Emerlit Stove Review

While backpacking in the Absoroka Beartooth Wilderness, we took an Emberlit stove to cook with. Decided to shoot some vid and give my own opinion of the stove. It rained a lot and everything was wet, so we are lucky Dan from TheDailyPrep gave me some fat wood!

Much love to TheDailyPrep.com for lending the stove and to Melissa for filming.

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North Face Tadpole 23 Tent Review

I did a review on this tent the first time I took it out. A few years later, we took it out and got rained on all day. So, being bored and stuck in the tent I made a video review for you.

Got stuck in rainy weather while backpacking in the Absoroka Beartooth Wilderness. I tell you, 7 hours in a tent, you have to be creative. I vow to forever carry books on my iPone. Decided to give a review of our tent because we were experiencing the first ever true test of a tent that was designed to keep you dry. The Tadpole held up strong, though there was some condensation in the morning.

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Gear Review: Wire Saw

When backpacking long distances, the last thing you want is extra weight. That's exactly why when looking for wood cutting tool I chose the "Commando Wire Saw." It's so light that there was little opportunity cost, and it seemed like it would be effective.

I took it to Yellowstone this summer. Yellowstone has few back country camping sites, and those sites are pretty heavily camped. When it came to collecting wood I had to be able to get wood few others could. This is where the wire saw came in handy.

The positives are that it works. It cut wood up to 3" thick. The down side is that it hurt my fingers and it took a lot of energy. Still, it's so light and compact I would take it over any other saw I have found. It does what you need it to, and if you had to break some big wood you can use some rope or cord to make handles so it doesn't hurt your fingers.

All in all, I think it is a pretty nice thing to have in your pack. An incredibly useful tool and almost no weight.

Be Smart and Thrive

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Evolve Survival Kits

Nowadays, it seems like everyone and their mom is selling some sort of generic 72hr kit. All of them containing the same made in China stuff. Let's face it. If you ever have to "But Out" it will likely be for more than 72 hours. However, few people have taken survival beyond 72 hours.

Although there is no substitute to your personally gathered BOB (bug out bag), EvolveAndSurvive.com comes pretty close. They have a selection of kits that range from the typical 72 hours to 18 days! I've been looking for extreme BOB's for a while, and Evolve's 18 day "Evader" is as close as I have came.

The "Evader" kid includes the basics for water, light, heat, shelter, food, first aid and survival tools. I feel it could use some body warmers, and includes an unnecessary chair. You would also want to supplement it with some additional clothing, medicine, and personal needs depending on the person. Though, that is true with any survival kit.

Overall it is a decent attempt. I think they could do better. There are some items that I wouldn't consider high quality, but it's a pretty good kit. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Be Smart and Thrive

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North Face Tadpole 23 Tent Review

The North Face Tadpole 23 tent is a smaller version of the North Face Big Fat Frog 24 Tent. I purchased this tent as a upgrade from a really cheap tent I got on ebay. Don't get me wrong. I loved the no brand tent from ebay. It was super light with an attached rain fly. It was very compact and had plenty of room for our (me and my wife) packs. The downside was that it wasn't very weather resistant. I remember one time I woke up in a puddle. I thought, "no wonder I was so cold." Another night it was windy and sand was blowing up the vents and into the tent. We had to duct tape them shut. Once, we slept in our car because the wind was so strong it just folded our tent over.

No more of that. I did a lot of research, and I chose the The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent. I first tried it out in my back yard. I set it up and turned on the sprinklers. I got inside and stayed completely dry. Next I took it to the Uintas. By this time it was late fall. I slept with the fly off and the stars were the most beautiful I'd ever seen. I took it to the Uintas again, and this time kept the fly on. It was incredibly warm.

Though, I haven't used it in terrible weather, I have used it and loved it. It has a fully tubbed base and taped seams. One user woke up and opened the tent to find himself surrounded by water, but completely dry. The fly covers the top completely and comes almost to the ground, still leaving enough room for venting, but keeping sand out.

