Today’s episode of Friday Flashbacks was originally Episode-292- An Interview with Ron Hood and was originally recorded on 10-6-09. The show notes for the original episode with all relevant resources can be found here.
Welcome to Friday Flashbacks, after 15 years and hundreds of interview shows we decided to run them as flash backs ever Friday, beginning with the oldest of them going forward.There is a tremendous library of wisdom in all the great interviews we have done over the years.So sit back and enjoy, whether this is your first or second time around with todays episode I am sure you will enjoy today’s episode and learn a lot from it.
Jack Spirko and Ron Hood about 5 minutes into their first meeting.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
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Today on The Survival Podcast the expert council answers your questions on economics, war, kidney stones, propane powered equipment, storing and making lard, men’s health, permaculture, careers and more.
Make sure if you submit content for an expert council show you do the following….
Email it to me at jack @ thesurvivalpodcast.com
Put TSPC Expert in the subject line
Ask you question and state the expert you have the question for in one coherent sentence
Hit the return key a few times and then give all the details you think are necessary `
Following that procedure makes it about 100X more likely your question will get though screening and sent on to one of our experts. All expert council members can be found on the Meet the Expert Council Page.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
In the Ron Paul Liberty Highlights – Dr. Paul & Chris Rossinni
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 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.
Special Note– This bag is one of the best deals on the market period. Today though it is marked down 26% to only 51 bucks. A tough do anything field bag, big enough to stuff a small adult human inside of it at one heck of a great price. Check these out and of course they are also great gifts this time of year.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the UTG Ranger Field Bag. Long time followers of The Survival Podcast will know I have been recommending this bag for years. And I will tell you this is the best value large bag I have found so far.
This is my go to as a luggage bag when I fly on airplanes. It is so much more convenient than a roller as you make your way though what ever shuttle bus hell exists between you and your rental car.
It is huge as well, bigger than I think most people expect, in fact there are a few negative reviews about it being “too big”, sigh, really! One even said, “the picture makes it look smaller”, um, it is a picture with no other object for scale, face palm moment I guess.
The dimensions of the bag are 35.00″ x 13.00″ x 12.00″ and it really carries a lot of gear. I did manage to kill one, after many many airline trips where I used it to carry t-shirts. I am talking tight packed, rolled shirts, over 150 pounds of them! Even then it beat the shipping charges I would have paid to mail them ahead of time and send the unsold ones back home!
The failure was at the one point this bag could use some improvement. There are four rubber feet on the bottom. When thrown (think airline employees) and heavily loaded sooner or later they tear off and eventually that wears the bag out.
Used as a vehicle kit bag, and set down vs. thrown (ie the way you handle gear when you actually own it), they are extremely long lasting. I’ll be honest this is not a bag like John Willis at SOE Tactical Gear would build, however, old John doesn’t make a bag anything like this one. In fact I can’t find anything quite like this bag when you factor in all the compartments and the comfort of carrying it along with the durability.
I use this bag for my vehicle based bug out kits and air travel mostly. I have talked to the guy who fills my CO2 tank about this bag too. For you home brewers the best place to get CO2 tanks filled is a airsoft store by the way. The guy I use has a store and a huge play area for paint ball and airsoft both. He said about half of all players tend to use this bag for their gear, due to capacity, longevity and comfort of carry.
So if you have need of a large capacity duffel give the UTG Ranger Field Bag a shot. I think you will be quite happy with it.
Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
Every year I bring you a list of some of the most popular and great gift ideas from the TspAz catalog. Here is what we have this year.
The EDC RazorLite Knife from Outdoor Edge – I love these knives and carry either it or its bigger brother all the time. While I love my expensive customs for always having a scalpel on hand that you don’t mind roughing up a bit these are just awesome. `
Knipex Cobra Pliers – The absolute best channel lock style pliers I have ever found. German engineered, never slips, amazing tools. The smallest ones have become part of my EDC, the larger ones are one of my most valued hand tools. These are pricey but they are the absolute best.
