Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts

How To Embrace An Off-Grid Lifestyle: Our Journey & A Step By Step Look At The Lifestyle

How To Embrace An Off-Grid Lifestyle by Tammy Trayer

Amazon Book Description:

"Are you unsure of what it means to live off-grid? You've heard all kinds of stories and just don't know what to expect? Are you looking to be more self-sufficient or truly desire to live the dream of freedom?

Blogger and off-grid homesteader Tammy Trayer shares her life and that of her family hoping to inspire faith and freedom into the hearts of readers.

She and her family lived in an 8' x 14' canvas wall tent for 8 1/2 months while they built their off-grid home on raw wilderness land with no utilities.

She strives to debunk off-grid living and help people fully understand the pros and cons of living an off-grid lifestyle by sharing her story and the ins and outs of off-grid living. You will find information shared on every aspect from their solar system and other alternative energy options as well as reliable companies to appliances and tools used on their homestead, their generator and large appliances, hacks to save energy, homesteading with special needs children, a look at a typical day on the homestead and more. Additionally, you will have access to many resources, printable pages and downloadable information. You can find her and her family at TrayerWilderness.com, on all social media and YouTube. Be sure to also check out TrayerWildernessAcademy.com where she and her family are teaching their homesteading, off-grid, traditional and wilderness survival skills to like-minded people just like you!
#TrayerWilderness #EmbraceOffGrid #PositivelyEncouraging"

Just To Be Fair, Let's Take a Peek at the Amazon Reviews:

Five Stars

An interesting story and helpful resource if you are thinking of living off grid

Eye opening and insightful off-grid questions

I love the thoughtful details in this book

Dreaming of an off-grid lifestyle? Here's what you should know.

Entertaining yet realistic perspective on living off the grid

Be prepared to be taken on a journey of discovery ...

This story could have been totally absorbing. however, ...

Our Review: How to Embrace An Off-Grid Lifestyle.

Have you ever picked up a book and find you just can not put it down? You've sat there for hours and before you know it, you've read the whole thing! That is pretty much what you should expect to happen when sitting down with this one.

I have known Tammy Trayer for a few years through her blog, podcasts, youtube channel and I've had the privilege of co-hosting a holiday show with her and Karen Lynn from Lil Suburban Homestead a few years ago. You can find that episode HERE if you'd like, but I never knew the personal side of the Trayers until I read this book.

What a fascinating journey Tammy and her family has had in building their off-grid lifestyle! The book begins by giving the reader a bit of backstory of how Tammy and her Mountain Man, Glen Trayer met, what their shared vision for living off-grid meant to them and the steps they took to begin their journey. Tammy also introduces her Mountain Boy, Austin, and how living an off-grid lifestyle has significantly increased his skills and contributions to the homestead.

One thing I absolutely loved about this book besides learning many new skills and ideas was that through her writing, her faith became almost something tangible. She describes various situations where they were in challenging circumstances, but she never lost hope and knew that they would make it through.

Tammy dives into what it really means to live off-grid and the things that must be taken into serious consideration if one truly intends to embrace the off-grid lifestyle. Sure a romantic cabin in the woods sounds good, but when you have to consider how you will sufficiently heat the home, choose to build an outhouse or use a compost toilet, or live with or without refrigeration; the romantic notions may lessen for some.

I specifically appreciated learning about how the family is able to gather and utilize their skills with their food storage methods. For the Trayers this includes foraging, gathering, harvesting, butchering, raising, hunting, preserving, canning and fermenting. Can you imagine not only cooking everything from scratch, but nearly every ingredient coming straight from your own homestead as well? To me, that is remarkable!

This book is full of very helpful tips such as homesteading with children and animals, dealing with sickness and injury, and things to consider for dealing with emergencies in remote locations such as their homestead. It also includes many pictures of the family and pictures for reference on different topics. One example is their alternative energy and battery bank system they have installed in their solar utility room and a guide as to how it is maintained.

She also has a chapter on how to make a living while homesteading and living off-grid that was very interesting and gave me so many new ideas for myself. Not only does Tammy have multiple streams of income, it is a family affair as both her Mountain Man and Mountain Boy make high-quality tools and hand-crafted items as well! You can check those out HERE btw.

