The Late Prepper with JD Rucker

When I was in college, then later as a struggling new father and husband, we learned to eat very inexpensively. There were weeks when I could get by on under $10 with Ramen noodles (the Dollar Store often had them at $0.10 a package), cheap fresh veggies (a cucumber was practically a full meal for less than a quarter), and generic packages of processed meat.It's a lot harder to do that today with inflation and growing food scarcity, but here's the thing. If the crap hits the fan in any of an assortment of highly possible ways, many of us will be stuck trying to feed our families without the resources to do so very well.Eating insufficient amounts of food can harm us physically. But even those who have stored away emergency food or are living lifestyles that allows them to produce their own may find themselves with a different challenge. There can be psychological repercussions from major dietary changes. You or members of your family may find eating beans and rice every day drives you a little bonkers.I am hopeful that the current trajectory of the nation and the world can be reversed, but I'm not going to sit around and assume it will all end well. Knowing this, we are currently practicing “lean weeks” in which we live off the survival food we have rather than ordering out or getting fresh food from the grocery store.I discussed this a bit on today's podcast. I referenced this article by Daisy Luther at The Organic Prepper:Rock-Bottom Meal Plan for Those Weeks When Money Is TightThings are tough in America and they're likely to get tougher. Many of us are forced to reallocate our money from one necessity to another and often, the thing that suffers first is our diets. If times are tight, you might find this article helpful.It's a meal plan created from recipes and strategies in my new paperback, What to Eat When You're Broke. We released this in PDF format recently and readers loved it. We got so many requests to put it in hard copy format that we couldn't say no! So, it's available on Amazon now as a paperback.The recipes in this article are all included in the book, which I'm selling just above cost. I hope you enjoy it, and please, give us a review on Amazon to help more people to see it when they're searching for a way to feed their family during difficult times.Flat Broke Meal PlanThis meal plan is per person per week. Multiply it by the number of people in your family. I've tried to make it as varied as possible, and there are a few things included that are not the cheapest on the market. They've been added for nutrient value.Obviously, if there are allergies or foods that your family won't eat, feel free to substitute.I shouldn't need to say this, but it's impossible to write one meal plan that will work for every single reader. If you are vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, suffer from food allergies, eat keto, or strictly follow a particular nutritional lifestyle, this may not work for you.With that being said, let's look at our menu! Stars * indicate that the full recipe is available in the book and you might also have your own recipes for these items.BreakfastDay 1: Oatmeal with brown sugar and bananaDay 2: Cornbread* with butter and jamDay 3: Leftover cornbread, sliced and heated with a butter and brown sugar drizzleDay 4: Peanut butter and crackers, appleDay 5: Rice cooked with milk, brown sugar, and cinnamonDay 6: Biscuits and gravy*Day 7: Scrambled eggs and toast OR homemade pancakes with fruitLunchDay 1: PB&J, appleDay 2: Pasta salad with tuna* (or canned chicken)Day 3: Bean burritoDay 4: Tomato soup* and crackersDay 5: Cold peanut butter noodles with shredded cabbage*Day 6: Tortilla pizzas*Day 7: LeftoversDinnerDay 1: Beef and vegetable soup* with frybread*Day 2: Baked beans with mac and cheese (canned and boxed easy meal for busy days)Day 3: Fried Gnocchi* with canned marinara sauceDay 4: Crockpot white chicken chili*Day 5: Pasta with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (add ground meat if it's in the budget)Day 6: Homemade pizza*Day 7: Ham (slice an inexpensive canned ham or picnic ham and use the leftover for split pea soup), scalloped potatoes*, Christmas beans*Six quick tipsHere are some ideas to make the meals more filling if this menu leaves you feeling hungry.1.) Just add bread – whether it's toast from grocery-store sliced bread, fresh homemade bread, frybread, or cornbread, adding some bread for sopping up sauces and broth makes meals feel more satisfying.2.) Add more carbs – rice or pasta makes everything go a bit further.3.) Add beans for more protein. When you're making soup or chili, add one more can of beans to the pot.4.) Baked potatoes make everything better. Looking for a cheap, filling, and tasty side? You can't beat a baked potato. Top it with butter, sour cream or plain yogurt, and chopped green onion. Eating the skin adds fiber and other nutrients to your diet.5.) Add cheap fruit. Bananas and bagged apples tend to be the least expensive fruit. Add one serving per meal to make it more filling and finish off on a sweeter note.6.) Focus most of your money on one meal per day. If you fill up on less expensive items for breakfast and lunch, you can swing a better and more filling dinner.This menu assumes that you probably have the basics in your kitchen, such as seasonings, spices, sugar, and cooking oil. In fact, you probably have much more than that. When I've reverted to this menu I am generally able to get very minimal groceries because I have plenty of canned goods and dry goods in my pantry. This just provides me with a great way to use them!Don't miss out on the paperback!Help us make it to the top of the charts on Amazon by grabbing your copy this weekend! Your purchase means so much to me!As well, please do me a favor and leave a quick review if you feel I've earned five stars. Doing this ensures that people searching for a book like this are able to find mine and it makes an enormous difference in sales.I really believe that this book can help you (or someone you know who needs it) to get through hard times. In it, I share many of the strategies that allowed me to keep my children fed when I was a flat-broke single mama. Those times were difficult indeed, but my girls actually look back on that food and consider it their comfort food today.Most of the recipes require little in the way of hands-on time, because, in addition to being broke, I was also working full time, then chauffeuring my daughters to various places after I got off work.  I had a household to manage alone, laundry to do, and other requirements on my time so spending hours in the kitchen simply wasn't an option. If you have more time, you can cut even more money off these recipes by making each component from scratch.Here's the table of contents. I tried to make the book a lot of fun!* Introduction* Frugalicious Philosophies* Flat Broke Grocery Shopping* Basic Batches* Ultimate Frugal Formulas* Cheap Eats* Pantry Raid* What a Crock* Food with a Future* Love Your Leftovers* Seasonal Savings* Lazy ala Daisy* About the AuthorI hope you enjoy What to Eat When You're Broke! Thank you so very much for your support.What about you?What do you eat when money is tight? Share your tastiest and most frugal meal ideas in the comments! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Yes.That's it. That's the article. Well, it could be, because IF you have the means and IF you have the space and IF you're physically capable of raising chickens, then you definitely should consider buying and raising them. I was saying this before eggs became so expensive in the United States that people started smuggling them from Mexican supermarkets. Now, it's really a no-brainer. Here are three reasons why...Better TasteFor a long time I didn't really buy into the notion that fresh eggs were any better than store-bought eggs. Then, I tried some. My aunt raises chickens as does my wife's sister. Both of us had separate opportunities to try actual "farm fresh" eggs that were laid within 24 hours of us eating them by chickens who were raised in backyards. Don't let anyone tell you they are no different from grocery store eggs. It's not even really a comparison. Then, there are the health benefits which I'll leave for you to research, but I've heard farm fresh eggs are simply more nutritious.Cheaper in the Long TermChickens are actually pretty cheap to buy. Building or buying a chicken coop can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars up to however much you want to spend on them. The feed and other regular expenses are rising, though they're not terribly expensive just yet. Compare that to the price of eggs and suddenly it's clear how around one egg per chicken per day can add up in the long-term to tremendous savings.Indefinite Supply of ProteinLet's call it what how we see it. The powers-that-be are in the process of eliminating and eventually outlawing natural forms of protein that aren't insects. They want us eventually eating lab-grown meats or cricketburgers as our primary source of protein, and by "eventually" I hope everyone understands we're talking about months or years, not decades.Chickens properly raised and cared for can produce anywhere from three or four eggs per week to an egg per day each. That's 5-8 grams of protein, not to mention other crucial nutrients, produced per chicken per day. Combine that with a freeze-dried protein bucket (promo code "prep2023" for 10% off or "prep2030" for 15% off orders over $777) and you'll have a long-term supply of real protein from real animals instead of relying on the government's mealworm lines.If you're thinking about buying and raising chickens, you're not alone. According to the article below by Tyler Durden over at Zero Hedge, people are becoming more and more interested in the idea...Egg Crisis Sparks Soaring Interest In Backyard FarmsCovid supply chain snarls turned millions of Americans into "preppers" overnight. The run on toilet paper, food, guns, ammunition, and other essential items for survival pushed millions to consider preparedness for a crisis.Remember all those old-school preppers? The media used to refer to them as "extreme" and even called them "tin-foil hat conspiracy" folks, but during the shutdowns, those folks were right, and the mainstream media got it wrong.The next shortage underway is eggs. Readers have seen our notes on supermarkets nationwide running out of eggs. The egg shortage is so severe that last week the US Customs and Border Protection reported that egg smuggling from Mexico erupted.And why is that? Well, a dozen Grade A eggs in the US have topped $4.25 at supermarkets. In Mexico, a 30 count of eggs is about $3.40.US egg prices have topped the national average gasoline per gallon price at the pump.As a result of the egg crisis, internet search trends on Google show Americans are panic searching where to find egg-laying hens for their backyard.The search trend "where to buy chickens near me" erupted to a near multi-decade high."Buy chickens near me" searches explode across the US.Besides the Covid spike, "how to raise chickens" has spiked to levels not seen in a decade.Over the last several years, food insecurity has pushed many Americans to create 'little backyard farms'- something their parents or grandparents did more than half a century ago. Living off the land was standard decades ago, but as metropolises sprung up, people relied more on a corporation (or even the government) to provide food.Soaring distrust in government and corporations had transformed many into preppers following the pandemic shutdowns when some supplies were impossible to find. People don't want to be left empty-handed when the next crisis arises. This has led to a new generation of preppers and the normalization of being prepared.Speaking of BeefOkay, so nobody brought up beef but I will. We are getting into the beef business, expanding our thriving freeze-dried chicken business to include cows. We only bought 10 cows for our initial run so it's first come, first served. We have non-GMO cows that aren't getting the dreaded mRNA vaccines the powers-that-be are pushing now. Grass fed, grain finished. We'll be selling frozen steaks, ground beef, and roasts, PLUS we'll be selling long-term storage freeze dried beef chunks. If you want to be notified when we open for orders, go to my beef page.Alternative Video Sources:* Rumble* Gab* Brighteon* Odysee This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

