I know it took getting shot to pieces to get the airtime they deserve, but that's not what's important. Today's high school kids seem to think they have a protective shield around their collective thought bubbles and the wit to match Einstein. Unfortunately, the have once again mistaken feelings for logic.
-Yes, you have the right to your opinion.
-No, it's not always right.
-No, it's not important to most people.
-No, you have no right to intercede in my life.
-No, I will not comply with your deluded whims.
Now that we have established a baseline, we can continue with your education. Every night my son comes to me and asks me questions about statements made by his socialist English teacher. It's a constant game of "deprogram the teenager". Gun owners and trump voters are Red Neck Hicks. Yeah, it's logical thoughts such as these that we must entertain. Such well thought out, eloquent arguments are hard to ignore!
Today's high school students are programmed little robots of the anti-liberty movement. They have no ability to deal with ideas that counter their belief system, no ability to discern fact from fiction. Yet they march, and protest, and soon enough..... They vote.
That, my fellow freedom lovers, is why I train in the facets I choose to master. Some day soon, these idiots without the ability to reason will take up arms and attempt to rid the world of bad think, AKA freedom.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2018
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Extremely Relevent Post by JWR at Survivalblog.
I don't get over to survivalblog very often anymore. They were the first to post any of my writing and for that I will forever be grateful. It kick started this blog and my writing at other avenues and some more "seditionist" pages I've penned for. I try to keep it on an even keel here, but it's a very well known fact that I believe, and have believed for the past 20+ years that Her Highness Killary is the devil incarnate. If you believe the way I do and expect to see a civil war if she becomes president, read this article in its entirety.
https://survivalblog.com/madame-clintons-coming-war-on-the-blogosphere-and-your-countermeasures/
I have a plan. I've done the research. Many of the things on this have already been done my me, including buying prepaid phones 700+ miles from my AO with cash. Clean operations equipment, clean infomatics, clean pseudonyms with street cred are helpful.
I've been blessed to have made the acquaintance of many who have worked within the government leviathan. It's truly amazing what they will talk about when you shut up and listen. Equipment capabilities, standard procedures, contract personnel requirements, maintenance intervals, team tactics, observation capabilities and most importantly, who they look for. The above post at survivalblog will help you realize your exposure to action. Be aware and ever vigilant.
https://survivalblog.com/madame-clintons-coming-war-on-the-blogosphere-and-your-countermeasures/
I have a plan. I've done the research. Many of the things on this have already been done my me, including buying prepaid phones 700+ miles from my AO with cash. Clean operations equipment, clean infomatics, clean pseudonyms with street cred are helpful.
I've been blessed to have made the acquaintance of many who have worked within the government leviathan. It's truly amazing what they will talk about when you shut up and listen. Equipment capabilities, standard procedures, contract personnel requirements, maintenance intervals, team tactics, observation capabilities and most importantly, who they look for. The above post at survivalblog will help you realize your exposure to action. Be aware and ever vigilant.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Trained Agents of Doom
Many post apocalyptic books contain some sort of "Goon Squad" that seeks to destroy the hero and leave the public in disarray. Some have the goons be trained, others have them as inept thugs. Either way you slice this poop sandwich, it's going to stink. Is this a realistic scenario? From reading blow by blow details from war torn and folded countries like Liberia, Congo and Venezuela, we can begin to see what happens in a power vacuum or war torn area. Factions will exist, they will become territorial and only lash out when cornered or forced to by dwindling supplies.
The trained and motivated aren't going to be your first priority. It's the desperate and hungry that will be thrust upon your property looking for supplies, if things devolve to that level. Your best bet it to stay anonymous. Keep yourself as innocuous as possible. Grey man all the time, without drawing any attention to yourself or your actions.
Buying bulk items at non commercial stores will get you noticed. Same with getting a pallet of food delivered to your home. Your neighbors will notice. If you don't have a basement, build shelves near the ceiling of your garage to house your stores so that people driving by can't see 20 food buckets piled about.
If you have disregarded all thoughts of remaining anonymous and have decided to advertise your abilities and discontent, you will need to have a method of early warning and detection for your adversaries. I'm not going to go into the specifics, but you will need a few minutes notice that the boogey man is coming.
