The Late Prepper

The vast majority of my life has been spent in cities and suburbs. I have only lived short periods of time outside of areas like Los Angeles and New York City, so I'm what you might call a "city boy." But I am strongly considering moving my family away from the city and I'd suggest the same to those who have the means and the desire.There are many reasons for this, but a new one has popped up in recent months that would never have swayed me in the past. I've heard over and over how bad things can get in the city in the event of major emergencies or terrorist attacks, but I've always dismissed them. Like I said, I'm a city boy so having access to things has always been important. But the past few months have taught me there's a good chance I won't want my family in the city when the crap starts hitting the fan, and that seems to be possible at any moment.Case-in-Point: The radiological attack response drills that are going on in Austin, Texas, right now. I'll let Ethan Huff from Natural News describe the details below, but it's a compelling reason to consider leaving city life if possible. Many bad events can strike anywhere, city or not, but it seems very likely that a radiological attack would target the heaviest population centers.As I said on the latest episode of The Late Prepper, it isn't all perfect in living more isolated. There are disadvantages and threats to country living that don't exist as much in cities and suburbs. With that said, it still seems like a safer bet for most. Here's Ethan with the details:Dirty Bomb Drills Being Run in Austin, Tex., Ahead of Known Radiological Terror Cells Entering U.S.From May 16 through May 20, the Department of Energy’s (DoE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is holding a drill in Austin, Tex., that involves the use of low-flying aircraft and a simulated radiological attack.Called “Cobalt Magnet 22,” the exercise is supposedly taking place to prepare local, state and federal agencies for the possibility of a future radiological attack. Since these drills tend to go live, however, many want to know: Is this another false flag attack in the making?At “various locations around the city,” an announcement from the NNSA reads, “the exercise will simulate a radiological attack, enabling response personnel to practice protecting public health and safety, providing emergency relief to affected populations, and restoring essential services.”During the exercise, personnel donned in PPE (personal protective equipment) will reportedly be seen moseying around Austin with equipment as they pretend to monitor and detect radiation, presumably from a nuclear attack.First responders “and others,” the announcement adds ominously, will also be “staged at various locations” throughout the Texas capital as part of the drill.“The men and women of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team – or NEST – are trained to provide decision-makers with timely, actionable scientific advice during fearful events,” says Jay Tilden, the DoE’s Deputy Under Secretary for Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation.“Saving lives and reducing the impact of a nuclear incident requires a full understanding of what happened, who will be affected, and what the optimal response should be. NEST’s bread and butter is providing that information to local, state, and federal leaders as rapidly as possible.”Mayor Adler and other local officials: “This is only an exercise”In order to quell the fears of area residents who are concerned about this latest government exercise mysteriously going live, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a raging liberal Demoncrat with “Get vaccinated!” written prominently on his Twitter handle, wrote the following in a tweet:“During a planning exercise next week, Austinites may see teams in protective clothing using radiological equipment, low-flying aircraft gathering data, and groups of first responders and other staged at various locations. This is only an exercise.”Along with this message, Adler shared a link to an article from The Hill explaining the exercise in further detail.Austin Emergency Management (AEM) tweeted a similar message three days later, emphasizing that the event is “just an exercise” and not to worry or panic.Neither the NNSA nor any other local agencies in Austin have clarified why the simulation is happening there, or whether or not Austin is under any kind of radiological or other threat that would render it a potential target.Cobalt Magnet 22 is reminiscent of the “Jade Helm 15” exercise from 2015 that also took place in this same area of Texas, and under similarly strange circumstances.As you may recall, the Health Ranger visited one of the sites involved in that exercise, which include “guard towers” similar to the ones used in fascist regimes to monitor prisoners being held captive behind barbed-wire fencing.Jade Helm 15 simulated the infiltration of soldiers operating “undetected amongst civilian populations,” the purpose being to see if they could infiltrate and blend in with the general population without being noticed.Concerning this latest exercise in Austin, Adan Salazar, writing for Infowars and Newswars, had this to say:“The exercise comes as NATO and its allies have continued to prop up Ukraine in its war against Russia, provoking the former Soviet nation which has full nuclear capabilities. Agencies did not say the drills were in response to any type of threat from Russia.”For more news and information about this topic, be sure to check out Radiation.news.Sources for this article include:* NewsWars.com* NaturalNews.com