The only downside is that it is small. There is plenty of room for two people to sleep but your packs will stay outside. Luckily the fly includes a vestibule. The vestibule is actually about 1/2 the size of the tent. That means that there is plenty of room for your packs and whatever else you want to put in there. The only downside I see is that if you wake up surrounded by water, your packs will be soaked. I personally am not a huge fan of vestibules, but I certainly am willing to compromise.

All in all, it is a bit heavier than my last tent. It is also a bit less compact and smaller. I know, it's ironic; Heavier and less roomy! It actually isn't that heavy for a backpacking tent. Only heavier than my last one. On the plus side it is far more durable and weather resistant. I'm excited to go backpacking in BAD WEATHER! I know! I'm confident I will stay dry and sand free. Plus it won't blow over! Definitely a good choice. I really like it.

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Super Light and Easy Pack

As I was doing research on my new tyvek bivy, I stumbled across MoonbowGear.com. These guys have developed a super light, super convenient backpack for short or long trips. The pack essentially takes advantage of the gear you are already carrying. By doing this you can eleminate unnecessary weight and save time packing up camp. See the pack below or go to MoonbowGear.com.

~ Gearskins ~

( Video now available - $10.00 )

A "Gearskin"
is a harness/compression system that acts like a pack.



It is a piece of material that is roughly the size of a ground pad, with compression straps, and harness (shoulder pads, hip belt) attached.






By leaving your ground pad and sleeping bag inside of your shelter...
these can be folded and the gearskin clipped around, with food and other items placed inside the fold.




It has the ability to carry all of your present gear as you would use normally , but with the advantage of the



"powerpac system". 



Weighs 1 to 1.5 lb.



Adjusts from 2500-6500 cu. in.



Custom fit shoulder straps and waist belt.



Made from siliconized rip stop or packcloth...your choice.



Other options available.

---

Here's how it works:

Step 1 Lay the Gearskin open as shown
Step 2 Now add your ground sheet / tarp / bivy / tent - whatever shelter you are using. In this example, we'll demonstrate a ground sheet.
Step 3 Place your ground pad on top (or in shelter).
Step 4 Now your sleeping bag.
Step 5 Fold the ground sheet over the sleeping bag and place your food on top.
Step 6 Continue folding.
Step 7 Bring beavertail up and clip two top buckles.
Angled Side View.
Step 8 Clip side buckles loosely and evenly at first and position gear inside properly before the final cinch.
Step 9 Gear can now be accessed from the top.
Step 10 Congratulations! You have successfully assembled your custom Gearskin Backpack.

---

Use a packliner for additional protection of your sleeping bag. 



~



Options abound, such as a variety of pockets, loops and lashings,
Pack covers, VB liners, Waterproof stuff sacks. You name it!
~



For convenience, a "gearskin"
can be permanently or semi-permanently attached
to existing gear.
~

Prices start at $180.00.                 Contact us for a quote.



How to order a Gearskin



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



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~Tool belts ~ Juggling equipment ~ Musical Instrument Cases ~ Flags, Banners ~ Computer cases, totes and protective covers ~



contact us: info@moonbowgear.com



©1999-2011 The Moonbow Company 603-744-2264

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Clear2Go Water Bottle And Filter Review

When I first started back packing I used one of those old school pump filters. I did a caving trip through a major caving system in the Tetons using the same kind of pump. A little silt or separation of the the parts, and the next thing you know you have a non-functioning pump and contaminated water. It happened both times.

Soon after I started looking for alternate ways to filter water. I quickly found the Clear2GO Water Bottle. The Clear2GO Water Bottle is a food grade sports bottle with an integrated filter. I had seen similar water bottles with filters, but most did not filter microbes sufficiently. The Clear2GO Water Bottle filters 99.9% of microbial cysts including cryptosporidium and giardia. It also filters up to 100 gallons before a filter change is necessary.

