By the way, Fear The Walking Dead show (The Walking Dead spin off) gives some visual insight on what happens when society breaks down.  One scene showed a cop with his patrol vehicle backed up to a store.  He was loading all the water he could into the back of his vehicle.  If you see this....you better get back to the house and implement your bug-out plan.

There are many variants of the design.

We have dark slate for the floor and south facing wall of the greenhouse but instead of rocks/masonry we used 55 gallon oil drums, painted black, filled with antifreeze 

The south wall of the living quarters was done in local limestone (called Tyndall stone) which also retains heat due to its mass.  -20F, we many times have to open the windows to cool the place down.

We heat with wood although we have a ground water heat pump as a backup but that is used more for the A/C then anything--hasn't been turned on in about 6 or 7 years.  We use a combination of a Russian fireplace ( a big stack of masonry in the centre of the house) with Kachelofen and/or Swedish wood burning stoves attached.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonry_heater

http://rvharvey.com/kachelofen.htm

Similar to this:

Fantastic stuff, Shlomo.  Great forethought.

Howard, I am definitely curious as to how well that Farberware cleaver processes wood.  I'm guessing the heat treat is meant more for softer materials like meats & vegetables, & relies more on the user to sharpen frequently.  It's be great to be wrong on that guess, though -- keep us updated!

You make an excellent point, dead_left.  Heat treat will be important, and I wouldn't expect much from a cleaver.  My test wood will be split oak, which is what we use for firewood.  We lost a Willow last winter, and I will take a whack at some of that, too.  Terrible firewood, but we don't throw away much, so it will go in the fire with the oak to help it burn.  I'll let you guys know how it goes with the cleaver.  

Jan - I don't have a different bug out bag for winter, but I am starting to accumulate items that I could need in the winter months. The first of these items arrived today. I ordered a 100% wool blanket. I have heard from multiple sources that wool can keep you warm even when it is wet. I hope I never have to prove that theory true, but I would rather be prepared if it ever happens. 

Jeremy,

I have heard the same thing and I know we used the old blue wool air force blankets when I was young

Wool does have the ability to retain heat better that say cotton, but wet wool  (as in soaked through and through) will not actually keep you warm. It essentially will allow you to lose body heat a little slower than other soaking wet materials.   Good quality wool, however, has the ability to shed water  better than cotton.  Wool blankets are nice and warm and breathes nicely but you will still need a water proof shell in wet conditions.

For those who believe wool will keep you warm even when wet, explain this myth to all the soldiers in WWI who dies from hypothermia and trench foot during World War I.  After all they were wearing wool uniforms with wool socks and wool leggings. 

Good point Tobias.

Well, a few points that you're forgetting.

Trench foot had little to do with wearing wool socks but standing in ankle to knee deep water the whole day with leather boots on and no chance to dry the boots or your feet.  Nearly eliminated when they started issuing trench boots (hip waders).

Wool keeps you warmer then any other material when wet because it retains more of your body heat then any other material BUT it does not retain all of your body heat. 

You also loose heat through your feet/legs, hands but the most through your head.  Old expression: If you're feet are cold, put on a hat!

European armies have always worn wool as cotton was hard to come by (only grown in America, India or Egypt) but every country had a wool industry to some extent. They also had a linen concern as long as they have had flax.  Remember the blockade runners from England during the Civil War exchanging food and munitions for cotton.  You got hypothermia by not being warm enough as the army didn't issue proper clothing for the seasonal climate conditions.  Think Big Red One during the Battle of the Bulge or the British army wearing wool during the American Revolution in South Carolina or in the summer during the Crimean War.  Quarter-masters have been the boon and bane of every army since the Pharaohs.

It wasn't until synthetic fibres (1935) came about that true winter clothing (and thousands of other items) could be utilized.

You can read why wool keeps you warm even when wet at this site.

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/wool-w...

