Prepping doesn’t have to be a solo mission — but finding your tribe can feel like hunting a ghost in the fog. In Episode 469 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I dig into the quiet art of discovering fellow preppers and survivalists already in your life.

We’re not talking about plastering bug-out plans on Facebook. This is about reading between the lines — spotting subtle signs, asking the right questions, and building trust without blowing up anyone’s OPSEC.

Why most preppers don’t advertise it

How to look for clues in casual conversations

The importance of shared interests like gardening, shooting, hunting, and DIY

What not to say when trying to find your people

How to grow a solid community quietly, one relationship at a time

Let’s face it — the stereotype of the lone bunker-dweller exists for a reason. We’ve all seen the weird looks when someone finds out you keep 6 months of food on hand. So we clam up. But that secrecy can kill the very thing we need most in a real crisis: mutual assistance.

I share some personal examples, including how I realized certain friends were already low-key prepping — they just called it something else.

You don’t need to walk around asking, “Hey, are you ready for the collapse?” Instead, talk about things like inflation, food prices, crime, or grid failures. See who leans in. That’s your cue.

This episode is all about building a strong network — not a militia, not a cult — just real people with real skills who want to be ready for whatever comes next.

Listen now and start building the tribe you didn’t know you already had.

Gorilla Tape, Mini Duct Tape to-Go, 1″ x 10 yd Travel Size, Black, (Pack of 3)

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Finding the Hidden Preppers Around You | Episode 469 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

You never think it’s going to be today—until it is.

In Episode 468 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I share a painful lesson in preparedness. While cleaning out my late aunt’s house, I gashed my elbow wide open. It wasn’t the cut that bothered me the most—it was the realization that my first aid kit wasn’t in the car. Me, the preparedness guy, caught off guard.

This episode is a wake-up call and a challenge:
Are you really prepared if you’re only sometimes prepared?

The story of how I cut myself and wasn’t equipped.

Why gear does no good if it’s not with you.

How to build and maintain car kits, EDC bags, and home kits.

The difference between owning supplies and being ready to use them.

Why even seasoned preppers get complacent.

Tricks to rotate, check, and remember your gear.

Layered prepping: what should always be on your person, in your car, at work, and at home.

The “Rule of Redundancy” and how it can save your skin (literally).

Why the right mindset is more important than the fanciest equipment.

How to turn mistakes into future readiness.

Being prepared isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being consistent. If you’re only “ready” when it’s convenient, you’re not really ready at all.

Tune in to hear how a dumb mistake turned into a survival lesson I won’t forget—and how you can avoid learning it the hard way.

Band-Aid Travel Ready Portable Emergency First Aid Kit for Minor Wound Care with Assorted Adhesive Bandages, Gauze Pads & More, Ideal for Travel, Car & On-The-Go, 80 pc

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post If You’re Not Always Prepared, You’re Never Prepared | Episode 468 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

Forget the movies. The image of the grizzled, solitary survivalist living off the land with nothing but a knife and a glare is a fantasy. Real survival? It takes people.

In Episode 467 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I break down why going it alone is a losing strategy — and why building community, even just one good friendship, might be your most important prep.

When things get hard — and I mean really hard — you’re going to hit limits. Physical, mental, emotional. You’ll need someone to watch your back while you sleep, help move heavy gear, and keep your morale up when everything sucks.

Solo survival works in theory until:

You break an ankle

You get sick

You fall asleep too hard

You run out of ideas and no one’s there to bounce them off

A wolf pack thrives because they work together. Lone wolves? They die.

In this episode, I talk about:

The roles different people play in your group (medic, muscle, morale, etc.)

How shared skills — or even just shared values — make survival more bearable

Why preppers need allies more than ammo

You don’t need a commune or a 20-man squad. You just need someone who won’t leave when things go bad. Build that now.

Say hi to your neighbors. No, really.

