WEBVTT
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Today we explore the mindset behind Redneck Engineering, a philosophy built on grit, creativity, and using what you already have.
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From improvised shelters and fire starting to low-tech home security upgrades.
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This is about real-world resilience.
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Welcome to Practical Prepping.
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Today is July 6, 2026, and this is episode 561.
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This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions.
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Just practical prepping, where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters, and crises.
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And we're here to help you get prepared.
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I'm Krista.
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And I'm Mark.
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And if you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practical prepping.info forward slash five six one.
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And let's talk about the word redneck.
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Makes me think of Jeff Foxworthy.
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You might be a redneck.
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Oh, yes.
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And we see ourselves in so many of those things.
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The term originally referred to rural white farmers, especially in the southern United States.
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And it likely comes from farmers working very long hours in the sun and developing a sunburned neck or a red neck.
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Uh-huh.
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And this dates back into the late 1800s.
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You know, today redneck often refers to somebody who lives in a rural area or has a working class background and is seen as plain spoken, practical, and self-reliant.
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And they enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, farming, camping, or truck culture.
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Now the word can be used as a pejorative, as an insult implying ignorance and backwardness.
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But the word's been reclaimed, and it's used humorously or proudly to mean resourceful, hardworking, and country-minded.
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So today we're talking about an introduction to redneck engineering.
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So practical.
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It's a philosophy.
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It's the ability to create functional survival solutions on the fly when pre-made gear is unavailable.
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I saw that with my dad.
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He grew up a farmer on a farm community and developed a lot of practical knowledge just using and utilizing the wood and the metal scraps and the wire and the fencing and whatever they had there on the farm to build whatever they needed.
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It's a survival mindset.
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It's characterized by the you gotta fix it now approach, utilizing whatever materials and resources are currently at hand.
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And it really does stress knowledge over the gear.
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And this skill set reinforces that fundamental prepper principle that the more you know, the less you have to carry.
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Now we're going to talk about some of the things that redneck engineering can really shine in.
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And some is in improvised shelter, using natural material for the construction of shelters.
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Survival involves knowing how to construct those temporary structures using forest resources like leafy branches, bamboo sticks, vines, all types of coverings that you can find in the forest.
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There's also the tarp and paracord method.
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This is where a basic shelter can be created by stringing paracord between two trees and draping a lightweight tarp over it to create a makeshift A-frame or a pup tent.
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And that's why we carry tarps in the car and also in our get home bags.
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Absolutely.
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You never know where you might have to spend the night out on the absolute grass.
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It's absolutely possible.
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But we can adapt everyday materials like contractor grade trash bags or different plastic sheeting and repurposing this as ground covers, moisture barriers, pack liners, even improvised thermal layers for warmth.
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And I've seen it used as rain gear.
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Oh, sure, absolutely.
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And talking about warmth, a redneck can come up with a heat solution because a lot of them carry a lighter or some kind of an instant fire, even if they don't smoke or what have you, they've got some way to light a fire.
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Yeah, I carry one in my ADC bag and I haven't I I quit smoking in the 80s.
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Sure, absolutely.
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But I still carry that lighter.
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And if he doesn't have one in his pocket, he at least has one or more in the truck.
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You know, and they have learned how to be very resourceful when it comes to fire starting because, like on a bright sunny day, they could use a simple magnifying glass to focus sunlight and put that on some tinder.
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I actually practiced this as an uneducated child back when I was a little kid.
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I took some newspaper out in the backyard and a magnifying glass, and I sure enough started a fire in the backyard.
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It was very small and very contained until the wind picked it up and went over the fence into the neighbor's yard.
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And that's a day for another story.
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Anyway, so you can use a magnifying glass.
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Found out you can also use a pair of eyeglasses to do the same thing to train that sunlight down into a pinpoint which is super hot and can ignite tinder or paper pretty quick.
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You can even use a bottle of water for this very same thing.
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Now there's some improvised water filtration and purification.
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Okay.
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A good old redneck will be able to build a two-liter bottle drip filter.
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Okay.
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And that's just simply inverting a two-liter bottle and layering it with sand with coarse natural charcoal, like you would get from a fire, not charcoal intended for grills.
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That stuff has chemical treatment on it, and it's not to be used for purifying water.
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And putting small gravel in there to remove sediment and debris.
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And it's really good to do a pre-filtering technique using a bandana or a handkerchief or a clean t-shirt, even a coffee filter helps to remove some of the chunky stuff from your sourced water before applying that final purification method.
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And there's some wild water boiling options.
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A good single-walled stainless steel water bottle, you can use that as a tool for boiling, and you cannot use an insulated water bottle.
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Like the double walled wall insulated, it will explode on you.
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But you can use the single wall for boiling and purifying water directly over an open fire.
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Let's talk about some redneck gear and tool adaptation.
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You know, those multi-use paracord strands, those inner strands of paracord, can be unraveled and used as high strength sewing thread if you have to repair some gear or an emergency fishing line.
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Even some improvised wound closure can be used with some of those little strings out of the strands of paracord.
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And a redneck engineer usually carries a knife of some sort.
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Absolutely.
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It's probably a folding blade clipped in a pocket, but it's possibly a small fixed blade on a belt.
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But he also has access to a long blade, probably in his or her truck.
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And yes, there's a lot of her rednecks running around with trucks.
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Where the line is dearly.
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But these will be tools like machetes, and they're for more than just clearing brush.
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They can be used to split small firewood, they can be used to construct shelters, they can be used to cut poles for a travoy or limbs for splints.
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All kinds of uses for those long blades, which are probably carried in the truck, possibly a shorter one in a backpack.
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I'd count on it.
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Oh, and also for the hardware utility, a redneck is going to have a package of zip ties, they're going to have duct tape.
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There's all kinds of redneck engineering fixes for everything from broken backpack straps to shoelaces or securing items one to the other.
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Now, redneck engineering is cultivating resources.
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It's about improving the process.
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Developing this skill requires proactivity looking for ways to improve our survival procedures and finding better uses for mundane items.
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Now we're going to talk about some improvised security and safety.
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But first, we're going to tell you that today's cup of coffee comes from Harold.
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Harold is a new supporter of our podcast and he bought a coffee membership.
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Harold, welcome to the family.
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We really do appreciate your support.
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And you too can go to practicalprepping.info slash support.
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It's only five dollars a month for the membership, but it really helps us offset the expenses of our show.
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So please consider doing that at practicalprepping.info slash support.
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Now let's get back to the show.
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Here we're talking about improvised security.
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Now this statement came from our book, Practical Prepping for Everyday People.
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Here's the statement.
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Improvised security focuses on utilizing common materials and clever strategies to protect your home and family when conventional systems are unavailable or insufficient.
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So we're going to start with hardening the residence.
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What do we mean by hardening the residence?
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Well, first place to start is door reinforcement.
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That is very important.
