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We unpack how to disappear in plain sight with the gray man concept and why “boring on purpose” is a survival advantage. We also talk silver at $60, practical civilian swaps for tactical gear, and smart barter options when precious metals feel out of reach.

• price of silver spiking and budget limits
• donations update for the Chesterfield Food Bank
• gray man defined as blending with the baseline
• three memory triggers to avoid: bright, big, shiny
• five rules for a gray loadout
• civilian swaps for packs, pants, shirts, belts, boots, watches
• why tactical looks draw attention and risk
• get-home footwear planning in bad weather
• barter ideas: alcohol and tobacco as silver alternatives

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Augason Farms
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A quiet getaway can turn into a resilience test the moment the power dies. We open with a quick correction on government terminology and fast-moving security headlines, then step into a vivid scenario: a historic mountain resort, roads blocked by stormfall, heat climbing, and generators keeping only a sliver of services alive. Using the 2012 derecho that knocked out power for days as a real-world case study, we unpack what actually helps when you are three and a half hours from home and the grid goes down.

I share how years in law enforcement shaped my approach to situational awareness without sliding into paranoia: scan exits, plan routes, and keep a flexible mind. From there, we get practical. What belongs in a travel-ready go bag beyond the usual flashlight and water? Why a satellite communicator like the Garmin InReach Mini 2 can be a lifeline when cell towers fade and hotel Wi‑Fi dies. How to power your essentials with compact battery banks and a small solar charger, plus the little details that save you—redundant cables, waterproof pouches, and charge rotation so the right device is ready at the right time.

We also talk OPSEC and ethics. Helping others connect with family reduces panic, but broadcasting that you have rare comms or extra power can make you a magnet. I walk through low-key ways to retrieve gear from valet-only parking, when to move at dawn or dusk, where to stage, and how staff naturally switch from hospitality to safety mode. The goal is to stay calm, contribute without courting risk, and protect your household while being a good neighbor when comfort thins out.

If you’re a traveler, prepper, or just someone who wants fewer surprises, this conversation gives you a simple checklist and a better mindset for blackouts, heat waves, and blocked roads. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves the mountains, and leave a quick review so more people can find practical, no-drama preparedness.

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Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

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We step back from the online noise to talk about real leadership under stress and why quiet, decisive action saves lives. Five true stories show how triggers, roles, and rally points turn gear into outcomes.

• redefining toxic masculinity toward calm service
• what a quiet alpha leader looks like at home
• Sanibel evacuation choice before the bridge failed
• Texas freeze hospitality and neighbor care
• Kentucky flood attic rally point and rescue
• Colorado chainsaw escape route under wildfire winds
• Tennessee lesson on planning versus stockpiling
• how to write triggers, roles, and rally points
• assigning backups when someone is away
• practicing simple evacuation and link-up drills

If you want to reach out, practical prep podcast at gmail.com or on the Twitters, Common Sense Practical Prepper or Prep underscore Podcast
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. While you're at it, help spread the word by leaving a rating and review.

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Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

Looking for real-world preparedness you can actually afford and use? Keith opens the mailbag and tackles the questions many of us are quietly asking: how to meet other preppers without sounding preachy, how to nudge family toward practical readiness, and how to keep your home warm without risky heaters or sky‑high bills. The throughline is simple and powerful—quiet, steady steps beat flashy gear every time.

We start with people. Keith shares smart places to connect with like‑minded folks—camping groups, hiking clubs, garden clubs, and local ranges—plus how to use small, helpful prompts to bring friends into the fold. Online spaces can help too, if you filter for signal over noise. From there we turn to winter: sealing drafts, adding weather stripping, and using window film to stop heat loss before you add more heat. Layering tactics, wool blankets, hot water bottles, and safe hand warmers round out a plan that favors prevention over risk.

Small-space living gets its own playbook. Learn apartment-friendly storage tactics using vertical bins, closet dead zones, and simple camouflage so your supplies stay out of sight and out of mind. Then build a budget bug out bag from thrift stores and dollar aisles: a neutral backpack, water and treatment, compact calories, first aid basics, a poncho, socks, a multi-tool, and a reliable flashlight. Keith explains why low-key gear can keep you safer than a tactical look that draws attention, and why patience—plus a short checklist—beats impulse buys. Along the way, we highlight a meaningful give-back: November affiliate proceeds support the Chesterfield Food Bank, reinforcing that resilience grows when communities care for each other.

If practical, low-profile prepping speaks to you, hit follow, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

We compare prepper and non‑prepper mindsets through science, stories, and practical steps. We show how planning beats hope, how community reduces risk, and why small skills lower stress when systems fail.

• defining prepper vs non‑prepper attitudes
• amygdala alerts vs normalcy bias
• why hope is not a plan
• core pillars: water, food, heat, meds, comms, security
• skills that matter: first aid, preservation, radio basics
• community networks and resource sharing
• psychological benefits: control, mindfulness, resilience
• starter kit: 72‑hour supplies and rotation habits
• risks of over‑isolation and how to avoid it
• simple seasonal checklists and drills

Thank you to those who purchased from August and Farms through our affiliate link. All of that money is being donated to the local food bank the first week of December. If you want to reach me, practicalprep podcast at gmail.com. I’m also on the Twitters, prep underscore podcast. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. While you’re at it, help spread the word by leaving a rating and review.

https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu

Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

We react to Virginia’s election results, revisit the attorney general’s past texts, and explain how inflamed rhetoric can spill into everyday risks. Then we shift to practical steps you can take tonight: water storage, paper maps, and alternate routes across Virginia’s traffic chokepoints.