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One of the best parts about having a site dedicated to the economy in general and precious metals in particular is that we get to see what draws people to the site. Spikes in traffic follow bad economic news, but the mid-term trends are what we really find interesting. Over the last couple of months, even when there are no new updates on the economy, traffic has been steadily rising.Much of the interest we're seeing is coming from "preppers." Unlike times of old, modern-day "preppers" aren't just the people living off the grid who can grow their own food, field dress a deer, and power their house with solar panels, wind turbines, and grain alcohol. Many people in cities and suburbs are storing food and preparing for economic collapse. One of the best ways to do that is to secure physical precious metals.Invariably whenever I mention precious metals as a component of prepping, someone hops in the comments and notes that you can't eat silver coins. They're right. They often also note that in a complete societal collapse, it will be easier to barter with useful items than with precious metals. This may also be true. But there are three important reasons to consider adding more physical precious metals to the list of items you store at home.Before I discuss that, I have to mention our sponsors. As my long-time readers and listeners know, I do NOT pick sponsors based on how much they pay. Some of my sponsors are actually quite stingy with their payouts, but I keep them because I believe in their products. Conversely, I've dropped sponsors who pay fabulously but whose products I cannot rightly endorse. This is why the precious metals companies we endorse had to go through a lot of vetting before I ever considering putting my name behind them.We currently recommend two precious metals companies. This comes after over a year of being courted by nearly two dozen companies and individuals. After all, our audience is generally conservative and often has cash or retirement they'd like to use towards precious metals, so it makes sense that I get calls or emails on a weekly basis.I chose one company to start. Our Gold Guy is operated by an America First patriot who knows the industry inside and out and is willing to make personal contact with those who are interested in purchasing precious metals. We recently added GoldCo, which is also a patriotic company. The reason we have two now is because they offer a wide range of products. As a bigger company, they may not give the personal customer service that my readers and listeners will get from Our Gold Guy, but sometimes people just want as many options as possible. Whether you go with Our Gold Guy or GoldCo, you'll be very pleased with your purchase.The first reason to consider precious metals as a "prepper" item is because we may not be facing a full-blown societal collapse. If what we're seeing today leads to a major economic downturn or depression but not the apocalypse, then it behooves people to protect their wealth and property with precious metals. Gold and silver are generally considered to be the perfect hedges in a volatile market. Currently the chances of economic stability in the near future are slim. The chances of the economy rebounding before experiencing major changes in the long-term market are practically zero.If the crap hits the fan in a hard way and we DO experience complete economic and even societal collapse in America, then it won't matter if your investments are in gold, silver, stocks, cryptocurrency, or anything else. Just as you can't eat gold, you can't eat your shares of Chick-fil-A. Those who argue that you shouldn't buy anything that can't have tangible value in a post-apocalyptic society aren't considering the other levels of downturn or depression that we may be facing instead.Second, the dollar seems to be preparing to head in the wrong direction very soon. With the greatest potential in most of our lifetimes of the dollar no longer being the world reserve currency or driving oil purchases through the petrodollar, it is becoming increasingly possible that it could truly crash. Some will point to cryptocurrencies as the way to go in that scenario, and I'm not completely against that notion. But the push for regulations and central bank digital currencies make cryptocurrencies inherently risky. Then, there's the necessary attachment to technology that reduces their tangible value, possibly to nil. Having gold or silver coins in the safe is a much more prudent bet.The last reason precious metals are great for wealth protection for many, preppers or not, is the scenario in which the crap does NOT hit the fan. It may seem unlikely to many of us now that things can get better before they get much worse, but the world can change rapidly. While it's definitely a good idea to stock up on food, water, medical supplies, and ammunition first, having some gold or silver handy during a recovery will actually put people in better situations. While I have nothing against those who stockpile hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition just in case, there's no easy way to swap that investment for another if things go back to normal.As I've said dozens of times and will likely say dozens of times more in the future, precious metals are NOT a primary need. Like they say, you can't eat it. You may not be able to barter with it very easily in a societal collapse. But for those who want to protect their wealth, it's a good direction to head AFTER you have your food, water, ammunition, bug out plan, medical needs, and other preparations made.If that's you, then check out Our Gold Guy, GoldCo, or both.

