Featured Posts Archives - Survivalist Prepper

Preparing Your Home & Family With the Survival Mom

Some of the biggest challenges with preparedness don’t involve bug out bags or long term food storage, sometimes preparing your home and family can be a huge challenge. This week we we’re honored to have Lisa Bedford (The Survival Mom) on with us to talk about some of these challenges at home.

For the few of you who don’t know much about Lisa, she runs the website TheSurvivalMom, has published a few books on preparedness, and is all over the place on social media. Her website is a treasure trove of information for preppers, and covers a wide range of topics.

While her website is focused on the female prepping perspective, there is something for everyone at her website. She also has an archive of shows from the Survival Mom Radio Network which is not active at the moment, but could be revived in the future. [Read more…]

Long Term Preparedness With Sara Hathaway

. By Dale 1 Comment

A few times over the last couple of month’s we have talked about the future of prepping, and how things might look in the next few decades. While the basics of preparedness will always remain the same, how we do it, and what we prepare for may change.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you look back over the last 30 years our lives have become much easier, and we can be much more efficient with our time. We also have the ability to learn just about anything without even leaving our homes.

On the flip side of that coin we need to ask ourselves what is the cost of this advancement, and what will society look like here in the United States in the next 20 or 30 years? [Read more…]

Prepping Medical Myths Part 2

. By Dale 1 Comment

This week Lisa and I have Kevin back on to finish off our list of 16 prepping medical myths. Last week in part 1 of this 2 part podcast we went over myths about dead bodies, suturing, and some snake bite myths.

As I mentioned last week, there is a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s our responsibility to figure out what is correct, and what is misleading. A survival situation is no place to find out the person in that video you watched was full of crap.

SPP261 Prepping Medical Myths Part 2

People Fainting: in the show Lisa and Kevin talked about how to treat someone who has fainted. Lisa talked about the Trendelenburg position which is basically elevating the feet, and Kevin talked about laying someone on their left side may be effective.

Cough When Having Heart Attack: I personally have never heard this myth, but the thought behind it is that is that is sort of “kick starts” the heart for lack of a better term. Always look for the signs of a heart attack, and know what to do.

Drinking Your Own Pee: This is a myth made popular by some of the survival shows on TV. The truth is, if you find yourself in the situation where this becomes an option, you are in dire straights. Drinking your own pee does nothing for hydration, and there is a reason your body is getting rid of it.

Tampons For Bullet Wounds: this is one that I see all over the place, and while some people are bound to disagree, it’s not a good idea. Read this thread on the SurvivalistBoards which explains why.

Be Cautious of Facebook Posts: This may very well go without saying, but I see it all the time, and I know you have too. People on social media post things they have no idea about. If they see something that “looks like it would work” they hit share button.

Something in Mouth For Seizure: A popular myth about seizures is someone can choke on their tongue. Not only is this untrue, it’s a good way to lose a finger. Your main concern should be protect their head from being injured.

Poke the Finger for Stroke Victim: This seems like old school blood letting to me, but the theory behind this is reducing the blood pressure. The problem with this is that you are wasting valuable time, and it is completely ineffective.

Eating Snow for Hydration: This one isn’t so much a myth as a misconception. Eating snow can cause small cuts and lacerations in the mouth, and also decrease your core body temperature. While it’s a good idea to melt the snow if you can, the pro’s far outweigh the cons in a survival situation.

Lean Head Back to Stop a Nose Bleed: Because I was taught this as a child, it’s almost instinctual to tilt my head back when I get a nose bleed. A more effective method is to apply pressure just below the nose and above the top lip. This puts pressure on the part of your nose that’s bleeding and can make the blood stop flowing.

Medical Prepping Myths Part 1

. By Dale Leave a Comment

People who didn’t live through the 80’s and 90’s probably look back and say “how did they ever survive”. Kids drank from garden hoses, we played cowboys and Indians, and when you needed to learn about something, you went to what was called a library and read a book.

These days because of YouTube University and Social Media you can “learn” just about anything. While it’s great that the answer to almost any question is right at our finger tips (don’t believe me? Google it) it’s our responsibility to make sure we are getting the correct answer.

In the 90’s “going viral” meant something totally different than it does today. Today anything can go viral on social media, and how true it is becomes an afterthought. As the saying often attributed to Nazi Joseph Goebbels goes “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”.

While Goebbels was talking about propaganda, the same holds true on a smaller level when people are passing on information that they just learned. It’s much easier to hit the share button and move on, than it is to do a little research on that topic. [Read more…]

Getting the Family Onboard with Prepping

. By Dale Leave a Comment

At times it can be difficult to explain to your children of family members how important prepping and being prepared is. With the world the way it is today, and all the different potentially catastrophic scenarios we face, we know we can’t afford to sit around with our fingers crossed, but how do we convey that to our loved ones? How do you explain the importance of a situation to someone, so they understand it?

Have you ever gotten that condescending stare from your children when you try to explain why you have so much food and water stored? I have. Sometimes the looks you get from teenagers can drive you nuts because it feels like you are talking to a brick wall, or you get “the blank stare” which basically means they are only listening to you because they must, and they’re probably not listening at all.

The principals of getting someone’s buy in do not just apply to family and prepping, these principles can be applied in business or your personal life as well. It’s important to remember that not everyone thinks the same way we do, and we need to take that into account while speaking to them.

Basically, we need to take a look at ourselves and “teach ourselves” before we can effectively teach our loved ones to become more involved in prepping and preparing for their future. We need to try and understand “why we do what we do.” Why we get so frustrated when they don’t see things the way we see them, something that concerns us like our governments over spending might not be a concern for them. [Read more…]

Is There a “Right” Way to Be a Prepper?

