I am a follower of Lisa Bedford’s blog, and was very excited to hear she had come out with a book.
This excitement was well founded because Survival Mom is a great book. As I mentioned in the video, I got this book for my lovely wife, who is very understanding, but who does not truly understand what prepping is, or why I spend so much time and energy doing it.
This book connects the dots between good parenting and prepping. It is accessible, entertaining, knowledgeable, and shows that preppers are not some paranoid group of gun nuts stroking their guns and waiting for the Apocalypse. Lisa is a normal, well adjusted lady that represents the VAST majority of preppers.
The very first item in the book is a quiz, and upon taking it my wife commented that it is time she learned a little more about what I do. That, it itself, is the strongest reason to buy this book.
If you are new to prepping, this is a great book to have, but if you are an old hand at it, you still can learn from this book. However, the real reason to buy this is to give it away to those loved ones that don’t really “get it”. Because this book is written in such a way to illuminate the need for basic disaster preparedness without intimidating the reader.
This is a great book, and Lisa has a great blog. If you are not already a reader of it, you should check it out.
I decided to try my hand at DIY publishing on the kindle. This particular ebook has been around in various ways on my site for a few years. I enhanced it and put it out on Kindle.
It takes a while (21 days its said) to make a habit. This book is about making the habit to be better prepared.
What I did was take all the academic training I have in Emergency Management, add in the experience I have earned working for a state emergency management agency as an operations officer and planner, and filter it through the viewpoint of a prepper to get something not commonly found in this niche. That is a scientific approach to prepping.
21 Days to Basic Preparedness is a basic guide, and its not got a lot of specifics on how to can food or put together a solar generator (you can find specifics all through this site). What it does is address things like how to plan or and how to test your plan.
I am offering this exclusively through Amazon. Currently 21 Days to Basic Preparedness is only available as an eBook. However, the plan is to create a paper copy also.
Because I want to offer great information that is useful to you, I have posted the Amazon preview to 21 Days to Basic Preparedness so that you know exactly what you are getting when you buy this ebook.
The community of preppers grew in 2008 with the launch of My Patriot Supply as a leading Online resource and retailer helping U.S. citizens prepare for the worst should a natural disaster or ‘doomsday’ scenario occur. The retailer has become a major part of the preppers community over the course of its first decade in operation. If you want help preparing for reality, then this company can provide that help.
The community of preppers has largely been misunderstood because of a small number of mainstream TV shows which choose to portray this growing number of Americans as unhinged or worse. However, the majority of preppers are simply concerned citizens who understand a breakdown in society can occur at any time through a natural weather event such as a tornado or hurricane or can take a larger form should an attack on the U.S. create major infrastructure problems. The majority of preppers are not spending their time worrying over the zombie apocalypse arriving but are instead watching The Weather Channel and the news to monitor the global political situation.
Being prepared for any eventuality is the key to the work of My Patriot Supply and preppers across the U.S. who understand there are few options of people or agencies to turn to when a major event leads to the breakdown of a small or large community. In most cases, the decision to become a prepper is taken by those who have either had the first-hand experience of a disaster striking and leaving them with little help from government agencies or those who have woken up to the fact self-reliance is the best option.
Although it has become a commonly held belief because of shows like “The Walking Dead” and movies including “28 Days Later”, the zombie apocalypse is not something preppers worry about each day. As science has so far yet to find the technology capable of reanimating dead tissue there are no reasons to prepare for this fiction becoming a reality.
Instead, many people who may not feel they are part of the preppers community may be shocked to discover they are already getting started with the early stages of preparedness. An individual who has taken the time and effort to think about installing a generator or assembling a disaster emergency kit in case of a major weather event is already a prepper; creating a kit with flashlights, matches, and a supply of canned foods is the first step on the way to becoming prepared for a life where the rule of law may no longer be in place for a short or long period of time.
What the majority of preppers understand is the fact there is a chance of certain situations arising which will result in a period of time when government agencies are unwilling or unable to provide the necessary utilities and requirements for human life. This does not always mean preparing for the worst case scenario but can instead mean creating a survival garden with fruits and vegetables which can be used as a food supply should the usual communication lines of social breakdown. In the short term, this can mean creating a supply of generators and fuel to provide power, heat, and light should the utility supply be knocked out by a storm or a far worse event.
Being a prepper means looking at the chances of certain situations occurring and creating a plan which will protect the individual and their family should a scenario happen. There is a zero percent chance of the zombie apocalypse occurring which means this is a scenario which should be ignored by serious preppers who are looking to create a contingency plan for the future. It is important to remember the government should always be part of the plans being created as no matter why an individual has decided to become a prepper they need to ensure they have taken into account the fact some form of government will always remain in place if and when a natural or human-made disaster occurs.
Although a breakdown in society may take place at some point in the future the rule of law should always be part of the thought process and planning for any serious prepper. Despite the fact a breakdown of society may take place and a prepper isolated for a period of time it is always a good option to become an active member of the prepper community as the advice, tips, and news of the latest technological advances could mean the difference between success and failure in the survival business.
