Field Test: The EcoZoom Biomass Stove

The EcoZoom is very efficient!

Consider this scenario: If the Stuff Has Hit the Fan (SHTF), you may end up with no potable water. In the aftermath of a large-scale disaster, such as the tornado that hit Joplin, MO, large groups of people will need pure drinking water. In many such cases, boiling may be the only practical way to kill the nasties that can cause water-borne illnesses.

And what about all that storage food you have on hand – how much of it needs to be cooked, and how long will your propane, charcoal or firewood reserves last?

Those are some of the reasons I agreed to field test the EcoZoom BioMass stove. To read more, click on EcoZoom review.

Randy Yow: An Expert Chooses the Best Backcountry Hunting Knives

Randy Yow's commute home from work.

Randy Yow, of La Pine, OR spends his time doing what most big game hunters can only dream about. As host of the popular ” on the pursuit channel, Randy is in the field about 60 days a year, pursuing different species of big game in several western states. In any given year, Yow’s group  may harvest bighorn sheep, bears, deer, elk and antelope.

So what is the best backcountry knife if you’re going to be hunting big game in remote, hard to access areas? If weight is an issue, what is the best choice in this critical survival/hunting tool? Here is what an expert chooses!

To read the complete story, click on Randy Yow knives.

Make Sure your Knife Sheath is Safe, Effective

(Illustration by C. T. Fischer)

So you’ve decided what fixed-blade knife to include in an emergency survival kit or Bug Out Bag.

But how will you safely carry it? Where is the best place to wear that knife on your belt? And what things should you look for in a sheath to make sure the knife isn’t lost?

Unfortunately, some fine knifes come with mediocre to poor sheaths. In some cases, these sheaths can be dangerous to the user!

Outdoorsman and knifemaker  C.T. Fischer explains the best ways to carry your fixed-blade knife, and things to look for in a sheath. 

Click on fixed-blade sheath safety to read the story!

Survival Knife Review: C.T. Fischer Nessmuk Knife

This Nessmuk-style knife is a winner!

Sometimes a knife just looks right, and that's what drew my eye to an ad for a "Nessmuk" knife.  It looked like a quality workhorse.

For a little background here, George Washington Sears, 1821-1890, is better known by his pen name of "Nessmuk". He wrote one of the first wilderness survival books,  "Woodcraft," in 1884 and was a regular contributor to "Forest and Stream Magazine."

So when I saw a Nessmuk-style knife  advertised by C.T. Fischer Knives, based in Elk City, Idaho, I just had to try one out . I called knife maker Christopher T. Fischer and asked about his product line.  

Here's my thoughts on the knife after testing it: click on Nessmuk knife review.

Camp Chef Remote Meat Thermometer

This remote thermometer works great - but do you need one?

Dutch oven cooks tend to fall  into two schools of thought: There are the frequent checkers (when it comes to lifting the lid and looking at the cooking food) and there are those never want to open the oven while cooking.
I am a frequent checker, since I don’t want to burn anything. My wife wants to leave the lid down. Her reasoning is that every time you lift the lid to look at the food, heat is lost. When we cook together, differences of opinion occur!
Recently, I tested the Camp Chef Remote Meat Thermometer at a Dutch oven dinner. Is this a viable tool in your Dutch oven survival kit? Read this thermometer review to decide! 

Frontier Pro Ultralight Multi-Use Water Filter

The Frontier Pro filters water well and is easy to use.

Deserts are arid. That doesn’t mean there aren’t springs or creeks – it’s just that they’re further apart than in areas with more rainfall and desert water sources may dry up during the hot months.

The other extreme might be during a flood, where  you may be in  a flood, surrounded by filthy, muddy water, with none to drink.
Wherever you are, staying hydrated is critical to survival. The preferred method of water purification might be boiling. But what if you need drinking water immediately to rehydrate a child, or don’t have the means to make a fire or a suitable water container?
Water filters that will work under these circumstance and in these situations need to effective. Most importantly, they must be light, compact and easy to carry and use or they will be left behind. That is why I was intrigued by the Frontier Pro Ultra-Light Multi-Use Water Filter.

Wondermill Wonder Junior

The Wondermill Wonder Junior sets us easily, and works well .

Does a survival-type need a grainmill? Is the bulky, heavy item practical for a bug-out situation?  Would a grainmill be worth the weight and space it takes up in a survival situation?

