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Hemphill knives, SCS Pantenburg

SCS Pantenburg is the best hunting knife for me

 600 338 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

I have not “needed” another knife for decades. But I couldn’t resist when custom knife maker Jesse Hemphill  told me “Design your grail knife and I’ll make it.” Here is what we came up with.

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knivesshipfree.com, best knife store, best knives

Survival Knives

Survival Knife Video and Review: Cold Steel Master Hunter

 448 185 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The Cold Steel Master Hunter’s name says it all. If you could only have one knife for big game hunting, the Master Hunter just might be the best bet.

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Hunting and Fishing

Nine tips for getting and keeping hunting access on private land

 467 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Finding a place to hunt can be really tough. Here are a few tips that might help you get onto that prime habitat. by Leon Pantenburg When I was growing up in Iowa, my dad and several of my uncles were farmers. My access to good hunting in Central Iowa was virtually guaranteed. Learn how to access private lands through…

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Make Fire

mini BIC lighter for survival fire making, survival fire making,make fire

How To: Combine charcloth and a non-functional lighter for ignition

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Suppose your butane and/or Zippo-style lighter both fail, but continue to spark. Here is how you can use a piece of charcloth to catch a spark and get that initial ignition.

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Clothing

Review: Garmont® 9.81 Track GTX may be good choice for rugged trails

 555 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

One thing you don’t want to scrimp on are your hiking boots. These Garmont® 9.81 Track GTX may be what you are looking for in a trail runner or light hiking shoe.

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Survival Skills

compass, map and compass, stay found, land navigation

How to: Set a bearing with a magnetic compass

 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness
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A bearing, or sighting, on a compass determines the direction to an object, and/or helps a hiker identify his position in the backcountry. Here’s how to set one.

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Survival Gear

Genesis 6, LT Wright Knives

Best survival knife? L.T. Wright Genesis 6 proves itself on ‘Alone’

 600 310 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The L.T. Wright Genesis is one of my go-to bushcraft knives. So it took some convincing that it could be improved upon. If you’re looking for the ultimate bushcraft knife, the Genesis 6 is worth considering.

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Camp Cooking | Storage Food

One of the best things about chili is the variety of ingredients that can be used.

Try this favorite wild game chili recipe

 323 248 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Few dishes evoke the passion of chili, and you probably either love it, or don’t care for it at all. I love this recipe, and you will too!

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Emergency Shelter

Set up a new tent in your backyard before taking it camping.

10 things to consider before buying a tent

 600 311 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Thinking about investing in a new tent for camping season? Here are some things to consider.

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VIDEOS | TIPS & HOW TO's

cattails, poison iris, poison cattail look alike
Edible plants video: How to tell look-alike poison iris from cattails
 600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Every part of the cattail plant is edible. But don’t mistake a cattail for a toxic look-alike. Here is how to tell the difference.

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.

Video: MS River sets new flood longevity record
 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

The Mississippi has set a new record for flood longevity, eclipsing even the epoch, benchmark flood of 1927. Things are not looking good along the big river.

RECENTLY FEATURED POSTS

For Wilderness and Urban Safety: Attach a whistle to your child
 600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

You can only yell for help as long as your voice lasts. Here’s why you need to carry a whistle.

Crappie are a prolific panfish, widely distributed and fun to catch and eat! (ODFW photo)
Recipe: Crappie chowder, a tasty way to cook panfish with storage foods
 289 174 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

A great comfort food on a cold night, or in camp after a successful day of fishing is chowder. If you can use some of the catch to make dinner that night, that is an added bonus.

Leon Pantenburg writes a survival skills blog with tips and techniques to help average people survive an unexpected urban or wilderness emergency, using their 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.