Edit Nov 2022: Here’s the latest survey data from 2020. Whenever we do mainstream press — such as this recent interview with our founder on NPR’s 1A national talk show — we’re inevitably asked to define preppers in terms of demographics like age or politics. As TP readers know, there’s no such thing as a
Child-care centers are struggling to get the staffing they need to run safely. Turnover is high in this industry at baseline and pay is often low. In the meantime, parents who work outside the home are struggling to secure day care. Greenland is experiencing a huge melting event. Recent heatwaves are melting its ice sheets
This Saturday, August 7th, CNN Films is premiering a half-hour documentary on the main CNN channel at 9pm ET / 6pm PT, with another airing at 9pm PT. It will be available for streaming on CNN’s paid plan starting the following day. Myself, Jon Stokes, Tom Rader, Caleb Causey, and some of our family members
Solar adoption continues to grow. The gear needed is still relatively large, though, requiring dedicated space on something like a rooftop. Innovators around the world have been working on ways to avoid that problem. Some take the approach of building solar panels into existing flat surfaces, such as roadways and Tesla roofing tiles. The idea
Mask mandates are making a comeback, even for the vaccinated, as the Delta variant rips its way through the US population. And as mask mandates return, the federal government has raised the bar on which masks are acceptable and which ones are not. The Prepared’s recommendations have stood the test of time (going back to
Regenerative farming with rotational grazing helps farmers build topsoil and build resiliency. This kind of farming is especially useful when drought conditions dry the soil as it helps retain moisture. In wargames simulating a battle for Taiwan, the US lost miserably. The Pentagon is not pleased with the results—our typical strategies of aggregating military assets
AOC recognizes that supply chain instability can do serious harm to the US economy—particularly if it’s ignored. The push for logistics and manufacturing resiliency is a bipartisan effort: Speaking of supply chain dangers, the CEO of Whirlpool says the company could be facing $1 billion of scarcity-driven inflationary costs. Trouble with sourcing metals and resin
When violence between Israel and Palestine once again broke out earlier this year, readers grew curious about how the people in that region prepare for indiscriminate missile attacks. How is the average person on the ground expected to respond when confronted with an unwelcome fireworks show? Israel has its own unique infrastructure for dealing with
China is purchasing swathes of American farmland. The US is planning on intervening. Former VP Mike Pence warned, rightly, that the American food supply should not be controlled by foreign nationals because it poses a national security risk. Some states already have such restrictions on the purchase of farmland. A quick-thinking NYPD officer asked a
Ben Falk’s The Resilient Farm and Homestead has completely changed the way I view prepping and homesteading. There are many permaculture books on the market, but this is the first one I’ve found that teaches permaculture principles from a preparedness angle. As the proprietor of the Whole Systems Research Farm in Vermont’s Mad River Valley,
The 2021 US fire season is already worse than last year in number of acres burned. The difference so far between the years is that this year’s fires have been in more sparsely populated areas. 2021 still does not compare to the devastation of the fires during 2019, but summer has only just begun: Heat-related
Crops are getting damaged by the North American heat wave, and they are going unharvested because the field conditions are so hot they’re potentially deadly to field workers. Wheat could return as little as 25% of its normal production. This could drive wheat prices up precipitously. We knew about the global rubber shortage, but there
Ham radio can be overwhelming, especially when you’re new and trying to pick your first (and maybe only) radio. I recently earned my Technician license, and I referred to The Prepared’s best handheld ham radios article for guidance. The guide recommends the Yaesu FT-60R as the main pick with the BaoFeng UV-5R as the budget
Haiti’s president was assassinated and the country is in turmoil. Gang violence and inflation are rising, while food, fuel, and pandemic medical supplies are scarce. Haiti has asked the US to send troops to the country, but so far the Administration has declined. Cuba is also in turmoil as the people take to the streets
Scandinavia is having a heat wave, with temperatures reaching over 93 degrees F: An interesting and interactive climate map and website shows which US land will be more arable (or at least livable) as climate change transforms the global landscape. Tropical storm Elsa reached hurricane force winds near Florida’s West Coast this week. The winds
