Episode-931- 15 Questions and Answers on Preparedness
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (40.6MB)
In 2008 when people asked me what I did if I mentioned this show they always seems a bit taken back, guarded and looked at me like perhaps my tin foil hat was showing a little. Today though things are different, when I meet people at the farmer’s market, the compost facility, the supermarket, business meetings etc. and they ask what I do I am now greeted with interest and questions.
Some of these questions are almost universal, some are a bit odd and some clearly tell me I am dealing with either a newbie or a seasoned prepper looking to go further. Given many of them are very common questions though I figured I would do an episode today on some of them. This will likely be a great show for newbies and hopefully have some interesting stuff for people who have been around a long time as well.
Join Me Today as I Answer…
- What is the biggest threat we face nationally?
- How can I afford to get prepared when I can barely get by already?
- How much land do you need to produce 100% of your own food?
- How to you test your preps, more often stated as how do I know if I’ve done enough?
- How much food should I store?
- What do you think will happen where I live? (usually from suburbanites)
- Don’t you think it would be 100% safe in rural ares? (usually from those who live rural)
- How do I get my wife/husband/brother/uncle/etc to understand this stuff?
- What should I do if I have no place to evacuate to?
- How big of a solar system do I need to provide all my own energy?
- How long can a generator run my house for me?
- If I have lots of gold and silver won’t that make me rich if the economy collapses?
- What kind of gun should I get? How much ammo is enough? etc.
- I want to put a group together how do I find like minded people?
- Why do you tell people about what you do, isn’t that a mistake?
Resources for Today’s Show…
- Members Support Brigade
- TSP Copper
- Join Our Forum
- Sawtooth Tactical – (sponsor of the day)
- Ready Made Resources – (sponsor 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 and you might hear yourself on the air.
Jack,
I enjoy listening to your program and to your guest. It is nice to broaden my thinking and getting out an learning something new.
I am a new listener. I would appreciate information on getting solar products at a low price. I thought I heard on a podcast that can be a possibility. I tried to go back but was unable to find it. Can you provide me with some websites or if any of your listeners can provide that information I would appreciate it.
Thank Jack for make us think outside the box and not become a droid.
There have been some great interviews with Steven Harris. http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tag/alternative-energy
This link will give you a number of podcasts about alternat energy. I hope this helps and guides you in the right direction.
Great show today! (As always) Thank you.
Jack, dude, there relly is something happening in your head. Your mixing up days lately as well. It;s wednesday, not tuesday. You had one of those last week as well.
Jasper, Cut the guy some slack. You do realize that Jack sometimes tapes shows days prior to airing them, so it may have been Tuesday when he said it. Either way he is pretty accurate on the things that count, and fesses up when he makes errors. But I’m sure you could talk for an hour a day without ever tripping up.
🙂 Nah, I was just pulling his leg a bit 🙂 Last week he had a show where he said there must be something wrong with him because he forgot to put up an episode he recorded, just teasing a bit. Love his work and hope he´ll continue for a very long time to come.
@Jasper it definitely didn’t upset me or bother me.
RE: The need for phone calls for Episode 1000
Jack, I didn’t want to bother with the Ep-1000 phone call thing because I didn’t feel like I have a whole lot to contribute to such a landmark show –not a lot of drama to my own transformation at this stage. But because of your announcement in today’s episode, I’ll give it a shot and I’ll offer my meager story of how your show has changed my life. Feel free to pass mine over after you hear it.
But … before I call the 866-65-THINK phone line … something in the back of my mind keeps telling me that maybe I might have a half a recollection from a prior podcast from something like a month or two ago where I think you announced that you were setting up a DIFFERENT phone line for all Episode-1000 submissions –some kind of dedicated phone line– and so I should maybe possibly be looking for a different phone number entirely.
Am I remembering that correctly? Or is 866-65-THINK the correct line for Ep-1000 submissions?
Thanks,
–OL
I LOVE your podcasts, you are a special person, and thankfully we have you to guide us! Keep up the great work!
It is a different number, but I can’t find it. Even listened to the start of the past 2 shows. He talks about calling in, but forgets to say the number. Maybe tomorrow
@Alan see the post I just did.
I would say your advice about preper companies needing to give a shit about there customers is spot on for the entire world of business.
On top of that, treat your employees just as good as your customers. They are the company!
Keep the good info coming, will be calling in for the 2k show. Finally I found a way to show my wife this is all dooms day planning! She has even slowly been coming around to helping.
Great show Jack But I disagree about solar PV costing a premium over grid power. Like most things, it depends. In my case, the lower cost of buying off-grid property more than made up the cost for installing solar PV. By purchasing land without access to grid power, I was able to get a year-round creek and pond. In addition, solar PV can be purchased and installed incrementally over time without creating more debt.
@Philip, if you want to believe that and it makes you happy fine, yet the laws of economics are not subject to opinions.
@Jack, It was the laws of economics that drove my decision to go the route I did.
I bought off grid rural property that was below market at the time. Because the demand for such property was low ,I was able to buy it for $1000 bucks down on an owner contract. I paid it off in three years, designed and built a passive solar / wood heated house with PV out of pocket , no mortgage, and farther ahead than I would have been had I got a loan to bring in grid power for $50,000 (1995) when I paid $35K for the 20 acres. I’ve been living off’-grid for 16 years and at no point has my independence been less economical than an equivalent piece of property given the water, slope, aspect, access, and community .
Great show, Jack!
Regarding natural gas being available during a disaster, I used to think the way that you do until the “Great Flood of 2008”. Central IN experienced a 500-year flood in June of 2008, and we lost power, cable, and water. Those weren’t big surprises. What DID surprise me though was the fact that we also lost natural gas service. Turns out, one of the local sub stations lost power and couldn’t distribute natural gas for a period of time.
My family was lucky. We were on an “island” of sorts in the city. We had no flooding but we couldn’t get anywhere because our “escape” routes were cut off by water in every direction. The only thing for which we depended on NG was hot water, and since we went for 3 days without water service, that point was moot. We lived in the city in a rental, so we weren’t depending on an NG genny to keep us going, but I’d imagine there were a decent number of folks who had them and were very surprised when they couldn’t use them. (I lived in Columbus, IN at the time which has a population around 40k, so odds are some homeowners were depending on NG for things like cooking/boiling water/running gensets/etc.
While I do agree with you that NG is a pretty safe bet if propane isn’t an option, it wouldn’t have helped folks one bit during that big flood. Granted, most people here in IN are using their gennies to get them through severe storms and the like, so NG is a good bet there, but service can be interrupted by flooding (and earthquakes too, I’d guess.) I’m glad that I live in the country now so we can get a propane genny and keep a good bit of fuel onsite.
Jack, you never run over time, I like the 1hr + shows.
You have staying power man
Total agreement about the hotels. As you know I live in El Paso County, Colorado. We’re still dealing with the Waldo Canyon Fire. The night the fireball hit Mountain Shadows (Tuesday), almost every hotel room in Colorado Springs– and all but 150 in Pueblo– were quickly booked. People really didn’t want to be in the shelters– plenty of space there. Campsites were quickly booked as well. Remember that we had some 30,000 people needing a room in one single evening (there are so, so many lessons coming out of this fire. Lots to tell.) By the way, before anyone asks, I’m way at the south end of the county. An idiot trucker nearly wrecking one of our freeway exits has been more trouble for us than this fire has been. We are safe.