I finally made a new video, a comparison of three knives, the Spyderco Yojimbo 2, Cold Steel Mini Recon 1 tanto, and Kershaw Needs Work.
I'll add some more write up...eventually :)
Showing posts with label Gear review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gear review. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Eberlestock backpacks
I'll be doing some more detailed reviews of some eberlestock backpacks - eventually - but wanted to just drop a little line here to say how much I truly love them.
I talked a little about the F3 Halftrack in a previous post, and still consider it a great pack. I picked up the Gunslinger II after and have nothing really negative to say about it, enjoyed it a lot and the scabbard was super handy. I also bought the incredible expensive V90 Battleship in anticipation for an upcoming 1-2 week survival training course, I couldn't take another excursion with my old MEC pack. Sadly, I had to cancel the trip after we moved and haven't used it since, I think I may end up selling it. I don't want to, I spent a ridiculous amount of money for it and I love it but....we will see. I wish I had got the waterproof fleece version now that I have moved to such a wet area.
My EDC-to-work bag has now changed. I moved from the halftrack to the gunslinger II to (briefly) the X1A1 and now have settled on the Blue Widow.
All are great packs and the Blue Widow review and a discussion on work/BOB will be coming as soon as I have time to write it :)
I talked a little about the F3 Halftrack in a previous post, and still consider it a great pack. I picked up the Gunslinger II after and have nothing really negative to say about it, enjoyed it a lot and the scabbard was super handy. I also bought the incredible expensive V90 Battleship in anticipation for an upcoming 1-2 week survival training course, I couldn't take another excursion with my old MEC pack. Sadly, I had to cancel the trip after we moved and haven't used it since, I think I may end up selling it. I don't want to, I spent a ridiculous amount of money for it and I love it but....we will see. I wish I had got the waterproof fleece version now that I have moved to such a wet area.
My EDC-to-work bag has now changed. I moved from the halftrack to the gunslinger II to (briefly) the X1A1 and now have settled on the Blue Widow.
All are great packs and the Blue Widow review and a discussion on work/BOB will be coming as soon as I have time to write it :)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Hideaway Knife (HAK) Review
I talked in the past about my favorite small fixed blade knife, the Boker Fred Perrin Neck Bowie. It's a fantastic small knife, wickedly sharp, lightweight and very practical EDC (with a few mods). Overall, I still like it a lot but it has been replaced in my heart - and around my neck. My new, true EDC is the HAK or Hideaway Knife .
Before I go into detail on the HAK I'm going to talk a little about what I consider an EDC knife and why I said "true EDC." For those that aren't familiar with "prepper" or "survivalist" terms, EDC means Every Day Carry. To most people, these are the items that you obviously carry every day - they are your normal kit, you put them on when you get up in the morning and they remain with you throughout the day, wherever you go. Anything from a cell phone to a Glock. Generally this only refers to your time outside the home, you wouldn't carry EDC items in your PJs for example.
This means that we are all going to have a different EDC based on a variety of different factors such as:
- weight we are willing to carry
- job we work at
- clothing we wear
- different legal options
- different needs
The problem is that many of us may call our little package of goodies "EDC" but it's pretty tough to carry them every day, in all public settings. It should be more like MDC, Most Days Carry. Or BDC, Business Day Carry, and WEC, Weekend Carry. For those that carry tools such as knives and firearms, the differences can be dramatic.
I am unable to carry a handgun where I live but I do carry one or more knives every day, everywhere I go except for air travel. My main knife for the last 20 years, my EDC, has been a folding pocket clip knife. Prior to that it was either a small scaling or skinning knife on my belt or folding knife loose in my pocket. The actual knife has probably changed more than 50 times (currently back to the Blackhawk Hornet II) but a pocket knife has been a constant. Pocket clip knives are a fantastic innovation, they have been a real game changer for knife carry. They do have a few drawbacks though such as clips losing retention over time (especially the very old plastic-version ones), clips getting caught on things, the knives being more obvious than some people prefer, can be difficult to deploy, etc. One of the main negatives is that a folding knife is more likely to fail than a fixed blade knife. New types of locking mechanisms and handle materials have reduced the risk but it can never be eliminated. This concern and an effort to integrate either an emergency bushcraft-capable knife or a stronger utility blade into my EDC led me to experiment with a lot of small fixed blade knives such as the Fallkniven F1, the Cold Steel Kobun, the CRKT ABC operator knife, Mora 511 and more than a dozen others. In the end, I've pretty much given up. The knives are just too uncomfortable for me to wear all the time sitting down.
The Perrin Neck Bowie made me interested in neck knives as an alternative. I had written them off in the past because they are generally crap and also uncomfortable, but the Perrin knife is pretty amazing - very light, very sharp, and very useful. I'll let you read my review for the rest. The best thing about the neck knife is that it really is a "true" EDC. As long as you have a neck (hehe) you can carry it, no matter what clothing you are wearing or what setting you are in.
What I have started to notice is that it was printing on my short more than I liked. Initially I seemed to be able to adjust it to minimize the print but in the end, it wasn't quite working for me. This and one other feature (get to that in a minute) caused me to look again at a knife I've owned for a while: the HAK or Hideaway Knife, the "straight" utility model:
Note: That's a quarter and a loonie (Canadian $1 coin) in the pictures.
I first heard of these knives after reading a Marcus Wynne* novel. The characters used them extensively so I looked them up. They were interesting....but expensive. The website seemed a little odd too, not a traditional ordering method. I wasn't sure what I though of the knives and they were out of my price range for a "try it out model" - the cheapest was around $150 USD and since they are a custom fit, would be tough to sell if I didn't like it.
Maybe a year or so after that, I checked the site again and saw they had some new, cheaper versions available. They were made from lesser steels which were more than adequate for me and I really wanted to try one out. I bought this Tiger Striped version (I'd rather have a plain color) because it was $80 or so. You need to measure around your index and middle fingers and submit that measurement.
I received the knife in good time - once I figured out how to pay! :)
Product seems well made, I like the cord wrap. Was a good fit (measure very carefully). However, I didn't like it at the time. The sheath has some rattle to it with the knife in it, it sticks into the capsule area a little which makes it a little more awkward to draw and I just couldn't seem to find a comfortable carry location. I'd actually purchased it with the idea of belt carry, I had bought the double-j belt attachment. Unfortunately, with my rather chubby stomach, it was neither comfortable nor unobtrusive and I wasn't thinking neck carry back then. I threw the knife in my crap-to-sell-someday box and mostly forgot about it.
My new love for neck knives and my slight dissatisfaction with my perrin knife made me give it another look. The other feature (see, I did get to it....eventually) is that blade shape, the reverse tanto or wharncliffe design of the HAK straight. I did a training seminar with Michael Janich this year (FREAKING AWESOME!) and I got a chance to handle a prototype of the Spyderco Yojimbo II. After seeing a cutting demo, I was totally sold on the blade shape (just like a box cutter). That knife is amazing btw, can't wait to get mine, darn things are on backorder still. Anyway, the Yojimbo blade has a similar shape as my HAK and the HAK capsule/handle design provides for a grip very similar to the "filipino grip" taught by Michael Janich. Suddenly I had a whole new appreciation for the HAK and it's been a near-permanent carry knife ever since.
Some of the great features of this knife:
- Very lightweight, it is no strain at all to carry (noticeably lighter than the Perrin Neck Bowie and custom sheath I have).
- Amazing retention, it's virtually impossible to be disarmed when this knife is on your fingers.
- This knife is designed to allow for full use of your hands. The designer talks about its use as an off hand weapon for shooters, you can load magazines, carry a flashlight, etc and still keep the knife on your fingers. For my purposes, it's the best work tool ever. I went through pallet after pallet of boxes and was able to carry them, stack them, cut tape and bindings as needed, and keep the knife in my hand the whole time. Totally comfortable and a nice change from continually hunting for where I put my box cutter!
- Very safe. Knife won't slip in your hand. Again, anyone doing utility tasks, working in a warehouse, etc, this is an awesome knife. Climbers and hikers could get great benefit from this also. A must for people that work or play on or under the water.
- Low profile. Slim and has numerous carry options.
- Not too tactical. Probably not as scary as other options thanks to the small size, at least in some versions.
- Available in a variety of steels (including rust-free titanium) and shapes.
- Trainer knives are available.
- Small blade may be legal in more states.
Some not so great features:
- Sheath fit is not ideal, though the retention is very good, it's not going to fall out.
- The jimping on the back is purely cosmetic. I'd rather have none.
Yep, that's all I could think of :) What can I say, the knife kicks ass. That version at least, I don't like the other blade shapes.
*If you like knives and action check out With a Vengeance, it's only 99 cents for kindle.
Before I go into detail on the HAK I'm going to talk a little about what I consider an EDC knife and why I said "true EDC." For those that aren't familiar with "prepper" or "survivalist" terms, EDC means Every Day Carry. To most people, these are the items that you obviously carry every day - they are your normal kit, you put them on when you get up in the morning and they remain with you throughout the day, wherever you go. Anything from a cell phone to a Glock. Generally this only refers to your time outside the home, you wouldn't carry EDC items in your PJs for example.
This means that we are all going to have a different EDC based on a variety of different factors such as:
- weight we are willing to carry
- job we work at
- clothing we wear
- different legal options
- different needs
The problem is that many of us may call our little package of goodies "EDC" but it's pretty tough to carry them every day, in all public settings. It should be more like MDC, Most Days Carry. Or BDC, Business Day Carry, and WEC, Weekend Carry. For those that carry tools such as knives and firearms, the differences can be dramatic.