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Those door screws, those screws that hold the door into the door frame.
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Usually really teeny.
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Many of them are very short.
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Take those things out and replace those screws with three-inch or longer wood screws.
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Yes.
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Both the hinges and the striker plates.
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That way the door is anchored directly to the wall studs, and it makes it nearly impossible to kick in.
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Absolutely.
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And do this whether you own the home or even if you live in an apartment.
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We did this with our apartment when we first got married.
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We took those, especially that striker plate, we took that out and secured those with three-inch deck screws.
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Also, you can create some physical barriers.
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You can make some heavy-duty crossbars.
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Now we did this in my mother's basement, had a walkthrough door, and we put brackets on each side of the door, and we cut a two before to drop down into that.
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And there was no way to kick that door open.
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You had that two before with those brackets mounted into that frame with very large screws in there.
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Or you can cut a two before with a notch in one end and wedge that under a door handle and angle it into the floor to serve as a brace.
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Oh, sure.
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And that works on carpet.
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Works very well on carpet.
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Doesn't work on hardwood.
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So you have to do some other thing there.
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But it's a good way to keep that door from being breached.
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You can also have some window and some sliding door track security by using wooden dowels or like a mop handle or a metal bar and lie that down in the track of the sliding glass door or the window, and that prevents them from being pried open from the outside or, you know, slid over one side to the other.
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It'll stop it in its track.
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Now here's one of my favorite, and that is strategic landscaping deterrence.
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Oh, yes.
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You want to create a hostile environment for intruders.
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But you don't want to signal that the home is a prepper household.
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Sure.
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So you can plant thorny or sticky bushes such as roses, holly, or yucca plant directly under first floor windows, and it makes a painful physical deterrent for anybody trying to climb through that window.
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And speaking about landscaping, keep your shrubs trimmed low around the entrances.
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This way, it deters an intruder from hiding behind large tall hedgerows or trees or growth that might be near a door or a window.
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So make sure that the doors and windows can be easily seen from the street.
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Shadow casting.
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And this is simply positioning outdoor lights out in the yard pointing back at the house.
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Okay.
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This is not illuminating the yard, it's illuminating the house.
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But the purpose is that it causes an intruder to cast a large, noticeable shadow against the building that can be seen from the street.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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Well, let's talk about some improvised defensive tools.
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You know, a redneck is going to find many household objects that can be repurposed for defense, such as a baseball bat.
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Now, this is cool what you had shared here.
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I learned this.
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I never thought about this, the sock strategy.
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That's where you just place a sock over the end of the bat.
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So if an intruder tries to grab that, the sock will slide off, and then you can still have the bat in your hand, and now you can use the bat for where it's you can go back to work with your bat.
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Absolutely.
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Some impact weapons.
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Oh, sure.
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Cast iron skillet.
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Boom.
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Now this worked in many old western stuff.
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Oh, it it crack a skull.
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Grandma hit him in the back of the head with a cast iron skillet.
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And if you're fighting for your life or your family's life, hitting them in the back of the head with a cast iron skillet's a pretty good way to go.
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And don't try to just thump him, whack him.
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Yeah, yeah, make it mean it's something.
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How about a fire extinguisher?
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You can discharge the contents in their face.
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Okay.
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And then you can use that heavy canister as a club.
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Okay.
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All right.
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Well, all right.
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I see what you're I see where you're going.
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Some weights and chains.
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Oh, you know, the length of a bicycle chain with a lock.
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You know, that could be a pretty nasty striking weapon for somebody with.
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Even if somebody tries to block it, I mean that that thing's gonna break bone.
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Oh gosh.
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A sock filled with pennies or heavy rocks in it.
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All of these can be swung with significant force to stop a threat.
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Now tell us about tactical pens.
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Well, really any sturdy metal pen will do, but it's a pen designed to be able to use for self-defense, and it's used for stabbing your attacker in a last ditch defensive scenario.
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Okay.
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And talking about those tactical pins, have you seen the proof Vanguard tactical pen?
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I have seen it.
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Tell us about it.
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It's crafted from solid billet 6061 aircraft grade aluminum.
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Its bolt action mechanism is smooth, deliberate, and satisfying.
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The Vanguard pen is engineered for those who move with intention and demand the tools that they carry do the same.
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It writes anywhere with a black Fisher Space Pen number SPR4 cartridge.
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Writes in the rain, the grease, the cold or chaos, and it's the same cartridge the astronauts carried in the AG 7 astronaut pin.
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It writes upside down, it writes underwater.
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It operates in minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
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It's made for precision and durability with a smooth bolt action built to perform under any condition.
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The proof vanguard is balanced for action and built robust enough to double as a self-defense tool, and it makes a great gift.
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I love the one that I have.
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You can go to carryproof.com and use the discount code PREPR, and the link will be in the episode notes.
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Now let's talk about some concealment and decoys.
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To conceal things in plain sight, this is to deter nosy visitors or opportunistic thieves.
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You can use diversion safes.
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These are empty, cleaned out containers of everyday products.
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Can be shampoo bottles, lotion containers, fake hairspray cans to hide cash keys or small jewelry.
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My first mother-in-law had what looked like a can of hairspray that sat on her dresser, but you unscrewed the bottom of it, and it was a little safe in there.
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It was just a way to conceal things out in the open.
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You can also put it in a coffee can under the bathroom sink.
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Okay.
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People don't think to look there.
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I wouldn't think to look for coffee in the bathroom.
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That's true.
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No, or you can use any kind of a can or any kind of a container there.
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I know what you're saying.
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Put it under the bathroom sink.
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That's not a place that burglars usually look.
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Now, here's one that you've seen in the movies and TV shows.
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And it really works.
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And a hollowed-out book.
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And that's where you cut a compartment into the pages of an old hardcover book, and it allows it to sit on a shelf unnoticed among the other books when you're storing items.
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And a lot of times you can conceal guns or cash or jewelry or whatever's valuable, a treasure map or whatever you've got can be in that hollowed-out book.
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You can also use misleading labels.
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Totes that are labeled with boring titles, like baby clothes or Christmas decorations.
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Okay.
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These deter thieves looking for high-value gear or items throughout your house.
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These are great for storing in the attic, storing in the garage.
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You can put your gear in there and have some type of a misleading label.
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So you wouldn't want to label it valuable silver and gold collection.
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You wouldn't really even want to put things like camping gear or prepping gear, but label it in something that some nosy neighbor or some thief is really not going to be interested in.
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Think about the security routine and the mindset.
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You know, an effective security relies just as much on habit as it does on the physical tools.
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For example, you might establish yourself a 9 p.m.
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routine, a nightly habit of physically checking and double locking all the doors and the windows, vehicle doors, even if it's inside your locked garage, because it makes your residence a much harder target.
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Also, you could think about gray man awareness.
