Tag Archives: getting started

Episode-1330- An Evaluation of Prepping for the New and Seasoned Alike

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Modern Survival| 22 Comments
Episode-1330- An Evaulation of Prepping for the New and Seasoned Alike [ 1:49:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Be Prepared or You Could Wind Up, "In the Dog House"

Be Prepared or You Could Wind Up, “In the Dog House”

As I look forward to about a week of shows with “just Jack” (that will be next week, we do have an interview this week)  I am trying to do a bit of what my football coach always did, “stick with fundamentals”. Evaluation

I also want to do so in a way that won’t be overly remedial for those who have been at this prepping gig for a long time.

Today I want to discuss more “how to think” about prepping is more important in your planning and implementation than the “what” of prepping.   Any good prepping plan should begin with a risk analysis.  Any established plan should be tweaked from a starting point of a risk analysis.  Note the clear commonality!

Prepping isn’t a once and done affair, it is an ongoing way of living.  It is something that makes disasters often into simple inconveniences.  It also takes many things that would inconvenience others and simply eliminates them for a solid prepper.

Join Me Today to Discuss…

  • What are your primary risks
  • What is commonality of disaster
  • The inverse relationship between impact scale and probability
  • How you evaluate your weaknesses
    • Food
    • Water
    • Shelter
    • Energy
    • Security
    • Communications
    • Health and Sanitation
    • Financial/Economics
    • Recovery Risks
    • Transportation
  • Getting things off the ground
    • Just start with copy canning and a “deep pantry”
    • Store at least 50 gallons of water, it is too cheap not to
    • Make sure you have a place to go if your home is compromised
    • Make sure you can fix basic problems in your home
    • Have a black out kit, build a simple battery back up, get a generator
    • Store gas, rotate it, build your storage over time
    • Have portable heaters and fans
    • Know your neighbors
    • Practice situational awareness and OPSEC
    • Get firearms training, have a means of defense for everyone
    • Have well understood procedures for threats before they happen
    • Have a get out of the house and meet up plan
    • Every family member should have the info of every other family member
    • Have radios, consider two way radios as well
    • Have a way to deal with waste
    • Keep a good med kit
    • Keep extra maintenance meds
    • Take care of yourself
    • Exercise mentally and physically
    • Save money, get out of debt
    • Know your investments, practice real diversity
    • Have good insurances
    • Think about how you would cope with a
      • Minor loss
      • Major loss
      • Total loss
    • Keep vehicles maintained
    • Have a basic working knowledge of vehicles
    • Have simple extra parts on  hand and tools
    • Plan to take extra fuel with you
    • Have multiple routes planned and document for evac
  • In the end, this makes you more prepared than 99% of Americans
  • Remember the two most important things you can do in life are learn and teach

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.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

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.

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Episode-1223- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant (orig epi 298)

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Modern Survival| 10 Comments
Episode-1223- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant (orig epi 298) [ 1:13:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today we dip into the archives again.  Episode 298 was originally published on Oct. 15th, 2009.  By that time the TSP philosophy and components of it like the inverse relationship between impact scale and probability were well fleshed out.

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. 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.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

Our Expert Council is Made Up of…

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.

 

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Episode-1191- Holy Crap I Just Found Out Everything Isn’t Super – Part 2

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Modern Survival| 11 Comments
Episode-1191- Holy Crap I Just Found Out Everything Isn’t Super – Part 2 [ 1:17:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today we continue our focus on things you can do to move from totally unprepared to basically prepared as a first stage of insuring your future.  While these steps are dramatically simple and won’t make you bullet proof they will get you through 90% of the disasters that might come you way.

These initial steps then form an effective building platform as you build up for the 10% of disasters that are less likely but have larger impact scales.

If you are new to prepping I suggest you listen to part one of this series first and use the below referenced episodes as more information on getting started, calming fears and getting your plans organized.

With those three episodes on your side you will be well on the way to understanding how to formulate your own plan based on your own needs based on your own risk tolerance.

Today I will continue on the work we did yesterday, finishing off with some more thoughts on security, then move on to health and sanitation and from there wrap things up with developing financial security.

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.

 

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Episode-1190- Holy Crap I Just Found Out Everything Isn’t Super – Part 1

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Modern Survival| 49 Comments
Episode-1190- Holy Crap I Just Found Out Everything Isn't Super - Part 1 [ 1:06:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My intern Josiah of the newly launched Brink of Freedom Community suggested today that I should re do an older show that I haven’t done in a while.  Perhaps modern survival philosophy or similar.  He pointed out that many folks will show up in the Zello Channel and you can tell they have no knowledge of TSP Core Philosophy.

However, I don’t like to overdue “reruns” so today I am going to focus on the mentality of new preppers and survivalists, how to get your head on strait and begin a solutions based system.  That said I am going to recommend several past episodes (one quite recent) for new preppers and modern survivalists to develop the core knowledge necessary to build a truly resiliant life.  They are

With those three episodes on your side you will be well on the way to understanding how to formulate your own plan based on your own needs based on your own risk tolerance.

