Review: L10 flashlight

I love flashlights and always like having extras on hand, following the "two is one and one is none" philosophy. pocket and palm sized lights are even better, as they can fit into small packages, and be used in variety of settings. I especially like small lights that I can throw, drop behind a bookshelf or wedge into a crack to illuminate a workspace. I have a collection of these as part of my EDC, including the previously covered bullet-02-smallest-edc Lumintop Tool AAA Jenyx UV and an as-yet unreviewed Four Sevens Bolt action penlight

This particular addition is the L10 Twisty from L3-Illumination Lumintop. It is a lightweight(at just 20g (0.7oz) without battery flashlight, featuring a Cree XP-G2 9R5) LED with lifespan of 50,000 hours and it takes a single 1.5V AA battery (ni-mh, alkaline). It's reported that rechargable high-performance 14500 batteries are not recommended because they heat up quickly.

Constructed from durable aircraft-grade aluminum with a Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish to house the toughened double ultra-clear glass lens it is waterproofed to IPX-8 Standard. It measures just 79mm(length)x17.1mm(dia) for a very convenient pocket addition. I have mine attached via the end-cap lanyard hole to a short cord and thus attached to a house-key. Ease of entry for those dark night returns.

The L10 is activated by a twist switch set into the body of the light around the 2/5 mark of the body. Twisting the head of the L10 engages the first of four modes of action. The four modes activated by turn and re-return the head of output are as follows: Firefly (0.09lumens brightness with 147 hours duration); Low (3 lumens, 30hrs ); Medium (30 lumens); High (120 lumens, 1.5hrs duration) (when tested with Ni-mh battery with actual capacity 2500mAh).

It features a stable current regulated circuit, providing stable brightness throughout use. Unlike many flashlights of this type, it has no mode memory, always starts on lowest mode. Just tighten and loosen the head to switch between modes. Its flat base, and lanyard cutaways allows the light to be placed on its end to move into its practical candle mode.

The head end comes right off by unscrewing to replace the battery which is something you need to bear in mind when switching modes and also using the light in wet situations. It has a rubber- o-ring to seal it but once over-unscrewed the head can just fall right off, exposing your internals, dropping your battery and shutting of the light all in one annoying "ker-plunk".

All in all the L10 makes a very useful little light, great for those "i dropped my "X"-in the foot-well of the car", "where's the damn key-hole" and "what's under the couch?" moments in which a larger more powerful light would be overkill. Solidly made, functional and convenient, the L10 is welcome addition to my janitor-grade bundle of keys.

Review: ZU Grunt

ZU Bladeworx Australia

I'm a sucker for a well made blade, and it's always hard to turn down an opportunity to add to my collection. I've been a fan of the ZU Blaadeworx knives or a long time and was already a proud owner of their Mekanix which lives in my IPad bag and goes most places with me as part of my EDC loadout. A friend loaned me his FFSK to review and it was sweet piece too. I've been lucky enough to follow along in the ZU Nation facebook group which is where other ZU owners congregate. This is where newreleases are announced and the pre-orders are advertised.

As the ZU Bladeworx business case revolves around small batches of blades being made and selling-out almost before production beginning, the best way to lay hands on a new one is to monitor the upcoming releases. So, when I saw the Grunt coming up, I thought I'd splurge a little and put my deposit down for a pre-release. A few weeks later and some production shots later, the "round 2" payment came due, and I started getting excited.

Once I had it in my hot little hands I was immediately impressed with its heft. At 220g (7 3/4 oz) it fits nicely into the niche the MSM-KA-BAR MSM-001 makes, size wise, whilst being a little less aggressively built. Sometimes you can have too much knife. The Grunt's skeletonised handle reduces the overall weight but maintains a lively balance and also allows for a variety of cord-wrapping options. The finger grips were not unlike those in the Mekanik, which were nicely finished so as not to tear up the naked hand.

