Author: Guest Contributor

What is the most effective way of prepper parenting? Parenting at the best of times involves a mix of the responsibility to inform and to protect children, and balancing out the two is rarely easy. When it comes to emergency preparedness, the stakes increase all around – as protection involves both practical preparedness and engagement with the reality that isn’t likely to instill undue fear or anxiety in the day-to-day. Here are some practical pointers for how to prepare your kids effectively for emergency situations without undue mental and emotional cost. Work Out The Parameters – Planning The first thing…

Believe it or not, disaster can strike at any time, anywhere. Life already has its ups and downs, but to deal with a major disaster? That can strike a chord with anyone and not always a good one. Panic kills. No one is safe from the inevitable and staying calm during any crisis you face is one of the most important factors in ensuring you will survive. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected in this world. Both natural and man-made disasters are an increasingly inevitable part of our lives, so we must be well…

For many preppers, part of prepping means being ready for situations that require the use of force, and being able to defend yourself. However, after an incident where force was necessary, you must be equipped to defend your actions, and corroborate the claim they were in self-defense. With this in mind, it’s vital to understand the difference between justifiable self-defense VS excessive force or deadly force. In the US, as in many other countries, claiming that you defended yourself from battery or the threat of death, is not a Get Out of Jail Free card, or a license to blast…

Prepping can involve building things useful for survival or comfort during lean times. Here are the prepper power tools you should consider having on hand to make the job easier. Preppers are always ahead of the curve when it comes to being ready for any eventuality. If you don’t know all the basics around food, health and general survival preparedness for something like the recent COVID-19 outbreak then take a look through this guide. Here, I’m going to take you through the best prepper power tools. Whenever we talk about having power tools, we usually mean hand power tools that are…

So, you bought into the idea of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, which is great! But how do you get your family onboard the prepper lifestyle when they may be less excited about it than you? Whether you’re trying to convince your extended or immediate family to adopt the prepper lifestyle, it can be a difficult task. Here’s why some people are leery of prepping for the worst and some simple tips to get your family on board. Why Some People are Reluctant to Start Prepping First, having reluctant family members is common. Sometimes it’s as…

4 Realistic Threats You Should Be Prepping For Editor’s note: This prepping primer was written by guest contributor Mark Hedman. Shows like National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers have shone a spotlight on the prepping lifestyle, and people across the country have joined the movement. Families are stockpiling water, food, weapons, essential first aid supplies, and more. While many people associate preppers with crazy people preparing for a zombie apocalypse, there are some real threats that you should be prepping for. You may be surprised at which ones make the list. Prepping for Losing a Primary Source of Income Losing a main source…

The US is only recently getting a taste of the ‘lockdown’ that’s been in effect for several countries in Europe, notably Italy and Spain. I asked a couple of my contacts in Europe about what life under lockdown has been like. Esther lives in Barcelona, Spain, and is a project manager for a large company. Kyt lives in Milan, Italy. You might recognize her as the author of a recent series on tracking for preppers. She travels a lot as a tracking instructor. I sent them both a series of questions about what it’s been like since their countries went…

Editor’s Note: The following review was written and submitted by Prepper Journal associate Hans Brix. Images courtesy of the author. For AR-15 lovers, we live in a golden age of price and availability. You can buy good quality, fully assembled lowers for $130, and stripped receivers in the $40 range. Given the multitude of manufacturers of $200 parts kits and $500 complete rifles AR-15s, why would anyone go to the trouble of ordering and milling an 80% lower?Because you can. The handyman can I am one of the first to admit that when God was handing out the Handyman gene,…

While chemicals have long been used for mosquito repellant, there are natural solutions that work, too.

Finding the right gun is a difficult task. We spend hours sifting through various types of guns, reviews, etc. Then starts the process of finding the pros and cons of the gun. We talk to various gun owners and friends about their experiences. We call or go to multiple gun shops, taking expert advice from the person behind the counter. Then comes the time to find the right ammo. In all this hustle-bustle, finding the perfect gun holster is often forgotten.  Finding a gun holster is easy because there are so many out there. In fact, The National Shooting Sports…

Editor’s Note: A guest contribution from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. Before we had ovens, cooktops and microwaves, there was only one way to cook up some grub — over the fire. You have to admire fire’s staying power. How many other old-world methods remain relevant thousands of years after they were invented? Cooking over an open flame isn’t just fun, it’s popular for a good reason. The flavor you get from a flame-cooked meal is difficult to match on even the finest bar-b-queue. Plus, sometimes it’s the only cooking method you have. From surviving and camping to just…

