curent update:  he is out of surgery and in recovery, i will notify when i hear something.

i am hungry now!

I just may have to aquire mine before I retire?

That pot was cleaned out in 1 hour

hey now, I am 6'2". 

Nate, this is the other nate and I would like to welcome you.

sounds like its time to call mike at Inglewood transmission?

that is a sweet trailer

Welcome snowman

so this stew turned out better than I could have imagined.  to be honest I just made a second batch of it today since the last batch didn't last but a day or 3.  here are the pics of the assembly and the final product.

here are the wet ingredients mixed together and the flank steak cubed, in the bag ready to marinate for about an hour.



here are all the ingredients that will go into the pot once the meat has marinated and been browned.



I started off in a cast iron dutch oven, but my pot was not big enough (this is a 5 or 6 qt pot, time to buy the 12qt big boy).



here is everything transferred over to a bigger pot.



here is the end result. 



on the second batch I doubled the turnips, added another potato and diced the taters smaller than I did last time.

so I thought I could definitely add something to this thread.  I actually carry and or use 4 different knives on a daily basis.  in the picture below you can see all 4 of those knives.  here are the brands, models, where they are worn/kept and what they are used for.

the first one or top one is a: Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife and it is stored in my go bag or assault pack, it has 4x25’ long pieces of 550 cord braided together for emergency situations when some type of cordage is needed or required.

Specs:
Weight 1.0 lb.
Steel 1095 Cro-Van
Blade Type Fixed Blade Lock Style N/A
Blade Thickness 0.250
Measurements Blade length 5-1/4"; Overall length 10-1/2" Grind Flat
Edge Angles 20 Degrees
Handle Material Zytel 
Shape Drop Point HRC 56-58
Stamp KA-BAR Becker Butt Cap/Guard N/A
NSN 1095-01-493-1798 KNIFE-COMBAT

The second knife is a: Benchmade 9051SBK AFO II AUTOMATIC - UTILITY Combo Edge/BK 1 Black Finish.  this knife is worn on my belt for everyday use.  This knife was given to me by a very dear friend who at the time was the NCOIC of an ODB from 3rd group.  This knife has served me very well for the last 8 years and 3 deployments.  This knife is by far the best knife I have ever owned or used.

Specs:
Category End Use: Tactical/Military/Law Enforcement
Blade Steel: 154CM
Rc Hardness: 58-60
Blade Style: Utility
Handle Material: Hard Anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum
Lock Mechanism: Push Button Automatic
Pocket Clip: Tip Up, Reversible, Black
Length Open: 8.51"
Blade Length: 3.56"
Blade Thickness: 0.125"
Length Closed: 4.95"
Weight: 5.80 oz.
Sheath Type: Black Ballistic Nylon
Made in: U.S.A.

The third knife or tool is a: leatherman supertool 300.  This knife/tool is carried right next to my benchmade and is used for everyday uses.  I originally started off with the plain old supertool.  but over time as parts of it broke or got worn out and sent in for warranty/repair, I have actually been upgraded twice by leatherman company to the new supertool 300.  I really cant say anything bad about this piece of equipment.


The fourth knife is a: Large TDI Law Enforcement Tanto, Serrated.  This knife is stored on my kit.  This knife has many uses but in reality it is a personal protection knife.  Here is a short video from the designer of the knife. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZivRcSnPyw

Specs:
Blade Length: 3-11/16"
Overall Length: 7-9/16"
Blade Style: Tanto, Serrated Edged Black Blade
Blade Material: AUS-8A Stainless Steel w/ Black Powder Coating
Handle Material: Zytel
Weight: .4 lb.
Carrying Mechanism: Hard Plastic Friction Sheath

your good kyle.

sam, here is the recipe out of that book that I linked to for stewed tomatoes.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/843016.Ball_Complete_Book_of_Home_Preserving

Sam, hopefully i will remember when I get home tonight, I will post one up for yah.

