There will come a time when all you have at your disposal is what’s in your pockets. Preparedness begins with what you’re carrying. Some choose to go minimal with their EDC, while some carry the kitchen sink. Either way, it is essential to carry tools with you wherever you are.

My EDC can vary depending on where I am or what I am doing, but there are a few essentials that are always on me.

Cold Steel Recon 1 Folding Knife, spear point.
• I bought this knife a few years ago as my first folder. At the time, I needed a utility blade that could perform daily chores as well as outdoor tasks and be a self-defense tool if necessary. A friend of mine had the Recon 1 in a tanto point and I really liked the handle. As soon as I saw the knife with a spear point, I bought it and so far it’s been a great tool. My only gripe now is that it’s a relatively big folding knife and can sometimes be uncomfortable when sitting for long periods of time. Still, it’s proved to be a very useful knife.

Streamlight Protac 2AAA Flashlight
• The price is what caught me on this penlight. The output and runtime have served me well over the years whether it’s walking home from college classes, clearing my car in a dark parking lot or finding my way around the office in a power outage. The bezel is sculpted for use as a defensive striking tool and compliments the strobe function.

Leatherman Sidekick Multi Tool.
• This tool stays with me whether I’m at the office or on SAR missions. I use it for everything from housework to fixing snowboards on the slopes. I also found the can opener works very well as a striker on a fire steel.

iPhone 5S with Lifeproof Fre Case
• The Lifeproof case definitely lives up to its reputation of durability. I’ve banged up my phone plenty and made calls in the rain without worrying about damage to my phone.

Wenger Keychain Tool
• This little tool keeps a blade and scissors handy in times when pulling out a full size knife may not be appropriate.

Freestyle USA Shark XL Watch
• My kick-around, exercise and adventure watch. It’s cheap but not flimsy. It’s been through plenty of mountain, trail and underwater adventures.

Survival on Screen is where Shadow Fox takes a look at survival and field craft practices in movies and TV. Some are great, others not so much. We break down what’s happening on screen and what viewers should or shouldn’t take away from the production.

National Geographic’s first season of its adventure series brings us an eclectic set of characters with a variety of skills trekking across the Alaskan wilderness. The beauty of the northernmost state provides a breathtaking canvas for the beginning of an unfortunately short-lived and entertaining reality series.

USA drops 8 adventurers into the Alaskan wild lands with the objective of crossing a stretch of land in 72 hours. Over 10 episodes, the men will cross 3,000 miles of terrain and battle weather, beasts and each other. While it’s not a race by traditional means, being left behind is a real consequence if they don’t make their pickup point in time. The men will cross the land in many ways the same fashion as the explorers before them working for National Geographic.

At the start of each episode, the men divide themselves into teams. Each team works on a different way to get to their destination whether it’s building a raft (or a different variation of a raft), selecting a land route. Each team member has different skills that allows them to help their team survive in the unforgiving environment. For instance, Tyrell Seavy, a fisherman, is able to build a net to catch salmon and provide his comrade with valuable protein. Tyler Johnson, a civil engineer, is able to build a primitive water filter when his team needs hydration. He’s also able to modify boats his team uses to travel on water.

The men only carry what they’ve packed. Their kits have been carefully selected to sustain them throughout the competition. A few carry handguns and rifles for hunting and dealing with bears, while one carries a bow for hunting. One man, Willi Prittie, carries a pressure cooker with him. He says the pressure cooker preserves the nutrients in the food better than traditional cooking.

Food is constant struggle in the competition. Each team has a ration of rice and beans, but that will only get you so far. The men must hunt and forage for their meals and compete with the animals that are doing the same thing. Most of all, they must rely on their resilience and wits to finish each leg of the race.

There’s a lot of adrenaline to go around as the men brave roaring rapids and gut wrenching rappels. The men are constantly at odds with bears, and every encounter causes them to double take after seeing the massive predators. There are moments when the men are dangerously close to hypothermia. Mistakes can lead to injuries and even loss of valuable equipment.

