Thanksgiving Survived.

Well I managed to survive the holiday festivities. I got to meet my new, and first born, niece. See my sister and brother in law along with the folks. All in all a good experience. Hopefully now that the weather has broken cold and winter has arrived I'll get some adventures before the year ends.

Chris Reeve Coil Knot Lanyards.

If you have a knife then you know that having a lanyard, no matter how long or how short, adds to the aesthetics of the knife as well as the functionality. From preventing a knife or tool from getting lost when dropped or helping pull it out of a pocket or pouch. I had been struggling with what type of appropriate lanyard I would go with for some of my knives. When you are wrapping a handle the lanyard is built in and that problem is solved. But when you have a knife or multi-tool with a split-ring or a eyelet for a lanyard it's a little harder. For a while my lanyards were all cobra-style knots. The problem with these is that the lanyard is not removable. Sadly I don't like to have lanyards on my knives all the time, so that caused quite the problem. Of course some knives once a lanyard is on, then it's one. Fair enough.

But I managed to find a decent knot that makes for a good lanyard. It's the Chris Reeve Coil Knot. He makes knives and each knife comes with this particular knot of 550 Paracord on it. I came across a video YouTube that shows in about four minutes how to do it. It's quite the Godsend.



I whipped up two that are on removable lobster claws for my SAK's (Swiss Army Knife) and one for my Benchmade 556S Mini-Griptilian. You can add cord locks to the ends or leave them open, or tie when with a square knot as I have. It's a really a great knot. You can do as many coils as you want. It's a great way to store a large amount of cordage as well. Also a good way to keep the knots on your paracord tight (no matter what knot you use) is normal hairspray. It stiffens and holds knots even.

Black Lion Gear/Ron Hood "Knifenator" Review.

Before I begin let me say that if I got the name of the knife wrong then I apologize. All I have to go on is the name on the knife and that Ron Hood sold it to me under the name "Knifenator." If anyone knows the more accurate name of the knife please let me know.

I am always looking for new knives for my collection. I'm somewhere around 30 at any one time depending on what I've sold off or waiting to trade in. I'm both collector and user of all these knives. I go for weeks on end carrying on and then another. It's cyclical. But I am always looking for fresh stuff. So when I got the Hoodlum Forums newsletter about two weeks ago I jumped at the chance to get my hands on what Ron Hood calls "The Knifenator." Named such because of it's large size. The introductory price was $50.00. Not bad considering the size of the knife judging by the picture, which features a dollar bill for size comparison. It also made mention of it being normally around $125 dollars. That was appealing as well. It's apparently one of Ron's favorite knives that if I recall correctly the website says he has used for years. So I felt for a number of reasons it was a smart purchase.

Well it arrived today. Shipping was quite prompt. Arriving in around six days. Out of the box I was instantly struck with the size and the weight. It's advertised as being a folding replacement for a fixed blade. This is something that is often attacked on forums as being almost blasphemous. "How dare someone claim a folding knife can ever replace a fixed blade, full tang knife!" they shout. Well I've had a few knives that are of this size (we'll get to that in a moment) and they can replace a fixed blade. That of course is always a matter of opinion.

I have had remarkably little luck despite the aid of the internet in finding much info out about the manufacturer of the knife. Black Lion Gear does have a website, if it's the same company, but it seems to be selling tactical knock off bags for the Airsoft set. I did find reference on a forum that the knife is from a now defunct company, but other than that I couldn't find any other information.

I actually like the knife. A little more than I thought I might. Believe it or not but it has all the features in a knife that I like. It's a nice pedestal frame system that allows for easy cleaning. It has a very good liner lock, which is often hard to come by, that locks 100% of the way the instant you open it. Despite the size of the knife it is one handed opener, with smoothe flow and no blade wobble. It's even easily closed with one hand. The thumbstud is big, but not too big and put just in the right place relative to the blade's length and the axis of the pivot point. Outstanding architecture that's rounded out with G-10 scales that are similar to those on several Spyderco knives. The finishing on the edges and lanyard hole are a bit rough, but it's little things like this that I feel add character. I should also point out that the lanyard hole is milled to fit paracord. That's always a nice thing to see. There is some "flex" when you squeeze the knife, but no more than most liner lock or pedestal frame knives.

The blade some might find to be not good enough. It's 440B Cryo-Treated Steel. Personally when it comes to knife blades I don't want steel that is too high grade. I've got a few with high grade steel and it's hell putting an edge back onto them. From what I understood 440 steels are middle of the road and that's fine with me. Knife blades aren't meant to last forever and ever. Other than that qualm some might have, the blade itself is nice. It's a combo edge tanto which is a favorite of mine. It's not a full grind on the blade, which often does make for cutting to be a little tough, but I honestly have never noticed that much of a problem. As you'll see from the pictures the blade is black. I am not sure if it's TiNi Coated or just coated with a metallic powder paint. Eitherway I don't care. I've had TiNi coated knives and they're no better than other coatings. All in all the blade is quite nice and milled quite well despite the worriesome "Made in China" label on the blade. To be fair Spyderco and other companies are making quality blades with strict oversight in China right now.

The size might be a turn off to some. Folded it's around 4.5". Open it's nearly 10.75". As it says it IS a replacement for a fixed blade. It does have a pocket clip, which is sized accordingly to the overall size of the blade. Weight comes in at 9.3 ounces. Heavy for some, but it comes with a very nice nylon pouch. Those who are used to carrying Leatherman's on their belt notice. If I recall my Leatherman Wave comes at a solid 8.5 ounces. Here's a few pictures before I give my final thoughts on the knife.








My final thoughts are this. It's great and has fine quality. Well worth the money (10% off Hoodlum Members, as well). It's certainly for those of us who may be going out, but don't feel quite up to carrying a fixed blade. Some of us have been hassled by officers of the law at parks for having fixed blades on us. This gives you a more discreet option. I also would think those in the military would like this knife. Large enough for a tactical situation. The lack of reflection on the coated blade certainly helps. Easily carried on a MOLLE/PAL strap. A true utilitarian knife. If I were a pilot I would carry one on me to quickly cut my straps if I were in an accident.

Izzy's Updated Pocket E.D.C.

This past year, especially in the last six months, my pockets have been getting fuller. In the past I was a backpack guy. Still am part of the time, but I have been having to rely more and more on all those pockets I have. As I mentioned in a previous post when those of us who are "prepared" have to go naked, we like to still be prepared. After a few requests I decided to haul out the load of kit in my pockets and take a picture or two. I always enjoy it when people at E.D.C. Forums, Hoodlums Forum and Equipped to Survive Forums shows of what many of us call "Kit Porn." It is especially helpful this time of year in figuring out what you want to tell Santa you want. So here's mine...



