Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i American Outdoor Guide

Jake Hoback designed a folding knife several years ago called the Kwaiback MK4, which served as the blueprint for the Kwaichete. Jake wanted a longer fixed-blade version with the essence of the Kwaiback MK4 that could serve as a machete disguised as a short sword—thus, the Kwaichete was born. JAKE HOBACK KNIVES I met Jake Hoback several years ago during a trade show and soon after became acquainted with his work. Although he was initially self-taught, Jake has been on a long road of learning techniques and skills from other knife makers through the years. His interest in knives started at the age of five. It erupted into full-on knife addiction after seeing the movie “Rambo.” I can relate to that; Rambo seemed to get many of us into this…

“Exactly!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that while reading something written by Jim Cobb, whether it’s an article on disaster preparedness, wilderness survival, or simply a review of a knife or another piece of gear. His ideas are the best combination of knowledge, experience, and something that’s seemingly in short supply these days: common sense. Cobb has penned quite a few books on self-reliance topics, too. One of his latest efforts is “The Urban Prepper’s Guide,” subtitled “How to Become Self-Sufficient and Prepared for the Next Crisis”. PACKED WITH INFORMATION This 224-page book, published by the Welbeck Publishing Group (www.WelbeckPublishing.com) presents lots of information delivered in a concise, straight-forward style that’s quick and easy to read without getting bogged down in philosophical musings or gloom-and-doom prognosticating.…

All right, let’s tie one on (these puns practically write themselves). If you were ever in the Scouts, you probably have some experience with these. As a lady, I was never in the Scouts; my knot experience comes from being a stagehand for a while. But that’s one of the cool things about knots: Like numbers, they’re universal. You can be a fisherman, a stagehand, a Scoutmaster, a firefighter, a climber – the list is about as long as the catalog of knots you can learn. No matter the profession or hobby, a bowline is either a bowline or it’s not; you will know if you get it wrong. Whether your occupation is among any of those listed or not, you came here because you love the outdoors. Every backpacker…

1 SMITH & WESSON FULL-SIZE M&P9 M2.0 PISTOL IN ALL METAL The performance that began with Smith & Wesson’s polymer pistol frame construction is forging forward. Built on the M&P platform, the company’s new full size M&P9 M2.0 Metal has the same highlights of the M&P M2.0 series – an extended stainless-steel chassis and low barrel bore axis for reduced muzzle rise and faster aim recovery. But now, it features a metal frame. The pistol’s lightweight and rigid aluminum frame provides a solid foundation for higher performance, and because it resides within the M&P platform, it is compatible with all M2.0 slides and palmswells. Built with a T6 Aluminum frame, this pistol includes a 4.25-inch barrel, M2.0 flat-face trigger, two 17-round magazines and is slide cut for optics. It has…

It was March 30, and three days into an eight-day backpacking trip that had so far kept my teenaged nephew, Josh, and I saturated under cold rains that just never stopped, not even for a minute. The monsoon was punctuated by lightning that could actually blind you for a few seconds if you were looking where it flashed, with howling winds, and occasional large trees – some ripped up by their roots – that shook the earth when they fell. We’d just rolled out of our sleeping bags to another cold, gray morning of pounding raindrops that dampened our enthusiasm for exploration as much as it did our clothing. Spring rains are cold at the Straits of Mackinac, and, in real life, there was just no way we could stay…

Rewild Gear is a company that stands out from the rest for one reason, especially. Rewild is comprised of four brothers from South Central Kentucky, Adam, Seth, David, and Josh Spears, who have taken their passion for the outdoors to the next level. A small family-owned business specializing in high-quality, lightweight, durable outdoor gear is what Rewild Gear brings to the table. Keeping conservation in mind, they are building their company slowly, focusing on minimalistic yet high-quality outdoor equipment that will hopefully get people back outside. GEAR FOR THE WILD When I first noticed Rewild Gear, I wasn’t sure what type of company it was. After all, its website features a broad assortment of things, such as a 4-inch fixed-blade knife, a grill, telescopic pocket bellows, a ferrocerium rod, a…

You got out of work much later than you’d planned and it’s already dark. As your footsteps echo through the mostly empty parking structure, you see three figures in the dark ahead of you. This could be perfectly fine, or this could turn out to be a very dangerous situation. Let’s get this out of the way right up front. In the vast majority of selfdefense incidents, having a firearm immediately available to you is likely the best option, all other things being equal. However, that isn’t always feasible, or even practical in some cases. It could be you work in a prohibitive workplace. Perhaps a youthful indiscretion or two has resulted in your not being able to legally own or carry a gun. There are myriad reasons why you…

HOW DOES THE SAVAGE STANCE MATCH UP AGAINST THE S&W CSX? In my mind, there are two EDC pistols that stand out as all new for 2022. These are the Smith & Wesson CSX and the Savage Stance. A Savage micro-compact semiauto 9mm pistol, you ask? That’s what we all asked. While Savage has made handguns of various types as far back as the Model 1907, that is not what most people think of when they see the Savage name, much less a semi-auto microcompact EDC pistol. Smith & Wesson’s latest addition to its long line of compact, subcompact and micro-compact handguns is the CSX. Equally as surprising, most of us were not expecting a metal-frame, hammer-fired, single-action 9mm pistol from Smith & Wesson in 2022. STRIKING DIFFERENCES The most…

It was barely dawn, but already a sweltering July sun beat hotly against the flat, densely forested swampland near Hiawatha’s Tahquamenon River, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Squadrons of bloodthirsty deerflies and almond-sized horseflies kept me awake as I sat in silence, 4 feet above the ground on a portable tree seat. A 400-pound male black bear had already passed by 50 feet downwind of my hide, casting sidelong glances at the veil of leafy branches that concealed me, but preferring, as black bears normally do, to avoid contact with humans. I was glad he did, because it was the middle of mating season, the time of year when territorial, testosterone-drunk dominant boars were least predictable. I was studying the brush where that big boar had disappeared when I was jolted…