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FEATURED POSTS

Review: Bark River 8-inch Mountain Man knife -The Ultimate EDC knife?

246 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Trade knives sold during the Western fur trade of the early 1800s were user, working tools designed to sell. This mountain man design became a standard. Combined with modern materials, this knife may work for you in your kitchen, camp or outdoor adventure.

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Cutlery Reviews

bark river knives, sportsman, best survival knife, best fillet knife

Is this the best fillet knife? We review the Bark River Kalahari Sportsman

600 308 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

A quality fillet knife is one of the most useful outdoor tools imaginable. We wring out Bark River’s Sportsman.

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Hunt|Fish|Camp

What makes a good hunting rifle? Here are 10 tips to help make your best choice

533 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Every hunter probably has an opinion on what makes the best hunting rifle. This discussion should take place around a campfire! In the “for what it’s worth” category, here are ten things I look for in a hunting rifle.

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Making Fire

brick rocket stove, cast iron cooking

Brick rocket stoves could help slow Mali deforestation

326 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

In Mali, wood-fueled campfires may be the only way some people have to cook and boil water. Rural residents frequently use small trees that have been replanted in the devastated areas. Here is another option.

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Emergency Shelter

A 55-gallon trash bag can make a quick, effective emergency shelter.

Video: Make a trash bag shelter part of your survival kit

448 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

No piece of survival equipment is worth anything if you don’t have it with you! A trash bag shelter is compact, lightweight and convenient to carry. Consider including one in your survival kit!

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Survival Gear

Patriot cooler and tumbler

Patriot cooler review | Do you need a super cooler survival tool?

600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Coolers are great for camping, football tailgate parties and for keeping the beer cold. But, really, do you need an expensive super cooler that keeps ice for days? You might be surprised.

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Survival Skills

fix Coleman lanterns, repair Coleman gasoline lanterns

Tips for buying a used Coleman gasoline lantern

600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

A good way to acquire a reliable lighting source and save money is to look for used gas lanterns at thrift stores and garage sales. Here are some things to check the lanterns for.

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VIDEOS | TIPS & HOW TO's

choose best knife handle, how to choose a hunting knife, best survival knife
Handle design video | Most important part of choosing a survival/bushcraft knife?
600 300 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

One of the first decisions when buying a knife should be how well the handle fits your hand. Here is how to find a knife handle that best fits your needs.

Video: How to make an emergency A-frame tarp shelter
600 400 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

It is virtually impossible to make an emergency waterproof shelter out of natural materials, even if you have the time, tools and practice! In many instances, the A-Frame tarp shelter may be the best choice!

This stack of garage sale cast iron skillets can be restored to usefulness with a little work.
Video: How to season cast iron cooking implements on a barbecue grill
300 214 Survival Common Sense Blog | Emergency Preparedness

Cast iron cookware will last forever if you take care of it. But what happens if an implement is neglected and develops some rust? Or what about that crusty, dirty relic of an unsuccessful camping trip you find at a garage sale?

Leon Pantenburg writes a survival skills blog with tips and techniques to help typical folks 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.