Prepper Mistakes to Avoid | Survival Tips

Prepper Mistake #1: Focusing on One Potential Disaster

It is acceptable to focus on and prepare for a volcanic eruption, nuclear, chemical or biological attack, or even a 10.0 magnitude earthquake, but do not forget the fact that prepping is about surviving any artificial or natural disaster. You cannot spend all of your limited resources on one endeavor. Over time, you will likely have to survive multiples of disasters.

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How US Special Forces Handle Home Perimeter Security When SHTF

Dennis jumped on his mountain bike and pedaled as fast as possible through the brush and onto the short trail that would take him directly to the back door of his house in the growing evening darkness. Either his radio or batteries apparently had just chosen this inopportune moment to give out. Traversing the trail quickly on the bike was something he could do even in complete darkness however, as he had traveled it at least twice daily even before the collapse. Less than two minutes earlier he had spotted a truckload of armed men using his binoculars. Dennis knew they were raiders. They had running lights on and he doubted they had night vision equipment. The truck was turning into the entrance of his small, otherwise empty neighborhood and starting up the first hill.

Since the collapse and ensuing pandemic, everyone else in his neighborhood had left, died or been killed. Dennis, his brother’s family and two other small families from the neighborhood were now the sole residents, and even they were making plans to leave within the next week. Things were just becoming way too dangerous now that word had apparently gotten out that there might be a house in this neighborhood worth looting, women worth raping and food, ammo and medicine to the raiders who took it.

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Top 5 Post Apocalyptic Livestock For Preppers

Fresh Food after the Apocalypse

Are you concerned about how you’ll raise food for your family after a social and economic collapse? Has it occurred to you that your food preps will eventually run out? Many preppers are thinking about the same things. We all want to have a supply of fresh food to keep ourselves and our families in good health, even if the stores are closed or a can of tuna costs twenty bucks

Raise the Right Livestock

It might sound like the idyllic life to have a couple dairy cows, a flock of chickens, and a coon hound sleeping on the front porch.

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How to Build the Ultimate Survival Shelter

This past winter (one of the coldest winters in US history, I might add) I filmed 8 episodes of a new survival show called Fat Guys in the Woods. In the show, I take 3 different guys each week deep into the wilderness to prove that if they can survive a week in the woods with me, then they can do anything they put their minds to when they get back home. Even though the title says “fat guys,” it’s not a weight loss show. It’s a wake-up call and ultimately a kick in the pants to bring about positive change. It’s all about men becoming better men by connecting with the wilderness and ultimately themselves. I literally take three guys off the couch and into the weather for a week with practically nothing but a knife and a canteen. It gets crazy real quick after that. 
Seeing that it was one of the coldest winters on record, shelter became our #1 survival priority week after week. 

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Adapt or die: Why you need more skills and less stuff

Preppers have a bad reputation for hoarding gear, stocking up on a year’s-worth (or more) of food, and packing bug out bags that could supply a platoon. In almost all cases, these preppers would be screwed if there were a disaster or SHTF.

Gear and supplies are useless unless you still have it when you need it, and as I’ve experienced several times in the military – in emergency situations, things don’t usually go as planned.

There is an inherent cost associated with collecting stuff that extends past the initial purchase. 

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50 Reasons Why Preppers Need Vinegar in Their Stockpiles

Every self-respecting prepper should have lots of vinegar stashed away. Here are 50 reasons why. (Many of them were graciously contributed by my friend Joe Marshall at Survival Life.)

Why Preppers Need Vinegar In Their Stockpiles

1. Disinfect wood cutting boards.

2. Soothe a sore throat; use 1 tsp. of vinegar per glass of water, then gargle.

3. Fight dandruff; after shampooing, rinse hair with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.

4. Remove warts; apply daily a 50/50 solution of cider vinegar and glycerin until they’re gone.

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SHTF Lessons from One Year in Hell

We each have our own idea of what TEOTWAWKI would look like. For some, it is the deserted highways patrolled by maniacs in super-charged vehicles murdering anyone in their sight for fun as demonstrated in the 1981 movie, The Road Warrior. For others, our imagination might paint a world somewhat less violent overall, but lacking more in technological resources like electricity or machines powered by fuel that without refining capacity has vanished. Sort of a global reset where we all have to learn skills again but more or less still get along and farm a good bit more.

We are each limited only by our own imaginations as to what any potential SHTF world would look like and there are many visions (usually fueled by books or movies) that I draw on for inspiration when I am thinking about a life gone wrong.

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You Are Tactical! (funny music video)

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Preppers Supplies Checklist

I’ve noticed that on several Prepper discussion boards people are looking for an extensive Prepper Supplies Checklist, a way to organize their preps, wishlist, and survival goals.  If you are one of the many looking for a way to organize your preps then I hope this article and checklists will help get you organized and stimulate new ideas.  If you haven’t thought about getting organized here are some reason to consider it:

  -  Checklists can help you to know what essentials you have and what necessities you still need to get
  -  It can provide direction.  Documenting your inventory makes it easier to prioritize and set goals.
  -  In an emergency, being organized and having a checklist will make things easier to find
  -  It can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your emergency plan
  -  So you  don’t become a hoarder.  Hoarders like to buy and collect items but rarely do they know where essential items are located, they keep acquiring the same items which is a waste of time, resources, and money.

