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Monday, May 29, 2023
Some Thoughts on a Bug-Out Vehicle
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Sunday, May 28, 2023
Family Communications Plan
Some quick questions: Do you have a Family Communications Plan? Do you have an up-to-date list of family, friends, and other contacts, along with their current information such as phone numbers, emails, and physical addresses? People move, phone numbers change, and email changes even more often. That list you put together five years ago is highly unlikely to still be current.
Does everyone in your family have a list of important phone numbers? Do your kids know who to call next if they can't get you on the phone for some reason (perhaps Grandma, or Aunt Ida)?
A disaster is unlikely to happen at a convenient and predictable time when everyone is together. Phones and Internet may be down during, and even after, a disaster. The situation will likely be chaotic and confusing. More than just an address book or contact list with phone numbers, a communications plan let's everyone know how and when to get in touch with each other, and perhaps most importantly what to do if they cannot.
Please read my article Do you have a Family Communications Plan? for more information on developing your own communications plan for your family, group, or tribe.
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Friday, May 26, 2023
Local Knowledge - An Important Key To Modern Survival
Get to really know really know your locality. Start with the geography, but don't stop there. Learn your way around your city or town, particularly the areas in which you live, work, shop, worship, and go to school. Know not just one way, but several, to get to and from places you frequent.
You need to know where the bad neighborhoods and high crime areas of your town or city are, and how to avoid them. All communities, big or small, have bad areas - places where crime and vice are more common, and where the folks you're going to want to avoid typically hang out.
You also need to know the people of your locality. Do you know an honest mechanic? A good and dependable plumber? A babysitter you can trust with your kids? Do you know your neighbors? Are there any sex offenders living near you (search online for sex offender registries).
Do you know your local elected officials? Do you know what their plans are for your city? Do you follow the local news, or maybe listen to a local talk radio show? Get to really know your community and its people. Build a network of people you trust, and who have reason to trust you.
Know your local markets. Chances are you know where the Wal-Marts, Targets, Sam's Clubs, and Home Depots in your area are. But what about smaller stores, and Mom-and-Pop operations. Over the years, I've found many things at these places that I couldn't find at the Big Box stores, sometimes at real bargain prices. And I've met some wonderful people.
If, like me, you are a prepper on a shoestring budget, it is a good idea to learn the locations of the various flea markets, farmers' markets, salvage stores, thrift shops, and pawn shops in your community. It may also be a good idea to find all your local antique stores, coin and stamp dealers, gun stores. used bookstores, small hardware stores, feed stores, and gardening centers. I'm putting together a notebook of all these places near me, along with notes on what I can find where, owner's names, and so forth. Should we ever experience a period of scarcity of goods, it will be good to know and be friendly with these folks.
Know local industry. Are there any factories or industrial parks near you? Where is your local electricity generated? And how? Any mines in your area? Industry is both a source of employment, and a source of potential problems such as pollution and chemical spills. What opportunities and threats do your local industries pose?
Know several escape routes from your city should bugging-out ever become necessary or even mandatory. Have paper copies of directions and maps, in case GPS & Google Maps are down when you need them. If you are bugging-out on foot, abandoned train tracks may be your best option, rather than trying to hike along congested and dangerous roadways. Most cities and some small towns have many of these, and some have already been turned into greenways and walking/jogging trails. Learn these now. Acquire or make maps, especially of the ones leading out of town.
Resources for learning about your community include local newspapers and local talk radio stations. Local and state road maps can often be picked up for free at visitor centers, tourism boards, or the local Chamber of Commerce. If not, you can buy them for only a couple of bucks at just about any gas station in town. Your local library should have maps of local infrastructure such as railways, greenways, waterways, sewer systems, gas lines, and power lines. If not there, your local zoning board will have them. Many local libraries also have community bulletin boards. My local library publishes a monthly newsletter which is a great source of information on local programs, events, government meetings, and so forth. However, nothing beats actually getting out in your community, exploring it for yourself, and meeting new people.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Water - Life's Vital Ingredient
Other than air (oxygen), nothing is more vital to life than water. So ask yourself some serious questions:
How quickly would you run out of water, if your water was unexpectedly cut-off for some reason? If you have your own well, assume the pump breaks for some reason and cannot be quickly replaced. Do you have enough stored water to last a week? Two weeks? A month? How much water do you actually need (btw, much more than the often given rubbish advice of 1 gallon per person per day). Do you know why you need more than 1 gallon per day? Do you know how and where to collect water? Do you know how to purify water?
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home?

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Precepts of Biblical Survivalism
1- In all things, God first and foremost. Our relationship with God is by far the most important preparation we can make. Everything we say, do, or even think should rest on, or point the way to, that relationship with God. God is our first priority.
