Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, a few glimpses at the latest socialist schemes. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Stefan Gleason: Silver Supply Deficit Frames Bullish Outlook.

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Gold Falls Below $1900 as DXY Rallies to a 25-Month High.

Economy & Finance:

Buttigieg floats ‘monthly transportation payment’ that ‘covers everything’ to replace car payments. Here is an excerpt:

“Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg suggested that transitioning to a “monthly transportation payment” from monthly car payments could be in America’s future.

Buttigieg also said a “monthly mobility dividend” could lie further out in the future.

“What I mean by that is if we’re looking way out into the future, where we have things like, let’s imagine distributed energy generation where you have resources at your house, whether it’s a dramatically more efficient, even solar panels and wind resources,” Buttigieg said Wednesday at an event hosted by the liberal think tank New America.”

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California Lawmakers Propose 4-Day Workweek.

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Canceling student loan debt ‘still on the table,’ White House says: What to know.

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US rent prices reach record highs as buyers pushed out of market.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 28, 2022

April 28th is the birthday of Aimo Johannes Lahti. (Born in 1896.) This inventive Finn designed (or co-designed) an amazing array of weapons including the L-35 Lahti pistol, the Suomi M-31 SMG, the Lahti-Saloranta M/26 LMG, the famous Lahti L-39 20mm anti-tank rifle, and even the 20 ItK 40 (a 20mm dual anti-aircraft cannon.)

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I just heard that David J. Theroux, the founder of the Independent Institute, has passed away, after a brief illness.  Our condolences to his family.  Take the time to read his biography — with links to some of his well-reasoned writings.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

Another Get Home Bag Approach – Part 1, by G.P.

Three fine articles have gave been posted in SurvivalBlog lately on the subject of Get Home Bags. First, J.M. addressed the question of getting back home if stranded at a distance by using exact planning. Second, St. Funogas described a more general plan that focused on the basics of minimal equipment and keeping up calorie intake. Last, J. Smith advocated for good-quality clothing and equipment and aligning priorities with resources.

J.M. approached the problem as an ultralight (UL) or super-ultralight (SUL) hiker. The problem set was narrowly defined: maximum distance, various possible routes and start points, range of weather conditions, and possible equipment sets. A collection of very nice high-end equipment was put together and explained, which would get the person in question into good shape to make a self-rescue trip in a chaotic situation.

St. Funogas looked at the question much more generally, framing it as seeking the surest and simplest way to get back from a distance reached with two or three hours of driving. His solution was to focus on foot care, on keeping up a high calorie intake with minimum effort, and on very little support equipment.

J. Smith advised that travelers prepare with good clothing and packs and a solid plan for making use of water and wood resources along one’s way. He also advised matching one’s efforts and resources to the order of threats.

My background is not in backpacking or in world travel, but rather in 22 years of Army service. But the Army doesn’t have any activity that’s the equivalent of “getting home”. Escape & evasion is most like it, but it presupposes a hostile environment. Of course, if we’re starting with widespread chaos in our getting home situation, that might be hostile too.Continue reading“Another Get Home Bag Approach – Part 1, by G.P.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, the emphasis is on freedom of speech.

Reckless Associations: New Legal Theory to Stifle Free Speech

Over at the Von Mises site: Reckless Associations: The Ruling Class Creates New Legal Theory to Stifle Free Speech.  Here is an excerpt:

“Progressives and many legal professionals claim that the existing social network environment is inadequate and does not address the real-world harms caused by a small fraction of highly engaged users. This secondary theory of tort liability was drafted to address this perspective and to work around the existing obstacles within the legal system. The First Amendment protects a wide range of speech and association, and section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects platforms from civil liability.”

Elon Musk Buys Twitter

Reader Fred B. sent us this: MUSK DID IT! Twitter is sold to him. HOLY COW! Great news for freedom of speech. Democrats suicidal everywhere. JWR’s Comment: It is sad to see that it takes the funding of the richest man in the world to restore freedom of speech to a social media “free speech” platform.

VAERS: Alarming Number of Adverse Reactions

VAERS Summary for COVID-19 Vaccines through 4/15/2022.  Take a close look at the charts.