Shlomo, The United States Armyt and the British army used wool uniforms in North West Europe and even in the Italian campaign during WWII.  In fact, the US Army was fighitng in North Africa in the issued Wool uniform.  The Army was still issuing the same wool socks well into the 1980s and they were excellent at keeping your feet dry but not necessarily warm.  As soon as your boots get wet the wool socks also get wet and if the boots freeze so do the sock and the cold is transferred directly to the skin.  Been there and done that.  Aynone who thinks wet wool will keep you warm do  simple test.  Get a wool blanket,  soak it in a bucket of nice warm water. Wrap your self up int and then go lay down in the snow is sub-freezing temperatures.  Let me know how long you stay warm.

Try the same thing in wet sleeping blanket.  If you last more than an hour I'll take back everything I said. The cold air is going to cool the water in the wool and as soon as the water gets below body temperature you will start losing body heat. The thicker the material, the longer it will take for the out side air temp to start sucking out you body heat.  The colder the outside temp, the quicker the wet wool will lose any semblance of insulation.

Check out a few websites that discuss this.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2012/03/does-wool-keep-you-warm-whe...

This is explains why wool is good at insulating:

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/wool-w...

However, this is talking about dry wool and its ability to wick moisture from the skin, thus keeping you dry.  

Wool is also excellent in its ability to shed water which keeps it drier longer than other materials.

But the  bottom line is, if the wet wool is colder that the body temperature it is going to pull heat from the body. As I said before Wool is better at keeping you warm than other materials such as cotton but don't bet your life on wet wool in freezing conditions.

Oh yeah, Shlomo, the phrase about "If your feet are cold, put on a hat" is very true.

But it isn't because we lose a disproportionate amount of heat through are head. It is simply because heat is lost through all exposed surfaces. Part of the bodies survival mechanism is it tries to keep the core warm so the extremities will lose heat first (hands and feets) and blood circulation to these areas get restricted in an effort to keep the important parts (heart, lung, liver, kidney, etc) properly heated. By covering more skin, you reduce heat loss through out your body. 

See:  http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/do-we-really-lose-most-...

At the same, time if you're getting overheated in the summer, it may very well be because you need to put on a hat, preferably a light colored one that will reflect the heat of the sun.  and maybe soak a nice wool scarf in ice water and put around your neck!

Incidentally, I started wearing wool socks year round about two years ago.  To my surprise, my feet stay dry, and no foot or shoe odor!  Athlete's feet are a thing of the past. Wool socks are awesome! I'm never buying cotton socks ever again.

Great info. from all. Thanks for all of your input. Just to clarify, I have no intentions of using the wool blanket to keep me dry or to let the blanket to get completely wet and still keep me dry. I am actually planning on keeping the blanket in my car all winter, in case of emergency. A couple of winters ago, I was stranded on the road in a snow storm. I did not have a blanket that would help maintain my body heat. I also plan on doing some more camping and may do some in the winter months, where I believe the wool blanket would come in handy. I will reply back here, if I end up using this winter.

And just to clarify, I also keep wool blankets in my car for warmth.  I also keep a couple of poncho liners! I also have a Swiss Army Poncho that I got off Amazon for $8 that is amazing when it comes to keeping you dry in the rain!  (The ponch liners will not fit the Swiss Army poncho.  It is completely different than the U.S. military poncho --  For one thing it keeps you dry!  LOL)

I think keeping it in the car is an excellent idea.  Getting stuck in the weather with a long wait is no fun, might as well be warm

Ok, moving on to the next item I purchased (which showed up today). I also plan on cooking some food while on my camping/survival trips. I was given a nice little set of cooking pots, by my brother, last year. It contains two nesting pots with lids for each. I used this set on my last camping trip, last week. I do like it because it is aluminum and nesting. It doesn't weigh much and pack up into a pretty small size. While on the camping trip, another one of the young guys had a stainless steel mess kit with copper bottoms. It is also a nesting set. I decided I need to get one of these. So, here it is. 

I think the copper will serve you better in the long run.  It is a more even heat, less likely to burn things over a fire 

Very nice set.  i like it.

