Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i American Outdoor Guide

While I really like cooking outdoors, especially when I can use my Camp Chef pellet-fired smoker/grill, I used my kitchen oven to prepare this recipe. I cooked the pheasant at 350 degrees (F) in a deep ceramic casserole that’s similar to what you would use to cook lasagna. Total cooking time is about one hour. Ingredients • 2 pheasant breasts on the bone (feel free to substitute with grouse, duck or chicken) • 1 pound bacon (You probably won’t use all the bacon ... but you can never have too much bacon!) Additionally, while I prefer buying bacon from local farmers, store-bought bacon is fine. Just read the label carefully. If it has too many words that you can’t pronounce, it’s probably best to stay away from it. • 1…

“WHEN SPARTAN BLADES ANNOUNCED A NEW LINE OF BUDGET-FRIENDLY KNIVES, MY INTEREST WASN’T JUST PIQUED; I WAS ON PINS AND NEEDLES, WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION.” To say that I’ve been a fan of Spartan Blades for a while would be like saying Bob Uecker is a casual fan of baseball. Whenever I’d come across Spartan’s products at SHOT Show or a knife store, I lusted after them with a passion. Their fit and finish, ergonomics—just everything about them—were absolutely spot on. Unfortunately, I could never coincide the purchase opportunity with budget availability. Every time I got close to having the funds set aside, something would come up. When Spartan Blades announced a new line of budget-friendly knives, my interest wasn’t just piqued; I was on pins and needles, waiting for…

Name: Purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ) Purslane is a member of the purslane family. According to the most recent botanical classification, this family contains only one genus, Portulaca. There are about 100 species of this genus worldwide, with purslane being one of the most common. (Formerly, purslane had been classified in the Miner’s lettuce family—a family whose members are entirely safe to eat.) Description Purslane starts appearing a bit later than most of the spring greens, typically by June or July. It’s a very common annual in rose beds and gardens, although I do see it in the wild occasionally, typically in the sandy bottoms around streams. The stems are succulent, red colored and round in the cross-section. The stems sprawl outward from the roots, rosette-like, with the…

Summer is beginning to wind down, and we’re starting to look toward fall. This is a great time to make plans for camping, hiking and other outdoor pursuits. While you’re making the fun “to-do” lists, don’t forget to wrap up the chores around the house that you won’t want to tackle once the temperature drops and the snow begins to fly. When you put your mind to it, you might be surprised how much you can accomplish in just a weekend afternoon—and still have time to relax in front of a fire on the patio. 1 Rapid Raft The Rapid Raft is the lightest and most packable raft on the market today. It weighs just 3 pounds and starts out about the size of a loaf of bread. It inflates…

“WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I NEVER THOUGHT I’D BE DOING WHAT I DO OR LIVING THE LIFESTYLE THAT I LIVE. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT FROM EARLY ON, I WAS BEING GROOMED FOR THIS LIFE.” When I was a child, I never thought I’d be doing what I do or living the lifestyle that I live. Little did I know that from early on, I was being groomed for this life. The road has been long and often rough. Thankfully, I had some really good teachers along the way, with perhaps the very best teacher—and maybe also the cruelest—being the environment itself. Mother Nature can be a very demanding taskmaster. Early on, I drew upon the lessons learned by my Native American ancestors, trying to absorb as much as…

“IN THE FIRST COMMUNITIES, TRACKING BECAME CRUCIAL TO A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE: HUNTERS. WE CAN STILL SEE THIS IN REMOTE AMAZONIAN VILLAGES, AS WELL AS IN SOME AREAS OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.” Not enough has been written on the fascinating art of tracking, even today. Mostly unknown to younger generations, the ability to detect, read and properly interpret human and animal sign and tracks has always played a huge role in the history of mankind. Even if rightly considered a primitive art, tracking is common to widely divergent areas of the world—from Australia to India, Europe, Africa and the American continents. This skill has been successfully handed down through oral training, books and the efforts of many schools, institutions and associations that teach tracking fundamentals and, most importantly, point…

While under survival conditions, things can get pretty rough. From sleeping on the hard ground to going days or weeks without a shower, to trapping your own dinner each night, a man-made or natural disaster can take “roughing it” to the next level—and beyond. However, in the midst of the madness, you can keep a bit of civility by using a variety of utensils when it’s time to eat. A sturdy, metal fork in hand gives you a sense of normalcy, even if the world around you is far from normal. The right spoon performs multiple tasks and improves your cooking efficiency, and a good knife is critical to virtually every step in meal preparation and consumption. Although they might not take center stage when prepping or stocking your bug-out…

