December 14, 2025 • 20 mins
Ten days before Christmas is the perfect moment to trade forgettable gadgets for gear that actually helps when plans fall apart. We dive into a no-nonsense holiday guide anchored in field-tested essentials: tiny can openers that never quit, emergency blankets that truly keep you warm, pocket flashlights bright enough to trust, and weatherproof notebooks that safeguard critical details when your phone is dead or soaked. The goal is simple—give useful tools that make loved ones more capable tomorrow than they were today.
We take a hard look at food and water strategy so gifts don’t gather dust. You’ll hear why dehydrated meals should be taste-tested now, how to prevent leaky trunk disasters, and when a standalone water filter like the Sawyer Mini beats a single-user bottle. We also get practical about money: small bills tucked in separate envelopes, a handful of coins to smooth barters, and a cautious view of silver eagles as a hedge rather than a plan. If your family isn’t into prepping, you’ll get friendly, low-intimidation ideas—a compact filter, a reliable pocket knife, or a real compass with a quick lesson on local declination—that spark interest without pressure.
We close by calling out a critical truth: life-saving tools are not where you cut costs. A trusted tourniquet and solid shears beat bargain-bin versions every time. For those watching budgets, a well-aimed gift card plus post-holiday sales can unlock the good stuff without overspending. Subscribe for more practical readiness, share this with the person who needs a sensible list, and leave a review telling us the one gift you’re adding to your kit this year.
Our Link to share:
https://trueprepper.com/best-prepper-christmas-gifts/
Class Information: Refuse to be a Victim Personal ProtectionTraining
For questions and comments, email me at: profprepper@protonmail.com
Please "Follow Us" or Subscribe, and remember that this program may be downloaded and shared for educational purposes. It may not be resold, edited, or used for other purposes without written permission.
Music Pond 5 Individual License, Commercial
Music Pond 5
Levee Blues_15 Sec (Swampy Harmonica) 78705066
Copyright: Refuse to be a Victim Personal Protection Training 2018-2024
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Well, hi everybody.
It's only 10 days untilChristmas, and I would be remiss
if I did not share some of myusual annual holiday tips and
gift giving ideas.
Come on in, let's get started.
(00:24):
Well, Merry Christmas,everybody.
I'm Bill Bateman, part of theteam here at Refuse to Be a
Victim Personal ProtectionTraining, and we are located at
6800 Kershaw Boulevard in theMedford, White City area of
Southern Oregon.
And we hope we'll have anopportunity to visit with you
either over the holiday seasonor at any time during the new
(00:46):
year.
I looked back about six or sevenyears ago.
I've been doing these for atime, and I like to do holiday
updates every year to givepeople gift-giving ideas.
And I compared what I did anumber of years ago, and I was
absolutely kind of surprised tosee many of the items on the top
(01:08):
gift lists for 2025 were thesame as they were for 2019.
Yep, uh the prices have changed.
Some of the embellishments andproduct features have changed a
little bit, but by golly, someof the things they're
recommending you give or youhave are the same thing.
(01:31):
So let's get started.
To start it off, I am going toinclude the link to this site at
the front, there where you login.
And this is from True Prepper.
This is a site I like quite alot.
I uh I curate a lot of theinformation I get.
I both do my own research and Itake the recommendations of
(01:51):
others with credit.
And uh True Prepper has alwaysreally impressed me with the
work they do and the quality oftheir recommendations.
So let's take a look at some ofthe things for stocking stuffers
this year.
And one is the P38 and the P51can opener.
Now, uh if you don't know whatthat is, uh you should.
(02:13):
That's what I used to call theold John Wayne can opener.
It looks like a little piece ofmetal with a hook on it, and you
can punch your way into a uhinto a can.
And if you're out in the woods,and I cannot tell you the number
of times I've used one of these,and I have been out in the woods
and I was actually on a campingtrip with some friends, and they
(02:36):
brought some food, and uh theydidn't bring a can opener.
Now you can open a can with aknife, a pocket knife.
It's not pretty, and usuallymedication and crying is
involved.
So the P38 and the P51 are yourgo-to item of choice.
