Hey gang -
Harris Publications has a new Magazine out, "The New Pioneer" . A little pricey at $10 per copy, but it has a veritable wealth of information for the outdoors oriented and preparedness minded. This magazine is a must see item...
FYI - M
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Klean Kanteen - The Consumate Survival Tool...
Water. Such a crucial component to human survival that man can die within 3 days for lack of it. How ironic that on a planet comprised 2/3rds of water that such a tragedy should occur. However, thousands die each year because of dehydration - the lack of potable water intake leading to a horrific untimely death.
Care and I carry bottled water everywhere we go. We’ve gone the full gamut of buying dozens of cases of bottled purified water to buying home water filters and bottling our own filtered water in Nalgene containers. The harm to the environment from the plastic waste and the subsequent BPA toxin scare from Nalgene and similar bottles made us search out stainless steel bottles.
Enter Klean Kanteen. Based on the recommendation of a friend, Care and I purchased a few different Klean Kanteen single wall stainless water bottles for our daily use. They have become a critical component of our everyday carry gear and essential survival gear for our outdoors trips.
We settled on the standard, shouldered 27 ounce version as our primary carry bottles. The 18/8 food grade stainless steel bodies and BPA free polymer tops are toxin free and are environmentally friendly. The Klean Kanteens hold a substantial quantity of water and they fit well in and retrieve more easily from our tightly packed Maxpedition 10x4 bottle carriers than do the 40 ounce size.
The Klean Kanteens also fit well in several non-descript insulated water bottle sleeves that we acquired over the years for the bottles we formerly used. Additionally, the 27 ounce Klean Kanteens still fit in our Jeep’s cup holders.
Klean Kanteens are super durable. I have voided my warrantee hundreds of times by freezing my 1/3rd full bottle each night to have a long lasting ice water supply at work the next day. The single large chunk of ice formed lasts far longer than ice cubes. HOWEVER, the bottom of my bottle has severely rounded from the expanding ice and it does not stand upright on a flat surface anymore.
The seam has held and the bottle still serves me daily. Your mileage may vary - You will void your warrantee and you may ruin your bottle if you try this.
Klean Kanteen’s website FAQs indicate that “in a pinch” you can boil water in your brushed stainless bottle on a stove or near a fire. DO NOT try this with a painted bottle or with a double wall bottle - You will ruin a painted finish bottle and you may experience catastrophic failure of a double walled bottle.
Let me tell you - You CAN boil in a single walled, brushed stainless Klean Kanteen! I have done this dozens of times at camp to purify water and to heat water for drinks, meal preparation and cleanup duties. I formerly fashioned a makeshift bail for our bottles by wrapping stainless steel wire around the bottle neck for ease in inserting and removing the bottle from the fire. I have since voided our warrantee again by using high temp silver solder to affix stainless washers to the bottle’s shoulder in order to attach a bail.
This setup isn’t pretty, but it works like a charm. The Klean Kanteens have held up to the hottest of fires and white hot coals.
Common sense should dictate, but I will save my Attorney his aghast reaction by mentioning that the bottle top must be removed prior to subjecting the Klean Kanteen to heating, lest a catastrophic failure may occur.
Klean Kanteens have become the centerpiece of our everyday carry and survival equipment. Their utility, functionality and practicality keep us motivated to have them ever present and, subsequently, the remainder of our emergency gear gets tagged along in the carrier.
I HIGHLY recommend Klean Kanteen products. They have a wide range of sizes and different top configurations to meet anyone's specs. Need more info? Check them out at http://www.kleankanteen.com/ or on FaceBook......... M
Care and I carry bottled water everywhere we go. We’ve gone the full gamut of buying dozens of cases of bottled purified water to buying home water filters and bottling our own filtered water in Nalgene containers. The harm to the environment from the plastic waste and the subsequent BPA toxin scare from Nalgene and similar bottles made us search out stainless steel bottles.
Enter Klean Kanteen. Based on the recommendation of a friend, Care and I purchased a few different Klean Kanteen single wall stainless water bottles for our daily use. They have become a critical component of our everyday carry gear and essential survival gear for our outdoors trips.
We settled on the standard, shouldered 27 ounce version as our primary carry bottles. The 18/8 food grade stainless steel bodies and BPA free polymer tops are toxin free and are environmentally friendly. The Klean Kanteens hold a substantial quantity of water and they fit well in and retrieve more easily from our tightly packed Maxpedition 10x4 bottle carriers than do the 40 ounce size.
The Klean Kanteens also fit well in several non-descript insulated water bottle sleeves that we acquired over the years for the bottles we formerly used. Additionally, the 27 ounce Klean Kanteens still fit in our Jeep’s cup holders.
