The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast

When I was growing up most of the media conversation about nuclear war was that it was not survivable so why even bother?  Even as a youngster I was able to read and research on my own to discover that wasn't truly the case unless one was very close to ground zero when the blast occurred.  Years ago after reading various articles about expensive below-ground shelters I came across an article on how to quickly and easily construct a simple below-ground setup that provides the basic protection required to survive a nuclear crisis using simple things you should already have available around your home.  In this episode I walk you through the steps and the different considerations you should be thinking about when you're building something like this.  You can also check over at my blog and see a visual representation of how this is done: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com/2011/01/here-is-good-visual-for-how-to-build.html One quick note:  After I recorded this last night I decided to check online to see if anything similar was posted, considering this shelter idea is from the Cold War era 1960s and found this design, which is quite similar to the one in my notes (I'm guessing both are borrowed from an excellent book available for free online here: Nuclear War Survival Skills). If nothing else, it can put your mind at ease to know that if there ever is a nuclear crisis you have a plan.  And that is worth it all by itself.

I've had both emails and verbal conversations with people recently about the idea of the Scout Rifle for survival so I thought I'd spend some time discussing it today. If you are unfamiliar with what a "Scout Rifle" is, check out this overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_rifle#Defining_Characteristics Here is the link for the new Ruger version of this concept I discuss on the show: http://www.ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/specSheets/6803.html For the rest of the program I cover the history of how Col. Jeff Cooper came up with this idea, its potential survival value, and "do-it-yourself" ways of creating your own version of the Scout Rifle.  And, since it's me, I focus on inexpensive (okay, "cheap") ways of going about building your own scout rifle with plans to give it a go myself. ;) http://www.ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/specSheets/6803.html http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/2010/12/ruger-scout-rifle.html http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/mosinscoutrifle/index.asp http://www.rifleshootermag.com/featured_rifles/mauser_090607/ http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=338526 http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=434859

If we ever do face a true long-term disaster that results in the breakdown of the lifestyle we have known it is going to be imperative to be able to get back to the ways of doing things that humans used for thousands of years before Henry Ford and the assembly line.  For this reason, you can make yourself extremely valuable to yourself and to others by learning how to do some of these old-fashion methods of meeting life's needs.  In this episode I discuss everything from soap-making to learning to sew to canning to hunting and outdoor skills.  It's little more than a starting point, but if you are truly interested in learning all you can about how to survive whatever comes, then knowledge is your best investment-and in most cases it's free! Here's the link to Wiki page on the Firefox series I discuss on this episode: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxfire_%28magazine%29

I can't believe I haven't already aired this particular Old Time Radio program.  What was I thinking?  If there is ANY old time radio broadcast worthy of being considered of value to Survivalist/Preppers it is the Orson Welles 1938 Mercury Theater on the Air production of H.G. Wells' (no relation) novel War of the Worlds. According to many media accounts of the time this show, broadcast as though it were describing a real event, created tremendous fear throughout the country as many people believed the bulletins being aired were genuine.  That right there is a lesson by itself for preppers, but the story also is capable of generating some valuable insights.  Take a listen and enjoy and contemplate how people of our day would react in similar circumstances. Here is the link for the Wikipedia article about the original 1938 broadcast (and other media related to the fallout): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio_drama%29 NOTE: You may need to increase the volume after my five minute intro to better hear this 72 year old program.  Just FYI... :)

Every so often I like to do an episode on Survival Media, either non-fiction (as in the case of some of my recent book reviews) or fictional accounts that convey useful preparedness ideas.  Today's episode I discuss a program on the History Channel dealing with the possibility of a nuclear terrorist attack on a major US city, in this case the nation's capital.  While there is room for detractors to deride this program as fear-mongering or presenting inaccurate information (such as the size of the mushroom cloud, etc.) overall I felt like this show covered a lot of different issues relating to nuclear survival and how to deal with the aftermath of any major disaster and thought I'd share about it with my listeners. (btw... This episode timed in at 45 minutes...  Just FYI...) Here is a link to a YouTube excerpt of the program (from which the audio I used in the podcast is taken): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doQY4xRXJJ4 Here is a link to the DVD of the program available from the History Channel (although it is somewhat pricey so look for alternatives such as a rebroadcast of the episode on History or History International): http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=276131v=history And finally here are links to three of the government documents mentioned on the program: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/ http://www.afrri.usuhs.mil/outreach/pdf/planning-guidance.pdf http://www.floridadisaster.org/Preparedness/TrainingandExercise/documents/TE/DHS%20Reference%20Documents/DHS%20-%20National%20Planning%20Scenarios%20March%202006.pdf

Today is the second half of the two-part arc about Intensive Gardening.  I hope that you will find the information useful as a starting point, but definitely don't consider it exhaustive on the topic.  Try to find out what grows best in the region you live in and make the effort now to get seeds that will work in your area, preferably heirloom seeds.  The time to start growing food for the future is now! :) BTW... Here is the link about the rise of agricultural crime in places like California: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ag-crimes-20101231,0,4458551.story Some might say it's not a big deal or that it's been happening for a long time.  But something makes me feel as though there's more to it these days...

