Author: luckacco@hotmail.com

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For review today I have a MOLLE Sustainment Pouch. These are designed to attach to the sides of the Main MOLLE Pack to carry the “sustainment load – MREs”. I imagine they can be used for anything, from carrying clothes to food to bottles of water.

My pouches are made by SDS, and have waterproof coating on the inside. There is a draw-string closure on top, and a flap with buckle for added security. For real-world sizing, I stuffed a Medium/Regular set of BDU pants and shirt, and a Fleece inside. It is about the right fit for the three items; I can probably fit a pair or two of socks inside, if all the clothes are rolled and compressed really tight.

The pouch measures about 12″ tall x 8″ wide x 6″ deep, which makes it around 570 cubic inches in size. Fabric is usual SDS cordura with good stitching and waterproofing. I have yet to be disappointed by SDS quality of materials and craftsmanship. Personally, I have to use for the Sustainment Pouches at this time, they are too big to fit on the sides of my MOLLE Assault Pack, and would add too much space to my regular UTG Web pack. If you are have a MOLLE vest, a couple of these could probably be used instead of a rucksack altogether.  There are four MOLLE attachment straps on the back, so two rows of webbing on the main pack will be used for each attachment point.  Because of the size of these pouches, and the kind of weight they can carry, I would secure the MOLLE straps with either duct tape of a zip-tie near the end.

MOLLE Sustainment Pouch MOLLE Sustainment Pouch back MOLLE Sustainment Pouch 570 cu inches
Sustainment Pouch review

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One of the tools for making a semi-permanent shelter in the woods is often overlooked.  The tool I am talking about is a saw.  This can be a pruning saw, a folding saw, or anything in between.  Many people try to use a machete, or a hatchet, or even a camp axe to chop wood.  While this works, a small saw is much lighter, and safer to use.  I have used a Fiskars folding pruning saw to cut branches, and it’s worked out great.

Recently, I purchased a small Stanley keyhole saw for a project, and it would serve very well in my BOB too.  There are two blades, a fine metal cutting blade, and an all purpose wood/plastic blade.  The handle is very light and small.  Blades can be attached in two positions to accommodate different cutting angles.  The handle plus two blades is much smaller and lighter than any pruning saw.  There are many varieties of hole saws from different manufacturers, and I found that this Stanley model is smallest and lightest of all.  AAA battery is in the picture for size comparison.  Check out the pictures below…

Stanley Keyhole Saw

Saw Blades

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This little gem is a lifesaver. It has replaced all my other flashlights for everyday(night) use outdoors. Before purchasing this headlight on sale at Lowe’s, I used the Inova X5 LED flashlight all the time. The X5 is awesome in its own right, but the versatility of a headlamp outshines every regular flashlight. Wearing a headlamp allows you to use both hands, and the 3-in-1 mode is a bigger bonus.

The Sportsman has 3 different modes. There are two red LEDs for general use. Why RED, you may ask? It preserves your night vision, and if you are talking to somebody, and shining a light at their eyes or body, they get blinded. With red LEDs, your conversation partner can see perfectly well. The second mode is a single white LED in the middle. It is useful if you wan to get true color at night. Red washes out colors, and for more detail the white LED is best. The third mode is a Krypton bulb, on top of the LED module. This is like a conventional reflector flashlight: eats up batteries fast, and you can adjust from spot to flood. The regular bulb is most useful to see across the campsite, at distances the LED bulbs simply cannot reach.

The Rayovac Sportsman is hinged on the bottom, so you can adjust where the light shines. Anywhere from right in front of your face, or 10 feet away. There are three straps that hold in on your head. Two on the side, and one on top. This design is great; I have seen other headlights with just the side straps, and the slide down sometimes. There is a thin layer of foam padding, where the back of the headlight contacts your head. It is contoured, and makes for a comfortable fit. Three AAA batteries are used to power this flashlight, and it is waterproof. I am not sure I would go diving with it, but rain is no problem. The cap is sealed with a rubber o-ring, and all the other compartments are either completely sealed in plastic, or a thick rubber cover.