As hard as it is to move through the wilderness, staying in place is just as difficult. The men must make their own shelters each night to keep themselves warm, dry and safe from animals.

Ultimate Survival Alaska’s first season is an entertaining and insightful show. Watching each member show off their own individual skills can give new ideas on how to modify your own methods of survival. Most of all, it’s inspiring. The Alaskan wilderness never ceases to amaze the eyes, and every episode leaves you looking toward your pack and boots, plotting your next adventure.

A recent alert from Petzl has the climbing world up in arms and is serving as a reminder to use caution when purchasing gear your life depends on.

Petzl recently found out that Aspir harnesses sold on eBay had been tampered with and posed a mortal risk to users. Petzl says a third party took new or lightly used harnesses, cut the webbing on the wasitbelt and leg security loops then put them up for sale online.

Petzl calls the modifications malicious and potentially deadly. Climbing harnesses are built to strict safety standards and modifying them in such a way exposes the user to a risk of serious injury or death. Petzl says this was a malicious act, and I believe them. The harnesses have been removed from the market and Petzl is telling climbers with Aspir harnesses to check the webbing in case of tampering.

First of all, I’m appalled that someone would do such a thing. I see no reason why someone would cut up a harness and resell it other than for malevolent purposes, though I can only draw wild guesses on the exact nature. Climbing harnesses are lifesaving pieces of equipment. The modifications done by this third party could cause the harness to fail during a hang or a fall and could injure or kill the user. I hope there is swift justice for whoever is responsible for this.

Second, this is a reminder to be wary of where you get your gear, especially safety equipment.

I purchase a lot of my equipment from retail sites such as REI where I can personally inspect or try on equipment. I usually items purchase online if they’re from a trusted distributor. I only purchase used equipment if I am able to view and try before I buy.

So how can you tell whether your online source is reliable?

The Internet gives consumers the power of knowledge with a few keystrokes. A company’s Facebook page will have reviews and posts from customers. Read through them and look for any red flags. If you’re looking for a deal on a certain piece of equipment, check the manufacturer’s list of distributors.

Doing so may lead you to finding a deal on bargain sites like Amazon, where some reputable companies will put items up for sale.

When you’ve found the equipment you want to buy and are confident with the seller, check the specifications of what you want to purchase. The seller should list the materials used in the product. If something seems fishy or the description of the product is vague, turn away.

For example, I never buy a knife that does not have details surrounding materials such as blade steel, handle materials, etc. Also, the product page may also give you user reviews. Also be sure to check over the company’s return policy if you have any issues or see any defects with the gear you’ve spent your hard earned money on.

Whichever way you want to go about getting your gear, be sure to take your time in checking things over and doing your research. What you buy, for whatever purpose, should be reliable. Don’t put yourself at risk over a hasty purchase.

Click here to read the news alert from Petzl.

Photo Credit: Petzyl

Our Survival on Screen series will look at survival and field craft practices in movies and TV. Some are great, others not so much. We break down what’s happening on screen and what viewers should or shouldn’t take away from the production.

A riveting performance from Robert Redford anchors the nautical man vs. nature epic All is Lost. The movie contains no dialogue, but it doesn’t need any as we watch Redford’s character battle the wrath of the sea and its creatures with increasing vigor and desperation.

The movie starts with Redford’s character waking up to find that a stray shipping container in the Indian Ocean has hit his boat. The collision is only the start of a chain of events testing the sailor’s know-how and his ability to adapt in an ever-changing emergency.

After he frees his boat and repairs the leak, he is beset by tropical storm. With his radio rendered useless from water damage, he makes an attempt to sail his way out of it, but eventually must abandon ship as the boat capsizes and loses its mast.

