Showing posts with label pocket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pocket. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Review: Rose Kuli hammer multitool

Multitools have a special place in the heart of all preppers. They make for a resource rich bundle that can provide a lot pf utility in a small package. whilst the ubiquitous Swiss Army Knife is probably the first multi-tool for many ( it certainly was for me), the Leatherman or Gerber belt tool has taken the place in the eyes and EDC of many and whilst these paragons of utility assuredly have their place, they don't do everything. That's were something like  the Rose Kuli hammer tool comes in. 

Prominently featuring a split hatchet head and a hammer head, the jaws opening up to expose pliers and cutters, with a spring assist for the plier arm. The Rose Kuli tool features red wood scaled handles, screws recessed in at the high end and riveted at the bottom end, the plyer-arm retaining loop seats into a notch in the bottom of the plyer arm, preventing the plyer head from opening up unexpectedly. 

The hammer-head sits directly in line behind the hatchet head to maximize impact efficiency for both tools. I found that the small hatchet head being only 4cm (1 1/4") broad but was plenty enough tool to carve a notch in some logs i have seasoning at the back door. You wont be felling any mast logs with it, but it'll work nicely delimbing small logs, and even baton splitting, the hammer head providing a good strike face. I worried that the hatchet head appeared riveted in place and would come loose but it turns out that top rivet only holds the sides in place and the hammer/hatchet pieces were secured by the pivot rivet and marry up tightly when the plyer arm is closed. 

The plyer jaws have both a fine toothed and a broad toothed section, for both fine and coarse tasks as well as a 1cm (2/5") cutting jaw, for wire or nail cuttings. 

The hammer itself drives nails quite well, for such a light tool at 400g (14oz), and I could tap one into my new treated-pine fence-posts with ease. The wood scales and plyer arm make for a comfortable grip on the palm and fingers. the hammer-side handle-face holds a surprise in the form of a selection of folded tools.There are 5 fold-out "blades" to further supplement the tools over-all utility.  From left to right there is a simple leaf-point single edge blade, a Phillips head screw-driver, a wood-saw with fish-hook disgorger tip, a 4-size hex nut wrench (5,6,7,10mm) with bottle-opener and pry head, and a serrated blade  with a file and flat-head driver tip. I would have liked a can-opener, and none of the tools lock, but each are functional.

As Corb Lund would sing "Well it's a vise grips for pliers, and pliers for a wrench
A wrench for a hammer, hammers everything else
"

It came in a flimsy nylon sheath with a hook and loop flap that barely covers the heads, leaving the edge of the hatchet somewhat exposed. 


For a light-weight tool, it certainly bridges the gap between belt-multitool and camp-hatchet.




 

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Review: Scotch eyed auger


 
I started seeing ads for these a while ago and got one a couple of years ago for bushcrafting adventure and general utility. Having manual tools on hand is good, both for emergency power-down use but also off-grid crafting. Hand saws, hammers and hand-drills are all reliable, if sometimes arduous tools to make use of.

A scotch eyed auger bit is a type of tool you can use to create holes either dry or wet woodworking applications. The “scotch eye” is the hole at the end of the auger and its purpose is to enable easy handling and additional leverage. 

This particular one has a 20mm auger bit (8/10th") with a single flute that runs for 9cm (3.5") for  a total shaft length of 15 cm (6") and terminating at a round pipe eye of 18mm (7/10th"). It appears to have been made from a 20mm hex ended drill bit welded onto the eye segment. 

The cutting tip of the tool starts of with a self-tapping screw-head that ensures good purchase and correct placement of the auger for optimum boring. 

The cutting face of the auger is set back from the leading edge of the flute, which has the effect of being a scoring/ cutting edge, around the circumference of the bore being cut, this ensures a clean cut and smooth finish.

The eye is set perpendicular to the auger shaft, such that a branch can be fitted through it  in order to make a handle to easily turn the auger and bore into even hard, seasoned timber. Once the tip has bitten, and the cutting face engages, the long flutes will guide the auger on a straight path through the wood, so be sure to get the initial line straight. 








