Author: Gaye Levy

Over the years, I have learned that superstars of preparedness are those items that serve multiple purposes.  In many cases, these are common, everyday items that we already have on hand.  Not only that, many of these multi-taskers are budget-friendly and available everywhere.  Some good examples include vinegar, salt, honey, duct tape, coffee filters, and even microfiber cloths. There is one preparedness multi-tasker whose list of uses is so diverse that you will wonder why you had not thought of stockpiling it previously.  I am referring to old-fashioned Epsom salts. Let’s start with a bit of history.  According to this article … Continue reading →

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Having lived most of my adult life on the West Coast of the US, the probability of a major earthquake has not been an if but a when proposition. The same can be said for residents of the East Coast; simply change the word “earthquake” to “hurricane”.  For middle America, there are tornados. The point is that regardless of where you live, there is a risk of a natural disaster happening in your own backyard.  It is simply a matter of when. Are you ready?  The most likely answer to that question is sure, kinda sorta.  Most of us are … Continue reading →

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How much do you know about storing household batteries for the long term?  Until I started prepping, I did not have a clue.  Even after I started to prep, I was unsure, although it did make sense to store batteries at room temperature, not too hot and not too cold.  Still, when the topic came up while out with friends, some wise guy mentioned keeping batteries in the freezer and I was lost. Shortly after that, I check snopes.com and learned no, batteries should not be refrigerated or frozen.  Snopes is not always correct so I decided to ask my pal … Continue reading →

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In your own words, tell me what this book is about and who you perceive as the target audience. PREPPER’S ARMED DEFENSE is intended to be a guide for those seeking advice and input as to their options when it comes to taking up weapons against those who would do them harm. The book isn’t going to turn anyone into an expert marksman or any sort of martial arts warrior. Instead, it is a down to earth, practical reference explaining the pros and cons of dozens of different weapons, from firearms to blades, pepper spray to stun guns. While firearms … Continue reading →

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When it comes to survival, having a stockpile of stuff is not enough.  You need to have skills, too.  And yet, when it comes to preparedness skills, there is no hard and fast set of rules.  There are simply too many variables for a one size fits all list of things you must know and things you must learn if living conditions and economic realities become dire.  It is for that reason I often write in generalities.  That way you can pick and chose those skills and those items that fit your lifestyle. A case in point is that I no … Continue reading →

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One of the best ways to test your survival skills is to spend some time outdoors, without electricity, running water, and flushable toilets.  This is not to say that every disruptive event will require you to live outdoors, but rather that such an event will require you to cope without modern conveniences.  As preppers, our hope is that such an event will be short-term in nature, but, as the saying goes, “hope for the best and prepare for the worst”. About a year ago I was discussing this topic with Phil Cox, the CEO of Buy Emergency Foods.  For those … Continue reading →

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Anyone with a modicum of cleverness can come up with the list of 50 ways to do this or 50 ways to do that.  The problem, as I see it, is many of these lists are a rehash of another list with the author having little or no first-hand experience with each of the listed items. Not that it is devious or wrong, but there has to be a better way. Something I like to do is to ask real people how they manage situations and use things.  I couple that with my own knowledge and experience and viola!  We have … Continue reading →

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There comes a time when every prepper takes a look at what they have done, what they are currently doing, and what they plan to do in the future.  Sometimes, they retrench and rethink past preps and improve on what they have done and especially what they have learned skill-wise.  Sometimes they take a break because let’s face it, we all need balance in our lives.  And then there is the most difficult part which is planning for future preps if any. I am very good about asking questions about prepping goals and readers excel at answering.  Today I want … Continue reading →

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When it comes to prepping, once the basics are covered, skills will trump stuff. The good news is that many of the skills needed to prevail following a disruptive event are things we already know.  How to cook from scratch, start a fire, grow a vegetable garden, and administer basic first aid are just a few of the skills most of us have learned over time. Beyond the basics, there are skills that are more personality and lifestyle driven.  A few examples include perseverance, frugality, and problem-solving. But what about going beyond these traits? Today I share seven more skills you … Continue reading →

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What started out as a great Wednesday shortly turned into a bloody mess.  The short version of the story is that Shelly, aka the Survival Husband, decided to touch up his bald head with a dull razor blade.  What happened next was a scrape about one and a half inches long and a half-inch wide.  Who would have thought that so much blood could pour out of such a small wound. I grabbed some gauze to soak up what I could, then dabbed on some boo-boo stick followed by miracle slave.  While he held a clean piece of gauze in … Continue reading →

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Spend ten minutes on the web surfing the keywords “prepping skills” and you will be presented with the site after site preaching the gospel of prepping for the time when the stuff hits the fan, something we commonly call SHTF.  The truth is it is a bit bittersweet to see so many of us planning for a major meltdown of our economy, food supply, power grid, country, society, and quite possibly our planet. Call it a feeling or an intuitive guess, but It is as though we are preparing for a huge rogue wave that will hit any moment.  There … Continue reading →

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This article is about Morse code and why, as a prepper,you should learn just a smattering for survival purposes.  Before you groan, hear me out. In the event there is a catastrophic end of the world event, the grid will be down and you will need to communicate your location and your status.  With a few simple Morse code signals, you will have the ability to summon help or to tell the world you are okay.  You will be able to communicate with your peers using signal mirrors, flashlight beams, handheld radios, and even simple, DIY devices. And that is … Continue reading →

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Bailing yourself out of debt and remaining debt-free is not so much about tackling the debt as it is about the way you live your life every single day. I say this from experience.  When you learn to be frugal instead of frivolous, you discover that you have a lot more money than you thought you did.  You also find that frugality is not something to dread but rather, in its own way, is an adventure in and of itself. Of course paying off debt should be of the utmost concern to anyone who is interested in living a prepared … Continue reading →

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Something not frequently addressed by the survival and prepping community is the importance of good health and medical self-care.  What I am referring to is individual responsibility for our own physical and mental wellness. Why is this important?  If there were to be a major disruptive event, whether local, regional or global in nature, you will need the stamina to survive adverse and even austere conditions, perhaps with minimal food, shelter, and water.  Health care facilities may be scarce if they exist at all. Think about it.  As much as we prep and do our best to store a year’s … Continue reading →

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A couple of weeks ago one of my blogging colleagues lost everything she owned in a house fire.  Fortunately, the entire family, including the family pets, got out safely but everything they owned was gone. Can you imagine this happening to you?  In a flash, you could potentially be homeless and have to deal with temporary shelter in a hotel or with family members as you sort through the rubble of your burnt out belongings. And what about your preps?  Food storage, survival gear, and your precious print library of survival books would be gone. I am not just referring … Continue reading →

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