Reviews

Knives

I’m a practical person by nature, and some might consider me a tough critic.  There are very few items that I own where the look of the thing won me over as opposed to the function of the piece.  From tools, to guns, to cars, I’m ‘that guy’ who will pour over the internet reading reviews and observations before laying down any money what so ever.  So it came as quite a shock to me that the primary thought going through my head when I first laid eyes on the Razorhoof from Bad Blood Knives was ‘damn, that look is way bad ass – gotta have it!”. Don’t worry, the practical nature of this knife still exists, and I’ll be getting to it in a bit.

Read more: Bad Blood RazorHoof

Axes, Hatchets, and Saws

Woods Monkey splits some fur with 150 years of old world German Craftsmanship using the Helko Vario 2000 line of axes! Helko has a long history of producing excellent tools for the working woodsman.  From their Classic series, to the revolutionary Vario 2000 series, they have been a leader in the European forests.  Woods Monkey received the Vario 2000 hatchet for review from Axe Specialists.  The Vario hatchet comes in two options, a 15.7 inch ash handled version with a head weighing 1.3lbs, and a 17.7 inch hickory handled version with a head weighing   1.75 lbs. 

Read more: Helko Vario 2000 Axe Review

Knives

The term “Camp Knife” makes me think of the French Canadian Voyageurs and Coureur des bois (Runner of the woods) during the fur trade era. These rugged individuals used their Hudson Bay Camp Knives to carve out an existence in the wilderness. Like the men, their knives had to be tough because their survival could depend on it.

Read more: Kershaw Camp 10 Review

Footwear

Quality footwear is an essential part any outdoor pursuit, especially hunting.   Hunting boots need to keep your feet warm, dry, and comfortable.  They also need to provide traction and support while walking over rough terrain.  The Espen V-Frame Velocity series boot by Wolverine served me well during this past archery season in western Pennsylvania.

Read more: Wolverine Espen V-Frame Velocity Boots

Knives

Outdoorsmen expect each piece of their gear to perform numerous uses, and rightly so:  No backpack or saddle bag has space for dead weight.  But we also know that it’s always better to have the right tool for the right job.  

Read more: Bucking Tradition With a Rugged Camp Knife

Knives

 “Take care of the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves.”  Olde Backpacker’s axiom, author unknown

It’s zero dark thirty in the morning, mid December.  There’s 6”+ of snow on the deck and the snow is still falling at around an inch an hour.  I’m working and out slugging through the snow.  It’ll be an hour or so before the plows get out.  I’m cold, wet, and becoming more tired with every step I take.  The knees and back are aching.  Now done with the neighborhood I’m in, I head back to the truck to patrol the next neighborhood.  As the truck starts, the radio fires up. The ad currently playing on the talk radio station is saying that, “… for every extra pound you’re carrying, it adds 4 ft lbs of pressure to the joints as you walk…”  Great timing.

Read more: City Knives: Compact Urban Companions

Flashlights, Lamps, and Other Illuminators

I've said this before in previous articles, but I'll say it again – I love flashlights!  Maybe it comes from growing up as a kid and enjoying dark evenings on the back porch with my family.  Often I fell asleep on the porch swing, a baseball game playing on the radio and the sounds of the wind in the trees.  I guess that's why I grew up to enjoy being alone in the woods at night.  Still, it's good to have a trusty light source for when you get turned around or have to head back in time for a late supper.  Now that I'm older and have children of my own, priorities are different, and I don't often get to indulge in the pastimes of my youth (and the thought of my kids wandering in the woods at night alone makes for a different response in this over-protective parent). 

Read more: Smith and Wesson MP7 Tactical CREE LED Flashlight

Knives

I recently had the opportunity to test and evaluate the Boker K-Bit.  It is a small karambit style fixed blade.  It is a Boker collaboration design with Newton Martin.  The way it is shaped, packaged, and colored someone might assume it is designed specifically for tactical and/or defensive uses.  While it certainly could serve in such a function, I found that looking at the knife from a perspective of the day to day utility serves a better purpose for the end user.

Read more: Boker K-Bit Review

Knives

If you are familiar with the name Nessmuk as it applies to the traditional 4 inch skinner made famous by outdoorsman George Washington Sears under his pen name Nessmuk, then it is only appropriate that this monster sized version from Condor’s Joe Flowers bears the name of a much larger beast of mythical proportions.  Joe Flowers’ has taken the design and enlarged it into a capable camp knife. If you think Camp Cleaver when you look at the Lochnessmuk you aren’t far off.

Read more: Condor Lochnessmuk Review

Misc. Gear

Jeff’s Ocarina Epiphany

It was about five years ago that I started looking for a compact, rugged, musical instrument to play outdoors when camping. You can only carve so many spoons around the fire before you look for other interesting things to do. Ever since I watched Survivorman with Les Stroud I was always intrigued that he carried a harmonica into the woods a great many times. I heard that the harmonica was fun and Les looked like he enjoyed using his. Perhaps it was worth investigating,

Read more: The Ocarina: Music for the Trail