Gear Reviews

The world of bushcraft gear can be intimidating. There's a lot of great gear out there, and unfortunately, some not-so-great options, but you don't have to break the bank to get started in bushcraft and survival skills. 

The GNS is a great all-around camp knife capable of tackling camp chores, bushcraft tasks, and pretty much any cutting needs you might have. 

The unique name of this knife from Helle offers a hint to its origins. The blade takes its name from the Didi Galgalu Desert in Northern Kenya. Andars of Helle designed it on a 15,000-kilometer multi-month overland journey across Africa.

While there are countless types of cordage available, made of different materials and weight capacities, 550 cord/paracord, tarred bank line, and smaller diameter nylon accessory line tend to be the most common and popular.

It's time to start chipping away at that shopping list! We've assembled a gift guide featuring some gear from our favorite brands that includes something for everyone at a variety of price points.

The Polar North Machete from Condor Knife & Tool has earned its place in my tool rotation. It's definitely a great candidate for the proverbial "one tool" philosophy. It can handle most camp-cutting chores, and with a bit of practice, I felt I had started to understand the nuances of using it for my cutting needs.

While it's probably a safe assumption that most knife and bushcraft enthusiasts have heard of Ethan Becker, we want to make sure that no one misses the details of how impressive this gentleman is.

Once again, we scoured the floor of Blade Show to find some awesome knives for your bushcraft needs. Some of them are classics, some are new, and at least one is a new spin on a favorite blade. 

During our time with this small red-stained knife, we've been pleasantly surprised to find it capable of everything we've asked of it. It disappears into the coin pocket on a pair of jeans, but when needed, the lockback snaps reassuringly, and the Raud S is ready for action.