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Survivor Filter PRO – Best Filtration Level On the Market!

Survivor Filter PRO – Best Filtration Level On the Market!

Sometime mid last year (2015) we did a review of the Survivor Filter Personal water filter which is their flagship product and the larger of their two water filters. We really loved the Personal filter so much that we now recommend it to everyone! Recently we were sent the Survivor Filter Pro to review thanks to the wonderful Survivor Filter team.

The Survivor Filter Pro is manual pump operated micro water filter which filters down to 0.01 microns which is the best level of filtration. It weighs only 8 oz (around 227 g) and measures 65 inches long (165 cm) so it is just right… neither to heavy or too long.

The bonus of this larger water filter is that it allows you to filter much more water in a shorter amount of time thanks to the hand pump.

The Survivor Filter Pro comes with a drinking cup and a carrying bag to keep everything organised. Detailed instructions and a ‘How to Use’ manual are included for easy reference.

The Survivor Filter Pro can be used directly from a fresh water source and pumped into attached cup or pumped into any portable hydration pack.
The Filtration System
The Survivor Filter PRO features triple filtration to 0.01 microns, thanks to a Cotton Filter, Ultra Filter and Carbon Filtration and mesh. All 3 filters Filters (Ultra and Carbon) are removable and can be cleaned or replaced by purchasing on Survivor Filter’s website as needed. It is the only filter of it’s kind that has an Ultra Filter, Cotton Filter and a Particle Filter! The filter produces a SUPER FAST FLOW RATE of 500 ml. (17 ounces) per minute so none of this having to wait around for half an hour just to get a glass of potable water […]

By Admin|May 27th, 2016|Water Filtration / Purification|0 Comments|

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Creek Stewart’s Apocabox – Unboxing Video (April 2016 Edition)

Creek Stewart’s Apocabox – Unboxing Video (April 2016 Edition)

Unboxing video of the April 2016 edition of the Apocabox by Creek Stewart from Willow Haven Outdoors.

If you don’t know who Creek is, he is a leading survival instructor, the host of the hit series “Fat Guys in the Woods” TV show on The Weather Channel, the founder of Willow Haven Outdoor, a wilderness survival school based in Central Indiana, USA and an accomplished author of a number of survival books:

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit
The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide
Build the Perfect Bug Out Vehicle
Build the Perfect Bug Out Survival Skills
SURVIVAL HACKS
STUCK: A survival short story

More info about Creek Stewart can be found at his personal website http://www.creekstewart.com

The Apocabox is a subscription based service in which you get a box sent out every other month packed full of the coolest and finest survival tools, information and gear hand selected by Creek Stewart for a decent fee and shipped direct to your doorstep. Perfect as a gift for that special someone or just for the surprise factor!

For more info visit www.myapocabox.com

Here at Ultimate Survival Gear, we’ve been a huge fan of Creek, his books and his work for quite some time. We love what he does and we believe the Apocabox is such a fantastic idea which is why we wanted to get our hands on one.

A HUGE ‘thank you’ to Creek and Jacob from Apocabox for generously sending one out to us to do an unboxing video and product review so stay tuned as that will be coming soon!

By Admin|May 3rd, 2016|Survival Kits|0 Comments|

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Silky Saws Yoki Axe – Medieval Weapon or Serious Bush Basher?

Silky Saws Yoki Axe – Medieval Weapon or Serious Bush Basher?

By JustSurviving

At a first glance you could be forgiven in thinking that the Silky YOKI is some form of medieval weaponry forged from an elusive guild. However, at a second glance and looking at the design and raw precision of this Japanese made blade, you would have to have a third glance. At which point your hand would be gravitating towards the non-slip handle in an attempt to wield the empowering scrub hacker.
Well, enough of the dribble and onto the review.

The YOKI is a full tang chopper and made from an unspecified alloy steel. However, from my experience with Japanese made knives, I wouldn’t be worried about any quality issues regarding the metal parts. The overall thickness of the blade is 2.75mm and starts to taper approximately 5mm from the cutting edge.

