Author: losophyp

Phillosoph

Strategy for Tactical Folders

Post author By losophyp
Post date 11 October 2026

Many people consider a “Tactical Folder” an important component of their Everyday Carry (EDC).

The price of such a knife may reach triple figures.

Price is not the same as value, however.

How useful is such a knife to you?

Ask someone why they carry a tactical folder and you will get a variety of answers. One of the answers you may get is “utility”.

Utility

Having a cutting edge or two on you is useful. You will get no argument from me.

There are cords to cut, threads to trim and packages to open.

I am seldom far from my Swiss Army Knives and Leatherman Squirt P4.

Most of these jobs, however, do not need a long blade. Many are actually easier and safer with a short blade.

While most tactical folders claim to be “great for EDC”, what you are not being told is that you will still need a penknife or multi‑tool too.

When opening packaging, you do not want to cut‑up the contents. The tools I most often use to open packages are the reamer, scissors or can-opener of a Swiss Army Knife. You can use the scissor blade as a tiny knife, as well as its more conventional application. Often I will use the P51 on my keyring rather than unfolding a penknife tool.

The knife blades of my Swiss Army Knives seldom see use in everyday life.

The tools that see the most use are typically the scissors and screwdrivers. The latter are often used for unconventional applications such as cleaning under fingernails, prising off keyboard keys, and opening stubborn pistachio nuts.

You can do some of these tasks with a tactical folder, but the bigger knives are often a clumsy compromise and that is seldom a good idea when sharp edges are involved.

The point I am making is that even if you have a state of the art tactical folder, it is prudent to also carry a Swiss Army Knife or other multi‑tool for its scissors, screwdrivers and other useful and more often used implements.

What we term as a multi‑tool is in actuality a small tool kit. A small tool kit more than capable of handling most everyday cutting tasks.

It is prudent to invest in a Swiss Army Knife for your EDC before you take out a mortgage for a tactical folder.

Preppers are subject to enough prejudice and get a very bad press as it is. In social situations, you are better reaching for a penknife than brandishing a “fighting knife”.

What about out in the wilds? A bigger blade will be useful here, will it not?

It will. While you can baton a Swiss Army Knife through a log, a larger tactical folder blade is likely to be more robust.

As an aside, there are alternatives. You can cut a notch in a log end with a Swiss Army Knife saw‑blade and carve a hardwood wedge to drive into it, for example.

But if you are knowingly entering such an environment or situation where a knife might see heavy use, you should be packing at least one fixed blade knife.

Something like a Mora Companion is far better suited to messy tasks or hard use than any tactical folder, and probably will cost a fraction of the price.

A larger fixed blade such as a kukri, billhook or hatchet can easily master tasks a tactical folder cannot.

Have no illusions that a tactical folder is a compromise. It is more convenient to carry in civilised areas, but not as capable or inherently durable as a fixed blade.

A knife, multi‑tool and flashlight are the “trinity of EDC” according to at least one website (that sells knives and multi‑tools!)

Flashlights are useful, but I rate them as several tiers lower in priority than a space blanket, lighter and some cordage.

There is little point in having multi‑tool(s) and a knife unless the knife is bringing something to the table that the multi‑tools do not.

One-Hand Opening

Most tactical folders have some means by which they may be opened with just one hand. This can be very useful in many situations.

If your arm is injured, you may have to open your knife with your non-dominant side hand. Ambidextrous opening is desirable.

One-handed opening is of an obvious value if you have certain disabilities, or if your other hand is occupied.

Good designs allow easy one-handed release of the blade too. Safely putting a knife away may be a more important, sometimes.

Some single-bladed folding knives can be opened by grasping the back of the blade and giving the handle a good flick. This requires a change of grip to use, so may not be ideal halfway up a cliff-face.

There are some multi-tools that offer one-hand opening of a blade. These tend to be large models that you cannot comfortably carry in trouser pocket. Because of the multi-level construction of such tools, blades may only be openable from one side.

When I was moving into my current place, I often found myself with a box in one hand, and needing a means to open that box or cut tape to seal it within reach of the other hand.

I spent most of that day using my Spyderco Police, grateful that I could open or close it with one hand, and stow it using its pocket clip.

There were alternative solutions, however. If I did it again, I might use my Stanley knife or a box-cutter instead.

One-handed opening may also be of value in an emergency.

One emergency use for a tactical folder that I have seen proposed is to cut a seat-belt when trapped in a vehicle.

This sounds reasonable in theory, but may prove different in practice.

Many people carry their tactical folder in a front trouser pocket or a belt pouch. It may be prudent to experiment with just how easily you can reach your knife when strapped into a car seat.

Imagine one arm is injured and you have to reach for your knife with the other.

For your own vehicle(s), ensure you have some purpose‑designed strap cutters within reach. Many such devices are very reasonably priced. Some designs include devices to break glass and facilitate rapid exit when your vehicle is on fire or sinking into the lake.

If you are a law-enforcement officer or first responder that has a higher likelihood of encountering people trapped in vehicles, a strap-cutter or purpose-designed fixed blade rescue knife is a superior option to a tactical folder.

Such cutters are also useful for rapidly cutting clothing away from wounds.

Defence

“Tactical Folder” implies that a major purpose of such a knife is defensive.

Despite my considerable interest in bladed weapons, my personal feeling is that knives are not the ideal defensive weapon. Knives are generally good for offensive and poor in defence,

Knives cannot parry like a sword or stick. A knife is, at best, a counter-offensive weapon. This means that to defend yourself with a knife you must use it aggressively.

If used, a knife can do a lot of serious damage which may not be considered warranted by the situation, placing you in a difficult legal position.

Tactics of Mistake

I have often covered this topic, but it is worth repeating.

Do not try to attack when it is time to defend.

Many a morgue table has been occupied by someone who tried to shoot, punch or stab when they should have been dodging or defending.

Many were cops who had shot and even fatally wounded a charging attacker, only to be knocked down and killed themselves, often with their own weapon.

This is as likely for a civilian with a tactical folder as it is for a cop with a gun.

Drawing and opening a knife takes a finite amount of time. You may be fast, smooth and slick in the dojo or in front of your bedroom mirror.

Against a real threat, drawing when you should be dodging will get you killed.

You cannot beat a foe to the punch when their punch is already on its way.

This is why you must have a realistic grounding in empty‑hand techniques, not matter what weapon you carry.

A tactical folder (or other weapon) is only useful if utilised alongside situational awareness, empty‑hand techniques and escape‑orientated tactics.

Overt and Covert Attacks

Most violent criminal attacks can be divided into covert and overt attacks.

The covert attacker may not make their aggression known until the actual attack. They might “come out of nowhere” and in the event of a knife attack, you may be feeling the blade before you see it.

Some covert attacks might be preceded by an “assessment phase” that may include questions to establish if you are a suitable victim. This may take place at a different location and some time before the attack.

Your main defence against covert attack is your awareness.

If an attack does come, you will not have time to draw any form of weapon and must rely on your empty‑hand close combat skills for the vital first few seconds.

Reread that sentence about awareness. There are many people who have spent three figures for a tactical folder but never look up from their phones when walking.

Overt attacks are often ego inspired and may be proceeded by aggressive behaviour and posturing, some of which may serve to work the aggressor up into an attack. Often the aggressor will be part of a group, and you will be outnumbered.

Your best defence is to diffuse the situation or remove yourself.

If violence is inevitable, your best option may be to pre‑empt his attack.

This may make you the aggressor in the eyes of certain courts, but this may be preferable to the alternative.

Do not waste your time drawing a weapon. You need to achieve surprise and gain the initiative if possible.

Launch a fast and telling opening attack, then follow through and keep raining the blows until he goes down or there is an opening to escape. (And it probably will be a “he”, so stow the woke posturing!)

You won't have time to draw a knife until he is down, and if he was on his own you don't need the knife once he is down. It may be prudent to stomp his leg to hinder him pursuing you. It is time for you to leave.

If he was with a group, do not try to stay and fight if you have a choice. This is not a Hollywood action movie.

If an ego based attacker has a weapon, he may choose to brandish it a little to intimidate you.

Use the extra time and distance to grab something such as an ashtray, beer glass or pool ball and throw it at him. Dig your toe into the dirt and kick grit at his face.

These distractions may buy time to draw your knife and close in. Seize the initiative.

You may be better forgetting trying to draw your knife and going straight to knocking the foe off balance, as suggested below. If there is a better weapon such as a pool cue or bar-stool, forget trying to draw the knife and use that instead.

Your best option is always to escape, even if yourself armed.

Rather than turn your back, it is often better to run at and past the attacker if possible, passing him on his non-knife side if he is so armed.

Give him a shove to knock him off balance and you will probably be some distance away before he can turn and pursue.

Head for help or any populated area and yell your head off to attract attention.

If you cannot escape, use anything you can throw or a chair etc and close distance.

If cut, flick blood towards his eyes.

Try to stay at his sides or behind. Low kick to his legs and hit him with everything you have got, anywhere you can land a blow, and keep hitting.

Once again, escape if you can.

Strategy for Folders

There may be situations when you suspect an attack is possible and you do have time to ready a weapon.

You may think you are being followed, for example, Hollywood’s now classic “footsteps in the parking garage” scenes.

You may be wary of a group hanging around in the street ahead or at the bar.

The knife can be very useful here since it can easily be held in the hand ready but out of sight and it has considerable intimidation value if produced at the right moment.

A tactical folder is most useful if you can ready it before the fighting starts, hence it is more strategic than tactical.

Combat Application and Blade Shape

If you are in a situation where you have a knife in hand and have to use it to protect yourself, what is the best way to do so?

This is a topic I will only deal with briefly here.

Please consult my books for much more information and options.

Your primary objective is to create an opportunity to escape.

A lot of combat manuals show a knife being used to slash. Some tactical folders have been allegedly designed with slashing as their primary mode.

The Filipino martial arts have been influential on modern knife fighting theory and tactical folder design.

In many regions, however, heavier and multiple layers of clothing make slashing attacks with light knives impractical unless directed against bare flesh.

If attacking a clothed area, you should favour the point.

The attacker’s hands or their contents are the main threat.

Be aware of his hands but don’t fixate on them or you will leave yourself open to other attacks.

Intercept the foe's hands and forearms with your knife edge or point. Manoeuvre to their outside gate and stab anything within reach. Push them over or knock them down if you can.

If grabbed, immediately attack their arm with your blade.

Attacking or threatening the face will make an assailant back off, but to achieve this may bring you within range of their arms.

Tip Press and Snap Cut

A folding blade is most likely to fail when used to stab or thrust.

Tactical folders have a means to keep the blade locked open, but like any mechanism with multiple parts there is a greater potential for failure than with a unitary construction.

In some areas, knives with locking blades have become illegal to carry or are highly restricted.

When using a folding blade, a stabbing or thrusting action should be modified to reduce the chance of a blade closing.

With a folding blade, rather than stabbing, apply a push cut with the point and the region of the edge just behind the point so that the pressure helps keep the blade open.

This may be made with a thrusting action, and is a version of the “snap cut” mentioned in my first book. The tip of the blade makes a flick or dipping action on contact.

I suspect that this method of using a blade favours some tip shapes over others.

Reverse tanto and Wharncliffe point configurations (above) re probably well suited to applying a tip press.

I have yet to find time to conduct any experiments on making tip presses with different point configurations.

Design Features

As I noted earlier, a tactical folder is a compromise. It cannot be so large, bulky or heavy that you cannot carry it where you may easily get at it when wanted.

A long blade may be attractive for combat applications, but may make the knife less useful for the many everyday tasks it may usually be put to.