A trained and determined enemy will do surveillance on you and yours in order to find your vulnerabilities. If they find that you have minimal security or personnel, they may opt to just execute you from long range to keep their exposure to danger low. Counter surveillance will be key in that situation. That art takes people and time, so make sure you have trained trackers to interdict outside assets. Drone technology is another issue to deal with. Modern drones can house sophisticated optics and infrared technology to track your outpost.
The moral of the story is that it's easier to remain hidden than it is to protect a known target. Due diligence staying hidden will be much easier than expecting a fight.
The trained and motivated aren't going to be your first priority. It's the desperate and hungry that will be thrust upon your property looking for supplies, if things devolve to that level. Your best bet it to stay anonymous. Keep yourself as innocuous as possible. Grey man all the time, without drawing any attention to yourself or your actions.
Buying bulk items at non commercial stores will get you noticed. Same with getting a pallet of food delivered to your home. Your neighbors will notice. If you don't have a basement, build shelves near the ceiling of your garage to house your stores so that people driving by can't see 20 food buckets piled about.
If you have disregarded all thoughts of remaining anonymous and have decided to advertise your abilities and discontent, you will need to have a method of early warning and detection for your adversaries. I'm not going to go into the specifics, but you will need a few minutes notice that the boogey man is coming.
A trained and determined enemy will do surveillance on you and yours in order to find your vulnerabilities. If they find that you have minimal security or personnel, they may opt to just execute you from long range to keep their exposure to danger low. Counter surveillance will be key in that situation. That art takes people and time, so make sure you have trained trackers to interdict outside assets. Drone technology is another issue to deal with. Modern drones can house sophisticated optics and infrared technology to track your outpost.
The moral of the story is that it's easier to remain hidden than it is to protect a known target. Due diligence staying hidden will be much easier than expecting a fight.
Monday, October 19, 2015
How Many Magazines is Enough?
I have a confession to make. I'm a magazine hoarder of near clinical proportions. Especially with regard to my battle rifles. They take the most abuse in training and use so I feel compelled to have an overabundance. Even during the big scare I made a tactical upgrade by trading 10 Pmags for 30 C products new in wrapper GI mags. This is in addition to the foot locker of used mags I bought at a sale a few years ago. No such thing as too many.
The thought process I go through is simple and well thought out. I look at my total number of rifles and multiply by 11 for a base line. 11 magazines is what I consider a combat load of 4 to 6 with a few in reserve for your pack or vehicle. I then add in 10 mags per family member to train with. That way we don't burn up our carry/fighting mags while training. Proper training is really hard on mags. My current loadout mags in my level 4+ armor and go pack are 40 round Pmags.
I do prefer mil contract mags, and the larger rental operations have proven that they are longer lasting and take heat cycles better than plastic mags. The brownells GI mags are supposedly the best price for the functionality. I personally prefer C products contract mags. They handle debris slightly better than most and the outside stays buff for a longer time. Most mags get super slick after many reloads and handling, which can lead to dropped mags. They have the green followers which work great, but they aren't the new fangled tan follower that is proven superior and the military is phasing in the tan follower. Beware the black follower. It's not anti tilt and is the least reliable in adverse conditions. Green is still good to go. Magpul followers are great but costly. You can hedge your bets and decrease your loss rate by having some rebuild kits on had as well.
Pistol mags are a bit more robust due to their smaller size and construction. I have a minimum of 3 mags for carry and 5 for training. That way you aren't loading and unloading your carry mags all the time. I have 20 or so extras per model rolling around just in case. I've streamlined my pistols recently and have dropped the 10mm, 40SW and only stock Glock 9mm mags, HK usp 45 mags and a few pocket gun mags. The LCP being my choice for deep cover carry.
I ruin 2-3 rifle mags a year. I ruin 1 pistol mag every couple years. That's for our entire household. Those 30 mags I bought are a 10 year supply if I keep training as I have with the family. I do my best to replace them as time and resources warrant, but I do keep 50 contract GI mags in reserve just in case. My hoarder status is showing.
You also need to remember that I keep lots of AR15 mags in my Caches and I always keep a thousand plus loaded in my bastard child mags and keep them locked away in my safe. No such thing as too many! My lightweight plates stay loaded all the time as well. 3 25 round 308 mags and 3 glock 17 rounders with plus 2's. That's a lot of firepower in a hurry.