America is on the path toward a massive Amoxicillin shortage. Anyone who has tried to get it recently either lucked out on the first try or had to search again and again for a pharmacy that could fulfill the prescription. We are on the verge of a full-blown antibiotic crisis and the Biden-Harris regime has it on the backburner. It's not that they don't want to fix it. It's that the United States is so beholden to China for pharmaceuticals that the regime doesn't have an easy fix.Around 90% of the ingredients used to make drugs like Amoxicillin come from China. This is an ugly situation to be in with a supply chain crisis and tensions rising. Winter is coming. This isn't the time to be short on drugs that can prevent a simple infection from becoming life-threatening.This is why we started working with a company that ships Amoxicillin and four other antibiotics to telehealth patients. Those who have read my work or heard my shows for the past year or so know that proper preparedness has been one of my biggest pushes and being prepared medically is on the top of the list. One does not have to be a full-blown "doomsday prepper" in a bunker to make common sense choices as negative situations continue to rise in America.Of all the problems we face as a nation and as a people, this is the one that has the fewest options available for both our government and for individuals. We can debate the insanity of becoming dependent on China some other time. Today, we need to focus on solving the problem, and for individuals that means stocking up on antibiotics that can be stored long-term (use promo code "RUCKER10" for $10 off).Medical professionals have been ringing the alarm bell of late, but the warnings are getting drowned out by a partnership between government, corporate media, and Big Pharma to focus solely on getting as many people to take the Covid jabs as many times as possible. There's money, power, and access on the line for those who are supposed to be revealing the medical truth and unfortunately for us the Covid jabs are the only priority. According to Prevention:There's no clear answer. The ASHP lists out several pharmaceutical companies that have reported amoxicillin shortages and noted that they didn't provide a reason for the lack of supply.But amoxicillin has “become restricted in the supply chain due to increased use,” says Stephanie Field, M.B.A., director of pharmacy business services at Corewell Health West. Meaning, demand for the drug has ramped up as a slew of illnesses circulate.It's also possible that supply chain issues that have plagued nearly every industry since the pandemic began are at play here, too, says Crystal Tubbs, Pharm.D., associate director of pharmacy services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Shortages in general can be caused by supply/demand issues, shortages of raw materials or other ingredients needed to manufacture the drug, logistics interruptions and/or challenges with manufacturing facilities,” she explains.According to Red State:Translation: Big Pharma is too busy counting their billions from the utterly ineffective COVID vaccines they are still pushing to care about mundane drugs that actually work. The problem has become critical, as the Daily Mail notes.The Children's Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics joined forces to urge the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to declare a Public Health Emergency in order to assist strapped hospitals.Declaring a state of emergency would allow Secretary Becerra to distribute financial assistance to states, work with companies to produce more treatments and supplies, loosen licencing requirements that will help alleviate healthcare staffing shortages, and expand hospital capacity.Maybe if it was an issue among illegal immigrants they might care. But I digress.A sick child's parents have no patience for muddled supply chain blaming, even as earlier this year, hungry babies' parents were in no mood for sanctimonious breastfeeding lectures in lieu of fixing the baby formula shortage. Considering the Biden Administration's utter ineptitude in solving the baby formula crisis, perhaps we shouldn't ask them to look at the amoxicillin problem.We chose long ago to only work with sponsors who offered real solutions to our readers. This is why we're not promoting inconsequential sponsored products like "Lordships" or coffee mugs. Those can be extremely profitable, but we make sure all of our sponsors are making a difference for Americans, either with their products like storable antibiotics or their companies like Mike Lindell.It's getting crazier and crazier out there. The midterm elections didn't offer much relief. With the Chinese Communist Party bent on opposing America as well as taking control of Taiwan, it's very likely we will see a full-blown Amoxicillin crisis someday soon. Now is not the time to rely on the Biden-Harris regime or Kevin McCarthy to fix things. In fact, there's NEVER a time to rely on government to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Editor's Commentary: I know the article below only qualifies as a true "late prepper" article for a handful if our audience, but it's an interesting read nonetheless if only to spark ideas that we can use in our lives. As much as I wish we could all just pick up from where we are, find a secluded homestead with all of the necessary survival gear already set up, and wait out the apocalypse quietly tucked away, that's just not reality for most.I will be posting more articles with more useful tips and tricks. To be fair, I've been so busy during election season that I haven't had much time to work on my own preps, let alone offer tips. But the election is done so it's time for me to get into it all again, especially considering the election means we're closer now to whatever might make us use our preps.For those who are actually considering moving to a safer area, it may behoove you to consider one of our newest sponsors and their amazing bunkers. I covered the article below in a short segment on the latest episode of The JD Rucker Show. Below is the article by J.G. Martinez at The Organic Prepper.Most of us are not exactly farmers and will have a hard time growing or raising what we intend to eat if we just one day decide to start living off our harvests. It is a fact. Hunters and fishers obviously will have an edge after the collapse, but sadly, I am almost sure that in a tribal environment, my social position would not be too high.That said, maybe joining a tribe after some age won't be as romantic as it seems. Maybe a better idea, in order to live longer, is to stay low profile and semi-hidden, with only a few close friends and family nearby. At some age, you need some peace.For many old-school survivalists of times already gone, the proper approach was a complete farm. The amount of work involved with this path is plenty.The more land you have to take care of, the more problems!I've seen this a few times. Hard-working people who made a few bucks with three or four crops in a row expanded their business by buying another farm somewhere else, and…bang!With twice the land, their problems multiplied exponentially, and the need for further investment followed.However, maybe for many of us, the ideal location is not a full-size homestead or a large compound.A micro-retreat may be the solution.The word “micro” suggests that something minimal should come to mind. My technical background immediately clicks when I think about anything related to a production facility, and I imagine a highly productive but compact environment.I have always been fascinated by those overlanders' custom-built rigs over a Mercedes Unimog chassis. They are compact and space-efficient but comfortable enough for prolonged stays. This is a remarkable example of a well-done micro-habitat.Also, think about the tiny house movement. Some of those properties are designed for boondocking – living away from civilization and services. (Want to know how to keep your family fed when you have to use a micro-retreat? Check out our free QUICKSTART Guide to building a 3-layer food storage system.)A micro-retreat doesn't have to be a micro-producer.Depending on your family group, or whatever the flavor of “clan” you may have, you could craft a small place quite productive with proper planning, provided you know your climate and your skill level. You could even disguise it as a “vacation” property. The beauty of this is that nobody has to know that your gun safe is in a hidden portion of the basement in your “hunting cabin.” Or, nobody has to know that those PVC DIY empty shelves in your basement will be to grow microgreens to complement your food supply.Such planning will make your life easier. There will be less investment to make, you will work smarter and not harder (something that will make your senior years more pleasant!), and generally, it will be much easier to keep your place clean and well-maintained.A “micro-retreat” doesn't mean you have to restrict yourself to the bare minimum land for your needs.A plague could attack your crops. Someone could arrive unexpectedly, and you will need some extra. The ideal setup would be a place secluded enough, but where unexpected visitors will be able to stay, if needed.As an example, you could think of a small greenhouse. You must think in terms of vertical expansion (upwards and downwards)if you want to keep the initial cost of a micro-retreat low enough and to maximize the space. I like to think the positive part of a small setup is that it will be much easier to keep hidden. Planting thorny bushes around will make it inextricable in a few years and will hide your orchard, gardens, and buildings. You may combine this with earthbag DIY construction that you can cover with dirt and some weed or grass grows over an ingenious layout, and it will be almost undetectable.You may want it as a semi-permanent, permanent, or temporary residence.The size will depend on what you want, what you need, and what you can afford. That's the compromise.Planning includes thinking thoroughly and drawing a sketch with the layout you believe you're going to need. By dividing your needs into sections, or compartments, you will make sure it will be easier to make a much more complete analysis of what you need.You need to know what is next to you!Neighbors? A cliff?A mountainside that could generate a mudslide? A lake? A river that could flood your place under several days of heavy rains? Hunting/fishing areas? And, by extension, you need to know what you don't want nearby!Try to keep things at a proper size using scaling.What I like about the concept of a micro-retreat is that you don't need too much space if you are on your own or have a small family. However, having space outdoors will be a big deal, even if your bedroom is a bunk bed on top of a study or desktop. And, if you build an area to hang out, even better.You may want to use some advice from those who are professionals at living in small spaces.Use vertical space.You may even think on three levels, provided you're in a place with plenty of sunlight:* Level 1: A terrace with a pergola on top. Place solar panels here for Level 3. Have planters all around with spices or flowers. This level could double as a place to drink coffee, have dinner, or hang out. Or work as a watchtower. Make it easy to access with round stairs. Build it pretty, and make sure the water collected by this roof is collected.* Level 2: Maybe some tanks for tilapia or more plants that don't need too much sun? Perhaps you may want to start the microgreens growing at this level?. A secondary walk-in pantry? Materials storage, like plumbing, wiring, and car spare parts? Your woodworking shop? Butcher room? Smoker/dry food storage?* Level 3: This is a basement.(Want uninterrupted access to The Organic Prepper? Check out our paid-subscription newsletter.)Here are a few final thoughts of mine on micro-retreats…LED grow lights, a small pump for the water/nutrition solution mixture, and shelves with the greens will improve your capabilities to produce highly nutritive vegetables in a reduced space. You don't need to dig too much. Just do good research on this topic.Even better, if you can afford more than one, isn't it always a good idea to have some redundancy in your survival assets? Why not build yet another micro-retreat in a place further away, just in case, then?You don't have to “think big.” Especially if the economy forced you to do with what you have.Wise use of small spaces can be a challenge but very rewarding in the end as well. Let us know what you think in the comment section below and keep tuned for more!Have you considered a micro-retreat?What do you think about going small-scale for survival? Have you thought about downsizing instead of creating bigger and more elaborate plans? What do you see as the pros and cons?Let's discuss the concept of micro-retreats.About JoseJose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor's degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn't  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was. Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Editor's Note: We do everything we can to filter through the various opinions when it comes to prepping. There is no universally agreed upon strategy. Everyone must assess their own situation and come up with a plan. All we can do is offer some guidance.For today's (long overdue) episode of Late Prepper, I referenced the article below by Kevin Hughes at Natural News. As I noted in the show, I don't completely agree with everything that's in the article but it's a good starting point, especially for those who are truly late to the game. Here's Kevin's article...Stockpiling foods that can last for weeks or years is not just a smart way of beating rising food costs. It can also help you save money and be prepared for emergencies.In the event of a long power outage, having even a small supply of long-shelf life foods, such as dry goods, canned goods and freeze-dried foods, can make a big difference. You'll also be grateful to have a little extra food at home when you get sick and can't go out to buy groceries. Because of inflation and rising food prices, keeping shelf-stable foods is a good investment.Tips for stocking up on foodRemember to stock up on foods that you actually eat or drink. Don't stockpile foods that you or your family members are allergic to or won't touch.When buying groceries, you should also know the exact quantity of food your family consumes on a regular basis; buy some extra. (Related: 10 Tips for stockpiling food.)Foods from a supermarket or grocery all have an expiration date, which indicates when a food product will start to taste bad. However, some food products are still safe to eat well past their expiration date.To determine if you should get rid of an expired food item or not, look for signs that the food has gone bad. Bloated or leaking cans, signs of mold or insect damage and a foul odor are just some warning signs that a product is no longer safe for consumption.You should also stock up on ingredients that you often use in your recipes, like herbs and spices and canned sauces. If your family likes to drink tea or coffee, stock up on them as well.Pay attention to the foods you want to stockpile and learn to experiment in the kitchen. Before buying plenty, try cooking with a certain food or product to make sure that you really like its taste and you'll consume it.Dry goods like salt, sugar, grains, flour, rice and dried beans can be stored at room temperature. Remember that dry goods are historically crucial food supplies that you need to store in bulk for months or years. To prolong their shelf life, you can store them in Mylar bags or other airtight containers.Ways to extend the shelf life of foodsThere are many ways to extend the shelf life of foods in your stockpile. Here are some tips to follow:Store food in a cool, dry place. Be mindful of the temperature; some foods are fine with room temperature while others prefer freezing temperatures.Check the humidity in your storage area. Wheat, flour and other dry goods should be stored in a place with little to no moisture in the air. Fresh foods like fruits and vegetables require a specific humidity level to extend the time they can be in storage.Fats react with oxygen and easily go rancid, so choose foods with low fat content. These foods will keep for long in storage.Consider reducing oxygen in your storage area since oxidation causes food to spoil quickly.Use tightly sealed containers to reduce oxidation and make food last longer.Store foods away from direct sunlight and in airtight containers.Foods with a long shelf lifeWhen SHTF, having a stockpile of shelf-stable foods will help you and your family survive.Here's a list of the best long-shelf life foods to store:Foods that last 25 to 30+ years: White rice, wild rice, rolled oats, corn, buckwheat and red or white winter wheat; legumes like pinto beans, black beans, lentils and peas; waxed cheese; dehydrated fruit slices; freeze-dried eggs and instant coffee; white flour; dried corn like dent or flint corn; hardtack; soy sauce; and freeze-dried meals like MREs (meals ready to eat)Foods that last 5 to 25 years: Raw molasses, powdered eggs, dehydrated carrots, ghee, powdered low-fat milk, powdered sour cream, canned goods, freeze -dried bacon and freeze-dried fruitsFoods that last 2 to 5 years: Virgin coconut oil, spices, mustard powder, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, pasta products, canned soup and chili, canned tuna, chicken and beef; pemmican, frozen eggs, jelly, jam, canned fruit, pickled veggies, peppercorns and flavored liquorFoods that last 1 to 2 years: Regular beef jerky, bouillon cubes, canned tomato sauce, salsa and other tomato-based products; vegetable oil, whole powdered milk, peanut butter, dried raisins, cranberries and cherries; homegrown garlic, pancake mix, ground pepper, frozen broccoli, corn off the cob and vacuum-sealed frozen meatFoods that last 3 to 9 months: Hard winter squash, long storage apples, long storage potatoes, brown rice, short storage potatoes, breakfast cereal, block cheese, farm-fresh (unwashed) eggs, granola bars, homegrown carrots or parsnips, supermarket garlic cloves, vanilla beans, storage onion, sausage, beer and packaged frozen meatFoods that last a couple of weeks to three months: Sweet onions, minced jarred garlic, pears, short storage apples, supermarket eggs, regular squash, strawberries, walnuts, garden tomatoes, pumpkin, supermarket tomatoes and asparagusFoods that last indefinitely: Salt, sugar, baking soda and baking powder, if stored properlyRaw honey, a healthy sugar substitute, can last forever.Visit FoodFreedom.news for more articles like this.Watch the video below to learn how to make your own storable food with a long shelf life.This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.More related stories:Food storage tips and tricks for preppers.Food storage tips: 11 Superfoods that boost your nutrient intake.Prepping on a budget: 12 Ways to prep without spending too much.Food storage tips: How to keep pests out of your survival stockpile.Sources include:CommonSenseHome.comDystopianSurvival.comBrighteon.comNATURAL NEWS This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Food, water, shelter, medicine, and ammunition/firearms are five things that are essential for survival in a societal collapse. As the possibility of such a collapse increases seemingly every day, more people have been signing up my Late Prepper Substack. It's telling that just a few weeks ago we struggled to get free subscriptions, but today they come in even if we don't publish anything for several days.I've neglected to post things here lately simply because I've been busy prepping myself. But a task I've been working on this week prompted me to take the list I made and share it with others. These are the "non-essential" items we're stocking up on now. By putting "non-essential" in quotes, I'm suggesting that yes, we can technically survive without them, but it's a lot easier if you have a good supply of these items.This is not a comprehensive list by any means. It's just the things that I've logged as items we're stocking up on to make sure we're not caught flatfooted if the crap hits the fan. I made this list based on two criteria — usability and barter value. Some items we can buy cheaply today will be like gold in an end-times scenario.One does not need to be a "doomsday prepper" living off-grid on a homestead in Montana to recognize the need for these items. Even city- and suburb-dwellers may lose access to such supplies if the system fails. Being ready is extraordinarily important, especially when we look at the trajectory of the nation and the world.1. BleachUnscented bleach can literally be a lifesaver as it pertains to making water potable. While we recommend the Alexapure Water Filtration System, a little bit of bleach will do the trick as well. There are many other uses, of course, and perhaps most importantly it's very cheap... for now.2. Batteries, ChargersBatteries generally have a 10-year shelf life when unopened. We like rechargeable batteries, especially if you have a solar generator or other sustainable electricity supply.3. Lighters, Matches, Alternative Fire-StartersFire can be the key to survival. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to produce for most people. Learning how to start and build a fire in a pinch is important, but I'm a big fan of stocking up on things that make it easier.4. Contact Lenses, GlassesDepending on optical and financial situation, it may behoove you to have a long-term supply of contact lenses. Have multiple glasses is definitely a best-practice. As for bartering and use, having a nice supply of inexpensive reading glasses could come in handy as well.5. Super GlueIn a crap-hits-the-fan scenario, being able to fix things as they break is going to be extremely important. Glue is helpful.6. Duct TapeLike super glue, but for different purposes. I have ongoing shipments of six-packs of duct tape heading to my home every month.7. VaselineAs a lubricant and accelerant, few things are more useful than Vaseline, even without considering the medical benefits. A little Vaseline, a cotton ball, and a stick can make a little torch.8. Insect RepellentCall me paranoid, but I'm very concerned about mosquitos and other insects in a post-apocalyptic world. Heck, I'm not crazy about them now. As anyone who has been to Africa knows, mosquito bites can be deadly.9. Soap, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Hygiene ItemsThey last a long time (indefinitely?), are extremely important for you health and wellbeing, and can be excellent barter currency if you have enough available. Besides, if things get better it's not like you won't go through your supply eventually.10. Hand SanitizerPersonally, I'm not a fan of hand sanitizer. But every list mentions them so I suppose a lot of people like it. Call me old-fashioned by I like soap and water.11. Tools and Backups, Nails, ScrewsConsidering we may have to build or repair things in the long term if the crap hits the fan, making sure you have everything you need to accomplish your tasks makes sense. This should NOT be considered a barter item.12. Knives and SawsUnlike most other tools, sharp necessary items like knives and saws wear down rapidly with regular use. It behooves many of us to have plenty of high-quality sharps available.13. Flashlights, Candles, LanternsI'm fan of variety over quality when it comes to lighting. I know many swear by the high-dollar versions of these items, but I'll take cheap and good enough quality in bulk for the same price. Some flashlights you keep should not need batteries; hand-cranked or solar flashlights can be hugely beneficial.14. Paper, Pens, PencilsSo many uses, plus tons of regret if you don't have enough paper and writing instruments.15. Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, and RagsI was extremely annoyed during the Spring of 2020 when stores kept running out of toilet paper. I railed against people who bought two-year supplies of toilet paper. Today, I have a two-year supply of toilet paper. One important note: I'm a big fan of reusable rags and towels. Having disposable items is fine but require disposal and are obviously finite. Having rags you can use, clean, and reuse will be important.16. Bungie Cord, Ropes, String, Zip TiesRepairing an building will likely be required if the crap hits the fan and stays bad for a long time. Bungie cords, ropes, string, and zip ties have unlimited uses.17. SeedsThis is a food items, but it's one that falls outside of the realm of straight food because it doesn't take up much space and can be stored away to be used in the distant future. If you have plenty of seeds, you may never use them, but if you don't have them you'll probably need them.18. TarpsCheap and useful.19. Plastic BagsCheap and useful, too.20. Kids' NeedsDon't forget the kids, especially babies! Diapers, baby wipes, powders... we've seen in our current situation how hard it is to keep baby formula on the shelves. Imagine if the crap hits the fan how other items will also be hard to acquire.21. Baking SodaUnlimited uses, and not just for cooking.22. Fire ExtinguishersIf things continue to go south, it's not inconceivable that basic emergency services will be hard or even impossible to call. One does not want to lose everything over an accident that could have been easily suppressed.Side NoteThe most important thing to stock up on is hope. Read your Bible. Pray. Keep fighting the good fight. Doom and gloom is everywhere and spreading, but it's not hopeless. Not by a long shot.We have multiple long-term food storage sponsors for a variety of choices and needs, plus a pair of quality precious metals sponsors to help you protect wealth and retirement. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Many of us no longer need motivation to prepare for the future. Economic challenges seem to continue to pop up even as long-standing problems get worse. But if you need even more motivation to turn to your local community and away from China and our own government, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver just gave us another reason.From Fox News [emphasis added]:Silver also pushed back Thursday on criticisms from U.S. lawmakers about the NBA's business relationship with China, noting that the league is just one of many companies to work with the Chinese."From a policy standpoint, virtually every Fortune 100 company is doing business in China," Silver said. "We have an enormous, humongous trade relationship with China. Virtually all the phones in this room, the clothes you are wearing, the shoes you are wearing, are made in China. From a larger societal standpoint, this is something where we have to look to the U.S. government for direction.""And if people are suggesting now that we should no longer have trade relations with China, and I don't think they are, that's a huge global issue where we will follow the lead from our government," he continued.Basically, he's saying the NBA does it because everybody else is doing it. From his perspective, he's pretty sure we're not going to stop buying from China altogether, right?Well, maybe should. In fact, we definitely should. As we approach a possible economic collapse, it behooves us make a concerted effort toward buying as hyper-local as possible, and it's not just to punish big companies or even China. If and when the supply chain completely stops in the United States, we will be forced to turn to local suppliers and producers. Best to make the change now. Call it practice.By making this a practice, we will be keeping our dollars as close to home as possible. Today, we're a global economy with a strong domestic infrastructure. But those who believe we will eventually no longer be able to have everything we need delivered by Amazon or available at Walmart should move as many of their purchases as possible from local producers.It's a prepper thing, but it really is an America thing as well. Adam Silver is right. We are massively tied to China and just about every big business in the nation is. As I called for in today's episode of The JD Rucker Show as well as the Late Prepper podcast, we need to move our dollars to the local community as quickly and completely as possible.Secure your long-term food. Three options are available among our sponsors. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

