James Yeager's Bug Out

I don't normally push the sites or blogs of others, but for this one I will. The Tactical Response Guru has made a recent video set on youtube that goes over his kit, his ideas and his use of the kit, with a complete after action report. I will say that the entire thing was fairly well done.  JamesYeager Channel

He went out for 24 hours and documented how bad life sucked when you make poor choices, he also allowed others to guide his bad choices by listening to the comments on his Youtube channel. As with any digital media, the internet ninjas came out in full force and spewed pathfinder school doctrine as well as the ideas of "experts" from the blog world. I'm sure a million people told him he'd die if he didn't take a metal water container.

There are a bunch of people out there who think he's an asshole. You're right, he is. That's part of his appeal in the mindset. He is Mr. Anti Establishment and is proud to be politically incorrect. Some of his training is spot on, some I disagree with. I guess that's why he has me blocked on Facebook! So do many other anti 2A groups, but he's the first Pro 2A blocking so I must be doing something right. If people can't debate you, they block you! All that aside, I personally know people who have taken his classes and raved about how much fun they were, how hard it was and how much they learned. That's a good sign, maybe I'll go and take a class with him sometime, maybe not.

In his first video, he has a very small, adequate pack for summertime ops in a small area of operation (AO). The pack I use is a bit smaller than the one he's showing, but is a side slung type with a hidden gun compartment. Inside his pack is a mess of stuff he plans to test and make due with. None of it looks well thought out, nor does it seem to make a complete system for a person trying to cover a limited area with a minimum number of items. Some of the stuff is for testing alone, but there is a ton of it and not much of it was tested after the terrain, poor pack choice, and a poor choice of footwear kicked his butt.

Go watch for yourself and you'll see some questionable choices and some sage advice for planning. I guess that's why it bothered me so much. He's a sharp guy, he knows better than to go out with untested gear and expect optimal results. The look on his face after one of his stops says it all. The "This Sucks" is written on his forhead! He admitted to choosing the wrong pack, it wasn't a cohesive system and that was it's biggest flaw.

As far as his chosen items go, he talked about not setting up a camp in a true emergency, but he chose to this time to test gear, I get that. That choice really screwed up his system because he had to carry items he wouldn't normally use in an emergency travel situation. The test was skewed from the get go. In an appropriate situation, I'm sure James would have a proper kit for the job, but in this "Test" case, in was a total cluster.It was successful because of his determination and grit, but it sucked much worse than it needed to.

Now, I'm not nearly the expert he is, but I'd have done the entire process in a totally different manner. First off, an A to B travel in an emergency situation isn't going to be stealthy because of the fall leaves. You're not going to be able to operate with impunity and have control over an area unless you have a large number of people in your group, which would preclude any need for an Emergency Evac. Since you can't be stealthy, you better look as innocuous as possible. Carrying a chest rig and an AK makes you a threat, and without rule of law, a threat is to be eliminated.

What does that mean? It means that commercial backpacking gear, or even a simple backpack is both simple and useful. It makes you look less tactical, less of a threat. Most commercial gear is lighter and more practical to begin with, so why not enjoy it?

My choice of gear for a short travel situation is pretty simple. I carry a kit in my vehicle for this very purpose. It's very small so it will fit underneath my seats. It's primary purpose is a med kit, so the med kit inside is pretty extensive. The secondary function is as a travel bag. I can choose to utilize it with a slung Remmy 870 that's also a regular part of the vehicle load. The equipment list is:

Optics planet OPMOD sling pack in OD Green
ITS Tactical universal velcro holster
Glock 26 with Clip draw and Saf-T-Block installed
2 spare mags
Med kit
2-20oz water bottles
4 Cliff bars
Medical shears (I replaced the black and red set with OD set)
Small pocket knife
Splint
Kleenex
sanitizer
Beofeng 5u radio with 14" upright and earpiece
Water tabs
tourniquet in holder outside the bag
collapsible baton
notepad and pen
flashlight, spare bulb and batteries
zip ties
mini lighter
cordage
Pick set
casualty tarp
solar blanket
gloves
ranger bands
gorilla tape

If I were planning to sleep on the way, as in a multi day excursion, I would have to use a larger pack for sleeping gear. 50 liters or better.

As far as layered clothes, I'd wear my normal layers for comfort. For shoes it would be either my Brooks Cascadia 8's or Merrill hiking shoes. Darn tough socks, Blackhawk Tactical pants, Uncle mikes belt, synthetic t shirt, synthetic fleece base layer, carhart quick ducks shell, fleece UA watch cap. If it's going to be butt freezing cold, add in an Under Armour cold gear base layer.

This spring I did a 10 mile overnight camping trip much like James did, with a majority of the trip on the first day. For that trip, I took a 3 day pack with familiar backpacking gear. The gear list was increased slightly due to being responsible for 10 youngsters under 15 going on the trip as well. The trip was all rugged trail hiking with around a thousand feet in elevation change. We bushwacked to a secluded camping spot and set up tents and hammocks for the night. My packing list:

NC star cheapo 3 day assault pack
Camelback 2 quart bladder
Stainless 2 cup bowl
Ti long spoon
Esbit folding stove with tabs
used water bottle- 1 liter from Brisk tea.
Katadyn hiker pro filter with a hydrolink connection for my bladder
2 mountain house meals
GORP
2 cliff bars
Compass and Topo map
Spare socks
Dri Ducks rain gear
Tarp- 6x8
Grand Trunk ultralight Hammock
Cordage for the tarp
Hammock straps
lightweight stakes for tarp
Lighter
Spice kit
Cards
Hard shell for sunglasses
Phone and solar charger
Headlamp
surplus patrol bag
inflatable pillow
spare batteries
Dopp kit
wet wipes
bug juice
First aid kit

 This was the whole setup at the camp. The pack was under 19 lbs and was a breeze to carry. I like to put a hiking pole under a corner of the tarp to make it easier to get in the hammock and it acts like a table when sorting gear. If you've never used a hammock, try it. Best nights sleep you'll ever get in the woods.

The difference between a rough night and a comfy one is about 10 lbs, so choose wisely. If you're really in a bad situation, getting to your secondary location is the foremost item on the list, so pack light and get moving. Sleep and eats are optional. Nut up and move those shoes!

I think James did a good job talking about the experiment, his advice was solid and the commentary covered what is required. It all went to hell when he packed his bag and left. A successful experiment is one you learn from, so mission accomplished there.The fact that he is trying to inform people and teach some skills to those without is a wonderful thing. Most people choose to implore people, others inform and educate. James is out there doing it, making videos documenting his experiences and techniques. He's done way more than I have to inform the public, so who am I to judge? Hopefully he takes this as constructive criticism, and not bashing, but who knows. The man who charges ahead leaves his back open to the daggers of those that follow. It's easy for people to find fault in those who are leading the charge, especially from that person's couch.

The one thing I know he's dead wrong about is that he traded in a Yamaha for a KawardSaki. That's farm animal stupid if you ask me! Good lookin bike though, hopefully it works out for him. Ever been to Deals Gap?

I bleed Blue!

Random Thoughts on Everything.

The (Not) Affordable Care Act. Anyone dumb enough to believe you can add an extra tier of government, mandate a higher standard of coverage and curtail the number of insurance providers without increasing the costs is a special kind of stupid.

The Iran Nuke deal. They get their money back, more centrifuges, and a faster timeline to building a bomb. We get a promise they won't build a bomb. Great Idea!!!!!

