Archive for 2012

Free Download: LDS Preparedness Manual (version 8)

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

LDSAvow.com has recently released its latest version of their fantastic book “The LDS Preparedness Manual” (now in it’s 8th version!).

Quite simply, it’s a collection of fantastic preparedness related articles covering most prepping subjects such as:

  • food storage
  • communication
  • emergency evacuation
  • heating, cooking, and lighting
  • clothing and shelter
  • defense
  • and much more…

I figured I’d send this link out as a belated Christmas present for you guys. It’s a fantastic read and highly recommended!

You can download it for free here:

LDS Preparedness Manual v.8

UPDATE: Try the above link first, but if it’s not working for you, you can download it here as well:

LDS Preparedness Manual (From TI site)

Clothes Washing in a Grid-Down World

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012

If we are ever forced to live through an extended grid-down situation, I think many of us would realize how much we rely/depend upon our “common” appliances like our washing machines.

For that reason, having an off-grid secondary option will really make living a whole lot easier if things do go south.

With that in mind, I wanted to share with you how you can make your own effective off-grid “washing machine” using easy-to-obtain items:

What You’ll Need

  • Two 5-gallon buckets with one lid
  • Toilet plunger (make sure it’s a newly purchased one)
  • Liquid detergent (optional: stain stick)
  • Vinegar
  • Rope or clothesline
  • Clothes pins

How to Make an Off-Grid Clothes Washing Kit

Step 1: Drill a hole in the middle of the lid just big enough for the plunger handle to fit through.

Step 2: Place the following items in one of the buckets:

  • Liquid laundry detergent
  • Plunger
  • Stain remover/stain stick
  • Vinegar (1/2 cup added to rinse water helps to remove soap)
  • Rope or clothesline
  • Clothes pins

Step 3: Put bucket with items in it into other bucket and place lid (with holes) on top of buckets (feeding the plunger handle through it).

Step 4: Store away for a time you need it.

How to Use Your Off-Grid Clothes Washing Kit

To use your kit, simply perform the following steps:

  1. Take out the items in the bucket
  2. Fill both buckets 1/2 to 3/4 full with water — enough to completely cover your clothes
  3. Put a small amount of detergent in one bucket (this will be your washing bucket)
  4. Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the other bucket (this is your rinsing bucket). Vinegar helps to remove the soap from the clothes
  5. Place clothes in the washing bucket, cap the bucket after feeding the plunger handle through the lid’s pre-drilled hole
  6. Move the plunger up and down for a few minutes until your clothes are clean
  7. Pull out clean clothes and wring them out
  8. Place soapy clothes in the rinse bucket and use the plunger as you did when you washed the clothes
  9. Wring rinsed clothes out again and hang them up to dry
  10. Repeat with another load of laundry until water becomes too dirty.

NOTE: You can get away with doing the above steps with only one 5-gallon bucket if you wish. The only difference is in-between washing and rinsing you’ll need to empty the water.
  

Building a Debris Hut

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

If you were ever forced to bug out and survive in the middle of winter, knowing how to stay warm and dry in chilling rain or subfreezing temps is a must.

And what if you had to do that without bedding, fire, or a blanket. Would you still be able to stay warm and dry?

Since my brother was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday we decided to see how one of my favorite survival shelters — a debris hut — would fare on an overnight in some cold weather.

The evening we did the test was going to be in the low 20s (Fahrenheit) so it was a great night to test the shelter out: Will a debris hut keep me warm on subfreezing temps without the need of a fire or sleeping bag?

My results are at the end of this post.

But first, a little more about the debris hut and how you can build your own…

Debris Hut History

The basic purpose of a debris hut is to provide a cocoon of insulation and warmth — much like a sleeping bag.

I actually learned this shelter from its inventor, Tom Brown Jr. in one of his survival classes years ago and since that time I’ve had the opportunity to test it on multiple occasions in the Spring, Summer and Fall — comfortably sleeping without the need of a sleeping bag or a fire to stay warm and dry.

However, I’ve never tried this out in colder temps below freezing. So this cold-weather test is a long time coming for me.

