Category: Field Gear

Five Things Women Need, by J.W.

My wife has a love-hate relationship with all this personal defense stuff.  She hates the idea of needing to be prepared and can’t stand that her day-to-day life is affected by potential or perceived and often unseen threats of violence, bUT she loves me.  So that means she agrees to all my training, prepping, security protocols, and most of my gear purchases.  Most? Okay, many of them. Many? Okay, fine. I just buy what I want. She gets mad for awhile and then eventually forgives me! The point of this article is to give you five things that we think …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: SOG Knives Evac Sling 18 Pack

Many folks assume, when I tell them I was in the U.S. military, that I was in at the time when they still had a mounted unit– horses! Nope, I’m not quite that old just yet. Back when I was in the military, we had some boring OD green equipment. Everything was OD green in color– our uniforms, A.L.I.C.E. geat, well, just everything, except out boots, and they were all leather, which we had a shine on the toe that you could see your reflection in, plus something almost unheard of today. You could actually have your boot re-soled. In …


The Fallacy of the Bugout Bag, by J.C.

I began my quest to become self-sufficient in a bug out situation sometime around the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005.  My first purchase, if I recall was a gravity fed water filter and a small solar battery charger.  The old saying that one can live three weeks without food but only three days without water, in hindsight is what drove me to that purchase.  I don’t regret buying it to this day, but the chances that it will be with me in a true bug out situation, are slim to none. Before I go any further I …


I Love Sharp Things, by Phil M.

In any survival situation a defective tool is pretty much worthless and will cost you dearly in frustration or even your life. I’m sure you can think of a lot of examples. Effective tools are a big part of my life and most all of them need to be sharp, and some of them very sharp, like chisels and planer blades. When I started thinking of all the tools that I keep sharp the list started running into the dozens, everything from a potato peeler to a chainsaw. A lot of you are like me in one way or another …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The Simplicity Primer, by Patrice Lewis ZeroGov:Limited Government, Unicorns and Other Mythological Creatures, by Bill Buppert  Movies: My Friend Flicka  (not the more recent remake) Music: The Best of Mary McCaslin John Hartford: Life Love & Music 5 Essential Albums 1966-1969 Podcasts: Self Reliant School EP016 Interview With JoAnn Moser – Mason Jar Nation Pantry Paratus: Chaya’s Guide to Grease: Frying Food the Right (& Nourishing) Way Instructional Videos: Some newbies might benefit from this:  How to clean fish How To Clean Your Woodstove Chimney Gear: USB Reading Lamp with 10 LED Lights and Flexible Gooseneck FLIR Scout TK …


A Life Submerged: The Gray Man Existence, by A. Smith

This article explores concealment and the Gray Man mindset and lifestyle in The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) and survival in contemporary society. The tactics, techniques, and procedures I’ll describe are taken from a military point of view.  It is not intended as an end all. It is merely a perspective on some experiences of deployments in 30 years of service to many backwater countries.  Hopefully my shared experiences will help better understand and prepare you in case something really goes wrong with our economy, natural or man-made disaster, etc. 


Letter Re: Questions on Gas

Hugh, I would like to ask a question to your other readers. What is the difference between butane, propane, CNG, and piped in home natural gas? Can they be used interchangeably? For instance, can I burn butane in my propane camp stove? Can I use propane in my refillable butane lighters? Can all of these be used in propane vehicles, et cetera? – D.H.


Even More Letters Re: Paper Road Maps

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HJL, Before we beat this map availability issue to a pulp, I would like to mention two more very important sources for maps… Don’t forget forest maps for your specific areas available at any USFS Forest HQ’s or Ranger station (around $9 each), available nation wide. The other is Bureau of Land Management maps, available at any BLM station (primarily west of the Rockies). (I would think State forest also have some type of area recreational maps.) These maps are very large and excellent for directions on logging roads, mining roads, camping areas, and off road trails to name a …


More Letters Re: Paper Maps

Hugh, Hunting and sport shops also sell detailed map books for many states. These maps are designed for hunters and show roads, in great detail, that are often not shown on typical road maps. – M.J. o o o Hugh, A recent reader post mentioned cleanroom paper, pointing out that it is very strong and durable. DuPont Tyvek was originally created as paper for cleanroom use because it does not shed fibers like pulp-made paper does. It was later discovered to be quite useful as air barrier house wrap; Dupont’s patent has expired, so a number of competitors are manufacturing …


Three More Letters Re: Paper Maps

Hugh, I agree. I bought a new 50 state Rand McNally edition this year, and it is much smaller. As far as state maps, I know the welcome center to PA does offer free maps of PA yet, at least when coming from NJ. Maps are harder and harder to find though, and I agree that we should stock up while they’re still offered free or at local stores. When planning trips, I have often contacted the states we were planning to visit and they sent free information. Most times a state map was included. I do not like GPS …


Three Letters Re: Paper Maps

Hugh / Jim, In reference to the short article on road maps, I offer two things: Folding paper maps are still available at AAA, free to members or to customers through their travel agency. (Ask a friend or family member to pick a few up for you.) Regarding the Gazetteers, these are the best general purpose map books you can get for the state you live or travel in. They are available at every Mart store for around $20. They are exact copies of topographical maps in your (state) area, including remote and back country areas, which in turn will …


Three Letters Re: Road Maps

Dear Jim, As a very long time ebayer, I know the site quite well. In response to where to purchase old U.S. road maps (and indeed other countries), currently there are almost 3000 maps on ebay. Some are so old that some of the newer big interstates are not on there, but the back roads and rural county roads will be. That is probably how most people will plan their bugging out. – H.L. o o o Hugh, In a recent letter, reader C.B. notes that Rand McNally’s map book is sometimes the only available map of the area. From …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: CRKT Trencher

If you stop and think about it, everything I cover on our website, be it knives, guns, or water filters, are tools. They’re tools for survival in one shape or another. Many people simply look at a knife or a gun and consider them as “weapons”, and they are. However, they are still tools designed for specific tasks. Some firearms are designed for self defense, some are designed for hunting, and some are designed for target shooting. The same goes for knives; some are for self defense or everyday use, some for dressing out game, and some for use around …


Letter: Road Maps

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Hugh, On two recent trips this summer, one two week trip to eastern Pennsylvania and one to Las Vegas, I tried to find the old style folding road maps. In Pennsylvania’s Allentown, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia, and both Pocono’s and New Jersey shore area, at every gas station I stopped at, I asked about folding paper road maps. At some of the more modern stations I was met with a quizzical stare. I finally settled on a Rand McNally book. Fortunately, having grown up in that area, I knew my way around. I did find a paper map of the Las …


Quick Reference Manual Regarding Disaster Survival and Recovery on the Road- Part 2, by J.P.R.

C. MASSIVE EMP (ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE) ELECTRICAL FAILURE Identify Level of Failure The power grid is down Your cell phone is dead Your land line may not work Most electronic devices do not work or are impaired Your car will not start or stopped running Airplanes are falling from the sky Small fires or explosions may be observed This is a different event than a regular power failure. In this case, the power grid and many electronic devices have been permanently damaged. This is more serious than a power grid failure, depending on whether it is in a small or large …