SOG Flash II

My Gerber EVO has been retired since damage to the frame now prevents auto-quick opening. Yes, it was seriously abused (prying) to cause the damage. I still consider Gerber to be the best cheap steel available. Replacing it is a SOG Flash II (the black/aluminum variant) with “SOG Assisted Technology”, which so far has been a good solid knife and goes with me everywhere.

Pros:
Strong, stays sharp under heavy abuse, quick opening, good grip, all-metal

Cons:
After 2 years of carry – none

The SOG costs about twice what the Gerber EVO does, but it is as close as you can get to legally carrying an auto-opener in communist states like California. The blade has held an edge nicely for the past 4 months or so on wood, cord and cardboard. The pocket clip is attached from the rear of the knife, allowing the entire knife body to sit out of sight. The clip is reversible to either side, or can be removed altogether. Yes, it has a “safety” to prevent accidental opening while in-pocket. The only thing I don’t like about this knife is the clip, which is way too strong and sometimes difficult to get over some pockets with reinforced hems. On the other hand, there’s little chance of the knife getting lost because it came unclipped.

The Bottom Line:
If you need a good, solid, all-purpose folding knife you can count on for daily carry this is the blade to get. After over two years of abuse opening boxes, slicing cord, shaving wood and cutting .25” steel cable the blade is still as sharp as the day I got it, the edge has no nicks or chips, and the finish is still in great shape.

Update: it has been almost a year carrying the SOG Flash II, which has since been used for everything from carving wood to cutting steel cable. The finish has held up quite well, and the blade’s edge is only just now starting to show wear… guess I’ll have to sharpen it soon. I am just as happy with it now as I was at the time of this review’s writing.

Maxpedition Operator

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Pros:
Roomy, comfortable even when heavy, durable, quick access to every single pocket

Cons:
No dedicated pen slots in the organizer pocket, elastic straps in the lower front pocket should be taller or mounted lower so small items don’t fall through into the pocket, concealed carry pocket is extremely noisy to open due to velcro (but is also nearly invisible for the same reason)

The Bottom Line:
This is a great bag for the roaming geek in need of something more functional, more versatile, and far more durable. It is extremely well made, very roomy, and quite well thought out. While it may challenge your wardrobe if you’re stuck in a suit and tie every day, it blends in well with the rest of the popular “Jack Packs” out there these days.

After an exhaustive and dissatisfying search of the available consumer computer bags, and not wanting to turn to the college-kid look of a backpack, I happened on Maxpedition’s line of Versipaks and cases. Enter the Operator, the largest of Maxpedition’s “Tactical Attache” line. Built out of thick nylon and webbing, the bag is extremely durable and rip-resistant. A rubber panel provides non-slip properties to the base and helps protect the fabric and innards from mud. A thick padded shoulder strap provides for comfortable carrying, and reinforced handles weave thru-and-around the inner structure of the bag for a confident grip. Inside and outside there are pockets and dividers everywhere, with plenty of room to hold all of your regular mobile-office gear and a fair amount of emergency supplies.

Loadout

Maxpedition claims that the padded center notebook pocket will handle a 15.4-inch notebook, but I’m convinced even a large 17-inch would fit comfortably. Currently, I use this pocket for a 13.3-inch notebook that hides inside a Pelican 1080 HardBack, a small scanner and other miscellaneous gear. This pocket also has a Velcro-attached divider with yet more Velcro covering one entire side for attaching gear, and slim pockets on the other. In the other large pocket (rear) I’m able to comfortably fit a full-sized notepad in its innermost divider, 3x5 notepad, pens/pencil/sharpie, screen cleaner and bluetooth headphones in the outer dividers, and an extra battery, 12-disc CD case and medium-sized book in the remaining “floor” space with room to spare.

Up front the large pocket has room for a full MRE (or two if you open them up and pack them better) or lots of smaller supplies and snacks. A small division on the inside can hold smaller items, and there are two more smaller Velcro-flapped pockets on the outside, one full height and another is card-sized with a transparent ID window. Moving right of the large front pocket are two small and one medium utility pockets. The small pockets are nicely sized for a mouse, batteries, charger, flashlight, camera or other gear. The medium pocket features 4 elastic loops to hold miscellaneous gear, and has enough space left over to drop in a medium-sized USB hard drive or other small book-sized items. On either end are a bottle holder and a radio holder. The radio holder will fit the average smallish sized water bottle, but I use it for my notebook’s power adapter. The bottle holder is sized for a 1-liter Nalgene.

As a side note: intended or not the configuration of the small and medium front pockets creates a convenient feature whereby one can open a smaller pocket, then open the medium pocket and hold it’s flap open by attaching it to the Velcro of the smaller pocket above. Of course, this assumes you haven’t covered this outer Velcro with morale patches…

Room for Improvement

The elastic loops sewn into the back of the medium front pocket do a fair job at securing most items, but I would have made them either taller or mounted them lower in the pocket to prevent smaller items (such as the shown Inova X5) from slipping out into the pocket below. Another problem I’ve been having is with the smaller divider pockets in the “admin” pocket. These are large enough for a 3x5 notepad, but this has the unfortunate downside of not holding your pens/pencils/markers very securely. I have often opened my bag to find pens floating loosely all over. It would be nice to see one of these changed into a dedicated pen pocket with the appropriate divisions.