The sailor must survive at sea against constant hardship and what seems like an increasingly hopeless situation. He is pushed to his limits as plans fail, supplies are lost and the ocean constantly acts against him. A scene where he realizes his supply of fresh water sinks the viewer’s spirits just as much as the sailor’s. You really never know throughout the entirety of the movie whether he will live or die.

The blazing message in All is Lost is to improvise, improvise, improvise when it seems like you’re out of options. When your new plan fails, keep improvising and try to make what you have work for you. The sailor’s increasingly clever tactics allow him to last another day, only to be challenged and put into peril again by another subtle or brute force of nature.

All is Lost will have you glued to your screen. As you watch, you’ll wonder again and again whether you could make your way out of the same situations. You won’t be surprised if you end up answering no.

Image credit: Fandango Trailer

In the folding knife business, there have been few changes in the design of locking mechanisms. You’ve got your liner locks, frame locks, lockbacks, slipjoints, buttons and the Axis and Arc type locking mechanisms from Benchmade and SOG. These locks are tried and true and have lasted throughout the years in a variety of designs and purposes. Some are stronger than others and have become popular because of their reputation.

But with this stability in design comes a relatively slow innovation process. If the locks work, companies stick with them in their knife designs. Something truly unique hasn’t hit the knife market for a while. Now, there’s something that could change that and perhaps be the new staple in folding knives.

Knife designer Andrew Demko has been working on the new AD15 knife and scorpion lock for some time now. Pictures first surfaced on social media in late October of 2015, and now knives with the new locking mechanism have shown up at knife shows as custom pieces. The lock is not on the market yet, though I bet when it becomes available, it will be in high demand.


Demko’s new scorpion lock is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The lock snaps down over the blade with a bar that fits into a cutout. A pin built into the blade gives a second point of contact for the lock bar. A second lock near the pommel of the knife serves as a safety to keep the lock bar from moving when engaged. This type of feature is common for folders that are intended for hard use.

You may already know Demko’s name. He designed the Tri-Ad lock for Cold Steel. The Tri-Ad lock can be described as a lockback with an added stop pin to disperse the forces exerted on the blade. Cold steel has wasted no time marketing the Tri-Ad as what they call the strongest locking mechanism around. There are numerous videos in which the company puts their folders through a variety of torture tests.

I own a Tri-Ad lock folder and I can say that the lock is quite strong and can handle tasks better suited for fixed blades such as batoning wood (of course a fixed blade would be the better option, but it’s good to know my folder can handle a tough task). One significant advantage of the new scorpion lock over the Tri-Ad lock is that it can be easily closed with one hand.

The big question now is whether and when the scorpion lock will go into mass production. While Demko has done work with Cold Steel, there’s no word on whether the company will pick up the design. Since Cold Steel has built a reputation on the toughness of their knives, they would probably torture test the lock before working on production models.

Until that happens, it’s possible the lock will only be available directly through Demko. Custom knives will likely have premium quality materials, but could come at prices that are too steep for some users.

Still, with the market filled with designs that have changed little over time, it’s refreshing to see innovation in the knife world.

Let’s face it, many of us prefer convenience. Today’s technology has bundled our needs together into compact devices. We’re now able to call, read mail, news, and even navigate from one item in the palm of our hand.

But all tools have limits, and our smartphones are no different. They’re relatively delicate, expensive to replace and may not excel where we need them to in certain functions. There is a particularly popular feature on smartphones that’s essential for everyday use, but it wholly insufficient.

The flashlight feature on phones can be handy for finding your keys when you drop them in a movie theater, but the usefulness stops there. The flashlight feature on most smartphones is simply an extension of the camera’s flash. The effective range is limited to a few feet, and is part of a fragile platform.

The simple and effective solution to this is to carry a flashlight on your person.

Lighting technology has come a long way since your dad’s Maglite. Lights the size of a pinky finger can cast intense beams of light over long distances.

The construction of modern lights also allows them to be used for self-defense.

