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Episode-1216- Listener Calls for 9-27-13

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Join Me Today as I Answer Your eMails

Join Me Today as I Answer Your Calls

Today on The Survival Podcast I take your calls on permaculture, livestock, guns, land remediation, energy, EDC, disaster prep, night vision, lock picking  and more.

And boy oh boy is the expert council in force today!  While I didn’t get the hoped for call for every member in, at least in time for all to get an answer back, we did get most.  This is going to be one of the coolest and most diverse Friday call in shows of all time.

Remember to be on a show like this one just pick up your phone and call 866-65-THINK. The best way to improve your chances of being on the air is ask your question or make your point up front, then provide details.

Also please do your best to call from a quiet area with a good connection and speak up so you can be well heard. I can’t put all calls on the air but I do my best to get many of them on.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • A quick note about what being MSB does NOT mean, real quick
  • How would you harvest dirt driveway run off and retain access
  • Tips on setting up rabbits for covert operations in the suburbs
  • Converting a GMO farm into a beyond organic operation
  • Why is it now scary to some people when children play with nurf guns
  • When composting does it make sense to compost cotton cloth
  • What to do with an unlimited supply of pickle buckets
  • Thoughts on large inverters and small cars
  • Keeping basements dry when the grid is down
  • What would cause your battery bank to release a sulfur odor
  • Copy canning, is it possible on a paleo diet
  • Are there uses for  a tourniquet beyond stopping massive blood loss
  • Another look at restoration of previously conventionally farmed land
  • My take on the rehabbing land questions
  • Bryan Black on learning more about lock picking
  • Bryan Black on night vision gear

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…

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Comments

Episode-1216- Listener Calls for 9-27-13 — 52 Comments

  1. TNVC is a great company. There is a night vision forum on AR15.com where they (TNVC or other knowledgeable) people will answer any questions you may have. That being said, stay away from the “General Discussion” area unless you can take a beating.

  2. thanks for the info and answer to my question, bryan! i’ve perused the articles and plan on studying them in depth. i’m really looking forward to learning this craft and mastering it.

    jack, just a note that the link for the ‘Lock Picking as a Skill Set’ is broken, you have http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com in front of the link to the ITS site. if anyone wants to look at the site just copy the link and paste it into the browser, then delete the TSP section of the URL.

    • Depending on where you live lock smithing could be a good living, I was in Mexia TX a while back and my key broke off in my ignition and that little town had no locksmith so I had to spend well over $100 and a couple hours to replace the ignition key tumbler which wasn’t easy on my truck with the key broke off in it, because to replace that part the key needs to be in the ON position, thank god I had a hammer and a punch, but damn, a locksmith could have fixed it 20 minutes or so and I would have gladly paid him $100

  3. Hey Jack, this is a little off topic, but it’s something I thought of a while ago, and just remembered to ask.

    Have you considered retroactively adding tags to some of your past shows? There’s some real great stuff that you did a few years ago that isn’t tagged with the tags you’re using now-a-days, but would fit into some of the same categories. Mainly I’ve found some stuff on homesteading topics that weren’t tagged, but I found them by going deep back into the past episodes. It’d be great to get them all on the same tagging system because I”m sure there are some gems that I missed back there, too.

    • I once was butchering a rabbit with my dad and it released urine all over me. Its like thinned down cream of chicken soup… gross.

    • I went to a small farm to pick up some onion sacks once and they were raising angora rabbits in a small building. They had the small air conditioner to keep them cool to facilitate fur growth. The owner invited me in to see the rabbits. The problem that I noticed was that when I walked into this confined building, the ammonia smell was almost overpowering. I would think that the smell could be abated with appropriate ventilation. They kept the building closed up to maintain temperature. Anyway, just a thought.

      • I’d say the way to deal with that is use what ever rabbit pee doesn’t eat, likely PVC and create a drain and drain the pee into a straw or woodchip pile outside the building. The wood will capture the pee and all that good nitrogen in it. Bind it up and you can shovel it into compost as needed.

    • It’s fun when I post something and Jack mentions it in a podcast. I figured with his love of Idiocracy he’d like that clip.

  7. hey Jack. I’m going to Colorado October 5th would like to do the meet and greet with you. Can you get me the information so I can maybe bring a couple gifts to you appreciate everything you do jack and hope to see you there.
    IPUG Founder
    Michael “The Bee Whisperer”
    A Bee Friendly Company, INC.
    Cheyenne, WY.

  8. Thank you so much for commenting on my story about kids and guns. It is sometimes hard to remember to keep the media and the bias out of my head. It’s also difficult to know what to say to a parent when they ask a question like that. Really appreciate your insight!