(02:56):
You can't go wrong with the P38or a P51, and the numbers come
from the number of punches it'sgoing to take to pop a 16-ounce
can or a number 10 can, uh, thebigger can, taking, of course,
more punches.
And they're lightweight.
I tape them to the top of mycans.
I use uh masking tape so theydon't come off.
(03:18):
Some people use uh regular tape,your choice.
And the idea is uh if you'regonna put this in somebody's
stocking just as a standalonegift, also tape the hinge so
nobody gets poked when theyreach around uh getting into
their stocking.
Every year I recommend these uhdon't die in the woods emergency
(03:41):
blankets.
Now you can get an emergencyblanket, it's mylar and they're
like seven, eight dollars atAmazon.
This is my own recommendation.
I did not see this on thewebsite, and I love these
things.
I'm a big guy, and uh it's justlike having enough blanket to
cover up with.
(04:01):
Well, that's the issue in amylar emergency blanket.
I guess they're all made forelves.
Uh also I find that they're kindof like being wrapped in
cardboard.
Uh they don't have a lot of flexand a lot of give.
The Don't Die in the Woodsblankets, well, they're exactly
the opposite.
They're five feet by seven feet,which means even I can wrap up
(04:24):
like a burrito, and they arequite flexible, and they are
quite good for filling in thoselittle cracks that the cold air
used to uh get into in the othersize.
So I like those.
Looking at the uh list, theyhave socks and they have a new
type of flashlights, and that'ssomething I am absolutely
(04:45):
thrilled with.
Uh being caught in the dark,having your flashlight go out is
never good, and having an extraone, a backup, is good.
These are small, these aren'tlittle carabiners, the ones
they're looking at.
It's uh Olight i Mini 2.
An interesting name, and they'renot that expensive, and they're
(05:07):
great in everyday carry.
Flashlights keep getting smallerand they keep getting brighter.
Uh, there are some you couldprobably land an aircraft with,
and some of the bigger lights,and they actually act as a power
source.
So click around and see what youcan find on top-rated
flashlights.
Because if you need a giantflashlight to illuminate an
(05:30):
area, you can get one.
And if you got something to fitin your pocket and you can get
from point A to point B withoutfalling down a hill, that's well
worth the investment.
And it's a nice gift forsomebody.
Get one for yourself or get onefor somebody else.
Also, I found on this list uhthe Right and the Rain everyday
(05:52):
carry pen and the right and therain notebook.
Uh leaving a note for somebodyor making notes as you go is a
really good way to keep yourinformation accurate and easily
available.
Knives, pocket knives are alwaysa good price and always a good
(06:12):
value at Christmas.
You get some of the top brandsand some of the top features at
the holiday season.
Let's look at another valuableidea, and that's food and water
storage gifts.
Uh, they have pouches of food,the emergency dehydrated sort,
and a reminder (06:31):
you don't eat your emergency food first.
I recall somebody, uh, firstsign of trouble, they're ripping
into the pouches.
You should try it in advance.
You should actually cook it up,uh, which involves putting hot
water in it, sealing the top,and stirring it occasionally.
It's not complicated, but theidea is to try it.
(06:55):
They also have uh food bars.
Now, this goes from those piecesof hard tack that they use, and
you can gnaw at it like asquirrel with your teeth, up to
actual food bars uh closer towhat we're used to.
I got a letter, I'm just gettingready to teach my January
session at Ollie, Osher LifelongLearning Institute.
(07:17):
I'm doing my bug out bag class.
It's an annual thing I do there.
Took a few years off formedical, but uh I'm back now.
And one of the interestingthings, I got a letter from one
of my students coming in, and Iasked them why they're taking
the class and what they'reinterested in, things like that,
uh, what problems they found,and the big one I've seen from a
(07:40):
couple people already is storingwater.
Storing water in your car so thebottles don't come apart, break,
decompose, or the little pouchesdon't break.
I used to have what I thoughtwas the best idea in the world.
I have had problems with thebottled water, the one-gallon
bottles especially.