The great advantage of this shelter over, say, a lean-to or other shelter is if built right, it doesn’t require you to have a sleeping bag, blanket, or a fire. It is built to be entirely self-sufficient as an insulator and shelter from the elements.

If you live in the Northeast like I do, or another area with lots of debris/woods, this shelter is an excellent one to have in your mental toolkit.

How to Build a Debris Hut

Building a debris hut is actually a fairly simple process. If you live in an area with woods and debris then you’ll have everything you need to build one of these shelters. The key is, you should be able to find all your materials off of the ground.

In other words you want dead materials.

You don’t want to start cutting down perfectly live trees for this not to mention that being a waste of energy.

Here’s the process:

Step 1: Find an area with lots of debris. As I mentioned before, this shelter is ideal for an area that naturally has a bunch of debris and woods. While this can be built in less than ideal locations, it will be well…less than ideal and take longer to build. Leaves, long grasses, pine-needles, and so on are all excellent for use with this type of shelter.



You’ll even find a good amount of debris under a thin layer of snow:


Step 2: Find a ridge pole almost twice as long as you are high. The straighter the better, however even a crooked one like this will be effective.


Step 3: Prop up the ridge pole. Using two “Y” shaped sticks, the next step is prop up the ridge pole so it sits about crotch height. Be sure you use sturdy sticks (at minimum the size of your wrist) that aren’t brittle or rotting.



It helps to lie under the ridge pole to make sure that there is a descent amount of head and shoulder room to move a little bit at night.



Step 4: Build the framework - Next, using sticks anywhere from two-finger to wrist thickness, create “ribbing” perpendicular along the entire length of the ridge pole.



Step 5: Add “stick debris” to the structure - In this step you want to gather a bunch of stick debris and place it all over the structure.



Step 6: Place debris over the shelter - Gather a whole bunch of debris like leaves, pine needles, long grass etc and pile it on top of and in the shelter.


Step 7: Create a thick bedding - After filling the cavity with debris, climb into the shelter and flatten out the debris on the shelter floor. Repeat this at least 3 times to make a thick comfortable, insulative bedding.


Step 8: Plug up the shelter - When you’re ready to retire for the night, pull in a bunch of leaves with you into the shelter, surrounding yourself with leaves (if it’s really cold) and plugging the entrance — effectively creating a cocoon of leaves.


My Test Results and Observations

Was I able to get through the night without a sleeping bag in 20 degree weather?

Partly.

I actually made it most of the night without the need for anything extra. I hit the sack around 9PM and slept soundly until around 3am. I must have moved too much during the night because the leaves I had on top of me had eventually fallen off and so there was a gap of air above me that was starting chill me.

At that point I grabbed the sleeping bag and slept through the rest of the night.

Would I have been able to survive the night without the bag?

Yes. However it would’ve been uncomfortable.

The issue was I did not have enough leaves on top of the shelter to really contain and hold the heat radiating from my body. There were plenty of leaves below and beside me since my back, bottom and sides were nice and warm. Above me was the issue.

I’m going to try this shelter when we get some colder weather again (right now it’s pretty mild). For the next time though I’ll need to make sure I put twice as much leaves on top.

It’s important that the colder it is, the more debris you have over the shelter. Ideally, from the top of the ridge pole, you want at least one arm’s-length of debris covering it for these colder temps.

ITS Tactical Discreet Messenger Bag Gen2 Review

Sunday, December 9th, 2012

In a previous article I wrote about The Get-Home Bag and why having one with you when you’re out and about is a very important part of being prepared.

Besides the 5.11 PUSH Pack (the one I recommended as a Get-Home Bag in that article), I now have another bag that I would highly recommend and is the focus of my review for you today.

The bag is called the ITS Tactical Discreet Messenger Bag (Gen 2) and it’s designed and sold by the guys over at ITS Tactical.com.

I met the owner of ITS (Bryan Black) last year in Vegas at the SHOT Show and he’s a stand-up guy. I’ve been following his blog and work for a while now and they have a great community and some fantastic resources over there so be sure to check them out (Note: I was not paid or given the bag or compensated in any way for this review).

