One of the first pieces I authored as a new hire for The American Conservative was titled‚ “The Myths We Tell Matter.” The brief post was inspired by a visit at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. After…

Stewart Parks has been marked by the left as an “insurrectionist” for‚ among other things‚ being in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6‚ 2021.   The 31-year-old Nashville man faces eight months in federal…

Amid the controversy following recent congressional testimony on the problem of campus antisemitism by the presidents of Harvard‚ MIT‚ and the University of Pennsylvania‚ Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio has introduced…

House lawmakers permitted a four-month extension of warrantless surveillance through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday. The lower chamber voted 310-118 to pass the annual national-defense…

Michael Cassidy‚ who said Thursday that beheaded a satanic statue at the Iowa State Capitol Building‚ previously ran for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives‚ according to Ballot Pedia.…

A post shared on Instagram claims that Israel admitted to bombing and killing all 364 Israelis at the Nova Music Festival. Verdict: False The Israel Defense Forces (DF) did not admit to killing…

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed during a Dec. 12 town hall that former U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley wants to raise the retirement age and that life expectancy is on the decline.Verdict:…

This year‚ even though the news says otherwise‚ everyone I personally know is doing Christmas differently. Folks are cutting back‚ making less expensive meals‚ and buying useful gifts as opposed to spending hundreds on frivolous things. In that spirit‚ here’s a roundup of articles with gift ideas‚ holiday preparedness strategies‚ and frugal food. I hope you find some helpful inspiration within! Gift ideas Prepper Gifts Under $25 Just in Time for Christmas 8 Christmas Gifts Your Favorite Prepper Will Love Stealth Survivalist Christmas Gifts for the Non-Preppers in Your Life Cut Holiday Clutter: Give Preparedness Skills for Christmas Gifts 12 Christmas Gifts for the Healthy Cook’s Kitchen The Most Important Gift You Can Give This Holiday Season Don’t blow your budget wrapping gifts! 20 Free and Festive Ways to Wrap Christmas Gifts Christmas Food Easy‚ Egg-Free Christmas Cookies from the Pantry How to Make a Festive Christmas Dinner from the Pantry How to Prep with Those Christmas Dinner Leftovers Christmas Survival Selco’s Stories from an SHTF Christmas Christmas in Venezuela: What It Was Like After Socialism Destroyed the Country Merry Frugal Christmas: How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Going Broke How NOT to Die on Christmas Vacation Books as gifts Our entire roster of paperback books is available on Amazon for less than $25 apiece. Here are our options: First‚ we have Selco’s three books‚ which are absolutely incredible assets to your preparedness library: The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival: The Brutal Truth About Violence‚ Death‚ &; Mayhem You Must Know to Survive SHTF Survival Boot Camp: A Course for Urban and Wilderness Survival during Violent‚ Off-Grid‚ &; Worst Case Scenarios SHTF Survival Stories: Memories from the Balkan War Next we have The Organic Prepper Anthologies. We’re working our way through the most useful and popular OP content and publishing it in paperback form. Here are the two that are out so far: How to Feed Your Family No Matter What: An Anthology of Self-Reliant Food Production‚ Acquisition‚ Preservation‚ and Preparation How to Survive During Dangerous Times: A Prepper’s Anthology of Home Security‚ Personal Safety‚ OPSEC‚ and Defensive Mindset And here are my books: The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide: Harvest‚ Treat‚ and Store Your Most Vital Resource The Prepper’s Canning Guide: Affordably Stockpile a Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious‚ Delicious‚ Shelf-Stable Foods Prepper’s Pantry: Build a Nutritious Stockpile to Survive Blizzards‚ Blackouts‚ Hurricanes‚ Pandemics‚ Economic Collapse‚ or Any Other Disasters Be Ready for Anything: How to Survive Tornadoes‚ Earthquakes‚ Pandemics‚ Mass Shootings‚ Nuclear Disasters‚ and Other Life-Threatening Events The Blackout Book: A Quick Start Guide to Handling a Power Outage Like a Boss How to Prep When You’re Broke: A Prepper’s Guide to Survival on a Budget Plus if you have family members you want to break in gently to preparedness‚ I have two books in the frugality niche. The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living: Save Money‚ Plan Ahead‚ Pay Off Debt &; Live Well  What to Eat When You’re Broke: A Frugal Food Philosophy for Eating WELL on a Tiny Budget Other preparedness and survival titles for book lovers Here are articles with my other book recommendations for the entire family: The 10 Food Preservation Books Every Prepper Needs The Essential Prepper’s Library: 30 Books Every Prepared Family Should Own Our Top 20 Works of Fabulous Fiction to Inspire Self-Reliant‚ Liberty-Loving Children and Teens The Herbalist’s Bookshelf The Reader’s Choice Survival and Preparedness Library The Reader’s Choice Library: Prepper Fiction You’ve Gotta Read I hope these articles and ideas help! I hope that your holiday is winding up to be filled with peace‚ love‚ good food‚ and good people. I hope that some of the ideas here help you to make this a very prepared and pleasant holiday! Please share your own prepper or thrifty Christmas ideas in the comments section! Merry Christmas from all of us here at The Organic Prepper!   The post Everything You Need to Know for a Very Prepper Christmas appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

