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Explore the Ridge

Maps, core characters, and bonus material that take you deeper into the stories.

Get oriented inside the Ridge Universe with the neighborhood map, locations from the stories, and profiles of the principal characters.

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Behind the Fiction

Practical, research-based insights into preparedness, crisis decisions, and community resilience.

Explore the infrastructure, preparedness decisions, community dynamics, and human behavior that give the Ridge Universe its realism.

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Off-Grid Recipes

Practical meals created from shelf-stable ingredients when ordinary cooking is no longer ordinary.

Practical recipes built around shelf-stable foods, limited fuel, and ingredients people are likely to have when normal systems stop working.

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FEATURED READER EXTRA

See Where the Ridge Universe Begins

Explore the fictional Ridge community and the surrounding terrain that shape the decisions, dangers, and relationships in The Ridge Plan. The map helps readers understand how the neighborhood is organized and why location matters when ordinary systems fail.


Designed for readers of The Ridge Plan. Contains location details but no major plot spoilers.

VIEW THE RIDGE MAP
Designed for readers of The Ridge Plan. Contains location details but no major plot spoilers.

Behind the Fiction

The real systems, risks, and human decisions that help shape the Ridge Universe.

Woman planting potatoes.

Plant Calories, Not a Photo of Dinner

By R.T. Fagan • September 7, 2026
A first-season garden for apartments, small lots, and ridge beds — what earns the square footage, what is just garnish, and a one-week test you can finish before you buy more pots. R.T. Fagan
A couple sitting at the kitchen table reviewing the list of five paths towards calories: gardening,

You Do Not Need a Homestead. You Need a First Calorie Path.

By R.T. Fagan • August 30, 2026
How ordinary urban and rural households should rank gardening, foraging, fishing, hunting, and livestock — by space, legality, time, and neighbor friction.
rain water capture system

Rain Capture System

By R.T. Fagan • August 24, 2026
Each bucket has its own mechanical float valve. Water enters all five simultaneously; when one reaches the selected level, its valve closes while the others continue filling. When all five close, excess water exits through the overflow. This is more dependable than connecting the buckets at their bottoms. Bottom connections make bucket removal difficult and create 25 gallons of leakage if a fitting fails. Physical arrangement Build a level platform approximately 6 feet long and 20 inches deep: Five opaque, food-grade 5-gallon buckets in one row Watertight lids on every bucket A horizontal 1-inch PVC manifold mounted 18–30 inches above the bucket inlets Five identical ½-inch branches spaced over the buckets One low-pressure float valve mounted through the upper sidewall of each bucket A shutoff valve and quick-disconnect between each manifold branch and bucket Each full bucket weighs approximately 42 pounds. Design the platform for at least 300 pounds, including a safety margin. Keep the buckets at ground or waist level—there is no benefit to elevating all that weight unless you intend to gravity-feed water elsewhere.

From the Off-Grid Kitchen

Shelf-stable meals designed for disrupted routines, limited resources, and real appetites.

Mountain House Beef Potato Hash

Mountain House Beef Potato Hash

By R.T. Fagan • September 6, 2026
Serves 2 · ≈1,000 cal each Ingredients 2 servings Mountain House diced beef, rehydrated 3 cups rehydrated Augason Farms potato shreds or slices 4 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil ½ cup rehydrated Augason Farms spinach flakes ½ cup rehydrated diced carrots 5 garlic cloves, minced Smoked paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper Method Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over the coals. Add potatoes in a single layer. Let them crisp before stirring. Add garlic, beef, carrots, and spices. Cook 5–6 minutes. Fold in spinach at the end so it wilts into the hash. Nutrition (full meal / per person) Calories: ≈2,010 / 1,005 Protein: ≈66 g / 33 g Carbs: ≈160 g / 80 g Fiber: ≈14 g / 7 g Significant vitamins/minerals: Protein, iron and zinc (beef), potassium (potatoes), vitamin A and C (carrots/spinach), calorie-dense oil More recipes and additional bonus material can be found at https://www.griddownfiction.com/bonus-material
Fire-Pot Ramen with Chicken, Egg & Broccoli

Fire-Pot Ramen with Chicken, Egg & Broccoli

By R.T. Fagan • September 5, 2026
Serves 2 · ≈1,000 cal each Ingredients 6 bricks Top Ramen (seasoning packets optional / use sparingly) 2 cans canned chicken, drained 2 servings powdered eggs, rehydrated and scrambled 4 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 cup rehydrated Augason Farms broccoli florets 4 garlic cloves, minced Broth if available, chili flakes, black pepper, optional soy sauce Method Cook ramen in a pot over the fire until just tender. Drain most of the water, leave a little. In a skillet, heat oil. Sauté garlic, then scramble the powdered eggs and set aside. Add chicken and broccoli to the oil. Heat through. Combine noodles, eggs, chicken, and broccoli. Toss with remaining oil. Season. Nutrition (full meal / per person) Calories: ≈2,030 / 1,015 Protein: ≈68 g / 34 g Carbs: ≈195 g / 98 g Fiber: ≈10 g / 5 g Significant vitamins/minerals: Protein from chicken and eggs, vitamin C and K (broccoli), B-vitamins (noodles), fats from oil for calorie density More recipes and additional bonus material can be found at Https://www.griddownfiction.com/bonus-material
Creamed Corn Chicken & Rice Skillet

Creamed Corn Chicken & Rice Skillet

By R.T. Fagan • September 4, 2026
Serves 2 · ≈1,000 cal each Ingredients 2 cans canned chicken, drained 3 cups cooked brown or white rice 1 can cream corn 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil ½ cup rehydrated Augason Farms broccoli florets 4 garlic cloves, minced Salt, black pepper, paprika, dried thyme Method Heat oil in a large skillet over the fire. Sauté garlic 30 seconds. Add chicken and broccoli. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in cream corn and rice. Simmer until thick, creamy, and hot. Adjust seasoning. Nutrition (full meal / per person) Calories: ≈2,000 / 1,000 Protein: ≈70 g / 35 g Carbs: ≈180 g / 90 g Fiber: ≈12 g / 6 g Significant vitamins/minerals: High protein and niacin (chicken), vitamin C (broccoli), B-vitamins (rice), vitamin A (corn), calorie-dense oil 

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Begin with The Ridge Plan, where an ordinary rural neighborhood faces the first thirty days after the grid goes down.