Gear Check

I just watched a nutnfancy gear check video on Youtube and thought I'd do an edc gear check on myself.  Personally I think I would get an "A" from old Nutn.  This load out is what I carry pretty much every day (i.e. I did not set this up so I could make this post).  The only thing I am missing is my lip balm, which I let my daughter use the other day and did not get back.

Flashlight - This is by far my most used item.  I doubt a day goes by that I don't use a light (particularly this one) multiple times.  The one pictured is my current favorite.  It's the Olight S15R Baton.  I prefer lights that have batteries that are easily purchased and so shy away from CR123's and the like.  The battery has a great run time and is rechargeable, but can easily be replaced with a standard AA.  The things I dig on this light are it's pocket clip (which is very strong and can be clipped to a hat bill), it's modes (several options from 1/2 a lumen up to 280 lumens), it's size (small enough for daily comfort yet big enough to be useful), and that you can lock out the on/off button so it will not be accidentally switched on in my pocket.

I honestly don't understand why anyone would not carry a flashlight when they are so light and useful.

Knife - The two things I have with me all day, every day, even when I'm sleeping, are my flashlight and knife.  The Spyderco Delica 4 is one of my favorites.  It weighs next to nothing and has an incredibly useful blade shape and size.  This gets used for everything from cutting strings off my clothing to cutting up cheese for my salad.

Multi-tool - For it's size, weight, and capabilities the Leatherman Squirt PS4 cannot be beat.  I've tried carrying bigger, more capable multi-tools but find I get tired of them weighing down my pants.  This little tool has pliers, a knife blade, scissors, screw drivers, and a file.  I mainly use it for the pliers and scissors.

Watch - I have worn a watch daily for probably thirty plus years.  I've tried other options but keep coming back to the Timex Ironman series.  Many folks use their phones to keep time but I find the simplicity of looking at my wrist easier.  I mainly use it to tell time, especially the indiglo feature at night.  I am very near sighted and this watch is what allows me to know what time it is in the middle of the night.

Handkerchief - There are two main reasons I carry a hanky daily.  One is because I have allergies and if no kleenex is available then my hanky is right there.  The other is for the possibility of wound care.  I have used my handkerchief (clean one) to help myself and others when there is blood flowing.  This is extremely helpful.

Firearm - I don't always carry a second magazine (although I should) but happened to have one today.  The gun pictured is my Glock 42 with a Crimson Trace laser, and a Pearce +1 grip extension.  This is Glock's .380 ACP.  I generally either have this or my 43 (Glock's single stack 9mm).  Many will scoff at the small firearms for their lower capacity of ammunition (6 plus one standard) but I honestly can't bring myself to carry one of my larger guns.  It is very hard to beat the 42 and 43 for concealability and comfort.  Since picking up these firearms, I went from carrying 25-50% of the time to virtually never not carrying.  I hope that I will never have to use a firearm to defend myself or anyone else.

Phone - Although not pictured (but taking the picture), I also almost always have my iPhone.  This is another important daily safety item.

There you have it.  What do you carry every day?  Are you prepared for the things that will or may happen?

~Rhyno

My EDC Kit

It's probably best to start out with my philosophy behind this edc (every day carry) bag. I wanted a system that could be easily transferred from varying larger bags - one that could be put in my daily office backpack, quickly added to a travel bag, carried out on the trail in a backpack or lumbar pack, or just simply grabbed on its own, with the idea that I would have the basic necessities always close at hand. My philosophy of use is a daily usage and basic survival kit - whether I need to bandage a minor cut, unchap my lips, clip my nails or even start a fire, purify water, and build a shelter. 

For these purposes I chose the Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer. Of course there is no way this will fit in any pocket but it works fairly well as an addition to my backpack. I appreciate the sturdy construction and the many options for internal organization. I would love for this kit to be smaller but then I'd have to sacrifice some of my gear choices. This is my current content:

BASIC TOOLS

Knife - Probably the most basic tool. I'm running the Cold Steel Voyager Tanto large. Tanto isn't necessarily my preferred style but Cold Steel's Triad lock is a beast. This knife may be the next best thing to a fixed blade. 