Undoubtedly the first thing you would notice on the Silky YOKI is the almost 90° curve or brush hook at the end of the 270mm or 10.6in blade. My initial thought was that the curve would have a negative effect on the swing action of the blade and the ‘sweet spot’ on which you try and cut a branch or tree as the chopper is quite top heavy. I did find this to be true when tackling bigger tasks/branches. Not in the swinging action, but where the blade hits the tree, in that, the part of the blade where you would find your greatest impact power is right on the curve. I have found that this then impacts on the energy you are spending hacking, as you are forced to aim your swings (depending on the size you’re attacking) at below, or right on centre of the blade, which for this chopper is […]

By Admin|April 11th, 2016|Combat / Survival / Camping & Bushcraft Knives|0 Comments|

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Silky Saws PocketBoy – Best Compact Folding Saw for Bug Out Bags / Get Home Bags & Bushcraft

Silky Saws PocketBoy – Best Compact Folding Saw for Bug Out Bags / Get Home Bags & Bushcraft

The Pocket Boy made by Silky Saws is a small professional Japanese style pruning saw designed obviously for tree pruning and is used extensively by arborists but it can also be used in survival, outdoor and bushcraft applications. It is made in Japan where the best saw blades are manufactured.

The PocketBoy is available in two blade lengths: 5-inch (130 mm) and 6-3/4-inch (170 mm). The blades are interchangeable within the same blade length. Every blade length is available in four teeth sizes/configurations (tpi – teeth per inch): 7 tpi – Large/Coarse (pruning, green wood), 8.5 tpi – Medium (soft wood), 17 tpi – Fine (hard wood, bamboo), and 22 tpi – Extra Fine (dry hard wood).

The PocketBoy boasts a rust-resistant, hard chrome-plated, taper-ground blade with an impulse-hardened non-set tooth design for greater cutting efficiency. The steel used in the blade is SK4 High Carbon Steel.

The high quality rubberised handle is very comfortable, has a good grip and prevents slipping even with sweaty hands. It is also very comfortable to use with leather riggers gloves. At then end of the handle is a lanyard hole where you can attach paracord or rope.

The blade locks securely into one of two open positions, in line with the handle and flush cutting. The blade resists the effects of tree resin and easily wipes clean which is a huge plus in my opinion because who likes cleaning tree resin from their saws and axes? Each PocketBoy has a color-coded handle associated with the teeth configuration: Red – Large teeth, Black – Medium teeth, Yellow – Fine teeth, and Purple – Extra Fine teeth. For example the handle of this saw that they sent me is kind of pink (although it is advertised […]

By Admin|April 9th, 2016|Uncategorised|0 Comments|

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SteriPEN Ultra – BEST Portable UV Water Purifier EVER!!!

SteriPEN Ultra – BEST Portable UV Water Purifier EVER!!!

I must say that after using the SteriPEN Ultra that I absolutely love it and think it’s the best and most advanced portable UV water purifier around! Best of all it is so amazingly easy to use that even a child could handle it!

I’ve always wanted to get my hands on a SteriPEN as I had heard a lot of positive things about their products and also was intrigued by their amazing UV technology. Thanks to Steve M the marketing manager at SteriPEN, I was sent a brand new Ultra UV Water Purifier to review and ‘test drive’!

The SteriPEN Ultra as I alluded to before is a 100% proven water purifier that utilises UV (ultra violet) light to eliminate over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa (something that water filters alone cannot eliminate) that cause water-borne illness.

The Ultra’s UV lamp treats up to 8,000 one-liter treatments before conking out.

It is very popular amongst international travellers (especially to 3rd world countries where the water is not potable), tourists as well as everyday prepared people like you and me.

For those interested in the specs, I have included them below:

Weight
4.94 oz

Dimensions
7.3 x 1.6 x 1.3 in

Lamp Life
8,000 treatments

Battery
Internal Lithium-Ion (Included with purchase)

Battery Life
100 .5 liter treatments or 50 1 liter treatments per charge

Minimium Bottle Diameter
20mm (0.8 inches)

Filter Compatibility
Tapered End (PreFilter and FitsAll)

The Ultra also comes inside a nice and handy Neoprene case with a nylon/velcro strap at the back for attachment to your belt or MOLLE webbing.

