The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast

With the possibility of a nuclear attack someday, whether from nuclear-armed enemy nations or rogue terrorist groups, it behooves us to at least think a little bit about the simple steps we can take to make ourselves a safer from nuclear and radiological attack. This episode is a very basic overview along with some specific aspects to consider relating to this important topic. As a picture is worth a thousand words I have posted some of the old US Civil Defense-type plans over at my blog: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com/2010/10/fallout-shelter-plans.html Here's another quick overview of the topic: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/tips/fallout-shelter3.htm

For thousands of years we humans have survived extreme conditions without the benefit of firearms and today Chip is going to share some ideas on how we did it and suggestions on how we could do it again if we ever had to.  I cover everything from a simple heavy stick to clubs to stone clubs to rock axes to spears, bows and arrows, slings, atlatls, bolos, etc.  You name it, if it's primitive, I probably discuss it at some point.  The basic ideas is that even without any of our technologies or preparations we can create the tools to survive if we need to. Remember, your mind is your most important weapon. :)

Potatoes.  I like 'em. I even like to eat 'em. And if I were to take a poll from among my listeners I'm guessing many of you do as well.  Fortunately for the Survivalist/Prepper-types like us this wonderful little food option is fairly easy to grow and lends itself nicely to a self-sufficiency setup. In this episode I talk about different considerations in growing potatoes as well as a couple of cheap and easy ways to go about it using used tires, pallets, digging ditches, and other simple methods. Enjoy them' there taters, listeners! :)

Following up on last Friday's episode, this podcast goes more in depth about the subject of preparing for disasters with terrorism specifically in mind.  In it I lay out a rudimentary overview of the goals of terrorists, some history of the terror movement, and some more considerations in making yourself safer in the era of terror. This subject, as I've previously mentioned, can be a bit controversial but my hope is to think through some aspects of terror survival and help you create specific plans for yourself and your family.  This is Part 2 in a subject arc that will probably continue off and on for the near future.

In just this past week we have experienced a power outage (for a few hours only, thank goodness) and a 6am "evacuation warning" (that wasn't really) which has caused Mr. Chip to take some inventory of his family's Survival/Preparedness plans.  In this episode I discuss why it is so important that we actually take the time to occasionally to practice our plans in order to find holes in our preparations, as well as what the benefits to you and your family are in doing so.  You'll notice that I don't try to sound like a know-it-all but rather share first-hand examples of how we can find the strengths and weaknesses of our Survival/Preparedness efforts by the occasional "dry run". Practice makes perfect, as they say....

Bees.  Buzzing, stinging bees.  What are they good for? Well, I'm glad you asked.  Did you know a basic hive can produce 30-50 pounds of honey each year?  And that honey is a wonderful superfood to include in your survival plans? Now do you like bees?  Well, I hope you will at least appreciate their usefulness for survival and self-reliance after this episode. :)

I'd planned to do an episode about this topic a bit closer to 9/11 but wasn't able to so here it is now.  In this podcast I talk about a number of aspects including what to do if you're near a city hit by a radiological or nuclear device, ways to get information about whatever is taking place, and some simple tools (hankerchiefs, anyone?) that can give you a survival edge. This is a sobering topic and one I hope we'll never have to deal with first-hand but considering the story I linked to the other day about the rise of the worst threats since 9/11 it's worth taking a little time to think through our preparations and plans.  Even though this is a longish episode, there is much more that could be said about this topic so this is likely just the first podcast on the topic. BTW....  Here is a link to the page (from back in 2003) that I mention during the episode and use as a framework for discussion: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0203/021203nj1.htm

Okay, so you know those big birds?  No, not the ones that bury their heads in the sand.  The other ones.  Yeah, those.  The ugly ones. We're talking about Australia's national bird: the emu. What's so great about emus?  Well, that depends on how you look at it.  If you're looking for a less-common type of livestock to try as part of your survival plan these big birds might be worth considering.  They have something of a "use every part of the buffalo" advantage as their meat, hide, oil, etc. are all usable to meet various needs including food, clothing, and possibly even medicinal purposes. I can't say I'm an expert on emus, but I have been around people who raise them and thought it would be worthwhile to at least give a basic overview of emu farming. Here is the link for the organization I mentioned during the podcast: http://aea-emu.org/ And some general information from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu

The AK47 is a legend in the firearms world.  And for those of us living in free countries it is possible to own semi-automatic versions of these rugged and dependable rifles to serve as defensive weapons in your survival plan.  In this episode I give a bit of the background history of this firearm and talk about the specific survival applications for these former Eastern Bloc tools. I plan to do a followup episode in the future with a little more in-depth information on the AK and other similar rifles, but this should give you a good overview of the topic. Don't forget to check the CMFSP daily news overview at: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com

....And continuing from yesterday's podcast about Buggin' Out we have the other side of the coin: Buggin' In.  What is Buggin' In?  Well, quite simply it's choosing to shelter in place (that is, stay home) during a disaster.  It gives the Survivalist/Prepper-type the chance to have all of your preparations close at hand without needing to move and figure out what to take with you. Both Buggin' In and Buggin' Out have their place in your survival plan and hopefully with a few thoughts shared in these two episodes you'll have a good idea of when to do what and why with some how sprinkled in. ;) Remember to check my blog for daily news rundowns of stories of interest for Survivalist/Preppers: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com

If you've been around Survival/Preparedness for very long you know that people in the movement love their special code words for simple things.  One phrase you might have heard is "Bug Out", which simply means to relocate away from your home to get to a place of safety.  Of course, like anything else in life there's a bit more to it than that but in a general sense the idea is that events might someday force you to leave the warm comforts of your home. With that in mind, in this episode I talk about some of the things to consider when it comes to choosing whether to "Bug Out" or "Bug In", with focus on the "Bug Out" part of the equation and what you should take with you.  Tomorrow I will cover the "Buggin' In" aspects. "The Bug Out" short story by Halffast (mentioned in this podcast): http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=172494 Don't forget to check out today's Survival/Preparedness news links on my blog at: http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com