The knife is the most crucial piece of gear in any survival or bushcraft situation. With a good knife you can fell trees, cut branches, chop wood, carve utensils, cut plants and roots, start fires, build wind shields, defend yourself and much more. I bring my knife around in my daily life as well as in the forest. And I can't remember the day it did not come to some use. I use it for everything from cutting an apple to carving spoons. I will start by explaining the different parts of a knife. How the parts affect usage and what you should consider when choosing one. I will then discuss the different types of survival knives before going on to how to use them efficiently, how to care for them and finally comparing some popular models. The different parts of a knife. This is a modified Marttiini knife from Finland. (Click to enlarge.) A kitchen knife is almost impossible to use for carving, while a carving knife throws away your carrot pieces when you cut. (Don't b...

With all the modern materials turning up we are starting to forget the old and reliable way of dressing for outdoor life. Techniques which our ancestors used in everyday life while working in the forest, hunting and harvesting are in many ways far more efficient and reliable than the clothes used nowadays. The three layer system The three layers are the base layer , used to wick moisture (sweat) from the skin, it is worn closest to the body. The mid layer which is your insulation. And the outer shell , which protects you from the weather. They all serve very important roles in your heat regulation. The genius thing about the three layer system is that you can remove just one layer to regulate heat and adjust for the weather. On a warm but rainy day you can skip the mid layer and just use the base layer and the shell. On a calm but cold day you may just need the base and mid layer for maximum ventilation. Also, when you are moving fast by biking or using some vehicle it's g...

Lets compare the heat retention of a food thermos vs. a beverage thermos. As you probably know a sphere is the geometrical shape which has the least surface area to volume ratio. A food thermos is typically lower and wider than a beverage thermos, making it closer in shape to a sphere. Meaning, if it has the same volume as a beverage thermos it has less surface area. And less surface means less heat loss. But it's not that simple with a thermos. Since the cap is less insulated than the walls, and a food thermos has a bigger (and thinner) cap than a beverage thermos. Meaning the food thermos has more area which is less insulated than the beverage thermos. For this experiment I got the most durable thermoses I could find, one Thermos Stainless King 16 oz. Food Thermos and one Thermos Stainless King 16 oz. Beverage Thermos . (Also available in bigger sizes .) According to the manufacturer they both keep the content hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Let's see if tha...

Probably the most durable water bottle on the market right now. Made only of natural materials. And with the possibility to get engraved with your own text . The bottle itself is made of stainless steel and the cap is a combination of stainless steel, bamboo and silicone. It's available in 27 oz and 18 oz sizes. I hear some people being concerned about it giving a taste of metal to the water. This is not true, unless you keep the water in the bottle for a really long period of time, it stays fresh for at least 18 hours. And even then, I much prefer that slight metallic taste to the taste and toxins of a plastic bottle. The best part is you can store hot liquids without worry of toxins. And in an emergency you can even use it as a pot to boil water inside. Just make sure to keep the cap off, or it might explode. The engravings on the bottle are etched with laser to keep it paint-free and to last longer despite heavy usage. And as I mentioned you can get your own engravi...

There are a few key features a good compass for outdoor life should have. But surprisingly there are very few compasses which has all of these. These are some necessary features to look for when buying one: A dial with degrees as well as orienting lines for taking out a compass bearing. Scales and rulers for measuring distances on the map. A mirror , which you use to walk in exactly the direction the needle is pointing. This mirror obviously has many other advantages, like when you are applying your contact lenses or signaling in an emergency. Adjustable declination correction. This is where most compasses fail. Magnetic declination is created because the magnetic north and the geographical north are not in the exact same location. Some maps have declination lines to make up for this misgiving. But far from all of them. If you have a compass with adjustable declination correction you can use any map, anywhere in the world and it will still give you correct directions. A ...