Posts byJason Hanson

This “best of” edition of the Weekly Drop is a collection of reader questions that focus on emergency preparedness. Because when it comes to surviving disasters, preparation is key.

In this edition of “Survival Stories,” discover how to survive all manner of natural disasters from avalanches to tsunamis, in addition to what you should teach your children so they can avoid being kidnapped and more. ​

I know many people who are visual learners. That’s why this week, instead of the usual batch of must-read articles, I put together a list of must-watch videos covering a variety of survival skills and easy-to-build gadgets.

Recently, I stopped by Harry Connick Jr.’s talk show Harry, where I revealed five essential items that will help you survive until help arrives if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere. I also demonstrated precisely how to break out if you’re ever kidnapped or trapped in a rapidly sinking vehicle.

We’ll call her “Lindsay.” After asking her two simple questions that I use to determine the quality of a potential employee — she flunked out. Now, I understand you might not be an employer, but this method of questioning can be used anytime you need help determining if someone is being honest with you or not.

There are a ton of great recommendations in this edition of the Weekly Drop — from the best self-defense weapons that aren’t a gun… to where you can buy QuikClot if you’re not a medical professional… to how to get your hands on a discontinued Baofeng UV-5R two-way radio.

A new email scam has emerged, and the scariest part is who the sender appears to be. Here are some things you should do immediately if you’ve downloaded a suspicious file or think you may have been targeted by phishers.

This week’s batch of must-read articles covers all sorts of threats from disease to digital and everything in between. But first, see why sometimes it pays to think like a criminal. 

According to the FBI, a vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States. I realize that for many people spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy car alarm isn’t a viable option. So here are a few other ideas to help prevent your car from being broken into or stolen.

Sometimes it’s not easy to explain certain spy and survival techniques in writing. Which is why I included a video in my answer to the first of this week’s mailbag questions. In it, you’ll discover how to pick a lock using just two simple tools.