camping

The MSR Pocket Rocket | Your little camp dragon

Everyone has their preference when it comes to camp cooking. Some are completely kosher with an MRE; freeze dried food or some sort of protein and granola bars. Others take solace in the process of making a good, warm meal on the trail, out in the wild enjoying Mother Nature. There’s something to be said about hiking 12 miles a day and sitting down with your boots off while cooking some fajitas in your camp kitchen kit. Luckily there is someone to help you with that fine meal at the end of a long trek; the MSR Pocket Rocket.

This past week I spent 5 days out in the gorgeous Arizona desert overlooking Roosevelt lake with 3 of my very best friends from the Army. During the day we were off-roading in my buddies jeep till sunset so there was very little time in the morning to cook a proper breakfast. Well I’m not the one to skip breakfast out in the field, so out came the MSR Pocket Rocket and my stove-top kit from Winterial.

Preparing for these types of meals before you head out to the field is crucial to making your life easier. For breakfast I dice up some raw bacon or breakfast sausage with some potatoes, onions, peppers and keep them in a sandwich bag for each day. This way you can just dump the contents inside the small skillet and sauté away. Turning on the MSR Pocket Rocket reminded me of a fighter jets after burners being engaged at an air show. The burner puts out some serious heat that nearly causes you to worry that you’ll melt the pot over the burner. The new addition of the push-start Piezo Igniter worked the first time and every time thereafter. Flawless operating gives you the peace of mind when out in the field and builds the confidence you need in your gear.

MSR boasts’ that the Pocket Rocket can boil 1 liter of water in 3.3 minutes, and they’re not wrong. I think if you have a Titanium cook set it works faster due to the thinner alloy allowing the water to heat drastically faster. Regardless, I was incredibly impressed with how easy making French Press coffee became in the morning. Coming in at just 2.9oz, you can easily stuff this in a pocket or hang it off a belt loop and you would never notice the weight. It’s actually quite impressive to see the immense abilities of this petite device. Crazy to think that 20 years ago Coleman was making the massive propane burners with far less heat capabilities and minimal thought to packability.

Nordic Pocket Saw: The bigger they are, The harder they fall

As an avid outdoorsman, it’s very rare that I find myself unprepared when I venture out into the wilderness. I always make sure to take the essentials, be it a medical kit, proper clothing, or fire starting materials. After using the Nordic Pocket Saw, I came to recognize one area in which I’ve been unprepared. By using a cheap, low-quality pocket saw, I was severely hampering my ability to create shelter.

The Nordic Pocket Saw, in my own opinion, is worthy of praise for several reasons. First, it’s designed by the Swedes. I’m almost certain that over half of that country is made up of dense forest surrounded by some of the world’s harshest arctic conditions. Second, the chains are phenomenal compared to any competition that I’ve personally used. I have owned no less than five different pocket saws, all of which have failed, one of them catastrophically DURING use. When it comes to pocket saws, I have quite a bit of experience and I know what works and what doesn’t. If I had to choose only one for an extended venture into no man’s land, I’d choose the Nordic Pocket Saw.

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One thing worth noting is the quality of the chains on the Nordic Pocket Saw. Any tool that you use is going to require maintenance, no matter what. The problem with the cheap competitors is that the low-quality material makes it extremely difficult to maintain. I’ve had a couple pocket saws whose teeth broke off during sharpening. I can’t stress enough how dangerous this would be if you were relying on them to help you build a shelter or source firewood. The cheap steel simply broke off on the competition, but I’ve barely reached the point that I need to sharpen the teeth on the Nordic Pocket Saw.

When you do get around to sharpening, however, you must use a 4mm round file. This is the perfect size to maintain the sharpness, which will allow you to keep a consistent speed in the wood, making it more efficient. Another small part of the maintenance is to use a lubricating oil on the hinges to keep them from seizing up or rusting. Again, the material in the Nordic Pocket Saw is high-quality, which means you can sacrifice a little bit of maintenance time for more important things like food or rest if you had to.

With my saw, I was able to tackle some fairly large trees with very little trouble at all. In fact, the only reason I really broke a sweat was that I haven’t kept a normal running routine! This saw can take a lot of abuse since it’s made of heat treated high carbon steel. The handles are made of Cordura nylon fabric and are attached to the chain with a triangular steel connector that is very sturdy. There are two teeth to every chain, both of them in opposite directions so you can make cuts going back and forth.

In my first go with the Nordic Pocket Saw, I downed a 4-inch diameter tree in about 20 seconds going at a slow pace. Speeding it up, I was able to drop an 11-inch diameter mammoth in about a minute and a half. The blaze orange handles and carrying case are a great addition to the quality of this product. If I were to drop the saw, I’d never have to worry about losing it in a pile of leaves, while the carrying case does a great job at securing it to my belt. All in all, the Nordic Pocket Saw provides an amazing value at an affordable price.