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Victorinox Meat Cutting Knives – Whether it is the 8 inch breaking knife or the 6 inch boning knife I have sold a ton of these this year and everyone loves them. Hey if you really like someone get them a set of both. These are the tool professional meat cutters use and they are very affordable.
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Anker Fast Charger– This is so new i don’t even have a write up for it yet but it is going to be my go to stocking stuffer this year. This thing is super fast and not much more expensive than the shitty ones they sell at box stores. One thing I love is it is powerful enough to charge the new MacBooks, many USB chargers are not.
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UTG Ranger Field Bag – This is one of the items I have been recommending the longest and I have no plans to stop. I found this in 2010 when I was traveling a lot for prepper conventions. It is rugged, cheap and HUGE. You could smuggle small adult humans in this thing.
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Stainless Steel Insulated French Press by Secura – These just look beautiful and once you go French Press with coffee it is hard to turn back. Pair this up with a coffee grinder and some good whole bean coffee and any coffee lover will thank you. I gave one of these to my nephew while he was in law school one Christmas, he still says it is one of the best and most practical gifts he’s ever gotten and he still uses it daily.
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The LizzQ Pellet Smoker Tube – Every person with a grill needs one. Even if you have a smoker these still have a place for everyday use. I make a ton of stuff with mine including my cold smoked and then sous vide for 24 hours briskets. Toss in say an assortment of pellets for extra points with this gift.
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Nanch 22 Piece Precision Screwdriver Set – A great little tool set that will even fix your eyeglasses but has far more utility unlike the little pieces of junk they sell as eye glass screwdrivers. I find myself reaching for this kit a few times a month even though I actually bought it for my wife Dorothy.
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Etek City 4 Pack of LED Lanterns – One of the single best deals you will ever find, they are even on sale at the time of this post. Give a set of 4 for only 20 bucks or give them as single units for one of the coolest 5 dollar stocking stuffers you will ever find, and batteries are included. Yes, really.
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The American Boys Handy Book – Published in 1882 before safety police were everywhere it is a fascinating look back at what the world was like 140 years ago. Tons of cool stuff for kids to do, there is a girls version as well. The politically correct hate this book that is reason enough to give one to every kid you know. It is a lot of fun to read with kids too, find projects to do with them, etc.
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The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook – If you know someone who loves herbs and wants to learn more about their medicinal use this is the book. If I was personally limited to one book on herbs, this would be my choice. It is like a full course on home herbalism but very easy to follow and very approachable.
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Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book – Any gardener and fan of founding father Thomas Jefferson will love this amazing historical look at the time and life of Jefferson outside of the world of politics.
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Instant Pot Sous Vide Circulator– I recommended the Anova for years but they just went stupid on price. I tested this one and now have been using it for over a year and it just works perfectly. Any foodie will love this and sous vide is easy to do and will change everything about your cooking.
Bonus this year – Some of these may not be great gifts but I thought I would just provide a list of the top 10 best selling items on TspAz this year. This is by total units sold not by total dollars in sales.
Galvanized Metal Raised Garden Beds – I literally sold these 100% out on Amazon currently unavailable. Some of the other sizes are really good too though.
DEWALT 20V MAX XR Battery, 5 Ah, 2-Pack – We have a lot of fans of team Yellow and Black at TSPC. When these go on sale (like right now at 45% off) it makes sense to pick them up.
Easy Fermenter Lids – These sold amazingly well, no complaints and they do make a good gift too.
Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer – A super awesome kitchen tool that many foodies would love and cheap enough for stocking stuffer status.
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So there you go a list of my personal picks for Christmas gifts and a bonus list of the top selling items on TspAz for 2023. Remember you can find all my reviews at TspAz in category specific listings.
Today Matt Sercely returns to TSPC to discuss the risks and rewards of becoming a real estate investor. While more people have become millionaires in the US from real estate than any other niche, this very rewarding way of investing is not risk free. Today we examine this business model with absolutely no flowery bullshit.
