ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR OUTDOOR CAMPING

GOOD PICKS FOR A GOOD TRIP

BY: ROY HEILMAN

Spring is in the air. As the world greens up and birds return, our thoughts turn to fresh air and far-flung destinations. Now, while the camping season is still young, is the best time to make sure we’ll have everything we need.

Since space is often at a premium, tools that serve multiple functions are a real asset. One such tool is the Survival Camp Shovel from Smith’s Consumer Products. It can be used for ordinary shoveling chores like digging temporary fire pits, making catholes, and burying food waste where necessary.

In addition to its spade end, it also has a pick for penetrating harder soils. Integrated teeth enable it to act as an improved saw, and the adjacent hook can be used to cut rope. When you’re finished, the Survival Camp Shovel folds neatly and fits into a hand-sized carrying case, easily stowable with built-in pouches for other small items.

On a campout, life usually revolves around the campfire, whether for fun or cooking, or both. Making that fire and keeping it going is a lot of work and requires having the right tools on hand.

Gathering fuel can be a chore, but is made easy with the Folding Limb Saw. Its long, 8-inch blade with aggressive teeth makes quick work of all kinds of wood, cutting it to just the right length. That stainless steel blade also locks into place because safety is paramount when miles from help.

In the event that the blade dulls, a diamond-coated sharpener is already tucked conveniently into the end of the handle. There is also a rod stowed there, which can be used in a pinch to spark a fire.

After gathering firewood and cutting it to length, the next step is to split it. Wood always burns better when it has been split, and makes it much easier to maintain steady heat for cooking. What’s more, when everything in the woods is soaking wet due to rain, branches that have died and already dried are still dry on the inside.

When splitting wood (or even chopping trees down), axes and hatchets will inevitably become dull. Cutting heads that have lost their edge are inherently more dangerous because they become harder to control for the user. So, for the sake of both safety and ease, we need to keep them sharp. The Axe & Machete Sharpener is just the ticket.

The Axe & Machete Sharpener features a built-in wire brush for clearing debris before doing its work. Its preset carbide blades quickly put the edge back on the head of an axe, hatchet, machete, or similar implement. Again, for safety’s sake, oversized finger guards and handle allow leather gloves to be worn while in use.

After we have our wood cut and split, we are ready to light the fire. Smith’s Pack Pal Tinder Maker with Fire Starter can be worth its weight in gold, especially in damp conditions or an emergency situation.

The Tinder Maker with Fire Starter is a mighty force in a small package. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it is compact and lightweight enough to go anywhere. Preparing and lighting a fire with it is accomplished in a few easy steps:

• Slide the cover out, flip it over to reveal the sharp grating surface,and slide it back into place.
• Hold firmly against a piece of wood (the dry, inside surface of asplit log is perfect), and pull it in the direction that will enable it to“bite” into that wood. Repeat until the compartment is full ofshavings.
• Remove the cover and empty the shavings. Repeat until thedesired amount of tinder is attained.
• Place shavings at the bottom of other prepared tinder andkindling. Hold the fire starter closer to the shavings and scrapethe striker firmly to produce sparks.

Even with that pile of dry tinder, getting a fire started with sparks can take time. When you don’t have the luxury of time, like when hypothermia is a concern, you can jump-start that fire with steel wool. Yes, steel wool is highly flammable and goes up quickly when it catches a spark. For this reason, storing a small amount inside the Tinder Maker can make all the difference—especially in a life-or-death scenario.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Dena Vick
dena@kingeiderpr.com
501-749-4575

Ricky Dukes
rdukes@smithsproducts.com
501-865-4227

ABOUT SMITH'S CONSUMER PRODUCTS:

Smith’s Consumer Products is an Arkansas-based company that traces its history to 1886. Smith’s produces the broadest line of knife and scissors sharpeners available, ranging from simple, fixed angle pull-through sharpeners for consumers that want quick and easy sharpening to sophisticated Precision Kits designed for the knife sharpening enthusiast. Our offering includes both manual and electrical sharpeners that incorporate many different abrasive materials, including diamond, carbide, ceramic, bonded synthetic abrasives, and of course, natural Arkansas stones. The Edge Experts at Smith’s Consumer Products also design and manufacture a wide range of tools for outdoor enthusiasts as well as knives for everyday carry, tactical, shop, kitchen, hunting, and fishing needs.