Rocky Mountain Bushcraft

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Bushcraft Food Review: Yoder's Canned Bacon

When I first tried Yoder's Canned Bacon, I was honestly not expecting it to be very good. Canned bacon? How good could that taste?

To my surprise, it is VERY tasty. In fact, I had planned to eat a can of Yoder's Bacon over several days during a recent backcountry excursion, but after eating just a few pieces, I ended up scarfing the whole can down in one sitting! Embarrassing I know, but it was worth it!

Each Yoder's can consists of three packs of hardwood smoked, precooked bacon sealed inside a can.

The bacon slices are THIN, but having the ability to store bacon for years without it going bad definitely helps to make up for this.

Although Yoder's is a bit more expensive than buying fresh bacon, it will stay good for years, which makes it a great comfort food option for your prep kit, long term storage in a cabin, or inside your bushcraft pack. Add in the great taste and I think it is a homerun.

5 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended)

Yoder's Bacon is available from:

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft and the author of Edible & Medicinal Survival Plants of the Rocky Mountains Pocket Guides. 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 the spaces)

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Leatherman's Charge TTi Multi-Tool- Worthy Upgrade over the Charge AL?

Earlier this Fall, Leatherman sent me their Charge TTi Multi-Tool to try out. The TTi is basically an upgraded Leatherman Charge AL, which I reviewed back in April of 2012. It includes an upgraded S30V Stainless main blade, Titanium handle scales, a Cutting Hook, and a Crimper. The TTi's weight is nearly identical to the AL, coming in at 8.7 Ounces vs the Charge AL's 8.6 Ounces.

Features:

Quick-release Lanyard Ring
Removable Pocket Clip
100% 420 HC Stainless Steel construction w/S30V Steel Main Blade, 420 HC Serrated Blade
Titanium Handle Scales
All Locking Blades and Tools
Leather or Nylon Sheath
25-year Warranty
BIT KIT: Phillips #1-2 and Screwdriver 3/16", Screwdriver 1/8" and Torx #15, Hex 5/32" and 9/64", Hex 1/8" and 7/64", Hex 3/32" and 5/64", Hex 1/16" and .050", Square Drive #2 and #3, Phillips Eyeglass Screwdriver and Flat Tip

Measurements:

2.9 in | 7.37 cm (blade length)
4 in | 10 cm (closed)
8.7 oz | 235 g

Street Price: $169.95

Although I've only used the TTi a couple of months, my impression of it is excellent so far.

The TTi's S30V main blade holds an edge longer than the Charge AL's 154CM main blade without being any harder to sharpen. The Cutting Hook adds to the TTi's cutting versatility, and also doubles as a gut hook for skinning animals.

The Crimpers come in really handy for quick wiring jobs around the homestead or when working on a vehicle. The TTi's solid Titanium handle scales are a nice touch and give it a unique feel and appearance.

So is the Leatherman Charge TTi a worthy upgrade over the excellent Charge AL? So far, I'd have to say yes. Everything I loved about the Charge AL is there with the TTi, with the added bonus of upgraded steel, two useful new tools, and the cool factor of Titanium handle scales.

After I use the TTi some more, I will post my final verdict here.

Cheers,

Jason

For more info visit: http://www.leatherman.com/charge-tti-7.html

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft and the author of Edible & Medicinal Survival Plants of the Rocky Mountains Pocket Guides. Jason has 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)

Photo Post: Hammock Camping in the Utah Rockies circa 2013

The hike going up:

Overnight in a Hennessey Expedition Asym Hammock:

The next morning:

The hike back out to my vehicle:

Special thanks to my friend Mikhail Merkurieff at Emberlit Campstoves for tipping me off about this beautiful location!

Cheers,

Jason

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Just Arrived: New EDC goodies from CountyComm

Hey friends, I thought I'd share some cool new EDC gadgets that CountyComm sent me to try out. CountyComm is a government contractor that designs, manufactures and sells survival/EDC gadgets to our military as well as federal, state and local government agencies. They sell some of their excess inventory to the public through their website.

Here are some of the goodies I received....

