Review: EDC Monster Titanium Multi-function Pry Bar

Time for another pry bar! Having just covered the small titanium pry bar I wear in a belt pouch you might be asking why i have yet another one. (on top of the WTF prybar I wear around my neck as EDC). The short answer is Two is one, One is none, and I have two hands and hate being kept out of places. 

This is the EDC Monster Pry-Bar, which was launched via a Kickstarter project. As their sixth successful project ( they make a lot of folding pen-knifes and the like). The thing that caught my eye about this tool however was  its multi-function design. It's packed full of options whilst retaining rugged construction.

Milled from a block of corrosion resistant Gr5 Titanium, the tool features a number of useful features the designers workshopped from common EDC tools.  

First and foremost the pry-bar end of the tool is dual-beveled on the top face and has a bevel on the under side too, finishing up as a 1-2mm flat edge 15mm long rather than a sharp chisel edge. Not sharp by any stretch but plenty pointy enough to cut taped boxes and packages open. 

A good sized bottle opener sits at the belly of the pry end, in front of a finger notch. The double sided beveling allows the tool to be worked-into a gap easier than if it were flat on the underside, which is handy.

 The back spine side of the tool features a swiveling, magnetised cover that turns to reveal two hex bits, a S2 Alloy Steel  Phillip's head and a flat head driver, both held in place with magnets, but easily popped out. both drivers fit the ratcheting driver ring seated in the butt-end of the tool, it ratchets in one direction only, so you flip the tool to change direction of driving.

It's worth noting that the driver bits don't lock into the ratchet driver, and need to be held in place by the user, (placing a thumb on it seemed to work fine, but worth noting) . You could swap out the drivers with others as long as they fit in the recess.

Recessed on the underside of the tool is a magnetically affixed, titanium bodied "everlasting graphite" nibbed pencil. More than just a gimmick, these pencils are very useful for always to hand writing implements, though I have found the nibs to be fragile on occasion, they do write really well and are super handy. Astute readers may have noticed one lanyareded to my other EDC pry-bar

The pencil is short (1.65")  but not unworkable so its a very useful addition and is securely held in its recess, protecting the sometimes brittle nib, when not in use. 

The very butt-end of the tool features a tungsten carbide spike to allow glass breaking and inscribing into hard surfaces. It also features a lanyard hole for fitting you favourite beads or "don't-loose-me" cords. 

As well as the well placed groves milled in for grip, there are four recessed slots (2 on front, and 2 on the back) for fitting tritium vials. But due to shipping restrictions, they were not able to provide the tritium vial, but they did will provide luminous rods as add-on options. I have yet to install these but should be a matter of applyng a dry-clear epoxy glue. The tool has a removable belt clip, but also comes with a snug kydex sheath with a belt clip. All told the tool including its bits and pencil weighs only 85g (3oz) and measures 14.2cm (5.6") x 2cm (0.82") broad. Its a nice compact tool packing a lot of utility into its small frame.

Review: titanium pry bar

Time to cover another piece of EDC that has slipped beneath my reporting radar for too long. Its no secret that i'm fond of titanium tools, they're strong, light and non-magnetic. I'm also very fond of pry-bars. Remember kids, your knife is not a pry-bar. Nor is your screw-driver. 

I've always been "the knife guy" in my circle of friends, because I always have at least a pocket pen-knife on my person. More and more these days, environments are less and less permissive when it comes to knives, so I've looked to alternatives. A quick self-audit showed me that I open a lot more boxes than I do cutting food,  and the leading edge of a pry-bar can do a number on most packing tape I've encountered. So I've added more pry-bars to my collection than knives of late. I also find myself making adjustments to equipment and storage units to make things fit more often that I am cutting things. In my search for a more perfect EDC pry-bar, I came across this listing right ebay link for this very functional tool. 

Machined from a solid billet of TC4 titanium alloy it lays 11cm long by 1.6cm wide and 1cm tall. It has a stiffening channel milled down it length on both sides a set of two crenellations at the tip end and three at the butt end as well as a deep scalloping for ergonomic grip. A lanyard hole at the butt end adds a good retention and draw option. The working end of the pry bar comes down to a symmetrical edge with a 2cm slope ending at a flat 1cm wide,  2mm final bevel. 

Its not a chisel, its a pry bar and that final edge is strong whilst being fine enough to slip in to most locations I've needed to pry up. That said, some jobs have required a little persuasion either lifting, wedging or just tapping the tool in to get that wedge started. Once started though, the tool performs nicely, lifting with the sturdy and ergonomic body. After a long period of it living in my pocket along with other elements of my EDC I whipped up a small leather belt pouch from some scraps, where it has been a handy tool for all my prying, tape cutting and even occasional flat-head screw driving need. All in a mere 45g item.