Another School Shooting. As long as society continues to raise feral street children and doesn't make them pay for their crimes, it will continue. Drugs- legal and not are responsible for many of these shootings. If you think gun control is the answer, go rip out your mailbox and see if the bills stop coming in.

Inflation. They say it's marginal, but I live in the real world and prices continue to increase. It's not going to stop while the fed's printing money.

The Government. It's morally and financially bankrupt. It has no purpose past self preservation and further inhibiting the populace. Every day they try to take away our rights, one bill at a time, while they spy on us like the Stazi fascists they are. It's time for them to be removed by any means necessary.

No matter which party is in power, the people are persecuted.

More later, I have many posts to finish!

The Shutdown

If it were only that easy. Just pull the plug and it all stops! The endless laws that curtail freedom, the least of our society living off the best, The best feeding off the least, the subjugation of our lives and wealth all ended at the flick of the switch. We have found out that none of that is true, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that the inverse is reality.

Our rulers have decided, (without influence from the electorate) that it's best for the country to feel the "shutdown" as an affliction instead of a stumbling block. They have seen fit to spend more money locking people out of parks and making the shutdown felt as roughly as possible. Instead of the federal police and rangers patrolling the sites and ensuring a safe place to enjoy the parks that were bought and paid for with public money, they have decided to shut them off to spite everyone, paying overtime and renting barricades to ensure the (still taxed) public is kept at bay. This is shameful to say the least, and criminal at best.

If you remember the horrible "Sequester" cuts that came and passed without much notice, you will remember that the powers that be did their best to make sure that the cuts were felt as deeply as possible. The sequester cuts were also meant to inflict as much pain as possible so that our leaders could have a little solace in not getting their way. "We'll show them" has become the mantra of the elitist ruling class. The only ones not affected are those deemed politically motivating to the establishment. 

Why have the bankruptcy advocates (Congress) made the Affordable Care Act out as the scapegoat? In all reality, the ACA is just another entitlement program that will further impoverish the country. Sooner or later bankrupting us and our children into the 3rd world country we deserve to be for squandering the greatest wealth the world will ever see. We will all feel the pain eventually, there is no way to avoid it! Our society cannot sustain itself.

Our country is further divided ideologically, and our "benefactors" in Washington continue to feed on that division with a diabolical efficiency. The people are their own worst enemy for believing in the hate and foul behavior of the electorate. That division gives them the power they need to ensure that the moderates will never control the government. Only rabid left or right wing idealists will be chosen to keep the country on the brink of civil war for the foreseeable future. The complicit media is riding shotgun for this joyride to the brink of disaster and is (currently) exempt from any form of responsibility for the outcome.

Everyone is so busy pointing fingers and muttering the words so eloquently prefaced in any of Rand's novels, "It's not my fault, there was nothing I could do!"  that they have no interest in the tragic events that are about to befall this once great nation.

This country is STILL legally required to spend more money than it takes in. There is no way to stop that slide unless everyone s willing to take control of their destiny. We all want to get as much tax money as possible back under our purview as possible. It's the American way! We have all become experts on how to spend other people's money, how best to bankrupt those opposed to us. The middle class wants to keep their money, bankrupting just about everyone! The poor, rich and electorate want to suck the middle class dry because they are the biggest demographic. The problem is that the middle class is shrinking due to the taxation and regulation of industry and small business. Not just at the federal level, but in many localities, the city and state government is soaking them for as much tax money as possible.

Where does this lead us? Let's look at the facts. Shrinking tax base, higher taxes. More poor, higher taxes. More bailouts and pork barrel spending, higher taxes. Illegal aliens demanding benefits, higher taxes. Electorate raises, higher taxes. More government employees, higher taxes. All this leads to a shrinking tax base and an unending cycle of failure.

There's a certain point where we will have a shutdown because there will no longer be lenders willing to borrow from. Then what? Just like in current times, the electorate and elitists will choose to make the middle class suffer the hardest. New revenue sources will be required to keep the unruly beast in Washington fed. They will squeeze until they are told to stop, then they will squeeze harder, with no pretense on helping American families. At that point we will have to remove them from the population in order to survive.

People will suffer, the economy will suffer as well if we end the debt cycle. The renewed economic cycle will allow the economy and the people to heal. Federal jobs will be lost on a wholesale scale. Unemployment will skyrocket and there will be a huge depression. That same unemployment will be the greatest thing to happen to America since the industrial revolution. Once again, family businesses and a cottage industry will begin to reign supreme. Quality products and foods will once again find their way to market. The same types of businesses that started this nation will once again be the backbone of society. Work hard and prosper!

We have a choice, pay now or pay more later. In order to pay now, we must remove political parties from the landscape of politics, with whatever means necessary. We have to take a good hard look in the mirror and decide to let the government falter at the federal level. States must have more rights and responsibilities to govern the people within the framework of the constitution. The federal government's role MUST be held to those required responsibilities listed in the constitution. All others are left to the people, or the states. The constitution must be the only Agenda in the thoughts and minds of those in power in Washington.

The further we've gotten away from the ideals of the founding fathers, the worse our quality of life has been. In order to be free, we must throw off the chains of financial servitude to the ruling class. They will "Make it hurt" every chance they get.

Do your part, run for office as an independent and vote for independents. The last option we have requires effort and good marksmanship. Let's not go there unless we have no other choice.

Knowledge is power, so let's make it illegal.

Indiana Man gets eight months for lie detector fraud

The powers that be build a physiological test, and then use it to judge your employ-ability. You "Study" for the test and they throw the teacher in jail for fraud because his methods work. In what alternate reality can you consider disseminating non classified knowledge as a crime?

This is the epitome of tyranny. When the authorities use a tool against the citizens, and then the citizens utilize the same tool as a countermeasure, it's decidedly illegal. When the time comes and the people use the same tactics of silencing those that oppose them, (4GW) what happens then? As with the Reese Family federal destruction campaign, the oppressors will use unlimited resources to overcome you. They will do so legally and there is nothing you can do about it. Well, there are things you can do, but I'm not sure the powers at be will be ready for those unintended consequences. After all, we do outnumber our masters.

The tyrannical continue to back people into a corner, and when they utilize knowledge, skill, cunning, and morality to defeat the tyrannical, what happens? The tyrannical fight back using the media, legal sabotage and seizure laws to overcome the opposition at any cost. When the morally just are backed into a corner, they have 2 choices. Give up or fight back. If they choose the first option, all is lost.Sometimes, a person decides they have nothing left to lose. When that happens, the hunted can become the hunter. Unintended consequences is the evil stepmother to the tyrants. The truth eventually comes out.

Hannah Senesh was a Jewish POW in Budapest. During her court hearing, she accused the Hungarians of conspiring with the Nazi's and told the judges that their enemies were at the gates and the truth of what happened there would someday come out. They needed to consider that before passing judgement. She was executed shortly before Budapest was liberated.

Demonizing the Righteous is a long standing tradition amongst the oppressors throughout history. As with the current regime, they target groups that oppose them using every avenue they can, regardless of the legality. All those alphabet soup agencies descend upon the righteous and investigate them into oblivion. Even if charges are dropped, never issued or you are cleared, you will never again be the same person. They will cost you your reputation, livelihood, tax status, civil rights, privacy and confidence.

We all must exercise the moral imperative to defy, resist evade and smuggle. Sometime we must smuggle information, sometimes it's religion, other times it's the tools required to overcome tyranny. Embrace the obligation to question authority. It's what makes for a good American and a great Patriot.

