Benchmade 1100 Pen Series

The 1100 is the first pen produced by Benchmade a company that is famous for its cutting instruments. The 1100 is a tactical metal pen intended to double as a writing intrument and self defense tool.

The pen is made of anodized aluminum in charcoal black or a combination of black and blue. The finish is non-reflective which is good for tactical applications. The writing tip is in one and and a pointed kubaton style is at the other. The pen closes with a charcoal black cap that can be used to cover either the writing tip or the kubaton end when you are writing. In the cap there is a stainless steel pocket clip that can be removed in case of need.

The pen writes using a fisher space pen refill, the ink is pressurized so it can write upside down, under water, over greasy surfaces, at high altitudes, etc. The grip is very confortable and the pen is heavy but well balanced for writing. We have the feeling that it will be a little too heavy for very long sessions of writing but who writes with a tactical pen for hours?. With the cap closed the kubaton has a good size, probably a little small for very big hands but perfectly grippable for normal hands. The tip is very very pointed and can certainly produce massive damage with only small force applied. The appeareance of the pen is intimidating, that is good for self-defense but is certainly a problem for airports and other locations with strong security measures, this pen looks as something that can be confiscated.

The cap fits very well with an o-ring to seal the tip completely, it adjusts well to both the writing end or the kubaton end. The pocket clip is strong and has a good size, it maybe too strong for a shirt pocket but is very safe for a pants pocket.

The 1100 is an expensive pen to be made in aluminum having a price similar to Titanium made pens or higher-end instruments. We have the feeling that it is an excellent combination of a pen and kubaton but it is not very discrete has a strong risk of confiscation and it is too expensive for what it is and what it does.

You can read more and order for $120 from Benchmade.

Freeplay Sherpa

The Freeplay Sherpa is an emergency flashlight that can be used without any power source using a hand crank to charge the light.

There are many hand-crank lights in the market and most of them are fakes, this one is for real. You have two ways to charge the flashlight, the first one is winding the hand crank, 2 minutes of winding will give you 50 hours of good light and up to 80 minutes of dim but useful light.
The second method is charging in an AC, a 24 hour charge will then give you 20 hours of light.

The light uses an array of 7 leds and has two brightness levels, one for maximum brightness and a dim setting for long runtime useful inside a tent or at the camping site, you can always recharge if you need more light so using the high mode if needed is not a problem.

The beam is floody good for ambien illumination and as a tasklight, the reflector provides a good throw so the light will be seen from a good distance and can be used to signal your position in an emergency situation.

The sherpa is a good quality emergency light that really works, it has a very good relation of charge time and light time, on the downside it is a little big to be an emergency device, it is not regulated and it doesn't have a strobe or beacon mode to attract attention. If the ability to be able to charge and use a light is what really matters this is an excellent option.

You can get it for $33 from BatteryJunction.

Mini Reminder Electronic Alarm

The MiniReminder is an electronic novelty used to make sure you don't lose one of your precious EDC items or gadgets.

This gadget has two parts, one receiver and one emiter, you attach the emiter to your item/gadget and keep the receiver with you in your pocket or keychain. The emiter will send radio signals to the receiver and if the units get sepparated 10 or 25 feet (you can set two distances) the receiver starts to vibrate and beep letting you know you have just forgotten your EDC item somewhere.

The manufacturer recommends this for MP3 players, tools, flashlights and even kids(!).

The idea is very cool, in the practical use sometimes the radio signals can't travel well or are blocked and the receiver starts to beep and vibrate when nothing has happened, attending the false positives can be a little annoying so our impression is that this is useful for some special item that is in risk of being forgotten but probably not practical for simple EDC items. Anyway a curious gadget that you may want to experiment.

You can read more and order for $40 from this site.

JetScream Whistle

The JetScream is a survival whistle from Ultimate Survival, a company that has created and designed several interesting survival products.

The Jetscream is big (2.3 inches long) and flat, it has two holes to thread a cord thru like the picture shows so, it is a very good whistle for neck carry, but it is probably a little big for a keychain. It can also be carried from a backpack, a shoulder strap or just in your pocket. As a zipper pull it is too big. Remember the whole idea of carrying a whistle is to have it available in an emergency situation so neck carry is probably the best approach.

In order to produce the sound you don't need to use a lot of force, the harder you blow the louder it will sound so while it can certainly be used by small children it will not sound as loud as what an adult can do. The sound is quite acute and piercing, the frequency when tested resulted particularly good in windy situations and it was also good enough to be noticeable in an urban noisy scenario.