This is a lovely tool that I've enjoyed using and just nice in the hand as a fidget toy.

Review: Titaner titanium Bento Box

It's all good and well to load up with knives, axes, shovels and all manner of gadget and do-dad, but every-body has to eat. Old tin mess-kits are all good and well, light and compact, but not known for their durability or stealth.

I am very happy with my Heavy Cover canteen and mug set both as a hydration tool but also as cook-ware, so when the opportunity came to add to my titanium cookware collection in the form of the Titaner  Bento lunchbox Kickstarter. 

Pressed from food grade titanium, with titanium wire fittings, the bento box has a lid fitted with a tritan gasket inset into the rim. The lid is held in place with the two clasps at each short end. Along with the gasket, the clasps hold the lid water-tight, with a capacity of  600mL (20 1/3 oz), making it ample for cooking single serve meals as a small fry-pan or shallow pot. 120mm x 165mm x 60mm (4 3/4" x 6  1/2" x 2 1/3") 227g, (8oz). The inside is plenty big enough to carry an instant noodle packet and additions sufficient to make a decent trail-side meal. With some careful packing you could probably carry a half-dozen eggs in relative safety too. I might work on some inserts to do just that .

Speaking of cooking, the long titanium wire handle, which folds over one of the short sides, which provides a comfortable and stable handle to carry and manipulate the pan-side of the box allowing the user to adjust the pan over the fire. When using it, I have tended to clip closed the clasps in order to avoid any unwanted snagging and possible spillage.

The bottom of the pan has a slight inset bulge to reduce deformation and denting, and matches a similar bulge in the lid, allowing the pot to sit on the lid as a coaster or heat-shield. The rounded internal corners make for easy clean-up and ensure nothing gets stuck or burnt in to inconvenient spots. The gasket is easily removable for easy cleaning 

No coatings, no additional material other than the tritan gasket ring and the titanium, i'm confident that this is a healthy, resilient and robust piece of cook-ware as well as an eating surface, that also doubles as storage. The fittings don't rattle and hold it securely. I haven't yet found a pouch to slot it into but it fits into a napsack easily enough.  

Perfect size for 2-minute instant noodles ( shown here with spring onion, ginger chunks, lap cheung sausage and chilli paste.  All of which fit nicely in the box for easy transport. 

 

Review: Stilletto titanium nail puller

I do love a  good salvage. Whether it be road-side junk-swap, flea market bargain or dump-harvest the idea of junk salvage strikes a deep chord in me from both a 

post-apocalypse survivor point of view  and 80's kids sci-fi. That said, sometimes having the right tool for the job, especially if you're working with aged or non standard materials. I do like to recycle timber, for garden-beds and storage shelf construction, and getting the nails out can sometimes be a real pain, especially in well seasoned hardwood pallets.  

Previously I have made do with my pair of  demolition hammers (the Dead-On Annihilator and the Stanley Fat-MAX FUBAR) which are brute force tools, even when paired with pry tools such as Jimmy and the ever rugged Breacher bar. I've had a lot of success with this combination of tools but they're inelegant. I'm also a sucker for titanium. I know its not a miracle metal, neither mithril nor vibranium/ adamantium but its pretty rad.

Now on to the tool!

This is the original Stiletto Titanium framing nail puller with the Patented nail removal feature! In essence it is a 30.48cm ( 11.5") pry bar, made of one piece of titanium. It has an open-truss design to cut weight but retain rigidity, weighing in at 300g (8.5 Oz)

One end features a standard cloven hoof pry edge, which is quite pointy, for aggressive purchase finding, and the other end its a cat's paw, 90 degree pry bar, with a similarly pointy tined  cloven end, and a smooth, rounded fulcrum for mark-free nail-pulling. The key feature of the cats-paw end is the perpendicular dimpler. This open-ended conical protrusion is used to punch a circular indentation into the wood,below the level of the head of the nail, in order to allow either of the pry ends to find purchase and pull them out. This is achieved by centering the open end of the dimpler around the had of the nail and striking the back face with a hammer, hard enough to drive a dimple into the wood around the nail-head. 