One-handed opening is desirable, but forget any fantasies that you are going to outdraw an attacker.

The tactical folder's defensive applications are mainly counter-offensive and require there was time and opportunity to draw and ready the knife. If possible, use this time to escape, evade or find safety.

Do not let having a knife distract you from other and possibly better options for armament. A friend of mine used to maintain the main defensive use for a knife was to sharpen a point on a broomstick, If you pardon the pun, he had a point.

From a combat perspective, a serrated or part-serrated edge is more likely to tear through cloth or “bite” during a slashing attack. Serrations are useful for cutting some other materials, such as rope.

Those who think of their tactical folder as an emergency survival knife may find a plain edge more suited to tasks such as batoning.

Pocket clips are a common feature on tactical folders. Consider if you can remove or reposition them if you wish to.

Legal Considerations

Check if there are any particular legal restrictions that apply in the region that you are in or will be travelling through.

Balisong knives are illegal in some American states, legal in others.

In some parts of the world you cannot carry a concealed knife with a blade of greater than a certain length.

Blades with locking mechanisms may be restricted.

In some states or countries automatic knives or switchblades are perfectly legal, while in others they are not. In some areas, automatic knives are legal if you are a member of the police or emergency services. Knives with “assisted opening” may or may not be considered switchblades.

Tags combat, combat knife, knife, self-defence, swiss army knife, tactical folder

Phillosoph

Make Mine Vinegar and Soda

Post author By losophyp
Post date 27 September 2026

My girlfriend currently has to spend most of her time outside the country.

I will admit that while she is absent, the house has sometimes gotten a little too “lived in”.

Recently, I was inspired to give the house a good clean. That, in turn, spurred me to start a new phase of my attempt at decluttering.

All the experts say fully declutter before you clean, but in this case, it was the cleaning that inspired me to pay more attention to what was on the shelves or in the drawers and cupboards.

Avoid Perfect

A very wise lady (Sam’s mom) once told me:

“You can try to have a perfectly clean house, or you can have pets and kids.”

I cannot really use that as an excuse.

Marie Kondo (aka Konmari) says:

“Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature”

It is not usually a good idea to fight against Mother Nature. She has all the big guns.

So forget about perfection and aim for clean enough. You will stay saner.

A few days after my cleaning campaign reached its peak, I was informed my stepson and his new girlfriend intended to visit. Shortly after that, my girlfriend would fly in to see them.

The cleaning had gone so well, I just said “fine”. The house was more than clean enough, so there would be no frantic clean and tidy frenzy the prospect of visitors normally triggered.

I had told my lady I had been cleaning and decluttering, and as is her wont, she was very supportive and encouraging.

Her son had told her I had transformed the place.

Secretly, she was sceptical and doubted both of us. A man’s definition of cleaning and tidying probably meant moving one thing, she thought.

She arrived very late at night, and admits she noticed a difference as soon as the door opened.

Most of the horizontal surfaces in the kitchen were clean and clear. Cupboard doors she could never get sufficiently clean to her satisfaction smirked at her clean‑faced.

In the lounge, she wanted to know how I had got the glass coffee table and vase so clean.

My model painting table she wisely declared to be creative, not clutter.

And the bathroom? Neither of us ever thought we would see the day when it was described as being “like a showroom”, but that was her verdict.

Over the next few days, she used the words “amazing” and “awesome” a lot when talking about our house. Less kindly, she claimed she was in another dimension and demanded to know what I had done with her real boyfriend.

“I had to declutter the wardrobes to make room for the pods” I explained.

She was still congratulating me when she left.

“Will it stay like this?” she asked, sounding a little concerned.

“I cannot see how it could revert.” I told her. The house has reached a level where any mess is just too apparent to ignore.

I pointed out that in the couple of weeks that she had visited, I had not needed to do any major cleaning. Just wiping up spills and putting things back where they belonged. The work of seconds. (Full disclosure, my girlfriend did vacuum a few times, since she knows it is something I dislike and that causes me discomfort)

Once you get your surroundings sufficiently decluttered and clean, it is much easier to avoid mess building up again.

I have written about my minimalism‑inspired decluttering before, and I may write about the second (Konmari‑inspired) phase of decluttering on another occasion.

How I Cleaned-Up My Act

Today’s blog will be about how I cleaned the house so effectively. My girlfriend requested that I write this one so that we may “help loads of people to save money and to have their places sparkling clean”.

The surprise is, I did nearly all of the cleaning with vinegar, with just a little baking soda or washing up liquid when needed.

One Minute Rule

The first tip is one of technique, rather than materials.

I have spoken elsewhere about the “One Minute Rule”.

If a job will take less than a minute, do it immediately:

Wipe it up, pick it up, rinse it off, put it back, put it away.

When the one minute rule becomes a habit, clutter and mess seldom build up enough to become a major cleaning chore.

In the kitchen, always have a washable, reusable cloth within reach. With such, I am much more likely to wipe up immediately than if I have to use‑up one‑use paper tissues.

In the same vein, in the bathroom is a sponge just for mopping up puddles and wiping over or wiping down surfaces.

I use a very efficient, economical method of washing‑up.

After eating, I rinse everything then leave it in the (unfilled) sink. No tedious washing up when we both want to be relaxing for the evening. I do not perform the evening reset that some declutters advocate.

Usually, I can clean all the previous night’s washing‑up while I make my morning coffee.

I achieve something positive and constructive before my first sip of coffee, and my lady wakes up to a tidy, clean kitchen and an empty sink.

Other tips: When cleaning, always start high and work down.

Pace yourself. Several short, productive sessions of cleaning are better than a single long exhausting slog.

Clean your cleaners. After use, squeeze‑out your sponges and clean‑off any other items you have used to clean.

Cleaning

This blog is a little off‑topic from the subjects I usually cover. I have chosen to write about this subject because so much of the information out there is wrong.

As a trained and qualified biochemist, it does give me a chuckle when I see someone on the web tout vinegar and/or bicarb as a way to clean “without chemicals”.

Vinegar and bicarb are chemicals (as indeed, is just about everything, including anyone reading this!).

Using vinegar and bicarb effectively and safely involves knowing some basic chemistry.

CT: "Thank you, as a non-chemist I appreciate this insight into a topic I never trusted the internet on!"

Know Your Chemistry

Vinegar

Vinegar is typically a 4 to 8% solution of acetic acid.

Any vinegar may be used for cleaning, but white vinegar lacks many of the additional components found in malt vinegar that may leave a residue.

White vinegar is not the same as white wine vinegar.

There is no point using more expensive vinegars for cleaning if you can get white vinegar.

As an aside, unless you are following a cooking recipe, if something specifies that you need to use cider vinegar, suspect bullshit.

I brought two five‑litre containers of 5% white vinegar for under £8, including postage. This will give me nearly 40 litres of cleaner. Since the vinegar is used in a spray gun, very little is used at a time.

Some vinegar/acetic acid sold for cleaning is already diluted. Make sure what you buy is no less than 5%, otherwise you are just paying for the shipping of water you could have added from the tap.

Do not buy glacial acetic acid, which is 99%+ and nasty stuff.

Even diluting this down requires that you are properly trained and equipped to handle very corrosive chemicals. I once had a nosebleed just from a single accidental inhalation of the vapour.

Always try 1 in 4 diluted 5% vinegar for cleaning first.

You will seldom need 5% or stronger.

To use vinegar as a cleaning agent, dilute the 5% white vinegar 1 in 4. Fill half a cup with vinegar and top up that cup with tap water. Pour this mixture into your container and then add a full cup of water after this (which also rinses out the cup you used).

Keep a small funnel with your 5% vinegar.

Usually I use my diluted vinegar in a spray gun. One that produces a mist rather than a jet is generally more useful. Accurately label the spray gun and any other containers you use, for example “1.25% Vinegar” or “¼ Vinegar”,.

Spray guns may not work well if you point them at steep elevations or depressions. For horizontal surfaces, spray forward and let the liquid settle on the surface.

I also have an old plastic vinegar bottle with a couple of extra holes made in the inner cap. When needed, I can pour diluted vinegar into this bottle and use it like a shaker over horizontal surfaces.

Alternately, spray a little vinegar on a cloth or sponge and apply with this. You will need to do this if cleaning a ceiling or the underside of something.

Vinegar is most effective if you give the acidity a couple of minutes to take effect.

Spray a number of surfaces and then come back to wipe down the one you sprayed first.

Incidentally, many commercial cleaning products also work better if given a little time to soak in first before wiping.

Vinegar is good against soap residue and mould. Spray the tiles in your shower, leave five minutes, then wipe down. This has removed soap discolourations in my bathroom that have withstood several soakings in neat bleach in the past.

Vinegar has a number of other household uses. It is also useful for superficial fungal infections on intact skin.

Cautions (Vinegar)

Bleach

Never allow vinegar (or any other acid) to come in contact with bleach or chlorine‑based products.

Read the labels!

Acid with bleach will generate chlorine gas which will burn your eyes, throat and lungs and is potentially fatal.

Stone

One of the useful properties of vinegar is that it dissolves limescale.

That same property means it can damage natural stone surfaces.

Wood and Wood Finishes

Vinegar can affect some wood finishes: shellac, lacquer, wax, polyurethane floor seal and similar.

On the other hand, a wipe over with diluted vinegar helps remove odours such as onion, garlic or fish from wooden chopping boards.

Diluted vinegar may also be used to soak food deposits from wooden spatulas and spoons.

Aluminium

As an acid, vinegar may affect the oxide coating on bare aluminium cookware, such as mess tins. Certain commercial aluminium cleaning products are acidic to make the cleaned items appear shinier.

As discussed elsewhere, the health risks of cooking with bare aluminium were massively over‑hyped and are now regarded as a minimal to non‑existent risk. The Alzheimer’s connection has been debunked.

If you use vinegar on bare aluminium, allow time for the protective oxide layer to reform (passivation).

Most of the attributes of vinegar as a cleaning agent also apply to other acids. Lemon juice and citric acid powder may be used as substitutes.

While I mainly use vinegar for cleaning the house, it may be used on cookware too.

Spray a little diluted vinegar on your glassware and wipe to remove water marks after washing.

Soaking or heating vinegar in burnt pans can help remove some encrusted food residue.

Diluted vinegar will become your go‑to for cleaning. When something cannot be cleaned with vinegar, try either bicarb or washing up liquid.

Baking Soda

Baking soda, also known as sodium hydrogen carbonate, bicarb, or sodium bicarbonate. Not to be confused with baking powder, which contains only a third bicarb.

I use bicarb much less than vinegar, but it is useful stuff to have.

As a cleaner, I mainly use it on paintwork such as the skirting boards, or on enamel or porcelain such as the bath and sinks.

I most often use bicarb in the same way I once used scouring powder. Sprinkle a little on a damp cloth or sponge for use.

For toilets, sprinkle sparingly around the inside of the toilet bowl above the waterline, and work in with the toilet brush.

If limescale is the main problem, you will need to use vinegar rather than bicarb as a cleaner.

For some applications, bicarb may be mixed into a paste with a little water

If a soak or heating in vinegar does not shift burnt food from a pan, try scrubbing and then a soak with bicarb paste.

Cautions (Bicarb)

Sodium hydrogen carbonate, aka baking soda, bicarb or sodium bicarbonate, forms an alkali or basic solution when dissolved with water. It may cause discolouration if used on bare aluminium.

Baking soda is used as an abrasive cleaning agent, so should not be used on electrical items, gold or silver, waxed finishes, stone or marble countertops, wood, mirrors or glass. This includes electric stoves with ceramic or glass tops.