First off we have two altoids tins. One carries the contents of an Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Medic. The other carries select and much needed pieces from a Doug Ritter/Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak. But we'll get to the survival tin later. First here's the list of other items...

• Leatherman™ New Wave. Outstanding and just so versatile. This is probably the most used multi-tool in the survival, preparedness and disaster planning communities. I keep a cobra-knot of paracord on it for pulling it easily out of a pocket or pouch.
• Benchmade™ Mini-Griptilian. This is the #556S. Great size and quality blade with a great pocket clip and locking system. Lightweight, too. I keep a small paracord lanyard on it for clipping it to webbing on occasion.
• CountyComm's Maratac AAA Tactical Light. The review I did says everything I have to say about it. I stuck a random lanyard I had laying around from my GPS Unit onto it. Makes it a little more versatile.
• Steven's Everyday Carry. Another piece of kit compliments of CountyComm. Pocket Razor, Pocket Saw, P38 Can Opener, Swiss-Tech Utili-Key, Forcep Tweezers, ARES (Blaze Orange) LED Light, Zebra Pocket Pen, Micro Widgy Bar. All on a 6" Aviation Mechanics Keychain.
• My Car Keys. Of course more than just my keys are on it. I have a Fox 40 Micro Whistle, Victorinox MiniSD Pocket Knife and a ACU Gray (SO-LED MilSpec Number) LED Light.

Okay. Since everyone is wanting to know what I chose out of the Doug Ritter Pocket Survival Pak to into the Altoids Tin, I'll go ahead and stick up a picture and contents list. A lot of people have problems choosing or knowing what is best to keep from the "PSP" and sticking into a tin.

• Several 1 pint baggies with the zip-lock portion removed.
• Fishing Kit. This is actually one from another kit I found years ago. Around 5 yards of line, two hooks and two sinkers. Enough for me.
• The Snare Wire.
• The Spool of Nylon.
• The Nylon Cord.
• The Scalpel Blade.
• Sparklite.
• 4 Tinder Quik Tabs.
• SAS Compass.
• 2 (Each treats 32 ounces) MicroPur Water Purification Tablets.
• 2 Sheets Rite in the Rain Paper.
• Magnification Lens.
• Aprox. 1 yard of Duct Tape on an old Gift Card.

If you have need for it the two large safety pins and needle can be thrown in if you so wish.

Swiss-Tech™ "Utili-Key" 6 in 1 Tool.

Sometime ago I reviewed the 9 in 1 Tool by Swiss-Tech. The review was fair, but the tool didn't last very long. It was heavy, really. When it comes to keychain carried equipment I like to go as light as possible. It had several other weak points, but they really depend on your situation.

But as some of my readers know I am always picking something up to add to my keychain, EDC or whatever. Today I picked up the "Utili-Key" by Swiss-Tech. I'll let the first picture speak for itself.



Basically...a key shaped tool. It doesn't look like much but it's really a powerful little thing. As the name implies it's meant to blend in with your keys and be a lightweight option. It features (As the 6 in "6 in 1" implies) six tools. Flat Screwdriver, Philips Screwdriver, Straight Knife Blade, Serrated Knife Blade, Bottle Opener and Micro-Eyeglass Screwdriver. A nice array of tools to add to any keychain or pocket tool kit.

There are two open positions for this tool. The first is halfway.



In this position you have access to the bottle opener and screwdrivers. The second position is the full (straight) open position.



This position allows you to use the tool as a true blue knife.

Let's talk about the product's quality, though. Outstanding. My previous experience with the metal used in the 9-in-1 was that it was sub-par entry level tool steel. It almost bordered on being high grade die cast (Not good quality) and it was one contributing factor to my dislike of some of the features. But the Utili-Key is made of what appears to be mid-grade stainless steel. With quite a nice polish on it, too. The pivot mechanism is quite well done as well. Smoothe to open, but when locked in it's three positions (Closed, halfway and full) it stays put. It even borders on a little difficult to open from the closed position. Something that I actually am happy to see. The construction is good for the $8.95 price point (Wal-Mart, Automotive Section). The weight is the same as two house keys.

The blade on it is actually quite outstanding. Sharp, but not sharp enough that you can cut yourself when handling it. It's length is around 1.15" according to my estimates. The first half straight, the second serrated. The flat head screwdriver is in a rather difficult position that would only be applicable to screws and bolts that are on the surface and not in a recessed or close quarters area. The philips allows for around 1" of depth and is much more versatile than the flat head.

Bottom line for a sub $10 tool it does the job. What bases it doesn't cover anyone worth their salt would already have covered either with a Swiss Army Knife or a Multi-Tool. It's a welcome addition to my ever growing "Steven's Everyday Carry" pocket tool kit. I recommend one for each person in your family to add to their keychain. Swiss-Tech has other products as well that range from 3 to 9 in 1 tools that are sold at Wal-Mart in the Automotive Section. They sell a 4 in 1 that is essentially two types of phillips and two types of flat head on an oversized pivoting key ring. Nice, but as I said above anyone worth their salt will already have that area covered. The built in ring is too large and unable to be modified as well.

Izzy's Outdoorsman Christmas Buying Guide 2009.

Once again I'm doing a holiday gift guide. It'll be items that I've come across this year either through friends or myself. Some have been featured on the site and others haven't.

• Leatherman™ "Freestyle." Folding Knife and Pliers. $39.99 at Target.com. (A great E.D.C. knife & tool combo.)
• Guyot Designs™ Stainless Steel Widemouth Bottles. $24.99 at GuyotDesigns.com. (Drink and cook with them!)
• The Widgy Bar Family. $4.00 and $5.50 at CountyComm.com. (Pocket tool. What more can I say?)
• Doug Ritter/Columbia River Knife & Tool™ "RSK Mk5." $15.95 at EDCDepot.com. (Add a good, yet small fixed blade to any tin survival kit.)
• Light My Fire™ Swedish Fire Steel Mini. $8.99 at EDCDepot.com. (Small enough for a keychain or neck kit.)
• Ronson Jetlite™. $2.15 at any Wal-Mart. (Cheap, refillable, jet blue flame. Perfect and comes in gun metal gray!)
• CountyComm.com's "Steven's Everyday Carry" Pocket Tools. $29.95 to $41.00 at CountyComm.com for all the components. (If you've read the review then you know THIS IS a must have.)
• Maratac™ 9290 AA Tactical Flashlight. $33.95 at CountyComm.com. (Best bang for the buck.)
• Maratac™ AAA Tactical Flashlight. $21.75 at CountyComm.com. (Another best bang for the buck light.)
• Aviation Mechanics Keychain. 6" $1.40, 12" $2.15 at CountyComm.com. (Strong, but to be fair I have found that 6" nylon coated versions are sold at Wal-Mart for $1.58, but do not lay flat when opener like CountyComm's.)

