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Review of the Morakniv Garberg outdoor knife

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

What is the best outdoor knife?

Those who know me well know that I love the outdoors and I love knives. If I were stranded on an island and could only bring one home comfort, it would be an outdoor knife. Having many outdoor enthusiast readers, I am regularly asked what knife I like best. 

When I first started studying survival skills, I had the misguided belief that the more expensive your equipment, the better it must be. I quickly learned that this wasn't always the case and sometimes even the most basic tool, used correctly, could be a lifesaver. 

Nowhere is this more true than outdoor (camping or survival knives). I say outdoor because my choice for an everyday carry knife is very different. 

Outdoors you say?

I have been camping for 30+ years and have been interested in wilderness survival and native survival skills for the last five years. I have been fortunate enough to have participated in training camps with some of the industries most recognized names in forests hours from the nearest city. 

While camping or during a survival event, a knife could be the difference between life and death. It can help you catch & process food, build shelter, start a fire and much more. In the wild, I can

  • make a natural "sleeping bag" with logs and leaves
  • make utensils and plates from logs
  • use rocks as cookware on a fire

What I can't make in the wild is a knife. Sure you can use a sharp rock, but that won't allow you to batton firewood or perform any of the hundreds of tasks a real sturdy knife can.

Let's be clear, a knife without training won't save your life. But with decent knowledge, a bit of practice and a good knife, you can save your life even in the most treacherous environment. 

What about a multitool?

I carry a Victorinox Swiss Champ with me every day (EDC). I wouldn't leave home without it. I own and carry various dependable leatherman multitools, but in the wild, I want a knife. A multitool just wouldn't be able to take the abuse of real outdoor survival. You try batoning a log with a multitool and see how long it lasts. 

Aren't all survival knives the same?

The answer is No. Just in case you were confused, the answer is no, no and no. Go to any Walmart, and you will find a dozen knives marked as survival knives. Most are garbage, but unless you are an experienced user, you will undoubtedly be overwhelmed with conflicting marketing messages and the sheer number of possible options.

An excellent outdoor knife will:

  • Be a multi-use item but not a multi-tool. You will have to stay away from the specialized products (e.g., blades with hooks to help gut a catch, a tanto point to stab, etc.)
  • Be durable in the field. You need a tool that is designed to last and won't fail you when you need it most. Remember "that which can fail will fail." This is why I stay away from folding knives when looking for the ideal outdoor knife.
  • Be built for survival and hard use. The ideal knife must be full-tang which means the blade's steel runs into the handle. Some knives have a long thick tang in the handle (typically more expensive), while others use a skinnier metal body in the handle (typically less expensive). 
  • Be budget friendly. The more expensive your knife, the less likely you are to use and abuse it. The knife must be "expensive enough" to be well designed and crafted using quality materials, yet cheap enough that you will use it in the wild (you can't cry every time you baton logs with it). 

What characteristics should I look for?

Blade: My preference is the Scandinavian grind (SG). The SG is a wide flat bevel (V) that wind to the end of the blade. There is no secondary bevel. This produces a knife with excellent cut control. It is slightly more fragile than over edges and can be strengthened with a slight secondary bevel. This is a blade edge that is easy to maintain in the field with a single sharpening stone and sharpening requires less skill [compared to other edges]. 

Length: Blade length is a very personal decision, but I have found 4-6" to be the sweet spot. Too short and the knife's usefulness is greatly diminished. Too long and the blade will be difficult to control and will be on your way when hanging on your belt.

Price: As mentioned earlier, it has to be expensive enough to be well built from quality materials. It shouldn't be too expensive causing you to avoid using it in the field. 

What is the best outdoor knife?

If I had to pick one knife right now that I would want in a survival situation, it would be the Morakniv Garberg MultiMount. Anyone interested in camping or survival has probably heard of MoraKniv. The poster child for Mora knives (Mora is a region in Sweden) is Cody Lundin from the Aboriginal Living Skills School and TV personality.

The Garberg meets all of my requires. It is durable, versatile, easy to maintain in the field and affordable. I have used the cheaper $20 Mora knives in the early days, and most of them are still in my collection today and are regularly used.

The MoraKniv Garberg has a simple but comfortable plastic handle which means you have better control and won't have hand pain after extended use. 

It is a full-tang knife, which means it can withstand the abuse of batoning. You can easily baton 3.5-4inch pieces of wood with ease.

