Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: Progressive Presses

Sir, I’m fairly new to prepping for TEOTWAWKI. I am currently attempting to secure as much ammo and OD green tactical clothing as my budget will allow. I am also a fan of your books; I am currently reading Founders. You mention many times in your books that ammo, silver/gold coins, and gasoline will become a kind of currency. That being said, do you recommend those who are properly trained buy progressive presses to make their own ammo? What caliber of pistol rounds would you feel will be more valuable after WTSHTF? HJL Responds: Most people get into reloading their …


Medical Bartering, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Medical bartering is as old as the hills, yet still alive today. Though you may not have encountered medical bartering in your own community, a quick web search will reveal that the days of paying your doctor with chickens continue into the 21st century. Of course, when the grid goes down or our currency collapses, you’ll need to find another method of payment for everything. On the other end, with store shelves empty, medical supplies may become a valuable medium of exchange. When stocking up on medical items for your family, it’s a great idea to purchase extra, currently inexpensive …


Letter Re: Fishing Pliers

Good Morning Hugh, Thank you for your hard work; keep fighting the good fight. Greetings from the great state of Tennessee! I’ve written you for years but from my address in NY. We’ve finally broken free and are speaking w/ our feet. It feels great. We’re renting at the moment, homestead-shopping. Why yes, I have been to the realty-blog, as well! Regarding the recent post on fishing pliers, I had a great experience with pliers in my trials in the Saltwater Reef-keeping aquarium hobby. Growers of hard coral species (Acropora, Montipora) who propagate frequently use various shapes/sizes of pliers to …


Base Layers and the Differences- Part 1, by A.S.

Today there is a great deal of knowledge on the Internet and outdoor magazines about “layering”, so most people who are daily or frequent readers of SurvivalBlog would have a good understanding of using different layers to keep the human body neither too cold nor too hot. Either one will have life threatening consequences if not managed correctly away from urban areas. For the purpose of this article my intention is to explain, in layman’s terms, some of the finer points of using different base layer fibers and their properties, as well bring to attention a new space age fiber, …


Letter Re: Fishing Pliers

Hello, I would like to respond to the question about reliable fishing pliers. First, let me give you my experience with the subject. I have been a hunting and fishing guide for over thirty years, and for the last nine I’ve been a fishing guide for salmon in Alaska. While I have tried many types and brands of fishing pliers over the years, I have yet to find a pair that I would be excited about. However, there is one pair/brand I would not recommend, and that is Mustad fishing pliers. This summer while king salmon fishing I had a …


Scot’s Product Review: SGK 440 Portable Power Solar Go Kit

This is something I wish I had owned back in my old days at the newspaper. We sometimes had to go places where there was no electricity and coming up with power could be a real hassle. As the years rolled by, the need for power got bigger and bigger. When I started, the cameras were mechanical and we shot film. By the end, everything was digital and required batteries, plus we had computers and cell phones too. We often drove around blowing fuses in cars with inverters plugged into the lighter socket in a desperate effort to keep stuff …


The Least Expensive Way Out – Part 1, by L.J.

I’m writing to give alternative ideas for those of us who have less money. The basic idea is to spread out your funds to be able to factor in prepping costs. Now I don’t know how much money you get, but if you’re really dedicated you should be able to reach a reasonable conclusion which allows you to invest in prepping needs while also having enough for daily living; maybe you can set aside 4% of your monthly income for prepping. It gives you plenty for your prepping needs but also allows sufficient funds for your everyday needs. Now that …


Scot’s Product Review: Burris 2-7xx32mm Handgun Scope on the Mexican Mauser

I have long been a fan of Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper and his Scout rifle concept. It’s not the best tool for every application of the rifle, but his idea was to create a general purpose answer to the problem of striking a decisive blow on an animal up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) at any distance the shooter could place a bullet into the vitals of said animal. He further specified that it should be handy and defined it as being one meter (about 40 inches) long and three kilograms (a bit less than seven pounds) in weight unloaded …


Letter Re: Scepter MFC and Water Can Repairs and Parts

Dear Hugh, I remember reading a post from JWR some number of months ago in which he was asking any of the blog readers who had a spare new Scepter MFC nozzle to contact him. I recently had my Scepter MFC can nozzle hose crack and split. A search of the Internet located this source. I ordered a few items from this source including a nozzle that supposedly worked on Scepter MFC’s. It did! Upon closer examination, I noticed that this vendor’s MFC nozzle used braided hose and that the hose contained markings indicating its size – 3/4in OD by …


Benchmade’s Model 665 – By Pat Cascio

Having toured the Benchmade Knives factory several times over the years, one thing that has always struck me about it is how clean it is. I mean their plant is super clean. How they manage to keep the place “that” clean while operating several shifts is beyond me. Additionally, it is pretty darn quiet in the Benchmade plant. I was amazed some years ago when I watched the laser cut knife blanks in almost total silence; it was amazing to watch the laser slice through the sheets of steel. The one problem Benchmade has is that they have a difficult …


Letter: Fishing Pliers

Dear SurvivalBlog, After searching every nook and cranny of the Internet I have had no luck in finding a decent (in quality and price) pair of needle nose “fishing specific’ pliers. How about taking on the challenge? – JLN Pat Cascio responds: I love to fish, and there is a pond just 50 yards from my front door on my neighbor’s property, and I can fish there all I want. I’m a sport angler; I catch and release most of the time. I’ve been fishing since I was about 10 years old. I started out using a bamboo fishing pole. …


Traversing the Hinterlands – Part 3, by Iowa Farm Boy

Dangerous Areas It will be extremely difficult to cross this region while avoiding some major cities. For example, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are very close together. You all know as well as I do what happens when people get desperate. How far away from the cities this will effect the countryside, I don’t know. Cities to avoid specifically are the ones with major prisons, like Fort Madison or Anamosa. There are several prisons or minimum security facilities across the region, and someone coming through Iowa needs to do their research and avoid them, if possible. I have spent the …


Traversing the Hinterlands – Part 1, by Iowa Farm Boy

I have lived in the Midwest all of my life, 90% of which was spent in the Central Iowa region. I’ve traveled the roads and byways from Toledo, Ohio to Denver, Colorado and from Minneapolis, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri, and more. Most of this was via the Interstate highway system, so I can’t comment too much about what is too far off of the main road, except in my immediate region. It must be noted that there is a specific reason why the original Lincoln highway (Hwy 30) and Interstate 80 go right through the center of this part …


Scot’s Product Review: REDHED Modular Tools

Tools are essential for prepping and life in general. One must have them, unless you are a wastrel who hires others to do all of your work. I doubt if that applies to any of our readers. Working with and moving dirt are two of the most important jobs for which we use tools. We might need to rearrange soil for gardening or construction. One could imagine creating protective barriers should things take a bad turn. Removing dirt from places it doesn’t belong could happen after a storm. The shovel is the basic tool for these chores, and we need …


Letter Re: Zippo Lighters

HJL, I’ve discovered that bicycle inner tube encased Zippo lighters fit nicely inside a used Tic-Tac plastic case with a little extra space for some tinder, spare wicks, and flints inside the lid. I store my extra flints inside coffee stir stick segments. The Tic-Tac case protects the lighter and provides an extra barrier to slow down the evaporation process. I’ve also used Naphtha in my Zippo while deployed. – RLH in Ohio