Uh, if you don't get the mostexpensive, thickest, heaviest
(08:03):
bottles, it's gonna break.
You go around a corner too fast,or even just bouncing around in
the trunk, you end up with a wettrunk and no water when you need
it.
So these are water filtrationitems.
I have containers to filterclean water into.
I do try and always have bottlesof water with me, and then there
(08:27):
are things such as uh waterfilters, which I'm going to talk
about in just a minute.
Having access to water as wellas something to put it into as
uh very, very important.
And the one thing I found is thenew trend is you have a water
bottle with a filter in it.
Some cases the bottle is anactual press where you filter
(08:50):
the water by pressing the waterthrough a uh an in an embedded,
I guess you would say, abuilt-in filter, and others are
small circular filters that sitat the base of the bottle and
you pull the water through withyour uh like it like a straw.
Problem with that is it's alittle hard if you're ever going
(09:12):
to make coffee.
And you have to know the grouppretty well if you're gonna be
sharing one bottle or twobottles between a group.
So let's look at some of theother options uh as we get a
little farther down.
Things to look at uh for homesecurity door armor max.
Yeah, it's about a hundredbucks, but you can re fit and
(09:37):
rebuild your door.
Knives to have in the backpackare good.
Mentioning the water filter, theSawyer Mini Portable Water
Filter.
This is part of a water reviewroundup that they do every year,
and I think it's really, reallyworthwhile to check it out.
(09:58):
I bought one of these when Ifirst began prepping, and I have
updated my kit over the years.
Things do wear out, the filter,the little hoses will crack and
dry out.
I haven't done it yet, but I'malways leery and I'm always
careful to make sure myequipment is up to date.
So a portable water filter.
(10:20):
If you can't trust the water inyour trunk to be there when you
open it, if the bottles aregoing to break or they're gonna
leak, uh, you might want to lookat having a filtration method
and something to put that waterin after you cleaned it out.
A good backpack always, andthere are a number of other good
(10:42):
ideas.
Uh interesting to me, I lookedat uh money to have with you,
silver and gold as well ascurrency in case uh the currency
loses, people lose interest incurrency.
That's down the road, but uh Icould uh realistically now see
it happening more than I couldfive years ago.
(11:04):
I'm interested, I bought somesilver eagles.
These are American coins,they're a$1 US coin.
And when I bought my first one,it was$39.
That was the spot price forsilver, and it was an actual
coin.
It's not a collector's edition,it's just an actual coin.
And right now, that same$39 silksilver eagle that I purchased,
(11:29):
$63.
So as everything else, considerwhen you buy and what you're
buying.
Beware of market fluctuations.
I think having cash is good.
I've had an interesting chatwith a woman at the bank.
I said, I hey, I want to getsome uh bug out cash, and I
(11:50):
wanted a certain amount.
And she said, Well, what youdon't want to get is big bills.
Interestingly enough, a lot ofpeople don't have change for
that 20, or they don't want totake your 50, or they don't want
to take your hundred, or ifyou're walking around with a
handful of hundreds, they'd liketo take all of those.
(12:11):
Thank you very much.
So if you have bug out cash,small collections, small
amounts, maybe fifty,seventy-five dollars in an
envelope, and don't have largedenominations.
I find having change, somequarters, some half dollars uh
(12:32):
dimes and pennies, i it's goodboth for getting close to an
exact agreed-upon price.
And I will tell you, it's justkind of an interesting thought,
if you get a good heavy pair ofwool socks and you happen to
have some change in it, that canbe quite the attention-getting
device if somebody halfwaythrough a transaction decides
(12:54):
they want all of your productsand not just what you're
bartering.
So it can be a good self-defenseweapon.
Keeping cash for emergencies,you have to be smart about this.
You don't advertise it, youdon't advertise in my car.
I always have so much money.
That's not smart.
I know I don't do that.
(13:14):
I initially did and thought,well, that's stupid.
I'm on the radio.
Everybody's gonna know I haveit.
So I have made other plans uhfor my financial situation in
the event of.
The thing about these gifts, andthis is something we talked
about a couple years ago, and Igot a good response, so I want
to mention it again.
