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#291527 - 01/03/19 01:49 AM Brands We Trust Our Lives On
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
By chance I found the following video this morning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gdyJQbU6jA

I found it interesting. I think it would be worth discussing in this forum.

In no organized fashion, the following are what I would list:


Three is all I can think of at the moment. What would you list?

Disclaimer: I never had an affiliation with any of these brands.

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

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#291533 - 01/03/19 09:05 AM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
M_a_x Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1203
Loc: Germany
Frankly I would not list a brand. I make my decissions based on actual products. I am totally willing to switch brands.
However I often end up with products from certain brands.
  • flashlights: new ones come from Fenix, Maglites are still in use
  • motorcycle helmets: Schuberth, they fit me well and one of their lids saved me from serious head injuries (the lid suffered an impact mark and some abbrassion from sliding, I suffered no injury at all)
  • motorcycle pants: Rukka, I suffered a light bruise on my knee with an impact that left a big dent in a fender and destroyed the head light (I found broken glass in my armour)
  • foot wear: was Lowa, switched to Haix after Lowa introduced inferior designs (bad rivets)
_________________________
If it isn´t broken, it doesn´t have enough features yet.

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#291534 - 01/03/19 01:43 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
  • Smith & Wesson M&P pistols work very well for me.
  • I’ve had very good fortune with Doug’s blades, as well as Bradford Knives, Benchmade, Microtech, and now Hogue. Spdyerco’s quality is excellent but I rarely carry one due to speed of deployment and (for mundane cutting tasks) speed of folding the blade away safely.
  • I’m quite a Leatherman fanboy and always one of their multitools with me.
  • Nitecore and Klarus are my two favorite brands of flashlights, both for performance and reliability. Mad respect for the Maglite fans out there, Maglite’s products are extremely rugged and (if LED) reliable.
  • Heatsheets makes the most useful small shelter items (blankets) I’ve been able to find, way way better than the cheap Mylar survival blankets out there but with almost no additional bulk.
  • As far as medical kits are concerned, I tend to make my own.
  • Having trained quite a while for someone who’s never been a medical professional, I’ve come to the conclusion that the C-A-T is the only tourniquet I’ll carry, and I have one with me constantly.

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#291535 - 01/03/19 01:47 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: chaosmagnet]
Tjin Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/08/02
Posts: 1821
Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet

[*]Nitecore and Klarus are my two favorite brands of flashlights, both for performance and reliability. Mad respect for the Maglite fans out there, Maglite’s products are extremely rugged and (if LED) reliable.


I had a nitecore tube and nitecore tip fail after just a few months of use. It makes me doubt about my nitecore headlight...
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#291536 - 01/03/19 02:11 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: chaosmagnet]
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet
  • As far as medical kits are concerned, I tend to make my own.

I've done both: build a first aid kit from the ground up and "hot rod" an off the shelf kit. Of the two, I get better results out modifying a pre-assembled kit into anything I want.

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

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#291537 - 01/03/19 02:40 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I would grade this video about a C- (charitable, as always) - longer than necessary for the info conveyed. More importantly, just typical "survivalist" blather (amusing to watch, but do not take all their stuff seriously).

I tend to be cautious about folks whose "experience" comes from survival classes and time on the range, versus actual marginal situations. I would rather have the opinions of a thru-hiker or a SAR volunteer, than that of a middle aged, out of shape good ol' boy.

I do agree with most of their choices. I have good experience with Exotac products (albeit expensive). Dead Bird does indeed make good stuff. Boots are very dependant on individual fit, and there are many brands to choose among. Same for backpacks, which were not discussed.

it would be worthwhile to explore the bargain items that people "might trust their lives to" (love the drama). Take knives - a $12 Mora is just as dependable and cuts just as well as blades 100 times as expensive. Dependable waterproof match cases can cost only mere pennies, as opposed to $30 Exotac cases (which are absolutely fine.

