Everyone has an idea of what they feel is most important, strong points and those that need improvement. That is what todays post is about, what do you like about this site and how would you improve it? So here are some areas you might like to comment on:
Topics – are there topics (specific or general) you’d like covered in the coming months?
Types of Posts - reader questions, tutorials, short tips, guest posts, book reviews, news links…. what do you want to see most/least?
Posting Frequency – too many posts, not enough, just right?
Design – do you like the layout of the blog? Is it easy to navigate? Easy to Read?
Community – do you feel you connect well with other readers?
Other Ideas and Feedback – anything goes, big or little.
The ‘Rules’ – Any feedback or suggestions that you have are welcome. I can’t promise to respond to each comment or put every suggestion into place I make a commitment to you to read anything you have to say. Please refrain from the you stink and the you are great type comments, I want to know why you think the blog is great or stinks…
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Things I would like to see? Perhaps posts on alternative energy/where to buy. Steam power/ water turbine generators for single family homes. digging a well, building a cabin. preping soil for a garden. More on canning. Just things that are mostly old school lost knowledge that would come in handy when there is no power. How about skills that no one thinks about anymore? Textiles? Can you make a bolt of cloth? Design a pair of pants? A shirt? Build a forge? work metal? Just a whole slew old school knowledge.
here is something you might already have, a comprehensive checklist of esential survival supplies/tools as a starting point for new prepers.
The most important thing, and I think many here will agree, DO NOT do away with the “What did you do to prep this week”? post. It really does inspire many to not lose heart and continue down the prep path.
Thanks for the blog MD,
Jerry
Topics – You cover a pretty good variety. I like the slant toward self sufficiency.
Content – I like the types of posts, I guess out of the above group the news links are the least important to me.
Frequency – A post per day is good, more is better :-)
Design – Your layout is good, it’s easy to navigate. A site map would be a good addition in my opinion. Like merging your topics directories together in one large page with link only. Don’t know if Wordpress makes an applet for that or not.
Community – I connect well the majority of the time, other times I don’t. I like to see both sides of the argument, we’d be selling ourselves short if we didn’t disagree every now and then.
Prepared N.D.,
sitemap
Hope this helps.
Yep, that’s what I was looking for. Thanks.
Posting to often sometimes I have trouble keeping up. I would like to see one detailed post per week. Other than that perfect.
Maybe not 1 per week. One every other day would suit me.
Would not change a thing perfect from where I stand.
I would like to know more about your retreat and how it’s progressing especially if you could post pictures of the home, improvments, garden, solar system, water, food storage methods, garden etc. The pictures help visualize what you’re doing vs what I’m doing or maybe how I should apply your methods for myself.
Mike,
That is covered in my book “The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat” from Paladin Press – be sure to order a copy when it becomes available.
I’ve tried to keep this blog a survival / emergency prepardness site and not a blog about my trailer or homestead. But all this is in the book.
MD,
1. I would like to see a post on solar energy, a how-to if you will. And cover the affordable systems, please.
2. A post on livestock and large animal husbandtry after the SHTF.
3. Something on sustainable food that grows in the wild. How to plant and nurture it, and then leave it alone to reap the bounty.
That’s enough for me as of now. I love the rest of the blog, and do like the discussions, as we learn from our disagreements as well as what we agree on. But some are not comfortable with contention, so it’s best to move on when things start to heat up. And some people wear their feelings on their sleeves, where they are bound to get hurt. Everyone should just lighten up. I blame some of this on the bad times we find ourselves in, and realize it is very stressful to prep, as we all are in a hurry to get everything done before something happens. Here’s wishing the best to everyone in their endeavors.
templar knight,
Most of this is covered in the archives for example here, here, here and here.
One of my favorite things about this blog is the frequency of your posts. Too many blogs are updated rarely, and it feels like there is no sense of active conversation going on. So definately keep it up with the regular posts.
As far as subjects go, anything survival related, especially the things I didn’t think of before, and don’t know I should be learning about.
A post or two a day works well for me. I check this blog every day and I love the comments from others who have something positive to add. The opposing opinions are interesting as long ad the intent is purely for enhancing the knowledge base of your readers. When the insulting squabblers show up Only for the purpose of verbally bullying people to see or adopt the view, that’s when the blog totally turns me off. It doesn’t take many posts to souse those types out. The spirit of this blog
seems to generally be that of people of a like
mind coming together to learn and share info
on subjects that we all have interests in. That
of survival,preparedness, and self sufficiency. I
like that. That’s why I come here. I also aappreciate your efforts MD.