As I say at the beginning of this episode I've been finding myself wrestling with a concern about food availability as 2011 dawns and I become more aware of the potential problems facing our world.  Other than clean water, nothing is more important to a survivalist/prepper than having food to keep themselves and their families alive.  On this episode I talk about specific techniques for growing the maximum amount of food possible in whatever area you have available.  I discuss how to double your yields and how to even potentially grow two or three different crops in the same area during the course of a growing season.  We'll finish up this topic tomorrow as I go into a few more aspects of this important subject. More on intensive gardening can be found at the following resources: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/intensive.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture

Happy New Years!  I hope that 2011 finds you and your family doing well despite economic circumstances or world events that might be of concern to the watchful observer.  And as we begin this New Year it is a good opportunity to pause a moment and take stock of where we are, the things on the horizon that we should be aware of and the steps we can take to place ourselves and our families in a better position for the future.  On this episode I discuss a few general thoughts about what 2011 might hold and also talk about a few articles I've linked to over at my blog (thechippermonk.blogspot.com) .  Ranging from $4.00 a gallon gasoline to potential major wars in parts of the world I try to come back to the idea of taking little steps to get yourself and your family to a place where you can deal with almost anything that might come up over the course of this next year. My own resolution for this program is to try to get back to doing 30 minute episodes and for this show at least I'm right on the mark.  :)

Today's episode is a continuation of yesterday's show taking up where I left off.  I discuss some of the foundational considerations of disaster readiness and preparedness and while not exhaustive will hopefully help those starting out generate ideas of how to begin.

Are you just starting out with the idea of "prepping" and "survival"?  Did you always think that people who tried to get ready for disasters were just kooks and then recently changed your mind as you see what's happening in the world around us? Well, today's episode is just for you.  In a simple manner I break down a few initial steps you can do to work towards being ready for disasters and not have to spend a fortune doing so.  I hope you will find this straight-forward and basic overview of the topic useful.  For the listener's convenience I have broken this episode into two roughly 33 minute episodes. Feel free to email me any specific questions you have after listening @ chipmonksurvivalpodcast@gmail.com .

Sorry for the late start this week, but we've been traveling to see family for Christmas... On today's episode I discuss a number of tips and tricks for securing your house while you're away for the holidays or vacation.  I give some first-hand accounts of things we've done to protect our various dwellings over the years as well as ideas I've picked up from other people in my family and friends circle.  There's no point in spending all the time, money and energy you've put into getting prepped only to have them taken by some burglar while you're gone.

This weekend's old time radio episode is "End as a World" from X Minus One.  It provides an interesting look into the idea of living during times of change.  I am a little late in posting it, for which I apologize.  I hope you will enjoy it and have a great weekend.

"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat..." Or in this case, the Chipper is getting geared up for ingesting large amounts of Christmas-related cuisine ranging from turkey and mashed potatoes to fruitcake (which I actually like), Christmas cookies, and chocolate-covered cherries. :) Which has me thinking....  What can I give to members of my family to get them thinking about preparedness?  What gifts could we pass to others that will have lasting value beyond next week?  Do they need more plastic junk manufactured in China that seems cool for about a day and then breaks, spending the rest of its ignominious life in a landfill somewhere? To me the answer is simple: This year, give the gift of preparedness.  And on this episode, I give you ideas how to do so (while borrowing ideas from the following article posted on Survivalblog.com): http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/12/a_christmas_gift_for_the_unpre.html And the link about the 10 food staples that last forever: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating-recipes/photos/forever-foods-10-cooking-staples-that-can-outlast-you/forever-foo

I've done a few episodes devoted to survival books in general (both fiction and non-fiction) and recently I've profiled two well-known survival/preparedness authors in James Wesley, Rawles and Mel Tappan.  On this episode, I decided to do a straight-up book review covering a book about a survival topic: In this case, it's Bug Out by Scott B. Williams. Today I talk about the useful material in this book, suggest some additional resources along the same line (see below), and overall compliment the author on compiling a good amount of useful material into a single, cohesive package. You can check out the author's web site at: http://www.bugoutsurvival.com/ This book is available through Amazon (and probably other sources as well): http://www.amazon.com/Bug-Out-Complete-Escaping-Catastrophic/dp/156975781X/ I would also recommend you consider using Google Earth (http://www.google.com/earth/index.html) as a complimentary resource plus any maps you can lay your hands on depicting your region. Lastly, I've done a little podcasting on the subject of "bugging out" myself: http://chipmonk.podbean.com/?s=bug+out

Today's episode is a continuation from yesterday, in which I discuss the various budget-priced shotguns and rifles available in the $100-$300 range, offering suggestions at each price point in that spectrum.  The basic background information from yesterday's topic applies to today, although it seems like there are several more options available to the budget prepper in shotguns and rifles including a few factory new guns from reputable companies. Just as yesterday, today's information is not meant to be exhaustive but rather to let you know some of what is "out there".  Obviously some firearms will not be available for private ownership in all areas, but in most places at minimum you can own at least a single-shot shotgun or old .303 British surplus rifle.  Hopefully there will be some information that applies to wherever you live and if you think I missed some good options please, please, please feel free to write about it in the comments section for these two episodes. :)