Ep 12: Chris Whitcomb on How to Survive in any Environment

Chris “Whit” Whitcomb is a best-selling author and former member of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, spending 15 years with the unit. 

He has worked extensively with foreign and domestic intelligence agencies in some of the most dangerous locations in the world, including Afghanistan, Kosovo, Israel, and Somalia, and has been awarded numerous citations and awards including the FBI's Medal of Bravery. 

Since leaving the FBI, Chis has worked as an on-air Global Security Advisor for NBC News, was nominated for a Peabody Award, and has appeared on dozens of TV and radio programs including The Today Show, Meet the Press, The Daily Show, Larry King Live, and more. 

Whit is the best-selling author of three books, including Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team; Black; and White. 

Quotes: 

• “Survival is a mindset”
• “Live life to the fullest”
• "Live adventure!"

Topics Discussed: 

• Chris's extensive travel experience 
• His accidental interaction with a grizzly bear and a moose on the same day
• An almost deadly rattlesnake encounter while going through sniper school
• How he narrowly escaped crossing Africa while being chased by an armed posse
• Why risk mitigation is the most important survival skill to master
• How a preparation mindset is the key to survival in any situation
• Essential gear to always keep on you wherever you are
• Why buying products made in the USA is almost always best
• The biggest life lessons Chris has learned spending time in nature
• Why growing up Chris wanted to be Ernest Hemingway
• How a late night drunken card game with Brad Pitt lead to becoming a published author
• What books and authors have had the biggest influence on Whit

Resources Mentioned:

• Chris's Amazon author page
• Chris's Wikipedia profile
• Fieldcraft Survival
• Hurricane matches
• Signaling mirror
• First Aid kit
• Patagonia
• The North Face
• Book: The Sun Also Rises
• Book: The Catcher in the Rye
• Book: Cold Mountain
• Book: Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West
• Author: Cormac McCarthy
• Author: Charles Frasier
• Author: Jeffrey Lent
• Joe Rogan Podcast
• Chris's analysis of movie hostage rescue scenes