The Pickled Prepper

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Should we be Worried about Drones over New Jersey?

There are no mystery drones over my rural area, but my daughter's suburban neighborhood has been buzzed. I told her not to worry, and neither should you.
Bumpy Road Ahead Sign

Hang on, it Could be a Bumpy Ride

The governments of Canada, Germany, and France are in the midst of collapsing. What does this mean and why should it matter to preppers?
Will solar power make you money? Is it worth installing solar power? That depends on whether you are talking survival or return on investment.

The Economics of Solar Power – Will it Make you Money?

Is it worth installing solar power? That depends on whether you are talking survival or return on investment. Its a big investment with low return... unless you are a prepper.
Fallout Shelter Sign

Nuclear War is Back in the News and on Preppers’ Minds

In a nuclear war, will our enemies target our ICBM silos, our large cities, our military bases and industrial hubs, or all of the above? And what does it matter to you?
After eluding police for five days, it turns out the New York assassin was lucky rather than clever.

An Assassin in Action

After eluding police for five days, it turns out the New York assassin was lucky rather than clever. He got caught because he failed to plan for what happened afterwards.
This is a cluster of three intertwined fallen trees that were knocked down by Hurricane Helene

Eight Down, a Few Hundred to Go

Hundreds of fallen trees litter our land, making parts of the mountain impassible. We got some help removing some of the trees that blocked our access road.
the mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay .

Prepper Basics: How to Survive A Nuclear Attack or EMP

A quick recap of what to do to protect yourself in the seconds after an nuclear attack. Plus, Ttps on dealing with an EMP strike or other grid-down scenario.
The BRICS countries have seen their currencies weaken after Trump's election.

Dollar Strengthens Under Trump as BRICS Currencies Plummet

The Ruble lost 10 percent last week while the U.S. stock market continues to reach new highs. One reason is the perceived strength of the new president and his economic plan.
our wood stove.

Cold and Colder with More to Come

Snow and cold weather sweeps across the Unite States and not everyone is prepared. Plus updates on Hurricane Helene damage and FEMA claims.
Christmas presents

Make it a Prepper Christmas

Pete makes suggests for prepping-related gifts this year, from stocking-stuffers to mid-priced and more expensive gifts.
This is one of many promos and click-bait images MSN was running earlier this week.

Sudden Nuclear War Fears Hit the Media

The media seems to have embarked on a rush of nuclear war fearmongering, predicting Putin will attack the U.S. before Christmas.
We installed a Siemens FirstSurge whole-house surge protector to protect our appliances and other devices.

Solar Power Surge Protection Upgrades Plus a Report on Starlink

We add surge and lighting protection to our solar power system and home to protect our appliances and other electronic equipment.
This is the three day forecast map from the National Weather Service. The wet weather in the Northeast may be welcomed because that part of the country has been suffering from drought conditions.

We Ready the Homestead as Winter Storm Brews

We are expecting a minor snow storm with high winds, so we did some prepping on the homestead to prep the property and ensure we stay warm and dry.
Don't get carried away in the post-Trump election glow. It's not all unicorns and rainbows in D.C.

Is it all Rainbows and Unicorns Now?

Don't get carried away in the post-Trump election glow. It's not all unicorns and rainbows in D.C. Use this time to regroup and re-evaluate.
Our new generator arrived this weekend.

Installing our New Generator

My prepper friend Karl visits from the city and brings a truck full of goodies, both the kind that hum and the kind that go bang.
This is the exterior portion of our heat pump after we dug it out, straightened it out, and the service technician used a stiff brush to clean off the enclosure.

Six Weeks After Helene, the Recovery Continues

Now that we have resolved the big problems that affected us post-Helene, we are able to tackle some of the smaller ones.
While rural areas are safer than most urban areas, there are criminals who prey on empty or isolated country homes. A good security system can help deter them.

Upgrading and Repairing our Security Devices

While rural areas are safer than most urban areas, there are criminals who prey on empty or isolated country homes. A good security system can help deter them.
War between Iran and Israel could accelerate if Iran unleashes more rockets and missiles.

Middle East Heats up as Iran Threatens Reprisals

Iran appears to be planning a larger attack on Israel, one it says "will surpass all expectations." Will this be much ado about nothing or lead to a worst-case scenario?
The DOT took a quick and dirty approach to repairing our ford -- just fill it in with rocks. At least we are able to get across it.

Big Improvements on the Homestead

Thanks to friends and helpful volunteers, we made huge strides cleaning up the homestead and getting a little closer to "normal" post Helene,
A building on the edge of the flood plane damaged by Hurricane Helene.

Five Weeks After the Deluge

It's been five weeks since Hurricane Helene roared ashore and dumped somewhere up to 30 inches of rain on the Appalachians. We still aren't over it, but we're moving on.
Dried goods for your prepper pantry. Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash.

Top-Off Preps: Eight Things to do at the Last Minute

If you had 12 to 48 hours advanced warning for a disaster struck, what steps would you take to finalize your preps and get ready to survive?
One of many debris piles left when the flood waters receded.

 Hurricane Recovery Snippets

A view from ground zero a month after Helene hit the Appalachians. There's still lots of damage, physical as well as emotional.
Living in the middle of nowhere has pluses and minuses. One of the minuses is that in a disaster, you are mostly on your own.

Pluses and Minuses of Remote Locations

Living off the beaten track has pluses and minuses. It has definitely slowed our recovery, but we think the benefits outweigh the downside.
Rioters in Washington DC. Photo by Koshu Kunii on Unspash.

Guns and Trouble

A hurricane is far from the last threat we'll face in 2024 and the years to come. Some of the trouble may require guns to combat it.
Electrical power lines

Our Grid Power is Back!

The other night at dinner, my phone chimed. It was a message saying grid power had been restored. After confirming this was the case,...
A one-ounce gold Krugerrand

Gold Hits Another Record as Silver also Shines

Gold hits another record, causing the Krugerrand Pete bought prior to Y2K to be worth ten times what he paid for it.
I didn't want to feature real people, so this is an AI-generated version of what a relief center looked like. There really was piles of canned goods, but the people weren't as well dressed nor had they done their hair due to the lack of water and electricity.

Donations, Guilt, Pride and Embarrassment

Donations pour into the areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene, but some of us have a hard time accepting help.
Scenes like this are common along the rivers and creeks that flooded during Hurricane Helene.

Video of Hurricane Aftermath

To get an idea of what things look like in the valley between mountains after Helene, take a look at the video in this post.
The power lines are a mess after Hurricane Helene. This pole snapped while the ones to the left are off-kilter.

Hurricane Helene Update: Gradual Progress is Made

18 days after Hurricane Helene, some forward progress is being made here on the homestead and in our broader area.
This was our road after the culvert was washed out. The road became the river.

Hurricane Helene Hits us with its Best Shot

Hello friends and readers.  Apologies for the absence. I have been told that NASA released a nighttime image of the Eastern U.S. before Hurricane Helene...
We had enough rain to significantly erode our access road.

Hurricane Helene Surprises us with Early Storms

Pete was unconvinced that the effects of Hurricane Helene would reach us as anything worse than a normal heavy storm. He was wrong.