Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The Old Grouch’s Real Military Surplus store in Clyde is a true hidden gem, and now the store has a relatively new blog that offers up detailed information on its offerings, as well as the military surplus business in general. The Old Grouch’s Surplus Stuff blog is a fascinating read. And if you haven’t visited the store, you need to go. It’s a crowded museum of amazing gear, at great prices, all for sale. Go now.
But back to the blog. It advertises, it informs.
For example, the store has a solid supply of M67 Immersion Heaters, no longer used by the U.S. military. Need to know what good use they could be put to now? The blog offers a few suggestions, including:
– Heating waste vegetable oil used to make biodiesel in order to boil the water off to make it usable.
– Heating hot water for showers and dishwashing at remote hunting cabins- one customer made a heat exchanger from an automotive heater core that he plumbed into the tank of water heated by the immersion heater, as water flows through it gets heated.
– Heating large amounts of water to scald chickens, ducks or hogs as part to the butchering process.
Wonder why ammo cans are getting harder to find? The blog tells you. The blog also lets shoppers know that the proprietor doesn’t tolerate posers – fake veterans – those guys who walk in talking big about their exploits, when upon questioning it’s clear that they’re full of crap.
They always go big- SEAL, Sniper, Ranger. Nobody ever fakes being a cook or mechanic. The new trend is now “I was a contractor”. I guess they figure than one is easier to BS. I have heard guys at the gunshow tell people all about their time contracting in Iraq- except these guys have been selling at gun shows every month since before 9/11. Did they get to come home on the weekends?
Great stuff all around. Bookmark the blog. Visit the Old Grouch.
What!? Old Ground has a blog? What is this world coming to?… or should that be 'To what is this world coming?'
ROFL about the fake vets and contractors. My suspicions are generally aroused by a preoccupation with guns and excited giggling and glee when talking about shooting a person.
Jill