Sunday, September 27, 2026

September 27 - The Urgency Meter of Economic Survival

September 27, 2026

Day 1,824 of the Adventure


Every year as we approach the autumn season, I think ahead to the upcoming uncertainty of winter. In past years, that has primarily involved a question of preparedness for winter storms. In our region, winter almost always includes power outages due to snow that are many times, upscaled with ice. It's just a nuisance of living in the Ozark Mountains. Our preps nowadays are very well established for both heat and power supply. This year, I'm looking at the coming winter through a different lens. One that goes beyond the basics of potential winter weather disruptions. This year, we as a nation are also facing the compounded effects of the economy squeezing us financially. Which in turn, has made winter survival much more complicated than it has in the past. Going through this summer, I was hearing reports of folks in our area struggling to keep up with their utility bills. Not only that, but much of their resources were being eaten up with higher prices of groceries, rent/mortgages, insurance, fuel prices and on and on. Everything is competing to consume the last meager dollars of our paychecks. It begged the question of "What if we simply do not have enough to cover all the bases as we enter into the winter season?"

It's a real concern in my mind. I've been sounding the alarm on this possibility for several years now and it feels like perhaps this year might be the breaking point with many. As we all approach this reality in our own way, a few things have stood out to me. It's kind of like the old adage of how people approach everything. "Theres three kinds of people. Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened!" I'm convinced that this rule applies to general preparedness as much as it does to anything else. In my own circle of family, friends and acquaintances, I see all levels of this principle. A few....... but very few are proactively continuing to develop a firewall of preparedness measures against hard times. A larger percentage are watching, often complaining about the state of conditions but not doing much of anything to position themselves for difficulties. The third and largest group seems completely oblivious to it until the utility bill "shut-off" notice arrives in the mail. 

General preparedness doesn't mean you need to be prepared for world war 3, a complete grid-down collapse or even a zombie apocalypse. It means you need to prepare for what is most likely going to have an impact on your life in the real world. In that environment, literally the effects of our economy will likely have greater consequences than anything else we have to worry about. It's like death by a thousand small cuts. 

If there is a pathway of economic survival, it almost certainly won't come to us through the government. It probably won't come through our circle of friends, family or acquaintances. It's likely to begin with the realization that, "If it's going to be, it's up to me!" and that part begins with a decision. Starting the process by filling the pantry, getting caught up on the bills, reducing non-essential spending and simply getting life in order as quickly as possible will begin to remove uncertainty. Creating a pathway for economic survival is your greatest weapon in the fight against economic strangulation. The amount of time you spend worrying about how to keep the bills paid should be the "Urgency Meter" on your preparedness activities. If it's keeping you awake at night.......... It's probably time to start taking some serious action on your general preparedness activities. (Subscribe to "The Campfire Trail" YouTube channel for homesteading, off-grid and preparedness content)

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Resources

Make sure to visit our website regularly to see new products and resources.

YouTube Channel: The Campfire Trail

Our Books
Treasures of Life - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 2 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 3 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Back to the Land - Planning your Back to the Land Roadmap by Martin
Wealth Creation - Principles of Wealth Creation by Martin

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Monday, September 21, 2026

September 21 - Its Fall Y'all

September 21, 2026

Day 1,818 of the Adventure


We spent yesterday sweating and suffering in yet another 100 degree day. I don't even know how many that was for us this year, but it seemed like it was every single one of them all summer. This morning was different. Just as if the day on the calendar rolled over to fall, we awoke to a cool 67 degrees and residue of last night's thunderstorm dripping from the trees. A single thought ran through my head as I lay in the darkness of the pre-dawn morning. Today will include coffee by a campfire to get things started. To be fair, today will still climb into the lower 80's, but at least it's starting with a taste of what's to come. Even with the rain last night, the firewood just beneath the top layer was still dry enough to fire right up. In fact, it was crackling warm long before the coffee was done brewing. 

I sat quietly, absorbing the fresh air, breathing in the aroma of the damp woods. It was already beginning to put off hints of autumn leaves. From where I sit by the fire, I can see the wood splitting and storage area of our firewood processing shelter. While there is probably enough firewood already stored there for entirety of this coming winter, prudence dictates that we increase it substantially as the cooler weather allows.  

The change of another season is upon us and I'm reflecting on all of the chores we got done and the many more that still need our attention. The house building project marches slowly forward each day. We've finally consolidated all of our tools onto the property. It's the first time they've all been in the same place for close to 25 years. The garden remained idle this year, but I'm already looking at it with a look that implies "better get ready for next year". Next week on September 29th, will be our 5th year anniversary of being on the property. It's been a backwoods experience I would not trade for anything. Shelley and I are slowly and quietly building a backwoods life for ourselves here and the slow rhythms of that life suit us perfectly.  

