The Permanent Portfolio, Investing, Finance and Random Thoughts.
Posts by craigr
Svea 123R Review – The Best Hiking White Gas Stove Ever
03 weeks ago
By the time you add everything up, the trusty Svea still puts in a fine showing. I’ve hiked a lot of miles carrying this stove. It’s the main stove I take winter camping to get extra BTUs for snow and because I know it will always work. And did I mention that it’s beautiful?
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
British DPM Basha Tarp Review
03 weeks ago
There are some cheap knockoffs out there from WebTex. I recommend skipping them and getting the milspec version. I bought mine here:
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
Stainless Steel Bark River Bravo 1 and Fallkniven S1 Knife Review
03 weeks ago
I really like my Bark River Bravo 1 in A2 carbon steel, but I live in a really wet area and I decided to try out the stainless version. I also decided I wanted a little bigger knife for winter camping and got a Fallkniven S1. In this video I review both of them side by side in pouring rain and snow. Both knives performed admirably. The stainless Bravo is CPM 154 stainless and it held a great edge and did not rust under these conditions. It has a beefier 4″ blade than the S1 and a good balance.
The Fallkniven S1 is VG-10 laminated stainless and also did not rust. It has a 5″ blade and similarly good balance. The Fallkniven knife handle is a material called Thermorun and it was warm in bare hands and worked well with mittens on. The Bark River probably had a more overall comfortable grip in bare hands, but it did get cold due to the exposed metal in its micarta handle. In mittens the Bravo 1 had a good grip, but was slicker than the Fallkniven. Both knives are highly recommended.
Get the Zytel sheath version of the S1. It will be best in wet and cold temps vs. the leather.
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
Bahco Laplander Folding Saw Review
03 weeks ago
A few years ago I started carrying a larger folding saw if the area I was traveling to allowed its use for collecting firewood. A folding saw like the Bahco Laplander can do a lot of wood processing a lot safer than an axe (an important consideration if you get injured miles away from the trailhead). I’ve used one of these saws also for trail building and clearing and they just keep going and going. I also took this saw on an advanced wilderness survival course and it was my most borrowed piece of gear! Most everyone agreed it was really useful (and well worth the 8 ozs. of weight to carry). This is by far the best folding saw I’ve ever used.
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
Bark River Bravo 1 Knife Review
03 weeks ago
In this review I test out a Bark River Bravo 1 knife. This knife features a beefy blade and great handle ergonomics. The steel is A2 carbon and it holds a fine long lasting edge. The knife blade is about 4″ and is a good knife for someone looking to do heavier camp duties. The handle on this knife is really comfortable and is made out of canvas micarta scales. I really like this knife and it would be a good choice for someone that wants something thicker than other 4″ blades.
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