When even the Biden regime and leaders of financial institutions across the globe are telling us there will be massive food shortages, believe them. It's not common for me to give that advice since politicians and banking leaders are in the business of lying, but this particular narrative seems to be as real as it gets. We're already seeing food shortages hitting here in the United States, and inflation is making it harder and harder to stock up.Generally, I despise "fearmongers" because there is always an ulterior motive to their doomsday predictions, but I'm finding I've been forced to earnestly deliver truths lately that do not bode well for any of us. Food is becoming more scarce and prices are going up, which is why I am ringing the alarm bells and telling people to get prepared immediately.Many of us are struggling just to keep food on the table today, so getting prepared for the future can be very challenging. Here are five ways we prepare our own family that can be cost-effective, helping us stay within budget. We use a dehydrator to store food we accumulate, but you can also use freeze-driers, canning, or other preservation methods. I'm not going to go into detail about any of those today. This article and podcast are all about ways to save money procuring food in this rapidly devolving economy.GardeningLet's get the caveat on this one out of the way up front. Gardening can be very expensive in the beginning. It all depends on your living situation. Some people have the space already available on their land or in their backyards. Perhaps they have the necessary soil and weather conditions to get a garden going easily. All they need are seeds, and those can be very inexpensive even if you go with my recommended organic-heirloom seeds.For some of us, we have to get growbags, special soil, fertilizer, or even grow lights, all of which can be expensive. But if you have the space, time, and enough money to invest in ongoing food security, nothing beats gardening. Homesteading is so appealing because of the prospects of not being beholden to the system and gardening is an extremely important part of that lifestyle. To anyone who has the means of starting or expanding your garden, now would be a good time.Farmer's MarketsSupporting your local community is always a good thing. I'm not a fan of having to use mega-corporations for supplies. Don't get me wrong. I'm not inherently opposed to big corporate giants; I'm a capitalist, after all. But many if not most corporations have gone "woke" in recent years and I don't like supporting those who directly oppose my worldview.But buying food from farmers' markets is about more than just supporting local businesses. It can be far less expensive than grocery stores, especially if you're buying in bulk. The quality is hit-or-miss sometimes, depending on the farmers at the market. It takes a good eye for food to help you pick out the best produce and avoid getting anything you can't really use.InstacartNo, I'm not suggesting having your food delivered as a way to save money. It's not cheap and unless you have physical or transportation challenges, services like Instacart are luxuries. With that said, price-shopping on Instacart or other services can be very rewarding because you can compare prices between different stores very easily.You can also find sales that you can take advantage of, sales that are often not advertised in the junk mail ads they send out. We look for items we need on the homepage of Instacart, then we open up each individual store to see who has the best deals. This can be a time-consuming process if you need to buy a lot of food at once, but it can save you money and alert you to the big price breaks that may come in handy if you're stocking up.Amazon - Walmart - Costco - Plus Don't Forget to Check the SourcesAs dismayed as I get anytime I buy from the big corporate suppliers, I get more dismayed when I overpay for items I need. The big online stores often sell products for cheaper than at local stores, but here's an important note. Do NOT assume that is always the case. There are so many items that are cheaper at your local stores. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, and others rely on the belief that they sell everything at lower prices. This is true sometimes, but they also overprice many items.Another quick tip is to check sources. For example, I used to buy Bob's Red Mill (which I no longer buy because of changes at the company recently) from Amazon. Before making a larger purchase of flour, I checked their website. The bulk bag was priced much cheaper than at Amazon, but the shipping made it more expensive overall. Then, I discovered that if I bought 5-pound bags, I would get free shipping. Buying ten 5-pound bags tallied higher than buying a 50-pound bag, but the free shipping for buying the smaller bags at higher quantities actually made it cheaper than the bulk bag AND cheaper than Amazon.Freeze Dried Food ShoppingFreeze-dried food is not cheap. For those who still need to secure two-years' worth of food, I don't recommend going to freeze dried because it's cheaper to get regular food for short- and mid-term storage than the freeze-dried long-term storage food.Those who are ready for long-term storage should look into freeze-dried because it can last 25 years or more. Getting it all in bulk buys of buckets is the most cost-effective way, but be warned. The problem with buying big packages is that you may not like everything that's included. It's important to know exactly what's in each package. They may promise 300 breakfast meals, but if you don't like or cannot eat some of the products included then do you really get 300? No.I have tested literally dozens (could be hundreds for all I know) of products from long-term storage food companies. I've selected a few that I like based on multiple criteria, the two most important of which are price and quality. Nobody wants to be stuck in the apocalypse with food they dread.We have selected three companies as sponsors based solely on what I would buy for my family. It's funny because the company that pays by far the highest commissions had what I believe to be the worst overall food. That's probably why they pay so much, but I had to pass. I won't take on a sponsor that I don't use myself, which is why we only selected these three so far. I've turned down at least eight other sponsorship offers because I would never buy their foods for my family.There are three reasons we picked multiple companies instead of just sticking with one. First and foremost, I wanted a range of prices available. Nutrient Survival might be the best quality, but they're also by far the most expensive. A 90-day kit sells regularly for $1890. Meanwhile, My Patriot Supply is above-average quality but is far less expensive. Their three-month kit is under $900.The second reason I picked three is because the food shortages are already affecting availability. One of the long-term storage suppliers that I actually like is not shipping anything else until 2023!The third reason is because we need variety of flavors and dishes. As I often say, it's not good to go into a societal collapse situation with nothing but rice, beans, and a couple of other flavors to rotate. I'm a big fan of not only surviving, but thriving. It's good to have variety for the emotional wellbeing of you and your family, not to mention the diversity of nutrients this brings.With all that said, here are the three long-term food storage sponsors we recommend:My Patriot Supply: Above-average quality at below-average pricesValley Food Storage: Higher quality, higher pricesNutrient Survival: Premium long-term foodFinal NoteLike I said in the beginning, I loathe fearmongering. I hate being doom and gloom in my warnings, but I believe they are valid. With that said, I am also always hopeful. God's plan is all that matters, and we cannot know if he plans to pull this nation back from the brink of collapse or not. I hope He does, but I'm preparing for if He doesn't.No matter what, Bible-believing Christians know how the story ends. There will be hard times, but the faithful have eternity before us. Whatever hardships we have in this life will be wiped away in the next. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

If you're like me, you're concerned that some or all foods will soon be either too expensive to buy or not available at all. It's no secret that I am a "late prepper" who used to dismiss calls to get prepared. I never saw the need to be ready for whatever is to come because I didn't think things would ever get as bad as they are now.I was wrong.On today's episode of The Late Prepper, I discussed seven food items that new preppers need to stock up on as soon as possible. These are items that I and other, more experienced preppers believe are both necessary for long-term survival and that may be hard to get in the coming years, even months. Food isn't everything. We need to have a strong supply of potable water. We need medicines and other supplies. We definitely need a way to protect our supplies when someone tries to take them. But today we're talking about food.Certain items will be harder to get than others. This is always the case, but it will be accentuated during an economic downturn or full-blown collapse. I took that into account as well as two other factors: price and usefulness. You could stock up on Doritos if you'd like, but I don't consider them to be very useful in a crap-hits-the-fan situation.Rice and BeansThis is the no-brainer that every prepper knows and loves. The reason the combination of rice and beans is so important is because it hits all of the necessary qualities. Today, both are relatively cheap but in a near-future collapse scenario, demand will overtake supply and prices will skyrocket. They can be stored for very long times, up to 25 years or more in the right conditions. The nutrition is proven; combining them delivers the right amino acids to form proper proteins. Technically, you could survive on just rice, beans, and water indefinitely.Canned FoodsFor the sake of variety and having foods with mid-term shelf-lives, most canned foods are great. They are also generally inexpensive, though not as inexpensive as fresh foods that you can yourself. But the best part about canned foods like soups, meals, fruits, vegetables, and meats is that they're generally ready-to-eat without necessary preparation. They're better when heated, but they can be eaten right out of the can. Just be sure to have manual can-openers ready.Wheat BerriesThis versatile family of grains can help you meet your daily caloric intake easily. They are nutritious and when stored properly, they can last for decades. Definitely make sure you have a mill that can grind up your wheat berries into flour. We have one electric and one manual. We get ours from 4 Generations Organic.Food BucketsI often tell new preppers to get their freeze-dried foods last. Too often I see people going straight to ordering buckets of long-term food before they have enough regular food to get them to the long-term. Only after cupboards, pantries, refrigerators, and freezers are full should anyone move to food buckets. Once you get your short- and mid-term food covered, buckets can be cost-effective ways of getting a nice variety of long-term food. We recommend one of our sponsors for this, and they currently have a summer sale that just launched.Milk, Butter, Eggs (and Cheese)Fats are going to be the hardest macronutrient to acquire after the crap hits the fan. Most oils do not last longer than a year or two even if they're not opened. This is why we store plenty of powdered milk, butter, and eggs. Milk and butter also have other nutrients that are necessary for survival and if stored right, the can last a decade. As for cheese, we're just now testing out Bega canned cheese. So far, so good. It's expensive, but they claim their cheese can last a decade, so we're starting to stock up.Dehydrated Fruits and VegetablesIf you can afford freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, that's the better way to go. It's definitely more expensive, but it's healthier, tastes better, and lasts longer. We are stocking up on dehydrated fruits and vegetables. They won't last as long, but we will store them for as long as possible as today's fresh fruits and vegetables that are so abundant in the United States may not be so easy to get in the near future.Freeze Dried ChickenWe started a an organic, roasted, freeze-dried chicken company. Okay, so technically it's an organic freeze-dried food company, but our focus is on one product now. We're selling five pounds of chicken that is roasted and then freeze-dried down to a single pound. It's 19 servings with 27 grams of protein per serving. Between bird flu, supply chain, fertilizer and grain prices, and escalating inflation, we believe chicken will be gone or at least cost-prohibitive in the near future. That's why we build the company now.More people have started prepping (even if some don't want to call themselves preppers). Considering the state of the economy, there will soon be two types of people: those who prepared and those in breadlines. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

