SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA

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Longer video about knives. The short version is that in today’s world most of us just don’t carry a fixed blade on daily basis. A pocket knife is simply more realistic and in that category a multitool such as the Leatherman Wave or the fancier Charge is likely the best overall tool a typical person can carry all day.

Having said that, if you have a fixed blade, which one is the best? Not an easy question to answer but I take a shot at it in the video.


My conclusion is that while small scandi grind knives are great and larger machetes are fantastic tools, likely something in between is the right answer. Even then, larger blades, when realistically capable of carrying, can do more and are just better for most taks.

FerFAL

Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Bags:
Wenger backpack https://amzn.to/2S2MxKk
Saddleback Leather Briefcase https://amzn.to/2tu1HOH
Polare Leather Briefcase (similar to the Saddleback Briefcase, but cheaper) https://amzn.to/2toa8ed

Items Listed:
1)Multitool (Leatherman Wave)https://amzn.to/2tnThs0
2)Knife (Glock Survival Knife) https://amzn.to/2rYm5a9
3)Flashlight (Zebralight H53W AA) https://amzn.to/38Ot1Hx
4)Water Bottle (Klean Kanteen) https://amzn.to/35za5e2
5)Small First Aid Kit (Protect Life) https://amzn.to/2Q1t7Dk
6)Tourniquet (Recon-Milspec)https://amzn.to/2YW8rRb
7)Celox Gauze https://amzn.to/34rA5GR
8)Sabre Red Pepper Gel https://amzn.to/2LZMJq7
9)Power bank (Anker)https://amzn.to/2EowG0T
10)Notebook and Pen https://amzn.to/2Z27neC https://amzn.to/2qXXsKe
11)Spare magazine/speedloader
12)Lighter (Bic) https://amzn.to/34s6zR7
13)Kleanex
14)Hand Sanitizer (Purell) https://amzn.to/2EoBSlo
15)Paracord 550 https://amzn.to/2PUU4bz
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Street Survival Skills $21.95
Pretty confident about this one, my latest book “Street Survival Skills”. It explains in detail plenty of valuable, practical real-world skills. Even those that have been into preparedness for a long time will find useful information, no doubt. It also covers the basics for newbies and gets them started in the right direction. Check my video review.

LEATHERMAN - Charge Plus $139.95
The Leatherman Charge is in my opinion the best multitool money can buy and I haven’t found anything better yet even if some favor the Surge. Anyway, fantastic multitool and the Wave is basically the same thing but more budget friendly. Even more affordable and still great Leatheman multool, go with the Sidekick or the tiny PS4.

Victorinox Manager $29.16
I’ve been using this little guy for about a year now and even though I keep proper multiool and folder in my pocket this tiny tool always comes in handy. Great tool for someone that isnt much into preparedness and doesn’t see themselves carrying anything, yet its there in the keychain, always ready.

Olight S1R II 1000 Lumens $69.95
The S1R II is compact, fits in the pocket and recharges with a magnetic contact which is pretty convenient.

The SRK is as solid as knife designs go. Used by the Navy SEALS and soldiers around the world, you can’t go wrong with Cold Steel’s Survival Rescue Knife. The size hits that ideal not too big not too small. Somewhat similar to a short Kabar blade geometry but with a tougher construction.

The Taser Pulse uses the same Taser technology used for law enforcement, but in a concealed carry weapon format. Works just like the old Taser, meaning that besides shootings the darts and automatically discharging for 30 seconds, it also works as a stun gun pressing the muzzle against an attacker. The safety on the side activates a laser and LED light and it has a low battery indicator. These are now also legal in New York.

Pepper Spray is cheap, its compact and what’s most important, it WORKS. In my experience it also makes a highly appreciated gift that doesn’t break the bank and it may one day safe a friend or loved one.

Glock OEM Field Knife 6.5" $24.99
In my opinion the best survival knife for the money. 1095 steel at 55 HRC, 6.5” of combat/survival steel, Made in Austria. Get one if you don’t have one already, also a great gift for any outdoors, survivalist or firearms enthusiast.

