If you want to order my favorite MagPul K2+ Grip for your AR (and I think they have one for AK as well), please order them from LTC Murray's website:

https://republicarmament.com/

You do not need all this stuff - just a basic RO system under your sink is fine.

The first system shown is in the team room.

This is the primary system for refilling our large 5 gallon water containers, for canning and freeze drying, for making saline, etc... The only addition it has over the warehouse system is a UV module.

This system utilizes a three-stage prefilter:

https://amzn.to/4x6831M

These are the replacement filters (the primary module comes with one set included):

https://amzn.to/4cq0ASH

Stage 1 is a Polyester/Polypropylene wound sand/debris stage (removes sand/sediment/rust/large particles) - This filter is changed every six months - it is cheap, and it is essentially the bullet and shrapnel shield for the entire system that that follows it.

Stage 2 is a 0.01micron filter - like a gigantic Sawyer Squeeze water filter, but finer resolution (A Sawyer is 0.1um vs. 0.01um) It blocks all bacteria, microplastics, aquatic and other particulates down to a 0.01micron absolute filtration resolution. Most bacteria is 0.2um or larger - so this assures the rest of the system is bacteria, sediment, microplastic, and microparticle free.

Stage 3 is an Activated Carbon Block filter.

This removes chlorine, odors, a variety of pesticides/herbicides, medical waste, THM/Disinfection Byproducts/Chloramines, petroleum/benzene/solvents, etc...

Just that alone is a massive reduction in most of the bad things in water.

After the prefilter stage, water is sent to the multi-stage primary RO system. My model includes the UV Disinfection and the Alkaline/Re-mineralisation stage:

https://amzn.to/3S5aNNB

The minimum system, but BEST VALUE I would recommend is much more budget friendly, but does not have the UV upgrade or the remineralization stage. The good thing is it comes with two years of filter changes delivered in the same box!

https://amzn.to/4ia8WS5

Here is between 3-5 years of filter replacements, depending on your water quality:

https://amzn.to/4fZsbfV

You can order the UV module by itself:

https://amzn.to/45tFQWk

Here are the replacement lamps:

https://amzn.to/4qisqGk

You can alao order the Alkaline/Remineralization cartridge by itself and add it to the output of your existing RO system:

https://amzn.to/45uustn

This is a must if you are going to refill your own water jugs - Get as big of a tank or as many sizes that fit in your designated area as possible. I run two of these in parallel for extra storage capacity:

https://amzn.to/4wWiEfv

The Permeate Pump is NOT needed, but it will reduce the ratio of discharged water to Processed water. If you are just recapturing your discharge water like I do, this pump is not needed:

https://amzn.to/4wp73Vj

The transfer and pressure pumps are not needed unless you need to boost your water pressure to the minimum 60+PSI needed to optimally feed the RO system.

I use in the warehouse to feed the garden and also to feed my 2,000 gallons emergency reserve water back into our house:

(Garden and Chickens; also for field pressurization of my portable RO system):

https://amzn.to/3UzTtkr

Line Pressure for closed-system emergency storage transfer to house:

https://amzn.to/4xBLGkl

55 Gallon Storage Drum Pre-Filter system for mass water storage from the well:

https://amzn.to/4fXEiKi

Spare Filters for the Beechlane Unit:

https://amzn.to/4g73vRi

"Sparkletts" 5 Gallon Water Jug Storage/Dispenser Platform for your gravity-fed water decanter - I HIGHLY RECCOMEND this easy way to store 15 gallons of water - or use the lighter 2 1/2 or 3 gallon bottles if you need to:

https://amzn.to/4xBhENK

You should shop around for these or visit your local watee and ice store for other designs/patterns, I think this is over-proiced, they should only be like $30-35 in my opinion:

Clay water decanter:

https://amzn.to/4cEmtO8

(Upgraded water spigot):

https://amzn.to/4gb4j7D

Get BPA Free water bottles!!

These are AmericanMaid (USA):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/American-Maid-5-gal-Water-Bottle-BPA-Free-Durable-for-Top-and-Bottom-Load-Water-Dispensers/51200565?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1102&from=/search

These are the best jug caps on the market, bar none:

https://amzn.to/4zkgmZ5

You can get the 5 Gallon version of these from WinCo if you have one in your area for about $10-12 each:

https://amzn.to/4qiClvz

If you are REALLY PARANOID about water contamination, like I am, then front-end your whole house with a complete system that covers all sinks and showers - this is not an RO system, it just pulls out the garbage from water that you bathe/shower/cook/brush your teeth/do laundry in:

https://amzn.to/3SuQmd0

Whole House Replacement Filters:

https://amzn.to/3S9Okio

I am providing my own Amazon Affiliate Links for these products. At no additional cost to you, I make a commission on sales through my links and my Amazon Store:

trooper_channel store:

https://a.co/d/04YYGB4y

Thanks,

-tC

Katadyne Pocket:

https://amzn.to/4ggqMk1

Sawyer Mini:

https://amzn.to/4g8QB5h

CNOC Bag to go with Sawyer Mini:

https://amzn.to/4x2Psnc

Standard Sawyer Squeeze with bag:

https://amzn.to/3UyzDGf

This video is for others who have never owned or handled an AR style carbine/rifle; and especially for those not so familiar with weapons in general. Hayden is a realistic baseline for others to follow along with and progress toward full competency. We have to slow down, take time to mentor, share, train, and get everyone up to higher levels of competency in the skills we'll all need to assure the survival of our Republic.

https://substack.com/@vettweet/note/c-313368026?r=7qbyzk

In short, I believe nafarious actors within the pharmaceutical and regulatory community have been effectively “side-loading” galactose-α-1,3-galactose into the various injection products that are administered to (mostly US and European) citizens through routine (or sometimes mandated) childhood vaccination/immunizations.

An explosion of cases can be directly correlated to a rise in vaccines, “Flu Shots”, designer peptide use, and the most recent genocidal Covid injection campaign that was perpetrated against almost exclusively against Western Civilization.