In the last seven chapters of the book, Tammy gives money saving tips, budgeting ideas, the importance of creating a to-do list, how she learned that "Less is More", that slowing down is healthy and she encourages her readers to enjoy their own journeys.

I would highly encourage anyone interesting in learning more about homesteading and off-grid living to grab a copy of this book. I honestly believe that learning from someone who has the vast experience as The Trayer Family does will save you a lot of time, wasted energy, and frustration when building your own piece of paradise.

You Can Find How to Embrace An Off-Grid Lifestyle HERE and Please Visit TrayerWilderness HERE to learn more.

Watch For My Upcoming Review on Tammy's Cookbook:

The Trayer Wilderness Cookbook: Homesteading the Traditional Way (Volume 1)

The Organic Canner Review

I recently read through The Organic Canner by Daisy Luther. I have to admit, I was already a Daisy fan after reading her book The Primed Pantry, but I was hoping this one also measured up. Not only was I not disappointed, but I was absolutely thrilled with this book!

Do You Know Daisy a.k.a The Organic Prepper ?

She rocks, no really she does! But first, let me go ahead and share her bio:

“Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor who lives on a small organic farm in the Pacific Northwestern area of the United States . On her website, The Organic Prepper, Daisy writes about healthy prepping, homesteading adventures, and the pursuit of liberty and food freedom.”

See, told ya !

Now back to The Organic Canner…

I already l-o-v-e canning so any book about canning really kinda hooks me right way. This book is no exception, but it’s definitely more than just a “how-to-can” book. Well, I should say those instructions are in there too, but what I really enjoyed was the ‘beyonds’ as I’ll call them.

One thing I love about Daisy, is the way she writes. The tone and verbiage is real, informal and down to earth. I for one, really appreciate that because it makes you feel like you're right there just talking with a friend.

No worry newbies, she’s got you covered with the different equipment it takes, altitudes, what to pressure can and what to water bath can it’s all there in the “Canning 101” section. (pssstt…it’s terrific btw)

Now on to what I particularly loved…the recipes! Daisy has some great original recipes here, and many that I would have never thought of. Let me share a few examples:

There’s…

Renegade Taco Sauce

Barbeque Canned Beast

Thanksgiving Soup

Bestern Southwestern Chicken Soup

Meximeat

Deep South BBQ

and SO many more!!!

If you think those sound fun, get a load of just a few of her chapter titles: We Be Jammin’, Just Call Me Condimental and Are You Nuts. All fun aside, Daisy also has terrific information on removing pesticides from produce, proper tomato prepping, and fruit & vegetable canning charts.

The Amazon description says:

"From time immemorial, preserving the harvest was a vital preparation to face the barren winter months ahead. Different methods have been used throughout the ages and many of them, although modernized somewhat, are still used today. Canning is the perfect solution for those seeking natural food sources, for gardeners, for those seeking a more self-reliant life, and for those interested in preparedness. Declare your independence and free yourself from the toxic grocery store items that are masquerading as food. Learn to preserve the bounty from your garden and local farms, savory hormone-free meats, and nourishing meals created from your own carefully selected ingredients. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced home canner, you'll love the easy-to-follow instructions, delicious recipes, and directions for safely preserving your own creations."

Oh and one more note: it’s also written in larger print so whether you have poor eyesight or (are like me) and like to prop open a cookbook to follow along while cooking, you’re gonna love it!

Click HERE to get your own copy of The Organic Canner by Daisy Luther and be sure to visit her site: The Organic Prepper

Alpha Farm: The Beginning Review…

In Annie Berdel’s first post-apocalyptic book Alpha Farm: The Beginning, I found myself glued to every page vividly imagining every scenario as it was playing out on each page. Though this book is written by a woman, it is not for the faint of heart! You’re not going to find soft, fluffy, or anything sugar coated inside. It’s the real deal, and the language is too. Speaking of that, here’s your fair warning: the book does contain descriptive sexual situations (including rape) and vulgarities.

But wait…don’t let that turn you off, this book has A LOT to offer.

