​Every individual has a different idea for what being prepared is. For some, being prepared
means they have a spare tire and lug wrench in their vehicle at all times. For others, being prepared
means having the skill and knowledge to survive in the worse imaginable scenario. And for many, being
prepared falls somewhere in between these two extremes.
Individuals may feel the need for different levels of preparedness in the full range of scenarios
that may be encountered. Whether being prepared to you means having matches and lighter fluid on
hand or knowing how to use a bowstring to start a fire, every individual makes a conscious decision on
how prepared they want to be. This decision is up to the individuals and the consequences of that
decision is the responsibility of the individual to live with.
In this writer’s opinion, everyone should prepare at the minimum for the major life needs:
water, shelter, and food. Other things that individuals may want to prepare for includes their ​vehicles,

I was recently watching a video on prepping for major life events. The topic was top ten bartering items. The usual items were represented like junk silver, ammo, tobacco, alcohol, and food. Then they mentioned feminine supplies, everyone seemed a little awkward and timid. They said you should carry tampons, pads, etc. for bartering because it is a necessary supply item. I left a comment on the video which sparked some other odd comments like “what did they do in the old days?”. Yeah….so in the cave days they would use moss or let it flow, that is not an option in the now my friend. I wanted to write this to clear the air and answer some questions you didn’t know you had.
Many of us are prepping for our whole families which includes lady folk. You should have some plan in mind to handle this monthly situation that will be coming. There may come a time where they will no longer exist or at the least be hard to find. Attempting to carry around an endless supply of tampons is not in your best interest. Also, should

Is getting out of debt important when prepping comes to mind? Most people think of all the supplies they will need to stock up on and live off in the event of some kind of economic or social collapse. People need to rationalize how the blocks will crumble for the current systems in place if we are invaded, tyrannically taken over, or a second revolution happens. Personally, I doubt there will be a zombie apocalypse any time soon, but in this scenario (and very few other) does a foundation of financial security matter. I stress to everyone to also include recession or even depression level events in their prepping game plan and realize these could happen in today’s age, especially as the national debt increases every year. In review of our nation’s history, we have seen where financial breakdowns in society have greatly affected the population. During the Great Depression repossession started with vehicles, houses, and farms that were taken and sold for little to nothing in an attempt to recover anything the banks or creditor could get their hands on. In the Great Recession just a few years ago, the country was plagued with a housing market that was flooded with homes that could not be filled due to loans that could not be matched by the debtor. If you are left on the street with no way of traveling, after your house and car have been repossessed you have not done your due diligence to protect your family. Having 100%, security of your property will insure that nothing can legally be taken away from you in a financial breakdown of society. Living a debt free life can be hard to obtain in this day in age but it should be a constant goal.

First off what is a gray man? Blending into a crowd is called becoming a gray man.
There are people moving around us every day whose physical presence is so non-stimulating that we ignore them. They are for all intents and purposes, invisible to us. The gray man is the one we want to emulate in a disaster. The problem is, people have never seen a true gray man, unless you’ve been taught to see them. Because if you casually noticed him, his gray man-ness is in dispute.

“Don’t be a fly on the wall. Be the wall.” Remember what they say about first impressions? They last. Don’t make a first impression. Don’t make an impression at all.

Some people just naturally stand out. Some are tall, some are large, some are gorgeous, some are loud. Why do

​INCH means I'm Never Coming Home. GOOD means Get Out Of Dodge.
These bags are built with just that idea in mind. Whatever you are carrying will be what
you have to manage your survival with. These bags are generally the heaviest of the different
types of bags. My interpretation of a bag like this has many different tools and items for long
term survival. Besides the items you may carry in a bug out bag, here are some things you
may wish to consider for this type of bag.
 A camp axe.
 Folding saw.
 Entrenching tool (E-tool).
 Increased amount and size of cordage. (In an INCH bag I will carry 25-50 ft of light
climbing rope and a few carabiners as well as a rescue 8).
 Bigger cooking pot/utensils. Include extra seasonings.
 More changes and variety of clothing.
 Work gloves.
 A more comprehensive fishing and trapping kit.
 Firearm repair kit (extra springs, parts that would normally wear out)
as well as extra ammunition and magazines.
 I would include a deck of cards and some dice, for entertaining yourself during any
lulls.
There is no limit to the types of things you may want to carry. But there is a limit to
HOW MUCH you can carry. Make sure your choices are sensible and serve a purpose. Just
like in other bags, I try to make sure that everything I carry is multi use and a necessity.