Used on cast iron cookware, bicarb may remove the seasoning. Use salt and dilute vinegar instead to clean heavy soiling from cast iron.

Things to Never Clean with Baking Soda

Adding bicarb to bleach will not create dangerous fumes, but will decompose the bleach, making it less effective as a cleaner.

Many commercial cleaning products actually use acids or bicarb as their main active ingredients.

Vinegar and Bicarb have proved to be more effective, less toxic and better value than many commercial products.

Most of the commercial cleaning products that I already own will be used up. When finished, most are unlikely to be repurchased. Washing‑up liquid and bleach are the only “conventional” cleaning products I intend to restock.

Mixing Vinegar and Bicarb

Vinegar is an acid, bicarb is a base (alkaline).

Add them together and they consume each other. Get the ratio right and all you are left with is a solution of sodium acetate.

Baking powder is a mix of bicarb and acids and is intended to specifically generate gases to cause cakes and breads to rise.

I mention this since several webpages encourage you to make a cleaning solution by mixing detergent, vinegar, bicarb and various other materials.

Someone slept through chemistry class!.

Rather than combining the strengths of these materials, you are just wasting time, resources and money.

Putting bicarb and vinegar together down a drain or toilet looks spectacular, but you are probably better just adding one or the other, or using some bleach or hot water.

Typically, keep vinegar and bicarb separate.

There are certain applications where you might use them sequentially. For example, soak a carpet stain in bicarb solution, then later add some vinegar. The frothing supposedly helps loosen the stain particles.

Washing Up Liquid

A paste of washing up liquid and salt or washing up liquid and bicarb may be used as a scrub against stubborn spots.

Washing up liquid with bicarb added may affect sensitive skin. Glove‑up!

Alternate treatments with vinegar and washing up liquid may be used for certain jobs. Loosen grease with vinegar. Scrape off loose deposits. Wipe surface with a sponge with a little washing up liquid on. Repeat and alternate until cleaned.

For general use, washing up liquid (aka dish soap) is thicker than it needs to be.

Even with the very efficient washing up method I use, the tiny spot I put on my sponge or in the pan is often way more than is actually needed.

Save an old bottle of washing up liquid, pour half of a new bottle into the old, and top up both with water. Depending on the particular liquid you have, add a third to a half of water.

Bacterial growth in the diluted washing‑up liquid is unlikely since the mix is still very soapy and the liquid is well protected inside the bottle.

I will also use the cooled pre‑boiled water that is sitting in the kettle to dilute the liquid, which further reduces any chance of contamination..

Salt

If using vinegar or another mild acid to clean something, salt should be used to add an abrasive component other than bicarb.

Salt added to diluted washing up liquid seems to help thicken it up, if this is desired.

Bleach

Bleach is handy to have in the house, although I seldom use it for general cleaning.

The caution against mixing bleach and acids is worth repeating again.

I used to use bleach for cleaning at work. Bleach decomposes into water and salt, making it safe to use on many surfaces. And the smell convinced the boss I had been busy!

Kit of Cleaning Tools

Assemble a collection of useful items into a box such as an old ice cream tub.

When you want to clean something, grab this box along with your vinegar spray gun, shaker, or bicarb.

Broom, Mop and Vacuum Cleaner

A broom, mop, bucket(s) and a bag‑less vacuum cleaner will also be needed.

Even in this day and age, these cleaning tools are manufactured assuming they will be used by average size women.

For most males, and females taller than 1.6 metre, the short handle of your typical mop, broom or vacuum can be uncomfortable to use for any length of time.

I am tall, and using a standard vacuum for any length of time may cause discomfort or even pain.

I have worked in warehouses where it is common to find the broom handle extended by various means.

I have experimented with working on my knees as possibly less painful than standing and bending. I kneel on a folded blanket, and the low vantage point allows me to better see the dirt.

If you really want to get a floor, carpet, rug or skirting boards clean, get down close.

A short‑handled carpet rake is useful for cleaning up the hairs and threads that many vacuums seem to have trouble with.

A cordless mini‑vac is useful if you try cleaning on your knees. It is also handy for quickly cleaning up spilt crumbs or similar.

Vacuum cleaners work better if you empty them before you start using them. Full credit to my lady for teaching me that. Obvious if you think about it, but most of us never do think about such things.

Store your broom head up or hang it from a hook to prevent the bristles being bent by being stored in contact with the floor.

I also store my mop with the head up, so that it dries more readily. The mop bucket has a notch that will hold the handle with the mop head up.

Bag of Socks

As part of the Konmari‑inspired decluttering, I paired up my socks. Surprisingly high number of odd or damaged socks. These now live in a bag in the cupboard under the stairs.

There are lots of ways to re-purpose odd socks. The one relevant here is to put one over your hand and use it for dry dusting.

It may just be me, but dusting this way seems more fun and less of a chore than using a conventional duster.

Another odd sock is in my bedroom and used to buff up my boots before I put them on.

Microwave Cleaning

My Lady: “The inside of the microwave is so clean! It is cleaner than mine!”

Use your paintbrush to sweep any loose debris out of your microwave.
Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (any type) to a microwavable bowl of water.
Microwave the bowl of water/vinegar mix for five minutes, then wait for three more minutes before opening the door.
Remove the bowl, which will be HOT!
Remove the turntable and roller‑ring to wash separately.
Wipe down inside of microwave top to bottom, back to front, not forgetting the inside of the door. Scrub any tough bits with a cloth, plastic scouring pad or old toothbrush.
Repeat steaming of the microwave interior with water/vinegar if needed until your microwave interior is clean enough.

Let the remaining water/vinegar mix cool down and use it to clean other surfaces.

Bathroom Poultice

One of the secrets of my “showroom bathroom”. Credit to Maya Sato.

Thick limescale deposits are stone and cannot be scrubbed away. Chemical attack is the answer, but squirting a cleaner on the limescale will only remove a thin surface layer.

This is one job where undiluted (5%) vinegar should be used.

To be effective, the vinegar must be kept in contact with the limescale for several hours at least.

The trick is to soak up the vinegar in a wad of toilet paper and stick it over the patch of limescale like a poultice.

If descaling the toilet bowl, I suggest using toilet paper if you intend to just flush the poultices away afterwards.

Large quantities of stronger paper such as napkins or kitchen roll may clog your toilet.

If you are going to bin the paper, put those paper napkins from the take‑away to good use.

Leave the poultice in place for a few hours so the vinegar can do its work.

In my experience, chemical treatment of limescale needs to be supplemented by a little scrubbing.

Limescale deposits are usually worst under or just below the rim. A toothbrush with a bent‑back neck works well at scrubbing away the softened limescale.

A vinegar poultice is also useful in clearing limescale deposits off your taps.

There are more acidic products for descaling toilets on sale.

Try using vinegar first. It is always prudent to use the simpler, safer, less dangerous, less harmful option first.

The poultice method may be used with products containing more potent acids. The poultice keeps the acid in contact with the limescale, rather than most of it running down the walls of the toilet bowl, as happens if you follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Do not use more potent acid‑containing products unless you are honestly competent in working with such materials.

You should have used the method with vinegar before making such an attempt.

Use protective gloves when working with acids. Protective eyewear is also prudent. Scrubbing in particular will throw droplets in unintended directions.

Other toilet cleaning options that I have not tried personally include using WD40 or applying a paste made with citric acid powder.

Blocked Drains

If a drain is fully blocked and water will not drain away at all, it will be a physical obstruction so needs physical means to clear it.

Buy a plunger and keep it in your bathroom or kitchen. When you really need a plunger, you will have one.

A sink strainer on your kitchen plughole reduces the amount of food that goes down the drain and that may block the pipe. Throw food it catches into your compost or down the toilet. Both are much better suited to disposing of food particles.

A flexible, barbed plastic strip can be used to remove hair that may be partially obstructing a bathroom pipe. These cost very little or can be made from plastic packaging. Cut a helical strip from a plastic bottle and cut barbs along the edges.

Keep your hair extractor with your plunger for the day it may be needed.

Hair is less of a problem if you fit a sink strainer to the plugholes in your bathroom. It is easier to take hair off the sink strainer than from out of the plughole.

Putting baking soda and vinegar down your sink is a spectacular party trick that will do nothing to clean your sink pipes or toilet. The two chemicals just neutralise each other, releasing gas to create froth and bubbles with little practical effect.

My washing‑up method mainly uses cold water and detergent. I suspect this may reduce the likelihood of molten fats congealing when they come into contact with cold drainage pipes.

If you believe fat is building up in your pipes, the best thing to apply is sodium hydroxide, aka caustic soda or lye. Use pearls, since sodium hydroxide/lye is more dangerous to handle as a powder. Lye reacts with fats to form soap (aka “saponification”).

Last thing at night, when the use of the sinks has finished, drop a few tablespoons of pearls each plug hole and wash them away with a little hot tap water.

Remove your sink strainer before you do this. Not only will it hinder the pearls going down the drain, but most are aluminium so should not be exposed to caustic/alkaline chemicals.

You want the pearls to sit in the pipe and dissolve rather than flush them all the way to the sewer main, so use no more water than is needed. Leave overnight to allow chemistry to do its work.

A little bleach down each plughole in the morning will help shift any residual gunk.

Do this at least once a year, or when problems occur.

Incidentally, wood ash includes lye. Dry ash may block the drain, so soak and strain to extract the lye and pour the liquid down the drain. The liquid will be caustic, so take suitable precautions.

If you cannot get sodium hydroxide pearls, a cup or so of washing soda, aka sodium carbonate, and a little hot water will also saponification fat deposits. Washing soda is much more caustic than baking soda/bicarb, so handle accordingly.

Sodium bicarbonate will form sodium carbonate when heated, but the level of this will be minor at the temperatures you can achieve by flushing it down the pipes with hot or even boiling water. You are more likely to wash the bicarb away from where it was needed.

Bicarb down a sink (without vinegar) will mainly serve as a deodoriser.

Laundry Powder on Burnt Pots

Not tried this personally.

A BBC webpage recommends that laundry washing up powder may be used on soiled pots. If using a biological powder, I would recommend avoiding water hotter than 40 degrees if you want the digestive enzymes to have a crack at the burnt food. Leave the kettle alone and use water from the hot tap and add a good cup or so of cold water before stirring in the powder.

Tags cleaning, dish-washing

Phillosoph

Forward with Furoshiki

Post author By losophyp
Post date 29 August 2026

Several countries have introduced laws requiring supermarkets to charge for plastic bags.

This has encouraged many people to reuse their bags.

Hanging near the door of my home are several reusable bags.

It is more common for me to go shopping on the way home from work, so many of my jackets contain one or two folded carrier bags.

The other day, I realised that I wanted to buy something on the way home. I had been shopping the evening before, and had left my carrier bag on the kitchen table.

How could I carry my shopping home?

I generally wear a keffiyeh in hot weather. A quick search on the internet gave me a method for knotting my keffiyeh into a useful carrying bag.

In fact, the method I found was more complicated than was needed. It had me knotting each corner into a hitotsu‑musubi before joining each pair of tails together.

I still occasionally use my keffiyeh as a carrier when I buy more than planned.

Furoshiki

If you have ever watched any films or TV shows set in Japan, you may have noticed cloths used instead of wrapping paper, or sometimes quite large bundles carried wrapped in cloth.

This is “furoshiki”, and includes a number of useful techniques for either wrapping and/or carrying loads.