There were virtually no cases of Lyme disease before 1990, or Alpha-Gal afflictions before 2010. This is NOT because they just didn't have a name for the disease yet. There were no known “red meat allergies” or other meat allergy syndromes outside of childhood clinical focus on a very small subset of the population. There was evidence to suggest southeastern states (with the highest concentration of disease-capable ticks)

My research indicates that ticks were not a big problem for anyone before 2020, before they started researching ticks as disease carrying weapons, before warpspeed mass-injection campaigns -- before authoritarian mandates to force these injections upon people in order to attend school, hold a job, or freely move about the country.

Finding #1:

Allergy to mammalian meats like beef was considered uncommon but was documented and studied, particularly in children with atopic dermatitis or cow’s milk allergy. Key examples include:Studies and reviews from the 1990s onward noted beef allergy in children, often linked to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cross-reactivity with milk proteins. Incidence estimates in selected groups (e.g., children with atopic dermatitis) ranged from roughly 3–6.5%, with possible rates up to ~0.3% in broader populations in some reports.

Credit for research: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Finding #2:

A 1997 study (Werfel, Cooke, and Sampson) examined clinical reactivity to beef via double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in children referred for atopic dermatitis/possible food hypersensitivity. It found symptomatic sensitivity in a subset, with many also reactive to milk; some tolerated well-cooked beef but reacted to rarer preparations due to heat-labile proteins.

Credit for research: sciencedirect.com

Finding #3:

A 2000 review by Fiocchi et al. summarized that beef allergy was poorly characterized before the 1990s but that papers in the 1990s clarified its epidemiology, symptoms, major allergens (especially BSA), diagnosis (skin tests, RASTs, challenges), and management (e.g., effects of processing/cooking). Related work continued into the early 2000s on cross-reactivity and natural history.

Let's put all this together and play the causation-correlation game: Note the green dotted line should be cumulative (ramping upward to increase the total cumulative number of additional immunization/injections above the baseline). Look what happens to Lyme Disease after 1990, and and Alpha Gal disease after it was “researched” in a fucking lab:

So we ho from maybe 0.3% of the population that may have some inexplicable meat allergy - which pattered with a very specific dermatology diagnosis - to over 100k cases of Lyme Disease and 30,000+ cases of Aplha-Gal -- from ZERO cases just fifteen years ago!!!

WHAT did we do differently?

What changed?

Why did these cases explode from nothing like a big bang pandemic event?

I think we all know the answer to that question.

Hypothetically:

Could galactose-α-1,3-galactose be introduced into humans through a vaccination?

Yes, hypothetically (and in limited real-world cases), galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) can be introduced into humans through certain vaccines.

How this occurs:

Even if Alpha-gal itself was not deliberately added as an active ingredient in standard vaccines; it can enter via mammalian-derived components used as stabilizers, additives, or residual materials during manufacturing.

Common sources include porcine or bovine gelatins, bovine extracts, glycerin, magnesium stearate, and other animal-origin excipients used as a stabilizers in some live or attenuated vaccines. This is basically in all flu shots and childhood vaccinations, as well as your favorite peptides and other designer drug injectables.

Credit for this research: cdc.gov

So how do people who don't live in Texas kr the southeastern states manage to contract Lyme Disease and the literally never before known or reported or documented or researched “Red Meat Allergy Syndrom”???

When these injection/vaccination ingredients are present, small amounts of alpha-gal can be injected along with the vaccine.

Examples known to contain gelatin (and thus potentially alpha-gal) include:

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)

Varicella (chickenpox)

Older zoster vaccine (Zostavax)

Yellow fever vaccine

Some rabies vaccines

Nasal flu vaccine (FluMist)

Many other vaccines (including most injectable flu shots, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Shingrix, Tdap, and others) are NOT SUPPOSED TO contain gelatin or significant mammalian-derived alpha-gal sources of contamination, but how many do? How many are cultured in either eggs, fetal material, common pets and livestock, etc???

Credit for this research: alphagaldocs.org

Fauci had no problem with tourturing beagles and other animals that have similar biome characteristics to humans - who is stopping him, his staff, or anyone else with an ideological hatred for mandkind or carnivorous in general from contaminating manufacturing batches at scale with a “proven fast and effective” red meat allergy adulterated side-load?

Think this is a conspiracy?

https://insiderpaper.com/fauci-dog-beagles-funding-cage-sandflies/

Here is another fun fact, directly from our frens at the CDC:

“CDC and allergy experts advise that patients with known AGS should discuss gelatin-containing vaccines with their doctor. Benefits often outweigh risks (especially for critical vaccines like rabies after a potential exposure), and alternatives or precautions (e.g., observation after vaccination) can be used.”

- cdc.gov

Grok really kocks it out of the park here:

“In research settings, experimental vaccines have intentionally used alpha-gal as an antigen (for example, against certain parasites), but these are not licensed public vaccines. Bottom line: Alpha-gal can be introduced via specific vaccines that use mammalian gelatin or related ingredients, primarily as a risk for people who are already sensitized. Most modern vaccines avoid this.”

Credit for research: Grock

So we have psychopaths in the government, who funded hundreds of clandestine bioweapon labs throughout the world, which are managed by humanity-hating globalists; Who had no problem using biotechnology to destroy the farmer's ability to retain, store, and plant their own seeds; Have no problem infusing our diets with GMO's, Seed Oils, Fake Meats, Bugs, Glyphosate, PFOA/Forever Chemicals, carcinogenic dyes and additives, and other food chain-delivered hormone, pharmaceutical, and pesticide contamination…. And WE are supposed to trust THEM with our health and safety!!

I absolutely believe these novel diseases are intentionally designed to serve an agenda - with zero concern for how they harm the public or environment or food chain or national security or God's Creation itself.

Tyrants do not stop…

…Until they are stopped.

-trooper

https://a.co/d/05D1uBSg

Journey Travel is a little different mindset than every readiness planning. There is overlap in hydration, but instead of a backpack bladder, you have a water canteen or Nalgene bottle; Instead of running two filters and flexible bags, you only need one, because your water source is a public bathroom sink instead of a muddy outdoor stream. So, overlap, but big difference in mindset.