Annie does a remarkable job of keeping readers on their toes throughout the whole story. She also cleverly uses this book to teach others about preparedness by way of giving lists of preps, asking the reader to consider different scenario's and what they might do. Through characters, Annie also shares directions for preforming tasks such a starting a fire, I.C.E (in case of emergency) contact info, emergency binders, homemade cleaners, recipes, and the importance of having food storage, a network of trusted people and a plan in place.

About the Author:

Based in Indianapolis, Annie Berdel is a self-proclaimed advocate of educating women in the art of personal protection and self-reliance.
As an aspiring writer, Annie took her advocacy and dove into the dystopia genre with strong female lead characters.
A passion for firearms, herbal medicine, knives, slingshots, home
canning, Kali street fighting, Kempo karate and furry animals fuels
the fire and adds countless stories to be told beginning with her
inaugural book “Alpha Farm, The Beginning”.
Wife, mother, business professional and bibliophile, in her spare
time, Annie likes to stretch the boundaries of survival in a Post-
Apocalyptic scenario.
Wanting to leave The Big Blue Marble better than she found it for
her children and grandchildren, Annie is always learning, always
loving and always looking for ways to help people become self-reliant
and better prepared for whatever may come.

More About the Book:

From the beginning, Emma was always looking for modern ways to becoming self-sufficient. Following the signs of a faltering economy and a nagging in her Spirit to return to her family farm, Emma begins rebuilding a life independent from The Grid and away from her high stress corporate job.
Is it any wonder that when a localized Electromagnetic Pulse is detonated over the New Madrid Fault Line and The Grid is taken down, that Emma immediately goes into action? Well, at least until Senator Varga and her personal Army shows up at Emma’s door. That is one curve ball that Emma was not expecting.
Calling her fellow Prepper Chicks into action, follow along as a Modern Day Underground Railroad is formed, a long forgotten way of life is pulled back into action and they all adjust to A World without Rule of Law.

Grab a copy of Annie’s Book, Alpha Farm: The Beginning today and see for yourself just how real Prepper Chicks survive, even when SHTF.

Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast: Recipes for Whole Grain Health

BEYOND BASICS WITH NATURAL YEAST: Recipes for Whole Grain Health

by Melissa Richardson

As crazy as this may sound...

I never knew that yeast was something that you could make at home. But thanks to Melissa Richardson's newest book, even I am feeling confident about making natural yeast...and that is saying something!

How did a busy mom of three transform into the Amazing "Bread Geek"?

It all began with research. When the media began saying that wheat was actually bad for us in 2007, Melissa put her curiosity to work and dove head first into research. Was wheat bad? Had it always been? Or was this just another example of media hype? To find the answer that she came to, click here.

Back to the book....

What exactly is Natural Yeast?

According to Melissa it is, "A mixture of flour and water that houses an entire ecosystem of beneficial bacteria and yeasts."

Did you catch that? Flour + Water = Natural Yeast

(picture credit: thebreadgeek.com)

Melissa's book includes information and how-to's regarding working with refrigerator starters. She gives you "5 Critical Keys To Success", easy steps on how to make and feed a starter, an excellent guide on faq's and troubleshooting issues, helpful charts and best of all, dozens upon dozens of delicious RECIPES !

Some of these wonderful recipes include:

Bread Pudding

Carrot Cake Waffles

Garden Sweet Loaf

Indian Naan

Indoor Dutch Oven Bread

Natural Yeast Soft Pretzel Rolls

Simply Sourdough Bread

Vegan Waffles

Whole Wheat Sourdough Pasta

and a few surprising BONUS Recipes!

Are You Diabetic or Vegan?

Don't worry at all, Melissa has recipes for you too! She also marks these particular recipes with easy to read symbols, so you can find them easily.

Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast is beautifully made and the pictures, oh my goodness..are absolutely amazing!

Also don't forget to check out Melissa's first book, The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast: Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls and Muffins .

The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast:

Did you know commercial yeast is so foreign to our bodies that many people are allergic to it? But natural yeast converts dough into a digestible, vitamin-rich food that's free from harmful enzymes and won't spike your body's defenses. Improve your health and happiness with the delicious recipes in this groundbreaking book that will teach you to prepare and bake with natural yeast!

