Self Reliance Festival - Event in Camden, Tennessee

ZERO TO HERO
HAM RADIO
OCT 12-13

Learn all about HAM Radio with both practical and lecture portions. Leave ready to take your HAM license class or level up your existing capabilities.

$645

SELF RELIANCE FESTIVAL
THE MAIN EVENT
OCT 14-15

The Self Reliance Festival at Special Operations Equipment gives you a close-up view of both strategic and tactical skills. Thoroughly practical demonstrations include emergency medical training, defense dogs, blacksmithing, weaving, food preservation, aquaponics, and permaculture design.

$95

POULTRY PROCESSING
WORKSHOP
OCT 16

The fall Chicken Processing Workshop includes a demonstration by Joel Salatin and HANDS-ON poultry processing guided by Nicole Sauce and Chef Brett Corrieri.

$215

SELF RELIANCE FESTIVAL
THE MAIN EVENT
OCT 14-15

The Self Reliance Festival at Special Operations Equipment gives you a close-up view of both strategic and tactical skills. Thoroughly practical demonstrations include emergency medical training, defense dogs, blacksmithing, weaving, food preservation, aquaponics, and permaculture design.

$95

ZERO TO HERO
HAM RADIO
OCT 12-13

Learn all about HAM Radio with both practical and lecture portions. Leave ready to take your HAM license class or level up your existing capabilities.

$645

POULTRY PROCESSING
WORKSHOP
OCT 16

The fall Chicken Processing Workshop includes a demonstration by Joel Salatin and HANDS-ON poultry processing guided by Nicole Sauce and Chef Brett Corrieri.

$215

FIND YOUR TRIBE TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FUTURE IT’S UP TO YOU

OCTOBER 14-15 CAMDEN, TN

LOCATION: 4631 Highway 70 E, Camden, TN 38320

GATES OPEN AT: 8:00 AM

Join us for presentations, demonstrations, vendor exhibits, community, and music!

The Self-Reliance Festival at Special Operations Equipment gives you a close-up view of both strategic and tactical skills. Thoroughly practical demonstrations include emergency medical training, defense dogs, blacksmithing, weaving, food preservation, aquaponics, and permaculture design.

Join us for a two-day, pre-event workshop on HAM Radio, hosted by Radio Made Easy. (TICKETS)

Stay an extra day and take our Poultry Processing Class with Joel Salatin. (TICKETS)

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OCTOBER LINEUP

THE LUNATIC FARMER

Joel Salatin

Author of Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal

THE WEALTHSTEADING PODCAST

John Pugliano

How to become a millionaire the slow, hard way

SPECIAL OPERATIONS EQUIPMENT

John Willis

CHEESE MAKING

Nicole Sauce

Feta, mozzarella, cheddar, or “lowly” farmer’s cheese: learn the basic process, similaries, and differences. Join the demonstration.

THE WORKSHOP

Toolman Tim

FORTRESS K9

Joel Ryals

How to Build Your Niche Business

NAVIGATING A WORLD WITH AI

Jack Spirko

Start figuring it out with the guidance of The Survival Podcast’s expert and engaging host.

HOMESTEAD MEDICINE

Chuck Peoples

When a medical situation occurs, if you are not within easy range of medical treatment, you need to act. Everything you need to know about wound care – and then some.

 HOW TO BUILD A CANCEL-PROOF WEBSITE

Evan Dixon

LEARN TO WEAVE

Eileen Wirsig

Take your first pass with the shuttle under the tutelage of master weaver Eileen Wirsig.

SLAVE TWO SERVANT

Samuel Swanson

SIIS will release its newest album, Escape Babylon, Saturday night.

NEW EARTH HAVEN VILLAGE MODEL

Imanee Mamulution and Paul River Richardson

Community and regenerative building with hemp.

LIVING OFF GRID

Louise Milleman

Exploring different levels of self-sufficiency

FAMILY MILK COW

Dawn Gorham

How to have a family milk cow without losing your mind.

CRITICAL ROLE OF COMMUNITY

Tag

Find your tribe.

HANDS-ON SEWING WORKSHOP

Janet Szabo

Learn how to sew with a hands on session with Janet!

WILD EDIBLE WALK

Kerry Brown

Learn which plants are herbal and edible plants are ready in the fall!

BUTCHER CONTEST

Renegade Butcher and Backwoods Butcher

Watch multiple butchers RACE to the finish! Backwoods Butcher and Renegade Butcher are going HEAD TO HEAD!

