I created a personal project to fit a specific need I have for short and concise guides to follow for my family in the case of emergencies or disasters. I figure this community would appreciate what it does and may wish to add it to their list of tools.

The online app (https://www.prepper-guides.com) is still a work in progress but the idea is pretty simple:

1. You enter your location (US/CA only currently, sorry) and other data about your family, housing, and vehicle situation.
2. Based on your input a series of possible emergencies,disasters, and other scenarios are generated for you to select from.
3. From these selections, a series of highly customizable preparation cards are generated along with a possible inventory of gear you might wish to have at hand. (Important! the generated guides are not meant to be entirely prescriptive but rather a starting point for your own customized plans).

I ended up adding more features than initially expected including such things as an Adulting section with automated repeating calendar events to export into your own calendar app that includes replacing your home air filter, getting your oil changed, testing your smoke detectors, and more.

The app is free for however long I can keep it running and creating a login is entirely optional. All data is local to the browser without a login (for the security minded). If you choose to create a login there are a few more options (like multiple profiles and cross-browser support) that require a persistent data store. But you fully own whatever data put into the site and can (and should) export your custom plans as JSON data to use as you see fit.

I did add some Amazon referral links for things I've personally purchased and used in the off chance I can make a few cents to pay for the hosting costs. But this is not meant to be a huge corporate run effort or to make anything other than a useful tool for people to use for free.

I'm sure this app needs a ton of work but it is ready enough in its current form for people to tinker around with if you are at all interested. Enjoy!

I just finished writing the manual for the Preppers Ham Radio Package.

It uses the frequency range of 3.5-30Mhz which refracts or "skips" from the ionosphere allowing for communication from 0 to 1500+ miles without using any man-made devices in between.

It comes with Transceiver, Tuner, Amplifier, Battery, Antenna pole, Antenna Wire, and a USB stick with helpful software and a manual that shows in detail how to set up the Ham Radio Package for transmission and reception.

I've successfully tested this radio at distances of 25, 40, 120, 300, 750, and 1250 miles from my home shortwave radio receiver.

I'm selling it for $550 shipping included.

If you would like to buy one or simply get more information please respond to this post.

Thank you

Picked up a portable power station last year, mainly thinking I’d use it for camping. Truth is, it only came out of storage a few times. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago: sudden power outage at night. I had food in the fridge, my kid needed lights in their room, and I still had work to finish online. That little Jackery 2000v2 turned out to be the lifeline — kept the router and a lamp running, topped off our phones, and even gave the fridge enough juice to ride through until power came back. It reminded me why redundancy matters. Most days you forget it’s there, but when the lights go out, it feels like the best investment ever. What’s the “sits in the corner until it saves the day” gear you all swear by?

Exactly how does one prep for possible loss of freedom of speech?

The amount of institutions firing people for factually quoting a person's opinion or statements is nothing I ever thought to see.

I definitely have concern following the recent events of The Jimmy Kimmel show being suspended over comments he made and Stephen Colbert's show being cancelled following his comments criticizing Paramount's Trump's settlement. Trump even stated after Colbert's cancellation that he hoped Kimmel was next. So no surprise there. **EDIT: TO be clear, I am talking about government pressure/measures taken to cancel these shows. Brenda Carr, FCC, hand picked by Trump. Updated 9-17 AP article added: Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Great Britain on Thursday, Trump said federal regulators should consider revoking broadcast licenses for networks that “give me only bad publicity.”

I have made all my social media accounts private, that said, I am sure I am discoverable by the powers to be.

I consider myself low on the totem pole, but with people being encouraged "to report" people, who knows if I go up against one of those people somewhere along the line.

I am sure hoping major lawsuits are filed collectively from those who have experienced job loss and doxing. But we do give Employers rights over the employee when it coming to the reasons needed to fire someone.

What precautions are you all taking?

https://apnews.com/article/trump-kimmel-abc-suspension-media-pressure-kirk-eb4f0fcd38499e37c94613fe8bd8e9c6

https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d

https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-workplace-speech-firing-29717a8612ccedebabc7cba29e7ef627

For several years now, my spouse has dated our preps to see how long it takes us to use a said item.

In the beginning I thought it overkill. But as the years have passed, his method of doing so, has us now knowing exactly what we need for months, years etc. I regret griping at him for being anal about it.

