Home Front: Brewing

One of the things I love doing over summer is home-brewing. Humans have been brewing for millennium, and it is a really good way to make use of simple raw materials and make something special. The fermentation process (if done well) will produce sufficient ethanol as a waste product of the yeast doing the fermenting, to kill a significant proportion of potentially disease causing microbial contaminants that may also exist in the water and produce.

Ethanol as many of you will know has a pleasing effect on the human physiology, and I heartily enjoy it, and the carbonation that can also be achieved. This is the home-brew kit that I have, (this is a similar kit, my original brand lost to antiquity). It has served me well. Honey & water mead, ginger cordial, ginger pulp & water beer, ginger beer kit beer, apple cider kits have all worked well for me, but this time I wanted to give it a go with more raw-materials.

I

I went with the $2 2L bottles of apple juice and $2 jars of apple sauce I saw at Aldi
and regular dried bakers yeast (gasp if you will, brewing aficionados, but its never done me wrong), which I "started" in half a pint-mug of warm water with 3-4 tablespoons sugar dissolved in it. I cleaned the fermenter, and all the parts, with the manufacturer approved sodium metabisulfite steriliser. Be aware, this produces a very irritating gas, and will set off asthmatics, but it does a really good job at giving a food-grade clean to your kit, bottles and also to act as a medium to fill the bubble-valve. I have also never bothered to measure the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_%28alcoholic_beverage%29of the mixture I am brewing with, to determine the fermentation end point and to calculate the alcohol content, preferring a more rustic "it stopped bubbling much, and tastes good" method. Not very scientific, but in this instance, I depart from my scientific training as a microbiologist, and go with the spirits of my ancestors. Once it is done, I'll be bottling it in the recycled Grolsche bottles that I've been collecting for years.

Review: Oscar Delta - SERE V cutter

My good pal Spencer of SAR Global Tool send me a link to a some buddies of his, who are stocking his SOLAS Dog Tag Signal Device I also reviewed while back. So I headed over to their site and checked them out.

That company was Oscar Delta SPD, based out of the UK and they specialise in products to aid and assist in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape .
This little piece is the SERE Black Ops "V" Cutter.


It is a wearable, lightweight cutting piece that can be worn on or around the body, around the neck, attached to keys,
concealed in your boots (OscarDelta SPD suggest in the top lace hole). OscarDelta SPD make a paracord survival bracelet which includes an elastic sheath to secure and hide the cutter.

At only 3g, this is an ultralight tool, and measures only 5cm x 1.3cm x 0.5mm. The cutting edges of the tool are formed by two razor blades riveted into a V shape to the steel body. 

 Even though it it light, the two blades are reported to cut webbing, seat-belts, seven strands of 550 paracord, duct tape, cable tie plasti-cuffs. This is not a hardened and toughened tool like the Gerber strap cutter but it doesn't have to be, this is a bare-bones escape tool. 

To use the cutter, being so small, it is positioned over the cord or strapping to be cut and pulled through using the lanyard hole and the supplied cord. It is too small a tool to really get much purchase on by itself, but any cord, or a keyring will do. 



I found that after some cutting, a number of fibers jammed between the cutting edges and pried them open a little. Being razor thin, this is inevitable, as the steel flexes. 

This isn't an every-day tool, but it is what it is, a secret escape tool, and I have no doubts as to its ability in that circumstance. 

Wish-Lust: ITS Skeletonised Bottle Holder

A while back ITS Tactical (of which I am a subscribed "Crew Leader", always glad to support a forward thinking group like these folks) posted their trial launch of a new product that really caught my eye. In a recent newsletter and subsequent posts they have announced that their ITS skeletonized bottle holder is now on general sale! I'm hoping that my contacts at HorNest will get some in...

Here's what ITS have to say about it:

• Lightweight Skeletonized Construction Weighs 2.7 Ounces!
• Double Layered Webbing with Strategically Reinforced HDPE
• Slipnot Textured Pull-Tab for Non-Slip Grip
• Adjustable 1/8" Shock Cord for Multiple Bottle Neck Sizes
• Three Levels of Height Adjustment for Multiple Container Sizes
• True One-Handed Container Deployment
• MOLLE/PALS Attachment Also Adaptable to Various Belt Sizes
• Color Matched Webbing and Loop
• Available in MultiCam, Coyote Brown and Black
• Hand Made in the USA using American Materials and Labor

MOLLE and belt compatable, adjustable to fit a variety of bottle sizes and shapes, with three points of adjustable shock-cord attachment, the ability to sling your bottle upside-down and bombproof construction. Whats not to like?


So, another collaboration between ITS Tactical and Zulu Nylon Gear, much like their also very cool (and wish-lustful) ETA Trauma kit. I have already commented on how much I like and am pleased with the Zulu Nylon Gear CAOS Admin pouch and the really cool MOLLE car visor sock, but this bottle bolder really appeals as well. I've been very happy with my Platatac FUP pouch, to hold my 1L SIGG bottle, but this is a purpose built piece, and is totally wish-lustable.

Review: SparxGear - Fire Piston

This is a very interesting item I backed through Kickstarter, and is a modern take on the Fire Piston, which is to say, a means of igniting tinder without spark or friction, but rather by rapid compression of air. The principle is that when a well-sealed piston is driven into a cylinder, with a portion of tinder at its tip, the rapid compression of air will drive the temperature of the space at the end of the piston to around 260°C (500°F). This is sufficient to ignite tinder, and you can use it to light a fire.