Klean Kanteens are super durable. I have voided my warrantee hundreds of times by freezing my 1/3rd full bottle each night to have a long lasting ice water supply at work the next day. The single large chunk of ice formed lasts far longer than ice cubes. HOWEVER, the bottom of my bottle has severely rounded from the expanding ice and it does not stand upright on a flat surface anymore.
The seam has held and the bottle still serves me daily. Your mileage may vary - You will void your warrantee and you may ruin your bottle if you try this.
Klean Kanteen’s website FAQs indicate that “in a pinch” you can boil water in your brushed stainless bottle on a stove or near a fire. DO NOT try this with a painted bottle or with a double wall bottle - You will ruin a painted finish bottle and you may experience catastrophic failure of a double walled bottle.
Let me tell you - You CAN boil in a single walled, brushed stainless Klean Kanteen! I have done this dozens of times at camp to purify water and to heat water for drinks, meal preparation and cleanup duties. I formerly fashioned a makeshift bail for our bottles by wrapping stainless steel wire around the bottle neck for ease in inserting and removing the bottle from the fire. I have since voided our warrantee again by using high temp silver solder to affix stainless washers to the bottle’s shoulder in order to attach a bail.
This setup isn’t pretty, but it works like a charm. The Klean Kanteens have held up to the hottest of fires and white hot coals.
Common sense should dictate, but I will save my Attorney his aghast reaction by mentioning that the bottle top must be removed prior to subjecting the Klean Kanteen to heating, lest a catastrophic failure may occur.
Klean Kanteens have become the centerpiece of our everyday carry and survival equipment. Their utility, functionality and practicality keep us motivated to have them ever present and, subsequently, the remainder of our emergency gear gets tagged along in the carrier.
I HIGHLY recommend Klean Kanteen products. They have a wide range of sizes and different top configurations to meet anyone's specs. Need more info? Check them out at http://www.kleankanteen.com/ or on FaceBook......... M
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Near Perfect EDC Companion - Leatherman’s PS4
I’ve been carrying and using Leatherman Tools and their subsequent clones on and off since the mid 1980’s. I never found “just the right one” to satisfy my needs without a lot of extra fluff - until now. A few months ago I saw a forum post where there was mention of a new mini Leatherman Tool being introduced, called the PS4. Investigation ensued and then the seemingly endless wait until it became available. I recently took delivery of a PS4 from my friend Roger at www.knifeworks.com. 
The PS4 seems the near perfect EDC companion, with scissors and pliers mated in a very pocketable miniature sized tool frame. Pay particular attention to the size and weight dimensions below.
Here’s the specs from Leatherman:
Tools:
420HC Clip Point Knife
Spring-action Needlenose pliers
Regular Pliers
Wire Cutters
Scissors
Medium Screwdriver
Flat/Phillips Screwdriver
Wood/Metal File
Bottle Opener
Features:
Stainless Steel with Anodized Aluminum Handle Scales
Stainless Steel Body
Outside-accessible Tools
Key Ring Attachment
Available Colors: Red, Black, Blue
25-year Warranty
Measurements:
2.25 in (closed)
1.9 oz
After opening the box, I rushed to find my glasses and good lighting for the PS4’s initial inspection. Fit and finish is great. Blade walk and talk is better than average - good tool snap into the open position, albeit a tad less snap on closing. A good thing - its not quite so prone to bite the fingers when closing the tools.
Care is out for a few hours, so I immediately set out to begin the process of testing.
First up was the scissors. They’re similar in design to the Wenger scissors, working from a frame mounted spring bar. Among the hundreds of obvious uses for scissors, I need to EDC an implement with scissors on board to take care of errant facial hair, cut fishing line, and to make steri-strips for first aid applications. PS4 and glasses ready, to the bathroom I head. Trim up the facial hair with ease. Search the medicine cabinet for a Band-Aid. Trim up a series of steri-strips from the Band-Aid with ease. The scissors are sharp and very effective at both tasks thus far. Now for the serious test. We head to my shop and dig out the tackle box. Out comes the ultimate scissor test - Spiderwire Braided 20lb test line.
To my amazement, the PS4 sailed through the test with 20 quick, clean cuts in Spiderwire Braided line. Test over. This happy camper heads back upstairs for round two of my testing protocol.
I own a number of Photon 2 flashlights, which require a small Phillips screwdriver for battery changes. I dig out a Photon that I know needs a battery change and grab a set of fresh batteries. I sit at my desk with a small parts tray handy and use the PS4’s Phillips driver to make the change. No problem whatsoever. While it’s right there and handy, I grab and make safe my Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol. I use the PS4 phillips driver to lever out the disassembly pin. Again, no problem whatsoever and no telltale marks left on the weapon. Gun cleaned and lubed, then made ready for “the next day’s business.” Back off to continue the PS4’s testing protocol.
