Bugging In: How to Begin

     For many of us, it is easy to begin planning for disaster by focusing on a things like a bug out bag, and a bug out location.  We talk about evacuation plans, and buy things like bandanas and fire starters, even though we already have half a dozen of each.

     However the hardest part for most people, is really starting to develop in home preps for when you have to stay put.  Bugging out requires a shorter time frame, a smaller budget, and is often times just more exciting sounding.  Bugging in requires more supplies, and a good organization plan, and even for some of us, we have to figure out where to put all of it.  We've put together a list of all the items you should have at home, and where to go from there.

30 Five Minutes Prep You Can Do Today

     So often we look at prepping as a large scale ongoing project, and it is, but it doesn't mean that it has to take up a large amount of time.  These are thirty preps that you can do in five minutes or less to get you on the path towards being better prepared for whatever may come.

15 Stocking Stuffers For Survivalists

     Christmas is right around the corner and we are all scrambling to check our lists twice to make sure we have everything we are trying to get our friends and loved ones this season.  However, as you shop remember to keep in mind stocking stuffers.  Whether shopping for a survivalist or just trying to get some survival related stocking stuffers for friends and families we have some great stocking stuffers to stock up on for the holidays.

Essential First Aid Items in the Bush

     Whether you are out camping, hiking, or surviving, first aid is always a must. You can build shelters and start fires, but without first aid supplies you can still find yourself in a lot of trouble. Here are the essentials you should always make sure to have with you if you are going out in the wilderness.

20 Books You Should Have on Your Survival Bookshelf

     There is something about a book.  The smell of the pages.  The weight of it in your hand.  With tablets for reading, books on tape, and ebooks that you can download to your computer, the real book seems to be going to the wayside.  However, when it comes to survival, physical books are a must.  Books are a resource that you can go to at any time, including when SHTF.  Books don't need any source of power to work and therefore they can be your best resource when things go wrong. 

Spring Wild Edibles

      Finally the weather has warmed up, and we can say we are definatly feeling spring. For many parts of the country it has been spring for a while, but further north it has only been these last few weeks that the weather has finally changed over from winter to spring.

     Spring is always a time for cleaning up and starting fresh things. We clean out or garages, open the windows, and plant new gardens. Plants begin to bloom, leaves reappear, and we start thinking about fresh foods again.

      One of the greatest places to find fresh food is out in the forests. Wild edibles are a nutritional, fresh, fun and free! So take a pleasant walk in the woods and pick up some tasty morsels for dinner.

Five Basic Shelters You Should Know How to Build

     One of the basics of survival is shelter. Exposure can easily kill a person, faster than dehydration or lack of food. In most cases shelter is essential for someone who is trying to survive in the wilderness. These are our top five shelters that you should know how to make:

Avoiding, Preparing for, and Surviving Animal Attacks

     Spring is coming. The seasons are starting to change and the weather is starting to warm up. Okay, there is still more snow on the way, and it isn't warming up that much yet. However spring really is on the way, and that means that as it starts to warm up, we will all be heading back into the outdoors. However, while we are getting ready to shake of the lethargy of winter, so to will the animals. So as we go out on the rivers and trails of the fields, mountains and woods, we have to be prepared for encounters with animals.

Avoiding and Surviving Avalanches

     It's the time of year when we go out to play in the snow. We slip into snow pants, and take out our skis and snowboards and hit the slopes or hike and snowshoe into the mountains for beautiful icy views. On the steep slopes of hills and mountains though, no matter what activity we are engaging on, there is one danger we all have to be careful of. Avalanches.

Flu Season is Here: Preperation, Prevention and Treatment

     In case you haven't heard, it is flu season again.  With the number of flu related deaths on the rise, this season's flu has been declared an epidemic. It is affecting people between 18 and 64 the most severely, with 60% of hospitalizations for people with the flu being in this age range. So while the flu may not be at pandemic levels, and is likely not about to be a major worldwide disaster, it is still something to take seriously. So what are the risks, and what can we do to prepare and protect ourselves?

