Review: ChinLin spade trowel

NOTE: rebranded but looks the same here: https://www.aussiestormshop.com.au/clearance-mini-hand-shovel-trowel-with-7-functions

Whether it's putting in crops, digging up a secret-squirrel cache, taking care of some business in a back-woods latrine or just some old fashioned fox-hole digging, having  a good digging tool comes in very handy and saves the old fingernails. I have a couple of folding entrenching tools in my camping/bug out kits, but even compact as they are, they can add a bit of bulk and weight. Sometimes they're even a bit too much tool for the job. A full-sized e-tool will make a big Dakota-fire hole, where a trowel sized tool would be more economical. I love multi-function tools, especially when they don't add function at the expense of the primary function. 

This little beauty is the ChinLin HW-901 spade and I originally picked a couple up on Wish.com but it looks like they are no longer sold there. I did find them on this Indonesian clone ( buyer beware). What it is is a 26.3cm ( 10 1/3") trowel with a para-cord wrapped box handle. Made from a  single piece of 420 Stainless steel, the handle has been welded along the middle of the upper face, obscured by the cord wrap. The trowel has a sharpened edge around 3/4 of its edge, with the final quarter being a serrated saw-edge. The spoon face of the tool has a nail puller cut in as well as a set of four hex-head wrench cut-outs. 

The edges aren't super-sharp but they're sturdy enough to chop with, which will be good for clearing brush, weeds or stubborn roots whilst digging. Weighing in at only 80g (2.8oz) it's not going to cut it as an axe, but it makes for a lively and light digging tool. The sharp edges and serrations do make digging through turf easy, and the tool-cut-outs don't effect digging and scooping output significantly.

There is a 7cm ruler printed on the inside of the spoon which is  a nice addition. The pressed steel has a spine ridge pressed in for stability and the tool is very stiff, which makes it very good when sawing or prying (splitting cracked wood or perhaps stone), especially handy when pulling nails with the nail puller or applying torque with the hex wrench holes. 

The cord-wrap is made of 290cm (9'6") of paracord, secured to the handle through four sets of holes drilled into the sides of the handle, and terminating in a lanyard loop at the bottom end. The handle has a slight taper which keeps the cord from sliding off either ends. 

Those side lashing holes and the hole in the spine of the spoon near the handle of the tool can also act as attachment points to fix a pole fitted into the hollow handle, either acting as a extension to the handle, or to turn the tool into a spear. 

The tool comes in a hand if pretty flimsy nylon pouch with a belt loop. I've found it very useful to have on hand when picnicking or hiking. The pouch keeps the sharp edges secure. 

I bought one for myself as a tactical hand shovel, and another for my veggie-garden planting partner. We've both put it to  good use and they've never failed us. 

Panjang Handle: 10.4 cm

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: Gobi Gear - SegSac Stuff Sack

 

Sometimes you just need to keep your gear in good order so you can ensure all the pieces you need make it from base camp to your destination and set up with  everything you need (or might need). Sometimes just jamming everything into a  bag will do but other times, some segregation really comes in handy. Initially backed on Kickstarter. but now in full production!

The innovators of Gobi Gear have come up with a solution to this need in the SegSac.Constructed of the super light, yet durable, water-resistant, rip-stop woven, 30D Cordura fabric.   Four internal compartments, sewn into the main tube, in the form of  an X shaped addition, sewn into the outside and all the way to the bottom. 

This keeps gear internally separated, yet still in one place for easy and quick access to what you need. Being sewn to the bottom means that items will not slide around and jump compartments.

The upper edge of the outer-tube body is laced with a draw-string with a cord-lock, which not only acts to secure contents but when fully open, also acts to stabilize the opening to prevent it collapsing under its own weight.

The SegSac is fitted with four compression straps to cinch it down to optimal packing size but it also provides carry handles and lashing points. The straps are fitted with clips  for ease of opening when under tension.  The base of the SegSac also features a sew in loop of nylon fabric to act as a carry handle. 

The compression straps terminate on a cap of the same nylon the SegSac body is made of and features a neck to cover the sides when compressed, adding to the security and protection of the water-resistant material. The SegSac is available in two sizes: 15 liter capacity and 20 liter capacity.

 used the SegSac in two ways: Firstly to pack clothes, and a towel ( using the segments to pack dirty/damp clothes away as they accumulate). I can fit 4 pair of socks, 4 t-shirts, a pair of pants and a mid-sized towel in it. The second thing I use it for is to stow hammock slinging straps and accessories, with 4 x 5m lengths of heavy webbing, 2x anti-theft laptop security cables (which when knotted  make very strong and abrasion resistant straps to hang from) and assorted other straps. 

NOTE: Water resistant only:  This SegSac is NOT a dry bag, but water will conveniently bead off it should it get sprayed or drizzled on.. Nor is it a heavy duty item, though it is well put together. Its most suitable for storing things inside your main pack, for ease of packing and organisation. Keep your socks and jocks clean and dry till you need them.

 

 

 

 

Review : Aerial A1 suspended tent

Its no secret that I'm a fan of hammocks and if I had my way I'd never sleep on the ground, but the inevitable sag can lead to a banana shaped sleep which some can't abide.
 Options like the fabulous and fun Tensile tents provide a flat space but need three anchor points, and more traditional hammock systems like the Sierra Madre Nube are comfortable but don't resolve the sag issue. A very exciting and innovative option is the Aerial A1 by Opeongo which I backed on Kickstarter. After the usual development and manufacturing delays, I was delighted by the end product. 