  9. I have a suggestion for the caller who wanted to keep meat rabbits inside that involves function stacking. Joel Salatin has a setup with meat rabbits suspended over the top of chickens about 4ft in the air.
    My suggestion is:
    – Open sided pole shed style structure
    – Evergreen trees surrounding that would be trimmed in spring to give ventilation through the hot months yet grown back for protection in winter and add privacy
    – Guttered roof with rain storage tank for water needs of animals inside
    – Whirlybird on roof for added ventilation
    – Wire floored rabbit cage that allows food scraps and droppings fall through (no cleaning required)
    – Chickens graze of floor of structure processing scraps and droppings (they can eat rabbit poo) they will naturally warm the building if kept inside 24/7 in winter
    – Thick layer of mulch on floor of structure that will give you fantastic compost every 4-6 weeks when changed

    Hope this helps

    • That’s the idea I had in mind. Jack’s idea will work as well, I just look at things from an energy efficiency standpoint. That’s the HVAC Engineer in me coming out.

  10. Oh kids with guns- why does it scare people for kids to play with nerf guns but everyone’s cool with video games involving shooting? Both are toys- why are they treated so differently in our society?

  11. On the camper… We just got home from camping and had a bit of trouble with our battery. Just an FYI- while our fridge is propane, it has an electric lighter on it, so while the batteries were removed, the propane fridge didn’t run. It’s a small amount on electricity, but it really sucks if you forget about it!
    (I love your language “a loving place for your batteries.”)

  12. With regard to rabbits,

    I keep them in a suspended cage set-up under our house, I live in Southern Louisiana where lots of houses are elevated. The walls are made of lattice so there’s plenty of airflow but no direct sun which keeps them from having heat stroke. The rabbit pellets are collected periodically and transferred to the garden and they are not hot – in fact, rabbit manure is not hot at all. Rabbit urine, on the other hand, is thick nasty, viscous, stuff and does corrode the cages. My solution so far is to keep replacement wire around for repairs until this cage set-up is beyond repair. My rabbits are healthy and happy and during the hottest months, they get relief from an old attic fan. I completely shut down breeding during the summer months. I do plan on expanding the operation with rabbit tractors but for right now this way of doing things is working quite well. Hope this helps.

  14. Jack, why has the show been posting later than usual lately? I used to be able to start listening at lunch and finnish before I get off work. Now it comes out about the time I get of work. Just wondering.

  15. One of my best friends works at a government facility. 9/11 I got a call from her, turn of the news, stay on the phone and let me know what is going on. None of us have details and our internet was shut down she explained. This was shortly before the 2nd plane hit the south tower.
    After Sandy Hook shooting, one daughter’s physic teacher spend some time with each of his classes throughout the next week, what objects in their classroom could they use to defends themselves. Not a lecture, but more of a brain storming session. What if things happened this way, instead of that way, what would we do, etc. To look for solutions.

  16. CA climates can go over 100 degrees. A well-insulated building can be cooler. Lost my first rabbit ever in 30+ years of rabbit-raising when it hit 107 degrees this summer, wet tarps, ice bottles and iced water weren’t enough. Our area’s zoning code only allows 6 small animals, that is, chickens or rabbits. A little workshop with landscaping is a better idea. Neighbor lost all his Silver Champagne d’Argent rabbits due to city code violations. Thank you, Darby and Jack! I have been trying to figure this one out . Due to elderly parents, move is not an option.

  18. Tactical Night Vision Company is the best vendor for night vision and thermal imaging. Between my father and myself, we have done over $10,000 worth of business with them for PVS-14s, IR lasers, and assorted night vision accessories. Their service is exceptional. Victor Di Cosola, their owner and president, has been a great resource and has provided excellent support. Finally, their hand picked tubes really are the best one can get — the quality on our two ITT Night Enforcer 4th gen PVS-14s are incredible.

  19. Wow. That deliquescent salt answer was amazing. This is why call in and feedback shows are my favorites. Tons of variety, I learn things on multiple subjects every time.

  20. In terms of office weapons:

    Our new modular furniture at work which is similar to what’s at the navy yard if I remember correctly, has drawer dividers and file holders that are just pieces of channel iron. Two taped or wired together are a good short club.

    We are also allowed to bring umbrellas in. A golf umbrella taped together is pretty strong.

    I would also think a weather radio would be allowed since it is only one way. Maybe worth arguing with security over. My office also has radios just for evacuation drills and such that are kept locked up by the security coordinator. They might be more amenable to such now .
    Is there a closet pole for hangers that could be removed.

  21. Regarding the swale on a drive way. I’ll definitely be doing the exact same thing. I will be putting in a colvert/mini bridge to take care of that. In some places it’ll be used to capture water from all sides of my house (its on the high point) and funnel it to a pond. Of which, when it eventually fills up it’ll back fill and be sent to the back of the property (where the rest of the swaled systems will be).

  22. For the caller or anyone with side post batteries: When attaching a secondary cable directly to your side post battery you can use the following GM part numbers do this safely. Spacer: 12354951 and Bolt: 19115586. These two part numbers are available from most GM dealers, but I would suggest calling first. Using this combination will allow you to remove your original battery bolt in place of the two new parts. I am assuming that the thread on a side post Honda battery is the same as a side post GM since most batteries are sourced from a couple of manufacturers in the states. If not use the spacer and get an appropriate sized bolt from a parts/hardware store.

    Always exercise caution with wiring additional components in your vehicle. Use fuses/relays and remove your negative battery cable first. Refer to Steve’s battery video too!

