Things you should stock pile but aren't: #1 Tobacco

There are, by current estimates, approximately 1.1 billion smokers in the world. There has also been no decline in levels of smoking in English speaking countries since the early 90s. As of 2010, 21% of Britons are smokers of some kind.

In America, Tobacco was the original cash-crop, and was the basis for the entire southern economy until the advent of cotton plantations. It is a valuable, often expensive luxury good, in it's refined forms.






In the 1600s Navies and military units began making allowances for tobacco in rationing, and by WW1 governments and tobacco producers were working collaboratively to ensure a steady supply of tobacco to the front. Tobacco was used to keep soldiers alert and calm.

As many preppers own areas of land for planting, or rent allotments or such, it has come to me that such a commodity would be desirable to possess after the crunch. I have recently purchased seeds for three breeds of plant, to produce Kentucky Burley, Havana, and Oriental Samsoun tobaccos. There will be a running update on the condition of the plants on the fb page, and a growers guide at a later date.

For now, though, I will discuss the various forms of tobacco and it's storage.

Types:

The main consumed forms of Tobacco are:

Cigarettes - Everyone knows what these are. This includes roll-your-own.
Pipes - These use a slightly fermented rougher cut tobacco, combusted in a bowl. This includes Bongs.
Molasses/Hookah/Shisha - Middle eastern water pipes which use indirect heat to combust a combination of tobacco leaves and honey, syrup or molasses.
Snuff - Finely powdered tobacco which is inhaled through the nose.
Snus/Dip/Chew - various forms of tobacco which are chewed to release nicotine into the linings of the mouth.

Storage


Cigarettes - First of, dump the pre-made cigs. They're only stored in foil-lined boxes, which won't preserve them for longer than the time it takes to smoke them. They're also more expensive than their component parts. Second, don't bother with the little cotton filters. It's an unnecessary cost, which takes up space that can be used for more useful items. If filters are required, a card or paper "Roach" is useable. The rolling papers will keep forever in their little boxes as long as they don't get soaked and rot, so I'll say no more on that. The main component is the tobacco. The pouches it's bought in, they'll last for a good couple of years un-opened, but other options are large, air-tight tubs available in Spain and France (I don't know about their availability in the UK, any information is welcome.)

Pipes - This is easy. Buy a few relatively cheap pipes. There's a glut of decent, inexpensive pipes on eBay, just look around. Ignore anything from Asia for less than £10. Buy a decent range of pipes, and lots of corncobs. Processed pipe tobacco comes both in pouches and tins. Buy the tins, they last forever.

Shisha - The combination of tobacco and honey or mollases should, if kept in an air-tight jar, keep almost forever. Honey has no expiry date, and the tobacco will be protected from the elements. Buy a couple of hookah pipes, you can find a nice 8" one on eBay for approx. £10.

Snuff/Snus/Dip/Chew - Comes in tins. Will probably not go off ever.

Post-Crunch:

My favourite scene in JWR's "Patriots" is the market scene a couple of years after the crunch. All those people, all the life gathered in one area. I have therefore had the idea of some kind of Tobacco Bar set up, similar to the hookah bars present in some areas (There's one in Camden's horse market if you don't know what I mean), as well as selling the tobacco and various devices stockpiled. A trade which would be useful to learn is that of pipe manufacture, be it from wood or clay.

Product Review: Mora Knives

c/o Bladesandbows.co.uk

Length: 25cm (13cm Blade)

I got this knife because, frankly, it was dirt-cheap on bladesandbows and I do not have very much
money. It’s regular retail price is £25-£30, but I managed to purchase it as an over-run item (where
the production level exceeds the order quantity) for only £5.99.
This is a really nice, basic knife to add to your collection if you can get it for a similar price. It is made
in Sweden from 12C27 Scandvik Stainless Steel, a Swedish Steel used for it’s high hardness and wear-
resistance.
The blade is of a fairly normal shape with a slight up-sweep, with the tip ending slightly above the
handle. The material of the blade is strong, and able to cut easily through wood and meat. The back
of the blade is flat for the first third (from the tip towards the handle) with the rest having “smooth”
serrations, with a U shape, as opposed to others with sharper, more defined serrations. This allows
the hand to be used to manipulate the blade without the risk of serious injury, however this comes
with the trade-off of the serrations being slightly less effective.
The handle is synthetic, made of textured plastic, and is contoured to provide an ergonomic grip
which fits nicely into the palm. This means that it avoids many of the problems often shown with
natural handles, which can swell in water, or get clogged up with blood or sap. There is no ‘proper’
guard on the handle, but the index finger is allowed it’s own groove, with a slight over hang which
should prevent the hand slipping and therefore prevent injury.
The knife also comes with a leather sheath with a belt loop. This is also lined with plastic to
prevent the blade catching and damaging the sheath. The sheath is slightly tapered, and tapered
asymmetrically, however the blade sits nicely in it either way around. I personally prefer to sheath
the blade the wrong way around, as this causes it to ride slightly higher in the sheath which, due to
my preferred position under my left armpit, allows it to be drawn under or over hand, as it presents
more of the handle.
As well as being a practical tool, this knife is also beautifully designed, and incredibly pleasing to look
at and hold.
There are, however, 3 points with which I take issue. The first is the RRP. At £25, it’s quite expensive
for something which is a basic knife, and is more expensive than comparable knives from companies
such as Gerber and MTech. The second is that the sheath has a sealed belt loop, which means that
it is difficult to attach to, and detach from, a belt, strap or set of webbing. I spent several minutes
wriggling and forcing it over a clip to get it onto my rucksack, which wouldn’t be very useful in an
emergency flight situation. Finally the butt of the knife is not flat and level, meaning it is not really suitable for hammering things.
However, as an everyday knife, work knife, or, if you want a fancy primary knife from one of the
better known of flasher companies, a back-up, this knife excels. I currently use it as my primary
knife, and can imagine it being useful as a levering device, in lieu of a pry-bar due to it’s sturdy
construction, as well as suitable for more subtle tasks such as skinning game, due to it’s sharp point
and blade.