The vast majority of my life has been spent in cities and suburbs. I have only lived short periods of time outside of areas like Los Angeles and New York City, so I'm what you might call a "city boy." But I am strongly considering moving my family away from the city and I'd suggest the same to those who have the means and the desire.There are many reasons for this, but a new one has popped up in recent months that would never have swayed me in the past. I've heard over and over how bad things can get in the city in the event of major emergencies or terrorist attacks, but I've always dismissed them. Like I said, I'm a city boy so having access to things has always been important. But the past few months have taught me there's a good chance I won't want my family in the city when the crap starts hitting the fan, and that seems to be possible at any moment.Case-in-Point: The radiological attack response drills that are going on in Austin, Texas, right now. I'll let Ethan Huff from Natural News describe the details below, but it's a compelling reason to consider leaving city life if possible. Many bad events can strike anywhere, city or not, but it seems very likely that a radiological attack would target the heaviest population centers.As I said on the latest episode of The Late Prepper, it isn't all perfect in living more isolated. There are disadvantages and threats to country living that don't exist as much in cities and suburbs. With that said, it still seems like a safer bet for most. Here's Ethan with the details:Dirty Bomb Drills Being Run in Austin, Tex., Ahead of Known Radiological Terror Cells Entering U.S.From May 16 through May 20, the Department of Energy's (DoE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is holding a drill in Austin, Tex., that involves the use of low-flying aircraft and a simulated radiological attack.Called “Cobalt Magnet 22,” the exercise is supposedly taking place to prepare local, state and federal agencies for the possibility of a future radiological attack. Since these drills tend to go live, however, many want to know: Is this another false flag attack in the making?At “various locations around the city,” an announcement from the NNSA reads, “the exercise will simulate a radiological attack, enabling response personnel to practice protecting public health and safety, providing emergency relief to affected populations, and restoring essential services.”During the exercise, personnel donned in PPE (personal protective equipment) will reportedly be seen moseying around Austin with equipment as they pretend to monitor and detect radiation, presumably from a nuclear attack.First responders “and others,” the announcement adds ominously, will also be “staged at various locations” throughout the Texas capital as part of the drill.“The men and women of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team – or NEST – are trained to provide decision-makers with timely, actionable scientific advice during fearful events,” says Jay Tilden, the DoE's Deputy Under Secretary for Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation.“Saving lives and reducing the impact of a nuclear incident requires a full understanding of what happened, who will be affected, and what the optimal response should be. NEST's bread and butter is providing that information to local, state, and federal leaders as rapidly as possible.”Mayor Adler and other local officials: “This is only an exercise”In order to quell the fears of area residents who are concerned about this latest government exercise mysteriously going live, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a raging liberal Demoncrat with “Get vaccinated!” written prominently on his Twitter handle, wrote the following in a tweet:“During a planning exercise next week, Austinites may see teams in protective clothing using radiological equipment, low-flying aircraft gathering data, and groups of first responders and other staged at various locations. This is only an exercise.”Along with this message, Adler shared a link to an article from The Hill explaining the exercise in further detail.Austin Emergency Management (AEM) tweeted a similar message three days later, emphasizing that the event is “just an exercise” and not to worry or panic.Neither the NNSA nor any other local agencies in Austin have clarified why the simulation is happening there, or whether or not Austin is under any kind of radiological or other threat that would render it a potential target.Cobalt Magnet 22 is reminiscent of the “Jade Helm 15” exercise from 2015 that also took place in this same area of Texas, and under similarly strange circumstances.As you may recall, the Health Ranger visited one of the sites involved in that exercise, which include “guard towers” similar to the ones used in fascist regimes to monitor prisoners being held captive behind barbed-wire fencing.Jade Helm 15 simulated the infiltration of soldiers operating “undetected amongst civilian populations,” the purpose being to see if they could infiltrate and blend in with the general population without being noticed.Concerning this latest exercise in Austin, Adan Salazar, writing for Infowars and Newswars, had this to say:“The exercise comes as NATO and its allies have continued to prop up Ukraine in its war against Russia, provoking the former Soviet nation which has full nuclear capabilities. Agencies did not say the drills were in response to any type of threat from Russia.”For more news and information about this topic, be sure to check out Radiation.news.Sources for this article include:NewsWars.comNaturalNews.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

One of the best parts about having a site dedicated to the economy in general and precious metals in particular is that we get to see what draws people to the site. Spikes in traffic follow bad economic news, but the mid-term trends are what we really find interesting. Over the last couple of months, even when there are no new updates on the economy, traffic has been steadily rising.Much of the interest we're seeing is coming from "preppers." Unlike times of old, modern-day "preppers" aren't just the people living off the grid who can grow their own food, field dress a deer, and power their house with solar panels, wind turbines, and grain alcohol. Many people in cities and suburbs are storing food and preparing for economic collapse. One of the best ways to do that is to secure physical precious metals.Invariably whenever I mention precious metals as a component of prepping, someone hops in the comments and notes that you can't eat silver coins. They're right. They often also note that in a complete societal collapse, it will be easier to barter with useful items than with precious metals. This may also be true. But there are three important reasons to consider adding more physical precious metals to the list of items you store at home.Before I discuss that, I have to mention our sponsors. As my long-time readers and listeners know, I do NOT pick sponsors based on how much they pay. Some of my sponsors are actually quite stingy with their payouts, but I keep them because I believe in their products. Conversely, I've dropped sponsors who pay fabulously but whose products I cannot rightly endorse. This is why the precious metals companies we endorse had to go through a lot of vetting before I ever considering putting my name behind them.We currently recommend two precious metals companies. This comes after over a year of being courted by nearly two dozen companies and individuals. After all, our audience is generally conservative and often has cash or retirement they'd like to use towards precious metals, so it makes sense that I get calls or emails on a weekly basis.I chose one company to start. Our Gold Guy is operated by an America First patriot who knows the industry inside and out and is willing to make personal contact with those who are interested in purchasing precious metals. We recently added GoldCo, which is also a patriotic company. The reason we have two now is because they offer a wide range of products. As a bigger company, they may not give the personal customer service that my readers and listeners will get from Our Gold Guy, but sometimes people just want as many options as possible. Whether you go with Our Gold Guy or GoldCo, you'll be very pleased with your purchase.The first reason to consider precious metals as a "prepper" item is because we may not be facing a full-blown societal collapse. If what we're seeing today leads to a major economic downturn or depression but not the apocalypse, then it behooves people to protect their wealth and property with precious metals. Gold and silver are generally considered to be the perfect hedges in a volatile market. Currently the chances of economic stability in the near future are slim. The chances of the economy rebounding before experiencing major changes in the long-term market are practically zero.If the crap hits the fan in a hard way and we DO experience complete economic and even societal collapse in America, then it won't matter if your investments are in gold, silver, stocks, cryptocurrency, or anything else. Just as you can't eat gold, you can't eat your shares of Chick-fil-A. Those who argue that you shouldn't buy anything that can't have tangible value in a post-apocalyptic society aren't considering the other levels of downturn or depression that we may be facing instead.Second, the dollar seems to be preparing to head in the wrong direction very soon. With the greatest potential in most of our lifetimes of the dollar no longer being the world reserve currency or driving oil purchases through the petrodollar, it is becoming increasingly possible that it could truly crash. Some will point to cryptocurrencies as the way to go in that scenario, and I'm not completely against that notion. But the push for regulations and central bank digital currencies make cryptocurrencies inherently risky. Then, there's the necessary attachment to technology that reduces their tangible value, possibly to nil. Having gold or silver coins in the safe is a much more prudent bet.The last reason precious metals are great for wealth protection for many, preppers or not, is the scenario in which the crap does NOT hit the fan. It may seem unlikely to many of us now that things can get better before they get much worse, but the world can change rapidly. While it's definitely a good idea to stock up on food, water, medical supplies, and ammunition first, having some gold or silver handy during a recovery will actually put people in better situations. While I have nothing against those who stockpile hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition just in case, there's no easy way to swap that investment for another if things go back to normal.As I've said dozens of times and will likely say dozens of times more in the future, precious metals are NOT a primary need. Like they say, you can't eat it. You may not be able to barter with it very easily in a societal collapse. But for those who want to protect their wealth, it's a good direction to head AFTER you have your food, water, ammunition, bug out plan, medical needs, and other preparations made.If that's you, then check out Our Gold Guy, GoldCo, or both. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

After speaking to pretty much every major long-term food storage company out there over the past four or five months, the trends are crystal clear. "Prepping" is becoming much more popular in America. The stigma that was manufactured by corporate media and "intellectuals" has been lifted thanks to a series of events over the past couple of years that have made many Americans very uncertain about the future.Uncertainty can breed one of two things: panic or preparedness. The former will start manifesting in the coming months as so many people will suddenly realize things are not going to get better and chaos is about to take hold. Those who fall in the latter category will be as ready as they can be so they can avoid government breadlines and the anarchy that comes when store shelves are empty.See Venezuela for a glimpse into our potential future.When my family decided to start getting prepared last year, we made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. I had too much of some things and not enough of others. I didn't spend my limited funds the best way possible. Most importantly, I didn't have a proper plan in place. We've recovered, but I wanted to offer some advice based on our experience to our readers and listeners at The Late Prepper. I also strongly encourage those with insights or more experience to help out by posting comments below.The information that I'm posting and that I discussed on the podcast is based on a few assumptions. First, this is a bug-in plan, not a bugout plan. You should DEFINITELY have a plan ready and practiced for such a situation in which you have to leave your home for extended periods of time, possibly forever. I'll cover that in the future, but for now I want to focus on bugging in.The second assumption in this plan is that it's ONLY about food. You will need a plan for water, defense, medical, and other emergencies that will arise in a crap-hits-the-fan scenario, but for today I'm only focused on food itself.Third, we're assuming a common living scenario. An individual who's living off-grid on 500 acres in Montana would plan very differently from a family in a middle class suburban home outside of Dallas. That type of plan, which is what I'll be describing below, is based on average levels of living and storage space, a backyard or patio of some sort, and limited ability to hunt locally for food.The final assumption is that there will be no access to any food other than what's given out in the breadlines. In other words, this plan is geared around an economic or societal collapse. It may not be that bad, but I'd rather my family be prepared for a full collapse. If it's just a reversible downturn or temporary food shortage, great! Our plan is designed for having no access to food other than what we store. Let's begin...Five Types of FoodBefore I get into the five ways we separate out our foods, I should warn the more experienced preppers that this is a hybrid approach. I've combined different styles of prepping from multiple sources of information, so some of this will be very familiar and others may seem odd. We chose this method of separating our food based on two desires. First, we obviously want to survive. Second, we want to be able to eat fairly well. If there's one knock I have against many of the food plans in circulation today, it's that they really focus on the former and not the latter. I wouldn't sacrifice survivability for the sake of having a good variety of flavors, but it's definitely possible to have both.With that said, here are the five types of food we are storing:Early Stage Perishables (Short Term Food, Months 0-2)This is what's in your pantry and refrigerator. It's the food you're eating everyday already. Most families have about two weeks worth of food. I strongly recommend bumping that up to at least two months. Obviously, you can't effectively store away two months of every perishable items since, well, they're perishable. My family's goal is to never have to open up any of the longer lasting food until the short term perishables are used up.When the crap hits the fan, we're going to eat the most spoilable items first. Anything in the refrigerator or pantry that will go bad in days or a few weeks like milk, bread, eggs, non-frozen meats, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables will all be eaten first.Middle Stage Perishables (Medium Term Food, Months 2-36)This is the food that will stay edible for a while but not necessarily long-term.Canned Soups, Sauces, MealsUnsealed PastaCanned MeatShelf-Stable MealsSprouts (Short-term once they're sprouted but stable until then)Self-Canned FoodsOilsFrozen FoodsDehydrated Foods That Are Vacuum-Sealed (we dehydrate and vacuum-seal fruits and vegetables every day)Long Haul Food (Long-Term Food Beyond Month 36)Food that can last for more than five years is perfect for long-term storage. The goal is to never really have to open up any until all of your short- and mid-term has been exhausted. These foods MUST be properly packaged and stored - oxygen absorbers in mylar bags or sealed cans.Our sponsor can help with this.Freeze Dried FoodPowdered Eggs, Milk, ButterHoney and Maple Syrup (standard storage is fine as long as it's away from the open air, moisture, high or low temperatures, light, and critters)Some Shelf-Stable Foods Can Fall Into This Category - Know Your DatesSustainable FoodThese are the foods that keep on giving. Cows for milk would be great, but it's not very easy to keep cows.GardenGrow BagsIndoor Plants and MicrogreensChickensAll-Stage StaplesThese are the foods you can store a lot of that will be available from the beginning of crap hitting the fan all the way to the end. And by a lot, I mean A LOT. I'd like to have literally a ton of this food stored away before the crap hits the fan.RiceWheat Berries (long-term) and Flour (short- to mid-term)Beans, Peas, LentilsDrink MixesRolled OatsConclusionYou CAN do this. Get as much as you can over time, but don't dilly-dally. You'll be fine. Keep praying and keep working towards securing your family's food security. We don't know how long the upcoming collapse will last. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