Matthew Sercely is known to many of you as a lawyer and the Agorist Tax Advisor. He’s also been a real estate investor for over a decade. He thinks that Real Estate is a good way to build up generational wealth and a fantastic way to legally avoid paying a lot of income tax. He joins us today for a no nonsense look at this form or investing and business building.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
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Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 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.
Special Update– I have recommended this grinder a long time and I still do. I first brought it to you in 2017 and to this day it is still one of the best bangs for the buck out there. With the inflation in meat prices though I now see this as paying for itself, and quite quickly. Ground meat is super expensive and so are steaks. If you start buying larger cuts, cutting your own steaks and roasts and grinding your trim, you can pay for this thing easily in 2-3 months and it is all “profit” past that.
If like many in the TSP world you eat a lot of meat, no reason you can’t pay for it in a month. Tune in to episode 3340 to hear more about this right after my anchor segment. Also if you want to see examples of how to do this with many cuts of meat, check out “MeatDad” on TikTok, some of his stuff is really great.
And please read the PS before you order. There are some options there including one if you already have a great grinder.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder. I spent a lot of time in 2017 deciding on what meat grinder I wanted to buy. I was pretty much in love with the Cabela’s Carnivore but had a real hard time paying 400-500 dollars for a grinder. Specifically since I use one heavily 2-3 times a year during hunting season, then only about 1-2 times a month for small amounts throughout the year.
So I looked at a lot of options but came down on the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder because I firmly believe it is the best value under 300 dollars on the market. First it is a size 12, in other words big, it has great capacity. It also has two speeds and a reverse setting, which at times can be important.
It comes with three blades, most only come with one and while such blades are a standard product in all grinders they usually cost 12-20 bucks a piece to replace. It is also powerful. The first weekend I had it,I put 20lbs of deer and pork though it in about 15 minutes and it worked flawlessly. One day I had a beef roast that I wasn’t thrilled with as a roast, so I picked up some pork and ground up both with the wagon wheel for chili meat. It took longer to take it out than it did to put 10 lbs of meat though it.
After months of research, using several different grinders and finally buying and using this one I have found THE GRINDER I recommend. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed with this one.
On another note we made about 20 lbs of sausage with this grinder using the sausage stuffer attachment. Dorothy and I ended up getting pretty good at it, but was the last time I used a grinder, any grinder to stuff sausage. I have now added the LEM 5 pound stuffer to our pantry. The grinder worked fine as a stuffer but takes about 4 times as long as using a dedicated stuffer to do the job.
It also makes keeping meat more chunky if that is what you are looking for in a sausage impossible. Even if you grind your meat chunky, that second time around the screw breaks it down a lot more even without the cutting blades involved. A stuffer simply pushes the meat into the casing with no screw or friction, so it is a better tool for the job. Yes it is a unitasker, but for some tasks a unitasker is the right fit.
In this case for grinding you just can’t beat the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder unless you spend hundreds of dollars more, and then, you don’t beat it by that much. So if you need a grinder in your kitchen, I can’t recommend this highly enough.
Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
P.S. – When I got my grinder this option was not available but for 10 extra bucks you should consider it. This option includes a foot pedal. It is a simple switch that lets you start and stop your grinder with your foot so you are not getting meat hands all over everything. Really useful. If you own a grinder and just want the switch this one is a good after market option that you can buy stand alone.
P.S.S. – Here are a few videos I posted to facebook using this grinder.
Today we have our monthly AM coffee chat with John Willis of SOE Tactical Gear and Nicole Sauce of Living Free in Tennessee. We cover a wide variety of topics in these episodes where you just never know what is going to happen.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 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.
SPECIAL NOTICE – MAKE SURE TO READ THE PSS BELOW BEFORE YOU BUY ANY OF THE OPTIONS HERE.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band 6E Mesh System. This is the best network I have ever had in my home and office and it happens to be on sale today for 20% off. This system is not cheap but in the sub 500 dollar market in my opinion it is the very best.