Editor’s Note: A guest submission to The Prepper Journal from Raymond Poole. Raymond Poole is an organic cooking and gardening fanatic. He spends his free time trialing and testing different growing techniques to make his beloved fruit and vegetable garden flourish to full flavor. Admit it, we want things to happen fast. We’re a society of fast food, fast internet, and instant gratification. But when it comes to growing nutritious food, we have to be patient. Mother Nature usually needs time to work. But there are exceptions in the vegetable world where gratification, if not instant, isn’t far off. We…

Every year, over 2500 people die and around 12,000 are injured in a fire at home in the United States. Direct property loss due to fires at home is estimated to be over $7.3 billion annually. Like any other man-made catastrophe, home fires can also be prevented. To protect yourself and your family, it is essential that you understand the elementary characteristics of fire. Because fire spreads very quickly, there is absolutely no time to collect any belongings or make a phone call. In less than two minutes, a small fire can become fatal; in about five minutes, an entire…

Editor’s Note: A guest contribution from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. Whether you live primarily off the grid and rarely venture to town or you simply wish to extend the life of your belongings to save money, taking certain steps can make everything from your clothes to your home last longer. Even though many now live by the convenience principle of tossing broken things and buying new, learning to extend the life of our objects also helps protect the planet we share. In a world where every other product bears a label reading “Made in China,” the cliche they…

Editor’s Note: A contribution from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. As a native and one who has been through multiple earthquakes I can say “amen” to holding our breath. There are so many faults that half of the quakes I experienced personally were generated by previously unknown faults in the Pacific plate, still considered the “ring of fire” by scientists worldwide. Whenever traveling to and from California I cross that mother of all faults, the San Andreas, where discussions always gravitate towards…. while the article speaks to California it applies to anywhere along the ring of fire, and yes,…

Editors Note: A guest post from Anna Katrina from across the pond. Going camping soon? Avoid big and small discomforts and inconveniences and camp in safety. Here are the camping safety hacks you need to know. Sleeping under the stars after a day of adventure in the great outdoors can be wonderful, provided you’re not all itchy with mosquito bites or didn’t just have to put out the flames your tent flap caught from the windswept fire. A lot of little things can go wrong when you go camping, but that doesn’t mean you should stay at home. Anticipating some…

Editor’s Note: A timely guest contribution from Dennis as the weather and the mid year holidays see more and more of us getting off the grid for some decompression time.  Many backpackers want to take their dogs with them on backpacking or hiking trips so they too can enjoy the journey. Socialized dogs are an excellent companion anywhere, anytime. To go for backpacking with your dog you just need to train them, establish some rules and pack them accordingly. Also, before going make sure your trail is dog-friendly. Many times this is for the safety of the dog. Before you…

Editor’s Note: A contribution to The Prepper Journal from Peter Betts on a subject we haven’t posted about in awhile. An interesting take from a Prepper/survivalist in the Pacific Northwest, The Prepper Journal is a forum for different ideas. Have you gotten your Everyday carry (EDC) bag but not sure what items to include into it? Everyday carry items are stuff you constantly carry on your body, so you are always prepared for unexpected dangers. Sometimes, it could even be useful for solving daily problems like preventing you from ‘losing’ your phone charger. In this article, the focus would be geared…

We all love the great outdoors, and it’s a great way to spend time bonding with your family. If you go out hiking as a family, do your kids know what to do if they get separated from the group? What about other survival situations — would your little ones know how to stay alive until help arrives? Everyone should know some basic survival skills, regardless of their age. Here are some easy ways to teach your kids about survival skills. Teach your kids about survival, but be Stealthy about It This is the best tip we can probably offer…

Think about the difference in these two scenarios: Short Term Wilderness SurvivalLong Term Urban Survival What are you Preparing For? In the survival and prepping world there is a lot of confusion about what to prepare for. I don’t mean which major cataclysmic disaster, rather what, duration, and what areas to prepare for most. The tools, skills, and situations that one should prepare for in the wilderness can be very different from those you prepare for in an urban survival situation. For one thing, the human threat in a short-term wilderness survival situation is almost nonexistent. However, in a long…