The Morakiv Garberg uses 14C28N stainless steel which does not rust, hold's an edge relatively well and is easy to sharpen in the wild with a stone. Surprise surprise it has a Scandinavian grind. 

The back end of the blade has a 90-degree spine so you can use it with magnesium or a feral rod to start a fire. 

The Garberg comes with a nice sheath that works well for righties or lefties. Mora also included Velcro straps that allow you to easily hang the knife on a free or a backpack (Molle attachment). The blade is made from rust-resistant stainless steel but Mora still included drainage holes in the sheath (a nice touch). 

To make a good knife deal even better, Morakniv offers a lifetime warranty that covers defects. As long as you have maintained the knife according to their guidelines and haven't abused the product, Morakniv will fix or replace the product if you have any issues (this is their Knife for Life guarantee).

The price

This is not a sponsored post so I won't link to any specific retailer but you should be able to buy a Morakniv Garberg Multi-Mount (make sure you pick up the multi-mount version) for $70-$80 USD (~$125CAD). Online retailers, you can check out include:

  • USA: Amazon, KnifeCenter, Cutlery USA, MEC, etc.
  • Canada: Adventure Pro Zone, Canadian Outdoor Equipment, Bushcraft Canada, etc
  • Europe: Bushgear UK, Knives, and Tools, Amazon, etc. 

Make sure you shop around because prices can be $10-30 different per site for the same item.

You sure?

I have tested over 50 knives in the last 3 years and conducted hours of research before choosing this knife. I take this type of review seriously and put in the hours, so you don't have to. As I write this (December 2017) The Morakniv Garber multi-mount is the best deal on an outdoor knife available. The offers the biggest band for the buck and has the least negative characteristics. 

Link to Morakniv

Note: This is not a sponsored review. 

Why you need a Glo-toob LED powered Glow Stick

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Each year, I test hundreds of new and different items that compete to find a place in my everyday carry kit (EDC). To be clear, my EDC is build for the urban environment and not wilderness survival. 

4 years ago, I tested and fell in love with the Glo-toob lights and it has been part of my kit ever since. I just realized I have never written about it an wanted to share it with you. 

Why not use a cheap glow stick?

Anyone that is building a serious EDC kit knows that you need redundancy. My main everyday carry (EDC) flashlight is the OLight S15R baton with a rechargeable battery. My secondary flashlight is the Ti3 by thrunite (which uses easy to find AAA batteries). there are times when you need a glow stick type of light and for those times, I rely on the Glo-Toob.

Why not use a cheap $5 glow stick? The typical (even high quality) glow stick or Chemical light stick is first and foremost not environmentally friendly (it is disposable and an environmental pollutant). Anyone that has carried them knows that they leak (which also means it won't work when you need it). Plus once you activate it, that's it.

Most of the time, I need it for 5 minutes, 60 minutes or even 180 minutes but that's it. With a chemical glow stick, once you activate it, it's end of life. 

Why I chose the Glo-Toob

I knew I wanted something else as my everyday carry glow stick alternative, but it took several tries until I found the Glo-toob.

First thing you notice is the solid construction (it can withstand the rigors of constant travel and being bumped in a pocket, bag or briefcase). It's waterproof to 200 feet (60 meters). I have taken it night scuba diving to 135ft and have never had issues but it's most common use is in rain or snow and it has worked flawlessly.

It is a small rounded cylinder which means it is small enough for everyday carry. This is something you overlook until you start carrying it all the time. Small and light are critical and the Glo-toob is 10/10 on both points (weights 34g with the battery).

It can be powered with different types of batteries (depending on the model) but I chose the AAA powered one (Original GT-AAA). As I travel and carry this with me, I need to know that I can buy the required power source for my gadgets easily and AAA batteries are available in every street corner anywhere in the world.

The last point was that it had to provide a 360 degree stream of light (similar to a glow stick), which it does. 

Using it

I own 2 GT-AAAs: one with a white LED and one red a one. It has 3 modes (you activate by twisting the cap on and off) high intensity (100%), low intensity (25%) and rapid strobe. Other models offer up to 11 modes and I saw a Chinese competitor with 21 modes but... and the but here is that simple is better. If I need to use this in an emergency, I don't want to fiddle with my EDC gear. By having only 3 modes, choosing the right one is simple.

In low power mode, it is a great long lasting marker light that you can strap on a dog collar or backpack. In high powered mode, it is a great emergency light (during a power outage) or a light you can give the kids without worrying about it breaking.