The JetScream doesn't have a pea so it will work without a problem if wet and the plastic material won't be a problem if the weather is very cold. The construction is very strong, we don't think the whistle can be damaged by hits or scratches and pressure will not crush it due to the flat design. It is a real solid whistle.

In conclusion the Jetscream is a loud whistle, bigger than other whistles we have tested but the flat design makes it useful. The sound is very good and met our expectations.

You can read more from UltimateSurvival or order for $5 from EDC depot.

Benchmade 7 Hook

The 7 hook is a tool designed for emergency situations that can be used for general purposes due to the low profile of the tool and how it can be carried.

It is basically a hook knife with a elongated handle, the handle is covered in black PVC and the tool is made of 440C stainless steel. The hook at the end is very sharp and can be used to cut seatbelts, clothes, nets, cord and rope.

The tool comes with a nylon sheath so it can easily be strapped to a vest or a backpack and be ready to be used when needed, besides the emergency uses we found the tool very practical to cut rope and cord while camping or hiking without the need to use a blade, we didn't test it with seatbelts but there should be no problem at all.

The tool is 4.30'' long and weights 1.6oz. Being made of a single piece of steel there are no weak points that can break and there is no sharp edge besides the hook to avoid cutting yourself in an emergency. Using the tool is simple, the grip is very good with knurling at the top and a good ergonomic handle.

The 7 hook is a very safe emergency tool that can become a low profile general purpose cutting hook in many situations.

You can order for $40 from Benchmade, with a choice of 3 colors for the Sheath.

Victorinox Rescue Tool

The rescue tool is a product created by SAK manufacturer Victorinox for rescue and safety services, SAR, fireman, policeman and others.

It's a tool that offers the elements that are most needed in a rescue operation, it can be used with gloves and has a luminiscent body. The crate opener and the blade can be locked using a liner lock mechanism.

The tools included are: a large blade that as mentioned can be locked, philips screwdriver, window breaker (can be removed), strong screwdriver/crate opener with cap lifter and wire stripper. Reamer, curved seatbelt cutter, disc saw for laminated glass, tweezers, toothpick (to rescue your teeth) and keyring. The window breaker and disc saw can be replaced since they are subject to a lot of use and wear.

The tool has probably everything that is needed to rescue somebody trapped inside a car, the windows can be broken, the laminated glass can be cut and the seatbelt can be cut too, probably in a planned rescue bigger tools will be used for a faster operation but in an improvised emergency this can certainly be a very useful tool.

It is my idea that the tool makes more sense for the rescuer than for the eventually trapped victim, a more simple window breaker/seatbelt cutter makes more sense for an emergency tool inside the car. The rescue tool comes in a red pouch for easy visibility and retails for about $80.

You can read more in the product page or order from SwissArmyKnives.com

Fred Perrin Concepts Defensive Pen

This is a pen created by Knife maker Fred perrin to double as a defensive weapon.

When the pen is closed the metal body can be inmediately used as a kubaton or impact device, this is also valid for other pens but this one is built and designed not to break in pieces if you use it as a impact tool. The pen weights 25 grams if that is important to you.

If you open the pen removing the cap you will see that the cap has a very acute angle of contact with the body, this acute angle can be used as a cutting weapon and might really produce a lot of damage, this is affectionly known as a DNA sampler.

When you are not trying to save yourself from a fight with the bad guys you can use the pen to write notes, it writes well and it uses standard ink cartridges that are easy to get for refills.

The pocket clip is short but strong, not good for a jeans pocket but certainly fine for a shirt pocket or a notepad.

You can get it for $20 from this site.

Microfix Personal PLB

The Microfix is a portable and small PLB, a PLB is a personal locator beacon, an emergency device to get located and rescued in case of emergency.

The PLB works transmitting a message in the 406Mhz frequency with a registered digital distress signal along with a 121.5MHZ SAR homing frequency. The signal can be picked up by satellites and transmited to a mission control center, the signal is then localized and a Search and rescue operation is organized. The SAR team use the 121.5mhz or the 406mhz signal to locate the PLB precisely.

As you can see a PLB is only to be used in real emergencies and not for any non-emergency purpose every time you activate the PLB a Search and Rescue operation will be organized spending time and money to save you.