Topics: I’d like to see a tutorial on different methods of accessing underground water. Digging a well, drilling a well,driving a sand point to shallow water.
I’d also like to see something on building small cabins. It is truly big of you to give your subscribers an opportunity to help steer the direction of your blog. Thanks brad
Topi
This is the first blog I look for every day!
I love the interaction w/others on site. Have gotten lots of good tips on books to read.
What did you do to prep this week is the best, keeps me going all week trying to think what we can do to put on the list.
We’re really interested in going off grid and also installing hand pump shallow well.
Appreciate all you do here, thank you.
I really enjoy the fact that you update regularly, you have a variety of topics discussed, and you open the blog to comments and suggestions. I also feel that your suggestions to keep the comments positive are helpful. I would like to see a link to plans of various types, such as how to build various ad hoc items such as stoves, improvised shelters, retreat goodies such as hide-a-way stashes for supplies, etc. I’ld even purchase plans for various activities. All in all, you do a great job, keep up the good work.
Keep picking our brains and stimulating conversations. All the different backgrounds of the commenters on your site can produce lots of ideas and motivation.
You could ask us each individually for our backgrounds and ask us for specific contributions in our areas of expertise.
Articles debunking prejudices and myths are always good.
I’m pretty happy with the site. I keep coming back, anyway. : )
Tips to help you survive is what I’m looking for.
Recipes
How to’s
Where to find it, how to make it
What is it
Tips to do it easier
Stuff like this is good for everybody. And relax, once a day is good.
I subscribe to the post-a-day belief. I think what you’re doing works fine as is. You’re like Rawles, only lite. I visit his survival blog daily, but in the morning, when I’m waking up, there are only so many “how to EMP-proof a 1962 Dodge” type posts I can handle. Yours is more chill and I think you’ve found an online survival niche. Roll wit’ it.
Ranger Man
I completely agree. While Survivalblog has a lot of great stuff on it, sometimes the sheer volume gets overwhelming, especially what I call the “advanced preparedness” articles, written for those who already have their fully stocked EMP-proof wilderness retreat and are now moving on to the next level.
M. D., Good day – love the site. I love the new posts everyday – actually wouldn’t mind if there were a few more each week as I learn SOOOOO much from this site, you and the comments others post.
LOVE your frugal, “everybody” try this approach as opposed to expecting folks to spend $40,000 to prep out.
Always looking for anything on the following:
security – beyond guns and ammo
communications – one of my biggest concerns…what are folks going to do when everything shuts down? Ham radio – quick, easy and inexpensive – is this even possible?
hunting / trapping / wild foraging
lighting – options available beyond candles, oil lamps, etc.
alternative sources for energy, power, etc.
You have a lot of great information and encouragement in old posts and I appreciate the many subjects you’ve already tackled.
OH – and I absolutely agree with keeping the “What Did YOU Do To Prep This Week?”. This keeps me focused, encouraged and inspired to keep moving forward.
Be blessed, MaMaBear in the Mitten
I have no complaints but I do have a request. Ham radio or other communication post SHTF. Very basic, I am totally clueless. What is a good basic set up etc. I do not seem to get it even though I read on it some. It’s just very foreign to me.
Thanks for what you do!
I’ve been following you for a good while now and I feel you have it down pretty good. I noticed when you were away , when writing, a differance in the blog. I do like it alot more since you return.
I feel you yourself add a lot to the blog. No run around answers, just facts and very good suggestions. A few, I have used for my preps.
I feel that food prep is the most important, like now Russia will not export wheat for 4 to 5 months. Prices will sky rocket just because of that.
If we could some how get an advance notice about food shortages coming and other shortages we can could put our preps to better use..
I been looking in differant areas and I can only find gov. sites that we cannot trust for information of this sort. Any suggestions along this line would be greatly appreciated.
PREPARE FOR THE WORST AND PRAY FOR THE BEST
I like the variety of postings by Mr. Creekmore and the guest posts. The sharing of knowledge and the input of readers are very informative.
