Soldier On! 2026

[Barry Rowland]

I was going to try to make this one the full term, too, but I think I'm going to go at 30 days.  There's a lot going on right now, and I don't want to half step it. 
In the meantime, that wonderful hook cutter helped me take the plastic seal off a jar of peanut butter.  These seals drive me crazy 

[Fast Bill]

Anything that keeps a chap from his Peanut butter is a problem Barry 

[Tuisto]

Man, I just love seeing that small gutting blade... Such a unique (for Victorinox) and cool little blade. Does it lock in place?

[Fast Bill]

No, it's non-locking which slightly surprises me given that this Hunter variant comes from a helicopter emergency pack. it must be a belt cutter and you'd think ... but hey ?

[IMR4198]

Day 22

     More rain here.  Can't complain about that.  Almost every part of NC is under drought conditions.  At least there was enough rain to put out the wildfire that was up near the Appalachian Trail a couple of weeks ago. 
     I poked around and found a tool that I had been looking for yestiddy.  Unusual thing.  I might post a photo later.  It wound up in a storage shed along with some other interesting stuff.  Been there at least a decade. 
     Might get some more snow in a day or two.  I can tell when the weather is going to change by the deer.  It was 75F yestiddy and the grass and spring daffodils were about to bloom.  Too early for any of that.  The deer herd has been nibulating the little patches of grass.  They don't normally eat much grass, but there isn't much else this late in the season. 
     Photo time.  Best wishes.  G
 
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[Barry Rowland]

I agree.  Actually, the only locking blade is the main blade, compared to the other 111's 

No, it's non-locking which slightly surprises me given that this Hunter variant comes from a helicopter emergency pack. it must be a belt cutter and you'd think ... but hey ?

[WECSOG]

Very nice!

The seat looks I. Excellent condition.
The chrome should clean up great as well.

Will love to see it put together. 

I restored many Schwinn road bikes a few years ago when I was between jobs. Still have 5 or 6 in storage that I could part with.

Thanks!

As you both know, there's a big difference between the classic Schwinn's and the new versions.  I had a newer one.  It looked like the older one but that's where the similarities ended.  You can't beat original heavy metal!

Yeah it's hard to beat the old Schwinns from the original Chicago plant. I grew up riding those.

D+21

Marched on Buc-ee's. Everybody knows, no Soldier marches on an empty stomach!

[Tuisto]

You know, WECSOG, this was a phenomenon I was unfamiliar with before moving to GA. There are gas station restaurants here — i.e. gas stations with restaurants and food production in them. In Toronto we had Tim Hortons in some gas stations, but here it's completely different insofar as there are variegated and full restaurants inside gas stations. And some of them are really good! I had a favourite one nearby, but unfortunately it burnt down a few months ago.

[gustophersmob]

Day 21:

I’ve been fighting water in my basement the past year and got more when it rained Thursday. Forgot to post because I was busy tearing out more wall….

[gustophersmob]

Day 22:

Soldier on the wind chime.

[Farmer X]

Sherry, I'm sorry to see you go, but I understand how life can get. I had an abundance of time on my hands when I started the challenge. Now a job and a girlfriend are taking up much of my time. And about two hours of each working day will be consumed by a commute. My work schedule isn't too bad right now, but if opportunities for overtime present themselves, then I'm gonna take 'em. I will only be going 30 days. BPRoberts, WECSOG, Tuisto, and gustophersmob (I think those are the enlistees who haven't bowed out or opted for the 30-day challenge) are more than welcome to continue for the full 90 days. Sub-Mission 2 will still be in effect for Day 30.

Day 21 (catching up)

The USCK was called upon to snip some elastic cord that was tied to some new boots. These are head and shoulders above those awful sneakers.

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Day 22

The Pilot G-2 is a damn good cheap pen. And it's refillable.

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[Tuisto]

I didn't do much with mine today, so here's a shot of it with its civilian relative! Day 22

Oh, and after drooling over the Parachutist model, I realised that I actually already have a Vic with a large blade, large gutting blade, saw, and bottle opener in three(!) layers.

[Barry Rowland]

Gus, you've been busy!

Dan, my last job was a 2 hour commute.  Tacked onto 8 hours it makes a very long day.  Overtime and it's enormous, but I'd take it too!  Thanks for hosting this, and I'm glad that 111 is working well for you!

Looking great everyone!

[Barry Rowland]

Day 22: Cutting beverage rings is no issue for this blade!