The dimpler has an internal diameter of 1cm (0.4") which should be plenty big enough for common nails found in timber. Stiletto specifically state it be used for "common nails" only

 

The divot allows the tines of the nail pullers to be worked under the nail-head without gouging the wood too much ( divot aside). I found that for especially stubborn or embedded nails ( or punched down, or otherwise deep) that the tines can be driven in by hammering in the tool from the other end. It should be worth noting that Stilleto claim the titanium strike faces outlast steel bars 3X longer - doesn't spall, crack & mushroom like steel bars. I also use the back face of the cats-paw to drive some nails, and though it took some transfer marks, the satin matte finish was un-marred. It's a bit light to act as a hammer effectively but in a pinch, just fine. 

The open truss body is clean edged and smooth to the hand, allowing a strong grip be taken without roughing up your hand.

The shaft of the tool is slim enough to be threaded through PALS/MOLLE channels, for belt, pack or carrier  carry, but I wnt through my leather scraps bag and whipped up a quick holster with a belt loop for my use. I look forward to easy break-down of pallets and furniture for firewood or lumber needs.

Its a great tool, multi-functional, rugged and fit for purpose. 

Review: Heavy Cover canteen and mug set

 As well as lights and blades I seem to collect bottles. I like to have my own reusable and reliable hydration source to hand. In my EDC bag, my desk at work, in my car and so forth. My usual go to bottles are my wide mouth Nalgene bottles and my venerable SIGG bottle.

Each have their benefits and drawbacks. Nalgene bottles are made from the sturdy Tritan plastic. Light and shatterproof, with a high capacity and easy-fill wide-mouth. They aren't fireproof so cant be used to boil water or cook in. The SIGG bottles are aluminium with an internal plastic coating and a finely threaded cap I've found to be delicate and prone to thread stripping. The Aluminium bottles are sturdy but ding and damage easily. They also do not support cooking or boiling due to the lining.


A solution I found is the Heavy Cover US GI Style Titanium Canteen Mess Kit. Over the last  hundred years or so  the US GI style canteen mess kit has served millions of military service members as well as millions of outdoor enthusiasts. Originally made from tin, aluminium or stainless steel or plastic, the Heavy Cover model replaces this with titanium. The kit is comprised of a 37oz (1.1L) canteen with Tritan Plastic and Titanium Canteen Cap options and a nested Canteen Cup 23.7 oz (0.7L) and lid, also titanium.


Combining time tested design with the high-strength to weight ratio material results in a light weight yet durable mess–kit. Perfect for those counting grams on the trail and people who break gear, like me. Both Canteen and cup can be heated and used to boil water or cook food.

Made from 0.5 mm thick titanium,  the Canteen with Tritan Cap weighs a slight 6 ounces (172 grams) and the titanium Cup Lid weighs a mere 4.8 ounces (132 grams). As well as being exceptionally  light, titanium has the advantage of being biocompatible (BPA Free, nontoxic to the human body) provides a non-porous, non-stick material for easy clean up when cooking. being thin walled and a rapid heat conductor , less gas/fuel is needed and you get a  faster boil time than with steel or other pot materials. It is anti-corrosive and will not rust. The mug has folding wire handles to assist in cooking and handling when hot.

The titanium cap of the canteen features a wide, thick thread to ensure ease of opening and removal as well as maintaining  a tight seal and resistance to incidental damage.  The lid itself features a titanium D-loop for clipping to a belt or pack, dummy-cording or perhaps even suspending over fire to boil water (beware steam and pressure build ups!) The canteen neck and mouth are quite wide which make for easy filling and drinking. The titanium cap sits quite high above the lip of the opening, I don't know why. It is hollow and floats, unlike the tritan lid which sinks like a rock. The titanium lid has a flat-folding wire lid loop for retention or for use as a float.

The canteen has a jutting rib around its mid-line which corresponds to the lip of the cup, to seat it. when nesting the cup lid is obviously left out, but I found that any pouch i could fit the canteen and cup in will also fit the lid in the bottom, ready to deploy to be a lid your cup for bean or noodle cooking. I don't know wat purpose that rib serves, except to possibly prevent rattle between mug and canteen on maneuvers.

I found the canteen had an off-flavor from manufacturing so I needed to give it a good wash and rinse out. Kraken rum worked nicely. The mug didn't have any such problem and cooked several meals without issue, and relatively non-stick and was easily cleaned.

Over-all I am really happy with this set, they're light, rugged as all get up, cook well and not bulky at all. I really like the traditional form factor and compact design for considerable volume capacity.

