping, by J.B.

“We interrupt this program with a Special News Bulletin…” As a child of the 1980’s, it was so clear to all of us that one day we would be sitting at home, watching MTV, and talking with our friends on our cordless phones, when the high pitch emergency alert sound would pierce the air waves and hypnotically draw our attention to the television. It would finally happen; the Soviet Union would launch an unprovoked attack upon the United States, and we all have minutes to live before our world would be changed forever. That day never happened. With the collapse …


Letter: Justifying Preparation

I am relatively new to prepping, and while I understand that some level of preparedness is prudent (i.e. three day’s worth of food and water on hand, hand tools, more than a 1/2 tank of fuel in vehicles), I sometimes wonder about the “bigger” preps. I read SurvivalBlog fairly regularly (3-4 times per week) and the links to current events and trends seem to point to an inevitable breakdown of the economy, banking system, and society as a whole. However, when I talk to other people that are a number of years my senior, they point out that there have …


Prepare Without Looking Prepared, by Farm Operator

“Have you watched Doomsday Preppers? Man, those people are crazy!” “We’ve got this neighbor down the street who’s prepping for the end of the world. What a weirdo!” We’ve all heard these comments (or similar ones). As for the wife and me, when friends, delivery men, in-laws, out-laws, offspring, or third cousins (who only show when they need something) come by the house, we don’t want them thinking we’re crazier than we are. Most importantly, we don’t want them knowing we’re prepping. For obvious security reasons, we don’t want those cousins to be the first at our doorstep when SHTF. …


Three Letters Re: Family Disaster Planning

Hugh, While this was a very detailed and informative article, as a parent, grandparent, and educator, I was wondering if I missed reading anything about the education of our finest and most important resources…our children. Reading to children for pleasure and to convey the history of what has happened and why, as well as the beginnings of each person’s nation, seems to me to be something worthwhile. While I don’t expect every group to have material for every age, having at least a few resources would be invaluable. It is possible to teach without “curriculum” and expensive technology. My sister …


Practicing Your Food Survival, by M.B.

After reading one of James Wesley Rawles books about five years ago, my husband and I began our prepping journey. It has been a long and eye-opening experience. In the beginning, before we were prepped, we were terrified our world would immediately deteriorate. Rushing into a buying frenzy, we purchased as much volume of materials as we could afford. We were quickly compiling our supplies, planning storage areas, and generally operating in a frenzy. Having a list of areas of focus was helpful, and we did not really waste energy in the wrong places. We started by using a lot …


Family Disaster Planning, by N.J. – Part 2

Resources Food and water, everyone needs it, and everyone will be looking for it. Remember the “six P’s” mentioned at the beginning of part one of this article; plan and prepare. Store as much food and water as you can, but do not rely on this to get you through the disaster. If organized groups come around passing out food and water, send someone (or several people) to get some. Even if you have to stand in line for hours, it behooves us to send someone. Do all that you can to NOT create a security issue by putting the …


Letter Re: Becoming the Bank in TEOTWAWKI

Hugh, I am writing concerning the post on “Becoming the Bank in TEOTWAWKI” by J.M. I have followed Survivalblog for the past five years and have worked hard to build a large supply of beans, bullets, and bandages, along with a supply of silver, gold, and cash. The posts over the past five years have been very informative, along with the advice from JWR & HJL. We have read that we need to have enough to be able to share as a testament of our Christian walk, and I hope to be able to do exactly that. We have read …