I was wondering:<br><br>1. Coleman products seem to run the gamut of outdoors equipment. Will they hold up in a not-good situation or are they light duty for camping, whether it be their lanterns, cooking stuff, sleeping bags, 1st aid material, etc.<br><br>2. Doug doesn't mention Kabar knives at all on the fixed-blade section, are they decent knives? They fit my budget (under $100 for a knife).

Coleman products are fair value for the money. Sleeping bags are a very important purchase. You must determine what temperature ranges you intend to use them in. K-bars are a popular knife. they are a bit thin for heavy splitting. If you purchase one, buy the true K-BAR brand knife. There is the traditional model and several "next generation styles" with advanced materials.

Hi people! I am new to the Forum and also Canadian Eh! Most Coleman products are classed as intermediate usage. The exceptions are Naptha burning appliances which will usually fire up well below minus 35C. This would place them in the extreme application category. Propane and most other gases turn to liquid in extreme cold and will not flow or atomize to allow combustion.<br><br>Older Coleman products are a lot more durable and dependable then the newer stuff made after 1988-89. If possible get older products and rebuild them.<br><br>I pesonally think that K-Bar USMC is the best bang for the buck in a long knife. It is full tang, leather wrapped handle so that your skin won't freeze to it. Sharpens extremely fine, holds the edge well and it is big enough to handle most jobs.<br>I have attached a BF blade and pouch to the bottom part of the K-Bar sheath. Serves me well.<br><br>One other note. Try and have all of you battery operated survival gear run on the same size batteries. AAs run my CB, VHF, AM-FM radios, flashlights and strobelights. As power is used this will allow you to use your batteries for the highest priority.

In our experience, the Coleman lanterns & stoves have been fairly good in reliability & durability. The replacement parts are readily available. So if your unit breaks, and any repair parts are available at nearby stores, they are likely to be Coleman.<br><br>Good distribution of repair parts & services is an important criterion in choosing any equipment for long term use.<br><br>That approach also works for Ford/Chevy, Remington, whatever. When the product breaks/wear/becomes unusable, and eventually they all do, typically when it's most inconvenient, how readily can it be fixed?<br><br>YMMV<br><br>John

I am real comfortable with Coleman stoves and lanterns, mostly because my father initiated me into their ways over fifty years ago and they have been part of field work ever since, even with all their quirks. I am less enthused about their sleeping bags and packs, mostly because they are rather heavy for backpacking, but they certainly work for a lot of situations. It is silly to spend big bucks for a high fluff down bag with fancy materials if you are going to car camp at the beach in the summer or you are rarely going to see freezing temps in emergencies. I do have times when I want a light, warm bag, but I have also acquired cheaper, heavier bags for those situatiions where I can use the cheap stuff and avoid wearing out the expensive gear.

Ka-Bar also makes a couple of very good not-so-long knives. Thier 5/8th sized MkIIs (the "Marince" pattern) are excellent, and just the right size for a lot people's usage. Thier Warthog is also a very, very nice knife, as it has a very broad blade, giving it some heft while being short. (Also makes a good trowel, if you know how to sharpen a knife properly and apologize to it.) <br><br>To echo Chris, make sure it is a Ka-Bar, not a "kbar", which can be any piece of trash made in a MkII pattern.<br><br>For people looking for a really good survial edge, there was someone making escat copies of the Quartermaster's knife from WWII. 6" drop point with just the slightest hint of false edge on the first third or so of the spine, stacked leather, and a thick (~.20-.25") body. But it took/takes a pretty good edge. I'm not sure if they leather ones are still being made, Ontario makes (made?) one in thier SpecPlus line that had a rubber handle of OK quality, and an accurate copy of the blade.

I will probably pick up a Short Kabar with a straight edge as my outdoor knife...it is a clip point...will that suffice?

I agree that Coleman products are a good value for the buck, and that older products are better than the newer stuff. I have a single mantle lantern that my dad bought in the '30s and is still going strong. The only thing I have ever had go wrong with a Coleman lantern or stove is the generator pooping out. That is to be expected, generators are cheap and a spare should always be with you...I have purchased numerous "broken" Coleman products at yard sales, stuck in a new gen and presto, works fine...

Sorry about making this a 2 part post, but responsibility (i.e., wife) called before I finished. <br><br>Mariner, who was posting approximately simultaneously with me earlier, makes an interesting point re the better quality of pre-1990 Coleman. My products are all of that earlier vintage.<br>I have noticed what seems to be a shift towards flimsier construction. Nevertheless it remains wonderfully easy to repair their older products. <br><br>Have you ever noticed how limited a variety of repair / replacement parts/supplies are available in Podunk, the biggest city (population several thousand) near your remote campsite. Remoteness is great when planning for that real camping feel / really big buck / whatever. But it just doesn't seem quite the same in middle of a mechanical breakdown / failure when you urgently need to repair, replace, or resupply. Then, it's a great feeling to know that you stand a good chance of finding nearby what you need so urgently.<br><br>A few years ago, we were on a hunting trip a very long drive from home. My alternator failed when I was 49 curvy, narrow, mountainous miles from the nearest garage. Fortunately the Ford truck's battery was good, & we made it into a very small town. I smiled when I saw the Ford dealer's sign. It had the replacement part in stock & we were back on the road in 2 hours. We lost only 1/2 day of hunting time. Maybe a Humvee, Mog, whatever makes a better or more durable offroad vehicle, but how do you get what you need to repair one when it breaks down in the middle of nowhere. <br><br>Our experience with Gerber & Buck knives has been good. They easily fall within your $100 budget. They hold edges well & easily stand up to normal chores in hunting, camping, fishing, & preparing food. We have not used them for splitting firewood, chopping, prying or similar tasks. Other tools are better designed for those purposes. The knives designed for military purposes such as the Ka-Bar look more robust. On the other hand, I do wonder how good an edge they will take & hold. They would probably make better choppers/splitters, but a common hatchet will still easily surpass them. And an E-tool is far better for digging. Large, heavy blades are harder to use for cleaning game. <br><br>By the way, this is merely my opinion based on my experience. I definitely do not intend to disparage knives with large blades -- or start another knife debate : ^ } . If you want a knife to chop & split wood, pry open car doors, dig foxholes or whatever, they might be very good for those purposes while still functioning as a knife. It's just that those are not the purposes for which I want a good knife. And if I do have those needs, somehow I would expect another tool to better meet them (say an ax, or even a homemade digging stick).<br><br>YMMV.<br><br>John<br><br>

The smaller Ka-Bar is a very nice knife for your budget. I think it should work out fine. Keep it sharp and oiled.