Hand - Preparing with Dan

Best Hand Crank Emergency Radios 2026: Tested Picks for Families

June 15, 2026May 3, 2025 by Dan Lockland

A hand crank emergency radio is the one piece of prep gear that works when everything else has failed — dead phones, downed cell towers, no power. For a family of 4, you need one that reliably picks up NOAA alerts, has multiple power sources, and doesn’t require reading a manual under stress. Here are …

How to Dig Your Own Well by Hand

June 15, 2026February 25, 2022 by Dan Lockland

Digging a well by hand is one of the oldest water-access methods in human history, and it remains a viable option for off-grid properties, homesteads, and long-term survival scenarios where municipal water and modern drilling equipment aren’t available. It’s labor-intensive, potentially dangerous, and not always successful — but when it works, a hand-dug well provides …