Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: My Bug Out Bag Was a Blessing When the Tornados Arrived

JWR, Thank you for providing all the information in SurvivalBlog. It is truly a lifesaver. I live in Arkansas, and I’m sure you’ve seen the devastation the tornadoes have caused. This season is possibly the worst I’ve seen in the past 20 years that I’ve lived here. The tornadoes and severe weather have pummeled our state. Thankfully, when disaster strikes, neighbors help neighbors, strangers, and everyone in between. I wanted to tell your readers who haven’t considered the value of neighbors, who have a go-it-alone attitude, they are more valuable than all the gold you could stockpile. When the tornadoes …


Using Your Smart Phone as a Survival Phone, by Kelly H.

When preparing for any large-scale emergency or disaster scenario our initial tendency is to seek out the most basic necessities for survival: food, water, shelter. Those serious about survival expand these necessities to include protection, first-aid, mobility, etc. I believe one of the most important tools to include in any survival plan is a smart phone capable of offline card storage.   In my profession, I am attached to my smart phone. I depend upon it to work as much as my Leatherman while backpacking. I also know that during a large-scale emergency or a TEOTWAWKI scenario, a cell phone …


Pat’s Product Review: Smith & Wesson SD9

The first revolver I ever owned was a S&W Model 36, .38 Special 5-shot snub-nose. I remember getting it while visiting some relatives down in Kentucky – this was before the Gun Control Act of 1968, which made it impossible to purchase handguns in a state other than the one you reside in. You can now purchase handguns from a state other than the one you live, however, the transfer must go through a licensed FFL dealer in your own state, these days.   As I recall, I wasn’t a very good shot with that little S&W Model 36 snubby …


Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses

JWR, On a note to the mailorder glasses thread, for all of SurvivalBlog readers that are active duty military, reserve military, federal and local law enforcement, fire, EMS and those holding military retiree credentials, there is a couple other sites that I strongly recommend for buying very high quality eye wear for very discounted prices. The first site is USStandardIssue.com. They are the official site for Oakley military and government sales. They have a spin-off site: ESSeyepro.com. Both of these sites do make prescription sunglasses and Oakley makes regular prescription sunglasses. The ESS site also makes goggles (said to stop …


Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses

Letter Re: Inexpensive Mailorder Eyeglasses James, Just completed an order with Zenni Optical for a pair of “computer glasses” (as opposed to “reading glasses” for the tech age, I suppose) and I am very pleased.  For $11.90 with shipping and handling. I got a pair of glasses that I was able to customize for computer work.  You can hardly get a pair of generic Chinese-made readers from Wal-Mart anymore for that price.  I plan to make a bulk order of backup glasses for the family from them.  It took a while to get them, but it was within the timeframe …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Benchmade Marc Lee “Glory” Knife

Pat’s Product Reviews: Benchmade Marc Lee “Glory” Knife Make no mistake, I like big knives. I don’t care if they are folders or fixed blade knives, I like mine big. I’ve found over the years, that a big knife can do more than a little knife can, in most situations. Don’t get me wrong, small knives have their place, too. However, I’ve just found that a big knife can do just about all I ask of it on a daily basis.   The new Benchmade Knives, Marc Lee “Glory” Knife, was made to commemorate US Navy SEAL, Marc Lee, who …


Small Campstove Cooking, by R.E.

There are situations where the difference between a hot meal and a cold one is literally life and death. A hot meal can stave off hypothermia, and bringing food to boiling can prevent disease. Fire is good, and using fire to cook is better. I used to do a lot of camping and hiking, and have vague ambitions of returning to those pursuits. Because of that, and because I like having alternate means for important resources, over the past year I have been doing a lot of research into methods of heating food and drinks when away from utilities… or …


The Power of Three, by Jerry S.