I have used it while camping to mark our campsite. I have used it when I had to stop on the side of a busy highway at night as a safety beacon. I have used it as a market when canoeing at night. I have used it during power outages and once when  I was stuck in a stopped elevator.

I have used it in high powered mode for about 6-7 hours (with a single AAA battery).

Negative comments

When working on a review, I scour the internet looking for comments (positive or negative) from other users. In this case, I saw a handful of comments touching similar points and I wanted to address these ones:

  • disappointed by the amount of light : this is not a flashlight replacement. If you buy it thinking it is you will obviously be disappointed. This is a replacement for a chemical glow stick.
  • leaked during a dive : With over 85 dives under my belt, I can tell you that I have lived through all kinds of equipment failure at depth. That's one of the reasons everything is done in twos. You never dive alone, you have 2 regulators, etc. Anytime you are in a remote location (whether on land or in the water), you need backups for all your primary systems. Failures happen either because the gear is defective, improperly maintained or improperly used. 
  • worked only a couple of times : I have 2 of these lights and other friends have bought them after testing my units. My units have been in my EDC kit for 4 years now and even after diving, camping and being abused in torrential rain and deep snow, they perform flawlessly. Of the 10 or so units owned by friends and acquaintances, none have failed. It's important to realize that any electronic product can fail and buying it from a reputable reseller (like Amazon) means you have someone to contact if you do need a warranty replacement. 

The Chinese knockoffs

Search AliExpress.com for Glo-toob, EDC warning light or a combination of these types of keywords and you will find hundreds of listings selling these types of tubular lights. I ordered 3 of them ranging from 8.99-14.99 and most ended up being branded EDCGear. 

These are cheap knockoffs and you can feel it immediately. The plastic is light and flimsy. The units have cheap O-rings and none of them lasted more than a couple of uses. The light quality wasn't as good. Build and construction weren't as good and all 3 died immediately when I performed the sink dunking water test (even though they were marketed as waterproof). 

Sometimes the Chinese versions as just as good but this is not one of them. Save yourself the frustration and buy the original from a retailer that will stand behind the warranty.

Conclusion

Priced at around 4-5 times the price of a high quality chemical glow stick, these Glo-toobs are a great investment and will quickly become part of your EDC, camping and survival gear. I love them and recommend them.

Hill People Gear Mountain Serape Review

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Image by Hill People Gear

As the weather cools down and we prepare for Winter, one of the most important pieces of survival or emergency gear is related to body temperature. Whether you are a prepper or someone that spends a lot of time in a car, you should plan to have backup mechanism to keep warm in the event the unthinkable happens.

Deployed soldiers have been modifying poncho liners for years during deployments. These modifications involve cutting holes, adding zippers and padding, etc. Lots of companies have created slightly modified poncho liners but what Hill People Gear has done with their Mountain Serape is awesome turning it into a multi-function product.

What can the Hill People Gear Mountain Serape do?

It is a:

  • poncho liner
  • great coat
  • blanket 
  • sleeping bag

It is all of these things without being gimmicky. HPG didn't just add uses on the packaging as an afterthought, the design is carefully planned and masterfully executed. It is as useful in the bush as it is in the urban jungle.

Looking at the Hill People Gear website, one thing I noticed is that it regularly goes out of stock. If you are interested, get one when available. 

Comparing the Mountain Serape to a Poncho Liner

The Hill People Gear Mountain Serape is much warmer than a traditional poncho liner. To achieve this level of warmth, they use 2.4 ounces of Primaloft Fusion insulation. Primaloft is a USA made modern insulator that is also used in the military's winter gear. It is fantastic for survival equipment because it is light yet very warm.

I first learned about the Hill People Gear Mountain Serape during wilderness survival training. One of our instructors slept in a hammock and used the HPG Mountain Serape as versatile multipurpose tool. It was used as a jacket at night to keep warm and was used as his 3 season sleeping bag. When wilderness camping, every piece of kit must be multipurpose, small, light and useful.

In cold weather camping, you can use this as an additive layer to another sleep system. Think of it as a sleeping bag that adds about 40 degree Fahrenheit. The HPG Mountain Serape is a light 2 pounds making it easy to carry (considering its size). 

“I wish the Hill People Gear Mountain Serape shipped with a stuff sack. You will definitely want to pick one up for storage.”

Folded or rolled, it will consume a lot of space which isn't practical. Put it in a good stuff sack and it can be compressed down to the size of a large bottle of soda (2L) which is much easier to carry. 