2- Follow God's ways; Reject worldly ways. It isn't about survival at all costs, but rather about following God in the ways He would have us follow Him. This means living by God's Commandments and teachings, not by the current, constantly shifting, worldly ways. We are to actively reject political correctness, "woke" ideology, popular opinions, modern "societal norms," fashionable trends, secular wisdom, and even legal and governmental authority when those ways are opposed to God's Word. There is no compromising with the modern world for God's people. We are to live to please God, not man.
Jesus Speaking: "If you love me, you will keep my commands." -- John 14: 154- Agrarianism is God's intent for His people. Humans were originally designed by God to live in and tend to the Garden of Eden. Later, after the Fall, we were commanded by God to till the soil and to raise our own food. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous examples of God telling His followers to avoid large cities (a Worldly invention), to live in the mountains and other rural areas, and to basically be "simple country folk" (in my words).
Biblical agrarianism doesn't mean everyone must be a farmer or homesteader - after all, there are plenty of support functions and other important jobs that must be done - but that as God's people, our lives, culture, economy, and civilization should reflect the primary importance of agriculture.
5- Hard work is good. In fact, hard work is ordained by God. His example of creation, six days of work followed by a seventh day of rest, is the template we are to follow.
6- Preparedness and Self-Reliance are Biblical concepts. Not only is physical preparedness allowed, it is in fact commanded by God. In Proverbs 6: 6-8 God points us to the industrious ant's example, who constantly prepares for the future. In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul teaches that we are to both help one another AND to not be a burden to others (meaning we should be self-reliant).
A host of other verses could be quoted also, including Proverbs 27:12 (its prudent to prepare), Genesis 6:21 (food storage), Genesis 41:47-57 (food storage), Exodus 22:2 (self-defense), Psalm 144:1 (self-defense training!), Proverbs 21:20 (store food & oil), Proverbs 22:7 (avoid debt), 1 Corinthians 16:13 (stay alert, be brave, be strong), Luke 22:36 (self-defense), 1 Timothy 5:8 (provide for yourself and your family), 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (stay alert, situational awareness), Hebrews 11:7 (points to Noah's example of preparedness to save his family), and Matthew 25:1-13 (the wisdom of the five prepared virgins compared to the foolishness of the five ill-prepared virgins).
"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." -- Proverbs 22:3 (TLB)7- All human life is valuable. All human life is created in the image of God. All human life belongs to God, not man. Murder, which is biblically-defined as the taking of innocent human life (intentionally or through negligence), is forbidden by God.
8- Self-defense is allowed by God. God has granted us the right to kill in defense of ourselves or others, and in a few other very limited circumstances. However, we are never permitted to kill for revenge or out of a sense of vengeance.
9- There is but one race - the human race. All humans, regardless of the shade of their skin, belong to the same family, the same race - the human race. All people are descended from Adam and Eve, and later through Noah and his wife. There are ethnic and cultural differences that have developed over the centuries, of course, but there are no racial differences. Races and racism are worldly (Satanic) concepts.
10- The traditional family unit is the building block of civilization. This includes traditional monogamous marriage, traditional gender roles, sex only within marriage, honoring your father and mother, etc.
11- Our Rights come from God, not from Government, or by majority vote, or even from the Constitution. Therefore, no government, no legal document, no voting majority, may take away any of those God-given Rights.
12-Debt is slavery. "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." -- Proverbs 22:7
13- Remember the Golden Rule. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus teaches "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Common decency should definitely be a part of our everyday lives, including in the area of preparedness. We are to help one another, according to our abilities to do so. We are even to defend the poor and defenseless (Psalm 82:3) to the extent that we can (God never expects more from us than we are able to give).
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Monday, May 22, 2023
First Aid and Family Dinners
- Make sure everyone knows, especially younger kids, how to call 911 in an emergency.
- Have a good first aid kit in your home (rather than just having random supplies scattered about your house). Make sure everyone knows where it is and how to use it.
- A good first aid handbook is useful, but all adults and all children of school age should take a first aid/CPR course.
- Children should start learning first aid very early on - by age 4, according to the American Heart Association. I remember being taught first aid in school when we were in fourth grade. There's no reason whey we couldn't have started learning the basics even earlier.
- Have a least one meal together as a family on most days. Turn off the TV and phones during family dinner hour. Talk.
- Have a family game night once a week (or once every two weeks or whatever works for your family) and make it a priority. Don't skip it.
- Read the Bible and pray as a family. Sure, your teenagers will roll their eyes, but you should be much more concerned about being a good Mom than about being a cool Mom.