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I am not a “flashlighaholic” like the guys at Candlepowerforums.com, however flashlights have always been cool toys for me. Ever since the Inova X5 purchase, I have been hooked on LED lights. They are far better for every day chores than an incandescent light. For the BOB, I purchased an Inova X1 single LED, single AA battery flashlight. Like all Inova products, it is well built, and functions perfectly. What I like most is X1 runs on only one AA battery. No need for exotic power sources, and cost of replacing too many batteries at once.  There is one 5mm LED and a reflector protected by a clear lens.

Like most Inova X-family flashlights there is a twist cap on the end, with a momentary push button switch. There is a rubber o-ring seal to protect the insides from moisture. This o-ring should be lubricated with silicone grease to keep it from cracking and maintain a good seal. Unlike the X5, this light did not come with a belt pouch; there is a drilled hole on the tail-cap to insert a carry strap or a key-chain ring. After about 8 hours, the flashlight is close to 50% light output; it will go for many more hours after that with diminishing results. The beam has a bluish tint, brighter in the center. Flashlight body is made from aluminum, and the momentary on/off switch is rubber. These cost about $20 on the internet and several local retailers like Target.

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Archive for the ‘Books and Publications’ Category

The FM 21-76 is considered to be one of the ‘standard’ survival publications available today. The other ones are Boyscout Handbook, SAS Survival Guide and such. If you are not familiar with US Army’s publishing scheme, I can try and explain it in a few words, based on my own understanding. FM stands for Field […]

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I have gained experience after several trips to the woods, that would not have come any other way.  One of the most used tools is a camp knife.  In the beginning, I thought bigger is better, and started with a Cold Steel GI Tanto.  At first it seemed to make perfect sense: large heavy blade for camp chores, paracord wrapped handle in case it needs to become a spear head, inexpensive, to take abuse, etc.  All these ‘features’ turned out to be useless: large blade is a pain to carry, handle is uncomfortable, cheap steel dull easy, and it looks scary, when you run into other people on the trail.  So… the GI Tanto has been replace with a Buck Omni Hunter 12pt with gut hook.

The Omni Hunter has a large curved handle, made of black Kraton.  It is textured for good grip, and is not slippery even with blood on it.  There are ridges on the top and bottom of the handle to increase traction in all conditions.  A lanyard hole is in the back, you can easily feed 550 cord through it for extra lashing.  This handle is large, even someone with large hands should find it comfortable.  If you have smaller hands, the curve of the handle makes it easy to use in every situation.  It is a full tang knife, as you can through the lanyard hole.

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I saved these links a while ago from Old Town Coleman Center, and some articles are no longer online.   Maybe be affiliated with http://www.pressure-lanterns-il.com.  Anyway, links are on this site but manuals are not written by me.  I will not be held responsible for any personal, property or any damage caused by reading and following advice in the articles below.  Use common sense when working with flammable fuel.

General operation:

http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/check valve removal.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/coleman theory of operation.pdf

Gas stoves – cleaning, assembly and disassembly:

http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/stove-dissasembly.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/stove-reassembly.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/stove-cleaning.pdf

Gas lanterns – cleaning, assembly and disassembly:

http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/doublemantle cleaning.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/doublemantle dissasembly.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/doublemantle reassembly.pdf

http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/singlemantle cleaning.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/singlemantle dissasembly.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/singlemantle reassembly.pdf

Troubleshooting  – valve and plunger repair, weak flame and pulsing

http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – lantern burns dim.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – lanterns burns yellow.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – lantern pulses.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – leaking fuel near valve.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – loss of pressure.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – nothing happens quarter turn.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – only air comes out.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – plunger stem rises.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – pump plunger no resistance.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – stove catches fire.pdf
http://www.campingsurvivalgearreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/trouble – stove flame weak.pdf

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Water is essential for life. Drinking on the move can sometimes be a challenge if you do not want to stop. Personally, I prefer canteens and bottles, but for versatility, hydration bladders cannot be beat. CamelBak is well respected in this field, and has been on the forefront of hydration systems for more than 10 years. It all started during a bicycle marathon, when CamelBak’s founder used an I.V. bag and hose, stitched to a t-shirt in a sock on his back. Since then, hydration bladders and carriers have come a long way.

