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 “JWR”. Today, we focus on covert body armor.
Going Gray Man, Step By Step
This is well worth reading: How to be a Gray Man Step by Step.
Mike Williamson on Covert Body Armor
Our Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson sent along this link: Wonder Hoodie: The Bulletproof Hoodie That Can Stop a .44 Magnum. Mike’s Comments: “These are worth considering. Also, the standard US military issue armor groin protector is the perfect size for a child’s school backpack, and rated to stop all standard pistol threats. These can be acquired inexpensively. For adults, a Level 3+ plate plus a groin or deltoid soft armor backing (to meet full Level IV standard) will fit in most laptop compartments of a backpack. It is also legal to fly with body armor–even in the passenger compartment–though you should take a printout of the relevant TSA rules just in case, and arrive a bit early in case you are denied and need to mail it.”
NASA Warns of Solar Storms
Reader G.P. sent us this: NASA warns spectacular ‘beauty and the beast’ aurora could wreak havoc on Earth.
Texas Police Charged with Official Oppression
Television news report: Texas Police Force Nearly Wiped Out In String of Abuse of Power Indictment.
Delaware Legislators Go on Anti-Gun Rampage
The latest video from Adam Kraut: The First State Goes Anti-Gun! – The Legal Brief
Second Amendment Sanctuaries on the Rise
I spotted this article at The Epoch Times linked over at FreeZoxeeFriends: Second Amendment Sanctuaries on the Rise. Here is a snippet:
“More than two dozen counties in Colorado have vowed to resist the state’s red flag law, which makes it relatively easy to take a gun owner’s firearms away. The gun-removal petition can reportedly be filed by telephone or in person and the filer doesn’t have to provide his or her address or even be a resident of Colorado.
Those counties approved resolutions supporting their sheriffs “in the exercise of his sound discretion to not enforce against any citizen an unconstitutional firearms law,” and vowing not to appropriate taxpayer funds to construct storage facilities for guns seized by police.
Democratic Colorado Attorney General Phil Weise, who supports the red flag law, said local law enforcement officials should resign if they won’t enforce it.
El Paso County, Colorado, Sheriff Bill Elder said he would ‘vigorously challenge the constitutionality’ of the bill and ‘protect the Second, Fourth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendment rights of all lawful gun owners in the state, and not just in El Paso County.’”
Theresa May’s Botched Job Throws Votes to Brexit Party
Over at Westmonster: Majority of Tory members want May gone and will vote Brexit Party, surveys find
Spying Smart Streetlights
Reader T.Z. suggested this article about San Diego, California: Public, Council Were in the Dark on Police Access to ‘Smart’ Streetlights. A snippet:
“City officials billed the streetlight sensors and cameras as a means of gathering atmospheric data and analyzing traffic and pedestrian flow to better understand the city’s infrastructure needs. The devices’ use as a crime-fighting tool never came up. But that’s what the approximately 3,000 cameras raised high above San Diego street corners have become.
Since August, the San Diego Police Department has been accessing the raw video footage with permission from City Hall and using its contents in dozens of criminal investigations, as the U-T reported. Some of that footage could appear at a trial scheduled to begin later this month, according to police.
Lt. Jeffrey Jordon, who works with Police Chief David Nisleit on special projects, confirmed that outside law enforcement agencies have requested access to San Diego’s raw video footage too, but he declined to say which ones and for what purposes. Voice of San Diego’s own request for a list of agencies that want to tap into the cameras is still pending.”
5G Cellular is Impractical for Rural Areas
Peter sent us this: Millimeter-wave 5G will never scale beyond dense urban areas, T-Mobile says. Peter’s Comments: “True. 24GHz and 28GHz frequency bands (millimeter wave) are only good for about 1000′, where as 600MHz can easily go several miles and if not blocked then up to 20 miles. 600MHz just won’t be nearly as fast [at data transfer] as millimeter wave.”
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You can send your news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
Was homeless at one stage of my life.A pair of slacks,solid color button up shirt with collar,short hair,clean shaven,carried my stuff in a laptop computer bag,always had a book or newspaper.Nobody ever gave me a second glance.