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After speaking to pretty much every major long-term food storage company out there over the past four or five months, the trends are crystal clear. "Prepping" is becoming much more popular in America. The stigma that was manufactured by corporate media and "intellectuals" has been lifted thanks to a series of events over the past couple of years that have made many Americans very uncertain about the future.Uncertainty can breed one of two things: panic or preparedness. The former will start manifesting in the coming months as so many people will suddenly realize things are not going to get better and chaos is about to take hold. Those who fall in the latter category will be as ready as they can be so they can avoid government breadlines and the anarchy that comes when store shelves are empty.See Venezuela for a glimpse into our potential future.When my family decided to start getting prepared last year, we made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. I had too much of some things and not enough of others. I didn't spend my limited funds the best way possible. Most importantly, I didn't have a proper plan in place. We've recovered, but I wanted to offer some advice based on our experience to our readers and listeners at The Late Prepper. I also strongly encourage those with insights or more experience to help out by posting comments below.The information that I'm posting and that I discussed on the podcast is based on a few assumptions. First, this is a bug-in plan, not a bugout plan. You should DEFINITELY have a plan ready and practiced for such a situation in which you have to leave your home for extended periods of time, possibly forever. I'll cover that in the future, but for now I want to focus on bugging in.The second assumption in this plan is that it's ONLY about food. You will need a plan for water, defense, medical, and other emergencies that will arise in a crap-hits-the-fan scenario, but for today I'm only focused on food itself.Third, we're assuming a common living scenario. An individual who's living off-grid on 500 acres in Montana would plan very differently from a family in a middle class suburban home outside of Dallas. That type of plan, which is what I'll be describing below, is based on average levels of living and storage space, a backyard or patio of some sort, and limited ability to hunt locally for food.The final assumption is that there will be no access to any food other than what's given out in the breadlines. In other words, this plan is geared around an economic or societal collapse. It may not be that bad, but I'd rather my family be prepared for a full collapse. If it's just a reversible downturn or temporary food shortage, great! Our plan is designed for having no access to food other than what we store. Let's begin...Five Types of FoodBefore I get into the five ways we separate out our foods, I should warn the more experienced preppers that this is a hybrid approach. I've combined different styles of prepping from multiple sources of information, so some of this will be very familiar and others may seem odd. We chose this method of separating our food based on two desires. First, we obviously want to survive. Second, we want to be able to eat fairly well. If there's one knock I have against many of the food plans in circulation today, it's that they really focus on the former and not the latter. I wouldn't sacrifice survivability for the sake of having a good variety of flavors, but it's definitely possible to have both.With that said, here are the five types of food we are storing:Early Stage Perishables (Short Term Food, Months 0-2)This is what's in your pantry and refrigerator. It's the food you're eating everyday already. Most families have about two weeks worth of food. I strongly recommend bumping that up to at least two months. Obviously, you can't effectively store away two months of every perishable items since, well, they're perishable. My family's goal is to never have to open up any of the longer lasting food until the short term perishables are used up.When the crap hits the fan, we're going to eat the most spoilable items first. Anything in the refrigerator or pantry that will go bad in days or a few weeks like milk, bread, eggs, non-frozen meats, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables will all be eaten first.Middle Stage Perishables (Medium Term Food, Months 2-36)This is the food that will stay edible for a while but not necessarily long-term.* Canned Soups, Sauces, Meals* Unsealed Pasta* Canned Meat* Shelf-Stable Meals* Sprouts (Short-term once they're sprouted but stable until then)* Self-Canned Foods* Oils* Frozen Foods* Dehydrated Foods That Are Vacuum-Sealed (we dehydrate and vacuum-seal fruits and vegetables every day)Long Haul Food (Long-Term Food Beyond Month 36)Food that can last for more than five years is perfect for long-term storage. The goal is to never really have to open up any until all of your short- and mid-term has been exhausted. These foods MUST be properly packaged and stored - oxygen absorbers in mylar bags or sealed cans.Our sponsor can help with this.* Freeze Dried Food* Powdered Eggs, Milk, Butter* Honey and Maple Syrup (standard storage is fine as long as it's away from the open air, moisture, high or low temperatures, light, and critters)* Some Shelf-Stable Foods Can Fall Into This Category - Know Your DatesSustainable FoodThese are the foods that keep on giving. Cows for milk would be great, but it's not very easy to keep cows.* Garden* Grow Bags* Indoor Plants and Microgreens* ChickensAll-Stage StaplesThese are the foods you can store a lot of that will be available from the beginning of crap hitting the fan all the way to the end. And by a lot, I mean A LOT. I'd like to have literally a ton of this food stored away before the crap hits the fan.* Rice* Wheat Berries (long-term) and Flour (short- to mid-term)* Beans, Peas, Lentils* Drink Mixes* Rolled OatsConclusionYou CAN do this. Get as much as you can over time, but don't dilly-dally. You'll be fine. Keep praying and keep working towards securing your family's food security. We don't know how long the upcoming collapse will last.