I am unable to carry a handgun where I live but I do carry one or more knives every day, everywhere I go except for air travel. My main knife for the last 20 years, my EDC, has been a folding pocket clip knife. Prior to that it was either a small scaling or skinning knife on my belt or folding knife loose in my pocket. The actual knife has probably changed more than 50 times (currently back to the Blackhawk Hornet II) but a pocket knife has been a constant. Pocket clip knives are a fantastic innovation, they have been a real game changer for knife carry. They do have a few drawbacks though such as clips losing retention over time (especially the very old plastic-version ones), clips getting caught on things, the knives being more obvious than some people prefer, can be difficult to deploy, etc. One of the main negatives is that a folding knife is more likely to fail than a fixed blade knife. New types of locking mechanisms and handle materials have reduced the risk but it can never be eliminated. This concern and an effort to integrate either an emergency bushcraft-capable knife or a stronger utility blade into my EDC led me to experiment with a lot of small fixed blade knives such as the Fallkniven F1, the Cold Steel Kobun, the CRKT ABC operator knife, Mora 511 and more than a dozen others. In the end, I've pretty much given up. The knives are just too uncomfortable for me to wear all the time sitting down.
The Perrin Neck Bowie made me interested in neck knives as an alternative. I had written them off in the past because they are generally crap and also uncomfortable, but the Perrin knife is pretty amazing - very light, very sharp, and very useful. I'll let you read my review for the rest. The best thing about the neck knife is that it really is a "true" EDC. As long as you have a neck (hehe) you can carry it, no matter what clothing you are wearing or what setting you are in.
What I have started to notice is that it was printing on my short more than I liked. Initially I seemed to be able to adjust it to minimize the print but in the end, it wasn't quite working for me. This and one other feature (get to that in a minute) caused me to look again at a knife I've owned for a while: the HAK or Hideaway Knife, the "straight" utility model:
Note: That's a quarter and a loonie (Canadian $1 coin) in the pictures.
I first heard of these knives after reading a Marcus Wynne* novel. The characters used them extensively so I looked them up. They were interesting....but expensive. The website seemed a little odd too, not a traditional ordering method. I wasn't sure what I though of the knives and they were out of my price range for a "try it out model" - the cheapest was around $150 USD and since they are a custom fit, would be tough to sell if I didn't like it.
Maybe a year or so after that, I checked the site again and saw they had some new, cheaper versions available. They were made from lesser steels which were more than adequate for me and I really wanted to try one out. I bought this Tiger Striped version (I'd rather have a plain color) because it was $80 or so. You need to measure around your index and middle fingers and submit that measurement.
I received the knife in good time - once I figured out how to pay! :)
Product seems well made, I like the cord wrap. Was a good fit (measure very carefully). However, I didn't like it at the time. The sheath has some rattle to it with the knife in it, it sticks into the capsule area a little which makes it a little more awkward to draw and I just couldn't seem to find a comfortable carry location. I'd actually purchased it with the idea of belt carry, I had bought the double-j belt attachment. Unfortunately, with my rather chubby stomach, it was neither comfortable nor unobtrusive and I wasn't thinking neck carry back then. I threw the knife in my crap-to-sell-someday box and mostly forgot about it.
My new love for neck knives and my slight dissatisfaction with my perrin knife made me give it another look. The other feature (see, I did get to it....eventually) is that blade shape, the reverse tanto or wharncliffe design of the HAK straight. I did a training seminar with Michael Janich this year (FREAKING AWESOME!) and I got a chance to handle a prototype of the Spyderco Yojimbo II. After seeing a cutting demo, I was totally sold on the blade shape (just like a box cutter). That knife is amazing btw, can't wait to get mine, darn things are on backorder still. Anyway, the Yojimbo blade has a similar shape as my HAK and the HAK capsule/handle design provides for a grip very similar to the "filipino grip" taught by Michael Janich. Suddenly I had a whole new appreciation for the HAK and it's been a near-permanent carry knife ever since.
Some of the great features of this knife:
- Very lightweight, it is no strain at all to carry (noticeably lighter than the Perrin Neck Bowie and custom sheath I have).
- Amazing retention, it's virtually impossible to be disarmed when this knife is on your fingers.
- This knife is designed to allow for full use of your hands. The designer talks about its use as an off hand weapon for shooters, you can load magazines, carry a flashlight, etc and still keep the knife on your fingers. For my purposes, it's the best work tool ever. I went through pallet after pallet of boxes and was able to carry them, stack them, cut tape and bindings as needed, and keep the knife in my hand the whole time. Totally comfortable and a nice change from continually hunting for where I put my box cutter!
- Very safe. Knife won't slip in your hand. Again, anyone doing utility tasks, working in a warehouse, etc, this is an awesome knife. Climbers and hikers could get great benefit from this also. A must for people that work or play on or under the water.
- Low profile. Slim and has numerous carry options.
- Not too tactical. Probably not as scary as other options thanks to the small size, at least in some versions.
- Available in a variety of steels (including rust-free titanium) and shapes.
- Trainer knives are available.
- Small blade may be legal in more states.
Some not so great features:
- Sheath fit is not ideal, though the retention is very good, it's not going to fall out.
- The jimping on the back is purely cosmetic. I'd rather have none.
Yep, that's all I could think of :) What can I say, the knife kicks ass. That version at least, I don't like the other blade shapes.
*If you like knives and action check out With a Vengeance, it's only 99 cents for kindle.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Eberlestock F3 Halftrack Backpack Review
My previous very lengthy post My EDC Bag For Work was about my decision to use a Maxpedition Centurion Patrol Bag and an Octa Versipack as my every day carry bags. They did work out well for me but I recently decided to make a change. I'm anticipating moving (yep, still waiting for my transfer confirmation) and I will be doing a lot of walking at my new location.
I tried out a couple of backpacks, the Maxpedition Falcon II and a Kelty Internal frame pack, can't remember the model, is a largish daypack. The Kelty was comfortable but had too few pockets. The Maxpedition Falcon II was just not long enough, I don't like the torso length. It's not a serious walking/hiking pack, I think it's more of a cool urban commuter pack. Not what I was looking for in the end.
My new work site will be (trying to be positive) be in a small town in coastal British Columbia. I will mostly be walking to work, distance TBD but could be as much as 5 km. Ideally will be 3 or less. Also may be using public transit or a small car. Climate is mild and generally in the 5-15 C range year round. Extremes appear to be -5 to the low 20s. Lots of rain.
Backpack needs:
- sturdy
- comfortable
- enough capacity to carry a small EDC survival load, lunch, water bottles, etc. 20L+
- water-resistant at a minimum, probably need a waterproof cover
Backpack wants:
- multi-purpose, could be used for travel
- looks cool (hey, why not?)
- lots of accessible pockets
- scalable through use of molle or other straps
- relatively inexpensive
- capable of carrying at least a netbook laptop
Thanks in part to the reader comment on that post, I took a look at some Eberlestock backpacks. I was a bit nervous about spending $200+ on a pack sight unseen but was looking for a new EDC bag and decided to bite the bullet and try one. My choice was the Eberlestock F3 Halftrack Backpack. It had a lot of interesting features and the price was only moderately horrifying. Well, maybe a little more than moderately :)
Information from Eberlestock:
My Review
I love the pack. It hits most of my wants and needs very well. It certainly seems sturdy and well made, quality stitching and construction throughout - at least, as far as my inexpert eye can tell. Very, very comfortable, extremely well padded in the back with lots of airflow room. More than enough room to carry what I needed, has some excellent pockets on the side for water bottles as well as hydration pouches. Includes a waterproof cover. It does indeed look very cool. I picked the Dry Earth color, very nice.
The only negatives:
- I don't see a full size laptop fitting in this; my netbook fits just fine.
- It's expensive. Around $229 USD. That's a lot to pay for what is essentially a kick ass daypack. It's debatable whether the excellent quality and functionality would be needed for joe or jill civilian; most of us would be buying it for the cool factor, not because we couldn't get by with a lesser pack.
But it's damn cool. Unfortunately I loved this pack so much...I may have bought two more by Eberlestock. Oops. More on that later.
Note - this pack does not have a rifle carrying system included.
I tried out a couple of backpacks, the Maxpedition Falcon II and a Kelty Internal frame pack, can't remember the model, is a largish daypack. The Kelty was comfortable but had too few pockets. The Maxpedition Falcon II was just not long enough, I don't like the torso length. It's not a serious walking/hiking pack, I think it's more of a cool urban commuter pack. Not what I was looking for in the end.
My new work site will be (trying to be positive) be in a small town in coastal British Columbia. I will mostly be walking to work, distance TBD but could be as much as 5 km. Ideally will be 3 or less. Also may be using public transit or a small car. Climate is mild and generally in the 5-15 C range year round. Extremes appear to be -5 to the low 20s. Lots of rain.
Backpack needs:
- sturdy
- comfortable
- enough capacity to carry a small EDC survival load, lunch, water bottles, etc. 20L+
- water-resistant at a minimum, probably need a waterproof cover
Backpack wants:
- multi-purpose, could be used for travel
- looks cool (hey, why not?)
- lots of accessible pockets
- scalable through use of molle or other straps
- relatively inexpensive
- capable of carrying at least a netbook laptop
Information from Eberlestock:
The Halftrack pack, like its World War II namesake, was inspired by necessity. The needs are fairly straightforward: carry heavy stuff, and make the thing that does it easy to use. The halftrack vehicle-type was developed because it could carry heavy stuff, like anti-aircraft guns, and yet it was easy enough to drive that you could turn any knucklehead with a driver's license loose with it.