Specialty Mags- I do have several rifles that are AR10 or long range in nature. My 300 Win Mag competition gun has 3 magazines for it. They are little 3 round units, and I bought them mainly due to the fact that you can use them as a single shot follower in competition more readily than the stock Remington bottom metal. Not something you need to stock deep. Same goes for the rest of my long range stuff. I do have a Beta C Mag, but I've honestly never used it. I see no need. You'd have a useless slag of metal for a barrel after 100 rounds of sustained fire. I consider it an investment.
My AR10's on the other hand, each have 21 mags for them. I don't shoot them enough or train with them enough to warrant the extra mags. The 20" gun uses 20 rounders and the 16" uses 25 round Pmags. Luckily Pmags fit the LWRCI platform. They are easy to find and plentiful again. The AR10's have a definitive use and plan of action for my defense plan. They don't need all that many mags due to this. They aren't something I'm going to go patrolling with, just too heavy. It's best for killing buicks and turning cover into concealment.
I do prefer mil contract mags, and the larger rental operations have proven that they are longer lasting and take heat cycles better than plastic mags. The brownells GI mags are supposedly the best price for the functionality. I personally prefer C products contract mags. They handle debris slightly better than most and the outside stays buff for a longer time. Most mags get super slick after many reloads and handling, which can lead to dropped mags. They have the green followers which work great, but they aren't the new fangled tan follower that is proven superior and the military is phasing in the tan follower. Beware the black follower. It's not anti tilt and is the least reliable in adverse conditions. Green is still good to go. Magpul followers are great but costly. You can hedge your bets and decrease your loss rate by having some rebuild kits on had as well.
Pistol mags are a bit more robust due to their smaller size and construction. I have a minimum of 3 mags for carry and 5 for training. That way you aren't loading and unloading your carry mags all the time. I have 20 or so extras per model rolling around just in case. I've streamlined my pistols recently and have dropped the 10mm, 40SW and only stock Glock 9mm mags, HK usp 45 mags and a few pocket gun mags. The LCP being my choice for deep cover carry.
I ruin 2-3 rifle mags a year. I ruin 1 pistol mag every couple years. That's for our entire household. Those 30 mags I bought are a 10 year supply if I keep training as I have with the family. I do my best to replace them as time and resources warrant, but I do keep 50 contract GI mags in reserve just in case. My hoarder status is showing.
You also need to remember that I keep lots of AR15 mags in my Caches and I always keep a thousand plus loaded in my bastard child mags and keep them locked away in my safe. No such thing as too many! My lightweight plates stay loaded all the time as well. 3 25 round 308 mags and 3 glock 17 rounders with plus 2's. That's a lot of firepower in a hurry.
Specialty Mags- I do have several rifles that are AR10 or long range in nature. My 300 Win Mag competition gun has 3 magazines for it. They are little 3 round units, and I bought them mainly due to the fact that you can use them as a single shot follower in competition more readily than the stock Remington bottom metal. Not something you need to stock deep. Same goes for the rest of my long range stuff. I do have a Beta C Mag, but I've honestly never used it. I see no need. You'd have a useless slag of metal for a barrel after 100 rounds of sustained fire. I consider it an investment.
My AR10's on the other hand, each have 21 mags for them. I don't shoot them enough or train with them enough to warrant the extra mags. The 20" gun uses 20 rounders and the 16" uses 25 round Pmags. Luckily Pmags fit the LWRCI platform. They are easy to find and plentiful again. The AR10's have a definitive use and plan of action for my defense plan. They don't need all that many mags due to this. They aren't something I'm going to go patrolling with, just too heavy. It's best for killing buicks and turning cover into concealment.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Gear Review: Osprey Aether 70 gen 4 Backpack
With my boys old enough to start backpacking and really getting into it, I've been eyeing a few of the higher end packs out there. I've used crappy rucks for so long that I'm used to getting sore shoulders and abrasions on my collar bone area after day 2. Now that I'm a bit older and can afford a better pack, the options are endless. My quest started online, looking at backpacking blogs, trail blogs, manufacturer sites and REI. There were so many options that I was a bit bewildered.I've been on a lightweight backpacking kick for a while so I looked at many lightweight bags but decided to buy a big multipurpose bag instead. Nothing heavy, but big enough and tough enough to take on a winter trip for a few days.
