Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: Standardizing with DeWalt 18 VDC Power Tools

Dear James: As a builder, I rely on 120 VAC current for everything, including charging the dozen or so cordless tool batteries that we use daily. I recently purchased a DeWalt 12VDC “car charger” and am in the process of streamlining my cordless tool collection. I have a bunch of different tools and batteries from a variety of manufacturers, which I’m liquidating. In going to an all-DeWalt power tool collection, I now have the ability to charge all of my batteries (regardless of voltage) from a PV panel and voltage- regulated jump pack. I’m sure other tool manufacturers offer car …


Turning the Corner, by F.J.B.

Today there seems to be any number of reasons for the average American to turn the corner towards preparedness and being self-reliant.  Back in 1993, I would have been able to give you just as many reasons based on my observations through the 1980s.  Not surprisingly there are twice as many reasons for the average man to not start around that corner.  The reasons I have heard the most include the cost factor and objections to living so primitively.  Simply put: today’s average American is too poor and soft to endure hardships like camping, physical labor, and no TV.  These …


A Practical, Full Spectrum Suburban Survival Plan, by JIR

Survival planning can be overwhelming and a lot of the advice you get is not practical or compatible with our lifestyles. A lot of us choose, or are forced to live in the crowded East Coast far too close to cities to survive TEOTWAWKI. I dare say, a lot of SurvivalBlog readers live in suburbs just outside medium to large population centers. Many of us have jobs that don’t migrate to small towns and would face a substantial loss of income if we moved away from our livelihoods. Some of us like our current lives and feel that hunkering down …


Plentiful Water, Right at Your Feet, by Matt H. in Washington State

I want to bring up a topic that should be critical to those trying to prepare. I am one of the folks that wants to survive in place in a suburban environment. The serious weak link in any survival program is that of water. We have all read the endless articles about finding and preparing potable (drinkable) water. The endless stories of filtering, boiling, bleach-treating. I believe one area has been overlooked. Proviso: The following is presented for educational purposes only, and should only be considered in life and death situations! Can I tell you all a little about my …


Optics — Seeing Is Believing, by Littlebird

When you think of all of the needed equipment during or after an emergency, I am willing to bet that optical devices aren’t at the top of the list.  We will think about and plan for just about everything except seeing what is around us.  While pondering things to prepare for, I had the thought: What would be some items that would take some doings to replace?  While it is highly doubted that FEMA would come to your rescue I am almost certain that they will not arrive carrying the items that I’ll point out. Glasses If you wear glasses …


Product Review: Triple Eight Professional S.O.L. Knife, by Michael Z. Williamson

This tiny knife is a very durable piece of hardware. Construction is of steel, with a hard phosphate or oxide finish. The pivot is adjustable with a spanner wrench, very smooth and has slick bushings. The lock is of the rotating handle design, with strong pins to hold the blade rigid when open. The handles swing easily open or closed, and remain in place in the hand without slipping. The finish survived being dropped on a tile floor unmarked. The handle did open a fraction—the detent is fairly light. As can be seen from the photos of the knife, it’s …


Thoughts on the Bug Out Bag, by Tugboat

When I think on the “Bug out Bag” I am not thinking of a basic survival kit. The survival kit is designed to be small, portable, and with you whenever you venture out into the woods. The bug out bag is a larger version of the same but designed for a totally different scenario. When you know you are going to be on your own for an undetermined amount of time. First off it will be larger than a survival kit; usually a small backpack or duffle will suffice to carry all you will need for an extended stay away …


Letter Re: 550 Cord–The Use of Arts and Crafts for Survival and Practical Tasks

Mr. Rawles and SurvivalBlog Readers, I am a newly dedicated reader and have had an interest in your contests since day one. I have a few skills I’ve learned in life (hunting, fishing, marksmanship, tracking and writing) but the newest one is macramé. This is the art of weaving knots to make beautiful and often decorative pieces and is just a craft some folks use to entertain themselves. I’ve combined both of these and applied one more purpose for the art: rope-making, belt-making and strap-making. All three of these have occupied my time overseas for almost a year now. I’ve …


Meet the Saiga Family, by Brett G.

Your needs when the SHTF will vary greatly, yet some needs rank higher than others. Of course there will be many considerations at any point on your journey, in every circumstance, regardless of the cause (earthquake, flood, volcano, terrorist attack, storm, riots, etc). In any situation the considerations will certainly include a need for food, water, shelter, body armor and helmets, vehicles, fuel, heating, medical supplies, land for security and for growing future food, and such. There is no intention to downgrade the importance of those items – yet it is my intention to get you to think about some …


Letter Re: A True TEOTWAWKI Flashlight

Hi Jim, I just heard about this, and although expensive it sounds like the perfect long term TEOTWAWKI light: The 5.11 Tactical ‘light for life’. It is a Capacitor/LED flashlight. Here are the basic specifications: 90 second recharge time 12 VDC recharging 2 hour run time (step down 90/60 lumen – 1 hour each) 270 lumen peak (90 normal) 135 year life span 100 yard throw Thanks, – Greg W.


Letter Re: Advice on Pistol Holsters

Jim, One more small tip on holsters, specifically the Blackhawk holsters with the single finger tension release. As an NRA Instructor who’s taught many handgun shooters, I’ve seen problems with the release when someone is under stress, as in a practical range exercise. One of my fellow instructors showed me a small addition to the holster, which I have retrofitted on all of mine. Simply take a small piece of stair tread tape, sometimes called skateboard tape (which is essentially sticky backed sandpaper), and attach it to the area of the release that needs to be depressed to release the …


Three Letters Re: Advice on Pistol Holsters

Jim, In response to the question on holsters: A couple of years ago, I read a series of articles by a man recalling his experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He lived in a parish outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. After evacuating his family and letting the storm pass, he returned to repair/protect his home. Upon return, he found a checkpoint had been set up at the entrance to his cul-de-sac by some neighbors that stayed through the storm. His house was one of the 15 or so homes on this closed street. The homes were without power, had …


Letter Re: Advice on Pistol Holsters

JWR, I have been perusing the articles on SurvivalBlog.com on assembling a set of web gear. The part I am stuck on is selecting a holster. I have an LC-2 web belt that I want to put the holster on, which requires a holster that can be strapped on to the belt since most holster loops won’t slip over the plastic buckle. I’ve looked at the [Bianchi] M12 holster that is issued by the US armed forces for the [Beretta] M9 [and M1911], which is designed to strap onto the LC-2 belt. I also read on your site that you …


Letter Re: Concealing Gender in a G.O.O.D. Situation?

James, As a wife and mother of a pre-teen daughter, how important is it to hide the fact that we are female in a G.O.O.D. scenario? In considering this idea I realize that in the “flee natural disaster” situation it would be less of a concern. Perhaps it only applies to a bad TEOTWAWKI evacuation. What are your thoughts, ideas on this? When would it be necessary, how far would we need to go to disguise our female appearance, etc? We have thought of everything from mildly sticking to athletic/hiking clothing that are form fitting but don’t show skin, to …


Four Letters Re: Building Your Kits for Survival

James, I read with great interest the piece by Jeff M. on building kits. I was kind of taken aback by his statement “I just won’t be one of those guys who carries a purse”. I guess in these days I need to understand what a purse is because I am a professional person who goes to meeting all over the state in a suit and tie and I always have what my family calls my purse with me. I carry an old trusted backpack that contains my laptop, but also carries all of my immediate survival needs (knife, first …