Fire!!

I am going to go over a few of the fire options I have in my fire kit. One of the things I have used and liked is Maya dust by Light My Fire. Once you get it lite, it will burn really hot for a bit, I think I will try the sticks they have next. You get a snuff size can of this stuff so use it wisely in your tender bundle. Its good for starting fires in slightly damp conditions which is a much needed skill to learn. Down side is you dont get a lot and it does take a little extra heat or spark to get it lite. Once lite though it burns great! Just wish you could get it in a bigger can!

Trioxane, this stuff is the shiznit! It takes a spark real easy and can burn for a long time! I always have this in my pack, in my pyro kit (fire kit). You can use it to start a fire, cook over, heat/cook or purify a cup of water. This is awesome stuff, the only draw back is once you open a packet, the time is ticking, the bars dont store well once opened, so if you open once be sure to use it quickly! this will burn in the damp, wet and even in a mild breeze. you should shield it from the wind and your fire from the wind as well to gain maximum advantage of the heat from the tablets/bars.
Esbit fuel tablets, these work with the Esbit stove, they can also be used as a standalone to help start a fire or placed between some level rocks to cook with or purify water over. Just think of it as a smaller version of a Trioxane tablet.
If you prep or camp, I think this is a must have for any BOB or camp pack. Its super light, small and can pack 4 Esbit bars with in itself when folded. This can heat up a canteen of water to boil temperature with one tablet. The tablet last about 12-15 minutes and you do need to try to protect it from the wind when heating something. It will heat a cup of water in about 6 -8 minutes. These are cool, these are German, these are built to last you IF you treat it right, Get one,, try it, I think you will say Cool as well.
This is the small stove, folded up with 4 fuel tabs in it. You can literally slip this in your pocket and go...
I will add some more pics soon as well as some pics of these in action! Producing FIRE!

The Tomahawk!!

Everyone needs a tomahawk! I fell in love with them after seeing The Last of the Mohican's. I own two tomahawks, a Cold Steel Vietnam Tomahawk and this SOG Tomahawk. They punch through car doors, regular doors, you can cut small trees and brush. You can bring it to a knife fight (and win). I have used these to tear up drums both plastic and metal. I even once wore my Cold Steel out on my H-harness a few times while in the military,, nobody said a thing except one officer, but he didn't count. The troops in the field are carrying them as I write, why? because tomahawks kick ass!
The things I dislike is both of these are not very throw able, Dont throw these! If you want a throwing tomahawk, Cold Steel makes an awesome one. I would also put a lanyard on them, I am a bit paranoid and the SOG has a snap latch that opens down, if you weren't paying attention to your gear you could find it lost very easily and thats not cool! with the lanyard attached you wont worry about loosing it, but you lose the advantage of quick withdraw and deployment. you could add a quick detach somehow to make deployment quicker. I might find a good leather guy and have him make me a sheath that opens from the top. These are alot of fun and on the practical side, they can be used to cut small trees, light brush and vines. They both have a very sharp edge on them and with a little work it could be extremely sharp. So if you have been on the wall I say get one! Get it even just for fun!
you can find them at:
Academy Sports
http://sogknives.com/
http://www.coldsteel.com/

Gerber Exchange a Blade Saw

OK, what can I say< I am a fan of Gerber knives! This is the Gerber Exchange a Blade folding saw. Great piece to add to your camping, hunting or bug out kit. The saw comes with 2 blades, one fine toothed blade and one course tooth blade. The blades easily exchange buy unscrewing the plastic nut and switching the blades out. It also has a blade lock to keep the saw from wacking your fingers off. I have use this saw to cut bamboo both fresh and dried, its a little beast! I have also used it to go through light branches and pieces several inches in diameter with out any real issues. I did find the blade has a tendency to loosen up some during heavy sawing but other than that I have no complaints. The handle is coated with the same rubber material as the Gator, does not slip when your hands start to sweat! I like that, it also makes it very comfortable to use. The carry case will hold both the extra blade and the knife. If the Velcro ever wears out you can find replacement cases or just get a snap kit and add a snap to it. the blades do require a coat of light oil after use to keep them from rusting, but if you care for your equipment you should be doing that anyways! Another great product from Gerber and one I dont go hiking without.
http://www.gerberstore.com/index.php