Here is an item that will have different opinions. I bought a folding shovel (E- Tool) for my back pack this weekend. I think it will be very useful and make digging a breeze. I plan to take it on my next camp out, to put to the test. Some folks would not recommend this tool for a survival bag (B.O.B.) because of it's weight. They are not the lightest tool to carry. What are your thoughts on the usefulness vs. the extra weight?

Jeremy, I guess it depends on ..."how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall" - Beatles, "A Day In The LIfe" - 1967.  You need a hole?  An entrenching tool is as good as most hole makers.  Maybe the old wood-handled ones are easier to work, but aren't as compact.  You might need one in a survival pack, but it is just as heavy there as in a camp pack.  Everything is weight, so maybe something else has to go - or not.  What are you willing to give up to pack a shovel?  My suggestion is to take it, and give it to Tobias to carry.

U-Dig-It for toilet service and the bottom trapper's shovel for firepits, trenches, gut burial, etc.

I carry this for toilet detail and the bottom one for digging firepits, trenches etc.

I own and I have used both the old wood handled ones and the new folding ones.  If they are actual military issue and not made in China, copies they are solid and dependable.   I don't know about the copies.

I will tell you this, If you're trying to dig a fox hole as outlined by the DePuy bunker system, you will find the E-tool sorely lacking, especially when you're trying to build that hole behind a tree about 3 ft in diameter!   Tree roots are murder to cut, even with a real axe!   But then we're also talking about a hole approximately 4 feet wide, 7 feet wide and 6 feet deep.   I found the tri-fold all metal one superior to the old wood handles ones, primarily because of the spade grip.  You need to keep the locking bezel well oiled.  Also you should power wash it when you get a chance to get all the crud out of the bezel ring.

Many a wood handles shattered  when soldiers  were cutting through  tree roots with the wood handle ones.  They are also a little more bulky to carry.  Both are excellent for diggy shallow pits, such as a slit latrine.  And the cutting edge on the issued tri-folds could cut through inch thick  tree branches and roots with little problem.  I've dig up several well established shrubs and even six foot tall pine trees using my tri-fold.

I'll need to take pics of my wood handled one.

Ames Tri-fold with my Woodsman Pal

Ames Tri-fold with older canvas cover.

Issued heavy rubber cover.

Nifty looking shovels, Shlomo.  With regard to shovels, and tools to pack, has anybody ever used a pick/mattock as a camping tool?  I have seen some military shovel/pick arrangements, but they seem as though they might be a bit "weak" by trying to be a multi-tool instead of a purpose built pick/mattock.  Garden centers sell a version of a hand mattock with fork tines on the other end instead of a pick that gardeners seem to like.  A hand mattock seems to be pretty good for digging, and would work against tree roots, with the pick end for rocks, and maybe pulling tent stakes, but you can't shovel with it.  I don't expect to be digging foxholes, but a latrine, and creating a smooth surface for a tent or sleeping bag would be a routine endeavor.  Just wondering if a pick/mattock might be as handy as an entrenching tool for holes smaller than a foxhole, and possibly a little more ergonomic as a defensive weapon than an e-tool or pack shovel?

Great ideas and suggestions guys. I have seen the U-Dig-It advertised before and wondered how they are. I think they would be a great latrine shovel. As for the pick/mattock, I'll bet it would come in handy for some tasks. I see a lot of great tools shown here. I would be willing to let Tobias carry it for me, Howard, but he would have to carry my whole pack if he is camping with me (you know just to tell me if it's too heavy) LOL. I hope to try it out in the near future, as I plan on camping at least one more time this year. Unfortunately, this one is a China made copy. I sent my wife to pick it up at the military surplus store, as I was stuck at home with other duties. It was all they had in stock and I had to, have them hold it for me (because they can't keep them in stock). I will report back to you on how it holds up. I am contemplating on whether or not to get one of the rubber covers or make a leather one myself. 

