The Survival Weekly Dispatch - Volume 12, Issue 14

Apr 09, 2025

Hey folks, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. As I think I mentioned last time we got together, we had our granddaughter with us all last week. She’s a hoot and a half and absolutely adorable. We loved having her here.

But the downside was very little work got done. So, this week I’m playing catch up. I have a couple of knife reviews that absolutely must be submitted ASAP. One of them is nearly complete, the other hasn’t been started yet beyond some notes. I also have work that needs to be done for the next issue of Backwoods Survival Guide, along with edits for the revised edition of Prepper’s Home Defense, and work for a handful of other projects I’m juggling.

Oh, and taxes, can’t forget about taxes.

Looks like I’ll be having a few late nights this week. That’s okay, I do my best work well after dinner time.

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There are differences between active killer attack situations and mass shootings. It’s important to understand that your response to them needs to be different as well. Here is an outstanding article about this from Greg Ellfritz.

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I received an email yesterday that was pretty disappointing. Only a few people knew about this, but I’d recently applied for a full-time job for a pretty big news outfit. They were looking for a writer to cover emergency preparedness topics. The job description seemed tailor-made for me, and those I shared it with agreed wholeheartedly that I was perfect for the job.

We did the initial interview about a month ago and it went well. I was then given a writing/editing exercise to complete. Turned that in a day early and I felt pretty confident in it. The next step was to be a panel interview.

Yesterday, I received an email saying in part, “After careful consideration, we will not be advancing you in the process.”

While I figure that’s their loss more than mine, I’ll admit that it stings a bit. I mean, I’m a writer and this is far from being the first rejection I’ve ever received. But, damn, I really wanted that gig.

After reading the email and stewing for a bit, I commiserated with the friends who knew about the application, and we all agreed that this is obviously a massive misstep on the company’s part, LOL. Then I spent the evening eating my feelings by bingeing on some junk food while listening to heavy metal and working on knife reviews.

At the same time, part of my brain was already working on next steps, making plans for other projects. One of those projects I hope to share with you folks soon, if I can get a few things to line up for me.

The lesson here is resiliency. Things don’t always magically fall into place exactly how you planned. The girl you worked up the nerve to finally ask out might say no. The job you thought was a shoe-in may turn you away. The property you really, really wanted might be sold before you can even get there to tour it properly.

Shit happens, right? Life just friggin’ sucks sometimes. When things don’t work out the way you want, it’s okay to get upset or pissed off. It’s perfectly fine to take a day to drown your sorrows in Doritos and AC/DC.

What matters is that when you get up the next morning, you do so with a plan to kick life square in the ass.

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Late last week, I sat down for an interview with Fernando Ferfal Aguirre. We talked quite a bit and an hour went by before we knew it.

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My friends at Grim Workshop have a new project in the works. For those not familiar with them, Grim Workshop creates some really innovative wallet-sized survival tools. They’re well-made and will actually do what they’re designed to do. Their latest endeavor is called PAK Tools, which stands for Personal Adventure Kits. Check out their Kickstarter campaign here.

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Our hike over the weekend was a trail that runs behind the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit Headquarters, located outside Eagle, Wisconsin. It’s a short trail, only about a mile or so, but it has some hilly segments that will get your blood pumping.

Survival Tip – Prepping for Stormy Weather

Here’s the basic game plan I follow when bad storms are on the way.

BEFORE THE STORM

--Check and clear all gutter downspouts. We have a couple that get clogged easily, so we try to remember to check them before the rain starts. That said, more than once we’ve ended up drenched because we forgot, or didn’t get a chance to clear them ahead of time, and had to do it in the middle of the storm. That’s always fun.

--Charge devices and power banks. We don’t lose power often, but I want to be ready for it, just in case. Every few months, I also drag out our Jackery solar generator and make sure it’s topped off.

--Do laundry. If we end up losing power for a while, at least we’ll have plenty of clean socks and undies.

--Check in with all three of my sons, each of whom lives in our general area. I make sure they’re aware of the forecast and that they’re taking the standard precautions.

DURING THE STORM

--Put on shoes. This time of year, I habitually run around barefoot unless we’re going somewhere or I’m working outside. But if a storm is coming, I’ll make sure to put on socks and shoes. If we end up getting some damage to the home, I don’t want to be navigating it barefoot.

--Monitor news as well as online sources for weather updates. One of those sources is our local “scanner page” on Facebook. This usually provides pretty good boots on the ground information, though you sometimes need to cut through the nonsense to get to the real info.

--Keep an eye on the skies. I’m a Midwesterner, so that means I’m standing on the porch as I listen to the tornado siren blare. Sorry not sorry.

--Depending on the weather severity, we might corral the cats into our laundry room, which is on our lower level. The dogs aren’t usually a problem. One of them hates storms so tends to be underfoot and the other will come when I call her.

AFTER THE STORM

--Look for damage around the exterior and in the yard.

--Check in with neighbors and family members to see how they fared or if they need help.

Backwoods Survival Guide Magazine

For those new to my little corner of the Internet, I am the Editor in Chief for Backwoods Survival Guide magazine. Here is the cover for the current issue available in stores right now.