Join a local group — HAM radio club, gardening meetups, whatever fits.

Trade skills and favors. Prepping is more than gear — it’s trust.

Don’t be weird. Be useful. People remember that.

In the end, we’re not meant to do life — or collapse — alone.

Don’t miss this one. Hit play and let’s talk about why the strongest prep is the people you count on.

Listen to Episode 467 now

Energizer Weatheready Rechargeable Flashlights for Home, Pack of 3, Emergency Flashlight for Hurricane Supplies, Survival Kits, Power Outages, LED Flash Light with Convenient Plug-in Design

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post The Lone Wolf Dies First: The Power of Community | Episode 467 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 466 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I’m hitting the trail — not just for the scenery, but for survival. Hiking is one of the most underrated ways to train for collapse. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’ll quietly turn you into someone who’s actually ready when things fall apart.

Whether you’re bugging out or just bugging your family to get outside more, hiking delivers real-world training wrapped in fresh air and dirty boots.

Forget overpriced gym memberships and mirror muscles. Hiking works your body in the way survival demands: carrying weight over uneven ground, for long periods, in unpredictable weather. That’s the real stress test.

Every step on the trail builds leg strength, cardio endurance, balance, and even mental toughness. Add your bugout bag or some weighted gear? Now you’re not just walking — you’re training for the worst while living in the best.

Prepping isn’t just about having the right gear — it’s about knowing how to use it. There’s no better way to figure out if your pack sucks, your boots rub, or your water filter leaks than to hike with them. You’ll find out fast what works and what’s dead weight.

Hiking lets you fine-tune your gear and your mindset in a safe environment. So when things go sideways, your body and your brain have already been there.

Want to get your family into prepping without sounding like a lunatic? Take them hiking.

It’s fun. It’s active. And it’s a perfect Trojan horse for teaching basic survival: map reading, water sourcing, plant ID, staying calm when lost, and how to work as a team. Plus, hiking builds confidence — especially in kids — that transfers to every area of life.

You’re not just making memories. You’re planting the seeds of mental and physical strength that will bloom when it matters most.

Bugging out isn’t a fantasy — it’s a strategy. But how often do you actually test it?

Use hiking as a way to try real routes. Walk to your rally points. See how far you can really go in a day. Practice filtering water and managing calories. You can do all of this under the radar while everyone else thinks you’re just outdoorsy.

You’ll know the terrain, your limits, and your escape plans — all without sounding a single alarm.

Hiking might seem too simple to be a survival skill. That’s what makes it powerful. It builds the kind of fitness, confidence, and calm-under-pressure mindset you won’t get from gear alone.

So throw on your boots, grab your pack, and start moving. Whether it’s five miles or fifteen, every step is a step toward being the kind of person who survives.

Listen to Episode 466 and start treating your hikes like the training they are.

EBMORE 6 Pairs Merino Wool Ankle Hiking Running Socks Compression Support Thick Cushion No Show Socks for Men Women

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Hiking for Survival: Fitness, Fun, and Collapse Training | Episode 466 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 465 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I’m laying out why picking up a drill, hammer, or shovel isn’t just a hobby anymore — it’s an act of rebellion. This isn’t about Pinterest projects. This is about building resilience with your own two hands. Because in a world full of dependence, learning to do it yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do.

The system wants you weak, dependent, and confused. Every time you call a “pro” for something you could learn, you feed that dependency. The government wants control, corporations want profit, and nobody wants you figuring things out on your own.

DIY flips that table.

When you build it yourself, fix it yourself, and figure it out yourself — you become harder to control. You’re no longer at the mercy of broken supply chains, gatekeeping experts, or a fragile economy.

You become the expert of your own life.

There’s something primal about solving a real-world problem with your hands.

Your faucet leaks — you fix it.

You need a garden — you build a raised bed.

Power’s unreliable — you wire up a basic solar rig.

