This is the standard folder I carry in my belt BOB. It stays there, and comes out when cooking on all the camping trips. I have had this knife for about 10 years, and still love it. Knife enthusiasts have said that old-school Gerber steel is much better than the new stuff. I don’t know, and will not argue with them. The steel of this knife is good. It is stainless steel of some sort, sharpens easy, and holds the edge well enough. A few years back on one of my camping trips I thought I lost this knife, and replaced it with a Gerber AR 3.00 from Wal Mart. Then, after about 3 months, while cleaning my car, I found the Gator. Hooray! Both knives have their strengths and weaknesses, and the Gator would come out on top, in my opinion. The mechanism seems less prone to breakage than the AR 3.00, and the handle fits better. I cannot say anything about the blade, since both knives have served me well. The Gator has a lock-back mechanism, and a “handle made of a hard inner core of glass filled polypropylene, with Santoprene rubber molded and chemically bonded around it.” The grip is exceptional, even when hands are wet. This knife requires both hands for operation. I have tried flicking it open numerous times, and it just will not happen.

I purchased the Gerber AR 3.00 folder after a camping trip to Red River Gorge, when I thought I lost my Gerber Gator. I later found the Gator, but the AR 3.00 stayed with me because I like the pocket clip for every day carry. The blade action is incredibly smooth, and it has a satisfying “click” when locked into place. This is thanks to two Teflon washers on either side of the blade. Opening it with one hand is a breeze for me, thanks to the two thumb-studs. I have seen knives with better studs; some were simply larger, some had checkering to increase friction. I got the black non-reflective blade version from Wal Mart for about $30. The handle is not as comfortable as the Gerber Gator, but fits my hand well enough. I have used this knife on more than one occasion at work to cut fruit, bread, and meats, and it has retained the edge very well. Some purists may say that Gerber knives are not what they used to be, but for the price, AR 3.00 is a good purchase.

Three of the Aquamira Frontier Filters arrived earlier this week. I bought them as a backup, and to put one each in our BOBs. Here is an exert from Aquamira’s web site:

The Frontier Emergency Water Filter System is ideal for hiking, travel, and emergency preparedness. It is the perfect addition to your 72 hour emergency kit. One unit will filter up to 20 gallons (75L) of water. Tests indicate that the Frontier Filter will remove 99.9% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The Frontier Emergency Water Filter System is also easy to operate, just attach and expand the straw, submerge the filter end into the water source, and drink through the straw.

Ultra light and compact, the Aquamira Frontier Emergency Filter System weighs less than one ounce and easily slips into a day pack, shirt pocket or travel luggage and is always ready when you need it. The Frontier Filter is the ideal alternative to heavy, bulky and expensive pump filtration units when space and weight are primary factors. Activated carbon helps reduce waterborne chemicals and improves water taste. Use the Frontier Emergency Water Filter System to drink from any bottle, cup or directly from water sources.

I have not used this yet, and don’t intend to unless an true emergency comes up. I do not like to use, then store, then reuse water filters. Especially something as small as this. Back of the packaging states this filter will remove pathogens and contaminants up to 3 microns. This is not very good considering Giardia and Cryptosporidium are smaller than that. The Katadyn Vario filter can filter something as small as 0.3 microns. In an emergency I will take whatever is available, and for it’s size and ease of use the Aquamira Frontier “straw filter” cannot be beat.

Another great tool in anyone’s arsenal. The full size KA-BAR knife feels great in my hand. It’s well balanced, the stacked leather handle feels great in the hand. I got the half-serrated version on a whim, but it may serve some purpose in the future. Some people say that the leather handle gets slippery when wet, and may rot in humid climates. Let’s face it, I am not going to be in those extreme climates to see the handle rot and fall of the knife. My buddy has a full size KA-BAR, with the rubber/nylon handle, and it just does not feel the same in my hand. KA-BAR and Ontario knife company were the two original knife makers for soldiers in WW2 and after, so you can’t go wrong with either one. The 1095 steel is pretty standard for cutlery. It has .95% carbon, and holds the edge very well. It’s not as tough as 1055 steel, which is tougher, but does not hold it’s edge as well. The Cold Steel GI Tanto on my belt BOB has 1055 carbon steel for better durability.

Cold Steel has been in the knife business for as long as I have been using knives as tools while camping. I purchased the GI Tanto a few years back as an inexpensive all purpose camp knife. For $30 it has done a great job. I have cut small trees and branches to make forks for roasting sausages and marshmallows. It’s sharp enough to cut rope and cloth. I have not tried chopping anything large with it, because I believe there is a right tool for every job. For chopping either a hatchet or an axe should be used. To be really effective a hand saw is best. Anyway… this is a cheap instrument I am not afraid to dull, break or loose, and in a real survival situation it can be attached to a makeshift spear to hunt. It does not seem to hold an edge as well as some other knives I have used. The USMC KA-BAR seems to have better (1095 carbon) steel.

