Tag: Prepper Tips

Sanitation When the Grid Goes Down: The Unglamorous Essential

JM Mason
An old weathered outhouse in the woods.

Nobody wants to talk about it. It doesn’t photograph well for Instagram. There are no cool gadgets or tactical gear involved. But when the water stops flowing and the toilets stop flushing, sanitation becomes the difference between uncomfortable inconvenience and life-threatening disease. History teaches this lesson brutally. During disasters, cholera, dysentery, and other sanitation-related diseases often kill more people than the initial catastrophe. The 2010 Haiti earthquake’s death toll was horrific—but the subsequent cholera outbreak killed thousands more. Poor sanitation breeds disease. Disease spreads fast in disaster conditions. People die.…

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Essential Survival Skills: Knowledge You Can’t Stockpile

JM Mason
A man in the forest with no shirt on is holding a stick over a small fire. There are fallen logs on the ground around him.

You can hoard food, water, and equipment, but when disaster strikes, skills often matter more than stuff. Gear breaks, runs out, or gets left behind. Knowledge stays with you forever. These essential survival skills could save your life—and they cost nothing but time to learn. Fire: Warmth, Water, and Morale Fire provides heat, purifies water, cooks food, signals rescuers, and boosts morale. It’s foundational to survival. Multiple ignition methods: Never rely on a single fire-starting technique. Master at least three: Lighter/matches are obvious but fail when wet or damaged. Store…

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Urban Prepping: Surviving and Thriving in the Concrete Jungle

JM Mason
A young woman in a closet in an apartment is looking through totes on a shelf

Living in an apartment or urban environment doesn’t mean you can’t prepare for emergencies. In fact, city dwellers face unique challenges that make preparedness even more critical. Limited space, closer neighbors, and infrastructure dependencies require creative solutions—but they’re absolutely achievable. The Urban Prepper’s Reality Check Forget the rural homestead fantasy. You’re not buying 40 acres and installing a bunker. You’ve got 800 square feet, shared walls, and a landlord who doesn’t love modifications. That’s okay—millions of people live this way, and you can still prepare effectively. Urban preparedness focuses on:…

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Home Security Basics for Preppers: Protecting Your Sanctuary and Supplies

JM Mason
The front door of a home in the country, the light is fading and the front porch light is on

You’ve invested time and money building food storage, gathering emergency supplies, and preparing for various scenarios. But have you considered that your preparedness efforts might make you a target? A secure home protects both your family and your preparations. The Prepper Security Paradox Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the better prepared you are, the more you have worth protecting. During shortages or emergencies, your stocked pantry becomes valuable. Your generator becomes coveted. Your water reserves become essential. But security isn’t about building a fortress or living in fear. It’s about making…

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Water Purification Methods for Emergencies: Ensuring Safe Drinking Water When Systems Fail

JM Mason
A man wearing a backpack in crouched down at a stream in a forest. He is putting water into a plastic water bottle.

Clean water is survival’s foundation. While you can survive weeks without food, dehydration kills within days. When municipal water systems fail—whether from contamination, infrastructure damage, or natural disasters—knowing how to purify water becomes a critical skill. Understanding Water Contamination Water can harbor three main threats: Biological contaminants: Bacteria, viruses, and parasites cause immediate illness. These organisms are invisible but widespread in untreated water sources. Chemical contaminants: Pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial pollutants pose long-term health risks. These are harder to remove and require specific filtration methods. Physical contaminants: Sediment, debris,…

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Emergency Power Solutions for Your Home: Practical Options for Every Budget

JM Mason
There is a portable power machine sitting on a workbench in a garage with a small solar panel. There is a refrigerator in the background.

Power outages are increasing in frequency and duration across the country. Whether from severe weather, aging infrastructure, or grid maintenance, losing electricity is no longer a rare occurrence. Having a backup power plan isn’t paranoid—it’s practical. Assess Your Actual Needs Before buying any equipment, honestly evaluate what you need to power during an outage. You probably don’t need to run your entire home. Most people need: Make a list with wattage requirements for each item. Your refrigerator’s label shows this information, usually between 100-800 watts. Add a safety margin of…

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Fall Preparedness: Winterizing Your Home Before the First Freeze

JM Mason
Cabin with solar panels, snow on the ground and roof. Wood stacked outside, warm glowing lights inside.

The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and you know what’s coming—winter. Not the picturesque snow globe version, but the reality of frozen pipes, power outages, and being trapped inside for days at a time. Fall is your warning shot, your chance to prepare before the first serious storm hits. Most people wait until the weather forecast shows snow in the next 48 hours. Then it’s a mad scramble to hardware stores with empty shelves, frantic calls to booked-solid contractors, and crossing your fingers that nothing breaks. Smart preppers…

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Preparing For Spring Storms

JM Mason
A green field with power lines running through, a forest in the background and dark storm clouds in the sky.

As we welcome spring and the wonderful things it brings we also need to remember to prepare for spring weather. Here are a few tips to get you ready: 1. Clean gutters and downspouts 2. Check your roof and the exterior of your home for any damage 3. Sign up for weather alerts on your phone 4. Review your storm safety plan 5. Repair any leaks 6. Check your go bags and emergency kits to replace/replenish 7. Plan your evacuation routes 8. Check surrounding trees and trim as needed 9.…

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Prepper Tips: Your Get Home Route for SHTF

JM Mason
A gravel road with tall pines trees on both side, the sun is faintly filtering in through the trees.

How are you getting home if SHTF happens while you are out? Have you planned your route? The route that you drive may not be the fastest, easiest or safest way home if you are on foot. Take some time this week to figure this out for the three places you visit the most often, if you don’t already know. And then the next time you go to one of those places make sure to drive home taking your new route so you can see it in person. There may…

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Prepper Tip: Test Your Gear

JM Mason
A person wearing a backpack is standing on the edge of a mountain looking into a valley. The air is foggy.

Sometimes we end up with gear, tools, food or other things that we bought but never tested out. It got thrown in the back of the pantry or into the bottom of your bug out bag with the intention of trying it out “soon.” And then you forgot about it. You don’t want to find yourself in a stressful situation and forced to use something for the first time. Maybe it will be fine, maybe it’ll lead to a knock-down, drag-out screaming bloody hell temper tantrum because a small gear…

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