Rob Benson

How to Prepare: Knowledge, supplies, and strategies for self-reliance. IG: 400k, TikTok: 120k, FB: 530k, YT 85k

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

What concerns do you have and where should our discussion on preparedness go?

[Michael T. Lester @MichaelTLester]

Jared and Ivanka Kushner want to buy Sazan Island in Albania because it is beautiful and they want to make it a resort. How nice!

But Sazan island is not a vacation spot. It’s a well-documented strategic military chokepoint with a long military history.

In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev stood at the nearby Soviet submarine base and said, "From there I could control the Mediterranean to Gibraltar." Sazan island controls the Strait of Otranto, and the Strait of Otranto controls access to the entire Adriatic.

Every empire that wanted to control the Adriatic, wanted Sazan. Romans. Ottomans. Italians. Germans. Soviets.

What Ivanka describes as "An unbelievable, beautiful 1,400-hectare private island in the middle of the Mediterranean," is approximately 3,600 nuclear bunkers and kilometers of tunnels and hardened underground facilities, including a submarine pen the Soviets built specifically to project power into the Mediterranean, and is still an Albanian military zone.

The deal was negotiated in secret. Albanian citizens and their own parliament didn't know about it until the press reported it. The Albanian government approved it immediately after Trump won reelection. Kushner’s newly formed investment company is using $4.6 billion from Saudi Arabia and Gulf sovereign wealth funds to fund the purchase. A Qatari company, Power International Holding, is a co-owner of the project and is currently under investigation by Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors.

Now that the deal is public, the Albanians are pissed. They're in the streets marching by the thousands in Tirana, Albania’s capital with banners reading "Albania is not for sale." Private security forces have attacked protesters. The Albanian government has suspended police officers, and revoked security company licenses.

Yep, just a couple private civilians looking to open a resort. No need to look further...

Now that you know the whole story, what do you think?

[World of Statistics @stats_feed]

🇮🇱 Unfavorable Views of Israel (Ages 18-34)

🇦🇺 Australia: 87%
🇬🇧 UK: 78%
🇨🇦 Canada: 76%
🇬🇷 Greece: 76%
🇫🇷 France: 74%
🇺🇸 United States: 74%
🇭🇺 Hungary: 72%
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: 46%

Source: Pew Research Center, Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Being entertained by...

who's sitting court side at sportsball

is now another litmus test I'm using

thank you.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

@Bill_AZ_USA No, unless it’s pre-made meals.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

We own a cafe and eggs are a huge part of the equation. Over the last few years we've seen a case hit over $100. Today? $12 for 15 dozen.

Two things to do:

If you don't have chickens, this is the time to stock up. For prices like this you'll likely need to hit your local restaurant supply store. Most are open to the public.

Costco and Sam's are options too but rarely beat restaurant supply pricing on eggs.

Then preserve them so they last. Two solid methods:

Water glassing. Coat fresh, unwashed, never-refrigerated eggs in a calcium hydroxide and water solution. Stored at room temp they keep for 12 to 18 months. The lime seals the shell pores and prevents bacteria from getting in.

Freeze drying. My personal favorite. Crack and blend eggs, freeze dry them, then store the powder in mylar with oxygen absorbers. Shelf life is 25+ years. A freeze dryer is real money up front but the math pays back fast when you do it consistently.

A few things worth knowing:

Eggs you preserve need to be fresh and unwashed. Washed grocery store eggs have lost the natural bloom that protects against bacteria.

Food prices in 2026 and 2027 are looking shaky. Oil supply chains are stressed, fertilizer is climbing, El Nino patterns are predicted, and feed costs are unpredictable. Cheap food today is not a promise of cheap food tomorrow.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

@sekellus My son has one… 😏 but maybe, I think that’s a solid idea. That and a whole library of parts files

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Stocking hardware is one of the most overlooked categories in preparedness. Nails, screws, washers, bolts, nuts, hinges, and brackets might be nearly impossible to source in a crisis.

Why it matters:

Hardware is what holds your repairs together. A broken hinge, a loose post, a fence section ripped down in a storm, a busted gate latch. Every one of those problems needs hardware to fix. If you don't have it on hand when supply chains tighten, you're either trading for it at premium prices or improvising.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Proper storage helps supplies stay effective longer and reduces the risk of damage, contamination, and early breakdown.

Temperature swings can crack seals and ruin contents. Good storage locations stay cool, stable, and protected from heat, sunlight, and excess moisture.

