I've always enjoyed having a nice writing pen on me as part of my EDC but have never been completely happy with the ones I have been using.
I've used quite the variety over the years ranging from tactical pens from UZI, Smith & Wesson, Schrade, Gerber and others which worked but I didn't like the way the worked, felt or wrote depending on the model. Then I went to a more normal pens from companies like Zebra and Bic which wrote very well but I found myself breaking them way too often and I prefer everything I carry to have multiple uses. I was on the look for something lighter and came across the Fenix T5Ti titanium pen. I purchased it because it was visually appealing and offered a better (tungsten steel) glass breaker as well as being a lighter-weight option than many of the others I have used. I have been carrying the Fenix T5Ti for awhile now and absolutely love it. The pen carries well in the pocket, writes very nice with the German made Schmidt Megaline P950M pressurized cartridge as well as feels good in the hand with the precise CNC machining. It works great in my day to day writing but also works great on my waterproof Rite In the rain paper when I'm in the field. I was a little worried about going back to a screw top pen but it has wide threads so only takes a quick twist to remove the cap which also secures to the other end for safe-keeping while the pen is in use. The pen also has a very robust titanium pocket clip which beats anything else I've seen on any other pen. Overall I absolutely recommend this pen if you're looking for something a little more classy yet still robust enough to push through a car window or use it as a self defense tool (yes it hurts very much). A few other things I should mention.
You can purchase this pen directly from Fenix: https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/fenix-halberd-t5ti-titanium-tactical-pen/
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Awhile back I came across a 4 pack of Cyalume brand (debatably the best brand of light sticks on the market). I've used Cyalume brand 8 and 12 hour normal light sticks in the past and they've always lasted well beyond their rated time. I've also used some of their 30 minute hi-intensity light sticks as well as their IR (Infa Red) light stick for use with night vision. Seeing the price of $9.95 for the 4 pack I had to buy some, even if I just let my kids use them for fun, I figured they would be cool. All in all these lightsticks are great! Great for kids, emergency kits, camping, etc. I came across this company called CFK USA a few months back while searching online for random gear. I believe I found their knives listed on ebay and as I looked at them more and looked at their website I found a few interesting things.
1. They operate under two names. CFK Cutlery Co & iPak Survival. 2. They offer all knives as one of a kind which is true however, there are more than a few which will be VERY close in style (same blade design, materials, but just slightly different enough to be considered one of a kind). 3. They don't sell knives on their website, only eBay from what I could fine. 4. Most of their knives listed (at the time I was looking) were all listed with a very low starting bid with no reserve. Personally I think this is cool! Why? Because it makes the knives sell for true market value right then. You don't have to pay an insane price because that's what they are asking. You pay what you're willing to pay over the next guy who wants it too. I'll admit, I found a few I liked from this company and bid on a few prior to winning this one. Note: this company does some work on some models in the USA however these knives are imported. The "Damascus steel" is not the best quality (and most likely Pakistani / pakimascus) steel. It's not amazing steel, but looks great and holds a decent edge. Just know if you are going to buy one of these, it's not a top tier damascus steel like Damasteel. The model I purchased! Name/Model: CFK USA EDC TRACKER Hunting Skinner Purchase price: $80 Premium Green & White Canvas Micarta Handle Scales Full Tang 512 Layer Custom Damascus Blade Triple Oil Tempered to 58-60HRC Razor Sharp Blade Edge 9 5/8" Overall 2 3/4" Skinning Cutting Edge 2" Straight Cut Blade 5 1/8" Overall Blade 2" Wide Blade 3" Reverse False Edge 4 3/8" Long Finger Groove Grip Handle Brass Tube Pins / Brass Tube Lanyard Hole Vine File Work on Spine of Handle 3/16" Thick at the Spine Knife Weight: 9.7 Ounces Handmade Premium Buffalo Leather Horizontal Scout Sheath Lifetime Replacement Guarantee The knife came with no fancy box or packaging, but with their business card and a certificate of authenticity with the knives information. So far I've been very happy with the knife. The handle feels great in hand, very ergonomic design. Has great character on the spine with a notched design which offers some gimping. I've been using it for random chopping, cutting, feather sticks and normal use. The edge is holding well even with the wood work. I wish I had purchased one of their slightly heavier models for a little more effective chopping abilities but this works great for the size and weight it is. Having the two edges takes some getting used to but is very functional and useful. The sheath material is very nice, great stitching and feel. However, I wish the design was different. The sheath is setup to be carried horizontally and I prefer to carry my knife on my support (left) side so I can get to it with my right or left hand which I can't do with this sheath. The small pouch isn't large enough to carry any normal sized stone. The snap retention holds the knife in (barely), I will need to modify this because the knife can slip out more than I am comfortable with. However, for the price it's hard to complain too much about. Overall I have no regrets with getting this knife. It was absolutely worth the $80. It will continue to be a regular bush knife for me. The company has some very cool stuff and worth checking out if you're in the market for a new blade in that $40-100 range. Product: UST (Ultimate Survival Technologies) - ParaHatchet FS MSRP: $19.99 (Can be found for less) Weight: 12oz with fire rod Sheath: Nylon Sheath with belt loop and slot for fire rod. Size: Length 9.7" x Width 3.4" A few extra photos of the ParaHatchet FS.
