Steri Pen Water Purifier

For those that frequently camp or like to do adventure hikes water is a top priority and since you can't carry unlimited amounts of water a water purification device is an useful tool.

The SteriPen uses UV light to purify water, it destroys bacteria, viruses and protozoa making the water safe to drink without leaving any chemical residue or odor in the water.

Using the device is simple, just press the button and agitate the water with a gentle stir. 16 oz of water can be purified in less than a minute and it takes a minute and a half to purify 32 oz of water.

The device works using four AA batteries, with alkaline batteries you can purify 20 to 40 16 oz glasses of water, using lithium AA batteries this can go up to 100 glasses so lithiums are strongly recomended.

The total weight of the steri pen with batteries is 8oz (6.4 with lithiums), it comes with a carrying pouch so it's simple an easy to carry. We found it simple to use and effective and safe to carry, no chemicals involved. Since it uses UV light to purify the water needs to be clean for the steripen to be effective, if the water is not clean you have to filter the water first so you need to carry some kind of filtering device to make sure you will be able to use the steripen.

There is a kit that comes with a solar charger for long trips and camping and the company also sells a filtering device. You can read about the different models and products from the company website. The version tested here can be ordered from REI for $100.

Bruton Firestorm

The firestorm is a weatherproof lighter by Brunton. The lighter measures 3.3'' x 1.8'' and weights 1.6 ounces.

The ignition is piezoelectric and should be good for over 30.000 ignitions, the fuel is butane refillable as expected. The flame should be able to resist winds up to 80 mph.

The lighter has a threaded cap with an o-ring to make it waterproof, the cap has a hole for a splitring or lanyard, there is also a metal clip in the lighter body to attach it to a pocket or inside a backpack.

We found this lighter to be rugged and serviceable the construction is solid and the design looks very nice, the clip and lanyard hole are very good details for different carrying options.

You can read more in Brunton's website and order for $48 from Tad Gear.

Sun FeatherWeight Mirror

This is a signal mirror made by Sun Company. It has some interesting details compared to other popular signal mirrors.

The first difference is that this mirror is bigger, at 4.2 inches by 3.1 inches it is not suitable for a wallet and barely ok for a pocket. It is also very thin and extremely light only 1/3 of an ounce.

There is a small hole in the center used to aim when signaling (not seen in the picture), the reflective material is plastic and is not really very good reflecting light that is why the mirror is probably so big.

In our tests this mirror had problems aiming and the reflected light was not very bright compared to other signal mirrors. In our opinion this mirror makes sense as a backup or if you manage to cut it down for wallet size as something that you can carry in your wallet without adding weight and will only be used in case of need. As a test we cut this mirror to credit-card size with a simple pair of scissors, cutting it was not difficult at all and the mirror survived the operation without problems. Carrying the trimmed mirror in a wallet is fine as a backup signal mirror or as an utility mirror.

To check your face, apply makeup or similar tasks it works fine. Just don't put your chances of being rescued in the hands of this mirror because there are better ones.

You can get it from EDCdepot at $3.25

Spy Capsule X-Large

This is the X-large version of the popular spy capsules frequently used to carry pills and other small items.

This capsule is about 2 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter, it is opened at the middle and it has an o-ring to make it water resistant. At the top there is a hole with a split ring.

The capsule is large enough to carry AA, AAA or C123 batteries, and it can also be used to store money, mini survival kits and other items.

We didn't like the way the capsule opens in two halfs, the space inside would be more usable if the threads were located at the top as in other capsules. When you open it contents will come out unless they are very tight.

The construction in anodized aluminium is very solid and there are several colors available: red, green, blue, black, purpke and gold. The size is probably too big for a keychain but can be used hanging from a backpack or inside a survival bag or kit.

You can order from EDC depot at $7.

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.

Star Flash Signal Mirror

Signal mirrors are the ultimate device for daytime signaling, in good conditions a good quality mirror can signal very easily up to 30 to 40 miles and can be seen from 100 miles.

The Star Flash is a high quality mirror issued to the Air Force and NASA astronauts, it is made of Lexan Polycarbonate with a vacuum deposited mineral mirror. The center has a retro-reflective mesh and an aiming star.

