The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast

This week I'm going to be covering a few examples of survival fiction that I think can be useful for survivalist/prepper types.  On this episode I discuss the book "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, the story of a solitary individual surviving a dreadful pandemic which has essentially rendered him the last man on Earth.  I focus on the major elements of the story (as well as the three movies that have been based on upon it) along with specific examples of useful survival concepts present in the narrative. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE CHIP MONK FAMILY SURVIVAL BLOG!: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com

So what is the concept of the "Trunk Gun"?  Well, to make it simple it is the idea of having a long gun (rifle or shotgun) kept in your car at all times so that if a situation ever arises in which you need it you will have it available for use.  On this episode I discuss some of the better choices for "Trunk Guns" along with various considerations you will be pondering as you decide what, if anything, fills this role in your survival plans

A very long time ago this host did an episode on the topic of Survival Knives.  As I recall it wasn't one of my better shows but I still felt like it covered some useful topics so I left it in the podcast feed.  However, in this episode I try to cover a variation on that theme and discuss the well-deservedly famous Swiss Army Knife and the nearly-as-ubiquitous Leatherman Multitool (and its cousins).  The idea of having such a valuable tool (of either type or both) with you at all times is well worth considering if you can afford it

This is a fairly short episode built around the idea of me the host asking you the listener for some advice in a turnaround from the normal way of doing things.  My wife and I are in the process of making our final push towards ridding ourselves of college-era debt and are trying to find the right balance between bettering our financial situation and still trying to acquire the prep items necessary for things we see on the horizon.  I hope to both stimulate thoughts in the listener along the same lines as well as get your advice about what approaches we should take.  :

Someday in the very near future the heartland of the United States may experience a massive earthquake unlike anything seen in recent memory.  In this episode I discuss the potential for this massive catastrophe along with some practical tips for preparing for surviving it whether you live in the region that will be affected most by it or in other parts of the country and world that are sure to indirectly impacted. For more information on this topic check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Seismic_Zone as well as do a search for this subject at Google Video: http://www.google.com/search?q=new+madrid+earthquaketbo=ptbm=vidsource=vgchl=enaq=

Today your good buddy Chip discusses what he perceives to be the greatest specific natural disaster threat to his region, and some of the basic elements he thinks people should be aware of.  After what we've seen in Japan it would be foolish to not recognize the potential for something similar (or even worse) to occur here along the West Coast of the US. For more information on this topic check out the following video on my blog: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com/2011/03/potential-cascade-subduction-mega-quake.html You can also read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone (This is the link I referenced in my show

Today I wanted to discuss some trends I'm seeing that suggest that the masses are starting to wake up to the need for "Preparedness/Disaster Readiness". Everything from gas price increases to events in the Middle East to the crisis in Japan seem to be driving this new interest in our field, so on this episode I give an overview of what seems to be occurring along with suggestions of how you can best approach your own preparation efforts with these new developments in mind.

When Chip was a young man growing up in the mountains of Southern Oregon he used to enjoy reading some of his dad's survival magazines.  In the mid-1980s these magazines began to discuss the US Military's new sidearm-The M9, or in its civilian guise the Beretta 92.  Ooo-lah-lah that was a sweet pistol with a sleek appearance and a massive (at the time) 15 round magazine and on today's episode Chip talks about it along with its close cousin (the Taurus PT92) while focusing on the survival applications of such devices

Ever heard about hydroponics?  You know, the idea of making a garden without soil?  Ever consider some of the survival and preparedness ramifications of such a system? Well I have....  :) And today I talk about some of my introductory thoughts on hydroponic gardening and survival.  Also as I mention in this episode in the future I hope to set up two different types of hydroponic systems and walk listeners through the processes of how to construct a workable setup without breaking the bank. (BTW-Here is a link to a page at my blog where I link to some videos on this topic: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com/2011/04/videos-on-hydroponics.html

On today's episode I circle back around to the important topic of always being able to provide a shelter for yourself and your family.  I focus on some quickly improvised such as A-frames and teepee frames along with coal beds and simple fire-reflector sleeping areas.  Even if you're not that interested in wilderness survival per se, you can still learn a lot that could be potentially life-saving in other types of disaster situations

What is the "Cassandra Effect" you ask?  Well, it's something that Chip has been working out in his pea-sized brain over the course of the past six months or so.  The idea is (drawing from mythology) a way to describe that feeling you get when you see trouble brewing in the world and you try to convey your concerns to your family and friends, but no one will listen.  So on this episode I discuss how to get reluctant family members to recognize your concerns (similar to what I discussed in Episode 43) along with a few predictions about what the next six months or so could hold (similar to Episode 34).  Consider this a "potpourri" or "smorgasbord" episode where I bounce around quite a bit. :) (NOTE: Here is a link to some background on the Cassandra mythology so you can better understand my basic premise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra )

As mentioned on my recent episode about "Survival Camping" I recently had a stark reminder of how valuable firestarting skills are for survivalist/prepper types.  In this episode I discuss a few different methods of ensuring you can always have a warm, toasty fire and the value such a fire offers in a survival context.

Due to the fact that much of the planet's population lives close to oceans and other waterways it is worth considering the thought of using a boat as a "bug out vehicle" (BOV).  In this episode I discuss some of the considerations for choosing a boat, equipping it for your needs, and using it to get out of an area affected by a disaster.  Obviously there is much more that could be said on this topic, but hopefully this gives you some initial considerations to work with if you're considering this option in your survival plans

On today's rather short episode I talk about another of the specialized "Survival .22s" that are often discussed in survival/preparedness circles.  I give some of my own personal observations of this little rifle as well as some of the strengths and weaknesses of the "survival gun" concept in general while providing an overview of the AR7's characteristics

After a few hours witnessing the tv coverage of the carnage that was the Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown(s) my wife and I began discussing the lessons we can learn from this terrible disaster.  One of the things we took away from this event was the need to have portable methods of procuring safe water, storing food, alternative shelter, etc.  So...  We decided to try a camping trip in 40 degree weather to see what it would be like to have to "bug out" during late Winter/early Spring (which is essentially the type of weather we are currently dealing with).  On this episode I discuss our experiences and some of the things we learned