A guest contribution from Ryan to The Prepper Journal. Seemed appropriate today as I am doing my taxes.  “Opportunity does not knock. It presents itself when you beat down the door.” In a disaster scenario involving the need to escape danger or quickly gain access to a locked room, contacting a locksmith is not going to be an option. In some situations, it may be necessary to compel opportunity to present itself. Incorrect technique here could prove costly. There are distinct methods for door breaching and lacking a clear understanding of them could be your downfall. Whether it’s a scenario…

Looking for the best scope for 30-06? Look no further as this is the last and only 30-06 scope guide you’ll ever have to read for an answer. A guest blog-post from Scopes Field to The Prepper Journal about the best scope for 30-06. If you haven’t, you better find the best scope for 30-06 soon. It’ll revolutionize your 30-06 rifle like smokeless powder revolutionized warfare. Back in the Napoleonic Wars, military commanders complained they couldn’t issue orders to their troops in the heat of battle. Why? Because nobody could see a thing when the war began. You see, when the…

Editor’s Note: A contribution to The Prepper Journal from the people at BuyerBenchmark.  Firearms are very much a part of life in the mid west and have personally been a huge inspiration to me since I could practically stand. With access to such an immense power comes the absolute requirement for safety. Throughout this article, I would like to share some of my experiences and research that goes into protecting your must precious possessions (your family) as well as preventing and deterring possible theft to your firearms with the use of gun safes. If you are interesting in other hunting,…

Editor’s Note: A guest post from Rodney to The Prepper Journal on a subject of interest to us all. The focus being on skills that can be bartered in exchange for things one needs. We have all seen a variety of apocalyptic movies where commerce is reduced to the old tried and true method of barter and in those scenes the exchange is always tense and fraught with danger. These images give the preppers mind something to ponder. If the paper and electronic currency we all use today becomes worthless when access to electronic money becomes limited or impossible or…

Editor’s Note: A guest contribution from Aden Tate to The Prepper Journal. It wasn’t that long ago that a field known as moral philosophy was studied in schools. Within this field, students would look at history as a whole in order to glean what lessons mankind could gather from ancestor’s past mistakes and successes, and then apply those lessons to their present lives. As a prepper, it makes sense then to spend a fair amount of time reading about disasters, tragedies, and wars in order to try to come to a conclusion of what works and what doesn’t during such…

One of the many things the Army has taught me is the importance of having an Observation post. These can be used for both recon and early warning for your base of operations. Both of those are vital for survival. Whether it be looking for hostile movement in your area or surveying the land around your base of operations, in my opinion, it is a necessity. It gives you the knowledge you need to safely move around your bug-out location or launch an assault on an enemy. There are many organizations that use observation posts. Undercover Police and federal agents…

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from Dakota Murphey on site security, something she has written about before in The Prepper Journal. Always interesting to see what others think about their security and options, Dakota resides in the United Kingdom and she supplied the feature picture so I had to find out if you can use deadly force on intruders in England. According to Quora  – “If someone trespasses on my property in the UK, do I have the right to shoot the intruder? There are very few jurisdictions on the planet where one can shoot somebody who is a trespasser. … However, in the UK, from what I understand, a…

Whether you live in a flood-prone place or there’s merely the possibility of a rising water line in your area, preparation is everything when it comes to flooding. Every household and workplace is different, but if you’re wondering about some common essential steps to take to help you prepare for a flood, here are five (5) good places to start. As the snow falls and the drifts get higher, we are all familiar with the approaching seasonal end-game – even Punxsutawney Phil has stated the “melt” is less than five (5) weeks away. While celebrated as a part of the…

Editor’s Note: A guest contribution to The Prepper Journal from Wendy Dessler. People who live in urban areas may never consider planting vegetables. The need for food that is grown without harmful chemicals is a priority, but you may need to get creative to achieve your goal. A patio or balcony garden may be just what you are looking for. Check your patio or balcony: Direction You need to note which way your patio is facing. If your patio is facing south, you will have limited shade, unless you choose to install an awning to shade your plants in the…

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from Scott Hamilton to The Prepper Journal. Great time of year to review the basics. If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share then enter into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies! The end of the world is nigh. OK, not really, but it never hurts to be prepared, right? The key to making it out alive in a survival situation is becoming self-sustainable. If everything hits the fan, you won’t be able…