To use it you point the mirror near the sun but not looking directly at it, you then move it until you see a glowing ball in the retroreflective mesh, that ball is the direction where the mirror is reflecting the sunlight. You then move the mirror towards your target and make the glowing ball hit the target with small movements to make sure you are seen.

Always practice because when you really need it you are probably going to have 30 seconds or so to signal a plane or helicopter if you need help. Don't practice aiming to planes or helicopters, you can always find a friend to help you practice without putting anyone in danger.

The mirror can be used for emergency signaling and for silent communications in daytime. Being a mirror it can also be used to put contact lenses, applying camouflage, makeup etc.

The Star Flash weights just 19 grams (0.7 oz) and is 2x3 inches long (5.1 x 7.6 cm), it is almost indestructible and if dropped to the water will float. The retroreflective mesh and aiming star work very well and after a little training the mirror will be easy to use. The difference with very cheap mirrors is how you can really aim with the mesh, it may seem simple to reflect the light of a mirror in a wall or tree but if you have to aim to a little airplane that is miles away from you then the task is not so simple and the difference between a good quality mirror and the cheap one is greater.

A must-have component in any survival kit and probably a must-have item for any outdoor activity.

You can check more information from UltimateSurvival's website, the manufacturers of this mirror and you can order for $7 from this site.

HighGear Adventure Plus

This is a multipurpose tool that can be used as a mini survival kit. It has several elements; the two sliding orange wings have a 5x magnifying glass in one wing and a mirror in the other.

The front of the tool is a white LED flashlight, next to it there is a digital thermometer that can display temperature in Celcius or Farenheit. The next element is a liquid filled floating dial compass, at the end opposite the LED light there is a whistle.

In the bottom the tool has a dry storage compartment, that is long and flat so it is useful for matches, some very thin tinder and maybe a folder bill or some paper. Pills may or may not fit depending on their size.

The tool weights 2 oz (56g) and measures 4 3/8'' x 1 1/2'' x 3/4'' (11.1 x 3.8 x 1.9 cm). The flashlight and thermometer are powered by two CR1616 coin cell batteries.

Compared to other similar tools with several elements this seems to be a of a higher quality, the compass is very good, the thermometer works perfectly and the dry compartment is very useful. The whistle is ok to signal for attention and the magnifier works fine and can be used to start a fire if aimed carefully. The mirror is not really suitable for serious signaling.

This is a nice tool offering a good selection of tools, most of them will be probably used as backups for your bigger more serious tools but they can certainly work if needed.

You can read more at the product page or order for $20 from REI.

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.

Scuba Capsule

These are spy/survival capsules with a shape similar to a scuba oxygen tank. They are wider than other capsules being 2'' long with a 3/4'' diameter.

As other capsules this one can be used to store cash, pills, thread and other small items, they are very common for small items when geocaching; the wide body makes them useful for pills that won't fit other capsules and for other round items with a diameter as big as 3/4''.

They are made of aluminium with a rubber o-ring for sealing, so they will be water proof and dunkable. The capsule wall is quite thick so impacts and falls won't damage the capsule and its contents. They are slightly bulky for a keyring but that depends on personal preferences. They come with a split ring and a couple of extra o-rings, if you are going to take them underwater using two o-rings instead of one might be a good idea for extra safety.

If you think about using them as C123 battery holders please check some of the capsules fit a 123 battery and others don't due to minimal finishing details. One detail we liked is that since the capsule is opened near the bottom you can use almost all the volume of the capsule to store mini kits without anything dropping when you open it.

You can order them in red, blue or gun metal silver for $5 each from this 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.

Nalgene 32oz bottle

In the world of water bottles, and there are many, Nalgene bottles have an outstanding reputation among the circle of backpackers and outdoors enthusiasts, in this review we will cover the 32oz wide mouth model, probably the most classic model, but there are many many variations so check which one is best for your needs.

The bottle when empty weights 4.5oz it is 7.87 x 3.62 inches in length and comes with a plastic cap with a small plastic loop and a ring around the bottle neck to prevent losing the cap.

Nalgene bottles are made of Lexan, a special plastic that is very neutral to odors and tastes, probably the best characteristic of the Nalgene bottle is that it won't get soap odor or taste after cleaning it and you can use it for juice and other flavoured drinks without leaving a permanent taste, it doesn't taste like plastic either. Lexan is a bullet proof material so the robustness of the bottle is near the unbelivable, it will resist falls, scratches, bumps and all kinds of abuses without breaking.

