The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast

I get a lot of questions about my viewpoints on firearms for survival purposes.  And believe it or not, as a life-long shooter I have a lot of opinions to match those questions.  (Don't we all? :) ) That isn't to say that my ideas are correct or anyone else's are wrong, but since I get asked a lot of questions I tend to do a healthy number of episodes on this topic, and my email feedback tells me that most people like them. One recurring theme that comes up is that of people wanting to get involved with preparedness but with little money available to spend on much of anything, much less firearms.  I always say take care of your water, food, and shelter needs before looking to defensive and hunting considerations, but once you get to the point of wanting to purchase a firearm or five how do you find out what your options are? Well, my hope would be that this podcast could provide some of that direction for you, although like anything these are personal decisions.  What I try to do in this episode (and the followup tomorrow) is suggest some of the choices out there for you and offer some options. You are encouraged to also spend some time online researching the topic and then find a way to get your hands on some real, physical examples of the choices available to you (perhaps even with an instructor) and figure out what works best for you and your budget.  (Not every country, state, or city will allow private ownership of some of these options, so follow all applicable laws.  The last place you want to be in a crisis is in a jail, trust me....) NOTE: As always, I encourage (no make that demand) you get some training and guidance in the safe use of firearms so that you and your family can be kept safe from potential hazards that can come from misusing any tool.  Okay, so I can't really demand anything but I strongly encourage you to take all steps necessary to keep yourself and your family safe, even from yourself.  :)

There's very little that concerns me about December 21, 2012 as far as a date on the calender, despite all the media hoopla and History Channel specials about the topic.  However, I do find myself concerned about the fears of other people relating to that date.  Could this lead to shortages in the latter part of 2012?  Could doomsday weirdos create the very crises they say they fear?  Could Roland Emmerlich direct yet another movie about the topic?  *shudder* :) In this episode I revisit what happened back at the turn of the millennium a decade ago and also project some of the things survivalists and preppers should be pondering over the next two years.

It's time for another exciting Weekend Edition of the Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast where we track down old radio dramas with survival themes and enjoy them together on a Saturday night. Today's story is set in a future version of our Earth where the climate has been damaged to the point that the atmosphere itself is frozen and lies upon the ground much like snow. I enjoy this story because it provides such a convincing picture of people adjusting to disaster and continuing to carve out something of a normal life for themselves. Take a listen and I hope you will enjoy it. Also, feel free to drop me an email with any of your thoughts about this story at: chipmonksurvivalpodcast@gmail.com

My introduction into the survival/preparedness world came as a kid through the writings of Mel Tappan.  He was an interesting figure in the "early" days of survivalism ("early" being a relative term) and contributed much to what is the field of survivalism today.  In this episode I talk a little bit about the background and history of Mel Tappan, and then spend the rest of the time discussing two of his books that I am most familiar with: Mel Tappan on Survival and Survival Guns. While some of their titles might not be quite up my alley (a little too focused on the combat arts for my tastes) the current publishers of Tappan's books (Paladin Press) do have a number of interesting titles including the two writings I highlighted in this podcast by Mel Tappan.  You can check out their stuff at their web site located here: http://www.paladin-press.com/ (NOTE: Today's intro and extro song is "We Three Kings" by Liana Stone, who does the CMFSP theme song, and her husband Jason.  More of their music can be found here: http://www.reverbnation.com/lianastone#!/artist/artist_songs/1009576 and http://www.myspace.com/lianabumstead )

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." I'm sure you've heard that statement before.  The thing is, that statement is true by and large.  You can look at the many cycles of history, the rise and fall of cultures, and the rebirth of subsequent societies and learn much that can be applied to survivalism and preparedness.  For the prepper there is a significant advantage in looking at what has happened in the past as well as the things that our ancestors knew that we have lost in our modern age. In this episode I talk about the things the ancient hunter-gatherers did to survive, how and why the first people banded together to form city-states, and even more modern history and some of the things we can learn from those who have gone before.  While history may seem like a bit of a dry topic, I challenge you to listen to this episode and then try to think of some other aspects that I didn't mention and send them to me.  I'd love to hear some listeners' thoughts on this topic, as I know there is more that I can learn too. :) (NOTE: Today's intro and extro song is "O little Town of Bethlehem" by Liana Stone, who does the CMFSP theme song.  More of her music can be found here: http://www.reverbnation.com/lianastone#!/artist/artist_songs/1009576 and http://www.myspace.com/lianabumstead )

Okay, so it's not the most exciting topic I've ever discussed.  It lacks the pizzazz of survival gadgets and the strange fascination many preppers have with the potential havoc of disasters.  But that doesn't mean it is not an important topic... I am, of course, talking about survival clothing.  Yep.  That stuff we put on to keep ourselves warm and dry and protected from the elements.  Believe it or not, your life could some day ride on your ability to stay protected from the elements by your clothing.  Well, that might be overdramatizing it a bit (although it's still an accurate statement) so in this episode I discuss many of the considerations you will need to take into account when planning for this simple part of disaster readiness. Stay warm! :) (NOTE: Today's intro and extro song is "God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Liana Stone, who does the CMFSP theme song, and her husband Jason.  More of their music can be found here: http://www.reverbnation.com/lianastone#!/artist/artist_songs/1009576 and http://www.myspace.com/lianabumstead )

