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That’s a good question. I also wonder why people lay out the heavy cash for a Mercedes 450SL when a Ford Pinto will get you to the grocery just as well and attract a whole lot less attention.

Somebody could make a mint on teaching folks how to plan for a bug out. I mean the Boy Scouts teach kids how to organize and camp out. Civic clubs teach nationalism and how to contribute to the betterment of our country. Church fosters piety and reaching out to help others. But other than reading some books on the subject, getting the prepper role organized is akin to flying by the seat of our pants.

Now we are starting to hit the heart of the market. At $100 you can put together the foundations of an amazing EDC kit, something that will do great work for a very long time. Additionally, unlike a lot of other categories we are at the price bracket where you can find top notch (but probably not bleeding edge) performance. There are some damn fine pieces of kit here.

What process do you go through in the selection of buying a new handgun? Of course, this applies to the purchase of any new gun for your use, new in the box or used. Undoubtedly there are many strategies used to pick out a new gun. For some including me and perhaps unfortunately, it is often an impulse buy. That is the worst way to buy a new firearm.

After a multitude of custom AR15 builds for either good stories or good causes, I really was dying to do something similar those builds I donated for auction to the Mercury One and The Lone Survivor foundations.  This is not my most expensive build. I did do an extremely expensive $4200 build, but none of the parts were custom finished by me — they were just really really expensive. One of the manufacturers I worked with closely for both the Lone Survivor builds and one of the Mercury One builds was Area 53. Area 53 creates gorgeous billet AR15 and AR308 uppers, lowers, and even complete rifles.

I’ve been a sucker for a good 1911-style pistol ever since I owned my first one, way back in the mid or late 1960s. There’s just something about a good 1911 that calls out to me. Sure, over the years, I’ve had some real stinkers — clones or near clones of a 1911 — that didn’t work, no matter what I did to ’em. I’ve had gunsmith training, and I was also trained as a military armorer — one of my several MOS skills, on the 1911 as well as the M1 Garand and the M-14. So, I know a little bit about the 1911, and I’ve built quite a few as well as customized a lot of 1911s. I keep a well-stocked 1911 parts box in my office — if I’m not working on a 1911 of my own, then I’m probably working on one for a friend, or repairing one for the local gun shop.

I’m going to be in the market for a truck, soon — my first, after a lifetime of sedans and SUVs. I had been thinking of getting a half ton pickup, mostly for light hauling and chores, and had decided that for SHTF reasons (plus the cool factor) I’d be getting something with offroad capabilities.

Eugene Volokh, a writer at the Washington Post, recently took a look around for incidents in which armed citizens prevented – as near as can be determined – mass killings.

…or, at least, that’s how the headline would read in a sane world.

Time is tight, and you’ve had a full plate with work and family, friends and summer activities. There’s simply been no time to tend to important hunting duties that should have been fulfilled.

I run my two English spring spaniels every morning to keep them and me in hunting shape. Recently, while making a turn down a woody road, the older dog Kate started acting weird, rubbing her nose on the ground, spinning and whining.

Having needed accessory gear with you in the woods makes for more enjoyable bowhunting, and increases the odds for success. And now is the time to get your pack cleaned and loaded with necessary items that you’ll need.

A good friend and expert deer hunter got me hunting “snake creeks” this way many years ago. Deer often walk the edges of creeks, especially ones that form very deep gullies. Whitetails may travel a creek edge for hundreds of yards before coming to a low area where they may cross (another good place for tree stand placement).

A hunting partner said to me once “There has to be a better way to carry this rifle.” Laughing I told him had he ever thought of using a sling. You can imagine what his response was. But, I mean really, what did he think those little studs with cross holes in them were sticking out of the forearm and the butt stock? Dah.

For a couple of years, I’ve observed stippled and re-shaped polymer framed pistols and wondered what the attraction was. At first glance, the results looked rustic. Eventually, I had a chance to shoot several modified guns and the increased comfort in handling, and improved control during firing added up to an epiphany.

This is my favorite venison marinade, which can be frozen and re-used.

Forty-eight hours before Katrina hit landfall, the highways leading away from the Gulf Coast were choked with cars, trucks, RVs, and anything on wheels escaping north. Many of those people trying to evade the coming disaster had nothing more with them than the clothes on their backs.

Henry Repeating Arms has partnered with AllOutdoor.com to give you the opportunity to win a Henry Big Boy! One secondary prize (a Survival AR-7!) will be given away to the entrant with the most referrals from social media! So make sure to share this giveaway with your friends!

Fire is a big part of outdoor life, and it continues to awe and impress me even after decades afield. This video shows ten interesting – and cool – things you can do with fire.

The most surprising? The ping pong ball, I think. I already knew about the steel wool… although that one probably looks the neatest in this video.

But if I keep talking about it, I’ll give them all away. Watch it for yourself below – and enjoy.

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