ITS Discreet Messenger Bag Gen 2 Review

First Impressions

My first impression of the bag was the obvious quality. Entirely hand made in the USA from 1000D Cordura, this bag seems like it will take a beating (and then some) and still be around for years to come.

In keeping with its name (ie “Discreet”), from outward appearance it really doesn’t display any overly “tactical” features. There’s no MOLLE webbing, camouflage, paracord or Velcro and looks like your standard messenger or laptop bag. However, when we take a look under the hood, you’ll see that it has a bunch of great features for you tactical junkies out there looking for a great way to carry your gear discreetly.




The dimensions of the bag are 15″ long x 5.5″ deep x 12″ tall and it’s available in black, coyote brown and foliage (the coyote brown version is featured in this review).

Looking under the hood

Here are some of the main features of the bag:

Bottle holders

On either side of the bag are bottle holders large enough to fit a standard Nalgene bottle. Also included with each pocket is a removable strap secured by Velcro that will help to retain your bottle if things start to bounce around.


External Velcro field w/ discreet cover

On the outside panel you can peel away a cover revealing a 4″ Velcro field for you to attach unit/team/group patches, reflecting patches etc.


Abrasion-resistant lined bottom

On the bottom of the pack you’ll find a rubbery material (called SlipNOT) that is highly abrasion resistant. Also, there’s a removable weave of elastic shock cord which is great for holding your jacket, gloves or other extra clothing.


Two interior “drawbridge” style pockets

Opening the bag’s flap reveals two paracord drawbridge pockets (7.5″ wide x 9.5″ tall) that contain two elastic-retention magazine pouches and a large rear pocket.




These are large enough to fit 4 AK mags or 8 AR/M4 standard mags or Magpul Pmags. They also can fit multiple handgun mags as well as a host of other gear.


Map pocket

On the inside of the outer flap you’ll find a 14″ x 12″ zippered marine-grade vinyl map pocket — perfect for getting home by foot if the occasion ever arose.


Multiple interior pockets

In the main section of the bag you’ll find three inner pockets: a central pocket for your larger gear, a padded laptop pocket that will fit most 15″ laptops, and a deep-looped velcro lined and HDPE-reinforced concealed pocket.



The small macbook fit without issue in the laptop pouch but my 15.5″ Toshiba only fit in the main area:



The concealed pocket is perfect for a velcro holster (also available through ITS) and pistol.


Top lid zipper access

One feature that I really like with this bag is that the concealed pocket is easily accessible through the top lid via a zippered access. It allows for quick (relative) and discreet drawing of a pistol.



Retaining strap

Another feature which I really liked with 5.11′s Push Pack which this bag also has is a retaining strap that you can secure around your waist so the bag doesn’t bounce around if you’re on the run — perfect for catching a train or running from zombies.


Secret hidden pocket

What you’ll also find built into this bag is a secret compartment/pocket. They actually did a great job at making this compartment invisible to even prying eyes. Since it’s to our advantage that people don’t know where this is (sorry guys) you’ll have to purchase the bag to get that info.


Recommendations

Overall I really love this bag. There are however a few things which I would improve or change:

Comfort

Although the bag has a fairly wide (2″) shoulder strap, if there’s a lot of gear in it with a fair amount of weight it can still get quite uncomfortable after lugging it around for some time. I think having a padded section of the strap would remedy this.

Webbing retention bands

On some of the webbing/straps (most notably the waist strap), once you adjust it down to your waist there will be a good amount of it that just hangs and flops around. This can get annoying so it helps to use something to secure it (like electrical tape as seen in the third picture of this article). It would be better to have something like a two-inch wide elastic webbing that is part of the strap that you can tuck this extra slack under/in.

Discreet MOLLE webbing

One final thing that I think would be pretty cool is instead of having only that 4″ Velcro field under the cover (see above) is to have some MOLLE webbing hidden under there as well (integrated with the Velcro). This would allow you to hang some of your MOLLE compatible accessories on the outside of the bag if you so wish.

I do get that this would nullify the whole “discreetness” thing, but if you’re taking that panel off anyways for team/unit patches you’re not necessarily looking for discreetness so why not have some MOLLE available as well?

Final Thoughts

I love that the bag is entirely hand made in the USA.