The lines of the knife are very simple, almost plain, but that lives up to the Grunt name of the blade. Another similarity to the Mekanik is the grove running down the flat face of the blade on either side. This reduces the weight and would ad stiffness, on a longer blade, something the Grunt is in no danger of needing. its 6.5mm blade thickness is not playing around. This isn't a scalpel, its a pig-sticker. Like all ZU Bladeworx blades, it ships with wicked keen edge. Milled from high grade tool steel Cryodur 2379
 [D2] and then black nitride treated, after hardening to a Rockwell of 58-59HRC. these are hard-wearing blades.
I'm not one to abuse my knives, and save from an occasional battoning I see a a knife like this as a cutting, slicing and chopping tool. If you need a pry-bar, or a hammer, get one! That said, once I mounted the Grunt to my hiking and adventure "battle-belt" with its supplied updated Blade Tech Tek Lok spring-loaded locking belt fitting. I've used the older Tek Lok and this was a marked improvement, nicely paired with the knife and its kydex sheath.  It was so comfortable I went out shopping a couple of times with it on my belt not even realising. I managed not to land in any legal trouble, but thankfully no one at the hardware store cared I was sporting a hefty fixed-blade on my hip. That is actually a good point. for all its mass, he Grunt is not a large knife. It's a sensible size for sensible jobs. I take it camping and frequently do some camp-craft with it. not only food-prep but whittling and kindling making, I've also used it for crafting pot hooks and fire-tending sticks.

The blade features jimping on the spine and a notch forwards of the guard to allow the user to choke up the grip for fine work.

Here's a little bit about ZU Bladeworx, because  I think they're a really  interesting company with some important and relative contacts: They are an Australian owned an based manufacturer of Close Quarters Combat equipment and are a trusted manufacturer to the Australian Army. They have an ADF issued Roman Vendor Number.

They work closely with Australian CQC experts including Paul Cale and Ray Floro, both who are internationally renowned hand to hand combat experts. Paul and Ray are both CQC subject matter experts to our own Aussie Army and foreign allied armies.
Their products are either made in Western Sydney, NSW or North Brisbane, Queensland. All our products are legal under NSW and Queensland state weapons laws for civilian ownership. "Legitimate reason for carriage" is an important phrase. 
Most of their knives are limited edition and include the following;

There is an active collector community with a brisk buy/sell/trade philosophy in case you particularly want to get in on the action.

These are a solid, no frills, hardy blade, good for hard use as well as delicate and fine tasks. Deliberately engineered and superbly finished, these striking blades are both a collectors delight and a prepper's mainstay.

Review: Jimmy and Chappie

Sometimes, you really just need the right tool for the job, especially if that job involves bashing things or breaking things. Sometimes it's a pesky padlock you lost the combination for and can't manage to shim open. Sometimes it s a pallet of wood you're recycling and need to cut the rusted nails out of. There are lots of different reasons having a set of bolt-cutters or a small crow-bar for. I'll leave the glorious details up to your imagination. Importantly, sometimes these jobs are called for away from your workshop or bunker. Which is when smaller, portable versions are called for. that's when tools like my "Jimmy" and "Chappy" come into play. I have a full-sized set of bolt-cutters (seen sheathed in my SORD 870 Back Scabbard here) and a collection of pry bars big and small all the way up to a whopping huge 1650mm Cyclone fencing post Eagle bar.

So the addition of a short, 18" Plumb wrecking bar which I've nicknamed "Jimmy" after one of the traditional names for a crow-bar, to go along with the seriously beat up and battle-worn "Chappie" bolt cutter. Both tools I rescued from a nana-garage sale a while back. Why "Chappie" you may ask? Because "Chappie can no do crimes".

 Jimmy is a 18" Wrecking Bar made by Plum, and features a goose-neck at one end and an angled chisel end at the other end. This allows you to pull, pry and straighten, with the angled chisel end good for prying and lifting, the goose-neck end is slotted for pulling nails. The length of the bar is hexagonal in cross-section, making it possible to attach a shifter or a wrench to it to for extra torque, should you really need to pop something open. Constructed from forged high carbon steel, Jimmy and bars like Jimmy can and have taken a beating. Hammered between planks of a pallet ,and stomped on to pop a plank up, even used as an impromptu hammer utilizing the flat face of one of those hexed-sides to drive home tacks or loose nails. I've found the 18" Jimmy offers more than adequate leverage for the tasks I've put it to.



Jimmy has a very hefty weight to it, thanks to its forged carbon-steel construction, which is a boon, but not too much of a burden to carry around in a pack or in the back of a vehicle. I've experimented with carriage options on both my battle-belt and LBE vests too, but am not yet satisfied with both secure, quiet and accessible options. Ideally I'd like to be able to reach back and whip it out to pry a door or pop a zombie in the head, one handed, but if it's in bag or on my back, I'd have to get a buddy to help me out. Not getting hung up on things is also important, especially in a search and rescue or salvage situation and I will end up with a "Medium speed, acceptable drag" option in the end.