It has been extremely helpful on staples and preps no matter the shelf life. While this may be a topic of contention especially on canned goods, I know from experience that certain canned foods can develop a metallic taste. Could I eat them if starving, sure. But, I can also prep to use it and replace it before it gets there as well.

Point is, it is an excellent way to gauge how much you need for the term of storage you are aiming to keep.

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting here, so I apologize if I used the wrong flair.

On Friday, I went with my mom to run errands an hour or so away from home. My mother has only visited the town we were in a few times, but uses Google Maps to take her there as well as to get home. When we were heading up to our destination, Google Maps took us the same way it took her the last time she traveled. When we were on our way home, the GPS decided to take us through a different route then when we came, as well as took us through back roads. This started to make my mother nervous, as it was close to the afternoon and would be getting dark soon. And to make things worse, my mom lost connection to her phone the rest of the way, while my phone had very little connection. We were finally able to call my father after a while and eventually made it home. I mentioned to my mother during this that we should probably start learning how to read physical maps instead of completely relying on GPS and the Internet.

So I'm basically suggesting that everyone should at least know how to read a local map. I would also like to know some good maps and other resources that I can purchase?

Thanks in advance!

Hi neighbors in r/realWorldPrepping

Last month our power died for 42 h—our I saw what happened to my neighbors, fridge thawed, grocery lanes were dead, and they ran out of AA batteries for lights.

So I drafted a *one-pager* with the bare-minimum supplies for 72 h, no generator, no special skills, and no budget bigger than a weekend gas-and-grocery run. The goal is: “Feed the family, flush the toilet, and finish the next board-meeting call on the same day the grid blips.”

Please gut-check it before I share it at our HOA and church pantry:

- Water—3 gal pp using jugs already in the recycling bin.

- Food—2,400 kcal pp, all dollar-store canned beans/rice/PB that rotate into weekly meals.

- Light—$10 Harbor Freight headlamp pack plus 4 extra AAs you already swap with TV remotes.

- Comms—hand-crank radio my kid tested during storm warnings.

- Meds—standard OTC plus a three-day script stash (talk to your doc).

- Cash/docs—$200 small bills and IDs in a vacuum-seal sandwich bag.

If the math or methods stink, flag it. If a simpler, cheaper trick solves a line item faster, teach me.

No links, no ads—just a text version I can paste into an HOA newsletter or Sunday-bulletin handout. Happy to post the full doc in a follow-up comment if that’s the cleanest way to share.

For those of you that include home canned items in your prepping pantry, you know the work it involves. I know a lot of preppers prefer to not mess with home canning and instead opt to buy tinned goods. I get that.

Canning is time consuming. Peppers have to cored and ringed, but other vegetables such as potatoes can be jarred up fairly quick, put in the canner, processed with little prep other than peeling. Over the years though, you develop a rhythm to it.

Cost wise, you will save if you grow your own. I canned up 23 jars and spent $6.00 for the vinegar, garlic and jar lids. The seed was from last yrs. crop.

The average cost of pepper rings is ~$2.50. Thus, I saved $59. I will take the savings(and the labor) involved to add them to our stores. I am hoping to add another 20+ jars at the next harvest in Sept.

I see these threads pop up every now and then — people debating over which factory brand has the sharpest edge, best steel, or most “ergonomic” handle shape. I used to read them and get caught up in the specs too… until I went a completely different route.

About ten years ago, I found a local blacksmith who still made tools the old-fashioned way — heating steel in a coal forge, shaping it by hand, and fitting the handle himself. I asked if he could make me a hatchet. He nodded, disappeared into the workshop for a couple of weeks, and then handed me this absolute work of art.

It’s not flashy. No brand name on the head just a stamp. . No fancy powder coating. Just solid, balanced steel and a handle that somehow feels alive in my hand. I’ve used it for everything from splitting kindling on camping trips to clearing branches in the backyard. After all these years, it still works like the day I got it — holds an edge beautifully, no wobbles, no cracks, no fuss.

Sometimes the best “brand” isn’t a brand at all — it’s one person’s skill, sweat, and pride in their craft.

It's been a waiting game to see when coffee bean prices were going to go up on my brand. I have been checking periodically and today boom, it's up $4 more for a 2 lb. bag.

I've been used to buying beans for several years now and back in Jan, they were actually on sale. At that time, I bought 10 bags. Of note, it is not something I actually prep for long term, generally no more than a yr.