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When the prospects of an impending food shortage or even an economic collapse started really becoming apparent shortly after Joe Biden took office, many of us began looking at "prepping" as a way to secure our family's food supply. Millions of Americans have been prepping for years, even decades, but there has always been a stigma associated with it. This stigma has been mostly manufactured by corporate media and bolstered by a common belief among Americans that things will work themselves out before it gets too bad.Now, it's clear the likelihood of things working themselves out is very slim. I've spoken ad nauseam about why we became "late preppers" in the last year as well as the signs that massive food shortages are just around the corner. I'm sure I'll post more about it in the near future, but for now, I want to stipulate that if you're reading this or listening to the podcast, you're already in the camp that is either already prepping or getting ready to start.My wife and I are not green thumbs. We could tag-team the accidental killing of a cactus faster than tossing it in a fire. But knowing what we know, we decided to put our best efforts forward to growing our own fruits and vegetables. It's something we're encouraging everyone to do, even if you're limited in space. Growing food in an apartment is very different from growing on open land. Climate and soil obviously need to be taken into consideration. It may not be possible for literally everyone to do it, but those who can make some adjustments should strongly consider it.Growing enough food to be completely self-reliant is challenging. But we believe nearly everyone can do something to at least supplement the food they are now buying. Rather than trying to account for every possible scenario, we described our food-growing action plan in the latest episode of The Late Prepper. Hopefully, that can encourage others to explore and act upon a plan to start growing their own food based on your current situation.We've grown many of our own herbs for a while. That isn't hard at all, especially in our plant-friendly Southern California climate. We purchased one, then a second avocado tree. Fat is the hardest food type to store long-term and avocados are among the fattiest fruits you can grow. They came in their own pots, shipped by mail (though if you can pick one up it's less risky and you can pick a winner yourself), and require tending once a day. We used Fast Growing Trees for our purchase and two months in it's looking good.Last week, we purchased an organic indoor gardening kit from Spade to Fork. We've been told that it's a waste to go with kits because seeds and soil are cheap, but we pushed the "easy button" because, as mentioned before, our thumbs are not exactly green. We went with this particular product because we liked the mix of food (cherry tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and green beans) and they're organic. This is just a short-term solution, a test if you will. Long term, we already have 15,000 non-GMO heirloom seeds from Open Seed Vault ready for a long-term crap-hits-the-fan scenario.We have grow bags that we'll be using as soon as we pick the right mix of food and planting seasons. It's important that novices like us do the research into planting the best foods at the best times. Think strategically based on your situation. What do you like to eat? How easy is it to grow? Where will you keep it? Will your harvest be bigger than you can eat at the moment, and if so how will you store the excess?For many if not most experienced preppers and homesteaders, these are very basic questions and there's likely a whole lot more than I'm not taking into consideration. I would greatly appreciate those who have more experience than us to share their thoughts and expertise in the comments. As I've often said, I'm not an expert at any of this. The purpose of this Substack is to have a community where fellow "late preppers" can share ideas and learn from those with more experience.And as always, we recommend My Patriot Supply for those who have the resources to purchase and store some or even all of your crap-hits-the-fan preps. Now is the time to get secured before the rest of America is forced to realize how bad things are about to get.

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When Joe Biden announced he was lifting restrictions on ethanol being used in fuel, he was hated on by both sides. The radical left called it a betrayal to his climate change pledge. The right said it was too little, too late and that he should be pushing for more drilling across the board. What few people have noted is that this has absolutely nothing to do with lowering gas prices and everything to do with raising food prices.On the latest episode of The Late Prepper, I dove into this article and accused the Biden regime of knowing exactly what they're doing to food and gas prices. It's a mistake to think they're just incompetent because that would mean we could correct their errors. Knowing that they are fully aware that their actions are going to raise inflation even further allows us to strategize differently.It's definitely time to take your financial and food future into your own hands. That's why we recommend Our Gold Guy and My Patriot Supply.In the article below by Mary Villareal from Natural News, we get to see how the meat industry is reacting to Joe Biden's push to use ethanol in fuel at a time when food is becoming so scarce:Meat producers react as Biden issues emergency waiver that allows selling gasoline with 15% ethanolPresident Joe Biden issued an emergency waiver that allows gasoline stations nationwide to sell gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. With the record-high prices and soaring levels not seen since 1981, Biden effectively paused a federal environmental regulation that prohibits this biofuel mixture in the summer to limit smog.Biden’s action, however, could lead to higher meat prices due to the increased demand for corn.Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Daren Bakst said this would certainly drive up food prices and hurt meat producers who rely on feeds. Corn and soybean meal is used to feed livestock and serves as the largest cost for chicken producers.“Further and artificial demand for corn created by this administration will likely increase the cost of corn and all food products dependent on corn and corn oil inputs,” said National Chicken Council President Mike Brown.