Jan
16
Category Archives: gear
Oct
29
purificup field test
After a couple trips being postponed I was finally able to get out and try the Purificup outside, with some water you should not be drinking with out sanitizing it.
After use shot showing its pack size versus a Nalgene.
A quick fishing trip to Patagonia Lake in Southern Arizona brought us to a shady little cove with a narrow opening in the reeds to cast our lines. After a few hours of no luck, I decided I would give the Purificup a try.
As you may have seen in my overview video, using the Purificup is an easy process. Unscrew the white caps on either side, unscrew the filter from the fill cup and remove the filter assembly and drinking cup from within the fill cup (which is also the outer shell when all packed up, as seen in the photo above.)
The filter assembly then sits on top of the drinking cup, Nalgene or similar bottle or even can be screwed onto the opening of a soda bottle. Once the filter is in place you can then put water in the fill cup and install it on top of the filter assembly which then starts the filtering process.
In the video mentioned above the timer went past three minutes to filter the full 10 ounces of water. I have discovered since that video that it actually works much faster than that, and the slowness was due to my error. When putting it all together, give the filter a few good shakes with an emphasis on the downward stroke, trying to set the contents of the filter itself to the bottom spout where the water exits. This helps the water flow through much smoother and you can filter 10 ounces of water in about 45 to 50 seconds!
It was getting close to supper time and I had purposefully only brought enough water for cooking, I was going to be drinking from the lake. I set up the Purificup on a rock and filled the fill cup and let it work. The lake water itself before being filtered was pretty clear, with a tiny bit of floating debris. After having filtered it, it was crystal clear with no odors of any kind.
Then I hesitated. In the past I’ve been a boiler, and on rare occasion I have used a purification tablet, but never have used a filter like this. It was a bit of a mental hurdle for me to accept that this little device could possibly make drinkable water so quickly. Once I got past that, I put the cup to my lips and took a sip.
The water was cool, refreshing, and had absolutely no taste other than the taste of water – if you can consider that a taste. I am happy to report that I am still alive and healthy two days after drinking lake water. I think this thing works!
Aside from making undrinkable water drinkable, one of the best advantages of this filter system is that it does not take up a whole lot of room in your pack. As you can see in the photo above its overall size when packed up is less than a Nalgene style bottle. Coming in at a bit under 11 ounces and being something that could quite possibly save your life, it is something that I will be carrying in my pack constantly. After having done this field test I can easily recommend this product to people look for a lightweight, easy to use filter. At $60 retail, it is a must for any hiker, hunter, outdoors-person or prepper. To pick one up for yourself head over to the Purificup Partners page to find an internet or local retailer!
Unfortunately I was unable to take any video during this trip, but I will be doing a follow up on our next outing.
FTC Disclaimer: This product was sent to me by Purificup for the purpose of using and reviewing.
Sep
20
purificup overview and use
Sep
12
optimus crux + terra weekend set: thoughts and rambles
Sep
12
scratch one off the list: optimus crux
If you read my post yesterday, you’ll have noticed that I had my sights set on the Optimus Crux Weekend HE cook system. They happened to have one at the store today when I was browsing and decided to go ahead and pick it up.
I have big plans for this thing and it’s going to get used A LOT. I have a couple options when it comes to eating lunch at work: bring something to cook in the microwave and eat at my desk (since they forgot a break room when they built this building!??) or go out and get fast food.
With this, I plan on bringing more stuff that I can cook on the stove, soups, pastas and whatever else. Then I can go to one of the nearby parks, sit down under a tree or on a bench and have a hot meal not only away from the office, but it will likely end up costing me less in food. At least that’s my justification for spending $80 on the thing!
It’ll go camping/hunting/hiking and what not as well, but I think the frequency of use I have planned for it of at least 3 or 4 days a week should really prove whether this little guy is as good as the reviews I’ve been reading on it.
Sep
11
the short list
Just some gear that is in my immediate (six months) future, in no particular order.
(if you have any valuable information regarding any of this stuff or worth while alternatives please comment below!)
Optimux Crux Weekend HE Stove & Cookset
Grand Trunk Skeeter-Beeter Pro Hammock
Some sort of nice tarp for the hammock (suggestions!?)
a small, portable(backpack) grill/grate for the campfire
Gorilla Pod for the camcorder
Condor Bushlore knife
reloading dies for .300 Win (probably Hornady dies)
a small, light, 2 person tent
Swiss Army “Farmer”
Sep
10
rant: outdoor gear made in the usa
I’m going to try to write this with out getting too political, but let this preface be a fair warning that it may contain some political viewpoint.
I totally support the notion to buy products made in the USA. It is my opinion that they are generally of better quality than some eastern counterparts, and these products do mean manufacturing jobs for Americans.
But lately I’ve been seeing a number of things while browsing outdoors gear that is just irking me. American products that are priced significantly (read: absurdly) more than non-made in the USA competitors.
The first glaring example that really got me fired up was a company called GoRuck. Using their largest pack as an example, the GR2 48liter pack is $395. The competing bag from Camelbak, the BFM, comes in at $272, that is almost $125 more for the GoRuck, and it doesn’t even come with a bladder or a waist harness (which in my opinion is vital for a large and/or heavy load.)
If you want to take that price insanity a bit further, they take a standard paracord bracelet, add their logo to it and charge $42!
Today I came across the ‘American Kami Spork’. This is a titanium spork that boasts being handcrafted on handmade dies. Sounds good – until you see the $44 price point. They boast you can stab zombies with it (this zombie thing is another rant waiting to happen, watch out.) I can tell you that a) if I ever find myself needing to stab a zombie, it wont be with a spork and b) for some reason if it was with a spork, one of my $10 Snowpeak sporks will work just as well (which is probably not well at all, is spork – is not stabbing device.)