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Prepping 101 – Preppers List of Supplies

Ok, so you have decided that you want to take steps to protect your family from unseen events. You may not know what events to plan for or you could have a much defined idea of the threats you see, but regardless you recognize a need. There are people who come to the Prepper Journal after they read something on another prepping blog or they may have been visiting our site for a year. The newer visitors are usually just getting starting in this crazy world of Prepping and if they are anything like I was at the beginning, knowing where to start can be pretty daunting. Prepping isn’t the same for everyone but most people eventually look for a simple guideline to follow so I have pulled together this preppers list of supplies.

How is this list of supplies you need going to be different than any of the 523 million other lists out there?

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Best Bug out Vehicles You Can Actually Afford

Is there any one of us who doesn’t drool a little whenever you see an exotic sports car tooling down the road? I don’t mean a Mustang GT either; I am talking about Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLauren – something in that range. I love these cars and if someone gave me one I would gladly take it. Of course, after I took it out for a good spin I would sell it as quickly as I could. Why? Because I can think of so many other things I need to spend money on besides the most expensive sports car I can find.
One problem I have with a lot of the Best bug out vehicle lists is that they are full of really exotic (expensive) vehicles that the average prepper simply couldn’t afford. If we could, then I guess we would all have that Knight XV Fully Armored SUV that goes for around $800,000 if my source is right.

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What is the difference between a Survivalist and a Prepper?

No, this isn’t a trick question and I do think there are very big differences between someone who calls themselves a survivalist and someone who prefers to use the term Prepper. Regardless of what I think though these two terms are interchangeably used to describe a wide swath of people. These people all have different motivations and philosophies on what they are doing and why. Survivalists and Prepper are just labels. Labels like this though can pigeon-hole people into thinking they need to act a certain way or it can cause assumptions from others based upon their own perceptions of what these words mean.

How are Survivalists and Preppers alike?

Let’s start with the easy stuff first. What do people who call themselves Survivalists have in common with a Prepper? 

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7 Prepper Food Storage Mistakes

1 – VARIETY

Most people don’t have enough variety in their storage. 95% of the people I’ve worked with only stored the 4 basic items we mentioned earlier: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won’t survive on such a diet for several reasons.

• Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal.
• Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple.
• We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer not to eat than to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggested and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particularly ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans. This will add variety of color, texture and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion.

Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook. Go through it and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store.

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How to Make Your Food with a DIY Solar Cooker

If you’ve ever stepped barefoot onto blacktop on a sweltering summer day, you’re probably already painfully familiar with the extraordinary heating power of the sun. Harnessing this free energy is the crux of solar cooking – a fast, renewable, pollution-free method of food preparation. Solar cooking has long been on the agenda of ideal sustainable living practices, but with new innovations and dwindling natural resources, there’s hope to have a fully powered solar eating future ahead.

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The 5 Very Best Survival Guns

Before I begin this list, I have to make a disclaimer. I am a gun guy. I like AK-47s, AR-15s, M1As, and just about anything that will take a BIG magazine and send lots of hot lead down range as fast as I can pull the trigger.

I like tactical toys like chest rigs with a gazillion magazine pouches riding over a plate carrier, I like ‘em with an integrated pistol belt that holds a large frame semi-automatic pistol and even more magazine pouches. I like these things a lot, and I can envision a time when all of this might come in handy, but for the moment it’s just FUN!

I sometimes get frustrated with the “Totally Tactical” Survivalists. You know the ones. They spend all their prepping/survival time and money on guns, ammo and paramilitary gear and treat food, water and self-sufficiency as a distant second. Make no mistake folks: Your first priority for preps should be securing your food and water supply, making your home capable of sustaining you and yours through whatever may come. If you haven’t covered these bases, you really don’t have anything to defend.

However, there are some guns that should come fairly early on in your preparedness journey, and that is today’s topic.

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30 Crazy Camping Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier

Protect Your Toilet Paper

We've entered the age where glamping' is a thing. Glamor camping, for those who mercifully had not heard about it till now, is a type of outing where one sleeps less under a tent and more in a fully appointed home that just happens to be under a canvas roof.

Though the glamping trend feels a bit too much like the One Percent’s approach to the outdoors, glampers do have a point: This is the 21st century, and there’s no reason we need to treat camping like we’re still cavemen. Here are some camping hacks to make your trip less chaotic and, hopefully, more enjoyable.

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Top 10 Mistakes Made by Preppers

Being prepared is something that every single American really needs to be doing. There are approximately three hundred sixteen million people living in the United States today, and according to Google, about three million Americans consider themselves to be preppers. This probably doesn’t include those who have never visited any preppers websites, and those who just have continued to live that way, because that is all they know. However with an increasing number of Americans finally catching on to the fact that something isn’t quite right in this once great nation of ours.

