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.