The medium travel bag also contains more of some things, like personal hygiene and clothing changes. It has bath towel/washcloths, and can include shower shoes and other toiletries.

The travel satchel is designed to support all your personal needs while afoot away from home, but still connected to civilization, such as a hotel, hostil, or guest accomodatins in a home/RV/institution or wherever.

The bag itself is designed to NEVER leave your body or your sight. So when you get to the hotel, you can take out the toiletries and maybe the cookset and other stuff… but your ID, radio, water filter, personal safety items, and rain/cover items always remain with you.

Use the extra space created in the bag from destination quarters/site off-load, to fill up on silver-plated tourist spoons, Chinese-made shotglasses that are stenciled with country/city you are visiting, or whatever other procurement/collectuons/acquisitions you may desire in your travels.

I have used the extra space created after hotel room unloading, to stuff my jacket or flip flops or cigars or whatever else I may need at the bar/pool/embassy/golf course/whatever is on the schedule that day.

The concept is exactly as with the “troooper backpack” when dismounting the vehicle: Open bag, put things from the bag onto your body; Fill free space with thinks from vehicle.

In this travel satchel use-case: Arrive at destination, offload items used at hotel/quarters. Put other stuff on your body. Now you have light, mostly empty bag to easily carry and put stuff in as needed.

These systems have been optimized for their intended purpose. But there is indeed a difference between backpack of all things any place any time -- and planned travel to place away from home but near civilization where setting up tarps, sleeping behind bushes, and getting water from open canals is not a likely scenario - even though the travel satchel items will still support all those contingencies, it is designed for basic travel self-reliance.

Keep in mind that you will also likely have checked baggage in a travel scenario - which is taking a huge load off your carried bag. So in the suitcase can go full toiletries, changes of clothes, towels, shower shoes, whatever else.

Mindset: Not WHAT is in the bag, but WHY is it in the bag. Please let these posts and my curated list of considerations be your guide.

Check out this list ALL CONTENTS of each "trooper bag" in one list, from my trooper-approved Self Reliance Equipment Store: https://a.co/d/05D1uBSg

-tC

This is a two-part video of in-depth detail.

For your convenience, I have painstakingly linked every single thing in all my bags to a special curated list on my affiliate site.

Check out ALL CONTENTS of each "trooper bag" in one list: https://a.co/d/0921OM94

Key Points:

Bag should be made out of durable Nylon (Cordura Nylon by name brand ideally).

NEVER buy a “tactical bag” made from Polyester or scam name “Oxford Fabric” which is also garbage.

Your primary bag should fit inside a 5 gallon bucket. That bucket should be where your bag lives. It can have a car bucket “home” and a house bucket “home” but it should always be nearby.

It is not so important to think about what is in the bag, butvWHY is it in the bag? This is NOT a laptop case, it is an essential survival pack. It has everything needed to assure your hydration, sanitation, and temperature control. That is it. Anything else in there is for supporting those three imparatives.

Every person in your family needs to carry their own bag with their own stuff - at their level of age/cognitive/physical capacity.

This is not some grift to get you to buy fad influencer garbage items. I have been doing this the span of my life - proven gear in tge bag does not change or need to be upgraded unless it is lost or damaged. Rarely does something need to be “revised” like moving from incandescent to early LED, tgen from crap old LED to high-power LED flashlights… Very rare for things (that are not electronic) to need a frequent update. Buy once, Cry once - and most everything in this critical bag does NOT need to be the most expensive this or that. Simple, durable, reliable. That is what saves lives: Training and Predictable Gear.

-tC

This is a two-part video of in-depth detail.

For your convenience, I have painstakingly linked every single thing in all my bags to a special curated list on my affiliate site.

Check out ALL CONTENTS of each "trooper bag" in one list: https://a.co/d/0921OM94

Key Points:

1. Bag should be made out of durable Nylon (Cordura Nylon by name brand ideally).

2. NEVER buy a “tactical bag” made from Polyester or scam name “Oxford Fabric” which is also garbage.

3. Your primary bag should fit inside a 5 gallon bucket. That bucket should be where your bag lives. It can have a car bucket “home” and a house bucket “home” but it should always be nearby.

4. It is not so important to think about what is in the bag, butvWHY is it in the bag? This is NOT a laptop case, it is an essential survival pack. It has everything needed to assure your hydration, sanitation, and temperature control. That is it. Anything else in there is for supporting those three imparatives.

5. Every person in your family needs to carry their own bag with their own stuff - at their level of age/cognitive/physical capacity.

6. This is not some grift to get you to buy fad influencer garbage items. I have been doing this the span of my life - proven gear in tge bag does not change or need to be upgraded unless it is lost or damaged. Rarely does something need to be “revised” like moving from incandescent to early LED, tgen from crap old LED to high-power LED flashlights… Very rare for things (that are not electronic) to need a frequent update. Buy once, Cry once - and most everything in this critical bag does NOT need to be the most expensive this or that. Simple, durable, reliable. That is what saves lives: Training and Predictable Gear.

-tC

The other day we did a video on something in the bag, and maybe five people clicked on that affiliate link out of curiosity, but over 150 people clicked on the bag link - which happens a lot where I am focused on something in my bag, and I only get questions about the bag itself!

These are NOT “Bug Out Bags” they are just my personal travel bags, and they all meet the “trooper basic needs” of hydration, sanitation (including personal hygiene and first aid), and temperature control. Those are the essentials!

As you can see, I have purchased my own bags four previous times (two large and two medium) and will get another medium and large set for just clothing/civ stuff.

So today I'll will do a detailed video on these since there was so much interest.

These are my affiliate links to both medium and large size Helikon-Tex Bags:

https://amzn.to/4q82EV9

https://amzn.to/4crELC6

Again, it is not the WHAT but the WHY:

WHY do you need a bag? DO you need a bag?

