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Episode-1437- Assessing Readiness to Real World Scenarios

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Time To Assess Your Readiness

Time To Assess Your Readiness

Note – If you send this show to a new listener and they want to skip the intro, have them jump to 11 minutes in.

This show is sort of a beginners show and also at the same time a whack the “experienced prepper” with the 2×4 of reality show.  Recently we started doing the “Monday Prepper Scenario” and the entire point of it is a trickling in of the subject we will cover in depth today.

The truth is many people who fancy themselves preppers are not actually preparing for the most likely disasters and emergencies they will face.   Additionally many people won’t prep at all because they consider “prepping” the realm of the mentally defunct on shows like “Doomsday Preppers”.

In both cases a focus on the extreme leads to a failure to plan for the likely.

Let’s look at it this way, here are some things that have happened to large numbers real people in the US since TSP started, just 6.5 years ago.

Things that Have Happened Recently

  • Ice Storms
  • Hurricanes
  • Flooding
  • Blizzards
  • Contaminated Water
  • Riots in their Cities
  • Tornadoes
  • A massive recession
  • A stock market crash
  • A real estate market crash

Here are Some Things that Have not Happened

  • A global pandemic killing 50% of the population
  • An EMP destroying all electronics on the planet
  • All the oil/coal/gas running out
  • A meteor or comment strike
  • The Zombie Apocalypse
  • The complete and total collapse of the economy

Sadly many peppers are so worried about the things that have not happened their preps are full of holes in being prepared for what has happened and likely will happen again.

Join Me Today As We Discuss…

  • Disaster probability vs. impact scale
  • Disaster comonality
  • Your 6 Primary Needs
    • Food – Why 30 days is a great goal
    • Water – You need more than you think
    • Energy – there is only so much you can do, so do what you can
    • Security – It isn’t just gear, it is protocol and procedures as well
    • Shelter – Your house being destroyed may be the disaster
    • Health and Sanitation – It is amazing what we take for granted
  • The Secondary Needs – You Won’t Die Without it But Your Be Miserable
    • Money
    • A Path to Recovery
    • Comfort
    • Morale
    • Entertainment
    • Information
    • A Sense of Normalcy
  • Why not prepping for the basics is simply irresponsible behavior

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.

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Comments

Episode-1437- Assessing Readiness to Real World Scenarios — 25 Comments

  1. Some members of our prepper group did a mock bug-out this weekend. In addition to pointing out some moderate holes in our preps, we all forgot things varying in importance from simple comfort items to essentials. The things we all agreed on was the importance of creating a check list, pre-staging bug-out gear in a very organized way and that bugging out as a group mitigated most of the shortcomings present in each members preps and bug-out procedures.

  4. As an experienced prepper, I am looking forward to this one for my “reality 2×4”.

    By the way, Jack, I think you mean “comet strike” not “comment strike”; I think auto-correct got you. But we haven’t had a ‘comment strike’ at TSP, either; people always comment 🙂

  6. I would add two other things to the “things that happened recently” list

    1) Job Loss
    2) Medical / Health Problems for yourself or a family member

    Those are the two highest probability “survival” disasters that anyone is likely to face and it is virtually guaranteed that one will face both at some point in your life. Economic collapse is when you lose your job or source of income.

    While preparing will not prevent these events, there are many things one can to to help mitigate their effects, including:

    a) elimination of debt
    b) building savings and reserves
    c) food storage
    d) medical supplies / medical skills along with PT and doing things to improve your health
    e) self reliance – food, power, etc
    f) developing multiple sources of income; diversified investments

  7. I meant to post a comment about your recent switch to more “realistic” scenarios in your weekly schedule. I found that I had become so focused on permaculture/food,production that I was neglecting other areas of preparedness. I have not yet listened to this show. Regardless, i agree with the approach of challenging us with more “realistic” scenarios.

    • That’s definitely why I see them all interlinked and why I have appreciated Ben Falk’s approach to permaculture so much. I could careless about his rice in vermont stuff (which he is known for by some others). His practical look at the wholeness of the picture, beyond growables, is very very nice.

      • FTR the rice component to what Ben does is actually integral to the total.

        I’d love to see him sow barley or winter rye after his harvest, not flood and try seeding rice in fall to lay dormant till spring. It might not work BUT it would only take 25 dollars in rice seed to find out. He could still start his plants, etc. and have them as a back up.

        What he does now is labor intensive beyond reason, I am not sure it could be done with out a steady supply of interns.

      • Huh? How? I was referring to the fact his property, house, mindset, and design mentality is based around resiliency and expecting and adapting to “bad conditions” rather than the other way around. (Using hope as a strategy).

