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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIf you spend much time on social media, particularly in prepping or survival circles, you’ve no doubt run across the suggestion that wasp spray makes for a dandy self-defense weapon. As the story goes, wasp spray has a range of 20 feet or more and it is severely debilitating to the attacker. On the scale of stupid ideas, this ranks somewhere north of peeing on a fence to see if it’s electric or not. Listen, before we go any further, let’s get this out of the way. The ideal defense weapon in most altercations…

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Watch full video on YouTube

Watch full video on YouTube

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWhen people talk about preparedness, ammo tends to get tossed around like it’s candy at a parade. Some folks stockpile thousands of rounds for every caliber under the sun. Others think two boxes of 9mm ammunition in the nightstand drawer should suffice. So… how much is actually enough? Let’s cut through the social media firestorm that can arise when discussing this issue and get to the real numbers—for pistols, rifles, and shotguns—with a focus on personal and family defense. I want to caveat this by stating that this is about having enough ammunition on…

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When a deadly virus lands in a California town and starts ravaging the population, most people don’t have a clue what’s happening until it’s too late. There’s no warning. No broadcast telling you to get out now. Just armed guards, lockdown orders, and people in hazmat suits who aren’t there to help. Outbreak (1995) keeps it simple. A virus spreads. People aren’t ready. And when the government shows up, you’re already out of options. It’s a reminder that when decisions get made behind closed doors, the rest of us live with the fallout. The movie shows a scenario that feels…

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Watch full video on YouTube

Watch full video on YouTube

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadPicture this: It’s New Year’s Eve. An Uber driver parks his car at a remote trailhead in L.A.’s Santa Monica Mountains. His phone pings a nearby cell tower. His Uber app logs his route, and he films a small fire he’s just started. Five months earlier, he asked an AI to create a dystopian image of a burning forest. Fast forward to October 2025, and that driver, Jonathan Rinderknecht, is arrested for starting the Palisades Fire—one of Los Angeles’ worst wildfires, killing 12 people and causing $150 billion in damages. How did authorities catch…

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOctober’s rolling in with cooler air, falling leaves, and a wake-up call to do some fall weather prepping. In Mississippi, Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week (October 6-11, 2025) is pushing families to prep for tornadoes, floods, and early frosts—threats that hit hard in Tornado Alley. Other states like Arkansas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are joining in with similar campaigns, including South Carolina’s Earthquake Preparedness Week (October 12-18), which ties perfectly into a broader fall preparedness push. This isn’t about fear or hype—it’s about practical, low-cost steps to keep your household safe, whether you’re dodging…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadOur threat landscape is constantly shifting. Month to month, season to season, the threats we face are continually evolving. Some rise in risk, some fall out of favor, and others stay a threat all the time. This isn’t about theoretical problems or distant concerns—it’s about what’s already showing signs of strain in real life. From wild weather to social tension, economic pressure to digital vulnerabilities, the second half of 2025 is shaping up to be a possible test for many people. If you’re paying attention, you’ve probably felt it and are watching it. Headlines…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWhen things start to break down—whether it’s a slow grind or a sudden, shocking event—there are certain items that don’t just become valuable, they could become dangerous to have. Not because you shouldn’t have them, but because once others know you do, or if people (like the government) come looking, you’re no longer just someone who prepped. You’re now someone with a target on your back. In every major disaster, whether it’s war, economic collapse, or just the aftermath of a natural disaster, a pattern emerges. The same categories of items get taken by…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMost people who build a survival kit follow a familiar and typical checklist: knife, water filter, first aid kit, flashlight, shelter. And they should. But once those bases are covered, the average kit starts to fall short. Not because it’s missing gear, but because it’s missing situationally useful gear—stuff that actually makes your life easier when things don’t go as planned. This episode isn’t about the obvious gear. It’s about the tools most people overlook. The tools that make the difference between just getting by and actually being able to function when everything goes…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe need to prep hits people in different ways. For some, it’s a moment during a doom-and-gloom news show. For others, it’s a weird feeling in the gut walking through a grocery store with holes on the shelves. And sometimes, it’s looking at your child and realizing no one’s coming to save you if things go sideways. That moment—when you go from living on autopilot to suddenly seeing the cracks in the system—that’s the beginning of real preparedness. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got no money, no gear, no training. What matters is that…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadYou care. That’s why you prep. And if you care enough to be prepared, odds are you also care enough to want the people around you to be ready, too. But here’s the problem: the more you try to help others get ready, the more you risk making yourself their prepping plan. Not their backup plan—their only plan. Suddenly, your good intentions look like a lifeboat, and they’re counting on you to keep them afloat when the world goes sideways. “In my opinion, unprepared neighbors pose the greatest threat. I urged some to prepare,…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThis article—and the podcast that goes with it—was sparked by a listener in the Mind4Survival Facebook group. Audra McKinney asked: “What do you do when your gut tells you to prep more, even though you’re already stocked?” If you’ve been at this a while, you’ve probably asked yourself the same thing. You’ve got food. Water. Backups. A solid plan. Maybe even a second location nobody knows about but you. You’re not new to prepping. So why do you still feel like something’s missing? That quiet gnawing in the back of your mind—the one that…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadYou’ve got your gear. You’ve got your skills. But if your mind taps out when it matters most, none of that is going to save you. That’s the truth about survival. This episode is about the part of preparedness most people gloss over—not because they’re lazy, but because they don’t even realize it’s a capability gap. And when they think about it, they often assume they’re fine. Preppers especially fall into this trap because we’ve already recognized the need to prepare. Then, when we compare that to those who don’t prep at all, it’s…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadMost people wait too long. The flames are already on the ridge. The alert comes after you’ve had that gut feeling for hours. And by the time you’re scrambling, you’re already behind. In 2022 alone, more than 3 million Americans had to evacuate their homes. Fires. Floods. Storms. Civil unrest. All kinds of chaos can force you to leave with little warning. But here’s the thing—most people still don’t have a plan. This episode fixes that. It’s a 7-step walkthrough to help you get out—fast, calm, and with everything that matters. Because the only…

Sign up for the Quick Strike Newsletter The hottest fishing news, tips, and tactics This story, “My Secret of Summertime Escape,” appeared in the June 1965 issue of Outdoor Life. One bright June day several summers ago, my son Park and I tossed some camping gear into our 14-foot outboard boat and began an adventure on Utah’s Green River which neither of us will ever forget. Nor will Bill and Lee Howland, father and son, who are ranchers from Green River village. They accompanied us in another boat. For the next five days, the four of us explored Canyonlands, which…