CountyComm.com "Steven's Every Day Carry." Review.

Over at CountyComm.com there is a video posted of one of it's employees pocket E.D.C. In truth it's more of a "pocket tool kit." For quite sometime I have been checking on it and decided finally to order the components that make up "Steven's Every Day Carry." First here's the video from CountyComm.com...



Terrific, terrific. The parts for it came today and I am quite pleased with the purchase. I opted to go without the peanut lighter. At any one time I have at least two lighters on me. I didn't feel the need to throw in, even a tiny liquid fuel lighter. The kit lays much more flat and compact without it. I may change my tune in the future, but we'll see. I also left off the cut down Bic Stick Pen. Not because I wanted to, but because I don't own any. That'll change, of course.

The video really says it all. As I sit here holding it in my hand I think to myself "This is the pocket tool kit that MacGyver would keep on him." And it's probably true. The "Aviation Mechanics Keychain" is outstanding. I am surprised I've never come across anything like it before. Flexible, but retains no memory if stored for a long period of time. Lays flat when opened always. Great piece of kit. The straight razor and saw are outstanding as well. I've owned several of each over the years that have found their way into other kits. The trick is finding the right spot to drill the holes in. But any idiot can do it. From the SO-LED (Referred to as an ARES) in high-vis orange (Which glows orange AND projects about 15 lumens) to the P38 can opener, tweezers and micro widgy bar it's just a great assortment with plenty of room to grow.

Here's a few pictures of it with the Pocket Widgy Bar for comparisson.

It's really outstanding. Here's a breakdown of the cost per-piece of kit according to my receipt.

• Micro 3" Widgy Bar-$5.50.
• P-38 Can Opener-$0.45.
• Orange Handle Pocket Straight Razor-$1.70.
• Orange Bodied Pocket Light-$1.20.
• Short 6" Aviation Mechanics-$1.40.
• Tweezers, Tick & Splinter Remover-$6.25.
• SERE Pocket Saw-$5.00.

Subtotal came to $21.50. With shipping (to my location, anyway) it was $8.00. A total of $29.95. So for under $30.00 you get all of that. A pretty sweet deal. I recommend it.

Happy Veterans Day.

Happy Veterans Day and a big thank you to all who have served or are serving.

CountyComm.com "Maratac AAA Light" Review.

Many people who read my site know that I am a big proponent of E.D.C. (Every. Day. Carry.) and that I carry quite a bit of stuff. Usually I carry in my bag the County Comm "9290 Tactical AA Light." It's great and comes in a wonderful ACU Gray color. It's actually a custom made ITPLight C7T. It's an outstanding light and the review I wrote can be found here.

That being said when those of us are forced to go naked and rely solely on what our pockets can hold or what we can carry on our belts....we like to go as light as possible. And while many flashlights on the market that exceed 100-110 Lumens can be worn or stuck into a pocket, I'm not a fan of them. If I can get a small and quality product then I will take it in this situation. As of late I have been going "Naked" and relying on my pockets more and more often. But I refuse to go without a light. Yes, my keychain has a SO-LED that puts out about 20 lumens. But I want something more substantial and weatherproof. The answer was naturally the Maratac AAA Light.

I first spotted it on County Comm's website about a month or two ago. I finally got around to ordering one. I'm really glad I did. As usual the custom work done by County Comm is superb and sold at rock bottom prices. The specs read as follows..

"LED Type: Cree 7090-XP-E Q5 with a life span up to 50,000 hours. The reflector is aluminum alloy. Flashlight body is made of aircraft grade aluminum covered with Type III Military grade anodization. The lens has been treated with a AR (Anti-Reflective) coating. Its proprietary circuit design features reverse polarity protection and runs off of one AAA battery that provides 3 levels of brightness (Medium/Low/High)."

Wow! Quality. I love it. I've had mine for about 48 hours now and have put it through it's paces. From using it to navigate a dark bedroom and bathroom to having to promptly pull it out during an evening stroll that turned into tempest of rain (Hurricane Ida, thanks). It's superb.

But let's talk about the functions. There are three. Low Output is 1.5 Lumens and will run for approx. 50 hours. Medium Output will run for approx. 4 hours. High Output will run for only 48 minutes approximately. It should be pointed out that as it states above that the light does start at the medium setting. It does not seem to have the same memory functions as the 9290 model. If you let the light sit for sometime it will revert back to the Medium/Low/High cycle. County Comm tested these lights with off the shelf Duracell Alkalines, so the run times may be greater if you are using different types of batteries. Especially camera grade lithium AAA's.

Here's a comparison between the 9290 and the AAA.



Originally the AAA came in a black and natural (ACU Gray) anodized finished, but later came in stainless steel and more recently polished stainless steel. The original runs you $21.75. The stainless steel and polished version will run you $28.00. Fair prices given the quality, size and capability of the design.

But let's get back to the functionality and specs. The light runs off one 1.5 volt AAA battery. The dimensions are 2.7" in length. Tiny! And at a weight of only 20 grams (That's less than one ounce) empty it can be clipped to a pocket or fixed to a zipper pull without any tugging. Once again the perfect light for those of us having to go "naked." Outside the light performs remarkably well and projects a nice spot effect.

Do I have any complaints? A few. I have two of these lights actually. The quality control between the metal lanyard clips is a bit lacking, but it could just be a fluke. I do wish the eyelets were larger to accept Paracord, though. The pocket clips are excellently machined, though. Another complaint is the run times. Not quite what I would want them to be, but when you are running off only a 1.5 volt AAA you're not going to get much. Realizing that I can see why the light starts off on Medium then goes to Low and only High as a last resort. It's size, while great, does make for a difficult beam cast. It's more of a spot, as I stated above, than a beam. But that's fine for a light like this. Especially one that runs on the cheapest batteries available.

Bottom line is this is probably the best "tactical" light of it's size. And I do mean tactical. Compared to other lights of similar size such as the Fenix EO1, which I believe is only 10 lumens, the AAA Maratac is a professional.

Do I recommend it? Yes. Yes, I do. If you're a person who wants to ALWAYS have a flashlight with you then this is your light. From jeans, to cargo pants to suit and tie this light can be worn easily.

County Comm has a few more pictures over at their site. Here.

CountyComm.com "Pocket Widgy Bar" Review.