Many lights are built from aluminum with bezels carved out to be more effective blunt striking weapons. Some also come with strobe functions that can allow the user to disorient an attacker or signal for help.

They’re quicker to operate and function far better than cell phone lights for clearing a room, finding your car in a dark parking lot, or navigating the office during a power outage.

Today’s light market offers near endless options for users.

The main things to consider with lights are the power source, output and run-time. CR 123 type batteries will generally provide more power and longer battery life, but AA and AAA batteries are more common and less expensive.

For run-time, look for a light that has a high power function that runs for more than an hour and a low function that lasts for more than 24 hours. How bright you need your light to be depends on what you’re doing on a daily basis.

Having a proper flashlight on your person allows you to be ready for a variety of scenarios.

If the power goes you in your workplace, you’re a pocket away from lighting up the room and servicing the outage or making your way around in the building (this has happened to me on a few occasions). You also have another self-defense tool at your disposal with the light working as a blinding and striking tool.

A light can also prevent an attack by making it known that you’re aware and actively looking for threats that may be around you in a dark environment.

Remember, there’s no app for being prepared. Don’t get left in the dark.

Maintaining a healthy level of fitness is about more than just keeping your mind and body in good shape. Fitness is also part of being prepared for the unexpected.

When the time comes, you need to be prepared to get places without a vehicle. You’ll likely be carrying your gear over long distances when disaster strikes and you need to get to a safe place.

While cardiovascular exercises, weight lifting and stretching can all help you be ready to move, there are a few simple tests to make sure you can get yourself and your gear to your destination. Wilderness professionals use these tests to gauge their readiness for their jobs.

Wildland Firefighter Pack Tests

The wildland firefighter pack tests are set to make sure Forest Service personnel are prepared for the physical demands of battling wildfires. Search and rescue teams also use these tests for fitness exams. There are three tiers of testing, each carrying an increased level of difficulty. All of these are done on level terrain wearing boots.

Remember to train before doing these tests and also consult your physician before substantially increasing your level of physical activity.

Light: The easiest of the three. The light test is a one-mile hike in 16 minutes. You don’t need to be carrying anything, but feel free to bring a small amount of water and equipment.

Moderate: This is the first test involving a pack. It comprises of a two-mile hike with a 25-pound pack in half an hour. For many of us, this could comprise of a general field kit. If you’re adding weight to your pack, make sure it’s evenly placed. Many people use sand bags to weigh down their rucks.

While this is an easy way to give you the required weight for the test, it can also cause a it of discomfort with how the sand will pull down on the pack. How this works out will depend on the type of pack to use. Remember, you don’t want to go far beyond your body’s tolerance for these exercises. It doesn’t make sense to delay your training with avoidable injuries.

Arduous: This test involves the most weight and the longest hike. Carry a 45-pound pack for three miles in 45 minutes. Lane county Search and Rescue uses this as one testing option for candidates and members. However, because 45 pounds can be a substantial amount of weight for someone who may weigh, say, 120 pounds, EMR adjusts the weight for 45 pounds or one third of the person’s body weight, whichever is less.

Search and Rescue Pack Tests

While Eugene Mountain Rescue and other Lane county SAR teams do use the arduous test for members and candidates, we have other tests that we use to assess physical fitness.

Search and rescue missions will often go off of flat land and into higher elevations on steep slopes over long distances. Our tests have longer distances than the arduous test with more elevation gain, but with more time for members to complete. Here is an example of one our more commonly used tests.

Load a pack with 25 percent of your body weight, up to 40 pounds. Hike a hill that allows you to travel up, down and up again for an uphill elevation gain of 2,000 feet. This test must be completed in less than two hours. Sometimes the downhill leg of the test will vary depending the hill you use.

For instance, a hill that goes up 1,500 feet will only require 500 feet of downhill travel to allow for the 2,000 feet required uphill. The distance may also vary. One slope we use for this test covers a little more than four miles.