Flashlight - I've got the Foursevens Mini M2A in 2xAA. I prefer easy to find battery options like the AAA or AA. I also carry some extra batteries, 2xAA & 2xAAA. 

Multitool - Leatherman Juice S2 - a wide array of uses, from cutting to opening cans to tightening a screw to opening a bottle. Knife, scissors, pliers, screw drivers, can opener. 

Mini-Pry Bar - can't say that I use this all that much but it's just a cool little tool. If I need to pry something open or remove a small nail then this fellow can save then wear and tear on your multitool. 

Tweezers - they don't take up much space but they excel at removing splinters or grasping small items. 

Nail Clippers - clipping nails and anything else that needs clipped. 

FIRST AID

I don't have a very extensive edc fak but I try to carry bandages in varying sizes, neosporin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, benedryl, tampon, maxi pad, and iodine. The iodine doubles as water purification. I wrote the instructions on the bottle - 5 to 10 drops per liter and then wait 30 minutes. The feminine products are handy for my daughters in an emergency as well as they can be used in place of bandages if necessary. 

FIRE

Lighter - easiest method. 

Matches - UCO Stormproof Matches. Waterproof and windproof. These are great in adverse conditions. 

Firesteel - Light My Fire Sweedish Firesteel. 

Vaseline Cotton Balls - these take a spark easily then burn for about one minute. Great for getting kindling going. 

Fat Wood - resin impregnated pine sticks - another great fire starter. Can be shaved down, split into smaller sticks or even just lit as is. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Spork - Light My Fire Titanium Spork. Helpful in the wilderness as well as when eating in restaurants that only have plastic ware. 

Lip Balm

Paper - small Moleskine pad. Many uses - writing notes, starting fire, leaving messages, keeping track of details. 

Sharpie Permanent Marker 

Pen - Fisher space Pen. Great writing instrument. 

Trash Bag - 55 gallon heavy duty drum liner. Can be used to help make an emergency shelter (i.e. tarp), climb inside for a bivy sack, make a poncho, or merely hold things. 

Bandanna - blowing your nose, cleaning lenses, covering a wound, wiping sweat, straining water before purification, making char cloth, etc. 

Duct Tape - several feet wrapped around a plastic card. Beyond the obvious usage can be used as a fire starter. 

Signal Mirror - SOL. Includes the sighting instructions on the back. Great for emergency signaling. 

Emergency Whistle - pealess; another signaling option. 

Compass - Suunto A-30. 

Poncho - cheap Walmart poncho in the front pocket. Very thin and light weight. 

Paracord - around 50'. Almost limitless potential. Lanyards, bow drills, ridge lines, lashings, splints, etc. 

Paper Clips - can be bent into many shapes for many uses. 

Safety Pins - couple pinned in the liner of the bag. 

Breast Milk Bags - these seal up tight and can be used for storing lots of items as well as using for emergency water bags. They are super light and thin so don't take up much space. 

Floss/Tooth picks - helpful in cleaning your teeth. 

Aluminum foil - two foot square sheet. Cooking, food prep, surface protection, signal mirror, etc. 

Zip Ties - great for lashing anything together. 

Well that about does it. I'm sure things will change some with time, but with this small kit with me I feel like I have a lot of the major bases covered for every day use as well as basic preparedness. 

Get out there,

~Rhyno

One Knife to Rule Them All!?! - The Perfect Knife

I've been on the lookout for quite some time for my perfect knife. I'm not talking about an every day carry (EDC) pocket knife, like my Kershaw Skyline, but my perfect outdoor fixed-blade knife. The one knife that does it all - fine carving, batoning, chopping, food preparation, striking a fire-steel, etc - one that's comfortable to use, not too heavy, holds a good edge, and able to take a beating and still come out on top.  I want all this without breaking the bank. If possible, I would like to stay under $100. Maybe that's asking too much. Can any one knife fit that bill?

