The mainstream media spends an enormous amount of time lecturing us about fake environmental issues, but now that one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history has occurred they are being strangely quiet about it.  What we are witnessing in East Palestine, Ohio is so horrifying that it is truly difficult to put it into words.  One hazardous materials specialist is claiming that authorities “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”.  Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration at all.  When they decided to conduct a “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride from some of the wrecked rail cars, they knew that it would “send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air”…

About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash in East Palestine at about 9pm on Friday, February 3.

Houses were evacuated after vinyl chloride was slowly released from five of those cars. Authorities then ignited the gases for a ‘controlled release’ of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.

Officials warned the controlled burn would send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Phosgene is a highly toxic, colorless gas with a strong odor that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble and was used as a weapon in World War I.

Read that last sentence again.

Phosgene was literally used as a chemical weapon during World War I, and now countless people living in Ohio and Pennsylvania will be breathing it in for the foreseeable future.

In essence, we have unleashed a weapon of mass destruction on our own people.

14 miles from my house, in East Palestine Ohio.

Norfolk Southern assures us that the vinyl chloride spilling from the tanks of their derailed train and burning and turning into hydrogen chloride as it rises into the atmosphere and mixes with water vapor and turns into …… pic.twitter.com/Rc8wbpXU8R

— (@blckndgldfn) February 8, 2023

It turns out that vinyl chloride has also been proven to cause “increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers”…

Vinyl chloride is associated with increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.

The effect was studied in PVC pipe makers, who breathed in vinyl chloride and developed rare liver cancers, said Ruth Lunn, who studies carcinogens at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

So how many people are ultimately going to get cancer and die because of this disaster?

On top of everything else, we are now being told that “ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene” were also being transported in some of the rail cars that derailed…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to Norfolk Southern stating that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene were also in the rail cars that were derailed, breached and/or on fire.

Caggiano says ethylhexyl acrylate is especially worrisome. He says it’s a carcinogen and contact with it can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes. Breathing it in can irritate the nose and throat and cause coughing and shortness of breath.

Nobody should be anywhere near this wreck.

But authorities are telling residents of East Palestine that it is perfectly safe to return to their homes and that there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

A massive cover up of epic proportions is in progress, and only a few brave leaders such as Marjorie Taylor Greene are speaking out about this…

East Palestine, Ohio is undergoing an ecological disaster bc authorities blew up the train derailment cars carrying hazardous chemicals and press are being arrested for trying to tell the story.

Oh but UFO’s!

What is going on?

pic.twitter.com/RULoF1oKJQ

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 12, 2023

Perhaps they think that because most of the people that live in East Palestine are poor they can get away with treating them like dirt.

And that may have worked in the past.

But now we live in the age of social media, and a lot of Americans want to make sure that this catastrophe will never be forgotten.

Because the truth is that these chemicals are going to be affecting the health of local residents for decades.

One hazardous materials specialist raised a lot of eyebrows when he said that authorities “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”…

Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist and former fire department chief, said he was ‘surprised’ residents were allowed to return home so quickly before all of their homes were tested.

‘I would’ve far rather they did all the testing [first],’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad.’

He added: ‘We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open.’

NEW TOXINS IDENTIFIED—“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” said Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist. Rail company Norfolk Southern is paying just $25k to the town, or ~$5 per resident.

HT @therecount
pic.twitter.com/7jVQaIFA1U

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) February 13, 2023

So many people are going to die because of this.

And it is being reported that large numbers of chickens and fish have already died after being exposed to the chemicals…

CBS Pittsburgh reported that hundreds of fish have turned up dead in Leslie Run, approximately five miles away from the site of the derailment. While the EPA has acknowledged that fish are dying, it stressed that well water remains safe to drink.

Amanda Breshears, who lives 10 miles away from East Palestine, said upon going to feed her hens and rooster days after the derailment, she found them all lifeless.

“My video camera footage shows my chickens were perfectly fine before they started this burn, and as soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died,” she told WKBN. “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”

#8 There are reports of dead fish in rivers and creeks 5 miles away from the train derailment.https://t.co/5Jgs1L52W4 pic.twitter.com/G43pdY41RB

— kanekoa.substack.com (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 13, 2023

What a nightmare.

And this nightmare is not going to end any time soon.

Shockingly, a movie about this exact type of disaster in this exact area of Ohio was released late last year…

Wow. Here’s a movie just made about a train derailing with toxins in Ohio – filmed in Ohio where it just happened, & many of the extras were locals from East Palestine Ohio who, in the film,evacuated. Then months later they had to do so in real life! Bonkers! please share pic.twitter.com/dNj1BS0wRK

— Erin Elizabeth Health Nut News (@unhealthytruth) February 12, 2023

Pretty crazy, eh?

