When I buy clothing or gear I always give it a thorough look over. Usually this is to find any loose strings that may need to be cut or burnt off so as to not cause a bigger problem down the road. While I do this I also look at ways that I can improve these items or at least make them better for me. Perhaps to change out a key ring for a S biner or add something that would augment what you bought. You are personalizing your new equipment or clothing. Making these small changes is the devil in the details.
By Grimm, contributing author to SHTFblog
When I do this I look at the item and think to myself, what could make it better? I personally love ways of making fire. The ferrocerium rod is one of my favorite tools to do so. It goes without saying that I would have one with me at all times. As part of my EDC I have an Exotac Nano XL on my keys. I chose this one because it is waterproof. This prevents the ferro rod from rusting but upon closer inspection there is space inside to push some dry cotton into. Now I have dry tinder with my ferro rod. Along with the fire theme, many bags and clothing have zipper pulls on them. By swapping out the factory zipper pulls with firecord, or some other paracord with a fire wick inside, every zipper pull has become an emergency fire fuel. If you have ten zippers throughout your bag and clothing that’s ten chances to get a fire going and you didn’t even add any weight.
Paracord has often been used as boot laces. More cordage per lace but with newer paracord there could be fire wick in there or some Kevlar line. Clip a lace handcuff key to the ends and now you have multiple escape options and fire tinder. That tiny pocket in your jeans that rarely anyone uses: if you don’t use it, cut out the bottom of the pocket and you can slide a longer tool into it -a s long as the tool has a clip. Your knife’s handle could be modified to have a metal bearing block socket in it. One less thing for you to craft out in the wild while trying to bow drill a fire into life. Take a moment and file the spin of your knife to a 90 degree angle so it shreds bark better or used with a ferro rod.
The list and ideas keep pouring out but these are just a few of the things that work for me. You need to look at your own gear and see what works for you. If you’re stuck, research on the web for ideas. I happen to know that there is a great tutorial on how to make your magnesium bar better in the Pioneer Preps section of our YouTube page. Everyone has different skills and needs so take a moment to find out how you can put the devil in the details.