Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadImagine the grid goes dark during a solar storm. Your freezer hums to silence, and the fridge light no longer greets you. Instead of scrambling or second-guessing, you have a plan—one that guides you on what to eat first, second, and beyond, all while keeping your family fed, healthy, and calm. That’s the power of the P.A.C.E.S. Food Plan. Most preparedness planning conversations revolve around P.A.C.E.—Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency—a military-derived framework to ensure redundancy. But if your grid fails for weeks, months, or longer, you’ll need exactly what we as preppers say… more. More food,…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. A smattering of cow elk bedded, content, intermingled within a dense stand of lodgepole pine nearly 500 yards distant. Down on all fours, Jon shuffles his gloved hands through wrist-deep snow, feeling clumps of Idaho fescue and fringed sage, guiding each hand and knee placement as if navigating his way through heirloom china. Keith, his long-time hunting buddy, and Brian, a chaperone for the host ranch, flank Jon. They’re also on all-fours, coaxing him onward. Brian slides large rocks, sticks, and…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadTonight should be a fun night for most people. Here in North America, we’ll see one of nature’s best light shows—the aurora borealis (aka Northern Lights)—should the clouds cooperate. Likewise, those in the Southern Hemisphere should be getting a glimpse of the aurora australis (aka Southern Lights). The Northern and Southern lights are due to a severe geomagnetic storm, rated G4 on NOAA’s five-point scale. It’s currently in progress and pushing the auroras far beyond their usual range. If the skies stay clear, people as far south as Alabama, Texas, and Northern California could…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. This story, “Leopard in Large Type,” first appeared in the April 1964 issue of Outdoor Life. The author’s hunt took place in what is now Tanzania. Tanganyika was a colonial territory of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1961 and a sovereign state from 1961 to 1964. “Down for a piece of cake,” said Frank Miller cheerfully, even before the reverberation of my shot had died away. His remark raised two questions. First, how could he know, having, as he did,…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWhat throws most preppers off course isn’t a lack of commitment—it’s friction. Life piles on. Focus fades. And sometimes, without realizing it, you’re slogging through life reacting to it, instead of being as effective as you know you can. Prepping is a process, and like any process, it can drift. Over time, life happens, priorities shift, and we need a mental tune-up. The danger isn’t always external—it often comes from inside the system: our mindset, decisions, and day-to-day actions. The good news? If you can spot the drift early, you can fix it. Here…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadHere comes Thanksgiving travel preparedness time. Thanksgiving is two days away, and you know what that means—awesome Thanksgiving leftovers, and the busiest travel day of the year is tomorrow, the day before Thanksgiving. 82 million people will be hitting the roads and skies this weekend, leading to packed airports, traffic jams, and inevitable delays. It’s a recipe for stress and frustration. As a preparedness-minded person, you already know the basics of travel safety. You’ve packed your bags, checked your routes and times, and added a few prepping extras—just in case. But holiday travel throws…

This article was originally published by Murray N. Rothbard at The Mises Institute.  With the beginning of the American Revolutionary War at the outbreak of Lexington and Concord, two truths about the Revolution already stand out clearly. One is that the Revolution was genuinely and enthusiastically supported by the great majority of the American population. It was a true people’s war against British rule. The American rebels could certainly not have concluded the first successful war of national liberation in history, a war against the world’s greatest naval and military power, unless they had commanded the support of the American…

A few months ago, I decided to try buying a nonstick pan to make eggs. I thought I’d give it a try for convenience. I chose a well-rated, mid-priced pan. Today, after using it for a few months, I noticed pits on the surface, even though I had been careful to use only safe utensils while cooking in the pan. Having scratches and pits means the pan is already unsafe to use, as the coating can spread unwanted chemicals into your food.  I ended up throwing away the pan and have decided to go back to my trusty cast-iron skillet.…

Sign up for the On The Gun Newsletter The latest for gun hunters and competitive shooters. This story was originally published in the June 1948 issue of Outdoor Life under the title “Fabulous Firearm: The Kentucky Rifle.” The text been minimally edited to meet contemporary standards. THE FIRST, and perhaps the most important, truly American firearm was the Kentucky rifle, a weapon which for more than a century was considered the world’s best and chalked up records that still command respect. It was a picturesque arm-long, graceful, and accurate in both hunting and warfare — and its importance in opening…

A lot of people who live in apartments take one look at their space and immediately conclude, “There is no way I can ever grow food here.” I’m here to tell you that you absolutely can. Preparedness isn’t about having a massive off-grid farm right away. It’s about building systems where you are. Apartment gardening is all about working with the space you have: vertical areas, containers, available lighting, and smart strategies to grow real food in small square footage. Whether you have a shelf under a bright window, a balcony, or a porch, you can build a mini food-growing…

Medical emergencies can happen when you least expect them. One morning, I was making breakfast for the family and was slicing a bagel. Next thing you know, the bagel knife slipped and sliced through a huge part of my left thumb. There was blood everywhere, so the first thing I did was to find gauze and apply pressure to control the bleeding. The bleeding lessened, but would not stop. I ended up driving myself to the hospital Emergency Department, where the ER doc stitched up the wound. I was glad I had that first aid kit to at least help…

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Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. If you’re looking for a verdict on the English vs American Lab debate, I’ll tell you right now: American Labradors are the clear winner. They’ve got good looks, athleticism, and hunting drive in spades. But that matchup is like pitting a dressage pony against a cowboy’s quarter horse — it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because they have two very different jobs. A more apt comparison is between British and American Labs. Because we Americans are notoriously bad at geography,…

I spent years overseeing the guard force security contract at the embassy in Baghdad. I know this 100+ acre compound well, and I know exactly what it means to rely on its defensive systems. There has been a recent shift in the security landscape that every preparedness-minded person needs to pay attention to. Recently, Iranian proxies launched a drone and rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. One of this world’s most critical and heavily fortified diplomatic facilities isn’t just another localized target. It signals a major change in how warfare and terrorism are conducted—and it has direct ripple…

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Watch full video on YouTube

When you practice tornado drills, you account for every member of your family. You know the safest room, you have your emergency kit, and you have a plan. But does that plan include the four-legged members of your household? For many, pets are family. Ensuring their safety during a tornado requires the same level of practical, proactive planning you apply to everyone else. Animals can sense changes in weather and often become anxious long before the sirens blare. A scared pet is an unpredictable one. Without a clear plan, chaos can take over, and in those critical moments, a pet…

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadLife has a way of drifting off course in small steps. One day, everything feels normal. The next day, you’re thinking about current events, wondering why the world feels like it’s out of alignment. It’s rarely one big event. It’s the accumulation of little disruptions that stack up until things feel off. This is where routine can become not only a force multiplier, but in the right (or wrong) circumstances, a quiet lifesaver. I’m talking about the kind of personal routine, a simple rhythm that helps keep you on track when the rest of…

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadA couple of weeks ago, I asked the Mind4Survival Facebook group a simple question: “If you could pressure-test one part of your plan this weekend, what would it be?” The answers came from several members of the Mind4Survival Facebook group—people just like you. They were all honest and thoughtful responses about the gaps they wanted to close. Four of their responses stood out, and they inspired a list of simple, effective tests you can run this weekend to strengthen your own plans. TL;DR: Test your preparedness plan by running a simple drill this weekend…

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Watch full video on YouTube

Watch full video on YouTube