Our Halftrack, we're proud to say, continues in this tradition. It's well-laid out. Tough. PALS webbing all over the place. Filled with easy access pockets. And, combined with our patent-pending Ripcord Gun Carry System (sold separately), it'll carry a heavy weapon aft of your shoulders, so you'll be more mobile. But what will surprise you is that you can get the gun off of your back while wearing the pack.
We do, however, depart from the old halftrack in one essential way. Our pack is quiet, and made for comfort as much as anything else, because we know what it's like to live out of a backpack.
The Halftrack pack is sister to the Phantom sniper pack, and is built from the same pattern. It's a front-loader, with two levels of varying-sized tuck-pockets lining its interior, PALS racks inside and out, and a fold-down shelf that can be used to divide the main compartment into upper and lower chambers. A plastic mesh flap on the rear wall serves as a radio rack. It will carry two 3-liter hydration kits, mounted in side pockets, or two 2-liter bladders in sleeves inboard of the outer pockets if you want to free the main side pockets for other gear.
Tunnel pockets on either side have a D-ring at the top, which is useful for carrying skis, long poles, or other long equipment. It features a longer waistbelt, with a 6 x 2 PALS matrix on each side. The Halftrack has our unique, hand-sewn support, padding, and ventilation system. You'll need to try one on to find out why so many people tell us that our packs are the most comfortable they've ever worn. The pack has a plastic framesheet and internal aluminum Cellular Stays, which work in combination with the harness and padding to provide you with plenty of support for carrying loads.
The Halftrack includes a lightweight pull-out rain cover, which stows in a pocket on the bottom of the main compartment. It can be used to cover the pack, and will even go over a weapon that's being carried.
My Review
I love the pack. It hits most of my wants and needs very well. It certainly seems sturdy and well made, quality stitching and construction throughout - at least, as far as my inexpert eye can tell. Very, very comfortable, extremely well padded in the back with lots of airflow room. More than enough room to carry what I needed, has some excellent pockets on the side for water bottles as well as hydration pouches. Includes a waterproof cover. It does indeed look very cool. I picked the Dry Earth color, very nice.
The only negatives:
- I don't see a full size laptop fitting in this; my netbook fits just fine.
- It's expensive. Around $229 USD. That's a lot to pay for what is essentially a kick ass daypack. It's debatable whether the excellent quality and functionality would be needed for joe or jill civilian; most of us would be buying it for the cool factor, not because we couldn't get by with a lesser pack.
But it's damn cool. Unfortunately I loved this pack so much...I may have bought two more by Eberlestock. Oops. More on that later.
Note - this pack does not have a rifle carrying system included.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Fitness equipment for home and travel
I've mentioned before that I like to lift weights. I first started when I was around 13, had a few at home - a bar, some dumbbells, those cheap plastic weights. Had no idea what I was doing and looked to my friends for help - which was sometimes good and sometimes....not so much.
There was a gym in the high school and I started working out there a lot with my rugby and wrestling teams. I was never pushing huge numbers but I took pride in my strength (damn good for a little guy) and my fitness level made me a lot more successful in sports. BTW, I posted a few strength benchmarks at the bottom, mostly random stuff as best as I remember it.
I really slacked off after high school and I suffered for it while trying to wrestle in university. I also hated cardio work so if I wasn't doing sports year round my wind was sucky (yes, that's the technical term).
When I went to college in Ontario at 21 and stayed in the residence, I started eating like mad (free food), working out every day (great gym), played tons of badminton, and I put on a ton of muscle and size. Felt great. Then I moved north and things got a lot more complicated. There was a gym here full of old, garbage machines but it did have sufficient free weights for me - I prefer free weights. Unfortunately I was in there one day and saw a guy working out, shirtless, with the most extensive ring worm all over his torso that I could ever imagine. I never went back. It was HORRIFYING. Now I needed to find some home workout options; easier said than done when you live in the ass end of nowhere. I lived in an apartment so there wasn't a ton of space and shipping ranges from insanely expensive to impossible. We get a barge once a year, truck service for about 8-9 months depending on weather (ice roads over rivers, ferries when they melt) and fly in service.
I ended up getting a bowflex. Cost a LOT at the time and I had to get it flown in for some ridiculous sum. It was OK. Good enough for arms and shoulders, OK for back, not very good for legs (not that I cared, I never worked them) and pretty damn crappy for chest because of the cable angle. I supplemented with push ups. It was fairly small and folded up which was good because I was in an apartment with my girlfriend.
Eventually I got tired of it, sold it, and managed to get a barely sufficient bench and some crappy free weights. Just enough to be useful though. We had moved into a townhouse so we dedicated a bedroom to it; there was just enough room but a miscalculation could put a bar through a wall easily. Also got a chin up bar.
That worked out OK and I actually made some great improvements (some fitness benchmarks at end of post) though I used to have to borrow weights from people to up my bench press :)
I really ended up becoming too bench press oriented. It's a fine exercise but I made it the focus of my workouts allowing myself to get out of balance physically. Always a mistake.
Eventually the town opened up a proper gym and I started working out there. Excellent results and I cleared out my old gym - we really didn't have space for it anymore as we had to move to a smaller place. As much as the new town gym started out as a pretty positive experience (nice to have access to more and better equipment) I rapidly was reminded of why I really don't like going to gyms. As the gym became more popular, various problems started to crop up:
The gym here was cheap and it was available 24/7 (great for shift workers) but it was just an impossible situation for me. People didn't clean up after themselves (gross), the crowding, the heat (no A/C), the smell - it was too much.
Fortunately my work had a spare room we could use, my old office, and Sears finally had some decent Olympic weights for sale. Too much money later, I was pretty well set up at work, which is great. I prefer to work out at home but there just isn't space in the places we live here because there are no basements. Due to the permafrost, all the houses are on pilings or blocks. Working out at work was even better because there is always some down time available, doesn't eat up any part of my day. I hate driving to a gym, working out, driving home - lots of wasted time in cities.
That worked out OK for a while. Unfortunately, a few years ago I was in a car accident. Hurt my back, neck, etc - and hurt my shoulder. A lot. Initially I didn't recognize how serious the injury was. I had a difficult time getting treatment where I was and the physiotherapists and doctors I saw were not fitness-oriented. This is a problem I have run into in the past, working with rehab people that don't exercise themselves (serious exercise) and do all their work with either elderly patients or patients who are overweight and in terrible physical condition before the exercise.
A couple of examples:
I saw a doctor in town for a follow up. She's a great doctor and was EXTREMELY helpful (many don't want anything to do with car accidents) but was somewhat shocked at one of my complaints:
Me - "Any time I try to bench more than 200 lbs it hurts a lot and my shoulder starts to collapse"
Her - "You can't lift that much! That's just unhealthy, no one should do that"
Um....
Then talking to the physio guy (I've had a lot of bad experiences with physio) he said a lot of similar things. We talked about what I used to do and where I wanted to go and he pretty much told me weight lifting was unhealthy and I should focus on running. Running? Really? I hate running and that's an activity that can be hard on the body. Personally if someone said you could only do one thing I would say swimming...
A common thread through this and past rehabs was that there at times seemed to be some surprise at what my fitness level was post-injury. Some seemed to think that because I was stronger or in better condition than the "norm" (whatever that is) that I should be satisfied with where I was. Where I wanted to be free of pain and back to the level I was! Not at the level of a 30 year old video game junkie with a fast food diet.
Seriously, it got pretty weird at times. I think I needed to find sports therapists.
After a very long period of time which ended up mostly being self-rehab and some unfortunately infrequent but very helpful massage therapy, I'm basically back to 100% health but I am most definitely not back to 100% strength. I'm starting to suspect that is not such a bad thing and I want to go in a different direction. In my 20s I focused a lot on bench press and pure weightlifting exercises and not as much on overall fitness. Lifting hard was fun and it kept my weight in line; hard lifting is a great cardio workout too btw. Unfortunately that can no longer continue for two reasons:
My fitness goals:
My minimum workout equipment will consist of:
Equipment I intend to add but can live without:
Equipment that would be nice:
Equipment I may consider someday but it's hardly a burning concern:
Some notes on home gym equipment:
Atlas Chest Builder Bar
- I own this and I am a fan. I prefer it to normal push up bars, I just like knowing that everything is symmetrically aligned, especially when doing pushups with weight (loaded backpack)
Travel Doorway Pull up bar
- I don't own this so can't verify if it is good but I like the idea. It breaks down as small as can be expected for a real chin up bar and would be extremely useful when traveling. It is still pretty large though, you'd really have to love your chin ups to carry it.
Need Help resistance band
- I don't own this yet but I think I am going to get one. I like the concept, it's cheap, and looks a lot better than using a chair for the same purpose.
ICheck out Zuzana from BodyRock.TV. She is amazingly fit (scary almost) and does some great home workouts. Some of the equipment she uses that I like (but haven't tried yet) are the Ultimate Sandbags, a Dip Bar that is either this one made by ultimate body press or something similar and a wall mounted chin up bar, again either similar to or the same one made by ultimate body press.
I'm not sure about sandbag training. Some of it looks good, some of it looks goofy. I'll have to try it at some point. The sand bag itself is...ok I guess...you could do similar or better exercises perhaps with real weights (or improvise your own sandbag) but then, you'd have to own the real weights! Something like this is small to ship and carry around when empty and you can usually find sand. Except here of course, though I've used cat litter as a substitute.
I really like the dip bar, it would be very effective and it folds up quite small. If you can set one up, I prefer a wall mounted or rafter mounted chin up bar to a doorway one. Some door ones are OK, some are crap, but all the ones I have used cause a slight amount of damage to the door frame or wall and tend to creak alarmingly.