These rations work well for BOB, 72hs Kits, Get Home Bags, etc. They last for several years, a lot less bulky and cheaper than MRE. Not much in terms of food, think of it as fuel to keep you going. No need to cook or any other type of food preparation.

Glock 19X CO2 Blowback .177 $99.99
Not the real thing but close enough. Glock licensed BB made by Umarex, 18 shot magazine. Glock just came up with the Glock 44 in 22LR, says its for fun and plinking… bet it’s a nice gun but you know what? 1)BB is MUCH cheaper than 22LR 2) You can use it for plinking and practice in your back yard 3) Still capable of killing rats and other tiny pests with a fresh CO2 cartridge.  I have a Glock 19 BB and absolutely love that thing. Would make a hell of a gift for a kid too (as long as he wears eye protection and doesnt “shoot his eye out”)
I’ll keep an eye out and post any deals worth mentioning that I come across. These are of course all from Amazon, and we earn a small percentage on some of the sales made through Amazon Affiliate links, which is much appreciated and helps with the channel.
Thake care!
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

With so many options available, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of choices when looking for a good survival knife. Every company out there swears by their own product and the commonly used marketing tricks don’t help in making an objective, practical decision.

So what do you want to take into consideration when buying a survival knife?

1) Design. Is the shape of the tool adequate for the purpose it is intended for? The blade geometry, how long, thin and narrow blade is, how thick is the stock used, the bevels, it all should make sense in relation to the intended use of the knife. Is it a carving tool, a piercing weapon, a utilitarian sharp prybar?  In my experience this is the hardest thing to achieve: An overall sound design with a blade geometry that is well suited for its intended purpose. The more broad that intended purpose is, and that’s often the case with survival knives, the harder it is to nail it with a blade shape that will perform well for most potential applications.

2) Quality. A Knife may be of sound design but if the materials used are of poor quality or if the execution is mediocre it won’t be of much use.  People new to knives often obsess over what steel the blade is made of. In reality, with modern steel this is for the most part an academic discussion and for most practical uses, even the more affordable steels, both stainless and carbon steels, will perform adequately as long as they are properly heat treated. Having said that, the difference between steels does exist and in some cases the extra toughness, edge retention and ease of sharpening is worth the higher price of premium steels for some people.

3) Handle. The knife may be well designed, well-crafted out of the finest materials but if the handle just doesn’t “fit” you then it will perform poorly in your hands. The handle is an extremely personal part of the knife. Some handles just work well for most people’s hands. The swell in the handle of a Glock knife, the typical machete handle, these are time proven designs. But still, either because your hand is too big, or too small, or it just so happens to close around a handle a bit different, it just may not fit you as well. In general you want comfortable, grippy yet durable materials and you don’t want any aggressive patterns that chaff the skin or cause hot spots.


4)Sheath. A knife without a sheath cant be carried around safely, can barely be used at all without having a safe method of carrying. There’s no need for anything fancy but the sheath must be functional. Hold the blade safely in place, be easy to access, remove and return the knife. Just like with gun holsters, hard polymer sheaths are a solid choice, especially if they have different attachment points to adjust the way you carry it.

5)Finish. Often overlooked, not all finishes perform the same. The current typical textured paint finish commonly used in tactical knives is a rather poor choice. Not only does it wear off easily, leaving the steel naked unless it has a phosphate finish of some kind underneath, these finishes also attract dirt and grime, making it harder to keep clean. The textured finish also increases traction when cutting through materials, which you definitely don’t want. You want the surface of the cutting tool to be smooth like glass with minimal friction. A mirror polished surface would be ideal, even if some treatment had to be added on carbon steel to avoid rusting. This is something to consider but not a deal breaker since finshes do wear, become smoother with use even if they originally were textured, and with a bit of oil rust shouldn’t be a problem.

6)Price. Although you often pay for what you get, in the knife world you sometimes have knives that are hyped beyond their logical price point just as you have some wonderful bargains, a ton of knife for very little money. This means you save money for other preps or it allows you to buy multiple blades for all your kits and bags or for backups and spares.
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

RFID Blocking Card in Amazon https://amzn.to/2paaTWn

People, I finally set up the Modern Survivalist Amazon Store. Most of the stuff shown in the video (and often mentioned in posts) is available there. Just click on the EDC menu and you'll see the gear or compatible alternatives for the stuff that has been discontinued.