Visit Melissa at The Bread Geek Here

Grab: Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast Here

Grab: The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast Here

The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook by Tammy Gangloff

Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook, The: The Complete Guide to Drying Food, Plus 398 Recipes, Including Making Jerky, Fruit Leather & Just-Add-Water Meals

Before I begin, let's first look at the description as posted on Amazon:

The dehydrator is an incredibly useful tool for long-term food storage and making the most of your garden harvest. The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook contains everything you need to know to get the greatest value from a home dehydrator.

Includes tips on selecting a dehydrator, as well as proper sanitation, storage, and rehydration techniques

Individual entries on how to dehydrate all manner of berries, fruits, vegetables, greens, herbs, and edible flowers include information on how to prep, dehydration temperatures, and times

Includes recipes for making your own teas, herb blends and rubs, flavored oils, instant baby food, jerky, and fruit leathers

Includes nearly 400 recipes for cooking from your dehydrator pantry. There is an entire chapter dedicated to slow cooker recipes using dehydrated ingredients and one on dehydrated meals for backpackers and campers

You may already notice that in that description alone, it tells you to expect many how-to's, tips, and a lot of recipes...which we love!

But who are these authors that teamed up to share this wisdom? Let's just find that out real quick too:

"Tammy Gangloff is an expert and leading authority on food dehydration. She is the face of, and the knowledge and information behind, Dehydrate2Store.com, a leading online resource in food dehydration education. A stay at home mother of four, she is a strong believer in self-reliance and home preparedness, and avidly researched and practiced food canning, freezing, and dehydrating. Most interested in food dehydration, and unsatisfied with the resources available to her to learn the art, she began dehydrating foods full time and developing her own techniques. With her four dehydrators running day and night, Tammy has attempted to dehydrate nearly every available fruit, vegetable, and herb sold in the United States. Tammy first gained widespread recognition through her instructional YouTube videos, and then through the development of Dehydrate2Store. She has since spoken on numerous talk radio shows and podcasts, and has been published in interviews in printed newspapers and online. She has also led talks at preparedness expositions, and served as an expert Technical Editor for The Complete Idiot's Guide: Dehydrating Foods. Her fan base through Dehydrate2Store and YouTube includes tens of thousands of Internet followers, and a reach of millions of viewers in the United States and beyond.

Steven Gangloff is a currently pursuing his MD at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine. He graduated top of his class with a degree in Biology and Chemistry with Research Thesis Honors distinction from SUNY Fredonia, and has extensive research experience in genetics and molecular cell biology at SUNY Fredonia and Harvard Medical School. Having additional interests in business, web design, and food science, Steven became the founder/CEO of Dehydrate2Store. Steven also served as an expert Technical Editor for The Complete Idiot's Guide: Dehydrating Foods and writes periodically and performs research and development, video direction and production, and site coordination for Dehydrate2Store

September Ferguson is a stay at home mother of 3 rowdy boys, and holds a degree in Fashion Technologies with interests in business management. Through her mother, September gained a strong interest in food dehydration, particularly in food processing, storage, and dehydration tools and equipment. September is also involved in recipe development and testing for the home food dehydrator."

Get all that? Good. Now let's get to my review:

When I first received the book, I was already intrigued by the part of the title that mentioned 398 recipes. That alone is a lot of recipes, but for dehydrating food that is huge! I mean how many things can you really dehydrate and/or make with dehydrated food? ...Apparently tons!

This is not just some book. It truly is "The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook", but also so much more. Besides giving you a mega list of recipes, it teaches you how dehydration works, how dehydration effects the nutrients of the foods, safe dehydrating techniques and how to prevent some of the most common food borne illnesses. Even without the recipes the book is truly worth the price, with those tips alone!

Now I am no pro, but I have been dehydrating for a few years now and I was shocked to find that there was so much that I didn't even know. So whether you are a newbie to dehydrating or a seasoned vet, I guarantee that you will learn new, amazing and inspirational things that you will not find in any other book of this genre.

Grab Your Copy of The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook Here

Learn to Tape Yourself Together With Duct Tape 911

The Many Amazing Medical Things You Can Do to Tape Yourself Together: Duct Tape 911 by James Hubbard, MD, MPH

While this book is not intended to replace, treat, or diagnose any medical conditions in the event that you have broken or fractured something and have no medical assist near and only have duct tape available, it's definitely worth a shot!

