Category: Field Gear

Being Prepared, Even On A Routine Mission, by J.W.

One day, last year, I found myself in a pretty serious situation that tested my nerves and my luck. It happened on the C&O canal in Maryland. The canal runs 184.5 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland. Living just across the Potomac in McLean, Virginia, I made it my custom to ride my mountain bike on the canal every chance I got. It was and still is my favorite ride of all time. I would enter the trail at the 12.6 mile mark across the street from the Old Angler’s Inn near Carderock, Maryland. where there was ample parking …


Letter Re: Camouflage Utility Uniforms

Mr. Rawles: You made mention of the Army adopting some Multicam variants for standard [field utility] uniforms; I’m not too surprised by this. The Army’s move from BDUs (and DCUs for deployments) to ACUs, and finally Multicam, has an enjoyable history of stupidity and corruption (hard to imagine with the military, I know). Having worn ACUs in both garrison and deployment/combat, they’re wonderfully light to wear…and get easily torn up and ripped up, unlike BDUs/DCUs. ACU are also terrible at actually camouflaging the wearer, unless you spent all your time in a grayish pastel quarry….which, of course, are rarity in …


Thoughts on Preparedness, by Mom in the Colorado Rockies

Thoughts on Preparedness, by Mom in the Colorado Rockies Most of us have it down to a science on what we are going to do every morning. Wake up, grumble at the alarm clock, stagger in for coffee, etc. You know what time you need to leave to get to work on time, and maybe squeeze in a drive thru run for coffee or a breakfast biscuit. Muddle through the work day and pray for it to hurry by so you can fight traffic and get home in time for dinner, baths for the kids and vegetate in front of …


Life on the Edge: The Importance of Blade Maintenance, by Dr. DAC

INTRODUCTION Most of us use a cutting edge every single day, be it a chef’s knife, pocket knife, or scissors.  We typically suffer with overly dull cutting surfaces, and that is OK for cutting a zucchini after the daily nine-to-five routine.  However, when faced with a long-term survival situation, the importance of cutting edges will skyrocket, quickly shifting this humdrum facet of daily life to center stage.  Knowing how to restore and maintain blades and edges will take on new importance, as sharp tools will be necessary for survival, and sharpening will be a marketable and barterable skill. Besides knives …


Letter Re: Desert Stills Don’t Work

Can anyone prove that the long-touted “desert solar still” will maintain life in a emergency desert survival situation? I’m age 70 and tired of hearing the Bravo Sierra.  Prove it to me, please. Sorry , but with more than 35 years experience (15 years at the USN SERE-P.O.W. school in Warner Springs, California plus three years at the USN JEST school and since then 20 years in the business of survival training and digging earth,)  I must call foul on the desert still concept.  People should stop selling the idea. (The USAF has.)     I have tested the solar still idea since 1968 – …


Getting Out After a Trigger Event, by Paul H.

Despite years of reading valid arguments for moving to the American Redoubt or other remote area, of the hundreds of preppers I’ve met I can count on one hand those who made the move and most of those were retired.  I meet relatively few preppers living at a secluded retreat, a few with secondary retreats, many planning to bug out to property they do not own (hopefully by agreement), and the majority still living in and around cities with no alternative plan to shelter in place.  Only one of those four types I just described is unlikely to be on …


Letter Re: Prepping for Winter

Hi! Thanks for all you do.  In my quest to do one thing to prepare for the coming uncertainties each day, I thought I would take a moment to remind you and all readers that this coming weekend is the Equinox, the time that I update my car kit to prepare for the coming winter.  Besides my day to day car kit, I’ll add extra warm coats, hats, gloves, boots and scarves to the trunk.  Additionally, a few ponchos and garbage bags.  Here in one of the nanny states in the northeast US, there aren’t many places I go that …


Getting Real About Bugging Out, by R.G.

