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. 

review - Kogalla battery

I'm a fan of my electrical gadgets, and with that comes the need to keep them charged on the go. whether it be in transit, on the trail, out cutting wood or doing chores, I like to listen to my tunes, stay in touch with the news and my feeds and all of that takes electron juice. 

I have a collection of batteries, from simple vending machine ones to those that came as bonus to some of my solar chargers like the Kogalla solar bank I recently covered.

I've covered some of my battery collection as well in the Limefuel by Limeaid . 
But, this new one is very nice. The  Kogalla BatPak 2 is a rugged, rechargable storage bank. Designed specifically to power the Kogalla RA Adventure Light, it also does a great job charging phones.

Built with  a whopping 48,580 mWh charged by a 5V, 2.1A Micro USB port. Outputs are by 3 5V 2A USB ports. which can be run simultaneously, for a 3.7V/13,400mAh capacity

Compared to the vending -machine issued Promate charger ,with only 10,000mAh with a 5V 1A and 2A dual outputs. The power dense Kogalla BatPak 2 is wallet sized and fits nicely in a pocket.


With its triplicated power outputs, and compact size, the BatPak 2 is a remarkably portable and powerful tool to keep your gadgets and devices charged on the go.

The protective case is simple and simple, with a single texture and  few extrusions, high- speed, low drag indeed!

I keep it charged up and couple it with a rugged Lightning cable to keep my iPhone charged. It usually sits in a side pouch of , my EDC pack the Mystery Ranch 1DAP but it just as easily sits in cargo pocket of pants or tucked away in my Hazard4 Escape RG harness.

Review: Small Australian Business - Strategic Threat Solutions

Earlier in 2017, a new kid showed up on the tactical gear block when Strategic Threat Solutions was launched in the Australian marketplace. I knew the primary owner from his vocal support and membership with ZERT and online, so when I realized they were ramping up I thought it would be a good time for an interview to scope out what they're all about. As first seen on Breach, Bang & Clear!. 

Unfortunately tragedy struck earlier his year when the primary owner and my contact there was killed in an altercation with police. I'm not going to comment on the matter, but the business as a franchise in Australia ceased to exist at that point. 

Apocalypse Equipped would like to express its sympathy to the families of all involved and wish speedy recovery to all those involved.

What is STS?
Strategic Threat Solutions (STS) is a multi-dynamic business with its core focus on the tactical urban survival/preparedness market. We have three core areas which work in tandem with each other; those core areas are our retail, membership and training divisions. What started out as an Australian business has grown internationally into the US and Europe, including key strategic partnerships. Everyone involved believes in what we are trying to achieve, that is collectively having like-minded individuals changing mindsets and teaching people to think outside the box and become more situationally aware of the changing world we step foot into each day. We are trying to shake loose the chains of "the crazy doomsday preppers" and show people that being a "prepper" isn't all tin foil hats and conspiracy theories. It's a way of life. Most people are preppers and don't realize it. And that is why STS transformed from an idea into a business. We are the new kids on the block, but we are here to stay. 
 
That's the kind of grounded and thought-out philosophy I like to hear in a business plan.
Side note: I wonder how many RFID blocking wallets it takes to make a tin-foil equivalent hat?
 
When did you form?
STS formed unofficially well over two years ago when Nick, Rob and myself would discuss at length gear, training and ideas. We all met through another group, we are all members of the Z machine (Zert). It was through this group that we connected with other like-minded individuals who shared our passions. From there things started to grow. In March 2017, we officially launched STS to the Australian consumer.

It takes time to get a business up and running and build a dependable team. It sounds like STS have got themselves pulled together.
 
Who is your core team?
Our core team is Josh, Nick, Rob and another still active current serving ADF member who at this time will remain nameless given his working environment. We also have international partners who we will introduce at a later time. It's safe to say the reaction and support we have received internationally has shocked us. And we are bringing people on board to help assist us with our membership and training divisions overseas. 

 OPSEC is important, boys and girls.


Who are your core audience and target market?
Our core audience and the targeted market is the tactical, survival/preparedness sectors. But while the focus is there, we are keenly aware that this market is not "mainstream" here in Australia. We have noticed the trend shift as people realize we live in crazy times and being prepared to support and look after your family during a disaster is paramount.

