Another great one, Josh. Makes me feel good that I used nearly all the same videos to assist in my (still upwards) learning curve. +1 for Scythe Works.  I think something else overlooked is the ability to change out blades: swapping a shorter ditch or brush blade to get into small saplings and the dreaded flora rose in the forest or in transition zones, rather than firing up the string trimmer. 

Great thread, we are in this same situation. This is from a homesteading perspective, so not applicable to urban/suburban goals.  We rent in NYC (ugh, I know) but recently purchased a home in a very rural part of NY state. The plan is to rehab the home and property (35+ acres, mix of pasture/forest/stream/wetland) for relocation within 3-5 years. Home is a butt-ugly single wide with lots of issues, but the parcel and location far outweigh those costs. We have neighbors on the town-plowed road, but are very private and yet 10 minutes to the ER (read: kids plus power tools). We completely lucked out getting this place because it is a fantastic set up for both short term homesteading and long term sustainability for our family.  CR is right, the market is utterly insane and stick built homes are going for ridiculous prices. However, there are real values to be had with manufactured homes, which most folks in the “oh my gosh we need to buy something” mindset shy away from.  My goals with the home purchase were, in order of importance: 1) Land: acreage, water and variety. You can do a lot to improve the soil and pasture on your land but you can’t plant old growth trees and you don’t want to be relying solely on rain capture for water.  2) Proximity to a town for medical needs.  3) A habitable structure that did not need a full teardown 4) Relatively private but not isolated (ie, we have neighbors; make friends with neighbors) My mantra in making this happen was, ‘Put yourself in a position to be lucky’. I did not have money for a bidding war on a highly desirable property, so I knew I would need to find that half-crappy listing that folks wouldn’t immediately want. I also knew I would need to get the contract quickly, before people took a second look and thought, ‘Oh that’s actually not too bad…’ and then outbid me. Thus, I had all my preapprovals in order, letters from bank in hand, a local attorney ready to represent me, and a local inspector ready to jump in. I did not use an agent but I relentlessly contacted listing agents for properties. This worked in my favor because then the agent does not need to split the commission, which makes my offer more attractive. However, that also means I didn’t have an agent on my side advising me, so be prepared to go it alone. My home listed on a Friday afternoon, I was on the phone with the agent 10 minutes later and I was the first person to see the home the next morning. I made an offer that evening at asking price and contracts were signed within 48 hours. It is not my dream home, but it is a great opportunity. If you can understand the difference between dreams and potential, you will have a big leg up on the rest of the folks looking to buy in this market.  Regarding the work involved once you close, it is hard to overstate the learning curve for this kind of project. If you do not enjoy failing over and over again while learning hard lessons, this is not a path for you. Pretty sure that doesn’t apply to most folks here, but a fair warning. I am simultaneously digging footers for foundation piers, tearing apart transmissions on a tractor, building creek bridges and reinsulating a leaking roof while trying to plan for the tree/perennial growth twenty years out. I let about thirty things off that list, but you get the idea. That said, I am happier than I have ever been, knowing that I am creating a place for my family to be safe and self-sufficient in an increasingly unsteady future. It is also a fantastic opportunity to teach my kids how to actually learn and work in the world, rather than the stupid, mostly-pointless learning that occurs in school nowadays (I say that as a 20 year classroom teacher). Good luck to anyone looking to make a similar move. Josh and Redneck’s posts have been invaluable for my learning, so be sure to follow them closely. They will teach you a lot. 

As Caine says, ‘Cheap at twice the price’. This is a great resource and if you are on the fence, don’t be.  Happily subscribed, but mostly to see whether that dismemberment was caused by a turkey fry disaster or lawn tractor race gone wrong.  Thanks for the excellent content, as always!

Yeah, I have the Bonsall, too. Super informative for composting, mulching, soil building and gardening in general. Great for getting a big lens on growing small-scale, as he is explicitly not about farming. I value the intention of achieving self-sufficiency (seeds, amendments, etc) from own land vs inputs from off-site. A long trajectory from year 1 homestead, no doubt, but a good way to try and start with the end in mind.  The privy situation was great. 

Excellent choice, Josh! This was the first book I read when starting my own (still very very infantile) homestead process. I like Falk’s approach about system redundancy and simplicity (ie, water from a spring-fed gravity cistern is superior to well and pump), but agree it is far more of a starting point than an ending.  Best part of it was introducing me to Chelsea Green publishing, which is a great, small publisher for prep-minded folk.  I also never knew about seaberries, which is all Falk talks about most of the time 🙂

Dave at Saddleback Leather carries Chamberlain’s line of products, and he makes some pretty serious product. Be careful what you use on carried items (like this one in the OP), as it can often rub off onto clothes and be unsightly. 

cribbage, making art, reading books aloud (taking turns between kids/adults) re: youth addicted to screens, i hear that but also feel (as a teacher) this stems from a lot of kids in our society not being given opportunities for independence/empowerment. if shtf and the screens aren’t working, i can damn well guarantee kids of every age will respond positively to “take this tool and do this job”. they will gripe at first, but that’s expected. push through, give them a genuine role, and watch them flourish. however, this comes from a household where ‘i’m bored i don’t know what to do!’ is met with “great, figure something out, this will be good for your brain” so ymmv. 