Today I will expand on these three core episodes.  I will discuss what happens in the mind of the person who suddenly realizes things are not as safe as they appear.  What “first exposure” feels like, which will be helpful for many who have forgotten.  I will also discuss how to rein in this fear and this feeling of exposure and channel it instead into productive motivation.

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.

 

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Episode-1127- Risk Assessments and Readiness Audits

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments
Episode-1127- Risk Assesments and Readiness Audits [ 1:33:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Time to take a real hard look at where you are, where you are going and whether or not progress is being made in your quest to be more self reliant and more self sufficient.  Today we begin with a review of my concepts of the inverse relationship between impact scale and disaster probability.  We then go into a look at assessing your most likely personal risk factors and your individual risk tolerance.

From there we examine quite a few potential disasters and how they might effect you, how you would respond to them, where your are really shored up and where you are weak.  We discuss what can be done to plug the holes in your preparedness and how to prioritize what areas you address first.

Join Me Today As We Discuss…

  • What is disaster probability
  • What is disaster impact scale
  • Why do impact and probability have inverse relationships
  • What does that even matter
  • Why focusing on the mega disasters gets you hurt by the “little” ones
  • Considering your 6 primary needs for survival
    • Food
    • Water
    • Shelter
    • Energy
    • Security
    • Health and Sanitation
  • Questions to Ask
    • How would we and how long could we feed ourselves
    • How would this effect our shelter (house)
    • What would we do for clean and safe water
    • What health risks would this cause if any
    • How long would “recovery” likely take
    • What specific regional issues exist
    • How would existing health issues effect this disaster
    • Would help be available, how long would it take to come
    • What security risks might pop up beyond the normal
    • How would we care for pets
    • What would the impact be on our children (mental and phyical)
    • How do we think we would respond mentally
    • What phyical injuries might be incurred during the onset
    • How would we get out if we were forced to leave
    • How would we get along if forced to stay
  • Several Disasters You Might Face with Thoughts About Them
    • Loss of employment
    • Local storms
    • A house fire
    • Death of a family member or serious illness of the same
    • Economic recession (more severe then 2008)
    • Economic collapse and shift
    • Flu or other pandemic
    • Nuclear power accidents
    • Any true global disaster with long term total system failure

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-1056- Zero to Prepared – Fast, Simple and Low Cost – Part 1

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Modern Survival| 26 Comments
Episod-1056- Part 1 of Zero to Prepared [ 1:08:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You will notice that title of this episode ends in “low cost” vs. “cheap”.  As a marketer there is a rule, if you can eliminate a word do it, but that won’t work here.  Cheap sets the wrong tone for what we will discuss today, we are talking about protecting your life, your property and the lives of those you love, one doesn’t go “cheap” with such things.

Today may seem like a basic beginners show but I will bet even the seasoned prepper will gain something and if nothing else will be better able to help others get started.  Prepping doesn’t have to be complex or expensive, what it must be is specific to a set of goals, today we talk about simple ways to make that happen.

Join Me Today as We Discuss…

  • The entire basic system revolves around 6 innate survival needs
    • Food
    • Water
    • Shelter
    • Energy
    • Security
    • Sanitation and Health
  • To this we add some basic logistics
    • Threat analysis
    • When to bug in or out
    • Where to go if you have to leave
    • Insure the ability to do business when main systems are down
  • Once this is understood we create a basic checklist for each need
  • Food
    • Build 30, 60 and 90 days of reserves in that order
    • Begin with “copy canning” then move to cheap LTS
    • Slowly develop your own plan using prepared LTS foods
  • Water
    • Store water in 2 liter bottle used soda bottles
    • Acquire a reliable filter
    • Know when to “fill the tubs”
    • Consider large scale catchment/storage based on space and budget
  • Shelter
    • Know all the “systems” that run your home
    • Have basic repair materials that can keep your home intact
    • Make sure your home is fully insured
    • Make sure to distribute your preps throughout your home
    • Don’t plan on living in a tent or an RV without trying it first

 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-1044- Meals in Jars with Jennifer Ess and Starting Out as a Prepper

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Modern Survival| 17 Comments
Episode-1044- Meals in Jars with Jennifer Ess and Starting Out as a Prepper [ 1:02:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
From #10 Cans to Meals Ready to Go!

From #10 Cans to Meals Ready to Go!

I have a great interview with Jennifer Ess of “Rainy Day Food Storage” for you today.  We only talked for about 25 minutes but the ideas and tips and simple formulas are great.  With this information you can turn all those huge cans of long term storage food into meal size ready to go recipes.

Jennifer joins us today to discuss why creating meals in a jar makes sense for busy people.  The self life of these meals.  The easy way to make these meals shelf stable.  A simple formula for creating your own recipes and how you guys can free sauce mixes and jar meal recipes from Jennifer.

I have also been getting a ton of “I am just starting out” or “I have just found your podcast” emails lately.  Such emails always go on to say “I am overwhelmed and don’t know where to start” in the next sentence.  It is totally understandable.

