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Comments

Thank You For Joining Our Update List — 65 Comments

  1. Question please,,,, Am very new to all this so this may sound dumb…. Is there a good radio that does it all? FM/AM NOAA and Shortwave? Seems like everything I look at requires me to chose between these.

    THanks again,
    Patti Brown

  2. I like the Red Cross crank radio. It doesn’t do short wave though, but it has a solar charger, crank charger(obviously), can run on AAA batteries. It will also charge a cell phone. It has a flashlight and a flashing red emergency light. Recomended.

  3. I have one of these, my mom got it for me for Christmas. It works really well. the model I have is solarlink FR-350 by Eton.

  4. Just wanted to drop a comment to you that I am not able to listen live but I do look forwards to when I get time on computer to download archive from iTunes and listen when I am able. Your show is awesome, keep up the good work. Feel free to send me any info you want to my Email address.

  5. On radios that have it all can be found at ccrane.com and several of the survival stores on the internet CCrane make several models and also sell several major brands. The Ccrane, Eaton, Sangean and Grundig radios can be found with what you are wanting.

    • No kidding!! This city life is terrible. Im happy in the woods, where life is peacful. But going up there alone for any length of time gets old. Finding a group of folks who share the love of the forest and land as I do would be heaven on earth.

  6. We our new to prepping, just returned from Prepping Conf in SC… Got a lot of info…but still in need of much needed more info, if anyone in the area so we can exchange info and alliance w/like minded people?

  7. Thanks for being there! I found your podcast last April, or so. I had concerns that you’ve provided a voice for – mostly I miss my Dad’s garden when things start getting tight. I’m working on my kids, they are my community at present, my son-in-law feels similar urges, but won’t say “prepper”! I say whatever gets them thinking! Thanks for curing my ignorance, and thanks to all the sponsors for helping along the way!

  8. taking into consideration the feasibility of the 2 senarios.
    1) the possible 12/21/12 disaster.
    2) the financial meltdown.
    where would you say might the most safest place to locate in the usa be??

    • @ted crandall, If you listen to the show and check into some back episodes on the topic where to live is covered quite a bit but it is really more about what you want, what your tolerances are etc.

      Now on the absolute nonsense around the date of 12-21-12, I can’t help you. I deal in reality not mythology.

  9. Started dowloading your shows about 3 months ago to my BlackBerry. I’m not the most tech savy guy, but I’ve renamed some of the shows so I’d be able to find them easier. Now when I hear somebody grumbling that this or that (current event) don’t make sense, I pull out my phone and hit play. 99% of the people I do this to ask “where can I subscribe to that guy?” Jack your followers are definently growing in rural Iowa!

  10. As I am about to retire with nothing but time on my hands I have designed and built a stotcrete machine. I guess it is a hobby of mine, but I was wondering if anybody out there is prepping and could use a serious steel reinforced concrete structure above or below ground. I would be glad to help you. You would have to do most of the work and buy the materials, but I would help you for free. I have a young mexican guy that is my assistant and he could use a few bucks but we are here to help people that want to survive or prepair for something bad that could happen. I am a veteran and can show you various things you could use in the future as well. Raul and I are also catholic.

  11. I saw you for the first time today on the Glenn Beck program. You have my interest. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

    • @Bill Garrison,

      Welcome. Let me make you a promise I will piss you off at times, please consider sticking around anyway. Around here all opinions are welcome as long as the idea is debated not the individual. Stick around a while and you will see what I mean.

  12. Hello all !! I’m new to this site and I am trying to find a group near us that meet to talk and share ideas ect . We live about 75 miles south of Houston Tx . Please contact me if anyone knows of anything . Thank you and keep up the awesome work ! God bless !!!!!!!

  13. My eyes are finally open to the much neglected life of prepping….we are a modest family of 4 it’s my wife and I and my 5 yr old boy and my 3 yr old daughter….I am so new I don’t know where to even begin?…any suggestions on where to begin….also if there is anyone in the central jersey area who would be willing to meet to give me a hands on idea of where and what we need or to just be a friend to a like minded individual….please reach out….I need to know there’s more people like me out there!