To reduce the use of plastic bags, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment published an instruction sheet showing 14 methods of using a furoshiki. And they have produced a version in English so the rest of the world may benefit too.

furoshiki_11zon

Many of the purpose‑made furoshiki are very beautiful, but may come with a high price tag.

Any square of material of around three quarters of a metre to a metre may be used, providing it is thin enough to knot easily. Bandannas are useful for smaller packages.

Apparently, some furoshiki were originally made from sections of kimono. Furoshiki is a great way to repurpose old clothing, bedding, or a damaged tent or tarp.

Creating a square of material is simple. Bend a corner at 45 degrees so the shorter side lies along a long side, and cut or tear off the excess.

How to create a square in paper or fabric

Interestingly, Yamada (q.v) states furoshiki are not perfectly square.

Furoshiki techniques have many potential applications for campers, backpackers, preppers, survivalists or just everyday use, such as my shopping trip.

• Bedsheets, curtains, scarves, tablecloths or similar may be turned into a carrying system in an emergency.

• When travelling, small squares of cloth are a lighter and cheaper alternative to stuff‑sacks or packing cubes. You probably already carry some spare bandannas, so put them to additional use to pack your socks, underwear and other items. By using different colours you may tell at a glance which bundle is which.

• Marie Kondo suggests using furoshiki or a scarf to compress jumpers and fleeces when they are stored out-of-season.

• I have some triangular bandages I use as towels/tenugui with my cooking items. These may be used as containers for such items too. Some of them are actually triangular rather than folded squares, so not ideal for some furoshiki constructions.

• Furoshiki is literally “bath wrap”, and reflects the use of a cloth to store clothing instead of a locker.

• I carry some cordage in my left pocket. Very occasionally, a hank manages to work its way out. I have now knotted the bandanna in that pocket into a pouch to hold all the cordage.

• Using a cloth to carry your lunch also gives you a crumb-catcher, picnic cloth and napkin.

• Need to leave the house fast? Dump spare clothing and other essentials in the middle of your bedsheet and knot the four corners. Sort it out later when you are somewhere safe.

Learning Furoshiki

There are many useful websites and videos about furoshiki.

The books “Wrapping with Fabric” by Etsuko Yamada, and “Furoshiki Fabric Wraps” by Pixeladies are both worth reading.

The second book has less techniques, but includes one or two not in Yamada. The Pixeladies book also has some very clear drawings of techniques and some useful advice on making furoshiki.

The Knots

The good news is furoshiki is really easy to learn.

You only need to learn two and a half knots, which you should already know.

The Japanese name for the most used knot is ma‑musubi. This is the reef knot, described in the second part of scrapboard knots. Americans sometimes call this a “square knot”, but that name is shared with a number of other knots, so reef knot is preferred and will be used hereafter.

So long as you always tie a reef knot rather than a granny knot, you have pretty much mastered furoshiki.

The second knot is hitotsu‑musubi. This is simply to take a corner of a cloth and tie an overhand knot to create a sort of “tail”.

The last knot is made by beginning to tie a reef knot and stopping halfway through. Some people call this a simple knot or overhand. Essentially it is just twisting two cords or cloths around each other. It is debatable if this is actually a real knot. I think this is best thought of as a “half‑reef knot”.

A Wrap and Three Bags

There are probably scores of ways to use furoshiki. This blog will teach one wrap and three bags, with some variations.

◦ As a general guideline, tie diagonally opposite corners for a closed package, and adjacent corners for an open carrier. The “drop bag” and “drawcord” bag are obvious exceptions to this.

◦ When wrapping, position your cloth as a rhomboid, relative to the item being wrapped.

Yotsu Musubi: The Basic, Four Knot Wrap

This is used for the bundles of clothing or gear within your rucksack.

Tie two diagonally opposite corners together in a reef knot, and pull snug over the object(s). Tie the remaining two corners together in a reef knot over the first knot.

Most wrappings use this technique or some variation of it. For example, the first two corners may be wrapped around the object rather than tied together (otsukai tsutsumi, sao tsutsumi).

Bento tsutsumi twists the second pair of corners before knotting to create a carrying handle.

Tessage Bukuro: Basic Carrier Bag

This is the technique I should have originally used with my keffiyeh.

Place the cloth square to you.

Take two adjacent corners, such as top left and bottom left, and tie the tips together in a reef knot.

Repeat on the right side.

My keffiyeh is not ideal for this use, since the tassels get in the way when tying the knots and the knots may be surprisingly bulky.

Using a square of scrim net creates a mesh bag, useful for carrying items that may need to dry or air.

The suika tsutsumi “water melon carrier” is the same bag as tessage bukuro, but with one handle slipped over the other. Knots may be adjusted to make the non-carrying handle a better fit over the carrying loop. The carrying handle sections may be twisted before joining together.

The kinchaku-style tesage bukuro drawcord bag is the same as the basic tessage bukuro, but adds a half-reef to each side of the opening before joining the ends with reef knots.

Tie two adjacent corners in a half-reef. Repeat on the other side. The two half-reef knots should be mirror images of each other.

The two half-reefs will form a reef knot of the pouch opening.

Pull the corners out for the handles. Use a reef knot to tie the corner on each side to the corner of the other half-reef on that side.

Do the same with the corners on the other side.

The handles may be twisted before tying the reef knot.

I used this technique on a bandanna to make a cordage pouch for my left pocket.

Katakake Fukuro: Shoulder Bag

For a katakake fukuro “drop bag”, fold the cloth into a triangle, “wrong side” outward. Tie each side corner into a hitotsu‑musubi, the tail nearly reaching the apex of the triangle.

You may fold the triangle vertially to check that both tails are similar length.

Turn the cloth rightside out so the tails of the hitotsu‑musubi are inside the bag. Join the remaining corners that were the apex of the triangle in a reef knot. The bag is drop-shaped and may be carried from the shoulder.

You may also make this bag using a separate piece of cloth for the strap.

For a shallower bag (kakushi tsutsumi), shorten the tails and/or omit the turning rightside out phase.

Another variation of this bag is the twisted handle odekake tesage bukuro.

This bag tyrpe comes with a couple of warnings.

◦ Do not carry valuables in a bag you cannot secure closed. You might try blanket pins, but this type of bag is not particulary secure.

◦ Everyday I see women carrying oversized and overweight shoulder and bucket bags. Shoulder bags should not be used for heavy loads.

Furoshiki Backpack

One of the ways to make a furoshiki or other cloth into a backpack is shown below.

Yamada’s book (p.64) shows a variant of this where a second rolled/folded furoshiki creates the arm straps (video).

The first furoshiki is folded into a triangle and the apex tied in a reef not. The second furoshiki is placed on the apex knot and the ends of the knot tied in a second reef knot. The ends of the second furoshiki are tied to the outside corners of the first.

The second furoshiki could be wrapped around a rope for more strength, or a pair of fabric pieces twisted together. The “compartment” part could use heavier or more robust cloth such as a pieces of shelter cloth, poncho, damaged tent or similar.

Tags furoshiki, knots, scrapboard knots

Barata

Water Pasteurisation

Post author By losophyp
Post date 3 July 2026

Many, many decades ago, I began to investigate this “internet-thingy”.

While many of my contemporaries discovered previously undreamed of access to pornography, I went looking for information on knife throwing.

I was lucky enough to come across the “thrower” site, run by a gentleman called “MJR”.

Something of a renaissance man, MJR’s site included sections on other topics. This was my introduction to solar cooking, and the related field of water pasteurisation.

Most of the world’s diseases are water‑borne.

To render water safe to drink, it is not, however, necessary to sterilise it.

What is needed is to pasteurise it, neutralising the organisms that are harmful.

I have read numerous survival manuals, and many of them have advice based on the old WHO recommendation for sterilising water, that a rolling boil maintained for ten minutes.

One book recommended boiling water for twenty minutes, then leaving it an additional twenty. No idea what the author based this advice on, but it was not science.

The WHO recommendation itself is overkill and has been revised.

Why does it matter? Better safe than sorry, surely!

Following the old WHO guideline results in a massive waste of resources that may be scarce to start with.

Boiling for ten minutes is going to use at least twice the fuel you actually needed. Boiling for ten or twenty minutes is likely to result in significant loses of water from evaporation.

Pasteurising Water

To safely pasteurise water, the water needs to be raised to a temperature of 65℃ for six minutes.

In many parts of the world, this may achieved using local sunlight rather than burning down the local forest.

Some of you may know that storage of hot water in buildings must be kept at above 60℃ to prevent microbial growth such as legionella. Some cheap maintenance companies supply the water at this temperature from the taps because they are too cheap to install thermostatic mixer valves.

What is interesting is that heat treatment is an exponential process. An increase of only seven to ten degrees results in a ten-fold increase in microbial death.

So water at 75℃ needs around 0.6 minutes (36 seconds) to safely pasteurise. The graph above suggests less than 6 seconds.

At 85℃, approximately only 0.06 minutes or 3.6 seconds is needed.

Determining whether water is at 65 or 85℃ is difficult without instruments such as thermometers.

Bringing water up to a rolling boil ensures it is fully pasteurised, and makes a better cup of tea too!

While I have known about water pasteurisation for a long time, many of the survival manuals and websites out there make it clear the message is not getting to those that need it.

The other day I came across a very interesting innovation of water pasteurisation.

Bring water to a rolling boil will pasteurise it, but this high a temperature is not really necessary. The rolling boil is a convenient indication the water has exceeded the necessary temperature.

Why not use this boiling water to increase the temperature of more water, adequately heat treating more water for the same quantity of fuel? Up to 50% more safe water for the same energy!

Boil 3, Add 1

This is the basis of the “Boil 3, Add 1” method.

Three volumes of water are brought to a boil, then a single volume of unheated water added. The resulting temperature remains hot enough (65℃) to pasteurise the water in the time it takes to cool.

Water Volume Temperature Calculator

Boil 3, Add 1 was calculated assuming a worst case that the unheated water was at 1℃.

If conditions are warmer, and altitude is below 4,000 metres, it is possible to use a Boil 2, Add 1 for more efficiency.

At above 4,000 metres, use a 5:1 ratio.

As a practical example, I will assume I am using my German mess tin.

Collect your untreated water. Allow sediment to settle out. Filter it to remove debris and mosquito larvae. Many ways of doing this are covered on other pages in this blog.

Remember that filtering will not render water safe. Even commercial filters may let some viruses through and water will still need to be chemically or thermally treated.

The billy of the German mess kit can take 1.5 litres and is marked off in half litre increments.

The lid/pan and the bowl of the kit both have a capacity of about 400 ml, so it is more practical to use one of these to place two measures (about 800 ml) of water in the billy.

This gives an airspace above the boiling water in which vapour may condense.

Obviously, whatever vessel you use must have room for the volume of unheated water you will add.

Add a little more water if you want some to make tea or coffee.

Covering the pot conserves heat and keeps the bugs out. The pan/lid may be used to cover the billy either mouth up or mouth down. This may be used to hold the measure of unheated water and allows this water to be pre-warmed.

The outside of the pan/lid must be relatively clean to prevent condensing water contaminating the pot contents if used in this fashion.

Bring the water in the billy to a rolling boil, then shut off the heat to conserve fuel. Pour off the boiling water you want for coffee or tea.

Pour the unheated (but possibly pre-warmed) water into the remaining boiling water. Pour it from a good distance so the waters mix.

Pour a measure of water into your measuring vessel. This is important since the vessel that held the unboiled water will be contaminated and needs to be decontaminated by holding the hot water within for a couple of minutes.

Alternately, if you have a heat-resistant water bottle: Fill bottle a third full of unheated water. Bring double that volume to a boil and pour into the bottle, decontaminating bottle and contents.

