Category: Survival Mindset

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 …


Family Disaster Planning, by N.J. – Part 1

“Poor Prior Planning Produces Pitifully Poor Performance”, or a similar version known as the “Six P’s”, is the mantra of this document. Plan ahead and you can survive most disasters. Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. In trying to put together a plan, it is best to have a plan that would “basically” fit any disaster by addressing the complications brought on by a disaster. These complications include loss of power, hampered communication, compromised safe location (temporary or permanent housing), limited resources (food, water, and clothing), financial hardship (separated for obvious reasons), lack of security, lack of transportation, reduced …


Letter Re: Getting A Real Education

HJL, No disputes on the article from me. It points out that the “college education” and the attendant debt only assures more debt and dubious occupation opportunities. I made the error of having a career. When the economy went down the tubes and I was out of work, I did the degree thing. I was left with debt. Essentially no job opportunities were there. The economy was still failing. Because I had experience and an education, I was told I was “overqualified”. Say what? Reentry in the job market was at minimum wage, in a job normally filled by a …


Livestock Breeding Strategies For When SHTF – Part 2, by S.W.

The goat is called the poor man’s cow. They are inexpensive, easy to handle, and eat a wide variety of vegetation. They are basically browsers, meaning they eat leaves and stems from shrubs and trees. They are the most efficient animal to convert browse to lean meat. When commercial feeds become unavailable, they would be the most likely survivors. They are also easily trained as pack and cart animals, able to pack 20 to 40% of their weight and pull five times that. They can negotiate more difficult terrain than any other pack animal and continue with only the water …


Letter Re: Moving Females in SHTF Scenario

Dear HJL, I’m a female and had some thoughts regarding C.B.’s letter on moving females. On one level, I was a little surprised that we needed special handling but agree that there are predators who do look for the most vulnerable victims out there, whether it’s TEOTWAWKI or not. I think my concern is that if someone is attempting disguise and the expectation is conveyed to them that they will be more vulnerable, it may pump up the fear level in them and that fear will show. I don’t think it is all that easy to truly disguise a female …


Seven Years of Preparation, by CHG (Chicken Hating Grandma)

We work best when we have a deadline, so our preparation began in October 2008 with hopes of reaching our goal in seven years. Our son, who is a university professor, became convinced that we had seven years to “prepare”; we were not sure of exactly what we were to prepare for though. (We thought perhaps he had changed his name to Joseph, since the Biblical Joseph had seven years to prepare before the seven years of famine.) We decided to join him, because it couldn’t hurt to be ready for any calamity. Our half-hearted efforts took on urgency after …