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.
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BRS 3000T Ultra Light Stove Actual Weight: 26g / .92oz Actual Boil Time: 3min 20sec (2 cups) Price: $15 (found for more and less) Link: BRS 3000T Stove Made in China I've had the chance to use many stoves over the years, some large and heavy others light and compact. The last thing I really needed was another stove, but after seeing some chatter online about the BRS 3000T stove and seeing the price I knew I needed to get one. So after looking around I decided to buy one (purchased on eBay for $11 shipped from China), to my surprise it showed up in less than 2 weeks. It comes in a simple cardboard header and plastic covered package and includes a little nylon draw string storage bag (as seen in photo). I of course didn't want to wait for my next outing to test it so I did a little testing at home. My test was simple, boil 2 cups of water on a medium to high setting (not full blast) and see the time. For the test I used the MSR Titan Pot, MSR IsoPro Fuel and tap water which was 72F to start. Boil time was 3 minutes and 20 seconds. The lid was on for the 1st 2.5 minutes then removed to see progress. What surprised me (especially after some information I read from others) was the amount of fuel it used. Someone had posted their stove used .9oz of IsoPro fuel to boil 1 liter of water in a indoor test. What I found was FAR from that. The BRS 3000T only used 4g! Testing in the field yielded some slightly different results. I didn't have a thermometer with me when I was in the field, but I started the test with some colder water (around 60F), I also used the stove on a lower setting. In the field with minimal wind, the stove did use more fuel than the indoor test. It used about 10g of fuel to boil 2 cups of water, I honestly can't say if it was do to the colder water, using the lower setting or environmental factors. One of the design features that really stuck out to me was the small bump on the legs which lock the legs in place better than most other compact stoves. It's not a huge feature by any means, but it prevents the legs from accidentally closing and offers a little more stability. One other thing I noticed is the way it was built allows you to fold the legs and fold the gas adjuster up without them getting in eachothers way which I found to be an annoying issue with the MSR Pocket Rocket, Micro Rocket and OliCamp Ion Micro stoves. I can say, for the price, this stove is awesome and works great.
You really can't go wrong with picking one up - Even keeping it as a backup, loaner or in an emergency kit this stove is solid and does the trick! As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my review and if you have any questions let me know! Just a quick video on a gear modification I did. This mod is not just for this pack, this can be applied to a large range of gear. Nearly anything with molle/pals webbing will adapt with the 1" slides. Up until I started shooting long range, I never realized the difference ammunition can make.
Not only will ammunition choices shoot more or less accurate than eachother they will also shoot up, down, left or right. Shown in the target photo is a series of groups fired from my Marlin 880SQ .22LR rifle with an assortment of ammunition. I think everyone should test their weapons with different ammo, not only does this give you good practice but lets you know what you are capable of doing AND what your rifle/ammunition combination is capable of doing. This knowledge is invaluable in emergency situations! Think about if you were low on ammunition, or you only have the chance to take one single shot at a bird or other animal for food. Can you make that shot at various distances with the ammo in it now? MSR Windburner Stove MSRP: $129.95 (1 Liter Model) Link: MSR WindBurner Weight: 15 1/4oz Boil Time: 4.5 Minutes for 1 Liter of liquid I picked this stove up for a trip into Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington a few months back. I've typically used the Micro Rocket & Pocket Rocket in the past and loved them, however wanted something more geared towards winter use.
The design of the WindBurner stove is great and works as it should. It's a little on the heavy side coming from the lighter Micro & Pocket Rocket stoves, but for its purpose it's not bad. I also purchased the coffee press which works great, however doesn't really fit into the stove kit for storage very well. The best place to store it is in the plastic cup on the base. Overall it's a great setup and worth having if you go out in the winter or in windy environments often. Pros: Good design, functional, works well in wind. Cons: Weight, can only fit 3.5oz fuel in 1L cup, coffee press doesn't fit in kit well. 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. |
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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