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So avoid displaying high-ticket item boxes like large TV boxes or large PlayStation boxes sitting out at the curb next to your garbage can because you're basically advertising to anybody that drives by that you've now got a very expensive PlayStation and an expensive TV all up in your house.
00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:46.880
Yep.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:55.599
Tear those cardboard boxes up and turn them inside out and tear them into smaller pieces, put them in the recycle, and that way nobody knows that you've got the expensive stuff there.
00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.839
Now I really like the two-person rule.
00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:09.680
This is used in a lot of different circumstances, but in a crisis, you can use a buddy system and one person's watching the other's back during outdoor task.
00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:15.359
It can be while cooking or chopping wood or making fire or loading a vehicle.
00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.319
One person is watching the other one's back.
00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:28.400
It's also something good to do if you're meeting someone off of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace in a different location other than your house.
00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.559
You're meeting in a parking lot.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.960
It's good to take that other person and don't stand just side by side.
00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:42.240
Split apart just a little ways so that you kind of have a 45 degree angle on this person that you're meeting.
00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.720
But one is doing business and the other one is over there with Overwatch, is basically what's going on.
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:57.599
Now we're going to look at lessons from the Great Depression, particularly some of our redneck ancestors who are our family members we love very dearly.
00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:00.079
But we want to ask you this question, friends.
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.000
Do you learn from our podcast?
00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.160
Do you get new ideas for your prepping?
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:08.240
In other words, do you receive value from the Practical Prepping Podcast?
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:10.559
And would you help us by giving back a little?
00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:12.799
That's value for value.
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:20.079
So please go to practicalprepping.info slash support and you'll find several ways you can help support our show.
00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.079
Now, let's get back to the podcast.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:31.440
And here we're talking about survival lessons from the Great Depression that our redneck ancestors put into place and the smart ones do today.
00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:34.480
Yeah, our parents lived through the Great Depression.
00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:42.240
Yeah, and our grandparents and great-grandparents were, we could say, the original preppers, even though it goes back many, many years before that.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:42.960
Oh, sure.
00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:46.480
It's a lifestyle, not just a label.
00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:50.559
They were preppers before that term was even established.
00:20:50.880 --> 00:21:00.400
Yeah, that really wouldn't have made any sense to them because everyone they knew prepared in some way to carry on their life because it was convenient, available, and smart.
00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:06.720
Aaron Ross Powell And they just referred to their practices as plain old common sense or just life.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.079
Trevor Burrus Their primary motivation was self-sufficiency.
00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:17.680
They wanted to ensure that their family remained fed, housed, and clothed through long winters when nothing was growing.
00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:22.319
So they had to master their food security and their food independence.
00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:27.519
During World War II and even World War I, they planted victory gardens.
00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.960
Over 20 million gardens were planted in the U.S.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.759
alone, and that produced nine million tons of food.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.079
And it reduced the reliance on the fragile commercial supply chain.
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.440
Something we need to get back to.
00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:43.680
We need to get back to today.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:50.400
And because they had gardens that produced an abundance of food, they learned the art of preservation.
00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.559
They called it putting it up or canning it.
00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:59.519
They used water bath methods, pressure canning methods, salt curing, sugar curing, smoking meats, sun.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.759
Drying fruits and vegetables.
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.839
And they utilize these root cellars.
00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:08.400
And my grandmother actually had a bona fide outdoor entrance root cellar.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:14.400
And I used to go down into that root cellar and gather up jars of peaches or green beans or whatever she asked me to get.
00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:17.039
My grandmother had one under the house.
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:25.920
And you could you could actually access it in long before me through a staircase down through the floor in the kitchen.
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:26.559
How about that?
00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.680
Or you could go under the house and go down that way.
00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:39.359
But there were just jars and jars and jars on benches down there that she had put up during the fall to carry them through the winter.
00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:45.519
Well, you know, another reason why is because it maintained an effective temperature in that particular root cellar.
00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:52.400
So whether it was a very hot summer or a very cold winter, that root cellar maintained temperature and had also helped preserve temperature.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.200
And it needed no electricity to do that.
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.079
Exactly.
00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.880
They also had a frugal mindset.
00:22:59.119 --> 00:22:59.440
Yep.
00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:06.079
The depression era creed was use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:07.279
Pretty easy to remember.
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.799
And it was a reminder to maximize every resource that we had.
00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:15.599
They practiced a mindset of waste not.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.440
Yeah, waste not, want not.
00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:17.920
Right.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:27.440
Scraps were never thrown away, whether that was fabric scraps that got used for quilts or food scraps became compost or animal feed.
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:34.079
Even the flower sacks that they were purchasing uh flour to bake with, they became repurposed into clothing.
00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:43.519
The Bemis Bag Company recognized that flower sacks were being used for ladies' dresses and for children's clothing.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:53.440
So they began to put out their bags were higher quality cotton and they added decorative prints to their flower bags.
00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.039
Their flower sacks.
00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:01.440
Florals, polka dots, gingham style patterns, and they became very, very popular.
00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:07.920
And it wasn't that long before a lot of other bag companies began to do the very same thing.
00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:13.759
So this was a matter of repurposing those flower sacks into clothing.
00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:17.119
Also brilliant marketing on the manufacturer's part.
00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:20.559
And saved a lot of money on the user's part.
00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.240
You had to buy flour anyway.
00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:22.720
Right.
00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:29.359
So why not buy it in the sack that you could use as a better dress than just the plain old rough cotton?
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:45.680
Well, they did believe in financial resilience because paying in cash, that was the standard, you know, even as late as the 1980s and early 90s, when I was in business in a mall, I met customers who did not have a bank account.
00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.920
They did not use a check.
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:51.599
They were paid by check from their job.
00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:58.319
And then they would go to a grocery store or convenience store and have their whole paycheck cashed out.
00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:03.440
And from there, they would go and pay all their utilities in person in cash.
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:04.799
Cash was king.
00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:14.240
Just between you and me, friends, I hope that we always have cash in our economy because that is there's a lot of freedom and liberty where cash is involved.
00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.720
Yes.
00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:23.519
If we ever lose being able to pay for things in cash, we are now subject to no liberty when it comes to being able to spend.
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.359
That's that's a whole different podcast.
00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:33.039
It also helped families stay mindful of their budget and it helped them avoid the hamster wheel of debt.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:33.599
Right.
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:35.440
You know, when you spend cash, it's spent.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.640
Well, that's true, and that's a hard lesson we're all having to learn.
00:25:45.039 --> 00:26:01.200
Really, and I can remember on Friday afternoon my dad owned a service station in the 60s and 70s, and Friday afternoons he had to have a lot more cash on hand because he cashed a lot of paychecks for people that traded with him throughout the week.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:07.359
Our redneck ancestors also had technical self-reliance and trade skills.
00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:07.759
Sure.
00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.920
They were multi-skilled labor, especially around the farm.
00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:17.119
You had to be a mechanic, an engineer, a blacksmith, a carpenter.
