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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StoryMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

Six Survivors and the One Decision That Kept Them Alive

None of them were the toughest person on the mountain. They made one good call, usually early, usually boring, and it held.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Three Blasts, Then Wait

A whistle, a mirror and a fire can do what a dead phone can't. Learn the signals rescuers are actually trained to look for.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

A Tarp, a Hundred Feet of Paracord and Three Knots

It won't replace a real shelter, but it'll keep your people and your gear dry the night the roof opens up. Learn it in the backyard first.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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6 min read

Wet Wood Still Burns If You Split It Open

Rain doesn't stop a fire. Soaked tinder, soggy ground and bad technique do. Here's how to get flame when everything outside is dripping.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Teach Your Kids to Hug a Tree Before They Ever Need To

Three rules a six-year-old can remember, and a pocket kit that costs less than a pizza, for the day one of your kids walks the wrong way.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Day Nine Is the Hard One in a Two Week Outage

The first 72 hours run on adrenaline and a kit. The other eleven days run on a schedule, a fuel budget and clean socks.

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GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Stay With the Car, Clear the Exhaust, Wait It Out

The blizzard doesn't kill you in the driver's seat. It kills you two hundred yards from the door, walking toward a light that was three miles off.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideSam OrtizSep 23, 20265 min

Drill Your Kids for Emergencies Without Giving Them Nightmares

A four-minute drill, a nine-word script and the phrases that keep a scared kid calm — what actually works with children under twelve.

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Crate the Cat Before the Wind Picks Up

The pet plan that works is the one you build on a quiet Tuesday: carrier, records, microchip, and a hotel two counties inland that takes dogs.

Ask BRO

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

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GuideNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

What to Do Before the Power Goes Out When You Live Alone

One pair of hands changes the math on every emergency plan. Here's the version that actually works for a household of one.

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

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GuideRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Your Emergency Fund and the Cash You Can Actually Reach

When the card readers go down, the guy with twenties in his pocket eats dinner. Here's how to set up both halves of household money readiness.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Flood Prep Starts Thirty Days Before the Rain

Flood insurance has a waiting period, sandbags have a limit, and a foot of water will float your truck. Sort all three now, while it's dry.

GuideSam OrtizSep 23, 20266 min

What Your Parents Need Before The Next Three-Day Outage

Pills, power, and a phone number written on paper. One Saturday at their house beats a dozen worried calls when the lines are down.

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

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GuideSam OrtizSep 23, 20266 min

Build a Family Emergency Plan Your Kids Can Recite

The binder in the closet isn't a plan. Here's how to get every person in your house to the same information without a phone.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

6 min

Paper Chars at 451 Degrees. Your Safe Should Know That.

6 min

Build a Car Emergency Kit That Works in January and July

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Locks, Lights and Cameras That Actually Do Something

Start with the three-inch screws in your strike plate, then work outward. Most of what makes a house hard to break into costs less than dinner out.

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

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6 min read

First Aid Skills Every Adult In Your House Should Have

The ambulance is coming. It just isn't here yet. These are the things a grown adult should be able to do in the gap.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

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