What a great thread amidst all the bad news! Thanks for starting this, Jay 🙂 Single dad of two boys under 10 living in NYC (yeah yeah), and we spend every possible moment scaring locals in the park or playgrounds if we aren’t out of the city on weekends in the wilds of New York State. It can be done, but can’t be forced.  Especially for younger kids, try to let them have as much control/say in an outing as possible. We often head to the park with all our flintknapping kit (I’m a shitty knapper but trying I swear), but they’ll end up wanting to tromp off and build a lean-to or do some imaginative play while I’m destroying spalls. If I tried to force them to knap the whole time, they’d be annoyed. But giving them as much freedom as possible creates a positive experience, which creates incentive to come out again.  I’m also letting my boys try out different activities and skills without forcing them to commit to one. I don’t mind if we spend one weekend fishing and then don’t come back to it because next weekend they want to hunt rabbits with the trainer bow and after that they want to practice fire building. Again, letting them drive the experience so they have positive associations with outdoors activities is my primary goal. I want them asking me when we can go do ____, not the other way around.  Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain are great, classic wilderness stories that are great read alouds for kids.  There are some decent shows that garner their interest, such as Alaska: The Last Frontier (some really horrible hunting practices, heads up) and Primal Survivor (kinda hokey but a cool idea and gets them interested).  My kids are also little gear heads, so they love building their own kits and getting new tools. Now that they are super interested in bushcraft/etc, we can have the “once you can do _(skill)__, then you will get _(tool)_” conversations, which drives motivation/excitement. And whining, truth be told.  @Redneck, I agree that devices tend to sap the attention and make this kind of engagement harder. But as a teacher, I truly believe that the natural environment/wilderness provides the perfect level of stimulus for humans of any age and, given the chance through repeated positive experiences, any kid can learn to enjoy time outside. 

Not surprised you are crushing it, Stephanie. Best of luck to you and your team. Hope y’all stay safe Looks like the UK variant (B1117) is officially problematic, according to CDC study. A good time for folks to reassess protocols and contacts, regardless of vaccination status. I had felt comfortable shopping at (small city) grocery store with my homemade cotton mask (2ply!), but started putting back on the n95 yesterday just to be safe.  Stay sane, everyone!

Hope all is well, Stephanie. Love these updates and interested to see what’s next on your radar. 

Glow sticks are actually super useful as bait. 1) SHTF 2) Rig a few glow sticks at intervals at face-height in the forest. 3) Standby to engage. 4) Very soon, some overwealthy Prada folk will stumble through the forest, notice glow sticks and think, “Hey, we saw those in the overpriced emergency bag our butler bought us but we forgot to grab during that pesky evacuation which ruined our omakase sushi dinner. There must be folks like us here.”  5) Rich people wait like moths around glow sticks for more of their kind.  6) Allow your predatory instincts to direct the next move. 

Hermann Buhl was one of the most accomplished alpinists and soloists of his day, but his early death cut short what was sure to be the most prolific high-altitude career of anyone, ever. He made the first ascent of 8000m Nanga Parbat solo and without oxygen in 1953. Basically the equivalent of Aldrin and Armstrong using a hang-glider for their moonshot.  He trained his body for the extreme conditions of Himalayan peaks by holding ice balls barehanded when he climbed smaller/training peaks. As a result, his hands, fingers and skin tolerated cold much more effectively, and he could more easily and efficiently manipulate gear in shitty conditions, when it mattered most.  Get comfortable being uncomfortable, and when it matters you’ll be glad you did. 

If shit really hits the fan, do you offer an option for bidding on lots? I’ll put $50 on Stokes’ kit sight unseen, escalation clause to $100 over highest bid or person with 1K more .223 rounds than me 😉 But seriously this is a nice concept, although my logistics brain is sounding alarms at the thought of relying on preps being shipped to me during a SHTF situation.  I also wonder about the fact that you’re advertising the storage of preps, which seems to paint a pretty bright target on you should shit get rough. Granted, you don’t seem like a soft target, but still one more layer of your own situation to manage (while also being responsive to clients’ needs).  A cool idea, for sure, hoping you find a good path forward with it–keep us posted!

Mark Rippetoe: “Stronger people are more useful in general, and harder to kill.”

I feel slightly better since I changed jobs and now work fully remote and my kids are remote. Also slightly better since finalizing some defensive preps. My brother is a former operator and in his words, “November to January are going to be the most dangerous months we’ll see for some time.”  So overall, more optimistic about my chances navigating a situation about which I’m entirely not optimistic. 

Nice, yeah I’m jealous of that stove, honestly. OGL was started by a bunch of climbers many years ago as a simple forum and developed into what you see today. Pretty great site, but obviously slanted towards more of the #backcountrystoke and #vanlife shenanigans. MSR has gone downhill over the years, unfortunately.  @John Ramey if you front us the money for a Float N Grill, me and The Roman here can meet up for a proper prepper test. Just a thought…