On this episode of the Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast I ask the question "If you could only have one caliber for both a handgun and a long gun, what would be a good choice?" Why would someone ever be in a situation where they would need to make such a decision?  Well, perhaps you're one of my listeners on a budget who only wants to stock a single type of ammo to simplify logistics in your preparations.  Maybe you just want a revolver and a carbine in the same caliber so you only need to carry one type of ammo with you in the field.  Who knows?  But I've been asked the question enough that it's worth taking the time to contemplate.  And it's fun to discuss hypotheticals when it comes to firearms. So, kick back...  Grab a cup of hot chocolate and let's talk guns! :) (NOTE: The intro and outro music from today's episode is from CMFSP theme song artist Liana Stone.  Information about her new Christmas album can be found here: http://www.reverbnation.com/lianastone )

(NOTE: This episode is just some of my thoughts on survival medicine and should not be construed as any sort of of medical advice.  I am not a doctor.  I regret that I live in an era where I even have to state this, but I do.  So there... ;) ) In today's episode I bring in a little ambiance of the Pacific Ocean, discussing aspects of survival medicine and dental issues as the waves crash in the background.  I share a little of my own medical training history and contemplate a lot of things one should think about when it comes to survival medicine.  I also make some recommendations on what your survival medical kit should contain and recommend some valuable book resources for you to think about adding to your personal library.

Often you've heard me mention the value of survival fiction in making a prepper think through issues they might not otherwise consider.  Initially in this episode I was planning to review a specific work of fiction, Patriots-A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles but I ended up expanding it to encompass multiple writings by this author instead.  In this podcast I discuss Rawles' web site Survivalblog.com, his non-fiction book How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It and then I finally review Patriots with an eye on its value for modern survivalist/preppers. Of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't wander down some rabbit trials during the episode touching on other topics as they come to mind, but I hope if this is your first exposure to Rawles that you will find it interesting and perhaps even pick up one (or more) of this gentleman's books. BTW...  Here is nearly two hours of Mr. Rawles being interviewed on Coast to Coast AM from a few months back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icgEMkU33QY

Wheat.  Oh, how I miss that lovely grain.  But since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease over eight years ago I have come to grips with not having it as part of my life. But you should not quickly dismiss wheat as a part of your survival food pantry.  Unless you have an intolerance to it as I do, it may be one of the best long-term storage food options you have.  And that is the focus of this episode. Eat up!

Having survived Thanksgiving, the Chipper returns to share today about some ideas for living not only "off the grid" but without electricity completely.  The genesis of this podcast topic was an article in the Backwoodsman magazine (September/October issue), a periodical I highly recommend you check out (their website can be found here: http://www.backwoodsmanmag.com/ ). The basic idea is to learn to do the things you need to in daily life without the need for electrical power.  We discuss a variety of considerations, including cooking options, heating sources, water pumps, waste management, and a variety of "human-powered" tools. If your goal is anything like mine, which is to one day be completely and totally self-sufficient, I think you'll find this to be a useful episode along your path to self-reliance. Links I mentioned at the beginning of the show: Good site for breaking news: http://www.drudgereport.com/ Good site for survival news: http://www.survivalblog.com/ Good podcast for multiple aspects of survivalism: http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/ Good blog for general survival info: http://www.bugoutsurvival.com/ (The author of this site also has a book I'm hoping to review in the near future) Good forum for survival topics: http://www.survivalistboards.com/ Good blog/podcast for financial survival topics: http://johngaltfla.com/ (albeit perhaps a bit sensationalistic??)

“If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God!” That is the specific quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that led to the creation of one of the classic short stories of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall.  In this weekend's special edition I share with you the 1955 X Minus One radio program version of this story, which asks the question "How do people react when something completely unexpected and fear-inducing happens?" After listening to this ask yourself the question, "How would I react to an unexpected crisis?"  Then make sure that whatever comes of that question impacts your survival/preparedness efforts in some way.

Happy Thanksgiving!  I am truly thankful for each and every listener to this program and hope you each have a wonderful day with those you care about.  :) In addition to contemplating the meaning of Thanksgiving on this episode I also discuss some of the things I'm thankful for, ponder the importance of thankfulness and discuss the value of having something to appreciate, hope for, or place faith in and how that relates to being able to survive any disaster.  For you see, having all the coolest survival gear and equipment in the world will not matter if you don't have the will to keep on living.  It is that which forms the core ideal of today's episode.

Seeing that we are in the midst of the worst ice/snow/wintry weather event since we've lived on the coast, not to mention the fact that the entire Pacific Northwest is being pummeled by the same system, I decided to do focus today's episode on that topic.  I discuss some of the things that I've noticed in this particular storm, as well as typical commonalities with winter storms like power outages, supply shortages, and hazardous travel. Stay warm! :)

Hey there listeners, I'm getting a bit of a late start this week due to the crazy weather we're having here in the Pacific Northwest.  First off, our travel plans have changed fairly dramatically due to the snow (yes, snow on the beach-crazy, no?) so we're hunkering down for another day or so.  With that in mind, I'm trying to get episodes set up for the week but am a bit late posting for Monday.  Stay safe out there... On this podcast I discuss some of the considerations for choosing a home defense or general survival shotgun.  I discuss a few specific models that I consider to be among your best options, compare the performance of different loads for the shotgun and try to cover a number of concerns you may want to keep in mind when selecting a shotgun for defensive purposes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossberg_500 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_870 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaca_37 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossberg_Maverick http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_1200 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benelli_Supernova http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_1100 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta#Shotguns As is often the case I didn't have the time to go back and remove various sound artifacts, so I apologize in advance if the sound isn't the smoothest you've ever heard.  :) (Picture taken from Wikipedia site about the Remington 870 under the http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License