Sometimes it feels like we are actually living in a movie.

As I keep telling people, we are now living in a time when we will be facing one major disaster after another.

Global events are starting to spin out of control, and there is so much chaos all around us.

Unfortunately, what we have been through so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Why Is The Mainstream Media Being So Quiet About One Of The Greatest Environmental Catastrophes In U.S. History? appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Things are starting to get really strange.  First, a “Chinese spy balloon” was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after it had traveled across much of the continental United States.  Then, another “unidentified object” was shot down over Alaska.  Subsequently, at the request of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a third “unidentified object” was shot down over Canada.  And now we have just learned that a fourth “unidentified object” has been shot down over Lake Huron.  In addition, a congressman from Montana is reporting that there is an “unidentified object” flying over his state.  On top of everything else, China is telling us that an “unidentified object” has been flying near the Chinese port city of Qingdao.  All of a sudden, these sightings have become the biggest news story in the entire country, and I think that it is likely that there will be even more sightings in the days ahead.

But let’s put all of this into perspective.

The only reason why most people are freaking out about this story is because the mainstream media is freaking out about this story.

If the mainstream media was ignoring this story, they would also be ignoring this story.

We have been trained to believe that a story is important only when the mainstream media tells us that it is important.

If millions of Americans want to get excited about some balloons, that is fine.

I will get excited with them.

But the truth is that hordes of highly sophisticated unidentified aircraft have been flying over U.S. territory for years.

Let me give you some examples.  Starting in December 2019, large groups of “unidentified drones” were repeatedly spotted flying over northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska…

A formation of unidentified drones, some in groups of 30, have been reported flying high above a corner of rural northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska, usually from 7 to 10 p.m. By some accounts, the drones have wingspans of 6 feet or more.

“They can sit there and hover. They can descend very fast. They can take off very fast,” Wyatt Harman, who chased the drones as they flew above his land in Washington County, Colorado, told the “TODAY” show.

He and his girlfriend, Chelsea Arnold, said they pursued the lights for about 15 miles, driving as fast as 70 mph.

These drones were very large and could fly at extremely high speeds.

Pretty soon, there were also sightings in Kansas.  At the time, multiple witnesses reported seeing formations of up to 50 drones flying in very precise “grid formations”…

Meanwhile, neighbouring Nebraska and Kansas were also dealing with their own mysterious drone swarms. From December 2019 to January 2020, residents of the three states were perturbed by multiple sightings of numerous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with wingspans of up to 6ft flying between 6pm and 10pm in grid formations. On the same night that Iovinella was receiving calls, a Nebraska deputy reported seeing 30 to 50 drones in the sky. Witnesses were alarmed by the size and speed of the vehicles. “It got to the point that we were fixing to take up arms,” says Mike, 39, from Lindon, Colorado, who wishes to retain partial anonymity.

To me, a large fleet of highly sophisticated drones flying at very high speed is a lot more alarming than a few high altitude balloons.

Quite frequently, unidentified drones appear to be very interested in national security targets of a highly sensitive nature.  In fact, from March 2018 to April 2021, there were “four reports of unidentified airborne vehicle intrusions at sensitive U.S. government nuclear laboratories”…

Freedom of Information Act requests by the Washington Examiner have returned four reports of unidentified airborne vehicle intrusions at sensitive U.S. government nuclear laboratories between March 2018 and April 2021. In each case, security officers failed to identify the operator of these apparent vehicles or their intent.

U.S. military bases and ships that belong to the U.S. Navy are also common targets.  For example, last year footage of a very alarming incident in which a drone swarm flew very close to the USS Zumwalt in April 2019 was released to the public…

New footage from the U.S. Navy shows a drone swarm of unknown origin flying over the USS Zumwalt, a highly sensitive “stealth destroyer” in the waters off California in April 2019.

The video, obtained by The War Zone via the Freedom of Information Act, features a sailor describing a set of lights from six drones above the USS Zumwalt as he filmed the encounter

Of course that was not just an isolated incident.

According to an “interim report” that was released in June 2022, there were 144 incidents of unidentified aircraft flying near U.S. military targets over a period of 17 years…

Sightings of what appear to be aircraft flying without discernible means of propulsion have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that witnesses have spotted undiscovered or secret Chinese or Russian technology.

An interim report released by US intelligence officials last year counted 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. In all but one of the sightings investigated, there was too little information for investigators to even broadly characterise the nature of the incident.

