The unconditional love and unwavering loyalty of our furry companions is surely one of our most cherished relationships. The wet noses, soft fur, and big, expressive eyes melt even the hardest of hearts. Countless studies list the physical and mental health benefits of pet ownership. This being a prepping blog, I’m going to focus on the practical aspects of responsibly incorporating our furry companions into our emergency plans. The Immutable Facts There will be some hard truths in this post. First off, let’s get the elephant out of the room. Dogs, cats, fish, horses, African Greys ..read more

The media, in sundry flavors, offers a plethora of confections overloaded with saccharine, high-fructose corn syrup and sodium chloride.  Without a doubt, they’re tasty and satisfying; however, a steady diet of sweet treats does more than destroy waistlines. There’s no shortage of things over which to be anxious or angry. The upcoming presidential election; the New York earthquake; immigration; the war in Ukraine; the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East; the posturing and threats from international rivals as well as the culture wars and the economy inspire neither confidence nor optim ..read more

As preppers, we tend to place a great deal of emphasis on food, water, and other supplies, as is appropriate. The third side of the preparedness square is, of course, community. Be it a close-knit group of likeminded individuals or simply neighbors helping neighbors, you need other people. Training is the glue that completes the square. Firearms; CPR/First Aid/AED; CERT; bushcraft, foraging; trapping; canning; hunting; psychological first aid, the list goes on. In fact, the list is only limited by your needs, level of interest, and time available to pursue said interests. If you’re forming an ..read more

There was a bit more unpacking to be done on this topic, so I’m going to pick up where I left off. I’m assuming that you’ve used whatever knowledge you’ve gleaned from my blog post as well as the current canon of zombie lore to stay alive past the first seventy-two hours. Well done! This is where things go from mind-numbing to Hell on earth. The Meek Will Not Inherit the Earth It’s human nature to interpret events as we wish them to be, rather than how they are. Is it possible for us to truly see reality as it is, let alone understand it? Monks, priests and countless others of faith and convi ..read more

I recently watched a prepper’s channel in which he featured a video on surviving the zombie apocalypse in an urban environment. It was nicely done, and he offered a few solid kernels of advice for good measure. So, I began to think; if a zombie apocalypse ever happened, what advice would I offer up? I address this topic in the post, An Honest Assessment. For the sake of this post, we’re going to assume that such a thing is possible. Given that, what should you do to increase the odds of staying alive? Your People First, do whatever is necessary to get to your family as safely and as quickly a ..read more

Take a step back and tune out the sensational soundbites, skip over the titillating headlines and we come face-to-face with our personal realities. The border crisis, national debt bomb and other high profile issues command large amounts of our attention, which is understandable. However, the greatest threats to our lives, liberty and pursuit of happiness are the personal crises we create. Let me be clear, truly horrendous things happen to people and I’m in no way engaging in victim-blaming. The simple fact of the matter is that our lives are the sum of the decisions we make and our personal ..read more

Sooner or later, we come face to face with our own mortality and that of those whom we love most. Aging is natural, frustrating, confusing, and inevitable. Aside from physical decline, we often watch loved ones lose their faculties to any number of frightening and incurable diseases. The fact that we’re all going to die is abstract early in our lives; however, as the years roll into decades, it becomes more of a certainty. Tragedy is an indiscriminate equalizer causing some to lose their siblings and parents during childhood. How and when it happens is dictated by forces far beyond our unders ..read more

I recently watched a top-rated movie on a popular streaming service. Aside from interesting camera angles and a compelling story, one of the major themes in the movie was the lack of information. Of course, aside from simply being entertained, I was thinking about what real-world lessons I could draw from a work of fiction. As it happens, there were plenty, but none were more powerful and dangerous than the lack of information. Misinformation and a lack of verifiable information are not new. The Covid-19 pandemic; the 2020 election; vaccines: Covid-19, Measles, Polio, the Flu shot, and many o ..read more

I have stated before that prepping is a way of life. As best you can, you prepare for the expected as well as the unexpected. Food and water; firearms and ammunition; a strong network and a safe place to live are all critical, however; without the proper mentality, your efforts are likely to be for naught. I have also stated before that people can and do survive disasters and other horrific events without special training, equipment, or advanced preparation. What gives? It's attitude. Like art, beauty and porn, attitude is often tough to define but you know it when you see it. I'm not referri ..read more

One could argue that the city is the crowning achievement of man’s collective technological, economic, and cultural might and sophistication. Because we’re human; insatiably curious and rarely satisfied, cities have grown into megacities. The mere thought of large cities evokes feelings of decadence and revulsion in some, similarly, others view the country and those who live there, i.e., rural areas, with amusement and disdain. Having lived in some of the most prominent cities in the country, I’m going to weigh in on this one as it relates to prepping. When SHTF, which is safest and most like ..read more