Episode-2383- Listener Feedback for 2-18-19

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 1
Episode-2383- Listener Feedback for 2-18-19 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today on The Survival Podcast I take your questions on water filters, student loans, pastured poultry, security, ground cover, side hustles, marketing, taxes, mead and more.

Make sure if you submit content for a feedback show that you put something like “comment for jack”, “question for jack” or “article for jack” in the subject line to assure proper identification for my screening process.

Please understand I receive several hundred emails a day and can’t get them all on the air.

I also do put out a lot of information on Facebook from emails that I can’t fit on the program though so keep em coming.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • A quick update on the spring timber frame pond workshop
  • Why you really should get your Berkey stuff from “The Berkey Guy”
  • Gee um, that student loan bubble is getting pretty big, um, yea
  • A solution to the fact that electronet is a pain in the ass
  • A great tip for tool security at work and elsewhere
  • Low maintenance ground cover for Michigan
  • Turning starting plants into a side hustle
  • Why you need a website not just a facebook page
  • The truth about corporations that don’t pay tax and why they shouldn’t
  • Five states with the biggest fall in revenue, no surprise here
  • Making maple syrup mead, beer, etc.

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Fishnure Joins the MSB with a 10% Discount

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I am really trying to make 2019 a year where I don’t just add to the MSB but really increase the variety of what you can save money on.  And man am I excited about this one.  As many of you know I am a huge fan of aquaponics, one reason the growth is so amazing there is the biological activity.  In reality the N-P-K in such a system is really low, so how can it grow so much, so fast?

It is all about biological activity.  When you have a highly bioactive system plants can get what they need on demand.  This is why organic gardens do so will with very minimal fertilizer compared to how much conventional systems need.  When I found Fishnure I knew I found something special.

Again the fantastic yields achieved in aquaponic systems are well documented. These yields are produced from the nutrients obtained from the decomposed fish manure of the fish in these systems. Fishnure provides the same nutrients but in a more convenient form then having to grow fish. Fishnure is created by composting fish manure and oat straw with a small amount of a special clay.

The microscopic clay particles attract and hold carbon chains that otherwise would be converted to CO2. This increases the amount of organic material that remains in the product. These clay particles also provide an ideal environment for maintaining active micro-life. Fishnure is a natural organic source of plant nutrients in a form that is immediately usable by plants and has no smell. Other fish based fertilizers produced from processing plant waste are not in this form and are also very smelly.  I bought some of this stuff and tried it out.  While how much I can do in winter is limited I am impressed with this product a great deal.

I also love the birth of this product.  It is made from catfish waste from farmed catfish.  When you run a system that large aquaponics is not really feasible, you are in the aquaculture world, vs. the aquaponics world.  This leaves you with a lot of waste, most farms just filter and discard this waste.  The folks at Fishnure figured out how to turn a problem into a solution.  By creating a method to easily harvest this waste and the above explained compost and inoculated clay solution, they have a highly effective product that also ships well.   They have effectively turned an ecological problem into an amazing fertility boost.

Like I said the NPK of this product is low it is more about biological activity.  As in .47-.14-.15 and you can see the full analysis here.  For this reason I think it makes the perfect addition to my soil fertility program and I expect it to help me and many of you guys make 2019 the best production year ever for our gardens.  So I still recommend a good balanced fertilizer to go along with this stuff, my go to being Dr. Earth Premium Gold 4-4-4.  And you can see my entire fertility regiment here.  I am proud to add Fishnure to it.

The best part is when I found Fishnure, I reached out to Jim White, owner of Fishnure.com and negotiated you guys a 10% discount on all Fishnure products.  That discount is of course exclusive to MSB Members and the code is now available on the benefits page of the MSB.

Final Note – Make sure to tune in tomorrow when we will be talking about bed prep, soil science and fertility for the 2019 gardening season. I am very excited that it worked out to where I can get this product to you guys at a discount early in the season.

If you are not yet an MSB Member this is just the latest
benefit available to members so
consider becoming a member today.

Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater – Item of the Day

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heater

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater.  This guy saved our butts big time during the great ice storm of 2011 in Arkansas.  It is amazing the amount of heat this guy provides.

To get best use of it you absolutely want to get the large tank adapter for it.  Running on a lower setting a standard grill tank gives you heat for a LONG time.  Of course it can also use the little 1 pound cans which is convenient for somethings.

To make that economical I suggest you get an adapter that allows you to use large tanks to refill the one pound cans. These can be had for 10-15 bucks here is the one I recommend.  If you have never used one here is a video on how to do so.