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

Many more incidents were later added to that report, and ultimately the grand total reached a whopping 510 incidents…

The March 2021 date represents the end of a preliminary assessment period by ODNI that spanned 17 years, during which there were 144 UAP reports. Since that date, another 119 incidents that took place before March 2021 but weren’t included in the preliminary assessment were also reported — bringing the total number of reports to 510 as of late August 2022.

So I am glad that there is finally an uproar about the lack of security in the skies above our heads.

Because vast hordes of drones have been regularly violating U.S. air space for a long time.

And in case you are wondering, yes, drones can deliver weapons of mass destruction.

Unfortunately, our leaders continue to move us even closer to cataclysmic conflicts with both Russia and China, and the death and destruction that such conflicts could cause would be unimaginable.

So let us hope that our leaders will decide to reverse course and start pressing for peace while it is still possible to do so.

Because if we stay on the path that we are on, eventually someone will make a mistake that will not be able to be erased, and then millions upon millions of people will die.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Actually, Hordes Of Highly Sophisticated Unidentified Aircraft Have Been Flying Over U.S. Territory appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

It appears that the tsunami of layoffs that started late last year is starting to accelerate.  January was a horrible month for job losses, and major layoff announcements are coming fast and furious here in February.  But of course the Biden administration would have us believe that everything is just fine.  Last week, the government told us that the U.S. economy “added 517,000 jobs” in January.  But as I discussed in a previous article, that wasn’t what actually happened.  The raw, unadjusted number showed that the U.S. economy actually lost 2.5 million jobs last month.  That is a terrible number, but after the bureaucrats in Washington were done with their “adjustments” it magically became a gain of 517,000 jobs.  If you want to have faith that their “adjustments” are appropriate, good for you.  But other sources also confirm that things have really taken a turn for the worse.  For example, Challenger, Gray & Christmas just issued a report that concluded that last month “was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009”…

U.S. companies announced roughly 103,000 job cuts in January, the highest monthly total since September 2020, a Thursday analysis found.

Last month was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a report from employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Around 40 percent of last month’s job reductions came in the tech industry, where Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce announced plans to lay off thousands of workers. Many of the companies said they grew too quickly in recent years and must cut costs to boost profitability.

So many large companies announced staff reductions last month, and that trend has definitely continued this month.

The following are 12 major layoffs that have already been announced in February…

#1 Disney has decided to tell approximately 7,000 employees to hit the bricks…

“We will be reducing our workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs,” CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s first quarter earnings call. “While this is necessary to address the challenges we’re facing today, I do not make this decision lightly. I have enormous respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide, and I’m mindful of the personal impact of these changes.”

#2 Yahoo has announced that it will be laying off “more than 20% of its workforce”…

Yahoo will lay off more than 20% of its workforce by the end of 2023, eliminating 1,000 positions this week alone, the company said in a statement Thursday.

#3 Ebay was doing quite well, but now they have decided that 4 percent of their workers are no longer needed…

Ebay on Tuesday announced plans to cut 500 jobs, or about 4% of its workforce, according to a filing with the SEC.

#4 Affirm is yet another tech company that has recently made a decision to conduct mass layoffs…

Affirm announced it’s cutting 19% of its workforce Wednesday. The news came as it reported second quarter earnings that fell below analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

#5 As the U.S. housing crash deepens, JPMorgan Chase has concluded that now is the time to “cut hundreds of mortgage employees”…

JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut hundreds of mortgage employees this week, adding to job losses across the industry as home-lending businesses continue to be hurt by elevated interest rates.

#6 GoDaddy just let their workers know that they plan to “reduce the size of our global team by about 8%”…

Today, we are announcing a plan to reduce the size of our global team by about 8%. This will come as difficult news for many valued and respected GoDaddy team members.

#7 Micron is one of the biggest private employers in Idaho, but now it intends to “reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year”…

Micron has begun laying off workers, a spokesperson for the company told the Idaho Statesman.

The news marks the beginning of the company’s plan to reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra announced during a quarterly conference call with investors in December that the company is taking significant steps to reduce costs and operating expenses as demand for its principal products wanes.

#8 GitHub has become yet another victim of the downsizing trend in the tech industry…

Microsoft-owned GitHub is laying off 10% of its staff, the company confirmed to Fortune.

#9 Nomad Health just laid off approximately 20 percent of their entire corporate workforce…

Nomad Health, a healthcare staffing startup, laid off around 20% of its corporate workforce this week, according to four terminated employees, as the surge in travel nurses and other temporary healthcare workers ignited by the pandemic cools down.

#10 Zoom is giving the axe to approximately 1,300 workers…

Zoom on Tuesday said it will lay off about 1,300 employees, or approximately 15% of its staff, becoming the latest tech company to announce significant job cuts as a pandemic-fueled surge in demand for digital services wanes.