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.759
You had to fix whatever broke.
00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:20.559
Exactly.
00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:25.839
If it was a hand-drawn plow or some kind of a tractor engine, you're the tinkerer.
00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:27.279
You're the one that's having to fix it.
00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:29.759
And there's also traditional craftsmanship.
00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:34.079
A lot of times the ladies were learning how to do sewing, knitting.
00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.759
Some of them even built furniture.
00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:39.680
A lot of the women learned how to use the hand tools and the saws and the hammers.
00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:41.839
They did leather work, they did tanning.
00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:44.240
Items were repaired rather than replaced.
00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:48.640
And you clothes were handed down from the first child to the twelfth child.
00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:54.079
Those clothes were going to be made to work until they got used up or worn out.
00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:54.480
Yeah.
00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:56.079
And there was a lot of earth wisdom.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:08.319
My grandmother was particularly gifted at being able to identify plants and herbs that she could form into a poultice or a tincture or a type of a tea.
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:21.839
And she had a lot of folks from her neighborhood, in her rural farm neighborhood, they would seek her out when they were ailing because she had the skills and the know-how to use her earth wisdom with her herbal remedies to treat illness.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.160
Because, you know, a doctor was a little in short supply.
00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:31.680
There wasn't necessarily a doctor within 50 miles of where she was living, and you had to do your own doctrine.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:34.240
And had to wait on him to come around.
00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:37.119
We used to talk about circuit riding preachers.
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:48.319
Well, there were circum circuit riding doctors, and my great-grandfather was an old horse and buggy doctor, and he made his rounds in that buggy.
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:55.279
So you may not get the doctor coming by for a week or two, and you may not be able to go into his office.
00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:08.079
And these folks could use garden plants or they could find plants in the wild, even in the yard, things that we look at as weeds that were often used to make these herbal remedies.
00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:12.079
They also understood the strength of neighborhood community.
00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:15.119
You know, the rural groups of people, they knew each other.
00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:23.279
A lot of them were family members, maybe even distant family members, but they were neighbors and they had to share and collaborate in large tasks.
00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:29.680
They would have community gardens where one might have a better cornfield and the other one might have a better bean field.
00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:33.200
So they'd do some trades and they would work each other's gardens.
00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:34.720
They would swap labor.
00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:35.839
They would plow a field.
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:46.000
You even see this going on even in today's agronomy, the agriculture economy, where they'll pool their resources and they'll buy a big combine.
00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:52.400
And they'll buy one combine and five farms will be able to use it because it's all belongs to them.
00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:57.680
And they might plow a field in exchange for a portion of the resulting crops.
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.400
Oh, sure.
00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:02.880
I can remember my uncle plowed the gardens for several people.
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:04.240
He had the tractor.
00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:07.759
I mean, he worked a small working farm.
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:14.079
And he would go down the road or over the hill and he would plow someone's back garden.
00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:14.480
Yeah.
00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:19.200
And it might be that they paid him in crops when the crops came in.
00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:19.759
Sure.
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:24.000
Not everybody had a lot of money to be able to hire things like that done.
00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:25.200
So there had to be a lot of money.
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:31.279
You can't eat money, but there had to be a lot of bartering and trading going on there.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:31.920
Oh, sure.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:35.759
Skills and goods served as the primary currency.
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:43.759
My grandfather did a lot of blacksmithing for a lot of the people because he had the skill, the know-how, and the resources to do it.
00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:51.920
And he also made sure that there were several widows in the area, too, that they couldn't do a lot of heavy lifting on some things.
00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:59.599
And so these rural rednecks, these strong Americans, would gather together and they would look after each other.
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.119
It was a community spirit.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:03.039
And it was a shared purpose.
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:03.599
Yes.
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:08.079
They had a spirit of patriotism and national unity.
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:13.200
It provided the emotional support needed to survive long-term crises.
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:14.240
Sure, of course.
00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:17.599
The depression was a long-term crisis.
00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:21.200
But now there's some takeaways we have for you today.
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:26.079
We want to apply that old wisdom to the modern world.
00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:29.039
It's kind of like a training your mindset.
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:41.839
You can reduce your anxiety by adopting the adaptability and the resilience of our ancestors, our beloved redneck ancestors, who focused on the solutions rather than dwelling on their problem.
00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:43.680
And that's a big problem today.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:47.279
We tend to focus on our problems rather than the solution.
00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:48.880
Solution focused.
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:51.680
Number two, we want to pass the torch.
00:30:51.839 --> 00:31:02.960
It's important that we teach age-appropriate survival skills to younger generations so that this knowledge of self-reliance is not lost to technology.
00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:04.640
Well, there's a big amen on that.
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:16.079
Yeah, these kids today they know how to operate computers, they know how to play computer games, but they wouldn't have the first idea about survival skills.
00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:22.720
We have one friend that teaches his daughter so many survival skills, and she is preschool.
00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:29.440
She's preschool, and she's learning to do things that she'll need down the road.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:31.279
Building good character for her children.
00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:38.559
We do appreciate you being here today.
00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:40.799
We appreciate you taking your time.
00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:44.400
And as Krista always says, Stuff happens.
00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.440
Stay prepared.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:47.359
And we'll see you next time.
00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:11.839
Today we explore the mindset behind Redneck Engineering, a philosophy built on grit, creativity, and using what you already have.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:17.760
From improvised shelters and fire starting to low-tech home security upgrades.
00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.879
This is about real-world resilience.
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:29.920
Welcome to Practical Prepping.
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:35.359
Today is July 6, 2026, and this is episode 561.
00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:44.000
This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions.
00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:52.159
Just practical prepping, where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters, and crises.
00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:54.320
And we're here to help you get prepared.
00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:55.200
I'm Krista.
00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:56.479
And I'm Mark.
00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:04.159
And if you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practical prepping.info forward slash five six one.
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.040
And let's talk about the word redneck.
00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:09.040
Makes me think of Jeff Foxworthy.
00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:10.480
You might be a redneck.
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:11.280
Oh, yes.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.640
And we see ourselves in so many of those things.
00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:21.439
The term originally referred to rural white farmers, especially in the southern United States.
00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:32.319
And it likely comes from farmers working very long hours in the sun and developing a sunburned neck or a red neck.
00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:32.879
Uh-huh.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.159
And this dates back into the late 1800s.
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:47.280
You know, today redneck often refers to somebody who lives in a rural area or has a working class background and is seen as plain spoken, practical, and self-reliant.
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:53.439
And they enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, farming, camping, or truck culture.
00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:01.760
Now the word can be used as a pejorative, as an insult implying ignorance and backwardness.
00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:11.520
But the word's been reclaimed, and it's used humorously or proudly to mean resourceful, hardworking, and country-minded.
00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:16.319
So today we're talking about an introduction to redneck engineering.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:17.599
So practical.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:19.199
It's a philosophy.