The two Swedish Trangia alcohol stove sets arrived today. (Check out Trangia.se for current production mess kits and stoves). Looks like both pots are coated with paint; some sort of heat resistant paint. I have poured maybe an ounce of denatured alcohol and lit it. The little legs inside go up, and press against the wind screen, so you can set pots on top of them. Vaporization took about a minute, without any wind. I boiled the smaller pot full of cold water, and the stove kept burning for a little while longer. This thing works great! Everything packs inside the pot, then the lid goes on top, then it all fits inside the wind-screen. Total weight without the alcohol fuel is about 2.75 pounds. This set is much more compact than my Coleman gasoline powered stove plus the Czech pot combo, and it weighs less. Definitely going in my regular camping pack, and the bug-out bag.

YouTube link shows how to use it

After some consideration I decided to purchase a water filter. I made up my mind after lugging a few gallon sized jugs of water to our campsite on more than one occasion. I was not sure whether to buy a MSR Sweetwater or the Katadyn Vario. Both were priced the same, both had similar water output and filter longevity. In the end, it came down to being able to switch from fast flow, to maximum filtration modes on the Vario.

I have used this filter a few times, and performance is pretty good. The one time I really used it in the field, I forgot to attach the float do the end of the pre-filter, and ended up clogging the ceramic disk filter so bad, that no water would flow out. After a rinse, it performed better, but still slower than a freshly scrubbed filter. Lesson learned, I now have the float at the end, so no muck is sucked up from the bottom. Water tastes great, I cannot tell the difference between tap water, store bought spring water, and water coming out of the Vario. Katadyn suggests to take the top off, rinse and scrub the ceramic filter to unclog the topmost layer. The filed maintenance kit comes with a scouring pad, extra O-rings, and silicone sealer. After a few uses, the O-rings have to be touched up with the silicone for maximum water seal. The output hose comes in it’s own plastic bag, so it does not touch any contaminated components. The Vario draws water into the filter on both strokes of the pump handle, up and down. This really ensures a constant water flow, you just have to make sure to pump slow and steady. There is a cap on the bottom that can be removed to screw the filter to any standard Nalgene bottle. Alternatively, the output hose can be connected to the output hose barb on the bottom. Third alternative is to stick the drinking tube from your water bladder inside the side opening of the cap, and fill it up.

A.K.A.: Leapers Assault Pack, Leapers Web Pack or UTG Web Pack.

I bought this pack at the end of the summer in 2007, and used it twice last season. This design is very comfortable. The padding on the shoulder straps is nice and thick, the back panel is padded, and the hip belt is wide. This is especially important because other packs I have seen have only a inch wide strap for the hip belt, and it’s uncomfortable to wear. Especially if you put load on your hips, and it cuts into the skin. UTG designed their hip belt to be 4″ wide, and it has padding inside. Not too much, enough to be comfortable. It has 3 rows of webbing for MOLLE or other web gear. Looks like only 2 (top and bottom) rows should be used for proper attachment of web gear, or maybe just the middle one. UTG used a pad of Velcro to attach the hip belt. It’s like and envelope, and the hip belt goes inside. Take a look at the pictures below to see what I mean. The hip belt can be removed completely.
(more…)

This is my second MOLLE Assault pack. The original one is first generation Woodland Camo version. I am using the Woodland pack as my BOB, and the Desert Camo version for 2-3 day summer camping trips. Both are my by SDS (Specialty Defense Systems). There are several differences between the first and second generation packs.

1. Shoulder straps are different
2. Gen 2 pack has a waist belt
3. Gen 2 large pocket has a zipper instead of draw-cord
4. Gen 2 has an additional small Velcro pocket on the outside of large pocket
5. Gen 2 has four cinch straps on the sides

Everything else is pretty much the same. Fabric, zippers, buckles and total volume are the same. This pack is constructed from 1000 denier Cordura. The fabric is vulcanized on the inside to make it waterproof. SDS used YKK self-healing zippers, glide easily, and do not break.
(more…)

I replaced the light bulb in my 10 year old MagLite 4D cell flashlight a few months ago. The light output seems to be about the same. Color of the new LED bulb is somewhat purple. The flashlight retains its adjustable focus, since the only thing that changes is the bulb itself. With the new LED bulb, the batteries should last a long, long time.

If you have a MagLite flashlight, I recommend this upgrade. There are LEDs for various sizes and voltages. MagLite has caught on to the LED market, and they now ship LED lights from the factory. The battery cost alone will be paid off if you use the new bulb; especially with a MagLite that lasts forever.