A Boil n, Add 1 is simple process if you remember two rules.

* The volume of unheated water must not exceed a third (or quarter or fifth, as appropriate) of the final volume.

* Decontaminate your measuring vessel.

Mixing boiling and unheated water has a long history.

Long before thermometers were available, some brewers used this method to ensure water was the correct temperature.

A variation was to cook malt as a sort of porridge and mix it with a suspension of malt in cold water. Changes in the texture of the porridge indicated it had received sufficient heat.

This has also answered a couple of questions I have idly wondered at.

In previous eras campfires and households often had a kettle of water constantly on the boil. Why did it not boil dry? If it was topped up with only small volumes (less than a third), the water/stew temperature could be kept reasonably high.

In movies, one often sees a bathtub that is evidently filled by buckets, the water heated elsewhere. What was to keep the water in the tub from cooling while the next bucket was warmed?

I now suspect the tub was initially filled with water at ambient temperature, and one or two buckets of very hot water added just before bathing began.

I suspect if I search the internet for an infinite time, I may discover some historic almanac that gives the correct ratio of buckets to give a comfortable 35 to 40℃ bath.

That also explains how some traditional Japanese baths are said to have reused the water for multiple occasions. Add very hot water just before bath time.

Tags hot water, paseurisation, water, water purification

Barata

Survival Library: Chapter 12, Survival Book by Tegner and McGrath

Post author By losophyp
Post date 27 June 2026

I came across this title by accident.

The Survival Book by Bruce Tegner and Alice McGrath, 1982/1983

The name “Bruce Tegner” will be familiar to many readers. He wrote a long list of titles on martial arts and self-defence.

Alice McGrath, Tegner’s wife, co-authored some of these titles, but is probably more well known for her work in other fields.

First, a few minor complaints:

• “Distilled water does not taste as good as purified water, but it is salt-free.”

This seems to suggest that the authors believe (bottled) purified water contains salt?

• Mention is made of the “mammalian diving reflex”, but the diving reflex has nothing to do with breath‑holding and is irrelevant to the subject being discussed. [Contrary to what Wikipedia claims, the diving reflex still occurs in subjects using nose‑clips and a snorkel.]

• The end of the section on heat cramps ends in a pair of nearly identical but differing paragraphs.

• The book includes air-to-ground signals, but like many other books, misses out the most important: V (Require Assistance).

Four Necessities to Maintain Life

The main text begins with an examination of “The Four Necessities to Maintain Life”. These are defined as Air, Water, Thermal Balance, and Food.

“Air” includes such topics as treatment of drowning, asphyxiation during house fires and avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning.

A mantra to adopt for the latter is “No Combustion without Ventilation”

“Water” includes dehydration, water storage and water treatment.

There is good advice on when to and when not to ration your water.

“Your Body is the Best Canteen”. Drink what you need, but not more than you need.

The old chestnut of boiling water for ten minutes at a rolling boil is repeated, with the additional advice of an extra two minutes for every thousand feet above sea level.

While ten minutes was the WHO standard, it is overkill and scientifically gained information confirms shorter boiling times are sufficient to kill all harmful organisms while making more practical use of resources.

There is some discussion of the lack of taste of boiled water, but the authors wisely do not regard this as the terrible hardship that some books make it out to be.

“Thermal Balance” includes advice on dressing for very cold or hot weather, and related medical conditions such as frostnip, frostbite, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

I expected this section to include information on shelters and fire making, but this is covered in a later section.

Being written for an American market, all temperatures are in Fahrenheit, and the arbitrary values of this obsolete and unnecessary system do make certain parts less than clear. Much easier when you can relate a temperature to freezing, boiling or body temperature.

“Food” includes advice on building and maintaining emergency food supplies.

The authors make the very sound point that in an emergency that is likely to last five days or less, an unhealthy diet will not kill you. There is much to be said for including some high-calorie, long shelf-like, tasty “junk” food in your supplies.

If you expect the food section to cover hunting, fishing and trapping, it doesn't.

Other Chapters

The following chapters cover a number of topics:

Emergency Communications, First Aid, Hygiene, Fire, Natural Disasters, After a Disaster, Evacuating Your Home, Urban Emergencies, Driving Emergencies, Boating & Water Safety and Private Planes, Wilderness Survival, Don't Get Lost and How to be Found, Animals & Insects.

As may be seen, this book is organised a little differently to most contemporary and modern survival manuals.

The book includes a useful way to improvise butterfly closures.

Making a butterfly closure with one hand

Topics such as shelter construction and fire-lighting are covered in the wilderness chapter, while other “traditional” survival manual topics such as signalling appear in several chapters.

Topics such as sailing and boating are covered in more detail than is found in many non-specialist survival books.

An interesting thing I found in the book was the existence of an “official” distress flag: a black “square and ball” on an orange background.

It occurs to me that greater use of such a flag/shemagh/bandanna might be made on land, although the colours may not be best suited for use in the desert.

Recommended Kits and Tools

Several chapters have lists of recommended tools, supplies or equipment for your vehicle, boat or home.

The Wilderness chapter includes a “Sixteen-Ounce Kit”

◦ Space blanket

◦ 1 oz of high energy food

◦ First Aid: 2 Aspirin, snake bit kit, band-aids, alcohol swabs. butterfly closures. Waterproof card with contact phone numbers, medical conditions, allergies, etc.

◦ Insect repellent and sunscreen

◦ Disposable lighter, tinder, candle

◦ Flashlight

◦ 2 safety pins

◦ 2 small plastic bags

◦ 12" square lightweight aluminium foil (folded)

◦ 15" coil of lightweight wire in a film canister

◦ 2 dimes (for phone)

◦ 6 water purification tablets in plastic waterproof container

◦ liquid-filled, plastic compass, map (cut section of the specific area only)

◦ pocket knife

◦ short pencil, sheet of paper

◦ toilet paper in a plastic bag

◦ plastic whistle

◦ metal mirror.

The book includes the day sack as a place to carry this kit. Becoming separated from your day sack may be what causes the emergency.

Like the book itself, the contents of the sixteen-ounce kit show a little more insight and originality than the more conventional survival kit/tin recommendations.

Most of these items have equivalences in the EDC kit I have recommended elsewhere.

What is striking is the many traditional survival tin contents this kit does not have.

No fishing kit, and the short length of wire carried is for repairs, not snares.

The aluminium foil is suggested as a windshield for a fire, or wrapping tinder.

It is suggested the plastic bags may be used instead of gloves, or as over-socks, but a later page shows a larger trash bag used as a waterproof garment and shelter.

Interestingly, the authors suggest signal mirrors with sighting holes may risk damaging the eye if the hole is used to sight the target.

There is a rather long section discussing when and where it is safe to drink wilderness water without treatment. The more up-to-date answer is never.

Preparation and Precaution

The somewhat different arrangement of topics in the book is a refreshing change to many of the survival manuals out there, and has some points in its favour.

Where this book is most useful is its emphasis on preparation and precaution. There is much more emphasis on what to do before problems start, and this advice is provided for areas other than just wilderness travel.

While it is a little dated in places, I think The Survival Book brings something different, and is a useful addition to any survival library.

Tags book, book review, books, emergency, flag, library, self-help, survival, survival kit, survival library, survival tools, useful tips, water, water purification

Barata

Computers and Related Hassles

Post author By losophyp
Post date 15 May 2026

Today's blog subject is a little removed from the usual themes of self‑defence or self‑reliance.

I would like to pass on some tips that make life a smidgen easier.

Think of them as a defence against some elements of modern life attacking your sanity, if you wish.

Reset Folder

A common theme on this blog is to urge the reader to have back‑ups, both for you computer, and for your life in general.

On my backup and external drives I have a folder I call “Reset”.

In Reset are copies of the themes, backgrounds, profile photos, keyboard shortcuts, bookmarks, macros, browser extensions, fonts and plugins that I favour.

All the things that make my computer programs look and work just like I want them to.

Also in this folder are some installation .exes of some of my favourite programs.

When I have a new machine, or have to update my operating system, or something similar, I can quickly get things back to the way I like them.

A small but useful component of this folder is a text file checklist.

* The text file lists the programs I favour.

* The file lists which files need to be changed, and with what,

* The file also records where on the computer these files need to be put.

ISO to Go

Also on my external drives is a folder containing the ISOs of the operating systems I use on my home computer and laptop.

I plan to have an ISO of my personal operating system if I can find a utility that works with my system.

Should I need a “live disc”, an ISO may easily be transferred to a flash drive with “Ventoy” on it.

Router Password Card

A previous broadband provider included with the router a plastic card with the network passkey printed on it.

That company was brought out by a less competent company that hiked the prices up, so I changed broadband providers.

The new provider did not provide a card, so I made my own.

On a blank plastic card I wrote the necessary information. I keep this card by the router.

Whenever my girlfriend or step-son visit, they will usually reach for that card to reset their devices.

This idea relies on the card being placed back with the router once it has been used. This has not been a problem in practice.

A very simple idea that has proved very useful.

Box of Computer Bits

Behind my computer is a box. It is a two-litre ice cream tub spray-painted black to match the computer. It is a useful height to rest my external hard drives on.

In the box is a multiple slot card reader for reading micro-SD, SD and other card-shaped formats.

Also in that box are various USB drives, SD cards, dongles, adaptors and computer leads.

Handy stuff to have near your computer.

Code Leads

I have a lot of computer leads, both in that box and elsewhere.

Most of them are black, so it can be time consuming finding the lead with the connectors that I need.

My solution was half an hour of time spent colour coding.

One of the lead types I use most often has a USB-A at one end and a mini-B at the other. The “A” end now has a red and a yellow band, while the mini-B end has the same colours reversed with the yellow band closest to the mini-B connector.

Not only can I tell the type of lead at a glance, but which end each type of connector is at.

Leads with a USB-C connector rather than a mini-B use red and green.

An iPod lead has red and white bands.

A lead with a micro-B connection for attaching to drive enclosures uses red and blue.

A lead that has two type-A connectors, or two type-C has only one band at each end, respectively with red or green.

Leads with a type-A to type-B are rarer and usually stay plugged into a scanner or printer. For these, each end has red, yellow and blue bands.

Initially, I added the coloured bands using electrical tape. Perhaps I should have used longer bits, since several have detached.

So I invested in a bag of mixed coloured cable-ties/zip ties.

100 x 2.5 mm are ample size for this application. I found I needed extra red and yellow.

Best review your connector types before you order.

If you make a mistake, a cable-tie may be opened again using a pin. This is a variation of shimming.

If a cable-tie loosening is a concern, the cut end may be melted into a blob by gentle heating with a lighter flame or application of a heated metal implement.

My current earphones are shaped specifically for the left or right ear. I have tagged the left one with a cable-tie so it is easily distinguished by sight or touch.

Labels on USBs

My USB flash drives range from old examples with two gigabytes to more recent in 32 gigabyte sizes. Some of the smaller capacity drives are still handy for some purposes.

You can save a lot of time if you write the capacity of a USB drive on the outside.

There are two ways to plug in a USB. The right way and the first way you tried. Put your labels on the upper or outward side.

Paint Your Plugs

Ever unplugged your computer when you wanted to disconnect the device plugged in beside it?

I used to think plugs should have those little windows you can insert a piece of card into.

One day I remembered all the model paint I have, some of it in bright colours I seldom use.

So now my electrical plugs have legends such as “XBox”, “PSP”, “DVD”, “Comp”, “Shredder”, “Hoover” and similar in a variety of colours.

If you lack paint, stickers and a wide pen are an alternative.