Over the past few years I’ve seen a resurgence in excellent workmanship and products coming from small US-based companies like ITS Tactical. Back in my grandfather’s day, being made in the USA carried with it pride and excellent quality. When the big corporations took over and it was all about volume I think we as a country lost something. It’s nice to see these up-and-coming US-based companies bringing quality back. This bag (and other products ITS offers) are no exception.

If you’re interested in purchasing a bag for yourself you can find it over at ITS Tactical.

Putting Together your Winter Emergency Car Kit

Monday, November 26th, 2012

Between commuting to and from work, running errands, and schlepping the kids around to various activities, the average American spends over 200 hours a year in their cars.

This is more time on the road than we spend in vacation time in a year!

With all that time in your vehicle, the chances of you being stranded in your car due to a breakdown or inclement weather at least once in your lifetime is more likely than not. For that reason it’s an absolute must to have a Emergency Kit for you vehicle.

And with winter now fast approaching, having an emergency kit in your car is doubly important!

How to Put Together Your Winter Emergency Car Kit

What you decide to put into your car kit is really based on your needs, skill and desired comfort. In this post I’ll show you what I put in my kit but in doing so I’ll explain the core principles that you should follow. Ultimately, how you decide to fulfill those principles is up to you.

Throughout every season, I have two kits at all times in my car:

  • a core emergency-car kit and …
  • a watered down version of my Bug-Out Bag (BOB) — it’s more like a Get-Home Bag

When winter rolls around I add some extra gear that would help me through the rougher weather if I were to become stranded.

Following the 5-Pillars of Survival (+ Tools) Approach to Building Your Vehicle Kit



For all my emergency kits (vehicle kit, Bug-Out Bag, Get-Home Bag etc) I organize them according to 5 principles of survival that I call the “5 Pillars”. Once I have all the pillars accounted for I then add extra “tools” that help make survival a whole lot easier.

Here are the contents of my emergency-car kit organized according to these “Pillars” (items with an ** are what I add for the winter season):


Personal Health & Security

Items in this category consist of anything that helps with keeping you safe, secure and healthy. Here’s what’s in my car kit:

  • small club – In addition to my carry pistol, I keep a small club near my seat as backup (this is actually not “with” my kit in the trunk for obvious reasons)
  • first-aid kit


Shelter

The shelter portion of your emergency car kit should contain all those things that help to protect you from the elements and keep your body at a steady 96.8°F. Here’s what I include:

  • **extra winter clothes (snow pants, gloves, hat, heavy wool sweater and winter jacket)
  • **winter boots
  • **sub-zero rated sleeping bag
  • 2 mylar emergency blankets (in the small BOB)
  • tarp tent (in the small BOB)


Water

The water component contains all those things that help to store, filter, collect, and purify water. It also includes, well, of course…water.

  • 1 gallon water jug
  • 2 quart bottles of water (in small BOB)
  • water purification tablets (in small BOB)
  • collapsible water containers (in small BOB)
  • small water filter (in small BOB)


Heat and Energy

This category contains all those items that you need to create fire, light and energy (including fuel). Here’s what I have:

  • matches (in small BOB)
  • firesteel (in small BOB)
  • flashlight (in small BOB)
  • road flares
  • portable 12V jump starter
  • extra batteries (in small BOB)
  • 1 gallon of gas – beyond keeping my tank always above 1/2, I pack a gallon of fuel just in case. This is rotated every few fillups
  • emergency car heater
  • extra 90% rubbing alcohol for the emergency car heater


Food

The food category includes food itself as well as items that might help you procure food. Here’s what I include:

  • Emergency food bars (in small BOB)
  • Ruger 10/22 rifle with 1000 rds .22LR ammunition


Tools

Once the 5 Pillars are met, you’ll also want to include some extras that help you beyond “just surviving”. This makes up the brunt of what I have. Here’s what’s in my “Tools” category:

  • tool kit – for basic auto repairs
  • duct tape
  • hand axe
  • folding saw (in small BOB)
  • windshield washer fluid
  • antifreeze/coolant
  • 1 quart of oil & funnel
  • Fix-a-Flat
  • tire repair kit
  • **small snow shovel
  • **snow shoes – hey, you never know when you have to trek it home in a blizzard
  • **traction skids – you can also use two pieces of carpet, kitty-litter, or sand
  • **ice/snow scraper
  • jumper cables

