Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i American Outdoor Guide

September is the beginning of my favorite time of year. Ever since I was a child growing up in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley, this signaled another time of change that was, for me, a welcome one. The long, hot, humid summer gave way to cooler days and nights, and the autumn breezes were always something I looked forward to. There was a favorite state park in the Catskills we visited at that time of the year. It was far enough away from home to feel as if we were on a short vacation and close enough that we went there often to watch the leaves change color and eventually fall, making the views of the valley east to, and beyond, the Hudson nothing less than spectacular. On a clear day,…

Bertucci released its first field watch (the A-2T Original Classic) in the United States in 2004. This titanium field watch became a top seller in no time. The company developed multiple patents in the years following this success, eventually adding tritium self-illumination, polished titanium and fiber-reinforced polycarbonate options to its product line. Using top components from high-end sources, Bertucci designs and assembles all its watches in the United States.(https://ultimatefieldwatch.com)…

Dana Benner’s article about the importance of being wary around other people’s dogs (see page 22 of this issue) hit a chord with me, and I imagine it did for many of our readers as well. When my youngest child hit double digits, my family finally wore me down, and we adopted a dog. Having been an irresponsible dog “owner” as a child and adolescent, I was immune to the pleas and promises that poured forth. I wrote that “I promise to take good care of him!” line decades ago and recognized it when they tried using it on me. I acquiesced to their request, nonetheless. You know how this story ends: Mom and/or Dad wound up picking up the slack about four days after our dog came home. In…

“IN MY MIND, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD DOG; JUST BAD OWNERS. PEOPLE WHO DON’T TRAIN THEIR DOG—AND FRANKLY, JUST DON’T CARE—ARE THE REAL PROBLEM.” According to DogsBite.org, each day, about 1,000 U.S. citizens require emergency care for serious dog bite injuries, and more than 14,000 people are hospitalized during the course of a year because of them. I recently read a story in the local newspaper about an elderly couple walking their dog, a big, old golden retriever that they’d rescued, along a popular trail not far from their home. They are well-known to their neighbors for their daily walks. During this regular walk, the couple and their dog were attacked by a pack of eight large dogs. Trying to defend themselves and their dog, the man,…

Everyone has their favorite items they wouldn’t want to be without in a long-term survival scenario. When an interviewer asks what pieces of equipment are must-haves, I immediately start asking questions: What’s the scenario—an economic collapse, a high-death-rate pandemic, a thermonuclear war? Are they staying in place or getting out of Dodge? Are they alone, with their family or in a survival group? Are there kids? Are there old folks? Sometimes, the questioner regrets having asked, but the answers to my questions factor into what you’ll need. I don’t claim to be a bushcraft expert (my mission is medical), so my personal requirements might be different from others who wouldn’t be responsible for the health of a survival community. In this article, though, I’ll discuss the items and skills that…

When folks get into firearms and self-defense, the first thing they put a lot of thought into is the gun, followed immediately by learning how to shoot it accurately. In doing so, they fire quite a lot of rounds … which leads to quite a few reloads. It’s too bad most folks don’t use any of that reload time as training, because reloading skills are just as important as accuracy. In fact, gun manipulation might be even more important than accuracy. Any person can point and pull a trigger to stop a bad guy, but it takes a skilled defender to successfully fight off assailants in an attack for which point-and-shoot doesn’t end the situation. In these scenarios, folks need to understand movement, communication, cover and firearm manipulation—which includes clearing…

Don’t think that theft only happens to the “other” guy. It can happen to you too, and all your hard-earned valuables could be gone when you least expect it. The best plan is to have a safe in your possession that not only keeps your cash, jewelry and watches secure, but also your important papers, documents and digital devices that hold all your irreplaceable personal information. However, as with almost everything else in today’s world, the variety of safes available today spans a great deal of options. From economical to luxurious and portable to room-sized models, modern safes can meet the needs of everyone’s budget and personal needs. Remember: Don’t always trust your neighbors or your friends—and definitely don’t trust your enemies. Be smart and keep what might be tempting…