Find one on Amazon here:

Review: Platatac - Tactical Crate

This just in from Platatac in a recent press release via their FaceBook page ...:
 

"After the recent unveiling by 2nd Commando Regiment during a training activity, we can proudly announce the release of our NSN'd Assaulters Milk Crate (patent pending).



Build from carbon fibre bonded with inconel this bad boy can withstand over 16kn of force, 2000 Degrees Celsius, 10 sticks of TNT and pretty much anything a triple figure digger can throw at it.

The recently declassified Assaulters Milk Crate is a team essential item. With multiple lashing points for the Tuff Tactical Quick Release


Tactical Tie Off Point (TTQRTTOP) and light weight modularity the Assaulters Milk Crate is a must for all DA's.



Supplied with Two pieces of core flute and 4 black zip ties.



Available in 3 colours. (Blackout 1000x, Tactical Tan, Killer Wolf Grey)

Weighs just 6 grams.

RRP $499.00

Available for preorder 1st April 2016"









I've noted on the forums there may well also be a Blue Force Gear force-on-force trainer in the works as well, but reports also suggest that Multicam just wont stick to the frame. It's too high-speed.

Presumably you can add other modular features, but that may well come with package inserts

 

 

 

 

I was fortunate enough to have a couple come my way as well, and can tell you though mine were pre-release (note the unreleased Blaze Orange range-officer option peeking out underneath) and a possible SF/ SASR aquatic version in Blackout there.

These are some serious pieces of kit, with numerous uses around the bunker, in the field, and for all kinds of bug-out or bug-in use. They're so tough you could even transport perishable items like milk in them!

I'm hanging out for a possible titanium version, but I'm always a sucker for over-engineering.

Review: Para TPS Pulley systems

I love paracord. I love titanium, I love pulleys, I love Kickstarter so when a titanium paracord pulley came up on Kickstarter, I knew I had to get on board. I've covered a titanium paracord pulley system before, in the Ti2 PB-9 Parabener systems which live on my daypack, just in case. However, they are pretty chunky, being loaded with other features, and might be overkill when all you need is some lifting and shifting.

That's where there the TPS system comes in. A bare bones pulley system, it's a Universal Pulley System made from grade 5 titanium and ready to be used for making work easier and putting no matter what you're doing. Designed for paracord, or any other 4mm line of your choosing.

The TPS pulley systems are available in four formats, the TPS-2, TPS-3, TPS-4 and TPS-5. the number value corresponds to the number of "sheaves" which are the wheels inside the pulleys, designed and produced by Andrew of Root Designs R&D .

Root Designs spent a lot of time determining the design and materials they wanted to use in these pulleys. The side plates and pins are made of Grade 5 titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) because of its strength and corrosion resistance. The sheaves are made of a homopolymer acetal (which is a very strong plastic that is used for bearings because of its low friction coefficient, perfect as sheaves). The clip-in retaining rings are made of stainless (304SS made by Smalley).

Some serious design and research went into the development of these. Based on using paracord with a minimum breaking strength between 250-340 kg (650-750lbs) for Type III to IV paracords, a FOS of 3 puts the maximum breaking strength (MBS) of the pulleys around 2250lbs. These values were tested on a computer using failure-and-finite-element-analysis software. Bearing in mind that most civilian paracord is type II to III, with minimum breaking strengths of 180-250kg, (550-650lbs). Doing these studies are part of why Root Designs needed support from crowdfunding.

Having gone through rounds of testing and prototyping, they have pulley systems now rated for a Working Load Limit (WLL) of 68kg (150lbs) and a Tested Breaking Strength of over 900kg (2,000lbs). What does that mean? it means the TPS is recommended for loads of around 68kg, and is known to catastrophically fail at 900kg. Given type III paracord will take at least 250kg, my money is on the TPS working long after the paracord snaps, if you're looking at points of failure.

What's the big deal with pulley's in the first place? Mechanical advantage! Anything you need to move or lift, these pulleys can offer up to a 5:1 mechanical advantage with paired TPS-5's. By setting them up in sequence, and threading paracord through the sheaves correctly, the power of simple machines can reduce the effort needed by up to 1/5th of the force needed by a single loop alone. A single pair of pulleys halves the effort, three, a third and so on.

I backed for and received a twin set of TPS-5's and also got a TPS-2 as well. They can be used in a variety of combinations, or singly depending on your situation and need. One thing to remember that with all pulley systems, your ability to lift is only as good as your weakest component. Any attachment accessories (I've used two steel S-hooks from Ikea, so useful) as well as Type 3 paracord. However you also need to take into account the features of the load, and it's ability to haul itself, as well as whatever you are mounting your load too.

