My winter survival "knife"

Shot Show 2016: Buck Knives Folding Selkirk Survival Knife and Sheath

New for 2016, Buck is releasing a folding version of their new Selkirk Survival Knife.

Live photo from Shot Show 2016:

SHOT Show 2016: Hoppe's new Gun Medic Cleaner & Lube

Got to see this stuff in action at Media Day at the Range. Savage Arms had a semi-automatic rimfire test rifle that began to malfunction after being shot thousands of times plus having dust and sand from the Nevada desert get into its internals due to high wind conditions. A few squirts of this stuff brought the gun back to 100% reliability without having to break it down. I was impressed. Might be a good tool to store in your off-the-grid cabin for quick fix emergencies.

Information from Hoppes:

Hoppe’s, the best-known name in gun care products, releases a new state-of-the-art formula called Gun Medic to help shooters of all disciplines clean and lubricate dirty firearms. Developed for quick use when a deep clean isn’t in the cards, Hoppe’s Gun Medic Cleaner & Lube is a fast-acting, all-in-one product that will clean and lubricate a firearm in one application to quickly get the gun back in action. It’s like having a first aid kit for dirty firearms, eliminating malfunctions caused by buildup of dirt and grime.

When seconds count, Gun Medic products will clean and lubricate a dirty firearm quickly and effortlessly to provide unrivaled performance. The revolutionary formula combines a bio-based lubricant developed for jet turbines with an amazing cleaning agent that scrubs away powder residue and then evaporates in 60 seconds, leaving only the thin coat of the high-performance lube. The lubricant tolerance is an astounding -65°F to 500°F. This cleaner and lubricant combination is loaded into a new high-pressure bottle to blast out dirt and crud. It comes in 4-ounce and 10-ounce sizes.

For more information visit www.hoppes.com/gun-doctor/gun-medic-lube

Check out Range365.com's SHOT Show video- http://www.range365.com/shot-show-video-gun-medic

SHOT Show 2016: Buck Knives new "Kinetic" Wilderness Survival Spear

(Photo credit: Jason Schwartz/Rocky Mountain Bushcraft ©2016)

(Description from Buck Knives)

Introducing Buck Knives’ first set of spears! As a leader in sports cutlery, it only makes sense that we provide one of the most basic and primitive hunting and survival tools known to man, but we offer them with our 100 plus years expertise on edged tools. The Kinetic Spear Series contains three spears that can easily be lashed onto the haft. The Hunting Spear, two tine Gig Spear and the four tine Fishing Spear are each made from 420HC stain- less steel. The Fishing Spear is designed to break down for easy transport and carry. Each spear includes polypropylene covers for safe carry and transport.

FEATURES • Chisel edge to remove bark from the haft (haft not included) • Multi-configuration paracord attachment system included • Fishing Spear can be taken apart for easy and flat transport • Spear tang is slightly sharpened to secure into spear poles • Lashing points included in the design of each spear • Multi-configuration heavy duty polypropylene tip covers • Sold individually • Advanced Edge2x™ Technology • Made in the USA • Forever Warranty

Overall Length: • 071: 9 1/8" (23.1 cm) • 072: 9 1/2" (24.1 cm) • 074: 9" (22.8 cm)

Weight: • 071: 5.8 oz. (165 g) • 072: 6 oz. (170 g) • 073: 12.6 oz. (357 g)

For more information, visit www.buckknives.com/product/kinetic-fishing-spear/0074SSS-B/

(Photo credit: Jason Schwartz/Rocky Mountain Bushcraft ©2016)

(Photo credit: Jason Schwartz/Rocky Mountain Bushcraft ©2016)

SHOT Show 2016: Mora's new full tang Garberg Knife

(Screenshot courtesy of Wilderness Outfitters)

For Mora fans who've been waiting for years for a full tang version of one their popular bush knives to be released, the wait is finally over! Meet the Mora "Garberg," Mora's new full tang bushcraft knife.

The Garberg features a Mora Black Carbon-style blade with upgraded 14C28N Sandvik Stainless and a redesigned, ultra-tough synthetic Delrin handle, complete with a Fallkniven-esque style exposed pommel. The Garberg's sheath is constructed of 100% leather. Stay tuned for live SHOT Show photos as well as updated information, which will be posted here as well as on the RMB Facebook Page!

PRESS RELEASE FROM INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:

Seattle, WA – January 19, 2015 - Morakniv®, Swedish maker of knives that uses a unique heating treatment for the steel that increases durability, is proud to introduce the Garberg, a long-awaited full-tang knife from their outdoor series. The scandi grinded Garberg is heavy duty, packed with thoughtful details and ready for the next mission.