[IMR4198]

Day 23

    Unseasonably warm here.  Now that is changing to much colder again.  I went outside and heard a strange ZZZZZZ sound.  Seemed to be coming from the woods.  I have had wild honeybee swarms make a move with a similar sound.  I decided that wasn't something I wanted to be part of so I hotfooted it back to the house.  The ZZZZZZ kept moving.  Up along the treeline and back.  Sound came and went.  Sounded almost like a leaf blower or weed whacker, but it was moving too much.  Went up toward the top of the hill and back down the other side.  Never saw a thing. 
     I finally decided it must be somebody flying a drone.  I have seen one flying along the river once but didn't hear it (from a vehicle).  I wonder if someone is spying on IMR's activities?  Trying to catch me snoozing in a chair?  Discovering how I make spaghetti?  Peek at me taking a wizz in the backyard?  Maybe they have nefarious intentions toward the local deer herd?  Could be Ms. Phoenix practicing some diabolical succubus scouting?  Who says the undead can't use new technology?  Easier to seek blood donors by a drone than by the usual method of turning yourself into a bat.
     I might have missed what the Day 30 challenge is supposed to be.  I thought I had read all the posts, but maybe not.  Maybe Dan hasn't announced it yet?  I never planned to do the full 90 day challenge, so I will be saying sayonara in a few days.  For any other members who might decide to cut their boredom level to a mere 30 days I would like to point out that there is a nice 30 day Soldier badge that you can apply for.  If you have that one, you could also try for the Two Layer badge, or maybe the Discontinued SAK badge.  Those aren't the correct names, you might have to search through the awards section for something that would substitute.  Best wishes.  Gary
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[WECSOG]

You know, WECSOG, this was a phenomenon I was unfamiliar with before moving to GA. There are gas station restaurants here — i.e. gas stations with restaurants and food production in them. In Toronto we had Tim Hortons in some gas stations, but here it's completely different insofar as there are variegated and full restaurants inside gas stations. And some of them are really good! I had a favourite one nearby, but unfortunately it burnt down a few months ago.

I've been to some pretty good gas station restaurants in my travels, especially some of the truck stop restaurants like Iron Skillet. I've seen more of those farther west in Oklahoma and Texas. Around here I see more fast food joints in gas stations and truck stops. DQ, Taco Bell, McDonalds etc.
When it comes time to eat, I prefer any of those over Buc-cee's which is an absolute circus. They do have a lot of good snack foods, and the sandwiches are pretty good. But I don't think they even have a place to sit down and eat. I like to visit occasionally if my travels take me near one, but I get my fill of it pretty quickly.

D+22

Soldier checking out the dodo birds.

[BPRoberts]

I'm in Wawa country, which has pretty good food (no match for a "real" deli, but I'd rather get a hoagie there than a Subway or similar chain sandwich place), but no seating at most of them. A few of the newer ones do, since they legally have to in order to sell beer.

I'm going to try to push on for the 90. It's fun to do something a little different. Hope everyone who has to bow out has things settle down soon.

Was challenge two the other issued gear one, or am I mixing it up?

D+20

Made a casserole for my wife's friend who is doing chemo.

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D+21

Read any good books lately? I'm enjoying 1984. I think I read it back in college, but not sure I quite appreciated it then.

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[Barry Rowland]

I'll second that BP...Wawa has some great food and coffee too ☕☕

[Farmer X]

Sub-Mission 2: Sweet Treat

Something as simple as one's favorite candy can be a morale boost for a soldier in the field. So, for Sub-Mission 2, post a photo of your chosen Soldier Knife with some candy. M&Ms, Skittles, and Tootsie Rolls are often found in U.S. MREs, but any candy that can be verified as having appeared in combat rations is acceptable. As a reminder, Sub-Mission 2 shall be completed on Day 30.

Day 23

Here's the USCK with some comm gear.

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[Barry Rowland]

Love that radio Dan!

[IMR4198]

   Ditto.  I love portable radios.  Best wishes.  G
 

[gustophersmob]

Day 23:

Cold is back and another dusting of snow.

[Tuisto]

I'm in Wawa country, which has pretty good food (no match for a "real" deli, but I'd rather get a hoagie there than a Subway or similar chain sandwich place), but no seating at most of them. A few of the newer ones do, since they legally have to in order to sell beer.

Read any good books lately? I'm enjoying 1984. I think I read it back in college, but not sure I quite appreciated it then.

Wawa is great. I loved their meatball parms. And they had pretty decent smoothies, too, for a period of time.

Here's my vote for greatest piece of American literature — including Faulkner, and I love Faulkner (not so much As I Lay Dying, but most of his other stuff). Any time someone asks me what book I recommend, I give one of two recommendations depending on how much the individual reads. If they're not a big reader, I recommend Into Thin Air by Krakauer (about the 1996 Everest disaster); if they do read a lot, I recommend Walden or Marus Aurelius' Meditations (although, I recommend the latter to people who don't read as much, too). 1984 is good. It's definitely...appropriate these days. Of the three big dystopian novels I think that's my second choice, after Brave New World (although I hated the ending of that one), and, ironically, my least favourite is the original dystopian novel that started the whole genre: We by Evgeniy Zamyatin.