  23. Ok, so my take on the high security work situation where you can’t have weapons or a phone. Can you have a walking cane? Maybe you “hurt” yourself over the weekend so you bought something like:

    http://www.vitalitymedical.com/mountain-properties-tourist-handle-cane.html

    Just a basic wooden walking cane with a nice hook handle. No metal parts, no sharp edges, so you might even be able to take one on a plane. You really gotta sell it. So walk with a limp. After a couple of days you happen to forget it at work. There are some amazing things you can do with a cane. You can push someone away, break holds, redirect strikes, hook limbs or a neck. You can strike with it, flurry it and block with it. Remember, you default to your level of mastery with any tool in an adrenalized situation. Train, train and train.

    • Actually you don’t have to “sell it”. You can’t be refused the use of a cane, covered by the AWDA

  24. About the caller with lots of extra rags, make some char cloth with it. I use my old denim jeans (cotton) to make char cloth but you should be able to use any 100% cotton material.

    Additionally, if you are creative, you can do lots of things with the material. My mom can make quilts out of just about anything. I’ve seen area rugs made from old jeans.

  25. You mentioned the problem of losing zero by removing a weapon mounted NV device, if it was a PVS-14 then it’s not an issue. Your optic stays in place and the NV attaches behind it.
    That said to Bryan’s point it’s more useful helmet mounted and used in conjunction with an IR laser. This adds even more cost and you need to zero the laser and train with it.

  26. Question….how is it you can power your house from your car (according to Steven Harris) but not a small RV? hmmmmmmmm

    • If you listened to WHAT you can power in your home from your car and how much at one time you would know that question is pointless.

  27. Regarding the gentleman with the battery bank smell while charging:

    I built a similar bank after buying Steve’s video on the subject. My bank uses four Sam’s Club golf cart 6 volt AGM batteries wired in series/parallel.

    About an hour after first putting them on the charger I noticed a battery-acid type smell. I put a meter on the charger and it was putting out, IIRC, 17 volts. The charger was putting such a high voltage across the batteries that they were out-gassing slightly. Personally, the Schumacher that Steve recommends is a P.O.S. Why buy a cheaply made charger to maintain about $700 in batteries?

    I took the Schumacher back and bought a Samlex SE-1250UL 50 amp charger/power supply off Amazon. It’s not a cheap charger but it is a good one.

    The Steve Harris videos are great and I would encourage everyone with an interest in battery banjo to purchase them. I’ve also built an inverter kit to be used with my Surburban and keep it in a large Tupperware type container complete with heavy gauge cables, extension cord, 1,600 watt inverter, USB charger, volt meter, and instructions with pictures. I made sure that everyone in the family can hook it up and use it.

    Jim

  28. I wanted to respond about the question with deskanking the buckets. After cleaning them up and giving them some sunshine. I would add a cap full of vanilla extract. Close it up and set it in the sun. After a few days it will smell like vanilla. This at least has worked with fish, I am not certain with pickles. Hope this helps.
    Jason

  29. Jack,

    As far as the night vision stuff goes… you’re right about the kids’ stuff being effective. I got the toy version of the NVG goggles as a gag gift last Christmas and damned if they don’t actually work.

    But they have one major drawback from a tactical perspective that people ought to know about before they buy (not that it’s a huge expenditure, but still). It’s not a lens you’re looking through, it’s literally two video screens projecting a night vision image. What that means is that even when you have the thing pressed right up to your face, the ambient light from the unit is lighting up your face. When you don’t have it pushed right up in your face, it will light up and entire room.

    Just something to be aware of.

    • Plus one on that comment. Plus two for the person that creates a mod to hide the light.

  31. About using low power binoculars in low light. Another solutions is to use a rifle scope dialed to it’s lowest setting. I prefer a good quality 3-9×40 scope for hunting. I can dial the scope all the way down and see in the fields and edge of the woods well before sunrise and after sunset especially if it is a clear night.

  32. Rabbits – don’t do trays. I had rabbits and the metal trays corroded. Check out Bob Bennet’s guides to raising rabbits or his cage building book.

    Rabbits that are stacked on top of other rabbits can urinate on the rabbits below. Urine guards are recommended, you don’t want to get peed on either when feeding them. Set up a watering system too.

    If you got the money get the Bass Equipment drain system for your cages, PVC system that takes all the manure and urine to the place of your choice.

  33. Tied to check out the nrcs web site and guess what, it is gone due to the government shut down. Doesn’t it cost more money to have someone put up “we’re down” messages than to net leave it as is?

    • That figures, the one agency that does some good with tax dollars gets closed. Seems like they could have just put a note at the top but left the rest of the online resources active. Genius.

    • Of course it does and the message means the site is still being hosted which is the only real expense.

  34. For Steve Harris – follow up on the car inverter question – SteveI’m getting ready to buy an inverter for my car battery as a backup to my generator. I own a new energystar fridge/freezer and a new small stand alone freezer. How do I determine 1) how many watts of inverter my car can power while idling and 2) how many watts are necessary on the startup surge on my fride or freezer if I wanted to use the car invertory to run those occasionally? They would be the only items running (individually) at that time.

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