How To Choose Home Defense Weapons

March 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
pistols as home defense weapons

Pistols are a popular choice for home defense weapons

Your family’s safety is first and foremost in your mind when it comes to establishing a home defense strategy. No one is going to walk into your home uninvited and harm your family. Plain and simple. If it occurs, you have an idea of how things will play out. After all, you have your guns. Guns are first in the list of home defense weapons.

Lately, though, you’re wondering is that enough? Should you have other means to defend against intruders? How do you protect your whole family when its’s the middle of the night? Let’s think this through a bit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness, Shooting

Build Your Preparedness Community

March 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
build a preparedness community

Create support in your preparedness community

No man, or woman, is an island. Remembering this is important when you develop an emergency preparedness plan. You surround yourself with like-minded people in nearly every aspect of your life so why do THIS in a vacuum? Think about building your preparedness community.

If done correctly, you’ll encircle yourself and your family with logistical, financial and emotional support during a crisis. Sounds simple. It’s not. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Emergency Communications and OPSEC

February 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Keeping emergency communications secure

Some things should not be shared

When you set up an emergency communications plan for your family, talk about the plan with them. Keeping everything just in your own head won’t help them. But talking about your plans freely with the world may not be in your best interests, either.

It’s wise to know when to keep your trap shut.  So how do you strike the right balance of talking with your family, talking with those who need to know some of your plans, and being silent? Enter: Operational Security Plans (OPSEC).  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Planning Family Emergency Communications

February 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
emergency communications can be via CB radio

Even an old CB radio can be useful for emergency communications

A key part of home emergency preparedness is emergency communications. Unless bad weather (accurately predicted ahead of time) is the problem, you and your family might not be together when the emergency strikes. How will you know they’re OK?

In this post, we’re going to talk about a Family Emergency Communications Plan. You and your family will create something like a phone tree with essential contact information to have handy should the need ever arise.

As much as you’d like to rely on technology, the truth is it may not be available during an emergency. So while you are thinking about who you need to be able to contact, also think about how you would communicate if the internet and cell phones were not reliable. If you happen to have amateur (or HAM) radio skills and equipment – or even old CB radio gear –  these can be a way to communicate when the standard networks are not available. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Home Security Preparedness

January 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Home security preparedness planning

Home security preparedness takes planning

There’s no guarantee in life; well … maybe the breath you’re taking right now. Aside from that, everything is a crap shoot. Still, you can come to the game prepared.

In this post, first of a series on home security preparedness, we’re going to take a look at some things you and your family can do to organize for events, like natural disasters, etc. We’ll call it the All-Hazards Home Plan.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Reloading Safety – Powder Tips

January 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Know the powder types for reloading safety

Know your powder type for reloading safety.

You’ve decided to give reloading your rifle ammo a try. Well done! You’re joining an exclusive group of gun aficionados who enjoy hand-loading as much as they enjoy shooting. If done with an eye on reloading safety, you’ll maximize the accuracy of your shot, save some money and have a good time reloading.

Last time, we covered reloading safety in some detail. This time, we’re going to take a look at powder types and consistent measuring when reloading.

Let’s be clear from the get go, while reloading is perfectly safe, you MUST pay attention to published load data from reliable and respected sources when measuring or weighing. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Reloading Safety

December 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Reloading safety by the book

Last time we looked at the importance of reloading to preparedness. This time we’ll take a look at reloading safety.

Many folks find reloading a relaxing and satisfying activity. Given the materials involved, safety demands that reloading be done with respect and attention.

Probably the most important safety rule for avoiding reloading accidents is to have and follow the instructions in a Reloading Manual. Take the measurements seriously. Have a scale to double-check weights. Really. Don’t guess.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Survival Reloading And Preparedness

December 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
survival reloading

Survival reloading – make your own ammo

Reloading your ammo is attractive for lots of reasons. It is (in the long run) a way to recycle the brass cases and save some money. It is a way to have some real control over your own ammo. Is survival reloading a replacement for stockpiling? Not really. The prudent prepper is always working the supply chain with both commercial purchases and locally created resources.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

Homestead Medicine – Beyond The First Aid Kit

November 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Homestead medicine

Injuries may need more than medicine

When injuries happen around the homestead, professional medical attention is not always necessary or affordable or even available. What would you do in the event that medical help was not available when you sprained an ankle or broke a toe? It is all too common to sustain injuries that interfere with the work you need to do every day.

Homestead medicine has been used in a practical form for ages and much of it is common sense combined with a keen sense of survival and the practicality of knowing what you need to have on hand. Some of what to have on hand is medicinal – antiseptics, pain relievers, bandages, etc. But none of those medicines will improve your mobility if you can’t stand or bear weight on a foot. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness

How to Buy Emergency Food And Keep A Low Profile

October 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Where do you get your emergency food

FEMA emergency food storage containers

Are you ready for an emergency situation during which your family will need a food supply? There is a potential chance that FEMA, or other government aid agencies, will not be able to help you during a disaster. So what do you do if you can’t rely on the government to provide you necessary resources without becoming a target for looters? Let’s find out. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Preparedness