These pack tests or “rucks” can give you a good benchmark for your physical fitness outside the weight room or treadmill. Try them out and see what works for you and the kit you plan on carrying.

People who enjoy the outdoors can find themselves many miles away from civilization and aid. While this doesn’t faze many adventurers, it does pose a significant risk that should not be taken lightly.

Many people are well versed in how to take care of themselves outside the comforts of home. There are also others who aren’t. Either way, but some means or another, misfortune will befall someone.

It can come as bad weather, an animal attack, illness or injury or any other situation that puts someone in a bad spot.

It’s those times when they’re counting on someone to get them out. That’s where Search and Rescue comes in.

How SAR operates will vary between states. In Oregon, the responsibility of SAR falls onto the county sheriff.

Eugene Mountain Rescue, my unit, mainly works with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and also assists other jurisdictions around the state. There are also non-profits that will various regions of the state and are called upon but not necessarily a part of a sheriff’s office.

Individual units can specialize in fields such as all-terrain vehicles, K9 searches, emergency communications and diving. EMR is a unit that focuses on rock, alpine, snow and ground search missions. Most SAR personnel in Oregon are volunteers.

Four Reasons to Join a SAR Team

1. Public Service
You’ll be serving your community in an area that really doesn’t ever run low on demand. There’s a huge sense of satisfaction that comes from missions and training for SAR. You’re saving lives, and that counts.

Don’t worry too much about equipment. There’s a good chance you already have plenty of the equipment that you need for SAR such as a pack, boots, medical and field gear. Your team will provide more advanced equipment such as radios and GPS units.

2. Diverse Training
SAR training will involve anything from land navigation to tracking to criminal investigations.The training not only helps you be a better rescuer, but will also help you in whatever you’re doing outside of SAR.

I’m a better-prepared hiker and snowboarder thanks to the survival and avalanche training I’ve done with EMR. I’m better able to plan trips and more prepared to help those around me.

3. Have a Story to Tell
Your conversations at work, the dinner table and the bar will be far more interesting. Your newfound knowledge of the outdoors and field craft will likely interest someone, and it makes for decent talk over a pint. Mostly.

4. A Network of Friends
You’ll find that most of your team members are a lot like you. Many will come from different backgrounds, but they’ll share a love of the outdoors and service. My unit carries a bunch of types. Some are teachers, firefighters, ex-military, businessmen and doctors. They’re a great bunch, and I know I can count on them in the field. Outside of SAR, you’ll probably join them for adventures where you’ll probably use the very skills you’ve learned in training, but just for fun.

If you’re ready to get these benefits and more, do some research on what’s available near you and get involved. Your skills can mean the difference between life and death.

Like many people, I spent a good deal of time perusing the internet looking at photos and videos from this year’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas. It goes without saying that I’m a gear nut and enjoy seeing the new equipment on display. Everything from packs to knives to electronics catches my eye.

Many companies use SHOT Show to debut new products to the media. Some update existing lines of equipment while others show off completely new pieces. One such company doing so was Maxpedition, and it made a move that I believe solidifies a trend in the tactical nylon industry.

Maxpedition just released its “Advanced Gear Research” line of packs, bags and pouches with streamlined construction and materials that give the products a low profile look, yet maintain the functionality of tactical products with molle webbing and hook and loop panels. The products seem geared for the urban jungle with looks that would draw less attention to the user than, say, a 3-day assault pack. They’re not exactly “covert” since they look like something Ethan Hunt would use in the sixth Mission Impossible movie.

 

Maxpedition’s release in my opinion signals what could now be considered an actual movement in the tactical nylon business. Tactical companies have long been making products with a “discreet” or “covert” appearance. The only thing separating these products from their military style counterparts was a lack of molle webbing and at times dedicated compartments for laptops and other items carried on a daily basis by someone working a regular nine to five.

For many years, there have been problems in design. Large companies known for good tactical products would release “covert” products that would carry awkward and at times unappealing looks. While function comes first, appearances matter. In order for a bag or pack with tactical functions to blend in, it has to appear like a product from any standard retail outlet.