The bottle can be used to keep boiled water without the Lexan melting at all, the melting point is around the 300F or 154C for Lexan.

The wide mouth bottle is leak proof and of course hermetic so it can be filled very easily and that can be very important in a survival situation, it can also be used to store a survival kit or anything that needs to be protected from water and the environment. Bright colored wide mouth Nalgene bottles are an excellent choice for a survival kit doubling as a water container and kit container. The drawback of the wide mouth bottle is that drinking from it can be a bit messy so you can get a Splash Guard for $3.25 to keep the nice properties of the wide mouth without trouble when drinking.

You can check the very wide amount of models and colors at Nalgene's Website and you can order online from REI for about $8.50

Magnesium Firestarting tool

In a simple way to start a fire you need to make some tinder burn using sparks or a lighter and then you use the tinder to light up whatever you have for your fire usually dry leaves and wood.

The highlight of a magnesium fire starter is that it doesn't need tinder, using magnesium scraps instead. To use it you have to start shaving magnesium scraps from the magnesium bar, using a knive or a similar tool, once you have a small pile of shaves you use a flint on the side of the magnesium bar and strike it with the back of a knife or a similar object to create sparks, the sparks light up the magnesium shaves producing a very very hot flame that will be used to start the fire.

The small shaves produce a flame of 5400F and are very very combustible, the solid bar is instead fire proof so don't carry the shaves, they are dangerous, carry the whole bar and shave when you need.

This tool is very practical when you don't have tinder, the small shaves are very light and will be a problem with some wind you will then need to dig a small hole to protect the little shaves from the wind. The sparking flint can be problematic so a backup sparking device or the always serviceable lighter can be recommendable.

The bar commonly measures 3 in. x 11 in. x 1/2 in. and weighs under 2 oz. Can be carried in a keychain without problems and is weather proof if wet just let it dry and will be as usable as new.

You can get it from many camping or outdoors retailers and from different brands, we have tested 3 different brands and they were almost exactly the same, magnesium is magnesium after all. You can order online from EDC depot for $4.95.

LED Shake Flashlight

A shake-light is a flashlight that doesn't need batteries to work it is activated by a shaking mechanism that charges a capacitor inside the light, you shake it for some seconds and get light for several minutes, never needing batteries or any power source.

Shake lights have become popular as novelty items and toys. Unfortunately many of the shakelights being sold at retail stores are fakes, meaning that they are really powered by some coin cell batteries and the shaking mechanism do little or nothing.

This is one of the real shake-lights it uses a LED light and it is charged shaking the light making a magnet inside the light move back and forth charging a capacitor. After 2 minutes of shaking you can get light for about 30 minutes.

The body is water resistand and floats, the plastic is a good one but will probably be damaged if the light falls on a sharp rock or gets crushed.

The flashlight is not bright but shakelights are not characterized because of their bright beams the good thing about them is that they don't need batteries so they are a very good backup light and emergency light, you can keep some of them in different places and have a flashlight available (after some shakes) whenever you need it, the storage time is almost unlimited.

You can order this model for $10 following this link.

Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack

This is a pocket survival pack designed by Doug Ritter from Equipped to Survive and distributed by Adventure Medical Kits.

The kit includes a spark-lite fire starter and 4 spark-lite tinder-quick as a quick all-weather fire starting device.
As an alternate fire-starting device you have a fresnel lens magnifier.

For signaling you have a Fox40 micro whistle in yellow and a good quality signal mirror.

For repairs you have duct tape in 22'' x 2'', 6 feet of stainless steel utility wire, 10 feet of braided nylon cord, 50 feet of black nylon thread, a heavy duty sewing needle and 4 safety pins.

There is a 3sq feet piece of aluminium foil useful to get water or for cooking, a small compass, pencil and waterproof paper, a small scalpel blade, and a fishing kit. Everything inside a water resistant vynil pouch.

The elements included in the kit are high quality and there will be many coincidences in a kit that a survival expert would build for himself in case of need. Nothing in the kit has an expiration date and everything is water proof. While the elements are excellent the kit is a general purpose kit and might be a little incomplete for either a urban or outdoors mini kit. It is certainly a great way to start a personal kit adding the elements you need for your specific scenarios.

