Myths

Michael O'Machearley made the leather sheath for my Natchez bowie after seeing the cheap, Kydex sheath it came with.  We both wondered why Cold Steel insists on selling this classic, 19th Century knife with a 21st Century sheath.  I believe, besides cost, it comes down to myth.

Going back to the earliest days of the Cold War, people who wanted to prepare for attack inevitable sought out military surplus.  Early on, it made sense since the military were the only ones producing gas masks and shelf-stable rations.  Sometime around the Vietnam war, the gold standard for any item meant for when the SHTF became "mil-spec".  Your firearm, compass, knife or blanket wasn't the best unless it meant mil-spec standards.

But if you stop and think about that for a moment, mil-spec really means "lowest-cost bidder manufactured to the lowest common-denominator that can be purchase in bulk".  There is nothing magical about mil-spec.  The first M-16 rifles jammed frequently and it was only through civilian aftermarkets that the true potential of this rifle was finally realized.  Mil-spec GPS are clunky, overbuilt pieces of tech meant to be abused and lost by young troops in the field.

Kydex is the worst offender.  It does not protect your knife or sidearm as it fits to loosely allowing the elements easy access to your weapon.  It's also noisy as the loose fit means your knife or pistol sloshes around letting other people know that you are around.

I admit that at nearly 52 years of age, I'm old school but a properly fitted leather holster or sheath for your weapon cannot be beat.  It holds your weapon snuggly, protects against the elements, is silent and best of all looks great!  The sheath Michael made for me is lined meaning the inside won't scratch the finish on the blade.  How many Glocks and Sigs have you seen with holster wear?  If we are dealing in a SHTF situation, I don't want my weapons getting marred up anymore than necessary.

That brings to one other issue about the mil-spec mythos.  Every mall-rat ninja wannabe has to have a knife with a black blade.  They will claim some shit like "that's what the special forces carry" or "because it doesn't reflect light".  Really, well if you are an assassin or special operator go for it.  Otherwise you are just kidding yourself.

Every black blade I've owned likes to get scratched or the finish begins to wear off.  That part of the blade then becomes prone to rust.  All of this before I've ever had to "deploy" one at night time.

On the other hand, ever plain finished knife I've owen has maintained its finish.  Even for those stuck in a drawer, a little time with some oil and fine steel wool and its as good as new.  I've also learned recently the importance of someone actually seeing your knife.  I was training a student on some basic knife techniques.  The big shiny blade kept the student's eyes focused on the blade and not the attacker. Deception and distraction are much more useful to me than stealth.

So beware, mil-spec is not a silver-bullet.  It is mainly a marketing tool and often better, less expensive options are available.

Natalya Meklin

Over 900 night bombing missions during WWII

Colorized 19th Century Photo of Japanese Archers

Very Cool!!

Credit: Dynamichrome

Good Stuff

Exercise for when the SHTF

Preparing for when the SHTF has became one of the niches for reality TV shows.  What amazes me is how much some people are willing to spend on shelter and weapons but give nary a second thought to the most basic; fitness.

No matter how well prepared your domicile may be, it does you no good if you can’t get to it.  How many disasters or emergency situations can you think of that will conveniently happen while you and your loved ones are safely nestled in your fortress of solitude?

Or let’s say you are simply someone who wants to be prepared for something less than the end of the world but more substantial than heavy rain storm?  How will you get to a point of distribution (POD) if roads are impassible or your vehicle doesn’t work?

As I’m writing this, we are experiencing the coldest winter in decades.  Since the Christmas break, none of the school districts in southwestern Ohio have had a full week of school.  It caused me to evaluate our own preparation.

Food and water have been something we’ve worked on since the Y2K scare.  Weapons have always been a hobby and my family is well versed in their use.  We are not hardcore preppers but have the means to deal with most emergencies (especially after the wind storm of 2008 left our town without power for over a week).

The one thing that I’ve personally have been working on more during these frigid days is maintaining a certain level of physical fitness.  In milder temperatures (read anything in double digits), my workout consists of going to the gym 3-4 times a week.  The rest of the time is tai chi, yoga and martial arts in the backyard.  The last month has forced me to change this pattern.

I’ve been focusing on push-ups, exercise wheel rollouts, and wall squats.  Push-ups are the standard for assessing upper body strength in the military.  They don’t require any equipment and you can easily measure your progress.

Exercise wheel rollouts are for strengthening the core.  Another carry over from the military, having a strong core is necessary for a variety of tasks during a SHTF scenarios (such as climbing over debris).  Finally the wall squats are an easy way of keeping the legs in shape for walking. 

Normally I’m a advocate for walking regardless of conditions but slipping in front of oncoming traffic doesn’t appeal to me.

All of this has caused me to go back into my training journals and I’ve rediscovered what I believe is the ideal exercise for preppers…the farmer’s walk.  I forgot how this simple exercise strengthens all of the major muscles of the arms, legs and back.

Grab two heavy weights (dumbbells if you have them, if not fill some ammo boxes up with sand or metal tools) in each hand.  Now walk with you head looking forward.  Your grip and forearms will feel it first.  You back and thighs will start to burn. 

It is the ideal exercise for preppers, if the SHTF you will have to be able to carry heavy stuff for long distances.  You can this indoor or outdoors.  Climbing some steps or hills to really work everything.

Cyprus

The Chancellor said the financial situation in Cyprus was ‘an example of what happens if you don't show the world that you can pay your way’, adding: ‘We are not part of the bailout.’ Daily Mail

An island of 1.1 million, Cyprus has been a point of contention between Greece and Turkey for decades.  It may now become a flashpoint for the rest of the European Union.

The problem was created when Cyprus went to get bailed out, Germany insisted that the depositors (not the bondholders) pay part of the tab. On Tuesday when the banks open, every depositor will have some or all of their money seized.  According to Business Insider, "Accounts over 100,000 euros will have 9.9% seized. And then the Eurozone's emergency lending facility and the International Monetary Fund will inject 10 billion euros into the banks to allow them to keep operating."

Cypriots tried to run on the ATMs but found them to be shutdown.  This in-turn caused the British military (which maintains a base on the island) to assure their troops and families that they will have cash.  The British are not going to be impressed in this latest financial catastrophe from the EU.

This is where is gets even more interesting, guess who the majority of depositors are?  Greeks?  Turks?  Brits?  No, none of the above. Half of these depositors are said to be Russian oligarchs and other non-residents.  Putin especially has been acquiring vast sums of gold while the world occupies itself with Iran and Syria.  Cypriot banks offered Russia another means of depositing their wealth beyond their borders.

The people of Cyprus are not going to handle this well.  Spain, Italy Ireland and Greece depositors did not lose their money.  Now what if another EU countries even remotely thinks they need a bail out?  Depositors won't wait and will make a run on their banking institutions forcing the banks to go bust.

If this problem reignites the European financial crisis, the EU will have to turn to the United States and the US economy would not be able to handle the strain.

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