- Go to Church as a family! Yes, that includes Dad - no sleeping in, playing golf, or watching football.

Friday, May 19, 2023
You're Fired. Now What?
***This article is a follow-up to my previous article, What To Do BEFORE Losing Your Job.
Okay, you've been downsized, laid-off, restructured, or whatever euphemism for being fired that your company choose to use. Now what? How do you find a job during the middle of a bad economy? Here are some ideas:
- You are much more likely to find a job through a friend or family member than through the classifieds. This is why networking is so important, so get out there and work your network. Call or email all your friends, family, former co-workers, fellow church members, old college roommates, neighbors, industry colleagues and anyone else you know. Tell them you are out of work and ask them if they know if their company or industry is hiring. Ask them to let you know if they hear of any openings.
- Step away from your computer. Job hunting websites and apps* are definitely useful tools, and you should use them. However, even in 2023, you are still more likely to find your next job through your network of personal contacts than though the Internet, despite what the commercials say. Don't let your Internet search consume all of your job hunting time.
- Take advantage of any job-hunting help that may be offered by your former employer or your local government. Local governments, and occasionally the companies themselves, will often try to help people left unemployed by large-scale lay offs by conducting job fairs, holding job-hunting seminars, or even offering special training. Many times this is done at or through the local community college, so be sure to check with them.
- If you are a college graduate, get your college to help. Most colleges and universities have a career development office to help both current students and alumni. These offices offer everything from aptitude testing and resume writing help, to job boards listing openings provided by other alumni.
- Check out the resources of you local community college. Many have career development centers that offer everything from free and low-cost training courses to aptitude testing to skills assessment to help writing your resume. Best of all, these resources are available to the community as a whole, not just current or former students.
- Consider temporary or part-time work while continuing your job hunt. The extra income will help. Be aware of how this may or may not effect any unemployment benefits you might be receiving. Part-time or temp work also prevents gaps from developing in your work history, and shows employers that you are eager to work.
- Consider learning a trade. Demand seems soft for many so-called "white collar" professions, and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future. But there is an actual shortage of qualified trades people. Training can be had for low cost at your local community college, and you may even qualify for reduced rates (or even free) if you have been recently laid off or are currently unemployed. For more information of the trades, see the Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation.
- Don't be a "Job Snob." Be willing to settle for less until you can find more. You may have to take a job making less money, or with less prestige, than your old job. Be willing to work outside your preferred industry, or even outside your preferred geographic location. Don't despair, you can always find a new, better paying job once the economy turns around.

Thursday, May 18, 2023
What To Do BEFORE Losing Your Job
- Realize that unless you own the company, you are not indispensable to it. No matter how great you think you are at your job, no matter how much you think your boss loves you, you can lose your job to downsizing during a recession. No one is immune. You need to do these next four steps, now.
- Prepare financially to the extent you can. This means getting on a strict budget now, reducing expenses now, paying off debt, and building savings (see my article Financial Preparedness: Back to the Basics for more ideas and tips). Building up an extra supply of food and other needed items could also come in handy.
- Get ready to look for a new job now, don't wait until you are fired. Update your resume today. Make sure you have updated contact info for all your references. Start networking. Make some phone calls to your friends and contacts to see if their companies or industries are hiring. Be discrete - some companies frown on their employees job hunting, but what they don't know won't hurt them.
- Take steps to protect your current job. Check out the article Fifteen Commandments of Keeping Your Job. Show up on time, every time. Work hard. Be polite and respectful to your bosses, co-workers, and especially the customers. Don't complain or be that problem employee. Don't give your employer an actual reason to fire you.
- Learn new skills. Take some classes at a local community college. Take a marketing and/or public relations class (surprisingly useful to most jobs/careers). Learn to sell (read the book SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham - considered a business classic). Brush up on your computer skills. Learn bookkeeping/accounting. Learn Spanish for the workplace. The more you know, the more employable you will be.
How does my garden grow?
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Cherokee Purple Tomatoes |
What have I planted on my slightly less than a ½ acre in a small neighborhood?
- Loose-leaf lettuce (2 varieties)
- Onions (2 varieties)
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Regular Tomatoes (3 varieties)
- Cherry Tomatoes (1 variety)
- Bell Peppers
- Hot Banana Peppers
- Sweet Banana Peppers
- Cayenne Peppers
- Yellow Squash (2 varieties)
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Lima Beans
- Cantaloupes
- Watermelons (2 varieties)
So, how does your garden grow? Let us know in the comments section below!
