Overland Expo 2015

My staff and I had the great pleasure of teaching at Oveland Expo again this year south of Flagstaff. We had two days of mud, snow, and rain but, as always, a great crowd of enthusiastic explorers from around the globe. We taught numerous classes on bushcraft, basic survival, and emergency kits along with having a chance to scope out the latest Overland gear and vehicle hardware. Gracious hosts Jonathan and Roseann Hanson must not sleep a wink during the entire weekend with all they have planned during this event and with the arrival of thousands of participants pouring into Mormon Lake (whose diameter increased considerably in about 24 hours!).

An amazing rig with rooftop tent parked nearby amongst hundreds of such vehicles that were in attendance.

Vehicle extrication skills and rigging systems were some of the many workshops participants could register for during the three-day event.

There were many vintage vehicles present whose design and durability was a wonder to observe.

For those on the East Coast, the Expo will be running their 3-day event in North Carolina in October. For more info, check out Overland Expo.

A New Take on the Micro-Survival Kit

Recently I had the good fortune of teaching a survival skills class for the fine folks at U.S. Palm in Phoenix. Owners Rob Anderson and Brandon Finch make some of the finest tactical gear on the market today and one of their staff, Greg Beck, showed his micro-survival kit that he always carries with him. Now, bear in mind this kind of kit presupposes that you possess survival skills to begin with, as Greg certainly does, and it would be one notch up from your EDC gear.

The beauty of Greg's kit is in the simplicity. The only thing I would add in are a half-dozen water purification tablets and a few steri-strips and knuckle bandages. Everything here is multi-purpose. Even the alcohol prep pads can be used for firestarting in addition to hygienic needs.

Everything is neatly stored in a multi-tool nylon sheath. To make space for more items, one could substitute the Leatherman with a smaller Swiss-Army knife.

The specific components shown are as follows:

Leatherman Rebar tool

SureFire Titan-A light (AAA battery powered)

Exotac nanoSTRIKER fire starter

Fox 40 whistle

Custom made glow fob

SERE compass

12 feet of 400lb Dyneema cord w/ rubber band

2" x 1.5" signal mirror

(2x) alcohol swabs for tinder

$50 bill

Multi-Tool Pouch

A multi-tool pouch makes for a personal survival kit that you can carry on your belt on short outings.

For more information on their line of tactical gear, visit U.S. Palm.

Pre-Made DF-4 Deadfall Trap That Will Keep You Rockin' With Wild Game

The diminutive DF-4 Deadfall Design is compact enough to stow a few in your Bug-Out Bag or long-term survival kit.

I've had the good fortune of meeting some great folks in my fieldcourses over the years and two of them, Eric and Ed from the DF-4 Company in Cottonwood, Arizona have put out an amazing product for feeding yourself in a wilderness survival situation or if the grocery shelves ever empty during a true grid-down crisis. This design is so simple but reliable it blew me away the first time I set it up (with one-hand such is their design!). As their website indicates, it's an "Innovative Design Based On Traditional Technology."

Set in literally seconds, this deadfall just needs to be baited and it's ready to roll (or rock!). This is the smaller version of deadfall that the DF-4 company makes and is suitable for smaller rodents.

While I teach how to carve the primitive Paiute and Widget Deadfalls in my fieldcourses so students know the skill, this is a carving method that takes time and practice. It's also a very perishable skill set which is why this pre-made deadfall is outstanding. There are no angles to remember when you're belly is rumbling and no elaborate whittling to be done. I've always been a believer in blending the best of both primitive and modern bushcraft techniques and when it comes to long-term living off the land, the DF-4 would free up a lot of time that could be spent on other critical survival skills.

The time-tested Paiute Deadfall was used into contemporary times by Supai, Hopi, Paiute, and other tribes in the Southwest. It can be a frustrating trap to set for the beginner and takes considerable practice under varied field conditions to be succesful with.

Ed and Eric put a lot of thought into the design to make it easy to set, sturdy under pressure, and light enough not to be a burden in one's kit. Get a few dozen of these and spread them around your BOBs and you'll be able to procure meat if a true survival emergency befalls you. Now for the disclaimer-  YOU are responsible for checking into your state's game laws and regulations.

This little beauty is a little larger than a ballpoint pen and about as light as it's made from 6000 series aluminum.

For more info, check out the DF-4 website or, better yet, drop in on the makers at one of the survival expos or sportsmans shows that they frequently attend around the western U.S. Ed is also the designer of an excellent, field-expedient poncho shelter and these guys, with their constant innovation and field-testing, would make even MacGuyver jealous.

The quick-latch trigger system allows you to set the trap with one hand. This frees up your other hand to place the rock or log weight and avoid the notorious School of Crushed Knuckles typical in learning to use deadfalls.