For the non-prepper in yourfamily, maybe you got a sister,
(13:39):
a brother, a cousin, uh, maybeyour wife or a husband, your
your partner is not that muchinto prepping.
I like to give a single giftthat's useful, that's practical,
and that's not too intimidating,like a water filter or a good
pocket knife, and that plantsthe seed for talking about
(14:01):
prepping.
Every year I try and give, thegoofy uncle always has oh
there's Uncle Bill with hisprepping gifts again.
I notice nobody ever throws themout or sends them back.
Because emergency food acompass.
I gave a compass one year.
Because you should all know howto use a compass and how to read
(14:25):
a map, because I promise you thephone this when, not if, but
when the cell phones go down,that handy GPS is not going to
be so handy.
I gave a compass, and by golly,I checked in a little while
later, they were still using it,and I would get emails like,
hey, what's this uh difference,the delineation on a compass?
(14:48):
Where are we?
Well, we're in Oregon and it'sabout 47 uh degrees off.
Things like that.
It builds a conversation, itbuilds interest, and it helps
the family as a group take part.
So think of uh stocking stuffersor gifts, even for non-preppers,
that are somewhat useful andinfinitely practical.
(15:11):
And on that note, uh one of thegoof, not goofy gifts, it's a
very practical gift, but it'sunusual, are and I'm reading
from the from the website,portawipe toilet paper tablets.
Uh, these are a lot morepractical than you might think.
These tiny tablets, uh, theyturn into a wet wipe with just a
(15:32):
tiny bit of water.
It helps with hygiene sanitationand more.
And they come in like a tube.
It almost looks like uh myglucose tablets.
I think some care needs to betaken when uh packing there so
you don't get one mixed up withthe other.
Or if you're out in the woods,uh you don't want to make a
difficult situation worse.
(15:54):
So look into these products,that would be quite the
conversation starter.
By the way, these silly thingsare only$14 at Amazon.
Uh, it could change or it couldbe on sale.
But if you want to get thefamily involved, if you want to
get cousin Bob maybe off thedime and thinking about survival
and thinking about uh emergencyplanning and being ready just in
(16:18):
case, these little uh giftswe've talked about, uh stocking
stuffers.
Uh giving a silver eagle is at$63 now, but uh you don't have
to buy a silver eagle, there isless expensive silver.
I don't know the spot pricetoday.
I think it was around 48 thelast time I checked, but it
(16:41):
continues to go up, and that'ssomething you always can trade
in.
So let's look at giftsubscriptions, books.
Oh my gosh, every year.
There are so many good booksavailable, and I'm not talking
about theory.
I mean, you can listen to whatI've got to say on a regular
basis, but books about firstaid.
(17:03):
There is an excellent book outcalled First Aid and Third World
Dentistry and Third WorldMedicine.
This is if you are out in thehinterlands, if you're in an
area where there's not an urgentcare down the block, or if
you're going to be out uh if wehave a situation that requires
(17:23):
us to uh kind of hunker down fora while.
Dental care and medical care isa whole we've done hundreds of
programs on that.
So let's look at the type ofthings we can do at the
holidays.
Think of those gifts.
And one final point, I know giftgiving is expensive, and what is
(17:45):
not more expensive this year?
Woof.
But don't get discount firstaid, discount knives, discount
survival gear.
Uh you it's just not worth theeffort.
I've seen so many reviews ofwell, the one thing I found just
(18:06):
particularly offensive was a uhtourniquet.
There are tourniquets out therenow.
You can get five, six, sevendollars.
I wouldn't have one in thehouse.
I get mine uh from a reputablesource, and we've talked about
it here on the program before.
It runs me about$44.
(18:27):
If I'm in a situation where Ineed a tourniquet, I want a
quality product, and I want tomake sure I'm using it
correctly.
So if you're gonna give a giftthis year, don't give a discount
tourniquet or a cheap pair ofemergency scissors that are
gonna come apart when you tryand cut something.
That is just that's almostwrong.
(18:51):
Well, it is wrong, and I'mthinking trying to think of
other words I can use on thepodcast, and I'm just gonna stop
there because it is theholidays.