I am not sure where to start with this, so lets see how this turns out.  bobby, I apologies, hopefully this is not hijacking your thread?

being in the military for almost 20 years (way less than don) and having to spend more time on the ground then on or in vehicles, I have learned a few things about footwear.  Now this is not to say that I am an expert in the matter, but more of voicing my observations.  Bobby and HC were total ground pounders and will most likely have info they can share in this matter.  here is a list of things that you need to think about when selecting footwear for whatever.

- are you going to be in a dry place, wet place or a combo of both
- what season are you using these in
- what is the terrain like (rocky, sandy, forest, etc)
- what is the condition that your feet (dogs) are in
- what are your ankles like
- do your feet sweat a lot

these are just a few major questions that you need to have an answer for when selecting your footwear, so lets take a look at just how important these questions are and why they matter.

moisture level of your environment:

this is very important, because if there is even a chance that you will be in a wet or combo environment you need to have foot gear that has some sort of drain holes.  drain holes are important because they will allow the excess moisture and water drain from the boot while you are still walking/wearing them.  Moisture in foot gear is a VERY BAD THING and can lead to major foot problems and make you combat ineffective. 

For dry areas you want a boot that has superior breathability, this will help dissipate the heat and moisture build up of your feet and foot gear while they are in use.

You also need to think about what kind of water repellant/proofer you are applying to your footgear as well.  Repellants will still allow the footgear to breath, where as proofing will not allow the footgear to breath and can cause moisture issues if your not careful. 

Season of use:

This is a big deal, because if you are using the wrong foot gear in the wrong season then you are doing nothing but creating major problems for yourself.  Example, don’t wear winter boots in the summer because your feet will sweat profusely and can cause trench foot, blisters, etc.  this goes just the same for wearing summer foot gear in winter conditions.  Instead of sweat, you will not have to deal with cold weather injuries to your feet.  so make sure you have the correct foot gear for the right season.

Terrain:

Terrain is important to know, because of the makeup and compounds of what the sole’s are made of.  Example: if you are going to be in rocky and or mountainous terrain then you are going to want a harder type sole as opposed to a softer sole.  The rocks will literally tear away soft type soles.  If you are going to be in softer terrain then you will want a bit of a softer sole.

You also need to think about the cleaning ability of the sole’s that are on your foot gear.  For example if you are going to be in softer type terrain and have a possibility of encountering mud then you are going to want a sole that will clean itself as you are walking instead of having a sole that will hold on to all that mud (same thing as the tires of your vehicle being able to clear and clear themselves as they are turning). 

Conditions of your feet and your ankles:

The condition of your feet must be taken seriously, because if you fail to take care of them then (lets be real) they will stop you in your tracks and you will be done for.  If you have falling arches then you need to look for footgear that have high arch supports or a good insert with arch support.  If you have athletes foot then you need to have some sort of powder, cream, spray, etc to not only cure it but to also prevent its return.  If you have nasty fungus ridden toe nails, you need to get you a good anti fungal pill (creams will not work on this).  Fungus ridden toe nails and boots that are way too small or tight will cause ingrown toe nails, so pay attention to how your footgear fit and how you are cutting your toe nails (believe it or not, there is a wrong way and a correct way to cut your toe nails, and this is a major factor in why ingrown toe nails happen in the first place).

Ankles are something that you need to take into consideration as well.  Regardless of whether or not you have good or bad ankles, you need to look at footgear that will cover your ankles.  Footgear that cover ankles really do 2 things.  they provide ankle support to prevent ankle injuries and if you happen to have an ankle injury then they will provide compression and prevent swelling and give further support for quicker healing.  Quick medical tip: if you roll an ankle or sprain it, keep the boot on and lace it just a little tighter.  This will as I stated above keep swelling down and provide further support. 

Sweating:

If you are like me and your feet sweat alot, then you need to make sure that you have several things to help combat this.  moisture in footgear can lead to many things like athletes foot, swamp foot, trench foot, blisters, overall stink, etc.  combating moisture in footgear can be accomplished in several different ways. 