Editing to add: day 23 (one of these days I'll remember to put this in the text).

[IMR4198]

Orwell's 1984 was required high school freshman reading when I was in school.  Walden, Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm and Catcher in the Rye for the classes before me.  We read 1984, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, True Grit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, Born Free, and a Rod Serling short story collection.  My older sister was disgusted with the book selection that I had to read.  She thought I should read J. D. Salinger's Catcher book.  Best wishes.  G
 

[IMR4198]

Day 24

    About an inch of snow on the ground and cold temps.  Lots of high wind yestiddy.  Haven't walked down the road to check for deadfalls since having a tree drop on my head from the wind isn't something I relish. 
     507 warnings all morning.  I decided to resort to necromancy to try and alleviate some of the bad karma around my abode on Werecoyote Trail.  First thing this morning I made a brew of ground brown bean-like berries, then sacrificed a fetal chicken by partially cremating it.   At least a dozen fetal chickens don't cost as much as before, so I can do more sacrificial rituals per dollar.   Every little bit helps when you are performing necromancy on a budget. 
     Obligatory photo with a bowl of rice with mushroom slices and chicken chunks.  I have enough chunks and mushrooms leftover to try a repeat later today.  Unless I see in my spell book a recipe requiring mushrooms.  Or chicken chunks.  Best wishes.  G
 
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[Barry Rowland]

It's been snowing all night and we have a couple of inches here Gary.  It's started to slow down now.
For Day 23, just a vanity pic.

[BPRoberts]

I've never been big on the transcendentalists (but they come from the romantics that I also don't love, so no surprise). I'm working my way through Meditations right now, actually, probably around 90%. It's got the same problems The Enchiridion has, with not being a "book" as such, and kind of repetitive. Enjoying it, but I think most people could get by with an abridged version.

I'd have to really dig around to tell you which Faulkner I've read. Certainly "A Rose for Emily", but probably a few more of his short stories. Don't think I've gotten around to any of his novels. Ditto for Krakeur.

I enjoyed A Clockwork Orange. Don't think it was assigned, but I read it in my early 20s. Might swing back to Animal Farm after 1984 depending on how much I like it in the end. I think Fahrenheit 451 was summer reading when I was a senior. We didn't really do anything with it, just had to check off that you read it, maybe write a short essay to "prove" it. I think I liked it. Rod Sterling is good stuff. I didn't care for Catcher in the Rye in high school, but I think I'd like to revisit it.

We came in around half a foot here. Shouldn't be too bad to shovel. They're letting us work from home today, so I'll probably try to do it in 2 or 3 rounds over the course of the day.

D+22

You have a Swiss army knife, but do you have an Australian army spoon? FRED (Field Ration/Smurfing Ridiculous Eating Device) lives in my wallet as an emergency spoon and can/bottle opener. Gets used a few times a year, usually if we're at a picnic or something where they give you those goofy wooden paddle spoons for ice cream. Mine is Chinese, but seems to work well enough. I've lightly sharpened one edge. Not enough to be a real knife, but it'll open a blister pack pretty well.

[WECSOG]

D+23
I've read 1984, and awlso watched the movie. It's been awhile though.

Here's the book I'm currently reading, on the left. Neil Peart (RIP) lost his daughter and then his wife. In an attempt at dealing with the grief, he took a sabbatical from his duties as the drummer for Rush and went on an extended motorcycle ride. This is the book he wrote about that trip.

Right, a book I read awhile back: The Practice Effect by David Brin. Brin awlso wrote a more well-known novel called "The Postman."
The Practice Effect is set in a world where anything used as a tool, even just a random stick, conforms and adapts to that use, becoming better and better for that task each time it is used. I posted it up because I thought MT members might find it interesting. Just imagine cutting some vines with a Pakistani pocket knife with a broken blade that you gave 50 cents for, and after awhile it becomes the best, sharpest, most well-balanced machete you have ever seen!  Then you try to drive a screw with the tip, and it reforms itself into a perfectly-fitting screwdriver. 

BPR, I have the Marble's rendition of a FRED. That's it in the second pic.

 

[BPRoberts]

How do you like the spork? I've seen a few of them, but never handled one. I'm broadly pro spork, but the spoon is awlready so tiny I can't imagine the tines doing much.

D+23

Any interest in a marlin spike/rigging knife challenge? I figure we could do it in the summer when there's actually a chance of some of us getting on a boat. I imagine most will carry a knife w/ marlin spike, but if anyone is brave enough to carry a standalone for a month that'd be fun.

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[WECSOG]

How do you like the spork? I've seen a few of them, but never handled one. I'm broadly pro spork, but the spoon is awlready so tiny I can't imagine the tines doing much.

I like it. It helps with getting a grip on a Vienna sausage, especially the first one from a newly opened can. Works well on sardines, too.