Please Subscribe by Email, and find me on Gab (@TimGamble) and Twitter (@TimGambleSpeaks)
The Mini Farming Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre - This book, by Brett Markham, contains detailed information on: Composting, Seed Starting, Pest and disease control, Selecting and saving seed, Raising chicken for eggs and raising chicken for meat, Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, and other veggies, Weed control, and much more, all geared towards urbanites and suburbanites with small yards of ¼ acre or less!
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Survival Advice: Avoid Trouble
By Tim Gamble
Avoid trouble, especially after the trouble starts. What I mean by this is don't go looking for trouble. Don't join in the riots or looting. Don't even go watch out of curiosity. Don't try to hunt down criminals. Don't "cowboy up" and start patrolling* the streets during a riot (you'll be outnumbered and out gunned). If at all possible, avoid entirely the areas experiencing trouble. Hide, keep quiet, and stay invisible. Be prepared to use self-defense, of course, but remember self-defense is a last resort. Avoiding the trouble in the first place is always your best and safest option.
* Many prepper families/groups have plans to patrol and protect their property or neighborhood. This is okay, especially if you have well thought-out plans AND have trained to those plans. This is a form of self-defense - protecting your people and property when the bad guys come to you. What I am strongly advising against is going outside your normal area, actively seeking out trouble.
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Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Embracing Biblical Agrarianism
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Bottom Line: Time to embrace self-reliance and build local economies around agrarian communities.
- Supports Local Economy & Businesses
- Supports Local Agriculture
- Supports Local & Regional Supply Chains
- Supports Local Jobs
- Local Accountability / You Know Your "Leaders" and They Know You - They Live and Work in Your Community
- Less Dependence on China
- Less Dependence on Middle East / Islamic Countries
- Less Dependence on Fragile Global Supply Chains
- Less "Foreign Entanglements" / Foreign Wars
- More Sustainable Lifestyle On Many Levels
- More Sustainable Energy, Natural Resources
- Physically Healthier Lifestyle
- Emotionally Healthier Lifestyle
- More Conducive To Living God's Way / Following His Will
- Less Control Over "We The People" By The Elites
- Smaller, Less Costly and Less Powerful Government
The time we have left before things get much worse, and any additional time that our food storage buys us, needs to be spent preparing for what happens when the food stockpile runs out. Preparing for what happens when the supply chains break permanently. Preparing for when the dollar finally collapses and the economy tanks with no coming back.
The Elites are preparing, so we need to prepare, too. Otherwise, they win. It will be the Elites who get to decide What Next, not us. And the Way Forward, for the Elites, is a world with them permanently at the top, and the rest of us as little more than serfs completely controlled by them.
Our way forward starts with self-reliance. Self-reliance means providing for ourselves and our families on an ongoing basis (buying food is a one-off event - you buy it, you eat it, and its gone). I just did an article on self-reliance on my Resistance website, TimGamble.com, if you're interested --->> R-07 Building the Foundation (aka Becoming More Self-Reliant).
It begins with raising much of our own food - through gardening or raising livestock (chickens, goats, etc.), and through planting fruit and nut trees, and berry bushes. This may seem easy for country folks with a bit of land, but city folk and suburbanites can do it, too. You'll be surprised how much you can grow on a small plot of land, even if its less than a quarter acre! (See my articles on City Farming and on Small Plot Gardening.) There's still time to plant a garden this year! You don't have to raise all your food, but every little bit you do raise will help, even if it is just a few tomatoes and peppers.
I also recommend the books Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre and The Mini Farming Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre, both by Brett Markham.
I could also mention hunting, fishing, and foraging, but really this is only a supplement to your food production at best. Game will quickly become scarce once the grid goes down, like it did during the Great Depression.
We also need to develop personal relationships with the local farmers. Learn where the farms are in your area. Visit the local farmers' markets. Actually shake hands with a farmer and learn his name.
Don't stop with getting to know the farmers in your area. You need to know other people, too. Do you know an honest mechanic? A good and dependable plumber? A babysitter you can trust with your kids? Do you know your neighbors?
Know your locally-owned small businesses. Chances are you know where the Wal-Marts, Targets, Sam's Clubs, and Home Depots are in your area. But what about smaller stores, and Mom-and-Pop operations? Over the years, I've found many things at these places that I couldn't find at the Big Box stores, sometimes at real bargain prices. And I've met some wonderful people.
If, like me, you are a prepper on a shoestring budget, it is a good idea to learn the locations of the various flea markets, salvage stores, thrift shops, and pawn shops in your community. It may also be a good idea to find all your local antique stores, coin and stamp dealers, gun stores. used bookstores, small hardware stores, feed stores, and gardening centers. I'm putting together a notebook of all these places near me, along with notes on what I can find where, owner's names, and so forth. Start building your post-collapse networks, now.
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