Category: Field Gear

Two Letters Re: Velcro On Tactical Gear

HJL, You asked about the use of velcro. This is more in the way of everyday carry, but my cover vest has a large velcro panel that the holster for my BUG hangs from. The pocket that this panel is inside of has a velcro closure. I don’t care for the noise of the velcro for tactical reasons, so I have placed a strip of loop on about half of the velcro (hook & loop) to reduce the sound and yet maintain the closure. The gun is a Kahr PM9 so it is light weight. A number of velcro covered …


A Holistic Approach to Packing a 72-Hour Bug Out Bag- Part 2, by C.T.

Water. Though you may die after three days without water, that is most likely in ideal conditions with low exertion. If you have ever gone hiking before, you know that after an hour or so you are pretty parched already, and by the end of a single day you will be pretty much functionally depleted of water and in desperate need of rehydration. Especially if your bug out happens to be in the summer or a very hot time of year, water is going to be the most important element you need to keep going effectively. This is where knowing …


Letter Re: Velcro on Tactical Gear

Hugh, Concerning your request for information, I have never had issues with Velcro on my dive gear. (It’s found on Buoyancy Compensator pockets mostly.) However, on tactical gear, snaps or magnetic clasps are the most silent and easiest to use without issue. With Velcro there is always the possibility that a second, third, or fourth “tear” will be needed if all the hooks haven’t disengaged. With snaps or magnets, it’s far easier and undeniably quieter. If I’m changing mags in a hot zone, the last thing I want to telegraph is my current position by a “riippp” of the Velcro …


A Holistic Approach to Packing a 72-Hour Bug Out Bag- Part 1, by C.T.

A 72-hour Bug Out Bag (a.k.a. Get Out Of Dodge bag) is a pack filled with the necessary items to sustain you while you walk from an unsafe location to a safe location. Usually the scenario is that “home” is no longer safe and you need to go to some predetermined “bug out” spot. This could be either a friend’s or relative’s house, a family cabin, or a government shelter. Basically, you are going on a hiking trip with an expected start and end point on a pre-planned route during what will most likely be a time of great personal …


An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure- Part 2, by L.W.

Clean Clothes The first line of defense in protecting the skin is your clothing. Protect the hands by always using gloves appropriate to the task at hand—medical gloves for caring for the sick and injured; heavy duty rubber gloves for washing dishes and a completely different set for bathroom cleaning; garden gloves; and leather work gloves. Beyond the gloves, we also need to use clothing to protect the rest of the body. The better covered the body, the better the defense. Understand that sunscreen will eventually run out or lose its efficacy, so protecting the skin from sunburn (and the …


Letter Re: Velcro in Tactical Gear

SurvivalBlog reader R.B. wrote in to ask about Velcro on Tactical Gear. As a life-long SCUBA diver, on wrecks, rescues, and searches, he states that Velcro can fail to stay attached when wet. Aside from the obvious issue of sound (the exceedingly loud rrrrriiiip when it is removed, either intentionally or accidentally), we’d like to hear from you. Do you use Velcro on your equipment? If not why? If so, what issues do you have? – HJL


Letter: Self-Maintaining Mosquito Trap

With all the excitement about the Zika virus lately I thought I’d share my discovery of an effective low-maintenance mosquito trap. Take a 1/2 oak barrel. Line it with plastic to keep the leakage down. (Most gardening stores sell a plastic tub-like liner for this purpose.) You could just saw a plastic barrel in half I guess, but that’s not very pretty. Put it in a sunny spot and fill it with water. Add two goldfish. Put a bit of shade over part of the barrel for the “fishies” to shelter under. Top off with water as needed through the …


Letter Re: Bug Out Bags for Dogs

SurvivalBlog reader K.D. wrote in to question the need for a BOB for a dog in TEOTWAWKI, believing that most dogs will be more of an OPSEC liability than anything else and envisions large packs of roaming dogs fending for themselves as they are abandoned by their owners. HJL’s Comment: While I might agree with your sentiment if it were to apply to the family pet (easily the vast majority of dogs today), it most certainly does not apply to what I would term “working” dogs. Working dogs are readily used by both police and military to handle dangerous situations. …


The Side of the Road Is Not Just for Emergencies, by B.A.

I see many people on the side of the road. Many times it is as simple as a flat. Other times it is something that the driver cannot fix. What many people do not know is that your car is designed to shut down automatically should certain things go out of tolerance. This is to prevent damage to your engine or vehicle. Many of us are pre-programmed, too, to think that the car is a special device for which only a select few of us can open the hood and work our magic. That is not the truth. Sure, if …


Letter Re: An Odd Piece of Equipment for Your Preps

Hugh, I saw the “Odds and Sods” post about tens units. The writer was disappointed that his unit was 9 volt and did not use AA. There are a few ways to convert 9 volt systems to run on AA, but I thought I would share this way, as it is the easiest. Obviously there are other versions out there, so it doesn’t hurt to shop around. I hope this helps. – R.M.


Crises Preparation- Part 2, by B1

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Home Security Your home should appear shabby, as if you are poor or struggling. (Think of a “redneck trailer park”; no offense is intended.) People living in urban areas will be at a much higher risk for criminal activity. If you look organized and secure, you will be a target for theft, looting, et cetera. You don’t want to directly or indirectly advertise your stockpile or your plan to anyone outside your trusted circle. When you’re doing your shopping for supplies, do it at night. Neighbors see more than you think. When you store (hide) your stockpile, do it in …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: UV Paqlite Mule Light

As a rule, I very seldom test prototype products, for a couple of good reasons. One is that the finished product is quite often quite a bit different than the prototype. Secondly, at times, the product never even comes on the market. Over the years, I’ve seen more than one firearm prototype covered in a magazine article, and the gun never came out. I covered one such handgun from Taurus some years ago, when I was the editor/publisher of a rag called Police Hot Sheet. My readers weren’t very happy to read my article on the gun that never came …


No Way!- Part 1, by J.P.

This is a letter to my fellow Americans. My heart is to help Americans see that which is coming. Okay, take a breath, slow down for a moment, open your eyes, and take a good look. What do you see, what do you hear, and then what do you feel? Something isn’t right. What happened to safe streets, children playing outside alone, and walking downtown to the movies on Saturday afternoon. Why are all of the house doors locked all of the time. Where did our America go? English, who speaks that language? When are we saying the Pledge of …


My Favorite Materials for Clothing, by B.A.

Not being a survivalist, nor being flush with cash, I am constantly amazed at the number of times people are told to buy the newest and greatest items for their family’s welfare. Sure, if the money was available for the average person to buy the newest “gee whiz” items all of the time, we would never have to worry about TEOTWAWKI, because by the time we have finally gotten through all the fancy gear once, we would be dead of old age. In response to an outdoor sports catalog that I brought over, my mother said to me, “American’s will …


Letter: Long Question About Eotech Lawsuit

James and Hugh, A while back I was reading The Reluctant Partisan from John Mosby. One of the suggestions was getting an optic on your AR or battle rifle. (The whole book is really good info from someone who was special forces, so I respect what the guy was saying!) Long story short, I went out and picked up a Eotech for my AR and another one with magnifier for the PS90 carbine, well because the FN sight on the PS90 is a joke. so yeah I have about $2000 tied up in optics on my two weapon systems. Just …