The other aspect to be aware of is the length of cord used. For every sheave used, the length of "fall" between the sheaves increases. This needs to be taken into account when reeving (lacing) the pulleys.

Pulley systems mean that someone with little hands and arms, like Tactical baby, can lift this 2.5L kettle full of water, and hold it, in her non-dominant hand, and nonchalantly pose for photos before bedtime.

Here's a tidbit of information from the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Seamanship manual,
Parts of the Tackle:
a. Standing Block: The block that is anchored and is not moving. This block changes the direction of the running part.
b. Moving Block: The moving block is attached to the moving end of the rope (the end the cargo is on).
c. Fall: The fall is the rope that is rove through the block.
d. Standing Part: The standing part does not move. It needs to be secured to either the standing block or some other fixed position.
e. Hauling Part: The hauling part is the part that is pulled.

But acting as mechanical advantage gaining simple machines aren't all the TPS can be used for, you can combine these little workhorses to get other tasks done too. If you need to send some gear across a ravine, creek or river, or between abandoned buildings in a desolate wasteland, each pulley was designed so it could be used as a zip line shuttle. Setting up a static line and fitting one of the TPS's on it, with either one, two or three sheaves to spread the load over the line means you have a very stable and secure system for shuttling loads back and forth.


You could even use the spare sheaves to run pilot lines to haul back and forth, as well as for suspending your load. In other applications, you could even make a dog run, or other off-ground tethering system for pets or small people whilst out and about.

I even found that by setting the TPS-5 up in a cross-woven pattern, I could make a friction belaying zip-line, in the style of the mechanical decent RACK devices offered by Petzl


Being made from titanium, acetal polymer and stainless steel, they work great in harsh environments such as the ocean, or gritty, hot environments. They could just as easily be used on a fishing boat as in the bush. The limits to their application is really up to your imagination, and material strengths you have to work around.


One of the really nice design features is their small profiles. By using clipping retaining rings, the side profile of the pulleys stay small. The TPS-2 is5/8" x 1-1/2" x 9/16". The TPS-5 is 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 9/16".

Basically pocket sized, no matter how you put it. The pins do not stick out from the side plate as much as a nut or the head of a bolt would, which means they are far less likely to snag or catch, as well as reducing weight The TPS-5 weighs 45g (1.6oz) and the TPS-2 a mere 18g (0.6oz). Each pulley can be user-serviced if needed using common tools, and spare parts are available from Root Designs on their website. They also offer a snap-bolt which can be fitted in place of the machined pin, around the existing sheave, to offer a built-in attachment point in the place of any of the existing pins. This is an awesome addition to have designed in, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't put in for some with my pledge. However, there's nothing magic in the bolts, and it is just a matter of finding a bolt which fits, and somewhere to shackle your pulley!

 This is the kind of gadget that you probably wouldn't think to pack in your bug-out-bag on first pass, but to kit out a minimalistic problem solving swag, you could do a lot worse than including a set of TPS's to give you an advantage over your environment!

Review: MetalDreamer - PINCH multitool

Always on the lookout for new and exciting titanium pocket tools, when the Pinch tool came up on Kickstarter, I could hardly restrain myself. Given the very affordable pledge levels I didn't feel bad about chipping in, and was pleased to see an envelope arrive in the mail not too long after. Created and designed by Jeff Morin the Pinch is the smallest tool in the MetalDreamer lineup it is billed as the go-to tool when you're in a Pinch! Cute.

Packing 11 functions into its 1.5" x .5" design, the Pinch has a surprising amount of home-fixit application in mind in one little package.

With a mini pry bar, bottle cap opener, 6-mm hex wrench, wire stripper, nail puller, keychain eyelet, 1” mini scraper, hex driver bit holder, and two flathead screwdrivers. I ordered mine in metric, so it also features a 3cm ruler etched into the scraper side as well.

I opened a few bottles, pried open some tightly sealed tins, and scraped some stickers with it, and it seems to live up to its intent, but the small size makes it quite difficult to apply much torque, but you'd expect that from a tiny keychain tool like this. If you wanted a big prybar, you'd go the County Comm Breacher Bar, or the like. This is a keychain fixit tool, not a dedicated tool-box replacement.

The Pinch was on Kickstarter, and is still only available to backers it seems, but keep an eye out, and look over the other offerings from Metal Dreamer, they have some very pretty, and functional looking designs.

Review: FireCone

This is an awesome little fire-starter that I have backed on Kickstarter, and was lucky enough to receive a prototype to share my thoughts on.