Concealed Carry

I find the 5.11 Velcro holsters are better built, more versatile, and easier on the weapon than the Maxpedition variant so I’ve gone that route. The holster is very much at home in the notebook bag, fitting perfectly with a handgun and 3 magazines. Its really only effective for carrying a backup (second) weapon as one should really have their primary weapon on-body. There is also a noise concern with the Velcro pocket closure, I find strongly discourages the use of this pocket for carry. Put simply, it is physically impossible to draw a weapon from the CCW pocket of the bag without making a terrible ruckus. I do really like how this setup fits together. It’s quick and easy to get to it with the bag on my shoulder or on the floor, and there’s zero chance of printing. As you can see, Maxpedition offers a generous amount of velcro in this pocket to allow just about any configuration you can imagine. Still, you are probably better off hiding important documents or valuables in this pocket rather than a weapon.

The Maxpedition Operator Tactical Attache retails for about $140 and is available direct through the manufacturer’s site, but a better deal can usually be found at LAPG

Glo-Toob Lithium

The backorder on my Glo-Toob™ Lithium finally came in yesterday after a month of waiting. I was initially surprised at just how much bigger the new ‘toob has to be to accommodate the larger 123A battery, this one will no doubt be too big for most people’s keychains. Since I have nothing else on my keychain, I find the increased size isn’t a problem.

Rating: 5 / 5

Pros:
Durable, waterproof, crushproof, bright, long battery life

Cons:
A little big for a keychain, price

In The Box

This lithium version comes with the push-button cap, quick-release neck lanyard and 3500-meter waterproof cap, along with a protective cover for whichever cap is not in use. The waterproof cap is similar in appearance to the standard cap on the FX model, but is designed to prevent the accidental activation the older model often experienced from twisting on it’s attachment point. Instead, the switch is a separate part that spins independently from the base.

Comparison

Well, as I mentioned before it is a little bigger… by about a third. It is also much brighter. In fact, at full power it is so bright that concealed use in some situations might be a problem – though the 25% power-mode is quite reasonable. It also sports 11 different lighting modes, whereas the FX only has 7. The increased lifespan of the 123A battery is a plus, and despite the increased brightness runtime is extended to a total of 30-100 hours. The only real downside on this unit is going to be price. The FX can be picked up for under $20, whereas the Lithium costs upwards of $40.

Given the increased output and runtime, I’ll probably order one in white to replace the standard Glo-Toob™ I use on my hiking staff.

Glo-Toob FX

I had a chance to test out the Glo-Toob™ FX I grabbed with my last gear purchase. I’m impressed, as I usually am with well-built micro-gadgetry, with the little light’s brightness and obviously solid construction.

The Glo-Toob is essentially the battery-powered equivalent of a lightstick, though a bit brighter and far more economical thanks to it’s long battery life (30-80 hours) and comparatively cheap battery (one 23A battery costs about the same as one 8-hour lightstick). Add to that the multiple lighting modes, negative buoyancy (and extreme depth rating), and superior durability and you’ve more than made up for the mere $20 price tag.

I find it to be a perfectly sized companion to my slightly larger than normal vehicle key, but most will find the 2.75 by 0.75 inch ‘toob better suited for attachment to a backpack or other gear.

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap

This is more health related, than outdoor/survival, but I’m putting it here anyhow based solely on the convenience of having a bio-degradable, one-bottle personal cleansing solution.

Some time ago I had an offer to grab a small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap for less than the tax on my order of Rite-in-the-Rain pads from TAD. It looked interesting, and at that price how can I say no? When it arrived it was promptly placed on a shelf and forgotten about. I ran across the bottle again just recently and read the label to find they recommend it for just about every use of soap, shampoo, conditioner and deep cleanser there is. Of course, my first thought was “…but I’ll come out of the shower smelling like a giant candy cane!” Thankfully, this was not the case and the smell (which was more like peppermint tea) was gone shortly after toweling off.

A word of caution: prepare yourself for a shock the first time you use this. Almost instantly, the more sensitive parts of your skin like your face and… nether regions …will experience an intense, cold burn. I say cold for lack of a better term – it was like my face was on fire, but cold. Don’t worry, it will pass and I promise nothing will fall off. As the bottle suggests, breathe deeply – a truly nostril-clearing experience akin to eating a habanero pepper (minus the pain) will follow and almost as quickly as it started, the “burn” will be gone and you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed.

As advertised, it dissolves… everything. Skin and hair alike come out free from soap scum, residues and even natural oils. As far as hair care goes I fall in the “normal” category, so you may want to keep an eye on it if you are considered “dry and brittle”. I’ve never been a fan of liquid soap or those little spongy things you’re supposed to use with them. Using it without the little spongy thing is difficult at best, so it’s certainly not going to replace my regular soap.

All in all, I was quite pleased with the soap and will be ordering two more small, and one large bottle, for my kits and camping gear very soon. I’ll also likely try out the “bar” version for home and see if it’s as good.