Tag Archives: emergency planning

Episode-366- The Missed Lessons of Major Disasters

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Modern Survival| 3 Comments
Episode-366- The Missed Lessons of Major Disasters [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It seems there is always a disaster somewhere in the world.  Right now eyes are on Haiti, over the last two decades we have had many.  The LA Riots, The California Quake, Hurricanes Andrew, Ike, Rita and of course Katrina.  Lesser publicized weather events like the Ft. Worth and Arlington Tornado (which we lived through), the Mississippi floods of the 90s, Tropical Storm Fay in Jacksonville and more.

Each time we hear how we have “learned” from the event and will do better next time, yet a lot of what we learn misses many of the real lessons.  This will be the subject of today’s podcast.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • More first responders per individual
  • Biggest shortages are food, water and shelter
  • Law and order will break down
  • Law abiding citizens often become targets of law enforcement
  • The media loves hardship, blame and is never part of the solution
  • The size and scope of large disasters has actually be quite small
  • Government and your fellow man will help but you may still be on your own
  • Redundancy in your preparations is critical
  • The disaster is not the biggest danger, the aftermath is
  • The cause is less important then the removal of systems of support
  • Money can become worthless, beer can be a currency
  • Free societies are vulnerable
  • What happens elsewhere can and very well may effect you
  • It can happen where you live
  • It is up to you, no matter the intentions of others

    • 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-356- Getting Started From Zero the How and Why

    Posted on January 14, 2010 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
    Episode-356- Getting Started From Zero the How and Why [ 1:00:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    So you are brand new to prepping or self sufficiency planning, where do you start?  Why should you in the first place?  Can you actually get reasonably prepared on your budget?  Today we answer those questions and more.

    Tune in Today to Hear

    • Start out with what you have
    • The burden of debt and why it must be eliminated
    • Where do you find survival supplies, Walmart, The Grocery, etc.  at least before you need them
    • Starting out with 3 days of self sufficiency and turning it into 10 days effortlessly
    • Pile it on a table, know what you have and organize it
    • Documentation and simple encryption of sensitive numbers
    • Why you must own your plan not follow mine
    • The big regret you never have to face
    • The cancer of fear and how to destroy it
    • The difficult choices you can avoid ever having to make
    • Why now is the time to start and the journey is not a hard as you may believe it to be

    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-305- You Can’t Lose as a Modern Survivalist

    Posted on October 28, 2009 by Modern Survival| 9 Comments
    Episode-305- You Can't Loose by as a Modern Survivalist [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    The number one question I get from non preparedness minded individuals when I tell them about The Survival Podcast is simply, why?

    Why takes many forms such as…

    • Why do you worry about so many things you can’t control?
    • Why do I need to do anything different then I am doing now, I got this far OK, right?
    • Why should I spend money on things I may never need or even use?
    • Why should I sacrifice just to be “debt free” because “you’re no one unless you own money in the nation anyway”?
    • Why should I store food?
    • Why do I need a gun, we have a nice town and a great police force?
    • Why do you feel the need to be an alarmist?

    Oh and that list of why’s goes on and on, I assure you.  Yet I always answer every single why with the same answer, “because the way I do things my life is better even if nothing bad ever happens”.

    Tune in today as we discuss this concept and thoughts on how…

    • Living debt free is the only way to have the freedom we all desire
    • Why most people tolerate things in their life they should never allow
    • Why tax is theft and why understanding it creates freedom
    • Why no matter what people say you do need to prepare for bad times
    • How the media and the government create plastic lifestyles that we choose to live within
    • Why storing food will always pay itself back even if you never have to rely on it directly
    • Why a garden is liberating and a financial gain
    • Why so many people that start to prep fail and fall out and how to change that

    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

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    Episode-298- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant

    Posted on October 15, 2009 by Modern Survival| 13 Comments
    Episode-298- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant [ 1:12:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    As we approach the 300th episode I realized it has been a long time since we did a show dedicated to the brand new person.  Today will will lay out 20 steps to take as a person who has just decided that it is time “to do something” but isn’t quite sure what that “something” is.    Even though today is done with the new person in mind I think it will help everyone sort of recenter on the core of what is the most important things to make sure you have accomplished.

