FieldCraft Survival

OLD VS. NEW

Maybe I’m just getting old.

But I prefer a truck that starts with a key, not a facial scan.

I grew up believing a vehicle represented freedom. You bought it. You owned it. You drove it.

Now you’ve got companies like Ford filing patents involving driver monitoring and facial recognition technology. At the same time, more and more vehicles are becoming connected, monitored, updated, and controlled through software.

Some people see progress.

I see a future where technology sits between me and my own vehicle.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’ll take my old Land Cruiser or my old ’85 4Runner any day of the week. No subscriptions. No facial recognition. No software deciding whether I can drive.

Just a machine, the open road, and the freedom to go where I want.

Less tracking.

Less technology.

More self-reliance.

Maybe old isn’t outdated.

Maybe old is freedom.

Mobile Adventure
Before social media made every journey a performance, adventure was something you lived, not something you posted.

In 1957, wildlife artist Robert Bateman and naturalist Bristol Foster left the United Kingdom in a hand-painted Land Rover and drove into the unknown.

Over 14 months, they crossed four continents, traveled through 19 countries, and covered more than 37k miles. No GPS. No satellite communications. No content strategy. No sponsorship deals.

Just curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to see what was beyond the next horizon.

Today, an adventure like this would probably go viral.

Back then, they simply pointed the vehicle toward the horizon and went.

Live more ANALOG.

PREPARED IN FAITH

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

Most people think preparedness begins with gear.

More food.

More ammunition.

More equipment.

More training.

While those things have value, Scripture teaches us that true preparedness begins long before we purchase a single piece of equipment.

Paul’s instruction to the church in Corinth was not directed toward soldiers preparing for battle or explorers preparing for an expedition. It was directed toward ordinary believers navigating an increasingly uncertain world. Yet the principles remain just as relevant today.

First, he tells us to be on our guard.

Preparedness begins with awareness. A person who ignores warning signs, dismisses danger, or refuses to acknowledge reality places themselves and their family at unnecessary risk. Whether the threat is financial instability, declining health, spiritual complacency, social unrest, or natural disaster, awareness is the first step toward effective action.

Second, he tells us to stand firm in the faith.

Faith is not passive optimism. Faith is confidence rooted in truth. The prepared Christian understands that circumstances will change, economies will fluctuate, governments will rise and fall, and hardships will inevitably come. Our foundation cannot be built upon comfort, convenience, or temporary security. It must be built upon something that remains unchanged when everything around us is shifting.

Third, he calls us to be courageous.

Courage is often misunderstood. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the willingness to move forward despite fear. Every meaningful responsibility in life requires courage. Leading a family requires courage. Starting over requires courage. Speaking truth requires courage. Remaining faithful during hardship requires courage. Prepared people do not wait until fear disappears. They act despite it.

Finally, Paul instructs us to be strong.

Strength is not merely physical. Physical strength matters, but Scripture repeatedly emphasizes strength of character, strength of conviction, and strength of spirit. The strongest individuals are often not those capable of carrying the heaviest load, but those capable of enduring the longest trial without abandoning their principles.

Preparedness is ultimately about stewardship.

It is about taking responsibility for what God has entrusted to us. Our families. Our communities. Our health. Our faith. Our resources.

The goal is not to live in fear of what may happen tomorrow.

The goal is to live faithfully today so that we are ready for whatever tomorrow brings.

That is preparedness.

That is resilience.

That is faith in action.

Fieldcraft Outpost

Prepared in Faith

President Donald Trump used part of his State of the Union address on Tuesday to spotlight American military heroism, awarding U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover and U.S. Navy Captain E. Royce Williams with the nation’s highest military honor.

Recounting what he described as a high-risk January raid targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump detailed Slover’s role in leading the mission. He said Slover was piloting a Chinook helicopter transporting U.S. forces into heavily fortified enemy territory under the cover of darkness. As the aircraft approached the target, it came under intense machine gun fire from multiple directions.

“There were many heroes on that January raid to capture Maduro. Really great heroes. It was very dangerous,” Trump said, describing the perilous mission.

Slover, still recovering from his wounds, attended the address with his wife, Amy, as he was presented with the nation’s highest military award.

Trump also presented the Medal of Honor to Williams, a 100-year-old Korean War veteran and retired Navy captain, for his extraordinary combat valor during a long-classified 1952 aerial dogfight over the Sea of Japan.

Flying a single F9F Panther jet from USS Oriskany, Williams engaged and shot down four Soviet MiG-15 fighters during a 35-minute battle despite being heavily outnumbered and flying an aircraft considered inferior in speed and climb rate.

The back-to-back Medal of Honor ceremonies underscored the administration’s emphasis on military service, drawing extended applause from lawmakers and guests in the chamber.