Can you just use an existing bag, pack, duffle, satchel, or gym bag? Sure, if that meets your needs. I have gone through that iterative process myself, and this is the result:

For every day, in and out of the house, in and out of the Jeep, rough and tumble daily use and abuse: Any Nylon/Cordura backpack (not shit polyester) 30 Liiter or less (24-28 liter is a sweet spot) that FITS INSIDE of a standard 5 Gallon Bucket. The bucket is the only standard of measure that matters. i will go into that in detail on the next video.

For travel by air/rail/boat: These Helikon-Tex bags are just perfect for me. The Medium size gives you plenty of room for travel essentials. I do NOT carry a laptop, but you could put easily one in these bags - but I don't - this is a gear bag only for me - only the basics that I want near me or on me all the time no matter where I am at or what I am doing.

For travel by vehicle and longer/extended travel, I run the large bags. This includes field/camping/”doing stuff” type stuff. If I had anything remotely classified as a “Go Bag” it would be the large Helikon-Tex bag, because it fits what you need, without falling down the bottomless cavern of a Kelty Coyote ( https://amzn.to/3TPMGms ) or some other huge massive bag that people fill then can't carry.

So either medium or large Helikon-Tex bag is like the backpack in the 5 gallon bucket: It is self-regulatung. It only holds so mucn, but everything it holds is easy to get to. That matters.

So not the what but the why. And you will see when I break down these bags, I carry a LOT of stuff. The difference is my stuff is ORGANIZED and purpose-minded. If you just dump a pile of things into a gym bag or big backpack, those things just don't really help you in any sort of optimal way. This is the magic of couriour type bags - everything is “up top” in its own place and compartment.

In the extended video I will make an effort to link all the things in my bag for reference. That will be a huge PITA but I kind of wanted to inventory my own bag for a long time.

Be like trooper and get a trooper bag! : )

More to follow…

-tC

Daughter's rando friends decided to have a pool party.

Wyatt is packing some more Summer survival kits for our homeless brothers and sisters.

We talk new mobile first aid format for our Phoenix outreach.

I talk through the phases of wound healing as Wyatt re-dresses Chuck's gunshot wound.

Just an average Sunday.

While China knows our American Politic is too spineless and controlled well enough to allow even the most brazen and disrespectful acts and offenses from Chia and Chinese-controlled entities to go unanswered and ignored -- China still knows precisely where their boundaries of conduct are.

Enter North Korea

The Russians have been using NPRK “Special Forces” and regular cannonfodder in the SVA against the Ukraine for a couple years now. This augmentation was critical during the coldest weeks of Winter, and filled a lot of gaps when the Wagner PMC regrouped (essentially dissolved, but ‘consolidated and regrouped’ in Belarus. Prigozhin was the lifeblood of The Musicians, and his (very questionable) death in 2023, took the wind out of that organization's sails quite rapidly.

It was the North Koreans, in part, who helped fill the gaps on the front in many parts of that insanely long and winding FEBA from literally Sevastopol to Bryansk.

As the world stacks up bets on the future of the PetroDollar, and other geopolitocal wagers, like who will benefit from or own and control the resources in Gaza and Lebanon, or who will inherit the debt and spoils of the Ukrainian ruins, who will move forces and/or political influences into the likely fifty or more third-world countries that are going to collapse into revolt after the inevitable famine we'll see beginning this winter and spanning well into 2028-to possibly-2030… We have oureyesand attention focused on the big titans in the ring right now: America, Russia, China, and Iran.

Any other issues among the whole of Central & South America, combined with the whole of Europe, and the whole of Africa, and every square inch of geography above sea level in between, is either irrelevant in comparison -- or issues of second order as a result of -- the actions, impacts, policies, or positioning of those four giants in the ring.

I should say: India, by itself; and Israel, Egypt, and the Saudis - as a clusterfuck - will provide lots of sideshow entertainment in the months ahead.

But that said; Only a superpower like the United States could be in total economic and clandestine or open proxy war with three other massive giants - simultaneously - and still trade goods and maintain diplomatic relations with all three of them. This is not a testament to Trump foreign policy, it is simply a recognition by those foreign powers that without America - without a strong American economic engine - they will all be pulled-under in the riptide of our collapse. The strategy to eventually control us doesn't work with explosive destruction; They must rely on their so far, very effective, slow posioning of our politic, or academics, our culture, and our foreign influence. If America suddenly and violently capsizes, it will create a vacuum that sucks the life out of every single country left in our wake: No spoils, no easy pickens, no new opportunities for the three remaining giants… All the cattle die in the pasture at once. The may own the slaughterhouse, but we control the ranch. Burn it down all at once and there is nothing left to rustle away.

What does this have to do with North Korea?

A few things: For the NPRK, they desperately need a hero's war. They need to give their people something in order to hold on to power. The SVO is perfect pravda for their people and press.

A good war is going to lower their population, undoubtedly. It will purge all their relic arsenals and inventories and cold war technology… It allows them to expend the last century war machine to make room for modernized drone/precision/unmanned/ideally designed new generation weapon systems that could not be a better fit for their tactical environment (Japan and South Korea; and adjacent seas).

They will serve their purpose to China in exchange for these technologies and the provisioning of a formidable, neo-technical, forward deployable military: A modernized invasion and conquest army.

But how do they get their old army to the Ukrainian front?

Russia shares a short a land border with North Korea along the Tumen River, where all three nations (China) meet, adjacent to the Sea of Japan. The old rail bridge shown in the image above is a trasition point between NK and Russian rail services, and has remained operational since it was built in 1959.

Heavy wheeled vehicle-mounted missile systems (such as transporter-erector-launchers or TELs for systems like the KN-23/KN-24) can therefore move from North Korea to Russia without transiting any third country. This little fact is key! Because we can blow stuff up in the Sea of Japan, and we are not willing to blow shit up going across the Northern Chinese border with Russia. This is a key fact because CHINA does not want to have her fingerprints on North Korean missile launchers that end up firing upon the Ukraine, and most likely, being the primary thrust into leveling Kiev.

So we have a dinky little Koren War-era bridge… Not really the greatest enabler of mass military movement or logistical support for the Russians, but it exists.

But what if they had a better bridge? Something bigger? Something still isolated, still on top of only North Korean and Russian land… but bigger?