    I have also created a special commercial free version of today’s show for sharing with others who you want to get thinking about preparedness.  That version can be found on our forum here.

    Tune in today as we discuss

    1. Start with the old fable of the grasshopper and the ant
    2. The first thing you do is assess the situation and stay calm
    3. Journal your spending and your eating
    4. Write a plan for debt elimination and begin creating an emergency fund
    5. Put together a basic documentation package
    6. Assemble a BOB for each family member (cheap and fast the first time around)
    7. Inventory your pantry over a week or two (how much food do you have at your low point)
    8. Begin storing up a 30 day supply of food you will eat anyway
    9. Begin assembling a low cost 30 day long term storage supply
    10. Determine where you would go if you had to leave and go at least 50 miles from home
    11. Make plans for how you would help elderly parents or other family members
    12. Update your resume and be prepared to loose your job on any given day
    13. Avoid focusing on any individual coming event or scenario
    14. Plan a garden and start getting ready to plant (depending on the season)
    15. Learn about disaster commonality (it is not about the disaster it is about loss of support systems)
    16. Learn about disaster probability (Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global)
    17. Determine your most probable “personal”, “local” and “regional”
    18. Start window shopping for “country land” or an “urban homestead”
    19. Think of the children, won’t someone please think of the children (seriously think of your children)
    20. Assess your “normal preparations”
    21. Take ownership of your plan and your life

    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.

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    Episode-290- An Interview with John McCann

    Posted on October 5, 2009 by Modern Survival| 4 Comments
    Episode-290- An Interview with John McCann [ 44:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    Today on The Survival Podcast I have the privilege of interviewing John McCann, owner of Survival Resources and the author of, “Build the Perfect Survival Kit”.  John has appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and been published in the New York Times.

    John has a long history in the survival industry and you talk to him and read his work you quickly realize that he really loves what he does for a living.  He has spent years in the bush out of a pure passion for the outdoors and over those years experimented with various components, configuration and construction techniques for making survival kits.  He continues to this day to refine the process and personally train students.

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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    Episode-179- The Bug Out Bag

    Posted on April 14, 2009 by Modern Survival| 33 Comments
    Episode-179- The Bug Out Bag [ 49:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    Today’s podcast covers putting together a bug out bag (BOB), also known as the 72 hour kit or three day survival bag.  In today’s show we cover things like what goes in a BOB, what type of bag is best to use, the purpose of a bug out kit and more.

    Today we discuss,

    • The purpose of a 72 Hour Kit – getting to safety not spending three days at home.
    • Ideas for food items that keep you nourished on the go and are easy to obtain
    • The advantages of a “back pack” over a duffel bag
    • Ideas for wet weather and sleeping gear
    • My view of what makes a good survival knife
    • Rechargeable lighting options
    • Making sure you have the ability to purify water
    • The value of maps, a gps and a compass
    • Why a poncho is not a good wet weather gear option
    • Ideas to save space and weight
    • Various “hard gear” equipment options
    • Methods of self defense that won’t be confiscated by authorities during a disaster
    • The value of a simple small tool kit

    The list presented in the podcast is by no means complete. If you have ideas and suggestions please leave them in the comments below.

    Resources for this podcast,

    Daily House Cleaning Items

    On Survival Gear and Options

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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    Epidsode-171- Getting Started Moving from Grasshopper to Ant

    Posted on April 2, 2009 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments
    Epidsode-171- Getting Started Moving from Grasshopper to Ant [ 50:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    Someone recently called into our toll free number at 866-65-THINK and asked if I could do a show geared to the “brand new person that has woken up and wants to stop being a grasshopper and become an ant”.  Since that is not a call that can be answered on a listener call in show today’s episode is dedicated to answering that very questions.