The eye is also a means for producing peg ends that will fit into the hole bored by the auger. These can be  whittled manually and test-fitted in the eye or hammered through the eye to shave/ scrape the pegs down to size. The remaining hex of the original drill  haft is lined up to nicely  be hammered upon, which was also a nice touch. 
The eye is sightly narrower than the auger bit, which means that pegs cut with it will be -slightly- loose, which can be a good thing depending on the situation, but a long as you take it into account you  would be fine. If I were making a pole and branch ladder, i'd be lashing the rungs in, regardless. The length of the tool allows for quite deep (6") cuts to be made. This is plenty deep enough to make a rocket fire from a log like a Swedish Fire torch. Deep enough that you could probably pin log cabin logs together, though that would be a lot of hand cranking. pegs used in this fashion are called treenails or trennals and have been documented back as far as 7000 years.

I've seen some Scotch eyed augers with one face of the eye being sharpened to bite into the peg-wood, whilst the rear face is hammered and mine lacks this. I'm not certain it would be necessary and have done just fine without, but if you were intending to make a lot of pegs out of cut lumber it might be advantageous. I whittled down this segment of green branch the power company lopped from one of our cub-side trees, and its made a very good handle in less than a minute. I did this when my previous branch/peg handle snapped whilst mid way through boring a hole through a particularly seasoned piece of recycled timber. A minor setback, quickly addressed with a field expedient replacement and I got the job done. 
One thing that hadn't occurred to me until I was well into my boring task was that the swerf material (wood chips) I was boring out would make excellent kindling, even in wet conditions ,the inside of most wood stays dry.  This would be even more true with more resinous woods. I've used the auger on branches and logs I've found trail-side as well as dressed timber both fresh and reclaimed. 
One word of advice, ensure your leverage stick is a good fit and smooth or you'll hurt your hand whilst boring. Wear gloves. Be sure your angle is correct when starting off and check for drift. All in all its a very simple and elegant tool and at only 175g (6.3 oz) its an easy add to your bushcrafting carry. 
I made a simple leather pouch for it with belt loops, so I can take it with me along with my belt knife and trail hatchet. I imagine myself making tripod stools and even legged benches with this tool, as well as through-holes for future furniture projects. 









Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Review: Go! Outfitters - Landing Pad

A well made tarp is a crucial bit of kit that every outdoors expedition could benefit from, be it rain or wind shelter, shade or just a dry and prickle free place o picnic upon. Though at times a 9  x 12 tarp may be a bit too much, especially if you're just planning for a bit of a trail hike. Then there is your gear, be it packs, cook gear, bedding or even boots at the end of a long day. If like me you prefer a slung hammock to a ground tent there is the question of what to do with your gear, if whatever fly system you have doesn't cover it. The clever people at GO! Outfitters came up with something to fit that niche, the Landing Pad.   

It’s made from durable 70D polyester, with a 1000mm waterproof polyurethane coating on the bottom and a silicone coating on the top for extra protection and easy clean up. This makes the Landing Pad extremely waterproof. 

 The Landing Pad is 137cm (54") in diameter and has eight stake loops and four sets of drawstrings with cord locks around its outer edge. It comes with a set of steel hook-style tent stakes in a draw string bag to stake it down as needed. At 137cm in diameter, the circle is big enough that 4 people could sit on it back to back or three facing inwards, if legs can be managed. Certainly big enough for a trail-side picnic or to drop bags and boots on whilst hopping into your hammock. Stake it down under your hammock for a soft place to step onto once you swing your legs over but before you put your boots on. 














The four drawstrings around the edge of the Landing Pad allow for the lips to be drawn up into a low bathtub to keep damp ground run-off out. It also allows for the whole circle be drawn up like a purse to wrap your gear in a highly water proof bag. Obviously the opening isn't covered, so don't be throwing it in a pool or leaving it under a waterfall. By pulling two opposing drawstrings the landing Pad converts into a gear hammock,  stretching 2.4m (7'10") overall with a 1m (3') hammock space. Though it can be drawn tighter doing so reduces the capacity. I would use it as an along-side sling, rather than bunk-style to keep things in reaching distance and act as a buffer.