A closer look

Here’s a detailed look at my car kit:


I keep my core car kit in a storage container for easy access:


Here’s what my kit looks like year-round in the trunk — plenty of space for extra things


When winter rolls around, I unfortunately have to sacrifice space for security. This is a trade-off I’m always willing to make:


How to Make Homemade Deodorant

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

If we are ever faced with a TEOTWAWKI type situation, given that most people are far from prepared with hygienic items like deodorant — let alone food — the world is going to literally become a stinky place (you ever been in a packed bus in a third-world country? Not fun I tell ya, not fun).

Well, by storing a few extra items as part of your preps you’ll become the go-to guy (or gal) for those looking to manage their underarm issues.

Heck, I’m sure you’ll even get some sweet barter deals out of it, “Hey man, how bout we trade my ammo for your homemade deodorant? My wife won’t let me back in the house unless I fix this problem”.

How to Make Homemade Deodorant

What you’ll need

  • 6-8 Tbsp Coconut Oil (solid state)
  • 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Cup Corn Starch

Step-By-Step: Making your Homemade Deodorant

Step 1: Throw the coconut oil, baking soda, and corn starch in a bowl.


Step 2: Mix the ingredients together with a fork (this step is a lot easier if you warm up the “oil” until it becomes soft and mixes easily).


Step 3: Place your finished product in a jar for storage.


Putting Your Homemade Deodorant to Use

Since coconut oil begins to melt above 75°F, if you live in a warmer climate (or it’s Summer), it’s best to store it in a cooler area (like your fridge). If you have no choice but to keep it in an area above 75°F, you can still use it without issue — it’s just a bit more messy.

To use, simply dip a couple of finger tips into the homemade deodorant and apply to your underarms.

Some Observations

After using this, I have to say it’s quite effective both as an antiperspirant and deodorant.

The antiperspirant properties seem to come from the corn starch and the deodorant properties come from the baking soda and coconut oil (coconut oil is a natural antibacterial).

I’m a guy who sweats pretty easily and if I forget to use deodorant when I’m exercising or playing sports, well…let’s just say I feel bad for anyone having to block my jumpshot. But after using this I stay pretty dry and best of all, still smell great.

What I do notice with this is that it needs to be applied more often than you commercial variety (at least with me). If I have a very active day I’ll need to apply it more than just in the morning.

Resources

  • PassionateHomemaking.com – I learned this great recipe from Lindsay over at PassionateHomemaking.com. She’s got some fantastic article so be sure to check them out.
  • Asonomagarden.wordpress.com – Here’s another recipe for homemade deodorant if you don’t want to use coconut oil (I haven’t tried this one).

Farewell Ron Paul, You’ll Be Missed

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

Today Ron Paul gave his farewell speech setting the stage for the upcoming conclusion to his 36-year career in Congress.

In my opinion Ron Paul was not a politician. He was a statesman.

Since the start of his career in the ’70s Paul has been preaching the same message which is the basic truth upon which our nation was founded: The truth that all men are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness.

We have fallen far from those ideals and unless we elect more leaders like Paul I’m afraid we are going to lose whatever liberties we still have.

America needs Statesmen like Paul. Not more “men of the state”.

Mr. Paul, you’ll be sorely missed.

Wild Edibles: How to Identify and Eat Field Garlic

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

Disclaimer: Eating certain wild plants can be deadly!!

Be certain to consult a professional (or a really good field guide) in order to positively identify this plant before trying this for yourself. The owners of this site will not be held responsible for any lapses in judgment or stupidity when handling or consuming wild plants.

Field Garlic (Allium vineale) is a plant that I smelled long before I actually identified and used. I remember as a young boy cutting my the grass and smelling the distinct odor of onions (or what I though was onion) and wondering where it came from. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered it was in many cases field garlic (some were actually wild onion as well).

How to Identify Field Garlic

The first step before eating any wild edible is to positively identify it. Since Field Garlic has some poisonous look-a-likes (most notably Star of Bethlehem), it’s very important you learn to positively identify this plant before attempting to consume it.