Activation is easy, deploy the antenna to reveal on/off activation button and hold it for one second. The runtime is about 40 hours, more than enough to transmit the signal. The case is waterproof and built of highly resistant plastic to survive impacts.

For people that are frequently in risky locations or that need to work alone in the outdoors a PLB is the most effective way to get located and rescued in an emergency, some time ago PLBs were very bulky and expensive but today as we can see in this model they are getting to a very reasonable size. This unit is 1.25 x 5.81 x 2.31 in (3.71 x 14.75 x 5.8 cm) and weights 10oz (285gr) price is still expensive but this is a device that can certainly save your life.

You can read more at ACR's website.

Sony Emergency Radio ICF-B01

This is a little emergency radio by Sony, it has both AM and FM frequencies and a LED light as well.

The radio can take either 2 AAA batteries or be powered by a crank mechanism, pull the lever give it a few cranks and the radio will be self-powered without needing batteries.

With AAA batteries you can get 50 hours of AM radio, 40 hours of FM radio or 30 hours of the flashlight.

With the built-in generator you can get 60 minutes of AM radio, 40 minutes of FM or 15 minutes of the flashlight, then you have to crank it again to generate more power.

It is small enough to be carried in a kit without taking a lot of space. The drawbacks are not having weather stations or shortwave reception. In areas where tornados, hurricanes and other natural disasters are common batteries can be very hard to get and a radio to know what is going on is always needed. We really liked that a very reputable brand like Sony has a crank activated emergency radio, it makes sense to keep one in your kits for emergencies or long hikes without needing a stock of batteries. It is also good for camping if you have reception of AM or FM bands you can keep updated on major events or enjoy some music.

You can read more or order for $40 from Sony.

Streamlight Survivor LED

The Survivor is a right angle flashlight from streamlight designed as an emergency light for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers and as utility light for rescue personnel and firefighters. The LED version features a 3w luxeon led powered by four AA batteries.

The body is a strong polymer in a bright dark orange color (yellow also available) the plastic is resistant to impacts and abrassions, a 30feet drop test is ensured by the manufacturer it is also water proof via orings for sealing. At the back of the body the survivor has a plastic clip to attach the light to a strap, belt or other attachment points, it also has a loop in the clip for extra attachment and carrying options.

The switch is at the top and can be operated with gloves, it has 3 modes of operation: High beam, low beam and locator strobe. Just press the switch to change from off to high, then low and off. Press and hold from any mode for the locator strobe.

The flashlight has a very deep smooth reflector so it produces a lot of throw, the LED being able to reach very distant objects while keeping a very usable sidespill for close tasks. Without a doubt the light is designed to search for rescuers or to be found by hikers, smoke penetration and fog penetration is very good for a LED light, the incandescent version is as expected a little better in this aspects but without the reliability of the LED.

The runtime with four AA batteries is 3 hours in high mode and about 6 hours in low mode lithium batteries can't be used. Changing batteries and operatoin is very easy and can be done with gloves or in a moderate state of shock in case of emergencies. No need for special tools or small button or flaps to press or lift.

This is a very interesting right-angled light for hikers and for search and rescue people, designed to be very easy to use and to be visible from long distances with good runtime and 3 useful modes of operation.

You can read more from Streamlight's website. And you can order from BrightGuy.com for $111.

TAD Gear Ti Rescue Ring

This is a titanium rescue ring from TAD Gear, it has a removable spike that can be used to break glass windows in case of emergencies.

The spike comes with an attachment base that has a hole for a splitring so you can put it in your keychain and use it only when needed, in case of need just unscrew the spike and screw it to the ring.

The Ring is made of titanium and the spike is stainless steel. Optionally you can screw an SS button compass instead of the spike and use the ring for navigation (compass not included).

As a piece of titanium jewelry the ring is really nice and confortable to use and compared to other Ti rings it is very affordable, offering the option of the spike as an emergency device in case of need. The threads to attach the spike to your keyring are not very long so with some time it will eventually get loose and you are in a big risk of losing the spike. Besides this problem it is not very clear how quickly you can get the spike ready in case of need if you are rescuing somebody it may help, if you are the one in need of a quick exit it is probably too slow and too small to be correctly operated during an emergency.

You can get it in sizes 5 to 13 from TAD Gear.

Swisstech Bodygard

This is a 5 in 1 emergency tool primary intended for drivers. The tool is 3” x 1-3/4” x 5/8” in size and weights about an ounze.

