Category: Field Gear

For Your Bugout Bag: The Humble Sillcock Key

One often overlooked item for a bugout bag is a Sillcock Key. This handy little wrench will allow you to access tap water from commercial establishments that have “limited access” water spigots.  It is commonly called a Sillcock Key, Sillcock Wrench, or Sillcock Handle. You often see “security” spigot taps on the exterior walls of restaurants, stores, school buildings, shopping malls, and warehouses. There are several different styles.  Some of them are “frost free”, and some are not. There are at least four different anti-tamper key patterns in common use in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Hence the need …


Changing the Blade in a Leatherman Skeletool, by Thomas Christianson

My favorite everyday carry (EDC) knife is actually a multi-tool: the Leatherman Skeletool. I like the convenience of carrying a combination tool that includes a pair of pliers and several screwdrivers with, as well as a blade. I first acquired the Skeletool in 2021, and reviewed it in an article published in SurvivalBlog at that time. I have never been fully satisfied with the part-plain/part-serrated combi blade that came with my Skeletool. This is a matter of personal preference, but I like fully plain blades on my EDC knives more than combi blades. I know that there are some situations …


The Watchman – Part 3, by James Durham

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) The Prepper Plan I just finished what I think is a solid 5-year prepper plan. I also then wrote a 5-year prepper supply / equipment plan to support the plan. The 5-year plan is a list of projects that I can think of that needs to be done, and in the order that makes the most sense to me. You can’t do everything in one year. At least I can’t… There is a normal, panic reaction to panic buy and do once it truly dawns on you that there is danger coming …


Glock FM81 Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Before Gaston Glock ever designed his first handgun, his company made knives and other equipment for the Austrian Army. One day in 1980, Glock was at the Austrian Ministry of Defense to talk about the sale of some of his products. While he was there, Glock overheard a conversation about the need for a new handgun design to replace the aging, World-War-II-era P38s that the Austrian Army was still using. He decided to design a handgun to meet that need. He bought samples of all the semi-auto handguns that he could find. He disassembled them, and studied how they functioned. …


Kershaw Launch 15, by Pat Cascio

I can often see myself, in my mind, going back in time, to when I would be on the front stoop, with my grandfather, spending many hours, just whitling on an old stick or a tree branch. Those were the days, in memories that still come to my mind. We didn’t waste those hours, on the contrary, they created memories of a much simpler time – long before any such thing as video games – that people play on their cell phones today – by themselves. It honestly was a great time to be alive as a child. I don’t …


ESEE Zancudo Framelock Folder in D2, by Thomas Christianson

Imagine that you are in the jungle of Peru. It is 1997. You are tired. You are hungry. You are dirty. You are wet. You are a client of Randall’s Adventure & Training School of Survival. They are working with the Peruvian Air Force’s School of Jungle Survival to prepare you for situations you might face if you are ever stranded in the jungle. During the ensuing decades, Randall’s Adventure & Training has continued to train outdoorsmen, law enforcement officers, military contractors, search and rescue personnel, and a host of others in survival skills. Along the way, they have designed …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 5, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 4.) Blunt Force Projectiles Picking up something and throwing it at an attacker or game is another deep-seated instinct most people have, and it provides a number of additional options for weapons. A 9oz. projectile thrown at 45mph results in around 40 ft-lb of kinetic energy at impact, which is enough to break some smaller bones and cause a concussion. Throwing something accurately and hard enough to do damage requires a lot more practice than just swinging a club, but it can give you a stand-off capability to mitigate threats before they can get close to you. …


Siege Belts, by Thomas Christianson

I recently tested three Siege Belts: the standard-sized Fury buckle with the “Gray Man” finish, the large oval Frenzy buckle with the “Cloudburst” finish, and the large rectangular Ferocious buckle with the “Gray Man” finish. I found all three belts to be comfortable, versatile, attractive, and strong. The heavy buckles and extra strong straps of all three belts were also perfectly suited to allow the belts to be used as improvised tools for self defense in situations where other more suitable tools might not be available. The belts are all handcrafted in the USA. They were priced at $149 for …


Mobility Without Petroleum or Electricity, by C.H.

