Maxpedition Three by Five

The three by five is a small pouch by Maxpedition measuring as it name suggests 5'' by 3'' with 1.5'' of depth. The pouch is designed to be carried and attached as an accesory pouch to a backpack or a bigger bag but it can also be certainly be used as a standalone element.

The 3x5 has two compartments accesible via zippers, there is also a flat small unzippered pocket at the front that can be good for a card or some cash.

The main compartment's zipper can be secured with a button-lock to avoid unintentional opening of the pouch. At the back of the pouch there are modular attachment loops for a belt or to attach the pouch to something else using Malice clips.

The construction in reinforced Nylon is extremely strong, the zippers run very well and seem to be extremely strong. The pouch is good to carry a GPS, a small digital camera or some accesories that need quick access from outside of a backpack. It can also be used to carry accesories from a belt loop.

It is available in black, green, khaki and ACU camo for $20. Check it or order from Maxpedition.

Nalgene Travel Kit

This is a small travel kit from Nalgene designed to carry some personal items such as shampoo, perfume or maybe your preferred sauce complying to air travel regulations.

The kit contains 6 flasks, the blue cap bottle fills 1/2 ounze, the red cap is 2 ounces, the green cap is also 2 ounzes, the square flask is 1 ounces and the two straight sided bottles hold 1 ounce each.

The bottles are made of very strong plastic and are tested to be leak proof even with changes of pressure as expected when traveling by plane.

Each bottle in the kit can withstand temperatures from -100ºC (-148ºF) to 120ºC (248ºF) and they can be cleaned in the dishwasher without problems.

A good kit for travelers and a good set of flasks or bottles for your EDC kits.
You can read more and order for $8 from Nalgene.

GP-4L Shortwave Digital Radio

The GPL4 is a very small multi-band radio. It features AM, FM and 2 bands of Shortwave (SW) reception.

The radio has a digital display that shows the time when the radio is off or the selected radio station in digital mode when the radio is on, you can also program an alarm that will turn on the radio at the specified time so it works as an alarm clock or travel clock.

There is also a small LED at the top that can be used as a flashlight if you need some light at night or in an emergency.
The station is selected with a knob on the side and displayed in the small LCD display, a red led turns on when the reception is clear, another knob controls the volume.

The internal speaker is ok but you can also use headphones and then FM can be listened in stereo mode. The antenna is telescopic and works in the reception of both FM and SW bands, for AM the internal ferrite antenna does the job.

The dimensions are 3.4" X 2.55" X .83" and the total weight without the batteris is 85 grams. Small enough for a shirt pocket. The radio can use two AA batteries or be plugged to a 3.5v powersource (not included). The runtime is about 150 hours for the radio and about 70 hours for the flashlight (mutually exclusive).

It is a very small radio with nice features and good reception, there is also an optional larger antenna for improved SW reception if needed. The construction quality and performance are really good from our tests.

You can get it from CountyComm for $25.

Ares So-Led

The ARES so-led is a small keychain flashlight, using two C2016 coin cell batteries to power a 5mm white LED.

The case is made of orange plastic with a sliding switch, there is no momentary push operation, only slide on-off activation. The body has a plastic ring to attach a split ring or a lanyard at the back.

The light is attached to a black crocodile clip and can rotate, you can use the light clipped to a backpack, pocket or belt.

The construction of the light, specially the body is quite cheap, the plastic is not very strong and there are details in the finish. In terms of performance the light is bright, the LED won't probably have a very long lifetime but for the price and the construction it will survive the expected lifespan of the light.

You can order them and read more from CountyComm for $1.50

Amilite Neo T5

The T5 is a single cell light from Korean manufacturer Amilite. The light uses a Seoul LED which is brighter and stronger than Luxeons, and it has two brightness levels.

The light is operated by a reverse clickie switch at the back, press to get the low mode, press again for high and press again to turn it off. You don't need to fully depress the switch to turn it off and on again to switch levels, a light press will be enough to turn the light momentary off and on again switching levels.