I decided to feature this item because winter is swiftly on the way.  As I said in 2011 we had a major ice storm in Arkansas and were without power for 7 days, temps were mostly in the sub 30s during the day and low teens over night.  Between this heater and our fire place and generator we never even cared.

There are other uses though!  You know that relative you have, we all have one that is ALWAYS COLD, the one that stays at your place for the holidays and wants to turn up your thermostat to just this side of hell because they are cold at night.  Well put this in their room and let them heat just that room.

But is it safe?  VERY VERY safe indeed.  First it is quite safe to burn propane indoors, people have been doing it forever, but there are two safety features built in.  One it has a built in O2 detector, if levels drop it shuts itself off.  Also if it is tipped over it again shuts itself off.

The key to getting most efficient use of this heater is to pick a room or two to heat, set it pretty high for say 10 minutes to take off the chill and then run it pretty low.  It is amazing how well it works when you do it that way.  Again folks winter is coming, it always does, the time to beef up your winter preps is before not after the first snow flies.  So check out the Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy Propane Heater soon.

I have also reviewed my favorite kerosene heater but not everyone has good local access to kerosene, so you can read both reviews and choose the right back up heat system for your pending winter needs.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – If you live in the socialist hell holes of Massachusetts or Canada your owners (elected officials) say you have to buy this version and pay 20 dollars more more for it.  There is nothing different about this version, it just has some different words on the package, seriously.  Additionally if you live in the nanny state of California your owners say you must read this bunch of bullshit they wrote before you endanger yourself with a perfectly safe heater.

Episode-2382- Expert Council Q&A for 2-15-19

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  
Episode-2382- Expert Council Q&A for 2-15-19 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today its Friday so it’s time for the expert council show. To ask a question for a show like this, just send an email to me at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with “TSPC Expert” in the subject line.

Today on The Survival Podcast, the expert council answers questions on cooking, diet, potecting your children, pets, cars, investing, probiotics, satire and more.

In the body of your email first tell me the council member your question is for. Second ask your question concisely in one to two sentences maximum. Third any and all details after that. This is the formula to give you the best chance of getting on the air.

I do what I can to get as many of your questions as possible on the air but can’t always get to all of them. Our council is made of a wide variety of experts in everything from the tactical to the practical and everything in between.

To get more information on our Expert Council visit our “Meet the Expert Council Page” to learn more about them and their specific areas of expertise.

Join Me Today As Our Experts Discuss…

  • Cooking at home vs. eating out – Gary Collins
  • Protecting your children from abduction – Officer Steve
  • Cooking with fresh herbs – Keith Snow
  • Control of fleas from a life cycle approach – Doc Kelly
  • Dealing with hard starting in cold weather – Derek Bonpietro
  • The story behind high bank interest rates – Jon Pugliano
  • Restoring good gut bacteria after antibiotic use – Doc Bones
  • Getting a laugh from good satire – Jack

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Websites of the Expert Council Members

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Universal Cell Phone Tripod Mount – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Universal Cell Phone Tripod Mount by Carlus.  Last year we launched our new instagram (ItsAJackLife) and Dorothy has been managing it for me.  We started to do some short videos there and decided being able to use our tripod would be a good idea.  Issue was my old adapter made by DaVoice didn’t work for vertical, only horizontal.

Up till now that was not a problem because I hate VVS (vertical video syndrome) on sites like YouTube but for Instagram you have to do vertical and I get why.  So I figured why not get a mount that does both.  I almost passed on the Universal Cell Phone Tripod Mount by Carlus simply because it was so cheap.  I mean how good could it be for 7.99?

But it just looked like  what I needed and with Amazon you can always return something if it is crap so I gave it a shot. 82 reviews and 4.5 stars.  Gets an A on Fakespot and the Company itself Carlus gets and A as well.

When I got this thing I was impressed.  It is plastic but well built, thick plastic and that is the right material for this little product.  The thumbscrew holds firmly and has a rubber gasket to keep it clamped down.  It mounts to a standard tripod or monopod shoe and it like everything I recommend just works and always works.

Some reviewers did note that on some larger phones the phone won’t fit with a case on it.  I measured the max spread of the clamp at 3.75 inches so measure any larger device you might want to use it for.