When the prospects of an impending food shortage or even an economic collapse started really becoming apparent shortly after Joe Biden took office, many of us began looking at "prepping" as a way to secure our family's food supply. Millions of Americans have been prepping for years, even decades, but there has always been a stigma associated with it. This stigma has been mostly manufactured by corporate media and bolstered by a common belief among Americans that things will work themselves out before it gets too bad.Now, it's clear the likelihood of things working themselves out is very slim. I've spoken ad nauseam about why we became "late preppers" in the last year as well as the signs that massive food shortages are just around the corner. I'm sure I'll post more about it in the near future, but for now, I want to stipulate that if you're reading this or listening to the podcast, you're already in the camp that is either already prepping or getting ready to start.My wife and I are not green thumbs. We could tag-team the accidental killing of a cactus faster than tossing it in a fire. But knowing what we know, we decided to put our best efforts forward to growing our own fruits and vegetables. It's something we're encouraging everyone to do, even if you're limited in space. Growing food in an apartment is very different from growing on open land. Climate and soil obviously need to be taken into consideration. It may not be possible for literally everyone to do it, but those who can make some adjustments should strongly consider it.Growing enough food to be completely self-reliant is challenging. But we believe nearly everyone can do something to at least supplement the food they are now buying. Rather than trying to account for every possible scenario, we described our food-growing action plan in the latest episode of The Late Prepper. Hopefully, that can encourage others to explore and act upon a plan to start growing their own food based on your current situation.We've grown many of our own herbs for a while. That isn't hard at all, especially in our plant-friendly Southern California climate. We purchased one, then a second avocado tree. Fat is the hardest food type to store long-term and avocados are among the fattiest fruits you can grow. They came in their own pots, shipped by mail (though if you can pick one up it's less risky and you can pick a winner yourself), and require tending once a day. We used Fast Growing Trees for our purchase and two months in it's looking good.Last week, we purchased an organic indoor gardening kit from Spade to Fork. We've been told that it's a waste to go with kits because seeds and soil are cheap, but we pushed the "easy button" because, as mentioned before, our thumbs are not exactly green. We went with this particular product because we liked the mix of food (cherry tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and green beans) and they're organic. This is just a short-term solution, a test if you will. Long term, we already have 15,000 non-GMO heirloom seeds from Open Seed Vault ready for a long-term crap-hits-the-fan scenario.We have grow bags that we'll be using as soon as we pick the right mix of food and planting seasons. It's important that novices like us do the research into planting the best foods at the best times. Think strategically based on your situation. What do you like to eat? How easy is it to grow? Where will you keep it? Will your harvest be bigger than you can eat at the moment, and if so how will you store the excess?For many if not most experienced preppers and homesteaders, these are very basic questions and there's likely a whole lot more than I'm not taking into consideration. I would greatly appreciate those who have more experience than us to share their thoughts and expertise in the comments. As I've often said, I'm not an expert at any of this. The purpose of this Substack is to have a community where fellow "late preppers" can share ideas and learn from those with more experience.And as always, we recommend My Patriot Supply for those who have the resources to purchase and store some or even all of your crap-hits-the-fan preps. Now is the time to get secured before the rest of America is forced to realize how bad things are about to get. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

When Joe Biden announced he was lifting restrictions on ethanol being used in fuel, he was hated on by both sides. The radical left called it a betrayal to his climate change pledge. The right said it was too little, too late and that he should be pushing for more drilling across the board. What few people have noted is that this has absolutely nothing to do with lowering gas prices and everything to do with raising food prices.On the latest episode of The Late Prepper, I dove into this article and accused the Biden regime of knowing exactly what they're doing to food and gas prices. It's a mistake to think they're just incompetent because that would mean we could correct their errors. Knowing that they are fully aware that their actions are going to raise inflation even further allows us to strategize differently.It's definitely time to take your financial and food future into your own hands. That's why we recommend Our Gold Guy and My Patriot Supply.In the article below by Mary Villareal from Natural News, we get to see how the meat industry is reacting to Joe Biden's push to use ethanol in fuel at a time when food is becoming so scarce:Meat producers react as Biden issues emergency waiver that allows selling gasoline with 15% ethanolPresident Joe Biden issued an emergency waiver that allows gasoline stations nationwide to sell gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. With the record-high prices and soaring levels not seen since 1981, Biden effectively paused a federal environmental regulation that prohibits this biofuel mixture in the summer to limit smog.Biden's action, however, could lead to higher meat prices due to the increased demand for corn.Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Daren Bakst said this would certainly drive up food prices and hurt meat producers who rely on feeds. Corn and soybean meal is used to feed livestock and serves as the largest cost for chicken producers.“Further and artificial demand for corn created by this administration will likely increase the cost of corn and all food products dependent on corn and corn oil inputs,” said National Chicken Council President Mike Brown.“What it does at the gas pump we shall see … but at what expense to consumers in the grocery store who are already dealing with the highest inflation in 40 years?”At the end of the day, Brown said ethanol manufacturers win and consumers lose.Overall inflation increased 8.5 percent year-over-year in March, the highest such jump in over 40 years as per federal data. Food prices surged even higher at a rate of 8.8 percent between April 2021 and March 2022, the largest 12-month increase since 1981. (Related: Inflation surges by 8.5% to 40-year high, disproving White House claims it wouldn't go higher than 2.2%.)The price of corn, however, has surged 37.8 percent from $3.97 to $5.47 per bushel between December 2020 to December 2021, and corn futures have surged more than 44 percent relative to their December price in the wake of Biden's announcement.Long-term solution needed, not short-term political fixesA representative of the oil industry also criticized the Biden administration for the decision. Ron Chit, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, said Americans are looking for long-term solutions and not short-term political fixes.Heartland Institute President James Taylor said: “Burning food for fuel makes no sense at all when the Biden administration and others warn of widespread upcoming food shortages as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” He also mentioned that it's as if the Biden administration is deliberately calculating how to make food-price inflation worse.The Ukraine crisis has already triggered a global food supply shortage that experts believe could still worsen. Meanwhile, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) previously characterized the 2005 renewable fuel standard program as a government policy that is picking one industry over the over. It mandates that energy providers replace a certain amount of petroleum-based products with renewable fuel, including ethanol.Some groups are in favor of Biden's action, however, saying criticism from meat groups was a “red herring” and that it would have little impact on corn supplies.At present, there are more than a billion gallons of ethanol in storage and farmers still intend to plant 89.5 million acres of corn in 2022.Andrew Walmsley of the American Farm Bureau said this is not a “one or the other” issue, adding that the United States has the resources to produce homegrown, renewable fuels while also meeting the demand of ensuring there is food on the table and that livestock are fed.Moreover, according to Walmsley, the Ukraine crisis and supply chain issues are the main culprits for higher global food prices. (Related: Russia-Ukraine war will further worsen global food shortage as poor nations face starvation, unrest.)“The amount of corn needed to meaningfully expand E15 this summer is minuscule,” said Troy Bredenkamp, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the ethanol advocacy group Renewable Fuels Association. He also mentioned that the amount of corn needed to double the current E15 use is equivalent to only 0.3 percent of last year's corn crop.The impact of the E15 waiver on grain markets would essentially be undetectable, but the impact on pump prices could be substantial, said Bredenkamp. “While every additional gallon of E15 sold will help relieve very tight fuel supplies, especially as the summer driving season gets into full gear, clearly there will only be a slight incremental effect on corn prices and no change in U.S. retail food prices.”Follow Bubble.news for more stories about inflation and the U.S. economy.Watch this video to learn more about the ethanol industry.This video is from the TruthBeTold channel on Brighteon.com.More related stories:New study finds corn-based ethanol fuel is actually WORSE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT than regular gasoline.Carbon taxes are here: World's largest carbon capture pipeline to be constructed in the Upper Midwest.BlackRock president: INFLATION will teach VERY RUDE lessons to today's consumers.Billionaire BlackRock CEO calls poor millennials “entitled,” promises them “scarcity inflation” (op-ed).IMF WARNS: Rising shipping costs are affecting inflation, raising prices of everyday goods.Sources include:WND.comAlJazeera.comBrighteon.comNATURAL NEWS This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

As a "late prepper," I am often forced to sift through conflicting recommendations. I comb through 2-3 hours per day of videos and articles as I learn how best to prepare for whatever is to come. When I see contradictory material, I seek additional perspectives to see who is right. Thankfully, prepping isn't difficult so it doesn't happen very often.Occasionally, I come across recommendations that are demonstrably bad. I wish I had documented them all, but I was able to compile this short list of things that preppers should definitely avoid. I'll accumulate other pieces of bad advice to share going forward, but here's what we've seen so far...125 ml Water PacketsThis particular piece of advice came from a prepper channel that I generally admire. Everyone makes mistakes, and this was a big one.Several companies sell mylar packs with around 125 ml of water in them as "emergency water." While these may be useful in a bugout bag for the sole reason that they are less likely to get contaminated over several years, there's a big problem. They're a waste. A case of 64 of them is expensive, coming to around $28 per gallon. Considering that we need 1-2 gallons of water per day, that means someone would need several dozen of them to survive.In a bugout bag, it may make some sense since we often pack our bags and let them sit for a long time, but if you're checking on your bag every few months then you can rotate out bottled water which is far more economical and can last for a long time.Create a Post-Apocalyptic GangI'm not sure which show this was on but a site I read referenced the "Apocalypse Gang" that had chosen to only prepare for crap hitting the fan by accumulating guns, ammo, and burly men. Their idea was they wouldn't need to store food if they could just go around and take what they wanted from everyone else. This is, of course, a very bad idea.However, it should act as a reminder that when society starts to collapse, there will be desperate people who will try to take what you have. Firearms, ammunition, and other self-defense resources are imperative in such a situation. It may be a bad idea to plan to rob everyone else, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for when people try to rob us.Prepackaged Food Buckets Are All You NeedThe reason people buy prepackaged food buckets with various meals in them is for convenience. I can completely understand and appreciate pushing the "easy button" because not everyone wants to or has the time to get into canning, building our own food buckets, freeze drying, or sealing food away in mylar bags. Those who want to simply set it and forget it can visit our emergency supply sponsor, who has plenty of packages available.From a financial perspective, it makes better sense to build your own buckets. For example, Augason Farms Rice is currently selling for over $60 for a 24 lb bucket. It's convenient and I bought a couple (granted, when I bought them they were $38 but even that is too expensive), but then I learned how easy and inexpensive it is to get my own 5 gallon buckets with lids, 5 gallon mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and bulk rice.Many stores carry 25 lbs for $10-$15. The buckets at Home Depot are around $4-$8 with lids. Five-gallon mylar bags and oxygen absorbers can be under $5. To make what Augason Farms is currently selling for over $60 takes ten minutes and under $20.I Don't Need to Be EntertainedIn a long-term bugging-in situation, you'll want to be entertained, especially if power and internet are down. Most preppers recommend books, board games, playing cards, or dice among other things that can help pass the time and keep the family's mind off something other than the approaching apocalypse. Psychological health will be challenged in a societal collapse so don't expect to sit around and chat with the family all day, every day, as your way of coping.My Pets Are My Backup Food SupplyThere may come a time when we get so desperate, we're forced to look to unacceptable sources for food. I don't want to recommend it and I'm definitely not planning for it, which is why I won't link to the story that had a chart showing how many calories you can expect to consume from mid-sized family pet.Only Buy Long Term FoodMy plan is to have bug-in food that works in stages. For the beginning when we can't just go to the grocery store for our needs, we have what's available in our refrigerator and some of the expiring pantry items. When those run out, we'll move to our midterm storage items like canned foods, shelf-stable meals, and freezer items. When those are exhausted, I'll pull out the buckets and #10 cans of freeze dried long-term storage foods.I've heard on a couple of occasions that you should just store food that will last for decades. I can understand why, but it's neither cost-effective nor practical. We will keep our long-term storage food items untouched until we have completely exhausted our more perishable food.One brief note: the reason that I count my freezer items as midterm storage is because we have a solar generator to keep it running if the grid goes down. If we did not, I would include the freezer items with short-term storage foods because the likelihood of the grid going down seems very high in a crap-hits-the-fan situation.Focus on Bugging Out Instead of Bugging InIt's funny because around half of the prepper items on the market today are designed for bugging out. Since the most likely scenario for most Americans is one where economic or societal collapse puts us in a bugging in situation, I prefer to make sure I'm stocked up at home.With that said, we should all be prepared to bug out on a moment's notice. I have a plan for instant bug out scenarios where we only have time to grab our bags and run. I also have a plan for a quick bug out scenario where we know we're going to have to leave in hours or even days. Do not get so attached to your bug-in fortress that you're not willing to leave it if you have to because there are scenarios in which bugging in is simply not an option.ConclusionI generally only recommend prepping ideas when I have two or more experienced preppers validating them. If you hear something that sounds weird, double- and triple-check it. Like I said earlier, prepping isn't hard. You just have to be cognizant of who NOT to listen to before the crap hits the fan.Image by Nestle via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Every Friday on my show at Red State Talk Radio (listen live Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm Eastern), I answer email questions from listeners. Today, I asked for questions about prepping. I took the segment of that show in which I answer questions and isolated it here.Below are the questions asked, edited only for spelling and punctuation. If any of them interest you, please take a listen to the podcast itself.No name - You seem new to prepping so why should we listen to you?Andy O. from outside Minneapolis - A comment on your Substack said that MRE's are a waste of money, but you had recommended them. Who's right?Krissy - What do we do about prescription meds if things go south. I cannot survive without them nor can my husband.No name - What scenarios do you see as most likely making us fend for ourselves? Do you recommend iodine for nuclear war?Kyle from Denmark - Is Elon Musk a good guy or a bad guy?Filemone - I have a large family in a crowded city. We have very close friends and family here and we are trying to take advantage of this fact since only one of us even has a big yard and none of us have a lot of space. What can we do to make sure we're taking care of each other?Sam (Samantha) from Franklin PA - I'm getting mixed signals on gold and silver. Should I buy or should I not?No name - We are very late to prepping and I have a few thousand dollars to spend. Pretend like we have nothing stocked up yet and tell me what to buy.No name - Should we leave the city?Vera from Texas - Our church started an emergency group for people to share their supplies but I've always heard to keep prepping a secret.Jake from State Farm - I live alone but I have a young son nearby and I'm sure he and his mother will come to me if the apocalypse comes. I have 200 lbs of rice and 50 lbs of pinto beans. I know I need more but how long will that last? Should I buy a food bucket and if so which one?Ann - How is your meat company coming?Today's show was sponsored by Our Gold Guy, the patriotic and honest source for physical precious metal purchases. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

