Serrated knives are well suited to tasks that involve tearing and sawing. Compared to a traditional knife blade, the zigzag edge of a serrated hunting knife provides more surface area for cutting. This means serrated knives often stay sharp longer than their smooth-edge counterparts. However, it is difficult to sharpen serrated knives in the wilderness; all but the most experienced knife owners must take their serrated camping knives to a professional for sharpening.
As you can see, serrated knives pose both advantages and disadvantages. These characteristics make serrated camping knives well suited to certain activities and difficult to use in others, as outlined below. Read the rest of this entry »
Run time is an important characteristic to consider when shopping for an LED flashlight or headlamp. Run time describes 
A bright LED flashlight can be one of your greatest assets in the wilderness. Used inconsiderately, however, it can also be a huge nuisance to those around you. Because flashlights and headlamps are such an integral part of the outdoor experience, every hiking, camping, hunting and fishing enthusiast can benefit from having a basic understanding of how our eyes interact with the light from an LED flashlight.
The young are known to be great innovators. A student at Union College in New York, for instance, has created an LED flashlight in an Altoids tin! Freshman Nicholas Brenn’s invention turns a single LED, a resistor, a coin cell battery, a push-button switch, some wire and an Altoids Minis tin into a fully functional flashlight. (The Altoids tin acts as the housing for the LED flashlight.)
The clock’s ticking down toward Christmas, and holiday shoppers everywhere will soon find themselves in crunch time as they scramble to complete their to-do lists. For those who are having trouble coming up with stocking stuffer ideas this year, our website is loaded with practical gift ideas, from flashlights to knives to multi-tools, that are the perfect size for slipping into a stocking.
Recently, President Obama announced that troops stationed in Iraq will be brought home in time for the holidays. Moreover, the 33,000 additional “surge” of troops sent to Afghanistan in 2009 will be coming home by September of 2012. Military families across the country rejoiced at this news. Just imagine: Rather than having quality time with Daddy or Mommy squeezed into the span of a short leave, these kids would have their parents home for good – or at least for a good, long while.