Spot on for me, and one can only hope that as the idea becomes more mainstream, it will be easier and easier for us to source and share our interests.


What can you tell me about your American division, how are the two different?
Our American partner specializes in personal protection, medical and emergency crisis management. They play a vital role in our US market and will facilitate training to our members in the US once our membership division is up and active. They will also help assist our team in gaining certification in training practices that we can deliver here in Australia not only for our members but also when our training division begins to roll out packages to external agencies etc.
 
 I can hardly wait to get professional training to build on my self-taught skills. Having a go-to source for trainers and training is just what we need.


What do you plan to bring to the community that is currently missing?
We have noticed and looked at what is currently in the Australian marketplace, and while we will have similar products available to our customers we are going to focus on two main things providing quality gear at a reasonable, cost-effective price and specialized custom gear that suits each customer. While we - as a small business here in Australia - may not have the buying power of some of the larger companies, we work very closely with our suppliers to provide the best possible price and gear and reach out to custom makers to provide that right piece of gear. We enjoy working with other small businesses worldwide in finding that perfect piece of kit that people are after. Now with that said, while we supply the gear, we are working hard to supplement the equipment with training so people not only get the gear but the training that goes with it to help them understand just what it is used for. It's certainly a long process but we have measures in place and some experienced personnel on board to make it become a reality.   

With an outline like this, products with appropriate training as a one-stop shop, STS can position itself to leverage a whole lot of focus in the community. Good for them, better for us.
 
What do you see as your signature traits, skills, products?
Certainly, our signature trait, skills, and products will be in the urban survival/preparedness market. We have been lucky enough to get some fantastic support from the US with some of the world's best gear providers and manufacturers, namely Imminent Threat Solutions. Their urban survival gear is second to none, and it's just one of the companies we are excited to work with and to bring their gear to the Australian market. 
Being on a big island very far from the industry of the northern hemisphere can be a real drag sometimes. Having a local source for the gear we see and hear about online is excellent, especially when some of the brands are hard to get otherwise. 

Custom gear & training offerings?
Custom gear is one of the things we at STS are going to focus on. We have many custom gear makers on board helping us achieve just that. To name a few we have MUHL CUSTOMS (belts, rigging systems, speed-mags), LOTAR COMBAT (custom-made IDF ENDORSED knives), BTSC (custom compact survival kits), RONO solutions (custom weapon carriage systems/slings), Rare Element (custom lock picks and equipment), Battle Patches (custom made morale patches), Matteo's Signs (custom engraving and signage) and STS-US will be providing us with custom iFAKS and medical gear but also providing training services. While we focus on the urban "jungle" with survival and preparedness in mind, we also recognize the fact that all over the world the wilderness is at everyone's door. So, instead of spreading ourselves thing we have partnered with Australian Survival Instructors (ASI) who are leaders in the bush/wilderness survival sector and have them on board to assist us with all things primitive and bush survival orientated.



Who are your affiliate partners, Who do you hope to get, gear makers, training facilitators?
 STS has many affiliates that we are working with closely. Our affiliates are not only business related, but we have aligned with some other small Australian business that comes from a variety of backgrounds and believes in helping grow small Australian businesses. Our affiliates to date are: Battle Patches, Mind4Survival, Matteo's signs, Patriot radios, Delta Echo Apparel, RJM vertebrate pest control, Firearm Owners United, ZERT Australia, Encompassing Australia, A.S.I Australian Survival Instructors, Yamato, Zahal and Rift Recon.  

Lots of good lines here, rare and hard to get lines at least in Australia, til now. The STS folks have really pulled together some really interesting and desirable vendors and I look forward making use of that for sure!
 
We are always looking to expand our ever-growing network of affiliates that share our passions and goals. Our current gear makers we have mentioned previously, but we do have a few things working in the background at the moment that we are excited about and will release that information in due time. Our training facilitators, some we have mentioned, and again we don't want to spoil some of the things we have in store, but we are very excited with what we have developing.

I think STS is going to be a company to watch in the future not only for the products they will be carrying but also the lines of training and services that will be offered under their umbrella.

Travel made easier: carry-on cocktail kits for your flight or ride. Carry one for each of your favorite cocktails!