There are many interesting aspects to life as I get older‚ and by “interesting” I mean they mostly suck. One aspect that I’ve found less than ideal is my lack of desire to get things done that I’ve committed to. Whereas I used to “go‚ go‚ go” until bedtime‚ that’s just not the case these […]

There are a slew of documents‚ guides‚ references‚ and programs that make sense to have on hand for emergencies and survival. With storage improvements over the years‚ it isn’t difficult to fit a ton of knowledge in your pocket. There are many types of USB flash drives to consider‚ but you’ll want to be sure your storage for survival is durable and secure. This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best survival USBs‚ tested them‚ and now the results are in: the overall best‚ a secure option‚ and an upgrade option. If you need to store your documents on a dependable drive‚ one of our picks will seal the deal. Contents (Jump to a Section) The Best Survival USB Secure Survival USB Upgrade Survival USB Everything We Recommend The USBs We Compared What to Look For What to Store on a Survival USB Who Needs a Survival USB? The Best Survival USB Verbatim ToughMAX Rugged‚ Small‚ and Dependable This flash drive is a dependable bang for your buck that will protect your documents in a huge range of conditions. $7* at Amazon *Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Verbatim is a middle-of-the-road storage device provider but they give us a screaming value here with the ToughMAX. It packs a lot of storage into a little key less than 2″ in length‚ with a removable rubberized cap. This cap helps it be waterproof‚ less temperature-sensitive‚ and crush-resistant. It does have an older USB 2.0 interface‚ but that shouldn’t matter with your survival use case. I use this model for my EDC storage and recommend it often to friends and family. Here is everything you get with this stick: 64 GB (shown‚ 3+ storage size options) KyronMax polymer and aluminum 30m waterproof‚ temperature and crush-resistant USB 2.0 0.8″ x 0.4″ x 1.8″ 0.3 ounces With simple ruggedness and solid value‚ it’s easy to see why the Verbatim ToughMAX USB Flash Drive tops the rest. Secure Survival USB Apricorn Aegis Secure Key Secure‚ Easy to Use‚ and Reliable With a physical PIN pad and unmatched encryption‚ this key will protect your information even if you misplace it. $61* at Amazon *Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Lock down your information like Fort Knox with a physically keyed and encrypted USB drive. Apricorn has a host of security solutions and this secure key is just the tip of the iceberg. With a wide range of storage size options‚ you can scale up or down depending on what you need to store. Trust that your info won’t get accessed without your consent since it sports the 256-bet AES XTS encryption. Here is how this USB drive measures up: 4 GB (shown‚ 7 storage size options) Rubberized polymer case with aluminum frame Onboard keypad PIN 256-bit AES XTS encryption USB 3.0 with backward compatibility 0.7″ x 0.25″ x 3.5″ 1.1 ounces If you are looking to put security first‚ the Apricorn Aegis Secure Key USB Flash Drive is the best option. Upgrade Survival USB Corsair Flash Survivor Modern‚ Rugged‚ and Effective Amazing environmental protection pairs with massive storage for a solution that has become the brand to beat. $55* at Amazon *Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. The Flash Survivor Stealth series of USB drives is basically a survival cache from one of the better memory and storage companies out there. Here are the specs: 256 GB (shown‚ 4+ storage size options) Rubber shock sheath and milled aluminum 200m waterproof USB 3.0 with backward compatibility 0.9″ D x 3″ L 1.3 ounces If you need the most durable USB storage solution‚ the Corsair Flash Survivor is a great choice that many long-time preppers recommend. Everything We Recommend Verbatim ToughMAX This flash drive is a dependable bang for your buck that will protect your documents in a huge range of conditions. Where to Buy $7* at Amazon *at time of reviewing Apricorn Aegis Secure Key With a physical PIN pad and unmatched encryption‚ this key will protect your information even if you misplace it. Where to Buy $61* at Amazon *at time of reviewing Corsair Flash Survivor Amazing environmental protection pairs with massive storage for a solution that has become the brand to beat. Where to Buy $55* at Amazon *at time of reviewing The USBs We Compared Our research narrowed the field down to several flash drive brands and models that we compared: Corsair‚ Verbatim‚ iStorage‚ Apricorn‚ Samsung‚ PNY‚ Kingston‚ SanDisk‚ Onn‚ and more. You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section‚ with an explanation for each. We considered a wide range of USB storage across many different manufacturers. We’re always looking for new and better gear‚ so if you have a USB drive that durably protects your documents‚ let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks. What to Look For The best USB flash drives have a few features to look for: Value Storage Capacity Security Durability Versatility When you get the right blend of these‚ you can find the perfect storage for your prepping documents and survival guides. Below‚ we break down what each of these features means for the keys that truly set themselves apart. Value: Cost vs. Benefit The amount of money you spend on something like a USB drive shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Most people have some spares in their junk drawer from over the years‚ so you could always find one for free if our suggestions are too costly. You never want to spend too much money on one resource‚ even when it comes to document security. It’s better to diversify your spending to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios. Storage Capacity What’s the point of a great storage device if it can’t hold very much? Capacity will dictate how many documents‚ guides‚ and Wikipedia downloads you can fit on your device so you’ll need to plan accordingly. Copies of essential documents and plans don’t take up much room but using it for a complete survival library will. Just pick which one you’ll use it for: Essential documents and plans: 4GB Survival guides‚ maps‚ and specific knowledge: 32GB Knowledge Vault (preserve and rebuild): 256GB‚ ex: a Wikipedia download is 22GB without media As you can see‚ your intended survival solution has a big effect on what you’ll need for storage. You can also choose to use multiple USB drives if you need more capacity‚ want to organize files physically‚ or want redundancy. Security Most people don’t plan on misplacing or having others access their files‚ but not everything goes as planned. Both software encryption and physical locks work well to keep people from accessing your storage. Many people end up misplacing their USB keys because they are small and lightweight. If you end up stashing one in a survival cache‚ make sure you keep a record of where it is. Durability Rugged rubberized polymer with aluminum frames set the standard for rough-and-tumble USB keys that may need to take a beating. Weather seals and port covers help some models take a ton of punishment without breaking. Versatility Some USB drives come with extra features‚ whether it’s security software or a lanyard hole for easy carrying. These versatile additions make a difference beyond the rest of our criteria since you can use the USB key in more situations. What to Store on a Survival USB People have been storing a wide range of information on USBs since they first showed up in 2000‚ but certain types of documents‚ programs‚ and files make sense for survival. Here is what we recommend for storage: Identification Documents – pictures of you and your family’s ID‚ passport‚ etc. Emergency Plan – your emergency plan along with important contact numbers. Prepping Checklists – checklists to parse through and keep organized. Survival Guides – PDFs of important survival manuals. Local Maps – free maps make it easy to know where you’re headed. If you have storage left over‚ many preppers opt to include: Personal Pictures – remember family‚ pets‚ and life moments but also document your belongings for insurance purposes. Ebooks (for Entertainment) – there is a lot more downtime during emergencies than you may realize. Wikipedia Download – great for knowledge preservation. Non-Survival Manuals – firearms‚ farming‚ car repair‚ etc. Disk Wipe – eraser utility that is portable‚ free‚ and thorough. Wipe your electronic records if you are bugging out permanently. Depending on what you store‚ looking into encryption software or going with our secure pick may be the best way to go. You don’t want anyone getting a hold of your personal info and bank account numbers. Who Needs a Survival USB? Nobody needs a USB drive for survival. But‚ the documents and information you put on it could be vital in a wide range of emergencies. We don’t consider USB drives essential‚ largely because you could carry hardcopies of documents and plans- or you could forgo them altogether if you need to. I do keep USB drives in my survival kits and suggest them mainly for this kit: Everyday Carry They aren’t essential‚ but many preppers include them in additional kits: Home Survival Kit Bug Out Bag Get Home Bag INCH Bag If you find yourself with extras‚ they are useful around the house and I find myself needing them for random equipment and tasks while I’m on the go. How We Review Products: We research thoroughly before selecting the best products to review. We consult experts in the field for a better understanding of what makes the gear great. Hours on end are spent field testing gear in stressful conditions. We assign performance criteria and impartially rate each tested item. You can support us through our independently chosen links‚ which can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. After our review process‚ some of the items reviewed end up in our giveaways. Sources and References All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best survival USB are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience: Kennedy‚ J.‚ et al. (2021). Liminoid media: On the enduring significance of USB portable flash drives. New Media and Society. Volume 23. Issue 4. Pages 672 – 691. (Source) Stevens‚ H. (2023). Who Really Invented the Thumb Drive?: The Ubiquitous USB Gadget is the Brainchild of an Unsung Singapore Inventor. IEEE Spectrum. Volume 60. Issue 2. Pages 26 – 31. (Source) Tetmeyer‚ A.‚ et al. (2010). Security Threats and Mitigating Risk for USB Devices. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. Volume 29. Issue 4. Pages 44 – 49. (Source) The Final Word Way back in 2000‚ when a little-known inventor from Singapore brought the first USB thumb drive to a trade show‚ most people didn’t realize how long that simple solution would stick around. It’s still one of the best ways to keep data and information mobile‚ and it applies to prepping plans‚ checklists‚ maps‚ survival guides‚ and more. Here are a few other gear reviews and guides our subscribers have found helpful: How to Get a Free Survival Map of Your Local Area The Best Survival Pen for EDC Everyday Carry (EDC) Guide‚ Gear List‚ and Checklist We presented quite a lot of information‚ but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our testing found the Verbatim ToughMAX Flash Drive to be the best solution given its value‚ storage capacity‚ security‚ durability‚ and versatility. Keep exploring‚ stay prepared‚ and be safe. You’ve Been Missing Out Join the 2+ million preppers that rely on our prepping advice by subscribing to TruePrepper. Practical guides and tips Useful survival giveaways Free‚ forever <; 0.4% of people unsubscribe Thanks for subscribing‚ reading‚ and welcome to the club.             The post Best Survival USB for Document Storage and More appeared first on TruePrepper.