Host Aaron and Jonathan discuss the question of, “what is a bug out bag” and “what goes in a bug out bag”.

BOBs (Bug Out Bags) are a favorite topic of preppers both new and old. But what is a Bug Out Bag really, pitfalls should be avoided, and what really goes in a BOB?

Seasoned veterans of preparedness will find the this episode a good refresher. If you’re new to prep, it’s a great place to start…

Topics:

• What a BOB is?
• What goes in a BOB?
• What should be avoided when building a BOB.
• Tailoring a bag to your needs.
• BOB Checklist
• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Security
• Energy
• Preflight Checklist
• The differences between gear and skill

Resources:

• Bug Out List
• Episode 16: Survival Bags
• Articles on BOBs
• Preparing An Emergency Personal Information Packet
• 3 Day Ruck Sack Rule
• Knives and Their Care

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss planning a survival strategy and give a critique of Doomsday Preppers.

Doomsday Preppers hits television screens leaving your hosts insulted and entertained. However, there are lessons that can still be learned. After giving their thoughts on the show Aaron and Jonathan segue into developing your survival strategy, questions to ask yourself, and a method for finding the wholes in your plans.

Topics:

Resources:

• Survival Bags
• Personal Information Packet
• The Survival Mom

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss the basic gun battery for survival and the benefits of professional training.

A practical conversation about the four guns every survival minded person should own and how to choose them. The first of several planned episodes for 2012 on the topic of guns for survival, episode 54 starts things off with the basics of a complete firearms toolbox.

Topics

• Firearms Training
• The Accuracy Fallacy
• How a gun should fit.
• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Selecting a Battery of Guns
• Handguns
• Shotguns
• Rifles
• .22s

Resources

• Project Appleseed
• Episode 3: Basic Firearms Discussion
• Episode 7: Interview With Dan Blackford
• Episode 13: Rimfire Guns
• Episode 31: Tony Kidd on Gunsmithing
• An Economical Battery of Guns – By Massad Ayoob

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan are joined by Ron Davis for a discussion on the basic items needed for a three week bug in period.

In most scenarios daily life will return to normal after 72 hours to one week. But larger disasters, whether person or local, can extend into several weeks. This episode covers the basics for the supplies you would need to survive for three weeks without leaving you home…

Topics:

• Survival checklists
• Storing food for survival.
• Water for survival.
• Tools and other items.
• Storing hygien items.
• Storing medical supplies.
• Pet needs in survival situations.

NOTE: 2 Manual can openers should be added to the list of items described in the episode.

Resources:

• Ron Davis – EMS Newbie Podcast
• Blackout Kit
• Personal Information Packet
• Water BOB
• Food Storage Basics
• Stove Tech BioMass Stove
• 4 in 1 Emergency Tool
• Generators
• Joos Orange

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan set your city on fire in a white hot rage with total disregard to point out vulnerabilities. But then roast marshmallows and plan an escape.

Riots in America have long been on the top ten list of concerns for urban survivalists. They’re big and scary, they’re a threat, but what really causes them? More importantly, how do we prepare to survive riots? The answers might surprise you…

Topics:

• What causes riots.
• How societal context influences the potential of riots.
• Why are riots more prone to happen in urban environments.
• The effects of riots on city infrastructure.
• Where they are most likely to occur and how to avoid them.
• Buggin In vs Bugging Out

Resources:

• Garden Pool
• Book – The Survivors Club

Host Aaron and Jonathan are joined by Jason and Jeep to discuss lessons learned from the past year and what to expect going forward…

Hard to believe it’s been a year already. And yet, it feels like longer at the same time.

We’ve learned so much in the last year and hope that you have to. Episode 51 is a look back at what we have been up to and what we plan to be up to in the year to come.

WARNING: This episode is marked as EXPLICIT/ADULT

Topics:

• A listener’s journey over the last year.
• Prepping as a family.
• Prepping with teenagers.
• The urban farm update. What Jason and Aaron have accomplished.
• Lessons learned the hard way about raising livestock.
• Lessons learned about the difficulties of self-reliance.
• Thank you to the listeners.

Resources:

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan ring in the new year with a discussion of preparing for 2012.

The time to act is now. The begging of the year is a perfect time to go over the basics of preparing, reviewing our preps, and touching on more advanced considerations of survival. For long time listeners Episode 50 is a recap of episodes from the last year as food for thought. For folks new to survival it’s a great primer.

Tropics:

Resources:

• Alaska DHSEM 7 Day Survival Kit
• Ron Hood - Copy Canning
• Food Storage Basics
• Reliance 7 Gallon Water Container
• The Water BOB
• Super Tanker water storage
• How To Build A Blackout Kit
• Episode 16: Survival Bags
• Interview with Dan Blackford
• CERT
• Project Appleseed

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan look back at 2011, look forward to 2012, and expectations for the new year.

2012 brings predictions of Doomsday. As we go forward the media hype is likely to surge as people become consumed with what may come. But, like so many “predictions” of the post, 2012 is likely to pass without incident. People already interested in preparedness run the risk of getting whisked up in the hype. People new to preparedness risk of falling back to “sleep” after December 21, 2012 comes and goes. So how do we avoid all this?