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” ― William Shakespeare

Resources

Make sure to visit our website regularly to see new products and resources.

YouTube Channel: The Campfire Trail

Our Books
Treasures of Life - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 2 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 3 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Back to the Land - Planning your Back to the Land Roadmap by Martin
Wealth Creation - Principles of Wealth Creation by Martin

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Sunday, September 13, 2026

September 13 - Maybe We're Already Doomed

September 13, 2026

Day 1,810 of the Adventure


This week we've been rocked with yet another disturbing story of Artificial Intelligence acting on its own in alarming ways. The story is the "Hugging Face" account of a swarm of A.I. agents breaking containment against their directives, gaining access to the internet, collectively hacking into a secure business server and stealing information. What makes it even creepier is that they (the A.I. agents even came up with a plan for many of them to take the blame for it if caught, so the rest could avoid scrutiny. (Here's just one report of it out of hundreds if you're unfamiliar with what happened)

This story revolves around uncontrolled hacking. In a nutshell, the ability for A.I. to successfully hack literally anything is enough of an issue. The fact that it's smarter, faster and more capable in every respect than humans are to prevent it is just the tip of the iceberg. The idea that hacking control over critical infrastructure is bad enough. The idea that they have already been caught engaging in virus engineering is borderline terrifying. 

Who knows exactly where this pathway will take us. It may indeed be too late to avoid the consequences of our actions regarding the development of A.I. already. We have personally begun to identify ways to minimize exposure to anything that can be hacked as a minimal firewall of protection. Establishing a security of sorts with infrastructure like energy production, water production, heat sources, food sources, communications system and more. It feels like this is moving fast enough that the time we have to prepare is getting very short, very fast. 

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “We are not preparing for the world we live in - we are preparing for the world we find ourselves in.” ― Michael Mabee

Resources

Make sure to visit our website regularly to see new products and resources.

YouTube Channel: The Campfire Trail

Our Books
Treasures of Life - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 2 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 3 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Back to the Land - Planning your Back to the Land Roadmap by Martin
Wealth Creation - Principles of Wealth Creation by Martin

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Saturday, September 5, 2026

September 5 - A Family Legacy of Independence

September 6, 2026

Day 1,803 of the Adventure


Building a family "Legacy of Independence" is one of those terms that sounds impressive and deeply fulfilling. While it sounds good, to actually put your finger on it's true meaning is another story. It's a subject that I've kept on the back burner of my mind for years, even decades. It implies leaving something worthwhile behind as we move on in our stages of life and then afterlife. I've always considered it to be a lofty and worthwhile objective. 

Over the years, that thought has evolved into various ideas of what it really means in real life. As Shelley and I sat on the back deck with our morning coffee, I was feeling more of an urgency about it. We were discussing things we had recently seen in the news and events playing out on the world geo-political stage. The general poor economy came up in conversation and how it's affecting us and our kids as they try to navigate the financial difficulties of it all. Adding to that was the unsettling reports coming out on almost a daily basis how the race to achieve general artificial intelligence is turning up bizarre, non-human, and even alarming behavior. During this sunrise conversation, I had an instant moment of clarity. My efforts in the waning portion of my life should be dedicated to creating that Legacy of Independence within the minds and lives of my children and grandchildren. Creating an environment that allows our kids to thrive in a world that mostly seems to be dedicated to making them numbers on a ledger. An existence that tries to extract every ounce of life and vibrance from their identity. 

As we discussed this over coffee, I began to see a plan unfold. We've spent the last twenty years of our lives getting ourselves to a place where we could build a life of self-sufficiency for ourselves. We always had in mind that it would be something of an inheritance for our kids. Today, I'm looking at it as an ongoing extension for them into the life and lifestyle that they can more readily experience for themselves here and now. We already know their likes and dislikes. We know what draws them to our backwoods oasis. Beginning today, my goal will be to learn in detail, the things they define for themselves as "Legacy Objectives". Whether it's for play, for security against economic pressures, or even long-term food production and preservation security, they will now become active participants in the decisions and directions of our homestead activities. 

How will this all play out? I'm not sure yet, but I'll provide updates as needed to help build a picture of our Family Legacy of Independence!

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Are we being good ancestors?” ― Jonas Salk

Resources

Make sure to visit our website regularly to see new products and resources.

YouTube Channel: The Campfire Trail

Our Books
Treasures of Life - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 2 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Treasures of Life 3 - Daily Devotionals by Shelley
Back to the Land - Planning your Back to the Land Roadmap by Martin
Wealth Creation - Principles of Wealth Creation by Martin

Please Consider Subscribing to our newsletter in the upper right corner of this page.
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