I grab my test Ferrocerium fire starter rod and some tinder, then head to the front porch with the PS4. I open the file. To my surprise, the file only scraped a mediocre spark from the ferro rod. The spark was adequate to ignite TinderQuik and Coghlan’s Emergency Tinder. However, I knew the ferro rod was capable of producing much better sparks. While waiting for the ignited tinder to die out, I used the file for a personal manicure. Performance was up-to-par on this test. While out there, I remembered that the camper’s electrical connection needed to be cleaned up. The small file worked like a charm and did a stellar job at that task. I also grabbed the machete out of the camper and used the PS4’s file to touch up a flat spot on the blade’s edge.
It was a bit short for such a task, but it performed well for its size. Time to find another tool and task.
Out comes the blade. Slight disappointment ensues. The blade, although razor sharp, is chisel ground. I will change that to a double bevel grind when time permits. Slight disappointment is overcome when I discover the blade spine has a sharp, clean 90 degree edge. Out comes the test ferro rod and another piece of tinder. Hot sparks fly and bounce everywhere, bursting the tinder into a ball of flame. I’m made very happy again - the blade‘s square spine maximized the ferro rod‘s capability to produce. I now decide to cut up the USPS shipping box that the PS4 was delivered in. I make 27 clean slices in the cardboard before the edge starts to drag. A quick inspection reveals a very slight edge rollover occurred.
I grabbed my strop off the desk and remove the rollover, post haste. The edge is back to grabbing free standing hair sharpness in seconds. I can live with that for the time being. A double bevel applied by my diamond Lansky hones will cure any edge ills. Back down to the shop we go.
Pliers are something I rarely use in the field. When I do, it’s usually to pick up something I don’t want to touch with my hands, disgorge fish hooks or to make a snare. Digging through my workbench, I find copper wire in 22 and 26 gauge and stainless wire in 19 gauge. I cut a few lengths of each easily with the PS4’s wire cutters. I then use the pliers to twist those lengths into snare material, without problem. Not the most comfy pliers I’ve ever used, but they certainly did the job required of them. Then I remembered the first aid applications. Out comes the tackle box again. I pick out several hooks and use the wire cutters to cut them. The small, standard sized freshwater hooks were no problem.
Big hook removal, however, may be quite the exercise is torture and futility. The wire cutters would not pass through the big stuff - take note of the scarring damage on the red hook, just below the barb. The pliers slipped off and would not cut the thick, hardened stock. The blood blister on my hand at the base of my right index finger will remind me of this for a few days to come. Regardless, I declare passable performance achieved - it is a small tool and the big stuff is simply out of its realm. One last set of tools to test.
Out comes the medium slotted screwdriver / bottle opener. A trip to the safe is in order. I pull out a number of firearms I have available. Where a slotted screwdriver is called for, the medium screwdriver works. It’s a tad small, but with some extra care, I managed to avoid slipping and damaging the guns and/or the screws. The PS4’s lockup is unaffected. Firearms checked and returned to the safe and secured. The last was a very important step. Now it’s time to find my olde friend, Samuel Adams. I’ll finish the review and summary tomorrow…
Very passable performance was achieved with the bottle opener and I had the opportunity to bond with an olde friend.
Within it's design limitations, the Leatherman PS4 is a very good performer. It has earned a spot in my EDC rotation and I like it so much, I ordered another for Care... M
The PS4 seems the near perfect EDC companion, with scissors and pliers mated in a very pocketable miniature sized tool frame. Pay particular attention to the size and weight dimensions below.Here’s the specs from Leatherman:
Tools:
420HC Clip Point Knife
Spring-action Needlenose pliers
Regular Pliers
Wire Cutters
Scissors
Medium Screwdriver
Flat/Phillips Screwdriver
Wood/Metal File
Bottle Opener
Features:
Stainless Steel with Anodized Aluminum Handle Scales
Stainless Steel Body
Outside-accessible Tools
Key Ring Attachment
Available Colors: Red, Black, Blue
25-year Warranty
Measurements:
2.25 in (closed)
1.9 oz
After opening the box, I rushed to find my glasses and good lighting for the PS4’s initial inspection. Fit and finish is great. Blade walk and talk is better than average - good tool snap into the open position, albeit a tad less snap on closing. A good thing - its not quite so prone to bite the fingers when closing the tools.
Care is out for a few hours, so I immediately set out to begin the process of testing.
First up was the scissors. They’re similar in design to the Wenger scissors, working from a frame mounted spring bar. Among the hundreds of obvious uses for scissors, I need to EDC an implement with scissors on board to take care of errant facial hair, cut fishing line, and to make steri-strips for first aid applications. PS4 and glasses ready, to the bathroom I head. Trim up the facial hair with ease. Search the medicine cabinet for a Band-Aid. Trim up a series of steri-strips from the Band-Aid with ease. The scissors are sharp and very effective at both tasks thus far. Now for the serious test. We head to my shop and dig out the tackle box. Out comes the ultimate scissor test - Spiderwire Braided 20lb test line.