“What it does at the gas pump we shall see … but at what expense to consumers in the grocery store who are already dealing with the highest inflation in 40 years?”At the end of the day, Brown said ethanol manufacturers win and consumers lose.Overall inflation increased 8.5 percent year-over-year in March, the highest such jump in over 40 years as per federal data. Food prices surged even higher at a rate of 8.8 percent between April 2021 and March 2022, the largest 12-month increase since 1981. (Related: Inflation surges by 8.5% to 40-year high, disproving White House claims it wouldn’t go higher than 2.2%.)The price of corn, however, has surged 37.8 percent from $3.97 to $5.47 per bushel between December 2020 to December 2021, and corn futures have surged more than 44 percent relative to their December price in the wake of Biden’s announcement.Long-term solution needed, not short-term political fixesA representative of the oil industry also criticized the Biden administration for the decision. Ron Chit, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, said Americans are looking for long-term solutions and not short-term political fixes.Heartland Institute President James Taylor said: “Burning food for fuel makes no sense at all when the Biden administration and others warn of widespread upcoming food shortages as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” He also mentioned that it’s as if the Biden administration is deliberately calculating how to make food-price inflation worse.The Ukraine crisis has already triggered a global food supply shortage that experts believe could still worsen. Meanwhile, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) previously characterized the 2005 renewable fuel standard program as a government policy that is picking one industry over the over. It mandates that energy providers replace a certain amount of petroleum-based products with renewable fuel, including ethanol.Some groups are in favor of Biden’s action, however, saying criticism from meat groups was a “red herring” and that it would have little impact on corn supplies.At present, there are more than a billion gallons of ethanol in storage and farmers still intend to plant 89.5 million acres of corn in 2022.Andrew Walmsley of the American Farm Bureau said this is not a “one or the other” issue, adding that the United States has the resources to produce homegrown, renewable fuels while also meeting the demand of ensuring there is food on the table and that livestock are fed.Moreover, according to Walmsley, the Ukraine crisis and supply chain issues are the main culprits for higher global food prices. (Related: Russia-Ukraine war will further worsen global food shortage as poor nations face starvation, unrest.)“The amount of corn needed to meaningfully expand E15 this summer is minuscule,” said Troy Bredenkamp, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the ethanol advocacy group Renewable Fuels Association. He also mentioned that the amount of corn needed to double the current E15 use is equivalent to only 0.3 percent of last year’s corn crop.The impact of the E15 waiver on grain markets would essentially be undetectable, but the impact on pump prices could be substantial, said Bredenkamp. “While every additional gallon of E15 sold will help relieve very tight fuel supplies, especially as the summer driving season gets into full gear, clearly there will only be a slight incremental effect on corn prices and no change in U.S. retail food prices.”Follow Bubble.news for more stories about inflation and the U.S. economy.Watch this video to learn more about the ethanol industry.This video is from the TruthBeTold channel on Brighteon.com.More related stories:* New study finds corn-based ethanol fuel is actually WORSE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT than regular gasoline.* Carbon taxes are here: World’s largest carbon capture pipeline to be constructed in the Upper Midwest.* BlackRock president: INFLATION will teach VERY RUDE lessons to today’s consumers.* Billionaire BlackRock CEO calls poor millennials “entitled,” promises them “scarcity inflation” (op-ed).* IMF WARNS: Rising shipping costs are affecting inflation, raising prices of everyday goods.Sources include:* WND.com* AlJazeera.com* Brighteon.com* NATURAL NEWS

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As a "late prepper," I am often forced to sift through conflicting recommendations. I comb through 2-3 hours per day of videos and articles as I learn how best to prepare for whatever is to come. When I see contradictory material, I seek additional perspectives to see who is right. Thankfully, prepping isn't difficult so it doesn't happen very often.Occasionally, I come across recommendations that are demonstrably bad. I wish I had documented them all, but I was able to compile this short list of things that preppers should definitely avoid. I'll accumulate other pieces of bad advice to share going forward, but here's what we've seen so far...125 ml Water PacketsThis particular piece of advice came from a prepper channel that I generally admire. Everyone makes mistakes, and this was a big one.Several companies sell mylar packs with around 125 ml of water in them as "emergency water." While these may be useful in a bugout bag for the sole reason that they are less likely to get contaminated over several years, there's a big problem. They're a waste. A case of 64 of them is expensive, coming to around $28 per gallon. Considering that we need 1-2 gallons of water per day, that means someone would need several dozen of them to survive.In a bugout bag, it may make some sense since we often pack our bags and let them sit for a long time, but if you're checking on your bag every few months then you can rotate out bottled water which is far more economical and can last for a long time.Create a Post-Apocalyptic GangI'm not sure which show this was on but a site I read referenced the "Apocalypse Gang" that had chosen to only prepare for crap hitting the fan by accumulating guns, ammo, and burly men. Their idea was they wouldn't need to store food if they could just go around and take what they wanted from everyone else. This is, of course, a very bad idea.However, it should act as a reminder that when society starts to collapse, there will be desperate people who will try to take what you have. Firearms, ammunition, and other self-defense resources are imperative in such a