I have used this water bottle in Canyon Lands NP, Yellowstone NP, Teton National Forest, Bear Tooth Wilderness, Wasatch Mountains, Uinta Mountains, and around town. It is always clean tasting water. I am always the first to fill up and be ready to go at the water source, and I have never experienced a clogged filter or contaminated drinking water.

The only down side is the size of the container. If hiking through a dry or hot area you may quickly empty the 1qt water bottle. To solve this problem I have carried an additional Nalgene Wide Mouth Cantene or other soft water container. Also available is the Hydration Technology Innovations Expedition Water Filter. This is basically a water bladder with an integrated filter. It also has a sports drink option that turns dirty water into a clean sports drink. I haven't used it yet, but will post a review as soon as I do.

As always, be smart and thrive.

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REI Minimalist Bivy Review

On a recent trip I used the REI Minimalist Bivy. I have read that many bivy sacs have issues with condensation. I have seen this first hand with the Sol Emergency Bivy. To this point I had done all of my backpacking and camping with several different types of tents and shelters, but I had not used an official bivy sac. I decided to try this one out.

The bivy seams to be pretty durable and waterproof, though it did not rain directly on me. I used it along with a 15 degree bag in weather that was in the mide 20s. I was so warm I never zipped my sleeping bag, although I did have my base and fuzz layers on. If I would have removed layers I probably would have been a little more comfortable and zipped my sleeping bag. We also had built a pretty amazing shelter that kept our temperature significantly warmer than immediately surrounding.

The screen is designed to lay directly on your face. This made me a little claustrophobic and I could not keep the bivy zipped. Instead I kept it open and off my face. This would be my biggest complaint of this bag.

In the morning my sleeping bag was mostly dry, but the area where my back was laying was wet. I imagine that if the bivy had been zipped closed it would have been much worse. However, compared to my friend who was sleeping in a Sol Emergency Bivy, it wasn't too bad.

In the end I will be returning the Bivy, but not because the quality is unsatisfactory. In fact I would be very satisfied with this bivy if the screen part didn't rest directly on face. I thought about trying to rig up my own support, but decided against it. I will be looking for another brand and design of bivy that keeps the screen off my face.

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Mainstay Emergency Food Rations

On a recent MBO (mock bug out) the only food I had was a Mainstay Emergency Food Ration and a cricket. There were some positives and negatives to the Mainstay Bar.

Positives

• 3600 calories in a tiny package. My wife calls it Lembas Bread for a reason.
• Filing: I really wasn't too hungry between meals. Not that I felt stuffed, but it seemed to suppress my hunger.
• 5 Year Shelf Life
• Coast Guard Approved
• Non-Thirst Provoking. It really isn't, though water does help it go down.
• Withstands Temperatures of -40 to 300 degrees F

Negatives

• Texture: it was kind of hard, like a moist chalk. It was like nibbling on a brick.
• Taste: at first it wasn't too bad. Kind of like a bland cake taste. But after eating it for 1/2 a day I could barely stand to eat it. This may have been simply because the lack of variation.
• Digestion: My intestines didn't take kindly to it. It gave me the runs after a day. This can be very serious in a survival situation, but I imagine my intestines would adjust after the first few days.

Overall

Overall I think it is a really good thing to have in a bug out bag. Even though it isn't as tasty or as light as some other food options, you will be hard pressed to find so many calories in such a small package. Not to mention how durable and convenient it is. If required to survive a long time away from tradition food sources, and on the go, I think this would be an excellent choice. However, I wouldn't make this your primary source of food storage. More likely a supplement.

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Bargain Survival: To Skimp or Not To Skimp?

At first glance it may seem like preparing for the end of the world will break the bank. Not so. It is true that you often get what you pay for, but just as often the most expensive thing is not necessary. I am very picky when it comes to certain things, and other things I will gladly use the cheapest thing available. Below is just a few examples on what you can skimp on and what not.

