Preparedness

Storms, outages, emergencies. Calm, practical readiness for the household, without the paranoia.

The BRO Survival & Preparedness GuideThe printable family manual: a kit and go-bag builder, water and food calculators, the core skills and a family emergency plan.Get ready, calmly

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Build the Chicken Coop for the Raccoon, Not the Hen

A small backyard flock is a great idea. Just check your city code, wire the coop against what's hungry, and do the honest egg math first.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseCal BrennanOct 10, 20265 min

Panic isn't what gets people killed. The next bad move is.

Fear is normal and you can't switch it off. What you can do is slow your next decision down, and that's a skill you can practice before you need it.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

StoryHistoryWes DunbarOct 4, 20267 min

Before Paul Bunyan Was an Ad, He Was a Few Thousand Real Men

The north woods camps ran on pine, pancakes and nerve. They built the Midwest, nearly burned it down, and left a lesson in how to clean up after yourself.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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Garden & Yard6 min read

Buy the Skinny Fruit Tree and Pick Off the First Apples

The bare-root stick beats the big potted tree with fruit on it. Here's how to choose, space and raise fruit trees through the first three years.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

Search and rescue starts looking at your kitchen table

The search for a missing hiker begins with a piece of paper, a phone call and a time. Here's how teams find people, and what you can do before you leave.

StoryHistoryDean ShawOct 4, 20267 min

The Wright Brothers Flew for Five Years Before the World Believed It

Kitty Hawk was the easy part. The hard part was the cow pasture, the newspapers that yawned, and the years they chose not to fly at all.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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GuideGarden & YardSam OrtizOct 5, 20266 min

A Kid's Garden Needs a Win by Week Four

Tomatoes and pumpkins lose kids by July. Radishes, bush beans and one giant sunflower keep them coming back out the door.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

The note on your fridge is the real rescue plan

A trip plan only works if someone else holds it and knows exactly when to call. Write one that does.

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeOct 4, 20266 min

The Railway Canada Couldn't Afford and Built Anyway

A young country promised a train to the Pacific, nearly went broke keeping its word, and finished five years early. Not everyone was thanked.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideGarden & YardNina CastellanOct 5, 20266 min

Water-Bath Canning Lives or Dies on the Acid

Jam, pickles and tomatoes are the safe starting point for home canning, but only if you get the acid right. Grandma's method won't cover it.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Caulk a tub and a window so nobody can tell you did it

A pro-looking caulk line has almost nothing to do with a steady hand. It comes down to what you do before the gun ever comes out.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeOct 3, 20267 min

The Pony Express Went Broke Delivering the Mail on Time

For eighteen months, kids on fast horses beat the clock across 1,900 miles of open country. The company lost a fortune doing it. The ride was worth it.