Providing that I look at what I am doing, it is a lot easier to plug-in or unplug the device that I want.

Find the Remote

On the topic of stickers, the black TV remote control is often hard to locate when watching late at night.

I have added luminous star stickers to both sides in different configurations.

Now, not only can I find the remote, I can tell which side it is up and which end is which.

Hair Today…

I suppose, given the great diversity of humanity, there may be someone who enjoys removing hair from the plughole. Probably whole forums, websites and fetish magazines about it.

Best not look.

You may have a sink strainer in your kitchen sink. Few people seem to think of using one in the bath/shower and bathroom sink.

Removing hair from a sink strainer is a lot easier than fishing it up out the plughole.

Final Thought

A lot of time would be saved if when a website asked for a password, it included the information that the password included numbers, capitals and/or non-alphanumeric characters.

Tags cable-ties, computer, useful tips, zip-ties

Barata

Happy Medium

Post author By losophyp
Post date 4 May 2026

Butcher knife and M3 Combat Knife — Butcher Knife and M3 Trench Knife

The other day I had a good chuckle at someone calling a six-inch blade a “full‑sized knife”.

Aww! That is so precious and adorable!

Silliness aside, and (mostly) avoiding the “size matters” jokes.

After many years and too many purchases, I have concluded I do not have much use for medium‑sized field knives.

For purposes of the following discussion, let us define “medium‑sized” as a fixed blade survival/field/bushcraft knife with a blade between six and eight inches/15 to 20 cm.

Before you spend good money on a knife (or most other things) it is a good idea to have a think about what it is likely to be used for.

If there is a chance I might need to construct a shelter or build a campfire, I will try to have a big blade to hand.

Kukri, machete, parang, barong, golok, cane‑knife, billhook or hatchet. Many of these are available at any hardware store for a reasonable price.

Useful tools for self‑defence or if you need to butcher wild game too.

If I need to do finer work, a fixed blade of three to five inches is generally handier for such tasks than a medium knife.

A big blade and a small blade can cover most bushcraft roles: woodworking, food preparation and self‑defence.

So where does that leave the medium knives?

Many, many years ago I jotted down some ideas on a concept I called a “Desert Knife”.

If you were in an environment where trees were rare, it can be argued that you might not need to carry a blade that was an effective wood chopper.

You could carry a small blade in such an instance, but might feel this is not sufficient for defence.

This is one argument that might be made for carrying a medium knife.

An urban environment might meet the above criteria. Concealment may be a factor here, and a medium knife may still be too big.

As an aside, an urban environment often includes closed doors. A kukri or hatchet can prove useful there.

Suppose you want a medium knife or two, anyway.

There is a vast range, and some cost way more than good smaller or larger blades.

The following are some personal recommendations, mainly based on knives I have acquired or handled over the decades.

A selection of medium-sized field knives — From top to bottom: M3 Trench Knife, Ka-Bar USMC Survival Knife, Buck 119 Special, Victorinox Butcher Knife, MOD Survival Knife

M3 Trench Knife

The M3 trench knife is one of my favourite medium blades.

The blade‑form and balance are well suited to defensive use. Unlike, say, the Fairbairn‑Sykes commando dagger, the M3 is useful for many utility tasks too.

The M3 was sometimes marketed as the (Eickhorn) “NATO Combat Knife”, usually combined with the M8/M8A1 sharpening scabbard.

Some reviews suggest the sharpening scabbard had little noticeable effect on making the blade sharper.

The leather sheath seen with many examples has staples around the mouth, which seems a great way to get the blade finish scratched up.

The Camillus “economy” leather sheath without the staples is nicer and more practical. If you cannot get this, use the fibre-glass M8.

The M3 is not a knife for skinning a buck, fine whittling, carving or cutting in depth. The broad angle is good for woodchip removal when chopping.

Like the Ka‑Bar, the M3 has a grip composed of leather washers. The grip has deep grooves, an oval cross section, and is also oval in plan and profile.

In other words, it is a pretty secure grip.

The butt has a metal plate to facilitate hammering, breaking nutshells, smashing windows and so on.

The M3 was so successful, the M4, a bayonet version for the M1 and M2 carbines was created.

The army began to issue M4s to troops who did not carry carbines, so the M3 was phased out.

The M4 was to evolve into the M5 (Garand), M6 (M14) and M7 (M16). The bayonet versions had phenolic handles and the associated hardware for fitting to a rifle.

Replica M3s may still be found at reasonable prices, often sold by suppliers to re-enactors.

The M7 bayonet may also be found, although the bayonet ring and butt piece may constitute unnecessary weight. The M7 is quoted as massing 1.19 lb!

I also own an Imperial M7S Survival Knife. This is based on the M7 bayonet. An odd blade shape to provide with three types of saw tooth. This was actually my first ever fixed blade survival knife.

I would love to find a source of M3/M7 blades so I could fit it with a grip such as the thistle‑top.

Incidentally, my notes show the “Desert Knife” design resembled an M3 with a serrated section.

Ka‑Bar US Marine Survival Knife

The Ka‑Bar is the blade most associated with the USMC.

I have never owned a genuine Ka‑Bar. Buy more books!

I have a rather nice copy of the Ka‑Bar, acquired relatively recently.

The Ka‑Bar is more of a traditional survival knife than the M3 and correspondingly, a more versatile choice.

Downside is Ka‑Bars tend to go for three‑figure sums.

The blade is a little longer and broader than the M3, having a Bowie‑shape.

The steel butt is designed for hammering with, and a little more elegant in shape than the M3 version.

Like the M3, the grip is composed of leather washers. Unlike my M3, the grip of my Ka‑Bar-oid is varnished. The marines were discover untreated leather washers did not hold up well in the jungle.

While some reviews will describe the leather washer handle as offering a great grip, other sources say the opposite.

I showed my lady the Ka‑Bar clone just after it arrived. Misunderstanding my intentions, she thought I was offering it to her. She told me “I already have my knife [a Mora Companion], and the grip is too slippery.”

She knows her knives, and is very practical. She uses her Mora as a diving knife when foraging for seafood. Interesting that she did not see any practical difference between the Ka‑Bar and a Mora.

I have heard of roughening and even reshaping a Ka‑Bar using sandpaper.

Tape of the sort used for gold clubs or tennis racquets may be another option.

A number of variants on the Ka‑Bar are on sale, including a USMC bayonet. Some have alternate grip materials. Some offer partially serrated edges.

I have no personal experience of these. I do have a tanto with a grip that looks identical to some Ka‑Bar versions. This tanto is an oddly “unlively” knife.

Ideally, try handling some Ka‑Bar examples before you part with your hard‑earned cash.

Buck 119 Special

The Buck 119 is my favourite medium knife.

For a more extensive review, see my article here.

Blade is about an inch shorter than the Ka‑Bar.

The grip is smooth phenolic, since I could not afford the cocobolo version.

Despite the smooth surface, I find this a very secure and comfortable grip due to the subtle finger grooves and thumb depression. That is me, however.

A friend of mine finds the grip does not suit his hands.

Wrapping the grip with tape or line is an option.

My only criticism of the 119 is the polished finish. I suspect many potential buyers would prefer something less shiny.

I suggested to Buck that a tactical version with a non-reflective finish and coyote‑brown or khaki‑drab grip would be popular. I got told that Buck “no longer accepts customer suggestions”.

I have both five and seven‑inch Buck Nighthawks, but the 119 much is better.

The Nighthawk 651 Pigsticker is really nice, but your changes of getting one are remote.

The Buck 120 General was not available when I brought my 119. The 120 seems to have been put back into production.

The 120 is a 119 with a 73/8" blade.

I do not own a 120, but if any reader wants to give me something for my upcoming big number birthday…

20 cm Butcher Knife

I have already covered the merits of a good butcher knife in a previous article.

While possibly a little thin for woodworking, a butcher knife is unsurprisingly good for food preparation and self‑defence.

Might be prudent to invest in one of these before you pay three figures for a Ka‑Bar or Buck.

MOD Survival Knife

The MOD (British Ministry of Defence) survival knife is about as basic and no nonsense as you can get.

A thick bit of metal with a slab of wood each side.

The point seems like an afterthought.

As a general rule, you should not dig nor pry with a knife. If you were to do either of these, the MOD would probably be the tool to use.

The MOD will not earn you admiring glances around camp. It is, however, robust and capable of most survival duties.

If space were severely limited, this might be the knife I took with me. In practice, my 10" kukri is only a shade longer and probably lighter.

If your reason for choosing a medium was to save weight, the MOD is probably not the medium for you.

MODs were once popular for custom projects. The grips were an obvious target for improvement. The tendency to cause blisters could be mitigated by wrapping with cord or tape, or wearing gloves.

Personally I do not find the grip that bad. That might change if I had to put mine to hard use.

Blades were sometimes reground or reshaped.

The bad news is the price of an MOD survival knife has risen in the past few years, now crossing triple figures.

Honorary Mentions

In addition to some of the models already mentioned, I would not mind owning or reviewing the Morakniv Garberg Grand, Morakniv Bushcraft Pathfinder and the Sissipuukko.

My SRKC has got me interested in the Cold Steel SRK 6".

Conclusion

If starting from scratch, I think the butcher knife and the M3 would be my first purchases.

All of the described knives have their pros and cons. A medium-sized knife is something of a compromise, after all. Notable is that the MOD is the only model provided with a channel for a wrist-loop.

It becomes apparent that a very nice and useful medium knife could be created if the Ka‑Bar blade was mated to a Buck 119-type handle.

Tags butcher knife, combat knife, knife, survival knife, survival tools

Barata

Cold Steel 5 inch SRKC

Post author By losophyp
Post date 3 May 2026

Selection of Pec-Knives — Pec-knives: Mantis MF-1, Gerber Strongarm and Cold Steel SRK-Compact

Birthday coming, so some self‑indulgent purchases recently.

Cold Steel

In fairness, I must start by admitting to being a little ambivalent towards Cold Steel.

Some of their stuff is very interesting. Some is very expensive, while other items seem good value. Some of their products are praised to the skies, while others have issues. I have an impression that price and quality do not always correlate.

On Venice Beach, I had a conversation with an entertainer who claimed he used Cold Steel True Flight Throwing (TFT) knives out of “economic necessity”. He claimed TFT were incorrectly heat treated for their role. He threw them until they inevitably broke. He claimed to have a bucket filled with broken TFT. Cannot say I liked the ones that I threw.

That was a couple of decades ago, but more recent reviews still mention breakages.

Cold Steel make kukri‑inspired knives, and I would love to see how these compare to the real thing. The grip shape of a kukri is near perfect for its role. I am doubtful that the evident changes to the grip made by Cold Steel are for the better.

Unfortunately, the CS kukri‑oids come with a high price tag. I am not going to spend good, hard‑earned money on what may prove inferior to what I already have.

On the other hand, I have drooled over the Thai Machete, but have been unable to source one this side of the pond.

I have also been tempted by Cold Steel's copy of the TruBal Bowie Axe thrower, the Perfect Balance Thrower. I mention the former in “Survival Weapons”.

As I sat down to write this, I was a little surprised to realize the only other Cold Steel implement I owned was a Mini‑Flight Thrower sent to me by a good friend.

In this video it is claimed that the SRK was the first knife issued to SEALs for their Basic Underwater Demolition training (BUDS).

You can take that two ways.

SEALs would not issue something that was total dross, but most SEALs progress to other designs.

The SEALs issue the 6" model.

SRKC

I decided on a Cold Steel 5" SRK (aka SRKC/SRK Compact). I was interested in this as an alternative “pec‑knife”. A knife this length is generally handier than those in the six to eight inch category.

