Prepping Academy

The Prepping Academy welcomes Forrest Garvin, founder of PrepperNet, Garvin Academy, and other entrepreneurial ventures that are countable. In today's episode, Forrest updates us on what he has been up to over the last year.  We also discuss the current happenings in  PrepperNet, where PrepperNet is heading in the future, and a general update on the status of Prepping 2025. 

Grid Down Comms Up http://www.youtube.com/@griddowncommsup

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Grid Down Comms Up dives into the top ten prepping items for a natural disaster. According to NOAA, there were twenty-seven major natural disasters last year. They did 182 billion dollars in damage and caused 568 deaths. Of all the emergencies we prepare for, we are most likely to be caught up in a large-scale natural disaster. Will you be ready if one strikes your area? In today's episode, we look at the last five items on our list: defense, fuel, electricity, mental health, and building materials. We also toss in a bonus item for number eleven. Heavy equipment, while far from essential, is a game-changer if you can access it. If you are lucky enough to own some, keep them in working order and be able to help out. 

Remember, mental condition is a huge part of survival. If you or someone you know is at risk or experiencing a mental health crisis, reach out for help at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline dial 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/. 

Stay ready and prep on. 
Patrick"

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

PrepperNet

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Grid Down Comms Up dives into the top ten prepping items for a natural disaster. According to NOAA, there were twenty-seven major natural disasters last year. They did 182 billion dollars in damage and caused 568 deaths. Of all the emergencies we prepare for, we are most likely to be caught up in a large-scale natural disaster. Will you be ready if one strikes your area? In today's episode, we look at the first five items on our list. potable water, food, communications, medical, and chainsaws to meet our potential immediate needs and self-rescue when help isn't coming. In our next part two, we will continue with the final five items essential for natural disaster preparedness. 

Stay ready and prep on. 

Patrick"

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

PrepperNet

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On this week's episode of The Prepping Academy, we welcome a special guest, John Jacob Schmidt, founder of AmRRON, for a discussion on the history of AmRRON and what the future holds. We also discuss his new project, AmRRON Reloaded, and efforts to grow the ranks of individuals capable of effectively communicating in any emergency situation. Remember, the annual AmRRON national grid down communications exercise takes place later in July. It is your opportunity to test your skills and see what information you can receive during the exercise. Remember, if you do not have communications when the balloon goes up, you are just another refugee staring at your dead cell phone, wondering what just happened. 

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

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previewsPodcast Summary: Prepper Camp 2025 Preview with James Walton & Forrest Garvin

In this energetic episode of ⁠The Prepper Broadcasting Network⁠, host ⁠James Walton⁠ sits down with preparedness leader Forrest Garvin to deliver an insider’s look at Prepper Camp 2025, happening September 26–28, 2025, in Saluda, North Carolina. Over roughly thirty minutes, the conversation highlights why Prepper Camp has become the premier “family reunion” for America’s self-reliance community and what new skills, speakers, and experiences await attendees this year.

Garvin—founder of ⁠PrepperNet⁠ and a former airman turned Bank of America webmaster—explains how his unique journey from Y2K concerns to modern cyber-threats fuels the two classes he’ll teach on-site:

1. “⁠Privacy & Security: How to Disappear on the Internet⁠” – step-by-step methods to shield your address, phone number, and financial data from data-breach fallout.
2. “⁠The Case for Cryptocurrency⁠” – a courtroom-style defense of Bitcoin and digital assets as part of every prepper’s PACE financial plan.

The pair also previews Prepper Camp’s 60+ daily workshops, from ham radio mesh networks to hands-on fire-starting, plus evening concerts, vendor lanes stocked with freeze-dried food and survival gear, and the famous Tent City campfires where lifelong friendships form. Garvin shares memorable moments—such as late-night chats with fellow instructor Dave Wolf—and reminds listeners that 150–200 ⁠PrepperNet members⁠ typically gather for Friday-night dinners, making the event the best networking opportunity in preparedness.

Walton closes with a timely call-to-action: tickets are currently discounted at ⁠PrepperCamp.com⁠, but prices rise fast. If you want expert survival training, actionable privacy tactics, and real-world crypto insights—all in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains—mark your calendar for ⁠Prepper Camp 2025 in Saluda, NC⁠ , and secure your spot today.

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In this episode of Grid Down Comms Up on the Prepping Academy, Patrick looks at tactical and team communications and strategic communications in a disaster. Team communications are a simple concept, but become surprisingly complex when users enter the equation. Frequency coordination and interference are a reality of a large-scale disaster scene. We discuss how that impacts operations and how we can avoid some of those issues. Strategic communication is frequently overlooked by the prepping and survival community, usually due to the lone wolf mentality. In a disaster, you aren't going to be the lone wolf; you may even be the voice of your community. Having the skills and tools to quickly and effectively relay the needs of those around you is critical to helping those who are trying to help you. In this episode, we look at some details and facts of communications to support the logistical log train to keep your community going in a disaster.  

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

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In this episode of Grid Down Comms Up on the Prepping Academy, Patrick looks at some of the technical communications failures during the hurricane, from radio programming disasters, broken equipment, and poor engineering practice. We look at them all. If you want to be the person who learns from others' mistakes, get out a pen and paper to take notes now, so you don't mess it up when others did

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

PrepperNet

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Special Public Service Announcement – Free Crypto Webinar

In this brief Public Service Announcement, I’m sharing an exciting opportunity for you to join my upcoming free live webinar, “The Case for Cryptocurrency.” 

This isn’t a full podcast episode, but I wanted to let you know about this important event and why it’s a must-attend for anyone curious about cryptocurrency or looking to secure their financial future. During the webinar, I’ll explain why now is the time to embrace crypto and how it can empower you to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.

Registration is free—just head to preppingacademy.com/crypto to sign up today.

Thank you for being part of our community, and I look forward to seeing you at the webinar.

Stay safe, and we’ll catch up in the next full episode!

Join PrepperNet.Net - https://www.preppernet.net
PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

Join PrepperNet.Net - https://www.preppernet.net
PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

PrepperNet

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www.forrestgarvin.com

Patrick takes the Prepping Academy helm once again with a new episode of Grid Down Comms Up. In breaking world news massive power outages in in Spain impact communications infrastructure sending some residents looking for portable radios to receive information. This episode looks at commercially available information sources that have been hardened by FEMA to survive disasters, EMP's and national blackouts too. Do you know where to turn to if internet and cell service stops? What information should you have available before the grid goes down?

73
Patrick

Link the list of FEMA Public Alert Warning System stations. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/broadcasters-wireless

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

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On this episode of The Prepping Academy, Patrick picks up with a Grid Down Comms Up episode. We begin with a look at the battle rhythm in the first seventy-two hours of the disaster and what that looked like for the people on the outside, who were providing communications support and processing information for those with limited access to reliable information. Next, we look at the fog of war, how that impacted operations from day zero, and how it impacted those in the disaster area, followed by a look at the communications picture inside eastern TN and western NC.   We wrap up with a what-if discussion about how the picture would have looked very different and been much more complex had the Mt Michell amateur radio repeater not been in the picture. This episode illustrates Patick's quote, "Without communication, you are just another person wondering what just happened."  Remember, when the grid goes down, you are on your own, and what you don't know can kill you. 

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PrepperNet is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe in personal responsibility, individual freedoms and preparing for disasters of all origins.

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