00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:27.599
It's the ability to create functional survival solutions on the fly when pre-made gear is unavailable.
00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:29.199
I saw that with my dad.
00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:44.400
He grew up a farmer on a farm community and developed a lot of practical knowledge just using and utilizing the wood and the metal scraps and the wire and the fencing and whatever they had there on the farm to build whatever they needed.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:46.639
It's a survival mindset.
00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:56.800
It's characterized by the you gotta fix it now approach, utilizing whatever materials and resources are currently at hand.
00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.599
And it really does stress knowledge over the gear.
00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:06.960
And this skill set reinforces that fundamental prepper principle that the more you know, the less you have to carry.
00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:13.360
Now we're going to talk about some of the things that redneck engineering can really shine in.
00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:20.639
And some is in improvised shelter, using natural material for the construction of shelters.
00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:34.400
Survival involves knowing how to construct those temporary structures using forest resources like leafy branches, bamboo sticks, vines, all types of coverings that you can find in the forest.
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.120
There's also the tarp and paracord method.
00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:47.680
This is where a basic shelter can be created by stringing paracord between two trees and draping a lightweight tarp over it to create a makeshift A-frame or a pup tent.
00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:53.759
And that's why we carry tarps in the car and also in our get home bags.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:54.400
Absolutely.
00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:58.319
You never know where you might have to spend the night out on the absolute grass.
00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:00.400
It's absolutely possible.
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:18.000
But we can adapt everyday materials like contractor grade trash bags or different plastic sheeting and repurposing this as ground covers, moisture barriers, pack liners, even improvised thermal layers for warmth.
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:21.279
And I've seen it used as rain gear.
00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:22.560
Oh, sure, absolutely.
00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:33.519
And talking about warmth, a redneck can come up with a heat solution because a lot of them carry a lighter or some kind of an instant fire, even if they don't smoke or what have you, they've got some way to light a fire.
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:38.160
Yeah, I carry one in my ADC bag and I haven't I I quit smoking in the 80s.
00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:38.959
Sure, absolutely.
00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:40.639
But I still carry that lighter.
00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:44.879
And if he doesn't have one in his pocket, he at least has one or more in the truck.
00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:57.120
You know, and they have learned how to be very resourceful when it comes to fire starting because, like on a bright sunny day, they could use a simple magnifying glass to focus sunlight and put that on some tinder.
00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:02.079
I actually practiced this as an uneducated child back when I was a little kid.
00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:08.959
I took some newspaper out in the backyard and a magnifying glass, and I sure enough started a fire in the backyard.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:15.040
It was very small and very contained until the wind picked it up and went over the fence into the neighbor's yard.
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.120
And that's a day for another story.
00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:20.079
Anyway, so you can use a magnifying glass.
00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:31.199
Found out you can also use a pair of eyeglasses to do the same thing to train that sunlight down into a pinpoint which is super hot and can ignite tinder or paper pretty quick.
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:34.879
You can even use a bottle of water for this very same thing.
00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:39.600
Now there's some improvised water filtration and purification.
00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:40.160
Okay.
00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:44.560
A good old redneck will be able to build a two-liter bottle drip filter.
00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:45.040
Okay.
00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:57.199
And that's just simply inverting a two-liter bottle and layering it with sand with coarse natural charcoal, like you would get from a fire, not charcoal intended for grills.
00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:03.360
That stuff has chemical treatment on it, and it's not to be used for purifying water.
00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:07.920
And putting small gravel in there to remove sediment and debris.
00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:22.000
And it's really good to do a pre-filtering technique using a bandana or a handkerchief or a clean t-shirt, even a coffee filter helps to remove some of the chunky stuff from your sourced water before applying that final purification method.
00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:24.959
And there's some wild water boiling options.
00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:35.519
A good single-walled stainless steel water bottle, you can use that as a tool for boiling, and you cannot use an insulated water bottle.
00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:41.040
Like the double walled wall insulated, it will explode on you.
00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:47.199
But you can use the single wall for boiling and purifying water directly over an open fire.
00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.639
Let's talk about some redneck gear and tool adaptation.
00:06:50.959 --> 00:07:02.879
You know, those multi-use paracord strands, those inner strands of paracord, can be unraveled and used as high strength sewing thread if you have to repair some gear or an emergency fishing line.
00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:09.120
Even some improvised wound closure can be used with some of those little strings out of the strands of paracord.
00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:13.360
And a redneck engineer usually carries a knife of some sort.
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:14.240
Absolutely.
00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:22.000
It's probably a folding blade clipped in a pocket, but it's possibly a small fixed blade on a belt.
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:27.680
But he also has access to a long blade, probably in his or her truck.
00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.120
And yes, there's a lot of her rednecks running around with trucks.
00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:32.800
Where the line is dearly.
00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:39.439
But these will be tools like machetes, and they're for more than just clearing brush.
00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:50.079
They can be used to split small firewood, they can be used to construct shelters, they can be used to cut poles for a travoy or limbs for splints.
00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:58.000
All kinds of uses for those long blades, which are probably carried in the truck, possibly a shorter one in a backpack.
00:07:58.319 --> 00:07:59.040
I'd count on it.
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:05.759
Oh, and also for the hardware utility, a redneck is going to have a package of zip ties, they're going to have duct tape.
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:14.480
There's all kinds of redneck engineering fixes for everything from broken backpack straps to shoelaces or securing items one to the other.
00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:18.480
Now, redneck engineering is cultivating resources.
00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:21.120
It's about improving the process.
00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:32.399
Developing this skill requires proactivity looking for ways to improve our survival procedures and finding better uses for mundane items.
00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.840
Now we're going to talk about some improvised security and safety.
00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:40.159
But first, we're going to tell you that today's cup of coffee comes from Harold.
00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:44.720
Harold is a new supporter of our podcast and he bought a coffee membership.
00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:46.559
Harold, welcome to the family.
00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:48.559
We really do appreciate your support.
00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:53.120
And you too can go to practicalprepping.info slash support.
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:58.879
And that's where you can show us some love by buying us a few cups of coffee or even a coffee membership.
00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:04.399
It's only five dollars a month for the membership, but it really helps us offset the expenses of our show.
00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:09.360
So please consider doing that at practicalprepping.info slash support.
00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:11.039
Now let's get back to the show.
00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:14.960
Here we're talking about improvised security.
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:19.840
Now this statement came from our book, Practical Prepping for Everyday People.
00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:21.120
Here's the statement.
00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:34.639
Improvised security focuses on utilizing common materials and clever strategies to protect your home and family when conventional systems are unavailable or insufficient.
00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.600
So we're going to start with hardening the residence.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.360
What do we mean by hardening the residence?
00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:42.639
Well, first place to start is door reinforcement.
00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:43.519
That is very important.
00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:47.600
Those door screws, those screws that hold the door into the door frame.
00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:48.720
Usually really teeny.
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:50.879
Many of them are very short.
