Review: NiteIze - CamJam

I love cordage and carabiners, and always keep an eye out for new systems. One such was coming up in my social media feeds were the CamJam Cord Tightener from NiteIze Innovation. The device is simple enough. a High-Density plastic hook, with a sping-wire gated closure, a cord feed hole, and a built-in toothed cam for binding and locking the cord under tension.  This particular version of the Cam-Jam is suited to 1/16th' (2mm) to 3/16th" (5mm) cordage and its feed hole is sized to accommodate this.  It weighs only a slight 1.69oz (16.00g) and measures 2.70" (68.57mm) x 1.35" (34.30mm ) x 0.58" (15.34mm).  The cam is a tear-drop shaped piece of the same material as the rest of the clip. It has a hollow on the underside which friction lock onto a knob on the body of the clip. A tensioning bar at the rear of the clip fits into a ridge on the back of the cam, presses the cam into the body.

 

On the "back-side" of the clip where the cord feed hole (the "eye") comes out has a channel to guide the cord "downwards" away from the clip. this ensures the standing end of the cord is held in parallel with the cam. This, in turn, maintains pressure on the cam, reducing lateral slippage on the working end.  This is important as the teeth of the cam are not especially aggressive nor is the tensioning bar especially tight.

The CamJam works by having anchored cord fed through the hole and passed beside the cam where the hole is, the clip end can the be clipped onto whatever it's being fixed to. The working end of the cord can be pulled taught through the eye and "set" with the cam. 

NiteIze recommends fitting some kind of stopper-knot on the working end. and I think some kind of hitch on the bright is the best way to go, to prevent total failure, should the cam-slip. Which it does, quite a bit.

One thing I found was that the Cam Jam did assist in belaying the line in order for me to set a more secure knot in place, such as a hitch on a bight or a truckers hitch. The "eye " and feed channel feature are useful regardless of the reliability of the cam and the spring wire clip of the carabiner might be light-duty but the whole unit is. It's not climbing rated, which means you don't want to put your life on the line with it.  

Have a bundle of firewood to haul? have a tarp or tent fly to secure? This should do the job. Need to lash the escape ship to a pier? Get a heftier tool. 

The CamJam Cord Tightener features the strong plastic body of a carabiner combined with a locking cam mechanism for a knot-free way to tighten, tension, and secure light loads. The CamJam can be clipped to fixed anchor points and the cam mechanism will lock cord in place with the desired amount of tension.   There is a smaller version of the Cam Jam, the CamJam Mini is meant to be used with cord 1.8mm - 3mm. Which is to say, dummy cord, hootchie cord  and guy lines and only weighs 0.18oz | 5.00gand measuring only  a slight 1.75" (44.60mm)x 0.90" (22.63mm) x 0.37"(9.50mm) but smaller and lighter doesn't really equate to stronger and chunkier, though the smaller cam does bite quite well on the paracord.

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
• 2× 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