tools: January 2010 Archives

carrying the fire - a good flint will save your life

01.27.2010
A firesteel is one of the most tried and true tools of human civilization. Flint or flintstone is a naturally occurring type of sedimentary quartz that when struck with a sharp edge (especially steel) will produce a burning ember.

The hard flint edge shaves off a particle of the steel that, heated by the friction, reacts with with the oxygen in the atmosphere and will ignite your fire. 

Striking sparks with flint and steel is not a particularly easy or convenient method to start a fire. But I wear a flint around my neck every day - comforted by its potential. Firesteel is one of the most reliable and trustworthy tools in my survival arsenal. In a long term crisis, fire becomes essential for cooking, sterilization, defense, and communication. A flint will start hundreds of fires, long after the supply of butane in your emergency kit is exhausted.

 As with most skills, practice improves results.

speed hacksaw

01.17.2010
Easy to carry, easy to pack, ergonomic and deceptively agile; this is the perfect saw for your raiding satchel.

You may want to get two of these,  and keep a quiver of extra blades stashed away for the future. Before you store: a mist of light duty oil will stave off rust for decades.

Don't pay any attention to brand - look for a solid build with a lot of metal.


Aqua-tainer 7 gallon water jug

01.13.2010
Shelter, secrecy, security, and sanctity are essential functions of your RECESS. Above all else, the most important use of your space is long-term water storage. A safe and and adequate supply of potable water is your families' greatest insurance policy in the event of a resource catastrophe.

How you store that water is a question of function and comfort. Some survivalists recommend using any food safe storage container you have available (glass jars, recycled juice containers, milk jugs, etc). My preference and recommendation is to use a number of large storage containers supplemented by a group of jugs small enough to be handled and to move in an emergency.

For that reason, I shelve a handful of Aqua-tainer 7 gallon jugs in my RECESS. 7 gallons weighs about 60 lbs. The square format of the aqua-tainer makes it stackable, it has an integrated spigot, and they are now BPA free. Add about 3/4 tsp of bleach to each container and keep them in relative darkness and your water cache will keep safe for years.

Improvised shotgun

01.12.2010

In the last few weeks, I have been making and testing improvised shotguns.
*Update: watch a step-by-step DIY video showing you how to build your own shotgun here.

lots of decent knives

01. 2.2010
In my "normal" day to day, I rarely use knives. In the wilderness, or in a RECESS situation, a trusty sharp edge is your single most versatile tool.
Knives help you strike fire, forage, make tools, repair gear, hunt, and defend. There is no end to their utility.
Stash them everywhere: in the car, around your home, strapped to every bag, in your kit, and on your person. Non-reflective blades are discrete; and I prefer a combo edge. You don't need to spend a lot, just look for a solid build.

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