The Pickled Prepper

Our Latest Post

Prepping

Trump’s Opening Salvo in the War with China

Trump has set a Trap for China and Xi Jinping has fallen into it as the economic battle of the century commences.
Read more

Pete's Blog Posts

You can see where the ford has washed away. We can still drive around the hole, but no one wants to be there when the side gives way any further.

Heavy Rains Damage our Temporary Repairs

Despite more damage from heavy rains, work on the homestead continues. If we are going to be stuck at home, we might as well get some chores done.
Buy electronics, clothing footwear, OTC meds, health and beauty aids and other imported goods so you can beat any cost increases driven by the tariffs.

How to Beat the Tariffs and Prep for Uncertainty

Whether or not tariffs last, there are things you can do to frontload your purchases and minimize the impact of tariffs on your life and your wallet.
President Trump signs executive orders in the White House.

Cutting the Cord – Everybody has to Grow Up

The world freaks out as Trump fulfills his promise to implement tariffs. Europe and China react negatively to having to grow up and pay their own way.
An old abandoned home like those we see in the Appalachians.

Hunger in the Appalachians

Hunger has been commonplace in the Appalachians for centuries. I ran into it first-hand the other day. Our future might hold more of it.
Two truckloads, about 35 tons, of ballast, a large kind of gravel, were spread on our private road. We are delighted to see work starting on the road repair and rebuilding project.

A Month of Wind, Water and Sun on the Homestead

march was a busy month on the homestead with road repairs, solar power, water issues, and wildfire preparation all underway.
Seven nuclear-ca[able B-2 stealth bombers have been positioned on an air base in Diego Garcia.

B-2 Stealth Bombers Movements Could Herald War with Iran

Is the U.S. threatening the Houthis or Iran by positioning seven B-2 stealth bombers within striking distance of the Middle East?
Canned goods from Sam's Club

Buying Things on Sale and in Bulk

Prepping is a great excuse to take advantage of sales and buy in bulk to stock up. Just do so wisely and don't get carried away.
This is what AI imagines the F-147 will look like when accompanied into battle with autonomous "collaborative combat aircraft."

Are Rare Earth Minerals the New Oil?

For a century, wars were fought over oil and access to it. It looks like the next war may be fought over rare earth minerals.
This is one load if firewood, 10 feet wide and two rows deep. I had to re-split about a third of them.

Spring and Winter Duke it Out on the Homestead

Spring finally arrives, but winter won't be pushed out so easily. The warm weather lets us do long-awaited chores while the freezing rains drives us indoors.
Online shopping can be useful in the early stages of an emerging SHTF event.

What’s in Your Shopping Cart?

If the you-know-what is hitting the fan, do you have time to go shopping? Will UPS and Fedex still deliver? And if so, what should you order?
This is a good looking frame of capped brood for this early in the year. he queen laid a good pattern and if you look closely, you can see just-hatched bees emerging from their cells.

It was a Tough Winter for our Honey Bees

The weeks of bitter cold weather in January took their toll on Pete's bees, but enough hives made it through he can rebuild his apiary.
The IBC Tote positioned outside the house near our solar inverter and a woodpile. When filled with water, this will give us 275 gallons of water for firefighting.

Setting up an IBC Tote as a Firefighting Tank

Preparing for the possibility of forest fires, we set up and test our first IBC tote. It holds 275 gallons of water we can use to fight brush fires.
I stacked and sorted our canned foods as part of the inventory process.

Do Prepping and Hoarding go Together like Peas and Carrots?

People talk about hoarding like its a bad thing. Maybe it is if you can't control it, but stockpiling goes hand-in-hand with prepping.
Destruction in Ukraine as a result of Russian attacks.

Europe Rededicates itself to War in the Face of Peace

While Trump brings Putin to the Peace Table, Europe seems to be embracing the war. But as the EU re-invests in its military, the danger grows.
Pete replaced the lock on his gun safe. As you can see, the old one had taken some abuse.

Channeling my Inner Locksmith to Upgrade my Security

How we renovated and updated the old gun safe that came with the house, including replacing the old mechanical combination lock with a better model.
I battle the evil that is Durin's Bane just so I can find cheap IBC totes.

Fighting Wildfires and the Balrog

As 180 wildfires pop up across the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee, Pete steps up his preps to fight wildfires.
Right now, someone paying with a bunch of coins is looked down upon. In the future, coins known as junk silver may be your salvation.

The Latest Prepper Threat will Hit your Wallet

Pete has identified a new threat in our future and has changed his 2025 prepping plans to better prepare for it.
What goes up, must come down, especially when the bubble bursts.

Prepping for Bubbles and Irrational Exuberance

Whether its the AI bubble or the everything bubble, chances are it will eventually pop. Here's how to prep for the day the market crashes.
The capitol in Washington

FEMA, Trump, DOGE, and the Dems

Trump's election is stirring up the folks in Washington, but out here in Rural America, it's helping people affected by Helene get FEMA payments
If you have not done so, start working on your taxes,

Taxes and the Future of the IRS

Pete's busy doing his taxes and ruminating on Trump and the IRS.
If you look at the back of the rooster's comb, you can see the black section we think is the result of frostbite. It doesn't seemed to have slowed him down.

A Good Week for the Chickens, but not the Bees

Egg production has risen with the temperatures, but the flock is not entirely unscathed. The bitter cold we experienced also hurt the bees.
The technical support specialists at Franklin WH were very helpful as we tried to figure out why the generator could not power our batteries (the two boxes see in the center and right right). Turns out we had to replace a current transformer.

Solar Power Not so Hot in the Winter

While our solar power system is now working at 100 percent, it's producing less than half the power it did in August. Some lessons here if you plan to go off grid.
Worried about money? You are not alone.

How to Prep for an Uncertain Economic Future

Are we heading into a recession or an economic boom? Does the future hold pain, or gain? Here's how to prep for an uncertain economic future.
California forest burns. Photo by Matt Howard on Unsplash

Prepping for a New Threat on the Homestead

Thanks to all the trees Hurricane Helene blew down, a large area of the Appalachian Mountains are now threatened by fire.
Gold coins and bars

Gold Breaks $2,900, Sets New Record

Spot gold touched $2,942 on Monday, before dropping to around $2920. That's a 43 percent increase in the past year.
This muddy hillside isn't pretty looking, but it is a big improvement over what was there immediately following the landslide, when the mud was four feet thick. You can see where a section of the hill just slide away, leaving a muddy scar. The row of rocks at the bottom were too big for us to remove, so we pushed them up against the hillside.

More Post-Helene Repairs get Done

A break in the winter weather led to a big thaw during which we got plenty of work done, including more Hurricane Helene clean up.
The U.S. is spending money like a giddy teenager and will soon have trouble paying all its bills.

Party Like its 1899

Back in 1899, there was no income tax, no federal reserve, and the U.S. was prosperous thanks to Tariffs. Trump wants us to repeat history.
Two winterized beehives

Beehives and Bullets

A trip to help a local beekeeper turns into an afternoon at the range as we try out his new build and have fun with suppressors.
Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Buckle Up, Buttercup, Disruption is Coming

Tariffs, taking over the Panama Canal, arresting illegal immigrants, threating to buy Greenland. When does this crazy ride end?
Will an all-powerful AI be a danger to society or will it aid support us?

Will AI Become a Threat to Humanity?

Should we fear AI or the autonomous robots and weapons it will make possible? Will it threaten or benefit society?
Load more
The Pickled Prepper
©
The Pickled Prepper Blog
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.