You can also get the mount along with a small tripod and a bluetooth remote for your camera.  I can’t speak for the tripod because I have enough tripods and didn’t need another one.  The bluetooth remote is the same one DaVoice uses and many other vendors do as well.  They work just fine, just if you use it make sure the phone is screen side to you so you can be sure it started when you pushed the button.  If not you could finish a 10 minute video but have never started the camera, ask me how I know.

In any event the Universal Cell Phone Tripod Mount by Carlus is a great little tool for the money. So if you need something like this for your phone give it a try, at less then 7 bucks it can’t be beat.  In fact I now recommend it over my prior recommendation from DaVoice.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

Episode-2381- Listener Calls for 2-14-19

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 7
Episode-2381- Listener Calls for 2-14-19 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today on The Survival Podcast I take your phone calls on aquaponics, solar energy, skill development, roadkill, composting, black solider flies, gardening, solar systems, business and more.

Remember to be on a show like this one just pick up your phone and call 866-65-THINK.

The best way to improve your chances of being on the air is ask your question or make your point up front, then provide details. Also please do your best to call from a quiet area with a good connection and speak up so you can be well heard.

While I can’t put all calls on the air but I do my best to get as many of them on as I can.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • Running aquaponics on solar power
  • Running chickens in a tractor/paddock hybrid system
  • How skill development led to a meat windfall and on using roadkill
  • Running a continuous flow aquaponics system vs. ebb and flow
  • What do you do with a black fly compost system in the winter
  • Building a raised garden on the side of a house
  • More on ground based solar and solar tracking systems
  • How I would build a new and better site for creators (ie replace Patreon)

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

MagLite LED 3 D-Cell Flashlight – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 6

magliteEvery day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the MagLite LED 3 D-Cell Flashlight.  I absolutely love this light for so many reasons.  The only thing that would make it better is if it came in a 4 cell model.  For some reason (perhaps over driving the LED) they do not make a 4 or 6 cell version of this light in LED, though you can get those in incandescent.

I was very excited when the first version of this light came out, until I got one, bluntly it sucked.  It would start out bright and fade over time, turn it off and wait it would be bright again for say 30 seconds and start fading again.

I was pretty much done with LED tech from MagLite at that point.  Then I heard they fixed the issues which was related to heat build up of the bulb in gen one.  I gave them another try and now I own over a half dozen of these.  There is one in the door of both vehicles, one in my night stand, one near the front and back door, and two in our black out kit.

This light is rugged and it just works, and you get very long battery life with the LED light.  I actually carry its little brother, the MagLite 2 C-Cell LED Flashlight in our BOBs as this one is a bit big for that application.

As always I am big on quality to value ratio.  I am a guy taht will spend 500 dollars on a one of a kind knife, I am not cheap but an item like this isn’t something you have one of, you have many of them.  They are not just a source of light but also a HIGHLY effective impact weapon, especially when you use the light to blind an attacker just before dropping the hammer on his nose with the handle.  In the end the MagLite LED 3 D-Cell Flashlight is a hell of a value.

For the ones you keep in your car you may want to add the Bust A Cap Glass Breaker and it can break more than just glass, I am just sayin.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – Please note the Bust A Cap works with the D-Cell MagLite I am linking to in this review.  There is a new more expensive version of these lights called the ML300 series.  I bought one, I don’t think they are worth 15 bucks more per light, they just don’t seem that much better.  The ML300s are brighter, if I wanted a duty light as like a LEO or something or if I was buying ONE I might upgrade for that.  But as we keep 4-6 of these around at all times, it just isn’t worth the extra cost to me.  Again the ML300s are brighter but they won’t work with the Bust a Cap, I also really don’t like the 1/4 turn focus, vs. the conventional MagLite Focus.

 

Episode-2380- Ron Whitehurst on Biological Pest Control

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Episode-2380- Ron Whitehurst on Biological Pest Control Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A specialist in biological pest control, Ron Whitehurst advises farmers and gardeners on growing food and herbs in harmony with nature.  After earning a BA in Biology at Indiana University, he moved to California and got a PCA license. Over the years he has attended and presented at numerous organic farming and pest control conferences. An avid gardener, he loves making compost, building soil, and creating bio-intensive food producing landscapes.

His lively discussions about insect lifecycles and predator-prey relationships make the principles of biocontrol easy to understand for both lay and technical audiences. He, engages participants in lectures and workshops about biological control of insect pests in field, garden, greenhouse, landscape, and animal rearing situations.

