Category: Field Gear

Concealment Holsters, by Scot Frank Eire

INTRODUCTION I confess; I’m a holster junky. I like buying them and trying them out. That said, I hate buying a holster and ending up not being able to use it. I’m left-handed, and that makes it harder to sell or even give them away. Unfortunately, in the process of learning what I am writing here, I’ve wasted a fair amount of money. With luck, perhaps some of what I’ve learned can help you a bit. Much of it is probably obvious, but I’m not the only one with a box of unused holsters, so I’m not alone in learning …


Letter Re: 110 Buck Knife

Sir, I just read Pat’s report on the Buck knife. I have carried and used one of these knives for over 40 years. They can be opened and closed using just one hand. Using thumb pressure on the blade you can open the knife. Holding the knife by the blade you can use the weight of the handle to swing the knife open. – C.B. o o o Hugh, In addition to the off the shelf mass production Buck 110 knife, Buck has a custom shop that will make a custom 110 knife for you. Custom in that blade metal …


Guest Article: High Quality Survival Tools, by J.F.

Flight Jacket I like black flight jackets. They are dressy enough to wear to an art reception and common enough to be worn to a junk yard. They’re made of water-proof nylon and have two large button outside pockets, two large inside button pockets, and a pocket on the shoulder. The best one that I have found is sold at Alpha Industries. If you look in the left front pocket, there is a white label that states Alpha Industries Jacket, Flyers, Man Intermediate. On the shoulder pen pocket is a small black label sticking out with a gold sort of …


Pat’s Product Review – Solar Flare Solar Cooker

I must say that, in all my years of testing products, the Solar Flare Parabolic Solar Cooker has been one of my most challenging products to test. Made in the U.S., in Bountiful, Utah, this cooker proved a handful. No, not the product itself, rather the weather in my part of Oregon. For the better part of almost a month, we had very heavy, low-hanging fog. It’s been totally frustrating, to say the least! Anyone who is a prepper, survivalist, camper, or hunter, should understand the “Rule Of Three”, and that is you should always have three ways of accomplishing …


Pat’s Product Review – Buck Knives 110 Folder 50th Anniversary Edition

Buck Knives, www.buckknives.com , has been around for about 100 years, depending on who you talk to. Their most popular folding knife is still their Model 110 lock-back folding knife that is made in their plant in Post Falls, Idaho. Many people say that imitation is the sincerest form or flattery. If that’s the case, then the Buck Model 110 lock-back folding knife is probably one of the most copied folding knives in the world, if not “the” most copied folding lock-back knife. The Model 110 is now celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014, and every model will have “50” …


Pat’s Product Review: Maxxeon Hunter’s Floodlight

Some months ago, I tested and reviewed the portable WorkStar 2000 floodlight from Maxxeon for SurvivalBlog readers, and it was a huge hit. I heard from a number of readers about how pleased they were with the product. Today, we’re looking at the new and improved Hunter’s http://www.maxxeon.com/led_hunters_worklight_workstar_2030.html floodlight from Maxxeon. Some SurvivalBlog readers have requested that I list the country of origin– where the products are manufactured– in all of my articles. Maxxeon products are made in China. Like it or not, we now live in a global economy, and in order for many companies to compete or even …


Pat’s Product Review – Benchamde’s Rift, Automatic Folder

Today, we’re looking at the Rift, automatic folder from Benchmade knives. The Rift is proudly made in the United States of America and is from the black box line– a working line of knives for professionals. I remember when I first started writing about knives. I was a freelance field editor for Knives Illustrated magazine. I contacted Les d’Asis at Benchmade and requested a sample to do an article on. This was more than 22 years ago, and Benchmade has continued to keep me supplied with samples for articles. Benchmade knives are always in demand. A good number of our …


Four Letters Re: Rocket Stove

MW, I don’t have any experience with the “Zoom Versa” rocket stove, but I currently own a “Stovetec” single door rocket stove. I believe the Zoom is built to look like the Stovetec but don’t know this for sure. (I don’t have any financial interest in Stovetec, but do love the thing.) I’ve used ours only in the backyard with the grand kids. We’ve found it to be very effective using small, otherwise “junk” sized pieces of wood to cook almost anything. I have used small pots, stock pots, woks, and other skillets on ours. ANY rocket type stove does …


