Dana Armstrong
I like the expression “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.” I’ve been wanting to learn more about preparedness – why not leverage the wisdom of people who do this for a hobby (and sometimes a living!)?
YouTube videos have been a surprisingly useful resource for my own prepping research for several reasons: 1) They have dates (unlike some websites) so I can usually find recent information 2) I can see items or techniques they’re recommending in detail and 3) The videos can make sometimes dry topics personal, practical and often fun. Please note that I don’t agree with all the tips discussed (I don’t think you should use candles for lighting or cooking, for safety reasons).
In this column, I grouped YouTubers by their main specialty or topic. The YouTube channels are listed by their YouTube handle (preceded by @). Using this item in YouTube’s search bar means you’ll get to the right channel!
General Prepping
@TheUrbanPrepper: A dapper Seattle resident who focuses on city preparedness and has tons of tool/gadget recommendations, Cliff has been uploading preparedness content for 14 years! Videos include “Urban Shelter Design Strategy,” “Top 10 Preps to Buy at Costco,” (he also does Home Depot and AutoZone), and “The 10 Cs of Urban Survival.”
I enjoy his straightforward, easy-to-follow approach (when it comes to shelter, Cliff says, be sure to consider three things: what you sleep under, in, and on.) His videos are professional, to the point, and have a real sense of fun.
@ModernRefugee: Sporting a deep, reassuring voice and common-sense attitude, MR has all the prepper cred you’d want. Videos include “Be Cautious & Build Everyday Redundancy,” “Have An Egress Plan,” and “Turn a Blanket Into Clothing.”
MR discusses a wide range of preparedness topics, including “country skills” like camping, fishing, and farming. I enjoyed the discussion of current events, like rising prices and everyday SHTF situations (a prepper term for when “Stuff (well, not stuff, but this is a family paper) Hits The Fan”). From a user in MR’s Redundancy video comments section, I also learned a great phrase: “One is none, two is one, and three is better.” I definitely feel this way about prep stuff!
@AmericanResiliency: Dr. Emily Schoerning is a science educator seeking to educate people on preparedness and awareness. Videos include “Workshop, Bunker Not Required,” “What is Reasonable Prep? 2025 Update,” and “120 Degrees: No Power.”
A can’t miss: the channel’s Workshop video above included access to a Google Sheets doc that lets you plan skills and stuff you’d need for “Three Bad Days,” “Three Bad Weeks,” and “Three Bad Months.” I made a copy for my own use.
Honorable mentions: @cityprepping (though it has a bit too much emphasis on doom and gloom for me)
Prepping Food (and more)
@TheProvidentPrepper: This upbeat family makes videos on emergency prep and self-reliance, including a lot of info on food and cooking. Videos include “Top 10 Foods to Hoard for ‘The End of the World as We Know It,’” “6 Lifesaving Tips to Keep Warm During a Winter Power Outage,” and “12 Food Storage Myths Debunked.”
This content-packed channel includes a complete playlist for power outage cooking and a 10-step video for newbie preppers, including the practical tips we often stress here at the Hub: water storage, sanitation, and shelter.
@PrepperPotpourri: Calm and savvy Mary Ellen has a very well-stocked pantry! Videos include “10 Genius Kitchen Hacks Using Shelf-Stable Ingredients,” “Absolutely the Best Way to Store Flour Long Term,” and “Pantry Preps: Buy Before the Next Big Storm.”
In addition to abundant food tips (she also has rice and pasta storage tips), I enjoyed her “My B.O.B (Get Home Bag)” video. B.O.B. is prepper-speak for Bug Out Bag: a smallish bag full of things you’d need in an emergency. Her bag includes a surprising amount of goodies for its size – the most intriguing items for me were clips for making a tarp into a tent and a collapsible bowl (why didn’t I think of that?).
Honorable food prepper mentions: @RoseRedHomestead @AcreHomestead
@twobearshomestead.
Flashlights
@Lumencraft: YouTuber Matt does deep dives into flashlights. And that’s it! Videos include “Comparing the Lightest Headlamps” and “Brightest Flashlight under $50.”
I was in the market for a strong flashlight several years ago (mainly to help me find dog poop under fall leaves, I admit, but also in case of extended power outages) and ran into this fun creator. He makes videos about flashlights much more entertaining than you’d expect them to be – they’re hard to stop watching!
Wilderness Survival (just for fun)
@SurvivalLilly: Perhaps more entertaining than practically useful, Lilly is an Austrian “survivalist” with over 1 million subscribers and a past stint on the TV show “Naked and Afraid.” Here in the city, we won’t likely need most of her tips (like how to make a water container out of a log), but I include this for one fascinating video: “Survival Kit you want to wear on your BODY.” In this video, Lilly fits a stunning amount of prep gear inside a tiny Altoids mints box including a super tiny knife!
Anyway, I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s available on YouTube. I hope that you’ll do your own exploration of what YouTube has to offer, preparedness-wise.
Thanks again to Reddit’s r/TwoXPreppers subreddit for inspiration and information.
As always, this column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. We’re an all-volunteer org focused on neighbors helping each other after a disaster. Contact us at madparkhub@gmail.com to get on our mailing list.