Arizona’s Dry Future Begins

Arizona’s Dry Future Begins as Colorado River Shrinks.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 27, 2022

On this day in 1789, the crew of the British ship Bounty mutinied, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

Bugging Out Between Civilizations – Part 2, by N.C.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

While trawling through the SurvivalBlog archives I came across a 2015 two-part article:

I really liked his approach to layering. To that, I added researching “carry-on only travelling”, backpacking, and general bug out bag/survival kit principles. I put this reading and learning together to make a “civilization-centric” approach to bugging out.

Fair warning: This is simply my thought experiment. Thankfully I haven’t been in this position. Yet. Hopefully, I never will be but if I ever am, having at least thought through it will increase my family’s odds of making it out intact. Feel free to disagree and critique and change, that’s the only possible benefit this has to us. When there is not much to be done at least we can think, run a “what-if” scenario, and then decide what to act on in real life.

I’m focusing mainly on being carry-on centric and the German preparedness expert that I found recently agrees. If I am in a refugee situation I have no idea how I will be traveling (bus, plane, smart car) and no idea how far I will have to travel on foot. I need to be able to carry it on my back with ease. In civilization, planes have the most restrictions on carry-on and my goal is to make it so I can get on an airplane, no checking no gate checking, no security issues. Make it easy on those around you, not difficult.Continue reading“Bugging Out Between Civilizations – Part 2, by N.C.”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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Biden says US spending billions to make military vehicles ‘climate friendly’. JWR’s Comments: This is the most insane pronouncement that I’ve ever seen from a national leader. Almost predictably, Biden issued this order in honor of Earth Day. The raison d’être of a modern, mobile military force is the certain ability to decisively move and shoot fast and far, leaving burning metal hulks and smoking craters, where your enemy used to be. So, that’s the antithesis of environmental friendliness. A military force is for fighting wars, folks — not for a kumbaya campfire. Giving up the rock-solid reliable utility, long-range, fuel commonality, and low fire risk of diesel engines for our military vehicles would be a horrendous mistake.

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A comment on solar clothes drying, from Pam C.:

“I was raised with a more ranch background to clothes drying. T posts were used, but, the underground was not concreted single post. The post had longer legs running parallel to top T of post and a leg running toward opposite post forming another T positioned underground. This prevented shifting or sway of post long term. The one my Dad made is over 70 years old and still working well.

The actual lines were [galvanized steel] fence wire. They had turnbuckle tightener at end to maintain high tension of the line. This lasts many decades as well. However, one must run a cloth down the line before use to prevent any staining of clothes. Birds, squirrels, and insects find this usable as well, hence the wipe down along with metal tarnishing from exposure.

The wear and tear on pins was always less than neighbors who use rope. Might be the pin does not get rattled by wind-stretch and pull on surface.

These are also convenient for easily hanging cradles for sweater drying, etc.”

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Tim J. sent us this: Meet the Phoenix Ghost, a secretive new drone the U.S. fast-tracked for delivery to Ukraine.

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Mark has this observation on maximizing the range of MURS band Dakota Alerts:

“I am using a Baofeng UV-5R set to1W on MURS 2. I have a ½ wave dipole antenna that I built with 19.0” radials. The antenna is hanging vertically from the eve of my house. I have loud and clear communications 3.5 miles line of site with some trees at each end. I am also getting loud and clear communications 3.0 miles with a mountain top and trees at each end. In each case, the person I am communicating with has a roof-mounted vertical antenna and is transmitting at 1W.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Freedom-loving people around the world must say… I am a refugee in a crowded boat foundering off the coast of Vietnam. I am Laotian, a Cambodian, a Cuban, and a Miskito Indian in Nicaragua. I, too, am a potential victim of totalitarianism.” – Ronald Reagan

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 26, 2022

On April 26, 1986, one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents occurred at the Chernobyl plant in the Ukrainian portion of the USSR. An explosion and fire in the No. 4 reactor sent radioactivity into the atmosphere; at least 31 Soviets died immediately. JWR’s Comments: I was unfortunately a Chernobyl down-winder. You see, I was TDY with the 2nd M.I. Battalion at Stuttgart Army Airfield that spring, working live Guardrail intel missions. After the Soviet reactor went kablooey, we were all lied to by both the West German government and the U.S. Army. They later revealed that they had downplayed the radiation risk, “to avoid panic.” So, at the time when the winds were unfavorable and I should have been safely tucked in a bunker, I was instead out riding my bicycle in the fallout. (I commuted by bike a couple of miles from a gasthaus in Echterdingen to Stuttgart Army Airfield.) The only fallout warning that they gave us was to avoid fresh dairy products. Lesson learned: Never trust any national government to have your best interest as their priority.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

 

Bugging Out Between Civilizations – Part 1, by N.C.

