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We only store staples in terms of commercial cans, and we rotate them regularly so nothing ever expires. We keep ca. 6-12 months worth, and the oldest we'll ever end up with is ca. 1yo cans, so they have many years left in them at all times. Also, given that we have unlimited access to meat and...

I think you've nailed it with salami and oatcakes! Go for air-dried salami, in a whole stick, Lidl sell some pretty decent stuff if you go to their cold meats section where they keep them. Italian, or the French saucisson sec. Throw in some hard cheese like a mature pecorino or parmesan. It's...

I was wondering why your hammock is so taut, but the name gives it away. How does it work? Does it feel stable inside? The old swiss army folding lanterns are superb. I have a thing for all things Swiss, and have a few of those! If you find the candles burn / melt away too fast and can't buy...

To me, the best thing about a small hatchet is that you can drive it a bit into a thicker log, then drive it fully in by whacking its flat back with a smaller log. A double-edged axe does away with that, and to me it is just a gimmick. That said, I am curious to hear opinions on that!

A drone unloaded yes, one loaded with a 1kg+ warhead (which is what they tend to carry, just the front of an RPG round with a contact fuze) cannot go that fast and would likely struggle to hit 40-50mph. C4 is too high tech and needs proper blasting caps and an ignition mechanism; they just...

C4 is actually very stable. So stable in fact that you cannot make it go off without a detonator, and it just burns harmlessly if you set it on fire, albeit with some very noxious fumes. A shotgun is as effective as the person who uses it. I bet a good shooter with the right shot size would...

I have the F1 in a couple of variations, and the H1 looks very similar. Fallkniven are superb quality, but I would stay away from the very fancy steels as I found they are too hard in the centre and chip quite easily. Get the basic version (I think VG10?) and you can't go wrong. That's only if...

Gennies are superb. If you get something that looks in good nick externally, is a decent make (Honda, Hyundai etc), test it and it runs fine, then it will start again no bother when you need it. To test it, if it's a 2kW gennie, take a 2kW kettle and do a couple of boils; a kettle uses exactly...

Ι think the war in Ukraine has turned into a WW1-type trench warfare style stalemate along the 'front', due to both sides having developed equipment that allows defending an area very effectively from infantry, so they just resort to endless onslaught of attack upon attack that keep getting...

Ventile was THE material to use -and still is- for that original application. Mostly sitting, some occasional heavy perspiration from stress, and probably overdressed to deal with the subsequent unavoidable immersion, so they needed something that breathes well and which seals up on immersion...

I can't say about ALL the original smocks other than that the only 1942 one that had been in my possession was made of a gaberdine-like cotton fabric. It was definitely not waterproof, and it would soak thoroughly quicky. The ventile immersion suits were likely 2 layers, and with rubber-coated...

It it interesting how the old camo still shows so prominently, or is it just the camera?

Looking at the global situation, I think your best bet financially is to buy land that gets you food, or stock up slowly on all the staples your family needs for a loooong time. The Hormuz thing is not resolved. There is still oil/gas/fuels missing from the market, with what is 'covered' being...

I think I'll set something up over time. I am always quiet in winter with work, so I'll take time to make some more sizes on the patterns I have. Definitely something both I and the wife enjoy, so watch this space!

Thanks for the heads up! So, it seems like there is a need for this at least to a scale I can accommodate. I've made a few smocks in Ventile and Haley Stevenson waxed cotton, for family and friends. Not as 'fitted' as the modern smocks; mostly copies of the 1942 windproof smock, which is very...

I think there are too many things these days that do not live up to expectations, probably due to concepts like 'planned obsolescence', quality control being tricky with stuff made where things are usually made these past couple of decades, plus people not bothering starting something up and...

What was special about them? I am curious to find out more as I am considering starting something up.

If you want bombproof performance for its weight, then I would go for a roomy goretex/similar material bivvi bag. In winter, like proper winter, you also want a very good sleeping bag - or two. I use a Carinthia Tropen in hot weather, or a Defence 4 if cooler, then moving to the Defence 4 inside...

Also, remember that a wildfire -if it becomes large enough- starts affecting the local wind and it can basically start 'sucking' the air towards it. What is 'downwind' in the general air flow can change quickly as a wildfire approaches, with the wind eventually shifting towards the fire front...

If you are in a situation where you are caught out with a wildfire a few hundred meters away, with a wide front and you really believe you will be overrun and cornered with no alternative, the best course of action -in such an emergency and especially with others who can't move fast- is to start...