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Author – Rodney Pointer is a former Army Infantryman. After graduating from Airborne School, he was ruthlessly assigned to Fort Polk, Louisiana to live out his days as a dirty leg. He served with the 2nd BN, 30th Infantry of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. Following his deployment to Afghanistan, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Intelligence Operations. He currently works as a nuclear security contractor.

How to determine how long you have before the sun sets

Many skills when it comes to the outdoors are perishable. If you don’t practice those skills or use them regularly, you’ll lose your edge and that could cost your life depending on the situation. One of those simple skills is knowing how much daylight you have left before the sun sets. Nowadays we have technology to assist us with this. My Garmin Fenix 5 watch displays on the dial what time the sun sets each day. Pretty easy to just look down at my watch to see how much time I have left. But what if the battery dies midday?

Fortunately, there is an easy way to determine remaining daylight left with just your hands. This is a skill I picked up in the military and I still practice it from time to time and comparing that with my Garmin watch. Below is an easy to understand picture of how to measure remaining daylight with your hands. Check it out!

Why is this important?

Well if you’re out for just a simple day hike this could come in handy so that you can ensure you have enough time to get back to your vehicle, so you’re not navigating back in the dark. That could present a whole other set of issues. If you’re not prepared for an unexpected night out, then you better know how much time you have before it gets dark.

If you’re backpacking or camping then knowing this will allow you to make sure you have ample time to prep for the evening. This could be tasks such as setting up tents and hammocks or gathering supplies to get your fire going and keep it going into the night. Waiting until dusk to start these tasks will only compound the difficulty and increase your stress level. The time spent outdoors is meant to be enjoyable.

*Featured photo courtesy of Pixabay

Summer is almost here! Pick a Hammock for your next Adventure

When out in the backcountry, the hammock is one piece of gear I hear mentioned all the time while discussing ‘what’s new’ or I’m involved in a ‘is it worth it’ type of gear discussion. It generally starts with a backpacking trip and someone sets up their hammock. In a group, you will inevitably hear, “Man, I knew I should have brought mine” or “I’ve been wanting to get a hammock for a while now.”

Hammocks can be a great alternative to a tent, especially in the summertime. Although, it doesn’t need to be summer to enjoy the luxuries of a hammock. There are plenty of ultralight minimalists that use a hammock throughout the year. With a warm rated sleeping bag and the right accessories/weather barriers, you can use a hammock just about anywhere there is a place to set one up. If you live in an area with minimal trees, rock outcroppings work great and you just have to be a little more strategic with your location. If you live in the arctic tundra, well, you may be out of luck.

Things to consider when buying a hammock:

Is this to save weight?
Am I trying to sleep more comfortably?
Will I be using this year round or just during warmer weather?
Have I borrowed one and slept in it for a couple of nights before making the purchase? This is more important for the people who are purchasing a hammock because they think it will help them sleep better. For many, they will, but it’s better to be sure before you spend the money.

We had the chance to lounge around in some hammocks and get the down-low a few of our favorite models while at Summer Outdoor Retailer. Resident dirtbag Leo has a variety of models with him on his travels from Alaska to Argentina. We’ll have some full reviews of these items in the near future. Until then, check out videos below on each of our favorite models from the show.

There is a design for every type of hammock lounger or sleeper and any of these models will make a great gift for the holidays or for a birthday.

Lawson Hammocks – The Hammock that’s a tent. This is the hammock you want if you’re looking to completely replace your tent or want something with that is reasonably light, gives full weather coverage, and adds versatility. They are a small company that puts a ton of effort into their product. Get it here.

Kammok – Durability, strength, and accessories galore. Kammok has a crazy amount of variety and includes sleeping bags and tarps that integrate with their hammocks. From ultralight to comfort lounger, they produce the most variety we’ve seen. Get your Kammok hammock here.

Grand Trunk – The camouflage hammock (released later this fall). They’re switching all of their hammocks over to a double version. Why? Because who doesn’t want more room when they sleep? The Kryptec model is perfect for the soldier or hunter who is running solo and ultralight in a forested environment. Get your Grand Trunk gear here.

If you have experience with any of these brands or have a favorite model, please, tell us about it in the comments below, on Facebook, or through the Comms Check.

How to Survive Anything: Be prepared for an inbound hurricane

Hurricane season on the Atlantic coast usually runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. So far this season, we’ve been fortunate to only see on full scale hurricane and a hand full of tropical storms meander their way toward shore. However, as history has shown, it only takes one serious storm to cripple an entire region of the nation.