Jeremy,

I like the make a leather on idea but I am wondering if everything in your pack is set out to dehumidify and dry out before the pack gets stored.  I asked because leather will mildew fairly easily

first of all, rule number one -- hump your own gear!

That said it was routine for the infantry to hump 50-70 lbs of gear plus your personal weapon, so humping 60-80 pounds was the norm.  We carried E-tools because we had to and because there was a need for them.

Below are pics of my two Army issue E-tools. 

The wood handled one is an M1951, the all metal one is an M1967.  I say all metal because the bronze colored portion of the barrel I believe is anodized aluminum.  Yes it is Army Issue.  I know it is because it was issued to me while serving in the Army.  The wood handled is also army issue (well Marine corp issue) It was given to me by a buddy who had it issued to him while in the Marines.

Below is a couple more pics of the M1951.  The M1951 is an improved version of the M1943.  The principle difference is the addition of a pick head.  The numbers are the years the tools were accepted into the inventory.  the M1943 (no pick head) and the M1951 served side by side and were still in use well into the 1980s before finally being phased out completely.  The m1967 was initially developed for use by the Airborne and Special forces troops  but by 1973 were adopted as general issue as part of the the new A.L.I.C.E system (All-purpose Light-weight Individual Carrying Equipment.

(E-tools Continued)

The M1951 in the half open position as design for use as a  mattock, hoe, axe or pick. (the M1967 also can be used in the half open position as a hoe or or mattock.)

another view of the M1951.

The M19512 full open as a shovel. Note the shape of the wooden handle.

The M1956 Carrier with the M1951 in stowed position with the M7 Bayonet attached to the carrier.  The earlier M1943 carrier lacked the bayonet attachments.

The M1967 tri-fold fits the M1956 carrier and I for one prefer this carrier to the LC-1 rubber case designed for the tri-fold, primarily because it is quieter and has the bayonet attachment points.

As mentioned before, both shovels can take a beating but the wooden handles are more likely to break than the all metal shovels.  but you really need to abuse the shovels to get an epic fail!   I have cut down trees up to four inches in diameter with both of them!  I like the tri-fold more because of the spade grip which allows you to grab it with both hands more easily when you're whacking the crap out of stuff when the blade is in the half-open position.

That said -- the smaller the shovel the less useful it becomes when digging.  The bigger the shovel the more of a pain it is to carry.    Are these heavy?  that depends on the individual and how far you have to carry it.  I never had the option not to carry it.  Someone else made that decision for me.  Thus,  weight was never a consideration. But I did have a choice on which I would carry and for that reason, I carried  the M1967 tri-fold in an M1956 carrier but not because of the weight but because it just worked better in my opinion.

Jan....

I don't know where Jeremy lives but here in Oklahoma and Kansas area I have never had leather mildew. We run a humidity of about 40 to 80%, depending on the time of the year. The reason I brought this up is I have never heard of leather mildewing. I know in the jungles and tropics, untreated leather will turn to slime. Just found this interesting.

Clint,

I live in Oregon and can attest to the fact that leather can mildew, at least in parts of our state where the humidity gets very high in the winter.   Your comment about untreated leather got my interest though.  I waterproof my leather knife sheaths but don't know if that necessarily makes them mildew-proof.  I have a machete that I keep in my car that isn't garaged, and it's leather sheath has mildewed a little, even though I'm pretty sure I used a waterproofing agent on it after I made it.  Can you enlighten me on this issue?  Thanks.

Clint,

This is a recent experience for me also.  But in FL everything was stored in rooms in the house with AC.  Here in North GA I am learning that mildew happens LOL 

Terry and Jan....

Thanks Clint!  We did put a window AC in downstairs, after 2 weeks of cleaning everything down there LOL 

Add me to the list of mildewed leather - Southeast Pennsylvania.  Grew up in a solid stone house from the 1800s, and there was no central air (climate control) for most people back then.  I joined the military at 18 and didn't come back home for 4 years.  Leather handled knife rotted and so did the sheath.  Of course, now with climate control (humidity) as well as AC, there is less worry about mildew.