00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:56.159
Take those things out and replace those screws with three-inch or longer wood screws.
00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:56.960
Yes.
00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.720
Both the hinges and the striker plates.
00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:07.679
That way the door is anchored directly to the wall studs, and it makes it nearly impossible to kick in.
00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:08.480
Absolutely.
00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:12.399
And do this whether you own the home or even if you live in an apartment.
00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.679
We did this with our apartment when we first got married.
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:22.720
We took those, especially that striker plate, we took that out and secured those with three-inch deck screws.
00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.320
Also, you can create some physical barriers.
00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:28.960
You can make some heavy-duty crossbars.
00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:39.360
Now we did this in my mother's basement, had a walkthrough door, and we put brackets on each side of the door, and we cut a two before to drop down into that.
00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:41.679
And there was no way to kick that door open.
00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:49.360
You had that two before with those brackets mounted into that frame with very large screws in there.
00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:59.440
Or you can cut a two before with a notch in one end and wedge that under a door handle and angle it into the floor to serve as a brace.
00:10:59.679 --> 00:10:59.919
Oh, sure.
00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:01.519
And that works on carpet.
00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:03.200
Works very well on carpet.
00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:05.039
Doesn't work on hardwood.
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.480
So you have to do some other thing there.
00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:11.919
But it's a good way to keep that door from being breached.
00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:31.200
You can also have some window and some sliding door track security by using wooden dowels or like a mop handle or a metal bar and lie that down in the track of the sliding glass door or the window, and that prevents them from being pried open from the outside or, you know, slid over one side to the other.
00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:32.559
It'll stop it in its track.
00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:37.279
Now here's one of my favorite, and that is strategic landscaping deterrence.
00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:38.000
Oh, yes.
00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.840
You want to create a hostile environment for intruders.
00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:45.919
But you don't want to signal that the home is a prepper household.
00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:46.399
Sure.
00:11:46.639 --> 00:12:01.840
So you can plant thorny or sticky bushes such as roses, holly, or yucca plant directly under first floor windows, and it makes a painful physical deterrent for anybody trying to climb through that window.
00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:07.200
And speaking about landscaping, keep your shrubs trimmed low around the entrances.
00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:17.279
This way, it deters an intruder from hiding behind large tall hedgerows or trees or growth that might be near a door or a window.
00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.720
So make sure that the doors and windows can be easily seen from the street.
00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:23.519
Shadow casting.
00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:29.679
And this is simply positioning outdoor lights out in the yard pointing back at the house.
00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:30.080
Okay.
00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.919
This is not illuminating the yard, it's illuminating the house.
00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:44.960
But the purpose is that it causes an intruder to cast a large, noticeable shadow against the building that can be seen from the street.
00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:45.600
Okay.
00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:46.159
Yeah.
00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.519
Well, let's talk about some improvised defensive tools.
00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:57.039
You know, a redneck is going to find many household objects that can be repurposed for defense, such as a baseball bat.
00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.120
Now, this is cool what you had shared here.
00:12:59.200 --> 00:12:59.840
I learned this.
00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:02.399
I never thought about this, the sock strategy.
00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:06.000
That's where you just place a sock over the end of the bat.
00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:16.240
So if an intruder tries to grab that, the sock will slide off, and then you can still have the bat in your hand, and now you can use the bat for where it's you can go back to work with your bat.
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:16.960
Absolutely.
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:18.399
Some impact weapons.
00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:19.120
Oh, sure.
00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:20.559
Cast iron skillet.
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:21.039
Boom.
00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.919
Now this worked in many old western stuff.
00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:25.279
Oh, it it crack a skull.
00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.879
Grandma hit him in the back of the head with a cast iron skillet.
00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:36.480
And if you're fighting for your life or your family's life, hitting them in the back of the head with a cast iron skillet's a pretty good way to go.
00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:39.039
And don't try to just thump him, whack him.
00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:40.720
Yeah, yeah, make it mean it's something.
00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:42.320
How about a fire extinguisher?
00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.200
You can discharge the contents in their face.
00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:45.600
Okay.
00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:49.440
And then you can use that heavy canister as a club.
00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:50.000
Okay.
00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:50.639
All right.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:51.600
Well, all right.
00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.519
I see what you're I see where you're going.
00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.120
Some weights and chains.
00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:58.320
Oh, you know, the length of a bicycle chain with a lock.
00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:03.919
You know, that could be a pretty nasty striking weapon for somebody with.
00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:08.159
Even if somebody tries to block it, I mean that that thing's gonna break bone.
00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:08.879
Oh gosh.
00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:12.320
A sock filled with pennies or heavy rocks in it.
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:17.120
All of these can be swung with significant force to stop a threat.
00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.039
Now tell us about tactical pens.
00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:33.279
Well, really any sturdy metal pen will do, but it's a pen designed to be able to use for self-defense, and it's used for stabbing your attacker in a last ditch defensive scenario.
00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:33.840
Okay.
00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:38.720
And talking about those tactical pins, have you seen the proof Vanguard tactical pen?
00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.840
I have seen it.
00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.480
Tell us about it.
00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:46.960
It's crafted from solid billet 6061 aircraft grade aluminum.
00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:51.919
Its bolt action mechanism is smooth, deliberate, and satisfying.
00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:59.440
The Vanguard pen is engineered for those who move with intention and demand the tools that they carry do the same.
00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:05.840
It writes anywhere with a black Fisher Space Pen number SPR4 cartridge.
00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:15.600
Writes in the rain, the grease, the cold or chaos, and it's the same cartridge the astronauts carried in the AG 7 astronaut pin.
00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.799
It writes upside down, it writes underwater.
00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:25.360
It operates in minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:33.759
It's made for precision and durability with a smooth bolt action built to perform under any condition.
00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:42.799
The proof vanguard is balanced for action and built robust enough to double as a self-defense tool, and it makes a great gift.
00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:44.879
I love the one that I have.
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:52.320
You can go to carryproof.com and use the discount code PREPR, and the link will be in the episode notes.
00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.000
Now let's talk about some concealment and decoys.
00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:02.799
To conceal things in plain sight, this is to deter nosy visitors or opportunistic thieves.
00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.679
You can use diversion safes.
00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:10.159
These are empty, cleaned out containers of everyday products.
00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:17.759
Can be shampoo bottles, lotion containers, fake hairspray cans to hide cash keys or small jewelry.
00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:26.480
My first mother-in-law had what looked like a can of hairspray that sat on her dresser, but you unscrewed the bottom of it, and it was a little safe in there.
00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:31.200
It was just a way to conceal things out in the open.
00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:35.600
You can also put it in a coffee can under the bathroom sink.
00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:36.240
Okay.
00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:37.840
People don't think to look there.
00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:40.399
I wouldn't think to look for coffee in the bathroom.
00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:40.879
That's true.
00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:44.720
No, or you can use any kind of a can or any kind of a container there.
