Category: Field Gear

Siege Stove Titanium Gen 4 Flat-Pack, By Tom Christianson

The appetizing aroma of roasting venison wafted enticingly from the twig stove in front of me. The sound of sizzling meat coming from the folding grill on the top of the stove reinforced the attraction. I rotated the grill from time to time to allow the venison steaks to cook evenly on each side. After about 20 minutes, the steaks appeared to be fully cooked. I removed the folding grill from the stove, opened it, and cut one of the steaks with my EDC knife to make sure it was fully cooked. It proved to be well-done. I used my …


DPx Gear HEST Framelock Urban OD Knife, by Thomas Christianson

With a CPM 154 martensitic stainless steel blade and a titanium alloy frame, the DPx Gear HEST Framelock Urban OD knife is made of some of the highest quality knife making materials known to mankind, and is designed for a lifetime of hard use. It takes an excellent edge and holds it well, but can be difficult to re-hone once it becomes dull. Designed and manufactured in these United States, the knife offers an excellent, albeit somewhat pricey option for everyday carry ($280 at the time of writing from dpxgear.com). The Backstory As a part of my ongoing quest to …


Valley Forge Damascus Bowie, by Pat Cascio

There was a time, some years ago, when many of the knives coming out of Pakistan were pure junk, and I mean junk! This has changed over the years, and now some high-quality knives are coming out of Pakistan, at very good prices. I previously covered another Damascus fighting knife, made in Pakistan, and it was a 100% winter in my opinion. Today, we’re looking at another selection from Pakistan and it is imported by Cutlery Corner Network. They have television shows daily on cable television. Many of their knives are not up to par, in my estimation. Then again, …


Bear Edge Model 61125 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

A pair of eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of the woods beyond the reach of my headlamp. I was not concerned. The woods surrounding our home are filled with a host of furry creatures, most of them benign. A stroll around our property can resemble the meadow scene from Disney’s Bambi. Birds flit through the branches, and rabbits and squirrels leisurely hop off into the undergrowth. So it is not at all unusual to see eyes glowing in the darkness when I take the dog for a walk on a winter’s evening. Then the eyes started moving toward me. …


A Florida Vacation, or SHTF?, by Z.P. Wilson

Greetings from Michigan, where the summers are glorious, and the winters long and cold. My wife and I have lived here all our lives, and have endured the seasonal cold by hunkering down at home with books and television. During our work lives, I often told her that when we retired, we would travel to warmer places when the snow flies. We retired last year, so this was the first winter to put my idea into effect. I rented a house in Florida for the entire month of February. As we made plans for what to do and what to …


Maglite Flashlights, by Thomas Christianson

I am a flashlight junkie. I love flashlights. I love big flashlights and small flashlights. I love bright flashlights, and flashlights that project a gentle glow. I love flashlights with AAA, AA, C, D, or rechargeable batteries. I love flashlights with polymer cases, rubberized cases, wooden cases, bamboo cases, and metal cases. I love flashlights with standard incandescent, halogen, krypton, xenon, or LED bulbs. I just love flashlights. Sometimes my addiction causes strains in my relationship with my wife, “Kari.” She says things like, “Do you really need another flashlight?” or “How many flashlights does one man need anyway?” I …


Patching Seahorse Protective Cases, by Thomas Christianson

A number of months ago, I purchased two Seahorse protective cases at a thrift store. Someone had drilled and cut holes into them before making the donation. I recently patched the holes in the cases using J-B Weld and fiberglass fiber tape. I am very pleased with the outcome. Based upon these good results, I would recommend all of the products involved for their usefulness: Seahorse Protective Equipment Cases, J-B Weld Original Formula, and fiberglass fiber tape. Buying the Cases I bought the two Seahorse Protective Equipment Cases at a bin sale at a thrift store outlet. At a bin …