Chappie has had a much harder life and bears the scars of years of neglect and abuse. His cutting hammers are dinged and chipped from ill-use, there is rust and crud worked into his recesses and workings. The rubber of his handles is cracked and broken of in many spots, bare metal showing through, and there is a post-fulcrum adjustable nut and post that act to limit over-bite on the cutting hammers. The nut needed a little WD40 and a wrench to loosen but once loose, It was possible to adjust the limiter to allow a better cutting action from Chappie with his compound hinges. The damaged hammers are hardened so are really difficult to repair, resistant to filing as they are. I have been able to do few minor cuts with Chappie, clipping exposed nails in salvaged timber and cutting chain links for home maintenance jobs, but the damage is inconvenient.

Bolt Cutters typically have long handles and short blades, with compound hinges to maximize leverage and cutting force. They can yield upwards of 20 kilonewtons (4,500 lbf) of cutting force for a 250 newtons (56 lbf) force on the handles. Given this, I feel I'm missing out on prime cutting power with the chips and dings in Chappie's teeth. An upgrade to a first-hand cutter may be in order. That said, by adjusting the post-fulcrum nut and having a go at the worst of the deformations to make it workable, but I suspect it would require power tools and re-tempering to get it back to prime condition.

As with Jimmy, Chappie's small size makes it very portable and easily stowed in a pack, back pocket or in a suitable pouch. Being able to quickly and quietly cut chain, cut chain link fences or locks could be very useful in a disaster situation, where search and rescue or salvage might be hampered by bigger, heavier tools.


Again, don't be doing Crimes!

But. Have the right tools available to you you to do what needs to be done. Practice and get to know the limitations and abilities of your tools, and practice caring them to get a good setup in place.

Review: "Rambo" mini machette

One of the self-appointed stoke rehab tasks I set myself was to clear some of the backyard jungle, to make way for an over-arching clean-up we badly needed. Normally for brush-clearing I would turn to my Ontario Blackwind, or perhaps one of my other-mid-ranged sized blades, or even turn to my petrol powered brush-clearer, but I wanted to get some physical exercise and didn't want to be swinging long-blades round where there were metal-posts and the like in there field of fire.

As it happened, I had had this particular blade sitting on the shelf, never used. The backyard jungle is clogged with morning glory vine. It's a fast growing and tenacious vine and needs a fair mount of chopping to get through it. I thought this would really do the trick. Weighing in at 1.25kg (2.75 lbs) with an overall length of 37 cm (14.5"). The blade makes up a hefty 20cm (8") of that.

See the rest of the article here on Breach Bang & Clear!

As a heavy-use tool, the "14" RAMBO TACTICAL Combat Survival FIXED BLADE KNIFE  Bowie Hunting Machete

Boots On, Eyes On: Glovax MP Magic socks

Everyone loves a good pair of socks. Your feet will not only thank you, it can literally put a pep in your step and make a difference in your effectiveness.
Regular socks, be they woolen, cotton or more exotic materials like bamboo, are a big step up from nylon or acrylic blend, especially when it comes to smell. However, science has advanced and offers some other alternatives.
After a sweaty workout, long travel, or in the morning, you'll definitely appreciate the difference a pair of clean dry socks makes, even more so if they're comfortable and not stinky. Speaking of comfortable, non-stinky socks, the clever minds behind Glovax gloves would like to introduce their MP Magic socks, which they claim are the "world's best odorless socks".

These socks are made from some very unique materials. The fabric is infused with not one, not two, but three antimicrobial metals: silver, copper, and zinc, because multiple metals can kill multiple types of odor and disease-causing microbes. Silver is known as a great antibacterial meta used in everything from bandages to homeopathic potions, copper can also kill bacteria and is a key component of many enzymes, and zinc can reduce bacterial loads and thus odor too!
This three-metal-infused technique takes existing techniques to the next level by layering them for increased coverage and effects.
I wear boots all day, every day, which is pretty rough for any sock. I hike, train and work in my boots. During winter, I like to leave my socks on because I'm very tall and my feet stick out of the covers. Even with daily sock changes and foot washing, that takes a toll. I received a pair of these socks and decided to try out the same pair for a week to see how they'd hold up. I chose the ankle socks because I was purely interested in the foot effects, and they were great!

