Category: Outdoor Survival

The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Readiness Checks – Part 1, by Michael X.

Hypothetically, (of course), assume for a moment that the proverbial fan has been hit. Now you have three days….or two weeks….or two months…until the consequences of the event hit where you are. Good luck guessing how long it takes to hit you. Are you as ready as you can be? Are you sure? How do you know? How and when it hits you, whatever it may be, may be based on three key things: the type/cause of disaster, your proximity to the disaster or populated areas, and the stability of your systems (electricity, water, fuel, and human support systems). THE …


BeaverCraft Glacier Bushcraft Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The Ukrainian-made BeaverCraft Glacier Bushcraft Knife has a razor-sharp, 4.25-inch, full-tang, Scandi-grind blade made of 1066 high carbon steel. The blade is 1.18 inches wide, and 0.13 inches thick at the base. The knife is 10.63 inches overall in length, with an unfinished European walnut handle. It comes with a nice leather dangler-form sheath. Although 1066 steel is not highly corrosion resistant, I did not experience any problems with rust throughout the testing period even though I used the knife under a wide variety of inclement weather conditions. With a price at the time of writing of $45 at beavercrafttools.com, …


Minuteman “K” Rocket Stove, by Thomas Christianson

The Minuteman “K” Rocket Stove is an outstanding biomass-fueled stove for grid-down situations or for recreational use. The stove is easy to light and easy to feed. It is easy to remove excess ash from the stove while it is in active use. And the stove provides highly effective heat output that is suitable for use with full-sized cookware. The stove cost $289.95 at the time of this writing at Minutemanstove.com, including 2 one-pound bags of Maya Stick fatwood fire starter tinder. If you live in an area that is rich in sticks, twigs, and similar biomass, the “K” stove …


Ghillie Kettle Maverick, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front If you want to boil enough water to make a cup or more of tea or other hot beverage as quickly and efficiently as possible using a handful of twigs, pine cones, or other dry biomass, a Ghillie Kettle may be the ideal tool for the job. It can have your water boiling in about 3 minutes or so. That gives almost-microwave-like preparation times in the field for just-add-boiling-water food and beverage options. Ghillie Kettles are handmade in the UK and come in three sizes. The Maverick can boil up to 2 cups of water …


ALPS Mountaineering Felis 4 Tent, by Thomas Christianson

Last Spring, my wife “Kari”, my daughter “Rivka”, and I were doing some initial planning for our summer camping excursions. In the course of that planning, we begin to discuss my tent. Rivka said that she wanted to borrow the old tent for a solo excursion that she had planned. I was not 100% comfortable with that idea. The tent had frankly seen better days. I was well acquainted with its quirks, foibles, flaws, and tricks. With that knowledge, I felt like I could safely use the tent for another season. But I just did not feel that I could …


Let’s Go Ice Fishing!, by Hollyberry

Back when I was living in New Jersey when reading about ice fishing in the colder states, I would shudder and say “not for me!” Well, now that I live in one of those colder places — Maine — I am one of the crazy people out there on the ice that I used to think were nuts! Ice fishing is fun and gets you outdoors. It feels good to be outdoors and moving around. People may stop by and see what is biting. We can usually spot deer and moose on shore. Eagles are perched in trees near the …


SAR Lessons for Preppers, by H.F.K.

In this article, I will relate some key lessons for preppers that I have learned as a Search And Rescue (SAR) worker and volunteer.  I tell people that we live in a wonderful and fun place, as long as you never forget that the wilderness is always trying to kill you. They think I’m being funny. But s a member of both a county sheriff’s SAR Team and a Mountain Rescue Association-affiliated team, I can tell you that I am being completely serious. Any prepper should approach life very similarly to how they would approach a backcountry hiking trip. The …