Socks: Not to Skimp

It's funny that the first thing I write about I actually don't think you should skimp on. You can easily spend $10-$20 on a good pair of socks. That's a lot considering that some brands will sell 6 pairs for $8. However, in a bug out situation your feet may be your most important and most used tool. The last thing you need is sore feet and a bunch of blisters. It's true that a lot of preparation (ie breaking in boots, toughening your feet, etc) can go a long way, but so can a good pair of socks. There are plenty of hiking socks that will help prevent blisters by wicking moisture and also creating a soft friction reducing layer. Not only that, but by buying the proper socks you can make sure to keep your feet warm in cold weather.

Food Storage: Skimp

There are a million brands of longterm food storage. However, they are all selling basically the same stuff; some dehydrated, some freeze-dried. The difference between these brands is little more than packaging, taste, and ease of preparation (ie dehydrated food might take a few min. longer to hydrate). In a "bug in" situation these differences are negligible. If you want to live like a king at the end of the world, by all means go all out. However, I feel the likelihood that I will be forced to live on my longterm food storage is slim. I would rather save thousands on food storage by canning for basic needs, and spending the money elsewhere. For more information on food storage see Emergency Prep/Get a Kit. A few quick tips are:

1. Dehydrated tends to be cheaper.
2. Find a LDS Cannery close by. They can help you can a lot of your food storage for super cheap.
3. Supplement what you can get there with a cheap dehydrated brand. We endorse Wise Food Storage found at UrbandSurvivalTools.com. However, we also like the brand Augason Farms. By following these tips you can save thousands on a year of food storage.

Clothing: Skimp

With the exception of a good rain layer, a little knowledge of fabric types can get you a long way at a second had store. You don't have to look like a professional outdoorsman to dress like one. Avoid cotton like the plague. Silk, wool, polyester, spandex and just about any synthetic fabric is good. Your layers are:

1. Underwear: remember NO COTTON and something that won't rub.
2. Thermal or Base: Any synthetic thermals or body armor type clothing is good.
3. Fuzz: Fleece (no cotton) is common for this layer, but polyester pjs are just as good.
4. Main Layer: This is your shirt and pants that you would normally wear. Synthetics only!
5. Rain Layer: Don't Skimp. Cheap tyvek overalls would work well. Anything breathable and waterproof.

Lighting: Skimp

I found a really cool crank flashlight for $20. A month later I found the same flashlight with halloween print on clearance for $2.50. I purchased a mini keychain type light at REI for $15 and a few months later found the same light with some marketing material printed on it for $0.99 at Napa. My point is LED technology is getting cheaper everyday. Look for clearance and marketing material for the best value. These work just as good with the possible exception of battery quality. The same rule goes for head lamps and other lighting.

Backpacks: Skimp

There are plenty of quality backpacks available online or at bargain stores such as walmart. These backpacks may weigh a few ounces more, and may not be as hardy, but I have used them successfully for backpacking and other outdoor uses. If you want a specialty pack UrbanSurvivalTools.com has a number of mid and high quality packs specially designed for "Bug Out" use. You won't waste any money going with a middle grade bag, but the highest quality packs are not necessary. However, if you have money to burn, feel free.

Shelter: Not to Skimp

I used a cheap backpacking sleeping bag and tent for a long time. It worked, but I was constantly getting cold and fighting with bad weather. I remember waking up with a puddle in my tent. Another time I slept in my car after a thunderstorm completely folded my $30 tent. A good quality $100 sleeping bag and $200 tent will keep you dry and warm. In an emergency situation a little comfort goes a long way. Shelter that fails can mean disaster, especially when you can't dry out or head to the car.

In conclusion, skimping is a matter of preference. My decisions are always based on my experience and where I lack, the experience of others. The more you test your skills, the more you will know your weak points and how to improve them. Money does not equal expertise, neither does super nice gear.

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