-FerFAL

Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Hi FerFAL,

It has been a long time since I have written to you but I have been following your blog all this while. In fact, it has been 10 years since I started reading your blog. (I have read and reread both your books too.) Seeing that you have been writing various posts about 10 years after XYZ or ABC event, I find it apt to send this update to you. This write-up also serves as a self-assessment of my preps.

In 2009, your blog and first book really opened my eyes to the world of survivalism. Before that, I was fascinated with wilderness survival and survival for an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) event. But your first book presented chillingly realistic aspects of modern survival which I have never thought of. I found major gaps in my preparedness efforts. Your book henceforth became a blueprint for my preparedness strategy which includes changes in my mindset, acquisition of certain vital skills and procurement of relevant gear and stuff.

In no particular order, I list down below 10 aspects (in following the theme of 10 years) of my preparations and my thoughts about them.

1. Shooting
   I researched and tried out shooting at the one and only civilian range  in this country. I later joined as a full member and have since been working on shooting with a Glock 17 based on your recommendation. Shooting is not cheap here. Membership fees, range fees, ammo prices make shooting a rich man’s sport though I try to maintain and upgrade my skills as much as I can afford but not as much as I wish.
2. Hand-to-hand
   Your advice is the prime motivator for me to lift up my butt and train in martial arts. I have trained in Muay Thai for years now and done some MMA along the way. I wish I could have taken up BJJ but time and money are always constraints.
3. First Aid
   I have been going for first aid training long before reading your work. But you have drilled into me the importance of this skill and now I make it a point to keep myself trained and adopt the mindset to be prepared to use these skills anytime. I would like to upgrade myself by joining an ambulance crew but so far have yet to sign up.
4. Fitness
   Since I left the army (we have conscription here), exercise has always been a regular activity but it was upon taking up a martial art that I have become more systematic in it. I have also enlarged my coverage to include certain previously neglected aspects e.g. flexibility, plyometrics.
5. Food
   I have yet to reach a stockpile of 2 months and am unsure I ever will since space is a premium here. I put my estimate at 2-3 weeks of supply currently in stock. Not ideal but much better than many others with only a couple days’ supply.
6. Water
   I have stored enough real water for a week or so. Not as much as I would like but again, space is a premium and water REALLY takes up space. I also got a Doulton gravity filter (similar to a Big Berkey) in case water is available but not in a clean state.
7. EDC
   I have experimented quite a bit here based on your recommendations. The setup is more or less stabilised now or at least until something significantly more effective comes along (probably recommended by you). I suppose the gear can always change but the mindset is more or less fixed and this is what counts. Concepts like 3 is 2, 2 is 1, 1 is none; a piece of gear should serve more than 1 purpose are now ingrained.
8. Money
   “Cash is king” has become a mantra. I make sure there is always a bit of cash around. I am certain that despite being fiat money, it can keep me running when banks are closed and credit/debit is down. The same show played in Argentina can surely happen here too. Precious metals are a bit out of reach financially but I am sure they will be a good asset to keep.
9. Security
   This could be my blind spot and is something I want to continually work on. I agree with your security recommendations but being a relatively safe country here, complacency has a bad habit of creeping in. And it only takes a single moment of complacency to lead to a regrettable outcome – something I definitely want to avoid.
10. Politics and media
    These are issues overlooked by many survivalists. Yet, they potentially have the greatest impact on our way of life. I have since scrutinised both more critically or even cynically. No longer can both be trusted at surface value.
11. Relocation
    I know I have gone on to 11 points but relocation is an option that I have become more open to. I totally agree that sometimes, the only way to survive is to relocate. Getting a second passport, planning for a location (or two) to run to, opening an offshore bank account are important to a survivalist. Though I must admit that I have yet to accomplish many of the above tasks, they are continually on my radar.

