Practical Prepping Podcast – Episode 525

Title: An Announcement, and How To Practice "Minimalist Prepping" In Our Get Home Bags
Hosts: Mark & Krista Lawley
Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode begins with an important announcement: after five years and 525 episodes, Mark and Krista are taking a short break from recording new podcasts until October 6th, 2025. They then replay a favorite archived episode focused on "minimalist prepping," especially in get home bags—shifting away from overloaded, impractical bug-out kits to efficient, realistic readiness for everyday emergencies.

Main Theme:
How to apply minimalist prepping principles to the gear and skills in your get home bag, emphasizing knowledge, multifunctionality, quality, and continuous improvement over sheer quantity of supplies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Announcement (00:29–01:19)

• Hosts announce a hiatus through September to recharge, returning October 6th.
• Archived episodes will be replayed; contact remains open via website and social media.
• “We love doing weekly episodes, but we need to take a short break and recharge our batteries.” — [Krista, 00:46]

2. Why Minimalist Prepping? (01:22–03:28)

• Problem with Overpacking:
  The iconic meme: “The 400-pound dude carrying a 400-pound bug out bag. Everything he could ever want or need is in there, but that’s not at all practical.” — [Mark, 01:22]
• Traditional prepping often results in carrying more than needed, making bags heavy and unwieldy.
• Guiding Philosophy: “The more you know, the less you have to carry.” — [Krista, 03:10]
• Minimalism emphasizes simplicity, efficiency, and versatility—especially for get home bags, which must be light and adaptable.

3. Key Principles of Minimalist Prepping

Essentialism (04:34–14:00)

• “Focusing on acquiring only the essential supplies while still covering the major prepping categories.” — [Mark, 05:03]
• Water: Prefer purification tablets over bulky filters. You can’t carry three gallons, so skills for purification matter.
• Food: Carry calorie-dense foods like power bars or powdered soups.
• Fire: Minimalists may just carry a lighter and ferro rod, finding tinder in the wild rather than packing it.
• Cutting Tools: At least one (ideally two) quality knives – full tang fixed blade and folding knife.
• Shelter: Cordage and a lightweight tarp are more versatile and packable than tents.
  • Mark & Krista like 6x9 tarps because “we are both long, tall drinks of water and we want to tent together, but we really don’t want our feet sticking out.” — [Mark & Krista, 07:04–07:22]
• Clothing: Layered approach; wear some layers, pack others. Invest in quality rain gear and warm hats.
  • “If you pay $0.89 for it, it’s not rain gear, it’s a bread wrapper… Get you a lightweight rain gear.” — [Mark, 08:13]
• Lighting: Even minimalists need at least one flashlight and extra batteries. (Mark’s “flashlight addiction” is a running joke.)
• First Aid Kit: Keep it simple—just bandages, gauze, antibiotic cream, and emergency blanket, in a compact case.
  • “As Krista was talking, I reached over here inside my EDC bag and brought out my first aid kit… It was a glasses case.” — [Mark, 10:14–10:28]
• Navigation: Compass and map—ideally with multipurpose items like a walking stick with embedded compass.
• Personal Protection: Options vary—firearm (where legal), knife, hiking stick. “Is that intended to be offensive or defensive? And I said, yes.” — [Mark, 12:07]

Multifunctionality (14:49–19:21)

• “Prioritize items that serve multiple purposes. It minimizes the number of items in your kit.” — [Mark, 14:50]
• Examples:
  • Single-wall stainless steel water bottle: Can boil water, carry water, cook soup, store supplies inside.
  • Multi-tool: Indispensable for repairs, shelter, food prep.
    • “I’ve cleaned a deer and cut a steak with mine.” — [Mark, 17:06]
  • Tarp: Shelter, ground cover, rainwater collection, wind protection.
  • Paracord: Lashing gear, building shelter, fishing line, antenna anchor.
    • “I use paracord as anchors for my wire antenna for the ham radio.” — [Mark, 18:06]
  • Duct tape: Repairs, making containers, even making wallets or cups (as seen on "Naked and Afraid").