situation. It may be a bad idea to plan to rob everyone else, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for when people try to rob us.Prepackaged Food Buckets Are All You NeedThe reason people buy prepackaged food buckets with various meals in them is for convenience. I can completely understand and appreciate pushing the "easy button" because not everyone wants to or has the time to get into canning, building our own food buckets, freeze drying, or sealing food away in mylar bags. Those who want to simply set it and forget it can visit our emergency supply sponsor, who has plenty of packages available.From a financial perspective, it makes better sense to build your own buckets. For example, Augason Farms Rice is currently selling for over $60 for a 24 lb bucket. It's convenient and I bought a couple (granted, when I bought them they were $38 but even that is too expensive), but then I learned how easy and inexpensive it is to get my own 5 gallon buckets with lids, 5 gallon mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and bulk rice.Many stores carry 25 lbs for $10-$15. The buckets at Home Depot are around $4-$8 with lids. Five-gallon mylar bags and oxygen absorbers can be under $5. To make what Augason Farms is currently selling for over $60 takes ten minutes and under $20.I Don't Need to Be EntertainedIn a long-term bugging-in situation, you'll want to be entertained, especially if power and internet are down. Most preppers recommend books, board games, playing cards, or dice among other things that can help pass the time and keep the family's mind off something other than the approaching apocalypse. Psychological health will be challenged in a societal collapse so don't expect to sit around and chat with the family all day, every day, as your way of coping.My Pets Are My Backup Food SupplyThere may come a time when we get so desperate, we're forced to look to unacceptable sources for food. I don't want to recommend it and I'm definitely not planning for it, which is why I won't link to the story that had a chart showing how many calories you can expect to consume from mid-sized family pet.Only Buy Long Term FoodMy plan is to have bug-in food that works in stages. For the beginning when we can't just go to the grocery store for our needs, we have what's available in our refrigerator and some of the expiring pantry items. When those run out, we'll move to our midterm storage items like canned foods, shelf-stable meals, and freezer items. When those are exhausted, I'll pull out the buckets and #10 cans of freeze dried long-term storage foods.I've heard on a couple of occasions that you should just store food that will last for decades. I can understand why, but it's neither cost-effective nor practical. We will keep our long-term storage food items untouched until we have completely exhausted our more perishable food.One brief note: the reason that I count my freezer items as midterm storage is because we have a solar generator to keep it running if the grid goes down. If we did not, I would include the freezer items with short-term storage foods because the likelihood of the grid going down seems very high in a crap-hits-the-fan situation.Focus on Bugging Out Instead of Bugging InIt's funny because around half of the prepper items on the market today are designed for bugging out. Since the most likely scenario for most Americans is one where economic or societal collapse puts us in a bugging in situation, I prefer to make sure I'm stocked up at home.With that said, we should all be prepared to bug out on a moment's notice. I have a plan for instant bug out scenarios where we only have time to grab our bags and run. I also have a plan for a quick bug out scenario where we know we're going to have to leave in hours or even days. Do not get so attached to your bug-in fortress that you're not willing to leave it if you have to because there are scenarios in which bugging in is simply not an option.ConclusionI generally only recommend prepping ideas when I have two or more experienced preppers validating them. If you hear something that sounds weird, double- and triple-check it. Like I said earlier, prepping isn't hard. You just have to be cognizant of who NOT to listen to before the crap hits the fan.Image by Nestle via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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Every Friday on my show at Red State Talk Radio (listen live Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm Eastern), I answer email questions from listeners. Today, I asked for questions about prepping. I took the segment of that show in which I answer questions and isolated it here.Below are the questions asked, edited only for spelling and punctuation. If any of them interest you, please take a listen to the podcast itself.* No name - You seem new to prepping so why should we listen to you?* Andy O. from outside Minneapolis - A comment on your Substack said that MRE's are a waste of money, but you had recommended them. Who's right?* Krissy - What do we do about prescription meds if things go south. I cannot survive without them nor can my husband.* No name - What scenarios do you see as most likely making us fend for ourselves? Do you recommend iodine for nuclear war?* Kyle from Denmark - Is Elon Musk a good guy or a bad guy?* Filemone - I have a large family in a crowded city. We have very close friends and family here and we are trying to take advantage of this fact since only one of us even has a big yard and none of us have a lot of space. What can we do to make sure we're taking care of each other?* Sam (Samantha) from Franklin PA - I'm getting mixed signals on gold and silver. Should I buy or should I not?* No name - We are very late to prepping and I have a few thousand dollars to spend. Pretend like we have nothing stocked up yet and tell me what to buy.* No name - Should we leave the city?* Vera from Texas - Our church started an emergency group for people to share their supplies but I've always heard to keep prepping a secret.* Jake from State Farm - I live alone but I have a young son nearby and I'm sure he and his mother will come to me if the apocalypse comes. I have 200 lbs of rice and 50 lbs of pinto beans. I know I need more but how long will that last? Should I buy a food bucket and if so which one?* Ann - How is your meat company coming?Today’s show was sponsored by Our Gold Guy, the patriotic and honest source for physical precious metal purchases.