When you first start successfully identifying this plant you’ll begin to notice how often you mistook it for grass — and then you’ll begin noticing it everywhere. Here are some key features to look for in order to positively identify Field Garlic:

Long, narrow leaves growing in bunches: Since the leaves emerge from layered, underground bulbs, you’ll usually see the leaves in bunches. They average around 1 to 3 feet tall.
Hollow leaves: From a distance it may look like grass but upon close inspection when torn you’ll notice that the leaves are hollow and tube-like similar to chives.
Underground bulbs: When you dig around the base and pull up the plant you’ll see it attached to a bulb (this picture shows multiple plants and bulbs).
Umbrella-like flower clusters: In late spring and summer you can find the purplish flower-heads containing clusters of tiny six-petaled flowers.
Smells “onion-like” when bruised or broken: This is the best way to distinguish the Alliums from its poisonous look-a-likes. If there’s no smell or doesn’t smell like onion IT’S NOT AN ALLIUM!!

Where to Find Field Garlic

You can find Field Garlic on lawns, in backyards, on disturbed soil, and in open woods throughout its range.

Here’s the range map indicating where Field Garlic has officially been found:

How to Eat Field Garlic

There’s really no special preparation for Field Garlic other than cleaning the bulbs/leaves and peeling the papery sheath of the bulb as you would any onion or garlic for that matter:

After cleaning, you can use Field Garlic’s bulbs in any recipe that calls for garlic or onion and the leaves can be chopped like and used in the place of chives.

I like adding both chopped bulbs and leaves to an omelet with chopped bacon — yummm :)

Prepper Academy is Now LIVE!

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Just wanted to let you all know that Prepper Academy is now open.

Thanks again for all your interest and support! It’s much appreciated.

You can sign up at this link: Prepper Academy

A Sneak Peak into Prepper Academy

Monday, October 15th, 2012

For those who have read the last post, I shared with you all how and why I got into prepping. Many of you also shared your own personal stories.

Thanks so much!

At the end of that article I mentioned how I’ve been working on developing a resource that will be very helpful to the prepper community — especially for those who are struggling with knowing how and where to begin.

This resource is a members-only community that I call Prepper Academy and I’m excited to finally tell you what it’s all about:

Prepper Academy is THE online “university” for preppers of ALL levels.

Prepper Academy is an online resource that helps you get prepared. The central focus of the academy is a set of guided courses that are designed to take you step by step from being utterly unprepared to the ultimate goal of self-reliance — accommodating even the most modest of budgets.

Prepper Academy is broken up into five modules with multiple courses per module. Each month you’ll receive new courses that guide you through the various modules bringing you closer to the goal of personal freedom and independence.

As you move through the various modules your ability to effectively survive a wide variety of disasters will increase as shown in the following graphic:


Here’s an example of what you’ll learn in Module 100:


MODULE 100: The Prepper’s Foundation

What you’ll learn:

Course 101: Building a Bugout Binder


After completing this course, you will have created a highly-customized emergency binder that is designed to be quickly taken with you if you were forced to evacuate your home. By having this binder, you will…

  • Have peace of mind knowing that you have all the vital documents you would need to rebuild your life in case your home were destroyed
  • Have a solid bug-out plan in place telling you what to do, when to leave, where to go, and how to get there, and…
  • Be way ahead of the mad rush of people exiting your area by knowing the “pre-cursor signals” that tell you it’s time to leave.

Course 102: Building your Disaster Kits


After completing this course, you will have a set of disaster kits which are custom designed for a variety of emergency situations. You’ll learn…

  • How to build a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) that will help you survive your journey from ground zero to a safe area.
  • How to put together an Emergency Car Kit that will keep you warm, safe and comfortable until help arrives or you can get on the road again.
  • What a Get-Home Bag (GHB) is, how to put one together, and why it’s crucial to carry one whenever you’re away from home.
  • How to build a proper Emergency Medical/Trauma Kit
  • The importance of Every-Day Carry (EDC) kits and what should be in yours.
  • The different types of Specialty Kits there are and which ones are essential for you and your household.