So give something to get thefamily involved, give something
to support your family.
It's okay to give a gift card.
It's also okay, and I'm gonnastop on this.
Let's look at what's going on atthe end of the year holiday
(19:13):
sales.
Those days after Christmas,between Christmas and New
Year's, uh, Black Friday is onething, but oh my gosh, the
after-Christmas sale, when themerchant looks at what's on the
shelves and goes, hmm, that's agreat time.
So a gift card or even cash,earmarked for a survival or bug
out type product, this is anexcellent time of year to do
(19:37):
that.
So with that said, hug thefamily, have a little extra
piece of pie with some whiptopping, what the heck your only
young wants, and be safe outthere.
I will be looking forward toseeing you next year at the
range.
I'll be back probably betweenChristmas and New Year's with
some holiday shopping values andsome more ideas.
(19:57):
Until then, be safe, God bless,and And talk to you soon.
The preceding program was apresentation of Retired Guy
Productions.
Well, hi everybody.
It's only 10 days untilChristmas, and I would be remiss
if I did not share some of myusual annual holiday tips and
gift giving ideas.
Come on in, let's get started.
(00:24):
Well, Merry Christmas,everybody.
I'm Bill Bateman, part of theteam here at Refuse to Be a
Victim Personal ProtectionTraining, and we are located at
6800 Kershaw Boulevard in theMedford, White City area of
Southern Oregon.
And we hope we'll have anopportunity to visit with you
either over the holiday seasonor at any time during the new
(00:46):
year.
I looked back about six or sevenyears ago.
I've been doing these for atime, and I like to do holiday
updates every year to givepeople gift-giving ideas.
And I compared what I did anumber of years ago, and I was
absolutely kind of surprised tosee many of the items on the top
(01:08):
gift lists for 2025 were thesame as they were for 2019.
Yep, uh the prices have changed.
Some of the embellishments andproduct features have changed a
little bit, but by golly, someof the things they're
recommending you give or youhave are the same thing.
(01:31):
So let's get started.
To start it off, I am going toinclude the link to this site at
the front, there where you login.
And this is from True Prepper.
This is a site I like quite alot.
I uh I curate a lot of theinformation I get.
I both do my own research and Itake the recommendations of
(01:51):
others with credit.
And uh True Prepper has alwaysreally impressed me with the
work they do and the quality oftheir recommendations.
So let's take a look at some ofthe things for stocking stuffers
this year.
And one is the P38 and the P51can opener.
Now, uh if you don't know whatthat is, uh you should.
(02:13):
That's what I used to call theold John Wayne can opener.
It looks like a little piece ofmetal with a hook on it, and you
can punch your way into a uhinto a can.
And if you're out in the woods,and I cannot tell you the number
of times I've used one of these,and I have been out in the woods
and I was actually on a campingtrip with some friends, and they
(02:36):
brought some food, and uh theydidn't bring a can opener.
Now you can open a can with aknife, a pocket knife.
It's not pretty, and usuallymedication and crying is
involved.
So the P38 and the P51 are yourgo-to item of choice.
(02:56):
You can't go wrong with the P38or a P51, and the numbers come
from the number of punches it'sgoing to take to pop a 16-ounce
can or a number 10 can, uh, thebigger can, taking, of course,
more punches.
And they're lightweight.
I tape them to the top of mycans.
I use uh masking tape so theydon't come off.
(03:18):
Some people use uh regular tape,your choice.
And the idea is uh if you'regonna put this in somebody's
stocking just as a standalonegift, also tape the hinge so
nobody gets poked when theyreach around uh getting into
their stocking.
Every year I recommend these uhdon't die in the woods emergency
(03:41):
blankets.
Now you can get an emergencyblanket, it's mylar and they're
like seven, eight dollars atAmazon.
This is my own recommendation.
I did not see this on thewebsite, and I love these
things.
I'm a big guy, and uh it's justlike having enough blanket to
cover up with.
(04:01):
Well, that's the issue in amylar emergency blanket.
I guess they're all made forelves.