Keen American-Built Boots, by Thomas Christianson

I recently bought a pair of Keen American Built Boots at a consignment store. They cost me $44.99. These Braddock Waterproof Mid Soft Toe Boots run $220 per pair, new. The Keen Braddock mid-cut boots are very sturdy, though the soles are somewhat stiffer than I prefer. They are also extremely warm, making them most suitable for cool weather use. All in all, they are decent boots, and American-made. But they somehow lack that measure of comfort that gives a pair of boots a place of affection in my heart. It may just be that my feet are a funny …


Compact Power To Go – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.) Battery The next item to consider is a portable USB battery, frequently referred to as a USB power bank. These range in size from a little credit card-sized 2500mAh up to massive power bricks with over 60,000mAh. Note that USB power banks that provide QC or PD charging levels have recently started hitting the market, and they tend to be somewhat more expensive than the older ones that only provide 5V/2A outputs. I ended up using one that I picked up a while back, which is the Miisso 5000mAh model. It provides …


Compact Power To Go – Part 1, by J.M.

There have been numerous articles on SurvivalBlog.com about the use of various pieces of electronic technology such as flashlights, cell phones, night vision devices, radios, drones, etc., in disaster and survival situations – ‘Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI’, ‘Technology After TEOTWAWKI’, ‘Survival Electronics’, ‘Surviving With Electronics’, ‘Survival Electronics’, ‘How To Use a Baofeng UV-5R’ and many others. (Some of those were written by me.) As part of my general effort to lighten up my load and develop a lightweight modular approach to my mobile kit, I recently started focusing on how to power the various electronics I’m carrying. To that end, …


Silver Stag Lion, by Thomas Christianson

The Silver Stag Lion is an heirloom quality, primarily handmade, semi-custom knife. It has a razor-sharp three-inch blade made of D2 tool steel and a handle made from naturally-shed deer or elk antler. It is 100% made in these United States. It is by far the finest knife I have ever carried. At the time of this writing, it was available for $169 from www.silverstag.com. The major drawback of the knife is that it is such a beautiful piece of craftsmanship that I am almost afraid to use it. It seems to deserve a place of honor in a display …


Magazine Pouches Are a Must, by Pat Cascio

I won’t mention any names, to protect the innocent. However, I have a long-time friend – he used to be one of my martial arts students more than 30+ years ago. He was a great guy. We consider ourselves brothers – and couldn’t be any closer if we were actual blood brothers. Every now and then, we butt heads on something, but always remain brothers. I no longer teach any martial arts classes or firearms classes – my beat up ol’ body just doesn’t allow it these days. Every now and then, I’ll take a friend out for some shooting …


A 12-Month Preparedness Checklist – Part 2, by Reltney McFee

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) June June is the month to assess the animals: are their vaccinations current? How is that Veterinary Medic Bag coming along? In addition, while I am out and about, June might be a nice month to function test my generator, and, following the thought that a power failure might require my generator to function, would it not be nice to have, gosh, LIGHT, while poking around getting such things set up? Why, now that you ask, yes! Yes, light would be pleasant! I checked the batteries in January, and this month’s check …


Thyrm Pyrovault Lighter Armor, by Thomas Christianson

Thyrm Pyrovault Lighter Armor encloses a Zippo lighter insert in a sturdy waterproof polymer case. In addition to making the insert waterproof, the case slows fuel evaporation from classic liquid-fuel inserts, so that the time between fillings can be measured in weeks rather than in days. The case can be opened and the insert operated with one hand. It greatly enhances the usefulness of the Zippo lighter insert. At the time of this writing, the Pyrovault Lighter Armor was available from Thyrm for $29.99. The Backstory On October 10, 2021, SurvivalBlog published my article about using a sleeve cut from …


Cold Steel Range Boss, by Thomas Christianson

The Cold Steel Range Boss is a light, sharp, thin, and tough knife for everyday carry (EDC). With a manufacturer-suggested retail price at the date of this writing of $51.99 and available online for as low as $37.05, it represents a great value for the cost-conscious knife buyer. It is also a good, solid knife for the buyer for whom money is no object. Background I recently asked Cold Steel if I could review their four-inch Range Boss knife in black. They were kind enough to agree, and a few days later a package arrived via FedEx from GSM, LLC., …