Topics:

• What 2011 has meant to us.
• What 2012 brings.
• Concerns for existing preppers.
• Concerns for new preppers.

Resources:

• TEOTWAWKI Reality Check
• Knee Jerk Reactions
• Survival CHI

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan interview John Heatherly–author of The Survival Template.

Heatherly is a 17-year student of survival through formal survival training. His survival education started with Tom Brown Jr’s Trackerschool after which he went on to graduate from several military Survival Courses. Using his personal experiences gained from his survival training, Heatherly has gone on to share his knowledge through The Survival Template and his new book The Medicine Symbol.

Author John Heatherly holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters of IT Management from Webster University.

We are very fortunate to have him with us for this episode of In The Rabbit Hole’s Urban Survival Podcast.

Episode Topics:

• Where The Survival Template came from.
• Object-oriented mentality
• Mental Models
• The role of optimism in survival.
• The importance of Crucible experiences.
• The importance of practicing survival skills and not just reading about them.
• John’s new book The Medicine Symbol.
• John’s current and future projects.

Connect with John Heatherly:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Blog
• The Medicine Symbol Discussion and Giveaway 

Episode Resources:

• The Survival Template – Review
• Tom Brown, Jr. Books
• Tom Brown Jr’s Trackerschool
• Good to Great
• Stockdale Paradox
• Mental Models

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan recap lessons gained from their knife sharpening class with Master Knife Smith Bob Kramer and have a general discussion about knives, their importance, than uses.

After your mind, a knife is the single most important tool you will ever carry. Edged tools have done more to advance society than anything else in history. Thus, why we are such big proponents of learning to use and care for knives properly in addition to regularly caring.

Topics:

• Why knives are so important.
• The specificity of types of knives and their uses.
• The myth of the perfect all-purpose knife.
• What makes up a survival knife.
• What makes for a hunting knife.
• What makes for a fighting knife.

Resources:

• Bob Kramer
• Phil Rose Interview
• (RAT 3) ESEE 3 Knife
• Mora Knives
• Puukko Knives

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss setting objectives and why it’s so important to make plans. Objectives are the gas that makes the goals go. Without metrics, we don’t know when have gotten to where we meant to go.

Part III of the Survival CHI Reloaded series. Simply saying my plan is to “survive” is to simple. Within Survival CHI the main objects are: Live well and build a more resilient life. With plans, we can make that happen.

Topics:

• What are objectives and how do they differ from goals.
• Why are objectives important.
• Why planning so important.
• Metrics and their role in measuring success of plans.
• “Squishy” metrics, being flexible with plans when you don’t meet your metrics.
• Finding pleasure in planning and in success.
• Learning from failed plans.
• Update on Jonathan and Aaron’s Survival CHI plans.

Resources:

• Episode 44: Making Decisions
• Episode 43: Survival CHI – Reloaded
• Survival CHI Plans on the Forum
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
• The Hunger Games

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss the most extreme of survival situations – surviving the holidays. This episode takes a light hearted approach to what is a very trying time for many people.

Surviving the holidays can be tough. Whether it’s dealing with gift giving or family, the holidays try our patients and good will towards our fellow man. This episode shares with you tips, techniques, and thoughts on getting through the season without incident or mace; unless your shopping at Walmart.

 Topics:

• Surviving the mall and shopping.
• Budgetting
• What gift giving is really all about.
• Surviving Family.
• Surviving break ups during the holiday season.

Resources:

• Surviving a Break Up
• Amazon Prime
• Building A Survival Network
• Survival CHI
• Making Good Decisions
• News story on Walmart mace incident.

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss making decisions. Part II of the multi part series on Survival CHI and what makes it work.

Decision making is an important skill and proper planing of your survival and happiness is impossible without it. But, what really goes into decision-making? It’s all about looking at the big picture and understanding all the moving parts of your life and plans for survival.

Join us as we discuss the many facets to making good decisions that impact all aspects of your Survival CHI.

Topics:

• Making decisions without worrying about immediate gratification.
• Making good decisions vs bad decisions.
• How decisions are intermingled and influence one another.
• Making decisions within Community.
• Making decisions for your physical, mental, and financial health.
• Making decisions for improving your intelligence.

Resources:

• Survival CHI Plans
• Survival CHI – Reloaded
• Money Management Tool mentioned in the show.

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss Survival CHI and its origins. The foundation of the entire show and blog, Survival CHI is what guides it all. It’s what keeps In The Rabbit Hole all about rational practical preparedness.

Eight months have passed since Survival CHI was first unveiled and explained. By popular demand it’s back with the story of how it was made and tips on how you can use it to improve your life today and survive the possible disasters of tomorrow.

Topics:

• How Survival CHI was formed.
• What Survival CHI is.
• How it impacts your life.
• How the principles are intertwined.
• How practicing the principles has changed Aaron and Jonathan’s lives.
• Implementing the principles in your life today.
• Homework assignment!