To my amazement, the PS4 sailed through the test with 20 quick, clean cuts in Spiderwire Braided line. Test over. This happy camper heads back upstairs for round two of my testing protocol.I own a number of Photon 2 flashlights, which require a small Phillips screwdriver for battery changes. I dig out a Photon that I know needs a battery change and grab a set of fresh batteries. I sit at my desk with a small parts tray handy and use the PS4’s Phillips driver to make the change. No problem whatsoever. While it’s right there and handy, I grab and make safe my Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol. I use the PS4 phillips driver to lever out the disassembly pin. Again, no problem whatsoever and no telltale marks left on the weapon. Gun cleaned and lubed, then made ready for “the next day’s business.” Back off to continue the PS4’s testing protocol.
I grab my test Ferrocerium fire starter rod and some tinder, then head to the front porch with the PS4. I open the file. To my surprise, the file only scraped a mediocre spark from the ferro rod. The spark was adequate to ignite TinderQuik and Coghlan’s Emergency Tinder. However, I knew the ferro rod was capable of producing much better sparks. While waiting for the ignited tinder to die out, I used the file for a personal manicure. Performance was up-to-par on this test. While out there, I remembered that the camper’s electrical connection needed to be cleaned up. The small file worked like a charm and did a stellar job at that task. I also grabbed the machete out of the camper and used the PS4’s file to touch up a flat spot on the blade’s edge.
It was a bit short for such a task, but it performed well for its size. Time to find another tool and task.Out comes the blade. Slight disappointment ensues. The blade, although razor sharp, is chisel ground. I will change that to a double bevel grind when time permits. Slight disappointment is overcome when I discover the blade spine has a sharp, clean 90 degree edge. Out comes the test ferro rod and another piece of tinder. Hot sparks fly and bounce everywhere, bursting the tinder into a ball of flame. I’m made very happy again - the blade‘s square spine maximized the ferro rod‘s capability to produce. I now decide to cut up the USPS shipping box that the PS4 was delivered in. I make 27 clean slices in the cardboard before the edge starts to drag. A quick inspection reveals a very slight edge rollover occurred.
I grabbed my strop off the desk and remove the rollover, post haste. The edge is back to grabbing free standing hair sharpness in seconds. I can live with that for the time being. A double bevel applied by my diamond Lansky hones will cure any edge ills. Back down to the shop we go.Pliers are something I rarely use in the field. When I do, it’s usually to pick up something I don’t want to touch with my hands, disgorge fish hooks or to make a snare. Digging through my workbench, I find copper wire in 22 and 26 gauge and stainless wire in 19 gauge. I cut a few lengths of each easily with the PS4’s wire cutters. I then use the pliers to twist those lengths into snare material, without problem. Not the most comfy pliers I’ve ever used, but they certainly did the job required of them. Then I remembered the first aid applications. Out comes the tackle box again. I pick out several hooks and use the wire cutters to cut them. The small, standard sized freshwater hooks were no problem.
Big hook removal, however, may be quite the exercise is torture and futility. The wire cutters would not pass through the big stuff - take note of the scarring damage on the red hook, just below the barb. The pliers slipped off and would not cut the thick, hardened stock. The blood blister on my hand at the base of my right index finger will remind me of this for a few days to come. Regardless, I declare passable performance achieved - it is a small tool and the big stuff is simply out of its realm. One last set of tools to test.Out comes the medium slotted screwdriver / bottle opener. A trip to the safe is in order. I pull out a number of firearms I have available. Where a slotted screwdriver is called for, the medium screwdriver works. It’s a tad small, but with some extra care, I managed to avoid slipping and damaging the guns and/or the screws. The PS4’s lockup is unaffected. Firearms checked and returned to the safe and secured. The last was a very important step. Now it’s time to find my olde friend, Samuel Adams. I’ll finish the review and summary tomorrow…
Very passable performance was achieved with the bottle opener and I had the opportunity to bond with an olde friend.
Within it's design limitations, the Leatherman PS4 is a very good performer. It has earned a spot in my EDC rotation and I like it so much, I ordered another for Care... M
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Poor Man's Knife Harness...
During a recent rendevous, Care and I learned about a Poor Man's Knife Harness for conveniently toting a fixed blade knife in a shoulder rigging. I immediately tried the harness and found it serviceable, albeit a tad uncomfortable due to a cordage crossover that occurred right on my spine. When not rubbing directly on the spine, the cordage had a tendency to move around easily, changing the placement of either the knife & sheath or the cordlock.
