Recent content by Brangdon

Isn't that missing the point? I thought the benefit of Aurora was supposed to be on lighting marginal tinder. For example, it's supposed to light ordinary printer paper. I've heard of people doing that with a standard ferro rod, but I've always had to scrape the paper with a knife to get it fine...

Is it just me, or does that look cold?

The kit is designed not to have any items which expire, so there are no meds, no puritabs, no torch with batteries. I like the Spark-lite. Maybe it's a matter of skill, but I find it easier to put the sparks where they need to be, than with a ferro rod. I don't trust matches at all. I'd rather...

The UV purifiers are tempting. You might also consider the SteriPen, which the same site gives an equally good review. It uses AA batteries, which are often easier to find and the SteriPen will work with rechargables. If you already use CR123s for your torch it probably doesn't matter. I use AAs...

I use something similar - it originally held a single minature bottle of Baileys. It's just about big enough to boil a cup of water, and I've made a hex stove by bending tin cans that fits inside it. I like knowing I can prepare a hot drink if I need to.

I use a close focus monocular, like one of these, as a loupe. It also does the same job as binoculars.

With any tinder I find Sparklite gives me better results than a ferro rod. This may be a matter of technique - the Sparklite is easier to use.

It's hard to resist the temptation to make every kit self-contained. There's always the worry that you'll lose your other kits and be left with just one. That said, I do try to design my tins to be complementary to my EDC, with just a little bit of redundancy for things which I really care...

I have a classic Altoids tin, which I found at a petrol station. Before that I used a tobacco tin, which is the same volume but shorter and thicker. I find the Altoids tin is marginally easier to carry, but less waterproof. I also have a micro-kit in a smaller tin that used to contain mints. I...

Sounds like a case of mismanaged expectations. I bought mine primarily for in-car navigation, but I take it with me when I'm walking too. It provides a backup to map and compass, especially valuable when visibility is poor. You don't have to leave it on continuously; you can switch it on to...

I have several rods and the BCB is what I carry everyday; it's a small and convenient emergency backup to my cigarette lighter. I reckon the ones stuck to magnesium blocks are more of a waste of money. They are big, the magnesium blows away before you can make a pile of scapings, and the rod...

I'm not very hard-core. I just need a mug of coffee in the morning, another in the evening and maybe a bowl of noodles - other meals I get from a local pub. For what it's worth I'm a hex fan. It's adequate to my needs. It helps to use the army-style rectangular tablets, rather than the round...

Thanks for the welcome. I've been reading US forums for a while, and am glad to have found somewhere with a UK bias. I don't let the solid fuel all burn off. I blow it out, let it cool and then reuse it next time. If it doesn't look like being enough, I add another (half) tablet while the...

Yep. I prefer the zipka form because it's smaller - it's my main torch for every day carry as well as for camping. Actually I have the Zipka+ which has upgrades similar to the Tikka+ - an extra LED, variable brightness etc.

Great article, thanks. Had you considered the "Nesbit" style rectangular army stoves, eg here? They are what I currently use. Their main advantage is that they burn solid fuel, which I find easier to carry. You don't need a water-tight and air-tight container, or have to worry about meths...