Yes, No, and Maybe – Batoning, if you don’t know, is the technique of driving a blade through wood by repeatedly striking the back of the tool with a wooden baton. Yes, Baton Away! Made to baton – Some knives are made to baton. Froes and Japanese Natas are knives designed to be batoned. These …
Night Navigation Without a Compass (Northern Hemisphere)
Have you ever wondered how you might navigate at night without a compass? Or perhaps the compass you have is damaged or can’t be seen in low-light conditions. I will outline 3 methods of night navigation that can help out. Just like in many aspects of survival, there is no “one size fits all” solution, so it’s …
Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Harvest Calendar for Ohio
In an effort to expand the knowledge of wild plants for edible and medicinal uses, I will be recording when I find useful plant parts in season here in NE Ohio. I will be updating harvest times with better accuracy as I’m able to gather my data. My primary goal here is to record seasonal availability, …
ALONE: The Best 10 Item Kit?
Alone season 5 (Mongolia) premieres June 14th, 2018. So naturally, it got me thinking about the 10 individual items I would take on Alone. I’ve had many discussions with like-minded folks around the items and after much deliberation, I came to a consensus. I will outline the 10 best items to have on Alone and …
DIY Ranger Beads (Pace Counting Beads)
Ranger beads are a set of 14 beads used to calculate the distance traveled between 2 points. They can greatly improve your travel accuracy when used in conjunction with a map. This useful navigation tool that can be used to create a map of coordinates when no map is available.
ALONE: Survival Gear List and Prohibited Items
Here is the list of items each Alone contestant is given, the master list from which they can choose their 10 individual items and the list of prohibited gear items. [Last updated for Season 4] Standard gear includes clothing, protective gear, safety equipment, camera gear, and some survival gear. Individual gear includes shelter, bedding, cooking, hygiene, …
Budget Bushcraft: Gear for the Common Man
Whether you are new to bushcraft, on a tight budget, or just a gear junkie this list of proven budget-friendly gear is worth checking out. These are honest recommendations from my own experiences. Many of these items remain in my bushcraft and survival kits today. I will continue to update this list as I come …
The Best Survival/Prepper TV Shows
If you’re like me, it’s not too often you find a television show worth devoting your time to. Survival type shows are about the only TV I enjoy enough to put my phone down. So I’m assembling a list of the survival show that I’ve enjoyed. This is a work in progress. I will update …
The Best Survival/Prepper Movies
Looking for an extensive list of survival and apocalyptic movies? Then look no further. I’m outlining the movies I’ve enjoyed below. Whether it’s from the dawn of film or much more recent. I hope you find this film catalog useful. This is a work in progress. I will update this post as I become aware of …
Battle Horse Knives Brumby Knife Review
A versatile belt knife, the Battle Horse Knives “Brumby”, is a great size for all-around use. The scales have a thinner profile, by design, then many knives of its size. It’s plenty comfortable for a variety of handholds and tasks. Initial Impressions Upon the first feel of the Brumby, I was impressed by the quality …
SURVIVE! Knives GSO-3.5 Knife Review
This little knife is ready for action with its classic blade shape and ergonomic handle scales. Survive’s Great attention to detail and subtle refinement are what bring Survive Knives to the top of my “go-to” blade pile. Initial Impressions It’s small but mighty. The ergonomics are comfortable, but not perfect, in my large-sized hands. The classic design is perfect …
DIY Field Repair Kit
While I believe in checking and maintaining gear before you head out, sometimes failure is inevitable. Carrying just a few small repair items can save the day if your gear happens to fail you. If possible I find it best to address gear issues as soon as they become apparent, ignored problems only tend to …
Pathfinder Gathering 2015 Overview And Takeaways
The 2015 gathering has been written into history. Knowledge was shared, skills were passed down and all is well. The pathfinder community grows larger and stronger with each passing year. If you missed the annual pathfinder gathering fear not the 2016 gathering has already been confirmed.
A Pathfinder Gathering Gear Guide
I’d like to provide some insight for those wondering what they should consider bringing to a Pathfinder Gathering. There’s no set list of required gear but you’ll want to bring the 10 Cs, a bit of food, some basic camping equipment, and well… allow me to expand on the details – please read on.
The Weapons of Wilderness Survival: Mindset, Know-how and Kit
Prologue ~ Have you ever been lost in the wilderness? (or thought you were?) It’s an unmistakable feeling – often of fear, helplessness, and regret. Being lost can cause a panic response that often leads to a series of bad decisions. Pushing yourself too hard for too long, not taking in nourishment, making rash decisions, …