 This drawstring rim also enables the Landing Pad to be fitted over a backpack to shelter it from the weather and could supplement a poncho to keep both you AND your gear dry.  I found it big enough to be able to wear it like a turtle-back poncho, covering my back, butt arms and back. Its even big enough that I could shelter under it like an umbrella when couched, staying totally covered. 

I found that the tan/brown material made for quite the unobtrusive "hide" when crouched down under it when just off-trail. It occurs to me that with an expanded hiking stick or appropriately padded branch you could make a small single pole shelter with the Landing  Pad, properly staked out.The Landing Pad, with stakes and stuff-sack weighs 285g (10oz) and by itself 15g (5.3oz) and packs down to a pocket sized 4cm X 13cm X 18cm (1.5" X 5" X 7").

More than compact enough to stuff in a pocket or day-pack when going for a hike to provide a clean dry spot to break on. I have two  ( one brown one charcoal grey) and they make for an easy addition to any adventure without adding excessive gear load.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Review: Streamlight - Wedge flashlight

Sharpie for Scale
I'd been without an EDC flashlight since loaning mine to Tactical Baby for school camp, never to be heard of again. (the light, not the TB, she had a blast). I made do with a petrol-station bargain bin LED light that was usually functional but not especially bright or reliable. So when an opportunity came up to  try out another I jumped at it. I had never heard of Streamlight or their Wedge light but as soon as I looked it up I knew it was the next light or me.
 
I liked the look of its sleek but robust design, bulkier than a pen-light and that it looked like it was designed for both pocket and PALS/MOLLE carriage. I have a Fellhoelter bolt-action pen light on my Hazard 4 chest harness (which is pretty much my principle EDC go-to), but its not much more than a "dropped my keys" or pupil-dilation checking tool. 

The Wedge has a pleasant solid heft to it at 4oz (113.4g) and it fits the hand nicely, with the finger groves fall naturally into index and pointer fingers, placing the wheel button squarely under the thumb. The heel of the palm seats the butt-end of the light, tucked in securely by the pinkie finger. It measures 5 4/5"X 2/5"X ~1" (13.87 x 1.52 x 2.54 cm) overall, ( not counting the subtle pen clip ( which is reversible for lefties or righties). I tend to wear it in my front right pants pocket with the short paracord loop easily hookable for easy access. A month of daily carry has worn the anodizing of the tip, to zero functional effect.

candle Mode 
The light is activated by rolling the wheel button forward to the stable mid point, producing a bright, clear white light rated at  300 Lumen. This is the Constant-On Mode, which has a 3 hour runtime. When engaged, a small green LED behind the wheel is illuminated. This seems redundant as the main emitter LED is very clear. My own testing has the battery life lasting over 4 hours but 3 hours is a safe benchmark.  The green LED shifts to red when battery life is low, which is a nice feature. Even after my 4 hour test it wasn't especially hot either which was nice, the heat-sink of the all metal body works well. 


Standard mode activate

The built-in Lithium Polymer batteries are charged via a recessed, waterproofed USB-C port in the butt of the Wedge. When charging, the behind-the-wheel LED is red until full charge at which point the indicator light goes green.

But this is where the extra distance on the wheel button comes in. If you push the wheel beyond the constant-on mid-point, you activate the THRO, (Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output) mode. This kicks the constant-on 300 Lumen up to a dazzling 1000 Lumen output. Light throw is rated at 225' (69m) at constant-on and 360' (110m) in THRO mode. One thing that impressed me was the wide cone of light, with the main cone being around 120 degrees wide, with a secondary cone at around 160 degrees. This extra wide beam provides for an almost full room coverage from a doorway, which is very handy for those "bump in the night" investigations or "where did that battery roll under the bed" searches.

The constant-on setting is standard, with the THRO mode requiring constant forwards pressure to maintain it, such that an initial push forwards may move directly to THRO-mode then back to constant-on. This isn't too much of an issue, but I did find that some finesse was required to switch it on without moving to THRO-mode, or flickering ON/OFF. That can be a little annoying, specifically because when I want light, I want constant, stable light NOW. 


