There is a special kind of preparedness problem that doesn’t require a hurricane, an earthquake, a power outage, or civil unrest. It requires a closet. More specifically, it requires a closet containing three flashlights, twelve extension cords, a perfectly good Read more…
October is a charming little liar. It shows up with cool evenings, colorful leaves, soup weather, and the general impression that everything is under control. The air conditioner finally gets a break. The furnace hasn’t yet been asked to perform Read more…
There is currently an 8.43-pound bone-in chuck roast sitting in my kitchen. I call him Brontosaurus. Brontosaurus came into my life because Kroger committed one of my favorite acts of kindness: a BOGO sale on chuck roast. Buy one. Get Read more…
There’s a funny thing that happens when summer starts packing up its things. The tomatoes slow down, the zucchini finally stops trying to take over the neighborhood, and a lot of gardeners mentally put the whole operation to bed until Read more…
If you have been preparing for any length of time, you have heard it. “If things ever get really bad, I’m coming to your house!” Usually it is said with a laugh. Sometimes with a little wink. Occasionally with enough Read more…
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to spend more time preparing for the end of the world than they do preparing for Tuesday? I have. In fact, somewhere along the way, parts of the preparedness community started acting Read more…
In nearly twenty years of teaching preparedness, I’ve never begun an article quite like this one. But then again, I’ve never written an article quite like this one. I’ve written well over a thousand articles on preparedness. I’ve taught classes, spoken Read more…
Water storage should be simple. Find a safe container. Fill it with safe water. Store it properly. Use it when needed. And yet, somewhere between the kitchen faucet and the basement shelf, emergency water acquired more rules than a homeowners Read more…
There is a sentence that has quietly sabotaged more preparedness plans than procrastination, misplaced batteries, and instruction manuals printed in six-point type combined. “I’ll figure it out.” It sounds confident. Capable, even. It suggests that when the moment arrives, we Read more…
Every spring, gardeners begin dreaming about the harvest. We imagine juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet peppers, baskets of green beans, and enough zucchini to make the neighbors turn off the porch light and pretend they aren’t home. We picture jars Read more…