    • Christopher, I am no longer living in central Jersey (my son still is so i visit often) but would like to reach out to support you. There are more people like you out there!
      Email me at THRIVEing@live.com and open a dialog. I will give you one-on-one support (been at this 35yrs) and point you in some good directions. We can meet next time I am in your area.

      • Christopher….start by buying a few ten lb bags of rice in big store. Just get one a wk. Then buy a bunch of paks of dry beans. Peanut butter, pasta, sardines, tuna, sugar, white flour. Put rice in bucket you can get from Home Depot. Throw plastic bag away. It will shatter. White rice can be good for about 25 yrs IF you seal it in buckets. Other stuff too. If yu are poor just get the rice and beans and peanut butter and just spend an extra ten bucks a week. Its doable. Also ramon noodles.

  14. My husband and I have been getting into planning and prepping to a small extent but would really like to find people in our area and learn as much as we can. We have no family here other than ourselves and our son and well we see that the economy is going down the toilet fast and want to make sure we can protect and provide for our family. We work crazy hours and are looking for easy and inexpensive ways to prepare and share info and learn with people in our area. If you are in the northeastern Oklahoma or Kansas and would like to share and learn please email me @staceybehel@gmail.com. There is so much out there and sometimes we don’t really know where to start….thanks and have a great weekend everyone and keep up the great work Jack!

  15. Hi.

    I’ve just joined up, lots of good info & chat. I’m looking forward to hearing more from you guys.
    Is there anyone else from Africa who is doing the Prepping thing, I’d love to hear from you.

    Cheers & thanks.
    Gord.

    • Hi Mary, I just joined and read your post. I too live in So Cal and have stockpiled food and am growing a garden. what have you done for prepardness? I read alot including many survivalist books. My grown kids think I have gone off the deep end but won’t they be happy when or if my stockpiles are needed.

  16. I have a question to all those out there… I have tried talking to my family (parents… siblings) about preparing and survival issues and they treat me like I am crazy… I have tried a few different approaches including the ” honestly what would it hurt.. if it doesn’t happen when I am alive whose to say it wont happen in my children’s life times and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared…” So as I prepare I’m trying to prepare for them too however I am a single mom of two amazing “little” boys and I just cant afford to prepare for everyone that I love. Is there any suggestions out there on how to do it cheaper or how to convince my family that it is a good idea just to be prepared? I am worried at the prospect that when and if it happenes that we need it I will be run dry at my boys’ expense because noone will listen to me…

  17. I live in an apartment building that is a 55+ retirement complex. I’m a 78 yr old woman but in good health. What would you suggest for me to do regarding prepping. Living 50 miles south of Washington, D. C. worries me but little I can do about that.

    • Charlene, BROVO! Good for you. I would recommend you do the same things anyone else should do…stay debt free, keep a full pantry, have a bag ready to go in case you evacuate. The way you do it will be individual to you and your circumstances. Additionally, I would say you should be sure all your valuable memorabilia be duplicated and distributed among interested parties–save the family photos, document who is in them, duplicate them and share with your children, nieces/nephews, etc., be sure someone has copies of any insurance documents, wills, medical care directives, etc.

      You made a point of mentioning that you are in an apartment so I am guessing space is a concern for you. There are a lot of places to store prep supplies and self-sufficiency resources without a dedicated room. My family of five spent 9mo in a 400 sq ft home and we found space for all our gear and a year of food and non-food consumables. Get creative. Store under tables & chairs in the living room, under beds, in the back corners of clothes closets…. There are places that take more planning as well–the toe-kick of the fronts of kitchen cupboards can be removed and things stashed inside then replace the cover, a faux-wall (even one made from a curtain) can be placed in front of a stack at the end of a room, or a hallway can be narrowed by 8″ with a floor-to-ceiling shelf.

      When I lived alone one of my most comforting prep items was my “get well” kit. In this box I had all those things I would want if I were too sick to go to the store to get them. I kept an extra roll of TP, bottles of water, Chicken soup (ranging from broth only, w/rice, w/noodle for various stages of recovery), a reserve packet of various remedies (can be purchased in travel shops in sealed packets) in case the medicine cabinet was out, and other things I didn’t want to be without. Generally I make my chicken soup from scratch so I would not otherwise have anything on hand. Keeping a three-day supply of everything in one box made it easy to find when I felt something coming on or if I woke in the middle of the night and needed something quickly. This also came in handy if a sick friend called for help. When there is nobody to take care of you, it is a great comfort to know everything is within reach. This too is self sufficiency prepping.

