Category: Articles

When the Benchmade Bugout came out, it was an immediate hit. People loved how lightweight it was, nimble, and yet capable. All while still being affordable. I only recently got one and it’s a true gem — and well worth your money.

Recently though, Benchmade released the Mini Bugout — same great knife, just smaller. This “mini” stuff can be hit and miss, but with Benchmade this is a common theme which they often pull off quite well (see also reviews of the Griptilian and Mini Griptilian). I waited, rather impatiently to get one of these so I could first test out the full size Bugout.

Long story short: this is the best knife on the market, no caveats.

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In a recent Member Journal I posted about trying to use digital cameras I have around the house as webcams. Obviously, this cannot be done by using your iPad as your calling device, but rather you need a Mac or PC. I used a MacBook Pro 13” for this.

There’s a few things to note about webcams and setting up for good calls in general:

1. MacBook Pro webcams are utter shit. They are likely the lowest quality devices you can use for video calls, and their mics are about the same as the webcams.
2. iPad Pro front facing cameras are a really solid middle ground for quality, while being easy as hell to use. Their microphones are better, but the feedback because of the speaker proximity will drive your attendees insane.
3. You can use your iPhone’s rear cameras as a webcam and those look pretty darn good, however the setup is really not good. It is cumbersome, and puts your iPhone out of action as you need to really put it in Airplane mode and leave it in a tripod facing you. Lame.
4. You can tether most modern and some older digital cameras and use them as your webcam. This works pretty solid with many caveats, largely centering around the actual hardware you have. Also these are the nerdiest and finicky of setups you can possibly choose.

I have two cameras I could use, the first is an old Canon 5D mkII, and the second being my Fujifilm X100T. Now neither is officially supported by the manufacturers for this purpose, so I needed to buy an excellent piece of software called ‘Cascable Pro Webcam’ for $30.

And that, that is why we are here now.

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Don’t buy this thing.

It is not often, actually this might be the first time, that I have come across a GORUCK product that I loathed. But this is that product. And, I am writing about it because I was excited when it came out, and if you didn’t buy one, I want to make sure you save your money.

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For as particular as I am about bags in general, I am more laid back about organizers within my bags. These are typically called Admin Pouches, and most of the good ones are made by the more tactical focused companies out there.

The ones I use often are either GORUCK’s Field Pockets (article and here) , or ones by Triple Aught Design (OP1 and Context Organizer). But Prometheus Design Werx sells a few that are much lower in price, and on paper look just as good as the others. So I went all in a bought a bunch from them to try out.

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I went down a many-subreddit rabbit hole looking at bugout bags, everyday carry setups, get home bags, and vehicle everyday carry kits — basically I started getting frustrated at the state of advice out there for these bags.

I don’t think people plan for emergencies correctly — they plan for the extreme, while missing the likely. So, today, I want to talk about what I see as the most crucial prep for anyone who has a car, or commutes somewhere for work (I mean like eventually, not right now, but now is a good time to prepare because you have ample time to find stuff in your house).

We are talk about a ‘get home bag’. The get home bag is like a bugout bag, but for your car. Or, to carry with you if you commute on public or shared transit. It is the gear you need to help you get home safely in the event of something extraordinary happening.

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Pop quiz, hot shot, how do you carry around face masks, hand sanitizer, pens, and anything else you might need for a COVID-19 day out?

You carry this bag. And I want another, here’s why.

(To see the real reason for why I bought this bag, please read this post.)

I love Filson, as a brand, as a company, and the stuff they make. They remind me in a lot of ways of my grandfather. Everything they make is classic, over built to almost a comical level, and pretty fucking straightforward. Funnily, my grandfather never wore/used Filson stuff, which is almost in itself perfect.

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As you have all likely seen this week, there has been some App Store drama over Apple’s rejection of the Hey.com email client. This is a story that has two important parts:

1. App Store Rules
2. App Store Rule Enforcement

But first, the drama.

1. Hey.com is a subscription email service only, and you can only buy said service on their website.
2. They had an approved iOS email client.
3. They launched, and submitted a bug fix for review in the App Store.
4. Bug fix update to the app was rejected, because the app gives the user no way to pay for the subscription in the app, via an In-App Purchase, and instead is web driven.

Pause here for a moment, because there are two things to be outraged by: that the app was initially allowed, and then rejected; and that surely you can name other apps which require a subscription, but which you cannot subscribe in the app. Others are just mad this rule exists.

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Seeing kits posted online of what people are carrying as businesses reopen, and of what people are carrying to participate in protests, had me thinking about the gear I have carried over the years. The most helpful thing is typically not telling people what you carry, but rather why you chose to carry those things. And luckily for all of you, I have been thinking about this stuff for a long time. So let’s dive in, maybe it will spur you to carry something helpful in your life. (And don’t worry, I do have recommendations at the end.)

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