Since we have all been reminded of the principle the “two is one and one is none”, it brings me to the conclusion that being prepared is really about “having a backup for your backup”.  So if “two is one”, then “three must be two”.  That has led me on a quest to discover at a minimum, three different ways to approach the problems we’ll face in a disaster situation.  If you are new to prepping or just want a different perspective of looking at things, maybe this will help.  To get us started, the first thing you should be …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Leatherman MUT Multi-Tool

Several weeks ago, I talked about some of the multi-tools on the market. I mentioned that SurvivalBlog readers should avoid the no-name, no-brand of multi-tools on the market. They are junk, and you don’t want to have to depend on one of these tools to save your life if TEOTWAWKI hits – that’s not the time to discover the cheap look-a-like multi-tool won’t do the job you ask of it.   My contact person at Leatherman alerted me to the new Military Utility Tool (MUT) that Leatherman is now producing. “Oh great,” I thought to myself, “she’s playing mind games …


Letter Re: Buying Military Surplus Directly

Mr Rawles,     Thanks for hard work and invaluable resources. I have a suggestion buying surplus military equipment. It appears the government liquidators mentioned have some sort of fees involved. Anyone can go to the DoD’s Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service web site.  This eliminates any middleman and lets you look at available equipment online.   In addition and maybe more usefully, every military base that I have served on or visited had a Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO), and they hold regular sales, some walk-in like a surplus store and others by sealed or open lot bidding. …


Caving Caveats, by S.B.

I’m an amateur caver, all the caves I know of I found through a local college caving course which I’ve taken a few times. We learned from our instructor, a former Marine, with lots of experience, that most cavers are very zealous when it comes to locations of caving sites. Largely because graffiti pop-culture day-hiking tourists are so devastating to pristine cave environments, serious spelunkers will not share that information beyond their associations. I would not expect to find that kind of information resource online. Serious cavers simply won’t breach their own operational security (OPSEC) to do that. IF anyone were …


Pat’s Product Reviews: Cold Steel Knives

I’ve carried a pocket knife of some type, ever since I was about six years old. Growing-up in Chicago, meant you were either going to take care of yourself, or become a meal for the next predator on the mean streets. There was a time, when I was a kid, that it seemed like everyone carried a pocket knife. I can remember going to elementary school, and most of the guys I went to school with carried pocket knives – in school! The police weren’t called, and you weren’t expelled from school, for carrying a “weapon.” It was just part of …


Pat’s Product Review: Don’t Buy Junk!

When I started writing for SurvivalBlog, I told readers that I wouldn’t review junk. I don’t want to waste my time, or yours, reviewing junk. When you buy junk, you have to buy it again and again. When you buy quality, you are buying the best. Jim Rawles asked me to write about some junk – to help readers avoid it.   I’m like everyone else, I like a good deal, especially on guns and knives. I also like a good deal on military and survival gear, and like everyone else, I occasionally fall for something that is too good …


Pareto’s Law and How I Survived a Real Disaster With a Survival Cache: Learning How to Learn, by David H.

In cold weather climate emergencies, one does not have the luxury of bumbling around with unfamiliar, time consuming, or downright questionable strategies for securing shelter, food and water. One’s gear must not be delicate or high maintenance, and one’s plan must be founded in strategies that have been thoroughly tested and improved upon. If one is ill-prepared or caught off guard, the cold will quickly strip away heat, water, and life.  Among some friends, there is a yearly tradition of heading to Quebec, over in Canada, where we go winter camping for about 2-3 weeks or so. Childhood friends now …


Letter Re: IWB Holsters and Negligent Discharges

Dear Editor: You recently mentioned an article about a negligent discharge, involving a Glock pistol that was carried in a very worn-out holster of the inside-the-waistband (IWB) variety. It was titled: The importance of a good holster. To be fair, IWB holsters are very good. So are Galco holsters. So are Glocks. One must just identify the risk versus benefits of any holster. For whatever reason, the concealed carry crowd forgets that the IWB holster is NOT a tactical holster. The IWB holster is an excellent choice for those in the concealed carry group but it is not the only option. You get great concealment. Quick access …