Welcome the new Khasan–Tumangang Bridge!

This little bridge can move 300+ heavy wheeled vehicles a day; Does not rely on any adjacent ports, rails, roads, bridges, or water crossings… It is just a big pipeline of military and logistical support for Russia.

They started this project last year, as the Russians were fielding NK soldiers on the SVO front. It is supposed to open this month (August 2026) or maybe next month at the latest.

I can assure you, the legacy army of North Korea is parked in convoy, waiting to cross.

They have been planning this since the war began several years ago. This image is from 2024:

Credit: https://beyondparallel.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-17-Tumangang-Khasan_01.png

So what problems does this solve for China?

Well… As I predicted, China wants to go to war with Russia at some point. Yes.. they do. And this vail of support (to amass their vassal state's conventional military forces) to help Russia win the SVO, is a perfect Trojan Horse.

With the NK military come billets, depots, communucatiins centers, on-ground operational capabilities, effective bases of operations for clandestine/intelligence gathering operations, etc… This is the perfect cover to penetrate Russia's interior national security.

How does this help North Korea?

Well… Cheese Points from the CCP indeed. They will gain access to a place that China eventually plans to take over - and NK workers are uniquely qualified to exploit Russia's cold eastern range… Maybe I meant ‘cheap and expendable’ instead of ‘uniquely qualified’. In any case, conquest and exploitation require workers. Russia's population is less than 2/3's the United States, and nearly all Russians live in cities now… They have zero capability to defend themselves on a South-Eastern front against China and their massive population of expendable fighters. It's over for Russia.

China is not ready to cross that line yet, but they will as soon as the United States is reasonably expended. We cannot stop China from attacking Hong Kong and Taiwan - which if one goes so shall the other. We can't stop North Korea from attacking Japan or South Korea if China wills it to be. We cannot stop China from rearming Iran's missile and drone batteries or from green-lighting a decisive Iranian attack on Israel. We cannot stop a fully-coordinated shutdown of all maritime traderoute choke points, including Panama, if China signs-off on that plan.

We can't do shit… But wait for what China does next. It won't be dramatically and instantaneously detrimental to the US, I know that much… but it will be an incremental bleed… a thousand cuts… a slow metamorphosis of expanding and decisive control.

China needs to “help” Russia now.

North Korea needs a hero's war.

Russia is not in a position to say no.

Iran will not turn her back on Russia (for now) because they have centuries of history. Unfortunately, China was a different place 600 years ago. China has spent years developing very close relations with Iran… not because they are friends, but because they have common enemies. That said, when China makes her move on Russia, Iran will turn her back to Russia. Russia knows this. It is why they WANTED to join NATO. The West knows this. It is why they turned them down. Russia makes a convenient enemy right now.

The smartest, long-term plan and benefit for both the US and Russia would have been to normalize relationships, trade, travel, friendship, and alliances. That would be a globalist nightmare. It would also be a Chinese and Israeli nightmare. There is at least one shot in hell that Iran and Russia could see the writing on the wall, and align themselves with the United States… But Israel, China, and the Globalists will NEVER allow that to happen.

So expect a coming round of attacks from Russia, against Ukraine, to be from North Korean Missile Batteries (Soviet style MRLS type weapon systems, but imported from NPRK across their new shiny bridge.) This will bring Kiev to her knees. That will end with Russia annexing everything East of the Dnipro and shoreline 60KM North of the Black Sea, all the way to Odessa. It will result in a joint Chinese-Russian port and a DMZ division of Odessa and a few other cities along the Dniper River.

The debtholders of Ukraine's ashen economy will gladly open trade and travel across those militarized borders between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainians will swallow it and ask for more. Bankers win. China wins. Russia wins her honor back, but will lose her kingdom as a result.

-tC

NONE of the cheap aftermarket antennas are going to deliver any meaningful benefits, because none of them are really tested or tuned for your radio as well as the already cheap antenna that came with it.

Can my radio do XYZ???

Yes, they can interact with repeaters, send messages, access phone patches, send location, and all kinds of other wonderful stuff - depending on radio and the remote station's capabilities they are interacting with.

But... the HT (Handheld Transceiver) is designed to be light, simple, reliable, and limited in features, range, and power.

My video explains why gigantic antennas on small radios are generally a ridiculous and pointless exercise - and how to maximize your stock antennas or those longer antennas with a simple counterpoise "stinger wire" or just the hood of your car, a cookie sheet, or a metal park bench (or whatever - trash can lid, manhole cover, flood grate, water main cover, anything).

The best bet would be plugging your radio into (an also cheap, but better) external antenna that has either an integrated or supporting groundplane:

https://amzn.to/45fhC1Z

In the very narrow focus of Baofeng handheld radios, the absolute best ones on the market (as of August 2026, and likely for the foreseeable future, are the UV5R-Mini, and the UV-32.

The UV5R-Mini is an absolutely amazing little radio. It does everything any previous generation Baofeng did - but better - and has other features that are very cool (like Dual-PTT and frequency capture).

https://amzn.to/4xtegVi

https://amzn.to/4yYb3hS

The UV-32 is a full-featured, full-size radio that tries to mimic a Harris or Motorola - The greatest feature is a top deck channel selector. That eliminates the forever annoying Up ^-v Down keypad arrows on all previous Baofeng designs. Get these if you want a full-featured, highly capable radio. DO NOT get this if you plan on handing it to grandma or your non-technical neighbor/brother/buddy "Schlitz and Overalls Owen". Get them cheap FRS radios instead.

IMPORTANT: Some Amazon Links come with the hard plastic radio holster - you WANT this. Some come with soft crappy holster thingy - you do NOT want that. Ignore all of the other "Accessories" - just focus on getting ones with the hard plastic radio holster, and if you want the bigger extended battery that's fine. This is USB rechargeable, and the battery screwed in, not just a quick disconnect - so whatever battery you have is probably never going to come off anyway.

