Off The Grid Archives - Survivalist Prepper

SHTF Cooking Options for Preppers

When it comes to SHTF cooking options for preppers there are quite a few options available. On the other side of that coin, there are many options that won’t be available to us in an off the grid situation, and many precautions we will need to take.

As preppers we need to not only think about how we are going to cook our food in a SHTF situation, but how we are going to do it without ringing the dinner bell for the entire neighborhood. We don’t give this much thought these days because when a neighbor smells us grilling outside, they don’t come running over.

In any sort of disaster situation that could be different. In a smaller situation like a power outage, it could be the inconvenience of having to turn people away. In a larger situation turning those people away will create resentment and enemies. [Read more…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

Medicinal Plants for Preppers

. By Lisa 1 Comment

Lately we have been doing quite a bit of research on medicinal plants for preppers and herbal remedies. In the United States we have been taught to “pop a pill” when we feel sick or have an ailment, but there might come a time when this isn’t an option.

This could be an economic collapse, a personal SHTF situation or even something much bigger. In these cases, you may not be able to find or afford the medicine you or a family member needs in order to survive.

[Read more…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

How to Make a Cheap Homemade DIY Chicken Brooder

. By Dale 1 Comment

Every couple of years we add a few chickens to our flock, most of the time we just use a plastic storage bin as a brooder because we only get a couple of chickens. This time was a little different. This time we got 12 chickens and needed more room, so I needed a way to build a cheap homemade DIY chicken brooder that would stay warm, and be roomy enough as the chicks got bigger.

After doing some research I found I had 3 options. I could turn the bathtub into a temporary chicken brooder, I could spend a couple hundred dollars on a premade brooder, or I could just make one myself for less than $50.

Because I didn’t want to spend that much money on something I will rarely use, and because Lisa wanted no part of turning the bathroom into a brooder, I decided to just bite the bullet and build one.

Building Your Chicken Brooder

This brooder is 39″ X 20″ X 2’ tall, but you can take these directions and make a chicken brooder of any size that fits your needs.

First let’s start with the supplies you will need, and then we’ll get into how to put this together. I am going to link to these on eBay, but all of this is available at Home Depot as well. You might even have some of this laying around your house which will save you even more money.

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Project Difficulty: Easy [Read more…]

What Would It Take to Go Completely Off Grid?

. By Dale 2 Comments

We all love to think about what it would be like to not have to depend on public service companies, making the grocery store a convenience and not a necessity by growing our own food and living a more self-reliant life in general.

All this sounds great, but what would it take to go completely off grid? And how hard would it actually be?

The truth is, most of the real work goes on behind the scenes and never makes it to the internet. You won’t find many videos of people pulling weeds (unless you’re looking for it) and you won’t find many videos of people cleaning up after their animals…The dirty work. [Read more…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

Getting Started With Chickens and Supplies

. By Dale 1 Comment

Chickens are a wonderful addition to your prepping endeavor. They are easy to raise and will provide meat and eggs for your family. But how do you get started? It isn’t difficult, you just need to do a little planning, and then you will be ready to have your own flock of chickens!

Purchasing Chickens

Where do you buy chickens you may be wondering? If you are lucky enough to have a big box farm store like Murdoch’s, or The Big R you just need to wait until early spring. Around Easter every year, they will bring out the huge troughs filled with baby chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese to tempt you to buy them for your children’s Easter basket.

There is also the added benefit of being able to purchase feed and the supplies you will need in order to get your flock started easy. [Read more…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

The Best Bug Out Vehicle: From Feet to 4 Wheel Drive

. By Dale 1 Comment

Over the past few weeks we have been going over what it takes to successfully bug out. The first week we talked about bug out planning and communication, and last week we talked about bug out location, supplies and resources that need to be considered.

