Clipper Lighter

One item I always include in my fire kit is a disposable lighter. Why, because using a lighter is an easy and convenient way of making a fire. I know a lighter is no good when the flint is wet but you can blow and wipe it dry and it will function again. What about when the fuel runs dry or evaporates? Well, you can still use the spark from the lighter to make fire if you have a char cloth, cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly, jute twine or any tinder that will catch fire easily. You can convert your lighter into a sparklite. See my previous post on how to convert a lighter into a sparklite. But you don't need to do that if you have a clipper lighter.


Clipper is a brand name of a lighter that is refillable and world renowned for durability and reliability.


It's just like any disposable lighter.


But it has a removable flint system that allows you to replace the flint. You just pull the flint system up with your fingers.


And you have an instant sparklite. Clipper lighter, a conventional lighter and a sparklite all in one.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Combination Wood - Alcohol Stove

Now that winter is just a week away, I find it hard to gather dried twigs to fuel my wood stove. I like to drink coffee when I'm out on the trail. Well, it's actually a trail and a park because there is a picnic grove too. I don't go deep into the woods really. After I come out from work on a night shift, I just take a short walk on the trail and then prepare my coffee. So I modified my hobo stove to accomodate my DIY alcohol stove to boil water.


To be able to use my alcohol stove, I just punch 4 holes on the hobo stove and inserted 2 wires which will serve as a platform for the acohol stove. This way the hobo stove will act as a wind screen at the same time.


This is how it works. The alcohol stove is already fired up but you can't see the flames. I used heet for fuel and the flame is not visible. You will note the condensation forming on the lower portion of my space saver cup. The outside temperature is 34F when I made this test.


It took 12 minutes for bubbles to form on the water. I didn't get a rolling boil maybe because it was also too windy that day. Anyway, the water was hot enough for a good cup of coffee. And yes, I had to refill the alcohol stove too.


Result is not really bad. Maybe I would make a taller alcohol stove so there would be no need for fuel refill. I was also thinking of a way to use solid fuels like esbit solid fuel for example. That would be my next project I guess.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

BUCKLITE Knife 422 Folding Lockback

Recently, I have been participating in auctions for used knives at eBay and this is the first one I won.


This is the photo posted on eBay and the seller described it as "with rust spots on the blade" as you can see above.


Well, it turned out that it was gunk after all and not rusts. After cleaning the blade with oil, it was as good as new.


7.25" OAL, 3" blade, 2.6 oz. wt., not sure if blade is 440 or 420HC. It looks like Buck Ranger 112 but very much lighter.

I have been feeling uneasy carrying fixed blade knives when I go on a short hike on forest preserves. I think it's much easier to justify carrying a folder instead of a fixed blade just in case you get accosted by law enforcement officer. That's highly improbable to happen but who knows? As Murphy's law states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Better be safe than sorry, so for now I would carry a folder instead of a fixed blade on short hikes.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

ResQMe Tool Gone

Another gadget lost. I lost it the same way I lost my guppy knife - yanked out from the carabiner attached to my pant's belt loop. I should have learned my lesson the first time but I guess I'm so hard headed.


My car keys with the black clip that holds the ResQme tool.


How it was attached to the black clip.


The ResQMe tool. Read this post to find more about it.

Well now I will never attach a carabiner with my stuff on my belt loop ever again.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

EDC Upgrade

We're having a bit of unusual low temperature this fall. Its cool and winter-like at 30F-35F. In fact we just have a thin layer of snow fall about 3 weeks ago. Since early fall, I have winterized my car. Wool blanket, winter coat, sweater, space blanket, flashlight, food, I even have a stove and firewood in the trunk. Who knows when a blizzard could suddenly occur. Remember the rule of 3's? Three hours of exposure to the elements ... you die (in this case of hypothermia).


First snowfall this year.


I also checked my EDC kit and found out that some items need replacement like the petroleum coated cotton container and the leather lighter pouch. This is the kit that is in my pocket wherever I go.


The cap of the improvised container for the petroleum coated cotton is missing and need to be replaced probably with a new waterproof container.


The small leather pouch for the lighter had stretched and enlarged. The lighter is kept in the pouch by a tying a rubber band around it. This pouch needs to be replaced too. I may also replace the firesteel in preparation for the coming winter season.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

GATCO TRI-SEPS Serrated Edge & Point Sharpener

My main sharpening system is composed of a carpenter stone and a leather strop or instead of the stone I use a wet sanding paper in the 320, 400, 600, and 800 grit consecutively. When I'm out in the woods, I carry a small Arkansas stone and a piece of leather belt which is enough to re-sharpen my knives when I need to. However, I have some knives that have partially serrated edge and although I'm not a fan of serrations, I need to have a way of sharpening them. At first, I thought of using a small round file to sharpen the serrations and was about to buy one when I came across a video showing how to sharpen serrated knives using the sharpener in the photo below.


GATCO TRI-SEPS Serrated Edge & Point Sharpener.


It has a sharpening side for non-serrated knives.


And a side for serrated knives.


This is how the product is described in the website where I ordered it.

"Designed to be used by the armed forces, this triangular shaped, portable ceramic sharpener has a built-in angle guide to quickly restore a razor sharp edge to serrations, plain edges, entrenching tools, scissors, darts, fish hooks, ice picks, and other pointed instruments. The unique triangular design features two radius sizes and provides sharpening for large and small serrations. Includes a military-spec bead chain and clasp."