Large Battery:

https://amzn.to/4c1pUhG

Standard Battery:

https://amzn.to/4wLFBlF

The DMR Radios (DM-32) are even more advanced than the UV-32 series -- If you are really going to use digital modes, or are already using digital amateur radio modes - then this is a logical choice. If not, stick with the traditional UV-32 models above ^^

https://amzn.to/4bSVNcr

Two Pack:

https://amzn.to/3Ryyei7

If you are just looking for simple, reliable, inexpensive radios that will connect parents, kids, campers, neighbors, or whoever else together reliably, then get these:

https://amzn.to/4fIO0A3

If you want a stupidly long antenna, look no further than here:

https://amzn.to/4wcv5CC

All of these flex antennas are literally made from spent metal tape measuring spools - no shit!

The short dummy-load size antennas I use for radio transport are here:

https://amzn.to/4zkqHob

(Image credit: Amazon Reviews - there are dozens of examples of these wannabe military whip antennas being made from scrap measuring tapes!)

In summary: The cheap Baofengs and similar Chinesium radios that have flooded the US market are indeed capable little radios. But they are not Amateur Radio level quality, such as Yeasu, iCom, Kenwood, or other traditional name brands -- which many of those are also made in China, or Japan, or other places. Beyond that price point, you get in to legitimate military and commercial Motorol, Harris, and other specialty radios - which are indeed more robust, but also often less versatile (Capability or Optimized Design for a specific purpose vs. Versatility/Flexibility to do a lot of different stuff not as well).The Baofeng winds the wildcard and cost wars, but it comes with some distinct trade-offs. For most people the value proposition is there: Buy up to ten Baofengs for the price of a single Amateur or Commercial grade equivelant.

Just be realistic. Know what these radios are for and why they are so cheap. Don't try to polish a turd into a diamond. These are very functional turds, but they are still turds - Don't over-think it.

- tC

Everyone should have a P-38 on their keyring. It can serve as a screwdriver, pry bar, box opener, nail cleaner, latch bolt blocker, and line cutter for coke addicts, digging dried mud out of your rifle butt or boot tread... the uses are endless.

Be careful how sharp you make the cutting edge, it can easily snag in a pocket or pack, tearing or ripping fabric (or your own skin).

I am adding my affiliate links for these things and other stuff shown in my videos. At no additional cost to you, every referral penny (and believe me, it is pennies) that I earn goes to some irresponsible habit like cigars, more random crap from the shịtfairy to make more videos, or my own subscriptions (Michael Yon is on the top of that list).

Warning: Do not buy cheap Chinese knock-offs. There were several US companies that made the P-38 for our military, the most common being US Shelby Co. I prefer the smaller standard P-38, but a lot of guys loke the larger P-51 size that was used for opening huge K-Ration (MKT Steam Pan Rations). If you are an older guy, or have concerns with hand strength go ahead and get the P-51/P-38 combo and see which woeks better for you. The bulk link is for fellow OCD rednecks that need to assure some standard redundancy of items in each of their kits.

https://amzn.to/3Ugfe8L

https://amzn.to/3TF4zEz

https://amzn.to/4bvKpmz

I'll do a separate video on the SpyderCo SharpMaker - it has been my standard kitchen cutlery and general blade maintenance/sharpening tool for years and years:

https://amzn.to/458ZDKG

If you choked on the price of legit original SpyderCo SharpMaker above, feel free to try your luck on a Chinesium variant (I do not own or endorse this product, so Caveat Emptor):

https://amzn.to/4hQE494

Thanks,

- tC

If you have ever tried to place a hook-n-latch pouch or holster or whatever accessory to the inside of a bag's velcro/patch panel, you know what a PITA it is. This is how I address the issue. Just use a simple ziplock bag with an open bottom, slide in panel, place panel, pull out ziplock. Easy Peasy

I have included my amazon affiliate links for some of the items discussed in the video. Reach out if I missed anything...

Helikon-Tex Bags - Medium & Large.

I love these bags. They have a soft inside velcro pad for adding organizers and stuff - they are Cordura Nylon - and they are extremely well stitched and built. Here are the bags and insert accessories I use...

Large Bag:

https://link.amazon/B0iiVlyL4

Medium Bag:

https://link.amazon/B0fgpp02w

Organizers:

https://link.amazon/B0iysFGMh

https://link.amazon/B05TxJz2Z

https://link.amazon/B0c8BG8O6

https://link.amazon/B0c2KbTuP

https://link.amazon/B0j3D1h8x

Political theater is designed to seep into every other conversation like water through cracks in the concrete. We "weather seal" by determining if we can directly create, influence, control, change, prevent progression of, or stop an intended outcome.

If we can, then we decide first if we are willing to become active participants in that effort; Are we accepting the responsibility, work, and/or consequences of standing up? Do we know what our ideal and/or acceptable alternative outcome could be? Is it realistically achievable; how do we do it?

Most importantly: Is there enough support and participation from others to influence that outcome, or are we just going to sacrifice ourselves as unrecognized but stoic martyrs?

Sometimes the individual battle must be fought -- Unavoidable or unexpected realities that directly threatens you or your family -- and the only options are do nothing and be victimized, or fight and win or die. These are the battles of isolation that cause men to either stand up or kneel down.

General authoritarianism is the brine we are all soaked in through various policies, actions and decisions made either without concern for public sentiment, or openly and indifferently in conflict with the will of the people who have never held them accountable.

Once these new [rules/policies/ordinances/laws] are enacted, enforcement or protection of those anti-public infringements begin in earnest.

Ask yourselves: Has great any voice or thinker on the left or right noticed that NONE of these legislative/county/city level laws/policies/ ordinances, or codes are designed or aligned to benifit the citizens or voters in their own communities? Laws are *enforced* because people do not want to obey them.

There is a self-inflicting, internal consequence of unhealthy eating. There is an external consequence for not paying property taxes.

I get it: We need laws and consequences to assure people don't run red lights or, umm.. issue RealID CDL licenses to unqualified, illegal immigrants.

But ask those great thinkers on the left or right why there were no consequences for their own failures, when these laws and decisions and policies were imposed upon the people against their will, and resulted in numerous dire outcomes. Lack of accountability for me, but not for thee.