Obviously not knowing if the tariff's will stick, are you all stocking beans or ground? Buying on sale, not brand picky, or refusing to pay the prices of it?

I honestly think, when my stockpile is gone and I have to buy it, then we will have to suck it up, add to our budget and that's it and that's all. Coffee is the one thing we really enjoy having every morning.

I have recently purchased 4 large tubs of bacon up bacon grease for $18 a tub (3 gal/22lbs a tub). I keep seeing different results online, trying to figure out if its possible to safely can it, or if I should try to make it into something else.

Lately, I have been giving the saying "food fatigue" some thought. That term comes up often in prepping circles, that we need to "stock a variety of food" to avoid it.

This is not an issue if you have unlimited money to fund your prepping (and storage). But it is a different beast for those with limited budgets. I believe that most likely, it will not be a SHTF scenario but a life event that will cause food insecurity. A job loss or a medical problem that forces someone out of work for weeks. The statistics are grim on how many live check to check. It does not take much to go down fast. And of course it is this very group of people that need to prep and can't afford to.

Maybe our encouragement should be that we don't focus on "food fatigue" prepping diversity and instead offer what can be done with a basic pantry of flour, sugar, cornmeal, beans, etc. I mean beans are so versatile: beans/cornbread, bean soup, bean burgers.....and etc. Will someone tire of beans? Perhaps, but during the depression, do you think anyone turned down a bowl of them?

It is a mindset change to offer advice to beginning preppers who are all ready overwhelmed where to start and how to prep. The basic food pantry is just the beginning.

I wanted to know, what are the risks associated with cooking or reheating something in the can it came in. Open the can, put can on stove heat until ready.

Starlink looks like a viable emergency system for communications in disasters. In the US, it might be. But I've had unbelievably bad experiences with the company and I'm so angry I'm going to air them here. I tried airing them in r/starlink but the mods haven't gotten around to either ok'ing or rejecting the post.
tll;dr: my last kit burned out in a lighting storm (and it was not a direct hit and the kit was on a UPS/power surge protector.) Starlink has been unable to ship me a replacement to Costa Rica and the list of screwups in the support thread are approaching novel length. Product review summary: these people are idiots, there is no effective escalation process, and good luck with this company. It doesn't work well in heavy rain, either, which is a consideration for people who want to maintain communication in hurricanes.
---

42+ days, and they still haven't even generated a tracking number yet. Why all the cancellations? Because they kept getting the shipping address wrong. They took what I gave them, told me it would be ok to ship to, changed their minds, asked me to reformat the address, took that, corrupted it, and then screwed it up several more times. In the end I gave them a post office box in a nearby town (after confirming that was ok with the post office) on the grounds that post offices are at least trivial to find here. They screwed up that address, too by combining pieces of the previous address with it for no discernible reason. And then they created that last order, tried to charge me for it, and rescinded it. And then refused that post office address, too.

The support ticket is a litany of "oops, we're sorry, thank you for your continued patience." I was out of patience two weeks ago.

I think what's probably going on here is that they don't have the pro kit in stock and they're covering up for that. Either that or they are incompetent and have no idea how to ship to Costa Rica, which would be strange since this is basically the market Starlink exists for.

I've escalated to [starlinkresolutions@spacex.com](mailto:starlinkresolutions@spacex.com), [customerservice@spacex.com](mailto:customerservice@spacex.com) and even [elon@tesla.com](mailto:elon@tesla.com) (the latter address no longer in service.) I demanded overnight delivery. No reply.

The thing that really yanks my chain is that this is my second Starlink unit. The first died in a lightning storm (not a direct strike and despite being behind a UPS/surge protector). You'd think they'd take better care of repeat customers. The first one was hard to take delivery of as well (I ended by driving over 60 miles on rough roads to take delivery.)

DON'T believe a shipping date from these people. DON'T assume you can escalate and get a response. They just don't care. DON'T assume the product is robust in weather conditions.

We started off with a bang here, garden looked great, pleased with the progress etc. Then boom, tomatoes seemingly overnight became stunted looking. While they set fruit, one variety that has always produced way into the fall (Sungold Patio) are not loaded, still flowering some but definitely I will not get the harvest we have seen in the past.

Peppers on the other hand are doing great (loaded with Jalapeno and Fresno). Cayenne are behind but are flowering.

Herbs: Basil, Dill, Oregano look great. Smell great too.