I’m all for a FEW extra bucks to support American businesses who employ Americans and make their products here, but when you’re asking me for $34 more because your spork can kill a mythical monster… well, I’ll be eating my next meal with the Japanese made Snowpeak Ti Spork.
Now, I am not suggesting that these over priced American made products aren’t good. That GoRuck bag could be the best bag in the world – I’ll never know myself because I find even the less expensive Camelbak (which is a darned good pack by the way) to be too expensive for my tastes.
Aug
24
initial thoughts: geigerrig hydration engine
Picture this:
It’s an unseasonably warm day in late November. You’ve got thirty pounds or more in your backpack, you’re carrying a rifle, and your huffing and puffing your way up a rugged mountain side to get a shot on an Arizona Coues Whitetail buck.
If you’re anything like me, putting the stalk to the animal gets your blood pumping, you breathe faster than normal, and you’re usually sitting on your bum in an office rather than sprinting up the hill side. The last thing you want to do is have to suck water through a 3 foot long straw to get a drink.
This is why I’ve never liked hydration bladders. In theory they are a great idea. You can carry your water in your pack, and if you’ve got a good one, you can possibly carry more water than you otherwise would because your pack helps distribute the load. No fussing with canteens, bottles or bota bags. Sounds good right? Wrong – at least for me. I find drinking through a bite valve to be a pain, and pain enough to make me ditch the bladder and go back to more traditional methods of carrying water.
Enter Geigerrig
Click for full size.
Apparently, there are more people like me. The good folks at Geigerrig seemed to have taken all my dislike for the hydration bladder and thrown it out the window with the introduction of their “Hydration Engine“.
I first saw one of their packs at a local big box outdoors store, and the bladder is what specifically caught my interest. After some reading online and seeing that they carried the bladders by themselves, I decided to purchase the 3liter version to fill the void where the bladder used to be in my Camelbak Motherlode.
When I got the thing home, I immediately took it out of the package and immediately filled it with water and air to see how it worked. My initial thought upon seeing the stream of water come out of the drink tube was “this is brilliant!”
Along with the normal water reservoir and drink tube, the Geigerrig Hydration Engine also has a secondary chamber in the bladder that holds air, and a second tube with a hand pump to fill the air chamber. As the air chamber inflates, it puts pressure on the water reservoir and when you squeeze the valve at the end of the drink tube, the water comes streaming out with good enough force to squirt a sustained stream at least a good five feet. Geigerrig’s claim of “never suck again” certainly appears to be true.
Now that the initial testing was over, it was time to look at the other annoyance I had with water bladders: cleaning them. The bladders I’ve had in other packs, both name brand not; did not clean easily. That, coupled with the fact I didn’t like actually using them is what caused me to write them off. With the Geigerrig, you can actually turn the bladder inside out and throw it in your dishwasher. It is quite possible this is an even better feature than the pressurized drinking itself!
That is as far as I’ve gotten with it so far. This weekend comes the first of real testing. I’ve got to put it in my pack and see how it rides. I also need to make sure it does not make a whole lot of sloshing noises as it empties water.
I have to admit that as impressed as I am with it so far, I am a bit wary of how the bladder seals shut, and only time and use will tell if it works as well as I am hoping it will. I’m also hoping that the initial air pressurization is enough to empty the water completely. The last thing I want to do is be putting a stalk on the buck of my dreams and have to stop and make “FSSSHH FSSHH FSSSHHH” sounds as I pump more air into the bladder to get a quick drink.
I can already say though, I’m pretty sure I want one of their packs for every day use, and to take with me on day hikes, 3D Archery tournies and more…
Aug
20
multitools
I have been carrying multitools as long as I can remember. Starting way back as a kid with a cheap Leatherman-like tool that my parents gave to me as a gift. As I got older I purchased a few Leathermans and received a few more as gifts. I’ve had anything from the small novelty or pocket sized ones to the full size super “every tool you’ll never need” tools.
The last few years I’ve constantly had a Victorinox “Swiss Tool” either on my belt or in my laptop bag or backpack. The only bit on it I don’t like is the knife: it is a 2″ blade with all but the bottom 3/4 of an inch or so having serrations. I really do not like serrated knives for tools (ok for some uses in the kitchen) and since I carry a plain edge knife with me anyway it has not been an issue.
The pliers are strong and grip well, the handle is comfortable, and all the other tools have been used frequently for both their intended and not-intended uses. The tool has held up extremely well except for the awl which somehow I managed to put a nick in the edge.
I also just recently acquired a SOG Powerlock tool by way of a contest on a forum I frequent. I’ve been carrying it for the last week or two and have decided it will be the tool that stays in my hip quiver for shooting at the archery range and at 3D shoots when I start attending them. The tool lives up to it’s claims of having some of the strongest gripping and wire cutters due to the unique design of the jaw.
However, I find the tools that are included in the handle to be quite the pain to deploy and put away. The Powerlock has these flip covers that must be flipped up to deploy the tool, and then flipped back down again to close the handles. The biggest issue I have with them is that they are constantly popping off of the tool. You could in theory leave the covers off the tool all together, but they do provide some comfort in the handle when using the pliers. With the covers removed there are some slightly sharp edges that press into your hands when squeezing the pliers, like the old original leatherman tools. Nothing dangerous, just some discomfort over the otherwise comfortable grip with the covers on.
I plan on getting at least two more tools, one of the newer, standard Leatherman models to try out, as well as the Leatherman MUT to throw in my range bag. but I’m also finding I don’t use the pliers part of the tool all that often. Because of this, I will be picking up a SAK Farmer to see how it will be replacing my Swiss Tool as an EDC item.
Aug
11
esee laser strike video and pictures
