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…
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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…
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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…
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Boker Plus Tech-Tool Carbon 7 Reviewed
Multi-purpose pocket knives have been common amongst those that carry knives every day for hundreds of years. With the utilitarian in mind, these multi-tool pocket knives come in a wide-variety of options. Boker, the German knifemaker has recently released a modernized version of their widely successful Camp Knife design called the Boker Plus Tech Tool series. Boker USA has kindly provided us with one of their Boker Plus Tech-Tool Carbon 7 knives to share with you…
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The WaterBOB Reviewed
Emergency water storage is one of the biggest challenges for most preppers. Especially those living in urban environments like apartments and condos. There just isn’t enough room for large water barrels, much less any type of rainwater catch system. Storage of gallon jugs or cases of water bottles is not very practical either. Today, we’ll be looking at the waterBOB as an innovative alternative for dealing with temporary water containment during short-term emergencies…
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Rapid Application Tourniquet (RATS) Reviewed
As a prepper, I’ve always felt it was a good idea to pack plenty of trauma supplies in my various preparedness kits. But it wasn’t until my EDC included a firearm that I realized I should have been carrying a well-rounded trauma kit as part of my EDC. Not just for firearm-related injuries, but also for other equally pressing medical emergencies. RATS Tourniquet has kindly sent me a couple to see how they might augment an IFAK…
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LuminAID PackLite 12 and PackLite 16 Reviewed
Lighting is an important commodity, especially in an emergency. All to often people have left battery-operated flashlights and lanterns unmaintained with dead batteries. Recent advancements in solar power have spawned a new generation of solar-charged lighting. One such company named LuminAID has taken those advancements and developed a series of lightweight and waterproof solar-powered lanterns that provide ample light when you need it and fold flat when they are packed away. LuminAID has kindly provided two models for us to have a look at…
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Living Rational 2-person Survival Kit Reviewed
Preppers and survivalists who have been doing it for a long time typically create their own custom, and often very elaborate bug-out and get-home bags closely tied to their personal emergency preparedness plans. But what about someone who is just getting started? Where is the best place to begin? Living Rational has put together a series of general emergency packs and those specifically tailored to various emergency scenarios like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and so on. Lets dig into one to see what they include and if it is a worthwhile platform to build from…
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Steel Will Druid 240 Reviewed
This time around, I will be reviewing Steel Will’s Druid 240. While it was part of their 2015 lineup, this was the blade pattern that really caught my eye. Billed as a skinning knife, it has all of the characteristics of a rugged and versatile outdoor survival blade. So let’s take this thing for a spin…
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NANUK Professional Protective Cases Reviewed
Protective equipment cases can be found in a wide-variety of colors, shapes and sizes to accommodate everything from delicate electronics and medical gear to audio, video and photography equipment, and even used to safely transport firearms and ammunition in some of the harshest conditions. Today, I’ll be taking the Nanuk 960 for a spin to see what it is capable of…
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GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Backpacker Cookset Reviewed
It has been a while since I reviewed the ultralight Pinnacle Soloist from GSI Outdoors. An ultralight cookset sized perfectly for one individual. But what if you are traveling in a group of two or more? A single larger cookset can be easier to deal with and lighter overall. Today, I’ll be looking at the Pinnacle Backpacker Cookset also from GSI Outdoors to see how well it can fill that niche…
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Enhancing the Volcano Grill
Anyone who has gotten their hands on a Volcano 3 Collapsible Grill likely has been happy with its performance with charcoal or a wood fire, but using the grill with propane usually leaves a lot to be desired. In this article, I will be discussing some simple modifications that I made to the Volcano Grill in an attempt to improve its performance, and how I modified it to operate with natural gas. But aside from a brief summary of the Volcano Grill, I am not going to cover the grill itself as an alternative cooking system in this body of text. I’ll leave that for some other time…
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Jetboil Joule Cooking System Reviewed
When it comes to prepping for survival scenarios, I usually opt for gear that can be used over and over again relying on renewable resources whenever possible. For this reason, I typically choose biomass stoves over stoves that utilize gas, liquid or solid fuels. However, biomass stoves are certainly not the best option for every scenario. There are times when you just can’t beat a compressed gas stove. Today, I’ll be looking at the Joule Cooking System from Jetboil to see how well it fits into my preparedness plan. So let’s get on with it and see what this thing can do…
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Schrade SCHF55 Frontier Fixed Blade Knife Reviewed
I’ve been a fan of Schrade and Brian Griffin-designed blades ever since the SCHF9 that I reviewed a couple years ago. Then again with the SCHF42 that I reviewed just last year. This time around, I’ll be putting Schrade’s latest Griffen-designed blade, the SCHF55 to the test…
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Tilley Endurables LTM6 Airflo Hat Reviewed
There are many reasons why people wear hats… Especially in the outdoors. They can help to keep you warm when it is cold and cool when it’s hot, and most of all, protect your head from the sun. Hats come in all shapes and sizes, and vary greatly in terms of quality. Today, I’ll be looking at the LTM6 MultiCam Airflo Hat from Tilley Endurables. It is a higher-end head covering with a guarantee to match, so let’s see what it’s all about…
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Direct Action Foxtrot Waist Bag Reviewed
By now, everyone should be carrying some sort of EDC with whatever they need to deal with everyday and emergency situations… But they don’t always need a huge backpack. Sometimes a smaller pack is better suited for the job. Today we’ll be taking a look at the Tactical Foxtrot Waist Bag from Direct Action…
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Expedition Research Tac-Bar Reviewed
Emergency rations play a very important part of any well-rounded emergency preparedness plan. They are ready-to-eat high-calorie bars that come in many forms from those that loosely resemble bricks to tiny loafs of bread, and even dense fruit bars. Most importantly, they can be stored without much regard for temperature and can be eaten on the go without any preparation so they are perfect for many short-term survival situations. Today we’ll be digging in to the Tac-Bar, a tactical food ration from Expedition Research to see how they stack up…
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