The next thing I did was to measure up all the gear I would take and get it together to see what size pack I needed. It seemed like 65 liters without food is enough for a good winter trip, so I looked at maybe 80 liters with a nice heavy bag and extra clothes would be optimal. After looking around and checking out the packs I spotted that fit my needs, I decided that a 65 or 70 liter pack would fit just fine. My lead choices were the REI crestrail 70, Arc'teryx ultra 65, North Face Terra 65, Granite Gear Blaze and the Osprey Aether 70.
The Osprey had the largest capacity, the Granite gear was the lightest, the Arc'teryx was the toughest material and the REI was a good blend of all the others. I didn't choose the Arcteryx due to it's hip system being a bit too lightweight for such a big bag. I dropped the Granite Gear because it's just not stable enough for me with an HDPE frame. I chose the Osprey due to it's stellar customer service reputation and the well built suspension system.
With 50+ nights of camping over 2 years and backpacking "in the bag" so to speak, it's been a very good, serviceable bag. The price is very commensurate with the quality. Even after stuffing this thing to the gills for a 3 night trip in weather down to 10 degrees. I've hiked several double digit days with it while hosting scouts and with my family out in rough terrain. Once you get the belts set for you, it's a simple task to get up and go.
The bag is a single cavity system with a lower adjustable divider. The divider is perfect for someone who changes out their sleep system routinely. In the summer I use a fleece liner. It's good down to 50 degrees or so in the hammock. If I pack properly, I can fit my entire summer sleep system minus the pad into the lower cavity of the pack. The pack has a zipper at the lower end for removing your sleeping bag without removing the gear from the top.
The top cover is also a single cavity unit. That can be frustrating at times, but once you ziplock bag things up it gets easier. Everything on the pack is industry standard, side compression straps, cinch top for the main pack, side and back elastic pockets, wire backplate and padded straps. Some different things you will find on the pack are double keepers on the front straps, pole keepers on the front and back, side pockets and a stiff moldable hip belt, a separate pocket for a hydration system, and a built in whistle on the chest strap. The area that is against your back is very comfortable without getting too hot. Air channels pump air along your back with every step. The pack's frame is adjustable to fit many different torso lengths.
The pack has been extremely durable. I've bushwacked through briers, fallen into rocks, had mice in it and stuffed it to it's breaking point. There isn't a single tear, rip, hole or abrasion on the pack. It had a thick base material that keeps it from getting holes when you set it down. My youngest dragged the pack on my concrete driveway for 30 feet before I stopped him. No marks. The zippers works like the day I received it. It's never hitched up or had to be reset.
The good: Comfortable. rugged for it's weight, good zippers and buckles, bottom and side feeding as well as top feeding, adjustable.
The bad: Rather heavy for the size, topper is single cavity, side pockets are a bit small.
The ugly: None.
I'll post up my full kit at another time.
The next thing I did was to measure up all the gear I would take and get it together to see what size pack I needed. It seemed like 65 liters without food is enough for a good winter trip, so I looked at maybe 80 liters with a nice heavy bag and extra clothes would be optimal. After looking around and checking out the packs I spotted that fit my needs, I decided that a 65 or 70 liter pack would fit just fine. My lead choices were the REI crestrail 70, Arc'teryx ultra 65, North Face Terra 65, Granite Gear Blaze and the Osprey Aether 70.
The Osprey had the largest capacity, the Granite gear was the lightest, the Arc'teryx was the toughest material and the REI was a good blend of all the others. I didn't choose the Arcteryx due to it's hip system being a bit too lightweight for such a big bag. I dropped the Granite Gear because it's just not stable enough for me with an HDPE frame. I chose the Osprey due to it's stellar customer service reputation and the well built suspension system.
With 50+ nights of camping over 2 years and backpacking "in the bag" so to speak, it's been a very good, serviceable bag. The price is very commensurate with the quality. Even after stuffing this thing to the gills for a 3 night trip in weather down to 10 degrees. I've hiked several double digit days with it while hosting scouts and with my family out in rough terrain. Once you get the belts set for you, it's a simple task to get up and go.
The bag is a single cavity system with a lower adjustable divider. The divider is perfect for someone who changes out their sleep system routinely. In the summer I use a fleece liner. It's good down to 50 degrees or so in the hammock. If I pack properly, I can fit my entire summer sleep system minus the pad into the lower cavity of the pack. The pack has a zipper at the lower end for removing your sleeping bag without removing the gear from the top.