Winter Survival Shelters

      In shtf situations shelters are one of the main things a survivor needs to focus on, often times even before water. Shelter provides protection from the elements and conditions. In winter this means the main reason for a shelter is protection from the cold and from any possible wet weather that could further possible hypothermia.

Vehicle Prepardeness for Winter Driving

     It's that time of year again.  It is December, many of us will be out of the roads visiting friends and family for the holidays.  However it is also that time of year that winter storms have started sweeping across the country.  You don't have to be a prepper or survivalist to know that you need to make sure your car is prepared for winter weather.

Netflix for Survivalists and Preppers

     There are many resources out there for survivalists and preppers, from books and manuals to the television and internet.  One resource that combines the last two is Netflix.  There are many people out there with access to this website and the instant streaming that is available on it.  Therefore I thought it would be worth it to list out some of the current documentaries and shows available on Netflix.

     These shows and documentaries all have some kind of connection to survivalism.  Whether it is wilderness survival, homesteading, social issues, or political issues, there is a little bit of something for everyone.  If you have Netflix take a look:

Five Ways to Predict the Weather

    I love the Weather Channel.  Being able to flip on the TV and find out what the weather is right now, and what it will be in the future.  However if I am out in the woods camping or hiking, or if shtf, then I don't have the Weather Channel to turn to.  As a result, one of the skills I have been working on learning is how to predict the weather from the natural environment around us.  It is a skill everyone can learn and pick up pretty easily, and maybe you can even impress your friends with it.

10 Survival Uses for Duct Tape

     Duct tape is one of those materials that everyone knows about, and everyone uses.  It's sturdy, sticky, and has been used for practically everything.  From holding on our car mirrors that we accidentally broke off on the side of the garage, to be used to create a on of a kind prom dress, duct tape is everywhere.  As prevalent and useful as duct tape is, it only makes sense that it can be a great tool for survival.  We've complied ten different ways that duct tape could help you if you ever find yourself in a survival situation.

Finding North Without a Compass

     Directions.  They are important.  They are how we find our way around.  Whether it we're using maps, a list of landmarks our friend gave us, or GPS, directions tell us where to go.  When it comes to survival, directions become even more important.  Directions help us navigate paths, roads, and the wilderness, and can be the difference between finding our way home, or spending the night, or longer, lost in the wilderness.
 
     Many people take directions for granted, and don't even know how to read a compass.  For those that can, often times they feel safe enough in their skill, that they never think to learn beyond that.  At least until its too late, and they find themselves somewhere in the middle of the wilderness, and they realize that they left the compass back at the campsite.

DIY: Paracord Waterbottle Wrap + Finished Paracord Belt!

From: stormdrane.blogspot.com

     As you all know, a while back I bought some paracord.  A thousand feet of paracord to be precise, and the result has been a number of DIY projects using it.  My first paracord project was a to make Slatt's Rescue Belt, which has proved to be rather successful.  With the belt finished I have moved on to a second paracord project and this is making a water bottle wrap.

50 Skills Every Prepper Should Know

     As preppers and survivalists there are many skills we all should know.  The challenge is trying to learn them.  First we need the time to learn them, and then we need to have the materials to learn them.  This may be anything from a book or youtube video.  However it may require more effort such as finding classes at local community centers or wilderness survival schools or folk schools in your area.
     Here are some of the skills that we think would be particularly useful post collapse:

The Five W's of Shelter

     Shelter is perhaps one of the most important aspects of survival. Shelters help protect you from the weather. They are a barrier between you and whatever may be out there, wheather its wind, rain or animals. Of course building them is the hard part, however before you build them, you have to find the right spot. This is where the five W's of shelter come into it.

DIY: Paracord Belt - Slatte's Rescue Knot

     The Paracord Project has been up and running for a year and a half now, without any actual posts on paracord.  It is time to change that.  A while back I got a hold of a thousand feet of paracord with the intention of attaching it to anything I could as way to add a significant amount of cordage to my camping and survival gear.  The first project I have decided on is a belt.