Category: Field Gear

Review: Carson Mini Aura NV-200 Compact Night Vision, by J.M.

Most readers of SurvivalBlog.com understand the advantage that having night vision optics can provide in an emergency or disaster situation. The ability to observe, move and evade in the darkness can provide a significant benefit, especially if you’re trying to find or avoid people that don’t have it. Night vision can make the difference in being able to safely find your way to your objective without advertising your position with a flashlight. Unfortunately, most night vision solutions are typically both expensive and bulky, making it difficult for most people to carry one with them as part of their everyday carry …


Lifesaving Tourniquets, by A.P.

OBJECTIVE In this article, I will explain the life-saving benefits of the proper application of tourniquets, selection, placement.  I hope to clear up some myths about tourniquets, and explain the actions that need to happen after applying a tourniquet. Along the way, I will introduce some medical terminology to better communicate and to impress your friends. Anyone can apply a tourniquet. While you do not need any official or special medical certification or training, you do need to understand how to properly use one. This article, while informative, is no substitute for hands-on training and practice. A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY My …


Another Get Home Bag Approach – Part 2, by G.P.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Medical concerns Note: This is not actual medical advice, simply a description of military methods. I am not a medical professional and if I were, I’d still have no idea of your needs, conditions, capabilities, and allergies. I have a trauma kit, aka blowout kit, in my bag. The kind of situation that might leave you stranded far from home might also expose you to trauma, immediately or in the aftermath. Trauma is something unexpected. If you saw it coming, you’d most likely avoid it. This is a whole topic of its …


Another Get Home Bag Approach – Part 1, by G.P.

Three fine articles have gave been posted in SurvivalBlog lately on the subject of Get Home Bags. First, J.M. addressed the question of getting back home if stranded at a distance by using exact planning. Second, St. Funogas described a more general plan that focused on the basics of minimal equipment and keeping up calorie intake. Last, J. Smith advocated for good-quality clothing and equipment and aligning priorities with resources. J.M. approached the problem as an ultralight (UL) or super-ultralight (SUL) hiker. The problem set was narrowly defined: maximum distance, various possible routes and start points, range of weather conditions, …


CRKT Tueto Knife, by Pat Cascio

One of the things I like about the cutlery and other products from CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool) is that they are always offering something a bit “different” or “unique” to put on the market. Many of their knives are a collaboration between CRKT and some very well-known custom knife makers. When they do this, you are getting the production version of a custom knife design, and it is near-custom when it is manufactured, at a fraction of the price of the custom model. I used to design and collect custom knives – most were fixed-blade, and I can …


Altus Stealth 28 HTBT Earbuds, by Thomas Christianson

I was recently able to test a pre-production prototype of the soon-to-be-released hearing protection Altus Stealth 28 HTBT Earbuds. The earbuds are scheduled to be released in April, 2022. They offer an attractive form factor that is well designed to provide superior comfort and ease of use. The electronics in the prototype unit that I tested were okay, but could be improved upon. Altus promises better performance in production versions of the unit. The Backstory In December of 2021, SurvivalBlog posted my review of the Axil GS Extreme Earbuds. I found them to be excellent earbuds, but a bit pricey, …


Review: The Siege Belt

As the Senior Editor of SurvivalBlog, I don’t have the opportunity to write many product reviews. Most of that fun is reserved for our two Field Gear Editors. But I recently received a sample of a new product that captivated me, so I decided to conduct the review test, myself. It is called The Siege Belt.  It is a new product that is made by the same folks who manufacture the sturdy Siege Stoves. (You probably recall their name, as one of our advertisers.) Proviso: I’m not an attorney. Do not consider any of the following as legal advice.  Consult …