All of that is useful home equipment but not a lot of use when traveling other than (maybe) the take apart door frame chin up bar. I usually fly out of here twice a year at a minimum; used to be a lot more for training courses. It's always a pain trying to work out when traveling. You have to find a gym, they have to allow day use (some only do memberships), the gyms can be gross or not good, or there might not be one at all. I've tried resistance bands - not a fan. I tend to use my luggage for some exercises and try to do pushups but it's not very effective. I recently came across some videos on the TRX suspension trainer and was very interested. Simple, very compact, and works just about anywhere - all you need is a door, tree, rafter, or a pole. It actually looked like something that could be the base of a regular workout rather than some garbage item *cough cough resistance bands cough cough* that would sit in my closet, never to be used.
I haven't been working out with the TRX for a long time but am impressed so far. It provides an especially good shoulder workout. Back workout is good though I would add in chin ups where possible, leg work is very good for me, excellent stomach work that is so much better than situps, and the chest work is good though I would add in dumbbell press and/or weighted pushups where possible. Bicep/triceps work is surprisingly effective though I would add in some dumbbell work where possible. I especially love being able to do handstand pushups with this thing. I am not able to do an actual handstand pushup - I don't think I can do an actual handstand for that matter, I keep getting freaked out at the thought of my shoulder collapsing (I need to get over that) and it affects my balance. I've been doing them with my legs against a wall but it's awkward and I did keel over once. Hooking my foot in the TRX allows me to go pretty much vertical and I can drop my other leg down as a spot if needed.
The TRX looks like the perfect base for my workout and I can add in other things as needed. It's good for men, women, and youth. It's totally portable, it weights next to nothing, and it will work almost anywhere. Could be a good thing if you ever had to evacuate or bug out too - take note preppers! What are you going to do in your underground bunker, cabin/cave in the woods or at a family retreat to keep your fitness up? I think this is the best answer and it won't add a lot of bulk/weight to your bug out bag.
Notes on me:
I am 5'9 and 3/4" - hey, I need every scrap of height I can get. One of my tall friends always laughs, he says only a short person would say their exact height. He is always "about 6'4." Of course, one of my old friends always used to say he was "about 6 feet" until we finally pinned him to the wall and measured him. We left a mark on the wall at his 5'8 height :)
Benchmarks over the years:
13 years old - body weight-115 at 5'9 - yikes!! I have a very slim frame and I had a crazy growth spurt after grade 8, I grew 6 inches in a very short time. It left me with stretch marks on my knees and hips. I was actually tall for a while...but stopped growing.
18 yrs old - body weight-140-145; bench press*-175 was the most I ever tried, I would guess it was more; chin ups-oodles and oodles; 30+ 1 arm pushups
22 yrs old - body weight-180; bench press-260; chin ups-not great; maybe 12 1 arm pushups. Put on 20+ lbs of mostly muscle in 8 months - more stretch marks, this time on my biceps :(
25ish yrs old - body weight-190; bench press-315; chin ups-so-so; squat-315; bent over barbell row-225?
Car accident at age 29? my memory sucks. Very bad, I fell apart. Shoulder problems, back injury, etc.
33 yrs old - body weight-206; bench press-230-240; chin ups-6 regular, 2 wide; squat-SFA
34 yrs old (now)- body weight-175, bench press-estimate 260 but I haven't checked; chin ups-15 regular, 4 wide (I still suck at those); squat-not sure
*1 rep max
**for my size refers more to my small frame/bone structure than my height. Though being taller can help, being too tall can be a hindrance in other ways. But there is no substitute for that large framed "man" strength often called farmboy strength or build (for lack of a better term). I can add a lot of muscle but I can't make myself any bigger. My Dad is a good example of this. He doesn't exercise, was never a fitness buff, he is 61 years old, is overweight, and a little shorter than me. He also has some injuries from car accidents (damn cars!!).
He has enormous hands, his frame is substantially larger than mine and he is STRONG. Damn strong. He can't lift or carry anymore like I can (due to injury) but he has a crushing grip, is tough as nails, and can do things that I have never come close to. Watching him work on a car outdoors in the freezing cold, without gloves, can make you think that maybe that previous generation that grew up on the farm was tougher.
My grandfathers were the same. Shortish, overweight, but huge hands, big frames, outdoor workers (logger and farmer) and tough, tough, tough, strong men. WWII vets. Miss them dearly.
There was a gym in the high school and I started working out there a lot with my rugby and wrestling teams. I was never pushing huge numbers but I took pride in my strength (damn good for a little guy) and my fitness level made me a lot more successful in sports. BTW, I posted a few strength benchmarks at the bottom, mostly random stuff as best as I remember it.
I really slacked off after high school and I suffered for it while trying to wrestle in university. I also hated cardio work so if I wasn't doing sports year round my wind was sucky (yes, that's the technical term).
When I went to college in Ontario at 21 and stayed in the residence, I started eating like mad (free food), working out every day (great gym), played tons of badminton, and I put on a ton of muscle and size. Felt great. Then I moved north and things got a lot more complicated. There was a gym here full of old, garbage machines but it did have sufficient free weights for me - I prefer free weights. Unfortunately I was in there one day and saw a guy working out, shirtless, with the most extensive ring worm all over his torso that I could ever imagine. I never went back. It was HORRIFYING. Now I needed to find some home workout options; easier said than done when you live in the ass end of nowhere. I lived in an apartment so there wasn't a ton of space and shipping ranges from insanely expensive to impossible. We get a barge once a year, truck service for about 8-9 months depending on weather (ice roads over rivers, ferries when they melt) and fly in service.
I ended up getting a bowflex. Cost a LOT at the time and I had to get it flown in for some ridiculous sum. It was OK. Good enough for arms and shoulders, OK for back, not very good for legs (not that I cared, I never worked them) and pretty damn crappy for chest because of the cable angle. I supplemented with push ups. It was fairly small and folded up which was good because I was in an apartment with my girlfriend.
Eventually I got tired of it, sold it, and managed to get a barely sufficient bench and some crappy free weights. Just enough to be useful though. We had moved into a townhouse so we dedicated a bedroom to it; there was just enough room but a miscalculation could put a bar through a wall easily. Also got a chin up bar.
That worked out OK and I actually made some great improvements (some fitness benchmarks at end of post) though I used to have to borrow weights from people to up my bench press :)
I really ended up becoming too bench press oriented. It's a fine exercise but I made it the focus of my workouts allowing myself to get out of balance physically. Always a mistake.
Eventually the town opened up a proper gym and I started working out there. Excellent results and I cleared out my old gym - we really didn't have space for it anymore as we had to move to a smaller place. As much as the new town gym started out as a pretty positive experience (nice to have access to more and better equipment) I rapidly was reminded of why I really don't like going to gyms. As the gym became more popular, various problems started to crop up:
- Overcrowding became a big issue, it was nuts
- The people in charge of the gym had no idea how to run one and bought a lot of terrible equipment (for a lot of money) and didn't take care of the equipment they had
- There wasn't enough cardio equipment to go around so they kept buying more and more, past the point that there was enough space for it. Eventually the place just became dangerous, people tripping over everything, no room for free weights etc.
- The level of asshole began to rise steadily. It's strange, my memories of working out at the various gyms prior to moving here were very positive. People were helpful, polite, tidy - gym etiquette was understood and followed. Even extreme roided-out bodybuilders were good people to work out with, they love the sport and can be a great training resource. Now....wtf!? Not just here but even at gyms I've gone to while travelling, I can't get over the rude and confrontational behavior I have encountered. Friends of mine have gotten in actual fights in the gym over nothing.
The gym here was cheap and it was available 24/7 (great for shift workers) but it was just an impossible situation for me. People didn't clean up after themselves (gross), the crowding, the heat (no A/C), the smell - it was too much.
Fortunately my work had a spare room we could use, my old office, and Sears finally had some decent Olympic weights for sale. Too much money later, I was pretty well set up at work, which is great. I prefer to work out at home but there just isn't space in the places we live here because there are no basements. Due to the permafrost, all the houses are on pilings or blocks. Working out at work was even better because there is always some down time available, doesn't eat up any part of my day. I hate driving to a gym, working out, driving home - lots of wasted time in cities.
That worked out OK for a while. Unfortunately, a few years ago I was in a car accident. Hurt my back, neck, etc - and hurt my shoulder. A lot. Initially I didn't recognize how serious the injury was. I had a difficult time getting treatment where I was and the physiotherapists and doctors I saw were not fitness-oriented. This is a problem I have run into in the past, working with rehab people that don't exercise themselves (serious exercise) and do all their work with either elderly patients or patients who are overweight and in terrible physical condition before the exercise.
A couple of examples:
I saw a doctor in town for a follow up. She's a great doctor and was EXTREMELY helpful (many don't want anything to do with car accidents) but was somewhat shocked at one of my complaints:
Me - "Any time I try to bench more than 200 lbs it hurts a lot and my shoulder starts to collapse"
Her - "You can't lift that much! That's just unhealthy, no one should do that"
Um....
Then talking to the physio guy (I've had a lot of bad experiences with physio) he said a lot of similar things. We talked about what I used to do and where I wanted to go and he pretty much told me weight lifting was unhealthy and I should focus on running. Running? Really? I hate running and that's an activity that can be hard on the body. Personally if someone said you could only do one thing I would say swimming...
A common thread through this and past rehabs was that there at times seemed to be some surprise at what my fitness level was post-injury. Some seemed to think that because I was stronger or in better condition than the "norm" (whatever that is) that I should be satisfied with where I was. Where I wanted to be free of pain and back to the level I was! Not at the level of a 30 year old video game junkie with a fast food diet.
