The Provident Prepper

Preparedness isn't just about having food stored. It's about knowing what to DO with food. A friend recently gave me three gallons of fresh milk. Rather than let any of that abundance go to waste, I turned it into homemade yogurt, butter, cultured buttermilk, and more.

I love learning these old-fashioned food skills. The more we know how to make from basic ingredients, the more useful our food becomes—and the less dependent we are on everything being convenient and ready-made.

I shared the whole process on The Provident Gardener today. https://youtu.be/H95x9nGsljs. Knowledge and skills matter. Come take a look and let me know what you would do if you were gifted 3 gallons of fresh milk.

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3 days ago | [YT] | 166

The Provident Prepper

What happens when the pantry is your only grocery store? You get creative — and you eat well. Preparedness isn't just stockpiling — it's knowing what to do with what you've got.

Our newest video dives into how garden produce and pantry staples combine to create a healthy, portable meal you'll want to make again and again. It's freezer-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and perfect for camping, travel, or any day life gets busy.

Watch now on The Provident Gardener! https://youtu.be/86k86YHHTSg

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1 week ago | [YT] | 150

The Provident Prepper

When disaster strikes, communication can be the difference between confusion and confidence. Do you know your PEP station? There are stations across the U.S. specifically hardened and designated to broadcast during a crisis — and most people have no idea which one covers their area.

In this video, we walk through:
**How to find your Primary Entry Point (PEP) station
**Why the NOAA Alert system uses Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) to reach only those in the affected area
**How to label and program your radio now so you're ready when you need it

Your homework: look up your PEP and write it on your radio. Watch here to learn how: https://youtu.be/vkYLdhE0_4k

Now ... if you are crazy busy and don't have time to watch, this is for you. Do it now!

🔗 Find your PEP station: Claude.ai - Ask it to look up the FEMA PEP station list and find the one nearest your city or zip code. DHS/FEMA's official PEP Station Asset List — a downloadable dataset (not a locator, but the actual government data) is on data.gov, but I found it difficult to navigate.
🔗 Find your NOAA weather radio station: www.weather.gov/nwr/station_search
🔗 How we built our EMP Faraday cage: https://youtu.be/3WTHk-tfT3I
🔗 Emergency communication videos we mentioned that may be helpful:
https://youtu.be/RvAO4ya3vkc
https://youtu.be/O89Jexm1dvk
https://youtu.be/XWkrd6EsoJ0
https://youtu.be/9iQkIxD8BrE

Your homework this week: look up your PEP station and your local NOAA frequency, then label your radio so you're ready before you need it.

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We love you!

1 week ago | [YT] | 102

The Provident Prepper

What happens when the store shelves are empty, and your garden needs help? These natural, homemade solutions mean you'll never have to wonder. Your garden can be its own pharmacy. In my latest video on The Provident Gardener, I show you how to make natural sprays that fight disease and pests using simple, inexpensive ingredients.

Knowledge is power. You need to know this! Check out the video here and share it! https://youtu.be/lwhRMI2cbYQ

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 117

The Provident Prepper

Dangerously remote location. No grid. No resupply. Just you, your gear, and whatever you managed to prepare beforehand.

That's essentially the reality our friend Joe Basset is stepping into — except this time it's not a hypothetical scenario. He's heading to McMurdo Station, Antarctica as the senior communications technician for the next 5-6 months. Temperatures as low as -50°F. Limited fresh food. A community of strangers he'll have to build relationships with fast. And once he's there, there's no changing his mind and walking back home.

So how do you prepare for something like that?

Joe says it comes down to a simple gear philosophy: "gear for show" vs. "gear for go."

There's plenty of gear that looks impressive sitting on a shelf. But when it came time to pack for Antarctica, only the gear that had actually earned its place — tested, trusted, and proven — made the cut. Some of it is 15-20 years old. None of it was bought just to look prepared.

That's a lesson worth sitting with, whether you're heading to the bottom of the world or simply building out your own bug-out bag: prep now, so future-you isn't scrambling later.

We sat down with Joe to talk through how he got ready for this — physically, mentally, and yes, emotionally too — and the preparedness lessons apply to all of us, no matter where we live or what we're preparing for.

This is a valuable conversation and well worth your time. https://youtu.be/rsG6sb5kQFA

What's the ONE piece of gear in your kit that's earned its place over the years? Share below!