ThermoBack is the military version of a 3 liter (approximately 100 oz) hydration system. The outer shell is made of 1000 denier Cordura. It is abrasion resistant, and more durable than the civilian pouch; this is especially important in the woods, when something can puncture the bladder inside. Shoulder straps have quick release buckles on the bottom, and there is a sternum strap in the middle. These straps can be pout away when the carrier is inside a pack, or attached to something else. There are six D-rings to attach to just about anything, and all stitching is superb. There are two handles, one on top, and one in the middle, to hold this system horizontally while filling.
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While not strictly camping or survival gear, the Smith’s Sharpening System is very useful to have around the house. I have tried several types of sharpening rods, Arkansas stone of different grits, and none worked well for me. I am pretty sure it is because I cannot hold a proper angle while sharpening the blade. The Smith’s system comes with a clamping tool to hold the knife blade in place, and two plastic guides with different angles for the stones. There are two preset angles, around 20° and 25°. The 20° angle is used for everyday kitchen knives, and thinner blades. The 25° angle is for tools that are for less delicate work, and bear more force. Something like a thick bush knife, a machete or an axe. The guides ensure a consistent angle across the entire blade edge, and different stones allow for easy sharpening. There is a coarse surface for getting old or rough edges into shape, then the fine surface to finish up. There is even a triangular bar for cerated blades. The kit comes with a bottle of honing oil, and a nice case to keep everything together. I have inserted an old sharpening stone into the extra loop in my kit. Current version may come in a plastic or fabric case, and with regular or diamond stones. Replacement stones are available from Smith Abrasives Inc as well.

This system was purchased at Lowe’s about a year ago, and I use it on our kitchen knives every one or two months. Once the proper angle was set with the coarse stone, I only have to use the fine stone to maintain the edge. There are several different sharpening systems out there, and anything that will allow you to keep a consistent angle is much better than a regular stone. If you have good expensive knives, but do not understand why they do not work well, or dull quickly, it is probably because the edge is rounded instead of flat.

This mess kit can be purchased at any surplus store, eBay and many other web sites. I have been using this Mess Kit for many years in the woods. The clamshell design makes it easy to keep the stamped stainless steel knife, fork and spoon inside. The lower half is a bowl, with swing-away handle. The top half is rarely used. Because it is stainless steel, some ultralight hikers may find this set too heavy. It is cheap, sturdy and you can use the lower section to cook on the stove, over the fire, or as your plate.  If you use this to cook over open flame, especially a camp fire, the bottom will get soot on it.  It is easily cleaned with a scrubbing pad, or just wiped off.  After a while, the soot will become a permanent part of our Mess Kit, so keep that in mind.  If you are not a super hardcore ultralight camper, use a stove to heat and cook your food.  It is quicker, cleaner, and more efficient than the fire.  One exception I have to make…  If your camp fire has been burning for several hours, and there are plenty of coals glowing, it is very easy to cook on top of them, and not an actual open flame.  If you “dig in” any pot or Mess kit bowl into the coals, because of the large contact surface, everything is cooks fast and even.

Czech mess kit is a nice light compliment to any stove. It only weighs about 1 LB, and there are three pieces total made of aluminum. Large pot is a little over 1 quart, the smaller pot is about 2/3 of a quart. The lid can be used as a frying pan, although I have never used it for anything but a food prep ‘plate’. The swing-away handles are steel, and do not heat up during cooking. This makes it easy to hold the hot pots after your meal is cooked. I usually keep a jar of bullion cubes, scouring pad, plus some spices inside the mess kit. This mess kit was purchased from CheaperThanDirt several years ago, and they are still for sale as of February, 2008. The set is perfect for two people; large pot can be used to prepare the main course, small one – a side dish, soup, or hot tea. Three people, and you need a larger pot set to cook the entire meal at once.