Seriously, it got pretty weird at times. I think I needed to find sports therapists.
After a very long period of time which ended up mostly being self-rehab and some unfortunately infrequent but very helpful massage therapy, I'm basically back to 100% health but I am most definitely not back to 100% strength. I'm starting to suspect that is not such a bad thing and I want to go in a different direction. In my 20s I focused a lot on bench press and pure weightlifting exercises and not as much on overall fitness. Lifting hard was fun and it kept my weight in line; hard lifting is a great cardio workout too btw. Unfortunately that can no longer continue for two reasons:
1. My injury history - I just don't feel comfortable doing a lot of the exercises I used to and I can't lift the same weight with the same intensity. Part of it is quite frankly a little fear of re-injury, part of it is I am just tired of trying to work my way back to what I was but the biggest part is I just don't think it's a good workout plan for me in the future, for what I want to accomplish (more on that later). I've decided to focus more on core strength (something I used to giggle about), my back, and shoulders. The legs and chest will of course be involved but with my injury history, I need to get everything more even and those areas are lagging.
2. Where I should be moving to (still waiting *sigh* for paperwork) - I intend to buy a small house when we move and there's a good chance it won't have much of a basement (if any). There's no room at work to set up my gym and I don't want to take up a bedroom in the house just for my workout equipment. I'm sure there are one or more gyms in town but I still hate gyms :)
I want workout equipment that is small, effective and portable (if possible). Stuff that won't require a basement or separate room, that can be brought out as needed but doesn't take over half the house for space. And hopefully something that can travel with me.
My fitness goals:
1. Maintain a healthy weight. This is the big one. I didn't realize how much the extra weight was hurting me. I'm down 31 lbs in 3 months and feel fantastic. At least 5 more lbs to go...maybe 10. We'll see. Weight is just a comparison benchmark, it's inches that matter.
2. Develop and maintain a high level of functional strength. It sounds a bit cocky but I am already stronger than most men. I would go so far as to say I am very strong for my size.** There aren't any tasks I shy away from and I'm one of the guys you call when you have something heavy you need moved. However, I want to focus more on whole body strength, strength that applies well not just to lifting stuff but also to martial arts/combat training and perhaps sports now that I may be returning to civilization. And I want to continue strengthening my body to avoid injury, make it easier to hike long distances with a heavy pack, and increase my strength over a whole range of motion - improved flexibility.
3. Increase my cardio fitness level. This will be the easiest if I move as I will be walking 5-10kms a day to and from work carrying a backpack. I may bike some days but I prefer walking. I don't intend to start running (still hate it) but I will either keep up the stair work on days off or add in some hill climbing.
My minimum workout equipment will consist of:
- TRX suspension straps - already have
- Adjustable dumbbells - plan to get a set of 5-90 urethane powerblocks, I have some mediocre ones but I will sell them. We have bowflex ones at work. The small set are fine, the big ones are garbage. This barely made the list as there are alternatives to dumbbells.
- Chin up bar - prefer to get a wall mount (or joist if that's possible), I have a doorframe one
- Push up bar(s) - already have two kinds, atlas chest builder and more standard ones
Equipment I intend to add but can live without:
- Adjustable bench (flat to incline)
Equipment that would be nice:
- Dip Stand (ultimate body press)
Equipment I may consider someday but it's hardly a burning concern:
- Sandbag trainer
Some notes on home gym equipment:
Atlas Chest Builder Bar
- I own this and I am a fan. I prefer it to normal push up bars, I just like knowing that everything is symmetrically aligned, especially when doing pushups with weight (loaded backpack)
Travel Doorway Pull up bar
- I don't own this so can't verify if it is good but I like the idea. It breaks down as small as can be expected for a real chin up bar and would be extremely useful when traveling. It is still pretty large though, you'd really have to love your chin ups to carry it.
Need Help resistance band
- I don't own this yet but I think I am going to get one. I like the concept, it's cheap, and looks a lot better than using a chair for the same purpose.
ICheck out Zuzana from BodyRock.TV. She is amazingly fit (scary almost) and does some great home workouts. Some of the equipment she uses that I like (but haven't tried yet) are the Ultimate Sandbags, a Dip Bar that is either this one made by ultimate body press or something similar and a wall mounted chin up bar, again either similar to or the same one made by ultimate body press.
I'm not sure about sandbag training. Some of it looks good, some of it looks goofy. I'll have to try it at some point. The sand bag itself is...ok I guess...you could do similar or better exercises perhaps with real weights (or improvise your own sandbag) but then, you'd have to own the real weights! Something like this is small to ship and carry around when empty and you can usually find sand. Except here of course, though I've used cat litter as a substitute.
I really like the dip bar, it would be very effective and it folds up quite small. If you can set one up, I prefer a wall mounted or rafter mounted chin up bar to a doorway one. Some door ones are OK, some are crap, but all the ones I have used cause a slight amount of damage to the door frame or wall and tend to creak alarmingly.
All of that is useful home equipment but not a lot of use when traveling other than (maybe) the take apart door frame chin up bar. I usually fly out of here twice a year at a minimum; used to be a lot more for training courses. It's always a pain trying to work out when traveling. You have to find a gym, they have to allow day use (some only do memberships), the gyms can be gross or not good, or there might not be one at all. I've tried resistance bands - not a fan. I tend to use my luggage for some exercises and try to do pushups but it's not very effective. I recently came across some videos on the TRX suspension trainer and was very interested. Simple, very compact, and works just about anywhere - all you need is a door, tree, rafter, or a pole. It actually looked like something that could be the base of a regular workout rather than some garbage item *cough cough resistance bands cough cough* that would sit in my closet, never to be used.
I haven't been working out with the TRX for a long time but am impressed so far. It provides an especially good shoulder workout. Back workout is good though I would add in chin ups where possible, leg work is very good for me, excellent stomach work that is so much better than situps, and the chest work is good though I would add in dumbbell press and/or weighted pushups where possible. Bicep/triceps work is surprisingly effective though I would add in some dumbbell work where possible. I especially love being able to do handstand pushups with this thing. I am not able to do an actual handstand pushup - I don't think I can do an actual handstand for that matter, I keep getting freaked out at the thought of my shoulder collapsing (I need to get over that) and it affects my balance. I've been doing them with my legs against a wall but it's awkward and I did keel over once. Hooking my foot in the TRX allows me to go pretty much vertical and I can drop my other leg down as a spot if needed.
The TRX looks like the perfect base for my workout and I can add in other things as needed. It's good for men, women, and youth. It's totally portable, it weights next to nothing, and it will work almost anywhere. Could be a good thing if you ever had to evacuate or bug out too - take note preppers! What are you going to do in your underground bunker, cabin/cave in the woods or at a family retreat to keep your fitness up? I think this is the best answer and it won't add a lot of bulk/weight to your bug out bag.
Notes on me:
I am 5'9 and 3/4" - hey, I need every scrap of height I can get. One of my tall friends always laughs, he says only a short person would say their exact height. He is always "about 6'4." Of course, one of my old friends always used to say he was "about 6 feet" until we finally pinned him to the wall and measured him. We left a mark on the wall at his 5'8 height :)
Benchmarks over the years:
13 years old - body weight-115 at 5'9 - yikes!! I have a very slim frame and I had a crazy growth spurt after grade 8, I grew 6 inches in a very short time. It left me with stretch marks on my knees and hips. I was actually tall for a while...but stopped growing.
18 yrs old - body weight-140-145; bench press*-175 was the most I ever tried, I would guess it was more; chin ups-oodles and oodles; 30+ 1 arm pushups
22 yrs old - body weight-180; bench press-260; chin ups-not great; maybe 12 1 arm pushups. Put on 20+ lbs of mostly muscle in 8 months - more stretch marks, this time on my biceps :(
25ish yrs old - body weight-190; bench press-315; chin ups-so-so; squat-315; bent over barbell row-225?
Car accident at age 29? my memory sucks. Very bad, I fell apart. Shoulder problems, back injury, etc.
33 yrs old - body weight-206; bench press-230-240; chin ups-6 regular, 2 wide; squat-SFA
34 yrs old (now)- body weight-175, bench press-estimate 260 but I haven't checked; chin ups-15 regular, 4 wide (I still suck at those); squat-not sure
*1 rep max
**for my size refers more to my small frame/bone structure than my height. Though being taller can help, being too tall can be a hindrance in other ways. But there is no substitute for that large framed "man" strength often called farmboy strength or build (for lack of a better term). I can add a lot of muscle but I can't make myself any bigger. My Dad is a good example of this. He doesn't exercise, was never a fitness buff, he is 61 years old, is overweight, and a little shorter than me. He also has some injuries from car accidents (damn cars!!).
He has enormous hands, his frame is substantially larger than mine and he is STRONG. Damn strong. He can't lift or carry anymore like I can (due to injury) but he has a crushing grip, is tough as nails, and can do things that I have never come close to. Watching him work on a car outdoors in the freezing cold, without gloves, can make you think that maybe that previous generation that grew up on the farm was tougher.
My grandfathers were the same. Shortish, overweight, but huge hands, big frames, outdoor workers (logger and farmer) and tough, tough, tough, strong men. WWII vets. Miss them dearly.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New video review - Large Survival Knife Comparison
I did a relatively brief side by side comparison of four of my favorite large survival knives:
The Cold Steel SRK
The Fallkniven A1 (which I repeatedly called an F1, oops! lol)
The Cold Steel Recon Scout
The Ka Bar Heavy Bowie
Large Survival Knife Comparison youtube video
The Cold Steel SRK
The Fallkniven A1 (which I repeatedly called an F1, oops! lol)
The Cold Steel Recon Scout
The Ka Bar Heavy Bowie
Large Survival Knife Comparison youtube video
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Cold Steel Recon Scout Knife Modification
In my previous review post of the Recon Scout, I said that the "only real negative about the knife is that I absolutely hate the guard" and that I could see why some people (saw some online) would cut off the back part.