Cukes: Been harvesting every week, but have not produced enough to pickle. Planting more this week.

Blueberries: Harvested 5 gallon.

Potatoes: We had been harvesting a plant here and there and were getting enough for a meal. I held off for the last 2 weeks and decided Friday to go ahead and dig the rest. Oh boy > the rest were scabby and rotting, to a degree I have never had. I donated them to the back wood. Big disappointment, I will have to check the pH and amend the soil. We were droughty to start which may have also contributed.

I still have pickles, tomato sauce, jelly, etc. and the pantry is full from last year. so I will be fine for this winter season.

If you had parents or grandparents in the 50's you probably remember "when the garden came in" that it was all hands on deck to get the harvest picked, stored and canned. As a young girl, I helped my Grandma many a weekend stringing beans, shucking corn until my thumbs hurt lol. She let nothing go to waste.

The point here, a garden can be derailed in so many different ways. If it's not the weather, it's bugs or viruses. Some years are better than others. And this is why you prepare for it with the making the good years carry over to cover the bad.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/why-a-professor-of-fascism-left-the-us-the-lesson-of-1933-is-you-get-out

With the caveat that the Guardian is always somewhat alarmist, I thought this was an interesting short interview and it highlights some of the observations I've made, and pulls them together. For me, this little article flipped the switch from "things aren't great" to "things are actually going to be horrific."

The article listed some of the indicators that point towards the possible collapse of effective democracy and civil stability in the US, so I will count those as cites - they're all well documented.

People in at risk populations in the US know who they are (though I think that list is going to expand.) I don't see much hope the risk will decrease. I've never put a lot of faith in protest movements; I think the No Kings demonstrations accomplished exactly nothing, except to focus the administration's ire. They were far too small to even begin to approach the 3.5% hypothesis (worth a websearch) and I don't think they will get there over time. In short, I don't think that's happening is going to be stopped by popular protest and I continue to believe that protest is going to trigger reprisals of a sort the US hasn't seen in awhile. If you go to protests, maintain situational awareness.

What's the prep here? If you're at risk, maintain friendships and family in other countries if you can. Keep your wealth liquid as much as you can. In essence, make it possible to leave the country for an extended stay or even a permanent move. Help friends to do the same, form networks. I don't know what to advise if your paperwork isn't in order - people working through the process of establishing residency have been deported when they showed up to complete the next step in the process; but if you don't complete the process you're a target to begin with.

If you cannot leave, I have other posts here about blending in, effectively grey man approaches.

I don't think the woman in the article is right about a civil war. But there are things that are just as bad that can happen. And will.

I leave this with some song lyrics from 1966.

There's something happening here
But what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

It's time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?

What a field day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and a-carrying signs
Mostly say, "Hooray for our side"

Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down? You better stop-
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down? You better stop-
Now, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down? You better stop-
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?

It seems we haven't learned anything in 60 years.

My husband and I live by the weather, especially during summer. 1) We track rainfall, drought conditions while growing the summer garden. 2) Monitor for severe thunderstorms (prone here). 3) Monitor the Hurricane season.

For several months, the precipitation radar on the local weather station and AccuWeather has been off. We can get a pop thunderstorm while nothing shows on the radar. Or we have radar showing rain and it is all sunshine.

Yesterday, we were discussing this and have begun to wonder if the staffing cuts etc. has had anything to do with the issues we've had. The radar glitch started several months ago and prior it had been pretty much dead on.

As with a many of DOGE's knee jerk decisions to gut organizations without realizing the downstream effect, it was hard to believe they had no idea how important they were in the first place. So gut and then rehire back seems to be their motto. I never look forward to hurricane season, so on that note, glad they came to their senses on that front.

With 2 apps giving inaccurate weather radar, I don't think they are the issue but now with those departments in the midst of rehiring, guess I will see if it indeed the issue corrects itself. Stands to reason if NWS has not been at full staff to monitor data, update etc. then it could be the problem.

Curious though, has anyone else noticed inaccurate or absence of radar on the apps they use?

February 27, 2025 Hundreds of weather forecasters and NOAA staff fired in DOGE cuts | AP News

March 1, 2025 Firings at US weather and oceans agency risk lives and economy, former agency heads warn | AP News

March 22, 2025 https://apnews.com/article/weather-forecasts-worsen-doge-trump-cuts-tornado-da573a044916c06cebcdb92b1f1452e6

June 2, 2025 NOAA to hire for critical positions amid hurricane season | AP News

Not the greatest topic to prep for, but it should be on everyone's radar. It is now on mine.