BIOCHAR / TRAPPING SMALL GAME

Bruce DeVries

DISSOLVING ILLUSIONS

Niti Bali

Special add-on workshop for an extra donation.

LOCK-PICKING’S INSANE ROI

Pat Watson

From the tactical to the practical: you will save energy and expense by acquiring lock management and picking skills. Find out more and learn to pick your first lock.

MAKE SOAP

Ashley Cain

Live demonstrations on how to make soap.

FOOD PRESERVATION

Angela and Garren Allard

Freeze it; dehydrate it; freeze-dry it; can it; ferment it; pickle it. What to do with which kind of food? And how? Find out.

Topic TBD

Dakota Lobato

BITCOIN DEMOS

Michael Sparks

HOW TO GET AND KEEP A REDNECK

Nicole Sauce

CONNECTING PEOPLE

Nicole Sauce

With Tag and Toolman Tim, Nicole Sauce will ensure that if you want to be connected, you are – at this very session.

STORY OF DARKHORSE LODGE

Gretchen and Kirk Catherwood

Here’s what it means to pick up and go on: a combat retreat for veterans opens in Tennessee.

GIRLS, GUNS, AND OTHER TOPICS

Dana McClendon

DEVELOP MENTAL TOUGHNESS WITH 75 HARD

Dean Dupree

It’s a life-changer: move from “I wish…” to “I can and do” in under 3 months.

AI DEBATE

Jack Spirko and…

TOUGH LADIES IN HOMESTEADING AND PREPPING

Amanda Willis, Nicole Sauce, Dawn Gorham

With surprise appearances (and opinions) from a number of “our” tough dames.

SCYTHE IT

John Athayde

Embrace the technique and cut your vegetation efficiently.

Homestead Defense

Andrew Smrecek

What does reality look like in defending your homestead without state help?

Check Back For More Announcements…

THANK YOU!

SPONSORS

Special Operations Equipment

SOE hosts Self-Reliance Festival in and around their factory.

Living Free in Tennessee

The podcast that entertains, educates, and empowers you to live the life you choose.

Holler Roast Coffee

Holler Roast Coffee provides much of the event management for Self-Reliance Festival and runs a couple of giant urns of brew.

The Liberty Lab

We design and develop highly professional websites, apps, and online tools for conservative, libertarian, limited government, and free-market organizations and communities.

Bearings, Belts & Chain, Inc.

Premier resource for ball bearing and power transmission parts for more than 20 years.

Midwest Preparedness Project

MPP aims to inspire and empower people just like you to be prepared for and respond to whatever life throws their way.

EMP Shield

The world’s first EMP protected advanced energy storage system

Kentucky Sustainable Living

Dedicated to teaching homesteading and preparedness skills

Featherman Equipment

Putting quality processing equipment within reach of the small operation. Helping to improve the quality of the food supply, encourage local entrepreneurship and pasture-based products, and increase the viability of the small family farm.

NicoleSauce.com

One site to access everything going on with the Holler, LFTN, Holler Roast, and Nicole’s appearance calendar.

Radio Made Easy

Making it easy for you to use radios effectively.

Spags Unfiltered

Join Spags on the family farm: relax, drink a few beers, shoot some fun stuff, and relax.

Bergen County Harley Davidson

One-stop shop for all things Harley. Fiercely independent!

Premier Body Armor

Take your EDC to the next level with cutting-edge solutions that integrate into everyday life. Domestically sourced materials. LE vests, concealable laptop cases, t-shirts, vests, and custom-fit backpack inserts for all your favorite brands.

VENDORS

Don’t miss shopping these quality products and services. Visit Vendor Row!

Kansas, Oct 2-8

Tennessee, Oct 14-15

Kentucky, Oct 28-29

Get the TRIPLE CROWN of preparedness and hit all three festivals this year: Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your ticket is nonrefundable.

Self-Reliance Festival
at Special Operations Equipment
4631 Highway 70 E
Camden, TN 38320

FREE! Camp overnight at Special Operations Equipment. There’s a composting toilet, water, and a handwashing station.

You may arrive and set up camp on Friday after 3 pm.

Please be entirely off the SOE property by 6pm Sunday.