I finally did it too!
It hurt a little to deface this knife but I had to try it. This isn't a pretty display knife, it's a knife I intend to use hard around camp. It's not going to stay "pretty" so why not make it even more functional? More functional for me at least.
My fancy mod involved a hacksaw, a file, and some anti-rust black spray paint for after. At first I just cut off about half of the back guard. Was OK but in the end I took off all of it. The handle got rubbed a little, the file work is amateurish, the spray paint is very bush league - but it's functional, it looks good enough in my eyes and I LOVE IT!!!!
The knife is pretty much perfect now. Losing the guard may not be the best thing for a tactical/fighting knife but that's not what I will ever use the knife for and it's not a great knife for that anyway - too heavy and I don't like the handle for a fighting knife*. It's still more than capable of emergency use along those lines but its use as a camp/woods knife, a super strong, super thick piece of steel, is where it excels. Now I have a usable finger choil (works for my small fingers) for more fine work. I didn't like the idea of bashing the back of that guard when batoning either, makes a nice smooth line along the back (well, smoothish if we ignore the ugly cut marks).
If I ever get a new camera I'll do a video or pics.
This mod isn't for everyone and it certainly will reduce (if not eliminate) the possibility of selling the knife, but it's great for me.
The sheath still works the same, no change to retention. I am planning on getting a new kydex sheath anyway, I can get a smaller sheath now and something that won't rattle. I found a new kydex guy on ebay, he does great work.
*For a pure fighting knife at a cheap price, consider the Cold Steel OSS.
I finally did it too!
It hurt a little to deface this knife but I had to try it. This isn't a pretty display knife, it's a knife I intend to use hard around camp. It's not going to stay "pretty" so why not make it even more functional? More functional for me at least.
My fancy mod involved a hacksaw, a file, and some anti-rust black spray paint for after. At first I just cut off about half of the back guard. Was OK but in the end I took off all of it. The handle got rubbed a little, the file work is amateurish, the spray paint is very bush league - but it's functional, it looks good enough in my eyes and I LOVE IT!!!!
The knife is pretty much perfect now. Losing the guard may not be the best thing for a tactical/fighting knife but that's not what I will ever use the knife for and it's not a great knife for that anyway - too heavy and I don't like the handle for a fighting knife*. It's still more than capable of emergency use along those lines but its use as a camp/woods knife, a super strong, super thick piece of steel, is where it excels. Now I have a usable finger choil (works for my small fingers) for more fine work. I didn't like the idea of bashing the back of that guard when batoning either, makes a nice smooth line along the back (well, smoothish if we ignore the ugly cut marks).
If I ever get a new camera I'll do a video or pics.
This mod isn't for everyone and it certainly will reduce (if not eliminate) the possibility of selling the knife, but it's great for me.
The sheath still works the same, no change to retention. I am planning on getting a new kydex sheath anyway, I can get a smaller sheath now and something that won't rattle. I found a new kydex guy on ebay, he does great work.
*For a pure fighting knife at a cheap price, consider the Cold Steel OSS.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Review of Raven Concealment Kydex Sheath for Cold Steel SRK knife
Just got my new Raven Concealment Sheath for my Cold Steel SRK. Only (only!) took four and a half months. They do tell you about the wait after you order but that's a little ridiculous. I am not sure if they don't have enough demand for knife sheaths to make them a priority or if they are just overwhelmed with orders. I imagine their main focus is on their firearm holsters, they have a lot of good ones, but with only 4 versions of knife sheaths I would have expected mine a little sooner.
As for the sheath itself, seems good. The sheath appears to have excellent retention, you can shake it while inverted and it won't pop out. There is absolutely no rattle, and the included tek-lok is well installed, no wiggle, several mounting options (horizontal, vertical, 45). It certainly beats the hell out of the factory sheath. Much sturdier and the factory sheath had ZERO retention without the snap. I have no major complaints but.....for the price ($60 US + shipping) and the time, I'm not sure about buying another knife sheath from them. I definitely intend to get one of their handgun holsters, they have some excellent options, I encourage anyone to take a look at them.
I was a little surprised that there isn't a bottom drain hole. What I presume is the drain hole is actually a small hole on the back side of the knife, about 1 cm up, the tip of the knife extends past it. I imagine it would work well enough, just different from what I had seen before. Another odd point is that the knife doesn't form up around the guard as much as I expected. From their website: "Due to the design of Cold Steel's rubber hilts, the retention on these sheaths are set on the blade. They are secure and functional, but they are for "working blades" and will wear on the finish of the blade." They aren't kidding, there is almost no retention based on the sheath wrapping around the guard. I would have thought you could have it but I am certainly no expert.
Video to follow in the next few days.
UPDATE May 18, 2011: I've really come to appreciate this sheath even more over the last couple of weeks, it has rapidly become my favorite. It is expensive but I think the quality matches it. The waiting time is still an issue, it's frustrating to wait that long. Hopefully that improves, maybe they are all caught up now but I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, 4 month wait or not.
Video review now posted here
As for the sheath itself, seems good. The sheath appears to have excellent retention, you can shake it while inverted and it won't pop out. There is absolutely no rattle, and the included tek-lok is well installed, no wiggle, several mounting options (horizontal, vertical, 45). It certainly beats the hell out of the factory sheath. Much sturdier and the factory sheath had ZERO retention without the snap. I have no major complaints but.....for the price ($60 US + shipping) and the time, I'm not sure about buying another knife sheath from them. I definitely intend to get one of their handgun holsters, they have some excellent options, I encourage anyone to take a look at them.
I was a little surprised that there isn't a bottom drain hole. What I presume is the drain hole is actually a small hole on the back side of the knife, about 1 cm up, the tip of the knife extends past it. I imagine it would work well enough, just different from what I had seen before. Another odd point is that the knife doesn't form up around the guard as much as I expected. From their website: "Due to the design of Cold Steel's rubber hilts, the retention on these sheaths are set on the blade. They are secure and functional, but they are for "working blades" and will wear on the finish of the blade." They aren't kidding, there is almost no retention based on the sheath wrapping around the guard. I would have thought you could have it but I am certainly no expert.
Video to follow in the next few days.
UPDATE May 18, 2011: I've really come to appreciate this sheath even more over the last couple of weeks, it has rapidly become my favorite. It is expensive but I think the quality matches it. The waiting time is still an issue, it's frustrating to wait that long. Hopefully that improves, maybe they are all caught up now but I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, 4 month wait or not.
Video review now posted here
Monday, April 18, 2011
My EDC bag for work
Over the years I have spent a lot of time and a very stupid amount of money trying to find the "perfect" carry bag for work. I've been working basically the same job at the same location for 12 years so you'd think I'd have figured it out a little sooner.....
Part of the reason that it is hard for me to find the right bag (or other item) is that I have to do everything mail order due to my remote location. Also, there has been a lot of cool bags that have come out over the last year and I have to admit it, I'm a gear shopaholic. It's a bit embarrassing but I am getting it under control now.
One of the first mistakes I made was that I never sat down and make a list of what I wanted, what I might need, and what would be useful for my situation. Everyone's needs are different depending on where you live, where you work, your transportation methods, what reasons you want an EDC bag for, etc.
So, about 12 years too late, here is my list.
My situation:
- I work a full time shift work job, about 50 hours a week. I also do contract work at odd hours.
- I live in a small town and generally work out near the local airport, about 12 km out of town, just off the highway.
- I don't need to carry much (if any) work paperwork back and forth. Pretty much all my work stays at work.
- Transportation is a big issue. For the contract work I would normally use my own truck but, for my full time job, I always use a shared company vehicle that I can't store anything in. Frequently other people travel to work with me. That's a big part of the reason I have been looking for a perfect bag, I can't keep a large ready to go heavy pack in the back.
- I do have a locker at work, full size, that I can keep anything in. Has a lock.
What I need a bag or bags for:
- Carry textbooks back and forth (full time student) and occasionally my Dell mini laptop. Usually my netbook stays in one place but I do carry my books around a lot.
- Carry food back and forth, coffee thermos, nalgene water bottle. There is a fridge at work and I also keep a lot of food in my locker and the fridge to make meals but I usually bring out at least one small meal.
Yep, that's a pretty small need list and could be well served by a lot of cheap bags. I think it's a mistake to get too wrapped up in thinking of all the ways you are going to need to escape to the woods. Of course, then we get to my want list! :)
What I want a bag or bags for is to have something I can use as a "get home bag" in the event of a disaster of some kind. I am not looking for a so called "bug out bag" as there just isn't any way I can reasonably carry that much gear unless I was driving my own vehicle. Plus I have a family and my main focus would be getting back home to them.
Other features I want:
- Comfortable to carry.
- Lots of separated compartments.
- Some level of water proof, at least enough not to get soaked from snow melting on it when I bring it inside.
- Options for carrying a variety of safety and travel items (more on that later).
- Something I can carry for a 12km+ walk.
- Tough, able to take abuse.
