Category: Field Gear

Pat’s Product Review: Buck Knives CSAR-T Folder

I know a little something about being a first responder to an accident scene. In another life, I was a paramedic, and later in life, I was a police officer. So, I’ve been to more than my share of accidents, and one thing that was usually needed in many traffic accidents, was a good sharp knife, that could cut a person out of their seat belt, or cut some of their clothes off for urgent medical care. So, I appreciate a good sharp knife, more so than most folks do.   Buck Knives (www.buckknives.com) has been around since 1902. No …


Letter Re: Cold Steel Bushman Knives

Mr. Rawles, I feel compelled to comment on Pat’s latest review for the Cold Steel “Bushman” line of knives. I have been a Cold Steel fan for years and like Pat, am completely sold on their products, and I have owned/own a lot of their line. I have owned approximately 15 Bushman knives over the years, some I gave away to friends and family and some I still own…and some I’ve broke. Yes, it broke. Towards the end of Pat’s review, he talks about attaching the hollow handle of the Bushman to a good wood shaft.  I wanted to try …


Pat’s Product Review: Cold Steel Bushman Series Knives

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I have received many requests to test and evaluate the Cold Steel “Bushman” line of knives that Cold Steel is producing. I’ve been a big fan of Cold Steel products since the very beginning – I’m sold on their products. However, for some strange reason, I never requested anything from the Bushman series of knives.   My friend, Lynn Thompson, who owns and operates Cold Steel, isn’t afraid to back up his products, and does so, in a series of videos on his company web site. On the web site, you will see all manner of Cold Steel products being …


Predator or Prey: The Single Parent Survival Guide, by Sarah B.

While the majority of single parents are women, men too can be found in this situation. Generally speaking, single women with children are usually on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Let’s face it, poorer young mothers (or fathers) with very young children need to learn survival skills as much as anyone else, and do not have the financial resources to buy all they need.  So what do you do if you are a single woman with a babe-in-arms and two toddlers and have no money? I can tell you what you can’t do, you can’t sit around and …


Hot And Badly Bugged, by J.H.L.

Protection from mosquitoes can be difficult but mosquitoes in hot weather are a particularly difficult problem. Years ago I used to know an old leather-skinned Florida Cattleman that never noticed several mosquitoes biting his bare arms; they didn’t even raise a bump. Most of us aren’t that lucky. I was a little allergic back then, a mosquito bite would often make a sore; this is more often true for children. These sores can easily get infected due to the inching and scratching over a long time period. Mosquitoes can also carry serious diseases like Malaria and Encephalitis which might not …


Letter Re: Small Unit Tactics in a Post Collapse Environment

Captain Rawles, In addition to the points you made in reference to stealth and scarce ammunition supplies post collapse, in your commentary on the named article, I would make a second point: While the squad level tactics described have proven to be rather effective for active duty military in offense;  the average Joe and his family unit will most likely not have those kinds of numbers.  The average familial size seems to be right around four, these days.  So unless one is lucky enough to have found/joined/founded a group for this purpose, when it gets to be Schumer time the …


Small Unit Tactics in a Post Collapse Environment, by Gunfighter

The time may come when all order and civility have broken down into chaos and unrestrained evil. You were a wise prepper and worked through your list of lists, acquiring all of the necessary knowledge and tools for survival. All of your bases are covered. Your survival retreat is intact and manned by your entire survival group. Each individual is most likely capable of firing a weapon and you probably have a survival retreat defense plan in the event a band of raiders, or some other group of people who wish you harm, decides they want to take what isn’t …


Lighting Alternatives, by Rick C.

Looking at today’s troubling times I cannot help but wonder about how to best prepare for them. I am new to this arena and in the last ten years. Yes its taken me that long, I have come to realize that being prepared is not being some Nut Case, but the very real, important, job of every family to ensure survival. Its too bad most of us are not even aware, or willing to acknowledge what is happening. Only in the last two years have I started to react to this and start preparing my family. I regret my “Head …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Paracord Belts

Sir: I’ve made a few paracord belts and would like to mention that not all paracord belts are the same. Some have fancy weaves and really look neat. (That was what I did with my first try.) But after completing that project I realized that in the event of that envisioned emergency, I would have to build a campfire, make some coffee and sit on a log for a considerable period of time undoing the braid of the belt and tying pieces together. What if I needed the paracord in a hurry? What my friend had fallen to a precarious …


Two Letters Re: Bugging Out Abroad

James: My wife and I traveled through Israel in 2007. For that occasion a lot of travel research and came upon the OneBag web site. OneBag proudly announces that there are two kinds of flight luggage: “Carry-on” and “Lost”. This site is a superb resource of tested information on compact and efficient one bag travel for extended periods. Through them I discovered an excellent US made carry-on/backpack by Mountain Equipment that masquerades as handled carry-on with hidden frame, full size shoulder straps and belly band . Unzipping side zippers reveals the shoulder straps and belly band. The bag converts in …


Bugging Out Abroad, by J. in The East

For the preparation conscious world traveler, life abroad means a unique set of considerations must be made to the manner in which you travel/live abroad.  After all, the primary objective of the prepper abroad should be to get back to their family and home.  It was, at least for me.  My time living in Asia during the outbreak of Swine Flu brought the fragility of the infrastructure I was living in to the forefront of my attention and garnered in me an appreciation for the self reliant upbringing my parents instilled in me and made all too frightening the prospect …


Fire: Your Partner in Survival, by D.P.

Eons ago when people lived in caves, one of their most important tools was fire.  Its ability to keep them warm, cook food, provide light, and scare away predators was of the utmost importance.  I’m not going to go so far as to say that a societal upheaval will mean returning to a stone age existence, but when the systems that keep our everyday life humming along go down, fire will once again have a huge impact on our ability to survive. This fact was brought home to my wife and me two winters ago, when a February blizzard knocked …


Pat’s Product Review: Benchmade CSK II – Combat/Survival Knife

As long-time SurvivalBlog readers know, I like big knives – be they folders or fixed blade. I believe bigger knives can do most chores easier and better than smaller knives can. Now, that’s not to say, that big knives can do all things better than smaller knives can – such is not the case. In a survival or combat situation, you need a knife that is capable of handling all manner of chores. Enter the Benchmade Knives CSK II, Combat/Survival fixed blade knife.   The Benchmade CSK II is one of those “just the right size” knives, for all manner …


Letter Re: The Perpetual Light

JWR: Thank you for all you do. I recently found SurvivalBlog, and have enjoyed it immensely!   I live close to Wiggy’s [in Grand Junction, Colorado]so when I read about their Amazing Perpetual Light on SurvivalBlog, I thought I would give it a try. This morning, I purchased three of their 4”x6” mini size. They only weigh 10.84 grams, 10.85 grams, and 12.15 grams each (for comparison, about the same weight as the combined weight of 3 or 4 pre-1982 copper pennies). I let them charge in the sun (it is actually mostly cloudy, and hailing) for 30 minutes, and …


Letter Re: The Perpetual Light

James, The Perpetual Light [marketed by Wiggy’s] is in fact a resale of another company’s product, also made in the Grand Junction, Colorado area.  The other company is UVPaqlite.com.  I’ve had their products for close to six months now and I have been using them the entire time.  Some notes on the lights: 1.  The Glow in the Dark Spots (GIDS) are great to mark emergency gear.  I have one on the ends of several flashlights so I can find them if the power goes out.  I also have one on the end of my bed so I don’t walk …