The past year has seen a huge leap in design across multiple companies. After years of testing and product upgrades, we’re finally seeing products that are designed from the ground up with tactical function and civilian fashion both in mind. These packs and bags now blend in with a crowd, yet carry items such as dedicated hook and loop pockets and interior panels that allow the user to ultimately decide how to carry equipment. Companies like Maxpedition, Vanquest Condor and 5.11 have introduced designs and in some cases whole product lines that revolve around discreet tactical functionality.

For us gear nuts, it’s an exciting time. We can expect to see products that allow us to carry EDC and anything other gear in a package that fits into our surroundings. People who commit to preparedness now have more options to carry their equipment without standing out in the city. With increased competition between companies to draw out customers with such demands, the race for better equipment will continue to put out more promising material designed around the end user.

Want to see more from Maxpedition? Click here to check out their catalog.

Overview

The Maxpedition Falcon III is an update to the company’s popular Falcon II backpack. While the main upgrade is the pack’s expanded size of 28 liters, some modern touches make the Falcon III a versatile outdoor and tactical pack. This bag is at home in a variety of environments and fits into a multitude of roles.

Construction

The exterior of the Falcon III is 1050 denier nylon. The fabric provides a high degree of abrasion resistance. I was impressed with how it performed on concrete drag tests while only showing slight wear on the outside webbing. The fabric is also treated with a Teflon coating, which gives the pack more water resistance.

I was impressed with the pack’s ability to shed water. For testing, I dragged the front of the pack across the surface of a river near the Shadow Fox HQ. The water beaded and rolled off the outside of the pack. However, the pack is not impervious. After opening the pockets, I saw that some water was able to get in through the stitching that held the webbing to the pack. While the pack isn’t entirely waterproof, it will keep things safe in a short drizzle or while trekking on a snowy day.

Webbing on the front and sides allow for attaching pouches to fit whatever your mission. Four side and a top compression strap keep the pack neat. For the top, I would like to see a longer strap to allow for carrying rope or a jacket when the pack is fully loaded.

Comfort

The Falcon III comes with a mesh back panel and shoulder straps. The Falcon II had mesh shoulder straps, but a nylon back panel. The Falcon III uses a more open mesh that is well padded. Another item is the quick release buckle on each strap. This allows for easier and quicker removal when wearing thick layers.

Unlike the Falcon II, the Falcon III does not have a dedicated hydration pocket. A pouch in the main compartment will hold up to a three liter bladder. The hose can be routed through a port on either side of the pack. The bladder will bulge out into the back a little, but not enough to make it uncomfortable. The hydration pouch can also fit a 15-inch MacBook Pro with sleeve.

Overall, the pack is comfortable to wear. There is no frame, so loads over 30 pounds may be uncomfortable over long distances. The straps are well cut and a sternum strap helps keep the weight from bearing into the shoulders. Load lifter straps on the shoulders also help pull the weight towards the back. A webbing hip belt also secures the pack to the body.

Organization

The Falcon III carries a basic administrative pocket that can carry pens, a multi tool or folding knife, along with a phone and light. A key fob is also sewn into the pocket. While it does carry the essentials, I prefer a dedicated pouch for my phone to keep it from moving around and easily accessible. A few more organizational features would help the pack fit better into the EDC role.

The pack’s secondary compartment is lined with loop Velcro. This compartment can carry your hook-backed holsters and pouches. The Falcon II had loop Velcro on the hydration compartment for this purpose.

Ideal Use

The Falcon III functions well in the outdoors, but can also be used as a travel and daily carry pack. I was able to compress the pack down to keep the profile low when carrying a light hiking load, but the pack was also large enough to carry what I needed for an overnight snowboarding trip. The 28-liter size also allows for carrying more equipment for winter hikes or gear for the tactical professional on a callout.