You gain confidence, not just competence. Every DIY project is a quiet reminder that you don’t need permission or perfection to move forward. You just need to start.

And when it works? That’s real power.

In a slow-collapse world, the guy who can do stuff is king. The one who can build, fix, and adapt isn’t just surviving — he’s thriving while everyone else panics.

Can’t get parts? Make them.

No access to help? Be the help.

Broken gear? Improvise and move on.

When you’ve built things before, you’re not rattled when the system breaks. You’re already used to making do — or making better.

You don’t need a workshop the size of a garage or a wall of Milwaukee tools. Start with what you’ve got. It’ll be ugly at first. That’s the point.

Learn to love failing forward. Watch, try, mess up, adjust. That’s the actual process of mastering any skill. And unlike 90% of the world, you’ll be learning something real — something useful.

This world is soft and outsourced. But the future belongs to the ones who know how to build — not just buy.

DIY isn’t a trend. It’s a survival strategy.

Listen to Episode 465 and join the resistance — one screw, board, and problem at a time.

Pocket Hole Jig Kit with 3 Drill Hole Guide Pocket Drill Hole System with 15 Degree Joint Angle Tool Portable Pocket Joinery Screw Kit DIY Woodworking Carpentry Locator

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post The DIY Revolution: Why Building Is the New Resistance | Episode 465 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 464 of the Survival Punk Podcast, we’re heading deep into the woods — not just to disconnect, but to reconnect with the skills that actually keep you alive when the modern world fails. This one’s all about bushcraft — the primitive, hands-on survival skills that still work when the grid goes dark and your fancy gear breaks.

Bushcraft isn’t about LARPing in the woods. It’s not cosplay for bearded dudes. It’s the real deal — shelter, fire, water, and food — using what nature provides and your own two hands.

When you strip away the Amazon orders, the YouTube hacks, and the fancy gear, bushcraft is survival in its purest form.

You vs. the world. And you’re not going in blind.

In this episode, I talk about the essential skills that preppers — especially urban preppers — tend to forget:

Fire-making without lighters — ferro rods, bow drills, and tinder you can find or make.

Shelter building with just a blade — from quick lean-tos to more insulated setups.

Finding and purifying water — animal tracks, plant clues, digging seep holes, and boiling with hot rocks.

Foraging basics — how to start learning what’s edible, and what will ruin your day fast.

Tool making — from cordage to fishhooks, being able to improvise is huge.

You don’t need to be a wilderness wizard. You need to be capable — and practiced.

We live in a soft world. But nature doesn’t care about soft.

If the lights go out — and stay out — bushcraft is what bridges the gap between comfort and collapse.

Even if you’re a city-dweller, these skills matter. They make you harder to kill, harder to break, and way less dependent on systems that don’t care if you live or die.

Learning bushcraft from a book is a start. Watching videos is fine. But none of it means squat until you get outside and do.

Make a fire in the rain. Sleep under a shelter you built yourself. Try filtering water with charcoal and sand.

Fail. Learn. Repeat.

Bushcraft makes you better, because it humbles you and hardens you at the same time.

You don’t need a $500 bug out bag to survive the end of the world.

You need hands that know how to make, fix, and adapt.

You need bushcraft.

Listen to Episode 464 and start training for the world we might get stuck living in.

Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife with Stainless Steel Blade, 4.1-Inch, Military Green

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Bushcraft Survival: Primitive Skills for a Modern Collapse | Episode 464 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 463 of the Survival Punk Podcast, we’re diving headfirst into a cold truth: comfort is the enemy of strength. Modern life is soft — and it’s making us soft. Physically, mentally, emotionally. We’ve traded challenge for convenience, and the cracks are showing.

This isn’t about being macho. It’s about resilience — and why you’ll need it when the system that feeds your comfort finally breaks.

Let’s start with the obvious. Everything in modern life is designed to remove friction. DoorDash brings you food. Your thermostat keeps the temp perfect. You don’t even have to talk to people anymore — just tap and scroll.