How to use it? It is so simple which is why we love it!

First turn it on by pressing the blue button once.

Stick it into the container of water that needs purifying. The UV light will then activate.

You will see a number […]

By Admin|April 2nd, 2016|Water Filtration / Purification|0 Comments|

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Nebo iPROTEC Torch Range – Are these torches worth buying?

Nebo iPROTEC Torch Range – Are these torches worth buying?

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the opportunity to EDC a range of Nebo flashlights and they have all proven to be great little EDC torches with more than adequate lumen outputs. Special thanks to Nebo Flashlights in the UK for providing the product samples.

The technical specs and data for each are provided below.
iPROTEC 220

It has 5 different light modes:

High – 220 Lumens, 4 hour runtime, 138 meter beam
Medium – 110 Lumens, 8 hour runtime, 60 meter beam
Low – 22 Lumens, 15 hour runtime, 27 meter beam
Strobe – 220 Lumens, 72 hour runtime, 138 meter beam
S.O.S – 220 Lumens, 72 hour runtime, 138 meter beam

Operation

Rear-positioned ON/OFF button with Soft Touch Technology – great for holding the torch in the tactical position.
Powered by 3 AAA batteries which are included; it’s great that Nebo decided to go with this type of battery as it is readily available as opposed to some proprietary battery or one that is hard to obtain.

Specifications

Anodised aircraft grade aluminium
Water-resistant
Compact body design
Rear glow in the dark tactical button
Convex lens
4 X adjustable beam
Powerful magnetic base for hands-free lighting
Impact resistant: 2 meters, steel clip
Weight with batteries – 133g
Length – 110 mm (Compacted) 116 mm (Extended)
Diameter – 34 mm

iPROTEC PRO 100

2 LIGHT MODES

HIGH- 100 Lumens, 120 min runtime, 80 meter beam

STROBE – 100 Lumens, 270 min runtime, 80 meter beam

OPERATION

Rear-positioned ON/OFF button with Soft Touch Technology
Powered by 1 Duracell AA battery (included)

SPECIFICATIONS

iPROTEC PRO 100 Chameleon

TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT

The Chameleon™ has a high-power, colour changing LED that outputs white, green and red light. Hard/Soft Touch Technology allows you to easily cycle through the four impressive light modes.

WHITE – 100 Lumens, 4 hour runtime, 80 meter beam

GREEN – 90 […]

By Admin|March 15th, 2016|Torches|0 Comments|

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Camelbak MILTAC HAWG 2013 REDESIGNED Version – Fantastic Tactical Hydration Pack

Camelbak MILTAC HAWG 2013 REDESIGNED Version – Fantastic Tactical Hydration Pack

Today we’re going to be taking a look at a product from Camelbak. As many of you would know, Camelbak is best known for their hydration bladder systems made for both military and civilian use and is the leader in their industry.

The product we’ve been testing for the last 2 months is the redesigned 2013 MILTAC HAWG and is part of their military and tactical lineup. This medium sized cargo pack is a favourite of US Navy SEALS . As Camelbak likes to say “if it’s tough enough for them, it’s tough enough for anybody”. It’s currently available in Black, Coyote and Multicam. Black is suitable for low-profile, “gray man” everyday usage, Coyote for hiking and also EDC and Multicam for military and outdoor applications.

Here are some quick specifications:

Dimensions: 19 in x 10.5 in x 10.2 in (48 cm x 26.5 cm x 26 cm)
Hydration Capacity: 100 oz (3 L)
Cargo Volume: 1220 cu in (20 L)
Total Volume: 1400 cu in (23 L)
The pack itself weighs 1 kg empty (including the water reservoir).

What impressed me the most about this pack is it’s low profile sleek design, the top-notch quality and it’s ability to carry quite a bit of gear as well as 3 L of water.

Starting from the front of the pack and working towards the back we have a full length composite MOLLE panel on the front.