This week Lisa and I talked about bug out vehicles and why the best bug out vehicle doesn’t mean owning a $600,000 Unicat Expeditionary Vehicle. The best bug out vehicle doesn’t necessarily need to be bullet proof and able to plow through road blocks. In my opinion, if you need that, you waited too long to get out of dodge.

A good bug out vehicle need to be a few things…

Reliable enough to get you where you are going without breaking down.
Affordable enough that you don’t break the budget.
And capable of getting you, everyone with you and your supplies where you want to go.

[Read more…]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

How to Build a Super Simple Chicken Coop

. By Dale 4 Comments

If you are thinking about getting chickens or have chickens already you know (or will know) that buying a chicken coop is a large investment. In this article I will explain how to build a super simple chicken coop, but depending on your needs this might or might not be the best option for you.

When we decided to start raising chickens about 3 years ago we went the quick and easy route and decided to buy a premade chicken coop, and after I saw the prices of some of these chicken coops I basically purchased the cheapest chicken coop I could find. [Read more…]

How to Build a DIY Portable Solar Generator

. By Dale 16 Comments

In a recent podcast I did with Ken from the Prepper Podcast we talked about grid down scenarios and what we can do about them. Right after that podcast I decided to build my own DIY portable solar generator.

My plans are to build a solar generator that will run my well pump in a grid down event, and while this generator does not have the power to continually run it, I have set it up to be able to scale up fairly easily. [Read more…]

Keep Monsanto and GMO Out of Your Home

. By Dale Leave a Comment

Keep Monsanto and GMO Out of Your Home Even though it is virtually impossible to keep Monsanto and GMO (genetically modified organisms) out of you home there are some steps we can take. It might not be as convenient as ordering fast food or sticking a TV dinner in the microwave, but avoiding processed foods is a critical step to becoming more prepared that most people don’t give a second thought to.

We take every precaution we can to prepare for a disaster, we buy supplies, we store food and water, and we are constantly thinking about TEOTWAWKI events and how to prepare for them. But what if a SHTF event happened tomorrow? Are we going to be physically ready to handle the situation?

Because of processed foods and drinks, and because most of us pass by 5 different fast food restaurants on our way home it has become more convenient than ever to just get a quick bite to eat and trust that the hamburger we are eating is really a hamburger…they wouldn’t lie to us would they? [Read more…]

SPP089 Interview With Ken From the Prepper Podcast Part 1

. By Dale 1 Comment

This week Lisa had I had the pleasure of having Ken from the Prepper Podcast on with us to talk about different scenarios that could cause a grid down scenario. If any of you have listened to Ken you know that he is great about going into detail about different scenarios, this week is no different.

As a matter of fact we had so much to talk about that we didn’t even get to what steps we can take to prepare for the situation. Ken was great enough to offer to come back and talk about alternative energy options we can and should be working on now.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

Topics We Discussed…

Prepping should be something that makes us more confident, not scared.
What to expect from other people.
Causes of a grid down event such as natural disasters, coronal mass ejections and EMP’s
What to expect after the fact. A grid down event is just the beginning of the troubles to come.

Grid Down Cheat Sheet

Ken also put together a cheat sheet that you can download here that goes through possible causes, what you should be concerned about and how to prepare for a grid down event.

Coming Up…

In part 2 of our conversation we are going to go over some of the different way we can get the energy we need and do it in a way that does not put us in danger.

The Bug Out Bag Firstaid Kit

Click Here to Visit the SHTFshop.com

New to Prepping?

If you are just beginning your preparedness journey you will find this video very helpful. Along with this video we will be sending you some email’s over the next few weeks that will give you some tips and resources to make life a little easier. Click here to watch the video.

The Preparedness Myth…

The preparedness Myth video series will also help even if you have been doing this for a while. It will give you tips about saving money, organization as well as a few bonuses along the way. Click here to watch the video.

Leave Us A Review On iTunes:

Reviews are always appreciated and I will be reading the reviews on the show along with shout outs for sharing great comments and emails. Head over to iTunes and leave us a review and help us grow.