Survival Scout Tips

The story of the first Thanksgiving is ripe with lessons of survival--from sharing resources to learning how to hunt and fish. Discover more about what the Pilgrims and Native Americans did to stay alive.

At its peak, 50 million people were without power for as long as four days. It was one of the largest blackouts to date. Here are a few lessons we can use to prepare for future blackouts. 

Tom Hanks featured in the movie Castaway Since the time that humans began building and sailing ships, the premise of being stranded on a deserted island has been used in...

Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn how to fly. My motivation was simple. Flying scared the heck out of me. I travelled so much for business that I had gained platinum status with my preferred airline. But every single flight terrified me. I would always send my wife a text before taking off, so the last message she had from me on her phone was “I love you.” I was convinced that every flight would be my last.

It’s called “reading the water.”

Once you’ve found a piece of water to fish, you need to be able to find the fish.

This is not always obvious and takes some practice to learn. Just like learning to read a book, it might seem strange at first, but will become second nature if you keep some guidelines in mind.

Many turn to the preparedness and self-reliance lifestyle because we are shocked at how far we’ve gotten away from these traditions. If you feel this way, then you’ve found the right community.

One of the most ubiquitous images of fishing in our culture is with a rod and reel. It is also called “angling” because of the angle the line forms from the tip of the rod to the fish when hooked up. However, some forms of angling, like cane pole fishing, don’t use reels and are still considered angling.

Today I want to launch a topic I can’t believe we haven’t covered in our Survival Scouts before: fishing for survival.

It’s something I’ve been doing with my family since I was old enough to stand on my own two feet.

It’s also invaluable as a skill to have in a crisis. I’d like to share my expertise with you over the course of a series of articles, so that you may add this survival skill to your quiver.

Today, I wanted to share a few quick thoughts on what this show can teach you and your family about preparedness and survival – without spoilers – so that you can watch the show with your family with a similar lens.

Pouring Rain, Howling Wind and a Campfire: Lessons from the Boy Scouts

MPS advisor Grant Miller tells a tale from a recent Boy Scouts’ outing he helped lead. The lessons of getting a simple fire going in tough conditions and what it means for our preparedness journeys.

First, let’s take care of some basic terminology. Fallout can be the result of any nuclear event, meaning it could be from a weapon or a nuclear plant meltdown. Nuclear...

WITHOUT PRACTICE, PLANS ARE ONLY INTENTIONS There is a reason we say at MPS that preparedness is a journey. Many of us are excellent in the planning phases. Others are...