After some brainstorming with friends, I came up with the idea to use a leather crossover disk to keep the cord "knot" off the spine and to keep the desired angle of the knife being carried. I fashioned a crossover disk from a piece of scrap leather and then tested it to be sure the theory worked. Once relatively sure it did work, I contacted Spen and Dan of JRE Industries to make some crossover disks from some good leather. Here's the result:
Here's the assembled components of the harness, followed by a parts list:
8' of milspec 550 cord or any other stout cordage of your choice. I prefer the 550 as with it, I'm carrying an (approximate) extra 56' of cordage inside the 550 cord outer sheath. Some prefer to strip the inner strands out of the 550 cord so that the harness lies flatter and tighter to the body,
One cord lock,
Two beads (Optional - but they really aid in adjusting the completed harness),
One leather crossover disk,
Knife with a sheath that has grommeted attachment points - a leather or kydex sheath will work...
To assemble the parts, first thread the cord through the grommets on the knife sheath to the approximate midway point of the cord. Now thread the cord in an "X" pattern through the holes in the crossover disk. Next, thread both ends of the cord simultaneously through the opening of the single cord lock, pulling the cord lock up 8 - 9" onto the cord. If you choose to have beaded ends, now thread on the beads. The last step in assembly is to tie off the ends of each piece of cord.
To fit the harness, put it on like you're putting on a jacket. Position the sheath where you want it and then slide the crossover disk to a position right above your spine. Once done, slide the cord lock up so that it holds the desired sheath and crossover disk position. You will have to trim the dangling ends of the cord to suit your size. Leave about 6-8" of extra "dangle" to accomodate the ability to adjust the harness for wear over heavy clothing. After the final sizing and trimming, don't forget to heat seal the cord ends to inhibit fraying.
Care and I have been wearing the harnesses we made almost daily since we got all the parts assembled. We both found the harnesses we made extremely comfortable and an easy way to keep a fixed blade concealed yet handy. I also sent Jerry Young (hayseedw45) a crossover disk to test. Here's Jerry's comments:
"I wore the shoulder set up the whole time, well excluding bed. I found the disc kept the set up from moving around. It was very comfortable. I give it 2 thumbs up! The disc made the difference."
Taking another suggestion from Jerry, here's Care with an added carabiner filled with survival essentials attached to the strong side...
Need one? Want one? Yeah - you know you do. With this harness system, gone is the day of the neck knife and all the discomfort and accidental chokes associated with them.
Spen at JRE has indicated that he will make the crossover disks available in black or tan and, soon, will have all parts stocked at a very reasonable price. Click on the link to your left for JRE contact info...
M
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Nite Ize Figure 9's...
Just prior to Practice What You Preach in April of this year, I picked up a pair of Nite Ize Figure 9's to test out. These handy little rope tighteners are designed to securely tighten up guy lines and tarp lines without having to tie knots in the lines. I know, I know - if you learn your knots you don't need gadgets like this. However, I like the ease of setup and quick tightening of lines that the INGENIOUS gadgets allow...
Care and I used the Figure 9's to set guylines for poles and to connect short pieces of line to make longer sections. We used them to hang tarps and for hanging clothes and equipment lines at every placed we camped from North Carolina to the Canadian border...
The bottom line on Nite Ize Figure 9's is that they work and work very well. On the several instances where rain had stretched lines that needed to be tightened quickly, the chore was a snap - it was quick and extremely easy to make adjustments. It also made camp set-up and tear down a heckuva lot quicker to achieve...
The small size Figure 9's shown were able to handle everything from mason's line to decoy line and to 550 cord. I like them so much that I now carry a half dozen of them attached to an S-Biner on my Timbuk2 Metro "get home bag". The added weight is unnoticeable - the Figure 9's are feather light.
I give the Nite Ize Figure 9's a double thumbs up.
Need more info? Try here: http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.php?category_id=29&product_id=136
M
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
SgtMike & Care at WAR...
Packs, bags and bins loaded, Care and I left for our third deployment to WAR - the Wilderness Adventurer's Rendevous in Chateaugay, NY hosted by Marty and Aggie Simon over the Labor Day Weekend. Here's a few shots from the awesome time we had...
Taking advantage of the woodpile for testing some chopping tools...
Taking advantage of some quality R&R time by the fire...
The Big Top...
Taking advantage of the woodpile for testing some chopping tools...
Taking advantage of some quality R&R time by the fire...
Mick Jarvis conducting a pack basket making class...
Some one on one instruction in the art of flintknapping...
Chef Jerry conducting a dutch oven cooking class...
Sgt. Mike & Care's humble abode...
Care in her kitchen, making another camp treat...
The Big Top...
Friends solving the world's crisises...
Prof. Estela conducting a knot tying class...