What is line gear? Line gear is the items you carry in your different layers (lines).
• Your line 1 gear is your EDC, the items you carry on your person on a daily basis.
• Line 2 gear is your war belt. Usually carries a holster, a couple rifle mags, a spare pistol magazine, maybe a canteen and canteen cup, potentially an IFAK and/or a multi-tool.
• Line 3 gear is your chest rig or plate carrier. Usually carries your basic fighting load-out (described below).
• Line 4 gear would be an assault pack or rucksack with your long term gear.
These layers are used to meet differing needs in different scenarios. For instance, your EDC (every day carry) suffices for the potential needs of your every day life. Your line 2 gear may be used in a training environment, or in situations where stressful conditions

The bug out bag is a bag built to sustain the owner during a period of travel from an unsafe area to a chosen bug out location. For instance, you reside in town, but plan to get yourself out to a family member's farm if things go bad. The farm is just over an hour drive with the greater portion of that being on the freeway. The farm is 60 miles from your residence. If vehicle travel is available, the hour + drive would not even be a hindrance. Buit when things go bad, whatever has caused you to feel the need to “bug out” may also be motivating other drivers. Your route could be congested or even blocked. How long do you think it would take you to walk 60 miles unencumbered? How long will it take you to walk that 60 miles while carrying your supplies? If your main route is blocked, how much longer is

This type of bag is generally purpose built to sustain the owner during foot travel between two known locations, such as from work to home. If an emergency should happen while the owner is at work, or en route to or from, then the supplies in the bag would facilitate the travel to the safe destination. Planning for a bag of this nature involve knowing the distance between the two points and understanding the typical conditions involved with that travel. If your commute usually involves 30 miles of travel, you should plan on a minimum of 3 days of travel on foot. Your bag would therefore have to supply you with all your needs for 3

Doomsday prepper, survivalist, hoarder…. these are all things people think when you say I prep or I’m preparing for the unexpected. This is an explorative on prepping for my family so let’s get into it!

WHO? That is easy when it comes to prepping, I say I prep for my family and myself. How can I be prepared when SHTF if those who will be around me are not prepared? We do it as a family and make it fun so when we must rely on our preps we know what went into it and have a healthy amount of respect for the situation.

WHAT? That gets a little bit more complicated and I’ll try and make it brief. Well we start with
considering the rule of 3s. You can survive for 3 Minutes without air (oxygen). You can survive for 3 Hours without shelter in a harsh environment (unless in icy water). You can survive for 3

First off, the purpose of the 72 hour bag is to just sustain the owner for a short duration of displacement due to a temporary emergency. It will generally contain 3 days worth of food and water as well as 2 methods for making fire, some basic hygiene supplies and necessities such as a change of clothes, cell phone charger, daily meds, etc. The majority of the items in this type of bag are consumables.
•Poncho or rain jacket.
•Change of clothes and hygiene gear.
•Food. MREs, protein bars, jerky, tuna pouches, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
•Water. Several bottles of drinking water, or a canteen or hydration bladder. You would also want some way to purify or filter for drinking. Some possibilities are chemical treatment, filtration (such as a Sawyer mini filter or a Katydyn), Or the means to boil water to kill off any organics.
•Basic medical needs such as a boo boo kit, daily medications, etc.
•Money for incidentals.
•Cell phone, charger, possibly a battery pack.