The 5" version differs from the 6" model in thickness, grind and grip width.

Sheath

I had heard the sheath of the SRK had been changed, and was not very good.

The sheath of mine is quite reasonable, so may be it got changed again, or that comment did not apply to the SRKC.

The knife clicks into a collar on the sheath. Not quite with the crisp “snap” of my Moras or Gerber Strongarm, but it keeps the knife in if you give it a good shake, so good enough.

For added security, there is a retaining strap with a popper. This is better than the example on my personal Strongarm. It is a generous (slightly loose) fit, and the pull tab is a good size so may be unpopped with just a flick of the thumb.

The sheath is not ambidextrous. You have to align the blade correctly before reinserting it.

The belt hanger has a loop large enough to fit most belts, and has a popper and velcro so it may be easily removed from a belt without unthreading.

The belt hanger is secured by two bolts, so it may be removed and remounted for handle‑down carry. The sheath as a number of eyelets and slots, so other configurations may be possible.

The cross slots in the bolt heads are compatible with the small (can‑opener) screwdriver of a Swiss Army Knife, so no searching for an Allen key or Torx wrench, and it is possible to reposition the belt‑hanger while out in the field.

There is a choice of handle colours, but the sheath is “any colour you want so long as it is black”. You could probably paint it.

Knife and sheath together are quite light, which is good.

Blade

Blade thickness is important for pec‑knives and “cross‑over” survival knives. They may be put to heavier use than most knives of similar size.

The SRKC is about 4 mm thick, putting it midway between my Moras and the Strongarm.

One side of the blade was smeared with some grease. The blade is carbon steel, rather than the stainless I had assumed.

The box cautioned me that Cold Steel knives are “extremely sharp”. Not even close. Straight out of the box, this one wasn't.

Grip

The handle is a hard, rubber‑like material (Kray‑Ex) with a slight tackiness and good checkering.

There is a brass‑lined channel for a wrist loop, which is a good feature. A lot of very expensive knives do not have such.

My only criticism of the Moras is this lack, but their handle and tang construction makes it an easy task to add one with a gimlet.

What I do not like about the grip is the cross‑section. It is basically a rectangle with inwardly tapered long sides. An oval cross‑section would be more comfortable, more attractive and more practical.

Butt

There is a slight flare towards the butt, aiding retention.

The butt of the knife is covered in the same material as the rest of the grip. It is ridged, presumably for grip if you use an ice‑pick, hook or ninja hold.

On the plus side, no bare metal if you use the knife in sub‑zero conditions. Possibly it will provide electrical insulation if you cut a live wire?

Grip length is ok for me (Size 8 hands). If you have really big hands, you might find the butt within your palms.

On the other hand, the covered butt may not be ideal if you have to use it for pounding or hammering.

In contrast, the Strongarm has an exposed section of tang at the butt that may possibly be used as a window breaker.

In “Northern Bushcraft”, Kochanski suggests a “knife should have a strong pommel that will protect the handle if the knife is driven tip first deep into wood.”

Arguably, the Mora(s) Kochanski famously usually carried does not meet that criteria.

Price and Value

My SRKC cost me £52, but I have seen them offered at £39.99 (Out of stock). A Mora will be under £14, and a Strongarm is currently £89 to £100+. Prices tend to be higher on this side of the pond due to less competition and demand.

Personally, I feel the SRKC is a little overpriced for what it is. This seems much more a £30+ knife.

Shop around and be on the lookout for deals. In the US, prices under $40 may be encountered, which is a more reasonable price.

I was a little underwhelmed when I unboxed the SRKC. I am beginning to warm to it.

Consider it as an option if you can find it at a good price.

Tags knife, pec-knife, survival tool

Barata

Practical Hats

Post author By losophyp
Post date 25 April 2026

“If you want to get ahead, get a hat”

I was watching something that involved a pair of Russian police/militia/soldiers.

They were wearing the sort of hat that as a kid I called a peaked cap or “officer's hat”. Also known as a “bus driver's” hat or “visor cap”.

The Russians tend to favour a style that is extra wide.

There was a shot from behind the cops, and what are supposably intended to be flat tops of their hats bulged in the middle from the shape of their heads inside.

This made me reflect on the great variety of headgear humanity has used over the centuries, and the sometimes bizarre shapes some hats have tried to create.

A common thread in my blogs is I have encouraged readers to give some thought to “accessories”: scarves, gloves and hats.

These can make a lot of difference to your comfort.

Since I do not have much hair, I have several hats.

Snow or shine, I generally have my head covered if outdoors.

Some thoughts on practical headgear may be of use.

What is a “practical” hat?

Let us assume ia practical hat not only protects the head, but keeps the ears and back of the neck warm, and/or keeps the rain and sun out of the eyes. It is also useful if a hat can be easily stowed in a typical jacket pocket when not worn.

My headgear varies with season.

It recently occurred to me that in practice I have to deal with more than four seasons: There is winter, summer, cold spring, warm spring, warm autumn and cold autumn. Winter itself may vary between snowy and non-snowy phases. Summer is sometimes extra hot.

In contrast, some parts of the world have only two seasons: too hot or too wet!

Woolly Hat

The woolly/acrylic hat, knit cap, watch cap or beanie is one of the most practical forms of headgear.

One size fits nearly everyone. When not worn, it scrunches up small and fits in a pocket. It keeps your head warm, but still allows it to breathe.

Pull it down to keep your ears warm, roll it up when it is warmer.

Cold night? Use a beanie as a night cap.

Acrylic versions are good if you are on a budget, and may be more comfortable than expensive high quality versions in milder conditions.

I own a few of these, in various colours. Most are in neutral or natural hues.

I also have a red one for when I want to be seen.

When visiting an area of town famous for its busy markets and crowds, I wore this red hat and a red scarf. I told my girlfriend and stepson: “If we are separated, look for the hat and scarf”. They did lose me, but before I even noticed they were gone, they came running up, laughing that “The hat and scarf work!”

While I am not very Christmassy, I wear the red hat towards the end of December.

Included in this category is the headover. In addition to being used as a hat, the headover may also serve as a balaclava or neck gaiter. A versatile item worth carrying in your pack.

Balaclavas and ski-masks may also be rolled upwards and worn as watch caps.

Most of my coats have a woolly hat or headover stuffed in a pocket.

Having a spare in your bag or backpack is generally a good idea.

Ball Cap

Some people will wear a beanie all year round, indoors or out. I find mine a little hot in certain conditions.

The baseball cap, ball cap or “snap-back cap” is another very practical form of headgear.

They are adjustable for different head sizes, and easily pocketed when not being worn.

The brim keeps the sun out of your eyes and the rain off any glasses or goggles.

Most of my raincoats have some form of peaked or visored headgear in a pocket.

In many police forces and similar services, ball caps are often used instead of more traditional but less practical uniform headgear.

I have a Chinese-made cap that is closer to a military patrol cap in shape, having a flatter top, but has an adjustment strap at the back.

I use a carabineer as a keyring. I hang my cap from the carabineer by the strap when not wearing it.

Boonie Hat

Strictly speaking, a few ball caps and watch caps/headovers will probably cover most of your headgear needs.

For summer and hot climate wear, I am fond of the boonie hat.

For most of my foreign travels I used a boonie hat in Advantage Classic camouflage.

It is a little bulkier than a ball cap, but this was not a problem since I usually carried it in a daysac if not wearing it.

It was considerably more robust than the straw panama hat I had been using.

The boonie worked well against the sun, and shed most of the tropical storms I encountered.

Cotton or cotton mix chills you when wet. This can be exploited for hot weather headgear.

If it is really hot, soaking the hat in water and wearing it has a welcome cooling effect.

On the first day of experiencing a very hot Caribbean sun, I used the foliage loops of the boonie to hold ice cubes from a cup of soda. How much cooler this makes you has to be experienced to be believed.

My Advantage boonie spends most of its time in my soft-core pack these days. Recently, I decided to treat myself to another for daily wear this summer. This one is in Desert Auscam.

The only downside to the boonie is they are not adjustable for size. Luckily, I have a fairly average-sized head. The Auscam hat was a “small”, but soaking it in water and wearing it about the house seems to have fitted it comfortably to my head.

I used another boonie (in “Chocolate chip” desert camo) as the basis for my camouflaging headgear experiment.

Camouflage needs to be three-dimensional and holistic

Boonies are available in a wide variety of camouflage patterns, and also in solid colours. Since these are primarily worn in sunny weather, lighter, more reflective patterns or colours are preferable if camouflage is not a priority.

A friend of mine uses a grey boonie since it blends in well with the forest and does not look mil-spec when in public.

If camouflage is a priority, go 3D as explained. Simply wearing something in a camouflage pattern does not make you camouflaged. You need to be holistic, and break‑up distinctive, recognizable shapes.

Insect head nets work well with boonies, making them hang a good distance from your tender flesh.

Pasamontañas

I find watch caps are not uncomfortable in light rain. Unfortunately, they do nothing to keep the rain off my glasses.

If I have both with me, I have been known to wear watch cap over ball cap or ball cap over watch cap.

I could insert a plastic or cardboard brim into a watch cap, or buy a “jeep cap”, but these have an undesirable “Radar from MASH” association.

A better alternative comes from the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War (SCW) probably popularized the beret in European military circles. Oddly, the pasamontañas never caught on, despite being widely used and popular with both Spanish and foreign volunteer fighters.

Web-search “pasamontañas” and you will mainly get images of typical balaclavas.

The Spanish Civil War item was a balaclava with a peak added. Usually the face and neck part was rolled upwards to create a sort of “soft kepi”. A number of other military hats in use in Spain were shaped to resemble a rolled up pasamontañas.

Oddly, the same shape may be seen here.

Search for “peaked balaclava” and you will find some modern equivalents to the SCW pasamontañas.

Does everything a watch cap does, but keeps the low winter sun out of my eyes and the rain off my specs.

As a balaclava, mine has enough “give” that it may be worn open faced, or “letterbox” style with only the eyes exposed.

A little bulkier than a watch cap, fold it transversely to carry it in a pocket or under a shoulder strap.

The pasamontañas is worth adding to your winter gear.

A white version for wearing in snow or a version in more autumnal colours would be welcome.

The SCW versions seem to have usually been brown-khaki drab very appropriate for winter wear.

Adding a peak from another hat to a balaclava would not be too difficult a project. It would be prudent to have a green underside to the brim of a white version to reduce the effects of snow glare.

Cold Weather Hat

I have found a knit cap sufficient for most cold weather that I have encountered.

It is what I must have used when in minus thirty degree windchill in the mountains of Iceland. I suspect I also made use of my raincoat's hood in that instance.

If you follow my advice to carry a spare knit cap, you can wear both if it is really cold, or combine them with another form of headgear.

If you are in more northerly latitudes, or will not be able to move around to keep warm, a more substantial cold weather hat may be warranted.

A well-proven example is the Russian “ushanka”. These became readily available since the Iron Curtain dropped.

Ear flaps may be worn up or down. Presumably the piece at the front may be folded down, but I do not ever recall seeing one worn this way. The fur on the peak seems to serve no function whatever.

A friend of mine planned to buy an ushanka and place a pair of googly eyes on the front.

A Finnish military hat similar to the ushanka had a “V” cut in the peak so the cap badge was always visible, whether the peak was up or down.

Most cold weather hats from other parts of the world, such as the Canadian/Alaskan “lumberjack/trapper/Elmer Fudd hat” are similar to the ushanka, having fur, pile or fleece lining and folding ear/neck flaps.