If you find yourself in a hurricane’s path, there are a few things you can do around the house to help minimize your risks while you wait out the storm, as well as to help better position you for success once the storm is over… But remember, the best thing you can do to prepare for a hurricane is to get clear of the storm well before it makes landfall.

Stock up on non-perishable foods well ahead of time
Cover windows with plywood (use wood screws, not nails)
Store loose gear indoors or tie it down
Survey your property for trees or tree limbs that look like they could come down. If possible, deal with them ahead of time. If not, avoid rooms in the house near those threats.
Make sure you know how to turn off the gas, electricity, and water in your home.
Put together some water storage
Shelter in an interior room, away from any windows.

The Brush Demon Machete: Eat the Jungle

Florida often invokes a specific image, Disney Land, beaches, sun and fun style living. Which is all true, but doesn’t represent the entirety of Florida, just the places people want to go. Not many people want to cruise over to Northwest Florida, the land of sun, mosquitoes, and what feels like a tropical rainforest at times. NW Florida is a jungle, but in its lushness is the easy access to fishing, hunting, camping, and an outdoors style life. Like all jungles it’s exploration requires tools, and machetes are a common must have. The folks at Outdoor Edge were nice enough to send me a Brush Demon machete to help continue my adventures. (And maintain my yard)

I live smack dab in the middle of nowhere in a clearing surrounded by woods on all sides and I love it. That being said I have plenty of work to keep up with to constantly push nature backward. Before we dive into the slicing and dicing lets look at what the Brush Demon is.

Brush Demon Specs

The Brush Demon is a compact machete with a blade that curves slightly forward. Its blade is 13.5 inches long and the overall length is 20 inches and it weighs 1.1 pounds. As you can see it’s compact and light. The blade is made from 65 Mn carbon spring-steel and it has a black powder coat for rust resistance. Carbon steel does like to rust and living a mile from the ocean it will rust, but the powder coat will help.

The Brush Demon had a nice Zytel handle with what they call a skin molded TPR. TPR, of course, being Thermoplastic rubber. The Brush Demon comes with a nylon sheath that’s quite nice and can be worn low or high. MSRP is 69.95.

Hitting the Brush

The Brush Demon is an incredibly sharp machete. Right out of the box it’s a serious tool. Your blow can be slow and with little force and it won’t have much issue slicing and dicing through the brush. This includes sapling oaks, palmettos, vines of all types and more. Little force is required to make good cuts and because of this, you have to exert less effort.

The forward curve to the tip of the Brush Demon is almost kukri like in design, but the curve isn’t so extreme. This forward curve does make chopping easier and the blade overall more effective. This thing chews through foliage. I cleared a little area of thick palmettos, saplings, and more in just a few minutes and was blown away and barely felt like I was doing anything. My exertion levels were low and my heart rate hadn’t jumped according to my Fit Bit.

The handle and its skin molded design does feel odd when you first pick it up. It’s oddly soft but in use, it’s comfortable and absorbs shock well. It’s a little thin, but this didn’t cause issues. Throughout a day of chopping, slicing, and destroying I felt some hot spots, but never developed blisters. My hands also never felt too fatigued or cramped. The ledges on the front and rear of the grip also keep your hand from sliding while chopping and cutting. You don’t have to grip it like your life is depending on it.

The Brush Demon is superbly light so fatigue is reduced just in general use. The machete glides through the air, and through everything in front of it.

And Furthermore

The blade is a little front heavy, but its a freakin machete, do they come any other way? The geometry of the blade does lend itself to the wrist snap technique for cutting. As someone who grew using a machete for everything from sod to brush the proper way to cut is with your whole arm, leading with the elbow and flicking your wrist up or down depending on the material.

The Brush Demon is an oddly designed machete sure, but its still an effective and handy machete. The heavy part at the apex of the belly is a sweet spot for chopping thicker materials and hitting them at the right angle will chop right through them.

Since exertion is minimized safety is maximized. When you get tired with a machete you get sloppy and when you get sloppy you get hurt. The Brush Demon’s design is well suited for both beginners and experienced macheticians. (Yes I made that word up.)

Design influence

The Brush Demon was designed by Jerry Hossom who makes several blades inspired by the Greek Kopis and you can see a lot of the kopis design in the Brush Demon, down to the ledges on the handle. It also has a hellacious point, which is uncommon on machetes. This blade can be used for stabbing, be it a pesky predator who’s put you on the menu, or a piece of scum looking for a score of course my new 80% 1911 is abetter choice.

There is a defensive edge to every machete, but the Brush Demon takes it a step beyond. The ability to stab and penetrate is simply another function of an already handy tool. My only real complaint is I wish the blade was a bit longer. As a tall guy, I’m bending over pretty far to hit brush on the ground. An 18-inch model would be blissful to my 6’5” frame.