#11 Boeing was supposedly going to be hiring more workers, but instead the company just announced that thousands of positions in finance and human resources will be eliminated…

“We expect about 2,000 reductions this year primarily in Finance and HR through a combination of attrition and layoffs,” Boeing confirmed Monday.

#12 Do you remember when Dell computers were still popular?  Unfortunately, the tide has turned and now Dell has been forced to get rid of 6,650 workers…

Dell Technologies Inc. is eliminating about 6,650 roles as it faces plummeting demand for personal computers, becoming the latest technology company to announce thousands of job cuts.

I could go on and on if you would like.

There are countless other firms that have also just announced significant layoffs.

We truly have not faced economic conditions like this since the Great Recession, and a recent Gallup survey seems to underscore this point…

Reflecting on their personal financial situations, 35% of Americans say they are better off now than they were a year ago, while 50% are worse off. Since Gallup first asked this question in 1976, it has been rare for half or more of Americans to say they are worse off. The only other times this occurred was during the Great Recession era in 2008 and 2009.

Unfortunately, we are still only in the very early chapters of this new crisis.  As I have been warning for years, things will eventually get much worse.

Our leaders have been making incredibly bad decisions for decades, and now we are going to get to suffer the consequences of those bad decisions.

This generation was handed the keys to the greatest economic machine that the world has ever seen, but we wrecked it.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost, and most Americans are completely unprepared for what is coming next.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post After The Worst January Job Cuts ‘Since The Great Recession’, Here Are 12 Major Layoffs That Have Already Been Announced In February appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

@media (max-width:576px) { .read-more-content { height: 1290em; } }

The post The Guns of Yellowstone’s Origin Story, 1883 appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.

First, I want to get one thing out of the way; there is no such thing as the “best survival knife.”

It doesn’t exist.

However, there’s quite possibly a “best survival knife for YOU.”

That difference may seem slight, but it’s of utmost importance.

Why? Because no two survivalists are alike.

We all have different goals and unique skills that make some survival knives better for you than others.

So this survival knife guide aims to provide you with the best information to make an informed decision on which survival knife to purchase.

Here’s exactly what we’ll cover in this guide:

• Best Survival Knives On The Market Today

• The Best Survival Knife Features

• A Deep Dive Behind Survival Knife Designs

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Survival Knives On The Market Today

Now that we have a general sense of what to look for in a good survival knife, let’s go through some detailed reviews of the top survival knives.

These detailed review videos will help you further understand what makes a good survival knife and get a sense of the best survival uses for each of these knives.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

The Best Survival Knife Features

Before deep-diving into all the available options for survival knives (such as blade design, blade edge, blade length, blade grinds, grips, etc.), let’s highlight the top survival knife features to choose the perfect survival knife.

These are the key survival knife features you’ll want in any survival knife you choose.

1. Size Matters

If it is too big, you’ll give up the ability to do detailed carving work like carving detailed snare sets or precision cutting.

Too small, and you’ll be compromising important survival skills like chopping, splitting, and batoning.

You need a knife small enough for precision yet large enough to be rugged for tougher tasks.

So you’re looking roughly in the 9 to 11-inch overall knife length.

2. Fixed Blade Only

A fixed-blade survival knife is exactly what it sounds like. The blade of the knife is in a fixed position. It does not switch, flip, or fold down.

The fewer moving parts mean a more durable knife for the long haul.

A tough, quality, constructed fixed-blade knife can handle some serious abuse. For example, one of the most abusive survival knife techniques is batoning.

Batoning with a knife is a brutal test.

I tried batoning with a high-quality folding knife once, and it destroyed the springs and clips within 5 minutes.

Since you need your knife to last while performing the most rugged survival skills, shop in the “fixed blade survival knife” category.

Don’t get me wrong, folder knives are awesome, and I carry a Kershaw Onion folder daily.

But they are not advisable for serious survival.

A fixed-blade knife is what you want for survival. It’s a blade you can stake your life on.

Folder blades have a weakness that fixed blades do not. They have a pivot joint that makes them foldable, and when you abuse a folding knife, the joint will eventually break.

3. Full Tang Only

The blade’s tang is the metal section wrapped in the knife’s handle.

A true full tang knife profile fills the entire handle with exposed metal around the edges, while a partial tang knife is where the metal is smaller and inside the handle.

Full tang knives are designed to withstand much more abuse than partial tang knives. If you beat on a partial tang knife, it will eventually come loose and develop play in the handle.

If the handle breaks off, it’s very difficult and dangerous to use a partial tang knife – while a full tang knife can be wrapped with some 550 paracord and still work nearly as well.

