Casual Preppers Podcast - Prepping, Survival, Entertainment.

Mindless Banter 138 - Q&A It’s another wild Casual Preppers Q&A where we tackle everything from surviving a zombie apocalypse using only what's in our studio… to the fate of This Podcast Is a Secret, the best SHTF event to live through, basic preps people always overlook, and whether you should take the bike path or the highway during an EMP. We hit gear that surprised us, gear that turned out useless, real-life strange things we’ve seen in the Uintah Basin, and why emergency plans beat almost anything in your prep. It’s chaos, it’s practical, and it’s exactly what makes these Q&As fun. Sponsors: BattlBox – 15% off your first box: Survive.BattlBox.com/CasualPreppers LMNT – Free sample pack with any purchase: DrinkLMNT.com/CasualPreppers TacPack – FREE $70 part with code CASUALPREPPERS    

The Suburban Prepper Suburban preppers live in the in-between: not off-grid, not downtown, but right where most emergencies actually hit. In this episode, we break down the real advantages of suburbia—access to supplies, easier home security, and a built-in neighborhood network—along with the challenges of HOAs, low privacy, and relying on fragile city infrastructure. It’s all about prepping quietly, smartly, and using the “middle ground” to your advantage. Sponsors: BattlBox – 15% off your first box: Survive.BattlBox.com/CasualPreppers LMNT – Free sample pack with any purchase: DrinkLMNT.com/CasualPreppers ReadyPlan by MAD Gear – Organize your emergency plans: (Search “ReadyPlan by MAD Gear” in your app store)

Surviving Disasters Past – Mount St. Helens Eruption, 1980 📄 Episode Description In this episode, we look back at the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens — one of the most violent volcanic explosions in U.S. history. We talk through the months of warning signs leading up to the blast, the massive bulge that formed on the north side of the mountain, and the political and personal battles over evacuation orders. We walk through the moment the volcano exploded, the landslide that triggered the lateral blast, and how the eruption flattened forests, buried river valleys, and sent ash across 11 states. We also discuss the people who survived, those who didn’t, and how emergency response unfolded in the chaos that followed. Finally, we break down the major preparedness lessons: understanding local hazards, building a 72-hour kit for dirty air, knowing evacuation routes, protecting your water and engines, and staying adaptable when warnings shift from “someday” to “right now.” 🧱 Episode Breakdown 🌋 The Warnings – Rising earthquakes, steam bursts, and the rapidly growing bulge on the north flank showed the mountain was under extreme pressure, and scientists struggled to communicate the danger to locals and officials. 💥 The May 18 Eruption – A magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered the largest landslide ever recorded, releasing a sideways blast of ash, gas, and rock that tore through 230 square miles at hundreds of miles per hour and instantly reshaped the mountain. 🌑 Ashfall Across the Northwest – A 15-mile-high ash column darkened the sky, shut down airports, buried roads and farms, clogged engines, and drifted across multiple states, turning day into night. 🌊 Lahars & Destruction – Melted snow and debris produced massive mudflows that destroyed bridges, highways, homes, and entire river valleys, causing long-term disruptions to power, water, and transportation. 🧍 Human Stories & Loss – Fifty-seven people died, including scientists, campers, and residents who chose to stay behind. We discuss the famous last transmission from volcanologist David Johnston and the story of Harry Truman, who refused to evacuate Spirit Lake. 🏚 Aftermath & Recovery – Cleanup went on for months as ash was shoveled like snow, respirators became everyday gear, and the region worked to rebuild roads, utilities, and entire communities while adapting to a transformed landscape. 🧭 Preparedness Lessons – Why early evacuation matters, how respiratory protection can save lives, why engines fail in heavy ash, how long-term outages can follow volcanic events, and why adaptability—not prediction—is a prepper’s best tool. 🎧 Podcast Sponsors BattlBox – 15% off your first box at Survive.Battlbox.com/casualpreppers LMNT – Free sample pack with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/CasualPreppers TacPack – Use code CASUALPREPPERS for a free $70 Next Level Armament part #StaySurvived