More Americans are starting to stock up on long-term food storage items, ammunition, and precious metals. This makes perfect sense considering the trajectory of the nation under the Biden regime combined with all of the turmoil that is erupting across the globe. Food shortages are coming, which means society may be on the verge of collapse in the United States in a matter of year, perhaps even months.Perhaps even sooner.But there's one important factor that far too few people are considering. One of the reasons I started The Late Prepper was to not only help others but to help myself and my family. The things I am forced to learn while operating The Late Prepper can be invaluable; I often learn much more from the community over there than I read in articles or watch in videos.The factor that seems to be missing in many preparation plans, especially for those of us who are new to prepping, is what to do if the water runs dry. We are a society dependent on water infrastructure. When the water gets shut off, even for a short time, people tend to have no proper plan. It's the most vital component to survival in this life since we can die after 72 hours without water. Yet it seems like far too many people (including me) are dependent on the faucet continuing to spout forth water or the grocery stores having plenty on hand.This is the problem that I believe will drive the most people to turn to government assistance like they did in the aftermath of Katrina. If water infrastructure breaks down, most people do not have a plan.Now's the time to make one. On the latest episode of The Late Prepper, I clumsily tried to describe in 17 minutes how to secure water and why it's important. It's not me best show, not by a longshot, but I like to do things live so we're sticking with it. Hopefully there are some nuggets of usable information in there. If anything, hopefully I portrayed why it's so important to be ready for whatever is to come.First and foremost, we need to be able to filter our water. Many use Berkey, but as I noted in a recent article and podcast, I chose Alexapure. Either works, and there are likely others that are nearly as good. Having a proper water filter expands your potential sources for water should the crap hit the fan. If you can get plenty of water from rain, streams, rivers, lakes, or ponds, then you're in better shape than most. All you need is a water filter and a decent amount of stored water and you're good to go.For those of us who do not have a sufficient nearby supply, that means we have to store it. Considering humans need somewhere between one and two gallons of water per day, that means a lot of storage space. The containers to hold the water are not necessarily cheap. I keep about 350 16-oz bottles of water on hand for immediate needs. Beyond that, I've been getting collapsible 5-gallon containers since the stackable hard-plastic ones ones are so expensive. I also got a WaterBOB even though one of our sponsors sells one as well. The WaterBOB is bigger - no brainer there.Those who can afford the price and space for much larger water storage should definitely get that now. A common size is 300 gallons, and while that sounds like plenty it would actually only last one or two months for a family of four.The bottom line is this: Make a plan for what you will do if water infrastructure goes down. If you can't get water from the faucet and the stores are empty or inaccessible, there are only three options:Make a plan that combines storage, filtering, and acquisition of water without standard infrastructure availableBecome beholden to governmentNot survive longI'm being blunt about the options because water is THAT important. Don't wait. Get your plan together. When you're done, start looking for backup options. Without water, you're done.Support us AND YOURSELF by buying from our survival sponsor. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

In the world of gravity water filtration systems, there are two names that rise far above everyone else. If you think one of those names is Brita, then I'm glad you're reading this and listening to the podcast because your standard water filters just won't cut it in a societal collapse and you need to know that now. Sure, they make the water taste better but that's just about it.Berkey and Alexapure are high-dollar water filters that actually filter water. If things go south, as we expect they probably will soon, we could all find ourselves in a situation where we desperately need water to survive. You can only go about 72 hours without water before dying. If the water from your tap turns off or gets contaminated, you'll need to have alternative supplies of water and a way to filter it.I set forth on the quest long ago of determining which of the two top water filtration systems were the best. I read reviews and watched plenty of comparison videos, and invariably they all said the same basic thing: Both filter systems are great. They work the same way, they're comparably priced, and the few real advantages for one or the other aren't really gamechangers.One of the big differences is that Berkey is much more well known. When I finally made my decision last night, I did so knowing that my sponsor sells Alexapure but not Berkey. As much as I love supporting my sponsor, I chose to buy a Berkey (temporarily) because one of the arguments I heard in its favor made sense. There are more Berkey filters in circulation right now which means replacement parts will likely be easier to find in a crap-hits-the-fan situation. That tipped the scale for me to go to Berkey.Then, I went to buy it. What I've seen in reviews that were made recently, some of them just a few days ago, is that both the Big Berkey 2.25 gallon filter and the Alexapure 2.25 gallon filter are around $270 each. Apparently, that changed dramatically. As of April 11, 2022, the Big Berkey is listed at BerkeyFilters.com at $387 ON SALE from $405. It was the same price without the discount on Amazon.The Alexapure at our sponsor's site is still at $279.95, though they may follow Berkey's play and raise their prices as well. If they do, I'll be glad I bought it before the price hike.One might say it's petty that I changed my mind over $109, but at this stage every penny counts unless you're rich. I bought the Alexapure. I also realized that the argument of more availability of replacement parts for Berkey is probably moot because in a true crap-hits-the-fan situation, how are we going to get replacement parts from them anyway? I ordered the bigger package of Alexaure with four filters and a pack of replacement parts, so I should be good to go with potable water for at least five years... assuming I can find water when the crap-hits-the-fan. That's another problem altogether, one I'll address in a future installment.Buy your Alexapure Water Filter now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Many of the folks who follow this website and podcast are seasoned preppers who probably already know everything I'm about to post. In fact, they probably know a whole lot more than I do about the various "hobbies" people should consider taking up now that it seems like some sort of societal collapse is imminent.For the rest of us who are just getting started, it can be challenging to change everything and take on a "prepper lifestyle." One of the first things I did after making my plan was to think of the various skills I would like to acquire before it becomes too late to do so easily. I replaced old "hobbies" with activities that can help me and my family survive. In a way, these activities have become hobbies themselves, though far more productive than watching Netflix or going bowling.Here's a very incomplete list of things we all can consider doing to use our time that's not spent working or with family. Some of these activities are things that we can do WITH our families, so it can be doubly productive. I've grouped them into three basic categories — food, outdoors, and self-defense. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of others that could be added to this list, but I wanted to use this as a primer for others to list their ideas below.Could you replace any of your current hobbies with some of these survival-productive actions?Food PrepGardening - This is the ultimate way to establish food security that can last for a very long time, perhaps indefinitely.Canning - I've never gotten into canning, though my wife has. She's starting again very soon.Sprouting and Growing Microgreens - This is one of those little miracles I wish I'd known more about long ago. It's so easy, doesn't take much space, and even a non-green thumb like me can do it.Dehydrating and Freeze Drying - For those like me who do not have a lot of outdoor space for a garden, I consider freeze drying or dehydrating food to be the most important. Freeze dryers are very expensive but dehydrators are not, but freeze dried food lasts years or even decades longer than dehydrated, it tastes better, and it retains more vitamins and minerals. On a side note, those interested in receiving an update when our own organic freeze dried chicken company is up and running, please email me at jdrucker@substack.comBeekeeping - I know nothing about keeping bees. I just heard it was a great hobby and I love honey!OutdoorsCamping - While I try to focus on securing for a bug-in situation, it would be foolish to not be ready if we're no longer able to secure our home. That means more than just having a bugout bag. It means having the skills necessary to survive and even thrive out in the world. Camping is the perfect way to practice, plus it can be fun for the whole family.Hunting - It may become necessary to secure your own meat. If supplies run dry, that means going out and killing what you can find. It's not for everyone, but some of us actually enjoy hunting.Fishing and Trapping - Just like hunting, but with less gunfire. Trapping and fishing can be relaxing as well. As with hunting, it's not just killing the animal. It's about learning the skills to properly collect the meat.Survival Skills Practice - Even if you can't go out and do the things listed above, you should take time to practice survival skills. You may have the equipment to start a fire or secure a campsite, but do you have the skills? Make sure you do before you HAVE to make sure you do.Self-DefenseFirearms Practice - If you own a firearm, you should be as proficient as possible with it. I used to take my kids shooting at least two or three times a month. When my little ones are older, I'll do the same.Archery - This is often seen as a skill to have in lieu of a firearm. I consider it a separate and equally important skill to have, especially considering the ammunition can often be collected and reused.Self-Defense or Martial Arts - Whether things collapse or not, being able to take care of yourself is becoming increasingly important. Things are getting crazy out there and oftentimes that craziness can find you in your own home. Be ready and well-practiced at taking care of yourself should someone want to do you harm.One things I didn't mention in the podcast is that I've started devoting my reading time to two types of books: The Bible and survival guides. I haven't read a fiction novel in over a year, though I have many saved and ready to go should we get stuck bugging in for an extended period of time with limited forms of entertainment.If you have time to sit around in front of the television, you have time to improve on your skills and current situation. The "prepper lifestyle" doesn't have to be all or nothing. Easing into it by replacing some current hobbies makes sense in today's rapidly devolving world.Visit our food supply sponsor to enhance your prepping today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

The primary goal of starting my new Substack, The Late Prepper, was to offer tips and create a forum through which people of different experience levels could share what they've learned along the way. In many ways it was self serving; I learn as much from the comments as I learn from anywhere else. The community is just getting started and it has already been extraordinarily useful. It has been a great blessing to me and my family.I never intended it to be a place where I could share geopolitical news demonstrating why we all need to start or continue prepping, but recent emails have made me change my mind, even if just a little. There are still millions of Americans who are not taking the coming challenges seriously enough, so every now and then I'll be posting articles that will hopefully invoke a sense of urgency. Like many, I'm late to the prepper game but there are far more people out there who do not yet appreciate how dire our situation really is.There are three things that drive me to the belief that things will get far worse than they are today in American society. The first is the fertilizer crisis which I'll allow Michael Snyder to detail below. The second is an incessant string of "dramas" that offer no moments of relief. I'm not referring to the frivolous dramas of the past surrounding celebrities that acted as distractions from real issues (though we saw that pop up again recently with the Will Smith slap). The dramas of today have real world consequences, whether it's Pandemic Panic Theater, the war in Ukraine, or supply chain issues inexplicably being allowed to continue.Today's dramas have an impact on our lives and it seems there is an endless string of them hitting us anew with every news cycle.The third driving factor is The Great Reset. It may very well be the overarching cause of everything else we're seeing in the world. As the globalist elites push for inflation and a breakdown of the capitalistic system, we are nearly powerless to address these enemies directly. Their power and wealth makes them untouchable to the rest of us. Nothing short of divine intervention seems capable of halting their destructive machinations.We are going to see food shortages at a massive scale unlike anything the vast majority of living Americans have ever experienced. It could cause a complete breakdown of society; as a people we are ill-prepared for true adversity on the home front at a scale like the one we face. There is already so much tension in this nation even though we still have an abundance of resources. How far south will Americans turn if there's no food at the grocery store or if they can't afford a gallon of gas?The old motto used by many in the past is to hope for the best but plan for the worst. I will never try to terrify people with overblown predictions of apocalypse, but I won't try to placate people by lying to them and saying everything seems to be heading in the right direction. It's not. We must be prudent, and that means getting ready for the food shortages and other points of turmoil that loom directly in our nation's path. That trajectory can still be changed, but I'm not holding my breath. Instead, I'll be holding onto my food, firearms, and supplies. If everything turns around and life goes back to normal, praise God! If things continue down this dark path, praise God for giving us the discernment to prepare as best we can for it.Here's Michael's article from The Economic Collapse Blog about fertilizer...The Global Fertilizer Shortage Means That Far Less Food Will Be Grown All Over the Planet in 2022I never imagined that I would be writing so much about fertilizer in 2022.  When I was growing up, there were only two things that I knew about fertilizer.  I knew that it helped stuff grow and I knew that it smelled bad.  But these days, experts are telling us that a global shortage of fertilizer could result in horrifying famines all over the world.  Right now, to a very large degree we are still eating food that was produced in 2021.  But by the end of the year, to a very large degree we will be eating food that was produced in 2022.  Unfortunately for all of us, it appears that a lack of fertilizer will mean that far less food is grown in 2022 than originally anticipated.Thanks to an unprecedented explosion in energy prices, we were already facing a fertilizer crisis even before the war in Ukraine, but now that war has definitely taken things to the next level.Under normal conditions, a great deal of the world's fertilizer comes from either Russia, Belarus or Ukraine…A fertilizer shortage has added to growing concerns about the Ukraine war's impact on the price and scarcity of certain basic foods.Combined, Russia and Belarus had provided about 40% of the world's exports of potash, according to Morgan Stanley. Russia's exports were hit by sanctions. Further, in February, a major Belarus producer declared force majeure — a statement that it wouldn't be able to uphold its contracts due to forces beyond its control.Russia also exported 11% of the world's urea, and 48% of the ammonium nitrate. Russia and Ukraine together export 28% of fertilizers made from nitrogen and phosphorous, as well as potassium, according to Morgan Stanley.Global hunger rose significantly in both 2020 and 2021, but what we are going to be dealing with in the months ahead is going to be completely unlike anything that we have dealt with in the past.In fact, one commodity expert that was interviewed by CNBC is extremely pessimistic about what is ahead…“All of this is a double whammy, if not a triple whammy,” said Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy at TD Securities. “We have geopolitical risk, higher input costs and basically shortages.”We have never seen anything like this before.Since the beginning of 2021, some fertilizer prices have “more than doubled”, and some fertilizer prices have more than tripled…Some fertilizers have more than doubled in price. For instance, Melek said potash traded in Vancouver was priced at about $210 per metric tons at the beginning of 2021, and it's now valued at $565. He added that urea for delivery to the Middle East was trading at $268 per metric ton on the Chicago Board of Trade in early 2021 and was valued at $887.50 on Tuesday.And in some parts of the globe it is even worse.In Peru, fertilizer prices have experienced an “almost fourfold” increase…The global fertilizer squeeze exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine is imperiling rice production in Peru, where the seed is a staple for tens of millions of people.Prices of the crop nutrient urea have surged almost fourfold amid supply scarcities, adding to cost inflation for growers, according to the Peruvian Association of Rice Producers.That same article goes on to explain that many farmers in Peru won't be able to afford to plant crops at all this year.If that sounds familiar, that is because this is something that I have been warning about for months.In particular, here in the United States it simply is not going to be profitable for many farmers to grow corn this year, because corn needs a high amount of fertilizer.All over the world, far less fertilizer will be used in 2022, and that means that far less food will be grown.There will be famines, and one expert is even warning that food scarcity will “touch people in the lower income distribution in North America”…“We're talking about an erosion of food security on a scale we have not seen for a long time, and I think it will touch people in the lower income distribution in North America,” he added.But as long as you have a decent income, you will still be able to go to the store and buy food in the months ahead.It just might cost you a lot more.During a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, farmer Ben Riensche warned that Americans could soon be paying a thousand dollars more a month for their groceries…“Soaring fertilizer prices are likely to bring spiked food prices. If you're upset that gas is up a dollar or two a gallon, wait until your grocery bill is up $1,000.00 a month, and it might not just manifest itself in terms of price. It could be quantity as well. Empty Shelf syndrome may be starting.”Can you afford to pay $1,000 more for groceries every month?If not, you better stock up now while prices are still relatively reasonable.Of course there are certain things that you will not be able to stock up on because they simply aren't there.Shortages are intensifying all over the country, and in particular we have seen an alarming shortage of pasta begin to happen in certain stores.  The following comes from an article that was just posted on All News Pipeline…First, it was Eggs and now it's also Pasta.The eggs have been missing for well over a week now and yesterday morning I was surprised to see the pasta was also mostly bare. Also, some of the shelves have the old COVID trick of pushing everything together and up to the front of the shelf!This is Sioux Fall SD!No eggs for over a week!Very little pasta left!Of course the shortage of eggs is related to the shortage of pasta, because eggs are used in making pasta.I have been trying to explain to my readers that this new bird flu pandemic is going to be a really, really big deal.  As I mentioned yesterday, 28 million chickens and turkeys are already dead in less than two months, and things are already so bad that pasta is starting to disappear from our store shelves.If things are this crazy already, what will conditions be like six months from now?You might want to think about that.I have been trying to sound the alarm about a coming global famine for years, and now it is here.Global food riots have already started, but what we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.Like I said at the top of this article, for now we are still eating food that was produced last year to a large degree.Just wait until we get to the end of this year and beyond.It won't be pretty.Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures, and I hope that this article will give you a sense of urgency to take action.Unfortunately, most people still assume that everything will turn out just fine somehow, and so they won't do anything to get prepared until it is far too late.***It is finally here! Michael's new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***Visit our food supply sponsor to enhance your prepping today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