The first of the five tools is a window glass breaker, basically a spring activated mechanism to break side windows in case of emergency. Then you have a seatbelt cutter, an alarm to attract attention, a red beacon and a white flashlight.

The device is powered by a single AA battery, it is small enough to be carried in almost any compartment or even in a keychain probably intended to be carried with the car keys. It relases from they keyring with a quick tug for fast emergency use leaving the seatbelt cutter exposed.

The construction in ABS plastic is solid and the device will be waterproof and impact proof. The color is probably not the best option for an emergency tool and a whistle might have been better than the electronic alarm because it doesn't depend on the battery.

A small and practical tool for road safety. You can read more about it or get it for $20 from SwissTech's website.

ACR WW-3 Whistle

The ACR WW-3 whistle is a small flat whistle specially designed for emergency or rescue situations.

The whistle is 1.0 x 2.0 x .25 in (2.5 x 5.0 x .6 cm) so it is really small and flat weighting just 1.4oz (4og) the flat shape makes it possible to be carried in a wallet or a small side pocket in a hat or other apparel. For a neck lanyard it is very confortable since the plastic is smooth and the flat shape makes it invisible under a t-shirt. It is probably one of the best options for a small emergency kit inside a small tin.
It can also be carried in a keychain but that is probably not the best way to take advantage of the flat shape.

The sound is loud producing a dual tone pitch that can be heard from long distances; it can be used in all weather conditions and it can be attached to rescue tools or equipment and be available in case of need.

The whistle comes with a yellow lanyard and you can read more in the product page.

Atwood's Tactical Whistle

This is a tactical whistle hand made by Peter Atwood it is very sleek, durable and loud.

The whistles are made from a solid bar of 330 stainless steel they have a splitring hole for attachment they are 2.5" long so they can be carried in a keychain or around your neck without being a bulky item.

The sound produced by these whistles is very loud and has a particular strong pitch so they are easy to recognize in noisy scenarios like sport events, concerts or school events. They can be used both in outdoors or urban environments to attract attention, call a group of people (kids) previously familizarized with the whistle sound, signal in case of emergencies, etc.

They are not as loud as a Storm Whistle or a Fox40 but they are comparable to a Fox40 mini and the particular pitch makes the noise stand out.

The construction is virtually indestructible and they will not have any problem with weather events, I don't know tests but I suspect the stainless steel construction might be unsuitable for boating due to corrosion.

The whistles can be obtained for $35 from Peter Atwood's website and you can also read more about them there.

Krill Lights

The Krill lights are en electronic alternative to chemical glow sticks commonly used in the military, camping and many other areas. The light is generated by electroluminiscence, no bulbs no leds, in the same way that a watch display glows. This means the lights provide a smooth 360 degrees ambient illumination without any beams or patterns.

They are available in different configurations, you can get them in 360 degrees or 180 degrees beam, there is a "Extreme" version that is brighter than the regular one with a shorter runtime and there is also a shorter version called "mini". The regular version can run for about 120 hours with one set of batteries while the extreme version runs for about 50 hours. The available colors are red, yellow, orange, blue, white and green.

The polycarbonate case with o-rings for sealing is extremely resistant and waterproof, the lights can be used up to 50 feet and will resist serious impacts and abuse. Compared to the chemical sticks the krill lights are less fragile and have longer runtimes but they are not as bright as the regular green light sticks, to our observes they were aproximately 75% of the chemical ones.

At a price of $25 to $30 the Krill lights are great tools as markers and soft illumination devices and require less care than the chemical lights, for normal use the "extreme" version is probably the best while the regular version becomes an option when you need extremely long runtimes.

You can read more and check for dealres at the official website.

Boker Rescom Folder

The Rescom is a Rescue-style knife from Boker USA and while it is intended as a rescue knife, it is also very usable as a cutting tool in general, specially for rope.

There are two cutting surfaces in the Rescom, a serrated edge and a cutting hook with micro dentations. The edges are designed to cut seatbelts, rope and clothes in rescue situations. Our tests showed that both the hook and the serrated edge are great for general rope cutting performing very clean cuts, the hook is good to untangle cord, open boxes, cut knots and other tasks.

Weighting just 2 and half onzes with a blade of 1 7/8" and overall length 4 1/2" the rescom is very pocketable and goes completely unnoticed. It can even be used as a money clip that will be ready to do the job in case of emergencies. The blade is AUS-8 steel. The scale is textured G10 on one side and bare metal in the other side (where the pocket clip is). The grip is very good, non slippery and for the size of the knife more than confortable to hold the big curved place for your index finger makes the knife safe to use even if you have to use force. The pocket clip is very strong so it might be difficult to clip but once clipped the knife won't get lost.