THRO mode active: wider, brighter, longer
Another thing I like about this light is its slim but not skinny-size making it convenient to deploy in a pocket, on a belt or even in the channels of PALS/MOLLE. Perfect for placement on a chest-rig or on a pouch. It's a snug fit, especially on a rigid surface, but that adds to the security of it's carry. The para-cord fob allows for easy draw, and just like that you have the utility of a bright sharp white light at the slide of a thumb.

The base of the light, even with its recessed USB-C charging port and pen clip sits flat nicely allowing the Wedge to be stood up in "candle mode" and given it's wide arc, it will illuminate a whole tent, room or goodly sized cave. 

MOLLE carry
The lens glass is slightly inset from the rim of the frame, offering it some measure of protection against  scratches and impacts. Whilst I wouldn't recommend using it as such  I suppose one could grip it like a kubaton for self defense purposes. Every tool is a weapon if your imagination can stretch far enough. It's not going to do you as a set of brass knuckles, but if you ice-pick your grip you'll make a bit of a impact focus point, even if you have to drive the switch with your pinky. Good for temple-indexing, OK for cool. 





ergonomics
I really like how the light indexes in my hand, how easy it is to activate and the sheer volume of the light it emits. It is certainly one of the most powerful lights (especially for its size) that I've had. Its sleek form factor makes it unobtrusive and easy carry and quick to deploy. My only complaint would be that the thumb switch slips back from ON to OFF too easily, if its not seated quite right. This may "wear-in" over time, and hopefully in the right direction, but isn't enough to put me off this light. I've subsequently found that flicking it to "ON" then getting my thumb of the dial reduces this stutter effect, so i'm willing to concede some user error may be in play here

One last thing, if you ever felt the need to illuminate your brain, the emitter end will fit up the standard adult nostril and will light your honker up like Rudolph. Tastes like Crayons too.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Review: Sailors Compass - Oceanus Brass

I've covered compasses before, mostly as a generic " have a compass, navigation is important" tool and as part of a variety of multi-tool items or kits that include a compass but this one is a little different. I backed a kickstarter for a boutique compass with maritime style. Oceanus Brass specialize in nautically inspired items milled in brass. This is the Oceanus Brass - Sailors compass. Which I backed on Kickstarter. They're in full production now, so you can pick one up, or anything else in their range. Their latest Kickstarter is for a plastic bottle cord maker and looks great too
Brass is an excellent material for traditional nautical kit for several reasons: It is hard wearing to withstand long periods between resupply or repair options. Corrosion resistant to resist saltwater exposure. Non-sparking to keep powder and timbers safe and non ferro-magnetic so as not to throw off your compass needle. It also has a pleasing heft and a bright luster. 
The sailors compass comes as an un-embellished and unadorned puck, with a seam line running its circumference at the 2/3 of its height. The seam line is narrow when the lid is secured and both top and bottom edge of the puck are evenly beveled and smooth. The "lid" unscrews for two full rotations  along finely machined threads, with just index and fore finger and thumb vs palm needed to open it.
Inside the compass is a liquid filled needle chamber, with a well defined needle including a nicely pointed "head" featuring a glow in the dark "dot" for night-time navigation. The tail end flight is subtle and balances the needle both physically and aesthetically.
 
The bezel is gently notched for easy grip and rotates smoothly and features degree markings, in 20 degree major spacings, with minor marks for 10 degrees and 2 degrees. It's firm enough that it won't slide of its own accord but smooth enough that it will turn with a finger-tip's pressure. The backing of the bezel is a ring of glow in the dark material to provide a readable back lit bearing in the dark. A fixed red line serves as the index mark and a pair of embedded glow-dots in the base of the bezel chamber lines up with the North indicator. A central dot completes the after-dark navigation picture. 

The compass is moderately large for an EDC pocket compass, at 2" (55mm) in diameter, 5/8" (17mm) in height and 6.8 oz (194g) in weight, but its smooth and solid design makes it an easy carry. Whilst it would not take the place of a good lensatic compass for navigation. It certainly does the job for simple wayfinding navigation. 




 Solid brass construction provides sea-worthy durability. The Sailor's Compass can be dropped, frozen, banged, forgotten until it isn't. If i had to pick something I didn't like about the compass it would be that it's too smooth. The unadorned surface might lead to slick, fumbly fingers to drop a vital piece of kit and some knurling or a dummy-cord knob or thread-hole might go a long way to securing it. All told though, it makes for a very pleasant EDC pocket addition. 