Those were the first questions I came up with, when asked to review the hand-powered Wondermill Wonder Junior. But since that question has come up from readers before, it seemed like a good time to address the issue!

So, with some help from the local Dutch oven club, we created a survival scenario and tried out the Wondermill. 

Here is what we found!

The Best Survival Knife?: Guest Knife Review: The Bear Grylls Survival Knife...

The Best Survival Knife?: Guest Knife Review: The Bear Grylls Survival Knife...: "This is the new, wildly-popular Bear Grylls knife. How good is it? Editor's Note : I have been meaning to review the new Gerber Bear Gr..."

Fathers Day Gifts For That Survival/Prepper Dad

Don't forget the intangibles!

Fathers Day is June 19, and here are some practical, inexpensive gift suggestions for that prepper or survival dad!
Everybody (Says me!) needs to carry a small, pocket-sized survival kit wherever they go. If an emergency happens or the Sewage Hits the Fan, the only survival tools you’ll have are the ones in your pockets, purse, briefcase or coat pocket.
Maybe Dad is already on the preparedness or survival bandwagon, and is pretty well set up. Or, maybe he doesn’t have anything, and sees no need to prepare for anything.
Either way, here are some Fathers Day gift suggestions for inexpensive, useful gifts that can come from the kids. Any Dad worthy of  the title will appreciate and carry these items, because of who gave them!

A Winner: The Camp Chef Double-Burner Propane Stove

This setup has served me well, in the wilderness and on my patio!

When I bought my Camp Chef double burner propane stove nearly 20 years ago, I never dreamed it would be so useful, get such hard use or last so long!
After shopping around with my elk camp stove criteria in mind,  I bought a Camp Chef double burner. I have never regretted the purchase, and the stove has never let me down.
A stove like this is also a valuable survival tool. It allows you to cook, boil water and prepare meals for groups of people when there is no electricity or gas. My Camp Chef is part of my off-grid cooking setup and a valuable part of my emergency preparations.
To read my review, click on Camp Chef double burner review.here!

Effective ways to Carry Water Outdoors

Being able to carry sufficient water is a survival must. Dehydration can cause you to collapse in the heat or in the cold, and it can kill you. Every survival kit should have some way to carry and purify water.
In the early 1970s, I never filtered drinking water in the mountains. I’d carry a filled quart military canteen as

This plastic canteen is cheap and rugged

insurance, but I never passed a clear-running stream without taking out my Sierra cup and sampling.
I hiked the John Muir Trail; through Yellowstone, and various other western mountain ranges without ever purifying water and I never got sick. But, I’d never do that today because of the potential for getting really sick. I always carry water on outings, and some way of purifying it.
As you put together a survival kit or update your equipment, here are some effective ways to carry water worth considering.

What gear can be used both for camping and prepping?

How much of your camping gear can also be valuable for prepping or for survival? What gear would be useful, if not a necessity, in the aftermath of a tornado?
Last week, SurvivalCommonSense.com was featured on the Destiny Survival Radio Show. The topic was getting started camping, as a way to getting started prepping. Listen to the interview here!

How to Choose the Right Sleeping Bag

These synthetic winter bags got slightly damp, but dried out quickly!

One of the things you don’t want to have to improvise is a good sleeping bag. If you can’t sleep at night because you’re cold, the next day is guaranteed to be exhausting. Too light a bag can put you in danger of hypothermia. Too heavy a bag may be  too hot for comfort and impractical for easy transport. Here’s how to pick a good bag to meet your specific needs.
Click here to read the story!

Survival Food Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking: How Will You Cook That Storage Food? Try This Cook...

Survival Food Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking: How Will You Cook That Storage Food? Try This Cook...: "Bland, tasteless food is not only unnecessary, but in some survival scenarios, dangerous! It’s one thing to be set up and prepared for of..."




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Product Review: The Berkey Portable Water Purifier

Water is critical to survival, be it in the desert or during a flood such as happened after Katrina, or last week along the Mississippi River.
But frequently, the only drinking water source available may be muddy, dirty and polluted. If that’s your survival situation, then your choices are simple: Drink or die.
Or suppose you travel to a third-world country, where water quality is suspect at best. You need to be able to carry along a filtering/purification system that is compact and portable. A dependable system for filtering and purifying water is mandatory for any emergency preparedness and/or survival kit, and it should consist of several inter-related components. One of these should be some sort of filter/purifier.
The Berkey Sport bottle might be a good choice for you. To read the review, click Berkey sport bottle.