Let's see what others have said on Amazon:

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be on Everyone's shelf, May 23, 2014

By

The Rural Economist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duct Tape 911: The Many Amazing Medical Things You Can Do to Tape Yourself Together (Paperback)

There are times when you just cannot get to a doctor or emergency room anytime soon. If this is the case do you know what to do if you break a toe, sprain an ankle, cut yourself, or even worse? Do you know what to do if any of these things happen to someone else. This book will teach you how to use one of the most common tools (duct tape) to be able to provide first aid assistance to someone so you can get them to medical help.

I loved it. My wife loved it. I am going to start getting all of Dr. Hubbard's books.

and.....

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK with a really strange title.., May 18, 2014

By

Skip W. (Republic of Texas) - See all my reviews

Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Duct Tape 911: The Many Amazing Medical Things You Can Do to Tape Yourself Together (Paperback)

I am a retired military guy and combat veteran, familiar with many First Aid books, procedures, and styles. Back in my day in Viet Nam we called our green duct-tape-on-steroids "100-mile-an-hour tape" and used it for everything from repairing our canvas bags and tents to taping over bullet holes on our helicopter rotor blades.. In critical times, this type of tape was successfully used in many medical emergencies, to include covering sucking chest wounds to prevent lungs from further collapsing, or stabilizing fractures on the field of battle.

DUCT TAPE 911 is a long overdue book, written by "The Survival Doctor", a qualified medical doctor, who specializes in teaching others various medical procedures to better survive in remote areas away from medical facilities. I found this to be an excellent book, using a large font, that is very easy to read and understand.. It is a relatively short book of only about 100 printed pages, written in laymen's terms, and liberally sprinkled with excellent hand-drawn pictures of the procedure being discussed.

My only complaint regarding this book is that with the hand-drawn pictures it is sometimes difficult to see the specific points being discussed. This is primarily due to the fact that my old eyes have a real problem seeing all the very-lightly-drawn lines in the pictures. I would much prefer that the drawings be much more pronounced and easier to view in detail without straining my eyes to do so. Otherwise the drawings are quite good, and easy to understand.

That one point aside, I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any use whatsoever for keeping a First Aid Kit, medical bag, or plans to venture into the great outdoors where medical help may be sparse. There are a number of outside-the-box "fixes" in this book that most folks will view and say to themselves, "Why didn't I think of that..??"

I found this to be a very informative book, written in easily understood terms, for medical emergencies that one could expect to encounter away from medical facilities. It measures about 6" x 9" x 3/8" and can easily fit into many 1st Aid kits. I highly recommend this book for novices and the experienced. I will probably purchase more so as to have one in each of my medical bags, kits, packs, and vehicles. It is certainly a book that others should consider buying..

So What'd We Think?.....

The complete title, "The Many Amazing Medical Things You Can Do to Tape Yourself Together- Duct Tape 911", pretty much gives you a clue that there are going to be some really interesting ideas presented. But what is in there that is so amazing? Glad you asked!

There are 6 Basic Chapters:

1. Intro-Why I Like Duct Tape

2. Tape Your Joints

3. Tape Your Skin

4. Tape Your Eyes

5. Tape Your Clothes

6. Tape Your Life

In the introduction section, Dr. Hubbard shares his top six reasons of why he feels that duct tape is a great medical tool. These reasons are simple and to the point.

In Chapter 2: Tape Your Joints, You'll learn different ways that you can use duct tape effectively as a brace or splint for different parts of the body.

In Chapter 3: Tape Your Skin, This chapter provides the many uses of duct tape for dealing with things such as wound repair, bandaging, and much more.

In Chapter 4; Tape Your Eyes, We found the illustrations and ideas in this section very interesting and definitely a first for us. We especially thought that the idea about making pinhole glasses was genius!

In Chapter 5: Tape Your Clothes, A short but very effective chapter that will teach you the importance of keeping your clothing waterproof and the dangers that can result if you don't. Learn how to also keep your clothing insect-and snake-resistant, always important!

