The Q&A portion of the Wild Bunch Dispatch will be held on this page from 6pm to 7:30pm (Mountain Time) today. Any questions you might have on the 49th issue please post here and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Some ground rules:
1) Please stick to the subject matter of the newsletter.
2) This is not a debate forum. If you have some concerns I’m happy to address them, but I can’t get into a long circular debate while other people have questions.
3) If I do not respond to your question immediately, don’t freak out. I’ll get to it, don’t worry.
4) Try to keep to one or two questions each time you write a post. Please refrain from essay-long multi-question posts. It is much appreciated.
I will begin discussion at exactly 6pm Mountain time. Looking forward to your questions and thoughts on the Wild Bunch Issue #49. The next issue of the newsletter will be released on February 26th. If you missed out on this discussion you can still subscribe for the next issue and participate. For more information on how to subscribe, visit the link HERE.
Regards,
Brandon Smith, Founder of Alt-Market.us
Discussion on Issue #49 is now open.
Quick question about night vision vs thermal. I live in an area that has a lot of trees, underbrush and overgrowth in the summer. Would thermal work better in this environment than night vision?
Thermal would be worse than night vision. Areas with dense vegetation block most thermal signatures unless viewed from above, and even then it is hard to identify specific hot spots through tree branches and leaves. Night vision works better in terms of identifying details of the target in trees and brush. Thermal vision just looks like a heat blob obscured by vegetation, and there are numerous hot spots in any given field of view that are not manmade. I think where thermal vision really dominates is in wide open areas like deserts and fields, or on streets and rooftops in urban settings.
I expect more issues from marauders and looters than anyone else. With that in mind, do you consider setting up OP/LPs and a command post essential?
Yes, I have mentioned that strategy in previous issues of the newsletter, but I might write more about LP/OP in the near term. Forward observers are the key to any rebellion or surviving a large scale collapse. They are a huge force multiplier because they expand your circle of security for many miles (basically as far as your comms systems will transmit. You want people specifically with long range shooting experience and knowledge of escape and evasion techniques. Teams of two are ideal, unless you are setting up a heavy weapon like a 50 BMG, then you will probably need a team of four. They can be set up and ready to engage on major travel routes, but they will primarily be forwarding information on what they see while keeping a low profile. Staying informed of potential threats and staying ahead of the curve is the foundation of survival.
Any thoughts on good reference materials regarding these issues?
I’ve been scoping out the ATN PVS14-3 Night Vision Monocular for awhile, any feedback on this? Are these better utilized with NV type reddots, say EOTech/Aimpoint vs. a variable optic?
Stay away from ATN – It’s cheap Russian crap. The guys at TNVC seem to know what they are doing and they have some affordable options:
https://tnvc.com/
That said, stay away from the TNVC IR flashlights; they are mediocre compared to some of the varmint hunting options like Nightsnipe, I think because they are trying to stay within legal parameters and restrictions on IR. There are some IR light companies that don’t give a sh#t about that and make military grade IR products. That is what you want.
Copy that, thanks for the information as always.
I can attest to my total disappointment with the PVS-14 Gen 3 Kit I bought in 3/31/2014 from Ready Made Resources for the “bargain” price of $3,000 and the “get them quick , limited supply,” and blah blah hype & 7 years later, they are still trying to pawn off this junk.
Drones could also be an effective force multiplier whether it’s the palm-size toy drones to captured military UAV’s as either surveillance tools or offensive weapons. You might even be able to use them to probe security areas for weaknesses or trip enemy radar and sensory equipment, causing them to send out personnel and other assets to investigate, leaving them open for an ambush.
Yes, I think drones are especially useful for drawing out the enemy and giving you a general idea of location. Just keep in mind that the enemy will try to do the same thing to you. There are different schools of thought on this – either engage every drone you come across and destroy it, or don’t engage them at all if you can help it. I guess it depends on the situation. You could also conceivably use drones to counter enemy drones, but that kind of tech is outside of my wheelhouse. You would need programmers and gear-heads for that kind of stuff.
Thermal evasion gear like your ghost suit also comes to mind, especially during a cold spell like we’re experiencing here in Texas right now.
Any ideas regarding how much longer we realistically have before things in this country start to boil over? I ask because the troops being held over in DC and yesterday I read Biden hired a private Madison Ave. PR firm. My family is under the mistaken belief that things are headed in the right track back to normalcy. As a result, they’re less inclined than ever to help me prep.
1 year or less, in my opinion, before your family is pounding on your door asking for help.
I watched a video by Black Scout Survival on setting up cheap but effective earlier warning systems like using an airhorn and tripwire and creating false trails to elude elude pursuers.
Also, high-powered floodlights could be useful against foes with NV as the bright lights could temporarily blind them as approach over open ground leaving them open to attack. You could also use the brightness of the light as concealment while you attack.
Practical manuals for “freedom fighter” tactics?
Ranger handbook and FM3-22.10
Thank You
Discussion is now closed on Issue #49. Thanks to all those subscribers who participated. If you missed out on this issue or would like to subscribe to The Wild Bunch Dispatch to receive future issues, visit the subscription page HERE:
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Issue #50 will be released on February 26th. Back issues of The Wild Bunch are available for ANYONE to purchase here:
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Do you think timescales for collapse of 1 year will be similar for other countries? I’m UK and still on national lockdown.
It’s hard to say. I think they will apply less pressure in nations where they think they already have people under control. The UK is mostly passive when it comes to the lockdowns (at least so far). Other parts of Europe are more rebellious. The US is clearly the most inclined to fight back. Whatever nation defies the lockdowns, the establishment will attempt to bring more economic and social crisis in order to scare the population into line.