There are also rat-tail tangs and hidden tangs, which are even less durable than partial tangs.

So ideally, you want full tang for survival. But some partial tangs are decent for survival purposes as well.

The bottom line is the more metal in the handle, the better- yes, these knives cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

4. Sharp Spear Point Tips (or drop tips)

Many survival knife designers want to stand out from the crowd and design funky-looking knife blades with insane shapes.

They might look badass or cool, but they won’t function as well for you in survival situations.

Spearpoint or drop points are best for self-defense penetration and allow you to perform fine point work.

Unless you’re looking for a blade for your next Halloween custom – stick with the simple yet effective blade shapes of either a spear point or a drop point, and you won’t regret it.

5. Single-Edged Blade

Single-edged blades have only one side of the blade sharpened and are used for cutting, slicing, etc. – while double-edged blades are sharp on both sides.

And in survival, the flat side is as important as the sharp side.

First, it helps with detailed control. You can slide your thumb safely onto the flat edge, but this control technique is impossible if the edge is sharp.

Second, a double edge blade works against you when batoning to split wood. You beat down on a sharp blade and lose your striking power.

Third, using fire steel with a flat edge is much easier. A flat 90-degree grind is perfect for getting sparks from a Ferro rod.

6. Flat Handle End

Look for a survival knife where you can use the butt of the handle as a makeshift light-duty hammer. So you want the butt of the handle to be flat and not round.

This allows you to drive tent stakes into the ground or use your knife like a punch – where you drive the knife by hitting the bottom of it with a chunk of wood.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

A Deep Dive Behind Survival Knife Designs

In the next section, I want to dive deep into all the specific details behind different survival knife designs, the steel differences, the coatings, grinds, tangs, etc., and the pros and cons of each.

Specifically, we will be covering the following topics in detail:

• Blade Design
• Fixed vs. Folding
• Blade Length
• Blade Steel
• Blade Grind
• Tang Construction
• Blade Coatings
• Grips

Blade Design: Choosing The Right Blade

Deciding on the blade design shape is one of the most important factors when choosing your survival knife.

For example, in a survival situation, you’ll likely use every bit of the blade from the belly to the tip for all sorts of tasks.

So you need to have a basic understanding of all the blade shape options.

There are four main options when it comes to blade design (spear, tonto, clip, or drop point).

As we covered earlier, for survival, we recommend you go with a spear or drop for most survival knives.

Because these blade designs put the tip of the blade close to the centerline of the blade, which provides great control, it also lowers the weight at the blade’s tip, helping move the knife’s balance point closer to the hilt. This helps give the user greater tip control as well.

However, it’s always good to understand the applications for the other blade designs. You might already have your “go-to” survival knife, and you’re in the market for a specialty blade.

Here’s an excellent video overview of these main blade design options.

Fixed Blade Or Folding? Which Is Best For Survival?

Fixed-blade knives are what you want for wilderness survival.

However, fixed-blade knives are more cumbersome to carry. You can’t carry a large fixed-blade knife around unnoticed.

So for everyday carry needs, you should look into a folding knife. They are ideal for everyday carry situations when you’re not trying to build survival shelters or start fires in the wild.

But for a proper survival knife, you need something extremely durable that will not break under intense use and abuse.

Yes, a good pocket knife should be in your pocket, but it should never be your primary survival knife for extreme situations.

Blade Length: From Short To Long

The length of a knife’s blade determines how useful it is for certain tasks. Choppers are your larger machete-like blades, while precision bushcraft work is best with smaller carver blades.

You want a bit of both for survival, so the best survival blades tend to be in the medium-size range.

Survival Blade Steel: What’s It Make Of?

High carbon steel (i.e., 1095, 5160, 01 or A2) vs. stainless steels (i.e., 420HC, 440C, AUS-8 or AUS-10) – as you can tell, there are a lot of blade steel options.

In layman’s terms, high-carbon tool steels tend to be tougher than stainless steel, making them harder to break but more susceptible to corrosion.

They also are easier to sharpen than stainless, but they won’t keep an edge as well.

If you want to understand the difference in blade steels, you have to think like a knife maker. The following video deep dives into all the various steel options.

Worth watching if you want a great introduction to blade steel choices.

Blade Grinds: What’s The Difference?

There are several blade grind options for any knife design. Each grind has pros and cons, depending on how you want your tactical knife to perform.

However, for survival knives, two specific blade grinds stand above the rest, the saber and flat grinds.

The saber grind has a short primary bevel from the cutting edge to the back of the blade. This creates a thicker edge that’s harder to sharpen to a very fine point but will hold its edge better when chopping and splitting.

The flat grind is a compromise between the saber grind and a hollow grind.