Course 103: Battening Down the Hatches (Sheltering-in-Place)


Before disaster strikes your home, it’s absolutely essential that you know how to prepare ahead of time. and what to stock up on is of primary importance. But that is only half the story, knowing how to deal with emergencies during and after the emergency are just as important. In this course you will…

  • Have peace of mind knowing that in a minor crisis you will never have to join the flocks of people rushing to the stores before the shelves clear
  • Have enough supplies to ride out a minor crisis that would affect your power, water, and food supply.
  • Learn what types of fuel you should have on hand and how to store it
  • Learn how best to purify and store water…even if you live in a small apartment
  • Overcome disaster paralysis by learning what to do to prepare your home BEFORE a disaster strikes
  • Determine the most likely disasters to affect you and how you can prepare for them

Course 104: Cooking Off-Grid


Knowing how to cook during an extended power outage is crucial for comfort, morale, as well as avoiding food-born illnesses. In this course you will…

  • Know the best off-grid cooking options available that work with big or small budgets
  • Discover which off-grid cooking methods are best fit for sheltering-in-place or bugging out
  • Know how to make your own off-grid cooking stoves with common every-day items
  • Learn how to use an often overlooked but highly effective primitive fire method that is easily built by a 4-year old, can be used in rain, snow or shine, and easily ignites with only one match

Course 105: Survival Sanitation in a Grid-Down World


Even during short-term grid-down situations, major sanitation issues and devastating health problems can erupt. Sanitation may not be as sexy a topic as firearms, bug-out bags, or fire making, but knowing how to keep clean and properly deal with waste and sewage during a grid-down situation is one of the most important pieces of knowledge to have as a modern prepper. In this course you will…

  • Learn a simple homemade cleaning solution using items already in your home that is powerful enough to kill Anthrax spores
  • Know how to deal with trash when the garbage man stops coming
  • Discover the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases
  • Learn how to properly and safely dispose of human manure – whether you’re in the city or the country.

And that’s just the first module!!

The remaining modules are also chock full of courses that will take you to that next level of preparedness:



MODULE 200: Building the Prepper-Mart: Your In-Home Convenience Store

In this module you’ll learn how to build a reserve that will get you through longer-term emergencies from a job loss to larger scale disasters lasting at least 3-months.

You’ll also learn how to preserve your own food to extend shelf life and for those with limited budgets, you’ll learn how to build up this reserve without breaking the bank.

Module 200 also gets you started on establishing your Survival Library. You’ll learn why it is crucial and what should be in yours.

Module 300: Going the Distance – Long-Term Food Storage and How to Use It

Module 300 is in many ways a continuation of the previous module, except this level is focused on long-term, bulk food storage. It will teach you exactly what to store, where to buy it, how to store it, and most importantly how to use it.

There are far too many preppers with buckets of long-term bulk food just sitting in their basements with no idea how to use them. A major portion of this module then is teaching you how to integrate them in your every-day life so that when the SHTF you and your family will already be accustomed to using and eating it.

Module 400: Securing What’s Yours

Module 400 is all about securing what you’ve worked so hard to build.

When tough times loom, social unrest and crime increases. It’s important during these times that you know how to secure your home and keep your family safe. This module will help you to put in place active and passive protections for your home and loved ones.

You’ll also learn about home caching (for hiding valuables in your home), mindset and awareness training, defensive/offensive tools available for preppers, as well as recommended and inexpensive sources of self-defense training and much more.

Finally, when uncertainty is in the air, you’ll want to know how to communicate with your loved ones as well as keep your “ear to the ground”. Module 400 goes into detail about the various types of communication options available to preppers when the grid is up or down.

Module 500 and Beyond: Developing Self-Sufficiency

Up to this point in the academy (Levels 100 – 400) you’ve been mostly accumulating stuff to get you through tough times. You could stop at this point, working only on storing more and more stuff (which many do). But to really get beyond SURVIVING and moving into THRIVING and ultimately entering self-sufficiency, you’ll want to move on to these higher levels.

Level 500+ is all about skill development. The benefits of learning skills over accumulating stuff is that the more capabilities you learn in these upper levels, the less you’ll be dependent upon what you’ve already accumulated.

