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How to live off the land. - a list by Taffastrophe
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Is that a Buck in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
First to recommend
Description
Buck knives are just great. Not only do they look good, but let's face it: Everyone should own a pocketknife. Just about everyone needs one.
Can't get those stupid CD wrappers open?
Pocketknife.
Screws in your glasses keep getting loose?
Pocketknife.
Opening Christmas presents from trashy relatives who think you can never use too much tape?
Pocketknife.
Need to cut some string so that you can tease your adorable little kitten?
Pocketknife.
Need to get rid of the kitten because it keeps pissing on the floor?
Well, you get the idea...
When I leave the house, I always check for the "Big 5": Keys, wallet, cigarettes, cell phone, and pocketknife. If I manage to quit smoking, it'll be down to the Big 4, but I use this as an example of how important I consider pocketknives to be. They're tremendously useful in everyday life... and if you don't want to go that "other" route and pick up some pepper spray, well, they're pretty handy in a knife fight, too. Just don't bring them to a gun fight.
Updated Aug 9, 2008
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The 1,100 Lumens Flashlight
First to recommend
Description
I admit it: I'm sort of a flashlight geek. From the pen lights I had as a kid to the LED flashlight I have on my keychain, I've always liked them. Mostly because I hate stubbing my toes on things in the middle of the night, I guess.
But, it's also pretty nice to be able to see what's going on in the woods around your camp in the middle of the night. Enter the 1,100 Lumens -- roughly 15 million candlepower -- flashlight/spotlight. Essentially, this has about as much power as the new halogen car headlights (on high beam), so you can get an idea of how well it can illuminate an area. For about a hundred bucks, this portable day-maker is well worth the money.
Updated Aug 10, 2008
Sleeping Bags.
First to recommend
Description
Unless your idea of camping involves taking your girlfriend up to your grandfather's log cabin in upstate New York and sitting around the fireplace sipping hot cocoa and watching CNBC for your stock updates, you're going to need a dependable sleeping bag. These Huntas Classic sleeping bags offer a range of temperature ratings (20 F to negative 15 F) and are windproof even at the zipper. Best of all? You can zip two of them together to form one queen-sized sleeping bag. Let's see a log cabin beat THAT for intimacy...
Updated Aug 11, 2008
Tents. Your kingdom-away-from-your-kingdom.
First to recommend
Description
Your typical mountain-climbing tent weighs 9-10 pounds. A decent camping tent will go 15-20 pounds. This one? 54 pounds.
(Don't worry, Alice. You won't have to carry it -- it comes with a wheeled bag, just like your matched luggage.)
Why, then, do we want a heavier tent? I'll tell you. First off, this baby has over seven feet of clearance in the center and over six in the corners,, which means you won't be bent over and stumbling around like a jackass. Secondly, it sleeps eight. It has built-in shelf units. It has a loft for your gear. Essentially, this tent lets you enjoy not only the hiking, but the camping as well - an oft-overlooked part of the enjoyment of the outdoors.
You aren't in the Boy Scouts anymore -- there's no need to squeeze yourself into a tiny tent and spend the whole night listening to the mouth-breather next to you. Get outdoors and do it in style!
Updated Aug 12, 2008
Portable GPS systems
First to recommend
Description
Every once in a while, you hear about hikers who get lost in the wilderness. A lot of times, they get into terrain and/or weather from which they can't extricate themselves. Most of the time, though, they just get plain-old lost. GPS solves that little issue.
Also, for those of you who hunt and fish, marking good spots and accurately finding them again is a snap. For hikers, marking the start of a trail that you love is extremely useful; for birdwatchers, marking the hollow-nest of a prothonotary warbler or an eagle's aerie can help you get those elusive photos.
In short, everyone who ventures outside city limits should own a GPS system.
Updated Aug 11, 2008
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Coleman - 62 Quart Wheeled Xtreme Cooler
First to recommend
Description
Whether you're into week-long camping trips, backyard barbeques, or a 9am tailgate before a football game, a good cooler is a must. These Colemans keep your drinks colder than any other cooler out there, so much so that I haven't owned a non-Coleman cooler in probably 10 years.
The wheeled version allows for easy transporting of your beverages of choice, as the model in the picture, a 62-quart cooler, can weigh over a hundred pounds fully loaded.
Drink smarter, not harder!
Updated Aug 11, 2008
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Coleman - RoadTrip Grill LXE
First to recommend
Description
Tailgates don't work with fast food or cold sandwiches. Brats, burgers, dogs, chicken, pork, steaks -- these are all acceptable (and by acceptable, I mean mandatory). A lot of your typical charcoal grills are hard to transport, and can get very messy. Instead of lugging around the equivalent of a small fireplace & chimney, pick up one of these compact, highly functional Coleman gas grills. Set up to use a portable mini-propane tank or a full 20-pounder (neither included), it's versatile, too. Click on the link to see how it folds and stores easily, and go get yourself one of these before your next tailgate.
Updated Aug 11, 2008
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Texsport Folding Pick/Shovel
First to recommend
Description
I don't know about you, but when I'm out camping, I always dig a fire pit. Half of the fun of camping is sitting around well after dark, gazing at a fire. This combo pick and shovel is great for building your pit, and has other practical uses as well. Cooking food over a fire? Wrap the shovel in aluminum foil, and you have yourself a skillet. Tired of cousin JoeBob drinking all of your beer? Wrap the shovel around his head. It really is a useful little tool!
Updated Aug 11, 2008
Cabela's -- Butt-Out Tool
First to recommend
Description
A must for deer hunters everywhere, this handy little tool takes care of the most unpleasant of aspects when field-dressing your kill. At the risk of nauseating readers with more delicate sensibilities, I'll let the description after the jump do the selling. Just know this: If the hunter in your life doesn't own one of these, he or she will not remember hunting without it.
Updated Aug 11, 2008
Fillet Knife
First to recommend
Description
This "No Bones About It" knife bills itself as "the world's greatest fillet knife." While I won't go that far, I will certainly say it is the most versatile. It works equally well on small panfish and big northerns, and doesn't need to be sharpened as often as a lot of knives I've used.
When I fish Kentucky Lake, I put crappie on ice for a day before cleaning them. This knife has no problems slicing right to the bone -- day after day -- on these partially-frozen fish, and helps get every last bit of meat off of a fish. Highly, highly recommended.
Updated Aug 11, 2008
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