Swiss Alpenflage Back Packs, Keep your Zombie Apocalypse supplies in one place

I got these to go with the excellent Swiss alpenflage rain poncho's They are a very simple soft canvas bags with shoulder straps that gather in the front with fastex buckle one central pocket and two long narrow side pockets (the side pockets look ideal for the Swiss volcano stove/canteen) and a top flap with snaps. Nothing fancy but effective. All of the ones I have obtained so far have been in good shape, definitely used though, some have ordinance depot level repairs that are well done on a sewing machine. Good match with the poncho, these do not appear to have been waterproofed, this is always an option and may not be a bad idea to keep them from soaking up water when on the ground. They are made to be worn under the poncho in bad weather. We are offering them as a set of a poncho and a back pack. When you see the Alpenflage pattern out side the woods one tends to think it is too light colored to work well, when you get in a forest you can see it is wickedly effective. I plan to post some pictures of in the forest soon

Swiss Gear M71 Emergency Stove Survival Food Preparation

Some quick notes on this item. These are Swiss Military M71 Emergency Stoves. They consist of a can of jellied alcohol with a screw top lid, a frame that a pan can sit on and a pack of matches. They come sealed in plastic wrap and are reusable. I have found these to be very useful and inexpensive. They are available on E-Bay individually or in case lots at good prices.  They burn very hot and seem to last a long time, when the original jelly runs out they can be refilled with Sterno (I don't think that Sterno is as high in alcohol content or gets quite as hot). These come with manufacture dates on them from the 70's but are in very good condition. I have used them with a steel mug several times and they will boil a 8 oz of water in a few minutes. Great to have on hand to prepare a hot meal or to sterilize water for drinking or wound care. I do not plan on selling these individually but will include them in the bug out/ E&E bags I am preparing. Having the ability to have a quick hot meal is important to nutrition and morale. Having the ability to make clean water for drinking or wound care can be a life saver. Really an indispensable item.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHcgnsOsf6g

The video shows one in action. The vid says they are Swede but I think they are Swiss

The Importance of the Poncho, Survive Global Warming

A recent winter trip to the camp focused my attention on the importance of the rain poncho. Why you ask? Because it rained, a lot. It was supposed to be work trip and some work did get done but it rained off and on and then rained monsoon style all night,  which it often does in the winter in North West Florida. All crew member had military style rain ponchos and that started the conversation on how important they are and how superior they are to other rain gear.
Why are they superior? For many reasons, let me lay out some of them for you.
1. They work. They actually keep you dry and warm,  some rain gear especially light weight rain gear depends on being water proofed with chemicals in order to work. If the water proof treatment is not applied correctly by the factory or not maintained after the garment is washed it will leak. Years ago I worked in public safety and our department purchased very expensive water proof jackets for us. The right sleeve on mine always leaked, it had not been properly treated at the factory and reapplication of water proof spray did not seem to help much. I have had similar experience with other rain garments offered commercially. Military ponchos are usually rubberized canvas or very tightly woven nylon they have inherent water proof qualities that do not have to be maintained.
2. Easy on Easy off. This is important.  A poncho will keep you try while you are putting it on. When the rain stops even for a short time they can be easily pulled over your head with out removing any other gear. Speed can mean every thing when you are trying to keep your clothes dry.
3. Climate adaptability. A poncho is worn over the clothes that you have chosen for the climate conditions If you are wearing a heavy coat that's fine, if you are in shorts and a t shirt that is fine as well, When the rain stops you are still in the clothes that you have chosen as most appropriate. In other words they create a micro climate underneath them that is independant of other garment choices.
4. A poncho fits OVER your gear and will protect that as well, including a back pack. Some back packs make attempts at being water proof but none really are. Its a bag that is open at the top, rain will get in there. Gear that is on your belt such as knives or firearms are also protected as is your head and any head gear you wearing. Most rain gear is waist length, a poncho will reach all the way to your feet.  Military ponchos are cut to fit over packs and the hood will fit over a military helmet. They will also fit over and protect an slung long gun.
5. Versatility. A poncho can have many other uses besides rain protection. It is a handy ground cover and moisture barrier for sitting on, sleeping on, eating on, or spreading out parts of gear that you may be working on. They can rigged to provide shade or rigged as tents. A good one can be rigged into a impromptu litter for carrying casualties.
6. Portablity. When you dont need it they stow easily and will roll up into a small bundle.

So these are some of the advantages I have been able to come up with off the top of my head, if you can think of more let me know.
 I have some old U.S. military ponchos that are great. These are getting somewhat pricey in my opinion. I offer Swiss Military Ponchos, they are very generously cut, strong rubberized canvas units that snap up the front and work great . In photos I am wearing a back pack under the ponch as well as a military helmet I am about 5' 11" and over 200lb so you can get an idea of what will fit under one of these. I also offer matching canvas Swiss alpenflage back pack backs to go with these.  Getting caught out with out rain gear can be serious even life threatning and I dont recommend it. I keep some rain gear in all of my vehicles and always have it available if the possiblity exists that I am going to be outdoors for any length of time. Not so good video for a close look at these http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aj0B-ccjww

Chinese Mora Knife Increadible Survival Value

I am always on the lookout for good, useful products that I can offer at a low price. I believe in being prepared and enjoying the outdoors. A person may have a million dollar collection of custom knives and other fine equipment but are these items going to be on hand when one needs them? Are you going to throw a 500.00 custom knife in a bag in the trunk of your car and forget about until you need it? I'm not. To that end I want to share one of the best bargains in something truly use full that I have come across lately. These are the Chinese copies of the Swedish Mora (Mooora) knife. The Swedish versions are fine knives and come in several varieties and fair prices. I have had one for years and love it.  I am always a little skeptical of Chinese sporting products (no offense if you are Chinese but I have had my disappointments). I ordered one of these and started using it and was quite pleasantly surprised. They seem to be pretty much equivilant to the Swedish brand with the stainless blade material at a much lower cost. I offer these on Ebay. If you want one without going the ebay route they are 9.99 and I will pay the shipping, They come in green like the original and blue and black. I have them stashed in all of my vehicles, mess kits and so forth. They have held up very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFvbWNi-SPc&feature=relmfu

Ranger 5000 Best Survival Fire Starter Tested

Some notes on the Ranger 5000 Survival Fire Starter device. The idea for this came about on a recent river wilderness trip. Myself and a buddy were hanging out a river bank in winter and the idea came up to try to start a fire with the magnesium block type fire starters. What we found out was that it was possible to start a fire with these, if you had the time (lots of it ) the patience, good use of both arms and legs, and good light and you didnt have one of the China blocks which are not magnesium and dont work at all. If any of these elements were missing, forget it, it just wasn't happening. That experience got us thinking about other types of "survival" fire starters that ended with trying the new "Blast Match". The conclusion that I came to was that they were all pretty much a bad joke, ( I wonder how much money Bear Gorrillas has made off of his) especially when compared to the ranger 5000. So what I recomend for emergency fire starting is the Ranger 5000 product. Hide it from the crack heads so that it will have some gas left in it when you need it and you will be fine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orxvnl_D51k