 

A few knives I've played with thus far are:

Ka-Bar Becker BK7

I really like the overall size of this one - big enough for some light chopping and plenty tough to baton. I took it backpacking last summer to New Mexico and it served me well. 

My two gripes about it though are that its heavy (I'm hoping to move to lighter weight backpacking) and its a bit big for finer carving tasks. 

Ontario RAT 3

I've not really used this one out in the field much but I've kept it by my wood burning stove and used it to baton wood to kindle my fire. I actually broke my first one doing this but Ontario replaced it. 

It's a bit short for much serious baton use and it's fat belly doesn't seem like it's helpful in finer carving projects. 

Mora Companion

I really like the Mora knives. They are wicked sharp, easy to sharpen, inexpensive, comfortable to hold, and great carvers. 

Some of the negatives are that they are not full tang (maybe more like 3/4) making me nervous for batoning, their spines are not well finished making them poor for striking a fire steel, and they are so light weight that they are pretty much worthless for chopping. 

Mora Heavy Duty Companion

This is my most recent purchase. It has the same basic info from the standard Companion, just a substantially thicker blade. I'll be keeping this by the stove to see how it handles batoning and will bring it camping next month. 

Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie

This knife is a beast! It is absolutely huge, placing it at the top for chopping and batoning. It is comfortable in the hand, has a super sharp tip, and seems to hold an edge well. 

Negatively, because it is so large it is practically worthless for finer work, and definitely more weight than I want to carry on a backpacking trip. 

Ka-Bar Fighting/Utility

I really like this knife. If I had it to do over again I'd go without the partially serrated edge. 

Again it's a bit heavy for backpacking and probably a tad large for finer work. I also don't like the rat-tail tang. Because the tang is so much thinner I bent it a bit with some heavy batoning. 

Well that's my journey thus far. I think I'm concluding that there really can't be one end-all-be-all knife. If I want a good batoner/chopper it'll take a big, heavy, full-tang blade. If I want a fine detail carver and food prep cutter it'll mean a smaller overall knife. In the end I can probably make the smaller knives, like the Moras, fill most backpacking/camping/bushcraft roles. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno 

New Knife - Ka-Bar Becker BK7

I just got this little beauty last week. I was able to take it out the other day and put it through a little bit of wood splitting using the baton method. It performed wonderfully. 

The seven inches of steel with the full tang through the handle plowed well through several logs making some nice kindling for the fire. I was wanting a knife that fit between my smaller blades (I.e. The Ontario RAT 3 and Remoras) and the beefy nine inch Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie. I have a Kabar Fighting Utility Knife that is also a seven inch blade that I loved for backpacking but the rat-tail through the handle simply won't allow it to handle batoning through wood.  It's a great all around knife but now has a slight bend in it :(

 

I was trying to decide between the BK7 and the Ontario RAT7.  It finally came down to price.  The BK7 was around $68 on Amazon and the RAT7 was around $95.  Looking today the RAT7 has jumped to $106 and the BK7 is about $70.  In the reviews I scoured I couldn't find one that seemed decisively better than the other.  On the BladeForum in the Kabar section they, of course, raved of the BK over the RAT.

The BK7 seems to be a nice compromise for size and weight constraints.  My plans for this blade are backpacking and general outdoor use. Here's what their website says about it...

 

"The ultimate BK&T all-purpose utility knife was designed specifically for soldiers and adventurers requiring a sturdy but lightweight combat knife that can stand up to hard use.
Made in the USA."