- Easy to get in and out of a car with. Partly just because I'm going to be carrying this on my lap a lot but also in recognition of the high likelihood of vehicle accidents/roll overs. The road I travel is pretty bad, lots of steep drop offs, no real shoulder, a single lane highway. We also have 8-9 months of snow on the ground here and the road isn't maintained to a very high standard. People hit the ditch here all the time. There are a lot of spots where no one would notice and, even if they did, the road may not see another car for hours at night.
A list of some of the items I am carrying in my bag, in random order:
- first aid kit
- hand and foot warmers
- cell phone
- full face mask
- warm gloves/mitts (seasonal it is work gloves)
- 500 ml bottle water plus a 1L nalgene that is usually full
- water treatment tablets
- mora knife with keychain light, whistle, and compass on a neck cord
- AAA lights - streamlight stylus pro and a streamlight headlamp
- duct tape (removed from the roll)
- mini maglight LED (AA)
- spare batteries (in the plastic maxpedition volta battery case, not using the pouch)
- sunglasses in maxpedition molle case
- glass breaker
- box cutter
- mutli head mini screwdriver
- mini hacksaw
- pen, pencil, notepad
- spare set of keys
- USB keydrive
- bandanna
- some cash and change
- wallet
- eye drops, dental floss, gum
- two lighters, strike anywhere matches, tinder
- folding knife
- Cold Steel SRK knife
That list is sometimes expanded on and is seasonal. I might change the knives, I might add in spare socks, toque, additional first aid supplies, etc.
For my American readers, you might notice a very important item that is not there - a handgun or some other weapon/defensive item. It's illegal to carry a handgun in Canada without an ATT (authorization to transport) and those are only issued for transporting a gun to the range, to a gun smith, etc. It's essentially impossible to get one for personal protection. You can carry some long guns (with the correct license, paperwork and storage) but that's not possible for me, I'm not travelling in my vehicle.
Originally I used to carry a backpack to work, more of a daypack size but with proper waist and sternum straps. Those packs were usually too small and not really designed for what I wanted to do with them. Larger backpacks were too awkward, I'd get the straps tangled and larger packs tend to be very long making them hard to carry on my lap or fit into small spaces. Regardless, pretty much any camping pack isn't really going to have the compartments and attachments I was looking for. Another issue was carrying one in winter, I usually wear an enormous parka and it's tough to get them on and off. The final issue is that the stuff in a pack tends to get bounced all over the place when you are carrying the pack in a car. I've dumped my lunch a few times or had a leaky thermos that made a real mess.
Several years ago I got a Maxpedition tactical attache (operator?). I liked all the pouches and at that time, I used to carry a lot of paperwork back and forth so it was a good briefcase as well. The strap stunk, the cheap plastic snap attachment broke, but I put a better one on. I used to carry it and a bag for my lunch.
Once my job changed (same company, different position), I didn't need to carry paperwork around and so I went back to a backpack for a while. Later on I came across some other Maxpedition bags on...youtube maybe? I was quite impressed with the capabilities and my mom ended up buying me a Malaga Gearslinger for a birthday present (very nice of her).
Loved the bag at the time, loved the PALS webbing and went a little nuts buying all sorts of extra pouches. The problem with the bag was that once I started adding all those pouches it just got ridiculously enormous. Plus that bag actually had a molle strap tear and was getting a little worn on the carry strap - that did piss me off but I gave them another chance and bought a Kodiak gearslinger.
The Kodiak was a better option for me, more versatile out of the box without the need to buy a whole bunch of extra pouches. I could carry my laptop easily, textbooks, lots of pockets for stuff, etc. I wasn't totally sold on the length of it though. One thing I liked about the Malaga was that if you carried it in the front, it didn't block your arms. This way I figured I could carry it with my heavy BOB pack (which stays at home) or a standard pack that I keep in my work locker, with the Malaga slung in front. The Kodiak is too long for that. I could have gone back to the Malaga, I tried, but the carry strap on it is much less comfortable than the Kodiak and I just didn't like the bag anymore. The Malaga's carry strap is ambidextrous which is sorta nice (switch shoulders as it gets sore) but the Kodiak's one way only strap is much, much more comfortable. I searched for something that had the size I wanted (more or less) with the carry strap I liked and I again bought a maxpedition bag - got a very cheap price on amazon.com. My sister had sent me a gift certificate at Christmas and it paid for the bag, it was only $50!!! And yes, it was authentic.
The bag was yet another gearslinger (yes, this is getting ridiculous), I got the Noatak gearslinger. That's a very cool bag and it was such an amazing price I had to buy it. Was on the small side but I could still squeeze my Dell mini in there and I started carrying a separate bag for food and stuff. I figured that if some bad shit went down I would ditch the other bag and go with the Noatak. The problem with the Noatak was that with the same amount of items it actually felt heavier than the Kodiak. Too heavy to walk any serious distance, too sore on the shoulder. Turns out that Kodiak's length was the difference, it would sit low enough that my back and butt was actually taking some of the weight! Plus, I didn't really want to carry two separate bags around, too much crap all over the place.
The big problem is that I didn't clearly evaluate what I wanted and why and ended up with some very, very cool bags - that were useless to me. Why? Try and walk with a sling pack 12km with ANYTHING in it, then you'll see why. Youtube is riddled with guys that are talking about how they take these things in the woods on hikes. Either those are men of iron or they are completely full of BS. All I know is that I can't do it. I tried a couple of times and it is just way too sore. I encourage you to do the same, load up some water, some food, some of your favorite tools, and take that sling pack on a hike in the woods - or even across town. If it works for you, great, but I suspect it won't.
Now I have a Malaga that's a bit trashed that I don't want/need and can't even sell, a Kodiak that is now relegated to an airline travel bag (more on that in another post), and a Noatak I have no use for. If you have a CCW permit for a handgun, I think it would be a good bag for that, no use for me though.
What's left then? The backpack? Well, that's still not really what I want, nothing has changed there. Yes, I could look at at PALS-compatible pack, maybe one of the maxpedition ones, but all the same backpack annoyances still apply. However, once I finally made my wants/needs list, I had my (current, subject to change!) answer: a patrol bag. I used to use one regularly during my stint as an auxiliary police officer, very handy bag - compartments to keep things separated, the stiff rectangular design keeps it upright and keeps things from being jostled, easy to sit one on your lap as a passenger, TONS of space for something that you can sit on your lap. Good carry handle and a sling strap. But Jon, what about that sling strap? You said slings are no good for the distance you might have to walk?
I'm glad I asked me that!
Here's where maxpedition came through for me, with their Centurion Patrol Bag. It's similar to a standard patrol bag but has a lot more pouches and two features that made all the difference: 1L nalgene compatible pouches and PALS webbing, neither of which my old patrol bag had (I haven't seen any other brand that has it so far).
The water bottle pouches are important because they save room inside the pack. I like to carry a big water bottle back and forth, either a nalgene or a steel one, plus a large thermos and a small plastic water bottle (backup in case the nalgene isn't full). Other patrol bags don't have big enough pouches for large water bottles so they either get attached outside, banging around, or they go inside taking up space and potentially leaking all over your stuff.
Having PALS webbing allows you to attach pouches, which is nice, but it is those attachments that answer the long-dstance sling carry question. The answer is that I wouldn't carry this bag at all if I had to walk home, I'd ditch it. It's OK to carry for a short distance but would be terrible for a long hike. I have attached an Octa Versipack to the top of the patrol bag - the Octa has PALS webbing on the back which allows me to attach it securely. You could also put the Octa or a cheaper fanny pack in your bag but I like being able to attach it to the outside, leaving more room for my personal items (textbooks, laptop, etc) inside. This way I get my two bag system without having to struggle carrying two bags.
Most of the items (except the knives) that I view as essential are actually kept in the Octa. Duplicate or less important items are kept in the patrol bag. In the event I ditch the patrol bag, the very comfortable and long hike-friendly Octa will be my get home bag. The small plastic back up water bottle that I carry is kept on the top of the bag where most people would put a flashlight, and I have two mini rollypoly pouches on the side for carrying more water. Since all the weight is taken on the hips, it's no problem to use it for an extended hike - or walk home in my case. There is more than enough room to carry essential survival items, especially since I would carry my mora knife around my neck and the SRK attaches to the belt strap.
The drawback to this system? Cost. Both of those bags are VERY expensive. Of course, so were all the other bags that didn't work for me! Now you could probably find some cheaper ways to do this but these bags meet my needs and wants quite well. I think this will be a durable system that will last me for years to come. Though with my track record, I'll probably replace it next week! :)
So, what's your system?
Part of the reason that it is hard for me to find the right bag (or other item) is that I have to do everything mail order due to my remote location. Also, there has been a lot of cool bags that have come out over the last year and I have to admit it, I'm a gear shopaholic. It's a bit embarrassing but I am getting it under control now.
One of the first mistakes I made was that I never sat down and make a list of what I wanted, what I might need, and what would be useful for my situation. Everyone's needs are different depending on where you live, where you work, your transportation methods, what reasons you want an EDC bag for, etc.
So, about 12 years too late, here is my list.
My situation:
- I work a full time shift work job, about 50 hours a week. I also do contract work at odd hours.
- I live in a small town and generally work out near the local airport, about 12 km out of town, just off the highway.
- I don't need to carry much (if any) work paperwork back and forth. Pretty much all my work stays at work.
- Transportation is a big issue. For the contract work I would normally use my own truck but, for my full time job, I always use a shared company vehicle that I can't store anything in. Frequently other people travel to work with me. That's a big part of the reason I have been looking for a perfect bag, I can't keep a large ready to go heavy pack in the back.
- I do have a locker at work, full size, that I can keep anything in. Has a lock.
What I need a bag or bags for:
- Carry textbooks back and forth (full time student) and occasionally my Dell mini laptop. Usually my netbook stays in one place but I do carry my books around a lot.