Uh also I find that they're kindof like being wrapped in
cardboard.
Uh they don't have a lot of flexand a lot of give.
The Don't Die in the Woodsblankets, well, they're exactly
the opposite.
They're five feet by seven feet,which means even I can wrap up
(04:24):
like a burrito, and they arequite flexible, and they are
quite good for filling in thoselittle cracks that the cold air
used to uh get into in the othersize.
So I like those.
Looking at the uh list, theyhave socks and they have a new
type of flashlights, and that'ssomething I am absolutely
(04:45):
thrilled with.
Uh being caught in the dark,having your flashlight go out is
never good, and having an extraone, a backup, is good.
These are small, these aren'tlittle carabiners, the ones
they're looking at.
It's uh Olight i Mini 2.
An interesting name, and they'renot that expensive, and they're
(05:07):
great in everyday carry.
Flashlights keep getting smallerand they keep getting brighter.
Uh, there are some you couldprobably land an aircraft with,
and some of the bigger lights,and they actually act as a power
source.
So click around and see what youcan find on top-rated
flashlights.
Because if you need a giantflashlight to illuminate an
(05:30):
area, you can get one.
And if you got something to fitin your pocket and you can get
from point A to point B withoutfalling down a hill, that's well
worth the investment.
And it's a nice gift forsomebody.
Get one for yourself or get onefor somebody else.
Also, I found on this list uhthe Right and the Rain everyday
(05:52):
carry pen and the right and therain notebook.
Uh leaving a note for somebodyor making notes as you go is a
really good way to keep yourinformation accurate and easily
available.
Knives, pocket knives are alwaysa good price and always a good
(06:12):
value at Christmas.
You get some of the top brandsand some of the top features at
the holiday season.
Let's look at another valuableidea, and that's food and water
storage gifts.
Uh, they have pouches of food,the emergency dehydrated sort,
and a reminder (06:31):
you don't eat your emergency food first.
I recall somebody, uh, firstsign of trouble, they're ripping
into the pouches.
You should try it in advance.
You should actually cook it up,uh, which involves putting hot
water in it, sealing the top,and stirring it occasionally.
It's not complicated, but theidea is to try it.
(06:55):
They also have uh food bars.
Now, this goes from those piecesof hard tack that they use, and
you can gnaw at it like asquirrel with your teeth, up to
actual food bars uh closer towhat we're used to.
I got a letter, I'm just gettingready to teach my January
session at Ollie, Osher LifelongLearning Institute.
(07:17):
I'm doing my bug out bag class.
It's an annual thing I do there.
Took a few years off formedical, but uh I'm back now.
And one of the interestingthings, I got a letter from one
of my students coming in, and Iasked them why they're taking
the class and what they'reinterested in, things like that,
uh, what problems they found,and the big one I've seen from a
(07:40):
couple people already is storingwater.
Storing water in your car so thebottles don't come apart, break,
decompose, or the little pouchesdon't break.
I used to have what I thoughtwas the best idea in the world.
I have had problems with thebottled water, the one-gallon
bottles especially.
Uh, if you don't get the mostexpensive, thickest, heaviest
(08:03):
bottles, it's gonna break.
You go around a corner too fast,or even just bouncing around in
the trunk, you end up with a wettrunk and no water when you need
it.
So these are water filtrationitems.
I have containers to filterclean water into.
I do try and always have bottlesof water with me, and then there
(08:27):
are things such as uh waterfilters, which I'm going to talk
about in just a minute.
Having access to water as wellas something to put it into as
uh very, very important.
And the one thing I found is thenew trend is you have a water
bottle with a filter in it.
Some cases the bottle is anactual press where you filter
(08:50):
the water by pressing the waterthrough a uh an in an embedded,
I guess you would say, abuilt-in filter, and others are
small circular filters that sitat the base of the bottle and
you pull the water through withyour uh like it like a straw.
Problem with that is it's alittle hard if you're ever going
(09:12):
to make coffee.
And you have to know the grouppretty well if you're gonna be
sharing one bottle or twobottles between a group.
So let's look at some of theother options uh as we get a
little farther down.