A hollow grind concaves inward from the blade edge to the cutting point, making the cutting edge extremely sharp and prone to chipping and damage under intense use.

So a flat grind has a bevel that goes from the cutting edge all the way to the back of the blade. This allows for a much finer edge than the saber grind but is not as fragile as the hollow grind.

If this sounds confusing, watch the videos below for an excellent introduction to the basic knife grinds.

Tang Construction: Full Or Partial?

We only recommend you invest in a full-tang survival knife. We discussed it previously so I won’t go over it again.

However, some future knife enthusiasts may want an introduction to partial tangs (rat tail tang, narrow tangs, hidden tangs).

The following video gives a nice introduction to this interesting knife topic.

Blade Coating Options

The science of blade coatings is detailed and complex. However, it’s interesting chemistry.

This video provides a detailed overview of 6 different blade coatings put through an extensive series of tests. Make sure to watch to the end to find out which blade coating holds up the best.

Handle Material: Understanding Grips

The grip of a survival knife is critical to its performance. You need a tough grip that won’t break under intense forces. Yet it feels comfortable in your hands.

You also want a grip that won’t absorb moisture which can lead to handling rot.

A few of the most popular knife handle materials are Wood, Micarta, G-10, Zytel, Krayton, or Hypalon.

The following video goes into a nice introduction to some of these handle materials.

Grip Techniques

Finally, I wanted to share a bit of information on grip techniques. I think it’s as important (maybe more) to invest time learning how to use your new survival knife.

A survival knife is important but only useful in the right hands.

So watch the following video to get an introduction to how to use your survival knife once you decide on which one to buy.

Survival Knife Wrap Up

Survival knives come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs.

You must decide for yourself which survival knife is best suited for your needs. The good news is you should invest in multiple survival knives. You should have a survival knife for your bug-out bag, one for your survival pack, one for your medical first aid kit, and one for your get-home bag.

I don’t know anyone serious about survival who owns just one knife. Over the years, we accumulated many survival knives, each serving a specific purpose.

For example, here’s a good video by a survival expert who shares his impressive collection of survival knives with us.

Remember: Prepare, Adapt, and Overcome,

“Just In Case” Jack

P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?

Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.

So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.

Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”

The post 12 Best Survival Knives For Taming The Wild appeared first on Skilled Survival.

@media (max-width:576px) { .read-more-content { height: 300em; } }

The post TESTED: Shooting the Smith & Wesson PC M&P9 M2.0 Competitor appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.

Firearms can be a touchy subject and indeed, a hotly debated one in recent times, and I’m sure the subject of building a weapons cache – which is contained in this article – won’t help to cool the fire of this topic. No matter where you stand on firearms, one thing is crystal clear. It…

The post Weapons Cache: How To Build One appeared first on Survival Cache.

Priced for Less Than $500 – But Will it Run? I’m probably not the only one weary of AR-15 reviews.…

This article %Bear Creek Arsenal Review – Worth the Money?% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.

If you are wondering how to store wheat berries long-term it means you are advancing as a prepper. You’re moving…

This article %How to Store Wheat Berries Long-Term% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.

Canned Food Shelf Life – Is It Really Safe One Day

And Then Bad The Next?

Are you getting ready to throw out that can of green beans just because it’s a week past its “best by” date?

Maybe you should.

Why chance eating something that could make you sick? If the label says it’s past its prime then IT’S EXPIRED. Right?

In normal times, that’s fine. I won’t challenge that logic. It’s hard to argue that taking the extra risk worth it if the only upside will only amount to saving a couple of dollars. I’m right there with ya.

But what about when times are not normal? Would you be so quick to toss your “expired” can of green beans if calories were as scarce as water in a desert?

After SHTF, those “best by” date guidelines won’t matter. Trust me, extreme hunger will blur those lines.

What if that can of “past its prime” green beans was the only food you came across for 3 days. What if that same can of green beans meant food for your starving family?

You’ll still toss that green bean can in the trash, but it will be entirely empty of all its delicious contents. You will eat it and it will taste amazing.

And what about the chance of getting sick? There’s still that risk, but depending upon several factors, that risk is way overstated.

So today I’m going to cover the following topics in detail, specifically:

• Are “Best By” Dates An Exact Science?
• Proof Of LONGER Shelf Life From The Past
• Carefully Check Expiration Dates At The Time Of Purchase
• The Longest Shelf Life Canned Foods On The Market Today
• Best Canned Goods Storage Tips
• Are Canned Goods Still Safe Past Expiration Dates?
• The Bottom Line On The Food Expiration Date Myth

Note: Feel free to skip ahead to the sections you are most interested in using the navigation links above.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Are “Best By” Dates An Exact Science?

