CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:52
BBQ, smokers, and cooking elk the old-school way
Joe and Mike open with food talk after eating Texas barbecue, then nerd out on offset smokers versus pellet grills. Joe describes his new Cen-Tex-built smoker setup and why the process (and results) are worth the effort.
- •Texas barbecue as a uniquely high standard
- •Offset smoker vs. Traeger convenience tradeoffs
- •Joe’s steak method: smoke to temp, then sear
- •Craftsmanship of custom Central Texas smokers
- •Elk as ideal smoking/grilling meat
- 1:52 – 4:03
The Phoenix-to-Canada “bug-out” experiment and why most plans fail
Mike explains a filmed, self-sustained bug-out drive intended to show how unrealistic typical evacuation fantasies are. The key constraint: no reliance on gas stations or outside support, forcing attention to fuel, range, and logistics.
- •Bugging out without resupply as the real standard
- •Why a heavy-duty truck (not a Tacoma) was chosen
- •Reserve fuel tanks and extending range by thousands of miles
- •Sleeping out of the vehicle; no stops for supplies
- •Critique of expensive overland builds with low fuel preparedness
- 4:03 – 6:06
Preparedness gets flagged as “extreme”: the social media labeling problem
Joe raises the idea that preppers have been treated like potential threats. Mike describes how benign content—like canning—was flagged as extremist, and frames Fieldcraft Survival as self-reliance education, not paranoia.
- •Government/social platforms conflating preparedness with extremism
- •Facebook flagging canning and jarring as “extreme”
- •Fieldcraft Survival’s focus: self-reliance and institutional failure
- •Preparedness for natural disasters vs. political violence narrative
- •Why “having information” shouldn’t be suspicious
- 6:06 – 8:59
VA disability ratings, TBI/PTSD labels, and fear of gun-rights consequences
Mike breaks down how VA disability ratings work and why “total and permanent” status matters. He also explains why PTSD labeling can feel risky for veterans, especially with red-flag laws and subjective determinations of fitness.
- •How VA disability percentages are calculated and revisited
- •Meaning of 100% total and permanent (T&P) status
- •TBI symptoms overlapping with PTSD symptoms
- •Concern: PTSD label could be used to restrict firearm rights
- •Red-flag laws and subjective mental fitness assessments
- 8:59 – 21:10
Being doubted by evaluators: combat experience vs. bureaucracy
Mike recounts VA evaluation experiences where clinicians challenged his claims and physical limitations. The conversation expands into how systems designed to catch fraud can end up demeaning high-combat veterans while still failing at care.
- •Psychological eval questions and confrontational skepticism
- •Physical mobility evaluation and assumptions of exaggeration
- •Why evaluators may be conditioned by frequent system abuse
- •Gaps in understanding “tip of the spear” vs. other service roles
- •Systemic accountability issues inside the VA and GS employment
- 21:10 – 31:54
Transition shock: losing tribe, purpose, and the pipeline to suicide risk
They explore how leaving special operations can be harder than combat itself due to loss of community and meaning. Mike describes how many veterans spiral without a new mission, and why support systems aren’t integrated or widespread.
- •Civilian life as isolation: no built-in tribe/community
- •Parallels with fighters retiring and losing the gym bond
- •Limited job translation for elite operators (e.g., ‘writing tickets’)
- •Nonprofits helping (e.g., Warrior’s Heart) but not universal
- •Suicide as “cutting sling load” when veterans feel like liabilities
- 31:54 – 35:59
From CIA contracting to Fieldcraft Survival: building “modern survival”
Mike explains the moment he quit government work and started his company with limited savings and no safety net. He differentiates modern preparedness (probable risks, systems failure) from reality-TV bushcraft stereotypes.
- •Decision point in Pakistan; burnout from ‘babysitting’ roles
- •Resigning from multiple roles and betting on entrepreneurship
- •Modern survival framing: vehicle accidents, grid issues, practical risks
- •Early stigma: ‘tinfoil hat’ stereotype around preparedness
- •Starting from scratch with limited capital and no fallback
- 35:59 – 40:39
Survival psychology and the 10/80/10 model: why people live or die
Mike cites survival psychology research to explain how people behave in catastrophes. The 10/80/10 breakdown becomes a foundation for his training philosophy: decision-making under stress and lifestyle integration beat gear collecting.
- •John Leach’s ‘Survival Psychology’ and the 10/80/10 framework
- •Top 10%: rapid decisions, adaptation, stress competence
- •Middle 80%: good intent but poor outcomes under pressure
- •Bottom 10%: fatal mistakes and panic behaviors
- •Preparedness as a lifestyle, not a hobby or shopping list
- 40:39 – 43:09
Comprehensive preparedness: family curriculum, homeschooling, and self-reliance skills
The conversation shifts to what Fieldcraft teaches beyond tactical topics: family systems, first aid, awareness, and even homeschooling support. Mike outlines an app, a long-form course, and a broader mission to reduce dependence on institutions.
- •Online + in-person training plus products and curriculum
- •‘62’ family preparedness program (12-week course)
- •Medical basics: tourniquets, wound care, first response mindset
- •Homeschooling modules and state-by-state flexibility issues
- •Book ‘Prepared’ and app launch timed to D-Day release
- 43:09 – 49:40
American Contingency and the ‘domestic terrorist’ label: deplatforming cascade
Mike details how American Contingency formed after CHAZ and local police non-response policies highlighted the need for community mutual aid. He then describes being labeled an extremist, leading to bans and sudden business shutdowns across platforms.
- •CHAZ as catalyst: ‘no response unless mass casualty’ policing guidance
- •American Contingency as community mutual-aid preparedness
- •FBI open-source analyst allegedly labeling the group extremist
- •Platform actions: Facebook bans, Shopify shutdown, suppression
- •Lack of due process, appeal paths, or specific cited violations
- 49:40 – 1:32:48
Proof of innocence, January 6 proximity risk, and the Ruby Ridge parallel
Joe and Mike criticize reversal of burden of proof—having to demonstrate non-involvement in events like January 6. They connect modern labeling dynamics to historical flashpoints like Ruby Ridge, emphasizing how escalation and mischaracterization can spiral.
- •Being required to ‘prove’ non-involvement in January 6
- •Risk of mislabeling given Mike’s background and visibility
- •Ruby Ridge overview: escalation, family deaths, and ‘success’ framing
- •Government overreach, incentives, and lack of accountability
- •Community support (hat sales) as a stopgap for deplatforming damage
- 1:32:48 – 2:57:40
Resilience training: stress inoculation, comfort crisis, and rebuilding real community
They broaden from censorship into what preparedness should really cultivate: resilience, fitness, stress performance, and in-person connection. Mike argues modern life and phones erode adaptation; training must include exertion, breath, mindset, and community rituals.
- •Crime/homelessness trends as signals of declining resilience
- •Comfort crisis: indoor living, dopamine loops, and reduced hardiness
- •Stress shoots and physical exertion to reveal skill breakdown
- •Hyperarousal vs. hypoarousal (freeze response) and survival behavior
- •Community-building events (‘rewilding,’ breaking bread) as the real antidote