- Carry food back and forth, coffee thermos, nalgene water bottle. There is a fridge at work and I also keep a lot of food in my locker and the fridge to make meals but I usually bring out at least one small meal.
Yep, that's a pretty small need list and could be well served by a lot of cheap bags. I think it's a mistake to get too wrapped up in thinking of all the ways you are going to need to escape to the woods. Of course, then we get to my want list! :)
What I want a bag or bags for is to have something I can use as a "get home bag" in the event of a disaster of some kind. I am not looking for a so called "bug out bag" as there just isn't any way I can reasonably carry that much gear unless I was driving my own vehicle. Plus I have a family and my main focus would be getting back home to them.
Other features I want:
- Comfortable to carry.
- Lots of separated compartments.
- Some level of water proof, at least enough not to get soaked from snow melting on it when I bring it inside.
- Options for carrying a variety of safety and travel items (more on that later).
- Something I can carry for a 12km+ walk.
- Tough, able to take abuse.
- Easy to get in and out of a car with. Partly just because I'm going to be carrying this on my lap a lot but also in recognition of the high likelihood of vehicle accidents/roll overs. The road I travel is pretty bad, lots of steep drop offs, no real shoulder, a single lane highway. We also have 8-9 months of snow on the ground here and the road isn't maintained to a very high standard. People hit the ditch here all the time. There are a lot of spots where no one would notice and, even if they did, the road may not see another car for hours at night.
A list of some of the items I am carrying in my bag, in random order:
- first aid kit
- hand and foot warmers
- cell phone
- full face mask
- warm gloves/mitts (seasonal it is work gloves)
- 500 ml bottle water plus a 1L nalgene that is usually full
- water treatment tablets
- mora knife with keychain light, whistle, and compass on a neck cord
- AAA lights - streamlight stylus pro and a streamlight headlamp
- duct tape (removed from the roll)
- mini maglight LED (AA)
- spare batteries (in the plastic maxpedition volta battery case, not using the pouch)
- sunglasses in maxpedition molle case
- glass breaker
- box cutter
- mutli head mini screwdriver
- mini hacksaw
- pen, pencil, notepad
- spare set of keys
- USB keydrive
- bandanna
- some cash and change
- wallet
- eye drops, dental floss, gum
- two lighters, strike anywhere matches, tinder
- folding knife
- Cold Steel SRK knife
That list is sometimes expanded on and is seasonal. I might change the knives, I might add in spare socks, toque, additional first aid supplies, etc.
For my American readers, you might notice a very important item that is not there - a handgun or some other weapon/defensive item. It's illegal to carry a handgun in Canada without an ATT (authorization to transport) and those are only issued for transporting a gun to the range, to a gun smith, etc. It's essentially impossible to get one for personal protection. You can carry some long guns (with the correct license, paperwork and storage) but that's not possible for me, I'm not travelling in my vehicle.
Originally I used to carry a backpack to work, more of a daypack size but with proper waist and sternum straps. Those packs were usually too small and not really designed for what I wanted to do with them. Larger backpacks were too awkward, I'd get the straps tangled and larger packs tend to be very long making them hard to carry on my lap or fit into small spaces. Regardless, pretty much any camping pack isn't really going to have the compartments and attachments I was looking for. Another issue was carrying one in winter, I usually wear an enormous parka and it's tough to get them on and off. The final issue is that the stuff in a pack tends to get bounced all over the place when you are carrying the pack in a car. I've dumped my lunch a few times or had a leaky thermos that made a real mess.
Several years ago I got a Maxpedition tactical attache (operator?). I liked all the pouches and at that time, I used to carry a lot of paperwork back and forth so it was a good briefcase as well. The strap stunk, the cheap plastic snap attachment broke, but I put a better one on. I used to carry it and a bag for my lunch.
Once my job changed (same company, different position), I didn't need to carry paperwork around and so I went back to a backpack for a while. Later on I came across some other Maxpedition bags on...youtube maybe? I was quite impressed with the capabilities and my mom ended up buying me a Malaga Gearslinger for a birthday present (very nice of her).
Loved the bag at the time, loved the PALS webbing and went a little nuts buying all sorts of extra pouches. The problem with the bag was that once I started adding all those pouches it just got ridiculously enormous. Plus that bag actually had a molle strap tear and was getting a little worn on the carry strap - that did piss me off but I gave them another chance and bought a Kodiak gearslinger.
The Kodiak was a better option for me, more versatile out of the box without the need to buy a whole bunch of extra pouches. I could carry my laptop easily, textbooks, lots of pockets for stuff, etc. I wasn't totally sold on the length of it though. One thing I liked about the Malaga was that if you carried it in the front, it didn't block your arms. This way I figured I could carry it with my heavy BOB pack (which stays at home) or a standard pack that I keep in my work locker, with the Malaga slung in front. The Kodiak is too long for that. I could have gone back to the Malaga, I tried, but the carry strap on it is much less comfortable than the Kodiak and I just didn't like the bag anymore. The Malaga's carry strap is ambidextrous which is sorta nice (switch shoulders as it gets sore) but the Kodiak's one way only strap is much, much more comfortable. I searched for something that had the size I wanted (more or less) with the carry strap I liked and I again bought a maxpedition bag - got a very cheap price on amazon.com. My sister had sent me a gift certificate at Christmas and it paid for the bag, it was only $50!!! And yes, it was authentic.
The bag was yet another gearslinger (yes, this is getting ridiculous), I got the Noatak gearslinger. That's a very cool bag and it was such an amazing price I had to buy it. Was on the small side but I could still squeeze my Dell mini in there and I started carrying a separate bag for food and stuff. I figured that if some bad shit went down I would ditch the other bag and go with the Noatak. The problem with the Noatak was that with the same amount of items it actually felt heavier than the Kodiak. Too heavy to walk any serious distance, too sore on the shoulder. Turns out that Kodiak's length was the difference, it would sit low enough that my back and butt was actually taking some of the weight! Plus, I didn't really want to carry two separate bags around, too much crap all over the place.
The big problem is that I didn't clearly evaluate what I wanted and why and ended up with some very, very cool bags - that were useless to me. Why? Try and walk with a sling pack 12km with ANYTHING in it, then you'll see why. Youtube is riddled with guys that are talking about how they take these things in the woods on hikes. Either those are men of iron or they are completely full of BS. All I know is that I can't do it. I tried a couple of times and it is just way too sore. I encourage you to do the same, load up some water, some food, some of your favorite tools, and take that sling pack on a hike in the woods - or even across town. If it works for you, great, but I suspect it won't.
Now I have a Malaga that's a bit trashed that I don't want/need and can't even sell, a Kodiak that is now relegated to an airline travel bag (more on that in another post), and a Noatak I have no use for. If you have a CCW permit for a handgun, I think it would be a good bag for that, no use for me though.
What's left then? The backpack? Well, that's still not really what I want, nothing has changed there. Yes, I could look at at PALS-compatible pack, maybe one of the maxpedition ones, but all the same backpack annoyances still apply. However, once I finally made my wants/needs list, I had my (current, subject to change!) answer: a patrol bag. I used to use one regularly during my stint as an auxiliary police officer, very handy bag - compartments to keep things separated, the stiff rectangular design keeps it upright and keeps things from being jostled, easy to sit one on your lap as a passenger, TONS of space for something that you can sit on your lap. Good carry handle and a sling strap. But Jon, what about that sling strap? You said slings are no good for the distance you might have to walk?
I'm glad I asked me that!
Here's where maxpedition came through for me, with their Centurion Patrol Bag. It's similar to a standard patrol bag but has a lot more pouches and two features that made all the difference: 1L nalgene compatible pouches and PALS webbing, neither of which my old patrol bag had (I haven't seen any other brand that has it so far).
The water bottle pouches are important because they save room inside the pack. I like to carry a big water bottle back and forth, either a nalgene or a steel one, plus a large thermos and a small plastic water bottle (backup in case the nalgene isn't full). Other patrol bags don't have big enough pouches for large water bottles so they either get attached outside, banging around, or they go inside taking up space and potentially leaking all over your stuff.
Having PALS webbing allows you to attach pouches, which is nice, but it is those attachments that answer the long-dstance sling carry question. The answer is that I wouldn't carry this bag at all if I had to walk home, I'd ditch it. It's OK to carry for a short distance but would be terrible for a long hike. I have attached an Octa Versipack to the top of the patrol bag - the Octa has PALS webbing on the back which allows me to attach it securely. You could also put the Octa or a cheaper fanny pack in your bag but I like being able to attach it to the outside, leaving more room for my personal items (textbooks, laptop, etc) inside. This way I get my two bag system without having to struggle carrying two bags.
Most of the items (except the knives) that I view as essential are actually kept in the Octa. Duplicate or less important items are kept in the patrol bag. In the event I ditch the patrol bag, the very comfortable and long hike-friendly Octa will be my get home bag. The small plastic back up water bottle that I carry is kept on the top of the bag where most people would put a flashlight, and I have two mini rollypoly pouches on the side for carrying more water. Since all the weight is taken on the hips, it's no problem to use it for an extended hike - or walk home in my case. There is more than enough room to carry essential survival items, especially since I would carry my mora knife around my neck and the SRK attaches to the belt strap.
The drawback to this system? Cost. Both of those bags are VERY expensive. Of course, so were all the other bags that didn't work for me! Now you could probably find some cheaper ways to do this but these bags meet my needs and wants quite well. I think this will be a durable system that will last me for years to come. Though with my track record, I'll probably replace it next week! :)
So, what's your system?
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