As any personal kit it is designed to be carried with you probably in a cargo pocket, so if you lose your backpack, your bags or averything you still have the kit with you. That explains the small size.

You can read more about this kit in ETS webpage. You can choose from a list of retailers to order it one of them being EDC depot for $25.

Firesteel Fire Starter

The Firesteel firestarter is a small kit for fire starting that can be easily carried in a keychain since it is shaped as a key.

Essentially the firesteel is a high grade piece of flint that when scratched with metal will produce many sparks. The firesteel comes with a metal striking tool that you can use or not since any steel knife will work in the same way. In our tests small pocket saws worked great and you don't have to scratch your knife if you use one.

To use it just strike the metal striker or a metal tool against the flint to produce sparks that you can use to light up tinder, such as tinder quick, magnesium scraps, wax covered cotton balls or others the amount of sparks it produces should be good enough to get the fire going.

The tool will be good for thousands of uses and if it gets wet it can still be used without a problem. It may be a little too big for some keychains, in our opinion the plastic handle is too big without a good reason so sanding it with a dremel to a smaller size may be a practical option.

The firestell can be ordered for about $9 from Countycomm.

HighGear Traildrop Digital Compass

This is a digital compass with a thermometer and clock. by HighGear.

The compass can display the bearing and can be adjusted for magnetic declination. It has a leveling bubble for increased accuracy, you can take either a single reading or use it in continuous mode.

The digital thermometer has a 0.1 C or F resolution and works from -4F (-20C) to 131F (55C).

The watch measures time, day, date and month in 12 or 24 hour format and supports dual time zones. It has a daily alarm and a chronometer.

Clipped to your backpack or a keychain this device is very handy for outdoor activities where navigation is important, it is water resistant and has EL backlight for the night. You can read more in the product page or order for $35 from Cabelas.

Spark Lite Fire Starting Kit

The spark-lite is a fire starting kit containing a spark generator, tinder and a plastic box to keep everything together.

The spark generator is spark's lite star, smaller than a small pen the flint wheel will create thousands of sparks without any effort, it can be used thousands of times and will work under rain, wind and other adverse conditions.

The tinder-quick has to be worked a little sepparating some filaments, it starts quickly and burns for more than 3 minutes, enough to start a fire under most normal circunstances. It usually takes 10 to 20 seconds to start a fire with this kit and you don't need any physical strength or special skill. If you are out of tinder-quick cotton balls covered in petrol jelly work fine and burn for 3 to 5 minutes.

The kit is packed in a waterproof orange box that can keep 8 pieces of tinder-quick and the spark-lite. You can read more or order for about $10 from this site.

Inova 24/7

The 24/7 is an octagonal shaped flashlight from Inova featuring 8 5mm leds: 4 white, 2 amber and 2 red. The flashlight is powered by a single C123A lithium battery.

The flashlight is activated rotating the octagonal bezel where the leds are, it has nine modes of operation.

The first mode is low-intensity white, good for general use as a task light it has a runtime of 15 hours. The next mode is high intensity white runtime of 6 hours brighter for signaling and suitable for walks or hikes if you use the light attached to your backpack strap.

Mode number 3 is a white strobe that can run for 100 hours. The fourth mode is an SOS signal using the white leds. The fifth mode is a red&yellow wig-wag. Mode 6 is a white, red and yellow strobe. Mode #7 is just red suitable for preserving night vision. Mode #8 can be accessed putting the bezel in between any two of the regular settings, then the two red LEDs will flick on every 15-20 seconds, this can be used as a locator to find the flashlight at night. The runtime is 15.000 hours in this mode. If you ask a bout a ninth mode then mode nine is off.

There is a clip on the back of the light to clip it to a backpack, epaulet or belt. It also comes with a neck lanyard. The construction is solid and the flashlight is waterproof. The interface is very easy to operate but not very powerful, brightness can't be controled except high-low white and the amber leds are completely wasted being only used in one of the many signaling modes. The red leds have only one mode of operation and the strobe can't be regulated.

For about $40 it is probably a good signaling and backup light to hang from backpacks or belts, if the modes suit your needs it is certainly a great item. It is available in yellow and black, you can read more in Inova's product page. To order check this links.

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.