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Review: Danforce G1 Pro Modular flashlight

My love of flashlights is well documented and nothing new. I do however keep losing or breaking them, so I keep an eye out whenever I can for new exciting models. One such light was Kickstarted a while back by redoubtable gearsmiths Dan Force who offered the modular DanForce G1 Pro Flashlight. 
One big draw-card for me is the modularity and the accessories offered in this kit. These include:
  • Weapons Rail Mount(not included in my pledge)
  • Pressure Switch (not included in my pledge)
  • Emergency Power Bank
  • Tactical Pouch (not included in my pledge)
  • Lantern Attachment
  • Red & Green Light Filters
  • Compass
  • Bike Mount
  • Protective Carrying Case
  • 3200 mAh High-Power Rechargeable Battery
  • Fast Charger
  • USB Cable
  • Hand Strap
  • Neck Strap
It's a lot of loot in one kit, that's for sure. So, the flashlight itself is milled from 6061 aluminium and in its "short" configuration weighs 220g and 275g in the "long" configuration.
The body of the light is  1 1/16" (27mm) wide, 1 3/4" (44mm) at the bezel and 10 3/4" (27cm)tall in the long and  7 1/2" (19cm) in the short. 



The difference between the two is the addition of a second battery segment, which is a conversion of the "Emergency Power Bank" component,  and attaching it to the light. The lens head unscrews from the primary battery component, as does the push button end cap. I'm not sure why  the head unscrews as it seems irrelevant as its threading only fits the primary battery segment, and is incompatible with the other parts.  The head houses a mighty CREE L2 LED panel behind an adjustable lens. The lens has a ratcheting twist action, with a loud click, and spreads the light out from a corridor filling long distance spot to a room filling or road illuminating lantern. The light is fitted with a broadly crenelated bezel, which is also replaceable (and accompanied by a spare)

 The Cree L2 emitter has a listed output of570+ lumens in the short configuration, and 1080 in the long, thanks to the combined charge of the  3200mAh 3.7v 18650 batteries, which in turn will power the light in high for 7-8 hours in single and 10-12 hours in double.

 A rotating ring behind the bezel unscrews to reveal a Micro-USB port that can be utilized to charge the battery. It features a blinking green and red LED indicator, green to indicate charging and red seems to indicate charge full. The light flashes once when hooked up to a power source.

Its possible to recharge the "Short" segment  from the extension segment by using its Power Bank end cap. The Power Bank end cap has a micro USB charging input and a red charging indicator as well as a standard USB-a output.The silicone dust over keeps your ports clear of crud.

As well as being able to charge the flashlights battery in its short configuration but can also be use to charge up other devices such as GPS units or phones. Being a separate unit means I can charge one battery as the other is in use which is handy. Especially as I like to keep multiple power generation sources available.

The G1 PRO is all about putting you in control, giving you six separate modes of operation, Featuring high, medium, low, SOS and strobe modes, as well as an eco-mode for when you need extended battery life in challenging situations. Each mode is accessed by clicking the power button on and off in succession to cycle through the modes.


One of the neat accessories is the lantern dome, an opaque cap that fits snugly over the bezel end turns the flashlight into a room illuminating lantern, perfect for power outages at home, in a tent or even just to scope out a dark car boot.

Unscrewing the bezel allows the fitting either of the two included colored plastic filters to project red or green light as needs be. The addition of a compass to the end-cap of the 

The rubber o-rings at each of the seams and the precision manufacture ar what rate the G1 its IPX04 rating (IPX4 – Protects from splashing water, no matter the direction). The bike mount allows clamping the G1 to handlebars to act as a very effective headlight.
The G1 light is bright and robust and the utility of the lens as well as the modular Power Bank components makes for a truly memorable unit

High power mode on wide lens setting.
Unlit testing conditions, suburban street



High power mode, lens in tight focus
High power mode, lens in tight focus, square emission clear















Friday, October 5, 2018

Review: PRC Compressed Ration Biscuts

I was lucky that one of my contacts Jayson Moloney of Blade and Stone AU started stocking a very unique product I had to get in on. These are a long shelf-life survival ration biscuit that looks to provide long term reliable food source as an emergency backup, much like the Mainstay Survival ration bricks I've reviewed in the past.