Things to look at uh for homesecurity door armor max.
Yeah, it's about a hundredbucks, but you can re fit and
(09:37):
rebuild your door.
Knives to have in the backpackare good.
Mentioning the water filter, theSawyer Mini Portable Water
Filter.
This is part of a water reviewroundup that they do every year,
and I think it's really, reallyworthwhile to check it out.
(09:58):
I bought one of these when Ifirst began prepping, and I have
updated my kit over the years.
Things do wear out, the filter,the little hoses will crack and
dry out.
I haven't done it yet, but I'malways leery and I'm always
careful to make sure myequipment is up to date.
So a portable water filter.
(10:20):
If you can't trust the water inyour trunk to be there when you
open it, if the bottles aregoing to break or they're gonna
leak, uh, you might want to lookat having a filtration method
and something to put that waterin after you cleaned it out.
A good backpack always, andthere are a number of other good
(10:42):
ideas.
Uh interesting to me, I lookedat uh money to have with you,
silver and gold as well ascurrency in case uh the currency
loses, people lose interest incurrency.
That's down the road, but uh Icould uh realistically now see
it happening more than I couldfive years ago.
(11:04):
I'm interested, I bought somesilver eagles.
These are American coins,they're a$1 US coin.
And when I bought my first one,it was$39.
That was the spot price forsilver, and it was an actual
coin.
It's not a collector's edition,it's just an actual coin.
And right now, that same$39 silksilver eagle that I purchased,
(11:29):
$63.
So as everything else, considerwhen you buy and what you're
buying.
Beware of market fluctuations.
I think having cash is good.
I've had an interesting chatwith a woman at the bank.
I said, I hey, I want to getsome uh bug out cash, and I
(11:50):
wanted a certain amount.
And she said, Well, what youdon't want to get is big bills.
Interestingly enough, a lot ofpeople don't have change for
that 20, or they don't want totake your 50, or they don't want
to take your hundred, or ifyou're walking around with a
handful of hundreds, they'd liketo take all of those.
(12:11):
Thank you very much.
So if you have bug out cash,small collections, small
amounts, maybe fifty,seventy-five dollars in an
envelope, and don't have largedenominations.
I find having change, somequarters, some half dollars uh
(12:32):
dimes and pennies, i it's goodboth for getting close to an
exact agreed-upon price.
And I will tell you, it's justkind of an interesting thought,
if you get a good heavy pair ofwool socks and you happen to
have some change in it, that canbe quite the attention-getting
device if somebody halfwaythrough a transaction decides
(12:54):
they want all of your productsand not just what you're
bartering.
So it can be a good self-defenseweapon.
Keeping cash for emergencies,you have to be smart about this.
You don't advertise it, youdon't advertise in my car.
I always have so much money.
That's not smart.
I know I don't do that.
(13:14):
I initially did and thought,well, that's stupid.
I'm on the radio.
Everybody's gonna know I haveit.
So I have made other plans uhfor my financial situation in
the event of.
The thing about these gifts, andthis is something we talked
about a couple years ago, and Igot a good response, so I want
to mention it again.
For the non-prepper in yourfamily, maybe you got a sister,
(13:39):
a brother, a cousin, uh, maybeyour wife or a husband, your
your partner is not that muchinto prepping.
I like to give a single giftthat's useful, that's practical,
and that's not too intimidating,like a water filter or a good
pocket knife, and that plantsthe seed for talking about
(14:01):
prepping.
Every year I try and give, thegoofy uncle always has oh
there's Uncle Bill with hisprepping gifts again.
I notice nobody ever throws themout or sends them back.
Because emergency food acompass.
I gave a compass one year.
Because you should all know howto use a compass and how to read
(14:25):
a map, because I promise you thephone this when, not if, but
when the cell phones go down,that handy GPS is not going to
be so handy.
I gave a compass, and by golly,I checked in a little while
later, they were still using it,and I would get emails like,
hey, what's this uh difference,the delineation on a compass?
(14:48):
Where are we?
Well, we're in Oregon and it'sabout 47 uh degrees off.
Things like that.