Introduction This article will focus on the bicycle as a transportation solution in a situation where the electrical grid has failed, and petroleum products are either completely unavailable or in extremely limited supply. Given those parameters, I will not be discussing E-Bikes. I also have no experience with them. I bought a hybrid bicycle in early 2005 due to a fuel spike that was killing my budget. With further deployments and changes in employment the bicycle was set aside and gather dust in the garage. My semi-serious foray into cycling only begins a couple years ago when I pulled the …


Building a Retreat Kit, by Mark C.

Anyone who has seriously considered preparation for TEOTWAWKI knows that the ultimate preparation is to have a well-outfitted retreat located in a remote location. Unless you are rich and you can purchase one with all the trimmings or you’ve been working on it for several years already—you’re feeling significant apprehension as current events imply time is short and you are unprepared. Now, if you are the diligent one who built a well-stocked retreat, but find that over time civilization has overtaken the area; this is also for you. Finally, if you have your retreat, it has not been encroached on …


Three Pairs of Gloves, by Thomas Christainson

Gloves protect hands. When I am cleaning the outside wood boiler, gloves protect my hands from burns. When I am clearing snow, gloves protect my hands from frostbite. When I am using a chainsaw, gloves protect my hands from cuts and scrapes. Overview In recent months, I have had the opportunity to test three different pairs of gloves under a variety of different conditions. Mechanix FastFit Coyote Gloves and Gardenline Heavy Duty Work Gloves protected my hands from abrasion, laceration, and cold. Igloos Men’s Leather Driving Gloves protected my hands primarily from cold. The Mechanix gloves were on sale for …


Cold Steel Leatherneck SF Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Clearly inspired by the Marine “Knife, Fighting Utility” of World War II and beyond, the Cold Steel Leatherneck SF takes a classic concept and improves upon it. The German D2 steel blade of the Leatherneck is a significant upgrade from the 1095 carbon steel of the original, as is the Kray-Ex handle that replaces the stacked leather washers of the original. During my testing I found the Leatherneck SF to be a sharp and durable knife that was especially useful in firewood processing, gardening, and yard care.


CRKT Definitive Cross Bar Lock, by Pat Cascio

I’ve been following the CRKT company almost since their humble beginnings. CRKT was started by two former executives from another knife company. These days one of the founders now owns CRKT. And, we’ve been friends for a lot of years, even though neither one of us will admit we are friends. That is an ongoing joke between us. I’ve never ceased to be amazed how big CRKT has grown over the years from just a few designs to their many new designs every year. As a bit of a disclaimer, CRKT produced one of my designs some years ago, the …


L.L. Bean Wool Cresta Hiking Socks, by Thomas Christianson

Transportation is a wonderful thing. Whether flying a jet aircraft or bumping along in an oxcart on a dirt trail, it is great when someone or something else is expending the energy to carry us and our stuff where we want to go. There are some times and some places where transportation is just not available. At those times and in those places, we are dependent upon our own two feet. In those types of situations, good boots and good socks may be the difference between getting where we need to go and not getting anywhere at all. Foot problems …


KA-BAR Dozier Folding Hunter KA4062-BRK, by Thomas Christianson

Every once in a while I run across a product that looks like an exceptionally good value. The KA4062-BRK fell into this category. It is manufactured by an iconic American company of good materials at an excellent price. I decided to purchase a sample to review. Overview Like many American firms, KA-BAR offers some foreign-made items in their product line. The Taiwanese-made Dozier Folding Hunter model KA4062-BRK is one of them. The knife has a razor-sharp, 3-inch blade made of AUS 8A stainless steel, that folds into an easily-gripped Zytex handle. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $34.16 and widely …