Middle age white guy,so in this case I think the term “white privilege” might have helped.
Which of these two would receive a second glance:
1) Disheveled, dirty & smelly white guy.
2) A black guy wearing a pair of slacks,solid color button up shirt with collar,short hair,clean shaven,carried stuff in a laptop computer bag,always had a book or newspaper.
Do you think that maybe white privilege had nothing to do with it?
@ Spying Street lights – “The story of how San Diego teamed up with a major corporation to retrofit thousands of streetlights to monitor traffic flow and meet its climate change goals is also a story of the benign way that cities can inadvertently open a backdoor to surveillance.”
Climate change, surveillance, yes…I mentioned this recently in the comments section of another story. This approach to security creates a real dilemma for survivalism. The dilemma goes something like this…
Insecurity from x,y,z (economic collapse, EMP, climate change, nuclear war, whatever), is a future concern so we prep. So too does the state, but the state uses these concerns of insecurity to further limit everyone’s rights. In turn, this creates more insecurity and so everyone preps more, and then the state surveil’s more.
This process is called “the state of exception” in which what was once consider exceptional, a rare event, becomes the norm. Survivalism and surveillance have a relationship. We would be wise to acknowledge, understand and discuss that relationship as to see more clearly.
I would never wear that ‘bullet resistant’ hoodie with the expectation of ‘stopping a .44 Magnum’. Too soft and flexible. The fabric might be rated to stop a (more common) .45 ACP bullet from passing through the fabric around the head/hoodie area, but does anyone really think the kinetic energy delivered won’t still kill you as your skull is cracked or smashed?
There’s a reason why nobody in Mil/LE service wears anything like this…ever.
C’mon…
It is the body of the hoodie that is bulletproof rated, not the hood. And yes, beware of blunt trauma. But it sure beats getting pierced by bullets.
Yes, I understand that the focus is on the torso, but as stated within the article:
“the only product on the market to seamlessly and discreetly protect your body and head from bullets and knife slashing,” said Tran. “We have patented our bulletproof head technology to protect your head …[ ]… You won’t want to buy another bulletproof jacket without head protection ever again.”
While I certainly agree with you that something is better than nothing, I find their press piece to be a bit misguiding and in need of clarification.
Head wounds can bleed profusely and helmets are heavy and not exactly low key. If the hoodie can stop a ricochet, some shrapnel, flying glass, or a 22LR, then it’s certainly better than nothing. Plus, Kevlar and similar fibers are flame resistant and have high heat resistance, so the hoodie could help protect 50 percent of your body in fire or explosion. I don’t own one and I’m not planning on getting one, but I wouldn’t dismiss the idea.
I agree with JWR if you are in France or some jihadi hotbed i would rather have this and be incognito than not. The issue is blending covert with protection and this can do that.
https://violenceresponse.com/product/bulletproof-underwear-gabriel-down-under/
even creations like this might cover the femoral artery and give you that chance at survival in a shooting or even a bombing.
The T-shirt I wear will stop a 16# sledge hammer from penetrating but I’m pretty sure I’d still be pretty messed up after a swing or two.
After too many years of Law Enforcement and Military experiences, I have been told I stick out like a sore thumb. My head is on a swivel, and I am looking around. Granted, it usually keeps me out of issues, but in a SHTF, how do you transition? Don’t look around and hope/pray they leave you alone? That concept seems the exact opposite of being aware of your surroundings. How do you compromise?
I’ve worked on 5G technologies for the last 5 years. It’s true millimeter wave technologies don’t scale outside dense urban populations but that is a small part of 5G. Other bands in the 3 to 5 GHz range will also open up and they will have very high data rates. In addition, existing cell bands will be upgraded to a much improved LTE like data rate. There is not much spectrum available at 600 MHz really. GHz = billion herz MHz = million herz. Most current technology is 3 GHz and below.
Dan,
You make an important point. Even in these relatively safe times, I don’t want to stand out. I will lean against a building or tree and covertly scan the area. This also points to the importance of being part of a team. Even extreme vigilance can be defeated when only one of us is doing it.
Carry on
When I clicked on the NASA link, I was given a message: FORBIDDEN. Anybody else able to get through?
Carry on