GET THE GEAR

FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION TO SHELTERING WELL AT HOME

- AOG BOUNDLESS STAFF

1 TOPS SILENT HERO 4

TOPS is now offering their Silent Hero fixed-blade knife in a size that's more conducive to everyday carry. The original Silent Hero as designed by Anton du Plessis, was intended to be used as a bush/defense knife for guys in a specialized interdiction unit that he was training to fight rhino poachers in Africa. It was wildly popular and still is to this day. The new Silent Hero 4 is a smaller version of that blade that would still be great in a fight, but is sized to make it easier to carry for everyday use. It's long enough to handle the vast majority of cutting tasks and bushcraft chores.

The Silent Hero 4 features a 4.25-inch blade with 4-inch cutting edge on a blade of 1095 steel with a Sniper Grey finish. That blade is 0.13 inches thick. It has black canvas Micarta handle scales and comes with a black Kydex sheath that's set up for either vertical or horizontal belt carry. It measures 8.88 inches long overall and weighs 8.8 ounces.

MSRP: $170 www.TOPSKnives.com

2 ALPS AURA SYSTEM +30/+15

ALPS Mountaineering has just introduced a one-and-done sleeping bag system that meets the needs of multi-climate campers. The new Aura System is an ingeniously designed sleeping bag that offers three different configurations to keep campers comfortable in everything from cold to warm-weather climates.

The Aura System is based on a 30-degree F mummy bag featuring two-layer offset construction to eliminate cold spots. Quilted between the polyester liner and nylon ripstop outer layer is Tech Loft Micro insulation, which delivers the base 30-degree F rating. Insulated chest and zipper baffling further eliminate cold air intrusion for a comfortable night's sleep.