All in all, we had a tremendous time. Great friends, good food, and some excellent training. Everyone should make it a point to attend an event like WAR or PWYP...
M
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Whistle tests, Part Two
This round of testing was conducted at Marty and Aggie Simon's Wilderness Learning Center in Chateaugay, NY. Again, the tests were conducted out in the woods, not in a sound chamber. All of the ambient noises you'd expect in the woods played a part in this series of tests. As I expected, my observations from the initial series of tests held true. Those observations are: 1. Any whistle that was capable of routinely reaching 105 decibels (db) or better is worthy of serious consideration for everyday carry and/or inclusion in a PSK or 1st Aid Kit. Reaching/surpassing the 105db mark is going to get someone’s attention!
2. Ease of blowing to reach or exceed the level of 105db is a serious consideration. One with a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis would be well advised to look at the whistles that have been noted as being “Very easy to blow” or “Easy to blow.”
3. Whistle construction is critical if you’re going to depend on it to survive. Look for quality construction. If you opt for a metal whistle and live in a cold climate, take precautions to cover the lip piece of the whistle with a protective sleeve of some type to prevent lip damage.
For this round of testing, I through in some interesting sound test twists. Enjoy...
TOPS Knives (pealess)
Adult Average: 123.6
Child Average: 117.3
Overall average: 120.4 db
Very easy to blow. Two cord sounds gets everyone's attention. Irritatingly loud.
Victorinox SOS (pealess)
Adult Average: 122
Child Average: 110.6
Overall Average: 116.3 db
Same comments as above. Very similar design between these whistles with very slight differences in execution of design.Bison Spy Capsule Whistle (pealess)
Adult Average: 108.6
Child Average: 111.3
Overall Average: 109.9 db
Very, very easy to overblow. Lip placement is critical with this model.
The following two whistles from Bison failed original testing due to construction flaws. The reeds were removed from both whistles and epoxied in place prior to this test.
Bison Small Cylinder (pealess)
Adult Average: 107.6
Child Average: 107.3
Overall average: 107.4 db
Very easy to blow. Easy to manipulate the sides of the exhaust port to change whistle tone.
Bison Large Cylinder (pealess)
Adult Average: 106.6
Child Average: 103.3
Overall Average: 104.9 db
Easy to blow. Very easy to manipulate the exhaust port to change tone.
US Navy Issue STORM (pealess)
Adult Average: 120.6
Child Average: 111.6
Overall Average: 116.1 db
Easy to blow. Requires a little more airflow than someone with a lung condition might be able to muster. A tad large for small kit consideration.
REI/Nexus Buckle (pealess)
Adult Average: 106.3
Child Average: 105.3
Overall average: 105.8 db
Very easy to overblow. Lip placement is critical.
London Metro PD Type / Railroad type (pealess)
Adult Average: 116
Child Average: 102.3
Overall Average: 109.1 db
Not so easy to blow. Requires a lot of airflow to achieve a high decibel meter reading. Unique sound surely gets folks attention when at max output.
Soda Can Whistle (pealess)
Overall Average: approx. 99db
*NOTE* We included this because it's something you can make in the field from a tin soda or beer can. Instructions can be found by attending Marty Simon's training classes. While the soda can whistle only achieved a decibel meter reading of 99, it's one heckuva lot easier to use this whistle than to expend your energy or voice shouting for help.
Some interesting twists -
Human Scream (pees after coffee or soda)
Adult Average: 107 db
Child Average: 104.3 db
*NOTE* Our adult tester, Kevin Estela (aka Estela216, a Moderator at KnifeForums), screamed three times the first at 110db, the second at 107db, the third at 104db. After the third scream, his voice was notably affected. By the next morning, he suffered a slight case of laryngitis from the event. Important to note! CARRY A WHISTLE! Our young adult tester, Becky Two Knives, screamed three times, the first at 101db, the second at 107db, the third at 105db. During her second scream, she belted out a change in tone that didn't even register on the decibel meter. That scream damaged the hearing of all present and scared the coyotes off Marty's property for a night.
Car Horn (pealess)
Average: 104 db
Tester with lung condition (pees after Yuengling)
US Navy STORM average: 102.6 db
Bison Capsule average: 115 db
*NOTE* It became blatantly apparent to me during this test that ease of blowing the whistle is of critical importance in whistle selection.
More tests to come in the upcoming months - stay tuned...
M
Edited to add a special note of Thanks to my assistants; Kevin Estela, Matt (cyclist), and Becky Two Knives.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Cold Steel Pocket Bushman goes to WAR
Several months ago, I received a Cold Steel Pocket Bushman for test and review. Opening the box, my first thought was, "Man, this is one big honkin' knife!" That's not a bad thing...