One of the most important aspects of preparing for whatever is to come is putting yourself in the best situation possible. Whether you're living in an urban, suburban, rural, or wilderness setting, you may feel different levels of security and anxiety based on the circumstances that continue to present themselves. Some sort of collapse, whether it's economic, societal, governmental, or a combination, seems to be very possible. I'd put it at a 30% chance that it will happen in the coming years or even months. I'm an optimist. It could be closer to 99% but I like to hope for the best... and prepare for the worst.Some of us are pretty much stuck in our current situation. Family considerations prevent me from leaving Neo-Marxist California despite my strong desire to do so. I'm making the best out of the situation my family is currently in and seeking ways to improve that situation all the time. Others may look around, consider their resources, and decide that now's the time to break away and live off the grid.Then, there are those who prefer a more crowded setting because they feel the potential for assistance outweighs the benefits of being secluded. Perhaps you have enough friends and family locally that you want or even need to stay in close proximity with now or when the crap hits the fan.Whatever your situation is, now is a good time to assess three aspects of your living circumstances. Soon, we may not have the choices we have today. It's best to do an honest analysis as soon as possible. Here are three of the things to consider:Assets and LiabilitiesHow you prepare for whatever is coming is often a series of decisions based on what you have available and what you're missing. For example, we live in an area away from fresh water supplies. Unfortunately, we're very dependent on infrastructure staying intact, at least for running water. We've prepared with filters and some water storage, but I find myself always seeking more room and ways to store water effectively. I have my Alexapure filter system if I can find sufficient water around me, but I'm still looking for it. We even bought a kiddie pool that gave us fun for the little one and extra water storage if all hell breaks loose.Others who live close enough to fresh water that they can collect it whenever they need do not have such concerns. On the other hand, rural and wilderness settings can pose different liabilities if things go very south. It's a very good idea to take stock of what you have and don't have in your nearby environment when preparing for a collapse. That way you're making adjustments to your plan and the advice others are offering. If I lived by a river, I wouldn't be storing away nearly as much water, but I'd definitely be storing far more medical equipment knowing that if someone in my family gets very ill or injured, it's up to members of the family to try to make it better.Threats Around YouIn nearly every situation anyone is currently in, there will be threats that arise. These threats are normally other people who are desperate and who will do you harm if they think they can gain from you. I have tried to get to know and understand my neighbors for this very reason. I'm also aware of likely threats in nearby neighborhoods should things turn very south.An old work acquaintance once told me a story (to this day I don't know if he was kidding) about a conversation he had with his elderly neighbor. It was around the time Obamacare was rolling out and she told him she had stored away a couple hundred thousand dollars in gold and silver just in case there was an economic collapse. She asked him if he had gold and silver stored away, and he told her he did."How much?" she asked."A couple hundred thousand dollars worth," he told her."What a coincidence," she said. "Where do you store it?""In your house, just in case there's an economic collapse," he said.Seemingly nice people will do crazy things to survive. It's important to know who your threats may be and to be watchful when things turn south. By no means am I promoting paranoia or recommending turning in your neighbors because they looked a little too long inside your garage when it was open, but being aware can be very helpful in the wrong situation.AlliesThe most important thing for those who do not choose to live in solitude off the grid is to talk about all of this now with people you trust. Even those who aren't as aware as you about the current state of affairs and where we're headed will surely know that things aren't very good and they appear to be getting worse. You may help them to start preparing. Then again, they might surprise you and tell you about the network they're building.Local networks of trusted friends and family will be among your most important assets if the crap hits the fan. Groups will form with or without you. Many of these groups will be together with the sole purpose of taking from others. There are numerous other reasons you'll want to have a network and a plan, but protection from others is a big one.Start asking. Start talking about it. You may be surprised and find someone in your inner circle is already working on a plan. You may want to start building your own plan as well. Based on proximity, you may be able to help each other stock up on certain things. For example, if you know Bob has lemon trees in his backyard and they produce 500 pounds of lemons per year, this knowledge can help a proper network plan accordingly.Trying to be ready for everything is an impossible task and can cause anxiety. Instead, assess your situation and plan as best you can. Peace of mind goes a long way when things start getting really bad. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

It's no secret that meat prices have been going up for some time. It started a little bit before Joe Biden was installed into the White House as Pandemic Panic Theater caused some early challenges. But once the Biden-Harris regime got started, prices started rising steadily.Now, it's getting much worse. Most of the grain produced in America is used as animal feed. With fertilizer prices skyrocketing from the Ukraine-Russia war, so too is the cost of raising livestock. Add in the bird flu that's hitting America at the exact worst time and suddenly reliably inexpensive chicken is turning into a premium.We are in that moment in history when it's time to get stocked up every way you can on meats. Below are the best ways to make that happen, as I discussed on the latest episode of The Late Prepper. One omission from both this list and the show is meat that we can ourselves. This should not be viewed as a knock on those who can their own cooked meats. It's valid and some swear by it. I simply couldn't put it on this list because I have no personal experience with it. If you want to add canning meat to your personal list, by all means do so. Here's my list...Own ChickensGod gave us a wonderful gift with livestock and fowl. They're essentially a way to turn land into protein. Milk, eggs, and meat are available to those with the resources, sufficient land, and the right circumstances. Anyone who CAN raise and keep chickens should do so as soon as possible. They are pretty easy to raise and tend, though there are definitely drawbacks such as noise and odor. It's challenging in residential areas, but it can be done. My aunt does it in her small backyard and my family has spent time helping to raise them. The fresh eggs are wonderful.The same goes for those truly blessed who can keep cattle. They require a lot more work and a lot more land, not to mention zoning issues that must be addressed in certain areas. But if you have what it takes, you should consider it.One quick note of warning: In a true "crap hits the fan" scenario with societal breakdown, there's an added risk of theft. Be prepared to defend your animals or to simply let them go to the marauding groups who may be roaming the land at the time.Store Frozen MeatThis is the easy button, albeit not the least expensive. Freezer space is a premium for many, so it can be challenging to store enough. Plus, freezers are dependent on electricity, so in a very poor situation if you do not have a sufficient generator whatever meat you have frozen that doesn't get eaten in time must be canned or wasted.Most frozen meats packaged in airtight bags can last for a couple of years. It's important to repackage meats you buy at the grocery store with their thin and air-filled plastic and Styrofoam wrappers. Make them airtight with a thick bags and a vacuum sealer before refrigerating. This reduces freezer burn, extends the overall storage life, and saves precious space.Buy Freeze Dried MeatsThis is the ultimate long-term solution for those with enough money to invest. Even if you have your own chickens or cows, you'll want some meat freeze dried in case of disaster that takes your livestock away. Moreover, the 25+ year shelf life is very attractive.Freeze dried meat retains much of its quality and most of its nutrients. It can be expensive and it's getting more expensive every week. It's for this reason that we're working towards launching our own organic freeze dried meat company. Those interested in get an alert when we launch should email me at jdrucker@substack.com — if enough interest is there, we will get started immediately.Canned Meats are AcceptableThere's nothing wrong with certain canned meats, especially fish. I'm not a fan of canned chicken or beef, but I have a lot on hand in case things turn further south. I want to save my freeze dried meats for the very end, so canned meats will be the intermediary between frozen and freeze dried.Canned meat can go a long way as well when providing more flavor and texture to meals. Adding it to beans and rice, potato, or pasta dishes can help bring some normalcy back to what we expect will be a very abnormal society in the near future.Packaged Meats Work in a PinchJerky, meat sticks, pemmican, dehydrated cooked meats, and other types of packaged meats are generally heavily processed, low in quality, or both. Don't get me wrong. A good chunk of beef jerky can really hit the spot, but these types of meats are generally not great for feeding a family in the long term. I keep jerky in my bugout bags but we do not stock up on them for a bug-in situation.With that said, some of you might love the stuff.Fear NotAs I like to remind fellow Christians, things may get pretty bad in this world but our promise is for the next. Stay hopeful and be prepared, but most importantly pray and read your Bibles. Fear isn't required for those who know how the story ends.If you are interested in getting an email alert if (when) we launch our organic freeze dried meat company, please send me an email at jdrucker@substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