        When I was at his house I noticed a little mini battery backup he had going, and I was like well no shit. Obviously I know he’s a fan of the show (obviously, he’s an expert council member).

        • I don’t understand your comment, I wasn’t picking on yours just pointing something out about how the rice is integrated into the total. Oh and yea he is a fan of the show, did you see his MURS sensors and Harris Ice Maker there too.

          Did he by chance explain why they put in solar hot water vs. full on solar electric in the main house?

        • Who knows. Internet communication = the worst and lowest form. Gotta have a trade off from the easiest form of communication.

          After seeing ben’s place, if I could find a home scale rice dehuller, I’d be making rice for sure. Louisiana = perfect for rice, and yet getting something like that isn’t exactly easy. More than likely it’s one of those “well, it looks like you might have to make it yourself”. SIGH. I could probably build the housing and have my uncle weld me prototype internal parts for the actual hulling.

          I did not know he had a MURS setup, nor a Harris Ice Maker (need to get one of these). But that is good to know. He didn’t explain the solar situation. What’s the reasoning? We have talked about putting in solar hot water ourselves, or at a minimum doing like you said you were going to do (don’t know if you did it yet) and putting in an outdoor shower. Although recently I got introduced to natural pools, and that is I think something every preparedness house should include (we know your rock situation, no need to comment. HA! Sorry jack)

          I saw his kitchen before my wife did and all I could think was “Oh shit, I have got to keep her out of here at all costs…..”. The integration of his heating element (stove) for maximum effect is also just stellar. Unfortunately us Southern’s don’t have it that easy. In fact, look at any old (plantation) house and you’ll find that the kitchen isn’t even in the house. Just too darn hot for that.

        • The solar water system was all about efficiency. It is just far more efficient to heat water with the sun then to make electricity with it. The ROI time on the system was 3 years. The budget allowed for one or the other. He felt it was better to demonstrate what worked well then to do what was expected by many in the Permaculture space that want to do solar because well it is expected and sigh saves polar bears.

  8. Hello Jack, are you still doing the Tuesday – Bob Well’s plant of the week? Love those segments!

    • Yes, it got bumped due to a few things yesterday, it will run today instead.

  9. It’s interesting how “synchronicity” has been prompting me to take a look at my preps, especially winter-related stuff. As I posted on Monday’s comments, I’ve got some definite holes, and this was just another jab in the ribs reminder.

  10. Great show. One of my recent favorites (along with the Stefan S. permaculture orchard one from a few weeks ago…I’ve listened to that one twice). This prompted me to finally start the transfer switch process going in time for winter.

  11. Great episode! Made me really think over my preps and over the last couple days corrected some issues.
    For anyone new out there I want to offer this advice, don’t get overwhelmed. I would relentlessly beat myself up for what I have not accomplished, instead of giving myself a little credit for what I have accomplished. I am confident for a solid 30 days at this point, with the possibility of extending out to 90 in extreme circumstances.
    Listening to Jack, it has really hit home the importance of the simple stuff first, and prepping for real life possibilities. Do just one thing today, no matter how small. I had a Berkey water filter setup that literally was sitting in a closet for 3 years. I finally took it out, set it up, and figured out how to use it. It took a little time. My point is all those little things can add up. Get them done now.
    Still without a doubt my biggest hole is a reliable backup heat source. I am good for a few weeks, but I want something bomb proof. For me it logistics, my best option is a insert for our fireplace but I don;t have the money for that right now. Wood burning stove, I love but the wife won’t let me install one permanently. Portable rocket mass?
    So I will part with this piece of wisdom, or dribble. I once was working really hard to follow a career to become a chef, I studied the great chefs, practiced complex recipes and techniques, bought fancy knives, and expensive cookware. I then read a book by a famous chef who during his interviews with new interns would ask them to poach an egg. It hit me in that moment that I did not know how to poach an egg. It radically changed my outlook on cooking and myself. Master that which appears simple, its the foundation for the complex. Get a few gallons of water stored, get a week worth of food you will eat stocked up, flashlights, batteries, etc. Just get started.

  12. Great show, Jack. Getting into prepping is a little daunting for me simply because there’s so much I want to do not nearly enough money to do it. Still, I’m looking forward to getting serious about it and I have to thank TSP for that (and Mr. Willis at SOE gear for telling me about TSP). I was wondering if you had links for those scanner and radio apps you were talking about towards the end of the episode, specifically if they’re for the Android OS. If not, could you recommend some alternatives?

  13. Jack, You said that in your closet you have 4 marine batteries, a couple 800w inverters, a battery charger. You said that including the rack the whole think cost less than $150.00. The two inverters are $90 the charger is about $50 and
    one marine battery is about $70. So how can this all be under 150?
    Thanks for the show. It really made me reassess my preps.

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