We live in an age where being in consistent contact personally and professionally is essential for many people. We’ve got great portable devices that allow us to do this, the one shortcoming is battery life. How many times have we seen someone at the airport searching for a place to plug in their device to […]
Patagonia Atom 8 Sling Bag for Travel and Everyday Carry (EDC)
I’ve never been a huge fan of sling bags. Mainly because I usually buy bulky tactical style ones that feel like having a huge tick on my back. Another reason was that I have the tendency to over pack, even just for a day out. Over the past few years, age, mission and a bad […]
Terävä Jääkäripuukko 140, Carbon Field knife
About a month ago I was watching a video on the Ranger Fieldcraft and Survival YouTube channel and noticed the channel owner using a different knife than the one that he usually uses in his videos. I dropped him a question in the comments section and he revealed that it was a Terävä Jääkäripuukko 140, […]
Dynamis Alliance 1.5” LoPro Belt by Crush Everything
I’ve been wearing a Dynamis Alliance LoPro belt for about six or seven years now. I love pieces of kit that have hidden pockets and compartments in them. So, when I first saw the advertisement for the LoPro belt with hidden pockets, I ordered one right away. The LoPro belt is the brainchild of Dom […]
5.11 Tactical COVRT18 2.0 | A Low Profile Pack
In the fall of 2023, I found a great sale price on one of the new COVRT18 2.0 low profile backpacks from 5.11 Tactical. I had previously owned one of their Gen 1 COVRT18 packs. And although it was a good pack, I just couldn’t get it to work for me. So, when I was […]
Osprey Day Lite Backpack – A low-vis Everyday Carry Option
The first time I saw the Osprey Day Lite Backpack was in November 2019 while visiting London and Paris. I was carrying my 5.11 RUSH 12. Not the lowest profile civilian looking pack. I noticed that there were a lot of people carrying small packs that were so common as to go unnoticed. So I […]
Backpacking Stoves Compared
Recently I decided to break out a few backpacking stoves and run a test to see which one would provide the most efficient stove to use backpacking. The stoves I tested were my old standby from my National Guard days consisting of a military issue canteen, canteen cup, stove stand, and a recently purchased lid […]
COR Surf Island Hopper Travel Backpack
A few months ago I saw an advertisement for the Cor Surf Island Hopper Travel Backpack. Although I wasn’t in the market for a new bag, the advertisement and design really caught my eye. So I ended up ordering one. Over the past two years, most of my travel consisted of short getaways. Mostly road […]
Art’s Top Five Men’s Lifestyle Gift Ideas for the Holidays
Every year during the holiday’s people tell me that I’m hard to buy for. Strange because I tend to drift towards the same types of items for daily use but often try out new versions of gear and clothing. Sometimes it works out and I’ll change but mostly I go back to the same gear. […]
OLIGHT Olantern Music Led Lantern Light with Stereo
A little over a year ago, Olight sent me a Classic style lantern to review. And we’ve been using it ever since in our camper and out in the yard. It works great, and we’ve really enjoyed this addition. Recently I got my hands on the new and improved OLIGHT OLantern Music LED Lantern. Featuring […]
Odinwolf W1 Outdoor/Survival Knife a quick review
I recently picked up a couple knives from Odinwolf Knives to add to my outdoors rotation. For general outdoors use, I got the W1 Outdoor/Survival knife (W1). The W1 is made of 440C steel, is a full tang 4 ¾” blade with an overall length 9 ¾”. The handle is a polymer composite and the […]
Bugout Bag or Continuity of Life Bag?
Over the years I’ve read and seen countless articles and videos on the bugout bag. For some reason, the vast majority imply that should a disaster strike, you should run out to the woods. Make a fire with a ferro rod, snare game, and catch fish to continue life. Now as much as I enjoy […]
Mission Workshop Fraction 14L Waterproof Rucksack
I recently received the Mission Workshop Fraction Rucksack for review. When I opened the box I immediately noticed that this is not the usual style of backpack I’d choose. I usually trend towards the military style packs from 5.11 and similar companies. This pack was a different animal, at least for me. I wasn’t going […]
Thoughts on the new 5.11 Tactical RUSH12 Version 2.0 Pack
I’ve been using an earlier version of the 5.11 RUSH12 backpack as my EDC and travel pack for the past two years. And it’s definitely one of my favorites. At the beginning of 2021 5.11 announced their updated line of RUSH packs, the 2.0 series with some clever enhanced features. I was immediately interested as […]