Some examples I have seen include a drawcord or elasticated section that allows them to be adjusted for size.

German Army Cold Weather Hat with two types of ear flaps

The German example above is interesting, apparently having both unfurred ear flaps and a longer furred set with a chin strap for greater comfort in a range of temperatures. The British Army seems to use a similar design.

Intermediate Weather Cap

For the start of spring or end of autumn, a knit cap or pasamontañas serves well. A Boonie or a ball cap is good for summer.

For that transitional, often changeable, phase either end of summer, something intermediate may be more comfortable.

An unlined version of a ski/mountain cap, or the type of patrol cap that has ear flaps may prove useful. This may be worn like a ball cap, and the flap section turned down to cover the ears and back of the neck if necessary.

The British Army and Royal Air Force forage cap was usually seem worn as a side cap, but was designed so that it could be unfolded into ear flaps. Many versions had a peak when unfolded.

Some of the Spanish caps designed to look like pasamontañas had fold down side flaps.

Potentially, an intermediate weather cap shaped like a pasamontañas or soft kepi/patrol cap could be created. Make it a little larger, give it a warm lining and add extra, larger side flaps and you have a cold weather variant.

Add a flat-topped snap-back cap for summer and indoor wear and you have a very practical “uniform” range of headgear.

Above is a suggestion to Infantry Magazine, October-December 1958, p.67.

The author suggests it as an all season, all purpose item, with a fur or wool liner for colder weather. The fold down section was also to protect the neck from sun. The cap could be worn under a linerless helmet.

The cap worn in cold weather might need to be slightly larger to accommodate the bulk of the liner.

Swedish Hood

I am not a great one for wearing hoods.

When up, they can affect your peripheral vision and situational awareness.

When down, they can get snagged by branches and other projections.

Either up or down they may be grabbed and used against you.

I usually have a hat, so hoods that roll up into collars tend to stay there. Detachable hoods stay in a pocket in the coat.

I rolled up the hood of my German Army desert parka and added some press studs so that it stays there, forming a collar.

A trick worth knowing is known as the “Swedish hood”. Arrange as shown in the image above, and tie in place with the hood drawcord.

Sou'Wester

In some parts of the world it rains a lot.

A staple of maritime foul weather gear, it is surprising that the sou'wester does not see more use on land.

You would think someone around Seattle would be making them in goretex and selling them like hot cakes.

I have been able to find just one example of a sou'wester in a camouflage pattern or tactical colours.

Helmets

One of the reasons I started thinking about hats again is I saw this video on the kettle hat.

The kettle hat was to evolve into designs such as the Spanish morion, the British Brodie helmet and the French Adrian.

However, the example shown in the video has a lot going for it, and would be great campaign headgear.

The wide brim and shape provided good defence against descending arrows and stones.

The brim and basic shape would diverts rain like a sou'wester.

The brim would also keep the sun off the face.

Such helmets might be worn with a coif, hood or other form of “cap comforter” which would somewhat mitigate the effect of hot sun heating the metal or very low temperatures.

If you live in a volcanic area, it may literally rain stones, so hard headgear such as a construction hard hat is worth considering in some instances.

Pliny the Elder investigated Vesuvius and Pompeii with a pillow on his head. A rolled poncho-liner or sleeping bag could be used in the same way.

Many special forces units have used skateboard and whitewater helmets, not to stop bullets, but to protect from the various knocks and bumps that occur when moving through complex terrain.

These helmets lack peaks and leave the ears exposed, so clearly we can do better. The Swedish Army issues a helmet cover that includes a visor, and ear flaps as well as allowing the attachment of foliage.

Bump caps resemble ball caps and are designed to protect the wearer from minor bumps and impacts.

The inserts are sold separately, so theoretically could be fitted to boonie hats, pasamontañas or knit caps. How this would effect ventilation I do not know. It will certainly make the hat harder to fit in a pocket when not worn.

Useful Modifications

Hats can do more than just cover your head. Headgear or hatbands in different colours may be used to distinguish different branches or specializations.

Boonie hats come with a cord to reduce the chance of your losing them.

This is a useful addition to any hat that has a brim or visor. A gust of wind can take them right off your head.

I have not bothered fitting cords to my knit caps. I make sure the knit cap is pulled down snug if the wind is strong. A pasamontañas may not stay on in a gale, but if it is that windy I should be wearing it in balaclava mode.

One of the most useful additions to any hat is a hanging loop by which the hat may be attached to a snap-link, tied to a pack or similar. Invest in a few feet of ribbon.

A friend of mine put a pad of foam in his hat. This made sure the hat would float if he dropped it in a river. The foam would have also provided useful insulation against the sun or cold.

Some folks like to put fishing gear or survival kits into their hats.

Firstly, a hat is not a good place to carry any unnecessary weight. The reason special forces experimented with skateboard helmets was the issue bullet-resistant helmet was too heavy with night vision, illumination and communication gear mounted on it. The risk of taking a bullet was preferable to the neck ache.

You will not be able to get a full survival kit in your hat, just some potentially useful trinkets.

I have seen numerous forums where someone boasts of all the useful gear in their “survival hat”.

Not unreasonably, someone will point out that a hat is one of the items of clothing most likely to get lost, so not a good place for emergency gear.

“I have never lost my hat yet” will be the usual response. This tells us much more about the speaker than the subject, and does not cast them in a good light!

[This is an example of the “I have never broken my arm therefore my arm is unbreakable” hypothesis. Easily disproved by the classic “Wack with an iron bar” experiment.]

A friend of mine carries a length of spare paracord spiralled around the foliage loops of his boonie hat. This actually improves the ability to retain foliage.

With the correct choice of paracord pattern/colour, this helps break‑up the regular shape of the foliage band, which is typically made of a single colour strap.

This page has an interesting modification for hats. I have been unable to locate a sufficient-sized piece of luminous material, so do not know if this modification will trap perspiration.

The luminous part could be used for signalling, or the hat worn inside‑out when you need to be visible.

A modification of this idea is to only sew the piece of material on three sides, creating a pocket in your hat. This may be done with non‑luminous material, of course.

The most practical thing I can think to keep in such a pocket is a spare bandanna. When in the pocket it provides extra insulation and a little bit of padding.

The bandanna may be used for signalling, or camouflage, depending on colour carried.

Havelocks and Pugrees

When necessary, a bandanna or keffiyeh may be used as a havelock.

A havelock is a flap of cloth that covers the back of the neck. It will be familiar from the iconic image of a French foreign legionary. They are also seen being used by Second World War Japanese soldiers.

While on the topic of fairly rare, hat related terms, a mention of the pugree.

The pugree (in this context) was a piece of cloth wound around a pith helmet or solar topee. Often these were just decorative, but some versions had a “tail” that could be used as a face covering, or just to mop sweat from the face.

The idea could be adapted to other forms of headgear.

Improvised Headwear

If you do not have a hat with you, a keffiyeh or bandanna may be used to good effect as an improvised head covering. A trick I have used a couple of times in both cold and sunny conditions.

A bandanna may also be used as a sweatband to keep perspiration out of your eyes. This may be used with a hat or on its own.

Barata

Palms: A Handy Measuring Tool

Post author By losophyp
Post date 17 April 2026

Over my decades of writing this blog, I have learned a number of useful things.

Some of them are useful in everyday life, rather than being strictly emergency or self-defence skills.

One example I often use is the technique of counting on finger bones rather than fingers. Using this method it is possible to count to twelve with one hand, or to 72 or 156 using both.

Somewhere along the line I learnt the trick of counting in fours.

I used to group things into threes when counting. Fours is more efficient, and it is easy to group fours into larger groups of twelve, sixteen or twenty for a quick total.

The count of larger groupings may be combined with the finger bone counting method. Eight twenties and three left? 163.

Some readers may have noticed that in my later writings I have tried to utilize anthropic measurements when this is clearer.

“Three body lengths” distance is much easier to visualize than six metres, seven yards or 21 feet.

Similarly, instructing someone to place their feet two foot-lengths or a shoulder-width apart compensates for varying body sizes, so more useful than giving an exact value in inches, feet, yards, centimetres or metres.

Today’s idea derives from my fictional measuring system, which was eventually used in my novel “Anatopismo”.

In this system there was a sub-unit called the “vingt” that was a sixth of a standardized cubit, or a twentieth of a standard double pace.

Only recently did it occur to me that the vingt was very close to the width of a human palm.

Palms

Many cultures have used units of measure based on or named after the palm. Some are based on the palm width, others on the hand length.

In this article, “palm” should be understood to refer to palm width.

Logically enough, the palm is often subdivided into four “digits” (finger breadths).

Some definitions of the palm are as being the width of four digits, rather than the width of the palm.

What is interesting is how the palm width correlates with a number of other body-based units of measure.

As alluded to above, a cubit is around six palms. A double pace is around 20 palms, so a single pace is around ten palms.

A cubit approximates a shoulder-width, so a shoulder width is approximately six palms or 24 finger-breadths.

Two cubits, or twelve palms is approximately the distance from the finger tips to the nose if you hold your hand out to the side. This is approximately a yard, and cloth was sometimes measured out using this method. Hence the term “clothyard”. 13 palms, or two cubits and a palm is about a metre. Since most of us are under six foot tall, these “yards” and “metres” will be a little short.

Four cubits, or 24 palms, is approximate to an arm-span (approximately a fathom), which can be taken as equivalent to a body-length. An arm-span is a handy way to measure cordage.

Use your quick maths tricks here.

To multiply by six, triple and double the result.

Multiply by 24, triple and double three times (keeping count on your finger bones!). Multiply by 20, double and add a nought, and so on.

A seconds pendulum is about 99 cm. If you need to time something, use a cord half a digit less than half an arm-span plus a palm long.

I am not suggesting you throw away your tape measures and rulers.

Knowing the relationship between digits, palm widths and cubits can provide you with a useful “personal approximating” system.

If you are consistent with whose hand you use and how you measure, these units can have an acceptable level of accuracy.

If using this system to make something, I suggest you remember the maxim of “measure twice and cut once”. In practice, measure several times, and err on the side of caution. Trimming down is easier than adding material back!

Where across the palm should you use for measuring?

Personally, I go across where the fingers join the palm, from the outside of the bottom joint of the first finger to the outside of the bottom joint of the little finger. It is easier to measure in digits on this line too.

A palm width is approximately three inches or 7.5 cm. A digit is therefore approximately three-quarters of an inch, or 18-20 mm.

My palm is about 83 mm or 3.25 inches, making my average digit a shade under 21 mm. I am 1.8 metres tall, which makes me more than two palms under 24.

Like I have already said, this is an approximation system.

Paces

Paces are more useful for longer horizontal distances.

A double pace, by the above, is 20 palms or three and a third cubits.

More usefully, this means ten cubits are three double paces.

Five body-lengths is six double paces.

Some older Russian Mosin-Nagant rifles may be found with sights graduated in arshin.

Arshin is defined as the distance from the shoulder to fingertips, but is often treated as being a single pace. Interestingly, that is one and a half cubits, which would make a double pace three cubits.

Actual paces are very variable, depending on speed, terrain, body size, age, disability, fatigue and other factors.

My current double pace is about 1.17 metres/46 inches, which is about 14 to 15 palms, depending what value of palm I use.

I have to walk with a cane these days.

I tried measuring between the points my walking cane contacted the ground, and got a value of about 33 inches/ 83 cm (10 palms), which shows how much a pace can vary.

Over any distance, my double pace probably averages around two cubits, which is a convenient value.

Tags fingers, measure, pace, palm, useful tips

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