I have been trying to figure out where to fit in a new “getting started” episode and this is a great opportunity.  First Jennifer’s method of breaking down long term storage foods will make that far less intimidating for many people.  Additionally the very basic of “eat what you store and store what you eat” is a great way to get the ball rolling.

So I am leading off today with a short segment (about 25-30 minutes) on getting started and then we switch over to Jennifer and take this simple approach to a bit of a higher level with pre planned meals in a jar.  Oh and ladies, they really are pretty too.  I think I said pretty more times in this episode then all others episodes of TSP combine, um that would be two.

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-648- Reaching the Unreachable

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
Episode-648- Reaching the Unreachable [ 1:00:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every day I get emails from people that say my ______ just doesn’t get it.  I have tried explaining _____ and ______ and ______ and they still don’t think there is any reason to have a preparedness plan.  What else can I say to reach them.   Now it is easy to write off people, call them sheeple (as most are), etc until they are someone we love and care about.  The problem though can be summed up in the quote, “a profit has no honor in his own country”.

Many of the people closest to you will be some of the last people to listen to you.  Today’s show will hopefully speak on your behalf, it may be something you can provide to the “unreachable” or at least the moderately resistant.  Unlike many in the “survival” niche I do not believe that you reach people with fear, gloom and doom but with empowerment.   So while today’s show may be like preaching to the choir for a lot of the audience I think you will enjoy it as well.  In the end I hope it also gives you a tool for reaching others.

A version with the housekeeping removed will be provided in the show notes as well. (Get it Here)

Join me today as we discuss…

  • Prepping is a normal activity
  • Not prepping is an abnormal activity (10,000 years proves it)
  • Food and water are our most fundamental needs
  • There are real threats to our on demand lifestyle
  • Prepping isn’t “running away” it is the exact opposite
  • Smart prepping has no downside
  • There is no real sacrifice required (long term)
  • The rewards are liberty and freedom
  • It will improve your physical health
  • It will improve your mental health
  • Getting started is very easy and cheap
  • It eventually becomes a lifestyle
  • It is NOT a political issue, prepping isn’t republican or democrat
  • Belief in conspiracy theories isn’t required or even useful
  • The primary rule is to do what YOU think is best

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-548- Help – I am Overwhelmed and/or Stuck

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments
Episode-548- Help - I am Overwhelmed and/or Stuck Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I get a lot of emails that are in one form or another a version of today’s show title.  They go one of two main ways

1.  Jack, We are new to this and are having trouble getting started.  This is all so overwhelming we want to store food, learn to use firearms, plant a garden………………………..but just can’t seem to prioritize where to start.

or

2.  Jack, We have at this a long time, we have food stored, a garden going, evac plans, taken some training, etc.  But we know we are still not really prepared for anything more than the most basic disasters, we are trying to decide between ………………………………. as a next step, help, how can we move forward.

While the person in scenario one might wish to have the “problems” of the person in scenario two, the reality is the fix is the same for both of them.  Just like a NFL wide receiver may have caught 5,000,000 balls in his life if he starts to drop passes, the coaches do basic receiving drills with him, some he did back in high school.

When an offensive line starts allowing to many opponents to get to the quarterback the line coach goes “back to fundementals” and works on timing the snap, blocking, deflection, play memorization, etc.  Again things the players have done perhaps since they played Pop Warner.

Why?  -  Why do players making millions of dollars go back often to the same drills and training they used when they played JV in High School?  Because the game is the game is the game and it all comes back to fundamentals.    My Drill Sergeant told me on the firing line one day, “the day you think you don’t need to focus on fundamentals any more is the day your shooting reaches its peak and begins to decline”.   He was correct of course!

So join me today as we revisit the fundamentals of prepping, organizing, getting started, planning, moving forward and making prepping a positive part of your lifestyle.

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-457- Putting Your House Hold in Order

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Modern Survival| 9 Comments
Episode-457- Putting Your House Hold in Order [ 1:04:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today I though I would give sort of a mile high view of taking your home from grass hopper fields of green to organized ant hill.  Or if you are on the journey already from disorganized ant hill to  organized ant fortification.   Getting prepared seems tough, it seems beyond reach and on some levels it is.   One can never be fully prepared for everything but getting to well prepared for most things is doable in steps.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • Another look at the old story, The Grasshopper and the Ant
  • Taking an inventory
  • Journaling items used on a regular basis
  • Committing to copy canning
  • Develop a black out kit
  • Install emergency lighting
  • Set up some sort or back up power
  • Develop a documentation package
  • Set up at least 2 weeks to 1 month of long term storables
  • Install a back flow preventer on your water heater
  • Store at least 25 gallons of water, more is better
  • Journal your spending – EVERY PENNY
  • Form a debt elimination plan and DO IT
  • Define your lifestyle vision and WORK ON IT
  • Create a get out – get home plan
  • Own and know how to use a grill
  • Teach yourself at least 2 food preservation methods
  • Visit farmers markets
  • Talk to your neighbors
  • Believe you can get it done, because you can
  • Focus on the results, not the battle

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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