  18. Hey my preeps.. The food storage bet is to hit the bakery of Walmart Grocery and find and Donut shops ask for their empty frosting buckets! Wash em out and order 5 gallon mylar food grade bags…. I use a flat iron to seal bags after vacuuming out air with shop vac….. Costco’s organic rice in 20lb bags are affordable and locate a wholesale organic food suppliers for BULK purchases will save you money.. Another spot is an organic feed store

    • @ScottFree welcome to the site, hope you stick around and listen a bit. What you just described had been discussed many times around here. I think if you stick around you will find this to be a pretty advanced group of folks. You pretty much just gave 101 info to folks who are mostly at a 909 level.

  19. Just found this site from a link at James Howard Kunstler’s site. Have enjoyed looking around. Nice site and people. I have lived in both the North & South,big and small cities. Jim …..he just dislikes fools. He beats on the northern type as much as any other. Just wish he would start using “Goat Roper” like I have for 5 decades in place of other hot button words. He is pro gun and knows a bit about them. In Long Emergency he named .41 cal for what it really is:) A word I will not use here. I will shot whatever is around at the time I need it. The path to survival is paved with community & hard work. Both for ourselves and our community. Paint me “Red” if helping others out makes me a “Commie.” Ms.Mann–keep 3-12 months of drugs,food & goodies to clean up & stored water on hand. Take a deep breath & relax. I like your odds. A 12 gauge would be nice also. My tiny wife handles a 12 very well & I am twice her size ! So does her tiny mother same age as you.

  20. Just found the podcast and definitely like what I’m hearing so far. 10 years ago I would have thought this to be crazy. Have only listened to one episode but have had some things rolling around my mind like off grid living and living off the land. I liked what I heard today about community. I imagine a lot of things can be done on a bartering system. I have always considered myself a minimalist as far as gimme 3 meals a day and a warm dry place to sleep and I’m content. Anything on top of that is a luxury in my opinion. Definitely NOT liking the direction our country/government is heading but not quite ready to leave just yet. I’m currently work as a truck driver so a lot of stuff just isn’t feasible right now but definitely going to keep listening and getting a plan together for if/when I do come off the road. Keep it up. I’ll be listening.

    Billy

  21. I have been saying this since the tragedy has occured… After the events of last week, it got me thinking about in place methods of defense in schools. I asked around to some of my teacher friends what they are to do in the event of lockdowns, and each and everyone of them gave a similar senario of hunkering down and hiding. I submit that this is adequate in some cases but not others and that each classroom should be armed with a less lethal weapon for point defense and area denial. The weapon I am talking about is already in schools everywhere, and within the classroom itself most likely. The weapon I am talking about is the 5 pound ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher. It is made of metal, heavy enough to strike a killing blow with, and bright red (aggressive colors). This however is its use of last resort. It is primarily an asphyxiant, an area denial weapon, and a smoke screen. The powder is acrid as soon as it is inhaled in the lungs, and stays airborne for 15 minutes or so. In a confine space such as a hallway it also has the advantage of being EXTREMELY slippery. Dry powder on the floor of almost any surface other than carpetting makes it slick as glass. Finally, a large cloud of dry chemical advancing on a shooter causes his vision to be obscured as to whats going on behind it…allowing for escape and evasion. I am just Joe firefighter ( my name is Brian) but I would like you to take this forward and share this with teachers and the public at large so that we may better defend ourselves against aggression and violence in our public places.

  22. for a good Radio i would look on ebay sometimes you can get the older models at a good price.I think the newer models are junk.

  23. Hey Jack,

    Will your presentation on permaculture design at The Self Reliance Expo be recorded for us who have no way of making it to Texas? Id love to listen or watch it.

    Thanks Jack for all you are doing, You’ve really helped me on this journey.
    Emill

    • A rough version in a power point view format is being added to the MSB after the event. It won’t be the live event, it will be all done with screen capture which will be better for this purpose. I don’t feel right about my obligations to Ron and Scott with releasing it before the event.

