Men's Journal

by Frederick Reimers

With his book The World’s Most Dangerous Places, a first-person account of life in lawless countries and war zones, frequent MJ contributor Robert Young Pelton earned a reputation as a hardened survival expert. His latest book, Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror, exposes how the U.S. government puts national security in the hands of mercenaries. While reporting, he relies on equipment that’s sturdy yet incognito. “For every shiny, colorful piece of gear you own, 100 local guys wish they owned it too,” warns Pelton. “That’s why everything I deal with is drab and dirty and beat up.”

1. Eagle Industries Becker Patrol Pack
Though Pelton rarely lets the carry-on-size pack out of his reach, he stuffs dirty laundry into a few of the six external pockets to dissuade thieves. The others hold wound kits, snacks, and language guides. The Becker Patrol Pack also has a secret pocket under the lid that “no customs inspector has found.” [$258; eagleindustries.com]

2. Seychelle advanced portable canteen
In-canteen filters are easier to use than pump filters and remove just as many viruses, pesticides, and bacteria. “This one was given to me by a mercenary in Liberia,” says Pelton, of the 38-ounce plastic bottle. “It was my only source of water when I was kidnapped by a death squad in Colombia for 10 days.” [$32; seychelle.com]

3. Crystal Hot Sauce
“Food in refugee camps tastes like crap, but Crystal Hot Sauce makes anything palatable,” says Pelton of the New Orleans–made cayenne pepper sauce. “Plus, if you dab a couple of drops into your mouth in the morning, it wakes you up and freshens your breath.” [83 cents; baumerfoods.com]

4. DPX H.E.S.T. survival knife
Pelton helped design this seven-inch knife, which has a bottle opener, a pry tool, and a hollow handle that works as a secret cache. Oh, and the thick blade is small enough to be palmed for stealthy jabs. “It’s good for persuading a stoned Liberian child-soldier that the next present he gives himself won’t be your camera.” [$140; dpxgear.com]

5. Viberg boots
“Well-made leather boots can be repaired forever,” says Pelton, who replaced his vintage 1973 pair of custom Viberg logging boots only because his feet flattened out to a larger size. He now owns two pairs: the lighter, low-topped 66 Hiker for traveling by foot and the heavier-duty 151 Contractor (shown) for vehicle expeditions in Borneo and Africa. [$375; workboot.com]

6. Lumix DMC-LX3 digital camera
Pelton owns a bulky Nikon D700 dSLR, but when he wants to go unnoticed, he packs the small 10-megapixel DMC-LX3. “It has a Leica lens,” says Pelton, “but you don’t have to spend a fortune.” That top-notch glass makes for crisp portraits. “You want sharp focus on a soldier’s blood-spattered face.” [$500; panasonic.com]

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This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.

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