SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods – a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. Rain water collection is the name of the game today.
Rainwater Collection
Are you thinking of moving off-grid and want to use a rain water collection system but you don’t like the blue barrels? Reader B.L. ran across an innovative system with barrel kits that are much better looking. You may not even recognize them for what they are until you look closely.
Communications
Reader P.S. sent in this article on 6 meters: Survivalist Magic. I have a couple of Icom T90As that I’ve kept handy. They are tri-banders with 2m, 6m, and 70cm. The article is right, 6m is highly underutilized and of considerable use if you have the equipment. The stock rubber ducky antenna doesn’t work very well for anything over about a mile, but I’ve had decent performance with the MFJ-1720S. You can also use the military manuals shown in the article to make some portable antennas with much better performance. (They just aren’t as convenient.)
Waters of the United States
The Obama era ruling from the EPA on the definition of “navigable waters” has been a source of government abuses ever since its inception. It now appears that the Trump administration is going to dump the entire thing, which will free 247 million acres of farmland from this overreaching regulation.
Lavoy Finicum
Reader B.B. sent us this article on one FBI agent that has been indicted on lying about whether he fired at Finicum as Finicum stepped out of the truck. This is a step in the right direction, though I’m staying reserved on the situation. What about the members of the team that helped cover the lie up? The biased courts have already let the State Police off the hook for the killing of Finicum. If past history is any indication of the outcome, I expect all members of law enforcement who were involved in this crime to receive promotions.
Public School Indoctrination Education
Reader H.L. sent in this link from the Mises Institute on Education: Free and Cumpulsory. If you don’t yet home school or send your kids to private schools, you will definitely want to read this article. It’s in 12 parts, so it will take a bit to read it. However, it is an excellent explanation of why public school is a failure for your family and especially for your children.
Online Security
Reader N.B. sent in this YouTube video where John Lovell interviews a former hacker (turned security consultant) on cyber security and online privacy. Most of what people think they know about cyber security comes from TV and Hollywood, but the truth is much more sinister. The big reveal comes at the 19:38 moment when they reveal that if you are specifically targeted, there is very little you can do to defend yourself. It’s worth a watch. (~ 30 minutes long)
Survival Realty
SurvivalRealty.com continues to add new properties across the U.S., both in the American Redoubt and in areas of relative security across the country. The latest interesting offerings are this off grid home in far northeast Washington or a remote riverfront home in the UP of Michigan.
Commander Zero Update
I noticed that Commander Zero (of the great Notes From The Bunker blog) is selling Gen 2 black 30-round PMAGs for just $10 each. He also has some 10/22 Steel Lips 25-round magazines for just $11 each. Since he has some hefty medical bills from his recent appendectomy, I’m sure that he’d appreciate your orders. – JWR
Interesting photo of the home for sale in Michigan, I noticed one photo shows the home on an outside curve of the river. The lack of vegetation, and sharp cut on the top (compared to the inside bend)shows that the hillside is sloughing off from any river’s tendency to cut the outside bank. Carefully look at the physics of land before purchase.
Unless the river has cut through rock, the outside of a bend is not a place in which to invest money. Floodwaters can erode far more than people can believe.