Delrin® Ultimate EDC Capsule (Waterproof):

Mil-Spec Stainless Steel Container:

Mini Titanium Widgy Pry Bar and CountyComm's Government Model Stainless Tweezers on an A&P (Air Frame & Power Plant) Key Ring:

Maratac Titanium Peanut XL Lighter & Maratac "Split Pea" Titanium Lighter:

CountyComm gadgets with a Victorinox Farmer knife:

For more information, visit https://countycomm.com

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Gear Review: Kenai Chest Holster

As a gear reviewer and outdoors writer, I often spend time alone in remote areas of the Rockies. There is usually no phone reception, and even with a satellite phone, help is several hours away if I'm lucky. Survival really comes down to what I have on my person should an emergency happen.

Since there is little room for error, I always carry a variety of survival gear just in case. One thing I'm never without is a 10mm pistol. It functions both as a self defense tool and as an emergency signaling device.

I carried bear spray exclusively for a number of years, but after several high profile failures of bear spray, such as this one, and finding out that the famed "Bear Spray vs Bullets" study was based on flawed and biased data, I've reverted back to carrying a powerful pistol loaded with special bear protection ammunition.

When looking around for a holster for my pistol, I wanted one that I could use with a backpack that was both comfortable and lightweight.

The vast majority of quality chest holsters on the market, such as those made by Diamond D and Galco, are extremely well made but are crafted from leather. Leather is very comfortable, but it is heavier than synthetics and takes longer to dry out if it gets wet. Since I have to constantly hike up steep trails carrying lots of test gear, I look for every possible way to reduce pack weight.

After a bit of searching, I found an up-and-coming veteran-owned holster company out of Washington called Gunfighters Inc. Gunfighters makes a high quality synthetic chest holster designed for hikers, hunters and fisherman called the "Kenai Chest Holster," pictured in the main photo. The Kenai Chester Holster is available for a wide range of popular handguns.

Photo courtesy of Gunfighters Inc.

I have been using a Kenai Chest Holster since last summer, and it is absolutely fantastic. It is comfortable, durable, and very light weight. It holds my pistol securely during mountain adventures, and makes it very easy to draw out quickly. There are 3 adjustment points so you can adjust it for a wide range of body sizes as well as for different types of clothing (i.e. summer shirt vs winter coat, etc). The nylon webbing straps are hand sewn and coated with a waterproof agent.

The Kenai Holster has become one of my favorite pieces of gear and I never head into the mountains without it. At $150.00, the Kenai is not exactly cheap, but it is a hand-crafted, well designed product that's 100% made in the USA. Highly Recommended.

For more information or to purchase the Kenai Chest Holster, https://gunfightersinc.com/kenai-chest-holster/

About the author

SOG Force Survival Knife with Custom Convexed Edge/Mini Review

Back in 2013, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools sent me their "Force" Survival Knife and asked me to review it. Owing to the barrage of wildfires in my area of Colorado at that time and the ensuing chaos that followed, many of my reviews from that period got shelved, including the review of the SOG Force. The Force knife ended up gathering dust in storage for over a year before I was finally able to dig it out and spend some time in the bush testing it. So how did it do? Read on below to find out more.....

The Force Knife

I love the Force's simple but useful blade shape, excellent splitting ability, roomy handle and nearly indestructible construction. However, its edge profile is a different story. It is profiled more for strength in a survival situation than for pure wood carving ability, which left it a bit wanting while performing bushcraft tasks.

Don't get me wrong, the Force's factory edge, in actuality, cuts things just fine, but I wanted to see if I could improve on it for bushcraft purposes while still having a strong edge. Enter the Work Sharp......

I decided to break out my Work Sharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener to see if I could improve on the edge by reprofiling it into a convex.

The result? A total transformation. The Work Sharp did a fantastic job reprofiling the edge, and all of a sudden, the knife was carving wood like a champ.

After re-profiling the edge, I took the SOG Force with me on several more field trips. The combination of its sturdy, 1/4" wide blade and new convex cutting edge made the knife great for a variety of woods tasks such as prying the bark off of dead trees for making tinder, baton splitting logs, creating feathersticks, and chopping small poles to make shelters.

Cheers,

Jason

For more information visit:

www.sogknives.com/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/18/s/force/

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft and the author of Edible & Medicinal Survival Plants of the Rocky Mountains Pocket Guides. 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)