Resources:

• Original Survival CHI Episode
• Personal Responsibility
• 7 Habits of Effective Living
• Creating Plans and Goals – The Survival Template
• C2 5K

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss how to build a survival network. Much like dating, building a network of like-minded people is less complicated that it first appears.

Often discussed on the show, the community you build around yourself can be the most powerful survival tool you have. However, when it comes to building a network of other peppers lots of people are left wondering what the best way is to going about it. Episode 42 dives into how to build a network of great people.

Topics:

• Finding other preppers through common interest activities.
• Activities that do lend themselves to finding other preppers.
• Pinging people’s interests.
• Crawl, walk, run when discussing preparedness with new people.
• Picking the right people for your survival network.
• Questions to ask yourself about people.
• Trusting your instincts.

Resources:

• Project Appleseed
• Episode 22: Convincing Others To Prepare
• Houston Arboretum
• Houston Wild Edibles Class
• Episode 36: CERT
• The Gift of Fear

A special Halloween report too incredible to believe. Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss the master plan behind the fractures discussed in Episode 39 that will lead to the downfall of our society.

Dark times are just a couple of years away. The time to prepare is now. YOU are The Rabbit Hole Resistance and the last best hope for humanity. It’s going to take hard work and dedicated planning. Through preparing your Community, Heath, and Intelligence you will survive!

Topics:

• The intricate web and chess game afoot to destroy civilization.
• Mad Cow was just the beginning.
• The New World Order
• The resistance.
• Preparing for the zombie apocalypse and rebuilding society.

Zombie Conspiracy Resources:

• CDC Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness
• George Soros buys up Monsanto
• What are Prions
• vCJD
• WHO vCJD report
• Operation Garden Plot

A Prepper’s Guide to Traveling Safely.

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan discuss traveling as a prepper. At some point in time all of us will have to go from point A to point B. Whether the mode of transportation is trains, planes, or automobiles, it’s not time to let your guard down. However, you will have to do research and get creative.

Similar to EDC carry, but with caveats inherent with travel after 9/11, traveling prepared isn’t hard. However, it does require planning, care, and knowledge of the laws of the area you are traveling too.

Topics:

• Survival Gear for Travel.
• Traveling with guns and knives.
• Airplane safety.
• Hotel Safety.

Resources:

• PacSafe – Travel Security Bags and Accessories
• Gun Laws
• Handgun US
• Us Carry
• Flying with Firearms
• Guns on Amtrak
• Guns on Trains News
• Hidding Valuables
• Travel Money Belts
• Secret Stash Bra
• Water BOB
• Collapsable Water Bag
• Water Purification Tablets
• Datrex 3600 Emergency Food Bar – 3 Day/72 Hour
• Rite in the Rain Note Pad
• Signal Mirrors

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan diverge from the traditional ITRH format and discuss their thoughts on what’s going on in the world and what to do about it.

Several topics are weighing on our minds. For one show Aaron and Jonathan delve into their political and philosophical beliefs to share their thoughts on what’s going on in the world and the things concerning them about the direction the world is going in.

Rambling through the issues going on in the world, the show wraps up with how these things effect you and what you can do about it.

Topics:

• Occupy protests
• Economic state of things.
• Personal responsibility.
• Picking fights in far off places.
• Aaron’s Top 10 Skills List
• Planning and Goals
• How what lies ahead affects your preps going forward.

Resources:

• Ayn Rand
• Milton Friedman
• Jobs Episode
• Meaning of Fair
• The Survival Template
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Hosts Aaron and Jonathan are joined by Scout of Project Appleseed. Scout gives listeners the ins and outs of what we consider the best traditional marksmanship instruction in the country.

Whether you are a new shooter, a seasoned hunter, or tactically trained, Appleseed will teach you something and improve your rifle skills. However, Project Appleseeds rifle marksmanship instruction is only a piece of the lessons learned. Attendees also learn about early American History, what a true rifleman (or woman) is, and meet some amazing quality people along the way.

Project Appleseed attendees come from all walks of life and political backgrounds. It’s a place for learning and community building.

Topics:

• What Project Appleseed is.
• What Project Appleseed is NOT.
• Who can attend and what it costs.
• Political Affiliations
• American History
• Patriotic Duties
• Personal Responsibility

Resources:

Jonathan is out sick and Aaron runs amuck. Taking from listeners’ emails and conversations, Aaron discusses three important survival topics.

Gear addictions are something we all suffer from at one point or another. Aaron shares his thoughts on the place for gear, how far you can go without gear, and times when survival can’t be done without supplies.

Few people take the time to properly build a will till they reach their Golden Years. Building a Personal Operations Manual is much like building a very detailed personal will and them some. How to not leave your loved ones in the dark and give them the necessary information so they may tend to your affairs after you are gone.

There are a lot of voices in the survival community, but who do you listen to? Aaron gives his thoughts on how to pick authors and broadcasters for your survival library.

Topics

• Discussions about the “need” for gear.
• Building a Personal Operations Manual for loved ones.
• Who to listen to when it comes to survival.

Resources:

• Personal Information Packet
• The Survival Template
• Review of Patriots