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More Americans are starting to stock up on long-term food storage items, ammunition, and precious metals. This makes perfect sense considering the trajectory of the nation under the Biden regime combined with all of the turmoil that is erupting across the globe. Food shortages are coming, which means society may be on the verge of collapse in the United States in a matter of year, perhaps even months.Perhaps even sooner.But there's one important factor that far too few people are considering. One of the reasons I started The Late Prepper was to not only help others but to help myself and my family. The things I am forced to learn while operating The Late Prepper can be invaluable; I often learn much more from the community over there than I read in articles or watch in videos.The factor that seems to be missing in many preparation plans, especially for those of us who are new to prepping, is what to do if the water runs dry. We are a society dependent on water infrastructure. When the water gets shut off, even for a short time, people tend to have no proper plan. It's the most vital component to survival in this life since we can die after 72 hours without water. Yet it seems like far too many people (including me) are dependent on the faucet continuing to spout forth water or the grocery stores having plenty on hand.This is the problem that I believe will drive the most people to turn to government assistance like they did in the aftermath of Katrina. If water infrastructure breaks down, most people do not have a plan.Now's the time to make one. On the latest episode of The Late Prepper, I clumsily tried to describe in 17 minutes how to secure water and why it's important. It's not me best show, not by a longshot, but I like to do things live so we're sticking with it. Hopefully there are some nuggets of usable information in there. If anything, hopefully I portrayed why it's so important to be ready for whatever is to come.First and foremost, we need to be able to filter our water. Many use Berkey, but as I noted in a recent article and podcast, I chose Alexapure. Either works, and there are likely others that are nearly as good. Having a proper water filter expands your potential sources for water should the crap hit the fan. If you can get plenty of water from rain, streams, rivers, lakes, or ponds, then you're in better shape than most. All you need is a water filter and a decent amount of stored water and you're good to go.For those of us who do not have a sufficient nearby supply, that means we have to store it. Considering humans need somewhere between one and two gallons of water per day, that means a lot of storage space. The containers to hold the water are not necessarily cheap. I keep about 350 16-oz bottles of water on hand for immediate needs. Beyond that, I've been getting collapsible 5-gallon containers since the stackable hard-plastic ones ones are so expensive. I also got a WaterBOB even though one of our sponsors sells one as well. The WaterBOB is bigger - no brainer there.Those who can afford the price and space for much larger water storage should definitely get that now. A common size is 300 gallons, and while that sounds like plenty it would actually only last one or two months for a family of four.The bottom line is this: Make a plan for what you will do if water infrastructure goes down. If you can't get water from the faucet and the stores are empty or inaccessible, there are only three options:* Make a plan that combines storage, filtering, and acquisition of water without standard infrastructure available* Become beholden to government* Not survive longI'm being blunt about the options because water is THAT important. Don't wait. Get your plan together. When you're done, start looking for backup options. Without water, you're done.Support us AND YOURSELF by buying from our survival sponsor.

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In the world of gravity water filtration systems, there are two names that rise far above everyone else. If you think one of those names is Brita, then I'm glad you're reading this and listening to the podcast because your standard water filters just won't cut it in a societal collapse and you need to know that now. Sure, they make the water taste better but that's just about it.Berkey and Alexapure are high-dollar water filters that actually filter water. If things go south, as we expect they probably will soon, we could all find ourselves in a situation where we desperately need water to survive. You can only go about 72 hours without water before dying. If the water from your tap turns off or gets contaminated, you'll need to have alternative supplies of water and a way to filter it.I set forth on the quest long ago of determining which of the two top water filtration systems were the best. I read reviews and watched plenty of comparison videos, and invariably they all said the same basic thing: Both filter systems are great. They work the same way, they're comparably priced, and the few real advantages for one or the other aren't really gamechangers.One of the big differences is that Berkey is much more well known. When I finally made my decision last night, I did so knowing that my sponsor sells Alexapure but not Berkey. As much as I love supporting my sponsor, I chose to buy a Berkey (temporarily) because one of the arguments I heard in its favor made sense. There are more Berkey filters in circulation right now which means replacement parts will likely be easier to find in a crap-hits-the-fan situation. That tipped the scale for me to go to Berkey.Then, I went to buy it. What I've seen in reviews that were made recently, some of them just a few days ago, is that both the Big Berkey 2.25 gallon filter and the Alexapure 2.25 gallon filter are around $270 each. Apparently, that changed dramatically. As of April 11, 2022, the Big Berkey is listed at BerkeyFilters.com at $387 ON SALE from $405. It was the same price without the discount on Amazon.The Alexapure at our sponsor's site is still at $279.95, though they may follow Berkey's play and raise their prices as well. If they do, I'll be glad I bought it before the price hike.One might say it's petty that I changed my mind over $109, but at this stage every penny counts unless you're rich. I bought the Alexapure. I also realized that the argument of more availability of replacement parts for Berkey is probably moot because in a true crap-hits-the-fan situation, how are we going to get replacement parts from them anyway? I ordered the bigger package of Alexaure with four filters and a pack of replacement parts, so I should be good to go with potable water for at least five years... assuming I can find water when the crap-hits-the-fan. That's another problem altogether, one I'll address in a future installment.Buy your Alexapure Water Filter now.

