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Wolf’s Gear Review: The Coleman Folding Shovel/Pick
Another of my recent acquisitions is a little folding Coleman Shovel and Pick.
I keep in my truck and it’s small overall size and ability to be easy assembled and disassembled means that it takes up practacilly no room whatsoever.
As you can see this is a nice compact little unit that unscrews and folds up into a handy carry pouch.
It’s small size also makes it suitable for most survival situations and you could easily throw one in your Bug Out Bag without having to worry about it taking up a large amount of room or weighing you down.
The positive locking collar firmly holds the blade in either the shovel or pick configuration.
Shovel configuration
Pick Configuration
Basic Stats:
•Small carrying pouch with belt loop included
•Can be used as a pick, shovel
•Positive locking collar which hold the blade firmly in configuration
•Open length 58 cm (23″) , folded length 25 cm (10″)
•Breaks down easily to a 10″-long compact kit
All and all I think the Coleman Camping Shovel/Pick is of very good quality.
I find the compact belt size package to be quite useful especilly if you want to strap it to your Bug Out Bag, belt, webbing, etc.
If you want a small camping/hiking/Bug Out Bag shovel then this is a great package, but it you are looking for something to dig trenches with then look elsewhere.
All Hail The Mighty Duct Tape!!!
Duct tape is an essential tool to be included in any survival kit or bug out bag.
Invented in the early 1940s by scientists at Permacell (a division of the Johnson & Johnson Co.), duct tape was built to fill the need for a strong, flexible, durable tape that could help the war effort, according to Henkel Consumer Adhesives, one of the world’s largest makers of the stuff.
The main point is that it has a number of uses and can help you make emergency repairs on just about everything.
Ideal for a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation!
Here’s just a couple of things you can do with it in a survival situation:
- Make emergency repairs on, tents, gear, bags, tarps, pack, sleeping bag, clothing, rain gear, etc….
- Medical Uses – making large bandages, adding padding to blisters, and making slings. It can also be used for wrapping sprained ankles in an emergency.
- Sealing Windows and doors
- Making emergency temporary repairs to you vehicle.
- Stopping Leaks
- Repairing Torn Clothing and Warn out shoes.
- Waterproofing
- Wrapping plastic water bottles to prevent cracking and leaking.
Should You Stay Or Should You Go????
In a survival situation one of the major choices you may need to make is whether to stay put or get the hell out of dodge.
No matter what the potential crisis, whether it be economic collapse or nuclear war, the key decision to make is whether or not your current location will be suitable for medium-long term survival or whether you will have to get out before the situation gets too dire.
To help you work out whether you place is an appropriate survival base, I’m going to run through some of the Pros and Cons when it comes to bugging in.
The Upside of Bugging In are:
. You’ll have more time to improve your home’s chances of survival (move items to high ground, put plywood over windows, etc.)
. It offers shelter against most elements.
. You’ll have access to all your clothing, bedding and other comforts.
. You won’t suffer from boredom as much as you might in a shelter.
. You can protect your stuff from looters.
The Downsides of Bugging In:
. You could be putting yourself in unnecessary, life-threatening danger. (The fire, flood, hurricane, riot, etc. might be worse than anticipated. We’ve all seen TV coverage of people clinging to their roofs as the house washes down stream.)
. If you decided to evacuate later, it may be too late.
. Without heat, electricity, hot water or other services, home just isn’t the same.
. There is no sense of community, unless other neighbors or members of your local survival group stay home, too. You may feel cut off and alone.
. If a mandatory evacuation has been ordered, you may be prosecuted by local authorities (although this rarely happens).
. No matter how much you wish to stay at home, there are times when evacuation is the only choice. These include a nuclear, chemical or biological event as well as any impending disaster that is likely to destroy your home.
Hopefully these factors will help you to decide well ahead of time whether you should bug in or bug out depending on the disaster but remember that everyone’s situation is different so there is no hard and fast rule.
Don’t Forget to Throw Some Dust Masks In Your Bug Out Bag!
Alot of the scenarios that would require you to Bug Out involve airborne particulates such as dust, smoke, etc.
Without some way to protect your respiratory system, you aren’t likely to get very far and even if you do make it out, you’ll be recovering for days from after effects of all that dust and other crap on your lungs.
And in a SHTF enviroment a hacking cough is not conducive to trying to be quiet and remain hidden!
Just buying a simple dust mask for each member of your family can help you avoid all that drama!
The major benefits of dust masks are:
. They weight nothing
. They nest in each other
. They are very cheap and the M95 standard will handle most dust and other normal airborne particulates.
The simple fact is, chucking some dust masks in your Bug Out Bag is cheap insurance for when TSHTF.
Glowsticks for Your Bug Out Bag
Aside from the fact that they look really cool on a dark night, having some glowsticks as a source of light in your bug-out bag is a dam good move.
Obviously you should also have a flash-light and a lighter as primary light sources, but a glow stick does offer a few advantages.
Pros –
. It’s a light source that doesn’t need batteries
. It can function in any kind of weather and is waterproof
. It’s fairly light-weight, and it’s very reliable once activated
. If you find yourself in flammable conditions which sometimes follow immediately after large scale natural disasters like a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake (broken gas mains being the No.1 problem), there’s no risk of blowing ass sky high if you use a glow stick because it has no running electrical current so therefore no spark.
Cons –
. Each one can only be used once, so get a big pack of them and use wisely
. While a glow-stick can create a decent amount of light, it can’t focus light or project to distances like a flashlight can (that’s why you should never rely on glowsticks as a primary light source)