  24. Hi Geoff and team

    I am the agent for WWOOFing in the Canberra region and the far South Coast NSW. I’ve a block in an eco-village in Bega i.e Bega Eco-Neighbourhood Development. I’d like to do your online PDC please. I’ve already done a PDC with Phil Gall and John Champagne a couple of years ago at the Steiner school in Canberra. However I’d like to do your online course too:) Please let me how I can join in? Many thanks, Karen

    • @Karen, this really isn’t a great way to get to Geoff’s team. He is just a friend of TSP, I would go though GeoffLawton.com to get in touch with him.

  25. I do believe that we have a duty to protect ourself from domestic or foreign threat. Our fore father gave us the right to protect us from our own government. We can not candy coat this. I am a college student and a Christian.I follow the bible as closely as I can .We have lost the blessing of God. I live in South Dakota and I am a Republican. I love my country and I am proud to be an American.I thank the solider who had died for me ,who died for us. I work full time and I go to college full time. I believe in a small government.I am self reliant. I am not a raciest and I believe liberty and freedom or all Americans.May God bless America . In God We Trust

  26. I am a 66 yr. old senior and live in a 670 sq. ft. senior building in Denver, Co.
    It’s just amazing to find so many people prepping for so many different things.
    I personally think the electric grid and or zombie thing will happen. So glad to know that I am not the only one out there “knowing” that something big is going to happen…I have been feeling this for over 20 years. Trying my best to educate my self more/prepare. Yes, I know being a senior and all. I doubt if I am nearly the only one out here nice to know. Thanks for this site.

  27. Hi folks…first time in this blog…but very impressed by your enthusiasm when reading your replies and great well meaning replies. Any crank radio would be handy, Wolf Man Wild, and Patti, Jason, and other helpful peeps who replied to Patti, even if it was only AM/FM, I have one, crank, which is also Solar, AC and battery…was on special too as you would get comfort in finding a like minded voice or community somewhere to listen too for comfort if anything…in a survival situation there is bound to be the odd station trying to survive to get the news out…I also have a sangean ats-505 [coverage is 1711-29,999 Khz], so quite adequate for listening for hope, if nothing else, (and hope is a part of survival in us), which I have hooked up to an external antenna (nothing flash about it but it pulls in a lot of the shortwave stations). But I like this, and the crank radio as they are compact.
    To, Carol, one can’t be blamed for feeling a little paranoid at what is going on, especially you might have the chief of staff of the US who gives the impression he may be a little unpatriotic to the US. I could be imagining it, but I chat to veterans of your armed forces and they get the similar impression…will leave it there or I will be kicked off this blog. Apart from my survival radios, I made myself a rocket stove, which when I first tested it with twigs, did not take long to heat the container of water…so very bouyed by that success…have cleaned it up reasonably (when cold of course..lol) and put it into a plastic bag), have also made a small version of a Coolgardie Safe (check it on the net), which was invented in Coolgardie in the late 1890’s which works on evaporation through hession bags, which are wet by the top of the bags laying in water on the top of the unit.. my effort yesterday was using old bits of hession but I was pleased at the temp inside being about 15degrees Celsius cooler than outside the unit…it was around 35C yesterday (95F). So in a survival situation with not a great lot of breeze, nevertheless still some sort of breeze, was elated at the difference between both identical thermometers inside and outside the ‘safe’. When I buy some decent hession will evaluate it again. But any water, cooler than the heat outside the unit, will be better than nothing if a very hot day. I am not in the complete prepper class, but I was a Boy sScout many moons ago, and as a result, learnt a lot of survival techniques which could be adapted to a full scale situation. The trick it, despite that learning, is not to be overconfident, as in survival, you need to be cautious at every turn.

  28. Oops…forgot, after that very long first blog, to mention that my Coolgardie Safe was made from an old plastic milk crate. I made that with no illusions it would cool down a lot…but 15C is quite impressive for such a small unit., which is about 1 foot cube roughly. I just cut out one side of the crate (with a jigsaw), made a door, added flymesh to keep flies, & other nasties, like spiders out, put a piece of wood on top, flymesh on the inside 3 sides, plus base, a small icecream container on top and the hession laying in the container…as I said..for those who have never heard of this cooling method, google ‘Coolgardie Safe’. Took me about 2hrs to make…had I not had the materials close by would have been longer (time taken for looking for said materials..hehe). Cheers, from down under.

