The Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast

Many people in the Survival/Preparedness/Disaster Readiness Sphere (probably including your humble host at times) can be described as pessimists or even "doomers".  They see every development around them in catastrophic terms and worry about every news item they hear (or that is passed on to them from their equally frightful friends). Now don't get me wrong.  There's a lot "out there" to be concerned about, but on this episode I encourage us all to pause a moment, focus on the positive things going on, and then we can get worked up again tomorrow. :) Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/jzk8zs8aa3df Please stop by and register at our forum located at: http://chipmonk.forumotion.com/ Don't forget to check out our blog at http://thechippermonk.blogspot.com

Today's episode is a followup to Monday's conversation about Winter Survival.  In this show I discuss numerous ways of keeping your core body temperature up even if you're forced to bug out and leave home or if you find yourself isolated in the wilderness for some reason.  While overall a simple topic (there are basically two main thoughts to keep in mind) this is the sort of information that is very practical and useful even if it's not very exciting to talk about. Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/b1xckv3l3vs

On today's episode I discuss the vintage British Lee Enfield rifle in its various guises and talk about the utility of such a firearm for survival purposes.  While not an expert by any means, I do consider them to have a few advantages for prepping (with of course some disadvantages as well) and take some time considering all sides of this long-serving classic. http://www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com/page/Lee-Enfield Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/shqt969ji5f

On today's episode we discuss a comprehensive approach to the financial side of prepping: 1) How to minimize your expenses and live within your means, ways to create additional $moolah$ to spend and small sacrifices that can have big payoffs.  We also discuss a few specific "low-budget" approaches to stockpiling supplies like food, guns and ammo, and day-to-day necessities like clothing, shoes, and other sundries. Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/z8faozeing9

All indications are that this is going to be a cold Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, as evidenced by the massive storm hitting Alaska at the time of recording this podcast.  With that in mind I'm going to revisit the topic of specific strategies for dealing with the cold including ideas gleaned from the military, "homeless" citizens, and others who have to deal with frigid temperatures on a frequent basis. Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/ziflefu5p6xh NOTE: Intro song from www.soundjay.co

Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/ozriszfxdji2 If you are not already familiar with the story of Dick Proennke and you're interested in Survival/Preparedness....  Well, you should be. :)   Here's a little abstract about his story: "In 1967, Proenneke began building his cabin in Twin Lakes. He was 51 by then, says the Vancouver Sun, and the 150-square-foot one-room log house he designed would take a spring and summer to complete, for he worked alone. He felled trees and peeled logs, harvested and hauled several acres of moss for the roof, crafted a wood-burning chimney with lake stones, built a “picture window” framing the lake view and hand-chiselled everything from door hinges to soup ladles to chairs and even his bunk bed, all of it with nothing more than basic tools and an affinity for fine craftsmanship. Twin Lakes was Proenneke’s dream, and he would live it for the next three decades, turning to the land for inspiration and for sustenance, revelling in the splendour of the mountains and forests and lakes, growing vegetables, shooting game and gathering berries." On today's episode we discuss the life of this man, the film about his experiences and some lessons we can learn from his experiences. http://www.nps.gov/lacl/historyculture/proennekes-cabin.htm Excerpt from "Alone in the Wilderness": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKssfeature=player_embedded NOTE: Intro song from www.soundjay.co

Recently I finally took time to watch the first two films in the popular Australian dystopian series collectively called "Mad Max".  As someone who grew up in the 80s and early 90s it's fair to say that I was familiar with these movies on a pop culture level but it was an interesting experience to actually view them for myself.  While definitely containing some very "adult" themes and material, I did find some facets of these movies to be interesting in a Survival/Preparedness context so today I go about discussing just how someone could attempt to prep for the Complete Multigenerational Societal Collapse scenario. Manual Download Link: http://jumbofiles.com/vqlijar7vy0v NOTE: Intro song from www.soundjay.co

Have you been wondering what could transpire if Greece were to default?  Have you been hearing all of the talking heads discuss what the ramifications might be to a collapse of the Euro?  On today's episode we look at some possible effects and some "Survival-ly" steps you can take to insulate yourself from the potential fallout of certain things percolating "out there".  (We also discuss Iran, the Occupy Movement, the Oklahoma Earthquake, the 49 Million US citizens in poverty and Asteroid 2005 YU55). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15587259 Okie Earthquake The Asteroid Cometh Occupy DC becoming more violent police say Iran close to nukes 49.1 Million in US in poverty says Census And what about Italy? : http://www.cnbc.com/id/45187059 BTW... Check out a podcast from one of our listeners encouraging the learning of "lost skills": http://www.thelostskillspodcast.podbean.com/ I may have mentioned this podcast once before, but it's closely related to many of the topics that we cover so I thought it was worth linking to again. :) NOTE: Intro song from www.soundjay.com.

Zombies!  Everyone knows they're coming, but do you know how to survive the carnage they will (slowly) unleash?  It doesn't matter how many movies you've seen about this important topic....  There's still more you can learn.  And on this crucial Halloween episode of the Chip Monk Family Survival Podcast I tell you the things you need to know to survive the coming Zombie Apocalypse! (NOTE: When listening to this episode, please remember that we just had Halloween...  And don't forget the value of a sense of humor when it comes to Survival and Preparedness! ;)  Also, there is some content on this episode that might not be suitable to all audiences.  Listener discretion is advised.) Center for Disease Control page regarding the Zombie Apocalypse How funny....  Looks like I wasn't the only person to have this idea: http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/episode-774-zombie-apocalypse-2011

On this episode of the CMFSP we discuss a few ways to avoid drawing unwanted attention to your prepping efforts. Obviously, by the very fact that I do this show I've drawn a little attention to myself, but my family still does a number of things to minimize the profile we generate in terms of our disaster readiness activities and today we talk about a few of them.

Today we spend time discussing the new novel from James Wesley, Rawles entitled "Survivors".  I ordered this book on the 'Book Bomb' day and was glad to see when it showed up in the mail.  With an interesting storyline (especially the fellow trying to get home from overseas) and lots of embedded survival-y knowledge it's a great addition to your Survival Library. Link to "Survivors" Amazon.com Page

Today we take a look at the FAL rifle in it's various .308 configurations with a specific focus on its usefulness in survival situations.  The gun that once served as the rifle for most of the "Free World" is still a very useful defensive rifle which makes it worth consideration for your survival firearms battery. http://www.survival-gear-guide.com/fn-fal-rifle.html httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp6v74aqQQ

With Gold still selling for $1700+ per ounce I find myself thinking back on the "Mini Gold Rush" that hit my hometown back in the Great Depression.  So on this episode your humble host discusses the basics of Prospecting for precious metals as a financial hedge for the future, a means to perhaps generate a little side income for purchasing preps, and as a fun outdoor activity for the family.

It's easy to focus on all the "exciting" aspects of Survival/Preparedness like potential disasters, cool gear, and firearms but so often we neglect some of the simple things that may be the greatest threats of all.  On this episode I discuss the potential problems presented by stress in both day-to-day life and during survival scenarios along with suggested strategies of how to deal with it.  I know, I know, it's a lot more fun to talk guns and gear but listen in as this might be one of the more important topics I cover.

On today's episode we consider some additional aspects of gathering food from nature, focusing on alternatives for acquiring protein.  While not the coolest topic to discuss the ability to keep oneself fed under any circumstances is important and certainly worth discussing on occasion.