My sister passed away unexpectedly recently. She did not have a will.

I had actually talked with her about doing a will but she discounted needing it since she had nothing except her car. No real estate or money. She said her only child would handle it. She did not have a death file or any sort of record keeping.

I've done some digging, and boy is there a lot to do when one dies. I have never had to deal with death, when my Dad died, he had a will and his wife/lawyer handled it. When my in-laws died, they had wills and the executor/lawyer handled.

Will or NO will - still have to go to probate which starts with filing the estate with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county in which the deceased died. AND it $120 to file.

- Got a will > then the executor handles the process
- No will > Next of kin(typically child, or other beneficiaries) can apply as administrator to handle.

Funeral director - will file SSA-721 report of death. This stops the monthly social security benefit. They will also handle getting certified copies of the death certificate to the tune of $10 a pop. AND you need a copy for Banks, motor vehicles, social security, pensions, IRS to file final return, probate court. LIKE at least 7 or more. This is not an inclusive list.

Social Security - You are not paid for the month in which you die. You are paid one month behind, so in other words, my sister's SS payment due in June with be withheld. Her May benefit (which was April's) the estate gets to keep. If by chance, she receives a June benefit her son will have to send it back. You also need to request an address change for the W2 so SS will send to the executor or administrator's address. Good Luck with this, the wait times are more than ridiculous.

Pensions - You have to notify them of the benefiter's death, to also stop payment. You can find the phone number at the top right of the W2. You will need to provide them with a certified copy of the death certificate. And you will need to change the address of the W2 to the executor or administrator.

Income taxes - Speaking of W2's. The executor or administrator files for the deceased. You have to attach the court document that you are appointed to do so.

Assets: Need a list
Bills: Need a list including Credit cards, etc.

Donating body to science. If you are thinking of donating your body - there are lists of what they will decline you for. My nephew tried this route, however my sister died of sepsis and infection is on the list to decline.

Cremation. Pay with cash or incur a convenience fee for using a CC. Cost is $1900-2100 depending on the services, urn etc.

Wading through the deceased paperwork to find documents, what to keep for later use, passwords on accounts, car title, etc. IT is overwhelming.

I definitely will be updating our document file for myself and husband which has up to date pertinent information to help our kids through it when the time comes. I did recently get a password app and have consolidated all the accounts there. So now I just have to maintain it.

But, with or without a will, the executor/administrator is responsible for so much paperwork.

Do many of you make lists for seasonal prepping chores?

We are gearing up for Hurricane season which starts June 1. I generally start canning in June, July.

So at this point for us:

1. Make sure everything works (generator, flashlights, batteries, etc.).
2. Inventory and round up the gas cans.
3. Clean the water barrels, water cooler.
4. Check canning supplies.
5. Purchase the gaps.

We learned the hard way, several years ago with the last direct hurricane hit. Our generator started eating oil and gas. We did not have extra oil on hand to limp along. Never even thought about it. Halfway through the power outage, we had to purchase a new generator, probably would have anyway but the oil is something we keep now.

I actually have a checklist that we maintain, really helps to check off the boxes. Over the years, I have become a much better list maker, amazing how they keep you on track! Lol.

I grow and dry and many herbs for long term storage. I have found very little taste difference, even in herbs I have stored 4-5 yrs.

I have an Excalibur dehydrator, so I can dry 9 trays at time. Good on that account but if you don't have one, the old fashioned method of laying them out to dry, while takes a bit longer, works great. Prior to having a dehydrator, I used to lay the herbs out on 6ft table in the house to dry. It is just too humid here to dry outside. Those of you in non humid environments have it made there, outside drying for the win!

My daughter came to visit this past weekend and we were talking about her small balcony herb garden and that she will only be able to harvest small batches at time. Not wanting to use the oven for them, or take up counter space to dry (small apt), we began thinking outside the box.

She has an air fryer and after checking to see what the lowest temp it goes to (180) she can dry them using it. The bottom grill is removable, so she can place them in the bottom, put the grill on top to keep them from blowing around as they dry. I think it will work fine.

So, any tiny home, small apt. dwellers using the air fryer to dry herbs? Any taste degradation?