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Many of the folks who follow this website and podcast are seasoned preppers who probably already know everything I'm about to post. In fact, they probably know a whole lot more than I do about the various "hobbies" people should consider taking up now that it seems like some sort of societal collapse is imminent.For the rest of us who are just getting started, it can be challenging to change everything and take on a "prepper lifestyle." One of the first things I did after making my plan was to think of the various skills I would like to acquire before it becomes too late to do so easily. I replaced old "hobbies" with activities that can help me and my family survive. In a way, these activities have become hobbies themselves, though far more productive than watching Netflix or going bowling.Here's a very incomplete list of things we all can consider doing to use our time that's not spent working or with family. Some of these activities are things that we can do WITH our families, so it can be doubly productive. I've grouped them into three basic categories — food, outdoors, and self-defense. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of others that could be added to this list, but I wanted to use this as a primer for others to list their ideas below.Could you replace any of your current hobbies with some of these survival-productive actions?Food Prep* Gardening - This is the ultimate way to establish food security that can last for a very long time, perhaps indefinitely.* Canning - I've never gotten into canning, though my wife has. She's starting again very soon.* Sprouting and Growing Microgreens - This is one of those little miracles I wish I'd known more about long ago. It's so easy, doesn't take much space, and even a non-green thumb like me can do it.* Dehydrating and Freeze Drying - For those like me who do not have a lot of outdoor space for a garden, I consider freeze drying or dehydrating food to be the most important. Freeze dryers are very expensive but dehydrators are not, but freeze dried food lasts years or even decades longer than dehydrated, it tastes better, and it retains more vitamins and minerals. On a side note, those interested in receiving an update when our own organic freeze dried chicken company is up and running, please email me at [email protected]* Beekeeping - I know nothing about keeping bees. I just heard it was a great hobby and I love honey!Outdoors* Camping - While I try to focus on securing for a bug-in situation, it would be foolish to not be ready if we're no longer able to secure our home. That means more than just having a bugout bag. It means having the skills necessary to survive and even thrive out in the world. Camping is the perfect way to practice, plus it can be fun for the whole family.* Hunting - It may become necessary to secure your own meat. If supplies run dry, that means going out and killing what you can find. It's not for everyone, but some of us actually enjoy hunting.* Fishing and Trapping - Just like hunting, but with less gunfire. Trapping and fishing can be relaxing as well. As with hunting, it's not just killing the animal. It's about learning the skills to properly collect the meat.* Survival Skills Practice - Even if you can't go out and do the things listed above, you should take time to practice survival skills. You may have the equipment to start a fire or secure a campsite, but do you have the skills? Make sure you do before you HAVE to make sure you do.Self-Defense* Firearms Practice - If you own a firearm, you should be as proficient as possible with it. I used to take my kids shooting at least two or three times a month. When my little ones are older, I'll do the same.* Archery - This is often seen as a skill to have in lieu of a firearm. I consider it a separate and equally important skill to have, especially considering the ammunition can often be collected and reused.* Self-Defense or Martial Arts - Whether things collapse or not, being able to take care of yourself is becoming increasingly important. Things are getting crazy out there and oftentimes that craziness can find you in your own home. Be ready and well-practiced at taking care of yourself should someone want to do you harm.One things I didn't mention in the podcast is that I've started devoting my reading time to two types of books: The Bible and survival guides. I haven't read a fiction novel in over a year, though I have many saved and ready to go should we get stuck bugging in for an extended period of time with limited forms of entertainment.If you have time to sit around in front of the television, you have time to improve on your skills and current situation. The "prepper lifestyle" doesn't have to be all or nothing. Easing into it by replacing some current hobbies makes sense in today's rapidly devolving world.Visit our food supply sponsor to enhance your prepping today.

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