Red Head back pack

This is my Read Head hiking pack, This is my regular go hike pack. I can really stuff this thing with gear for 2-3 days if I need too. I can and also have it as a stand bye BOB (Bail Out Bag). What I do like most is it has lots of pockets to separate my various things because it helps keep me organized ( I am not a very organized person). I have the pockets designated for different kits or items. The pack also unzips into 2 units, a day pack and a fanny pack so if needed I can use half of it. I like that feature! Should an emergency aride out on the trail I can split the pack and send someone for help or unzip the lower part and make a run for help myself. The many little pockets are great for tender kits, your compass or GPS and any survival/emergency items you may need. The pack also has enough room for a 3 liter water bladder and 2 side pouches that will hold two more 1 liter bottles each. It also has a cool little feature called an arcylite. it is a little light in the main compartment that is magnetically sensitive, when the zipper runs past it it turns on, this is great for low light or night time giving you instant access to light up your pack. zip your pack closed when your done and it will turn it self off. The pack also has a channel down the back portion to allow airflow to help keep your back cool and comfortable. I have hiked this pack 15 miles in a day and have had no discomfort with it. I routinely hike it with 20+ pounds in it, one for extra exercise and two just to see how well the pack is really designed. I did one hike with almost 40 pounds and was very happy with it. Most definitely my favorite pack to hike with. I have owned it about 5 years now and still no complaints.

Gerber Gator Machete!

The Gerber Gator Machete,, what can I say, its friggin monster looking. I LOVE IT! you have a machete on one side and a saw on the other. The blade is very sharp and the saw side is as well. It will cut through some serious brush and the saw side is great for small trees and think bushes. You could make some quick work of a camp site, survival shelter or even zombies with this thing!! The handle is a non slip rubber material that keeps your grip when your hands start to sweat. its Gerber, its well built. What else can I say about it? Just friggin cool cool as piece of man gear. Gerber also makes a mini version of this as well, which is more packable but still as tuff as its big brother. I love this thing! great job Gerber!

The Krill light

Ok, my first piece of gear.
The Krill light by CK Krill, This is pretty cool for a light, kinda think of it as a battery powered chem stick. It is an electro luminescent panel that runs off of two AA batteries. This is an awsesome little light. First let me say it isnt real bright but Krill does offer a very bright version. When I can I will get one and test it as well. These come in a variety of colors and also infrared (for you military guys). The light is bright enough to read by and navigate around, I used it to get around the house one night with no issues as well as the back yard. Krill also makes a AAA version and a latern version which runs on mutliple AA batteries. The battery life is around 12o hours, the panel is good for around 3000.I think as this technology emerges it will become a main stay and even better. Got kids? perfect for the camping trip or camp out in the back yard, save the chem lights for a real emergency. You can see these for quit a distance and the cool part is they dont screw up your night vision. So if your camping in the woods and have to skip to the lou, you can use it to mark your tent to find your way back. You can also use these to mark trails at night and would make a handy edition to anyones emergency kit or bag. I like it, I plan on getting a few more in the future. I will update you on those when I do.
Krills website is http://www.kriana.com
They also have gear to keep your krill light safe and stowed.
So till next time
Nick

My attempt at the world of blogs, gear and cool guy toys

Ok, this is my first attempt at the world of blogging, I have secretly been a gear whore for many many years and now its time I think to put that knowledge to good use. Just remember I am not a professional, not even close to being an operator or super camper dude. Everything here is my honest opinion. I am just an average guy with some expensive hobbies and love really really cool shit!