Lodging closest to SOE property

New Johnsonville
5 minutes away

New Johnsonville Harbor Campground
130 Harbor Cir, New Johnsonville, TN 37134
(615) 319-4433
no website

Deerfield Inn (*closest hotel to SOE property*)
1331 Broadway Ave, New Johnsonville, TN 37134
(931) 535-3889
no website

Camden
under 5 miles / 10 minutes

Best Western Home Place Inn
731-584-2222
 Nicest hotel in the area

Country Hearth Inn and Suites
731-584-6666

Birdsong Road area
5 miles / 10 minutes

Cedar Ridge RV Park
3400 Birdsong Rd
Camden, TN 38320
Close to SOE

Birdsong Resort | Marina | Campground
255 Marina Road
Camden Kentucky Lake, Tennessee 38320-9699
(731) 584-7880
Close to SOE

20 minutes plus from SOE

Most affordable
34 miles / 40 minutes from SOE

Pike’s Peak Campground
$10-12
127 Perryville Rd, Parsons, TN 38363
(731) 249-0029

East
15 miles / 20 minutes from SOE

Waverly

Imperial Lodge
504 W Main St #1407, Waverly, TN 37185
(813) 304-5113
no website

South
15 miles / 20 minutes from SOE

Days Inn by Wyndham, Holladay
13845 Hwy 641 N, Holladay, TN 38341
(731) 483-2068

West
27 miles / 35 minutes west of SOE

The Heritage Inn
11790 Lexington St, Huntingdon, TN

North
28+ miles / 36+ minutes north of SOE
farthest, but largest city in the immediate area

Paris Landing RV Park
35 Point Pleasant Road, Buchanan, Tennessee
Larry Richardson: 731.363.3020
Faye Richardson: 731.363.3019
a KOA facility?

Paris, TN
Hotels

Super 8 by Wyndham Paris
1309 E Wood St, Paris, TN 38242

Paris Inn & Suites
1297 E Wood St, Paris, TN 38242

Quality Inn
1510 E Wood St, Paris, TN 38242

Knights Inn Paris
409 Tyson Ave, Paris, TN 38242

Other links

RV, camping, and camping cabin parks in the area

Hotels and motels near Camden, Tennessee

Vacation property rentals

Airbnb

VRBO

Evolve

No. Please see “Lodging” FAQ.

Certified service dogs only are allowed. Please respect the property owners’, the Willises’, wishes.

There is no discount for youngsters.

Children who behave as adults are welcome. If children become unruly – or if adults act like unruly children – they will be ejected from the event.

Food and some beverages will be available for purchase. Water is in the orange and white Gatorade urns.

We will serve Holler Roast Coffee – for a freewill donation.

A Note:

Organizers seek food, drink, and snack vendors. What about you: do you make yummy things?

Please sign up to sell food at Self-Reliance Festival by completing the Vendor application. At least one of your tickets will be complimentary, and you’ll make a few bucks.

For questions, email Mama Sauce: lani@nysara.com.

This is Self-Reliance Festival: when you come, please be equipped to take care of yourself.

The event is held just outside a small rural town. Everything takes place in and around a sewing factory. We can’t entirely take over this production facility, so we fit in among the trappings of doing business and the memorable Willis Collection of Wonderful Items.

Bring your own chair, water bottles, clothing for Tennessee and the season, and all the things you need for comfort. Example: Mama Sauce needs a knitting project in order to listen carefully to a speech.

Some attendees have found cellphone service spotty; others have no problem at all. There is no internet onsite. We will try to set up a device charging station.

Leave valuables at home.

Really, bring your CHAIR. Don’t rely on nabbing 1 of the 20 we own. Your feet will get tired and your back will hurt.

Please leave valuables at home.

Attendee toilet facilities are outdoors in the form of composting outhouses and porta-johns. Please do not ask to and do not use the factory workers’ rest rooms.

The same is true of the kitchen. In order to feed 300 – 600 people, every attendee must stay out of the kitchen, the areas in front of it, and the restrooms – even those visitors accustomed to using these areas. If you want to cook or chill something, bring a stove and cooler.

All participant parking is at Big Daddy convenience store.

Place your parking pass on the dashboard. It’s good Saturday and Sunday.

Please leave valuables at home.

Vendor setup hours

  • Friday, October 13, 5-7 pm
  • Saturday, October 14, 7-8 am

When you arrive during setup hours, check in with Jennifer Bowman, the vendor manager, at the information booth. Please don’t ask to set up outside setup hours. We hate to say it, but the answer is “Sorry, no.”

Bring everything you need:

  • shelter
  • tables
  • chairs
  • SOE has a finite number of electrical outlets. Extension cords must be heavy-duty.
  • paper towels
  • tape
  • buckets if you need a water supply
  • There is a Walmart about 15 minutes away.
  • Internet will be provided by Radio Made Easy.

Vendors may drive to building to offload and onload. Please plan to drop off your gear, then go park at Big Daddy’s.

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