We all need tools. Some of us more so than others and we can't exactly carry around with us a briefcase full of them. Most tools we use are to pry or cut with. Well I have plenty of knives so I have the cut thing down pat. But I needed something to pry with. Nails, screws...etc, etc.

So I did the logical thing and I ordered CountyComm's "Pocket Widgy Bar." Basically a scaled down pry bar. I can't say much about it other than the fact it's great high carbon steel and impossible to bend with your bare hands. It also is capable of being wrapped in paracord for a soft handle. For $5.50 it's a good deal.



It's a versatile tool. County Comm even mentions using it as a defensive weapon. The pry edges are actually quite sharp. They border on being capable of chiseling wood. I've tried it and it really does work well at that.

The Pocket model comes in 4 1/8" length. There are two other models. The "Micro" which is 3" and the "Pico" which is a perfect 2". The 2" and 3" models would be perfect for keychains. In fact I ordered a "Micro" for my keychain.

Izzy G's Trail Mix Recipe.

Here's a simple and easy trail mix recipe I have been using for years. Three simple ingredients.



You will need a large bag of M&M's, Peanuts (Lightly Salted) and Yogurt Covered Raisins. As well as a measuring up. Measure out 1/3rd cup of each ingredient and add to a large, lidded container.



Mix together gently to evenly distribute everything. This makes 1 cup (Actual weight give or take 12-15 ounces.) Then put into a good and sealed container that is at least 15 ounces. I use a Lock & Lock container. This gives you one full cup. Plenty for a hike between 2.5 to 5 miles.



You can add things to this. Granola clusters are always a favorite, but this is an easy and under 5 dollar (If you play it right) way to get some trail mix together. The ingredients are often found in most small stores and gas stations you might find during resupply trips on the trail. I carry 1 cup in a baggie and snack on it through out my usual 5 mile hikes.

DIY: Make your own waterproof bags.

I often skim over blogs, forums and the entire internet in general looking for projects. I also skim over those very same places for ideas as well as what some call "Gear Porn." No, it's not pornography. Just showing off ones stuff they carry in their pack or pockets. It's a way of giving others ideas. In today's adventure to see what I could find I decided to go over to The Trailmarker. It's a great blog about camping run by a fellow and new Father named Lance. He's an ex-Marine and shared through YouTube a method of making your own waterproof custom bags. It's Marine approved according to him and I wish I had thought of it. Here's his video....



He suggests Gorilla Glue Brand Duct Tape. I approve that as well since it's very sticky and much thicker than typical duct tape. Clear Duct Tape might also be helpful if you want to see what's in your bags. As for me I am off to make some bags.

Survival Items? Where do I keep them?!

I'm in the process of getting ready for some trips. Nothing fancy. They're all domestic and will probably run through the next year. Some will be posted on here or my other site. They all involve backpacking and living out of a backpack for a few days at a time. A lot of walking. The typical stuff.

But in the process of all this planning I got to thinking, as I tend to do. Namely about where should someone who is backpacking and hiking long distances keep their survival items? Often you hear stories of people who leave their tent at night and lose all bearing and without their pack are helpless as a sheep in a wolf's den. Other stories come to mind where people fall and injure themselves away from their pack. So I kept thinking.

I often use a military grade PAL/MOLLE platform that rests upon my thigh. It's similar to a drop-thigh holster. They call them leg platforms. Good for holding a variety of PAL/MOLLE/ALICE based pouches and accessories. So I've decided to keep my survival items always on me via the leg platform. Having 1.5-3lbs of gear resting by your belt often takes a bit of getting used to. It took me sometime, but over the past year I have. But I find this to be the best way to keep my survival items on me. Here's a few pictures...



This is the rig setup with a CondorOutdoor "Gadget Bag" and a Leatherman MOLLE Pouch. You can add other things if you play with the arrangement. I'll probably add a PAL/MOLLE fixed blade knife sheath. Either homebrew or off the market. Another thing to add is, of course a flashlight in a PAL/MOLLE Pouch.

Here's the contents I keep....

Nothing fancy. But let's go through the list.

• Witz Keep-It-Clear Waterproof Container; Holding a Doug Ritter Pocket Survival Pak as well as a Gerber Mini Paraframe folding knife, 4 MicroPur Water Purification Tablets and a Doug Ritter/Essential Gear PICO Lite with Spare Batteries. The lanyard on the case I replaced with roughly 3 feet of paracord.
• A Leatherman New Wave with keyfob. Aside from the obvious factor of having a multi-roll knife & tool with you, the keyfob has around 4-5 feet of paracord.
• One of the best fishing kits I have ever come across. The BePreparedToSurvive.com kit.
• One emergency poncho.
• Adventure Medical Kits "Pocket Medic" contents stored in a waterproofed Altoids Tin.
• 10 Meters of Duct Tape wrapped flat around an old gift card.

These are things you really want to keep on yourself at all times when you're out in the bush to say the least. But I am preaching to the choir, no doubt.

How to: Restore an old and dirty pocket knife.

We've all been there. A loved one has passed away and as one of the men in the family it is your job to go through the tools and other things. As I previously mentioned a family friend sold me some tool chests and cabinets after her husband became ill. I promised her that I would sell all the tools inside at the next garage sale. I plan on keeping that. She also said that if I found anything in there I liked I could have it. In there were a handful of Buck, Ka-Bar and Schrade old time folding knives. You know the old kind with the bone/antler like handles. They were quite dirty, though. Having spent a decade or more in a tool box in a garage.

After many days of work I was able to clean them up and make them presentable for my collection. They all had that strange green oxidization on the exterior as well as some rust in many spots along the blade. So I figured I would write this little how to. It's pretty simple and anyone with a rotary tool can do this. Especially if your rotary tool has the accessories needed for the task.

You will need the following Dremel parts...

-#401 Mandrel with #414 1/2" Felt Polishing Wheels.
-#405 Bristle Brush.
-#428 Carbon Steel Brush.

The steps should be as follows.

1. First begin with the Bristle Brush. In most cases it will get most of the debris off of the metal portions of the knife. It is also excellent for cleaning out any oils, residue or organic material from the handle of the knifes nooks and cranies.
2. If the Bristle Brush doesn't do the trick then move onto the Carbon Steel Brush. I used a number 428 "Wheel" model. They come in wheel and bristle brush style. Either one will work. The documentation says not to use this on rotary settings over 15,000 RPM's. I found that it works ONLY over 15,000 RPM's. So wear eye and face protection. Be sure to evenly polish the surface area you want to clean. It will produce a nice shine, but maintain the flaws that have occurred over time.
3. Whether the first step works or doesn't, always be sure to use at the very end the Felt Polishing Wheels. DO NOT USE the polishing compound. This is not only messy and the equivalent of getting sand into your knife, but can cause more damage and take away from the age of the knife by removing harmless defects. Go over all the surface area you have polished once over with the felt. It slightly shines up the material and cleans it.

