I apologize for being a bit absent from the site. My husband, Matt, started a lot of gardens at the beginning of the pandemic and our pear tree decided to produce like crazy this year. I have been helping get things preserved and reorganizing everything so that we are in a better position going into winter. Our pantry and food supply look a bit different than it did last year. There are barely any small packages of store-bought goods. Purchasing in bulk means providing your containers. Good ones are not cheap, but they will last forever with care, and they...
My husband has been making pesto using fresh greens in combination with basil. This year our basil crop just didn’t produce the volume that we anticipated. It has been a very wet and strange growing season here in the mountains of western North Carolina. Pesto is delicious but it can be really expensive to buy at the grocery store. Early in the year, I was buying it in jars through the mail and I have to say that if a jar gets busted in the mail, it can create a big mess and mess up whatever else is shipped in...
Sometimes you just have to improvise. At the beginning of the pandemic, when we first realized that we were probably going to have to stay at home for an extended period of time, we decided to buy some veggies that would keep. We picked up 20 lbs of russet taters, 10 lbs of carrots, and 8 lbs of onions. You can do a lot if you have those veggies, spices, and a little meat, you are not doing too bad. We stored our veggies in a Coleman cooler but that only kept them ok for about 6 weeks. After that,...
Prepping doesn’t require spending a lot of money all at once. One of the most common statements potential preppers and beginning preppers make is ” I would love to prep but I just don’t have the budget”. Hey, I hear you. I have been really broke too. I don’t always have extra to spend on preps. Some of you may see some of the gear reviews I have done and think that I have some neat extras but the truth is that places send me a lot of those things so that I can give an honest review. This evening...
When the pandemic started, it was a kick in the pants to try to produce as much as possible at home. My husband, Matt, started building up raised beds near our house. Our beets got planted a little late so they didn’t get to the large size they have in the past. Despite that, we did harvest some tasty beets so we decided to pickle them. This is a fairly easy process that I wanted to share with you in case you are trying to find creative ways to use up produce. Another benefit of pickled beets is that after...
In my area, we have around 90 days until the first frost. Living on a farm that is our cue that winter is going to be here before we know it. With everything that has been going on it seems like it has been a whirlwind since the end of January when anyone that reads alternative media started hearing the first inklings of news about what would become the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of how serious you believe the pandemic to be, it is impossible that it has not had a major effect on your life and those around you....
If you are planning on expressing your opinion at a rally for any cause, there are some things you should consider so that you can stay safe. These guidelines are not just for those on one side, they are for all. No matter where you stand on an issue, there are some basic rules that apply. That being said, I firmly support the 2nd Amendment. I have owned my own firearm since I was 8 years old and I have been loading and shooting guns since I was so small I required assistance to hold it and pull the trigger....
You don’t have to spend a fortune to start being more prepared. With so many sites and forums talking about gear that costs a fortune, it can be easy for the beginning prepper to think that what they can do will not do them much good. That is far from the truth. In this post, I am going to list some items that can be a big help but are budget-friendly. The idea is that if you occasionally have an extra $5-$25, you can add something to your preparedness supplies. Over time you will be surprised what you accumulate towards...
I wanted to do this post just to have a good overview of survival gear that provides a good foundation for a variety of situations. This is a starting point article for those that feel overwhelmed with the enormous amount of gear and supplies being marketed to preppers and survivalists. Starting out with a good base and adding extras as needed helps you not fall into the trap of getting too much fancy stuff while ignoring the foundation items that will do the most for your odds of survival and help keep your mind and body healthy. The products I...
It has been said history does not repeat but it often rhymes. The reality is that looking back at past events and their outcomes is the best tool we have for predicting what might happen in the future. While the events transpiring in the world around us today might seem unprecedented or even chaotic, the truth is that there are many parallels with the events of today and the last great information revolution that happened around the development of the printing press. The cost of information has never been lower The introduction of the printing press greatly lowered the cost of information and increased the...
In my area, we have around 90 days until the first frost. Living on a farm that is our cue that winter is going to be here before we know it. With everything that has been going on it seems like it has been a whirlwind since the end of January when anyone that reads alternative media started hearing the first inklings of news about what would become the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of how serious you believe the pandemic to be, it is impossible that it has not had a major effect on your life and those around you....
The idea of having a pistol and rifle that use the same ammunition has been around since the days of black powder. In the late 1800’s basically every caliber from the .22 up to the 45 long Colt was available in both a rifle and a pistol, so it was easy to just use one cartridge. As firearm technology changed, things like necked cartridges, rimless cases, and detachable magazines made ammunition more specialized so less of the new calibers developed were suitable for use in both a rifle and a pistol. The idea of only using one cartridge remains appealing....
There are a lot of ways to approach home defense and to avoid theft and worse. This post is going to cover a variety of situations, including major SHTF defense. Here are a few questions to get started planning what you can do to best defend your home and family. What size of property are you defending and where is your home located within your property? If you have a house in the middle of 20 acres, then your defensive strategy will vary from someone that has a house on a lot on a city street. Not being close to...
I read and write a lot of articles about preparedness. This has led me to think about how to bring all this together to create a household that runs well during an SHTF scenario or long emergency. How does one go about planning out their home so that they can keep everyone fed, hydrated, clean, healthy, and entertained? This post explores the different areas of the household functions that need to be considered. While it is impossible to fit all possibilities and methods in a single article, I hope this overview helps you think about how to get all your...
Launching my own site has made me realize the importance of getting back to the basics sometimes. No matter how long you have been prepping or how prepared you think you might be, it is important to review what the cornerstones of prepping are and some key points that can help you stay motivated while not feeling overwhelmed. Prepping is a new term for what our ancestors did as a way of life many years ago. Putting a label on it is just something people have done for marketing purposes and because we like to label things I always thought...
I have not bought pre-made laundry detergent in over a year, and I couldn’t be happier about it! Making your own laundry soap is very inexpensive, and I have to say that our clothing and linens smell better for longer and are easier to get clean. Matt and I have 1,600 grape vines to tend, a herd of sheep, dogs, cats, chickens, and geese. On top of that, we grow gourmet mushrooms and put back firewood for two houses. All those outdoor activities mean we have a bit of laundry to do, and it can be pretty dirty. In the past,...
Prepping doesn’t require spending a lot of money all at once. One of the most common statements potential preppers and beginning preppers make is ” I would love to prep but I just don’t have the budget”. Hey, I hear you. I have been really broke too. I don’t always have extra to spend on preps. Some of you may see some of the gear reviews I have done and think that I have some neat extras but the truth is that places send me a lot of those things so that I can give an honest review. This evening...
I have carried many pistols over the years, but the one I always seem to come back to is my Bersa Thunder CC. The Bersa is a single stack .380 that holds 7 rounds in its standard magazine plus 1 in the chamber. Advantages of the Bersa .380 Price An everyday carry pistol is going to be out in the rain, it’s going to get wet from sweat, tossed into work bags and generally banged around. I don’t want to spend too much on a gun I know is going to get beat up from daily carry around the farm....
The importance of good lighting cannot be stressed enough during a short or long term situation. Without adequate lighting, injuries and mistakes become more common. Easy lighting options are more plentiful than ever. For this post, I wanted to talk about a wide range of lighting options for those that want to be more prepared and secure. I even chose to include an emergency radio that has an excellent light on it. Charging and power Some of the lights discussed have multiple ways of charging. If you are concerned about having some power on hand to keep lights and small...
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