Books and other old-fashioned paper publications, such as magazines and pamphlets, could be your most important survival tools. The reason these items are so important is that they contain the most vital survival tool of all—information. A good library of books and other resources could be the key to survival. The advantage to a paper library is obvious: Paper is not vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and power outages. Books are not going to shut down if the power grid collapses or an electromagnetic pulse disrupts the Internet and Wi-Fi. Sure, Kindles and iPads are
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A few years ago, tired of the cost and potential environmental hazards of commercial laundry soap, I started making my own detergent from washing soda, borax, and Fels-Naptha bars. It wasn’t long before I started wondering about making soap from scratch. I was a little intimidated by the prospect, remembering my grandmother’s harrowing accounts of making soap. I knew that homemade soap was made from lye, a potentially irritating, volatile substance, and animal fat. Still, I thought, why not give it a try? Making homemade soup is not as hard to make as you might
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The most important piece of survival equipment you can own is your house. If you’re serious about prepping, you will need to think of your house as a survival machine. That is, you should choose and equip a residence that is set up to maximize your family’s chances of survival. This doesn’t mean you need a fortress or a place with a bomb shelter in the basement. Instead, it means that you need a residence where you and your family can live for a long time without any outside help—or at least minimal outside help.
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When you think of emergency supplies, you probably think of the most critical preps like food and water.  And while these are certainly important, for extended emergencies, you’ll want more of creature comforts. If you can’t or don’t want to get personal care products from a drug store or other retailer, you’re not doomed to being dirty, smelly, and unkempt. You can easily create your own personal care products from simple ingredients in your kitchen. To add fragrance to your personal care products, you’ll want to use essential oils. While it is possible to distill
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One hundred years ago, children didn’t begin formal academic instruction until they were at least eight years old. Today, though, the prevailing thought seems to be, “Why wait? The earlier, the better.” Kindergarten programs have replaced blocks, pretend play, and art projects in favor of rigorous academics. Children are expected to start reading by the
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It happens all the time: those cute little chicks suddenly become little monsters, crowing all day (and night!) and picking fights with each other, the hens, and your feet. Keeping more than one rooster in your flock while maintaining the peace is possible, but it is not always the best idea for all flocks. Like
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Living off the grid is a independent, ethical living choice that we make in and out each day. While this is a fulfilling life choice, it can be difficult to get your kids enthusiastic about self reliant living at a young age. While your kids may love being outdoors, they may not be motivated to
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Simply surviving a catastrophe or collapse is not enough. You need to consider what happens after everything has fallen apart and starts coming back together again. You need to start considering how you will support yourself and your family if your job is no longer there and government benefits like food stamps or unemployment insurance disappear. Even if civilization doesn’t collapse, we all know that jobs, investments, benefits, savings, and businesses can vanish in the blink of an eye in today’s economy. Almost anybody can be left with no salary or no income at almost
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Your pantry is stocked with food and water, as well as seeds for a garden. You’ve got your bug-out bags packed and ready.  You have your protection taken care of.  You’ve got a way to keep warm or cool.  You have ample first aid supplies and personal care products. What more could you need if a situation arose that forced you to use all of your preps? Think about it. Whatever the situation, whether you are in your home with no power, on the road with streamlined preps, or out in nature braving the elements,
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One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is that every aspect of life is an opportunity for learning. Whether you have a tiny urban plot or a full-fledged homestead, a family vegetable garden perfectly fits the bill of learning through life. Planning The Garden The first step in preparing a vegetable garden, of course, is
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