Category: Field Gear

BeaverCraft Glacier Bushcraft Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The Ukrainian-made BeaverCraft Glacier Bushcraft Knife has a razor-sharp, 4.25-inch, full-tang, Scandi-grind blade made of 1066 high carbon steel. The blade is 1.18 inches wide, and 0.13 inches thick at the base. The knife is 10.63 inches overall in length, with an unfinished European walnut handle. It comes with a nice leather dangler-form sheath. Although 1066 steel is not highly corrosion resistant, I did not experience any problems with rust throughout the testing period even though I used the knife under a wide variety of inclement weather conditions. With a price at the time of writing of $45 at beavercrafttools.com, …


The Well-Rounded Prepper, by Cactus Jack

The recent Crowdstrike computer/IT outage got us thinking about a host of things that affect our everyday lives. How do we get cash out of the bank, fuel for our vehicles, food, water, etc. when the power or internet is out? Start pulling on a loose thread and we soon realize that in life everything seems to be connected. There are ‘must have’ items that we always carry with us. Cash, a small amount of US 90% silver coins, firearm(s), knives (as in more than one), water, food, some tools, gloves, hat, and some cordage (rope or heavy twine) In …


Building a Utility Trailer – Part 2, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1.  This concludes the article.) What to store in the trailer truck box? Because of the current mindset of theft with little to no penalty in many states, I do not have a truck box attached to my personal truck any longer. Since I do not take my trailer out, except for outdoor activities where I am typically within eyesight of it, I feel comfortable having a toolbox permanently attached to the trailer frame. The following is a list of what I carry in my toolbox and why. This is an extremely personal list suited to what …


Building a Utility Trailer – Part 1, by Lodge Pole

On a family camping trip earlier this year, I realized how little room, rather how much “stuff” we take with us when we go anywhere. As much exercise as I get from climbing in and out of the back of our tall truck, I wanted something that could carry all our camping gear, that was easy to unhitch and move by hand, and was easy to load and unload. After talking over some ideas with my wife, I decided it was time to get a utility trailer that we could use not only to carry our camping and exploration gear, …


What is Old is New Again – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Keeping warm will be another area where we revert back to old ways. I see lots of prepper articles and YouTube videos about sawing wood for heat. Back in the bygone days, one of the daily chores of children was picking up “sticks”. Many of us may remember the old nursery rhythm with the line “five, six pick up sticks”. These sticks were used for cooking. Heat from the daily food preparation was just an added bonus in the colder months. We may want to lower our expectations of post-TEOTWAWKI comfort. Trying …


Ruger American Rifle Generation II in 6.5 Creedmoor, by Thomas Christianson

The Ruger American Rifle Generation II in 6.5 Creemoor is highly accurate and light, with an easily gripped and highly adjustable stock. The 20 inch spiral fluted barrel is visually striking, the bolt cycles smoothly, and the 3 position tang safety is easy to operate and intuitive. At 6.5 pounds, the rifle would be easier to carry than most on a long day in the field. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $729 at the time of this writing, and widely available for less, the rifle offers an excellent value for the money. If you are looking for a good …


Rossi Survival Rifle in .45 Colt/.410 Gauge, by Thomas Christianson

Packing considerably more punch than the typical .22LR survival rifle, the Rossi Survival Rifle in .45 Colt/.410 Gauge is light, compact, rugged, and easy to use. It would be an excellent tool for taking medium-sized game out to about 75 yards or so. Beyond that range, the trajectory of the bullet from a .45 Colt cartridge begins to exhibit its bow-shaped arc, making accurate shooting more difficult. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $356.99 at the time of this writing at www.rossiusa.com, the rifle would make an excellent addition to the survival kit of a plane, boat, truck or other …


The Bugout Trailer (BOT), by Tunnel Rabbit

This Bug Out Trailer (BOT) as it is presented here is intended to be a concept rather than a set of building plans.  This is a low-cost structure that only requires only common tools and materials. The photos provided can say more than I could describe in a multi-part article. The BOT can be a single-purpose utility or a multi-purpose platform that is lightweight and inexpensive to build. In essence, it is a modern version of the horse-drawn wagon trailers used beginning around the 1860’s that became the modern RV.  It is an example, of what the Marine Corps advocates: …