Ron is a California licensed Pest Control Advisor and with his wife, Jan Dietrick, are co-owners of Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc. that produces and markets supplies for biological pest control. He has been communicating about organic methods of farming and gardening for over 30 years. Since 1997 he has promoted Rincon-Vitova’s mission by consulting in the field and lab, by phone and email.

He guides people through the steps of creating and biologically managing ecosystems to minimize and control pests, using insect habitat, cultural methods, beneficial insects, and soft pesticides when needed. He is a project leader for the Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology, co-located with Rincon-Vitova, where he has participated in cutting edge urban pest management demonstrations.  In 2016 Rincon-Vitova Insectaries won the Regenerative Business Prize.

He joins us today to discuss biological pest control and farming in harmony with nature.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp Fertilizer – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 4

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp Fertilizer.  I have tried a variety of liquid kelp fertilizers and this one has become my go to for quality and value.  First this stuff is highly concentrated, for instance a 16 ounce bottle will make between 16-32 gallons depending on how you dilute.  I generally go with 1 ounce per gallon myself for a soil drench and 1/2 ounce per gallon as a foliar feed.

Since I use a lot of it I buy it by the gallon, that comes to about 39 dollar with shipping but it still beats the price of 16.95 for a pint with free shipping, yet again a little goes a long way and many of you will be better off with the smaller size.

So what is the big deal with liquid kelp, at first the NPK ratio may seem like well, not so big of a deal.  As it is Nitrogen 2% Phosphorus .23% and Potassium 5%.  The key is all of that is 100% bio-available to your plants at application.  Again a little goes a long way.

The real key though is the minerals, Liquid Kelp gives your plants access to over 70 different minerals and they are all easily absorbed.    Here are some of the well established benefits of liquid kelp.

  • Improves seed germination and increases root development.
  • Increases bloom set and size of flowers and fruit.
  • Increases and stabilizes chlorophyll in plants, which results in darker green leaves and increased sugar content in plants.
  • Relieves stress in plants caused by extreme weather conditions.
    Increases plant vigor, and thus imparts a greater resistance to disease, insect attack, drought, and frost.
  • Increases microorganisms in the soil that can fix nitrogen from the air.
  • Increases mineral uptake from the soil and into the plant.
  • Increases the storage life of fruits and vegetables by retarding the loss of protein, chlorophyll, and RNA.
  • Retards the aging process in plants (senescence), thereby lengthening the production season.

 

The key with this stuff is how you use it.  In general about three times a season, early, middle and late I apply a soil drench of this stuff at 2 ounces to the gallon to my plants.  And about once every two weeks, I use it in a foliar spray directly on the plants at 1/2 ounce per gallon, I also use Garrett Juice at the recommend rate in this spray.  I combine this spray with Howard Garrett’s “Garlic Pepper Tea” every other application to control pests.  You just mix that up yourself, here are the instructions for that.

Let me tell you if you take two plants and do this with one and not the other for a single season you will be a big time believer really fast!  In fact I bet you won’t make it though the season without starting to use it on your control plant as in a month you will have all the evidence you need.

So check out GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp Fertilizer today, along with Garrett Juice Plus and Dr. Earth 4-4-4 All Purpose Fertilizer it forms the core of my go to for plant fertility.  You can always find my entire Fertility Program here http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/fertility

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com 

P.S. – If you need a sprayer for your garden and trees, this one by Chapin is likely the best bang for your buck on the market.  If you need a large Back Pack Sprayer I own and love the Solo 475-B.  Since I bought mine Solo has released the Solo 475-B Deluxe Model.  It has more comfortable straps, a pressure regulator and brass nozzles.  It is likely worth the 50 dollar premium but the standard model at 90 bucks has served me well for a number of years.

 

 

Episode-2379- Bug Out Trailers with Spirko and Harris – Part 10

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 4
Episode-2379- Bug Out Trailers with Spirko and Harris – Part 10 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today Steven Harris and I answer your questions on Bug Out Trailers. This time we discuss security while bugging out with a trailer or in any situation really.

This is the tenth in a multi part series that began with Episode-2117- Steven Harris and Jack Spirko on Bug Out Trailers. As this is clearly going to become a multi episode series I have created the tag BOT Shows so that all of them can be found at one location.

The response to the first in the series was overwhelming, Steve compiled and sent me 14 pages of questions, I printed it out and it feels like a small book, and these are just questions and a few notes here and there. So we are going to run about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the interview and break it into pieces parts over the next few months.

Today we discuss fuels for vehicles, cooking, heating, lighting and more.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

All the Resources we mentioned on Today’s Show

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.