  29. I have watch your complete permaculture and hugelkultur Youtube series. I have also looked at several videos from Geoff Lawton, Permies and others and yours made the most since.
    I just bought 7 acres 6 months ago and built 15 pretty raised beds based on square foot gardening squared up with the fence, mistake #1 after watching your video series. I will keep them now as I have a lot of energy and money invested in them. In this same space I have built my first Hugelkutur Swale, well my own version based on what I could figure out what other people’s videos were talking about. After watching your videos I now know I did it wrong, but like beds will leave it for now. It does slow water really well from gushing through my two chicken runs. I am going to keep adding contour/swale/Hugelkutur beds in the rest of the gardening space (zone 1&2 about 1/2 acre)

    I have approx. 3 1/acres that had been used for horse pasture that has a pretty good slope. Slopes range approx. 5-20 degree. Originally I wanted to split pasture in 4 squares and have a barn/shelter in middle so it could be used based on which quadrant animals were in. Now I am wanting to turn it into food forests with Contour Hugelkutur Swales and pasture for animals.
    My question is I can’t figure out how to make it work. Now thanks to you I can figure out swale part, but not pasture that can be rotated, protect food forest from chickens, goats, and future pig or two & maybe a cow, and provide easy to get to shelter for animals without me moving them in and out of pastures every day. So to simplify need animals to be able to reach different pastures between swales without eating food forests and easy access to shelter.

    I am self employed and my goal is to make system as self sufficient as possible.

    I also have some Honey Bees at edge pasture if that matters.

    • If it works, it isn’t wrong, it just perhaps could be better. You can work to improve your design as you move forward. Trust me I know a lot of what I know by doing it “wrong” first. Some of my wrong stuff worked so well it took me a long time to realize I could improve it.

  30. My name is Rodolfo, and my surname might seem equally unusual, but you know what?

    I DONT GIVE A RATS ASS WHAT SOCIETY THINKS.

    I recently found your podcast via PODROID.

    I love it when you say…I DONT GIVE A SHIT.

    I am beyond awake…even to the supernatural, and I ADMIRE YOUR SHOW.

    P.S. All honor to the creator, and his messenger…Yeshua

  31. Hey all. I was just recently introduced to TSP and I have to say that listening to this is a life changer. I have been listening for a few weeks and have learned so many new and exciting ideas. I have been trying to fit two episodes in a night while I am at work. Luckily my current job allows me the freedom to listen as I work. Great program and I look forward to becoming more involved in the community.

  32. dear jack i have not gotten your podcast in my inbox for a while have no idea why but please sent them to me i like very much hearing what you have to say. your friend Danny IL. ps god bless you for what you do.

    • It doesn’t work that way. You need to be subscribed to the email list the form in in the right column.

  33. HI,
    Thanks for letting me in to this great group. We are working here in Costa Rica getting reading for whatever they may throw at us. We still have clean air, great water, no chem trails, no military, 250 acres of high ocean view paradise. We are blessed with a year around growing climate and extremely fertile soil. For at least 10 years and probably never before that has there been any chemicals used on this farm. We are building pyramids for gardening and aguaponics on the main floor and living on the upper floors. Just completing the Geoff Lawton course and ready to start implementing. My partner is well versed in many therapies from magnetic, ozone, herbal , massage, yoga, taekwando, frequencies and endless other fields. He has helped many people with health issues. We welcome like minded people to join in our venture. Can’t start too soon. Some serious problems out there coming down the road. Peace and Health, Mel

  34. Hi im Sandi, I dont know if there are any people like myself that are interested in prepping because everytime I bring the subject up in my community it seems to be a laughing matter to others, Im African American and I was raised in Arkansas in the sixties, I know how to do a lot but i need to know so much more, im currently looking to buy a couple acres of land to build a shipping container home on, but i have no idea where to begin to look for the land, I dont have very much money and i am a single woman and i plan to do all the work myself, i currently live in Northern California, so if there is anyone who has knowledge that may be valuable, please let me know it will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

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