    Tune in today to hear…

    • Why you must first determine where you are before you start prepping
    • How the one shelf method can easily get you on your way to storing food
    • Why documentation is so important to your success
    • Priorities one, two and three – food, debt reduction, basic planning
    • You didn’t get to where you are in a day, you won’t get out of it in a day either
    • You may already have more food then you realize
    • Figuring out what you already have and reorganizing and purposing it
    • Understand the commonality of disaster and use it to your advantage
    • Why you have to have YOUR OWN plans and goals rather then following another persons plan
    • The place for some cheap long term storage items like beans, rice and pasta in a few buckets
    • Why debt reduction and expense cutting is so important
    • Thoughts on storing water for drinking and “other needs” as well
    • Why I discuss threats and what threat discussions are really about
    • Why the individual threat is not that important to how you actually prep
    • When you actually do need to really pay attention to a threat and gauge your exposure as an individual or as a group
    • Thoughts about self defense beyond concealed carry especially where concealed carry is not legal or practical
    • Being armed increases your responsibility to avoid conflict, understand that or don’t carry any weapon
    • Understand that you can only succeed if you have ownership of your personal plans, goals and objectives

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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    Episode-148- Bug Out Planning and Documentation

    Posted on February 25, 2009 by Modern Survival| 4 Comments
    Episode-148- Bug Out Planning and Documentation [ 48:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    Today’s show covers the formalized planning and documentation process I have personally developed to handle any situation where bugging out is required.  This plan is designed to keep decision making logical and get family members in touch with each other and to rally points on the way to your Bug Out Location should the ability to rally at home firt be compromised.

    Tune in today to hear…

    • Planning your initiaion sequence and requirements
    • Setting up and utilizing means of communicaiton during a bug out
    • Know where to go – 3 locations – 3 routes and for both long distance and short distance
    • Procedures for arrival and waiting and departing rally points
    • The need for full documentation including maps, plans and contact data
    • Why your data must be “uniform”
    • Basic op sec for your data, with out paranoia
    • Multiple routes for all BOLs and Rally Points
    • Grab and Get lists beyond your basic kit (short and long)
    • Chane of Command – Group Hierarchy for Civilians
    • Planning for Pet Evacuations and the Doggy Bug Out Bag

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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    Episode-138- What if Climate Change Means Global Cooling?

    Posted on February 9, 2009 by Modern Survival| 14 Comments
    Episode-138- What if Climate Change Means Global Cooling? [ 33:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    If you have listened to this show often you know I am not a big believer in man made climate change.  I think the more evidence we look at the more we can see how little humans actually effect the climate.  I just started watching the documentary “Little Ice Age: Big Chill” again though and it has reinforced my belief that.

    1. The Climate Does Change and at Times Very Quickly
    2. The Fact that the Climate Has Changed in the Past, Means it will Again
    3. We Can’t Stop Climate Change
    4. So We Must Accept the Threat as Real and Make it Part of Our Planning

    Tune In Today to Hear…

    • How a cold climate change is a bigger threat then one where the earth gets warmer
    • What a sudden climate shift might be like, how long it would take
    • How nations might respond during a decade or more of very low temperatures
    • The effects it would have on food prices and energy costs
    • How valuable the questions ‘what if” really is
    • Just how cold the “Little Ice Age” really was

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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    Episode-129- 6 Emergency Heat Options

    Posted on January 27, 2009 by Modern Survival| 27 Comments
    Episode-129- 6 Emergency Heat Options for the Modern Survivalist [ 29:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

    Today I am recording from home rather then on the road.  Why?  A typical North Texas Ice Storm!  It got me thinking that I have never discussed emergency heat requiements and ways to provide emergency heating.

    Tune in today to hear…

    • Do you have a fireplace, will it matter?
    • Is your fire wood protected?
    • Thoughts on buying and sourcing wood, not all wood is equal
    • Don’t wait till winter to procure your wood
    • Thoughts on finding free firewood even if you don’t own land or live in the backwoods
    • Electric space heaters?  Yes sometimes power doesn’t fail, just the furnace does
    • Gas space heaters (properly installed) are a great back up idea
    • Kerosene Heaters can be safe don’t believe all the bad press
    • Back up generators are great but heat draws a ton of power you still need other sources
    • Thoughts on storing large quantities of gas for generators and stabilization
    • When all else fails build a “cocoon”

    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.

    You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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