It builds a conversation, itbuilds interest, and it helps
the family as a group take part.
So think of uh stocking stuffersor gifts, even for non-preppers,
that are somewhat useful andinfinitely practical.
(15:11):
And on that note, uh one of thegoof, not goofy gifts, it's a
very practical gift, but it'sunusual, are and I'm reading
from the from the website,portawipe toilet paper tablets.
Uh, these are a lot morepractical than you might think.
These tiny tablets, uh, theyturn into a wet wipe with just a
(15:32):
tiny bit of water.
It helps with hygiene sanitationand more.
And they come in like a tube.
It almost looks like uh myglucose tablets.
I think some care needs to betaken when uh packing there so
you don't get one mixed up withthe other.
Or if you're out in the woods,uh you don't want to make a
difficult situation worse.
(15:54):
So look into these products,that would be quite the
conversation starter.
By the way, these silly thingsare only$14 at Amazon.
Uh, it could change or it couldbe on sale.
But if you want to get thefamily involved, if you want to
get cousin Bob maybe off thedime and thinking about survival
and thinking about uh emergencyplanning and being ready just in
(16:18):
case, these little uh giftswe've talked about, uh stocking
stuffers.
Uh giving a silver eagle is at$63 now, but uh you don't have
to buy a silver eagle, there isless expensive silver.
I don't know the spot pricetoday.
I think it was around 48 thelast time I checked, but it
(16:41):
continues to go up, and that'ssomething you always can trade
in.
So let's look at giftsubscriptions, books.
Oh my gosh, every year.
There are so many good booksavailable, and I'm not talking
about theory.
I mean, you can listen to whatI've got to say on a regular
basis, but books about firstaid.
(17:03):
There is an excellent book outcalled First Aid and Third World
Dentistry and Third WorldMedicine.
This is if you are out in thehinterlands, if you're in an
area where there's not an urgentcare down the block, or if
you're going to be out uh if wehave a situation that requires
(17:23):
us to uh kind of hunker down fora while.
Dental care and medical care isa whole we've done hundreds of
programs on that.
So let's look at the type ofthings we can do at the
holidays.
Think of those gifts.
And one final point, I know giftgiving is expensive, and what is
(17:45):
not more expensive this year?
Woof.
But don't get discount firstaid, discount knives, discount
survival gear.
Uh you it's just not worth theeffort.
I've seen so many reviews ofwell, the one thing I found just
(18:06):
particularly offensive was a uhtourniquet.
There are tourniquets out therenow.
You can get five, six, sevendollars.
I wouldn't have one in thehouse.
I get mine uh from a reputablesource, and we've talked about
it here on the program before.
It runs me about$44.
(18:27):
If I'm in a situation where Ineed a tourniquet, I want a
quality product, and I want tomake sure I'm using it
correctly.
So if you're gonna give a giftthis year, don't give a discount
tourniquet or a cheap pair ofemergency scissors that are
gonna come apart when you tryand cut something.
That is just that's almostwrong.
(18:51):
Well, it is wrong, and I'mthinking trying to think of
other words I can use on thepodcast, and I'm just gonna stop
there because it is theholidays.
So give something to get thefamily involved, give something
to support your family.
It's okay to give a gift card.
It's also okay, and I'm gonnastop on this.
Let's look at what's going on atthe end of the year holiday
(19:13):
sales.
Those days after Christmas,between Christmas and New
Year's, uh, Black Friday is onething, but oh my gosh, the
after-Christmas sale, when themerchant looks at what's on the
shelves and goes, hmm, that's agreat time.
So a gift card or even cash,earmarked for a survival or bug
out type product, this is anexcellent time of year to do
(19:37):
that.
So with that said, hug thefamily, have a little extra
piece of pie with some whiptopping, what the heck your only
young wants, and be safe outthere.
I will be looking forward toseeing you next year at the
range.
I'll be back probably betweenChristmas and New Year's with
some holiday shopping values andsome more ideas.
(19:57):
Until then, be safe, God bless,and And talk to you soon.
The preceding program was apresentation of Retired Guy
Productions.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.