One thing that needs to be moderated is the submission of unwarranted comments that personally attacks the post and others who are posting comments. It is good to have dissension but it is not alright to be hurtful. There are different sets of circumstances, conditions, variables, geographical locations, presentation styles and beliefs that affect how the post is presented and how we interpret it.
Those who constantly instigate when they are caught pretend to hide in the guise of humor, satire and/or I’ve been there and I’ve done that better attitude. Please self-moderate your own comments because at some point it was starting to denigrate the postings and its corresponding comments. This discourages others from sharing their knowledge for fear of being ridiculed and attacked because they do not conform to the instigators who are dominating the blogs. This in turn restricts the flow of good information and replaced instead by bad feelings.
Keep up with the variety of postings and the different ways they are presented. We should all learn from each other by respecting each others point of view. I think it will be good to remind bloggers that there are common sense and ethical ways of posting and maintaining civility at the same time.
Good work Mr. Creekmore, keep publishing those good posting. For subscribers, please keep sharing your knowledge to others. This way, we can continue to help each other.
I would like a how-to article on gopar gas.
What is gopar gas?
It is a result of eating a Gopar too quickly.
Methane from a pit containing farm, animal, human waste. Collected and burned for cooking and lighting. Michael Yon has a long series on it but no how-tos.
This is overall an excellent blog, as evidenced by the fact that I check it regularly. I feel that the number of posts is just about perfect at roughly 1-2 per day (or perhaps one main post and a couple of smaller ones. More than that and it starts to get overwhelming. Less than that and I start checking the blog less frequently.
Article subjects are good in general. I like that they are accessible to everyone and fairly down to earth. Not all of them are immediately applicable to me (I have no plans to raise pigeosn any time soon, for example), but I find them interesting to read nonetheless.
If possible, I would like to see more:
- Articles that discuss different survival scenarios and ways to prepare and react. Real life examples with lessons learned are the best. For example, accounts of living through a major hurricane or earthquake and what was learned from the experience. What was in short supply? What supplies or skills were most useful? What should have been done differently?
- Product reviews and comparisons. When shopping for supplies (or anything), I like to know everything that is available, its cost and its strengths and weaknesses. A few product comparisons on things like water filters, radios, guns, generators and energy systems, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Finally, I think that community is what really stes this blog apart from similarly themed blogs. Capitalize on this. I love to read the comments people make following the articles. I find that most of the commenters add a lot to the discussion. Perhaps a forum area might allow for more discussion on a broader range of topics.
Just my two cents. I loom forward to your future submissions and site improvements.
I am interested in anything to do with drilling a well by hand.
Also need info on how to find water depth. Looked high and low on
county and town sites and the info for my area seems to be top secret.
Same here. Even called a local well drilling company to find depth of shallow water. Don’t know was his answer. Info o. That subject is extremely hard to find.
Call a well drilling company in your area. They may be willing to let you pick their mind, even if you aren’t hiring them.
No trouble finding it here (Lyon Co, KS). Search under the city/county permits for wells. They showed depths, capacities and permit holders.
MD, I’m a daily (several times a day, actually) visitor. I’d like to see at least one blog per day, and more would be ‘gravy’. I think you already have a good mix of articles, with a lot of variety. I like the food storage and prep articles, appreciate the financial/economy articles that reinforce why we prep, and you always seem to come up with something every week that I wouldn’t even have thought of, like trapping, or raising pigeons for food.
I like the site layout, it seems to draw me back more than the ‘forums’ type of site. I guess it’s because I can quickly see if there’s anything new, and get to it quickly.
Thanks for all you do for us, MD.
Great job, Creekmore, don’t change a thing.
More post like ‘what did you do to prep this week.’
Bother this site is great, you just keep going. The weekly what did you do is the best!
Thank you for not being “intense” and “in your face” in tone.
Prepping and homesteading have overlapping topics, which can be [perhaps should be] the focus for after. The semantic of survival prepping is short-sighted as we go forward to 2020.
I am interested in DIY solar and water drilling.
I would like to see about making an outdoor bread oven.
Aprovecho has a good rocket stove based oven on their website. Search Scribd for some brick and mortar ovens.
Your blog is the best. Easy for the average joe to relate to. Keep up the good work!
There is a lot of information here, although well organized. Just a lot to sift through. Fewer frequency of postings might be an idea that I agree with.
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