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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.

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Augason Farms
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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
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Don't go to Walmart tomorrow if you don't have to

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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 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.

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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 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

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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.

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The fastest way to lose a bet with chaos is to assume you can “just run to the store.” When the grid fails or unrest spreads, crowds surge toward the same aisles, alarms, and exits. We map the twelve store types most likely to turn dangerous in a prolonged crisis—dollar and convenience stores, liquor shops, pawn shops, small hardware and auto parts, precious metals dealers, electronics and pharmacies, big box retailers, gun shops, and home improvement giants—and show why the smartest strategy is to never stand in those lines.

We speak candidly about human behavior under stress: how sugar, stimulants, and status goods get grabbed before true essentials, and why that mismatch fuels mayhem. You’ll hear practical insights on barter value versus real utility; why pharmacies and distribution centers become flashpoints; and how injury data from past disasters reveals the hidden cost of looting. From plywood and propane to radios and first aid, we connect the dots between what disappears first and what actually sustains your family when systems stall.

Most important, we pivot from risk to readiness. We share a simple, common-sense blueprint for stocking what you eat, rotating supplies, building a lean medical kit, setting up layered power and lighting, and planning comms that work when cell service doesn’t. You’ll learn how to craft get-home routes, pack a small bag that matters, and make choices early that keep you far from the frenzy. Preparation isn’t paranoia—it’s quiet freedom. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to help more people trade panic for a plan.

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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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A rental truck idles near a federal gate, commands echo across the asphalt, and then the driver jolts into a pattern we’ve seen before. We walk step by step through the Alameda U-Haul incident and connect it to a longer history of vehicle rammings against secured facilities—from Langley and Little Rock to Quantico and repeated attempts near the White House. The details matter: rental vehicles, symbolic targets, barrier designs, and the small choices that add or subtract seconds when things break bad.

We go beyond the headline to study how security evolves after each event. Hydraulic wedges, reinforced bollards, standoff zones, and traffic choke points shape outcomes long before a driver shifts into gear. Just as important is mindset. The internet rush to cry hoax can turn into a deadly habit. Denial stalls your feet when you need them moving. We break down why treating first reports as real, especially when local, is the safer default—and how to verify fast without feeding panic. We also examine the idea of probing: false alarms and misreads that quietly map responder playbooks and condition communities to ignore alerts.

You’ll hear a clear, sourced timeline of the Alameda event, an overview of relevant case studies, and a practical set of cues that signal intent: sudden reversals at barriers, rental trucks loitering at perimeter lines, and erratic movement inside narrow approach lanes. We explain investigative delays, including psychiatric holds and round accounting, so you can separate process from conspiracy when updates are thin. The goal is simple and serious: build a common-sense approach to personal safety that works under stress.

If this conversation sharpens your plan, tap follow, share it with someone who needs the mindset shift, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find it.

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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 examine credible OSINT warnings about a mid-December threat window and translate them into calm, practical steps that reduce risk in everyday places. We share specific tactics attackers use, how responders operate, and the simple habits that boost your odds of getting home safe.

• who Sarah Adams is and what OSINT reveals
• why a multi‑wave attack model increases chaos
• run hide fight applied to multiple shooters
• avoiding secondary devices and decoys
• why not to livestream during an incident
• verifying real police versus impostors
• first responder staging and medical priorities
• limits of airport security and peak travel risk
• practical situational awareness habits
• the line between paranoia and preparation

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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

A major AWS outage knocked out payments, flights, and popular apps, exposing how fragile centralized systems can be. We walk through the failure cascade, why silver demand is surging, and a practical checklist to keep life moving when the cloud stalls.

• AWS Virginia zone failure and DNS bug
• Payment, travel and streaming disruptions
• 911 outages from fiber cuts in the Gulf South
• Why central choke points keep breaking
• Silver supply strain and industrial demand
• Coin shop behavior and premiums on rounds
• Cash, radios, maps and local backups
• Affordable solar power for communications
• Three-day cash drills and neighbor planning
• Concrete gear list with realistic costs

Do me a favor, like this podcast, share this podcast, and please give me a 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

Silver’s leap to $53 forces hard choices for preppers on budgets. We weigh the barter power of junk silver against the opportunity cost of food, water, tools, and skills, and share a pragmatic plan to hold, trim, or wait.

• price surge from mid-30s to $53 and what changed
• why silver beats cash and gold for small trades
• junk silver use for stealth and divisibility
• industrial demand from solar and EVs driving the rally
• forecasts up to $60–$70 and what that implies
• when selling a slice makes sense and why shops pay under spot
• alternatives to metals including skills and consumables
• a cautious path for new buyers and fixed incomes
• personal stance to watch, hold, and protect essentials

Folks, if you want to reach me, Practical Prep Podcast at gmail.com on the Twitters, Common Sense Practical Prepper Podcast, or Prep underscore Podcast
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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 $300 antibiotic kits with DIY, legal alternatives and show how to build a smarter, cheaper medical cache without cutting corners. We share scripts that work with doctors, telehealth options, and the must-have items that beat hype and handle real problems.

• true cost comparison of bundled kits versus generics
• what kit pricing includes and why it’s expensive
• barriers to future-use antibiotic prescriptions
• how to ask doctors for standby meds ethically
• telehealth routes and consult price ranges
• building a DIY cache for $100–$150
• why to avoid animal “fish” antibiotics
• adding chronic meds and 90-day supplies
• storage, labeling, and dosing guidance
• resources: Jase, Contingency, My GoToDoc, GoodRx

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.