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FEATURED POSTS

No power? This brick rocket stove is easy to make and it will work great for cooking

 150 150 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

During an emergency, the ability to purify water and cook food could be critical. This improved brick rocket stove could be built for about $10, if you have to buy the materials. It’s possible to salvage all of them. This is an improved design from the previous SurvivalCommonSense rocket stove post that has received more than two million views. You…

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Cutlery Reviews

Common-Sense Knife Choices for Survival, Bushcraft, and Everyday Readiness

 150 150 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

by Aleks Nemtcev Your knife is the one tool that can’t be easily improvised. It carves the stakes for your shelter, prepares the tinder for your fire, and processes your food when there are no backups. In unfamiliar terrain or emergency conditions, it becomes an extension of your hands. Believing a single blade can master every chore, from  processing tinder…

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Hunt|Fish|Camp

Leather Western Holsters Are a Top Choice for Gun Owners

 150 150 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

When regularly carrying a handgun, there a major consideration: which holster is best? And will it work for you? by Michael Turner Get a good holster. A handgun that is not comfortable to carry will eventually get left behind. And if it isn’t with you, the firearm can do you no good. Many options are available, but Western-style leather holsters may…

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Making Fire

Why Your Ferro Rod Fails: A Manufacturer’s Analysis of Common Ignition Mistakes

 150 150 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Ferro rod won’t light a fire? It may not be the tool, but how it’s being used. by: Davy Li Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. You’re in your backyard, or maybe even in a real pinch, and that trusty ferro rod you counted on just… won’t… light. A few pathetic sparks, but no glorious flame. Frustrating, right? As…

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Emergency Shelter

best tactical pants, 511 pants, urban survival camoflauge

Review | Is the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant the best choice for tactical pants?

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The correct tactical pants can be a critical part of your survival gear. If you’re thinking about investing in a pair, the 5.11 Taclite Pro Pant may be worth considering.

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Survival Gear

Review: Jim Green African Ranger barefoot boots

 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness
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Barefoot boots have become a “thing.” The concept is that barefoot shoes/boots allow the foot to react to the ground as it would if the walker was walking barefoot. These Jim Green Barefoot Boots are sturdy hikers that may be a good entry into the barefoot boots world.

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Survival Skills

winter car kit, survive night in vehicle

Winter storms: What to do when the power goes off and it’s icy cold outside

 300 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The power goes out and you’re sheltering inside the house. Outside, the temperature plummets, the wind picks up and it starts to snow. You don’t know when the power will be restored. It might be hours or days. How will you stay warm and safe? How do you get started?

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VIDEOS | TIPS & HOW TO's

mini BIC lighter for survival fire making, survival fire making,make fire
Pimp your Bic for survival use | video
 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

There is no single method or technique for survival fire starting that works 100 percent of the time. That said, I carry a mini Bic butane lighter in my pants pocket, my coat pocket and in my pack whenever I go out. Here is what you can do to improve this product for survival use.

shelter, knots for tarps, knots
Video: How to tie three basic knots for emergency tarp shelter construction
 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Three knots: the timber hitch, trucker’s hitch and bowline, are generally all you need to quickly set up a tarp shelter. Here’s how to tie them.

All-American hunting knife review | We check out the 7Forge Orso
 400 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The 7Forge Orso is a well-designed hunting knife big game hunters will appreciate! 7Forge, in Ogden, Iowa, makes quality knifes the old-fashioned way – one knife at a time. The result is a hard-working tool that is also a work of art.

Leon Pantenburg writes a survival skills blog with tips and techniques to help typical folks survive an unexpected urban or wilderness emergency, using common sense and emergency preparedness training. Topics include survival knives, survival clothing and camp cooking, making a fire, emergency shelter, hunting and fishing, competent survival skills and survival gear reviews.