Ragnar Benson wrote the book “The Survival Retreat: A Total Plan For Retreat Defense” many years ago, but one of the things he discussed has stayed with me for a long time.  Reading this blog influenced me to read it again recently.  A great many of the things in the book don’t apply to my situation, but his discussion of the insights into the conditions during a disruption of normal society influenced my decision to “bunker in place.”  His descriptions of the situations of refugees especially affected me.  Refugees are basically at the mercy of whichever authority is controlling the …


Footgear Considerations, by Dagney T.

If you or your readers are contemplating carrying a rucksack [or backpack] of any type for any distance there are three items this old soldier heartily recommends: 1. Compression type Smart Wool Socks 2. Two Toms brand Sport Shield Liquid Roll On. 3. Insoles: Green Super Feet I am still ruck’in these days (an old LC-1 pack frame with 40lbs of weight plates zip tied to it [I am certain I am quite a sight if anyone is up at 04:30 AM]), so I believe I know what I am talking about. Six to ten miles per day. I wish …


Letter Re: Custom Magazine Pouches

Greetings Sir, I read your post concerning magazine pouches for some of the more obscure weapons systems favored by many in our community. I’m not sure if the demand is there to justify a full production run of the pouches you mention, but we do produce very limited custom articles from time to time for clients with specific needs. If you would like a truly custom, American made product to fit the systems you mentioned, we would be glad to provide that service for you. Your input will completely drive the design, including, the products style, color, material, mode of function, attachment …


Pat’s Product Review: T3 Rescue Tool

Many years ago I worked as an EMT – part of my training was to work on a Chicago Fire Department rescue ambulance. It was exciting  and demanding. Also, in the course of working as a police officer, I had many occasions where I had to cut someone out of a seat belt that had become stuck, or cut people out of their clothing so we could attend to their injuries. While I’ve always carried a pocket knife, it was not the perfect tool for the job.   There are several different types of cutting tools on the market today, …


Letter Re: Do-It-Yourself Weapons Camouflage and Kydex Gear

Sir, After reading the reply to the: Do-It-Yourself Weapons Camouflage and Kydex Gear I have to ask the question… Does anyone see any specific pattern anywhere?  The answer should be NO!  Why do you ask, because there is not one!  The “pattern” that you paint your weapon and match your clothes to should be specific to your area.  Granted, Multi-Cam camo tends to blend into many different areas but there is still a common factor in the “pattern”… it is a pattern that is generated!  It has hard line edges and it is not random. There are not a lot …


Letter Re: Do-It-Yourself Weapons Camouflage and Kydex Gear

Dear JWR, After reading your list of needful gear I wanted to offer some insight. First, the weapon stencils you mentioned are available from the makers of Duracoat at Lauer Custom Weaponry. They offer the woodland pattern as well as many other camouflage patterns, including multi-cam. In addition to that they sell a  template kit that you use to design the pattern yourself.  While you’re there don’t forget to check out their Duracoat kits, colors and temporary camo paint for mission specific camouflage that is removed by another of their products. As for the Kydex equipment, there will never be …


Letter Re: American-Made Tools

Mr. Rawles, Regarding your big listing of American-made tools: For 30+ years I was a devotee of CeeTee pliers because they were the best.  Alas, like many, they are no longer American made.  Even 25 years ago, I noticed that the then-new CeeTee pliers were not as heavily made as the pair I had purchased in 1971.   A few months ago, I was bemoaning the state of CeeTee pliers to a friend that works in a hardware store.  He set me onto his favorite pliers (like me, he had been a CeeTee devotee):  The pliers are from Wilde Tools. …


Prepping From My Purse by S.M. in Arizona

Triple-decker mint brownies are one of my favorite treats.  The base is a thick, chewy brownie.  Next, a layer of green mint filling is spread on the brownie which is then topped off with a thin layer of creamy, chocolate glaze.  When I think of these delicious brownies I think of prepping.  The thick, chewy brownie on the bottom represents the base of my preps.  This is long term, shelf stable food, water, security, sanitation, first aid, communications, and all the other things which are the foundation of being prepared.  This is by far the largest layer.  The mint layer …