As a good friend of mine often says, “Training Trumps Gear” — the more you know the less you need. And best of all as you develop self-sufficiency, your stores become less of a necessity and more of an insurance policy.

A ton of thought, research, time and collaboration has gone into Prepper Academy to make it THE go-to resource for a variety of preppers with diverse backgrounds, means, and needs.

And as they say in those cheesy infomercials…

Wait! There’s More!!

By becoming a member of Prepper Academy you’ll also have access to the following:

A Private Community Forum (with benefits)

At the Prepper Academy forum you’ll find a safe place to share, free of spam and disrespectful anonymous people. Our forums are fully moderated, assuring you a relaxing and rewarding experience.

In addition, you can earn “forum bucks” which reward the top participants every month with fantastic prepper gear like Leatherman multi-tools, water filters, medical kits, books, knives, campstoves and more!

Video Columns


We feature a growing list of video columns from some of the best prepper-videos available on the web. Videos include Survival Medicine, Analytical Survival and the Personal Defense Network.

A Downloadable Survival Library


A fully-downloadable digital library containing HUNDREDS of documents that you can add to your survival library immediately. With documents in various categories such as general preparedness, heat and energy, homesteading, urban survival, wilderness survival, personal protection, and personal health/medical there is plenty of information for you to work through for those looking to go above and beyond.

Incredible Discounts

Prepper Academy has teamed up with some of the best vendors of prepper-related supplies and training to provide you with a number of fantastic discounts. Just the savings alone will pay for your membership many months over!

Here are just a few examples of the growing number of vendors and discounts:

OnPoint Tactical


$100 off your class of choice

School of Natural Healing


$100 off the online Family Herbalist Course

Self-Sufficient-Life.com


50% off all eBooks

All these including discounts to many more vendors such as:





So, How Much Is All Of This Going To Cost Me?

Given the amount of information you get, and the option to win free prepper gear, as well as the incredible discounts, I could easily set the price of membership to be $30 a month.

However, since the community is just beginning and this is a brand-new launch

I’m going to offer membership to those who jump on early to be only $7 a month.

Guaranteed. I WILL BE raising the price.

Since I’ll be releasing this on Wednesday (today is Monday), anyone who signs up this week will be GRANDFATHERED in at $7/mo for as long as you retain your membership. So any future price increases will not affect you.

That’s about the cost of an extra value meal at McDonald’s!

So why not skip the meal and save your health and your future at the same time?

Is there a catch?

Nope. No catch. No commitments.

When you sign on, you will be charged monthly at a flat rate of $7 per 30 days and you can cancel at any time. If you do decide to cancel there are no hard feelings and you won’t need to talk to anyone over the phone or hunt far and wide to end your membership. It’s as simple as clicking the “Unsubscribe” button in the membership site and following the easy directions.

Do I get access to all of the content upon joining?

On your first month of joining you’ll get access to the following courses from Module 100:

  • Course 101: Building a Bugout Binder
  • Course 102: Building your Disaster Kits
  • Course 103: Battening Down the Hatches (Sheltering-in-Place)

After that, on each 30-day anniversary of your joining, a new course (or courses depending on the module) will be “activated” automatically for you.

There are around 17 courses in Module 100 – Module 400 and it will take around a year to get you through those. Since each of the courses are intended to be completed sequentially and are fairly involved, you will need the time to work through them before moving on to the subsequent courses and modules.

After that Module 500 is for those willing to go beyond just “Prepping” and into self-reliance. If you continue as a member at that point, you will continue to receive more courses that further your self-reliance skills such as gardening, wild edible and medicinal plant studies, wilderness survival and more.

In addition, when you join you will be given unrestricted access to all of the other content and features such as the discounts, forum, libraries etc.

Got Questions?

So that’s Prepper Academy in a nutshell. Sorry it took so long to explain but I’m super excited about this and I wanted to make sure you had a full understanding of the depth of what I’m offering here.

With that, if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.

thanks guys and stay safe,

- Erich

UPDATE: Prepper Academy is NOW LIVE!! SIGNUP BY CLICKING HERE