00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:45.840
I know what you're saying.
00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.519
Put it under the bathroom sink.
00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.799
That's not a place that burglars usually look.
00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.840
Now, here's one that you've seen in the movies and TV shows.
00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:54.879
And it really works.
00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.480
And a hollowed-out book.
00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:06.079
And that's where you cut a compartment into the pages of an old hardcover book, and it allows it to sit on a shelf unnoticed among the other books when you're storing items.
00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:15.839
And a lot of times you can conceal guns or cash or jewelry or whatever's valuable, a treasure map or whatever you've got can be in that hollowed-out book.
00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.799
You can also use misleading labels.
00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:25.920
Totes that are labeled with boring titles, like baby clothes or Christmas decorations.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:26.400
Okay.
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:32.160
These deter thieves looking for high-value gear or items throughout your house.
00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:36.240
These are great for storing in the attic, storing in the garage.
00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:41.920
You can put your gear in there and have some type of a misleading label.
00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:46.319
So you wouldn't want to label it valuable silver and gold collection.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:18:00.240
You wouldn't really even want to put things like camping gear or prepping gear, but label it in something that some nosy neighbor or some thief is really not going to be interested in.
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.359
Think about the security routine and the mindset.
00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:08.960
You know, an effective security relies just as much on habit as it does on the physical tools.
00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:12.240
For example, you might establish yourself a 9 p.m.
00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:25.039
routine, a nightly habit of physically checking and double locking all the doors and the windows, vehicle doors, even if it's inside your locked garage, because it makes your residence a much harder target.
00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.759
Also, you could think about gray man awareness.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:46.559
So avoid displaying high-ticket item boxes like large TV boxes or large PlayStation boxes sitting out at the curb next to your garbage can because you're basically advertising to anybody that drives by that you've now got a very expensive PlayStation and an expensive TV all up in your house.
00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:46.880
Yep.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:55.599
Tear those cardboard boxes up and turn them inside out and tear them into smaller pieces, put them in the recycle, and that way nobody knows that you've got the expensive stuff there.
00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.839
Now I really like the two-person rule.
00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:09.680
This is used in a lot of different circumstances, but in a crisis, you can use a buddy system and one person's watching the other's back during outdoor task.
00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:15.359
It can be while cooking or chopping wood or making fire or loading a vehicle.
00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.319
One person is watching the other one's back.
00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:28.400
It's also something good to do if you're meeting someone off of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace in a different location other than your house.
00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.559
You're meeting in a parking lot.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.960
It's good to take that other person and don't stand just side by side.
00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:42.240
Split apart just a little ways so that you kind of have a 45 degree angle on this person that you're meeting.
00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.720
But one is doing business and the other one is over there with Overwatch, is basically what's going on.
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:57.599
Now we're going to look at lessons from the Great Depression, particularly some of our redneck ancestors who are our family members we love very dearly.
00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:00.079
But we want to ask you this question, friends.
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.000
Do you learn from our podcast?
00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.160
Do you get new ideas for your prepping?
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:08.240
In other words, do you receive value from the Practical Prepping Podcast?
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:10.559
And would you help us by giving back a little?
00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:12.799
That's value for value.
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:20.079
So please go to practicalprepping.info slash support and you'll find several ways you can help support our show.
00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.079
Now, let's get back to the podcast.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:31.440
And here we're talking about survival lessons from the Great Depression that our redneck ancestors put into place and the smart ones do today.
00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:34.480
Yeah, our parents lived through the Great Depression.
00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:42.240
Yeah, and our grandparents and great-grandparents were, we could say, the original preppers, even though it goes back many, many years before that.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:42.960
Oh, sure.
00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:46.480
It's a lifestyle, not just a label.
00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:50.559
They were preppers before that term was even established.
00:20:50.880 --> 00:21:00.400
Yeah, that really wouldn't have made any sense to them because everyone they knew prepared in some way to carry on their life because it was convenient, available, and smart.
00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:06.720
Aaron Ross Powell And they just referred to their practices as plain old common sense or just life.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.079
Trevor Burrus Their primary motivation was self-sufficiency.
00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:17.680
They wanted to ensure that their family remained fed, housed, and clothed through long winters when nothing was growing.
00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:22.319
So they had to master their food security and their food independence.
00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:27.519
During World War II and even World War I, they planted victory gardens.
00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.960
Over 20 million gardens were planted in the U.S.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.759
alone, and that produced nine million tons of food.
00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.079
And it reduced the reliance on the fragile commercial supply chain.
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.440
Something we need to get back to.
00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:43.680
We need to get back to today.
00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:50.400
And because they had gardens that produced an abundance of food, they learned the art of preservation.
00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.559
They called it putting it up or canning it.
00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:59.519
They used water bath methods, pressure canning methods, salt curing, sugar curing, smoking meats, sun.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.759
Drying fruits and vegetables.
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.839
And they utilize these root cellars.
00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:08.400
And my grandmother actually had a bona fide outdoor entrance root cellar.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:14.400
And I used to go down into that root cellar and gather up jars of peaches or green beans or whatever she asked me to get.
00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:17.039
My grandmother had one under the house.
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:25.920
And you could you could actually access it in long before me through a staircase down through the floor in the kitchen.
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:26.559
How about that?
00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.680
Or you could go under the house and go down that way.
00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:39.359
But there were just jars and jars and jars on benches down there that she had put up during the fall to carry them through the winter.
00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:45.519
Well, you know, another reason why is because it maintained an effective temperature in that particular root cellar.
00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:52.400
So whether it was a very hot summer or a very cold winter, that root cellar maintained temperature and had also helped preserve temperature.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.200
And it needed no electricity to do that.
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.079
Exactly.
00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.880
They also had a frugal mindset.
00:22:59.119 --> 00:22:59.440
Yep.
00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:06.079
The depression era creed was use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:07.279
Pretty easy to remember.
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.799
And it was a reminder to maximize every resource that we had.
00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:15.599
They practiced a mindset of waste not.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.440
Yeah, waste not, want not.
00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:17.920
Right.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:27.440
Scraps were never thrown away, whether that was fabric scraps that got used for quilts or food scraps became compost or animal feed.
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:34.079
Even the flower sacks that they were purchasing uh flour to bake with, they became repurposed into clothing.
00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:43.519
The Bemis Bag Company recognized that flower sacks were being used for ladies' dresses and for children's clothing.
00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:53.440
So they began to put out their bags were higher quality cotton and they added decorative prints to their flower bags.
00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.039
Their flower sacks.
00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:01.440
Florals, polka dots, gingham style patterns, and they became very, very popular.
00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:07.920
And it wasn't that long before a lot of other bag companies began to do the very same thing.
00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:13.759
So this was a matter of repurposing those flower sacks into clothing.
00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:17.119
Also brilliant marketing on the manufacturer's part.
00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:20.559
And saved a lot of money on the user's part.