Coleman has had this model of Dual Fuel stove available for many years. It has been my de-facto camping stove for many years. While not light, its construction is bomb-proof, and fuel is relatively cheap. This is actually my second Coleman stove. The first one was lost somewhere. I either forgot it at a camp site somewhere, or something else happened… The original stove lasted for more than 5 years without any maintenance, using unleaded gasoline. Exterior paint was lighter in color, and the rest of the features were identical.

One of the best features of this stove is how easy it is to simmer food and water. Other stoves are either ON or OFF. Some have a H-LOW-OFF setting, which only works half the time. The Coleman dual-fuel has always had ‘infinite’ heat adjustment levels for cooking meals. The basic premise of operation is like this: pressurize fuel travels through the thin brass pipe in the middle of the burner. As it becomes heated by the flame, it keeps vaporizing the fuel from the burner, which draws more cool fuel from the reservoir. The stove has to be primed initially to build up internal pressure to ‘push’ the fuel through the burner holes. Instructions on how to use it are on a printed label, right on the side of the stove. Coleman propane powered stoves boil water a little faster than the gasoline powered 533, but simmering is much more difficult.

You start by priming the stove.

• Check to make sure the fuel pump is tightened (all the way to the right)
• Pull the fuel pump out, and twist it half or full turn to the left
• Put your thumb over the small hole on the fuel pump knob
• Pump 15-25 times. You will know when it’s enough, there will be more and more resistance from within the chamber
• Turn the fuel pump to the right till tight. Do not over tighten; push it into the stove
• Adjust the red flame-control lever to the medium position
• You should now hear hissing, as fuel evaporates from the burner holes
• Keep you flammable material and your face away from the stove
• Bring flame to the top of the burner. It may flare up for a second, and die down. You may have to open the fuel lever a little more to allow the flame to stay lit. It takes 30-90 seconds for the stove to prime itself. There may be some flare-ups as the flame becomes more even. When it’s ready, there will be blue jets just like a regular gas stove in your house.
• When you are done cooking there will be pressurized fuel left in the reservoir. If you are going to pack up the stove, I recommend twisting the fuel pump to release the pressure.

I will not be held responsible for any damage to yourself or others if you follow these usage directions, and get hurt.

It is said that the single burner is 10,500 BTUs, and there is 1.1 quarts of fuel in the reservoir. Burn time is 1.75 hours on high, and 6.5 on low. Low settings may be hard to measure because there are many different levels. There has always been enough fuel inside for my camping trips. We usually have 3-4 people going for a weekend trip. This means two full dinners, two lunches, and several pots of tea in between.

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Review coming ASAP, this post is a placeholder for now…

Long Range Bugout bag is created by Sandpiper of California (PiperGear.com). They make various sports bags as well as travel packs, and “bugout bags”. I snagged a used Long Range Bag on eBay last week for testing and reviewing purposes.

This bag is huge, no wonder they call it the Long Range bag. Like most suitcases, there is a zipper in the back that compresses additional 3.5″ of fabric, which adds 1116 cu/in to the main compartment. Unexpanded this pack is around 4400 cubic inches. Expanded it is around 5550 cubic inches. Because of its ‘square’ design, and expandable feature, the Long Range bag reminds me of a travel suitcase. In fact there are two carry handles, and a zippered back compartment to put away the shoulder straps. This can be handy if you fly with this pack, or travel via public transportation. Material is 1000-Denier Cordura, ACU color pattern. Stitching seems pretty good, however the metal carabiner attachments at the end of shoulder straps seem flimsy for the kind of weight you can carry in this pack. The bottom attachment points for the shoulder straps could use reinforcing.

