Have you seen the outrageous retail prices for firewood at grocery, convenience and hardware stores? It amazes me that anyone would pay prices ranging from $5.00 to $7.00 for a few sticks of wood that might only burn for an hour. I recently asked a clerk how much of this overpriced firewood they actually sell and he told me that they had sold two pallets worth in less than a week. At these prices a cord of firewood could cost over $1000! (Based on a face cord with around 215 pieces of firewood between 16” and 18” long) This stuff isn’t for us common folk who rely on firewood for our primary source of heat or have firewood stored as a backup heat source. Read more…
Do You Have A Backup Heat Source?
Thinking back to February of 2008, our family was going through some typical life changes with a new job, a new puppy and a new baby on the way. Like any other busy family we were focusing on getting through our day-to-day routine and planning for our upcoming short-term events; we gave little thought to emergency preparedness back then. That all changed with the passage of a strong cold front and the ensuing high winds. Our electrical service, knocked out by the fallen tree of our local TV weather man, wasn’t restored for five days. How did we fare? Poorly! What did we learn? Let’s talk about it…. Read more…
Community Preparedness vs. Self Reliance (Part 1)
My wife and I recently attended a meeting hosted by our County Emergency Departments entitled, “How would you react in an Emergency Situation? Let us help you BE PREPARED!”. The purpose of the meeting was for each department to share their level of training and preparedness to serve the community during various emergency situations and to inform citizens about what they can do to prepare as well. Read more…
Wood Splitting 2.0
How many times do you come across something that can impact your life in a truly profound way? I suppose for many people they would say that the newest electronic device or a new app for some other piece of electronics could have such an impact. But for those of us seeking a simpler life, how many new “apps” do we come across that are game changers for us? Read more…
Scouting Your Bug-Out Location
Many urban and suburban preppers have made investments in rural properties which they plan to use should the SHTF. But how much do you really know about the property or the area if you aren’t there full time? What are the habits of local wildlife, when are they in the area and what times do they move through the property? Are there other security threats that need to be considered? Read more…