Posts Tagged ‘product’

GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist Cookware Review – HD

Posted: March 5, 2013 in News, Parks, Product Reviews
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It’s my pleasure to bring to you, the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist.  This is a brilliant cooking solution for ultralight backpacking.  It gets high marks with Survival Bros, and my puggle featured in the HD video review above.

I think you’ll like this cookware system because it has all the bases covered.  It comes loaded with two telescoping foons, two 20 ounce insulated bowls with lids, two 20 ounce mugs, and a large hard anodized aluminum pot including a lid with a built in strainer.  This is perfect for cooking pasta, and even works as a spout for pouring liquids like hot tea.  The orange and blue foons match their bowls, but I like them because they are deep, so I can take big bites.  They are dishwasher safe too, like the rest of the Pinnacle Dualist.  Also, the entire package is BPA-free, so you aren’t absorbing harmful chemicals.

When I first got the Dualist a few months back, I was stoked that the bowls were insulated.  The last thing I want is my precious food to go cold right after I prepare it.  Plus, the bowls have “Sip-it” lids.  GSI Outdoors must have been thinking about messy eaters like me.  With the lids locked down, I’m less likely to spill scorching soup on my chest.  Another sly feature is the rubberized pot handle.  It folds, and either locks into place as a long handle, or on top of the bowls, keeping everything secure in the pot.

The stuff sack is also a wash basin.  I couldn’t believe it either.  It’s one more container that could come in handy for collecting water out of the creek, or washing your hands before supper.  The cookware system looks as good as it functions.  It’s orange and black.  I like having a high-visibility handle for cooking in low light.  And when you’re done, the Pinnacle Dualist is an easy clean.  It uses non-stick Teflon with Radiance technology.  So there’s no scrubbing.  Heat spots aren’t an issue either, allowing for quicker, and more even cooking.

The Pinnacle Dualist retails for $64.95.  If you are looking for an ultralight cooking solution ideal for two people, this could be for you.  I like the price, but truly appreciate the thought that went into this American design.  It’s all only 21.6 ounces, and the pot holds 1.8 liters.  The dimensions are 5.90″ x 6.40″ x 5.90″.  The Dualist offers bang for your buck.  This product gets the Survival Bros seal of approval.  Please comment, like, and share.  Thanks.

Produced by Cameron McKirdy

For more visit http://www.gsioutdoors.com

Kershaw Blur Glassbreaker Knife Stress Test And Review (MODEL 1670GBBLKST)

Posted: February 15, 2013 in Product Reviews
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kershaw blur gbThis is the blade I carry every day.  It’s the famous Kershaw Blur, but with a carbide tip designed to shatter glass with ease.  It does, as you can see in my video review below.  

I’ve been testing the Kershaw Blur for 2 months now.  I love it.  It’s quality, and produced locally in Tualatin, OR.  I rep gear made in the USA as much as possible, especially Oregon.  The first thing that fascinated me with the knife is the unique design.  It’s beautiful.  Simple.  Elegant.  The subtle curves are sexy.  I couldn’t wait to get her out of the box.  Initially, I noticed how fine the blade is.  It’s razor sharp.  Also, I was impressed with how well the scallops cut.  Slicing through materials like cardboard, plastic, rope, and paper is effortless, and so is opening it, thanks to the SpeedSafe assist.  It flies out, and feels extremely secure in place with the liner lock.

Another excellent feature is the rigid angled thumb studs.  You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to grip the nubs, and whip it out.  Kershaw really made something special with the Blur.  They even upgraded the steel in this new version to Sandvik 14C28N with DLC coating.  So it’s tough.  Which brings me to the tiny carbide tip embedded in the aircraft aluminum handle.  People don’t even notice the special tip at first, but believe me, it works.  I broke a sheet of glass in my video, plus several bottles with minimal effort.  The glass breaking feature is one I have to have on my EDC knife.  It could save my life if I’m ever trapped in a vehicle, and it’s not bad for self defense either.  

The Kershaw Blur is a great size, and light at only 4.2 ounces.  I like the blade length too, at 3 3/8″.  The overall length is 7 7/8″, and 4 1/2″ closed.  And the belt clip is removable, so you can have the tip up or down.  In the end, this is the knife I trust with my life right now.  It’s blacked out, and stealth.  But above all, it’s well made, and sharp as hell.  Survival Bros gives it 5 Stars.  I can’t complain about it at all, besides the handles getting a little scratched up after smashing so much glass.  I go into more detail in my HD video review below.  Please comment, and feel free to ask me any questions about it.  Thanks for visiting Survival Bros – Emergency Preparedness.

Visit http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/ for more.

Getting Free Product Coupons For Commenting And Complaining

Posted: December 17, 2012 in Frugality, Health & Nutrition, Product Reviews, SB Tips
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Sometimes products suck. When things aren’t as good as I expect, or fail, I call the company up, and hold them accountable. When I comment and complain, I get free product coupons to replace the goods with another version. Today I called three businesses, and spoke up.

First I dialed a canned fruit company. They misrepresented their product. On the label there’s tons of cherries. However, when we pulled the lid and scarfed, we uncovered just half of one cherry. Ripoff. I was told they try to squeeze 9 cherries into each can. I gave them my shipping address, and I’m expecting a voucher for a free can of mixed fruit, in light syrup.