We thought it would be equally important to think about some of the areas of prepping that people can make mistakes with. I myself have been guilty of more than one item on this list, how about you? Take a look at our list, and see how you measure up.

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Why You Should Build Community Before SHTF

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. Not only are those fun, but they’re concrete concepts that are easy to wrap our heads around.

However, I can’t help but notice that we invest our time, energy, and money on details like those instead of tackling some of the bigger, more uncomfortable problems.

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NSA Director Says Chinese Cyber Hackers Can Shut Down U.S. Power Grid

NSA Director Michael Rogers says that Chinese cyber hackers can shut down the power grid in the United States and essentially end life as we know it in America. According to the federal official, China and “one or two” other countries are capable of  launching cyberattacks that terminate the ability of the power grid to function and shut down other “critical systems” nationwide.

The real possibility of massive and devastating power grid cyberattacks has long been discussed by both national security experts and the five million prepper families in the United States, but has not officially been confirmed by a “top cyber official” in the federal government until now.

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Getting Started: Prepping for a 2 Week Power Outage

If you’re new to preparedness, you may be reading some of the excellent and informative websites out there and feeling quite quite overwhelmed. While many sites recommend a one year supply of food, manual tools, and a bug out lodge in the forest, it’s vital to realize that is a long-term goal, not a starting point.

A great starting point for someone who is just getting started on a preparedness journey is prepping specifically for a two-week power outage. If you can comfortably survive for two weeks without electricity, you will be in a far better position than most of the people in North America.

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How the enemy will gather intel by probing your defense

I love this guy and his video series. Check it out HERE!

Top Economic Forecaster Warns: “No Institution Is Safe”

Economic forecaster Martin Armstrong, who is known for having accurately predicted major events like the Savings & Loan crash, the collapse of Japanese financial markets and the destruction of the Russian economy almost to the day, says that a major turning point is coming to the global paradigm this October. While stopping short of calling for an all out crash, Armstrong’s cyclical turning point of 2015.75 suggests that very big changes are set to take place.

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What Doomsday Preppers Can Teach You About Home Defense

The topic of doomsday prepping is quite divisive. To many, the idea of stockpiling food, fuel, generators, medical supplies, firearms and ammunition to prepare for a natural disaster and/or large scale civil unrest seems more than a little extreme. On the other hand, preppers are typically surprised at how many of their neighbors fail to take basic precautions for themselves and their families in the event of a catastrophe.

You need look no further than Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath to comprehend the importance of disaster planning.

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10 Reasons Why You Do Not Want to Bug Out

The plan seems simple doesn’t it? All you need for the best chance of survival for your family is a well-stocked bug out bag, a keen attention to your surroundings and careful monitoring of what is happening in the news. With these bases covered you will be a very informed prepper and will be able to get the jump on all of the clueless sheep if something bad happens. You will load your family up with your bags and hike off into the sunset way ahead of the approaching death and destruction. You have a plan to bug out.

It sounds perfect, but in this article I am going to try and convince you how that might not be the best and first option you should consider.

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Bugging Out vs. Hunkering Down

A frequent topic in Preparedness and Survival circles is the subject of Bugging Out and more specifically the question of whether you plan to Bug Out or will you Hunker Down. This simple question easily elicits all manner of responses and you will rarely find consensus on which is the better option. The only good thing about this question is there are only two options and one of those has to be the correct one in someone’s eyes. A 50/50 shot of getting this right isn’t too shabby if you are looking at odds, but there will be those who maintain an absolute position on one option or the other.

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Top 5 Diseases During SHTF

This video is from ThePatriotNurse (one of my favorite) and she discusses the Top 5 Diseases that you will be dealing with during a SHTF event.

Check out the video HERE!!!!

5 Easy Survival Hacks Everyone Should Know

5 Easy Survival Hacks Everyone Should Know

This video shows 5 easy survival hacks that everyone should know. Check out the video Here!!

How to Start Prepping: Top 10 List

Top Ten things to get to start your prepping. Have you wanted to prep but don't know where to start because of too much info and too many big prepping companies telling you to buy expensive "starting packages". Tell those prepping corps. to take a hike!!! Start this list today. With a little money and weekends worth of shopping you will be well on your way to keeping yourself and your family fed and safe in extreme times.

Check out the full video HERE!!

5.11 Rush 72 tactical backpack review – the perfect bug out bag?

5.11 Rush 72 tactical backpack review – the perfect bug out bag?

So I posted a question on a couple of forums, my facebook page and in a couple of facebook groups about which backpack everyone thought was the best bug out bag out there. By a LONG SHOT, the number one answer was the 5.11 3 Day Rush Backpack. I decided to get my grubby little hands on one to see what the fuss is all about, and to let you know what I thought of the bag everyone’s getting.

I’ve been using an old Camelbak BFM on deployments and for traveling for about a decade now. So long that I couldn’t find a good link to the exact model for you but this one is fairly close to it. The one I have has smaller side pockets that that one, which is a big improvement from what I have.

Get the rest of the review HERE!