And that’s the problem. The less we struggle, the less we grow.

When you don’t have to lift, carry, dig, fix, think, or even feel uncomfortable, your muscles shrink. Your problem-solving atrophies. You become a domesticated pet — not a wild human built to survive.

You’ve heard it before:
Hard times create strong men.
Strong men create good times.
Good times create weak men.
Weak men create hard times.

We’re in the last stage — and most people don’t even see it. They’re too busy binge-watching the next distraction, numbing themselves with food, scrolling TikTok, or rage-posting online. Meanwhile, their skills rot and their bodies break down.

Prepping isn’t just about stockpiling stuff. It’s about being capable. That means sweating, failing, building, fixing, and thinking your way through real challenges.

You don’t need to become a Navy SEAL overnight. But you need to start doing hard things. On purpose.

Do your own repairs.

Cook from scratch.

Walk places.

Work out.

Sleep on the floor.

Go without comfort for a weekend and see what you learn.

You’ll be amazed how fast your confidence grows when you stop outsourcing every little challenge.

It tells you you’re okay. That you don’t need to change. That everything’s fine. But that lie will kill you in a collapse.

When the grid fails, when the food trucks stop, when the water runs dry — comfort won’t help you. Grit will. Experience will. The willingness to get uncomfortable and handle it anyway will.

This episode isn’t a rant — it’s a wake-up call. The world is shifting. You can’t afford to be soft.

Listen to Episode 463 now and start rebuilding the toughness modern life stole from you.

Self-Discipline: How to Develop the Mindset, Mental Toughness and Self-Discipline of a U.S. Navy SEAL (Self-Discipline Books)

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Soft Men in a Hard World: Why Comfort Is Killing Us | Episode 463 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 462 of the Survival Punk Podcast, we’re diving into one of the most critical — and overlooked — elements of survival: finding water in the wild. You can go weeks without food, but only a few days without water. And if you’re relying on that dusty old bottle in your bug out bag… good luck.

This episode strips it down to the basics — and teaches you what to actually do when the taps run dry.

Water doesn’t hide — it follows gravity. That means you should, too. Hills, gullies, and valleys are your friends. Look for areas where water would naturally collect: depressions in the earth, shady hollows, or beneath thick green vegetation.

Birds, insects, and even animal tracks often point the way to water sources. Listen for the sounds of frogs at dusk or birds chirping around dawn — they tend to cluster near water.

If you’re striking out above ground, dig. Seep wells — small pits dug in dry creek beds or moist soil — can collect groundwater overnight. It won’t gush, but it might save your life.

Once you find water, don’t just drink it straight. Even the cleanest mountain spring can carry parasites. Boil it, filter it, or purify it — even if you’re in a rush.

If you’ve got a filter, great. LifeStraws, Sawyer Minis — they all work in a pinch. But what if you don’t? That’s where bushcraft kicks in.

Boil with a metal container or heated rocks in bark or wood bowls.

Use charcoal and cloth to make an improvised filter.

Solar stills work — slowly. But in desert terrain, they might be your only shot.

This is where skills beat gear. A practiced survivalist with a knife and knowledge is deadlier than a rookie with a backpack full of Amazon gadgets.

Let’s talk about your bug out bag roasting in the backseat of your car. If you’re keeping your water pouches or purification tablets in there, you might want to rethink that. Extreme heat destroys shelf life — and turns plastic bottles into chemical soup.

Heat doesn’t just mess with water, either. It wrecks food, meds, batteries, and gear adhesives. If you live in a hot climate and treat your trunk like a storage locker, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

You can have all the ammo, gear, and MREs in the world — but if you can’t find clean water, it’s game over. Learn this skill. Practice it. Turn it into instinct.

Listen to Episode 462 now and make sure water is one survival priority you’ll never screw up.