The FireCone is a tunable alcohol burner that is operable for starting fires, igniting barbeques, emergency heating, or just holding a candle in style. It will burn a bunch of different liquid fuels; alcohol gel, 70% isopropyl alcohol, BioEthanol, Methanol, and denatured alcohol (methylated spirits).

The principle of the thing is that there are two pieces, the base and the cone. Liquid fuel is added to the base, and when lit, convection and conductive heat act to continually vaporise and drive the fire. The scalloped notches in both the base and the cone allow the operator to adjust the amount of air that feed inside the cone, allowing the FireCone to be tuned, just as you would a Bunsen Burner.

The internal cavity is the primary fuel reservoir but the external ring also works well, it holds around 30mL of fuel in total. The cone and the base are both textured, which both aids the wicking properties but also gives better surface area for gripping and moving it around when adjusting the flame. The cone part can even be inverted to offer even more burning surface area, but this eliminates the very specifically engineered convection currents you get when it is in its "volcano" configuration.

Here's some wood pyrochemistry for you: Wood ignites at between 190oC (374oF) and 260oC (500oF) by producing volatile gases. Around 590oC (1,100F), the volatile gases ignite when mixed with oxygen. The more oxygen a fire gets, the cleaner and hotter it burns, which is where the venting of the FireCone come in to effect.

As wood reduces to charcoal the temperature potential increases and some of the best wood stoves achieve temperatures up to 1095oC (2,000oF). As a woodstove starter the Firecone has been designed to survive those temperatures.

There are four metal options of the FireCone, bronze and titanium, investment cast in Oregon, and a high-carbon cast steel and a stainless steel model, cast in Korea. the fine investment cast detail (like a map of Oregon, the lettering on the bottom and just the quality of the finish and its unprecedented durability make it something worth admiring as art, as well as being super functional.

The biggest difference between stainless and carbon models is the rusting. Carbon models will develop a surface rust in an oxidized reddish brown pattern, whereas stainless doesn’t rust. There is always the fear with stainless steel that it could get brittle after many fire cycles, but the testers and manufacturers haven't been able to break one, nor could I.


They have been left in woodfires fire at least 50 times, run over by a truck, and then hit with a 35 ton wood splitter. Apparently with a little wire brush work or rub it in the sand the patina finish is incredible, I look forwards to seeing that myself…. but the carbon model will form surface rust. I'm going to season mine as I would any of my cast iron cookware. It may smoke a bit when I start them, but it will be cleaner to store.


Designed as a virtually indestructible alcohol burner that is tunable to start fires or make heat without smoke, soot or ash, he FireCone certainly lives up to all expectations. The fact that the adjustable inlet ports that provide tuning of the flame to various fuels and burning conditions is a real delight, and gives you considerably more control over your fire, without sacrificing the superb robustness of a two part cast metal tool. I'd barely even count it as "moving parts" as far as maintenance goes. Even with the base alone you get great utility but don't get a tunable flame. I can see it working as a base to cook off, and when inverted, the cone part might just be stable enough to use as a trivet.


As if you need to ask, why a titanium option? Being relatively light when compared to steel, it will heat up faster, and doesn't rust. Titanium withstands more heat and is more thermally stable than steel, which means if you expect to us it in arctic conditions it won't break, whereas carbon or stainless steel can become brittle and runs the risk of shattering.

Bronze is an age old, thermally stable, dense and hard material, making it perfect for rugged camp gear, but it's heavy. The four options break down into the following weights: bronze 780g (1.72lbs), the carbon and stainless (420ASTM) steels 710g (1.58lbs) and titanium a mere 400g (0.89lbs).

A couple of notes. Fire is hot, fire burns. Liquid fuels can slosh, spill and run. Running fire is bad. Always us caution with a liquid fuel and don't explode. Once it's been going the FireCone really heats up and retains that heat, so be advised when you've had it going and want to re-fuel it. The same vaporisation effect that makes it burn so cleanly, also works again t you when refuelling. Depending on your liquid-fuel, the conditions are in and the fuel wood you are trying to light, you may need to do a top up to get a really good burn going, so be aware, and be safe.




I've had a lot of fun trying mine out, burning methylated spirits mostly, but I also tried it out with a slosh of my Overproof (52%) Captain Morgan's dark spiced rum, which burnt with a delightful smell and cheerful light, but with the expected "why is the rum gone?" regrets. I started a little fire with it with no problems, and it certainly lives up to expectations.