Author: Steve Ackerman

SOG Prophet Backpack Reviewed

Packs come in many different shapes and sizes, and each with a different purpose in mind. I recently had to take a flight, but I didn’t have any luggage, bags or packs that were large enough to carry what I needed, and small enough to use as a carry-on because I really didn’t want to deal with the nightmare of having to check any luggage. Thankfully, I was able to get my hands on a 33L SOG Prophet for the trip that would easily fit in an overhead compartment or under the seat. Read on to see how it went…

Read More

Greenbelly Meal2Go Bars Reviewed

Whether I am backpacking on or off the beaten path, preparing a bug-out bag or restocking my EDC, I like to pack plenty of lightweight, nutritionally balanced sustenance that not only tastes great, but also doesn’t require much preparation if any. There are many options available, but most of them that lack in one way or another. Greenbelly recently sent me a few of their Meal2Go bars to see how well they could meet the need as a convenient meal replacement…

Read More

The Survival Medicine Handbook Reviewed

An intrinsic part of any emergency preparedness plan is survival medicine which is so much more than treating minor wounds or stabilizing a patient with a severe physical trauma until they can get to a hospital. What if SHTF and there aren’t any hospitals available, or you are so far off-grid that getting to a hospital is impossible? The Survival Medicine Handbook, now in its third edition was written to help answer many of those questions. Join me as I dig into the book…

Read More

Serg If – The Knifemakers Series

For the fifth installment of Knifemakers From Around the World we will be talking with the western Ukrainian artisan and knifemaker, Serg If. He is known for his incredible mosaic Damascus steel blades with beautiful handcrafted handles and leather sheaths where he frequents many of the custom knifemaking groups on Facebook. It is a real treat to finally meet Serg and talk with him about his craft. Therefore, it is my pleasure to introduce Serg to you…

Read More

Disaster-proofing your personal data

When it comes to emergency preparedness planning, there are many situations to prepare for, each with different considerations. I’ve read numerous articles and watched countless videos discussing the importance of keeping photocopies of your essential personal documents in your bug-out bag like birth certificates and passports, bank and investment accounts, insurance policies, title deeds, wills and the like. The obvious problem with paper documents aside from being paper is the massive amount of weight that they can add to your gear. In this article, I’ll be discussing ways to disaster-proof your personal data without breaking the bank…

Read More