Your Smallest and Greatest Security Risk

I'm an avid Smartphone user. Due to my vocation, it's a necessary evil that I must use to schedule, Email, text and invoice customers and students. Without it, my day would be longer and I would have less fluidity with my customers. They like immediate responses to Email and phone calls. Technology today has brought communication on any medium to a seamless procession of information. This (when used properly) can make you more productive and more popular than the competition.

Unfortunately, it can also make you a target. There are mass reports of stolen passwords and Email accounts, deceptive hotspots, government spying, malware, spyware and many other issues that can make the smartphone your greatest enemy. The greatest threat to is to your personal security.

How many times do you see someone walking while using their phone? Zero situational awareness, danger avoidance or situational control. You might as well close your eyes and walk into traffic! Even the simplest things can be dangerous. Light poles, bollards, curbs, shrubs, and uneven surfaces can bring you great pain. These wouldn't be a bother if you would get your head out of your phone!

A few tricks to keeping your phone safe. Turn off the bluetooth transponder and never use an open WiFi hotspot. Many are fakes that are there to steal your login info and send inappropriate Emails to your contacts. Never leave the phone out in public. Some phones have known faults that can allow hackers to access it. If they see what type of phone you have, they might be able to access one of those faults.

Password protect your phone. Change the password every month. Secure your phone with a protection application that takes a picture of anyone who enters a wrong password. This will help identify a possible security threat.

Another threat is to have yourself filmed saying something inappropriate. In today's society, we have a large chance of being filmed when we least expect it. I've used this tactic myself when I was entering into a gentleman's agreement with another party that I felt wasn't going to be honored. Upon first learning of the breach of contract, I simply sent the person an Email with a youtube link of the conversation. Problem solved. Check your local laws on this, they aren't the same everywhere.

Text messages and Emails are forever. They can be accessed by civil and private entities at any time. Never text or Email something you don't want people to know about at a later date. This includes medical or psychological information about family members. Any communication is fair game these days.

I've long bemoaned the use of a phone over polite conversation, especially at an eating establishment or family outing. I can't tell you how many times I've seen 4 people sitting down to eat and all 4 are on their phones instead of talking. Small talk will be a lost art in 20 years.

A smartphone is an invaluable tool for today's economic and social environment due to it's ability to multitask and help the user keep on schedule and in contact. As long as you are careful and always vigilant, you should be safe. My emergency kit doesn't have a traceable smart phone, it has an untraceable dumb phone.

Gear Review: HK Epidemic Auto Knife

With the recent law change that allows the fine citizens of Indiana to carry auto knives again, I decided to go ahead and upgrade my knife. The options were endless for side opening and out the front models. The Benchmade Infidel was a top choice, but I don't care for a double edged blade. The side autos I saw seemed too easily opened unless it had a safety that defeated the idea of an auto opening blade. If I want an auto, I want a fast, one hand opening unit that will last. After looking at many options, I chose the HK Epidemic auto knife for daily carry duty.

This quality knife has several features I really liked, and some I wasn't aware of until I received it. The action is fast and strong. If you hit something while opening it, all you have to do is flick your wrist to get it all the way out. The button action is sturdy, so there is very little chance of inadvertently opening the knife in your pocket. The pocket clip is extremely solid, it can be difficult to get it in your pocket if you have reinforced pocket tops. Getting it out of your pocket is always smooth. The side actuating button is another feature I liked over the Infidel, it leaves the hand in a more natural position after you've opened the knife. It also makes incidental operation less likely because you can't lean against something and hit the button against your leg, where it might be uncomfortable even if it doesn't actuate.

The blade itself is D2 tool steel. It's a very strong steel that holds an edge very well. Corrosion resistance isn't as good as I would like, but it's more than fine for most people. I didn't have to sharpen the knife for over a month when I started using it. That's 2x longer than most knives I've used. I should have come to expect this from a knife made by Benchmade, they make great stuff! Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that! Yes, this knife is entirely made by Benchmade and sells for less than half the MSRP of the Infidel.

The only drawbacks I've found on this knife is the large case. It's not as slim as I like but not so bad as to be bothersome while wearing pants or athletic shorts. The case is a little boxy and has some sharp edges on the inlay machining, but nothing that bothers me while using the knife. The anodizing has begun to wear off, but that's to be expected on a tool I use as much as I do a knife.

Overall, this knife is a sure winner in the auto market. It's durable with good quality steel and a stout clip that should last for years. This one's a keeper!

Gear Review: Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Hammock

The scout troop I'm an adult leader for made a trip to a mosquito infested swamp that was once a strip coal mine. On that trip, the mosquitoes were so bad that many were kept awake at night due to the constant buzzing in your ears. I have a small life hack that helps, but it was still miserable. 80+ degrees, raining and buggy as it gets makes for a long night. If I was covered in my patrol bag, I was hot and sweaty. If I chose to uncover, my deet wouldn't last very long and I'd be awakened by constant biting. It was really a no win situation.

At the time I was using a Grand Trunk lightweight hammock and it worked great for normal conditions. A simple tarp was used to cover my sleeping area. This picture is from another stay a month or so before the fated swamp stay. Same equipment though. The only thing that kept me sane was a small head net and a baseball cap to keep it off my face while I slept.

 After that weekend of little sleep and many bites, I decided to look into a way to keep the little buggers off me and out of my ears while I slept. I searched the web for an option and even looked at the army surplus stores. After much research, the Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro was on the radar. I waited until Amazon had a sale and snagged one at a decent discount. I'm sure they will have them on discount in the off season this year.

The Skeeter Beeter hammock has a 400lb capacity and is big enough to fit two people if you're in a pinch. The material is a similar consistency to the standard lightweight units, but this one is constructed of at least two different color fabrics. The netting is super small matrix mesh netting with elastic banding sewn into the netting. One side has a very well made and easy to use zipper for entry/exit. It goes 80% of the way down the side of the hammock to make entry a breeze. You can even use a toe to open the zipper by pushing it down the side with your foot! The sides are high walled and keep the light and wind from intruding into the hammock.

 The unit comes with a couple pieces of rope and some elastic cord to hold the netting up above the hammock and off the user. The rope is fairly small, and if you have a decent size tree, it will be difficult, if not impossible to get it  around the tree. Being a high walled design, it's not the best for the more flat style, offset sleeping some can be used for. You definitely sleep in it, not on it. If you stretch it tight, side sleeping is fairly comfortable.

Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a summertime hammock that effectively keeps the bugs off and is durable for extended use. I've used the item many times now and will continue to do so as long as the bugs are out. Once the bugs go away, I'll go back to the lightweight unit I use regularly. It's lighter and better for side sleeping. It has the same bug issue that most hammocks do, they can bite through the bottom and get you that way. You will need to get something under you to protect yourself.

The Pros: Big, with a high weight limit. Comes ready to set up, no extra stuff needed. It works well and sleeps comfortably. I've never had to worry about bugs keeping me awake while using it.

The Cons: Not great for side sleeping. Slightly heavier and bigger than a standard model. Could use longer ropes than the ones it comes with. Slower setup than a standard model.

This Item was purchased with my own money and is intended for my personal use. I was not paid to review the item, nor have I been offered any deals for a favorable review.

Witless Protection

Why has our society become so fascinated with failure? Every day we hear of the atrocities committed on other humans at the hands of their family, neighbors, community and government. This atmosphere of complete failure continues to make "The pursuit of happiness" an impossible task due to the pressure of the world coming to bear on the shoulders of prudent citizens. The honest, hard working citizen of the United States is responsible for funding so many failure based policies and contingencies that they cannot cope with the financial or moral burden they are carrying. The seemingly best way to cope is to ignore it all. Ignore the money stolen from your check, ignore the fact that the cities they support cannot afford to keep criminals in jail due to bloated budgets and political greed. Criminals have more rights than the people that support them. Failure wins again!

