James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack | Cody Lundin & Doug Ritter Recommended Professional Survival Gear
1 min read
Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and many other back-country professionals. Toss it in the day pack, the backpack, or the pocket to make sure you’ve always got something useful on hand.
The basic kit includes three approaches to making fire. There’s a spark-generating permanent match, actually good for over a thousand high-energy strikes, plus a firestarter to help turn that spark into flame. On sunny days, you can save the permanent match and use the fresnel magnifier instead. Other handy items include a stainless steel signaling mirror and an emergency whistle that actually works. There’s an inexpensive liquid-filled bubble compass, a scalpel blade, a six-foot length of stainless steel wire, and ten feet of braided 100-pound test nylon cord.
The kit holds a sewing needle, thread, and a few safety pins for patching clothing. Waterproof paper and pencil allow writing those important signal notes if you have to abandon camp. You won’t find a lot of useless stuff in this kit — it doesn’t fill every empty space with Band-aids, sugar cubes, or teabags, and does leave a little room for adding important items of your own choosing. Most people choose a folding water bag and water purification tablets, which are already included in the more expensive Pocket Survival Pack Plus. Although there’s only a bare minimum of supplies here, the kit does include a waterproof survival booklet full of tips on how to use the gear. You won’t use up the steel wire figuring out snares on your own if you just follow the step-by-step instructions.
The Pocket Survival Kit Plus includes a skeleton-handled knife, a water bag, and a small supply of water purification tablets. For anyone who normally carries better versions of fundamental equipment, the original Pocket Survival Pack still offers the best deal.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Multi-purpose gear for hikers, backpackers, and other outdoorsmen gets better every year. If you make the Buck 731 X-Tract LED Multi-Tool part of your...
Leatherman’s back with an even stronger version of the original Leatherman Super Tool. The Super Tool 300 Multi-tool offers the strongest pair of multi-tool...
Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and many other back-country professionals. Toss it in the day pack, the backpack, or the pocket to make sure you’ve always got something useful on hand.