Warwood Tool Perfect Axe, by Thomas Christianson

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was written in February 2024. That was several months before I contacted Warwood Tool, to set up an affiliate advertising contract.  Full disclosure:  We earn a modest commission on the sales of any Wawood Tools that are derived from visits to the Warwood Tool site, from clicks on the affiliate ad at SurvivalBlog. — The Warwood Tool Perfect Axe is a contemporary version of a classic and highly effective American axe design. The Kelly Perfect Axe was first patented in 1885, and remained in production until about 2016. The most notable features of a Perfect …


Predator Armor Plate Carrier and Plates, by Thomas Christianson

I recently had the chance to test the Predator Armor Minuteman Plate Carrier as well as a couple of Predator Armor steel plates. I found the 500D Cordura material from which the plate carrier is made to be robust, stain and odor resistant, comfortable to wear. It included 6 rows of MOLLE style webbing. It cost $160 at the time of this writing from www.predatorarmor.com. One of the plates I tested was a Level III+ Shooter’s Cut plate made from ballistic grade AR650 steel. With the multicurve body contour, it cost $145 for a single plate and $195 for a …


Gerber E-Z Out Skeleton Plain Edge Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The skeletonized spine of the Gerber E-Z Out Skeleton Plain Edge folding knife provides a strong but lightweight blade for this excellent folding knife. Like the Spyderco hole, the cut-outs in the blade provide the thumb with a consistent friction point for reliable ambidextrous one-handed deployment without snagging on clothing or impeding the cutting action of the blade. The 3.25 inch, 420HC, saber-grind, drop-point blade comes out of the box shaving sharp. Two Kraton SoftGrip inserts provide the slender but sturdy polycarbonate handle with an excellent grip surface. Priced at $47 at the time of this writing at www.gerbergear.com , …


Come Home, Now!, by M. Paul

This article is addressed to my adult children and their families. It should be useful to those readers who have family members who are spread out across a region of the country. It is intended to provide information and logistics for improving the odds of successful transport for those who may be planning to come “home” when there are natural disasters, or the Stuff Hits The Fan (SHTF). Disasters, in my judgment, can range from large storms, tornados, large fires, and floods, all the way up to EMPs, world war, or deep societal breakdown. Each of these, to varying degrees, …


Minuteman “K” Rocket Stove, by Thomas Christianson

The Minuteman “K” Rocket Stove is an outstanding biomass-fueled stove for grid-down situations or for recreational use. The stove is easy to light and easy to feed. It is easy to remove excess ash from the stove while it is in active use. And the stove provides highly effective heat output that is suitable for use with full-sized cookware. The stove cost $289.95 at the time of this writing at Minutemanstove.com, including 2 one-pound bags of Maya Stick fatwood fire starter tinder. If you live in an area that is rich in sticks, twigs, and similar biomass, the “K” stove …


Champion Handle-Rod, by Thomas Christianson

From time to time, days of hunger come. Sometimes they come for an individual, sometimes for a family, and sometimes for pretty much everyone at once. Money is short, food is expensive, and it is difficult to keep properly fed. During hungry days, fishing may offer a welcome way to add valuable protein to the daily diet. Even during days of prosperity, many people find fishing to be a fun and relaxing pursuit. So in good days and in bad, whether providing protein or lowering your blood pressure, fishing may be good for your health. Some excellent items of fishing …


Fiskars Pro Folding Utility Knife, by Thomas Christianson

With a hefty, ergonomically-shaped, rubber-coated handle approximately 0.88 inches thick and a well-engineered, all-metal blade holder, the Fiskars Pro Folding Utility Knife provides a rugged tool for serious cutting. It is roughly 4.5 inches in length folded and 6.5 inches open. The supplied Carbon Max blade provides superior edge retention in comparison with standard utility knife blades. The chunky handle is comfortable to grip, but also takes up quite a bit of room when clipped into a pants pocket. With a manufacturer suggested retail price of $26.99 at www.fiskars.com at the time of this writing, and widely available elsewhere online …