Did anyone mention a good knife? I perused the posts a couple of times and failed to see one listed. Other than a cell phone, there is no more important tool in the field than a quality knife when it gets down to life and death. I'm not talking about a survival-type tactical for self defense (a pistol will aid you more in that situation). Just a good quality blade that will serve you when you need it most.

I am a bladesmith but I carry a commercial Victorinox Swiss Army knife as well as one of my own hand-mades. The latter will be one of several damascus fixed blades, the size depending upon where I'm working. In the Amazon I wear a 7 1/2" camp knive. Stateside a 4 3/4" blade utility hunter. State laws dictate size & style as well.

As for a mirror vs. a light. In the daytime, no light made by Man can compare to a mirror firing the energy of the sun down a goper tortoise burrow or into a rocky fissure. The difference has to do with ambient light. A flashlight, no matter how bright, always appears dim to the eye when used in bright ambient light.

Y'all watch out for Rita.

Terry Vandeventer (Mississippi)

[ Hide Replies ]

• Tools for field herping... - goini04, Wed Sep 21 13:32:30 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - chrish, Wed Sep 21 13:58:39 2005
• You forgot the "Freer Burgers" - LBenton, Wed Sep 21 16:49:06 2005
• I'm thinking I may have to have that thing surgically removed! /np - chrish, Wed Sep 21 23:26:06 2005
• RE: rubberbands,........stump ripper? - snake_bit, Wed Sep 21 19:03:19 2005
• RE: rubberbands,........stump ripper? - swwit, Wed Sep 21 19:17:29 2005
• sounds so enviroment/habitat friendly!..lol - justinian2120, Sat Sep 24 20:15:17 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - angusblack, Wed Sep 21 19:10:59 2005
• RE: Rubber bands... - aliceinwl, Wed Sep 21 19:49:40 2005
• RE: Rubber bands... - chrish, Wed Sep 21 23:33:29 2005
• RE: Rubber Band Sharp Shooting - snake_bit, Thu Sep 22 12:10:24 2005
• RE: Rubber Band Sharp Shooting - chrish, Thu Sep 22 14:05:13 2005
• RE: Rubber Band Sharp Shooting - snake_bit, Thu Sep 22 21:04:28 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - regalringneck, Fri Sep 23 18:21:45 2005
• RE: You forgot hand granades,,,,,,,,np - snake_bit, Fri Sep 23 18:32:56 2005
• LOL ya forgot the kitchen sink,,,,,,,,,,,,,,n/p - thomas davis, Wed Sep 28 15:58:57 2005
• so YOU'RE the guy herping in that 18-wheeler.... - justinian2120, Sat Oct 22 01:02:38 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - sunturtle, Wed Sep 21 21:21:36 2005
• Wouldn't the flashlight work for that... - LBenton, Thu Sep 22 09:34:12 2005
• RE: Wouldn't the flashlight work for that... - chrish, Thu Sep 22 14:02:53 2005
• Best tools: My eyes and dog-dumb persistence... - erik loza, Wed Sep 21 21:28:55 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - lateralis, Thu Sep 22 10:09:05 2005
• Good point... - chrish, Thu Sep 22 13:58:22 2005
• RE: Good point... - lateralis, Thu Sep 22 16:05:51 2005
• Knife & mirror - tvandeventer, Thu Sep 22 12:57:51 2005
• I carry a couple of these - bluerosy, Thu Sep 22 23:59:37 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - Joe R., Thu Sep 22 19:34:04 2005
• And also.... - LBenton, Fri Sep 23 09:14:21 2005
• RE: Tools for field herping... - donalds4, Sun Sep 25 01:33:16 2005