• election results in Virginia and why they matter
• recap of the controversial texts and public response
• concerns about policy shifts and labeling of dissent
• government shutdown effects on travel and services
• concrete prepping steps: five gallons of water
• route planning beyond I-66, I-95, and tunnels
• using paper maps, highlights, and practice drives
• mindset: stay calm, adapt plans, avoid panic

Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
While you're at it, help spread the word by leaving a rating and review

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Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

The lights go out, the house starts to chill, and the clock begins to tick on your pipes, your food, and your morale. We walk you through a clear, common-sense plan to ride out a winter blackout without panic or pricey gear. From sealing one warm room to picking the safest heat sources, this guide focuses on what works, what’s affordable, and what actually keeps your family safe.

We start with the hidden hazards: why pipes burst, how long it really takes for a freeze to happen, and how to buy time with insulation, closed vents, and a slow drip. Then we get into human safety. Hypothermia can creep up fast, especially for kids and older adults, so we break down the early signs and the layering system that helps you hold onto heat. Carbon monoxide gets no second chances, so you’ll learn how to position a portable propane heater safely, why ventilation matters, and how to place CO detectors to protect sleeping areas.

Gear doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Bubble wrap on windows, thrifted thermal curtains, towel draft stoppers, and shrink-film kits can slash heat loss dramatically. LED headlamps and crank flashlights free your hands for cooking and repairs. We talk food and power management too: moving perishables into coolers with frozen water jugs, keeping fridge doors shut, and cooking simple, high-protein meals without fresh produce. Black bean burgers, minimalist chili, and quick refrieds prove that shelf-stable can still taste great when it’s cold outside.

We also tackle generator safety and realistic load planning, plus surge protection to guard electronics. And for those worried about EMPs, we separate myth from fact, sharing simple shielding options like ammo cans lined with cardboard or an unplugged microwave for spare radios, batteries, and medical devices. With a 72-hour mindset, a sealed warm room, safe heat, light you can count on, and honest food that fuels, a winter outage becomes manageable.

If this helped you feel more prepared for cold-weather outages, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a plan, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu

Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

We break down a practical, low-cost gear list that keeps you mobile, warm, and visible while steering clear of likely store unrest. A 70-hour Moscow gridlock story drives home why a small, smart vehicle kit matters when weather and distance pin you down.

• ten useful items under ten dollars for everyday carry and get-home bags
• rechargeable headlamps, ponchos, contractor bags and bandanas for shelter and visibility
• water purification tablets vs filters and when each fits
• five upgrades under twenty dollars including shovel, bivvy and titanium utensils
• vehicle kit priorities for 24-hour standstills in storms
• avoiding high-risk stores and intersections during outages
• safe road behavior at powerless four-way stops
• mindset, placement and rotation of budget gear

As a reminder, with the August and Farms affiliate link, all the proceeds from any sales, any commissions that I make through the month of November, all of those commissions will be donated to the Chesterfield County Food Bank
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
While you're at it, help spread the word by leaving a rating and review
Don't go to Walmart tomorrow if you don't have to

https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu

Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

We unpack how a SNAP shutdown ripples from checkout lines to farms, factories and flights, and why local action buys time when policy stalls. We pledge all November affiliate proceeds to the Chesterfield Food Bank and share concrete ways to help now.

• correction on school food donations versus lunch funding
• pledge to donate 100% of November affiliate proceeds to Chesterfield Food Bank
• theory on bipartisan votes to reopen the government
• impact of halted SNAP: $8B grocery loss and $12–$15B GDP gap
• stress on FAA and air traffic delays
• private sector responses: waived fees, meal drives, restaurant initiatives
• perishable chain effects: milk dumping, egg surplus, chicken capacity limits
• commodity pressure on corn, soy and wheat feeding costs
• state-level shocks: Texas, Oregon, Nevada numbers
• food banks surging and how to support them

100% of the proceeds of anything that I get through my affiliate link through August and Farms will go to the Chesterfield County Food Bank, which is about 10 minutes from my house

https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu

Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.

Send us a text

We break down how the federal shutdown halts SNAP on November 1 and what that means for families, grocers, and food banks. We share clear, practical steps to donate, volunteer, and pressure lawmakers while cutting through outrage bait.

• scale of SNAP pause and who is affected
• $8 billion November shortfall and back pay limits
• 300% surge at food banks and depletion timelines
• $23 billion retail hit and likely layoffs
• Virginia’s temporary support and EU contrasts
• risks to schools and petty theft projections
• ignoring grifters and outrage bait online
• practical donations: proteins, staples, cash
• how to call Congress and make your voice count
• volunteering locally and working with churches

Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
While you're at it, help spread the word by leaving a rating and review

https://augasonfarms.com?sca_ref=9315862.VpHzogdDNu

Augason Farms
Support the podcast. Click on my affiliate link and use coupon code PODCASTPREP for 10% discount!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Have a question, suggestion or comment? Please email me at [email protected]. I will not sell your email address and I will personally respond to you.