Let's look at the causes of the societal failures. Who has the right to life in our society? Everyone once they fall out of a vagina within the US and her territories. As a society we have laws stating that each of us is created equal in the eyes of the law. Unfortunately that idea and rule of law has been twisted to the point that it's no longer recognizable to us. The right to life has been expanded to the point that they have the right to live at your expense. That means their right to life trumps your right to life if you have enough to share. Rewarding failure becomes common place.

Our fiscal policies reward failure. The more dependent upon the government we become, the more they take from us. Individual liberties are being stripped from us at an alarming rate in recent history. This practice is failure based, to protect the people from themselves. The less free we are, the better we become at mediocrity. The more gifted a student or entrepreneur, the more they are depended upon to provide for the less fortunate or less gifted.

Criminals have more rights than I do. They have the right to eat 3 times a day, the right to cable TV and a free place to stay with a stipend for good behavior. I get none of these things guaranteed to me, I have to work for them. I rarely get a lunch break, I don't have cable TV and I have to pay for the roof over my head. Failure rules supreme!

If you've failed so miserably that you cannot feed, house, or cloth yourself- No worries, we've got you covered. We will further reward you if you have children you can't afford! Yes folks, this is how we do it here in the USA. Let's not stop there, lets look at the other side of the same coin. Businesses are also failing to provide profits, so instead, they buy a politician to insert language into a law that will subsidize their bottom line. Rewarding failure, once again.

The government subsidizes alternative energy companies instead of the universities that have fresh minds to solve problems. The companies then continue to fail because if they succeed, they will be penalized. They aren't held accountable for the funds, so the investment disappears. Why not let the market decide which innovation is worth investing in? Crazy to think anything else is the prudent path.

We will continue to fail as long as we choose to reward failure. The political elite, corporations and the destitute don't have any real consequences to their actions, the honest citizens get to pick up the tab and clean up the mess. What a reward for being the backbone of society. If you screw up bad enough, you might even get your own reality show!

Lightweight Backpacking.

Of the many skills a prepared person or group can master, I find that backpacking is the culmination of the preparedness mindset. You take everything you will need and throw it in a pack and take off into the wilderness to test your skills. We are taught to plan for every possible issue, but doing so while backpacking can cause one to be terribly overloaded. This leaves us to ponder what we can do to maximize our load with gear that is truly multipurpose and lightweight. I've been looking at Brian Green's backpacking Blog at http://briangreen.net/ for some great information on the subject. Another great place to look for info is on different blogs used to track the progress of hikers on the Appalachian trail. You can do a search anywhere to find useful information on what works and what doesn't from the people doing 10 miles a day every day for months.

In my limited experience, I've found that many rather economical items are more than serviceable. Over thinking the items you choose or over packing is a huge issue.The simplest items can be the best choices for overcoming a situation. Never leave the basics behind. Paracord, gorilla tape, extra clasps, clothes pins, lashings and extra lightweight tent stakes are invaluable when needed.


My economical lightweight packing list:

"The big 3"
Shelter
-Ultralight hammock by Grand Trunk-$24.19 at Amazon
-6x8 lightweight tarp- $4.99 at Menards
-Stansport tree savers
Sleeping bag
-USGI surplus patrol sleeping bag-$16.98 from Arnygear.net
-cocoon inflatable pillow
Pack
-NC star VISM backpack- $28.72 from amazon

Added equipment:
-Camelback bladder with Mil Spec attachments and big bite mouthpiece and cover.
-98% DEET bug spray
-Write in the rain spiral notepad and golf pencil
-old garmin GPS w/ extra batteries
-First aid kit
-Dopp kit
-Headband light w/ extra batteries
-Shemaugh
-Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter
-2 cup stainless steel camping cup
- Esbit folding camp stove with fuel tabs
- Aluminum mess kit
-Head net
-Microfiber towel
-paracord

Food:
Mountain house meals
Tea & Coffee
Sugar
Spice kit
Trail mix

Without extra scout gear and a backup water filter I'm sitting at 17lbs without water. Pretty good without going high end. With high end gear you can drop another 4-6 pounds.



I'm an adult leader with a local scout program and I personally set up the trek for this weekend in very rugged terrain. I handed out my heavier extra gear to some of the scouts that had none as well as my kids lightweight gear since they couldn't attend. The Friday night before we set out on our adventure, myself and the other adult leader tore through packs and dropped an average of 5 lbs from everyone's pack. It seems that every kid in the troop was packing for a weeks hike.

You have to get past that mentality. Every hike, every weekend trip, evaluate your gear. Drop what you don't need or use. Especially that big manly knife you carry. It's not often you will need anything longer than 2".

Gear Review: Savage Axis SR

Last fall I purchased a used Savage Axis SR in 223 for 200 bucks off the local firearm forum Indiana gun owners, AKA INGO. I was wanting a knock around bush gun so I was hoping this rifle would fit the bill. I found that the gun retails at 395 and comes with a  4 round detachable magazine. After I picked it up I was pleasantly surprised by the new action. It's slightly less clunky than the FP10LE that was already in the safe. The trigger is of a proper weight and feel for a hunting rifle, very crisp. The SR version comes with a 1/2-28 threaded barrel for attaching a proper hush item or brake. The thin barrel is perfect for a hunting applications and carrying on a long hike. The rifle weighs just 6.5lb but that means it has a lightweight plastic stock, the rifles biggest detriment. Adding a padded ammo carrier helps raise the comb enough to make the rifle useful.

I was happy to also find the previous owner had installed some weaver 2 piece bases for optics. There are no provisions for sights. I had an extra Leupold 3.5-10x tactical scope so I slapped it on there and headed to the range. After getting the rifle zeroed and got a few rounds down range to get used to it, I set about testing it's accuracy with a range of ammo. The first I tried was 55g xs/xp hornady. It shot right at an inch, just over at 1.188 center to center. I then shot some 52g sierra match rounds. They did well at .805 center to center. The best group of the day was the 69g sierra match kings at .686 center to center. Recoil was noticeable and it was tough to follow your shot in the scope.

With a suppression device attached, the pencil barrel had issue supporting the weight and the POI or Point Of Impact dropped 3.1 inches with no side drift. I was very pleased with the results. This cheap gun will be a great addition and fill the "Walkabout" gun position I need filled.

Boston: Proof that the US is losing the war on Terror.

The terrorist attack on Boston was further proof that the government is inept at protecting the people. The power to protect ourselves is paramount to our safety. The citizens are the best source of intelligence and the most motivated entity to ensure our lives and our future is secure.

Thousands of police were goaded into action by the administration to crush the rights of the citizens of Boston. Warrantless house to house searches were caught on camera and the FBI was on scene to ensure things were as fouled up as possible. Without a doubt, the terrorism was continued but this time by the authorities. It's wrong, it's illegal and the citizens should have resisted. The sheep were willing to cow to the will of big brother and refused to fight back like the good little sheep they are. What a pathetic display of Collectivism and complicit behavior. They deserve the masters they have put into power.

What the authorities did in response to the bombings was just as bad as the bombing itself. The trusted keepers of the peace broke the law and defiled those that lost their lives by taking the rights of the citizens and throwing them aside without a second though. The casualties grew as each door was kicked in and each sovereign citizen was searched illegally.Not only do the citizens have to fear the bombs of the terrorists, but the rifles and boots of the stormtroopers at their door. At least no innocent bystanders where shot up this time when the police state overstepped its bounds.