Decisions are being coordinated and made in lockstep at at every level of counsel, board, commission, State and Federal level - in contempt of public discourse. This is what I call, essentially, reverse Marxism: The Enterprise controls the State. The people are still victimized in the same fashion, only difference being who is holding you down and who is raping you change roles or holes.

The consequence of bitching about a pattern, but doing nothing about it:

Once implemented, there is are immediate revocations of voice, rights, and liberties. This is enforced by Orwellian surveillance, remote technical or process controls, non-compliance cancelations or revocations, or other legal or financial consequences -- and ultimately -- direct physical intrusion, violence, incarceration, or extrajudicial retribution.

After the brine seasons the populous, the fork and knife of tyranny will devour any individual that stands their ground from the whole.

This was preventable however: The frogs in the pot attacked the frog who was hot for trying to turn the burner down before everyone was cooked in the brine they collectively bathed in.

The frogs who work to turn that heat up instead of down are just as culpable as those who lit the burner to begin with. Their methods are different, they cause friction inside the bath water, independent of the flames under the pot. The goal is the same: Cook everyone else with the false confidence they can leap out before it gets to hot for their own survival.

It disgusts me when I hear people say they are not going to vote because "the system is rigged" after all the work personal risk, and suffering of so many who have stood up to bring light to that truth (Tina Peters, many others but she is a perfect metaphorical hood ornament).

It has not been easy to expose it and work to change it - and succeed in so many places in spite of constant undermining and attacks - it troubles me, because those who speak against the easiest and most sacred of all rights to change our direction are the ones who kneel and watch the others who stand up get cut down without lifting a finger or raising a voice to help them - not even casting a single fucking vote while the steam rises from the pot they stand in.

For those that think they will get off the couch "when the balloon goes up" and "fight for our liberty" - if you have never attended a school board, city counsel or county board meeting to speak for/against anything - or show up to support someone else who can speak better than you; If you just gave up your vote and never bothered to educate your self on who was running to begin with; or never attended your local district party legislative meeting to even get a clue what you could be doing at the grass roots to make real changes to outcomes - or if you are just some ass clown, venom spewing troll, shilling post-apocalyptic bobbles and soldier of misfortune narratives to to the disenfranchised general public - you are the problem. You are either the friction or the victim in the pot -- a traitor to the very ideals of liberty and freedom our Republic was founded upon.

There is a world of difference between being educated versus being intelligent; between any measure of success versus genuine contentment in the role or station in life you occupy. Easy discernment lesson: Those who marginalizes you for not being them, those who attack or judge you out of jealousy, envy, or a covetousness of what you may be or have - they are the ones with their hands on the burner or creating friction in the pot. Call them out. Avoid them. They are clearly showing their intent to kneel while you get cut down for standing on your own two feet. They will pull you under and step on your head to get out of that collective brine when the heat gets too high.

These are the voices that are selling you dehydrated bitcoin and basement beans from the safe side of a keyboard. They are the ones teaching you how to be more challenging target practice for drones; lining their pockets with money redirected from your family's needs into a future loot drop for the enemy as you stand alone in front of your proverbial keyboard. They are NOT going to "be there with you" they will not be doing anything beyond taking your money, scurrying away into the hinterlands, and hiding out for as long as they can while the consumers of their bullshit die in the streets or boil to death in the stew they have seasoned with words of malcontent. They will kneel and hide in darkness, not lifting a finger to help while you are cut down for standing up. That is the recipe they are selling when the message of self-reliance is defiled with the seasoning of isolationism and angst against efforts to mend civil society - their goal is to destroy it, not heal it.

What is the litmus test between a shit-talking muppet and an active steward, active participant, or credible leader? Who is pulling you back into the pot when you are trying to turn the temperature down? Who is marginalizing your efforts when you work within your community, engage in civic discourse, inspire others, or attempt to rationally dissect real problems into root causes and actionable outcomes? Who is peddling bullets and bomb shelters instead of inspiring and building resilient communities and demonstrating active participation in addressing real problems with real solutions to those problems?

I believe in the right of self-defense and self-reliance. If "the balloon goes up" however, an AR-15 is literally the least useful tool I can imagine when there is no water, no food, no utility services, and no civil order. The rifle is for everything that tries to come for your door from the street. Self-reliance is being repaired to endure and sustain the basic needs of your home first, then your neighborhood, then your community, without being a victim, refugee, or predator. You cannot expect any positive outcome from engaging government tyranny on the streets with nothing more than bullets in your magazine. Look no further than Gaza, Eastern Ukraine, or any African or Arab shithole for examples of how that works out.

This does not imply one should give their future up to an external locus of control or unrealistic Pollyanna faith in some greater cosmic good that will just solve the world's problems. It does not mean you should ignore the who, what, where, and how in analysis of the conflict space. All it means is this: You cannot solve for global problems, only local ones.

Voting in isolation of knowledge and selection of candidates is factually pointless. The biggest myth of voting is that it only happens on election day. That, in itself, is a fruitless endeavor. It is the work that must be done before campaign signs go up on the street corners that matter. Unfortunately, it is this exact work that is marginalized and dismissed by the friction frogs and burner controllers. They WANT you to lose total faith in the system as a whole, instead of dissecting actionable elements of success and supporting the efforts of those working against the public good. Our enemy has mastered campaigns of voter apathy to assure the insertion of uniparty agents as the only choices on a given ballot.

It isn't the one day vote that changes the course of our Republic. It is the long period of no-show effort that destroys our chances of ever correcting a rigged system. Those who want you to remain in the pot will never allow you to understand how to dissect and remediate root causes of the larger problem space.

"Fuck it. Why vote? The system is rigged."

This defines the whole problem space.

Engage the system before the vote, engage candidates who represent your local community, values, and concerns. Elections are decided by the 3,140+ counties, 435 Congressional Districts, and thousands of Legislative Districts where you live and have direct, meaningful influence.