Eric Gilger started his Kickstarter to build a fire-piston, and I was all for it. The SparkxGear piston is the fire piston is 15cm (5 5/8") long with a 1.6cm (5/8") diameter. It weighs around 65g (2.25 oz) but the weight can vary slightly with additional slot rods, tinder and O-rings held in the storage capsules. There are three slots cut into the side which hose a magnesium (for emergency, thermite tinder), a Ferrocerium rod and a steel rod (fire-steel). The rods are kept in place by the pressure release-valve plug, at one end, which features a storage compartment (for tinder and replacement o-rings for the piston seal). The piston also has one of these compartments in its tip as well.

The piston is operated by placing some tinder (a supply of charcloth is provided) into the cup at the end of the piston, and, once the pressure release-valve end is tightened, and the piston seated, the piston-rod is driven into the shaft, and withdrawn rapidly, to ignite the tinder. This is trickier than it sounds, and I took a long time to get it right. Some lube on the shaft is needed, as its a really tight fit, the whole piece is very well engineered.

But here are a couple of shots of my ignited tinder, gently glowing, and flaring when blown upon, ready for sparkless fire-starting! This is a really cool piece of kit, but one that requires some significant practice to be dependable.The added magnesium, ferrocerium and steel rods, as well as the additional in-cap storage really makes the piece special, a lot of thought was put into these, and I will be looking out for Eric's next projects avidly.

Video Review: United Cutlery M48 RangerHawk

This is me testing out the United Cutlery M48 Rangerhawk which I reviewed recently.

Hope you enjoy watching me chopping, piercing and hacking!

Click image to go to Think Geek's store

Review: Altama Tan Desert MilSpec boot

 

Pristine boot pic, lifted form Altama's website. Mine are LONG since wrecked :)

I thought I should give my trusty boots a fitting send off. I've worn Altama Desert Boots for a number of years, my current pair having been with me since at least 2005, when I was taken out bunny-hunting and have stains from that event that I never buffed-out.

I've worn these extensively during the hot half of the year here in Melbourne (I wear boots all day, every day, unless I am barefoot) and have never had a complaint with the fit or function.

From the ground up, the Panama pattern Mil Spec Vulcanized Rubber has been grippy on road and rough terrain, I really like the Panama patter, it sheds mud, gives purchase when clambering and wears well.

Over the sole, is a heat-barrier, to keep the burning-hot sand, rock and road from radiating up into delicate feet, and is topped by a removable cushioned polyurethane innersole. I had to replace mine a few times, just because of the amount of wear they got. Inside the boot is lined with Coolmax® aiding in wicking and keeping my feet dry and comfortable. The outers are a combination of tan suede and Cordura material, and the boots top off with a padded collar, maxing out at 9" high.

The boots have a nylon coated brass "Speedhook/Eyelet" lacing system, which really performs well, reducing snags and aiding in speedy lacing, even when I put these paratrooper/ ladder laces on them. These were the boots I wore whenever going camping, doing Stargate Lasertag LRP, training for and running the Tough Mudder, and recently, the Stampede. Even prior to the Tough Mudder, they developed a tear down one side, which I attempted to patch, but alas, the conditions of the events and the amount of pounding they got have finally spelled the end for this beloved set.

Compare the "as new" pictures with the tread pattern wear, and you'll get an idea of how much use these boots saw.

These were great boots, but now they are destined for the Happy Hunting Grounds, and I will be on the hunt for a new set of boots. Any suggestions for summer-boots? Or should I stick with tried and true?

Wish-lust: BioLite CampStove

In the lead up to the Hurricane Sandy landfall that hit the US East coast hard over Halloween 2012, I saw a great looking multi-function stove come past my friends feed, and it immediately took my interest. This is the BioLite Camp Stove and here's why I want one.

 The photo below shows a bunch of power-deprived NYC folks charging their phones at a  street-side kiosk running several of these stoves.

http://biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-stories/camp-stories-all/biolite-team-on-the-ground-after-hurricane-sandy.html

The stove itself is pretty simple.  With a packed height of 21cm (8.25") and 12cm (5") wide, weighing 935g  (2 lbs 1 oz) It is built to burn sticks, pine cones, pellets, wood chips, or other lightweight, small fuels and the frame will support a bot of up to 3.6kg  (8 lbs) or 3.6L (1 gallon) of liquid.
The real magic however, is that the orange module on the side is a thermoelectric generator.

As well as being fast to boil (a reported 4.5 minutes to boil 1 liter of water) the fire has a calculated 3.4 kw (lo) 5.5 kw (hi) peak output, which the thermoelectric generator can output via USB as Max continuous: 2W @5V, Peak: 4W @5V which apparently is sufficient power to charge and run most USB-chargeable devices including smartphones, GPS units, flashlights and the like.


Some reviewers have noted that these aren't especially efficient and I am looking forwards towards my first venture in this regard, with my tPOD1 Kickstarter on its way soon ... but the large scale BioLite, combining both power generation and cooking facility in one, sparks a distinct interest in my multifunction wish-lusting!