Volcano Stove

You have noticed by now that I pretty much go back and forth between gear and tactics.  Over the last 3 posts or so we have taken a look at some more of the items from the Dan’s Depot kit.  I am doing another one today.  However I want to emphasize for you that your gear is only as useful as the practice you put in with it.  I do alot of tactical shooting for the enjoyment of it.  One of the things that tactical shooters and all defense orientated trainers will tell you is that, “We do not rise to the occasion, but rather fall back to our level of training”.  I believe this to be incredibly true.  So beyond this volcano stove you MUST take it and all the pieces of your survival kit, bug-out-bag, go-bag etc whether it is from Dan’s or not, and practice with it.

I’ll be honest with you regarding this volcano stove.  When Dan first showed it to me, Ithought it looked a bit too much like a gimmick.  However, its simplicity and a couple of simple benefits to its use have swayed me to have apprecation for it.  There is no need to be too technical with this piece of equipment because it is pretty simple in its design.  This video explains it pretty well.

So yeah it is pretty simple to use and it is incredibly light, so carrying it is not problem.  One of the students of my classes who has one of these stoves turns it on its side and lays strips of meat across it and uses it as a griddle from time to time with much success.  The grease from the meat slowly slides down the sides to keep the small fire fueled.

My understanding from Dan is that this is one of the best selling pieces he has at the Depot, with good reason.  Easy to use, easy to carry, good for water and food and multiple fuel sources.  What is not to like?

Bug-Out-Bag

I wanted to take the time to go through the contents of Dan’s Depot Survival Kit, and specifically wanted to start off with nothing more than the bug-out-bag itself.

One of the things I told the guys at Dan’s when I started doing the blog posts and videos is that I would not promote the gear that they had that I was not comfortable promoting.  

That is why Dan and I are spending alot of time using the gear that is sold on the website and the ones that do not prove to be durable and economically sound, we will replace if it is warranted.

The pack that is part of this kit now, may be replaced someday, but only because we can find an equally durable one at a less expensive price.  To put it simply, I really like this pack.  The guys at Dan’s gave me one to try out and work with.  Translate that into, “destroy this thing.”.  I have found it incredibly durable and full of great benefits.  One of the torture tests that I put it through, was to strap it onto my son and have him go out with it.  That boy can be hard on packs.  He is 13 years old and in regards to maturity he is half-boy, half-man.  His body size is such that he half-man, half-beast.  What this means is he still at times plays in the woods like a child (shouldn’t we all?), but his 6ft tall 185 lb frame means he can be pretty hard on gear.  So with all that said, please note that this pack made it through my son’s torture test.  Rolling down hills, busting through multi-floral rose, throwing it down rocks and into streams, etc.etc.  It has has help up incredibly well, with no problems.

The video here goes into great detail on the pieces and parts and inner workings of the pack itself.  Check it out.  Please note that I am hard on gear and I throw it around alot, I want to know that my gear will work hard for me when I need it.  I am no “Price is Right” model when it comes to showing off gear.

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Survival Kit Contents

I think I have made it abundantly clear that the most important piece of gear that you can own in any given survival or preparedness situation is a trained mind.  If you have not had the chance to read and watch my blog and video you can check it out here.

Beyond that you need to practice with your gear.  One of the underlying themes for all the survival gear and kits that we sell here at Dan’s Depot is that they are two things multi-use  and can be used multiple times.  

Let me explain why this can benefit you in your preparedness.

Multi-Use

When prepping and having on-hand survival gear you must consider its portability.  Simply said you must be able to carry it from place to place as you move to find and utilize the resources that are available to you.  If you had individual items for every need that arises you would need a truck to haul all your gear in.  That is why we have put alot of thought and consideration into our kit.  Virtually every item in our kit has multiple uses.  For example the tarp has many uses such as a quick cover, shelter, hammock, impromptu sleeping bag, litter for injured people, apparatus to carry materials for building more shelter, signalling device, trap for animals, etc. etc.  There are more but those are the ones that easily come to mind as I write this (because I have used tarps to do all those things).  Paracord and the knife are also parts of our kit that have dozens of uses.  The other items in our kits such as the iodine tablets have atleast two uses as well.  For example, cleaning water and using it as a wound cleanser.

In this way you are carrying, or have on-hand items that are not bulky and can be used for many, and varied uses.
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