Letter Re: EMP

Hugh, While the routers and switches do require power (which will be spotty at best), they too will be fried by the EMP. Many of the modern ASICs are based on IBM proprietary copper chips and as a result really don’t get along well with any form of EMP. It’s bad enough that I’ve seen a floating ground stretched between two buildings fry Cisco, ACC / Wellfleet, and Extreme gear. The only purpose-built router that is tempest hardened is the very old TGS router by Cisco. This was an AGS that was built into a hardened shell. Wide scale deployment …


Pat’s Product Review: 750 & 550 Parachute Cord From 5 Col Survival Supply

I get contacted by SurvivalBlog readers daily, and I take the time to answer each e-mail, and I have to keep my replies short, because my time is limited. I’m often asked, “what should I carry in my BOB?” and I can’t really give a definitive answer to that. It depends on where you live, you age, your own personal requirements, when do you plan to bug out to, and other factors. Many readers send me a list of all the things they have packed in their BOB, and most are pretty well equipped for many different emergencies. One item …


Letter RE: A Forgotten Prep and Barter Item

Dear HJL, I have gone back and, over a period of time, reviewed all of the entries in SurvivalBlog since its inception in 2005, plus numerous other survival forums. Among the most commonly posted forum inquiries are questions such as, “What do I need to add to my BOB/GOOD bag, BOL storage, et cetera?” Also, many ask, “What would be a good barter item for after the SHTF?” Last evening, I reached up to remove an item from a shelf in the shop. I was very glad that I had it on hand and realized that I did not recall …


Four Letters Re: Rechargeable Batteries and a Solar Charger

Sir, I have used Battery Junction for many years and am happy with their product and service. Below is what I use. Battery Charger 110AC or 12VDC AA-AAA-C-D-9V Tenergy batteries I use these batteries daily and have for over three years. I have no affiliation with this company. Thank you for the work you do. Respectfully, – L.G. o o o Hugh, Reading the Rechargeable Batteries and a Solar Charger, I was glad to see the Eneloop recommendation, as I’ve been using those since 2006 myself and plain old Sanyo NiMH since the 90’s. However, you then recommended the Energizer …


Pat’s Product Review: Deployable Compact Armorers Tool

I love working on guns, and I’ve tinkered with them since I was a teenager. Later on, I was trained by a military armorer to work on M1s, M14s, and M1911s, and I took several gunsmithing courses over the years. I’ve repaired many guns; however, the two firearms I enjoy working on the most are the grand old 1911 and the AR-15 family of rifles. More than anything, I usually can’t leave a 1911 alone, especially as it comes from the factory. So, I keep a decent supply of spare parts on-hand. The AR-15 doesn’t usually require a lot of …


Pat’s Product Review: CRKT K.I.S.S. Folder

Don’t you just hate it when someone comes up with one of those “oh-so-simple” ideas, and it is an immediate hit or success. I don’t begrudge anyone success in their lives, but how come it’s always someone else who invents a better application of the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle? I’ve been around long enough to know that keeping things simple is usually the right and smart way to go. I recently heard from one of my former martial arts students, who I hadn’t heard from in 25 years. He now holds Black Belt rank himself in several different …


Letter: Battery Charger

Dear SurvivalBlog, This is the best charger I have ever used: Powerex MH-C800S Eight Cell Smart Charger has eight independent slots for AA/AAA batteries. It’s like having eight chargers! It has a deep-cycle conditioning worldwide power supply, a smaller light weight power adapter, and both soft and rapid charging speeds. BATTERIES ARE NOT INCLUDED! The MH-C800S features eight independent slots that can charge one to eight AA or AAA batteries in any combination in around one to two hours! The unit also incorporates a large, easy-to-read LCD screen featuring the charging status of each battery. This new charger uses the …