Category: Field Gear

Two Letters Re: Hunter-Gatherer Mobile Survival

Hello, I’d expected Blue Sun’s letter to get some responses. I feel that Blue Sun mixed fact and fiction with his/her email, and I’m sure others had that impression. There will always be someone faster or stronger or a better shot. The best anyone can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In earlier days, when regional populations were much smaller, nomadic cultures subsisted fairly successfully. (Many Mongolians live the same way today, albeit now with satellite television.) Such a strategy for WTSHTF is fine, but honestly even the historical hunter-gatherers had larders from which to …


Emergency Prep for Travelers, by O.P.

In March I was traveling on business when the earthquake/tsunami struck Japan.  My brother was in Japan at the time on business travel.  My brother finally made it home five days after the earthquake struck.  Meanwhile I was in Israel when the rockets from Gaza started up again, and a bombing occurred at the Jerusalem bus stop.  We both travel considerably throughout the world, and have often discussed preparations during travel for emergencies.  My brother is less concerned about preparations at home, but our experiences have convinced him over time on the need for backup options when away from home.  …


Letter Re: Off-Grid Laptops

Dear Editor: I recently came across the announcement for a new upcoming product. With Intel creating Atom processors with lower and lower power consumption, Samsung was able to design a netbook with integrated solar panels. It immediately occurred to me that this would be an ideal solution for off-grid computing. You can archive thousands of books and references on a single hard drive, have some instructional videos, maps, and more. You may even run lightweight CAD programs that would give any aspiring designer a significant advantage in a recovering economy where no one else has access to any computational power. …


JWR’s Product Review: The Vest Guy Magazine Pouches

I recently bought a number of magazines pouches made in Utah by The Vest Guy. I was very impressed with their quality. Great materials, expert stitching, and dimensionally correct. The particular pouches that I bought are for the Saiga 12 shotgun (both box and drum magazines) in MultiCam camouflage. But the company also makes a very wide variety of load bearing vests, duffles, drag bags, packs, and umpteen varieties of magazine pouches. Some of these appear unique. For instance, I noticed that they offer some X-Series .308 drum magazine pouches and FN PS90 pouch varieties that I haven’t seen from …


The Art of Getting Home, by Shattered

So you have successfully prepped for every possible SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation, your house is completely off grid, you’ve stockpiled enough chow to feed you and everyone you know for three full years and you have amassed a huge arsenal of assault weapons and ammunition that is sufficient to put even your toddler in tactical gear, body armor and small arms for the next ten years of sustained combat operations. Everything should be good to go right? So you’re sitting at work in your suit and tie and TEOTWAWKI just pops off, maybe it’s a rain of ICBMs hitting major …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Mil-Tac Knives & Tools M3 Tactical Folders

Many folks aren’t aware of Mil-Tac Knives & Tools, but they’ve been around for about six years now. Mil-Tac is owned and operated by Craig Sword, and I’ve known Sword since before he started Mil-Tac, when he was with another knife company. I’m happy to report, that I had a hand in helping Craig get Mil-Tac up and running. That’s not to say, I helped him physically start his company. Instead, Craig and I spent many, many hours on the phone discussing the idea of him starting-up a new knife company, and which direction it should go. I appreciate Sword’s faith in me …


Letter Re: Another Instructables Reader

Hi Mr. Rawles, Instructables.com is one of five web sites I visit on a daily basis (second to yours, of course), and I love seeing links to it from your blog.  I don’t know if you’ve seen the following entries, but they’re certainly handy in a pinch: Emergency Duct Tape field stretcher Paracord Rifle Sling Paracord Bandoleer Of course purpose-built stretchers, slings, and bandoleers would serve one best; but once the Schumer hits the fan, the next best thing might just be made from stockpiled duct tape and parachute cord! Best Regards, – Skip H.