BLADE:  4/5
HANDLE: 4/5

PRICE: 2/5

OVERALL: 4/5

Rules For Survival: Rule #2

Constant Vigilance

You, your partner (or member of your team), or guard animals must be alert and attentitve at all times. A constant watch must be maintained. In a permanent BOL a rolling sleep schedule can be implemented so that half of the groups normal "Day" is during the night. On the move, shifts of no more than 2 hours will be best suited.

Basics of Blade-Work.

This is the first in what will be a three-part series, spread over time, on Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Blade-Work. This article covers the basic stance, how to hold the sword, and the basic striking directions.

Chances are, when the end comes, the most common weapons, and the first ones to be re-made in the case of absolute collapse, will be some form of sword. Throughout history the sword has been used by almost all military forces in some incarnation, from the short, vicious obsidian blades of ancient Maya, to the long, graceful Scots Claymore, they’ve seen action in conflicts as recently as World War Two, with the massed Banzai charges of the Japanese Imperial Army in Theatres such as Attu.

Many of these techniques, however, can also be adapted for use with improvised weapons, such as Baseball Bats, Golf Clubs, or even sticks.

Before we explore the techniques presented in here, I should mention that this is not the be-all and end-all of blade combat. If you wish to become a proficient fighter, you should find a decent school and train hard there. What this article can do, combined with your own hard practice, is give you an edge in combat over those with no training.

The Foundation:

These techniques are routed primarily in European techniques, which I have blended with elements of Asian Styles (Ken-jutsu and Kali, mainly) to produce a simple system based on fundamental techniques. It is routed historically in texts such as Talhoffer’s Fechtbuch, The I.33 and the book of five rings, as well as the techniques laid down by the old USMC combat manual. This is then laid upon my own experience in fights in which I have resorted to improvised weapons.

The Techniques:

Raising the Blade.

Standing:

Basic Stance.

The non-dominant foot is in front of the dominant, with the heels in line and the dominant foot at a right-angle to the direction of travel. The weight should be over the rear leg, with only the ball and toes of the forward foot resting on the ground.

Weight on the Rear Foot.

Moving:

Movement is performed by pushing off the ground with the rear foot in the direction of travel. It is important to move the foot nearest to the direction of travel first, to prevent the legs crossing and ensure a more stable base and make sweeping more difficult.

Holding the Sword:

This style is based on the use of a European Longsword, with a well defined pommel which fits in the palm of the hand. The dominant hand sits at the top of the grip, with the index and middle fingers loosely gripping under the guard, with the thumb folded over both of them. The main grip comes from the little and ring fingers. The non-dominant hand rests under the hilt with the pommel resting in the crook of the palm.

The sword is held raised over the dominant shoulder, with the dominant elbow just below the shoulder, and the non-dominant arm covering the chest.

 

5 Directions of Striking

Striking:

There are 6 main directions for striking. They are:-

                      -Top Right to Bottom Left (Fore-handed)

                      -Top Left to Bottom Right (Fore-handed)

                      -Bottom Right to Top Left (Fore-handed, Back Handed)

                      -Bottom Left to Top Right (Fore-Handed, Back Handed)

                      -Vertical Down

                      -Straight Thrust.

Several martial arts stress the use of a certain area of the blade for the strike, but really as long as you connect, and connect hard, it’s not massively important.

The Thrust

Blocking: Blocking should never be done edge-to-edge, as this will damage both the blade and your arms. If possible, evasion should come before blocking, as an advantageous position can be gained by moving the opponent of balance.

Blocking, if it is done, should be in the same direction of the opponents strike, drawing their blade further along it’s path, again to draw them off balance. Blocking should always be followed with a reverse strike.