Since installing it my livestreams have been flawless unless the ISP itself was having a problem. This includes me streaming out while my Grandkids are streaming in their videos for homeschooling and my wife is messing around online at the same time. Then there are the workshops when 70 people are pounding my network and it causes problems. This year we never even had to turn off the guest network during live streams, the beauty is if we had needed to we could have done it in a second or two with the free app that comes with it.
The system works like this. You select one of the devices, which one doesn’t matter, you use it to replace your existing router. You can then set up your other devices in the locations you want signal extended from. These additional units can connect wirelessly to the one acting as a router or other devices closer to them with stronger connections to the master unit. You can also run a hardline connection to remote units, this is what we did for the one out in my shop.
This is a smart mesh network, all the nodes are essentially the same. Same network name, same password. Your devices will simply connect to the one with the best signal and handoffs as you move around your home, office, etc. are seamless. This set comes with three units, one again as the master and two that allow you to extend network reach. You can get a set of two though if that is all you need and you can buy individual units to extend your network in the future. Adding devices is very simple and set up is simply following the instructions and using the app, anyone can do it, even me. Really super simple.
Lots of security features for instance when any device joins the network you get an alert that a new device has joined. This is sent to an app on your phone and doesn’t require you to be connected to the wifi with your phone to know it. Say you were away and someone hacked your network, you’d not only know it you could block their access in second from anywhere you have signal.
It has a guest network, and you give it its own password, you can turn that network on or off anytime you want. You also can give priority access to select devices but I have not found doing so necessary. One more thing, they call this line the “Deco” line with deco being an abbreviation of decoration. Basically the point is the access points blend into your home or office. They don’t look like obnoxious electronic devices, more like something you expect to see from a essential oil diffuser.
Anyway I want you guys to know that I researched a TON of options before deciding on these. That research began after the wifi issues we had at TSP-22 and I didn’t buy these until July of this year. I then used them and worked them hard and waited until after this year’s workshop (TSP-23) before recommending them to you. Again they are not the lowest cost but they are the best in class based on my research and real world use. So check out the TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band 6E Mesh System today. Lastly if you don’t feel you need a top of the line solution, TP-Link Decos are available in lower options. I am sure they all work great too, just less total network bandwidth.
One final thing, please remember with networks we have LAN (local area network) inside the customer premise and WAN (wide area network) from the demarcation point back to the ISP and out to the world. In other words your WAN is what you buy from the service provider. And no matter how good your LAN is, it can’t make up for your WAN. So this nor any other network system you install will never make up for a poor quality internet connection. What they do is give you access everywhere and allow devices to better share the network compared things like stand alone “network extenders”.
* Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
P.S. – Again the Deco Line has many options, I would not hesitate to use a lower cost option if I was not running a business and didn’t run events here. I went top of the line due to the applications. If you want to see all the options for the TP Line Check it Out Here.
P.S.S. – Amazon ReNewed also has One and Two unit sets on deep discount right now util they run out of stock. You can learn about the ReNewed Program here and remember you can always start with two and add more units in the future. I only put this down here as a PS because ReNewed items sell out frequently and I wanted to make sure after all the work this review would be good for long term use on TspAz.
If I were buying this today I would personally take the ReNewed option. Right now they only have 1 and 2 unit sets on Amazon ReNewed but to drive home the value you can get 2 sets of 2 (4 units) for less than the sale price on the the 3 unit new set which is on sale.
Today we discuss reality setting in on the Ukraine war, the rich including the left are backing warmonger Nikki Haley, The Atlantic says inflation is YOUR FAULT and the results of the “Fiscal Responsibility Act” are proving my theory about the name of bills passed by the government.
