Friday, July 03, 2009
   
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CRKT Folts Minimalist Review Our friends over at EDC Depot got a hold of CRKT's new Folts Minimalist.  They sent a demo unit out to Woods Monkey so we'd have a chance to play around with it and report back on our impressions.  Jump in and check out why the name "Minimalist" is the absolutely correct appellation for this great little blade!


Mountain Khakis Alpine Utility Shorts Branching off into new territory for reviews, Woods Monkey got the chance to take a look at a few offerings from Mountain Khakis' line of products.  Today, we start with Simon's review of MK's Alpine Utility Shorts.        
 
CRKT M16 and M21 Undergo An Overhaul CRKT updates their already popular M16 and M21 lines with some practical new features and Woods Monkey takes a look at those changes to see how they came out.

       
Otis Hard Core Hunter Cleaning System Whether you're looking for something to clean your hunting rifle or your trail carry piece out in the field, you'll probably want to take a look at the new offering from Otis Technology.  Their new HardCore Hunter cleaning system is designed to help maintain just about every type and caliber of firearm on the go.  Check out our take on this new system and see if it might be right for your needs!

We Have A Winner!

Feature Articles - General

woodsmonkeyico85x85Well, folks, it's that time.  We got all the votes tabulated from existing registered Woods Monkey members for our Perfect Survival Kit Contest that we ran during the month of June.  First, we'd like to thank everyone that participated by sending in their article submissions, and everyone that took the time to vote for their favorite finalist.  As mentioned before, the winner will receive a custom Charles May custom OSK-1 knife in S30V with natural canvas micarta handle slabs.  Scott's Knots will be giving the winner a custom lanyard and a survival bracelet as well.  Both of these guys do great work in their repsective fields and you out to check out your wares to see if they've got something that will work for you as well!

Also, I would like to mention that this was not a run away contest.  After the votes were counted, it came down to a very narrow margin that determined the winner.  So, without any more hem-hawing around, the winner is................Don Logar, self-proclaimed American Bad Ass.  Congratulations Don for the win, and kudos to the other two finalists Jeff Mays and Kevin Renkavinsky because it was a very close contest.  Each kit had its up sides and its fans out there voting for it.  We have also enabled user registration again now that the contest is over.

Thanks, and have a great Independence Day!!

 

We Need To Think A Little Differently...

Editorials - Editorials

woodsmonkeyico85x85_thumbI've been mulling over a couple of things for the past few months, and I know basically what I want to say, but there's a whole bunch of concepts and threads that weave themselves throughout my thoughts.  But, I'm going to try to keep myself on track and on point, and hopefully I can do it quick enough that you'll have no problem finishing the article.  The problem is that we are losing ground.  By "we", I'm talking about primitive skills guys, outdoors people, gun owners, knife lovers, and all the folks that embrace our heritage and the things that made our country unique and let us blaze a trail through the wilderness to create this great nation.  I recently saw an article that  made gun owners, conservatives, and republicans interchangeable--which they aren't.  But, in the eyes of the general population, we are all of the same ilk.  Myself, I am more of a conservative than a republican, and probably even more of a libertarian when it comes down to it.  But, the thrust of that article that painted us with one broad stroke was that we were a declining population consiting mainly of middle-aged white men.  Hmmm.  I don't think I'm middle-aged yet.

Read more: We Need To Think A Little Differently...

   

Brunton Solo Batt Pack Review

Reviews - Outdoors Tech

BattPack001cFor those power-hungry electronic devices you take with you on your vacation travels and adventures this summer, Brunton has developed a very veratile charging solution that just might be the trick for you.  Take a look at our review on their new Solo Battpack offering.  You may find this is what you've been looking for!



Read more: Brunton Solo Batt Pack Review

   

Snow Peak In The Foothills

Reviews - Stoves, Cookware & Utensils

SnowPeak004c

For those folks that are looking for high performance camp cooking gear, Woods Monkey takes a look at a few items from Snow Peak including their Lite Max Stove, Mini Solo Cookset, and their Titanium Spork.   Constructed of the latest high-end materials, these items promise great quality with light weight for the trail monkey on the go and we'll see if Snow Peak delivers on that promise.