All in all, it's convenient to bring along in the field because its small and great for re-touching you knife wherever you are. But for really dull knives, in my opinion nothing will beat a carpenter stone or a wet sanding paper.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

A Birthday Gift

September is my birth-month and I got a birthday present that has been in my wish list for quite sometime. It might be coincidence or somebody had a peek on the wish list in my computer. Whatever the case maybe, I'm not complaining.


The Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Trekker Lockblade. 1 hand serrated locking blade. Includes: Phillips screwdriver, can opener, small screwdriver, bottle opener, large locking screwdriver, wire stripper, wood saw, reamer, toothpick, tweezers, and key ring.


3 1/4" partially serrated blade. This would be a great EDC, camping or hiking knife. I think I would use this mostly on my camping trips because the bottle and can opener would come in handy. I wish it had the cork screw to open a bottle of wine although it is not really that important.

I lost this knife for 3 weeks. I thought I'd never find it so I bought a cheap Coleman camping knife. My wife found it later under the bed mattress. Talk about getting old and yes, I have this knife under my pillow when I sleep.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

The Knife That Bit Me

I got another one of those cheap knife. At $6.24 plus free shipping on orders above $25, I just can't resist to buy.


Master USA Neck Knife.


6.75" Overall, half serrated 440 black stainless steel blade, red cord wrapped handle, hard plastic sheath. Very good sheath retention, no rattle whatsoever.


Four finger grip. Quite comfortable in the hand but I will replace lanyard and cord wrap with real 550 paracord.


I might remove the serrations on the blade too to make it look less tactical. I've really never been a fan of serrations.


Is it sharp? You bet, I cut my fingertip while I was testing the knife by making a stake. I never knew I was cut until the blood came oozing out. Just a baby cut though.

As one Youtuber always say as his closing remarks - "And remember, don't cut yourself." Well, I'd be careful next time.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Mess Kit

As part of my preparation for our vacation (see post below), I bought a mess kit from Walmart. I thought it would be nice to have a bonfire and cook our food by the beach.


Mess kit by Outdoor Products. Includes a fry pan/plate , bowl, a pot with a handle and lid, and a cup with a handle. Lightweight and made of 100% aluminum.


Fry pan/plate.


Bowl.


Pot with lid.


And a cup with handle.

Unfortunately, its been very cold and nobody wants to go out and have a bonfire so I wasn't able to test my mess kit. I guess I just have to use it in the park one of these days.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

5 Days Vacation

After 3 months of planning and waiting, finally we're able to have a long vacation. We rented a rest house near Lake Michigan in Porter County, Indiana and had a grand time swimming (wading actually), drinking and eating. The lakeshore indeed looks like a seashore and reminds me of the beach in my home province in the Philippines.


Wading, and soaking my feet with the energy from the warm waters of the lake.


Enjoying the breeze and the cool weather.


The sunset looks like the sunset at Manila Bay too.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Mosquito Head Net

Summer is a time for outdoor fun. It is a time for exploring forest preserves and walking or biking its many hiking trails. It is also a time for mosquitos and other pesky insects. Therefore, it is a good idea to wear insect repellent, as mosquitoes can be quite thick along the trail, especially the natural trail. Wearing a mosquito head net is a good precaution too.


Put it on your head, and it keeps mosquitoes and other insect pests off. By the way, did you know that flies here bites too.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

UCO Micro Lantern

One rule of survival is that all items in your kit should serve more than one purpose. If the gadget is not multi-purpose then it is not worth including it in your survival kit.

Take this UCO micro lantern for example. You will find below that it has other purpose aside from providing light.


Collapsing lantern is made of aluminum. Lantern holds two tealight candles


Glass chimney creates a windproof environment for the candle. Attached bail and chain allows lantern to be hung anywhere.


Burns all varieties of tealight candles.


So what's its other use? It can keep your coffee warm for 8 hours(that's how long a tea light candle lasts). I don't have my stainless cup when I took this picture so I just used a can to show you how.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Knife & Flint Mod

To pass away the time on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I made modifications on my knife & flint steel.


This is how its looks now. And this is how it looks before.


First, I increased the angle between the spine and the blade because I was uncomfortable how pointy the knife was.


Then I reprofiled the blade into a more stronger convex grind. The result was a blunted knife I am not so wary about and a more stronger, sharper convex grind. Looks like it has more character, isn't it? I might replace the shoe lace wrap with a paracord too. Maybe that would be my next project.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.

Elk Ridge Infinity Skinner Knife

I first saw this knife on YouTube. The guy didn't like the way it looks and modified the blade and put scales on the handle. I thought it would be a nice project to do the same so I bought this knife from Amazon.

When I got the knife, I liked it and decided to leave it the way it is.


5 3/8" overall. 2" skinner blade with notch cutout and guthook. The guthook can be used as a seat belt cutter. There is a bottle opener at the end of the handle you can use when the knife is inserted on the sheath.


It has a sharpening rod on the sheath.


And a firesteel too.


The blade is sharp enough to make fuzzy stick. With its built-in sharpening rod and firesteel, it's a nice, compact kit to bring along on a short walk into the woods. It fits very well in my back pocket.

That's all folks! Thanks for reading.