TOPS Fieldcraft 154 Stainless Fixed Blade Knife, by Thomas Christianson

BLUF The TOPS Fieldcraft 154 Stainless fixed blade knife is a rugged tool for use in the field or around the yard. It has a 4.75 inch, full-tang, Scandi-grind blade made of 154CM stainless steel. With a price of $295 at the time of this writing, it is not cheap in terms of either price or quality. It has earned a place among my gear as my go-to camping knife. Background A little more than a year ago, I tested the TOPS Mini Scandi Folder 4. The resulting review was later published in SurvivalBlog. I liked the Mini Scandi Folder …


Glock FM81 Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Before Gaston Glock ever designed his first handgun, his company made knives and other equipment for the Austrian Army. One day in 1980, Glock was at the Austrian Ministry of Defense to talk about the sale of some of his products. While he was there, Glock overheard a conversation about the need for a new handgun design to replace the aging, World-War-II-era P38s that the Austrian Army was still using. He decided to design a handgun to meet that need. He bought samples of all the semi-auto handguns that he could find. He disassembled them, and studied how they functioned. …


ESEE Zancudo Framelock Folder in D2, by Thomas Christianson

Imagine that you are in the jungle of Peru. It is 1997. You are tired. You are hungry. You are dirty. You are wet. You are a client of Randall’s Adventure & Training School of Survival. They are working with the Peruvian Air Force’s School of Jungle Survival to prepare you for situations you might face if you are ever stranded in the jungle. During the ensuing decades, Randall’s Adventure & Training has continued to train outdoorsmen, law enforcement officers, military contractors, search and rescue personnel, and a host of others in survival skills. Along the way, they have designed …


Cold Steel Leatherneck SF Field Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Clearly inspired by the Marine “Knife, Fighting Utility” of World War II and beyond, the Cold Steel Leatherneck SF takes a classic concept and improves upon it. The German D2 steel blade of the Leatherneck is a significant upgrade from the 1095 carbon steel of the original, as is the Kray-Ex handle that replaces the stacked leather washers of the original. During my testing I found the Leatherneck SF to be a sharp and durable knife that was especially useful in firewood processing, gardening, and yard care.


Leatherman Sidekick Multi-Tool, by Thomas Christianson

The Leatherman Sidekick is a well-made multi-tool with a nice selection of features. I found it to be just slightly larger than I would prefer for pocket carry. I would highly recommend it for belt pouch, pack, tackle box, or similar carry. The Backstory Last Spring, the Youth Ministry Leaders at our church gave me a gift card to a sporting goods store. It was an expression of appreciation for the oversight that I was temporarily providing to the youth ministry. I was deeply touched. I had been greatly blessed by observing the ministry of the leaders to the young …


Getting Ready For Winter in a Northern Climate, by Hollyberry

It may now be summer but it’s time to think ahead to those cold weather months. It has been said that in Maine there are only two seasons: winter, and getting ready for winter. Winter is beautiful in Maine with the white snow, blue sky, and evergreens. Winter is also dreaded by most people but a little preparation can go a long way in making it easier. It’s also a great time to get outside and enjoy the crisp, clean air (as snot freezes to the side of your face). Its soooo tempting to just forget about winter and head …


Minuteman Rocket Stove, by Thomas Christianson

God created man in His own image. One way that mankind reflects God’s image is through creativity. That is why observing creativity gives us such joy. It reveals a little bit of what God is like. I remember feeling that joy the first time I saw a Swiss Army Knife and the first time I saw a Leatherman Multi-Tool. These things are small reflections of the creativity of the Maker of human eye, the running cheetah, and the towering oak. Recently, I had another moment of joy when I first ran across the Minuteman Rocket Stove online. I thought it …


Thyrm Pyrovault Lighter Armor, by Thomas Christianson

Thyrm Pyrovault Lighter Armor encloses a Zippo lighter insert in a sturdy waterproof polymer case. In addition to making the insert waterproof, the case slows fuel evaporation from classic liquid-fuel inserts, so that the time between fillings can be measured in weeks rather than in days. The case can be opened and the insert operated with one hand. It greatly enhances the usefulness of the Zippo lighter insert. At the time of this writing, the Pyrovault Lighter Armor was available from Thyrm for $29.99. The Backstory On October 10, 2021, SurvivalBlog published my article about using a sleeve cut from …