The principle of  the A1 is to form a semi-rigid cot, by stretching the four corners taut via a pair of webbing loops that are strung around appropriate supports, tree trunks or beams. This forms the base ontop of which the tent component is built. Each short end is held rigid with the inclusion of a spreader bar.
A single 7000 series aluminium pole with spreader-bar held in place with clever clasps suspend the internal mesh body and give it near vertical side-walls. The base features a bath-tub bottom and is made of 210 Denier, ripstop nylon (PU 4000) and the mesh walls features full size zippered openings on both sides.

The main feature that allows the A1 to achieve its exceptional comfort and stability is the unique, slackline inspired, suspension system. By wrapping high tensile webbing straps around a tree and pulling them back from both sides of the trunk the A1 is able to achieve a four point connection system. Using this four point system, along with tension and two spreader bars at the head and feet of the base it is able to create a sturdy, flat platform that feels similar to a high quality cot. The webbing suspension (PES (Polyester) rated to  14kN /1450 kg (3200Lbs)) also provides spring like a mattress that helps absorb movement without being tippy or bouncy. 

This flat sleeping surface provides the ability to sleep in any position, back, side or even on your front.The secret to the suspension tension is the buckle system. The AustriAlpine are rated to  15kn / 1528kg (3370lbs) and are made from ultra lightweight alloy. The system works by having a simple self-locking dual-buckle at one end's corners. This lets you set up one of the webbing straps  (6m (19'8") or 8m (26'3")) straps at one end, as a static length. The dynamic end features a pair of off-set buckles. 

This enables you to take advantage of the RollerCam fitting to tension the whole system up. To do so simply feed the webbing through the first off-set buckle on the A1 and then back to the Rollercam returning back to the second off-set buckle on the A1. This simple system 3:1 purchase creates a 4:1 mechanical advantage which is more than sufficient to create a nice taut, flat surface. Each of the webbing straps has a boldly embroidered + mark in its center to assist on centering the straps which was a nice touch. 
The removable fly is lightweight, durable, made from a  premium 40 Denier nylon and has a 1500mm hydrostatic head waterproof rating. 

The fly is completely separated from the internal mesh body by the spreader bar and main ridgepole, which  prevents condensation build up, promotes good airflow and prevents contact weeping.  The base has  a footprint of 203cm x 69cm / (80” x 27”), which is plenty big enough for me to stretch out on, even when Tactical Baby joins me. It is also no coincidence that the footprint matches a large Therm-a-Rest® mattress, which would be great insulation, let alone padding, but I found the cot-like finish very comfortable on its own. The fly open on either side or can be stretched open to form 17” vestibules. guy-lines and Y-shaped stakes are included to stake out the vestibule. The clever design of the A1 also allows for it to be used as an on-ground tent, with four Shepherd Hook stakes to stake out each corner. Its peak height is 90cm (35”), which is plenty high enough to sit up in.
Inside the tent there are three well placed pockets to hold all your needfuls. Two medium size pockets on either end and one 'sky" pocket in the ceiling that is the perfect place for putting your head lamp to light up the tent at night, or an iPad to watch a movie. None of these pockets are heavy duty, and the outside attachment points work better for hanging a bottle, or your boots but for glasses, a flashlight or devices, they work perfectly. 

The system as a whole, packed down measures  67cm x 13cm (28” x 5”) in its slingable stuff case and weighs 2.70kg (5lbs 15oz) for the full system, or cut down to 2.45kg / (5lbs 6oz) for a slung trail set, or 1.86kg (4lbs 1oz) for a ground-based set up. Leaving out the stakes, straps and roller-cams cuts weight, crucial when ounces mean pounds. 
 This shelter is very easy to set up and only takes about 6 minutes. (once you get the suspension buckles sorted out. )The A1 makers state it will be stable on trees with a diameter as small as 5”, though they recommend using healthy trees with a 7” - 25” trunk. I set it up on painted 5"x5" beams with no trouble. The standard webbing provided allows the tent to be set up between two trees spaced 10’ - 25’ feet apart. For trees spaced 10’ - 16’ apart the webbing will completely encircle the tree for maximum hold. I recommend using the long webbing lengths at the Roller-cam side, for maximum cinching length. 

The A1 has a suspended capacity of 200kg (440lbs) so you probably wouldn't store your gear in there with you, but OpeonGo offer an under-slung gear hammock to keep up to 27kg (60lbs) of things off the ground, yet easy to reach (it doubles as a vestibule ground mat in the un-suspended set-up). They also recommend not setting the A1 up any higher than waist high, for ease of entry and safety. A good rule of thumb is never to sling a hammock higher than you're willing to fall. The 5" high tub walls of the base provide a good support in the event of leaning or rollovers in the night. I've found it to be very stable, even in high winds and with the fly staked/ pegged down, very rain resistant. 

The Aerial A1 can also  be pared with the A1 Underquilt to provide maximum warmth for winter camping.

This is a great system, light, comfortable and versatile. I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking for an off-ground option. Outstanding design and top notch engineering.