Every once in a while, I get feedback about articles that feature high-end gear. The comments are typically respectfully presented as they ask, ultimately, if I've lost a screw or two. Paraphrasing, these comments go something like, “Who can afford a small plane to bug out with?” (“Bug Out Above the Chaos”; https://www. asgmag.com/news/bug-out-above-the-chaos/); “It’s pretty bad-ass, but I’m not spending $250K on a custom bug-out vehicle!” (“Lucky Gunner Garage PSV: The Ultimate Bug-Out Buggy”; https://www.asgmag.com/ survival-gear/survival-gear-reviews/survival-vehicle-reviews/lucky-gunnergarage-psv-ultimate-bug-buggy/); or “I can get a lot of good gear with the $300 they want for that knife in your Gear Guide!” I want you to know we get that. Heck, I can’t afford any of those things, but I’m still curious about them and hope that, if nothing else, our readers will pick…

“FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE OUTDOORS AND HAVE A ‘BE PREPARED’ MINDSET, FINDING WAYS TO USE THE ROXOR IS LIMITED ONLY TO THE IMAGINATION.” "It needs a rifle rack for an M1 Garand or a BAR," I thought. "Or maybe a mount in the back for a ‘Ma Deuce’ .50-caliber machine gun." At first glance, the ROXOR looked like a World War II Jeep with a fancy, new paint job. After a couple of outings with it, I walked away thoroughly impressed: Here’s a vehicle that combines old-school simplicity and rugged, quality construction with modern engineering. It’s an off-road vehicle suitable for both hard work and good-time adventures. And, if you’ve ever considered a vehicle for bug-out transportation for use during devastating times—one with a lineage that includes withstanding the…

“THE NEW ... HENRY X MODEL LEVER-ACTION RIFLE ... PROVIDES A ROCK-SOLID, FAST-CYCLING ACTION, ALONG WITH FEATURES THAT GIVE IT ADDITIONAL VERSATILITY AND TACTICAL UTILITY OVER PREVIOUS MODELS.” This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that things, even in a comparatively prosperous country such as ours, can deteriorate quickly. As a result, many people are rethinking their preparedness strategies. Naturally, when it comes to firearms, you want the right tool for the job. But, in times of crisis, you can never be certain what that job might be. A survival scenario might entail you needing to procure food or defending yourself against animals that want to procure you as food. Survival might also mean defending your property and critical supplies when the lights go out on civilized society and…

“WE NOW SPEND TOO MUCH TIME TREATING INJURIES AND ILLNESSES INSTEAD OF PREVENTING THE ISSUES IN THE FIRST PLACE.” Probably more than any time in our history, if you want to stay in the game, you have to stay healthy. Today, we face threats our ancestors never even thought of. There’s bio-terrorism, the threat of nuclear war and weapons of mass destruction—to name just a few. Then, there are environmental issues on a mass scale. And last, but not least, there are viruses for which there’s no cure. We clearly have our hands full. You don’t have to go very far back in time to find ancestors who had no vehicles. They had to walk or run everywhere they went. This kept their bodies in shape. They didn’t sustain themselves…

“UNLIKE MOST MILITARY WEAPONS, THE M6 AIRCREW SURVIVAL WEAPON WAS NEVER INTENDED FOR COMBAT. ITS SOLE PURPOSE WAS TO ASSIST DOWNED AIRCREWS IN FORAGING FOR WILD GAME IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION.” The United States Air Force began issuing the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon to aircrews in 1952. The M6 comprised dual, 14-inch, over/under .22 Hornet/.410 shotgun barrels mated to a receiver made from stamped sheet metal containing the trigger group, storage space and a hinged takedown assembly. The weapon was to be no longer than 15 inches when folded for storage, and crews were instructed to wrap the barrels with paracord to serve as a makeshift forend. Unlike most military weapons, the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon was never intended for combat. Its sole purpose was to assist downed aircrews in…

“COST FOR THIS PROJECT WILL DEPEND ON MANY THINGS ... BUT YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO INSTALL ONE OF THESE SIMPLE WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS.” You don’t need to be a “prepper” or be making preparations for the end of the world to see the practical need for a rain catch. Depending on where you live, water might be a rare or expensive commodity. In areas of the United States that are prone to drought, the amount of water available for gardening and lawns and other purposes might be limited. There’s also the threat of a natural or man-made disaster that can quite easily cut you off from your normal water supply. Having an alternate means of procuring and storing water is never a bad idea…