I know this because I know every single one of my legislators by name, and they know me. I did the work to fight the City of Phoenix on behalf of our homeless denizens; I did the work to push three separate First Aid bills into session; I know because I am an active participant in the local, grassroots process of selecting honorable candidates that can compete against the uniparty borg, and demonstrating success in pushing out those well-funded globalist candidates before they become the only choices on a general election ballot.

It takes work. It takes engagement. It is unforgiving and failure is frequent and frustrating. But the alternative is to do nothing. To kneel. To stay in the pot. To give up.

Anyone who is dismissive of this absolute survival imperative of engagement before the vote is your enemy. They either work for, or are benefitting from the corrupt system that is sold as a one day, pointless voting exercise. They lose their power and their relevance when the self-accountable stand up, take the task of active participation seriously, and get in front of the safe side of their keyboard.

I am not saying you won't get your ass kicked in some of the fights you showed up for. I am saying, factually, you will boil in that pot if you do nothing and allow the grifting naysayers to marginalize and undermine your right and real capability to change the system.

Your AR-15 is going to boil in the same pot with you like carrots of inaction in a broth of surrender before your very eyes.

Nobody wants to waste a thursday night at a school board meeting. This is why US Flags are now offensive relics of contrived oppression in Marxist led classrooms. Nobody wants to run for city counsel or support the campaigns of willing and honorable candidates who can vote against flock cameras and datacenters in your community. You don't influence global policy or National politics by staying home. You have to fight. You have to decide what is more important: Watching the world around you slowly rise to an inevitable and scorching boil; Or getting out of the pot and actively participating in saving your own family, country, and way of life from being consumed before those rifles and freeze-dried rations will ever make a difference in whether or not you survive - because you won't.

Don't live in a hole. This is YOUR Republic if you can keep it. Get off your ass or get off your virtual soapbox of faux disdain for what is happening in real-time around you.

-tC

I have included my amazon affiliate links for some of the items discussed in the video. Reach out if I missed anything...

Helikon-Tex Bags - Medium & Large.

I love these bags. They have a soft inside velcro pad for adding organizers and stuff - they are Cordura Nylon - and they are extremely well stitched and built. Here are the bags and insert accessories I use...

Large Bag:

https://link.amazon/B0iiVlyL4

Medium Bag:

https://link.amazon/B0fgpp02w

Organizers:

https://link.amazon/B0iysFGMh

https://link.amazon/B05TxJz2Z

https://link.amazon/B0c8BG8O6

https://link.amazon/B0c2KbTuP

https://link.amazon/B0j3D1h8x

As always: Poncho Liners for the win!

Legit USGI New Old Stock:

https://link.amazon/B05Tco8ab

My preference for best Civilian variants:

https://link.amazon/B06hja3pm

Nalgene is my primary container of choice:

https://link.amazon/B01XPY9Y2

Preferred Cup and nesting container:

(Any color, and your preference of wide or narrow mouth container)

https://link.amazon/B03sTQc4n

https://link.amazon/B0a3Nt5zG

Best steel cup for these:

(Get the large one)

https://link.amazon/B08C68eUt

Old School Stanley Adventure Cup (Nests in tall GSI cup perfectly):

https://link.amazon/B0eeYKWEB

My standard water filtration setup:

Sawyer Mini - do NOT get a cheap knock-off!

Check the prices on different colors and quantities - they vary - the best deal is "Filter Only" in a single or four pack. There is no need to get the full retail box package options.

https://link.amazon/B08lYc9KD

Water collection bladder:

(Get 2 Liter or 3 Liter but never less or more)

Makes life much easier to filter water from this bag, through the filter, and into your nalgene conttainer...

https://link.amazon/B0gi3m7ff

Chlorination Tablets (1 Quart/Liter size)

https://link.amazon/B0bcBiKJk

There are two great radios on the market now. One is big and one is small. You can add bigger batteries/accessories/whatever but these are good one and done options for most people. Key point is the UV32 affiliate link I shared comes with the hard holster not the crappy soft one.

Get the UV32 if you plan to really use all the features and need the extra power, but don't mind the large size. Get the UV5R-Mini if you just want a small, reliable radio that will hit your local repeaters and work as an excellent small form factor option for travel/hike/packing/local area family/neighborhood use.

https://link.amazon/B0ewAxIdz

https://link.amazon/B0gvKWFNq

My standard travel Self Defense items...

Sabre Red Pepper Gel:

https://link.amazon/B01kDJERx

John EK-44 Commando Knife:

https://link.amazon/B0bHS0pFg

Fenix PD36 series flashlights.

This is the most economical:

https://link.amazon/B05zK3bmE

I'll do a full dump-out bag video if there is enough community desire for such a video.

Thanks,

-tc

there is no once size fits all/standard setup. As stated in the video, we have dedicated “hospital / ER / Waiting Room” bags pre-packed and exclusively for that purpose. No thinking, just grab and go.

You may have a baby bag or loved one with special care needs - they get their own dedicated bag for their own unique needs.

I am the first one on the Internet that said the term “bug out bag” is stupid - because it excludes the whole context of WHY from the conversation. Then, seeing people talk about adding heavy tools, massive amounts of ammo/firearms/armor/tools… absolutely ridiculous. Are you signing up to be a contestant on Alone or SurvivorMan or are you just trying to understand what the essential needs are and how to service them, regardless of the scene, season, situation, or scenario?

Again: The trooper essential survival triangle:

Hydration - Sanitation - Temperature Control

Get that right and everything else in the bag is either a luxury or a cumbersome and useless burden.

You can't just shove a parka or a tent or a pot belly stove or a king size wool blanket into a carry-on sizebag. That extra stuff is cargo, checked luggage, trunk items, or whatever - but not going into the primary bag.

I WILL do a video on bugging out - and what that means. It includes a plan beyond the bag.

My focus has always been the basics, in a typically urban environment, in spaces that are hostile to persons travelling or outdoors. It includes the needs of any person in a vehicle, whether they live in it or are broke down with it. This is a whole different discipline and psychology vs. Bushcrafting or SAS Survival ideologies.

-tC

Yes, their job is to attack us.

Yes, we have countermeasures in place to respond.

NO, this is not front page newsworthy - > it is an every day reality with a little more visibility now.