 


Read more: Snow Peak In The Foothills

   

CleanStream Gravity Filter

Reviews - Water Purifiers and Filters

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Need a sure-fire way to filter a lot of water for a group of people in camp?  Woods Monkey just had the opportunity to test a new filtering system from Playpus named the CleanStream Gravity Filter System  It's an interesting approach to solving the problem and reducing your workoad at the same time!

 


Read more: CleanStream Gravity Filter

   

Emergency Ration Pack

Reviews - Misc. Gear

Img_1744aAt the recent 2009 Blade show in Atlanta, GA I had the chance to examine a new “survival” kit at the Martin Knives table. Hank Martin was excited to show it to me and was generous enough to provide me with a sample to check out on my own. The kit is made by Best Glide Aviation Survival Equipment (ACE), and is designed for short duration survival. It’s a kit to keep you alive, and in some degree of comfort, until you can be found by rescuers. While many of our readers likely make their own survival kits, chances are we know a lot of folks who don’t. For folks like that, a pre-made kit is just the ticket to throw in their day pack while hiking, the game bag of their hunting jacket, or on their ATV or snowmobile while out enjoying a ride. Even if you do make your own kits, this Best Glide one might still be a welcome addition to your own gear, or a good choice for a spare left in the truck, trunk of your car, on your boat, or other places where you might want to stow one. Let’s take a look at what the kit’s all about and you can decide for yourself.

Read more: Emergency Ration Pack

   

Ontario/Ranger RD-4 Review

Reviews - Knives

RD4001a

Before I get into the review, I’d like to share a little insight on me.  Unfortunately for most of you, I’m not really an outdoorsman.  Actually, my idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel room that doesn’t have a separate living room!  My kids have been asking to go camping lately, so I figured this was a good time to start getting prepared for that.  I am a police officer whose duties are primarily investigative.  I am also a member of my Department’s tactical team.  Getting back to the topic, so when I was asked to review this knife, I was reminded, ever so diplomatically, that this review is for a predominately outdoors website, not a police site.  I’ve reviewed products before, so this is not a new endeavor.  I am not that familiar with knives as one might expect for a police officer.  I did learn one valuable piece of information though throughout my years of training and experience.  If you get involved in a knife fight, you will get cut!

Read more: Ontario/Ranger RD-4 Review

   

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woodsmonkeyico85x85All registered members make sure to visit our PSK contest page to vote for one of the three finalists.

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Quick Notes

06/14/09, Hold on to your hats Woods Monkeys. It's going to be a busy week!!
Check out Expedition Africa on the History Channel. A great show about making it in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Make sure to go over to Knife Rights to get informed and active over the new restrictions that are coming into play. http://twurl.nl/t4ylfu

Article Content

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Featured Sites

Knife Forums
One of the premiere communities for people to gather and communicate about all types of blades.
Blade Forums
Another premiere site for users to communicate about and trade information and goods related to knives.
Terrill Hoffman Photography
One of the country's premiere knife photographers, also an outdoors writer, and tool designer.
Equipped To Survive
One of the longest running and most highly regarded sites on the web dealing with disaster preparedness. Doug Ritter is an acclaimed expert in the field with a particular emphasis on the aerospace sector. You won't find better readiness information anywhere!
The Secret Order of Swiss Army Knives
The SOSAK is a place for enthusiasts of "the little red tool" to gather for the purpose of sharing ideas, photos, stories, modifications and anything else related to Swiss Army Knives.
Survival Topics
Here's a great site with very educational articles on a wide variety of outdoors related topics including primitive skills and survival tips. Also the creators of Fire Steel Tubes. Take a little time to dig through the site. There's a lot of great information available.
National Geographic's Adventure Online
If you're looking for inspiration for places to see or visit, National Geographic's Adventure website will help you get your expedition planned. Whether it's a weekend trip to the moutains or a safari halfway around the world, you can depend on the great insights they provide based on perspectives of experienced travelers.