“After much research and development, Morakniv has released the knife that Mora fans have been begging for,” said Graeme Esarey, President of Industrial Revolution. “The full-tang Garberg is packed with useful details, even more rugged construction, and yet maintains the essence of a true Mora. It’s an amazing knife.”

The Blade & Spine
The 3.2 mm thick and 4.25" (108 mm) long blade fills the length of the entire handle and has a pommel at the rear. Made of high-quality Swedish stainless steel with a semi-matte finish and a spine that is ground to make the edge perfect for use with a fire starter, this blade will be appreciated among outdoor enthusiasts.

The Handle
Morakniv employed a symmetrical, extra-rugged and nearly unbreakable polyamide handle that is extremely stress resistant and allows flexible use of the knife. The rhombus pattern on the barrel of the knife is strongly related to the heritage of Morakniv and results in a significantly improved grip. For those who use lanyards or attach other gadgets to the knife, there is a hole in the rear part of the handle.

The Sheath
The sheath, made of thick black leather, has a sturdy and generous cover. The sheath design has multiple functions including knife security plus quick and easy access when in a serious survival situation. At the back of the sheath is a sturdy belt loop made of the same high-quality leather as the rest of the sheath.

Morakniv’s full-tang Garberg knife will be on display at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV on January 19-22 at the Industrial Revolution booth. The knife is due to hit retail shelves this spring. MSRP: $99 with multi sheath, $109 with leather sheath.

SHOT Show 2016 photos!

(click any photo to enlarge)

 

The Mora Garberg (top) compared to the Mora 2000 (bottom). Note the handle similarities. 

A synthetic sheath with multiple attachment options will also be available for the Garberg:

February 4th, 2016 UPDATE on Mora Garberg!

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for the The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

RMB UPDATE!: Edible and Medicinal Survival Plants of the Rocky Mountains

Hey friends!

It's now official. My "secret" outside project is finally finished. Due to a non-disclosure agreement, I had to keep this under wraps until it was completed. Last April, I was lucky enough to be signed to Waterford Press, the largest seller of outdoor pocket guides in North America. Waterford has previously produced guides for Jeff Corwin, Dave Canterbury and National Geographic, so it is indeed a huge honor to be working with them. The guides are finally finished, and are slated to be released come April!

My philosophy for creating these was simple -- provide a set of handy, yet realistic reference guides that will help hikers and backpackers lost in the Rocky Mountains forage for food, or treat injuries and ailments using wild plants and trees.

The plants were selected because they are widespread, easy to identify, and cover a wide range of seasons, environments, and life zones (Plains to Alpine Zones, etc).

Understanding that most survival situations are short term (usually 3-7 days), I wrote these with the philosophy that even though most wild edibles provide only limited calories, what they provide, most importantly, is a sense of hope when all hope seems lost. As many of you know, the psychological game is the most important factor in a survival situation. Possessing the knowledge to forage or to treat injuries would be an excellent morale booster in such a situation. These plants can also provide a small but critical energy boost if you need to crest a ridge in order to signal a helicopter or flag down a search and rescue team, for instance.

Aside from using the guides for survival purposes, they are great to take along if you want to learn to identify edible and medicinal plants. The guides are also helpful for practicing bushcraft or for emergency preparedness (I added little tidbits of information to many of the plant descriptions on how to use them for these purposes).

(click to enlarge)

If you would like to order a copy, the guides are $7.95 a piece, and are scheduled to ship in April (EDIT- Guides are available now!). I am taking pre-orders right now through our Paypal account, which accepts Debit and Credit Cards, Paypal, and eChecks. Shipping within the US is a flat $3.95 for up to four guides, and $5.95 for shipping to Canada.

To buy the Edibles guide click HERE, to buy the Medicinals guide click HERE. 

If you're outside the US or Canada and you'd like to order, or would like to order a larger number of guides and need a shipping quote, email me at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without the spaces) for more details.

Thanks again to Waterford Press for making this happen, and to our readers, who've stuck by us over the past four years.

Cheers!

Jason

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Winter Outdoor Retailer 2016: MSR's innovative new water purifier- The "Guardian"

Made in the USA, Treats up to 2,642+ Gallons, Self Cleaning, pumps up to 2.5 Liters (0.66 Gallons) per minute, Mil-Spec construction, Full-Viral Protection, Withstands Freezing and Drop Testing. 

