Author: Matt Sevald

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. In the first installment of this series I wrote about the dangers to life and property one might face during disasters if one relies entirely upon the government to provide protection and relief. More to the point, I highlighted the folly of such reliance as small, regular preparations ahead of time would mitigate the lion’s share of any life disruption. Much like the grasshopper in Aesop’s fable, those who shirk personal responsibility during times of plenty often go running to their neighbors asking for, and even…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. Matt has created a unique mapping extension for Google Earth that as he explains below will allow preppers to search for their perfect future homestead site with information Matt has compiled on various threats. This is a powerful tool that Matt has graciously shared with the readers of the Prepper Journal first. It is free, powerfully informative and worth a look if you are interested in knowing the threats around you before moving to your future homestead. The concept of homesteading is a central tenet of my…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. I was taught all the values of saving money but it wasn’t exactly modeled for me. Consequently, I had to overcome some hurdles as I grew up learning to budget, and more importantly, to stick to it (I still trip from time to time). My wife and I are now teaching our children about the value of their dollars and I am proud to say they are more miserly than I at their age. When they ask for a toy or a special treat and we feel…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. Recently, Pat Henry wrote more thought-provoking articles concerning the motivations of preppers wishing for an aptly named “reset” event. He rightly addressed their desire for no one to be harmed as well as their desire to (re)discover more meaning in their lives, while not glossing over the harsh realities of life off the grid. As I’ve told him before, I have noticed a pattern of his articles specifically targeting thoughts bouncing around in my head so often I believe it is more by Design than it is…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the readers at The Prepper Journal. I trust you and yours are well and progressing each day. The holidays have blessed our house with good food, too many toys, and a welcome respite for myself between nursing school semesters. While I have whittled down a few chores on my honey-do list, I have found some time to attack the growing number of shows on the DVR that sit idly for viewing between getting home from work and passing out…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. There’s been a lot of conjecture, gossip, and rumor surrounding Ebola in our country lately. How much is true? Who’s “fault” is it? Can we trust the government? How can I avoid it? These are questions running through our nation’s minds and the answers are up to each of us to determine for ourselves. In the end, we are all responsible unto ourselves for our own survival. We know this intrinsically, and self-preservation is perhaps the largest motivating force behind Prepping. Even if the government with all…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. As Preppers, when we speak about the role of government in American society we normally refer to violations of the Tenth Amendment or over-regulation by local entities. In fact, most of what we talk about is what government isn’t supposed to be doing but is doing anyway. When the founding fathers chose to leave the day-to-day responsibility of living in the hands of the people themselves and their elected, local representatives they laid the foundation for the single most fundamental tenet of American self-governance: the responsibility of…

Editors Note: The following guest article has been generously contributed by Matt Sevald. Reading the article “Bartering With Your Soul” by Pat Henry really struck a nerve and got the gears turning for me the other night. I believe it is an inspired gift for Pat’s writing to have such an effect – in fact, his easy-to-understand beginner’s guide and level-headed approaches actually broke the camel’s back for me and got me acting on Prepping instead of just reading about it and feeling discontented with the way I believe the world is headed. I appreciate that about The Prepper Journal…

Editors Note: This post originated as a discussion in the comments on our blog from a relatively new reader, Matt in response to another reader. His comments were so interesting I asked him if he would be willing to expand his thoughts and experiences into an entire post and luckily for us Matt obliged. I believe his conversations with other people he worked with below are very illuminating and useful to anyone who is considering what choices they will be faced with and what life could be like if all hell breaks loose and society collapses. If nothing else, it…