Dow Jones is not indicator of much

The dow jones industrial average, what some people call the "stock
market", as in the market is at 7000 is
is computed from the stock prices of 30 of the largest and most widely
held public companies in the United States.

This is based in dollars...and since the dollar is fiat currency whose
value is only value in terms of it's value to other fiat currencies
then it make the Dow very hard to compare to other times in history.

So for example, since the dollar has lost 40 percent of its value in
current history, saying that the Dow is at a level now that it was say
in 1997 doesn't mean much since dollars in 1997 were worth more than
they are today.

So right now the stock market is very low, but in real terms of value
it is worth even less if you put in the loss of the value of a dollar.

So, once the market is back to 14,000 or so close to its all time
high... well when that happens, by then there will exist trillions and
trillions of dollars more than the last time we were at 14,000, so Dow
14,000 will really be more like Dow 8,000.

So anything valued in dollars is really deceiving since the value of
the dollar varies because of many things, one thing being supply and
demand. The more dollars we create in bailout or stimulus, the less
the dollar is worth. Remember your father or grandfather saying they
could buy a Coke for 5 cents? That show you how deceiving it is to
compare things over time on the basis of of dollars. Did the price of
a coke really increase from 5 cents to a dollar? Or is the dollar
simply worth less.

Worthless.

SOG PowerLock Multi Tool Review

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a wilderness survival class.
The class rules limited what was allowed to be brought from a gear/
tools perspective. The gear was limited to a multitool and/ or a
pocket knife. Before attending the course, a friend of mine
recommended to me that I purchase a multitool with a good saw if
possible. So I shopped around and found the multitool that I would
settle with; the SOG Paratool. It came highly recommended to me from a
few other owners. The cross-cut saw was a deal sealer for me. As I
went through the class It became evident that my purchase was a good
one. from sawing down trees to build shelter, to using it as a
makeshift fish scaler, the Paratool very much proved its worth. I was
able to build a stronger shelter because I was able to saw down larger
plants/trees for support. I was amazed that after a good two days of
extensive sawing, the blade never lost its edge. I now keep one in
each glove compartment of my vehicles. You never know when you might
need a tool such as this.It could be very handy during an emergency on
a long road trip. I highly recommend this product!!!!

-- Dave M. of Dallas

Advice from a reader

I used to be really big into the outdoors and I was somewhat of a gear
head. The stove you have pictured, Jetboil, is an awesome stove. MSR
(Mountain Safety Research) just came out with their version of this
stove. It is a little more efficient when it comes to fuel vs weight,
but unfortunately not as versatile as the Jetboil. As for what is the
heaviest item in you pack?...hands down water. Nothing (and I mean
nothing) weighs more than water (not even ammunition). SOG makes a good
utility knife, but Leatherman has been making those knives for years, so
you can never go wrong with a Leatherman. As for sleeping bags, people
always argue down vs synthetic. People say down b/c it is warmer for
its weight (and packs much smaller). Others say synthetic because it is
warm when it gets wet. My answer...sleep in a wet synthetic sleeping
bag and tell me how warm your chestnuts are. Down all the way!!! Check
out a sleeping bag called the Rock Wren (or Winter Wren, depending on
the warmth you need) by Feathered Friends. That bag has multiple uses
and I think that is key for every single item that goes into your
backpack. You must ask yourself this question: do I NEED it or do I
WANT it?

We once made a gravity filter, which is an easy way to purify water. I
will try to find the instructions on how we did that.

There are so many backpacks to choose from these days. If money is no
object, buy a Mystery Ranch. Mystery Ranch packs are made in the USA
for the military (they do have a commercial line). You can NOT go wrong
with these packs. I don't know if you know this website, but look at
militarymorons.com. They review military gear and the site master does
an excellent job reviewing each item.

At the end of the day, the stuff I listed is expensive but it works. If
you are making a B.O.B., then the stuff you have in it (and what is
carrying your stuff) had better work and be ready to take some serious
abuse. Last thing you want is your backpack to bust out (had it
happen), your water bag/bottle to break (been there), or your purifier
to crap out and you end up getting giardia (yup, been there too).