Here's the specs on the Pocket Bushman:
Blade: Shaving sharp 4 1/2" Krupp 4116 Stainless Blade
Handle: 5 3/4" Bead blasted 420 Series Stainless
Overall: 10 1/4"
Thick: 3.5mm
Weight: 6.1 oz.
The locking mechanism can best be described as a sliding bolt that locks up the Pocket Bushman like Fort Knox. It takes two hands to close this beast of a knife once it's open and locked. When locked, it's as close to a fixed blade knife as I've seen in a folder. Here's a shot of me closing the Pocket Bushman. Note that my strong hand thumb is pushing off the pocket clip for leverage (And, Yes, it takes some leverage.)
I have used this knife all summer at home and on several excursions, including use as my primary knife for the WAR encampment at Marty and Aggie Simon's Wilderness Learning Center in Chateaugay, NY. Over the course of the summer; I have batoned the Pocket Bushman through birch, cedar, red elm, and ash. I've used it to cut camp meat, cordage, a few packages, some boxes, and to shave up some fatwood for fire lighting. The Pocket Bushman took it all in stride...
Through all this, the Pocket Bushman has not yet been resharpened. I have made it a habit to strop the edge occassionally to help delay the inevitable. It's working...
The Bushman still shaves hair! Not only is it still sharp, it locks up just as tightly as it did on Day 1, with absolutely no blade play of any type.
Another nice feature of the Pocket Bushman is that the spine of the blade is adequately sharp to strike a decent spark from a FireSteel...
I've seen the Pocket Bushman on-line for as little as $23.99 USD from EDC Depot.
My only criticism of the Pocket Bushman is that Cold Steel would do well to eliminate the thumb studs and save the machining expense. The lock is so tough that you need gorilla thumbs to use the thumb studs for one hand opening. Even so, I give the Pocket Bushman a double thumbs up.
Need more info? Try www.coldsteel.com ...
M
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A Pair of Great Outdoors Lights...
During our excursions to Practice What You Preach, to the Virginia Tidewaters and to the Wilderness Adventurer's Rendezvous; Care and I decided to test some different lighting strategies. I selected the PAL Survival Light, while Care opted for the Pak-Lite for our basic around camp and in-the-tent lighting.
Here's some specs on the PAL Survival Light:
Weight: approx. 3 oz
Size: 2.75" X 1.25" X 1"
Push button switch with 4 modes: Always on, Medium, High, and strobe.
The PAL Survival Light was a wonderful addition to my gear loadout. It's constant on feature made it a snap to find at zero-dark-thirty when nature called. The PAL's white LED light is cast through a lens and as such, the beam is relatively tight with very little side spill. The medium setting was all I needed for finding gear in the tent and to read by. Medium was insufficient for trail navigation. The high setting was ample for safely navigating outside the tent - especially in the South where venomous snakes are a concern.
While the PAL is no powerhouse in the projection department, the light is a major contender for run time honors. I can't say how long the battery lasts. Mine has been running constantly since March, 2008 in the always on mode with quite a few minutes worth of medium and high runtime thrown in. There's no observable loss in light output at this writing.
The PAL has earned it's place in my gear and sets in a place of high honor every night at home. It's always on beam projects light onto my pistol safe lock.
I purchased my PAL Survival Light from Cabela's for $14.99 USD.
Here's some specs on the Pak-Lite:
Weight: 1.5 oz with Battery
Two White LED Bulbs (10,000 hour rating)
Burn Time:
Duracell Alkaline=75+ hrs. high, or 600+ hrs. low
Ultralife Lithium=200+ hrs. high, or 1200+ hrs. low
Slider Switch with low & high modes
ABS Plastic Glow In The Dark Cap
The Pak-Lite has become a mainstay in Care's gear. Coupled with a three pack of spare batteries in a Tools Aviation battery carrier, she has hundreds of hours of personal lighting available at her fingertips.
Care found the low setting ample for in-the-tent reading and gear searching, while the high setting was adequate for trail navigation after the sun set. Finding the Pak-Lite during midnight nature calls was easy, since the entire top of the Pak-Lite is glow in the dark material.
The Pak-Lite fits inverted into the Tools Aviation battery carrier. With the Pak-Lite attached, the bottom of the battery sticks out of the carrier slightly for easy removal. Carried as such, the LEDs are protected from scuffs or other damage.
I was also impressed by Care's Pak-Lite system. So much so, that I bought a second one to store in my get home bag.
The Pak-Lites were purchased from Lighthound at $17.99 USD each. The Tools Aviation carriers were also purchased from Lighthound for $5.95 USD each.
Here's some specs on the PAL Survival Light:
Weight: approx. 3 oz
Size: 2.75" X 1.25" X 1"
Push button switch with 4 modes: Always on, Medium, High, and strobe.