Add me too. My father passed away last month and when I was going through his knife collection his Army Kabar had mildew on it. Climate control, AC and in a box here in Wisconsin.

With the rain this weekend I am grateful that I had placed the AC down there!  Chris, sorry to hear about your loss, are you going to be able to save the Ka Bar?

Both mold and mildew are fungal growths and can be treated the same...Ammonia, baking soda, vinegar, bleach and peroxide can be used against them. 

NEVER mix ammonia and bleach together--forms chlorine gas.

Only thing that works to prevent it is a dehumidifier. 

Here we have to use a humidifier for 4 to 5 months a year otherwise wood handles crack, leather ones separate and rubber (like scope O-rings) hardens.

Thanks Jan. I'm thinking of using some of the leather saddle soap I found in one of his shoe shine boxes. Should be good for the sheath. I'll start slow and see what happens. 

Shlomo,

We use vinegar.  I clean with it daily and baking soda & vinegar are how I keep the pipes clean..I just put it down the kitchen sink once a month. 

The dehumidifier could not keep up with it, we literally live in a forrest.  The only thing that helped was a combo of that and the window A/C

Chris,

Let me know how that works out??

Hopefully I'll get a chance to try that saddle soap out this weekend. I think it will work from what I saw on the can. It might darken it some what, but it should look ok after it dries I'd think.

Arctic Dubbin a 100 yr old product now made by CAPO Ind. of Ontario...LexolMOSSLeather TherapyLeather CPRBickmoreLeatheriqueI posted this on another forum on restoring a hardened leather sheath:

If you can find Leatherique it is the finest product out there--what Maybach, Bentley and Rolls Royce use on their leatherwork.
Rejuvenator Oil
A complex blend of pH correct proteins and collagens with no petroleum distillates, wax or silicone. Used by museums, auto enthusiasts, professional leather restorers and endorsed by car clubs to maintain and extend the life of fine leather.

Go to any saddle shop or equestrian place and they'll all have leather conditioners, cleaners, restores etc...
Some names to consider:

Bickmore--great old time name of excellent products--try the [I]Bick 4 Leather Conditioner[/I],
 
Leather CPR--great stuff by all accounts but we have never used it since it's just come into the store,

Leather Therapy--nice since they have a 1 oz. sample pack ($2.00) of their excellent equestrian line [I]Leather Therapy Restorer[/I] which is about all you'd need

and the truly wonderful stuff MOSS--totally natural.

Was just up to the saddle shop and those are all the brands he carries.

Word of mouth says that Lexol makes some good products as well but the saddler doesn't carry any and we've never used any so no other type of knowledge is available.

You can also get Arctic Dubbin a 100 yr old product now made by CAPO Ind. of Ontario, Canada as a waterproofing agent.  I use it on my leather boots, gloves, moccasins even jackets and the stuff works.

I got a new pair of work boots and I found this inside of the box. The boots are made of leather so I was wondering if this would be of use for knife collectors as well? 

Chris I would say once you get the knife back to where you want it, might not be a bad idea to store near this

actually not a bad idea

How come no one ever puts a sling shot in their bags?

I always carry one with a few ball bearings for ammo in my pack.  I use it to scare animals from the bush by shooting small stones ahead of me--works quite well, most of the time.

I would use the bearings to take grouse or rabbits that come by my ground stand--don't want them spooking a deer from my sights.

Open a can without a can opener:  The set-up:  You're bugging out to your survival camp.  Your vehicle is packed with goodies.  The roads are backed up for miles with other people doing the same thing.  You get hungry, but your can openers are all at your destination camp, so you pull off the next exit ramp and find a parking lot with those concrete tire bumpers that prevent the front end or back end of your vehicle from encroaching on the sidewalk at fast food places or strip malls, or you could use the concrete sidewalk.  Here's how to open a can of whatever without a can opener.  Now, you may be either smart enough or only like foods in cans with pop tops, but just in case...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2NahLjx-Y