I was talking with an old friend and the subject of the ongoing war in Ukraine came up. He asserted that he would have acted to leave Ukraine sooner, if he had been there. Frankly, I don’t think he would have, and I told him that. I based that on the fact that during the recent Antifa rioting, he point-blank denied that there were riots within an hour of him. When he could no longer deny that riots were occurring, he opined that it was “basically a different world” and again, made no preparation. If he could deny all that, then why would he have accepted the difference, in Ukraine? He didn’t have a real answer other than “Well, it would be different.”

I think a lot of people in the United States don’t understand what that choice entailed, for the people caught in between. The brutal reality that Ukrainian refugees face is far more than Americans are used to thinking about, namely:

  • Foreign language in bordering countries
  • International travel (with attendant costs, luggage logistics, and papers)
  • Hostile attitude towards you (eastern Europeans)
  • Knowing that refugees are easy pickings and actively targeted
  • Corruption even in neighboring cities in your own country
  • Information hellscape: Your wife alone or, your wife with your kid(s) trying to make sense of it all.
  • Recognizing that you only have limited money and that bugging out will deplete your savings. You may run out of cash in a foreign country.

That’s a heck of a choice. It would be much easier if you had family living across the border. But that’s not everybody.Continue reading“Bugging Out Between Civilizations – Part 1, by N.C.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, the emphasis is on the influx of newcomers to The American Redoubt and the resulting trends in the real estate market.

Region-Wide

Rural Leftists Complain About Influx of Conservatives Fleeing Blue States.

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“I have mixed feelings” | Post Falls adjusts to population boom.

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Heat Map: The Hottest Real Estate Markets in 2022.

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Book Review: Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest by Crawford Gribben.

Idaho

Patrice Lewis: ‘The Great Relocation’: Political refugees vs. ‘leftugees’. JWR’s Comments: Patrice and her husband recently moved from their old ranch in North Idaho (in the Coeur d’Alene region) to a bit more sparsely-populated part of the state.

Thankfully, the majority of folks moving to Idaho are conservatives, and they tend to have much larger families than liberals. The end result? We win, both demographically and politically. The liberals are fond of saying:  “Demographics are destiny.”  That is true, but here in The American Redoubt, they are at the wrong end of that integral calculus. With The American Redoubt movement, we are talking about combining infinitesimals to the point of an unstoppable landslide. Yea, yea, the leftists are losing, in a big way.

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Idaho Republicans battle ‘Libertarians, Constitutionalists, John Birchers and Redoubters’: report.

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Construction industry No.1 in workforce growth.

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High demand, low inventory: How Kootenai County is addressing housing challenges.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Before the formation of this Constitution, it had been affirmed as a self-evident truth, in the declaration of Independence, very deliberately made by the Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled that, “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” This declaration of Independence was received and ratified by all the States in the Union and has never been disannulled. May we not from hence conclude, that the doctrine of Liberty and Equality is an article in the political creed of the United States.” – Samuel Adams

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 25, 2022

Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission as well as for the development of Marconi’s Law and a radio telegraph system. He is often considered the inventor of radio.

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Here is a news listing over ay our SurvivalRealty.com spin-off:
Private Retreat in Central Idaho

RARE FIND! Peaceful Paradise!  In Kooskia, Idaho!!!  This tidy 3br/2 bath home is tastefully decorated, open and bright. Large eat-in kitchen with lots of custom handcrafted cabinets. Newer appliances, Huge wood crafted deck for outdoor living. Attached garage/workshop. Also barn/woodshed.  Freezer room, also storage/root cellar. The property includes gardens and fruit orchard as well as big timber and a park-like forest. . Fast High speed internet. No CC&R’s! Idaho county freedom! No close neighbors.  Very private setting. It is artfully landscaped, and sits in a warm zone 6B for gardening, at only 1,900 ft. elevation, with SW exposure. Well-made, 500 sq ft wood-crafted deck that you can use all year, but especially in summer. Almost no mosquitos here. Owners have only noticed one tick on whole property in 8 years!  You will also appreciate the glass door Jotul wood stove for cozy winter evenings. Good water.

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Today we present another review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.