As a rescue tool it is only missing some tip to break glass windows in case of need, as a cutting tool for rope and others it is certainly great. After the tests I liked to have it around to open boxes and cut cord, the non-knife looking is also very safe for urban carry and events where a folding knife would not be welcomed.

You can get it from $25 to $40 (varies) from different sites, check froogle's links. For more information you can visit Boker Website and search for "Rescom", product code is BO587.

LifeHammer ResqMe Keychain Tool

The ResqMe tools is a dual purpose safety tool mainly intended for drivers but can also be used in other vehicles and for people working in emergencies like doctors, paramedics, policemen and firemen.

The first function in the tool is a spring-loaded head that can break side and rear automotive windows, you press the head against the window and after applying some pressure a spring activates a pin that punches the window breaking it. It won't break laminated windshields but normally works with side or rear windows. The activation is easy and will work underwater if needed.

The second tool is a seatbelt cutter blade, the blade is protected by a plastic cover that can be removed pulling the splitring that comes with the tool. You may need both hands to remove the plastic cover of the blade so it may be safer to keep the blade uncovered if the tool is not in your keychain.

The ResqMe is an affordable emergency tool, keeping one in your car is probably a good idea if you don't have something similar.

You can get it for $8.95 from EDCdepot.

Cyalume Chemical Glow Sticks

Chemical glow stickies are used in several situations, from parties where they are fun to serious signaling in the army or rescue operations.

All of them work snapping a plastic tube which makes a small vial of very thin glass break inside releasing a chemical to make contact with the surrounding media, this creates a chemical reaction that produces light for some time and then just fades away becoming unusable.

There are different sizesof glow sticks, the mini glow sticks that are about 2 inches long (5cm aprox) are great for EDC kits can be used to mark milestones if you go hiking to attract attention if you are on a bike, in case of emergencies etc. They come in different colors: red, white, orange, green, blue, purple, hot pink, aqua. The runtime depends on the color and the size of the stick, the green ones are usually the ones that last longer reaching up to 12 hours of usable brightness. Please note that there are many combinations of sizes, colors and runtime, ranging from 12 hour stickies in red to 5 minutes ultra bright stickies in orange etc.

It is important to know that you should keep the stickies in their envelopes protected from light and safe of impacts to avoid breaking the small vial inside them.

A pack of 50 mini stickies can be ordered for $10 including 7 or 8 different colors. You can check all the available versions and order from ExtremeGlow.

WindStorm Whistle

The WindStorm whistle is an all-weather strong survival whistle. It is manufactured following acoustic principles to make it very loud and it can even work under water.

This whistle provides aproximately 120db of sound, it can be heard from about half a mile on the surface and it can also be heard from about 50 feet under water.

The shape of the whistle is a little odd and it may be slightly big for a keychain but they are confortable enough to wear in a neck lanyard.

Having a whistle that can perform in all weather conditions including under water and be heard from long distances is an important feature in any survival or safety kit, the whistle can be used to get attention with a small blowing effort so it is also suitable for children or senior citizens.

The WindStorm featured here is a more compact and sleek version of the Storm Whistle which in turn is slightly louder and bigger.

You can read about the acoustic principles behind the whistle and get more information from the official website. If you want to order it Brigade Quartermasters has them for $6.

TAD Gear's Tactical Impact Caps (TIC)

The TIC (Tactical Impact Cap) is an accesory bezel crown for some popular flashlights intended to add a defensive purpose to a traditional flashlight.

Surefire created this niche of flashlights with the E2D "defender" model, the idea is that you can use the flashlight to blind or disorient an attacker but you can also use it as an impact weapon in case of extreme need. When all this is not an issue the TIC is a nice decorative bezel and in some modesl is helpful to know if the light is on or off when you put it bezel down on a flat surface.

The bezels are constructed in HA-III aluminium with a matte finish and a knurled body, they are attached to the bezel of a flashlight using 3 small screws, the screws might leave marks on your flashlight so have that in mind when trying.

There are models for Fenix flashlights, Maglites and Surefire flashlights. Some of the caps work as well with other brands, for example in the picture you can see it in a Nuwai TM301X5 and the end result is great.

You can order the caps starting at $25 from TAD gear.