An often overlooked item is the PSK (Personal Survival Kit). I believe every hiker, backpacking, bushcrafter and outdoorsman should have and carry one. This kit should contain the 5Cs or 10Cs of survival and if possible other items. This should be small enough to carry in a pocket or on the belt. This kit is designed to be carried on your body at all times when outdoors. This can end up saving you. If you end up having to ditch your pack for any reason, get lost from your base camp or one of any other hundred scenarios. There are several variations of the 10Cs list, one of the most popular is Dave Canterbury's list which is great but as with any list is not the "be-all and end-all" list. Every kit should be customized to your needs. This is my list of the 10Cs Not listed in any specific order: 1: Cutting Tool (Knife) 2: Combustion (Fire stuff) 3: Cover (Tarp/Shelter) 4: Cordage (Rope/Line) 5: Candle (Light) 6: Compass 7: Cargo Tape 8: Cotton (Bandanna) 9: Communication (Signalling) 10: Container This Condor Pocket Pouch is just barely large enough to carry what I want in my kit. This can be mounted to a belt (or molle webbing), loop for attaching with carabiner or be carried in a cargo pocket which is my preferred method. I keep my bandanna in the front pocket, otherwise everything else fits inside the pouch. In my PSK I cover my 10Cs excluding a compass.
Here is a list of my contents: Cotton Bandanna AMK Emergency Blanket sealed in bag Heavy Duty Foil Bic Lighter (wrapped in tape) 3X Alcohol Prep Pads 3X Wetfire Fire Starters Key chain LED Light Fishing Line Fishing Kit Liquid Bandaid SOG Micron Knife LMF Firesteel AMK Whistle NDUR Wire Saw Water Tablets (Aquatabs & Aquamira) Chapstick UCO Stormproof Matches & Tube Starflash Signal Mirror 2X Small Cordage 1X 550 Firecord MRE Hot Beverage Bag DPX Gear Survival Tool (use for making another knife) As you can tell, my kit has some redundancy... What can I say, I really want to be able to make fire when I want! This kit should compliment but not replace your EDC (Every Day Carry) items. Feel free to let me know what you think about my kit or what you carry in your kit. Thanks for reading! So I purchased the Outdoor model about 3 months ago. Specifications: Battery: 3.7V LiPo Internal Battery (non-replaceable) Power: 2 Small Solar Panels Weight: 3.75oz Size: 5" round x 3/4" tall (compressed) Size: 5" round x 4.5" tall (inflated) Lumens: 65 peak Waterproof: Yes (even floats) Advertised Battery Life: 12 hours on bright (lowest setting). 7 hours on super bright (highest setting). Price (MSRP): $14.95 Outdoor Model $24.95 Aura Model. (They do make a couple other models which I haven't used yet). When I first saw this inflatable (yes you blow it up like a beach ball), I was quite curious. I've used several other camp lanterns, but nothing like this. The lantern body is made of a thick PVC rubber material which gives it a good quality feel and doesn't make you think it could pop at any second. The Outdoor model is a clear PVC the Aura is a "frosted" coated PVC. It packs up very flat and weighs in at 3.75oz (slightly less than the 4oz as advertised by MPowerd). It can be blown up with one breath so time and effort is very minimal. It charges to 100% from a dead battery in 8 hours in good sunlight, which is pretty awesome considering the size. I tested the battery life on the brightest setting and it got a little over 7 hours so I figured it was unnecessary to test the lower setting battery life. The lighting area the lanterns offer is pretty decent. They advertise a "10ft² (1m²) lighting area" which is conservative as I could easily get more especially if you are able to hang it up from a tree or stand. The Luci Outdoor Lantern has 3 settings: Bright, Super Bright & Beacon. The Lantern also has two handles, one on each end which makes it easy to hang from your pack to charge or string up for better lighting. The lights worked perfectly fine after spending a night in the rain. I let them sit out the rest of the day and fully charge. Zero issues afterwards.
In my opinion these are honestly great little lights! Great for car camping, backpacking, emergency use, fishing, hunting, anywhere you need extra light! I even bought the Luci Aura model for my kids (the Aura model had 7 different colored lights) and they love it! One thing I would like to mention is that the company MPowerd has a program which gets discounted lanterns to those in poverty struck nations, especially those with no power grid. This gives those families more usable work hours in a day and gives them a safer feeling at night. Link to light: https://www.mpowerd.com/products |
Tactical-BushcrafterI'm an avid outdoorsman who enjoys a good mix of primitive bushcrafting skills and modern tactical gear and survival equipment. Archives
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