That's all there is to it! I was able to turn a Buck Model 317 Folding Knife from a totally green grime and rust coated monster into a almost brand spanking new knife. So if you've inherited or just have a few older knives that've gotten messy from age or the elements grab your dremel and get to work.

Where the magic happens.

I'm a builder. I often build things. I'm in the process of rebuilding my sister's childhood doll house for her new daughter. From an early age I was a builder. I've always had some space where I draft up building projects, gear modifications, product tests and even trip plans. Maybe it's the Batman fan in me who demands a space like the Batcave. A place where I go to do my work. It's where I built my homemade fishing rod holder.

I recently had the fortune of having a family friend sell me some storage equipment by Craftsman and Stack On. I was finally able to get myself organized. Which comes as a shock to a lot of people who know me. They assume I would be absolutely organized. In truth I am never organized. But I did manage to organize all of my tools and equipment. A lot of people also ask me about it because I talk about it so much. My work bench. So I figured I would share for those who read this blog who're garage junkies, organizer junkies and tool junkies.

Daytona Beach.

I finally managed to head back to the beach. Not quite an adventure, but still fun. My surf board didn't make the trip since I still need to repair it. But I had a good time. Soaked up the rays and headed into the water. It had been the first time I swam in the Ocean in a long time. Looking out at the vast openness of the Ocean really was great.

But it's really stupid to wear Polarized Sunglasses, you know the kind you wear when you fish so you can see past the glare on the water. I saw way too many stingrays, needle fish and other assorted sea creatures that could've really messed up my outing.

Here's a few pictures. Two of my ugly mug as well.



Daytona Beach Pier 2009 #

Leatherman "Freestyle" Review.

I won't lie. There are probably two companies out there who sell knives that I actively collect. One is Victorinox and the other is Leatherman. Other knives of other brands don't quite hold a special place in my heart as those two brands. Both are respectively the finest brands out there that make "Multi-Tools" in my opinion.

That being said I spotted yesterday at Target for $39.99 something new. The "Freestyle." I had seen it I believe once online. I later came home and wished I had gotten it. I found myself on that side of the County again today and made sure to pick it up.



Here's a comparison between the Freestyle and Wave (2004 Model).





As you can see it's much like the Skeletool that Leatherman recently put out around a year and a half ago. This is smaller in general has the same main features. Pliers and a knife. I had been eyeing the Skeletool for quite sometime but could not justify the around 65-80 dollar price point. But the Freestyle, while probably more than it should be (34.99 at the most, frankly) I thought it would be a good addition to a "medium weight" E.D.C. At 4.5 ounces it is.

Now my thoughts on the Freestyle. Firstly great idea. I know a lot of people really like the Skeletool's design. It's certainly a really radical departure from Leatherman's usual designs. I like that Leatherman has come out with a smaller version. A nice one handed opener with a 2" blade (Serrated in my case) and a pliers with wire cutters. The Pliers are actually some of the finest I have seen on any Leatherman. Their profile is quite thin, but not as "needle nose" as other models. They still retain the standard wire stripper and wire cutters at the axis of the pliers. The pocket clip is likewise a nice addition. As well is the first time I have ever seen on any Leatherman normal Torx screws. Which is a Godsend for those of us who actually maintain and tighten our Leatherman multi-tools.

There's a few small qualms I have with this knife. There is a Zytel Plastic insert within the knife. It's not at a location within the knife that structure integrity is compromised, but it's at a point where, while it does save weight, it's on the total opposite end of the knife and really throws off it's balance. The only reason it seems to be there is to have a softer and rougher surface area for your fingers when using the Freestyle as pliers. If it was slightly more raised up and textured greater then it wouldn't be a big deal. The second qualm is with the blade itself. It's only 420HC Steel. It's fine steel but when it comes to finer knives it's not quite acceptable for some applications. The blade on my very first Leatherman (SideClip model) was made of 420HC and a friend used the blade (I wasn't aware of this >.<) to scrape battery acid away from a 4x4 terminal. Well the acid ate into the blade like acid does. So it'll probably work just fine for you as long as you're not going to expose it to battery acid, but still.

There is one design flaw in the Freestyle. I asked a friend if his (E-mail is a godsend) did the same and it does. Where the "Leatherman Freestyle" logo is on the multi-tool, that piece of metal is too close along the four holes to the blade. It actually turns the one hander into a two hander. Not to mention it mars the blade. I will probably take some vice grip players and slightly bend one or two degrees outward the piece of metal in question. It's not really a deal breaker on the multi-tool, but it is a bit of a drag.

Conclusion is if you're wanting to E.D.C. something more than a knife, but not a full multi-tool whether it be a Skeletool (The Father of the Freestyle) or a Wave then I recommend the Freestyle.

Guyot Designs "Splash Guard Original" & "Gription" Review.

A few weeks back I purchased a pair of Guyot Designs Stainless Steel Bottles. Haven't had much of a chance to use them, but I love them already. Their customer service was excellent as well. I've heard this from several other people as well. For those of you who have visited their website (GuyotDesigns.com) you know that they've been making some quality accessories for all "wide mouth" bottles on the market. I had plans on order a few of them in the future, but lady luck was in my favor yesterday.

Sadly there are not many sporting goods stores near where I live that offer really any outdoor products. Driving to Sanford or Orlando is too much of a pain in the ass and getting onto I-4 is taking your life into your own hands. So Daytona and Daytona Beach really are my only options. Thankfully halfway to the Volusia Mall there is a Sports Authority. Now they're not known to be the best, but from what I saw yesterday they're not too bad. In general though I do most of my purchasing online to save the tax and because of lack of availability.

Aside from heading in there with a long laundry list of odds and ends I need for my other website, Project Camper, I had the luck of finding the last Gription and a Splashguard on the sale rack. The Splashguard was .94 cents and the Gription was marked down from $14.95 to $7.95, but it rang up for only $5.35. Amazing. So in usual fashion I decided to give them a good test last night and this morning for review purposes.

First let's start off with the product that made Guyot famous. The Splashguard. As I mentioned above I picked up the original. It's made of what I believe to be HDPE (BPA Free, not that it matters) plastic. I was really struck with how small it was. I guess I expected it to be a little larger. This fits pretty much any wide mouthed bottle on the market. Guyot.com offers a chart on what versions of the Splashguard fit into what bottles.