No discussion of essentials - what about signal mirrors, the requirements for heat and fire in adverse conditions, and impromptu shelter and sleep requirements?

But these guys are "survivalists," living in a world that is going to collapse soon, and in their fantasies, it will be every one for themselves with slaughter and mayhem everywhere - IMHO, not very realistic or likely.


Edited by hikermor (01/03/19 02:42 PM)
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Geezer in Chief

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#291540 - 01/03/19 04:08 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: hikermor]
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
Originally Posted By: hikermor
But these guys are "survivalists," living in a world that is going to collapse soon, and in their fantasies, it will be every one for themselves with slaughter and mayhem everywhere

That is the reason I started this thread:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=291530#Post291530

We got people who have "Grizzly Adams" fantasies. What I take from the video is you can't leave the city and expect to be the Lone Ranger. You need community, wherever that community is. "I have your six and you'll watch my back."

Our gated community has a gun club. That gun club has a little more than a hundred members. I know who to turn to when we have a major disaster.

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

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#291541 - 01/03/19 05:09 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Originally Posted By: Jeanette_Isabelle


Our gated community has a gun club. That gun club has a little more than a hundred members. I know who to turn to when we have a major disaster.

Jeanette Isabelle


Well, that depends on the disaster. Gun ownership and ability is irrelevant to many disasters, while undeniably useful in some. Capable medical expertise is probably a more generally useful skill.

Let me be clear. I have been a gun owner and user for all of my adolescent and adult life, currently in possession of several firearms and trained at various times by my father, the US Army, and federal law enforcement.

In my lifetime, there have been exactly two occasions where I was glad to have my 357 with me, though thankfully, I did not have to fire. On one occasion, I did indeed discharge a firearm, using a line gun to deploy a line across a flooded stream to rescue two ladies.

On the other hand, I have lost count of the occasions on which I have rendered significant first aid (not counting scratches and boo-boos) to total strangers, friends and colleagues, or close family members.

If you want to prepare for life's more stressful scenarios, firearms training is actually pretty far down the list, but not completely irrelevant. It is probably more important to know how to change a tire or check the oil on your vehicle.

We are social critters, and therein lies our strength. We typically band together and cooperate when faced with a problem - the recent Thai cave rescue comes to mind, along with many other more mundane examples.

I will begin a recent book on the Thai Cave Rescue as soon as Mrs. Hikermor is finished with it. It is a stunning example of community cooperation, overcoming obstacles of cultural and language differences, logistical problems, and mind boggling technical obstacles to achieve success.

Dealing with the typical fire and earthquake is pretty trivial, by comparison.

While one needs reliable equipment, cooperation, communication, and social skills are much more important that the light mounted on your firearm.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

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#291543 - 01/03/19 05:59 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: hikermor]
Herman30 Offline
Addict

Registered: 08/08/06
Posts: 495
Loc: Finland
Originally Posted By: hikermor
the Thai Cave Rescue

There is this finnish diving instructor, Mikko Paasi, that took part in the rescue operation.
When he was some sixteen or so old there was a tragical incident. He had taken a handgun from his home to show to his friends. While they traveled in the city bus the gun went off in his hands and hit one of his friends in the head, friend died.I do not know what punishment he got for the accident but I want to believe that by taking part in the rescuing of thai boys he is now free from the old sin, so to speak.

https://lovinmalta.com/news/news-human-i...-boys-from-cave


Edited by Herman30 (01/03/19 06:00 PM)

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#291544 - 01/03/19 06:35 PM Re: Brands We Trust Our Lives On [Re: hikermor]
M_a_x Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1203
Loc: Germany
Here in Germany gun clubs are a good place for social networking. You meet people with different interests, positions and skills. You get to talk to them while waiting for a free lane or after shooting. Competing on different levels will let that circle grow.
_________________________
If it isn´t broken, it doesn´t have enough features yet.

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