# Maximizing the camp knife: an article.



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

No pix today sorry.my back is shot.

Everyone is familiar with the "Rambo" knife with its silly and easily damaged hollow handle and the nine times out of ten utterly useless "saw teeth" or gut rippers or whatever the hell they were supposed to be.the ONLY working saw teeth I ever saw on a survival knife were on a USAF pilot knife, BUT that big old
knife, if it was well made was VERY useful in clearing small brush, cutting fishing pole yokes[That "Y" shaped thing you prop your pole in.]weenie sticks, and dressing big game or making dinner.This "hack of tack" can be used on very large camp knives or machetes to give you a nice quick go-to kit if you get turned around and or good and lost, and lets face it, even pros like to wear that huge hog sticker around camp in memory of Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett.:laugh:

So then, you need:
Your camp knife.
A tube of gorilla glue <---Magus tested and endorsed!
A package of Velcro. 
An Altoids tin or three if you want to use this on a machete.
a package of those candle fitting tabs the gummy kind!
A can of whatever paint color suits your woods situation.
A package of plastic sheet[or space blankets] and a roll of para cord.
Some goodies to go in the tins,I'll get to that later.

Step [1] 
Paint the tins on the lid and sides, let dry and buff the bottom of the tins with coarse sandpaper.

Step [2]
If your blade has a cloth sheath, might want to smear Vaseline on the side of the blade the cans will be on for this next step!having your blade glued into its sheath will NOT make the bear that's about to maul you laugh so hard you get away!

Lightly moisten the sheath and the back of the Altoids tin with a damp cloth and Using the gorilla glue, attach your Velcro so as they match up, a good idea is to glue the mated pieces to the tin, THEN to the sheath.let dry.ALSO, be sure they are no less than 1/8" close or 1/4" apart.

Step [3].
Line the inside tops of the tins with the candle fitting tabs, not only does this add waterproofing, it sticks the lids together pretty darn good, but not impossible to open.

NOW we get to the fun and intricate crap!Lets assume you used three boxes, two is just fine but you'll have to modify the load out:

Box one gets:
A small spool of fishing line,[50 ft minimum!] a package of small to medium sized eagle claw fishing hooks appropriate for the average sized fish in your area, a pair of cut down and brightly painted cork floaters, three or four artificial baits, and 20 feet of nylon contractor's line and 4 LARGE hooks.[for animal trapping]and 4 safety knife[box opener.]blades.

Box two gets:
Birthday candles, a magnifying glass, a small lighter, matches, two fuel tabs,
and fire tape.[A strip of cotton cloth soaked in wax.]use good sense and just use an inch at a time!you can also cut some Ranger bands out of a bike tire and put around the boxes IF they don't interfere with the insertion and withdrawal of your blade.

Box Three gets:
Band aids, three suture kits, butterfly tabs, sting and alcohol swabs, a container of powdered alum, a small roll of gauze and a small bottle with a bit of fast burning gunpowder in it and a pack of matches..
{I know someone will ask, If you have a deep puncture wound that will NOT stop bleeding, you put the gunpowder over the wound and light it to cauterize the wound. but cheer up, the scream you let loose will not only scare living hell out of everything within twenty miles, but will likely attract help. }

NOW you will see why I was picky about the distance between the boxes.between the boxes place some rolled up fire tape or some leftover rubber from the ranger bands.
NOW then, wrap the packages of space blankets or drop sheet around the tins and carefully wrap in para cord.making a knot at the bottom and top around the sheath and tucking in the loose ends with a screwdriver.

*But Magus..WHERE is the compass?*
Your knife is steel, so are the tins.it would likely wreck all but the best compass putting it in close proximity to all that metal, just wear one on your belt or in your side pack like a big boy.

And that's it.hope everyone enjoyed it, my next gear hack is either an ammo can cooler or putting a compass in a rifle stock.


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## PopPop (Sep 14, 2010)

Magus said:


> No pix today sorry.my back is shot.
> 
> Everyone is familiar with the "Rambo" knife with its silly and easily damaged hollow handle and the nine times out of ten utterly useless "saw teeth" or gut rippers or whatever the hell they were supposed to be.the ONLY working saw teeth I ever saw on a survival knife were on a USAF pilot knife, BUT that big old
> knife, if it was well made was VERY useful in clearing small brush, cutting fishing pole yokes[That "Y" shaped thing you prop your pole in.]weenie sticks, and dressing big game or making dinner.This "hack of tack" can be used on very large camp knives or machetes to give you a nice quick go-to kit if you get turned around and or good and lost, and lets face it, even pros like to wear that huge hog sticker around camp in memory of Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett.:laugh:
> ...


Sounds great but you are 1 picture or a couple of hundred words short for me to see it.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I'll get pix in when I can walk again.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

If I read your instructions right, you just attached Velcro to some altoid tins and your knife sheath, attached the tins to the sheath via the Velcro, thus making a mini survival/knife kit. Yes?


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Bingo! I knew someone could get it!
Still going to post pix though, just can't until my back gets better.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Magus I hope you get to feeling better soon.


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## PopPop (Sep 14, 2010)

Magus, I get it too! Just am excited to see the pictures. I do the same thing with A BK 9 and some nylon pouches, I am still tinkering with it though. My thoughts are this bit of kit would be with me always, inseparable.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.


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