Category: Field Gear

Letter Re: The Rocket Stove, Refined

Several times in items I’ve sent out or in live presentations I’ve mentioned the “Rocket Stove,” a simple stove concept worked on over the last 20 years or so at the Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove, Oregon (and elsewhere) by Larry Winiarski and others. The goal in refining this stove was to create a wood or charcoal – burning stove that would use the absolute minimum amount of widely available fuel to boil a given amount of water, thus minimizing fuel use and waste, and also smoke that could contribute to health issues for those tending, or in proximity …


Letter Re: The Importance of Testing “Dead” Batteries Before Recycling Them

James- I wanted to share a money saving tip that applies to inexpensively preparing for TEOTWAWKI. With so many digital devices depending on batteries these days, most of us are conditioned so that, when a device like a digital camera or other smart gadget tells us the AA or AAA batteries need replacing, we simply toss out the “dead” ones and put in fresh batteries. But are the batteries really dead? Usually, not all of them are. I have a handy little Canon digital camera that we use around the house for insurance documentation, family photo opportunities at parties, pictures …


Mike Williamson’s Product Review: Dead On Tools Annihilator Demolition Hammer

A friend on an Austrian gun board introduced me to the Dead On Tools Annihilator Demolition Hammer. Just the photo was enough to convince me to pick one up for a try. The balance is a bit forward, but there’s plenty of grip surface to choke up on if needed. The hammer end made short work of a 2” concrete block, and the chisel end’s impact split them readily. Note that it will need re-sharpened with a file from time to time. After the block, I tried a chunk of sandstone with some full swings. I got sparks and chipped …


Product Review: The Quest for a Truly Practical Rifle Sling, by CT in Texas

Over the last four years I’ve bought at least eight rifle slings. From the over the shoulder slings (which do not keep the weapon anywhere near ready) to complicated tactical slings. A year or two ago I ordered the “end all be all” of Tactical slings at the recommendation of a sales associate, then got it home and have had a hard time working that thing. It was complicated and I could not get it to work as described. Frankly, in a SHTF situation, I probably would have hog-tied myself with it, leaving myself bound, gagged and defenseless in the …


Letter Re: Gear and Book Recommendations

Mr. Rawles: I am a daily visitor to your site. Thank you for all that you do. Here are some products or vendors that offer exceptional value. Ragnar’s Ragweed Forge. Sells the Frost Mora, Swedish carbon steel knives. Plastic handled models about $10.00, including plastic belt sheath. K & M Industries, Inc. Heirloom quality, waterproof match cases. Machined from solid brass or aluminum, for about $20.00. Douk Douk pocket knives. Primitive little folding knives takes razor’s edge. Imported from France and overpriced everywhere on the Net. Any seller willing to take a reasonable mark-up could sell these knives by the …


Letter Re: Clothing and Shoes, Post-TEOTWAWKI

James, Okay, a year or three goes by, [after TEOTWAWKI]. My wife can sew, but where do you get cloth and thread? I love Goretex (since I live in Western Oregon), but where do I replace those great Hi-Tec boots? No one seems to be discussing what happens when a shoelace brakes after Schumer is in session. You can hardly find them now. Cloth – one will make a spinning wheel and loom after “the fan” has become clogged! All that I can recall is an anecdote about the early Oregon Trail, when the newly arrived – skinny and starving …


A Brief Critique of the Movie “The Road”

Introductory Note: I recently wrote this critique for British newspaper. For the benefit of my readers in the US, I’m posting it to my blog. – JWR The recently released movie The Road, based on the same-titled novel by award-winning writer Cormac McCarthy illustrated some classic blunders in bushcraft and tactical movement. Doubtless, many of these gaffes were intentional–I suspect for the sake of drama, or to provide enough light for the night scenes. Here is a short list: 1.) Following main arterial roads.  In a post-collapse environment, major roads will become linear ambush zones.  To avoid trouble, “The Man” …


