Episode-902- Sailing as a Prepper Skill Set

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
Episode-902- Sailing as a Prepper Skill Set [ 1:03:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
A Sail Boat might be the Ultimate BOV

A Sail Boat might be the Ultimate BOV

Franz is the founder of two websites on sailing, TravelTradeExchange.com and MedSailor.com and is in his words, 58 years young.  He lives in Salt Lake City UT and has been listening to The Survival Podcast since the first couple months and is proud to have all the episodes still on his iPod.  This means he is very familiar with and a part of our community.

He is also an expert sailor and holds a US Coast Guard Masters License.   In 1997 he sailed accross the Atlantic in a boat that he personally built.   He also built his own BOL (a home in the mountains)

Franz feels preppers can learn a lot about water, refrigeration and 12v electricity, food storage, medical emergencies and communications from small boat cruising sailors.

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-901- Learning From the Holzer – The Good and the Bad

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Modern Survival| 52 Comments
Episode-901- Learning From the Holzer - The Good and the Bad [ 1:21:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wheaton and Holzer on an Earlier Project

So I traveled about 2,000 miles to meet one of my absolute heroes in permaculture and sustainable agriculture.  The experience was not really what I expected.  The knowledge I gained was worth all the effort, planning and time away but the way I gained it was the more surprising part.

To sum it up, I learned a lot from what Sepp did but not much from what he said.  I also am very excited to be planning my own events in the future and have to say I learned a lot about what not to do by the organization “Place of Gathering” when I run my events.

Tune in today to hear…

  • What we are doing isn’t hugelkultur (sort of)
  • What hugelkultur really is and why it does and doesn’t matter
  • Why I think even most permaculture practitioners have “limited thinking”
    • The lesson of Vettezuki
    • The lesson of the rose hips
    • The lesson of Permaculturist A vs. Permaculturist B
  • The role of water on a farm, more than irrigation
  • The lesson of the excavators
  • The best seeds, you can’t get in America, yet
  • Polyculture to the max, you really don’t get it till you see it
  • Recipes vs. observation vs. common decency and strait answers
  • Teaching, doing or both, what are we good at
  • The dangers of “hero worship” and how to avoid it
  • The need to actually listen to those who have done it

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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TSP Will Return Tomorrow – Today Some Videos

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments

Yesterday was planned to be a long 11 hour travel day back from Kalispell, MT, instead it became a long 18 hour travel day.  I am not yet “put back together” and haven’t really internalized the seminar fully yet either (good and bad) so no show today.  Tomorrow we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming with a show about Holzer permaculture and what I learned while I was away.

I feel like if I do it today, in my current sleep deprived, backed up email mode I will likely focus more on the negative then the positive.  That would not be fair to Sepp or to you the audience.  So please forgive one more day of delay.

The good news for those who have not yet seen them is I shot two pretty cool videos up in MT, seeing the one of the hugulbeds will make tomorrow’s show make a LOT more sense as well.  The first video is not at the seminar but is a GREAT example of the permaculture principal of “observe and interact” and “see problems as solutions”.  It was windy but you will get the gist of it.

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Episode-900- Paul Wheaton and Jack Spirko on the Sepp Holzer Seminar

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Modern Survival| 34 Comments
Episode-900- Paul Wheaton and Jack Spirko on the Sepp Holzer Seminar [ 38:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today I have the pleasure of  doing a face to face podcast with my good friend Paul Wheaton of Permies.com and Richsoil.com.  We will cover some of the many highlights of the Sepp Holzer seminar so far.

Excuse the brevity of the show notes, as Paul and I must head back to the location to listen to Sepp quite literally right now.

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An Update from Montana

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
Sepp teaching our group about hugulkultur

Sepp teaching our group about hugulkultur

So after 5 days of the Sepp Holzer seminar I felt it was time for a quick update.   I will be discussing a lot of what I have learned and how I will be using it to teach and design in the future, next week when I return.  What has most struck me though so far is I am not getting much out of Sepp directly.  He is really pouring it out but I feel due to how much intensive study I have done of his work, it just isn’t really what I needed here.