The rations, produced by ;Qinhuangdao Ocean Food CO.,LTD.formerly known as the Chinese people’s Liberation Army No.4003 factory a supplier for the Peoples Republic of China's military, https://qhdhysp.en.alibaba.com The rations themselves are in the form of compressed biscuits individually wrapped and stored in Mylar foil bags. The 4kg tin carries 20x 200g vacuum wrapped packets. When kept in optimal storage conditions; stored at normal temperature in a cool, dry place they have a minimum 24 month shelf life.

The ingredients are Wheat Flour, Palm oil (uh oh, that's not eco-friendly) sugar, glucose syrup, salt, and sodium bicarbonate. These are mixed into digestive style biscuits and compressed into blocks. They have been heat-treated but don't appear to have been baked. Following high temperature and high-pressure sterilization, they are suitable for long-term storage and transportation, The biscuits are tightly plastic wrapped and outer-layer foil bagged plastic bag packaging  creating a package  both hygienic and convenient, suitable for military and civilian use.

Each foil sachet holds four individually wrapped biscuit each pressed into two distinct portions easily  cracked to share or for ease of eating or sharing.  The vital statistics are listed as follows:

The  unopened sachets are 8cm (~3") square and 3cm (~1") thick.




Per 100g
/NRV%
Energy
1988kJ
24%
Protein
7.1g
12%
Fat
19.4g
32%
Carbohydrate
67.6g
23%
Sodium
238mg
12%
Given that each sachet is 200g and has four biscuits, each 50g portion has half these values. So two whole sachets gives you 100% of the daily recommend intake and most of the daily protein and carbs. That's not bad for 400g of dry biscuit. Obviously you'd want water to go with it and I found they go very well with a nice cup of tea.

The compressed biscuits are non-moisture absorbent, soft, and easy to break up and eat. but not mushy or crumbly. They are a high energy,  rich source of nutrition, making them anti-fatigue, and promote the rapid recovery of physical strength. They are dense with a tight texture which leads to you being more likely to feel full after eating.


Although they are made of same flour used to make wholemeal cookies, but because the high quality of the  material used which is more closely refined, the use of the anti-orangutan palm oil softener to lower its moisture content, and not easy bibulous (moisture absorbing) which means even minor punctures to the protective covers will not be too much of a concern , make cookies in the active ingredients can supplement physical strength (ingredients) under the same volume content more, so to make it more resistant to hungry. A long-lasting, sustaining Digestive Biscuit.

The foil sachets are small and sturdy enough to be put in a pocket, or stuffed into the bottom of a bug-out bag. They also fit four into a Platatac FUP dual magazine pouch.  That's 800g of nutrition ready to carry your adventure on over hill and dale for a bit longer.

The biscuits are tasty and wholesome, my kids liked them and even put smiles on our faces after some arduous crafting on the couch.

They're tastier than the Mainstay rations and have a much nicer mouthfeel. Apart from the palm oil I have no qualms recommending these as survival rations and suspect  they will  become a hiking and camping loadout staple for us.




BREAKING NEWS: Jason tells me he will be getting in a new order including the pork jerky flavour through the Blade and Stone site. If your dietary restrictions allow you should check it out!

Monday, September 10, 2018

Review: Tactica Talon

Here's a thing. How often do you find yourself in need of a tool for a quick fix? A loose screw, a non-twist bottle, a package to open. Often, the tool you need is buried in a drawer or lost in the tool shed, turning a 20 second job into 5-10 minutes. Or worse, you find yourself in a tricky tool situation away from home. Even the most efficient bug out bag or EDC can be a pain to rummage through. There's only so much you can load your cargo kilt up with before you get the jingle-shakes or worse, slippage. One solution to this is to combine multiple tools in to one lightweight system.