The top cover is also a single cavity unit. That can be frustrating at times, but once you ziplock bag things up it gets easier. Everything on the pack is industry standard, side compression straps, cinch top for the main pack, side and back elastic pockets, wire backplate and padded straps. Some different things you will find on the pack are double keepers on the front straps, pole keepers on the front and back, side pockets and a stiff moldable hip belt, a separate pocket for a hydration system, and a built in whistle on the chest strap. The area that is against your back is very comfortable without getting too hot. Air channels pump air along your back with every step. The pack's frame is adjustable to fit many different torso lengths.
The pack has been extremely durable. I've bushwacked through briers, fallen into rocks, had mice in it and stuffed it to it's breaking point. There isn't a single tear, rip, hole or abrasion on the pack. It had a thick base material that keeps it from getting holes when you set it down. My youngest dragged the pack on my concrete driveway for 30 feet before I stopped him. No marks. The zippers works like the day I received it. It's never hitched up or had to be reset.
The good: Comfortable. rugged for it's weight, good zippers and buckles, bottom and side feeding as well as top feeding, adjustable.
The bad: Rather heavy for the size, topper is single cavity, side pockets are a bit small.
The ugly: None.
I'll post up my full kit at another time.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Trades To Learn for The Modern Survivalist.
Many folks out there have some food, a sustainable garden plot, a water source and no clue. They refuse to consider the position they will be in if they are forced to use their resources in an environment where there is no rule of law or modern convenience. Sometimes the best laid plans can be thwarted by a seemingly innocuous incident or situation. The skills discussed will help hedge your bets and make you a more rounded and valuable person.
Medical training is my #1 skill set to have training in. Without 911 or modern surgery procedures, even a modest education in the medical field can save you a lot of heartache later. Dentistry is included in this skill. There are many resources that you can purchase to help you along and get you up to speed if we face a severe breakdown in society. You may ask yourself why you would need this skill, because ambulances didn't run to the riots in Fergadishu.
Agriculture/forestry- Learn how to spot problems and how to care for our natural bounty.
Animal husbandry- Because healthy animals are tasty.
Blacksmithing- Without modern machining techniques, parts will have to be hand made and this is the least expensive and easiest way to make parts.
Electrical/electronics/comms/solar- Information is key. Weather can be predicted by outlying broadcasters. Threats and conditions can be broadcast. Solar power is useless without the knowledge on it's use and delivery systems.
Plumbing/sanitation- Disease and poor sanitation killed more people than bullets did during the last civil war.
Mechanical skills/ light machine work/gunsmithing- Fixing your own stuff becomes more important when you can't call someone to fix it for you.
Carpentry/roofing- Keeping your home dry and being able to modify it to fit your needs will be important during a crisis.
Textiles/sewing. Clothes won't come from India or Bangladesh anymore. You'll need to make/repair what you have.
This list isn't comprehensive, but it's a start. Learned skills and education are 2 things that can never be stolen from you.
Medical training is my #1 skill set to have training in. Without 911 or modern surgery procedures, even a modest education in the medical field can save you a lot of heartache later. Dentistry is included in this skill. There are many resources that you can purchase to help you along and get you up to speed if we face a severe breakdown in society. You may ask yourself why you would need this skill, because ambulances didn't run to the riots in Fergadishu.
Agriculture/forestry- Learn how to spot problems and how to care for our natural bounty.
Animal husbandry- Because healthy animals are tasty.
Blacksmithing- Without modern machining techniques, parts will have to be hand made and this is the least expensive and easiest way to make parts.
Electrical/electronics/comms/solar- Information is key. Weather can be predicted by outlying broadcasters. Threats and conditions can be broadcast. Solar power is useless without the knowledge on it's use and delivery systems.
Plumbing/sanitation- Disease and poor sanitation killed more people than bullets did during the last civil war.
Mechanical skills/ light machine work/gunsmithing- Fixing your own stuff becomes more important when you can't call someone to fix it for you.
Carpentry/roofing- Keeping your home dry and being able to modify it to fit your needs will be important during a crisis.
Textiles/sewing. Clothes won't come from India or Bangladesh anymore. You'll need to make/repair what you have.
This list isn't comprehensive, but it's a start. Learned skills and education are 2 things that can never be stolen from you.
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