Once the veil of oppression was lifted, an honest citizen discovered the terrorist cowering in a boat on his property. Had the police not enacted the illegal state of martial law, the whole ordeal could have been over long before. Once again, pathetic.

The feds continue to allow our already porous border to be legally hopped by terrorists and those who wish us harm. The powerless are made powerful as they stand behind armies with cannons on the ready to mow down dissenters and those who don't agree with their convoluted version of the democracy we have become. The lemmings act as lions, even though they have no power past that they choose to exert with the very weapons they choose to hate. The citizens who choose to oppose tyranny are oppressed and ridiculed into inaction. The communists in office know that fear is the only motivator that will allow them total censure of the constitution- in the name of safety.

The terrorists have won. They have taken our rights and abridged them to the point that the country is unrecognizable as the bastion of freedom and equality it once was. The elected officials have become the terrorists agents in this land. They pass laws that only abridge the rights of the citizens. They choose to empower those that choose to give nothing back to the country that supports them. They continue to aid terrorist states and embolden enemy agents while ignoring the god given right of their countrymen. Tyranny is here.

Civil disobedience is the only answer. Do the right thing, oppose the terrorists and quit obeying those that wish to oppress us. Take their power away, once they realize they cannot control us, they will attempt to kill or imprison us. The day that happens, we can openly engage them. We give them the power to oppress us, take it from them. Disobey!

III

Pathetic act of the week. The first lady of the US skipping out on visiting the victims of the bombing, only to visit a Saudi foreign national suspected of being part of the bombing plot. So telling.

Firearms Selection

So many "experts" get hung up on having every gun under the sun to defend themselves. They feel they must have brand X or Y with these certain features and in this color with exactly the caliber they say. What a bunch of hooey. There are a few things you do NEED to have.

1. A functioning firearm
2. Cleaning kit for said firearm
3. Ammunition for the same firearm.
4. The skill to use it.

For a long time I've helped out from time to time at a gun shop that prides itself on making a customer for life out of the people who tread through the door. Over the last 17 years of hanging out there and buying hundreds of guns from the guys there, I've found many words of wisdom. The first of those being, beware the man with one gun, he more than likely knows how to use it.

Don't get hung up on which brand is the best or what sight system is optimal for certain conditions. The gun you have in your hand is the one that can get you out of trouble. The 16 in the safe are useless when you can't get to them.

Characteristics of a good firearm.

1. Functional 100% of the time
2. Sights you can see
3. Easy to use
4. Easy to reload
5. Proper weight and length for you to use in most environments
6. A caliber that is readily available
7. Accurate enough for your needs

If the gun won't work unless you jiggle the hammer a little, it's useless. If you can't aim it, why bother. If it's a single shot bolt action, you might have trouble with multiple targets. The L82A1 Barrett is a bad machine, but can you carry it in the woods or along your property line? There are a bunch of really cool rifles out there in exotic calibers, but will that be any use to you if you can't feed it or afford to feed it.? Accurate enough means just that, as long as you can hit a dirtbag sized target at the ranges you will more than likely engage at, you're good to go.

Being a certified gun nut, I have more than I need. I have multiple calibers and multiple platforms for engagement from point blank out to 1500 meters. I'm not saying everyone needs that, but I sure like mine. All but a couple of my guns are common calibers. 22lr, 12ga, 380acp, 9mm, 38spl/357mag, 40SW, 45acp, 223 and 308. I do have a couple odd balls. A 10mm and 300Win Mag. Why? Because I can. Common calibers ensure you can more than likely scrounge ammo in any situation. The 2 uncommon calibers I have are the ones I CAN get ammo for these days. Scary, right? 10mm ammo is going for $50 a box now and 300 WM is about the same, but it's available if I was out. I can't say the same for common calibers.

What would I consider a good "Stash" of firearms?

22LR rifle
12ga shotgun
A carbine in a common caliber. 223/5.56, 7.62x39, 308, 30-06
A pistol that can be carried concealed in a caliber above 380acp and below 41 magnum.
A pocket pistol in 22mag, 32, 380 or 9mm.
A bolt action scoped center fire rifle in a common hunting caliber.

A collection like this would have an arm available to fit the needs of most people in a serious need to defend themselves or feed themselves. I will say this though, a man with a 10/22 rifle and home field advantage could put a hurting on some well trained operators.

There is no replacement for trigger time. The more you shoot the better you will become. Training will speed up your abilities as well. I really can't stress that enough. A good instructor can shorten your learning curve by years. They can short cut you past all the mistakes people make in the beginning and allow you to focus on proper techniques and build confidence in your abilities. If you think about it, it's the cheapest way to become a better shooter. You can shoot 10k rounds a year and get very good, or take a few classes at 500 a pop and be thousands of dollars ahead monetarily and months ahead as well.

Any machine that isn't used will fall into disrepair. Practice!

A large stock of ammo is secondary to being able to utilize the firearm. If you have stashed up thousands of rounds of ammo, but haven't trained because you wanted to hoard it, you're behind. Have a decent stash, but concentrate on keeping your skills sharp. That ammo will only do the next guy good if you lose your first gun fight because you're rusty.

In closing, I'll offer a last bit of sage advice. If you find yourself in a fair gunfight, your tactics suck. If I'm forced to defend my life, I'd prefer to take the shot at 600 yards with a high powered rifle. The less danger you put yourself in the better your chances of defeating the opposition.

What is wrong with you people?

So it's raining pretty hard this evening and my son's soccer coach decides he's going to go ahead and have practice anyway. I'm good with that so after practice I decide we're going to head to Hooters for dinner. While eating my 3 mile island wings I run into a guy I haven't seen since I quit racing in the late 90's. He and I are chatting and I see some gal letting her kids get their slimy fingers all over the people behind them, she even laughs about it. I look a little closer and I can see it's a lesbian couple and what seems to be a grandfather. The kids have mismatched shoes and dirty clothes while the moms have new jordans and gold chains, etc. The moms clothes were spotless and of the best ghetto name brands money can buy.

What the hell is wrong with you people? Take a little pride in your kids! Buy them some decent clothes and teach them to be polite and courteous. These hood rats will some day become the future of our society. Scary thought!

On their way out, one of the moms decides it's necessary to berate one of the children with profanity in order to get the child to speed up. Moral decay is the norm. Jerry Springer was created to make the morally corrupt feel like they are normal. This is what becomes of society under our current social model. Congratulations to all those who think everyone should be tolerant of the changing social structure. It's done so well the last few decades. Disgusting to think of what my children will have to put up with in the future. I wonder when Necrophilia will be a more mainstream sexual orientation? It's not hurting anyone. Silence is implied consent in many cases, so what now?

What is the reason we covet this decayed structure we call society? Because we're equal, right? Not even close. When will intelligence become the next controlled or hated social stigma? Those smart kids have it better than the rest of us, we need to dumb them down in order to make the job market more accessible to those of us with lower IQ's. Where does it end?

Our country wasn't created to care for people. It was created to guarantee the rights of the individual and the safety from foreign invasion. That's it. What we have now is so many Americans who loot and pollute the system that we will never be able to become a successful country til we drop the ballast. 3 layers of government is too many. 3 tax bills for competing services is too much. Why? Because it feeds the hungry, and the more hungry you are, the better you get fed in our screwed up system. The less you do and the less you contribute, the more you get from the system.

Gun laws are a sham and they know it.