We’ve come a long way since the pocket watch. While society might not be flitting here and there in flying cars (yet), we do have wrist watches that can communicate with multiple satellites and give us our exact location. When GPS made it to the public (á la “Dick Tracy”), the battery life of a watch wasn’t sufficient for such a device to really be considered a viable survival tool. The folks at Garmin have been cramming valuable features into their watches for a while now. But, with the latest version—the Instinct Solar Tactical Edition—they’ve practically eliminated the ability to get lost for long. Being a watch enthusiast, I can “get lost” in the faces of some dreamy timepieces. The word, “horophile,” wasn’t recognized when I typed it into this…

The fundamental concept that time is the one commodity we all share is strikingly profound. There are few other ideas that connect everyone so deeply. None of us knows how much time we have, but it is the most precious gift we are given. Marking the passing of time can be as simple as a glance at your wristwatch, but this act pays homage to the journey we call "life." Over the years, we’ve crafted a number of increasingly complex devices to reflect the passing of sand though the hourglass, but somewhere along this progression, there was a golden age, when simplicity was key—when function was fashion. It’s here that Bertucci Watches stakes its claim with fine examples such as the A-2S Pantera Six, A-3P Sportsman Vintage Field and A-5S…

While many attacks end quickly—with just a shot or two taken or even a defender simply showing that they have the means to protect themselves—the possibility of a drawn-out fight is always there. For that reason, those who carry a concealed handgun should also carry extra ammunition. There are a lot of different ways to carry spare magazines and speed loaders. There are leather and polymer mag holsters that carry one or two spares, as well as holsters with a magazine pouch. Speed loaders can be put into a pouch attached to a belt or even slipped into a pocket under a revolver. Because I mostly carry a semi-auto, I’ve always liked the Galco Concealable Magazine Carrier. This leather case securely holds a single spare magazine on the belt in…

“THE ›MOBILE’S› LAUNCHER IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO LED LIGHTS› ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE LAUNCHER’S FACE›PROVIDING A STATED 350 LUMENS. IT ALSO HAS A RED LASER AIMING SYSTEM.” Not every threat requires a deadly response. Nevertheless, we might need something to help “even the odds,” so to speak, and give us some degree of control over the situation. Rather than going hands-on, if we can keep our distance, so much the better. Pepper spray has been one of the go-to options in this regard for quite some time. It works well in many applications, especially if you opt for the streaming delivery mode rather than a fog or mist. However, you might sometimes need an even more-direct approach. Thus, the PepperBall was born! The PepperBall is a small sphere…

“VERBALIZATION SHOULD ALMOST ALWAYS BE USED IN A VIOLENT ENCOUNTER, EITHER AGAINST THE ASSAILANT OR WITH COMPANIONS AND BYSTANDERS.” The 1980s had some of the best movies. Sure, a lot of them were corny and contained too many themes of "coming of age," decadence and extreme idiocy, and the gun handling in them was truly horrible. But good lessons can be found anywhere, including the 1984 comedy, Police Academy, which often focused on the importance of verbal commands. Despite the slapstick nature of this series of movies, all seven of which received mixed reviews, they contained the importance of verbal commands. “Laverne Hooks,” played by Marion Ramsey (who died earlier this year), is a meek, little woman with a squeaky voice who shows that verbal commands given in a rough,…

“WHEN I TRAVEL TO DENSELY POPULATED URBAN AREAS ... MY AWARENESS LEVELS ARE HEIGHTENED.” No matter where you live or where you go, there are potential dangers. Some are obvious, some are hidden; but unless you’re actively assessing the situation, none will be found until it’s too late. Many people concentrate on predators, both human and animal, but fail to spot the other pitfalls to which they could fall victim. The point of this article is to discuss and point out many of the things you need to be aware of. Dangers Around Us Some of these potential hazards include predatory threats. However, far more often, these dangers have nothing to do with predation. How many people die or are severely injured by stepping into old wells or cellar holes…