The simple answer is NO. How can they be?

There are too many variables outside of a food manufacturer’s control to come up with a reliable expiration date science.

The 2 main variables that affect canned food’s storage shelf life are:

1. Temperature Exposure

Extremely high temperatures will compromise most foods. Unless you are turning grapes into raisins or actually cooking your food for consumption, you don’t want to store canned goods in high-heat environments.

What’s worse is large temperature variations. Food left in high temperatures, then low temperatures, and then back to high temperatures, its shelf life will be compromised.

Unheated, uninsulated garages or attics = terrible storage locations.

2. Can integrity

The second variable to watch out for is can damage. If a can was dropped, crushed, or dented in any way then the integrity of the can comes into question. Damaged cans may have seal issues.

If a can is damaged then the odds go up significantly of air penetrating the can. Organic matter (food) exposed to air will tend to mold. Moldy food is bad and can make you sick.

Of these two variables, the food manufacturer can only really control the second one. And only before it ships. Once it’s shipped from the canning factory, they no longer control this variable either.

For instance:

• A forklift could puncture the can during loading.
• Shifting pallets often crush the cans on trailers in traffic.
• A 17-year-old stock boy could accidentally drop it when distracted by a cute girl from his class saying “Hi”.
• Your toddler might decide to toss it out of your grocery cart, just for fun.

These are variables that food manufacturers have no way to control.

So if you were in the same shoes as the food manufacturer and you’d be held responsible (i.e. sued) for someone getting sick on your food after the “best by” date, would you choose a conservative or liberal label date?

Would you err on the side of a shorter date? Or would you err on the side of a longer one?

Yeah, exactly, you would err heavily on the side of a shorter date. The shorter the better.

Plus, by erring on the side of a shorter date the food manufacturers are helping to sell more.

That’s the definition of a Win/Win (for them).

How’s that? If people follow their “expiration” dates and those dates are short (a couple of years) then people will either:

1. Consume the product faster

OR

2. Toss out the old stuff and buy new

Either way, it will equal more sales of their product.

Let’s imagine someone purchases their canned food product and the label said it was good for 20 years. A lot of people would let that sit on their shelves for a very long time. If enough people did that, then the food manufacturers are hurting their repeat sales volumes.

Another clue that canned food shelf life dates are arbitrary suggestions is that they now don’t even say “Expiration Date”.

Nowadays the majority of canned food stamps have “Best By” or “Best If Used By” labels on them.

This is a dead giveaway of the canned food expiration date hoax.

Of course, fresher food is always better. No one is arguing that fact. However, not being “best” and not being consumable are miles apart.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Proof Of Longer Shelf Lives From The Past

Did you know that the excavation of canned goods over 100 years old, proved to be completely safe to eat?

In 1865, a steamboat loaded with canned provisions left port for the mining camps in Montana. Unfortunately, it had too many provisions and the weight of the vessel caused it to sink early on in its journey.

It sat at the bottom of the Missouri River for nearly a century. Among the provisions were cans of plum tomatoes, mixed vegetables, peaches, oysters, and honey.

In 1974, several scientists at the NFPA checked the content of the cans. They found that the products still had significant nutritional value and zero microbial growth.

In fact, the chemists found that these canned goods were just as safe to eat in 1974 as they were to eat 100 years earlier.

OK so now you know expiration dates are essentially meaningless when it comes to canned food. Does that mean canned food can never go bad? No…they definitely can.

You must learn how to tell the difference between canned foods that are safe to consume and those that are not.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Check Expiration Dates At The Time Of Purchase 

If you’re stockpiling food for SHTF, then it is important to know which canned foods give you the most bang for your buck.

If you are going to invest in canned goods then it is best to check the “best by” dates when purchasing. As you might with a loaf of bread or gallon of milk.

Choose the cans from the back of the grocery store shelves that have the very furthest out “best by” dates.

This doesn’t mean that you have to discard them the day they expire. It’s just selecting the newest and freshest produce available at that time of purchase.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Canned Foods On The Market Today

In the canned food category, canned meat tends to last the longest. Meats such as beef stew, Spam, tuna fish, etc. tend to have quite long shelf lives.

For example, these All-Natural Mixed Canned Meats By Survival Fresh have a 25-year shelf-life!

If you want to stock high-quality canned meat for your emergency supplies with a single order – look no further than these deals from Survival Fresh!

First off, these canned meats are delicious.

Just check out some of these reviews – they speak for themselves. Preppers, campers, and meat lovers have rated them the “best survival food” time and time again.

The bottom line is: This ain’t your father’s can of Spam!