I'm quite pleased with it. I honestly probably should've bought a few considering they were so cheap. In general it does what it says it will do. Be able to drink out of a wide mouth bottle without it spilling out onto your face. There's really two main flaws with this product. In the pictures on their site it's shown as being flush with the top of the bottles lip. In truth the Nalgene caps and Guyot caps actually have inner caps that go into the mouth of the bottle. In the case of the Guyot cap about 1/4th of an inch. This leads to the second flaw. You still CAN spill water on yourself because the cap sits so deep into the bottle. I have a small mouth so I noticed it right off the bat, but others might not. In general the product is flawless. The air-hole in the back makes sure you have a constant flow of water. More importantly it prevents you from drinking too much water in one mouthful and giving yourself cramps.

My conclusion? If you're a user of GSI, Cyclone, Nalgene or Guyot bottles then you should get one for each bottle. They come in original (plastic), small (plastic to fit smaller bottles) and a universal that's a silicone. I am told by a friend that the Silicone is heavier than the plastic original model. So if you're a gram counting gear head I suggest you get the plastic version.

Now for the Gription. It will attach to any wide mouth bottle (Once again see their site for a chart of which it will fit). Like the Splashguard it does have a few flaws.




The Gription breaks down to three parts for fairly easily cleaning. The first flaw is that reassembly is a bit of a learned skill. The push button spans the entire width of the Gription. Getting it to snap back into place, namely on the pivot point and the locking mechanism is a bit of a difficult thing. It took me about 20 tries to get it right before I realized you have to make sure to keep the locking mechanism unlocked (Duh!). It should also be noted you can lock it either open or closed.

As far as drinking it from it? It's great. You push down the button and the plunger allows for water to be let out.



The plunger also makes for the last flaw. The rubber (silicone, possibly) gasket sticks to the walls of the Guyot bottles and sometimes requires a wiggle of the push-button to get it back closed. I thought maybe when the gasket is moist it would close easier, but it doesn't. Other than that the product is great. The material is made of what feels like high density plastic and is pretty tough. As you can see the handle is quite long and has a carabiner attachment point.

Drinking from it is limited in the amount of water you can get from it, but once again that prevents you from drinking too much and cramping up. You can also drink from either side of the device as both sides have a nice lip to drink from. One big draw is that you can put a hot beverage into the cup and drink and not burn yourself. The Guyot Bottles are singled walled so whatever temp the liquid is, so is the exterior. I foresee using this for drinking coffee or tea on camping trips.

My conclusion? Get one. Even if you don't want to drink hot beverages. Get one. It's great for turning any wide mouth bottled into a commuter cup.

Daytona Beach Pier & Boardwallk.

Yesterday I got off my duff and finally went over to the Ocean. I hadn't been in a very, very long time. I scoped things out after finding a parking meter on a side street. The pier looks great. Half of which it seems (Don't quote me) you have to pay to get onto. That's the half you can fish from. It was a really beautiful day and quite nice. I wish I had my board shorts with me.

I took a few photographs. I'll be heading back tomorrow or the following week to swim, surf (gotta repair my surf board) and to head to City Island (Home of the Daytona Beach Cubs) to do some long awaited fishing in the Intercoastal Waterway.



Daytona Beach Pier 2009.

A preview of National Geographics "Alaska State Troopers."

I had the pleasure of bringing to my readers some rushes, dailies and snippets of videos during the production of "Alone in the Wild." I've been given the chance to do the same with National Geographic Channel's new show "Alaska State Troopers." Here's a few video previews.

Izzy & The Infinite Quest for a copy of Popular Mechanics.

I've been a fan of Merriwether of Into The Borderland's fame for a while now. In fact he inspired this website truth be told. I've had the good fortune of knowing him since early 2005 when I first joined the Equipped to Survive Foundation's forums. He's got a fair amount of patience when it comes to me pestering him about what plastics are safe and not safe. Turns out they're all safe. It pays to have a Research Chemist as an associate. Although I am sure he would prefer if I called him a raconteur or something more interesting like that. And he allowed me to fill in for him this past December.

So when I caught wind that he was going to be in the Oct. 09' issue of Popular Mechanics I had to go get a copy. Plus this month's copy was dedicated to surviving disasters and other terrible scenarios. Which as you know is right up my alley. I have more flashlights and batteries than God has wisdom. And that's saying a lot.

Needless to say I had to go to three different places to find a copy. Exhausting.

It was amusing to see him in a very well known magazine. Even if it was only a paragraph or two long. For those of you who read his posts during the enduring of Hurricane Ike or know him from E.T.S. Forums know that he enjoyed himself some of the "fire water" in the aftermath. So the truly amusing thing occurs several pages before his brief cameo.

It's called "Not your ordinary survival checklist." And topping it off at #1 is "Beer-Buy a lot of it." Appropriate.

Tribute to 9/11.

You know I try not to get political. Ever. I'm from a family where we do openly discuss it and more or less share the same ideals. With the exception of my sister. But that's okay. She means well. But I try not to get political in general and least of all on here. But today I am going to. I know for almost certain that those of you who read my blog will agree with what I have to say. So I am going to tell you a story.

September 11th, 2001. I was sleeping. My Mother came into my room and roused me and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We both rushed to watch the news as so many of us were that day. I saw the second plane crash into the WTC on live television. Then finally the plane that crashed into the Pentagon and the final in Shanksville, PA. As I mentioned before my family discusses things of an intellectual nature. History namely. My Father is a well read arm-chair military historian and he taught me well. I knew we had been attacked. I felt violated and angry. I thought about all those people on those planes. Then all of those people who had died as the towers came down.

As the day progressed I remember sitting in my room in silence for several minutes. Looking down at my comic books. Batman and Superman have always been favorites of mine. They both taught me right from wrong at an early age. I remember thinking how much on that day we could have used the Man of Steel or the World's Greatest Detective. They could've stopped that disaster from happening. But that's not how the World works. I truly wish it was like that, but it's not. I turned the television on and at that time they were saying that the Fire Department of New York City had lost many people in the rescue efforts.

I realized at that moment that there had been superheroes that day. Men who ran into burning buildings as others ran out. Why? Because that's what kind of men they were. You could call them a number of things, but simply saying "that's just who they were" says it all. Later I found out that the plane that had crashed in Pennsylvania did so because the passengers tried to take back the plane. I felt good about that. The words of "Lets Roll" were said to be uttered by one of the men on the plane just before they took it back. I felt good that even on that dark day Good had fought back. That Evil hadn't triumphed that day entirely. That even as the fires still burned people clawed through the debris in search of survivors. We fought back.