Basements, interior closets, climate-controlled rooms, and heated or cooled living-space cabinets are good options. Attics, garages, sheds, direct sunlight, and areas near furnaces, vents, or appliances are not ideal.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Crime Radar: The app listens to first responder radio traffic and uses AI to summarize what's actually happening in real time. You get a short audio clip of the initial response and a clean written summary.

AAAAAND: You can pull up a map and see registered sex offenders in your area. Do with that information as you wish.

A few things worth knowing:

Situational awareness is one of the most underrated preparedness skills. Knowing what's happening within a few miles of you in real time changes how you make decisions about routes, errands, and where you let your kids play.

[Murray Rothbard @MurraySuggests]

The Iranian navy, which has been destroyed eight times, has apparently closed the Strait of Hormuz again, because the United States, for the seventh time, won the war that wasn’t a war, so now the United States has to open the Strait of Hormuz that was already open before the not-war began.

The not-war began because Iran had uranium that was totally, completely, beautifully obliterated, so they can’t build the nuclear bomb they weren’t building, which is why the United States had to start the not-war it definitely didn’t start.

Now the United States, which has nuclear weapons, is threatening to use nuclear weapons to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, because nuclear weapons are far too dangerous for countries with nuclear weapons to allow other countries to have.

If the United States saw the United States doing what the United States does in other countries, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Learn real world skills. Physical, hands-on, tangible work that produces or repairs something. Get efficient at learning from free YouTube content and finding deals on Marketplace. Fix what other people are too lazy to fix. Keep it, sell it, trade it, whatever fits.

Stock non perishable food.

Get proficient with your firearms and build up your ammunition.

Get a tabletop gravity water filter.

Have prescription drugs that treat infections in your house, not in a pharmacy you may not be able to reach.

and.... so much more.

A few things worth knowing:

The most valuable skills going forward aren't ones a screen can teach you. Welding, plumbing, basic electrical, small engine repair, gardening, food preservation, butchering, sewing. Old skills are about to be premium again.

Skills compound. Every season you garden, preserve food, or fix something with your own hands, you get more capable and less dependent on the system.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

When people panic, what sells out first at the grocery store?

Water, bread, milk, eggs, toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, baby formula, pet food, over the counter medications, flashlights, and bottled drinks. These are the things people grab when uncertainty hits because they're tied to immediate daily needs.

But if you're thinking ahead, focus on what those panic buyers will never touch. Shelf stable calories that store for years.

Rice, wheat berries, beans, lentils, canned beef, sardines, Spam, barley, oats, peanut butter, honey, salt, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned soup, cooking oils, and rendered fats like beef tallow.

This isn't an endorsement of all of these foods for daily health. These are practical foods for preparedness. Calories that last when the system doesn't.

A few things worth knowing:

Modern grocery stores carry about 3 days of inventory. The supply chain is built on just-in-time delivery, meaning trucks restock daily. When trucks slow down or panic buying spikes, shelves empty in hours, not days. Whatever you didn't have before the run starts, you likely won't get during it.

The "panic items" sell out first because they're tied to daily routine and short shelf life. The shelf stable category gets overlooked, which is exactly why it's still available when you actually need it.

Buy early, store cool and dark, rotate what you can, and seal the rest in mylar with oxygen absorbers for true long term storage.

The smart move is being three steps ahead of the panic, not chasing it.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Salt deserves more attention in food storage than it gets. Different types do different jobs and most last indefinitely if you store them right.

Pickling or canning salt. Pure sodium chloride with no anti-caking agents or iodine. The best choice for making a saline solution for wound care, eye washing, or nasal irrigation. Also outstanding for fermenting vegetables, brines, and preserving meat. Might be the most useful single salt for preparedness.

Ancient unrefined sea salt (Redmond Real Salt is my go-to). What I consume daily. Contains 60+ trace minerals that table salt loses during processing. Solid for cooking and general use.

Kosher salt. Multi purpose, great for dry curing meat. The larger crystal size pulls moisture from meat more effectively than fine salt.

Iodized table salt. Useful for daily cooking but the iodine degrades over time, giving it the shortest shelf life of the bunch (around 5 years before the iodine breaks down). The salt itself is still safe, just no longer a reliable iodine source.

Rock salt (ice cream salt). Fine for livestock and ice cream churning but I wouldn't rely on it for human consumption without further processing.

