Resources for the Newbie Homesteader/Prepper

I have a serious soft spot for people starting out in the homesteading and preparedness lifestyle. Newbie homesteaders and preppers alike are serious bundles of energy and can get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. You decide you are going to make these changes and have your head filled with visions of bountiful gardens, fresh eggs, clean air to breathe and being part of a bigger picture.

 

Then you walk headlong into a brick wall that blows the wisps of your daydreams away when you consider where in the world do I start? It was not so long ago that I was sitting in that same chair, thinking the same thoughts. While I am not anything close to an expert or even proficient in all of the things that go with the lifestyle, I have gotten my feet wet a time or two. I have cried, sweated, and bled from different projects and gone cross-eyed from reading so much. Completely worth it.

The purpose of this post is to help guide you to places that are relevant, packed with solid information, and arm you with some interactive forms that will help you gather your thoughts so you can focus and achieve more in less time. I also believe there are 5 Stages a Newbie Prepper goes through. Homesteaders can relate to some of those steps, too!

Every person’s definition of ‘homesteading’ or ‘preparedness’ is different and the journey to get there even more so. The great thing is there are common denominators that bind our needs into the same thing regardless of where we live or any other statistical label that can be placed on us. We need oxygen, shelter, water, food, and warmth to survive. Making sure those things are provisioned for is your first layer of thinking. If you are ‘prepping’ to survive some disaster or ‘homesteading’ to be more self sufficient – or both! – your methods and approach will be different but your needs for the basics are the same.

Before I get to the lists, I would like to say that these are sites I discovered through hours of searching. I have followed a few of them for almost 2 years now. There is so much out there that I ended up making criteria for what would make a site worthy to follow. My criteria; solid information without political agenda-pushing, no sites with overly religious tones, and no fear mongering. I want information, not personal viewpoints on current events. I can get that elsewhere! That being said, here are some great resources for homesteading and ‘prepping’ (some cross over).

Homesteading Resources

Mother Earth News – Excellent overall information on just about any topic you are interested in.

The Wannabe Homesteader – These folk are a lot like me (except further along haha) and I enjoy their stories, tips, and tricks.

Survival Mom – One of the most comprehensive sites for self sufficiency.

Modern Homesteading – A great resource for utilizing every day modern things in a homestead way.

Prepping Resources

The Organic Prepper – This site truly combines the concepts of homesteading and prepping in a funny, yet very informative way. I LOVE this site!

Tin Hat Ranch – This site is one of my top 3 favorites. The information is great, especially the YouTube videos. I followed them for a solid year before I started writing for them. It may be a little too serious for some but there is good humor here along with the information.

Backdoor Survival – I have lost hours of time reading this blog. Need I say more?

Survival for Blondes – This site is excellent for the ultimate newbie because it breaks things down in terms you can understand. It is practical and the writer has a great sense of humor.

I would like to give special mention to Prepper Website.com and SHTF Preparedness. Both of these sites lead you to countless other sites and articles on topics you are interested in. Of course, there are others but those listed above are good places to start. They cover a variety of subjects that help you learn about ways to meet your basic needs no matter which path you prefer to take. I really hope this gives you a solid platform to jump from and find the information you are looking for!