Quality Over Quantity (19:21–20:47)

• “We have this saying in prepping that 2 is 1, 1 is none...” — [Mark, 19:37]
• In a minimalist kit, prioritize quality and reliability; redundancy only where essential.
• Choose name-brand lighters over cheap ones for fire starting. “Bic and Scripto will outlast the cheap ones.” — [Mark, 20:47]

Versatility and Skill Development (20:47–24:46)

• Adapt to a range of common emergencies (not just rare events).
• “The get home bag is really designed to get you home regardless of what happens.”
• Develop practical skills—first aid, navigation, fire making, water purification, foraging/trapping.
• “The more you know, the less you have to carry.” — [Krista, 23:29]

Emphasis on Mobility, Flexibility, and Adaptability (24:46–26:56)

• Kits should allow for physical mobility—scaling barriers, walking long distances.
• Be willing to dump items as needed to remain agile.
• “Can you go down an embankment easily with your bag or up the other side?... I cannot do that with a 60-pound pack on.” — [Mark, 25:39–26:02]
• Resourcefulness: Improvise solutions, repurpose found items, “redneck engineering” saves the day.

Continuous Improvement (27:01–29:55)

• Regularly review, test, and streamline gear and plans.
• Practice “living on preps” (e.g., a no-power weekend) to identify gaps.
  • “If you want to know what it takes to survive the weekend, flip the power off and go all weekend without using any of the power.” — [Mark, 27:53]
• Maintain gear and update for changing family needs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Practicality:
  “No bunkers, no zombies and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life’s emergencies.” — [Krista, 00:02]
• Minimalism in Prepping:
  “The more you know, the less you have to carry.” — [Krista, 03:10 & 23:29]
  “We need a plan. A, B, C, D, E, F… and yeah, there’s 26.” — [Mark, 26:47]
• On Situational Awareness:
  “You need to be the human factor of the Ring video, in the situation where you find yourself.” — [Krista, 13:28]
• Humorous Flashlight Confession:
  “I’m a flashlight addict… I even carry like a four cell C cell light in my bag.” — [Mark, 08:54–09:05]
• Redneck Engineering Wisdom:
  “Find you a good old country boy and get him to teach you redneck engineering, because that’s what built this country.” — [Krista, 27:23]
• On Realistic Emergency Focus:
  “Some very dedicated preppers may really start focusing on just tornadoes, to the extent that they forget all about flat tires, dead batteries and power outages, loss of job, prolonged illness…” — [Krista, 21:35]

Suggested Minimalist "Get Home" Bag Essentials (from episode examples)

• Water purification tablets
• Calorie-dense food (bars, instant soup)
• Lighter, ferro rod
• 1–2 quality knives (fixed, folding)
• Compact tarp (~6x9) and paracord
• Weather-appropriate clothing layers
• Minimal, customized first aid kit
• Single-wall stainless steel water bottle
• Multi-tool
• Duct tape
• Compass and map
• Flashlight & spare batteries
• Emergency blanket
• Optional: personal protection (where legal)

Key Segment Timestamps

• 00:29–01:19: Show announcement and hiatus info
• 01:22–03:28: Introduction to minimalist prepping and philosophy
• 04:34–14:00: Essentialism—item-by-item breakdown of minimalist bag
• 14:49–19:21: Multifunctionality—examples and rationale
• 19:21–20:47: Quality over quantity, redundancy discussion
• 20:47–24:46: Versatility and essential skill development
• 24:46–26:56: Mobility, flexibility, resourcefulness
• 27:01–29:55: Continuous improvement, testing, and updating of preps

Tone and Style

Friendly, accessible, Southern-accented wisdom with a blend of humor and practical expertise. The hosts’ rapport adds levity (e.g., the “flashlight addict” revelation and gentle ribbing about walking sticks), but the underlying advice is experience-driven and actionable—not alarmist or sensational.

Final Word

Stuff happens. Stay prepared.
Mark and Krista’s minimalist prepping episode is a thorough, practical guide for anyone looking to lighten their emergency load—at home or on the go—by focusing on skills, quality gear, and adaptable strategies for real-life emergencies.

Contact & Resources:

• practicalprepping.info/contact – Stay in touch
• Expanded notes and newsletter available at their website

“We totally believe in trying to make something easy on yourself if it can be done.” — [Krista, 24:42]