By the following day we knew who was responsible for what had happen. I sat outside by the pool just looking up at the sky and inside of my head talking to Former General and the first President of the United States, George Washington.

"They got us good, George." I pictured George Washington on a white horse looking down from some cloud in Heaven. A portrait of everything we knew him to be as a soldier, leader of men and hero. I pictured others by his side. Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt. By their side I saw Winston Churchill as well. All men who had confronted Evil in their respective times upon this Earth. I recognized the Evil I had seen the previous day as the same they had seen. Call it whatever you want, but one word sums it up. Inhumanity.

Before 9/11 I thought that "Evil" had been defeated in the final climactic battles of World War II. Goose-Steeping jack booted thugs that tried to conquer the World. Rallying behind a mad man's twisted beliefs to cause death and destruction. If there ever had been a battle between the forces of Good and Evil it most certainly was World War II. But I remember on 9/12 saying to myself "...They're back..." The bad guys. My Father told me that Evil always comes back in one way or another. He was right. The news was showing pictures once again of goose-stepping, jack booted practitioners of militarism and fascism having returned. Once again wanting to take over the Earth.

That night I read parts of Winston Churchill's memoirs on the second World War. Selects parts of "The Gathering Storm", "Grand Alliance" and "Their Finest Hour." Quotes stood out and seemed very appropriate.

"Let them do their worst. We'll do our best."
"If we do nothing the World will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age."

Over the past 8 years now we've crippled the agents of evil who use terror and fear as their weapons. I am not a violent man nor do I wish War upon any one. But there comes a time, as one poet once said, "The Darkness must be driven from the land so that the Sun may rise again." I've lost a handful of friends in military engagements over these past eight years. People who I remember playing with in the woods just like it was yesterday. I think a lot of the men and women who have and will fight back against the enemies of all that I hold dear. I know many who are still in the service and some who're just getting out and others just joining.

I talked about them with a friend of mine. She's nearly 90 and saw the horrors of World War II. Her husband was captured by the Nazi's sometime after D-Day. I once said to her "We could use the Greatest Generation right now." And she simple said..

"Oh, Honey...Every American generation is the greatest generation."

I think she's right.

I just thought I'd share these thoughts and memories with you all today. I'll leave you all with one final quote. Another one of Winston Churchill's.

“In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity”

And a little bit of wisdom from The Duke, John Wayne.

Guyot Designs Stainless Steel Bottles.

Like most people I've been caught up in this largely overblown concern over BPA and Pthalates in plastics. In the midst of my worry I went ahead and ordered some stainless steel bottles. Although to be completely honest with you I have read the data on BPA and Pthalates and a lot of it's bogus. I had to contact a friend and ask him his professional opinion. More or less he said "So long as you're not ingesting acid or lye inside the plastic bottle you'll be fine." Regardless though I still had the stainless steel bottles coming. Why? A lot of reasons. All of which I'll discuss in my review.

So for a while now I've heard good things about Guyot Designs products. Their "Firefly" is a neat little thing. A replacement cap for Nalgene bottles that has a LED in it. Thus turning your blue, red or orange bottle into a lamp. I'm told that the output is pretty decent. Another great product they make is an insert that fits most bottles on the market that narrows down the opening. So you don't spill out your entire liter of water onto your face. They also make a few eating utensils and silicone bowls for the ultralight hiker set.

I got a pair of their "Backpacker" model bottles. They're virtually identical to the Nalgene and other Wide Mouth bottles with the exception of being a little more tapered to allow for use in cup holders as well as a variety of backpack pockets. They do have a strictly Nalgene shaped bottle known as the "Standard", but I got the backpacker. Space is saved and I still get 1 liter of capacity. They also make a 24 ounce "Commuter" model which is much more tapered and a "Shortly" model that holds 24 ounces as well. All take a Nalgene compatible cap. They all come with caps, of course. But because of their Nalgene copied openings they will take Nalgene water purification system attachments. A major plus for those who don't want to have to buy a new filter.

In many ways they're great. Stainless steel is durable, light and more importantly the bottles are single walled. This means you can boil water in them. In a survival or an ultralight camping situation this proves to be a very helpful thing. Purify your water and/or cook yourself some soup. This was one of the main draws for me. Right now on the market there are two "metal bottles." SIGG's Aluminum, which is lined with plastic, and cannot be used to cook with Klean Kanteen & Guyot Designs Stainless Steel Bottles. All three companies make fine products. But I went with Guyout because so many people I know trust them. So I know that I can trust them.

Here's a comparison between the "Backpacker" and an HDPE Nalgene Bottle.



There are a few downsides to them. The first is they are heavier than plastic bottles. The stainless steel bottle itself isn't heavy. It's probably two or three ounces more than my HDPE Nalgene Bottles. The cap on the Guyout is the real weight. But if you are an ultralight hiker like I am then you can do what I'm going to do. Use a Nalgene cap. It doesn't look like the lid is on watertight, but it is. Another problem is you don't see how much water you have left. Not really a big deal, but some hikers like to see how much they have ingested each day to fight off dehydration. There is no real way to remedy that without ruining the main draw of the stainless steel: The cooking ability. And for someone like me who will be using bottle held water for cooking and washing only on thru-hikes, I do like to see how much I have left. One minor downside is stainless steel does look a bit grimy after you touch it.

But of course the ability to cook and boil liquids in the bottle is a really big redeeming factor. I really give this bottle high marks. Unlike Klean Kanteen (The other stainless company), Guyout decided to stick with a Nalgene sized opening and general appearance that so many bags and adapter systems for filters have relied on for the past nearly twenty years. Smart, smart move on the Guyout's part. I can see where this bottle and it's other models would really appeal to not only the environmentally friendly set but also the ultralight hiker set. Safe, clean and according to the Guyout's a carbon negative footprint bottle for the green people and a bottle you can literally cook with for the ultralight folks.

I'm really happy with the purchase. I look forward to using it this hiking season for cooking up soups.

Alone in the Wild: My Opinion.

I'll make no efforts to hide the fact that I was rooting for Ed Wardle. Some people didn't like that I was over at a few forums I frequent. None of the flak was meant to insult, but it did get me thinking. All of them were quite right. Ed was really, really stupid to have done this. I had been (still might be) privy to a lot of the rushes and dailies through a connection at the marketing firm that is handling the show's online marketing. This has all been mentioned and posted before. So I went back and looked over a lot of the videos and some of the pictures. I looked at them with the eyes of an outdoorsman and self-proclaimed survival and preparedness junkie.

