Winter Storm Uri has hammered the United States this week, leading to severe winter weather in 25 states affecting more than 150 million Americans. Much of the country — from Maine to Oregon — has been blanketed in snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. But Texas has been hit the hardest. The state’s independent power grid
We recently evaluated combining tealights and terracotta pots to create makeshift heaters. While we found that they could effectively heat very small spaces, they were a fire hazard, and we suggested using an UCO Candle Lantern as a safer and more portable alternative for heating a tent in the field. So we decided to put
Fossil fuel pollution kills more than 8 million people per year. Pollution in the form of fine particulate matter is inhaled and increases rates of respiratory and cardiac diseases. Researchers say these estimates of disease burden, though shocking themselves, are probably underestimates. Industrial pollutants are also posing dangers to everyday folk—high concentrations of benzene have
I recently asked if you were seeing increasing supply chain weirdness. The responses were interesting: smaller package sizes, fewer choices, and odd shortages. I decided to look into some of the more notable shortages from 2020, like PPE, disinfectants, and ammunition, to see if things have improved at all. I also discovered ongoing and upcoming
I recently wrote that BaoFengs are fine radios, but they don’t have hundreds of miles of range as a reality check for preppers who mistakenly think they’ll reach loved ones far away. But hams quickly chimed in to tell me that wasn’t true, and that you could bounce signals off satellites and reach hundreds of
3 people stayed alive for 33 days eating coconuts on a deserted island. The Cuban nationals were rescued by the US Coastguard. Coconuts are an excellent survival food. 10 pounds of C4 explosives are missing from a Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, CA. The explosives are believed to be stolen. NCIS is working with
Updated 2/10/2021 at 8 PM ET: In a statement, Express Water said that high concentrations of lye would wreck their reverse osmosis filters. Updated 2/9/2021 at 4 pm ET: The manufacturer of Berkey filters says they have no testing data on lye, and John Squires of St. Paul Mercantile told us that activated carbon does
The switch to a more nomadic lifestyle is increasingly popular—sometimes because of preference, and sometimes because of economic distress or homelessness. Accelerating climate change could increase these stressors–some anticipate off-grid living to boom. The Super Bowl is going to cause superspreader events all over the country, not just in Florida. Folks are going to get
We’ve been testing various prepping memes, like turning oranges into candles and using Doritos to start fires. Around this time of year we often see people share memes about using tealight candles and a terracotta pot to craft a DIY heater. So we built a couple of different versions ourselves and measured the results. Yes,
Spring is just around the corner, and many of you are itching to start your gardens. How do I know this? Because every place that sells seeds is sold out! Poor Baker Creek, which has struggled to maintain stock since COVID-19 hit the United States, warns that orders will take 30 days or more to
Back by popular demand! We didn’t intend on being a “news blog.” We started doing this when we were one of the first western publications to ring the alarm bells on COVID back in January 2020 when the mainstream media was seemingly dropping the ball. It seemed like the New Year was a good time
We recently tested an online meme that says you can turn an orange into a candle. That also led to testing a similar meme about using Doritos to start a fire. Results: Doritos burn really well and slower than I would’ve expected — a single chip holds a decent flame for 30-60 seconds! Doritos light
Back by popular demand! We didn’t intend on being a “news blog.” We started doing this when we were one of the first western publications to ring the alarm bells on COVID back in January 2020 when the mainstream media was seemingly dropping the ball. It seemed like the New Year was a good time
I recently worked on the best emergency rations review, where the top picks are “lifeboat rations” that compress fat, sugar, and vitamins into edible blocks. Those top companies, like Datrex, are approved by the US Coast Guard to survive in lifeboat-type conditions. But most people use those blocks as food in their go-bags or vehicle
The ever-shifting official recommendations about masks over the past year have been frustrating because it seems that science takes a back seat to politics and incompetence. The Prepared said way back in January 2020 that you should get masks for COVID because it was simple science that respirators/masks will protect you and others against respiratory