I'll probably put some type of lanyard on it so that I can choke down on the handle for a bit of extra length for chopping.  It doesn't have the heft of the bowie but it definitely holds its own in the chopping department.  The blade stood up well but of course the coating began wearing off pretty quickly - which it to be expected.  I want this for a hard use knife not a show piece for display (although I think it only looks cooler with the wear and tear).  Hopefully I can get out in the woods soon for some more fun.  I'll let you know how it handles.

 

~Rhyno

Ontario Rat-3 update

Just wanted to give a quick update on the Rat-3 difficulties I had posted about previously. I contacted Ontario and received a quick response and equally quick package in the mail containing replacement inserts and screws for the handle. Way to go Ontario! I haven't had to use them yet since I was able to replace the original insert after I tweaked it. I put the screws back with blue lock tight and have had no issues. I've been keeping the Rat-3 by my wood burning stove and using it to baton kindling. I am enjoying this blade. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Firebox Nano Stove - First Impressions

I just received the Firebox Nano in the mail today. 

(Pictured above - Firebox Nano, Trangia, Ontario Rat 3, Olicamp Cup, Light My Fire fire steel)

I had been looking at these for the past couple of months and finally pulled the trigger. I wanted to get a wood burning stove for backpacking and general outdoor use. What finally pushed me over the edge was that I received a Trangia alcohol stove for Christmas...

The Firebox stoves are designed with the Trangia in mind, in fact you can order a Trangia with the stove from the Firebox website. The Trangia uses HEET that is easily found at Walmart or most automotive stores. I need to test how long a bottle of fuel will last and how quickly I can expect a boil. I picked up this bottle for $1.77 at Wally World. 

The Firebox folds up extremely well and there is no assembly required, it simply unfolds into position. 

It's a great size and seems solidly built. I fired it up today with both the Trangia and some wood. I ran out of time to fully test it but am impressed so far. 

It breathes well and the loading holes work well for feeding in the wood. I'll have to post more after I get a chance to actually use it in a camping scenario. I can definitely tell there will be a bit of a learning curve with this stove. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Rhyno's Emergency Survival Kit

I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring of the Bug Out Bags and Survival Kits.  There are tons of lists out there but here's mine culled from personal experience and research.

Rhyno’s Emergency Survival Kit:

ü  Water Containers – Kleen Kanteen w/nesting cup & stove ring & Nalgene
ü  Food: granola bars, freeze dried, candy bars, oatmeal, etc…
ü  Water purification: Sawyer filter & iodine
ü  Knives – fixed blade and folding
ü  Multi-tool - Leatherman
ü  Stove & fuel -
ü  First Aid Kit
ü  Fire: lighter, ferro rod, matches, fat wood, petroleum cotton balls,
ü  Map
ü  Compass
ü  TP
ü  Tarp
ü  Poncho
ü  Gloves - leather
ü  Lights – headlamp and flashlight w/extra batteries
ü  Firearms – Glock 19 or 23 w/2 mags & .22 pistol & rifle w/mags (holsters)
ü  Ammo: Full box of each
ü  Saw – e.g. Sawvivor or Bahco Laplander
ü  Duct tape (esp. gorilla)
ü  100’ paracord
ü  Signal mirror
ü  Fishhooks & line
ü  Space blanket
ü  Whistle
ü  2x 55 gal. trash bags
ü  State I.D.
ü  Bandannas (2 min.)
ü  Notepad
ü  Carpenters pencil
ü  Spork
ü  Carmex
ü  Hat – sun & warm
ü   

Possibles:

ü  Change of clothes
ü  Radio & batteries
ü  Tent
ü  Sleeping bag
ü  Ground pad
ü  Cash
ü  Coffee
ü  Snare wire – brass 60 – 90 cm, 2-3 feet (preferably pre-made snares)
ü  WD-40
ü  Dental floss
ü  Heavy duty space blanket
ü  Large needle
ü  Sharpener
ü  Sling shot band
ü  Glow sticks
ü  Wool blanket
ü  Shotgun w/ammo

Get out there!

~Rhyno