In Chapter 6: Tape Your Life, This section will show you how to use duct tape in life-saving situations. Learn how to make tourniquets, occlusive dressings, and CPR mouth barriers. The illustrations are so helpful to show you exactly how to go about making each item. This is definitely a huge bonus for those of us with limited or no medical skills.

As mentioned this book can not in any way replace actual medical care, but it does not profess too. What it does do is give you ideas of how to temporarily treat yourself or others if medical care is not available. The illustrations are great and show the actual steps of each process, which is very helpful.

We highly recommend grabbing a copy and learning the different uses, you just never know when they'll come in handy to know!

Grab Your Copy Here

Other Books by James Hubbard, MD, MPH:

Living Ready Pocket Manual - First Aid: Fundamentals for Survival

The Survival Doctor's Guide to Wounds: What to Do When There Is No Doctor (The Survival Doctor's Guides)

Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure: A Prepper’s Book For Kids

Remember to Teach Your Kids Early On, About Preparedness !!!

Amazon Excerpt:

BEING PREPARED IS A TON OF FUN!
The world can be a scary place! There are snowstorms and mean snakes, hot jungles and wild rivers. But intrepid adventurer Jake and his dog Miller aren’t scared —they’re prepared! In Jake & Miller’s Big Adventure, young readers discover it’s never too early to start prepping. Learning how to use life-saving survival equipment like canned goods, water filters, first aid kits, Mylar blankets and emergency radios can keep you safe, healthy and happy even in the scariest of adventures—whether you’re deep in the jungle or hunkering down at home.

Review: Jake & Miller’s Big Adventure: A Prepper’s Book For Kids

You just can’t help but love this book! The story is fun and exciting, and the illustrations are terrific! It begins with Jake deciding that it was time for him and his dog Miller, to go on an adventure. Though Miller wasn’t too interested in the idea at first, as Jake began showing Miller all of the cool supplies they’d take; Miller became more interested. Jake also taught Miller how they would filter water, set up their tent, where they might go and what fun exploration they would have. Miller’s imagination started to swirl at the prospect of all the adventures they would have. Once Jake got all packed, they were off on their adventure!

Pick up a copy of Jake & Miller’s Big Adventure: A Prepper’s Book For Kids, to see where their adventure takes them!

Get Your Copy: HERE

Other Books by Bernie Carr:

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget [Kindle Edition]

Visit Bernie at: Apartment Prepper

The Prepper’s Blueprint by Tess Pennington

The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Prepare For Any Disaster by Tess Pennington

First let me begin by saying, I read lots of preparedness books…seriously! So when I came across this one by Tess Pennington, who I already admired, I didn’t hesitate! No matter how long you’ve been a prepper, you have probably already heard of her. But if not let me first tell you a bit about her, so you too can have confidence in her writing.

About Tess:

Tess did not just jump on the ‘prepping band-wagon’, it was a part of her life from early on. Being raised by a prepper, quickly taught Tess the importance of preparedness when her family was faced with Hurricane Alisha in the 1980’s. Because of their preparedness, her family was one of a few that thrived throughout the crisis. Years later after college, Tess began working for the Red Cross and learned first-hand how disasters affected others and what they needed to get through the various situations.

All of this experience led Tess to realize her own need to be prepared. So off on this journey she went, but later realized all of the ‘doom and gloom’ that seemed to surround preparedness. Put off by this, Tess decided that she wanted to be a voice of reason and encourage people to prepare rather then scare them into it.

Amazon excerpt:

“Across the ages, in every survival story, a disaster of some sort plays a prominent role. Sometimes the part is played by the government, sometimes it is played by Mother Nature, and other times, the role is taken on by a random mishap. If we have learned one thing studying the history of disasters, it is this: those who are prepared have a better chance at survival than those who are not.

A crisis rarely stops with a triggering event. The aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. Because of this, it’s important to have a well-rounded approach to our preparedness efforts. Due to the overwhelming nature of preparedness, we have created the Prepper’s Blueprint to help get you and your family ready for life’s unexpected emergencies. To make a more comprehensive, easy-to-follow program, The Prepper’s Blueprint has been simplified and divided up in a way to help you make sense of all the preparedness concepts and supply lists provided. We have divided the chapters into layers of preparedness.

