Southern Prepper 1 YouTube Videos

Southern Prepper

By George Paul Tire

YouTube is a vast place filled with gems and dreck. I frequently turn to it to solve problems like fixing broken things around the house or to see if some product might actually do what I need. One subject it can help us with is prepping. Southern Prepper 1 (SP 1), who opens his videos with “Hey YouTubers” is one of several prepping instructors I’ve turned to on YouTube when I’ve had questions and needed answers.

His videos won’t be mistaken for a Hollywood production. They are generally shot without lighting and with a single stationary camera sans cuts or editing, but they have what really matters, content. He has experience from the military and his videos reflect not only that, but the fact that he is living the prepper life.

I was going to try to count how many videos he has done, but gave up. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands and the subject range is amazing, from stocking ponds with fish, farming, medical, food storage, weapons, armor, and on and on. Over the five years I think he has been doing this, he has created several series with multiple installments to go along with a plethora of singles.

One series I found especially intriguing focused on the problem of fire. Fire is one of man’s most useful tools and deadliest enemies. SP 1 deals with the dangers of fire and how to fight it. He explains the differences between fighting structure fires and brush or woodland fires and the problem caused when one is out of reach of working fire hydrants. Putting out a fire takes lots of water and if the hydrants aren’t there, the water has to be trucked in.

Further, he points out that the remote locations we prefer for retreats or homesteads compounds the problem. Not only does remoteness delay response, roads we can access by car may not be usable by fire trucks. We might also choose a secluded spot that is hard to locate which can be good for security, but bad for getting help.

SP 1 is a volunteer firefighter and offers his training and experience to us as well as a lot of information I suspect he acquired through extensive personal research and testing Professional firefighting gear is expensive and specialized, but he shows us ways to do the job with ordinary multi-purpose tools. I was very impressed with how he put together his own brush truck with a large water container and a pump and even made his own nozzle. He also showed hand tools that can serve the prepper/firefighter well.

A particular problem is how fires spread and the vulnerability of most roofs. SP 1 has a strategy to protect them with sprinklers modified to stay in place. He also speaks of fire lines and using a leaf blower to keep them cleaned out. Fire lines work well as a defense from brush fires and it is smart to maintain them around your residence in woods fire country.

I didn’t hear him mention it in this series, and he may well discuss it elsewhere, but fire is also a potent defensive or offensive weapon. An attacker could easily wait until the wind was right and use it to burn you out. They would lose the chance to loot you, but if their concern was simply your presence, it would be an attractive weapon. Defensively, it is dangerous to use, but could be a last ditch means of repelling an attacker. It would require thought and planning to use effectively, of course.

The only criticism I can offer to the videos is that there are sometimes audio issues from wind or ambient noise. With my poor hearing, that doesn’t help.

SP 1 has also co-authored a book, Retreat Security and Small Unit Tactics  with Mark Goodwin. I haven’t had time to read it, but it is on my list along with watching more of his videos.

– George Paul Tire