What  I did need and am getting is the ability to see a Holzer design come into existance and only now truly understanding the size and scale of it.  The man is an absolute genius with design but thinks on a scale of 100 acres or more.  Some of the projects he is doing in Russia now are thousands of acres, even some things you could measure in square miles.  I don’t think I need to learn from Sepp in a classroom, I need to learn by observation of the creation of a major project, so that has been my focus after the first day.

Today I will be focusing on the damn building the excavators are doing and will have a full report for you guys when I return.  My big goals here are to come away knowing how to…

1.  Adapt Holzer methods in conjunction with Lawton methods (swale based design) on larger properties.

2.  Adapt Holzer methods for small scale “micro homestead” style designs.

I think I am well on my way to both.

Reminder MSB “bigsky” Sale – As usual when I travel long term for an event I have a sale to help cover some of the cost of travel.  This time around the dog and cat kennel fees are the big cost.  4 animals for 13 days isn’t cheap, if you are looking for a business to start, boarding animals may be the way to go!

In any event if you use the discount code “bigsky” you can get your first year of the MSB for only 35 dollars.  If you pay by mail just write the code on the form, if you pay with silver we will simply give you 16 months per ounce vs. 12.  You can join the MSB here.

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Episode-899- Security During a Break Down – (TSP Classic Orginally Episode 489)

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Modern Survival| 9 Comments
Episode-899- Security During a Break Down - (TSP Classic Orginally Episode 489) [ 58:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When I first ran this episode in August of 2010 my good friend Bryan Black from ITS Tactical stated, “This is likely the most important thing on security you have ever done.”

We are going to look at a bit of a darker subject today. We are going to discuss security and not security on a day to day basis against say robbers, thugs and general low life. We are going to discuss security and security planning for large scale and long term break downs.

Today’s show was prompted by Episodes 1 and 2 of season two of Discovery Channel’s show “The Colony”. I have watch thus far in disbelief at how little attention the people on that show have paid to security and how little they understand the threat and honestly survival as a whole.

Today’s show won’t be totally based on The Colony, it will simply use it as a jumping off point so even if you haven’t or don’t plan on watching it today’s show should be a good one for you. Security is one of the five primary components of survival and the one that is most overlooked, often not an issue but the one that when needed can get you killed in a millisecond.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • The five primary components of survival
    • Food
    • Water
    • Shelter
    • Fire
    • Security
  • Understanding the threat to your safety
  • Consideration about where you “make your stand”
  • Six methods of attack mitigation
    • Appease
    • Impede
    • Repel
    • Evade
    • Misdirect
    • Terminate
  • Identifying the weak spots
  • The lesson of 300 – Funnel an enemy to counter large numbers
  • How and why guns change the entire equation on both sides
  • The importance and difference between security “protocols” and “procedures”
  • Splitting up resources – no central storage points
  • Developing and deploying decoy resources
  • Developing timberlines and evac plans

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-898- Permaculture Design Considerations (TSP Classic Originally Epi-606)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
Episode-898- Permaculture Design Consierations (TSP Classic Originally Epi-606) [ 1:21:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s Episode was originally broadcast a episode 606 in February of 2011.

In this episode we look at 11 design considerations when designing a permaculture food system. Honestly though permaculture or not these considerations really should be considered with all landscape development. Unfortunately they are largely ignored or misunderstood in America today.

By taking these 11 components into consideration you will see your property in a new light whether it is 1/10 of an acre, 10 acres or a 1000 acres. Of course there are more considerations and interactions than these 11 but by considering these factors in your design you will end up with a functional, productive and sustainable design.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • Climate
  • Slope
  • Energy Patterns
  • Total Land Area
  • Desired Output
  • Wildlife Interactions
  • Zones
  • Layers
  • Time to Develop
  • Time to Maintain
  • Water Availability

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-897- Steven Harris on Alternative Energy Technologies Part 3

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Modern Survival| 13 Comments
Episode-897- Steven Harris on Alternative Energy Technologies Part 3 [ 1:16:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Steven Harris - CEO of Knowledge Publications

Steven Harris returns to TSP for his 8th visit. Today he joins us to discuss various alternative energy technologies today focusing on hydrogen and fuel cells.

