Special Joint Edition: WayPoint Survival & Prepping 101

Hello Everyone,

This week, we wanted to do something a little different. In a world of uncertainty, the most resilient communities are those that bring together diverse perspectives to solve common problems. With that spirit in mind, we’re proud to present a special joint edition from both Prepping 101 and WayPoint Survival.

For years, we’ve been on parallel paths, each dedicated to helping you build a more secure and self-reliant life. Bob Yeager has focused on the practical, no-nonsense systems that every family needs, while James Bender has explored the deeper, philosophical side of resilience and our connection to the natural world.

Today, we’re bringing those two paths together.

In this special edition, you’ll get two distinct but complementary perspectives on one of the most critical topics we face today: building true resilience in an age of constant disruption. We’ll cover both the “how” and the “why” of preparedness, giving you a more complete and holistic approach than ever before.

We hope this joint effort provides you with a richer, more comprehensive understanding of what it means to be truly prepared—not just for a crisis, but for a more meaningful and empowered life.

Thank you for being part of our communities.

Sincerely,

Bob Yeager & James Bender

Part 1: The Preparedness Tripod: A No-Nonsense Systems Check

By Bob Yeager, Prepping 101

Folks, for 25 years, I’ve taught one core principle: preparedness isn’t a hobby; it’s a responsibility. It’s not about doomsday fantasies; it’s about ensuring your family is safe when the systems we rely on fail. And they will fail. We’re seeing it right now.

Forget the overwhelming checklists for a minute. True preparedness rests on three core systems that I call the Preparedness Tripod. If any one of these legs is weak, the whole structure collapses. Let’s do a quick, no-nonsense audit of where you stand.

Leg 1: The Lifeline System (Sustainment)

This is the absolute bedrock: water, food, and medical. Without this, nothing else matters.

•Water: Do you have a minimum of 1 gallon of stored water per person, per day, for 14 days?

That’s 56 gallons for a family of four. And is your storage plan robust?

Don’t just rely on bottled water. Have multiple seven-gallon rigid containers that are easy to transport. More importantly, do you have at least two redundant purification methods? A high-quality filter (like a Sawyer Squeeze or a Berkey) is great, but what happens when it clogs or breaks?

You also need a chemical method (bleach or purification tablets) and the knowledge to boil water safely.

•Food: Your pantry should have a three-layered system.

Layer 1 is your “3-Day” food: easy-to-eat, no-cook items in your go-bags (granola bars, jerky).

Layer 2 is your “2-Week” food: canned goods, pasta, rice—the food you eat normally, but more of it. This is your working pantry.

Layer 3 is your “3-Month+” food: bulk staples like rice, beans, oats, and wheat, properly sealed in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and stored in 5-gallon buckets. If you don’t have all three layers, you have a critical vulnerability.

•Medical: A store-bought first-aid kit is a start, but it’s not enough. You need a trauma kit with tourniquets, chest seals, and pressure dressings, and you need the training to use them. Do you have a robust supply of any prescription medications your family needs? Have you spoken to your doctor about getting an extra month’s supply? Do you have over-the-counter meds for common illnesses like the flu, which will be rampant in a crisis?

Leg 2: The Fortress System (Security)

Security is about making your home a hard target and having the means to defend it. It’s not just about firearms.

•Home Hardening: This is your first line of defense. Have you replaced the flimsy half-inch screws in your door strike plates with 3-inch screws that go into the door frame stud? This simple, $5 fix can make your door exponentially harder to kick in. Have you installed security film on ground-floor windows? Do you have a robust, non-electric early warning system (like a dog or motion-activated solar lights)?

•Layered Defense: Your security plan should have layers. The first layer is deterrence (a visible camera, a well-lit home). The second is detection (alarms, dogs). The third is delay (hardened doors, locks). The final layer is response. What is your family’s plan if there’s a home invasion at 2 a.m.? Does everyone know where to go and what to do? If you haven’t practiced it, you don’t have a plan.

•Personal Security: If you choose to own firearms for defense, are you and your family proficient? Proficiency isn’t about owning a gun; it’s about consistent, quality training. Dry-fire practice, range time, and force-on-force training are non-negotiable. If you’re not comfortable with firearms, what is your plan? Do you have less-lethal options like pepper spray and the training to use them effectively under stress?

Leg 3: The Network System (Community & Communication)

This is the leg most people neglect. No one can survive a long-term crisis alone. Your network is your force multiplier.

•Communication: If the grid goes down, your cell phone is a paperweight. Do you have a family communications plan? Do you have a designated out-of-state contact that everyone knows to call? Do you have non-electric communication methods? A simple set of GMRS radios can keep your family connected within a few miles. For longer-range communication, you need to be thinking about HAM radio. Getting your technician’s license is easier than you think.

•Community: Who are the five people within walking distance you can count on in a crisis? If you can’t name them, you have a critical failure point. Start building that network now. Know your neighbors. Identify the skills in your community—who’s a nurse? Who’s a mechanic? Who has a generator? A strong community is the most powerful survival tool there is.

•Evacuation/Bug-Out Plan: Do you have a primary, secondary, and tertiary bug-out location? Have you physically driven the routes? Are your go-bags packed and ready, or are they just a pile of gear in the corner? Your bug-out plan needs to be a real, actionable strategy, not a vague idea.