Surviving Disasters Past – The Great Midwest Flood, 1993 We wrote a book… for kids. How to Survive an Apocalypse. 📄 Episode Description In this episode, we break down the Great Midwest Flood of 1993 — the costliest, longest-lasting flood in U.S. history. We talk about how a brutal winter and an unusually wet spring set the stage for disaster, how months of nonstop rain overwhelmed levees and entire river systems, and how communities fought to survive when the water simply refused to go down. We cover the collapse of infrastructure, the massive evacuations, the contamination and health issues, and what life was like in towns that stayed underwater for months. Finally, we pull out the biggest preparedness lessons from 1993: knowing your real flood risk, protecting drinking water, waterproofing your kits, elevating utilities, planning for early evacuation, and preparing for long-term displacement when a disaster drags on far longer than expected. 🧱 Episode Breakdown 🌧 The Setup & Rise of the Floodwaters – How snowpack, spring saturation, and relentless summer storms combined into one of the worst hydrological events the U.S. has ever seen, and why levees up and down the Mississippi and Missouri were doomed to fail. 🏚 Communities Underwater – Stories of towns completely submerged, residents evacuating by boat and tractor, and the emotional toll of watching neighborhoods disappear and staying displaced for weeks or months. ⚠️ Infrastructure Collapse – What happens when bridges, roads, crops, rail lines, power plants, and water treatment systems all fail at once—and why Des Moines lost its drinking water for nearly two weeks. 🧫 Health & Environmental Hazards – How chemical leaks, sewage contamination, mold, and stagnant water created major public-health crises long after the rain stopped. 💧 Survival Lessons from 1993 – The importance of not relying on levees, understanding your elevation, keeping clean water stored, securing sanitation, using generators safely, and maintaining morale during a long-duration disaster. ⚙️ Modern Prepper Takeaways – Waterproof your 72-hour kit, elevate home utilities, know how to shut off gas and power, keep flood-fighting tools ready, treat cleanup like hazmat, and remember that some disasters build slowly until normal life disappears. 🌊 Anytime Flooding Threatens – Why forecasts matter, why you never drive into floodwater, how to protect valuables and drinking water, how to stay safe post-flood, and what gear is worth keeping if you live in flood-prone regions. 🎧 Podcast Sponsors BattlBox – 15% off your first box at Survive.Battlbox.com/casualpreppers LMNT – Free sample pack with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/CasualPreppers MAD Gear ReadyPlan App – Use code CASUALPREPPERS for a discount #StaySurvived

Surviving Disasters Past – The Great Blizzard of 1888 📄 Episode Description In March of 1888, one of the most powerful blizzards in American history slammed the Northeast with no warning. Over three days, hurricane-force winds, towering snowdrifts, and sub-zero temperatures trapped thousands in their homes, stranded trains, and shut down major cities like New York and Boston. More than 400 people died, and the chaos from the storm led to lasting changes in U.S. infrastructure and weather forecasting. In this episode, we talk about what happened, how people managed to survive isolation and freezing cold, and what preppers today can learn about winter readiness, backup heat, and staying mentally sharp when you’re stuck in the dark. 🧱 Episode Breakdown ❄️ What Happened – The 1888 “Great White Hurricane” that buried the Northeast in 50+ inches of snow, shut down the stock exchange, and trapped passengers for days in frozen trains and streetcars. 🔥 Survival Lessons – How staying put, rationing supplies, and neighbor checks made the difference between life and death. ⚙ Modern Prepper Takeaway – How to build a legit 72-hour winter kit, seal in your heat, prep alternate heat sources safely, and keep comms alive when the grid fails. 🌨 Anytime a Winter Storm Hits – What to do before, during, and after the storm: preserving body heat, surviving in your vehicle, and dealing with frostbite, hypothermia, and isolation. 🎧 Podcast Sponsors BattlBox – The monthly subscription box packed with outdoor, survival, and EDC gear — not samples and junk. Get 15% off your first box at Survive.BattlBox.com/CasualPreppers LMNT – A tasty electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Get your free sample pack with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/CasualPreppers TacPack – The only tactical subscription box loaded with professional-grade gear. Use code CASUALPREPPERS and get a FREE $70 machine-made part from Next Level Armament. #StaySurvived