Steven Harris is a consultant and expert in the field of energy. He is the founder and CEO of Knowledge Publications, the largest energy only publishing company in the USA.

Mr. Harris came to his current position to do full time work on the development and implementation of hydrogen, biomass and solar related energy systems after spending 10 years in the Aero-Thermal Dynamics department of the Scientific Labs of Chrysler Corporation.

Steve is always full of great ideas, knowledge and projects we can use to improve our personal energy independence and today is no exception. Once again we ate up the entire hour with out covering Steve’s entire outline so he will be back for Part 3 in this series soon.

Additional 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-896- Listener Calls for 5-7-12

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Modern Survival| 13 Comments
Episode-895- Listener Calls for 5-4-12 [ 1:38:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today I take your calls on AR15 mags, 401Ks as monetary hostage accounts, gardening, cooking with fennel, America’s economic venerability, silver for water purification, food shelf life, insect control, storing gold, big Ag’s latest class of toxins 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 quite area with a good connection and speak up so you can be well heard. I can’t put all calls on the air but I do my best to get most of them on.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls On…

  • Magpul vs. USGI Magazines
  • Is your 401K money being held hostage beyond fees and penalties
  • What to do with an abundance of fennel
  • Late start on planting, how do you know what and when to plant
  • Might America be attacked during a economic collapse and if so how
  • Can you use silver coins to keep water fresh
  • A new resource for actual food shelf life planning
  • The risk of trichinosis in wild hogs and certain other game animals
  • Simple mosquito control with gold fish
  • Big Ag has a new class of toxins to poison us with
  • Methods to store gold and keep it safe
  • The ins and outs of neck knives

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 and you might hear yourself on the air.

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A Few Announcements and an MSB Sale

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Modern Survival| 15 Comments

 

The Gaggle I Will Be Hanging with in MT.

The Gaggle I Will Be Hanging with in MT.

1.  Off To Montana – Okay so operation board the dogs and cats is complete and we are soon on our way to the airport.  We will be in Montana until the 13th.  During this time I will be learning from Sepp Holzer who is one of my true heroes.  I will also be doing this on a remote farm where I won’t likely have internet access. I will have access at the place I am staying at in the evenings.  So I will be responding to emails, customer support requests etc. after hours, but the response times will be much longer than normal. During this time it would be best to hold off on all non customer service emails until I return.

2.  MSB “bigsky” Sale – As usual when I travel long term for an event I have a sale to help cover some of the cost of travel.  This time around the dog and cat kennel fees are the big cost.  4 animals for 13 days isn’t cheap, if you are looking for a business to start, boarding animals may be the way to go!  In any event if you use the discount code “bigsky” you can get your first year of the MSB for only 35 dollars.  If you pay by mail just write the code on the form, if you pay with silver we will simply give you 16 months per ounce vs. 12.  You can join the MSB here.

3.  First Entry for “If I Wanted To Save America” – Dene Brock long time community member has entered the first video for the “If I Wanted to Save America” video contest.  Details on the contest are here.  You can follow a forum thread about it and see Dene’s amazing video here.  She set the bar pretty high, can’t wait to see what some of you other folks come up with.  Dene might win but let’s not let it be by default.

4.  Next Week’s Schedule – On Monday there is a listener calls show all ready to go, it will publish itself about 7am central.  Technology is awesome!  Warning Keith Snow answers another cooking question so eat something before you listen.  Tuesday will be a show with Steven Harris on hydrogen fuel and its future along with the usual Steve Harris mind blowing things you didn’t know about energy.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are up in the air for right now.  I am taking my gear to try and do some interviews and publish from up in Montana.  Just please understand I am a guest at this event, I have to defer to the schedules of others while I am there.  If nothing else I will publish a few episodes of “TSP Classic” while I am away.

Note – The photo above is from a listener named Bill who Paul Wheaton and I will be staying with.  The big guy in the middle is our own Paul Wheaton, to his right is Sepp, to Paul’s left is Bill.  I don’t know the other two guys but I am jealous.  Bill sent this to me last night, the had just had some good Austrian chow and were having some nice wine and “picking Sepp’s brain”.  Notice that Sepp and Paul are clearly preppers as they are part of the beard brigade.

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