When all is said and done, the nutjob that killed those kids in Connecticut broke over 100 laws to do so. He broke the laws to gain access to the weapons, broke the law to take them into a school zone, then broke it again by taking innocent lives. Do these Idiot congressional seat holders really think adding one more will make it all better? No. They could care less about those kids. They are standing on the graves of children in order to gain the political capitol required to pass unconstitutional laws.

Not a single law that has been proposed would have stopped or slowed the perpetrator. Think about that. These people are all aware that the laws won't help stop the violence. They don't care. They want to push their socialist agenda for any reason. Why waste a good tragedy when it's a good excuse to make the entire US like the war zone Chicago has become. I realize the murder rate has dropped a bit in the first 3 months of 2013, but that will change with the warmer weather. The frigid spring has kept the hooligans inside.

I don't see our twice elected leader of the executive branch wailing over the deaths of the kids in Chicago every night. He's never even mentioned how this law would help them, especially since they already have tougher laws than this on the books and it does nothing. Record murder rates year after year. Elsewhere in the US with proper gun laws, the rates continue to drop. Not even 150 miles away, Indianapolis is seeing the lowest murder rates in years. The legislature in Indy continues to loosed gun restrictions to ensure the public can exercise their birthright and protect themselves from crime, tyranny and oppression.

All the DOJ and ATF studies outline data in support of my position, yet the lawmakers ignore it. It's time to throw out the trash people. This next election cycle, find an oath keeper to run for your state seats. Install a patriot at all costs. The future generations depend on your actions to stave off a civil war. Unless you vote these dirtbags out, we will be forced into a liberation cycle just like so many civilizations before ours.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340941/doj-memo-assault-weapons-ban-unlikely-have-impact-gun-violence-eliana-johnson

Updates later today.

So many issues to speak to and out the collectivists.

Back from the Occupied Territory.

Well, that was quite a whirlwind trip, even for me. We drove from Indy to the Eastern tip of Long Island in an amazingly short time. We left at 5pm Sunday and were in South Hampton by 9am. It was decided that we needed to at least stroll along the beach for a minute. After seeing all the hurricane damage we found a spot to cross the dunes and nearly froze to death in the hard wind and 20 degree air.We collected sea shells and quartz rocks for the kids. The shells had ice in them, it was that cold.

We did our business and made the purchase needed by noon and headed for our next stop in Connecticut. We decided it would be best to take the ferry from Orient point to New London rather than attempt the horrific NJ/NY traffic. I was not thrilled with the crossing due to the fact that the only previous times I've been on a ferry, they were submerged. Not very confidence inspiring.

Once the crossing was complete, we headed for our next business transaction. Waterford I believe was the little backwater town we went to complete our final transaction. By the time we concluded business it was around 5pm. We found a decent hotel and headed for it while learning of an impending winter storm bearing down on us. Once we were settled into the hotel, we found a restaurant close by to our liking. It was a decent Italian place so we ate well for the first time on the trip. By this time I had been awake for 36 hours or more so I passed out when my head hit the pillow. We awoke at 4:30 to find we might as well sleep in due to the weather conditions. Let the plow trucks get things cleared before we try to make a pass through the mountains of Pennsyltucky. The drive was fairly arduous until at a fuel stop south of Cleveland, where I found that the alternator in the van I was driving had konked out. We found a shop willing to take the job and headed off the a bar/eatery close by. The service was lackluster to say the least.

Once the van was fixed, we were able to make good time and made it home by 2:30 am. we traveled 1840 miles in 2 1/2 days. Not including the ferry mileage. Mission accomplished.

What did I bring on my trip? My EDC carry bag/ Lightweight backpack with clothes and some snacks. Pretty basic! It's nice to know you can grab a small bag and know it's all you will need to get you through.

Heading to New York. Ugh

Off to the land of oppression and overzealous politicians. Wish me luck in my endeavors.

ITS Tactical AK build class at Rifle Dynamics

http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/learn-how-to-build-your-own-ak-with-the-rifle-dynamics-ak-builder-class/

Great read. As always, Information is lightweight, always available when you need it and once learned, needs no resupply. ITS is a valuable source for operational knowledge and tools for the informed. Using the skills learned on the site, I've expanded my usefulness and ability to overcome adversity.( AKA Locks)

A thorough read of their site is considered a requirement for a preparedness minded individual. I'm a big fan of their lightweight backpacking series and Ruck Up campaigns.

Insight into Collectivism.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Sheriff-Maketa-An-Injustive-Against-Our-Citizens-197282981.html

This Sheriff is speaking out about the change in process and the totalitarianism of the legislature by silencing the public.

Historically, any citizen would be allowed to speak if they arrived at the Capitol early and signed up on testimony records. Although sign up sheets were in place and citizens including myself signed up, we were completely disregarded. Minutes after I signed up to testify, I learned a different process would be utilized and testimony was based on three categories: experts, preferred witnesses, and public witnesses. No explanation was provided to define expert or preferred witness. I was told this decision was made by the senate president and the chairperson of the hearing committee. Additionally, experts would have no time constraints and all others would be restricted to three minutes. I was completely disheartened at what I was witnessing and this was exacerbated when I learned experts included an individual that was not a resident of Colorado who had no credentials to qualify as an expert except his spouse was a victim of the Tuscan Arizona shooting. He admitted he had not read the proposed bill and could not speak to any specifics regarding this bill. He encouraged Colorado to adopt universal background checks and close the gun show loophole, both of which already exist. Sadly, he testified with unlimited restriction as voters and taxpayers of this state sat helplessly as they were denied the right to testify during committee hearings.

Then the legislature went even further into the toilet bowl that is politics under fascist rule

 To add insult to injury, the following Wednesday, I received an email containing the following language from a member of County Sheriffs Of Colorado: “…I have been advised by a reliable source at the Capitol that the Dems are seriously not pleased with the CSOC positions on the gun bills, and given the potential for a real salary bill to be introduced as you shall see from a follow-up email from” (an unnamed sheriff), “support of SB197 would put us in a more favorable light for salary bill support from the Dems. I do not believe we would be sacrificing our principles or positions on the other gun bills by supporting SB197.” “...Please let us know what you think on this proposal ASAP as I need to get a letter from us to the Senate Dems before the close of business today.” As I see it, senate Dems have made it known, “sheriffs, obey or no pay for you.” The first word that comes to my mind is extortion. Again, I’m disheartened that the pay of sheriffs is threatened to gain compliance with the majority party leadership. Local elected officials’ pay is set by the legislature as stated in Colorado Law. The previous governor’s process brought the need for a pay increase before the legislature and that legislature is attempting to buy compliance. I have great admiration for my fellow sheriffs; they are true professionals with high morals and principles. Having served with many of them for years, I can say they are men of honor with a passion to serve and do what’s right. I will not speak for them, but I personally will not concede to these threats, stand by while coercive acts such as this go without mention, nor will I compromise my values and beliefs for a justified pay raise based on studies performed by a bi-partisan commission formed by the democrat leadership. To be clear, this salary recommendation would have no affect on me, as I am term limited. Setting salaries is the responsibility of the legislature. This authority should not be used as a tool of coercion, but unfortunately it appears to have become such a device and there is nothing to suggest otherwise."

This is a sad day for the people of colorado. Once a bastion of freedom and rugged America, it's now controlled by socialists and elitists. Time for the people to stand and fight their oppressors when their voice is taken from them.  Magpul needs to leave the area ASAP. There is no freedom to be found in colorado.

Leading a double life.