I hope this mail has not been too long. I am sure I have missed out other aspects of my preparedness journey. Nonetheless, the above are what come to mind and probably for the good reason that they are close to my heart.

Thanks for reading.

Ken

.

Hello Ken. Your email wasn’t too long, at all. I very much enjoyed it, thank you.

I’m glad you enjoyed my books, “The Modern Survival Manual” and “Bugging Out and Relocating”.
It just makes my day when I read about having a positive impact on people’s lives. Its’ very humbling and gratifying at the same time.

You touch on various key topics. I believe you’ve got modern survivalism pretty well covered. As you so eloquently explain, both time and money are limited resources and we can only do so much. Of course we would all want to be national shooting champions, have military experience, have police experience, have experience in the medical field, be UFC champions in our weight class and while at it why not ask to be rich, have a great family and plenty of spare time to actually enjoy life.
We only have so much time and we always end up compromising to a great degree. I believe that you’ve acquired a pretty balanced set of skills that most definitely gives you an advantage for when things get complicated in life.

You’re right about shooting being a pretty expensive sport. For anyone new to guns reading it, my advice to save money is to keep things simple. A Glock 17 and spare mags. Don’t waste time and money “plinking”. I wasted many days and thousands of USD just punching holes into paper and not actually learning. I know it sounds counterintuitive but the best thing to do to save money is sign up to a good defensive shooting class and stick to practicing what you learn there. That’s far better than shooting 50 rounds any given weekend for years, never learning anything.

As for precious metals, it sure isnt a priority but it does make sense and it can also be a lot of fun to learn about them. Most countries had silver coins in circulation at some point and that is your “de facto” junk silver. Shopping around you’re likely to find a few around for little over spot price. Personally, I like doing the research, learn about different coins, their value and history.

Also regarding politics and the media, I do believe they have an important role in our life and it can affect us for better or worse. I try to be balanced and objective. Cant say I trust most politicians in general and when it comes to the media I read both left and right outlets so as to get both sides. I also look into who owns each given media outlet. Its usually there that you see the agenda they follow.

The only thing I would add to your list would be family and friends. Socializing and networking with people. I make the effort to “work” on being a good husband and a good dad. Also try to make friends when I can. Being social, the relationship with our families, these are key not just for survival but for our quality of life and you need dedication to make it work. Same thing when it comes to friends and networking. The people you know and contacts you have are essential, not just for SHTF but also for doing well in normal times as well.

Anyway, thank you for your email and for sharing your experiences.

Kind regards,
FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Links to some of the stuff shown in the video:
ThruNite MCC-4S Universal Charger
Zebralight H53w AA
Klarus Mini One 130 Lumens
NITECORE 14500 Built-in Micro-USB Rechargeable

Anonymous said...

   Have made it through some serious hurricanes and floods the last 25 years in South Louisiana, and the one thing I've learned was not only to keep cash where I could get to it, along with keeping as much of it as possible in small bills. Because the prices tend to go crazy after a weather event here, no one has change, or wants to give it to you. Also because soon as the electricity goes out, there are no working ATM machines for cash. We were 75 miles from New Orleans for Katrina and didn't have almost any rain at all, but we had strong winds that took down hundreds of trees, so there was no electricity for weeks. Which means no banks were open and no ATM's were working, nor gas station machines. Hurricane Gustave was much worse for us, as was the more recent flood of 2016. We lost the electricity after Gustave for 9 months at my place, although some neighborhoods came back at 6-8 weeks. It was 95 degrees F. during this time. The state estimated one million trees were lost in this area. Credit cards are not useful in these situations until after the events when there is substantial infrastructural improvements and repairs. And lastly, no cell towers means almost no communication (wind).

Anonymous said...

    You must have small denominations, because no one will give you change. This from 25 yrs. of hurricanes in South Louisiana. No electric means no banks, no ATMS, no credit cards can be used.

J said...

Seems to me that smaller denominations would be more flexible. I don't want to have to fork over a hundred bucks for a $25 item that I need. A thousand dollars in twenties might not be good for a wallet, but it doesn't take up that much space in a larger bag or in the safe.