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The CFP-90 was my second foray into US Army rucksacks. The medium ALICE Pack was not comfortable for even short(er) hikes, and I wanted something with an internal frame and a hip belt. I looked at several civilian internal frame backpacks at local retailers, but none of them ‘turned me on’. The suspension systems were well designed, the size was right, but they were either too expensive, or ugly, or ‘just not right’. I then looked online for various military designs, and saw some very well made packs in the $300-$700 range. These bags were simply out of question! I am used to buying surplus military gear way below retail prices, and somebody wants $300 for a backpack? No way. After some more searching on the internet, I came upon an obscure pack made for the US Army, and never used. The CFP-90 was designed as a replacement for ALICE gear, but never adopted. The Army started using MOLLE gear instead. Which, I suppose, is good for the Army, and great for the civilian hiker because surplus Army gear became even cheaper and easier to get.
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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 for 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.
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I have gained experience after several trips to the woods, that would not have come any other way.  One of the most used tools is a camp knife.  In the beginning, I thought bigger is better, and started with a Cold Steel GI Tanto.  At first it seemed to make perfect sense: large heavy blade for camp chores, paracord wrapped handle in case it needs to become a spear head, inexpensive, to take abuse, etc.  All these ‘features’ turned out to be useless: large blade is a pain to carry, handle is uncomfortable, cheap steel dull easy, and it looks scary, when you run into other people on the trail.  So… the GI Tanto has been replace with a Buck Omni Hunter 12pt with gut hook.

The Omni Hunter has a large curved handle, made of black Kraton.  It is textured for good grip, and is not slippery even with blood on it.  There are ridges on the top and bottom of the handle to increase traction in all conditions.  A lanyard hole is in the back, you can easily feed 550 cord through it for extra lashing.  This handle is large, even someone with large hands should find it comfortable.  If you have smaller hands, the curve of the handle makes it easy to use in every situation.  It is a full tang knife, as you can through the lanyard hole.

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Update 5/31/2011: Just after a few weeks of use the pocket clip has lost most of it’s spring.  I had to use pliers to compress it again, so that the knife would not fall out of my pocket.  This really undermines my good overall opinion about the blade.

After a few years, the time has come to replace the Gerber AR 3.0 with something better.  Specifically, a better blade.  Numerous times I have sharpened my EDC knife, and wished I did not have to do it so often.  The carbon blade sharpens easily, but also dulls easily.

The new CRKT Vertex has a stainless steel blade, similar to AUS-8 steel.  It’s a Chinese steels that gets mostly positive reviews on various internet forums and other sites.  The blade is spring-loaded for one handed operation.  Depress the locking stud and nudge the blade forward, and it springs and locks into place.  Liner lock secures it into place for sure-handed operation.  This blade is extreme hollow ground for smooth penetration into whatever you are cutting.  The drop point version has black Micarta inserts, and the clip point sports cocobolo wood inserts.

CRKT Vertex drop point CRKT Vertex CRKT Vertex closed CRKT Vertex review

Review coming ASAP, this post is a placeholder for now…

This multitool came as a part of Winchester 6 piece gift set from Wal Mart. For $10 for the whole set, I could not pass it up. The craftsmanship and materials do not feel as good as my Gerber and Leatherman multitools, and that’s ok. I beleive that tools should be used and abused, and for the price the Winchester can be beat up without breaking the bank.

It is made from stainless steel, and blades feel sharp enough to do small tasks. There are inch and centimeter markings etched into both sides of the handles, to measure something shorter than 8″. On one side there is a standard blade, a saw blade, can/bottle opener and a flat screwdriver bit. On the other side there is a nice serrated blade, a short blade, and a phillips screw driver bit. All the blades swing out when handles are fully closed, and pliers are not exposed. If you swing the handles open, the multitool becomes needle nosed pliers. This design is comfortable because the inside of the handles are smooth, and edges do not cut into your skin.

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.  This model sports a drop-point blade without serrations.

Gerber AR 3.00 knife Gerber AR 3.00 pocket clip Gerber AR 3.00 open Gerber AR 3.00 liner lock
Gerber AR 3.00 thumb studs Gerber AR 3.00 and Gator 625 Gerber AR 3.00 and Gator right Gerber AR 3.00 and Gator open