* I added this guest post because I believe in preparing for reality. Too many people spend way too much time preparing for things that aren’t realistic. In a world of limited resources, I believe in balance and that I need to spend my time and money on things that give the most benefit to my family.
I like my patriot supply because they good products as well as provide good information with their survival scout newsletters. To me you can’t go wrong with preparing for reality.
Personal preparedness means different things depending on who you are and what your situation is.
To an inhabitant of the Florida Keys, preparedness means having items to outlast a hurricane.
To a city dweller, preparedness might be having a can of mace in her purse. To a survivalist, preparedness might mean having a semi trailer loaded with M14 rifles buried in the back yard. Depending on the situation, any of these definitions might be appropriate.
Different people will have different preparedness priorities, but what is important is that they know how to identify and work toward achieving them
Personal preparedness means different things depending on who you are and what your situation is. To an inhabitant of the Florida Keys, preparedness means having items to outlast a hurricane. To a city dweller, preparedness might be having a can of mace in her purse. To a survivalist, preparedness might mean having a semi trailer loaded with M14 rifles buried in the back yard. Depending on the situation, any of these definitions might be appropriate.
Personal preparedness is simply knowing what dangers are likely to befall you and taking reasonable precautions to avoid or survive them. In today’s modern world, insurance is a required item. No one laughs at a car owner that buys a full coverage policy for his or her car. As a matter of fact, a driver that fails to insure their car is looked upon as irresponsible, sometimes even criminal. The same thing can be said about homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, life insurance, and health insurance. Today people take out money for retirement in the form of IRA’s, 401K’s, mutual funds and the like. No one faults them.
Why is it then that someone who has a pantry of stored food, candles, a rifle or two, and ammunition for them is considered crazy or dangerous? Isn’t it a logical extension of the doctrine of insurance? After all insurance is merely a device to lessen the extent a disaster has on your life. If having an extra insurance policy for break-ins is smart, then the idea of someone breaking into your home is possible. If it is likely that someone might break into your home, then having a means to protect yourself is justified.
Each year natural disasters occur in the United States. When these occur, the news media rushes to the scene. It never fails that they show a relief organization van at the disaster site. Usually there is an interview with someone who is standing in line looking for help. The site is common; a desperate parent with a hungry child waiting for someone to give them some milk for their infant. Ratings soar and people feel sorry for this poor child. Consider this, areas prone to natural disaster are known. Floods happen on a regular basis. Places like Tornado Alley have been recognized and named. If the choice is made to live in an area like this and the basic precautions are not taken, then pity is not the logical emotion.
Irresponsibility on the part of the parent caused the child’s pain; it only takes a few extra seconds to grab a couple extra bottles of formula. Why didn’t they take this simple precaution” They probably paid the cable bill. Does that expense outweigh the measly cost of a gallon of bottled water” Organizations like the American Red Cross and the Office of Homeland Security suggest that each family have a few days of essential items to get them through an emergency. Doing this is not hard nor does it have to be expensive.
No one says that preparedness means having a years supply of freeze dried steak in a concrete storage bunker. Simply buying a can or two of extra food every time you go shopping is enough. Buy an extra box of garbage bags, some extra toilet tissue, or any item you have to have. Store it in a box under the bed, or in the closet. In hardly any time at all, you will soon have a store pile that will give you not only an added measure of security, but also a sense of well-being. Rotate this stock out. As you eat a box of macaroni, buy another. Forget that you have four boxes on your kitchen shelf. This causes you not to feel over burdened financially to support your prepared lifestyle. It also keeps your store fresh. An added benefit is that your safety net is familiar to you. In the stressful time of disaster, you don’t have the added stressor of eating unfamiliar foods chosen not by your appetite, but by their shelf life. It is easy to lecture on what items are needed. Lists of essential items depend on lifestyle and location as much as physical needs.
It would be irresponsible to dictate what equipment your family would need to survive without knowing you or your situation. You must sit down and decide what your family’s priorities are, and from that list correlate your family’s needs. It is not important what others say or think of you. It is not even recommended to tell your neighbors you find the need to be prepared for life. Does it matter if they think you are crazy for stocking up added groceries? Will it matter if your children or spouse suffer because you want to keep the good graces of the people 2 doors down?
I subscribe to a Good, Better, Best philosophy when it comes to preparedness resources. I would rather have a good piece of equipment RIGHT NOW, than have plans to buy the best most ultimate piece of gear someday. Then as I learn to use that good piece of equipment, it helps me know what too look for when I have the resources to upgrade.
Once you start to understand the fundamental skills contained in the non-fiction must have list, you may want to learn more details. This next list of recommended specialty books is a little more in depth. It will be followed by a third list at a later date.
I decided to try my hand at DIY publishing on the kindle. This particular ebook has been around in various ways on my site for a few years. I enhanced it and put it out on Kindle.
The community of preppers grew in 2008 with the launch of 
I subscribe to a Good, Better, Best philosophy when it comes to preparedness resources. I would rather have a good piece of equipment RIGHT NOW, than have plans to buy the best most ultimate piece of gear someday. Then as I learn to use that good piece of equipment, it helps me know what too look for when I have the resources to upgrade.