Category: Field Gear

Letter: Rust on a Stainless Steel Colt XSE Government Model

Mr. Rawles: I am an avid reader of your books and site. I purchased a stainless Colt XSE government model, per your recommendation and your use of the Gold Cups. After 3 1/2 months, I began having rusting issues under both grip panels. The unit is on the way back to Colt for repair. The pistol has been stored properly and cleaned after each range session. I think the manufacturing process was flawed, as there have been no issues with my blued model. Have you ever encountered this? If so, what precautions do you take to prevent the issue? Do …


Scot’s Product Review: Blastmatch

Fire is cool stuff, though I may have said that before. Much like a nine-year-old boy, it needs to be carefully controlled, but when it is, it is indispensable. Getting fire when you want it is pretty easy when you have access to store-bought matches that have been kept dry along with nice dry tinder, kindling, and fuel. The problem with fire is how to get it when you lack matches. All the tinder, kindling, and fuel on the planet won’t do you a whit of good, if you don’t have something to make the tinder hot enough to burn. …


Two Letters Re: Starch in ACUs

JWR Wrote: “By the time the U.S. Army reached the ACU-issue period, starching was not allowed. You can be relatively certain that none of the OCP (“Multicam”) uniforms that you buy surplus have never been starched. Best Regards.” As a guardsman of four years, I have seen starched and pressed ACUs at least a handful of times in direct violation of AR670-1. You would think these were being worn by old timers of the BDU era, but it’s a mixed bag. I have seen these on specialists trying to impress as well as Majors. They are not common by any …


Letter: Sharpening Crosscut Saws

Hugh, Since I sent you my comments on sharpening I’ve come across some information concerning crosscut saws that readers who have a crosscut saw as a backup for a chain saw will find useful. This link is for the Missoula Technology and Development Center. For the cost of a phone call you can request free copies of Warren Miller’s Crosscut Saw Manual and the companion video The Crosscut Saw Filer. [Editors Note: USFS- Missola Technology & Development Center has informed us that that they no longer have the Crosscut Saw manual available. Their stock has been depleted and it is …


Little Things WILL Become Big Things, and Food Will Be Everything!, by L.T.

When everything falls apart there are plenty of plans for “bugging out”, “bugging in”, and so forth. Whatever path you choose, things won’t return to normal soon and quite possibly never. Much has been written on beans, band aids, and bullets, but there will also be a huge demand for little things that we take for granted. Of course, there will be an even bigger demand for fresh food. Decent food is a major issue; you can’t live forever on storage foods, and most people can’t live forever in the woods. The following is information from our experiences to help …


Letter: Survival Anxiety

Mr. Hugh, I have a response for those who are having an anxiety attack over what R.W. said about his method of taking down a compound. The answer is that I have been planning for people like this. About a year ago I bought material and built a new compound fence. This fence is made of cattle panels that are supported by 8 foot long 4×6″ posts and 4×4″ posts set 24″ deep in clay on 8′ centers. The 4×6 posts are where the cattle panels join each other. The panels are nailed to the posts on the outside with …


Mike’s Product Review: Roschworks SLM1 combination front sight and light mount

For those of us with AR type rifles or those with similar sights, this is a useful piece of kit. One of the issues with a tactical rifle can be the light mount. Should it be under, to one side, and where should the switch be mounted? How will it work when shooting over or beside a barricade? Roschworks’ SLM1 (Picture of the SLM1) avoids all this by mounting the light directly over the barrel, with an iron sight above it. The unit is milled from one piece of 7075T6 aluminum, and mounts solidly to a standard rail. The profile …


Letter Re: Insta Fire

Scot, Great review on the Insta fire product.I just ordered some and will test and report back. Thank you. I’d also like to comment on the Dakota fire hole you discussed. We were told by our SFQC survival course instructors that the hole was used by the Dakota Plains Indians, as the terrain is flat and windy, and needed a way to get a fire going, and keep the smoke signature down. I do not know if that is true or not, but I do know for a fact that it was taught to us, and we used it quite …


Some Notes on Remaining Humble, by Marine in Missouri

One of the many great lessons I have read over and over in this blog is that practice makes perfect. This can apply to any skill set one wishes to consider. I would like to stress the word “read” in the last sentence; reading does not equate to learning, and often in our human hubris we decide that if we think about it, we know it. I think one of the most potent sins the father of lies enjoys tempting us with is the sin of pride. Without going on a diatribe of theological concepts on pride (and I’ve heard …


Three Letters Re: Mosin Nagent Review

Jim, I agree with most of the author’s conclusions regarding the 91/30. It is rugged, dependable, and more than accurate enough for hunting or social purposes. Most will benefit from a thorough cleaning and judicious use of lapping compound on the bearing and camming surfaces of the bolt assembly. (Be careful to completely remove all of the compound and clean and lubricate appropriately following the lapping procedure.) Inspect the barrel crown and recrown if damage is found. The trigger design is simple and straightforward and can be cleaned up in most examples. Pay particular attention that the trigger components do …


Communications for When SHTF, by N.M.

Communications is a key element in our everyday lives. If you don’t believe me, try going a whole day with no cell phone, Internet, television, or any other means of communications (COMMS). So it stands to reason that having COMMS, when SHTF, is essential to gaining intelligence (COMINT), the safety and security of your family, keeping informed, and keeping at least one step ahead of anybody with bad intentions. Like any skill, it is essential to practice; that means practicing before SHTF, so that you have the necessary skills. While most of the communications methods discussed in this article are …


The Mindset and Experience of a Single Competent Female Prepper, by Skylar

For the majority of my adult life– 34 years– I have taught, lived, worked, and recreated in wilderness settings. I appreciated JMS’s call for articles from single female preppers, as it has been a frustration of mine for many years. My early years were spent trying to prove that women can be effective and competent in a survival setting without having to become “one of the guys” or Rambo-esque. It took me a couple of tries before I found an organization to work for that shared this view. I spent the next 10 years working for Outward Bound, and I …


Three Letters Re: Covert Communications

Dear Hugh: Regarding the captioned article posted 23 September 2014, I call your attention to the following quote, pulled from near the middle of the second paragraph: “These radios do have ‘Privacy Codes’, but anyone can switch around until they find the code you are on, as they all use the same codes and scanners will hear them, coded or not. Switching codes every hour or time you decide will help not being discovered by other FRS/GMRS radio users, but others will scan the codes. It may help but will get you found if others find which code channel you …


Covert Communications, by J.K.

When it all hits the wall, one thing you should be sure of is that someone is listening to every communication you make within reception range. Many will use scanners to try and find you or your group. If they hear radio activity, especially activity on the short-range radios, they will know you are near. Some will use direction-finding antennas to get your exact location. The idea with radio comms is to use the least power and radio with the least range that will get you reliable comms. If all has gone south, you will want to use radio only …


Letter Re: Sharp-Shoot-R Products

I was truly amazed by the work Scott put into cleaning his firearms! I shoot a fair amount of hard cast lead bullets for plinking and target shooting but keep velocities under 1600 fps, and above that I use jacketed bullets, which seems to simplify my cleaning. One patch lightly gun oiled up and down the barrel three times, then I follow that with a dry patch up and down the barrel three times. Take a lightly oiled scrap of cloth and wipe down the outside of the firearm, then the bolt face and moving parts. If the firearm is …