BOA-Bear self sufficiency initiative

Live wild. Stay sharp. Thrive alone. Your path to self-sufficiency and off-grid freedom starts here…

If you’ve landed here, it means you’re ready to take ownership of your future. The BBSSI isn’t about doomsday-prepping or acting out of fear - it’s about building a life of strength, clarity, and capability.

Self-sufficiency isn’t just a weekend project. It’s a return to what matters: your hands, your land, your tools, your family, your tribe.

We’ve tried to write this guide as a starting point. We hope that you can use it to map your journey, build your kit, and begin living wild - on purpose.

What is the BOA-Bear Self-Sufficiency Initiative or BBSSI?

The BOA-Bear Self-Sufficiency Initiative is our call to action for anyone ready to reclaim independence.

Our core principles are simple, but vital:

Learn to provide for yourself without the grid
Build with strength, not aesthetics
Eat what you grow, catch, or gather
Treat our land as a partner, not a possession

No fluff. No politics. Just action.

Our self-sufficiency pillars

🪓 1. Ancestral Wisdom
Your ancestors didn’t survive because of convenience — they thrived because they knew what to do when things went quiet. Learn to track, trap, forage, and work with your hands.

⚙️ 2. Future-Proof Systems
Off-grid power. Clean water. Food preservation. BBSSI tools and knowledge are designed to work when everything else fails.

🌿 3. Wild Nourishment
Your food is your medicine and your responsibility. Grow. Gather. Hunt. Ferment. Smoke. Preserve. Repeat.

🛡 4. Guardian of the Garden
Your home is your shield. Whether it’s a flat, a field, or a cabin in the woods — defend your space. Equip it. Train in it. Respect it.

Do these pillars resonate with you, but you don’t know where to start? No problem, let’s take a look at how you would get started…

Could you survive off-grid for 3 days?

3 whole days off-grid? Does it sound like a dream? Or maybe it’s both enticing and worrying? How would you do it? What do you need?

Here we have a basic checklist:

🔋 Power source (battery, solar, crank)
🔥 Fire kit (ferro rod, tinder, backup lighter)
🫗 Potable water (3L/day minimum) or filtration
🍖 Food that doesn’t spoil (or that you can hunt)
🛠 Cutting tool / multitool
🧣 Clothing for rain, cold, and night
🏕 Shelter: tent or tarp with cordage
🧭 Navigation method (map, compass, or choose somewhere familiar, where you local knowledge)
📓 Journal & pencil (for mapping, logging, planning)

Time to make your self-sufficient camp

Your camp is your frontline of freedom. Build it with strategy, not guesswork. Here we have suggested a blueprint for creating a self-sufficient base that feeds, shelters, and protects you, your loved ones and your mission.

Start by choosing your location wisely. Keep an eye out for:

Natural elevation (avoid flood zones)
Nearby clean water source (spring, river or stream)
South-facing exposure for sun
Natural windbreaks (tree lines, terrain ridges)

Ideally, you would scout out a location and visit multiple times over a 24 hour period - before you make camp - so that you can properly assess transient conditions such as wind, noise, animal movement, and visibility.

You’ve got the perfect location, so time to set up your ‘zones’. We suggest using a clear model divided into:

Shelter
Central sleeping area — tent, tarp, or structure. Should be dry, elevated, and protected from wind. Near the fire but not downwind.
Cooking
Fire pit, smokehouse, grill, or rocket stove. Keep 10–15 feet from shelter. Store dry tinder nearby. Build a wind shield if needed.
Water
Bucket or catchment system. Ideally near your shelter but downhill from latrines. Use charcoal/sand filters or boiling setup.
Food Prep & Storage
Hang rations from trees, dig a cache pit, or build an earth fridge. Store away from sleeping zone to avoid attracting wildlife.
Tool & Gear Area
Tie together a gear stand or tool rack. Keep blades, ropes / cords, and kits dry and visible. Make sure that you’ve organised it for speed and access.
Latrine
Less attractive but no less necessary. Dig at least 20m downhill from camp and water. You must burn or bury any waste products and we recommend marking the area with stones or branches so you don’t lose track.

Next is ensuring that your location is safe and secure. We recommend walking a 100m circle around your camp, and take the time to identify any game trails, wild edibles or other resources (nettles, bark or clay), ensure you’re clear on how to get in and out of camp, and identify any potential threats - could be loose branches or signs of predators in the area.

Your all set, so let’s ensure you’re prepped for longer term use over 3 days.

Ensure you:

Raise your bed (avoid ground moisture and any critters)
Build a covered wood store
Start a compost pile if semi-permanent (less important for 3 days but worth keeping in mind for longer term!)

Other longer term ideas would include planting wild edible plants or a small good garden, and you would also want to consider the seasons if you’re looking for a longer term option in the future…

Onto self-sufficiency gear

You might want to build your gear up over a period of time, but we would suggest these are your absolute essentials:

Fire starter kit
Tactical blade or field axe
Solar lantern or panel
Water filter system
Durable tarp / bivvy
Multi-tool
Leather pouches / carry systems