Layer 1: Chapters 1-14, prepares you for those everyday disasters that have shorter-term effects: power outages, storms, injuries, and evacuations

Layer 2: Chapters 15-31 help you to get ready for disasters that turn out to be much longer-lasting: economic collapse, long term power outages, and pandemics, to name a few.

Layer 3: Chapters 32-56 prepares you for the long haul and a complete change of lifestyle, the end of the world as we know it: providing food and water once supplies run out, security, retreat properties, and long-term plans”

My Review:

This book contains 55 chapters that describes nearly every aspect of prepping you can think of. I personally found this book to be one of the most detailed prepping books I have ever read. It covers nearly every scenario that could happen and explains in detail how to prepare for it.

Tess really took the time to thoroughly explain what items to stockpile, medical considerations, health concerns, communication methods, nutritional needs, alternative power sources and how they specifically work. She also explains how to grow food with different methods, emergency items that disappear first, how to build and hide caches, how/what items to barter with, defense methods, security plans, she goes into each specific type of disaster that could happen and the methods to prepare for them.

The name, “The Prepper’s Blueprint”, is so appropriate because this is so much more than a book. It truly is a blueprint to educate new preppers and seasoned preppers’ alike. I highly recommend it, and know that many people will learn and benefit from reading it.

Remember the number one prep you can have is knowledge and with this, that is exactly what you will get !

Get Your Copy: The Prepper’s Blueprint

You Can Learn More About Tess Pennington at: Ready Nutrition

Firearm Planner Review

What is a Firearm Planner?

The Firearm Planner is a special addition to The Preparedness Planner created by Jennifer from Arewecrazyorwhat?

Maintaining an accurate inventory of your prepping supplies is crucial. This also includes all of your firearms and your stored ammunition. Jennifer really took a lot of time and effort creating this awesome resource for preppers. It is a printable 17 page addition to her already popular resource :

“The Preparedness Planner.”

Let’s take a look:

What’s Inside:

Firearm List (Your Wish List):

The first section allows you to create your own wish list for your future purchases. You could also use this section to keep track of the pricing of firearms from different sources, so when your ready you can refer back to your list and see which company actually had the best price.

Firearm Record Sheet (Current Firearms):

The second section is to record all of the firearms that you currently own. There are helpful categories that allow you to record the serial numbers, make and model, purchase price, and where you purchased the firearm. This is helpful for personal recordkeeping and in the event that you are burglarized, so you have all of the information in one place.

Firearm Inventory and Balance Sheets (2 Options):

The third section is the meat and potatoes of the whole planner. In option one, you can keep track of your general ammo inventory and rotation schedule. Options two has more detailed options and allows you to keep specific track of the ammo for each type of firearm that you own, as well as the ammo manufacturing information.

At The Range:

The fourth section, I really like because it gives you a way to keep accurate records of your shooting performance. This includes your shot accuracy, shooting position, distance, and more for each firearm you practice with each time you head to the range. Clever !

Supply List and Balance Sheet:

In the fifth section, you are given supply sheets to record your gun cleaning supplies and balance sheets. This allows you to keep a record of what you use and how much you have stored. You also have sheets to help you record all of your bullet making and reloading supplies. These sheets allow you to record these amount on a monthly basis, which is very helpful if you are a regular hunter or target shooter.

Inspection List Sheet:

In the last section Jennifer gives you a really great tool, an inspection checklist! This is great for everyone from the novice to the most experience shooters. Everyone can definitely benefit from her reminders.

Helpful Websites:

The Firearm Planner concludes with a variety of helpful websites to refer the reader to find information on state gun laws, curio & relic license information, curio & relic dealers, and multiple places to find and compare current ammo princes.

How Much & Where to Find it:

It’s ONLY $4.99 !!!

Snag Your Copy HERE

~ or ~

Click HERE to Claim the Current Bundle Special:

Get The Preparedness Planner Now & Receive the Firearm Edition FREE!!

Special Offer: The Preparedness Planner & Firearm Edition Bundle On Sale for Only $19.99 !!!