One Bug Out Bag Approach – Part 2, by J. Smith

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) For a 3-season blanket, I have a Snugpak Jungle Blanket. It is a modern version of the “woobie” poncho liner that is loved by American soldiers. It is anti-bacterial, windproof, and water-resistant. If you prefer the good-old woobie, then go for it. For an emergency blanket, don’t bother with the cheapo ones. Get an SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) emergency blanket. Its construction using metalized polyethylene instead of mylar makes it much stronger, quieter, and will not shred apart. For a poncho, I suggest the US Style Helikon-Tex poncho. It is waterproof and …


One Bug Out Bag Approach – Part 1, by J. Smith

I would like to share my thoughts on the creation of a Bug Out Bag. (Or “BOB” for short.) I have refined my BOB based on my own camping experience, and the experience of others, especially survivalists and wilderness campers on Youtube. (The real ones, not phony Bear Grills types, LOL.) I will give credit for their ideas where it is due. A BOB is a personal thing, it should fulfill your short-term needs and, if you can spare the weight, a couple luxury wants. Additionally, you also have to consider the people you are bugging out with, such as …


Some Initial Guerilla Warfare Lessons From Ukraine

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world is witnessing true Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW). According to standard references such as the Infogalactic Wiki, 4GW has these elements and characteristics: Complex and long term Employs terrorism as a tactic A non-national or transnational base – highly decentralized A direct attack on the enemy’s culture, including genocidal acts against civilians. All available pressures are used – political, economic, social, and military Occurs in low-intensity conflict, involving actors from all networks Non-combatants are tactical dilemmas Lack of hierarchy Small in size, spread out network of communication and financial support Use of insurgency …


Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm, by Pat Cascio

META: Another new acronym. It drives me crazy with acronyms for so many things. Acronyms help save time when communicating with someone. That is, if they are schooled in the terminology with certain things. The military and police find that important. However, META is a new one to me. It doesn’t refer to the new name for the Facebook company or The Metaverse. Rather, it stands for Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, and it refers to the trigger on the Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm pistol. The acronym from Springfield pretty much explains it all. They claim that this trigger is …


Sanitation for Survivalists, by Tunnel Rabbit

This article is an introduction to hygiene and sanitation for families, small groups, and communities. During early wars, dysentery was by far the cause of most of the combat ineffectiveness in the field. It can debilitate armies. Second to dysentery, were trench foot and frostbite. Sanitation begins with personal hygiene, and is important regardless of group size. Individual habits contribute to the health of others. We do not need to be spreading disease among ourselves and becoming sick and inffective. The broader issue of sanitation must be addressed and practiced at the group level. Having lived in austere conditions for …


An Ultralight Get Home Bag – Part 5, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Seasonal Considerations One of the problems with planning any kind of self-contained outdoor survival kit for New England is that you have to be able to handle a wide range of weather conditions, including really cold and wet winters. Things like thunder snowstorms, freezing rain, blizzards and sub-zero temperatures aren’t uncommon, and if you’re not prepared for the worse than you’ll probably fail (translation: die). I don’t want to get into too much detail on the background for my decisions, but if you’d like to read more I had another article published …


An Ultralight Get Home Bag – Part 4, by J.M.

(Continued From Part 3.) Information/References I firmly believe that one of the keys to surviving almost any situation is having the right information, so I tried to include enough of the right information sources to get her through her journey. Fortunately, she has a decent cell phone in a rugged case, so she can use that in most scenarios. Here’s what I recommended: Rand McNally maps (2.5 oz./ea., 5.0 oz. per trip) – These are hardcopy state-level plastic coated maps. They’re not as detailed as topo or Delorme Atlas and Gazetter maps, but they’re a lot lighter and more compact …


An Ultralight Get Home Bag – Part 3, by J.M.

(Continued From Part 2.) Food This was one of the toughest areas to address – I didn’t want her to have to do things like hunt, fish, trap, or forage on the way, since those take a lot of time and can be very dependent upon the season, but 7 days’ worth of food is heavy and bulky so I proposed an alternate approach for her. Since she takes a suitcase and stays overnight for any trip that’s not immediately local, I recommended that she only keep 3 days’ worth of food in the backpack and bring another 4 days’ …