I always had plans to do a "how I felt..." about the Alone in the Wild project. I had planned on doing it only after the series began to air in September. This was to allow people to follow along with what I thought about each episode, but after Ed and his team decided to cut the expedition short I changed my mind. As one associate on a forum put it "at least now the World will see what a REAL survival situation is like and not something manufactured or done by someone who can easily survive anywhere." Quite true.

Now that the show has been cut short I'm going to do a little constructive criticism of Ed and his team. It'll be a bit scattered, but I think it'll get the various points across. So bare with me and mind it's just my opinions. A few of them I am sure a lot of people will share or agree upon once the show does air if they don't heavily edit it. Which I am sure they will. Regardless here are my thoughts.

Most people I have talked to that are from Ireland and England had never heard of Ed Wardle until now. Some of them were familiar with him for having climbed Everest twice and making it to the top on one of those trips if I recall correctly. So some might assume that if you climb a mountain you are capable of living in the wilderness, the Yukon in this case for 3 months. Not quite! There are a few people I know who could probably climb any mountain on this Planet, but I know for a fact they're worthless when it comes to being in the outdoors for any length of time. So I don't feel that Ed was properly prepared.

There was a teaser episode which aired in July that documented a trip in which Ed "prepared." He spent a week in the Yukon alone camping. Getting a feel for the land and how it would be to live out there. To my knowledge this was the only "experience" he had ever had in this part of the World. Even early on in the teaser episode during his week stay he was emotionally on the brink constantly. Ed freely admits that he is terrified of bears and I think that always kept him in a constant state of "fight or flight" with adrenaline flowing. Personally I honestly expected him to handle it better, but wasn't all that surprised. Even the most seasoned of outdoorsmen would feel afraid going into bear country. I've only come across Florida Blackbears a handful of times on the trail. Thankfully both times we saw each other and took off in separate directions. Of course I am sure in the year that passed between his "test" and the actual filming Ed did preparation.

A handful of the videos I have seen really point out Ed's alleged inexperience. The first that comes to mind is one where has caught a fish. He seems to be constantly afraid it will come off the hook. As a fisherman that's natural, but as I watched more I saw that it was as if he had never fished in his life. He just didn't give off the vibe that he knew what he was doing. Also it was made very clear early on that one of his primary sources of food would have to be fish. In later weeks he was counting on the Salmon to run through a river and keep him stocked with fish. That was one of the contributing reasons he was pulled out early. The Salmon apparently had a very low turn out this year. Being that fish would be a primary source it put Ed in danger and at a very big disadvantage. Not to mention he did not seem well versed in wild edibles. He brought along a book, but seemed unable to discern what was safe and what was not. Which I think lead him to stay away from plants as food for fear of death.

Another sign of his inexperience was a video he filmed after he capsized his canoe. He wasted time filming a "report" on the incident when he should have instantly begun to dry his clothes and get them off his back. Granted it was summer, but that cold near-arctic circle water is cold and the temperatures were not above 70 at all. Secondly he acted confused and as if this was his first time in a canoe. For those of you who haven't been in a canoe before, when you spend time in one you learn very quickly how to not capsize it. Once again a sign of his inexperience that I observed.

Lastly he relied too heavily on his hammock as a shelter. His shelter really was nothing more than a large wind break/lean to made out of pine boughs and saplings. From the pictures I saw he made it quite well, but made it backwards. He should have made it so it blocked the wind coming off the lake and not the non-existent wind coming out of the forest. More signs of inexperience. Really more importantly he thought that just because he had a hammock with rainfly that he didn't need to focus on a shelter. If it were me, or any other outdoorsman, I would have spent as much time as I could being occupied with constant shelter additions. One could assume that much of his free time was taken up dealing with the filming, but still.

I'll end by discussing one thing I feel really did Ed in. Weight. In one video he discusses wanting to lighten his load and move on. To go "deeper" as he put it. He didn't lighten much. He to coin a term from my Father "saved pennies, but spent pounds." He set off to go deeper with just the clothes on his back to save weight, but still kept a whole lot of useless unnecessary equipment in his what appeared to be 80 liter pack. Someone even mentioned that they saw a picture of him with a dutch oven. Once again his fear of bears played into the weight problem. He brought with him on this trip a bear fence. Basically an electric fence one puts up around their site to prevent bears from coming into camp. Not worth carrying, frankly. That added with the fact he carried three weapons with him. A shotgun (A full bandolier), plus a .22 LR (2 boxes of ammo seen) and what appeared to be a high powered rifle (.308 at least). Alone that's a whole lot of weight.

Really that's all I have to say. Or rather will say. There is more that cam be said, but I think if you watch the show you'll see. I do agree with what someone mentioned that I made note of at the beginning of this post. At least we'll see a show about a guy actually trying to survive.

Do I hope Ed tries again? Sure, why not. It'll be interesting to see. But if he does I hope he's learned a lot of lessons.

Alone in the Wild ends. Ed calls it quits.

After about 50 days Ed made the joint decision with his HQ over satellite phone some 5 hours ago to end the Alone in the Wild filming. He did good. Damned good. I've been seeing rushes, dailies and all sorts of footage on the Channel 4 and NatGeoTV websites. Some of them have been featured here on my website. I've also been following his daily twitter feed closely. He's been having a lot of highs and lows. His heart-rate has apparently been quite low and judging by some of his tweets he's been a bit mentally out of it. I'm glad to see that he's called it quits.



"There is a difference between quitting and quitting while you are ahead"

Someone once told me that. Ed quit while he was ahead. In fact I wouldn't even call it quitting. It takes a whole lot of courage and self-esteem to go out into very dangerous territory all by yourself. Sure he had a safety net and back-up if he needed it, but when it comes down to brass tacks it was just him and the wild. Alone in the Wild. I've got a tremendous amount of respect for Ed. He's certainly a man of honor and bravery that follows in the footsteps of previous British explorers. Many of whom tamed the very wilderness Ed spent all this time in.

I wish Ed the best as he no doubt recovers. I hope that he has learned a lot about the natural world and himself. I know first hand that when you spend time out in the wild your mind slows down and you gain a great amount of clarity. I truly hope that Ed recovers fully and without any long term damage done to his mental of physical state.

Once again the Alone in the Wild show will be airing (At least I think) in it's entirety starting in September. No doubt the last episode or episodes will feature Ed's decision to come out of the wild and transition back into the urban life.

Incase you do ever read this, Ed. I have two things to say to you.

First I'd go into the wild with you any day. You've been weighed, measured and found to be made of tough stuff.

Second....

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."-Theodore Roosevelt.

As a man who has climbed the tallest mountain in the World I am sure you understand that quote quite well.