Not only does it taste great but Survival Fresh meats have an ultra-long shelf-life of 25 years! This gives you the confidence to buy in bulk and store them away in your survival pantry.

But how does Survival Fresh Canned Meat last so much longer than any you’d pick up at the grocery store?

The Survival Fresh Meat is first sealed uncooked into the cans, then its sealed and slow-pressure cooked. This provides a much longer shelf life. 

Grocery store cans of meat are lucky to have an 18-month expiration date. And they’re often loaded with fillers, preservatives, and growth hormones.

Only with Survival Fresh Meats can you enjoy all-natural healthy protein with a shelf life of 25 years.

But remember canned food shelf life has as much to do with how you store it, as with which foods you choose to buy.

For example, you can significantly increase the canned food shelf life of soup or canned bread by storing it correctly.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Canned Goods Storage Tips

To prolong your canned food shelf life, focus on good canned food storage techniques. Keeping any food fresh past its typical shelf life depends on the conditions in which you keep these emergency food items stored.

1. To begin with, never buy dented cans.

Sure, many people say there is no issue buying cans with dents. This is true if consumed quickly but if you’re stockpiling food goods, a dented can is a liability.

Don’t settle for cans or jars lids that have even minor damage. Cans with damage will lead to premature bacterial growth over time. This is often more important than the expiration dates label.

2. Canned food shelf life can be significantly affected by moisture.

You want to control the humidity in your storage environment.

Dry foods can pick up moisture that can lead to mold and bacterial growth. Moisture can also lead to the breakdown of packaging containers, such as aluminum or tin cans.

As these containers oxidize and rust, they can affect the canned food shelf life.

3. Mid-range temperatures are best to improve canned goods’ shelf life.

Shoot for temperatures ranging from about 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

A study conducted by Brigham Young on wheat over the long term showed that wheat kept in cool storage, such as a basement, would be edible for years.

Wheat stored in a hot environment such as an attic would only be acceptable for consumption for five years.

On the flip side, canned food shelf life can be significantly decreased if items become frozen even if just for a short period.

4. The shelf life of canned food can also be negatively affected by direct sunlight.

While you may enjoy laying in the sun and baking, your canned goods won’t take very kindly to this process. The heat from direct sunlight will speed up the deterioration of the cans and the contents as well.

Want a Downloadable and Printable Version Of This Prepper’s Checklist? Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Are CAnned Goods Safe To Eat After Expiration?

Canned food expiration dates don’t mean you have to throw the food out. Yet they can serve as a guideline to help you rotate your usage of these products.

They can also serve to let you know which products last longer than others. Using them simply as a reference can be helpful, as long as they are not taken too seriously.

You will not die if your green beans are a month or even a year past their expiration date if you are storing your canned goods properly to ensure that these foods last as long as possible.

But how do you know if the canned goods on your shelf are still safe to consume years past the expiration date?

There are some tell-tale signs if the shelf life of your canned food has truly passed.

The following are some signs that the food in those cans may become contaminated.

1. Don’t just look at the expiration dates on canned food.

Look at the cans themselves. Do they have dents or rust, or are they bulging?

These are signs that the food items contained in them have become compromised.

Also, the shelf life of canned food can be compromised in jars that have signs of corrosion on the lid and liquid seeping under the lid of the jar.

You should discard jars with this appearance.

2. The nose really does know.

A bad smell is a helpful indicator of rotten food. So if you’re uncertain about the shelf life of canned soup, for instance, simply open it up and take a big whiff.

A bad odor will serve as a good indicator and will let you know in most cases if the contents of the can are bad.

3. A few more signs to look out for.

Discoloration. Although by itself this might not be anything to fear, with any other signs of contamination present, it’s best to discard this food.

Don’t consume eggs that float in water.

Also, any can or jar that spurts liquid upon opening is a good sign that the food is bad.

Mold is another indicator that the food has spoiled.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Final Thoughts On The Food Expiration Date Myth

It is important to realize that the dates on canned goods simply don’t matter.

What really matters is what is in the can. If you store canned goods in ideal conditions and take good care of them, they can live well past the expiration on the can.

So when you ask yourself, “what is the shelf life of canned food?”

Keep in mind that the food is fine to eat for years to come. Using some basic common sense tips can go a long way in helping to feed your family through tough times.

If you have concerns about the quality of the contents of a can of food you are about to consume then err on the side of caution.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

But don’t hesitate to use your five senses to assess the shelf life of canned food. This is a better way to tell if canned foods are still safe to eat than any arbitrary date printed on the packaging.

P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?

Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.

So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.

Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”

Photo Credits: Top / Ruler / Ship Wreck / Date / Cans

The post Canned Food Shelf Life: Read Before You Toss appeared first on Skilled Survival.