Survival & Self-Defense

Water, fire, shelter, navigation and the lawful defense of yourself and your family. Skills you carry, taught safety-first, for men and women.

The BRO Survival & Preparedness GuideThe printable family manual: a kit and go-bag builder, water and food calculators, the core skills and a family emergency plan.Get ready, calmly

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GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

PLB or satellite messenger, which one belongs in your pack

One is a government rescue signal with no monthly bill. The other texts your wife that you're just running late. They're not the same purchase.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

What to do in the first hour you're lost in the woods

Sit down for ten minutes. Don't chase the trail. What you decide before dark matters more than anything in your pack.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

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GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Take the free Stop the Bleed class before you need it

It runs about an hour, it usually costs nothing, and it teaches the one emergency where waiting on the ambulance isn't a plan.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

6 min read

The Wild Plants Worth Learning and the Ones That Kill

Foraging won't feed you in an emergency, but six plants will keep your morale up and one family of look-alikes will end your trip for good.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The tourniquet everyone should carry, and how to use it

Bleeding control is a five-minute skill with a thirty-dollar price tag, and most people carry neither the gear nor the training.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Eight Knots Worth Learning Before Your Next Trip

From the bowline to the taut-line hitch, these are the ones that hold when it's 2 a.m., raining sideways, and your tarp has gone slack.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to Spot Hypothermia and Heat Exhaustion Early

The dangerous cold isn't 10 degrees, and the dangerous heat isn't the number on the thermometer. Learn what to watch for in yourself and the people with you.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to find your way out when your phone dies

Sun, stars, terrain and a $35 baseplate compass will get you home. Learn the skills before the battery quits on you.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Five Bushcraft Tools You Actually Need First

Skip the gear rabbit hole. A $20 knife, a folding saw and eight hours of practice will get you further than a truckload of kit.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to pick a survival knife that does the actual work

A $20 Mora will out-cut a $200 knife with a hollow handle. Blade length, steel, tang and sheath, in the order that matters.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

How to find water in the woods, the desert and the snow

Water runs downhill and hides in shade. Learn to read the ground, and carry the four ounces of gear that make what you find safe to drink.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Five Ways to Start a Fire Without Matches, Ranked by Reliability

A ferro rod beats a bow drill every day of the week, and the reason has nothing to do with sparks. Start with the fuel, not the flame.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Debris Hut Keeps You Alive When You Have Nothing

A pile of dead leaves, built right, beats a fancy tarp pitched lazy. Start four hours before dark and the cold night stops being the thing that beats you.