Letter Re: Marksmanship Training

Sir: My name is Kent, I’m an 11 year veteran of the Active Army and National Guard, and I’m currently serving my third overseas tour, in Iraq. I have been in the Infantry for the entire time in the military, and I’ve taken it upon myself to seek outside training where available. I have been reading your blog off and on for the past year. One of the things that firearms proponents and enthusiast fail to mention a lot of is alternate shooting positions. Something I learned in Sniper school (even though I did not pass the course) is that …


Letter Re: Suggestions on LED Flashlights

Mr. Rawles, Just a suggestion about something you and your readers might be interested in. I’m not affiliated with the vendor in any way, just a very satisfied customer. 4Sevens‘ 2-AA Quark light is good for 30 days continuous on low, and a couple of hours at 200 lumens. These are by far the best LED lights on the market at this time. I hang around the flashlight-nerd subculture, and have 4Sevens lights in all my survival packs. Obviously, you can recharge LSD AA lights with solar chargers, and they’ll run off of regular AA and lithium AA batteries too. …


Six Survival Necessities That Don’t Fit in Your Kit, by BOB in S.A.

So it’s the end of the world.  No problem.  Don’t panic.  Just grab your handy bug-out kit, sit back with some popcorn, and try to make the most of Armageddon.  I just have one question for you: what in the world did you put in that bag that makes you so confident you’ll do any better than the unprepared masses around you?  (Don’t answer that… it’s a trick question!) Do you remember that old cartoon “Felix the Cat”?  There was a line in the theme song that went, “…whenever he gets in a fix, he reaches into his bag of …


Four Letters Re: Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) for the Survivalist

JWR, I’ve just done First Responder training because the school I go to, a good one, won’t let me jump right into EMT training without taking First Responder first. A gold-digging measure? You decide! I think it may be, but it’s a good policy too. I urge your readers to take a First Responder, a.k.a. CPR + Advanced First Aid. My course was $300. A cheapie way to do this would be to go on Amazon and get the book, but I highly urge a course. I plan to do EMT-1 then EMT-P and don’t expect to get paid for …


Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) for the Survivalist, by Cowpuncher

The SurvivalBlog thread on wound-clotting agents got me thinking about this subject and its apparent lack of dissemination amongst the “survivalist” community. I decided I would write about it. I know the recent military vets will probably have heard about it, and some (most) will have practiced it. Many will have used it in action. For the record, I received Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC or TC3) training in the beginning of the program, so any new information I have gleaned since 2002 is based on studying the protocols as presented in the SOF Medical Handbook and the Ranger Medics …


Letter Re: The Bosnian Experience, Part 2

Sir: The next thing that I would like to cover is mode of transportation. When the society collapses more likely you will have to leave your home. Having a 4×4 vehicle that is equipped with everything that you need to survive would be everyone’s choice for travel but that sometimes might not be possible. In the broken society there is no law. Everyone and everybody is a target. Traveling in the vehicle on the road or off the road is extremely risky. First, vehicles make noise and everyone can hear you. Second, vehicles are big and they can be seen. …


Letter Re: New British Camouflage Pattern Uniforms

James, It appears the Brits are upgrading to a new camouflage uniform to replace the venerable Disruptive Pattern, Marine (DPM) and in some instances, the #5 Desert Combat. Dubbed the Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP), it was developed by Crye Precision and bears a striking resemblance to their “MultiCam” camo. It looks like their will be a flood of the old DPMs on the surplus market in the near future. [JWR Adds: This release of surplus uniforms will undoubtedly be a boon to preppers. Be prepared to stock up when the prices drop at vendors like CheaperThanDirt.com.] Take care and God bless, …


Two Letters Re: Prepping for Fishing in TEOTWAWKI

James: This is in response to the articles on fishing. Depending on where you are, I would assume that everyone and his relations will be sitting on the bank and hoping for a fish to bite. Fishing is hit or miss, unless you have a boat and have spent a great deal of time on the water, you will starve to death waiting for a fish to bite. You will be sitting exposed and probably looking over your shoulder. I have a better solution and it is one that will work every time it is tried. Assuming you are operating …