Using it

As a poncho, it is large enough to wear over a pack. As a blanket, it can easily cover 2 "normal sized" adults. As a sleeping bag it fits ones adult comfortable allowing enough room to move around and not feel constrained. 

The external shell is soft enough to use as a "around the house blanket" yet robust enough to survive in the wild. If you don't pay attention and abuse your gear, you may rip it so be careful.

HPG says the Mountain Serape is water resistant but not waterproof. It is not meant to replace rain gear but will be fine during light misting. It is also perfectly good to use in winter with snow.  If you do want to use it during rain, a good companion add on would be the O.P.S.E.C. Poncho from Survival Solutions. 

Although Hill People Gear has kept the design of the Mountain Serape fairly consistent, I was told by a contact that they have improved minor features like stitching to make it better and more durable ( I tested the newer version which was lent to me by a friend).

When switching from Poncho to Great Coat, you will be happy about how warm it keeps you. Ponchos are easy to put on but not practical when you are working. When working around the campsite, home or survival situation, use the Great Coat mode. It allows you to move your arms freely. In Great Coat mode, you can even wear a pack over the Mountain Serape. 
 

Alternatives

Anytime I write about a product, I receive questions from readers about a "comparable" product on AliExpress for 1/4 the price. While some AliExpress products are good deals and worth getting, but not the Serapes. The Chinese Serapes and made with cheap stitching, cheap insulation and non breathable shell fabric.

Many have said they loved the feature set but find the price expensive. And I can't disagree but the price is competitive to other high quality, low volume survival products. 

Conclusion

The Hill people gear Mountain Serape is unique piece of kit that everyone should get and keep in your gobag, car or camping kit. 

Stove In A Can - Be ready for the next emergency

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Anyone preparing for disaster / emergency knows that in addition to having easy to prepare food on hand, fire is an indispensable tool. Fire allows you to disinfect a tool, boil water (to sanitize it) or prepare different types of food. Fire is critical but difficult to make without preparation during an emergency. This is where Stove In A Can comes in.

What is Stove In A Can?

The Stove In a Can is a simple self contained stove with everything you need from the support frame, fuel and even matches. It is a self contained cooking solution. 

In the can, you get:

  • The can which becomes the stove frame
  • 4 fuel pucks (lasting 1 hour each)
  • The cooking ring
  • The fuel ring
  • Matches

Use

Simplicity and speed is critical during an emergency and the Stove In A Can doesn't fail to satisfy. It can be lit and used in under a minute and is relatively fool proof.

The good

  • It is self contained and everything you need is included
  • Soot is contained inside the can which makes storage and carry much better
  • The fuel cells are waterproof
  • The fuel is solid so you are not worried about spilling or overfilling
  • The fuel is reusable. Once your water is boiled or food is cooked, you can put out the fire with the lid and reuse it
  • The fuel does not expire so you don't have to worry about rotating it

The bad

  • The fuel doesn't burn clean and leaves soot on anything you use
  • The included matches are relatively cheap and I recommend you replace them with better waterproof strike anywhere survival matches

Where can I buy A Stove In A Can?

Amazon sells it for $22 + shipping. You can also get additional fuel cartridges there. 

Best collapsible water bottle

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

The right gear makes travelling so much better.In 2014, I wrote an article about (my then) favourite foldable water bottle. At the time, it was the best foldable (small form factor) bottle money could buy but recently I discovered a new collapsible water bottle that puts the Vapur to shame. 

Why?

With tighter and tighter airport security screenings, bringing your own water became a taboo. Most people just fork over the $5-7 a bottle and buy it at the airport convenience store but no more. 

What is it?

The Nomader Collapsible water bottle is small, lightweight and easy to carry. Once you pass through all the security checkpoints, you unfold it, fill it and relish the thought that you just saved $5.

The Nomader is a leakproof bottle made of food grade silicone (BPA free) that holds 22 ounces. When fully extended and filled, it feels as close to a solid bottle as a collapsible bottle can.  The Vapur became giggly and you often ended up splashing water on yourself. This was a major complaint I had with the Vapur. 

The other issue with the Vapur is that after 12 months of use, my bottle sometimes leaked water from the top cap. Not so with the Nomader.

Water Filter

If you follow my blog, you have undoubtedly read my undying love for the Grayl water filter and purifier. If not, you should immediately read my post about it here, You can carry both (if going to an area with clean water concerns), and fill the Nomader once you filter the water with The Grayl. These 2 make a wonderful combo for travel.