00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.240
You had to buy flour anyway.
00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:22.720
Right.
00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:29.359
So why not buy it in the sack that you could use as a better dress than just the plain old rough cotton?
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:45.680
Well, they did believe in financial resilience because paying in cash, that was the standard, you know, even as late as the 1980s and early 90s, when I was in business in a mall, I met customers who did not have a bank account.
00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.920
They did not use a check.
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:51.599
They were paid by check from their job.
00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:58.319
And then they would go to a grocery store or convenience store and have their whole paycheck cashed out.
00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:03.440
And from there, they would go and pay all their utilities in person in cash.
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:04.799
Cash was king.
00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:14.240
Just between you and me, friends, I hope that we always have cash in our economy because that is there's a lot of freedom and liberty where cash is involved.
00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.720
Yes.
00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:23.519
If we ever lose being able to pay for things in cash, we are now subject to no liberty when it comes to being able to spend.
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.359
That's that's a whole different podcast.
00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:33.039
It also helped families stay mindful of their budget and it helped them avoid the hamster wheel of debt.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:33.599
Right.
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:35.440
You know, when you spend cash, it's spent.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.640
Well, that's true, and that's a hard lesson we're all having to learn.
00:25:45.039 --> 00:26:01.200
Really, and I can remember on Friday afternoon my dad owned a service station in the 60s and 70s, and Friday afternoons he had to have a lot more cash on hand because he cashed a lot of paychecks for people that traded with him throughout the week.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:07.359
Our redneck ancestors also had technical self-reliance and trade skills.
00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:07.759
Sure.
00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.920
They were multi-skilled labor, especially around the farm.
00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:17.119
You had to be a mechanic, an engineer, a blacksmith, a carpenter.
00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.759
You had to fix whatever broke.
00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:20.559
Exactly.
00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:25.839
If it was a hand-drawn plow or some kind of a tractor engine, you're the tinkerer.
00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:27.279
You're the one that's having to fix it.
00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:29.759
And there's also traditional craftsmanship.
00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:34.079
A lot of times the ladies were learning how to do sewing, knitting.
00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.759
Some of them even built furniture.
00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:39.680
A lot of the women learned how to use the hand tools and the saws and the hammers.
00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:41.839
They did leather work, they did tanning.
00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:44.240
Items were repaired rather than replaced.
00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:48.640
And you clothes were handed down from the first child to the twelfth child.
00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:54.079
Those clothes were going to be made to work until they got used up or worn out.
00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:54.480
Yeah.
00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:56.079
And there was a lot of earth wisdom.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:08.319
My grandmother was particularly gifted at being able to identify plants and herbs that she could form into a poultice or a tincture or a type of a tea.
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:21.839
And she had a lot of folks from her neighborhood, in her rural farm neighborhood, they would seek her out when they were ailing because she had the skills and the know-how to use her earth wisdom with her herbal remedies to treat illness.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.160
Because, you know, a doctor was a little in short supply.
00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:31.680
There wasn't necessarily a doctor within 50 miles of where she was living, and you had to do your own doctrine.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:34.240
And had to wait on him to come around.
00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:37.119
We used to talk about circuit riding preachers.
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:48.319
Well, there were circum circuit riding doctors, and my great-grandfather was an old horse and buggy doctor, and he made his rounds in that buggy.
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:55.279
So you may not get the doctor coming by for a week or two, and you may not be able to go into his office.
00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:08.079
And these folks could use garden plants or they could find plants in the wild, even in the yard, things that we look at as weeds that were often used to make these herbal remedies.
00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:12.079
They also understood the strength of neighborhood community.
00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:15.119
You know, the rural groups of people, they knew each other.
00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:23.279
A lot of them were family members, maybe even distant family members, but they were neighbors and they had to share and collaborate in large tasks.
00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:29.680
They would have community gardens where one might have a better cornfield and the other one might have a better bean field.
00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:33.200
So they'd do some trades and they would work each other's gardens.
00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:34.720
They would swap labor.
00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:35.839
They would plow a field.
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:46.000
You even see this going on even in today's agronomy, the agriculture economy, where they'll pool their resources and they'll buy a big combine.
00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:52.400
And they'll buy one combine and five farms will be able to use it because it's all belongs to them.
00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:57.680
And they might plow a field in exchange for a portion of the resulting crops.
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.400
Oh, sure.
00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:02.880
I can remember my uncle plowed the gardens for several people.
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:04.240
He had the tractor.
00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:07.759
I mean, he worked a small working farm.
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:14.079
And he would go down the road or over the hill and he would plow someone's back garden.
00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:14.480
Yeah.
00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:19.200
And it might be that they paid him in crops when the crops came in.
00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:19.759
Sure.
00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:24.000
Not everybody had a lot of money to be able to hire things like that done.
00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:25.200
So there had to be a lot of money.
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:31.279
You can't eat money, but there had to be a lot of bartering and trading going on there.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:31.920
Oh, sure.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:35.759
Skills and goods served as the primary currency.
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:43.759
My grandfather did a lot of blacksmithing for a lot of the people because he had the skill, the know-how, and the resources to do it.
00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:51.920
And he also made sure that there were several widows in the area, too, that they couldn't do a lot of heavy lifting on some things.
00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:59.599
And so these rural rednecks, these strong Americans, would gather together and they would look after each other.
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.119
It was a community spirit.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:03.039
And it was a shared purpose.
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:03.599
Yes.
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:08.079
They had a spirit of patriotism and national unity.
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:13.200
It provided the emotional support needed to survive long-term crises.
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:14.240
Sure, of course.
00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:17.599
The depression was a long-term crisis.
00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:21.200
But now there's some takeaways we have for you today.
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:26.079
We want to apply that old wisdom to the modern world.
00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:29.039
It's kind of like a training your mindset.
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:41.839
You can reduce your anxiety by adopting the adaptability and the resilience of our ancestors, our beloved redneck ancestors, who focused on the solutions rather than dwelling on their problem.
00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:43.680
And that's a big problem today.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:47.279
We tend to focus on our problems rather than the solution.
00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:48.880
Solution focused.
00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:51.680
Number two, we want to pass the torch.
00:30:51.839 --> 00:31:02.960
It's important that we teach age-appropriate survival skills to younger generations so that this knowledge of self-reliance is not lost to technology.
00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:04.640
Well, there's a big amen on that.
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:16.079
Yeah, these kids today they know how to operate computers, they know how to play computer games, but they wouldn't have the first idea about survival skills.
00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:22.720
We have one friend that teaches his daughter so many survival skills, and she is preschool.
00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:29.440
She's preschool, and she's learning to do things that she'll need down the road.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:31.279
Building good character for her children.
00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:38.559
We do appreciate you being here today.
00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:40.799
We appreciate you taking your time.
00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:44.400
And as Krista always says, Stuff happens.
00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.440
Stay prepared.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:47.359
And we'll see you next time.