Curing salt. Contains sodium nitrite or nitrate for preserving meat safely against botulism. Not interchangeable with regular salt. Use exactly as called for in cured meat recipes.

A few tips most people skip:

Pure salts (no iodine, no anti-caking agents) store truly indefinitely. The salt found in 250 million year old salt mines is still perfectly usable.

Store salt in an airtight container in a cool dry spot. Salt absorbs moisture from the air and clumps, which doesn't ruin it but makes it harder to work with.

If you only stock one salt for prep, make it pickling salt. It does the most jobs from food preservation to medical use.

[JP Sears @AwakenWithJP]

Unless you’re an Epstein criminal, a politician committing treason on behalf of Israel, insider trading, invested in data centers, working for Pfizer, part of the military industrial complex, or named Jared Kushner. Otherwise, Kash Patel will find you if you betray this country.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

A few things worth knowing:

Green dots are easier for most eyes to pick up quickly in bright light than red dots. Worth considering if you carry primarily during the day.

For any optic on a carry gun, training matters more than the optic itself. Live fire, draw practice, and dry fire work should match the gear.

https://t.co/OPCvoNvHRl

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

For informational and educational purposes only. Closed course, professional activity. No sales, no transfers, no solicitation. All firearms and accessories are legally owned and operated in compliance with federal, state, and local law. Viewer assumes all responsibility for their own training, safety, and adherence to applicable laws.

Running the Olight Osight SE green dot on my Hellcat Micro 9mm carry.

What makes this optic worth the look:

Priced fair and built better than a lot of optics that cost significantly more. Small enough to fit a micro 9mm without throwing off the carry profile.

The battery: you can remove and replace it without taking the sight off the pistol, which means no re-zeroing every time the battery dies.

The aspherical lens keeps the dot true regardless of where your eye lands behind the glass.

The enclosed emitter design seals the LED behind protective glass. No exposed window for dust, lint, snow, or moisture to interfere with the dot. Fully waterproof. This is the same design feature on optics costing two to three times more.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Two small things people confuse all the time. They do completely different jobs and you should almost never use them together.

Oxygen absorbers remove oxygen from sealed containers. Use them with dried foods that have small amounts of residual moisture, like grains, beans, pasta, rice, and oats. They prevent oxidation, slow nutrient loss, and kill any bugs hiding in the food by removing the oxygen they need to survive.

Desiccants (silica gel) absorb moisture. You've seen these in supplement bottles, electronics packaging, and new shoes. Use them with anything where humidity is the enemy: powdered milk, spices, dehydrated foods that are very dry, ammunition, tools, electronics.

A few things worth knowing:

Don't use oxygen absorbers with pure dry powders like sugar or salt. There's no moisture in those products, so the absorbers won't activate properly. Worse, oxygen absorbers can clump these powders into a rock.

Don't mix oxygen absorbers and desiccants in the same package. They interfere with each other and you cancel out the benefit of both. Pick the right one for the food you're storing.

Repurpose desiccants by drying them out in the oven at low heat (around 250 degrees for a couple hours) until the moisture is driven off. Then reseal in an airtight container and they're ready to use again.

Store unused oxygen absorbers in an airtight container the moment you open the bag. Once they're exposed to air, they start working, and they'll be spent before you can use them.

The chemical compounds book is getting close. About two years in the making. Pre-orders soon.

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

Guide to Off-Grid Comms:
https://t.co/honPk56Fhi

GMRS Recommendations
https://t.co/3TYUrTghkJ

GMRS Repeater
https://t.co/iy8zNEsEjN

[Rob Benson @BuckhornCliffs]

If cell towers go down near you, how do you stay in contact with family or your group across town?

GMRS handheld radios let you communicate with another GMRS handheld user even a mile or two apart, sometimes more depending on terrain. Add a repeater into the mix and your range jumps to 10, 20, or more miles.

How GMRS and a repeater actually work together:

A handheld GMRS radio typically pushes 1 to 5 watts (the ones in this video: 5 watts). That's enough for line of sight communication within a few miles, but obstacles like hills, buildings, and trees cut it down fast.

A repeater receives your weak handheld signal at a high vantage point, then rebroadcasts it at much higher power, typically 25 to 50 watts. That single piece of infrastructure can extend your network across an entire town or rural area.

For a repeater to work for everyone in your group, they all just need to be programmed to the same frequency and tone. Once it's set up, communication is as simple as pressing a button.

Local comms are one of the most overlooked pieces of preparedness. Don't get caught without a plan when the grid drops.