With these functional fabrics, you can take off your shoes without any hesitation over worrying about their smell. After a week's worth of almost constant wear, including a four-hour hike and a few hours of Viking training, my feet felt great and smelled pretty good too. The socks are breathable and even when my feet got hot and sweaty, a quick pullout and wave-around both cooled and dried them. I think that comes down to the metal infusion of the fabric, but the design and cut of the sock certainly come into it. More than just a modern miracle textile, Glovax specially designed the socks at the toe and heel area to perfectly match the human foot shape, which makes that part super breathable and durable!

With their metal-infused fabric, these socks are designed to transfer heat more efficiently and be more durable! Odorless, comfortable, antibacterials, super durable and breathable, I gave them a pretty solid thrashing and they bounced back well.  They work well as advertised, and are comfortable and resilient day after day.
OF NOTE: The Glovax team just finished a campaign about a set of rugged cool work gloves which are also well worth checking out.

Curated ReBlog: South Korean threat from North Korea

I'm going to be spotlighting some of  my fellow bloggers in addition to my own content to spread some love. First up is from Unprecedented Mediocrity by Jeff Edwards  who shares some opinions on "better them than us" with regards to the North Korea vs South Korea questions:

Check it out here:

http://www.unprecedentedmediocrity.com/nothing-wrong-south-korea-taking-brunt-north-korean-war/

"Or I will Bring Fury and Fire Like You Have Never Seen Before Upon You"
-POTUS

Review: Light'n'Go bonfire log

Its log, its log, its heavy hard, it's wood, not new from Blamo.

Here's an interesting product from Light'n'go
that I saw whilst visiting my local Bunnings for  gardening supplies and tools. Bear with me. This is  a weird one. What I saw was a round of a log, 1/4Cu foot / 7.1L /  430 cu cm in size, with  length of sisal rope bolted on as a carry handle. It has a series of radial cuts in the log through its center and along is flat end surfaces in order to make combustible surfaces.

The Bonfire Log is new, unique, and the "most extraordinary innovation in firewood of our time". Put it virtually anywhere and create a beautiful bonfire with one match. No chemicals, just pure kiln dried beautiful white birch, with a paperboard firestarter, with its patent pending design, delivers a great fire and an instant good time. Bonfire Logs can be enjoyed in a fire pit, chimnea, or fireplace, indoors or out. Light'n'Go suggest you can take them camping, cook marshmallows or hotdogs on a stick, or drop a frying pan on the log for eggs.
 It's year round instant entertainment, never easier or cooler.

The cuts are crude chainsaw plunges and could be easily replicated by any skilled operator and the concept of the Swedish or Finnish fire log   is widely known. Take a log, and use a saw to cut at least 3/4 of the way down the length of the log. Adding kindling to these cuts allows a fire to be lit inside the log, which both allows the fire to burn surrounded by fuel but also shelters the fire and insulates it. the cuts allow air into the fire from it base as well as the sides, ensuring  good steady burn. The raised base allows the fire to be lit on wet, or snowy ground, and if both ends are properly flat, the top can be used as a cooktop, where a grill could be placed, or a pan placed.

This could even be enhanced with  the addition of a purpose  built grill-top such as the Sportes MITI grill.

Back to the Light'n'Go log: It is reported to be suited to both indoor and outdoor fireplaces. apparently it can be successfully lit with just 1 match and then would burn for more than 1.5 hours while the bonfire jumbo log burns for about 2.5 hours.

Lacking accelerants, the all-natural, fire-log, being kiln dried birch, lights with one match, burns 2.5 hours produces a large halo, a clean flame, and a charming aroma.

The Light'n'Go log is  a commercial product you can pick up at a hardware store, but you could make your own easily enough if you have dried seasoned logs and you're a deft hand with a chainsaw. However, if the plunges or cross cuts seem a little too much, a similar effect could be achieved by simply splitting the log with an axe four ways, and binding it with a length of wire to hold it together in much the same way as the Sportes MITI grill.

 I have a couple of logs in my fire woodpile that are flat ended and will see about cross-cutting one with a hand saw to give this a try myself but as an eyes-on, it looks like the Light'n'Go bonfire log is a very simple, easy to use and effective looking product. but its nothing you couldn't do yourself, given skills and simple materials. ust like baking bread or sewing pants. Before you scoff at its simplicity and redundancy, consider the utility and convenience. Time not spent setting up a good fire is time spent securing your site, food prep, setting camp and doing vital gear and personal maintenance.