The PAL Survival Light was a wonderful addition to my gear loadout. It's constant on feature made it a snap to find at zero-dark-thirty when nature called. The PAL's white LED light is cast through a lens and as such, the beam is relatively tight with very little side spill. The medium setting was all I needed for finding gear in the tent and to read by. Medium was insufficient for trail navigation. The high setting was ample for safely navigating outside the tent - especially in the South where venomous snakes are a concern.
While the PAL is no powerhouse in the projection department, the light is a major contender for run time honors. I can't say how long the battery lasts. Mine has been running constantly since March, 2008 in the always on mode with quite a few minutes worth of medium and high runtime thrown in. There's no observable loss in light output at this writing.
The PAL has earned it's place in my gear and sets in a place of high honor every night at home. It's always on beam projects light onto my pistol safe lock.
I purchased my PAL Survival Light from Cabela's for $14.99 USD.
Here's some specs on the Pak-Lite:
Weight: 1.5 oz with Battery
Two White LED Bulbs (10,000 hour rating)
Burn Time:
Duracell Alkaline=75+ hrs. high, or 600+ hrs. low
Ultralife Lithium=200+ hrs. high, or 1200+ hrs. low
Slider Switch with low & high modes
ABS Plastic Glow In The Dark Cap
The Pak-Lite has become a mainstay in Care's gear. Coupled with a three pack of spare batteries in a Tools Aviation battery carrier, she has hundreds of hours of personal lighting available at her fingertips.
Care found the low setting ample for in-the-tent reading and gear searching, while the high setting was adequate for trail navigation after the sun set. Finding the Pak-Lite during midnight nature calls was easy, since the entire top of the Pak-Lite is glow in the dark material.
The Pak-Lite fits inverted into the Tools Aviation battery carrier. With the Pak-Lite attached, the bottom of the battery sticks out of the carrier slightly for easy removal. Carried as such, the LEDs are protected from scuffs or other damage.
I was also impressed by Care's Pak-Lite system. So much so, that I bought a second one to store in my get home bag.
The Pak-Lites were purchased from Lighthound at $17.99 USD each. The Tools Aviation carriers were also purchased from Lighthound for $5.95 USD each.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Swiss Army Farmer and Huntsman Mate - Born is the Stalker
Many years ago, my primary field knives were a Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman and A Buck Model 102 Woodsman. Those knives have both been replaced many times over, for one reason or another. The primary reason for replacing the Huntsman was solely because I didn't like the cellidor (plastic) scales. The Huntsman's replacement was the alox scaled Victorinox Swiss Army Farmer. Although a huge proponent of the Farmer for field use, I've always missed the utility and heft of the Huntsman.
Enter Bill Evans, aka Scibeer on http://www.knifeforums.com/. Bill has made quite the name for himself as a Swiss Army Knife modification specialist. After seeing some examples of his work, I contacted Bill to mod up a knife for me...
Born is what I've dubbed the Stalker - the best attributes of the SAK Farmer with an added pair of scissors and an HAIII anodization on the Farmer scales. This gives me back the heft and feel of my olde Huntsman, coupled with the sheer strength and utility of the Farmer.
Bill's work is nothing less than AWESOME. Every tool is perfectly aligned and the knife's "walk-n-talk" spring action is right up to par with factory offerings. There are no abnormal tool markings to be found anywhere. Additionally, the dark greyish black HAIII coating is by far and away harder and more corrosion resistant than the factory alox finish. The Stalker's finish is almost a perfect match to the SureFire E1L's finish (shown above). Here's a couple more views of the finished knife...
Enter Bill Evans, aka Scibeer on http://www.knifeforums.com/. Bill has made quite the name for himself as a Swiss Army Knife modification specialist. After seeing some examples of his work, I contacted Bill to mod up a knife for me...
Born is what I've dubbed the Stalker - the best attributes of the SAK Farmer with an added pair of scissors and an HAIII anodization on the Farmer scales. This gives me back the heft and feel of my olde Huntsman, coupled with the sheer strength and utility of the Farmer.
Bill's work is nothing less than AWESOME. Every tool is perfectly aligned and the knife's "walk-n-talk" spring action is right up to par with factory offerings. There are no abnormal tool markings to be found anywhere. Additionally, the dark greyish black HAIII coating is by far and away harder and more corrosion resistant than the factory alox finish. The Stalker's finish is almost a perfect match to the SureFire E1L's finish (shown above). Here's a couple more views of the finished knife...
(Note the added fourth layer)
If you have an urge to have the "perfect" Swiss Army Knife for yourself, I can attest for the high quality of work and excellent service Bill provides. Some of Bill's finished works can be found for sale in Felinevet's Shop at http://www.sosakonline.com/. If you don't see what you're looking for there, you can always contact him through private messaging at http://www.knifeforums.com/...
M
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