I lead a double life. Most people seem to these days. By day we stroll the hallowed halls of industry, talking on our smart phone and enjoy the every day conveniences we've been taught to be accustomed to. By night we seethe about the injustices done to us in the name of safety. In what foreign universe would this ever make sense? By day we are not only complicit, but complimentary of the injustices we are yolked with. How may you ask? Simple, our paychecks have the funds used to enslave us automatically deducted. We are feeding the very system used to control us!

It's a stark reality that many just can't fathom until it's shoved under their noses. The worst thing is that we can do very little about it. Without a way to support ourselves, we cannot survive! Maybe not; look at the 51 million people in America who are on Welfare or Food Stamps(131billion dollars). They are living just fine in subsidized housing. Or better yet, lets look to the hallowed halls that employ us. US corporations receive over 100 Billion in direct government monetary support. This doesn't include Tax incentives or loopholes. Cold hard cash only.

Makes it hard to go to work when you consider the implications. Who pays for it? Our kids will, as well as their kids. Without a doubt, there will come a day when Welfare systems associated with individuals and corporations will cease to exist. They are unsustainable in the long term and extremely costly in the short term when you consider what we are getting in return for our money. Bloated budgets, paid for government officials and representatives. Then we add interest on the national debt which must be paid!

The day it stops will be even more costly. People who have no understanding of debt and accountability will suddenly be cut off from their only means of survival besides crime, prostitution and begging. The corporate world will feel very limited impact, so why continue it in the age of huge national debt and soaring cost of living increases? Because it pays for the election campaign costs to get their sponsored Driver representative elected.

I'm a Christian. That slim minority forced into the shadows in favor of other more "Cool" religions that are being hoisted into the national spotlight as a "Protected" religion that cannot be questioned. Being a Christian means I have a set of values and beliefs I hold dear. My religion tells me to go out and preach to the people about the greatness of my God. I'd like to think I do more than I really do in that regard, but I digress. As an American, I cannot push my religion on someone who is unwilling to embrace it. That would be wrong. They must choose to follow! Anyone not choosing to follow isn't my enemy; I wish no harm to come to them if they are a non believer. I cannot hold them to the same values as I aspire to. I cannot stop them from engaging in acts that I disapprove of unless they are harming someone against their will or harming those without the ability or experience level to choose for themselves. This is the biggest juxtaposition in my life. I want people to live like I do, but I cannot legislate or force them to do so simply because I think it's best for them. That is wrong.

I have friends that goad me about my faith, other about my lack of it. I don't condemn them for their actions. It's well within their 1st amendment rights to speak as they wish, and my right to not listen should they cross the line. I will not wage war on them for disagreeing with me. They must take action or cause harm to me with their words or actions before I can, in good conscience, obstruct their rights to speak or act as they wish. It makes me wonder why it's illegal to yell "fire!" in a theater. If no person is injured by it, why is free speech squelched? Instead of making the act illegal, you have to hold people accountable for their actions when they endanger others. The mere act of saying a word IS protected under the first amendment, the culpability of the utterance is not.

 As I sit here watching the snow fall on a beautiful March night, I cannot help but think of all the laws that prohibit us from our rights guaranteed by the Founding Fathers in the Bill of Rights. Why is it that we are given a choice to do good or evil, yet when the choice is taken from us to do either, we fold and allow the henchmen of conformity to run roughshod over our God given rights. The constitution only enumerates those rights, God or the act of being born (if you're an Atheist) empowers you  to live your life as you so choose as long as you do not interfere in the lives of others. You have the same right to do nothing and die of starvation or live destitute on others' good will. When the repercussions of that choice are taken from you, so is the choice itself.

4th Generation Warfare Tactics Used by Dorner.

Let me Preface this entry by explaining that I'm not attempting to glorify his deeds. There are people dead that never wronged the man or even met him before he chose to take their lives. This has more to do with the unintended consequences of the police actions and tactics.

A single lightly equippped gunman has kept an entire city and surrounding cities police force polarized, exhausted and making mistakes in very short order. Can you imagine the decimation to the chain of command and morale had there been a small contingency of trained operatives doing small, coordinated attacks on the police? The confusion created would cause utter mayhem within hours of attack. Logistically the police wouldn't be able to staff or communicate effectively with their force. This would lead to further mistakes and injuries to both police and the public. The police aren't trained in military squad tactics unless they are a member of an elite team. Many aren't vets that understand the fog of war. They will act and communicate instinctively and clog the comms.

 This episode will cost the already cash strapped state and city millions of dollars to settle complaints and pay for the overtime of the officers. The drones, swat callouts and overtime will be an insurmountable amount of money. If this were to happen a couple times a month, how could the city and state possibly afford the financial burden?

The consequences of this episode has further eroded public trust, which plays right into the tenants of 4th gen warfare. Win the hearts of the people and the occupying force will lose intel sources and early warning signals. People were scared, terrified they might be mistakenly singled out as the person responsible for the episode. 2 cars were shot to smithereens and 2 women where shot as well. Without a doubt the authorities will live with this black eye for a long time. The more excuses authorities make for the actions of the officers, the less credibility they carry with the public. The listed causation for the actions of the assailant lead to the corruption of the LAPD.

Lets look at 4th gen (Guerrilla) warfare subjectively. What is it's purpose?
1 Create confusion
2 Break the morale of the occupying force
3 Make the occupation too expensive in lives and money to continue
4 Survival of the insurgency
5 Convert the will of the people to your cause
6 Make the occupying force tire itself out attempting to find you
7 Create fear in the command and rank and file of the occupying force

What did he do correctly? He created confusion, he made the police very aware of their mortality, he cost them some money, some believed he was right to fight back, he made the police make mistakes and he definitely scared the people who were on the list.

What he did wrong? Killing innocent civilians, Survive, bankrupt the police, tire the force out.

Tactically, his plan was a mess. He really had no backup plan to speak of. He had no secondary course of action should his primary plan fail. He counted on a single piece of equipment too much and it failed. He was isolated and had no way to evade capture. He gave up.

You cannot win an insurgency alone. There must be others to assist you, especially if you are known to your attackers. Once you lose that anonymity, you're toast. They can plaster up your picture and use the public for intel. It's impossible to move once they know the enemy. I think that was the key to his demise. Pride.

Sorry for the Delay in posts.

Due to the recent nuttery on the firearms and ammunition front, I've been doing a bunch of consulting and teaching a few people about reloading and such. My reloading book is getting a little attention as well. Lots of Irons in the fire!

Work has taken some pretty significant time as well so I'm hard pressed to find the time to post up. Hopefully things have calmed down to the point I can finish the 3 posts I've started.

Stay prepared!

Endgame

After watching so many movies over my lifetime, I've found that every villain or insidious organization has a final plan to dominate the world. Even the schoolyard bullies of tween movies want to dominate the playground or neighborhood. It seems our current bullies in office have a similar idea for the domination of the citizens of this country. What is it? Well, lets look at the strategies and plays up to now.

A marked increase on federal programs to keep the poor on the government dole. This is buying votes. You can vote your paycheck or you can work for one. Easy choice for many with little education and no future aspirations. Pair this with the entitlement supporters who have been born, bred and taught that the needs of the poor outweigh liberty, fiscal responsibility and simple logic. From the beginning of time, humans from every religious sect and type have taught that the public is responsible to help teach people how to live for themselves, not teach them how to be dependent upon others.

Fiscal irresponsible budgets have indebted our nation beyond it's ability to endure the onslaught. The economy would operate well beyond it's necessary goals if it wasn't taxed into oblivion. The same goes for the citizens, yet every year more and more citizens become employed by the government to administer new, expensive programs that do little to empower the economy or citizens. It actually does the inverse, straddling us with more debt and expanding a broken government.