Amazon Basics 13 Gallon Flextra Strength Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags, Tear Resistant, 10% Post Consumer Recycled, 90 Count

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Find Water or Die Trying: Wilderness Survival Secrets | Episode 462 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 461 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I’m challenging you to stop watching prepping videos and start doing. This one’s all about weekend skills — the kind you can learn fast, practice cheap, and build mastery in over time.

The truth is, it’s easy to become part of the top 10% at almost anything. Most people don’t practice, don’t follow through, and don’t get their hands dirty. If you just show up, try, and fail forward… you’re already ahead of the curve.

One skill I focus on is cordage making. It’s ancient, it’s simple, and it’s useful in every scenario from shelter building to gear repair. You don’t need expensive kits — just grass, bark, or even plastic bags and the right technique.

Spend one weekend making cordage, and suddenly you’ve got a muscle memory most people will never have.

Can you make a fire without your Bic? This weekend, try a ferro rod, a magnifying lens, or even a bow drill. Learn how to build a proper tinder bundle and how much prep it actually takes to get a coal going. You’ll gain real respect for the process.

Weekend skills are about leveling up your ability — not just stocking more gear. Practice:

Filtering water from a nasty pond and testing it

Cooking a full day’s meals from only your pantry

Sharpening every blade in your house and EDC

Making your own char cloth or fire starters

Building a Dakota fire hole in your backyard (or a friend’s with looser laws)

Trying new things builds more than muscle memory — it builds grit. Learning to fail without quitting is one of the best preps you can have. That weekend you burn your bread or collapse your tarp shelter? It teaches you way more than a YouTube binge.

Every weekend you choose action over excuses, you build something no one can take away — skill. No EMP, law, or collapse can erase it. So pick something new, screw it up, and get a little better before Monday.

Listen to Episode 461 — then go get your hands dirty.

The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Weekend Skills: Get Better Before Monday | Episode 461 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

In Episode 460 of the Survival Punk Podcast, I dive into the often-overlooked world of apartment prepping. Just because you live in a small space doesn’t mean you’re out of options — it means you have to get smarter.

If you’re stuck in an apartment, condo, or even just renting a room, this episode is for you. I cover real-world, no-BS ways to turn your tiny space into a survival stronghold.

Most apartment doors are one kick away from wide open. In this episode, I talk about how to reinforce your front door — from simple tricks like a door jammer or barricade bar, to upgrading your strike plate or installing a door armor kit.

When the power’s out and the neighborhood’s on edge, you don’t want your door to be the easiest one on the block.

Apartment preppers face one brutal reality: limited storage. But space is never the real problem — creativity is.

Here are just a few hacks from the show:

Raise your bed and store tubs or buckets underneath.

Use false backs behind books on your shelves.

Tuck long-term food inside empty suitcases, toolboxes, or unused closets.

Stack cans behind furniture or even inside ottomans and footlockers.

This isn’t hoarder mode. It’s being ready when everyone else is panicking.

Apartment prepping isn’t about giving up — it’s about going lean, tight, and smart. You can build layers of security, backup water, power options, and even small-scale gardening systems in a space smaller than most garages.

You don’t need five acres to be prepared. You need intentionality.

Don’t let YouTube bushcrafters shame you. Prepping in the city — or in an apartment — is just as legit. In fact, when SHTF, you’ll probably have fewer deer and more desperate people. That’s a threat worth preparing for.

Listen to Episode 460 and make your apartment collapse-ready.

Prime-Line U 11026 Jamb Repair and Reinforcement Kit, 59-1/2 In. Installed, Steel Construction, White (1 Kit)

Don’t forget to join in on the road to 1k! Help James Survivalpunk Beat Couch Potato Mike to 1k subscribers on Youtube

Join Our Exciting Facebook Group and get involved Survival Punk Punk’s

The post Apartment Prepping: Survive in Small Spaces | Episode 460 appeared first on Survivalpunk.