Guides & How-Tos
Everything Kate has written — buying guides, how-tos, and practical plans for a more resilient home.
Power & Energy
Solar generators, portable power, and backup options
Best Portable Generator for Home 2026: What Kate Actually Recommends
Kate's review of the best portable generators for home backup in 2026 — petrol, dual-fuel, and inverter generators. What she recommends at each price point.
Read morepowerBest Solar Generator for Home Backup 2026: EcoFlow, Jackery, and Bluetti Compared
Kate's honest review of the best solar generators for home backup in 2026 — EcoFlow DELTA 2, Jackery, and Bluetti AC200MAX. What she actually bought.
Read morepowerWhat to Do in a Power Outage: Kate's Family Protocol
Kate's step-by-step family protocol for power cuts — the first 30 minutes, the first 24 hours, and what you need to have ready before it happens.
Read morepowerHome Backup Power Explained: Solar Generator, Gas Generator, or Battery Pack?
Kate explains the three main home backup power options — solar generators, gas generators, and UPS battery packs. Which suits your home and budget.
Read morepowerBest Home Battery Backup System 2026: Whole-House Options Kate Actually Considered
Kate's guide to home battery backup systems in 2026 — Tesla Powerwall alternatives, whole-house options, and whether a smaller solar generator makes more sense for most families.
Read moreFood & Growing
Food storage, preservation, and growing your own
Best Heirloom Seeds 2026: Varieties Kate Grows and What to Order First
Kate's guide to the best heirloom seeds for food security — the varieties she grows in Somerset, what produces reliably, and where to order in the UK and US.
Read morefood-and-growingBest Food Dehydrator 2026: What Kate Uses and Why It's Her Favourite Preservation Tool
Kate's review of the best food dehydrators in 2026 — Excalibur vs Nesco vs Cosori. What she bought, what she'd buy again, and which to skip.
Read morefood-and-growingBest Pressure Canner 2026: Presto vs All American vs Ball — Kate's Verdict
Kate's honest comparison of the best pressure canners in 2026 — Presto 23-Quart, All American 921, and Ball FreshTech. What she'd buy for a UK kitchen.
Read morefood-and-growingHow to Build a 3-Month Food Pantry (Without Spending a Fortune)
Kate's practical guide to building a 3-month food pantry without panic-buying or spending a fortune. The rotation system, storage basics, and what to buy first.
Read morefood-and-growingBest Freeze-Dried Food Storage 2026: ReadyWise, Mountain House, and UK Alternatives
Kate's review of the best freeze-dried food storage options in 2026 — ReadyWise, Mountain House, and UK-available alternatives. What actually tastes good.
Read morefood-and-growingHow to Start a Vegetable Garden for Food Security: Kate's First-Season Guide
Kate's first-season guide to starting a vegetable garden for food resilience. What she wishes she'd known, what actually produces in a UK climate, and where to begin.
Read morefood-and-growingHow to Preserve Vegetables at Home: Canning, Freezing, and Fermentation
Kate's guide to preserving vegetables at home — water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, and fermentation. Which method suits which vegetable.
Read morefood-and-growingBest Mylar Bags for Food Storage 2026: Sizes, Oxygen Absorbers, and What Kate Stores in Them
Kate's guide to mylar bags for food storage — which sizes to buy, how many oxygen absorbers to use, and which dry foods last 25+ years when packed correctly.
Read morefood-and-growingHow to Can Food at Home: Kate's Beginner Guide to Pressure and Water Bath Canning
Kate's beginner guide to home canning — water bath vs pressure canning, which foods need which method, and the mistakes first-time canners make.
Read moreEmergency Planning
72-hour kits, family plans, and emergency essentials
Best Emergency Kit for Families 2026: Pre-Built Bags vs Build Your Own
Kate compares the best pre-built emergency kits for families in 2026 vs building your own. What's worth buying, what's overpriced, and her top pick at each budget.
Read moreemergency-kitBest Emergency Radio 2026: Hand Crank, NOAA, and Solar — Kate's Pick for the Kitchen Drawer
Kate reviews the best emergency radios for home preparedness in 2026 — hand crank, solar, and NOAA weather radios. The one she keeps in her kitchen drawer.
Read moreemergency-kit72-Hour Emergency Kit Checklist for Families: What a Family of 4 Actually Needs
Kate's 72-hour emergency kit checklist for families — not the watered-down official list, but what a family of four actually needs for 3 days without power.
Read moreemergency-kitHow to Make a Family Emergency Plan (And Get the Kids Actually Involved)
Kate's guide to making a real family emergency plan — not the generic government checklist, but something your kids will actually follow. With a printable template.
Read moreLearn
How-tos, techniques, and practical guides
The Complete Home Resilience Guide 2026: Where Kate Started
Kate's complete guide to home resilience — water, power, food and emergency planning. How to build a self-sufficient home in 12 months without going off-grid.
Read moreeducationalUK Off-Grid Living: What's Realistic for Suburban Families (Not What YouTube Shows)
Kate's honest take on UK off-grid living — what's actually achievable for a suburban family, what YouTube glosses over, and the realistic halfway house most people end up with.
Read moreeducationalThe Cost of Living Crisis Resilience Plan: 10 Things to Do This Year
Kate's 10-step resilience plan for the cost of living crisis — practical things you can do this year to reduce your exposure to rising prices and service failures.
Read moreWater
Water filters, storage, and purification for home security
Best Gravity Water Filter 2026: Berkey Alternatives, British Berkefeld, and Sawyer
Berkey went bankrupt in 2023. Kate's review of the best gravity water filters to replace it — British Berkefeld, Alexapure Pro, ProOne, and Sawyer compared.
Read morewaterHow to Store Drinking Water Long-Term: Containers, Rotation, and What Kate Learned
How to store drinking water long-term at home — the right containers, rotation schedule, and mistakes Kate made in year one. For UK and US households.
Read morewaterWater Purification Methods Compared: Filters, Tablets, Boiling, and UV
Kate compares water purification methods for home emergencies — gravity filters, boiling, tablets, UV pens, and chemical treatment. What actually works.
Read morewaterHow Much Water Should Your Family Store? The Real Calculation
Kate's no-nonsense calculation for family water storage. The 1 litre/day official guidance is dangerously low for emergencies. Here's what you actually need.
Read morewaterRainwater Harvesting: What's Legal, What Works, and Is It Worth It?
Kate's guide to rainwater harvesting — what's legal in the UK and US, what equipment you actually need, and whether it's worth it for a suburban garden.
Read morewaterBest Water Storage Containers: Barrels, Tanks, and Stackable Jugs Compared
Kate compares water storage containers — from 5-litre bottles to 250-litre tanks. What she uses and what she'd recommend for different household setups.
Read moreWarmth
Backup heat and staying warm without central heating
How to Stay Warm Without Central Heating: Kate's Winter Resilience Protocol
Kate's practical guide to staying warm without central heating — what she does during power cuts, which portable heaters are safe indoors, and what actually works.
Read morewarmthBest Portable Wood-Burning Stove 2026: Camping, Outbuilding, and Backup Heat
Kate's review of the best portable wood-burning stoves in 2026 — for camping, outbuildings, and backup heat. What's practical for a family home in the UK.
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