RMB Note: The Guardian looks to be a real step up in water purifying technology. Features like self cleaning, freeze resistance, and the amount of water than can be pumped before the filter must be changed are significant improvements over previous models. Might have to add this cool new purifier to our summer gear review list! 

-Jason

(Photo credit: MSR)

For more information, visit: www.guardianpurifier.com/?utm_source=MSR+Jan+08+2016+Guardian+Hype&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=34826293&utm_term=1518222433&utm_content=Sunday%2C+January+10%2C+2016

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

New for 2016: Spyderco teams up with Ray Mears to create "WolfSpyder" folder

A new Spyderco folder slated for release this year is most certainly going to grab the attention of the bushcraft community. The "WolfSpyder," a CMP-S30V, scandi-grind folding knife designed by Ray Mears himself, is one of Spyderco's most interesting releases in years. Here is a short description from their 2016 catalog:

"Designed by Ray Mears, founder of the Woodlore School of Wilderness Bushcraft, the Spyderco WolfSpyder was made to be compact and light enough to carry every day but strong and comfortable enough to tackle the woods. The scandi-ground s30v blade should perform well at woodworking tasks, and Spyderco’s proprietary compression lock ensure that the blade will hold tough. Also, the blade will be manufactured in Spyderco’s Golden, CO facility."

Another feature of the WolfSpyder that should tickle the fancy of longtime RMB readers is that it will be made right here in the Good Ol' USA, in RMB's home state of Colorado (Golden, to be specific).

I will be attending SHOT Show 2016 in a couple of weeks, and should be able to get more information such as pricing and a release date, as well as in-person photos, so keep checking back for updates, which I will post here!

The SPECS:

Designer: Ray Mears

Steel: CPM-S30V

Blade Length: 3.00"

Blade Style: Drop Point

Lock Type: Compression Lock

Opening Mechanisms: SpyderHole

Handle Material: G-10

Handle Color: Green

Pocket Clip: Tip-Up

Handedness: Right Handed

Blade Grind: Scandi

Edge Type: Plain

Weight: 2.7 oz.

Country of Origin: Golden, Colorado USA

For more information visit: http://blog.raymears.com/2016/01/14/woodlore-and-ray-mears-unveil-the-spyderco-wolfspyder-knife/

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

New for 2016: Savage Arms releases Model 42 Takedown 410/.22 Combo Bush Gun

Back in 2012, Savage Arms released their Model 42 410/.22 Combo Gun, which was meant as a replacement for their highly popular but discontinued Model 24 Combo Gun. The Model 24, which featured either a 410 or 20 Gauge shotgun barrel mated to a .22LR or .22 Magnum Rimfire Barrel, was a woodsman's dream, able to take stationary small game at distance, as well as birds on the wing or a rabbit hightailing it away at full speed.

Fans were excited when Savage introduced the Model 42 since it is essentially a modern, synthetic-stock version of the Model 24. Although well received initially, the Model 42's biggest criticism was that it did not break down and fit into a backpack like the original Model 24.

Well, that is about to change! Savage is releasing a new takedown version of the Model 42, complete with an Uncle Mike's Go Bag for discreet carry into the backcountry.

Here is the description of the new gun, graciously sent to us by Savage ahead of the gun's release:

"Way more than just a novelty, the new Model 42 Takedown, shotgun-rifle combo gun is a must-have, survival, truck, camping and more gun! The firearm breaks down with a simple push of one button and includes an Uncle Mike’s Go Bag so you can easily transport it anywhere. The Model 42 Takedown is an easy to use break-open combo gun that fires rimfire rounds from the top barrel and .410 bore shotgun shells from the bottom.

(click to enlarge)

  

The Model 42's length-of-pull is short enough and its recoil is light enough that it makes a perfect starter gun for young shooters. The barrels are matte black to prevent glare and the sleek synthetic stock is weatherproof. The 42 is available in .22 LR over .410 or 22 WMR over .410. The Go Bag features, MOLLE loops for attaching it to other gear or attaching more gear to it, a robust carry strap, as well as several pockets for ammo and gear."   

I will be live-fire testing this gun at SHOT Show's Media Day at the Range in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for more updates!

UPDATE- Got a chance to fire this gun at Shot Show Range Day. Here are some photos:

(Photo credits: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2016 All Rights Reserved)

I only got to shoot it at 15-20 yards, but my first impression was good. It breaks down easy, seemed accurate for the distance I was shooting, and has a really nice trigger pull. We will be getting one of the first test samples, so stay tuned for a full review as summer approaches!

For more information, visit www.savagearms.com

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)