The Bottom Line:

Look at this tripod. Be honest with yourself. Which leg is weak? That’s where you need to focus your energy this week. Don’t get distracted by the latest gear or the newest threat. Master the fundamentals. Build your systems. That’s how you build real, lasting preparedness.

Part 2: The Inner Compass: Finding Your WayPoint When the Maps Disappear

By James Bender, WayPoint Survival

My friends, Bob has just given you the blueprint for building a fortress. It’s a vital, necessary foundation, and I trust his expertise on it more than anyone I know. But a fortress, no matter how strong, is just a shell if the people inside it are brittle. My work has always been about what happens inside that fortress—inside your mind, your spirit, and your community.

I’ve spent my life in the wild places, learning from the quiet wisdom of the mountains and the unyielding logic of the seasons. And the most important lesson the wilderness has ever taught me is this: the most critical piece of survival gear is the one you carry between your ears.

When the power goes out, when the shelves are empty, when the world you knew is gone, your physical preps will buy you time. But it’s your inner compass—your mindset, your character, your connection to something deeper than the daily news cycle—that will see you through.

The Illusion of Control

Modern life is built on an illusion of control. We have apps for everything, next-day delivery, and a sense that we can bend the world to our will. A crisis shatters that illusion. It reminds us that we are not in control of the storm, only our response to it. This is terrifying for most people, but for the prepared individual, it is liberating.

When you stop trying to control the uncontrollable, you free up an immense amount of energy to focus on what you can control: your attitude, your actions, and your attention. This is the first and most important step toward developing a resilient mindset.

I remember a hiker being caught in a sudden blizzard on a solo winter trip in the Rockies. His tent was miles away, the temperature was dropping fast, and his first instinct was panic—a desperate, clawing feeling of losing control. But then years of training kicked in. He couldn’t stop the snow, but he could build a shelter. He couldn’t raise the temperature, but He could make a fire. He couldn’t change his situation, but he could change his focus from what he lacked to what he had: skills, knowledge, and a refusal to give up.

That night, huddled in a hastily built snow cave, he didn’t just survive; he learned something profound about the nature of control. True power isn’t about bending the world to your will; it’s about aligning yourself with reality and acting with purpose within it.

Cultivating the Antifragile Spirit

There’s a concept called “antifragility,” which is different from resilience. A resilient system withstands shocks and stays the same. An antifragile system is one that actually gets stronger from shocks and chaos. Your goal should not be to simply survive a crisis, but to emerge from it stronger, wiser, and more connected than you were before.

How do you cultivate this antifragile spirit?

1.Embrace Discomfort: Our modern world teaches us to avoid discomfort at all costs. This is a spiritual and practical mistake. Regularly and intentionally expose yourself to small, controlled doses of discomfort. Take cold showers. Fast for a day. Go for a long hike in the rain. Sleep on the floor for a night. These small acts of voluntary hardship are like a vaccine for your spirit. They teach your mind and body that you can handle more than you think, so that when real hardship arrives, it’s not a foreign experience.

2.Practice Observational Awareness: The wilderness is a master teacher of observation. It teaches you to notice the subtle shift in the wind that signals a coming storm, the bent blade of grass that reveals the path of an animal. This is more than just a tracking skill; it’s a form of deep mindfulness. When you are truly present and observant, you are not lost in anxious thoughts about the future or regrets about the past. You are grounded in the reality of the here and now, which is the only place where you have any real power. Spend 15 minutes a day just sitting outside, without your phone, and simply notice. What do you see, hear, smell? This practice will sharpen your senses and quiet your mind.

3.Connect with the Analogue World: Our digital world is incredibly fragile. It depends on a complex and vulnerable power grid and global supply chains. Reclaim your connection to the analogue world. Learn to use hand tools. Read physical books. Write with a pen and paper. Learn to navigate with a map and compass. These are not just nostalgic hobbies; they are acts of rebellion against the fragility of our modern systems. They root you in a more permanent and reliable reality.

The Ultimate Prep: A Reason to Survive

I’ve known people who had all the best gear, all the right preps, but they lacked one critical thing: a reason to survive. When the crisis hit, they were the first to fall apart.

Your most important prep is not in your bug-out bag; it’s in your heart. It’s your family, your community, your faith, your values. It’s the “why” that will get you through any “how.”

In the end, the work Bob and I do is not about two different things; it’s about two sides of the same coin. Bob’s systems build the ship that can weather the storm. My work is about training the captain and crew to navigate it with courage, wisdom, and grace.

You need both. A strong ship with a weak crew will be dashed on the rocks. A strong crew with a weak ship will be swamped by the first wave.

This week, as you check your systems and strengthen your fortress, also take the time to strengthen your spirit. Go for a walk in the woods. Spend an evening around a fire with your family, with no screens. Read a book that challenges you. Practice a skill that connects you to the real, tangible world.

Build a life so rich in meaning and connection that it is worth protecting. That is the ultimate prep.

A Final Word

We hope this joint edition has given you a more complete picture of what it means to be prepared. It’s about having the right gear, yes, but it’s also about having the right mindset. It’s about building systems, but it’s also about building character. It’s about protecting your family, but it’s also about building a community.

These are not separate pursuits; they are two halves of a whole. And in a world that seems to be pulling itself apart, the work of integrating them has never been more important.

Stay safe, stay strong, and stay prepared.

Bob Yeager & James Bender