I was also disappointed with a Tom’s of Maine deodorant. It was a stick scented like Maine Woodspice. I told customer service I love their stuff, but this batch felt slimy, and didn’t seem to offer any odor protection. The unscented type worked better. Not that it works for the 24 hours it claims. Tom’s actually told me I was spot on, because they have one less ingredient in that type compaired to their other scents. Strange. I’m getting a stick of Lemon Grass sent to my house this week. It’s a great product.

Lastly, I dialed Nature’s Gate. They make a fluoride free toothpaste. I don’t use paste with fluoride. Look into fluoride exposure. I will not be forcibly medicated. Anyways, I recently purchased a tube of anise flavored natural toothpaste. Little did I know anise, (pronounced anus?), tastes like it sounds to me. It’s the worst flavor ever. Anise tastes like licorice, fennel, or dirty boots. I can’t stand it. I guess I should have known what anise tastes like, but if I knew it was like black licorice I wouldn’t have bought it, I would have burned it. At the end if the day, I still look forward to trying another variety of Nature’s Gate toothpaste.

The moral of the story is comment and complain about products you don’t like. You’ll get a replacement for free. Also, educate yourself before buying. I’m not trying to be negative about these quality products, but I wasn’t satisfied. My feedback makes their product and practices better, so why not share? It’s a win win.

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Produced by Cameron McKirdy

Coast HP14 High Performance Flashlight Stress Test and Product Review

Posted: November 2, 2012 in Adventures, Comedy and Art, Product Reviews, SB Tips
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The Coast HP14 is the high performance flashlight of any man’s dreams. Ahhh, the perfect feel of the cold aluminum, and the heft that quality has to offer; ready, balanced, and durable. As with most of my reviews, the first thing I did was try and take it apart. I say try on this one because other than taking the batteries out, I can’t get it any further apart. This idea of, put together once, never fail, therefore never come apart, is the usual for Coast Products.  As I said, I could not get much apart on this light but the battery tube. The light came with and uses four AA batteries, the easiest in the world to find. Rechargeable batteries I am sure would not last long, but it’s an option.  Using lithium batteries is a way to increase the total operating time. However, the high/low settings alone will help you milk most batteries for countless hours.

As I said, I was unable to unscrew the lens portion off. Coast Products are designed to last, so there is no need to take it apart for “repairs” pff… but looking inside the lens shows the Coast logo in its signature red color, and a miracle of an LED, the Cree XM-L.  You can even adjust the blinding 339 lumens with one-hand focusing.  The bottom switch has a thick durable rubber feel, and is recessed to allow the light to be set upright on its bottom. There’s also an anti-roll lanyard bump that simply sticks out to prevent the light from sliding down a hill. The attached lanyard snapped off almost immediately, after 3 vigorous tugs.

I did enjoy the fine anodized finish on the light, as opposed to most other companies use of powder coating. This anodized finish also gives a small amount of texture itself to the flashlights surface, sort of a microscopic sand paper effect. The diamond knurling on the light has a very fine texture. I did notice that in the rain, and while wet, the diamond knurling had a slippery feel. I’m REALLY nit picking here to find any flaw in this thing. I submerged it in water, threw it on the ground, and it kept burning bright.  The HP14 is solid, reliable, easy to use, and best of all, it’s a Coast Product, so you know it will never fail.

Coast Knife RX320 (Rapid Response 3.90) Rain Test on the Oregon Coast

Posted: October 31, 2012 in Product Reviews
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It’s raining.  So we decide to stress test the new Coast Rapid Response 3.90 knife.  Survival Bros will be posting more product reviews soon.  

Check out the entire Coast product line here: http://www.coastportland.com/  Coast is a local brand from Portland, OR.  You can trust them.  

Weighing in at 141 grams according to my scale, the Coast RX320 knife was handed to me by a survival expert and I was told to do a review on it. The first thing I did was take it apart a little. Why? I like to look past the glitz and glamour of a product from its outside view, I like to take it apart and see if it really is any good or not. The screws are torx bit tipped, and as I removed them, they all looked like they had lock tight or other thread sealant on there. It was designed never to fail, as a knife should be. The handle is fiberglass-filled textured nylon with a diamond texture offering an easy grip even in cold and rain. The spring assist helps again with one handed opening and ease of use in the extreme.

A small point I like about the knife, is that the clip on the handle can be switched for left pocket or right pocket carry. The anodized look and feel of the clip matches the same look and feel of the blade itself. The blade is a nice drop point knife with amazing beveling and solid back. This solid back is important for use as a tool, scrapping, or splitting wood by hitting the back of the blade with an object. The quick open thumb tabs are easily accessible for lefties and righties, and stick out far enough to easily flip out, but not to far as to get caught in your pocket. The resounding clack sound it makes as it locks open is reminiscent of a well oil gun simply sliding into place, mechanically perfect. After beating it, dropping it (a lot) and more or less trying to destroy this thing for the past week, it still looks like I could sell it “like new” on Amazon. It’s a great knife, it’s a solid knife, and I feel it represents the coast name perfectly.

BREAKING GLASS – Gerber LMF II Knife Review by Survival Bros

Posted: September 9, 2012 in Uncategorized
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Cameron McKirdy shatters a car window with his knife!