This allows room for additional storage capacity and customisation for MOLLE compatible knife sheaths, medic pouches or utility pouches to carry extra items. The material used for the front of the pack is 500D ripstop Cordura. Yes 500D admittedly is not as tough as 1000D which is used in a lot of military and tactical products but it’s much lighter. If 1000D […]

By Admin|March 9th, 2016|Bug Out Bags|0 Comments|

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EXOTAC fireSLEEVE™, nanoSTRIKER XL™ and candleTIN™ Review

EXOTAC fireSLEEVE™, nanoSTRIKER XL™ and candleTIN™ Review

I’ve been interested in Exotac’s products for quite some time now after I’d seen some great reviews of their products. In case you don’t already know, Exotac (www.exotac.com) is a privately held, family owned small business based out of Buford, Georgia in the good old USA. On their website they state their vision “is based upon designing extraordinary, high-quality and unique outdoor and urban gear. We spare no expense and make absolutely no compromises when it comes to product design and manufacturing quality. Our products are not mass-manufactured by the lowest bidder. We manufacture each product in smaller quantity runs which allow us to make improvements along the way.”

All their products are proudly made in the United States of America.

I got in touch with Jeremy from Exotac and he kindly sent out a some samples of their best-selling products: the fireSleeve, nanoStriker XL and candleTIN Review.

You can view the rest of their product lineup at: http://www.exotac.com/product-list/
fireSLEEVE™

We all know how important fire is in a survival situation and how it is crucial that fire starting implements are kept safe and dry. This is often very difficult especially when out in the boonies where you face the elements head on. The fireSleeve is basically a protective case for a BIC Classic Maxi lighter and will keep it safe and dry.

It’s made from rubber, it’s waterproof even when submerged to 3 feet for 30 minutes plus it floats so even if it’s dropped in water you’re not going to lose your Bic lighter. You can get it in a few different colours: Orange, Black, Green and a limited glow-in-the-dark version which will cost you an extra $4 USD.

Cost is $14.95 USD
nanoSTRIKER XL™

This is Exotac’s flagship product and the big brother […]

By Admin|March 7th, 2016|Fire Starters|0 Comments|

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VIDEO: Leatherman Sidekick Review – GREAT Mid Range, Medium Duty EDC Multitool

VIDEO: Leatherman Sidekick Review – GREAT Mid Range, Medium Duty EDC Multitool

A quick review of the Leatherman Sidekick which is made in Portland, Oregon USA. It’s one multi-tool that we recommend and endorse wholeheartedly. Buy yours online for $119.50 AUD (13% off RRP) from Wild Earth: *** Using this affiliate link supports Ultimate Survival Gear as we receive a small commission (about 8%) for products purchased through Wild Earth.***

By Admin|February 23rd, 2016|Multitools|0 Comments|

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Uniden Bearcat BCD325P2 TrunkTracker V Digital Scanner Review

Uniden Bearcat BCD325P2 TrunkTracker V Digital Scanner Review

Most people are familiar with commercial AM and FM radio broadcasts. AM broadcasts are in the range 530 KHZ to about 1600 KHZ (1.6 MHZ), while commercial FM broadcasts are in the range 88 MHZ to 108 MHZ. But, there is an entire world of radio out there which can be intriguing to listen to. For example, aircraft use the band 108 MHZ to 137 MHZ, the coast guard, some emergency services, government services etc. all use part of the radio spectrum which extends from about 100 KHZ right up to 5 GHZ. Most interesting communication is limited to below 1.3 GHZ. Listening to cellular or cordless telephones is strictly prohibited as is listening to pagers. Everything else is quite legal in most places.

In the old days, analogue scanners allowed one to listen to any transmission simply by entering its frequency, or choosing a preprogrammed service bank which included that frequency in its range. Most analogue scanners allowed you to listen to emergency services, government departments, air traffic, marine vessel interaction, public transport, and other business two way radio communication. As the frequency spectrum became more crowded, new ways were sought to more efficiently use that spectrum. Trunked systems were introduced to allow many users to reuse a handful of frequencies, rather than having to assign unique frequencies for every user. This posed a problem for analogue scanners because a single frequency might be being used by the fire brigade one second, a data transmission from another government department the next, and another government service after that. This made following a conversation almost impossible as each transmission of a conversation could potentially be on a different frequency. Several such trunked services were devised, each […]

By Admin|February 19th, 2016|Emergency Comms|0 Comments|