One such system is the Tactica M100 Talon. It certainly qualifies a "the tool you keep with you". It's lightweight, compact, versatile and might just be your new best prepping lifestyle friend. Whether it's mountain biking, snowboarding or just around the house, the Tactica Talon has got your back. Right there in your back pocket.

The Talon is designed and made in Melbourne. My home town so it was especially exciting or me to back and support the Kickstarter for it. So, here's what it is. Primarily a Hex bit driver, with a climbing carbiner form factor. At its core a hardened stainless steel frame wrapped in a pocket tech friendly lightweight composite material that won't scratch your valuable iDevices as well as being 40% lighter than titanium.

Inside the body of the composite component is a space for two 1/4" hex drivers retained by a removable silicone rubber slot-plug (Phillips + flat head included). The narrow-eye of the tool is cut to act as a multi-wrench with two versions being Imperial - 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16in or the Metric - 5, 6.25, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14mm versions. Both versions have a 1/4" Hex socket built into the body as a heavy duty driver. The "mouth" of the storage slot is the primary hex driver, and is fitted with magnetic tool retainer in its side to assist with that.

The big end of the "wide-eye" of the carabiner is also fitted with a bottle opener. A raised notch on the "back" of the tool acts as a snag free, TSA safe Package Opener. ( ha, so they say. )

Inside the lip of the wrench holes are rulers, on either side, metric on one and imperial on the other. They are only small so you wont be checking fish-size or the like but perfect for sizing hardware like drill bits and bolts up. Beside the bottle opener in the "eye" is a hole drilled for a key chain split-ring. keeping it out of the way for using the wrench.
I don't think I'd use this at all as this isn't a tool I would put on a keychain, but it certainly could work for that. One thing I did like about its design is the view-port cut through the side which shows you if a hex- bit is inside. not quite big enough to see what kind of head, but certainly a sanity check to see if its one or two tools stored with a quick back and forth rattle check.

The slot-plug has two friction lugs to hold it in place but is fully removable, which makes the whole assembly easier to put together and reduces the chance of it tearing after repeated use but the fat that it could become detached and lost and the stored hexbits along with it is a small worry. The slot-plug is tight fitting and I have no such worry of it coming loose by accident.

My biggest gripe was the out-of-the-box realization that it shared the "form factor" of a Carabiner, it was in fact NOT set up to clip open. Few moving parts means simpler manufacturing and a stronger overall design.it would be convenient if it would auto-clip to bags, packs and pants, but it is narrow enough that it can be clipped to an existing carabiner and hung ready for use. Measuring in at 80mm x 40mm x 12mm (3.154"x1.57"x0.47") and weighing in at a slight 45g (1.6 oz).

Given its composite encapsulation and lack of any sharp or rough edges, it makes an excellent pocket carry. Ready when you need it and not wearing holes or scratching screens.


The angle of the primary hex driver lends itself to the Talon siting nicely in the palm of the hand though the short hex-bits can leave the access to whatever is being driven to be quite tight. It's certainly not a tool for hard and everyday use, get full sized driver for that. This is a tool for small jobs and "I just need to fix this one thing" jobs. It will however, put together an Ikea Billy bookshelf up like no-ones business.

Go further and do more than single flat or a Phillips head will do but the great minds at Tactica came up with this; a12 Bit Toolpack giving you a great selection of hex bits to use. They have chosen a solid cross selection of bits that would cover most circumstances whether it's at home, work or on your next adventure. The Toolpack contains the following hex bits: Phillips #0, #1, #2 Flathead #3, #4, #5 Allen key sizes 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and most excitedly Torx T10, T15, T25. The full set weighs only 80g (2.8 oz) a small price to pay for the added utility of having the right head to hand.

The collection of bits are titanium coated (for longer wear protection) and ruggedly ground, for greater fortitude. Comparing the included bits with those of the MiniInch tool pen systems and they are stubbier and more ruggedly produced than the grey MiniInch bits but otherwise fully compatible, other than being unable to store two in the Talon's internal storage due to length.

There have been reports that the box opener tool blunts after limited use, but given it is a spire of plastic, I'm neither surprised nor concerned. My only other gripe with it is the lack of an integral clipping mechanism as previously mentioned. And the wide turning circle of the main hex driver which is a bit tricky in tight spots.


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