We also talk about the pending failure of social security and Medicare, the interest on the debt will top a trillion dollars soon, the real reason for the Israeli conflict and what we need to do to protect ourselves and our way of life going forward.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
Reality is setting in on the Ukraine-Russo conflict – link – link 2
Now even neo-lib Jamie Diamon is backing warmonger Nikki Haley – link – link 2
Inflation is your fault so says The Atlantic – link
The results of the fiscal responsibility act show my bill name theory to be accurate – link
Social security will be bankrupt by 2033-2035, what happens if printer goes BRRRR – link
Spending on the debt’s interest will exceed National defense by 2028-2030 – link
The goal of the Israeli – Gaza conflict is a broader regional war (both sides likely want this) – link
As always we are on our own, no one is going to save us, we must build our own new systems
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Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 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.
Special Notice – The Vevor 10 inch meat slicer is on a special holiday deal today at 18% off. That will save you about 50 bucks today on this awesome item that if used correctly can pay for itself in a few months.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Vevor Commercial 10 Inch Meat Slicer. This powerhouse of a slicer is the perfect addition to any homestead kitchen. Imagine the convenience of slicing through your favorite meats with the precision of a professional deli, right in your own home. The adjustable thickness control allows you to customize each slice from paper-thin to 0.6 inches thick, ensuring that your sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and meal preps are elevated to a new standard of excellence.
But it’s not just about the convenience or the professional results; it’s also about the savings. By purchasing larger, unprocessed cuts of meat and slicing them yourself, you’re cutting out the middleman and the extra costs associated with pre-sliced products. Over time, the Vevor meat slicer doesn’t just pay for itself; it turns into an investment that keeps on giving. You’ll notice the difference in your wallet as well as your palate.
Moreover, the ease of cleaning and maintenance means that you won’t be spending your valuable time trying to keep this slicer in top condition. It’s designed with simplicity in mind, featuring removable parts for a quick wash, and a built-in sharpener to keep the blade razor-sharp for smooth slicing every time.
There are two things I want to make you aware of on this subject of cleaning and maintenance. One really great one, and the other not bad, but it was unexpected and honestly, while a simple fix, it is something you should be aware of.
First, the really great one, the one that made me buy it in the first place. All slicers must be broken down and cleaned, which means removing the blade. Now think about this: you have a 10-inch round, very sharp blade that is sharp everywhere. And I mean 360 degrees all around. Well, duh, right? Right up until you need to remove it, clean it, and put it back on. Okay, where are you going to grab it? Most people suggest a cut-resistant glove set. These are okay for prep work, but when handling equipment, starting screws, they make the job harder.
Well, the Vevor has two holes with tapped threads about halfway between the center and the edge. There is also a small adjustment knob on the back; you can simply remove that knob, screw it into either hole, and you have a handle. What a great, functional, and simple idea. All of the companies making these things should totally rip off that idea. The ER docs doing stitches will endorse this idea, I am sure.
Next, the not-so-good one, and really, it is just more of an irritating fact. In the lead-up to the workshop, I had three pieces of Basturma I had made. It is a hard-cured beef made traditionally in Turkey and surrounding countries, also called Pastrama at times. Here’s a short video of how it is made. I grabbed one and tried the first use of the slicer. It bluntly sucked; the blade was dull as crap. This bugs me, QA much, Vevor?!
However, I flipped around the sharpening cover on the top, pinched the buttons, and ran it for about 30 seconds. Flipped it back around, and it turned three half eye of round hunks of Basturma into super thin, buttery deliciousness in a matter of minutes. Hence, if you order one, it MIGHT arrive dull, but you will need to learn to sharpen it anyway, and it literally takes less than a minute and no skill to do.
So even shipped with the dull blade, I am full-on endorsing this one. I looked at a few others that were in this level of performance. The least expensive was over 100 dollars more, some were 200-300 dollars more, and none had the tapped hole in the blade.
So, whether you’re a culinary enthusiast looking to add that professional touch to your dishes, or a savvy shopper keen on maximizing value and taste, the Vevor Commercial 10 inch meat slicer is your kitchen’s new best friend. Make the smart choice and invest in one today; your taste buds, and your budget, will thank you.
* Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
See These Videos for Info on the Blade Removal and the Sharpening & to See it in Action!
Every year I bring you a list of some of the most popular and great gift ideas from the TspAz catalog. Here is what we have this year.