The light can use either a 123 lithium cell or a rechargeable cell. The runtime is about 1 hour in maximum brightness and 10 hours in low mode. The body is constructed with HAIII anodized aluminium very strong and able to resist scratches and impacts when used, o-rings make the light water resistant.

The T5 is a bright light the manufacturer announces 140 lumens on high but the real value might be close to 95 according to our tests and comparissions. The reflector is textured producing a very smooth beam that has a good balance between throw and sidespill making the T5 a general purpose light. The T5 is 3.70 inches long (94mm) a good size for EDC and pocket carry. The light is regulated so in max brightness you will get a constant level of output regardless of the battery status.

A nice general purpose single cell light with two stages.

You can read more about the T5 and order from Amilite's website for $80 available in two flavours, one with a 10 lumen low brightness mode (runtime 10 hours) and the other with a 30 lumen low brightness mode (runtime about 3 hours)

Fisher Space Pen Trekker

The Trekker is a new model from Fisher Space Pens. As in every Fisher model the trekker uses a pressurized ink cartridge that will write in many circunstances that are impossible for other pens like being upside down, under water, over a greasy surface, etc.

The pen itself is a small keychain pen. The body is made of aluminium with a rubbery tip to improve the grip we liked the texture and pattern of the rubber it helps grip the small pen well enough to write and is confortable in case you need to use the pen for a long time.

The cap has a splitring, so you can have the Trekker in your keychain and remove the writing part while leaving the cap in the keychain, you use the pen and then insert it back in the cap.

The attachment of the body to the cap seems to be strong but it will not resist and accidental strong pull so there is a little risk of losing the pen. It comes with a quick-break lanyard and a simple carabiner as accesories.

The Trekker is a good keychain pen, a good choice if you like Fisher Space Pens and need something for your keychain.

The Trekker can be ordered from Amazon for $25 you can read more in Fisher's website.

Pila GL2 Cree

The GL2 Cree is a two cell flashlight from Pila featuring a Cree LED.

The light is activated by a tactical tailcap switch with momentary activation. The construction of the switch makes accidental activation or deactivation of the light difficult and has a very good tactile response.

Pila also selss LED tailcap switches with 5mm Leds in different colors for a lower level of ilumination and longer runtime.

The light can use either two primary C123 lithium cells or rechargeable Pila 600P or 18650 batteries. With primary cells runtime is about 1 hour and a half at 130 lumen, with the 18650 runtime goes to 5 hours but the brightness is about 90 lumen.

As other Cree LED lights the GL2 is extremely bright with a beam that combines a very strong hotspot with plenty of sidespill making the beam a very good combination of flood and throw. It can reach distant objects and can also illuminate a whole room without a problem. Between the LED and the reflector there is a small space where a hobbyst can install a tritium tube if he wants.

The construction of the GL2 is its strongest point, the body in Ha-III aluminium is really solid, even looks stronger than Surefire's bodies and the o-rings make the light water resistant. The GL2 will resist drops, hits, scratches and very rough conditions making it a great light for canyoneering, caving, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. It is, maybe, a little big for EDC carry but if you are going to be in the wilderness this is a great all around flashlight that you can use without any special care.

You can read more and order for $70 from JSBurlysflashlights.

Chris Reeve Small Size Sebenza Classic 2000

Sebenza is among the top names for quality production knives, the Small Sebenza 2000 is a folding knife with a 2 7/8'' blade.

The handles are made of titanium 0.15'' thick. The blade is S30V stainless steel and the spacers and pins are 303 stainless steel.

They are constructed so that a part of the handle bends over when the blade is extended to lock the blade in the open position. This is one of the strongest locking mechanisms of any folder anywhere.

The titanium helps making this knife very light, the total weight is 3 oz, the grip is good with a good place to rest your index finger and protect your hand if you need to use some force when cutting or chopping. The lack of texture might make the grip slippery in some occasions, this is a common problem with titanium handles. The knife comes with a lanyard hole and thumbstuds to assist the opening.

The materials and construction make this a top quality folder and if you are lucky to have one in your hands you will notice it is a real beauty yet very strong and usable. One of the top choices for an EDC knife if you plan to go high-end.

You can get it for $330 from KnifeCenter.