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 87

The Provident Prepper

I'm busy preserving another crop of mulberry leaves. It is an amazing superfood and a decent plant protein source. One tree is all you need for an abundant supply of leaves. Check out this post: theprovidentprepper.org/mulberry-trees-the-overloo…

I created this video on mulberry leaf tea (which I LOVE!) https://youtu.be/Ep0wgTJf-jM. It is worth a watch. It got me started down a path of discovery to this superfood that was once ignored in my backyard except as animal fodder.

Mulberry leaves are simple to preserve, and in this video I go into detail about preservation methods. Mulberry leaves are valuable because they will grow almost anywhere, are incredibly abundant, and are a superfood. When times are hard and nutrition matters, mulberry leaves are heaven's way of reminding us that we are loved.

Do you cook with mulberry leaves? I would love to hear some of your tips!

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I love this Blue Alpine freeze dryer. If you are looking for a great freeze dryer, check it out bluealpinefreezedryers.com/providentprepper. Use the promo code PROVIDENT to get 5% off.

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 184

The Provident Prepper

Proper care and feeding of power stations is critical to longevity. In today's video, Jonathan explains best practices for caring for your power station so that it lasts and is ready when you need it most. Check out the video at: https://youtu.be/ZiC0Yp8Dmp0

If you don't have a power station yet, here are affiliate links to the ones that we recommend. The first link is directly to the manufacturer site; the second is to Amazon. Check both for the best deals.

EcoFlow - tidd.ly/4y86EHN amzn.to/4zL8OPp
Jackery - tidd.ly/4gy99vV amzn.to/4hZZ4KP
Bluetti - tidd.ly/4gy9kaz amzn.to/4zGeAlr
Anker - amzn.to/4qFF2Y2

Grid Down Bugout Link: griddown.com/bugout/?coupon=provident&src=Providen… Use Discount Code PROVIDENT for 7% off!

If you haven't checked your portable power station recently, this is your reminder! Take it out of storage, make sure it's working, plug something into it, check that it charges properly, and return it to the appropriate storage charge level for your particular unit. Then put a reminder on your calendar to do it again in about three months.

A few minutes of maintenance now could make a tremendous difference when you actually need emergency power.

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We love you! Tough times on the horizon. Get ready and build relationships with your neighbors now.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 113

The Provident Prepper

Tomatoes and peppers are coming on in abundance. It is time to harvest them and make homemade salsa. YUM! Amanda shows how simple it is to create your own shelf-stable bottled salsa in this video: https://youtu.be/2eMR0geSMU0. You can also find step-by-step instructions along with free printable bottle labels at: theprovidentgardener.com/how-we-make-and-can-homem….

Don't let any of that beautiful homegrown produce go to waste! Home-bottled salsa is a fantastic ingredient to add flavor and nutrition to soups, beans, rice, enchiladas, and a hundred other dishes.

Whether you grow your own or purchase from a local farmers' market, take time to put away some food for the cold months ahead. You got this!

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4 weeks ago | [YT] | 104

The Provident Prepper

We've found a grid-down solution for staying cool during the summer heat — and it can be powered by a small power station for almost nothing. Have you ever heard of a whole house fan?

These fans take very little power, which means they can run off battery backup all night long during a grid-down event — no generator, no massive power draw, just cool air moving through your entire house. And even when the grid's up, they've cut our AC usage by up to 5 hours a day in our own tests, all for about 6 cents a night.

Our whole house fan has made a huge difference in our ability to stay comfortable during the summer heat without costing a fortune — and best of all, we can run it during a grid-down event too.

Watch now: https://youtu.be/95DViR71Ta8. Check out these fans at airscapefans.com/

Thanks for being part of the solution!

1 month ago | [YT] | 129

The Provident Prepper

One year of food storage. A fully stocked bug-out bag. A plan for every disaster. But nothing prepared Karen Morris for the diagnosis that changed everything. Her blood sugar was 340. Double what it should be. And it forced her to confront the one prep she'd never thought about: her own body.

She's back to share how she turned it around — 94.6 pounds down and counting. This is a great interview. You will walk away inspired! https://youtu.be/LwslHadkjtM

Thanks, Karen, for sharing your incredible story. And thanks to all of you for being part of the solution!

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1 month ago | [YT] | 182