Letter Re: Beyond Outdoor Survival

James,     As someone who has taken multiple week-long backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains, I noticed a couple of things in this article that I would like to address.  The first is the author’s advice on mountain shelters.  First of all, if you do decide to pick a cave for shelter please be aware that mountain lions are plentiful in the mountains and one may have already decided to make that cave its home.  I have literally walked within feet of a mountain line that was laying in its den in the middle of the day, a very unnerving …


Beyond Outdoor Survival, by Sarah M.

As a homeschooler, I enjoy reading books about survival techniques. I have to admit that I have never been in trapped in the jungle, stuck on Mount Everest, or lost in the desert (sometimes we homeschoolers do tend to get a little rambunctious and we wish we could just get lost for one day, just to test our knowledge). Nevertheless, I do know of many stories I could tell. But, that’s not why I am writing. I am writing to help homeschoolers (or other people who have some time on their hands) realize that they have an opportunity to prepare …


An Urban Camouflage Get Home Bag, by K.S.

As I live and work in a small city, and do not have a survival retreat to bail out to, over the years I have been giving much thought into how I would get home should an EMP or CME strand me away from home. I have looked at others suggestions such as small backpacks or laptop cases. I have read the debates as to what to wear to blend in while making your way home. I have had a few get home bags (GHBs) that held the things I needed, but I felt that they would look out of …


Letter Re: Mag-Lite D Cell LED Flashlights

Good Morning, Jim, I just wanted to pass on this information.  We bought a black Mag-Lite 2D Cell LED Flashlight from Wal-Mart for $33.88 a couple of weeks ago.[JWR Adds: I’ve seen the same 2-D Cell LED Mag-Lite advertised for a low as $20.88 at Amazon.com.] I would like to highly recommend this light as an inexpensive item to have in your kit.  It provides 114 lumens with an adjustable focus and effective lighting up to 298 meters. I can light up my driveway all the way to the bottom, approx. 125 feet. It is available in several colors including …


Letter Re: Rescue Repair Tape

Mr. Rawles: You recently posted this: Jeremy Pavleck over at Cool Tools recently recommended Rescue Repair Tape. It is a fusing silicone repair tape that has umpteen uses. It can even be used as a temporary patch for leaking radiator hoses. I recommend buying a roll for at home, and one for each of your vehicle tool kits. Jeremy is correct! This stuff is beyond awesome. It is waterproof. It insulates from electricity. It is heat resistant. It is easily removable but doesn’t come off unless you want it to. I have used it to improve grips on firearms (it …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Blackhawk Nightedge Knife

As I’ve mentioned numerous times in my knife articles, I like big knives. Big knives can accomplish more tasks than smaller knives can. And, in the case of using a fixed blade knife for survival purposes or military applications, I think bigger knives shine! However, keep in mind that, no single knife can accomplish all the tasks you may need a blade for. That’s why I carry several knives, as well as having fixed blade knives with long blades, as well as shorter blades. There is no “do it all” knife – you need several. If you are looking at …


Keeping Your Communications Private, by F.J.B.

In this age of continuing disregard for an individual’s privacy, it can be difficult to keep your communications private. Warrant-less phone taps, postal service mail tracking, RF scanners,  and random roadside searches will appear fairly tame once the strip-searches start at the mall. Of course, this is their goal but even non-government snoopers are out there scanning your ID, listening to your phone calls, and trying to hack into your email. Going somewhere? Who knows your schedule? Did someone overhear your plans? How can you know? What has happened to our right to privacy? Many people today are so beaten …


Letter Re: Dressing for Self Defense

Mr Rawles, I found A.Y.’s suggestions to be very astute and workable, and wish to add a few of my own. Underclothes: fencers over the years have pressed the bounds of stab- and slash-proof clothing. There are a number of SPECTRA fencing undershirts, that are of the same quality, if not better, as LEO anti-knife gloves. They also have the added bonus of being made with the express purpose of being stab proof. That said, still hurts like the dickens when one really gets gut stabbed. Having worn one in 90 degree sun, I can attest that not only are …