. By Dale 3 Comments

As preppers, some of us have an uneasy feeling from time to time about how prepared we are, compared to how prepared we need to be. To me this seems completely natural, especially when you consider how things change daily, and how some of these disaster scenarios increase or decrease on our threat radar.

This leads to the age-old question “Is there really a right way to be prepared?” If you don’t have a years’ worth of food stored, if you don’t have a bug out location, or if you don’t have 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 20 guns, should you just give up?

We all hear stories about hardcore preppers online and on TV. Those people that seem to have everything figured out and are working on their next big prepping venture. There are even those that seem to have more money than sense and own fully stocked “luxury” doomsday bunkers just because they can.

While we should all strive to be as “hard core” as we can, it just isn’t possible for most people. That is to say, it isn’t possible short term. Most of us would love to buy a house in the middle of nowhere, with a complete “off the grid” setup, but that usually takes years’ worth of planning and saving.

Another problem with living in a rural area is driving to work. Companies tend to be in urban or suburban areas. Driving 2 hours to work each day would not only be a major hassle, it would be expensive. It also means that for 4 hours a day you on the roads and putting yourself at risk.

For some of us, becoming better prepared is a long process, and a series of small steps in the right direction. Just because we aren’t that “hardcore” prepper right now doesn’t mean we should just give up and stop prepping. Prepping should be a lifestyle choice, and an ongoing process. [Read more…]

Cyber Security for Preppers

. By Dale 1 Comment

With technology advancing on a seemingly daily basis, and with everything being connected to everything, cyber security for preppers is becoming increasingly important. With governments and companies gathering your data, and tracking every move you make, and hackers trying to take every dime you have, protecting ourselves is a full time job.

Last week we talked about how the future of prepping is changing. Technology, artificial intelligence and automation are a major part of that. The problem with how quickly we are advancing with technology, is that security is always one step behind innovation. [Read more…]

Artificial Intelligence, Family Values & Propaganda

. By Dale Leave a Comment

As things seem to get worse around the globe and right here at home, our urgency to be better prepared escalates daily. With social, economic, and political divides, with world conflicts, and with our national debt, it seems that something is going to give.

Let’s imagine for a second that nothing major happens in the next 20 to 50 years. What does the future hold for the U.S. and the rest of the world? How will A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) affect our lives, and where is the changing culture of the United States heading?

The Face of Preparedness is Changing

As they say “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. When push comes to shove, the basics of preparedness and survival remain the same, how we get to that point could be different in the future. While technology is great, it also opens us up to new types of threats.

We are becoming more and more dependent on technology and automation as the days go by, and this is both a good and a bad thing. Life is much easier than it was 20 or 30 years ago, but at what cost? [Read more…]

Surviving One Year in Hell: Interview With Selco of SHTFSchool

. By Dale Leave a Comment

Those of you who know about Selco of SHTFSchool already know this is a must listen to episode. For those of you who don’t, you are in for a treat. We all do our best to think about all the different aspects of preparing for a large scale SHTF event, and hearing from someone who has actually been through it can help us do that.

Imagine for a second that our country is in deep financial and political crisis, and several states are contemplating seceding from the union. Because of this, the national government decides to cut off all supply lines, electricity, and critical infrastructure until your state comes to it’s senses.

You may be thinking that something like this happening here in the United States is highly unlikely, but something very similar to this scenario happened a little over 150 years ago… It was called the Civil War. While a “Civil War” in the typical sense is highly unlikely, there are many scenarios that would have the same consequences.

This is basically what happened during the Balkan Wars in communist Yugoslavia, which emerged shortly after the end of World War II, was made up of six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The town where Selco lived was held under siege for over a year in what he calls “One Year in Hell”. [Read more…]

Interview With Jonathan Hollerman of Grid Down Consulting

. By Dale Leave a Comment

This week of the Survivalist Prepper Podcast I was honored to have Jonathan Hollerman on to talk about his books, what Grid Down Consulting is, and his thoughts on a number of situations we might face in a SHTF scenario.

During the interview we went over quite a bit about what Jonathan does and why, but he has a fantastic website, and I highly suggest you check it out. Even if you are not interested in his consulting work, Jonathan offers much more than that.

Grid Down Consulting: A big part of what Jonathan does is his Survival Retreat Consulting where he helps people with their existing survival retreat, or even people starting from scratch. This is not for everyone, but if it is something you are interested in, Jonathan really knows his stuff.

Fiction and Nonfiction Books: Jonathan has a number of books already published, and is working on more. He has his EMP series (Equipping Modern Patriots) and also his nonfiction book “Survival Theory” which is a preparedness guide.

Bug Out DVD’s: Jonathan also has a 2 hour DVD called “Survival Bug Out” where he goes through secrets of the bug out bag, what to take and what to leave, and how to minimize your visibility along the way.

SERE Training: Before I talked to Jonathan, I thought I knew what a S.E.R.E. Specialist was, but I honestly had no idea. He has a video on his biography page that shows just how difficult this training is. We can all sit and think about what a SHTF event would be like, but S.E.R.E. training looks like SHTF training that most of us just couldn’t do… and hopefully we never need to. [Read more…]

Preparing Your Home & Family With the Survival Mom

Long Term Preparedness With Sara Hathaway

Prepping Medical Myths Part 2

SPP261 Prepping Medical Myths Part 2

Medical Prepping Myths Part 1

Getting the Family Onboard with Prepping

Is There a “Right” Way to Be a Prepper?

Cyber Security for Preppers

Artificial Intelligence, Family Values & Propaganda

The Face of Preparedness is Changing

Surviving One Year in Hell: Interview With Selco of SHTFSchool

Interview With Jonathan Hollerman of Grid Down Consulting

The Prepper Website

Survivalist Prepper on YouTube

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