- Use foot powder in your boots as well as your socks.  A little goes a long way.
- foot sprays are not as effective as powders but they do work to an extent
- socks.  Socks really serve 3 functions, they wick moisture away from your skin, provide cushioning, and they also provide compression for your shins and calf muscles.
- wearing a pair of calf length or even full length compression pantyhose will wick moisture away from your skin as well as add a thin layer of material to help prevent blisters
- last but not least, make sure you have the correct footgear for the correct season and environment.   

Material composition:

The material composition of what your footgear is made of is very important.  Leather is a great footgear material because it is durable, breathable, flame resistant (not proof), dries fast and can be treated for many different applications/environments.  Rubber material is durable to an extent, waterproof, limited to certain situations and will retain moisture inside.  Composite material footgear is known to be light weight, durable to an extent, water resistant, breathable, non flame resistant and cannot be treated for different applications. 
Heals


The last thing we need to cover here is “heals”.  No not high heals like women wear but the heal of your footgear and the heal of your foot.  the heal of you foot absorbs and dissipates hundreds of pounds of pressure with each step as well as the heal of your footgear.  It also provides the proper alignment of your foot and your instep as well as your achilles tendon.  So with that being said, you need to make sure that you have a good heal on your footgear.  Yes there some footgear out there that does not have a heal per say, but they are also designed for specific purposes and not a general use.

I found this on the internet today and I thought I would share with you all considering don has been looking for something like this.

http://dslrpros.com/uas-drone-landing/?gclid=CIHv8aCRyMECFcaCfgod2ZEAmA

ill get someone to take a few pics of botht the shirt and sweatshirt either today or tomorrow

it would probably fit into a smaller one like a 9mm or even a 5.56 can????

looks to be all digital, do they make one in an analog version?

very true

I ordered another gasket and the relief valve and I think that it was like $5-10.  The gasket and relief valve will remain good for years as long as you lube them like the inst tell you.

don asked me on another thread about storing flour for long peroids of time. 

Nate,

What is the best way to store flour long term?

I am about to pick up 2ea, 25 lb bags to long tern store and a 5 pounder to use with all this emer food prep I'm doing

all purpose flour is really the only kind that you would want to store for long peroids of time, because it does not have anysort of additives in it like self-rising and other kinds of flour and it does not have an experation date. 

if i was going to store flour, sugar, thing of that nature, i would get many packets of Desiccant, and large vaccume seal bags like you can use for clothing.  i would place the desiccant packs in the vacumme bags, suck out all the air and place in to a sealed container (like a plastic drum with a water tight seal).  i would also place many bags of the desiccant into the sealed container as well.

hopefully this is of some help to your question don?

links to desiccant:  https://www.google.com/search?q=pressure+canning+pot&biw=1455&bih=1164&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=CzZFVLLdEtHAggTo9YGQBg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&dpr=1#q=Desiccant+packs

links to the vacumm bags:  https://www.google.com/search?q=pressure+canning+pot&biw=1455&bih=1164&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=CzZFVLLdEtHAggTo9YGQBg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&dpr=1#q=vacuum+bags+for+clothes

welcome northern friend

cur, yes cur!   ;D

ok, in all fairness don is correct.  canning supplies are becoming harder and harder to find.  some of the main places you can find canning supplies are at

ace hardware
micheals
hobby lobby
bed bath and beyond
walmart (by the pots and pans area)
target

if you are unable to find supplies at those locations, below is a quick google search for canning supplies for sale over the internet.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ball+or+mason+jars+for+sale

give me a day or so to get the next installment of this put down on paper, so that I can give accurate information.

folks,

I would like to welcome SGT Gene to the site.  gene here is one of my closest friends and we have served together in afghanistan, or should i say i kept his civi but alive  ;D  gene here is a man of many talents and some of them i think we could all learn from.  if you want to check him out, head on over to this link.  http://www.gandcguns.com/

i will leave the rest up to him, i just wanted to welcom him here.