(*Regularly $24.99 if purchased separately)

Also Check Out:

The Preparedness Planner Review

Essential Oils Planner Review

Disclosure Notice:

The Trailer Park Homesteader is an affiliate for Arewecrazyorwhat? If you purchase items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. In fact, I oftentimes am able to negotiate a lower rate (or bonuses) not available elsewhere. I only recommend products and services that I personally use and love myself. Thank you, in advance for your support !

Special Edition of The Preparedness Planner

Essential Oil & Preparedness Planner Bundle !

Preparedness-Planner-Feature-bundle-with-EO2

Previously I had told you about The Preparedness Planner From Jennifer of Are We Crazy, or What? that gave MANY helpful tools and templates to help you to inventory and track your food storage and prepping supplies. Now they have added even more wonderful section to help add in Essential Oils to your inventory !

There are not many products that I rave about, but this one I absolutely LOVE and find it to be SO helpful in our families prepping and inventory tracking. As any prepper knows, you can accumulate a ton of supplies and over time it can be challenging to know exactly what you have versus what you still need to work on. This is where The Preparedness Planner can help!

Here is a quick preview:

(To view my original review click HERE)

Take a look at the new Essential Oils companion guide:

Now you can also keep your Essential Oils organized as well as your own blends !

Features:

Extensive Essential Oils List

Step-By-Step Directions

Essential Oil Journal

Essential Oil Inventory and Balance Sheet

Homemade Oil Blend Recipes

Blank Homemade Oil Blend Recipe Cards

A few things in particular I really love about the New Essential Oils section is the Essential Oil Journal that allows you to keep track of which oil you used for a particular family member, how it is to be applied, and you can track the results! I also love that there are Essential Oil recipes to teach you to make certain blends from medicinal blends to even natural bug repellents !

Once again, I am thoroughly Impressed by all the hard work and detail that Jennifer has put into this and I know you will be too!

Special APRIL Sale:

If You Purchase The Preparedness Planner Now You Will Get the Essential Oil Edition FREE !!

Click HERE to Redeem This Offer

If You Already Have The Preparedness Planner You Can Get The Essential Oil Edition For Only $4.99 !

Click HERE to Grab the Essential Oil Edition Only

~and~

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Are We Crazy, or What?

To Check Out All of Their Awesome Articles and Projects !

Author Information:

Sharon Pannell is a self proclaimed "Prepsteader", both prepper and homesteader. She authors the blog The Trailer Park Homesteader where she teaches others about the importance of disaster preparedness and self-sufficiency. Sharon believes everyday the stuff can hit the fan, it is not one big epic event necessarily and it only takes one set back to create a hardship; so big or small prepare for it all ! Along with her blog, Sharon can also be found managing her other social media sites including her Facebook Page The Trailer Park Homesteader, TTPH Pinterest Page, and TTPH Twitter Page.

A MUST Have Prepping Tool: The Preparedness Planner

The MUST Have Prepping Organizer !

One important part of prepping, is getting all those supplies organized.

Jennifer from Are We Crazy, or What? has put together a wonderful new resource to help you on your way!

This planner consists of 87 pages of record keeping templates (with directions on how to use them), examples of great items to store, meal planning resources, bug out bag ideas and item lists, and even pet planning resources!

She has really thought of everything here and allows you to personalize the planner to meet your own needs. Every chapter gives easy to understand instructions to help you keep accurate records of your current inventory, as well as a space to help you list items to add.

The Preparedness Planner will help you organize everything conveniently in one spot, and can be customized to create new sections of your own. The helpful lists make great reminders for all those items you still have waiting on your "shopping list's", .....let’s face it we all have those!

I Can’t Stress Enough, How Truly Impressed I Am By The Preparedness Planner.

Jennifer has developed a very professional, yet user friendly item here.

So What’s Inside?

Chapter 1: Food Storage

Chapter 2: Water Storage

Chapter 3: Bug Out Bags

Chapter 4: Documentation

Chapter 5: Medical Supplies

Chapter 6: Toiletries and Cleaners

Chapter 7: Seeds and Plants

Chapter 8: Animal/Pet Supplies

Chapter 9: Gear and Tools

An Excellent Value For Only $19.99 !!!

Click Here For More Information on Purchasing
The Preparedness Planner!

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Are We Crazy, or What?

to Stay Current on All Of Their Posts & Projects!

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