The constant attack on the constitution seems unrelenting for decades. The federal government has been overstepping it's bounds for years and becoming the defacto tyranny in the country. They have attacked every amendment that attempts to empower the citizens of this country. They search your communications with impunity, create licenses for your rights, impose sanctions for the successful and spread those sanctions among themselves and their supporters.

Control the media to the point that it can decide elections, public policy and how wars are fought. How is this possible? The media can shape public policy by choosing the spin and stories that are constantly aired to the public. They follow the government line perfectly and polarize the country as they wish. Complicity is putting it lightly. Wave after wave of propaganda hit our children and citizens every hour of every day, shaping public opinion.

Immigration reform is the single easiest way to fix elections. 11 million new socialists in the system will help the tailspin increase speed. These are people who broke the law and invaded a country. Let's not forget that. Should they become citizens, they will vote a paycheck along with the rest. It's much easier that way.

In the end, the goal is socialism. Soon enough the rich will be taxed to the point that they will no longer wish to excel and those who refuse to work will live as good or better than those who do. The government will continue to chip away at individual rights and freedoms until they are nothing more than words on an old paper and not the backbone of a country. As our economy continues to falter and die, the government will seek to make sure you cannot rise above their need for taxation and conformism. They will make it impossible to live without their interference. More illegal laws will be passed to make sure the elitists continue to control the population with propaganda, taxes, controlled healthcare and laws that restrict personal freedoms. Healthcare has become so expensive that the average person cannot afford it without insurance. They are holding a gun to your head to buy insurance. Without it, you cannot pay to live if you have serious health problems or long term medical needs.

It's to the point now that we cannot stop them in a legal manner. They control the elections, press, money, military, police and economy with no regard to what the people want. I've given up hope that the people will realize how big of a poop sandwich we're being fed on a daily basis. The collectivists continue to march to the drum of communist oppression and socialist failures. They refuse to see reality because some talking head on TV is spinning the bad things in a positive light. Everyone pissed and whined about a small decrease in their paychecks and the minions of state were sure to tell them that it was their money to begin with and they were entitled to it due to a reprieve in their legislated thievery. That's a load of crap. It's your money. You made it! They are not entitled to any of it!

This country survived without income taxes until 1913, when the 16th amendment was introduced. 1776-1913 the government relied upon tariffs and use taxes to run the government. They were thrifty because they had to be. Then in 1943 the government started the worst practice in history, the payroll deduction. If the people of the US had to pay their taxes in one lump sum, every officeholder would be hung upon returning to their states. There's no way the populace would allow it. Since we never really see the money, people don't miss it. It's the biggest con the government ever proposed.

The endgame is control. Total domination and control over every facet of our lives. They want to make sure you cannot live without them or their rules. They're close! The DHS gestapo has been prowling the US in search of dissidents and non conformists. The NDAA allows them to lock anyone up for any reason without formally charging them. They have been using this law a bit recently to ensure the people who resist them cannot be heard.
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Geheime Staatspolizei, "Secret State Police"

 http://altrapoint.com/2011/07/political-methods-restrain/

Political methods of restrain

Posted on July 28, 2011 by skeptik@l

Take a step into the past and let’s look at radical methods of control utilized by world leaders in different parts of the world.  Methods of control vary accordingly but the most famous, or should I say infamous technique usually  involved the cooperation of a secret police force. A secret police agency is a covert force which operates furtively to protect the power of a political regime. 
The Gestapo (short for Geheime Staatspolizei) is a secret police force in Germany during Hitler’s reign. While the Gestapo was mostly made out to be all knowing and omnipresent, eliminating one’s ability to trust another, the role of the Gestapo was really not as grand as they appeared to be.  In fact, the Gestapo mostly relied on ordinary citizens to attain information regarding citizens who were politically opposed to the Nazi regime"

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All this propaganda about right wing nut jobs and hate groups is a lie. These people want to be left alone to live a free life outside of the government's watchful eye. They don't want to hurt anyone or oppose anyone. They wish to live under the same tenants this country was founded on. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This idea goes against the collectivist pursuits of the government. They want and need to know everything you do so they cannot be opposed or taken from power. They want a monopoly on violence and a monopoly on thought. Conform or be punished.

Does It Really Matter?

Seriously folks, we are on the brink of Socialism but does it really matter? Much like the Borg Collective our society has assimilated the idea that the individual rights assigned to the citizens are worth less than the collective hysteria surrounding the "Common Good" Idealogy. It really is mass hysteria after all. All the grandstanding and propaganda in the world isn't going to change a pig into a horse. It's a sideshow, a simple slight of hand trick that allows the elitist rulers to usurp a little more of our freedoms and facilitate the dependency of a nation on it's leaders.

This country wasn't founded on those principles. The leaders currently running this country into the ground would have been tried for treason and hanged on the white house lawn if there were any or the original patriots left in this country. There has been fanfare and cheering as our freedoms fall into the gutter of loss and forfeiture. The collective jeers at any who stand up for individual rights. Their biggest fear is that they will no longer be trendy in their hate for the cause of the moment. Their arguments are based on feelings and rainbows, not facts or research. They have nothing positive to give to society so they hate instead. Blind hate is boundless.

Don't believe the "if it saves one life" campaign. These are the same people responsible for more murder then any one citizen can think of. They stand behind Tanks, Helicopters, Aircraft Carriers and nuclear weapons as they talk about disarming the citizens they represent. Why wouldn't they. They have complete control over the military, police and (Publically Paid) private security teams defending them and their loved ones. By making us subjects, they will feel safer and you will not be safe. That is their agenda, to keep us scared enough that they can control us and make us more dependent on them.

These collectivists are the lowest possible forms of life on this planet. They take from everyone and give nothing. They are exempt from the very laws they pass, making them emperors, not public servants. The hypocrites scream about safety and murder rates right after they sign warrants to kill Americans overseas that they disagree with. These sycophants refuse to accept any responsibility for their actions and the repercussions. These unintended consequences are lost in the shuffle as they manufacture the next attack on our rights. The affordable care act is going to cost many poor people a quarter of their paycheck because the administration felt they needed to do something. They did it and now many full time workers are getting their hours cut to 30 or less to keep them under the minimum for ACA insurance coverage.

Change. How's that working out for all you lemmings that bought his propaganda and nebulous drivel? We are at depression era wealth levels and dropping. Our country is bankrupt and divided. We have no alternatives on what we can do. Keep at it until the bottom falls out, which it will soon enough. These morally corrupt thugs continue to live in opulence as the rest of the nation toils in the ditches to pay for their lavish lifestyles. And you better pay, or else we'll send our (private army) people to get you and lock you up.

What can you do about it? Nothing. The day you could have changed things was gone in 2006 from my most recent calculations. Back then we had a strong enough economy to change the direction of the economy without sacrificing our livelihood. All we can do now is wait to become subjects. There aren't enough patriots left to pick up the pieces when the music stops. The looters will assume the throne and the serfs will provide. If you think it's tough now, just wait. Once they take away your ability to overturn their rule, they will have no reason to use the citizens for illegitimate elections. They will be more bold and assume their positions the way tribal dictators do in Africa and the Middle East. With force.

Our latte inspired youth will fold and become the first generation to be molded into the fighting force for the looters. They will be so destitute that they will do anything for their next meal and a chance at a life other than servitude.

America is lost. We're just standing where it used to be. All you lemmings and collectivists have seen to it! I suggest you remove your O bumper stickers before things get ugly, all the people with the ability to defend themselves and oppress you won't appreciate your complicit behavior.