Let's be clear up front. By no means am I suggesting that calories aren't important or that we shouldn't be aware of the number of calories in foods that we purchase for long-term storage. It would instantly discredit me as a "late prepper" if I would say such a thing.What I'm suggesting, which goes against what the vast majority of preppers teach, is that determining how much food we have should not be a calculation of calories divided by 2,000. Since the recommended caloric consumption of an adult is around 2,000, most preppers look at that to determine how many days, weeks, months, or even years of food they have. I look at it differently. I count meals.One of our goals as we prepare for a potential cataclysmic downturn in the United States is to have enough food, water, and supplies to prevent dependency on government. If things continue to get worse and food shortages become so bad that we can't just run to the grocery store to feed our families, then we'll have two choices. We can either feed ourselves with the supplies we have or we can get in government-generated breadlines to accept whatever they want to give us. I don't want to stand in any lines and I don't want anything given to me by government because it always comes with a catch.Counting meals is slightly different from counting calories because it means planning for a life of semi-normalcy. If and when the crap hits the fan, I do not want to be eating beans and rice every meal every day just because that's the only thing left once my pantry and refrigerator are empty. I want to make sure I have a strong variety of foods for an extended period of time. I want balance. That means I count meals.For my family, we've determined that a proper "meal" is at least one breakfast item, one or more lunch items, and a proper three-item dinner. So, a breakfast meal can be a bowl of oatmeal with some freeze dried fruits, for example. Lunch could be a can of chicken noodle soup and some pilot bread. Dinner would be one grain, one vegetable, and one protein.Counting breakfast meals is easy since it's not going to need the same variety as the other two meals. Many Americans today eat the same thing for breakfast pretty much every day, so it's not a huge change if breakfast is always oatmeal and fruits. That makes it easy to determine how many breakfast meals we have. But for those who want a nice variety, I recommend our sponsor's breakfast kit with pancakes, oatmeal, and scrambled eggs among other items.Lunch is similar, but with more variety. We have determined that three cans of soup and four pieces of pilot bread can feed us a proper lunch. Of course, lunch is often interchangeable with dinner but with slightly smaller portion sizes. Again, I'm going off the standard American eating model. In other cultures, breakfast or lunch are often larger than dinner.With dinner comes a bit more need for counting and calculations. I like to test everything rather than go off the recommended portion sizes on the packages. For example, a bag of rice says a portion size is 1/4 cup dry. We've found that for a proper, filling but not wasteful dinner, we need 1.25 cups of rice, or five servings, to feed our family of four.The vegetable portion of our dinner is a little less flexible. One can of green beans isn't quite enough but two cans is far too much, so we count a can of green beans as a single vegetable portion for our meals. As for the protein, we know that we won't be as flexible because of how quickly meat can go bad after its package is open, so we count it by weight. For example, a small can of corned beef is enough for two meals, likely a dinner followed by tomorrow's lunch. But one of the larger cans of beef can actually last for five full meals, which means we will have five meals in a row with that beef so we don't waste it to spoilage.The exception in all of these is when we have meals with multiple components in one container. For example, our sponsor's Traveler's Stew is legitimately good and cost-effective for long-term storage of about 20 meals. It already has the grains and the vegetables, but one should add meat to the meal for additional calories and protein.By looking at our food supplies as meals, we're able to balance it out properly. I made the semi-mistake of stocking up on beans and rice early. I say "semi" mistake because it's actually a good practice to have plenty available, but don't let that be the only food you stockpile. It's tempting because it's inexpensive and makes for a nearly complete meal, but we don't just want to survive. We want our family to live properly even after the crap hits the fan.After stocking up on rice and beans, it became necessary to balance it out by adding meats and vegetables. For dinner and often lunch, we want full meals. That means having the right components to fulfill our needs. We can't just count calories or there will be an imbalance. Variety is good for sanity and sanity is necessary for survival.Once I had an understanding of how much proper portions were to feed my family, I started a simple spreadsheet so I could track how many complete meals I had. I didn't get too detailed. I wanted to know how many breakfasts and lunches I had, plus how many servings of each of the three dinner components I had. By doing it like this, I quickly determined that I didn't have nearly enough lunches or dinner vegetables. If I didn't do this, during a long term food supply challenge we would have eventually seen our meals become less complete. Counting meals allowed me to stock up a balanced array of foods and made it easier to grow my supplies accordingly.One quick note: Don't let the quest for balance become a reason to not grab great deals. Just because I had plenty of rice on hand didn't mean I was willing to pass up on a $10 bag with 25 lbs. of rice. I hopped on that and bought four. It created an imbalance, but it was a smart move nonetheless. Now when I see a good deal on vegetables or meat, I won't have to balance it out with more grains.I know I can feed my family for a couple of hundred days. When I have extra funds, I add to this number by buying properly. I know what I need to buy based on counting meals, not calories. And I assure you we'll be more fulfilled this way than if we purchased 1.8 million calories worth of random, unmatched foods.We offer these podcasts and articles for free, of course, because getting ready is for everyone. If you'd like to support us, please consider our sponsors for emergency supplies as well as physical precious metals. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

With Joe Biden announcing recently that there will definitely be food shortages in the United States and people like me warning that it was coming for a while, it's clear that the need for personal food security has never been greater in the United States. There has always been hunger and even starvation, but it appears that food shortages are going to affect the majority middle class in America as well.When I started recording this podcast, I did so thinking I could get through the entire list of items I'd like people to stock up on immediately. Unfortunately, I barely made it through the food items before reaching my time limit, so in the beginning you'll hear that I was going to go through the whole thing. We'll cover the non-food items tomorrow.Here are the nine food items you need to stock up on now before they become scarce. Prices are already going up. For transparency, some of the links below go to our sponsor, My Patriot Supply, but I assure you I did not take their products into consideration when making the list. In fact, I made the list, did the show, and then thought as I was writing this article that I should probably include links to any of the products they happen to sell that I've tried and that I'd honestly recommend whether they were a sponsor or not.Beans and RiceThis is the obvious one. Well, two. I consider them to be one because the combination of amino acids found in each form complete proteins, an important necessity for survival.Beans and rice make for the perfect survival combo for two important reasons. They give you lots of calories necessary for survival at relatively low prices; excellent bang for the buck. They also can be stored with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for a very long period of time.My Patriot Supply sells a 100-serving Beans Trio and Rice Kit. (Sponsored)Pasta and SaucesPasta is easy to store long-term. Sauce is a little trickier, but since we're talking about immediate needs, the shelf-life of 2-5 years for most sauces fits this list.We have to consider food fatigue when getting ready for food shortages. If someone wanted to survive off beans and rice with vitamin supplements for years, they probably could, but who wants to live like that? Pasta is a great change of pace.My Patriot Supply sells delicious Creamy Alfredo Pasta. (Sponsored)Canned and Otherwise Preserved MeatsI'm not a fan of canned meat. Cans of chicken or beef are often disgusting to me, with the odd exception of canned corned beef which I love. Canned fish is fine. I load my freezer with nothing but meat, but my worst nightmare for that is a grid collapse in which my backup electrical supply won't be able to keep the freezer going.I'm a carnivore within a family of carnivores, so having enough meat on hand is important. We'll obviously have to make sacrifices if things keep going south, so I'll have to bust out with the canned meat in such a circumstance. Thankfully, it's not terribly expensive as of right now.What I like better than canned meat is freeze dried meat. It's expensive and growing scarce, but I have a few #10 cans of it that will last a long time and act as great additions to emergency meals.For this, I'm going off-sponsor to recommend Mountain House, though as of right now they're out of stock. A good alternative is Augason Farms.MREsThis may not be a viable option by the time you read and/or listen to the podcast. The prices on MREs are skyrocketing. Ones that I bought on Amazon just a couple of months ago are up 50% or more today.There's a reason for this. Meals Ready to Eat are complete and therefore perfect for people who want to stock up for their immediate needs. Most of them are acceptable, but a few of them are actually quite tasty. Complete MREs come with everything from coffee and gum to a flameless heating sources to warm up your food.If I recall, I said during the podcast that MREs through My Patriot Supply were about $12 each when sold in a 12-pack (Sponsored). This is great compared to the $20-$30 you'll pay for one on Amazon. Since then, the price at My Patriot Supply has gone up a little bit. It's still cheaper than Amazon, but it's a sign of the times that they're going up. Everything is.For those who do not need the full package with all the goodies, I like shelf-stable foods. My favorite is KJ Poultry. They last 3-5 years without refrigeration and I've enjoyed all the flavors I've tried. They don't look anything like they look on the box, but they taste good and they're loaded with calories.Flour or Wheat BerriesThere is conflicting data about flour if you listen to the various prepper channels. Some say even in mylar bags you only get a couple of years out of it. Others claim up to 10 years with oxygen absorbers. I'm hoping for the latter because we have a lot of flour. Just as my family is made up of carnivores, we also love our bread and my wife bakes the best in the world.Wheat berries are a good alternative that everyone agrees can be stored for the long-haul. But they require milling which means either electricity or expending calories with a hand mill. We do keep some, but know that it's an additional inconvenience compared to just keeping flour.We like Bob's Red Mill; it's a little more expensive than others but if you can order it in bulk it's not too bad. One trick we learned that may or may not still be valid is to NOT order it through bulk packages. When we tried to order a 25-lb box, checkout wouldn't give us free shipping because you can't get free shipping on bulk. Instead, we ordered five individual 5-lb bags. Even though it was more expensive than the bulk version, the final price was actually less because of the free shipping.Thanks to a comment on this article, we learned that Bob's Red Mill is “woke.” We don't support woke companies, so we're pulling this recommendation. Time to find a new flour supplier; please leave recommendations in the comments.Vitamin C Drink MixVitamin C isn't the easiest thing to get in a crap-hits-the-fan situation. It's ubiquitous today but can be very challenging to get during the apocalypse.We like orange drink mix AS LONG AS IT HAS A LOT OF VITAMIN C. You may be surprised how many citrus drinks do not have much Vitamin C in them. I get the #10 cans from My Patriot Supply (Sponsor) because they're one of the few that also gives some Vitamins A and D. Plus, it's delicious.Fats and OilsFats and oils are the long-term storage killer. Even in the refrigerator they go bad quickly. Olive oil can last a couple of years unopened, so in the immediate scenario it's one of the best. Here's a list of expected shelf-lives for oils.For longer term, I'm a fan of butter powder. In fact, I'm a fan of sprinkling a little butter powder on popcorn today. It lasts a long time if properly stored and in the apocalypse, it can provide the much-needed fats when regular oils have expired.I like Anthony's but I'd recommend repackaging it if you want to store it long-term.Egg PowderI've said it multiple times in this article and podcast but I'll say it again: Proteins are essential. Egg powder is extremely versatile and can be added to almost anything. It's also decent as a standalone egg alternative, though nothing can improve on the God-made perfection of a fresh egg cracked open and fried for breakfast.This is the ONLY product I'd recommend from ReadyWise. I know a lot of preppers recommend them, possibly because of sponsorship or because they're relatively cheap compared to other survival food companies, but as someone who has tried them I can tell you that they're not going to make you happy. I even had to tell one of my buddies who had sworn off freeze dried foods that if he tried some of the other brands, he might change his mind. He did.With that said, their eggs are pretty decent.Dehydrated or Freeze Dried Fruits and VegetablesToday, it's easy and inexpensive to get fruits and vegetables. That may not be the case soon, especially with fertilizer prices going through the roof. You'll need fruits and vegetables to enhance your diet with the necessary vitamins.Canned vegetables can work for the short term. For long-term, I recommend freeze dried. Dehydrated is fine and much less expensive, but here's the thing. Freeze dried tastes much better, retains nutrients better, and lasts longer than dehydrated fruits and vegetables. If all you can get is dehydrated, so be it. If you can afford freeze dried fruits and vegetables, go that route.My Patriot Supply has an excellent variety pack of fruits and vegetables. (Sponsor)In ConclusionPlease don't wait. I've said it many times in the past but I need to reiterate that I have never been a "Chicken Little" alarmist about this stuff. I'm ringing the alarm bells now because it's a real threat. Food shortages are coming to America. The more food you can store away now, the easier it will be to survive without becoming a dependent of the government. Self-sufficiency is one of the keys to preserving our freedoms, and I'll always fight for that.The other thing I'll always fight for is the faith. No matter how much food, water, and ammunition you have stored, it's all meaningless on Judgment Day. Making sure that you're spiritually prepared is infinitely more important than insuring your survival in this life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com

I don't panic. That's just not my thing. The combination of my faith in God and years of seeing things through in my life and the lives of my family have taught me that there's a distinct difference between acting with purpose and freaking out. I prefer the former, and right now I'm making preparations for the purpose of addressing what I believe is happening in the world today.This is my first official article and podcast on The Late Prepper Substack. It's just a quick intro, but I one thing I didn't mention in the podcast is the format that I'll be applying to this Substack. There will be videos posted regularly that give hands-on advice to people who are either not very well prepped or who haven't really started prepping at all. These videos will also be turned into podcasts. I'll send emails to subscribers for each UNIQUE piece of content, so there's no need to worry that there will be separate emails for the videos, podcasts, and articles covering a single topic.With that said, here are the five basic reasons I'm becoming a prepper now. This is why I believe everyone should make the move at this time in history...Things may hit the fan now or later - Long-time preppers have been warning us for decades that at any point, the s*** may hit the fan. They've always been right; only God knows what's coming and it makes sense to be prepared. But other than a brief time following the passage of Obamacare when we got some bugout bags and a couple of food buckets, I've never taken prepping very seriously. Today, I am because I'm cognizant of what's happening around us. Never in recent history has it seemed more likely that the s*** really may start hitting the fan soon. Pandemic Panic Theater, Ukraine-Russia, and whatever else they have planned for us can all change the world by the themselves. When combined, the results can and likely will be catastrophic.If you don't do it now, you may not get a chance later -  There's a term that has been finally making its rounds on corporate media and at watercoolers across the nation, a term that too few ever thought about until recently. That term is "supply chain." With all of the strains being put on getting goods from manufacturers to distributors to retailers to consumers, we've already seen major changes. Here's the thing. When the dominos really start falling, the collapse will be sudden. We saw that with toilet paper in 2020. Now, apply that to pretty much everything else. Today we still have access to most of what we need. Tomorrow, that may not be the case.Prices are going up - No need to explain. You're living through it just like the rest of us.A proper prepper lifestyle is sustainable - Arguably the most important lesson I've learned over the last year is that prepping is not about having spare food to throw in the closet and forget about for 25 years. It's about building a life around maintaining proper levels of food and other items that we already eat and use. It's for this reason that I've been kicking myself for not getting into prepping earlier. Better late than never, right?Joseph - The Bible tells us a story of sorrow and purpose when it describes what Joseph went through in his life. There are many extremely important lessons to learn from his story, but the most relevant to what we're talking about here is the way he prepared Egypt for famine. As those who know the story likely understand, this was all part of God's plan to preserve Israel, but at the time Joseph thought he was simply preserving Egypt. Some tell me it's sinful to be a prepper because it takes away from faith in God. I look at it as sustaining for the sake of God's plan in my life and the lives of my family.Tomorrow, I will be releasing another podcast that details why this took so long to put out. I have actually recorded several shows already, but the rapid changes that have been taking place just over the last two weeks prevented me from launching The Late Prepper when I wanted to a week ago. Again, better late than never, right?There will be plenty who do not buy into the notion that we should be doing anything to prepare for what's to come. Don't listen to those people. They simply want their friends and neighbors to be just as unprepared as they are so if the s*** hits the fan, they won't feel dumb for not getting ready. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lateprepper.substack.com