Emergency Gear: Alco-Brite Stove Kit

Make:  Alco-Brite
Model:  Gelled Alcohol Fuel Canister and Stove Kit


I have an old MSR backpacking stove that runs off IsoButane, but for emergency shelter-in-place scenarios, I needed a stove that could be used safely indoors and one that could sit unused on a shelf almost indefinitely.

I was going back and forth between the Alco-Brite and the Esbit pocket stove, but my impressions are that the Esbit is best suited when you need something extremely light and compact and are willing to trade some performance for portability.

The 16oz Alco-Brite canister has about the same size and weight as a can of soup, so while it's heavier and bulkier than the Esbit, it's still relatively portable if you need to pack it.  I was able to boil a cup of water in 8 minutes (which is exactly what their published figure states) and supposedly the fuel will last between 4-7 hours.  Other than a slight smell of "sterno", it was very clean-burning and absolutely no mess or residue.

I only wish that the canister had some sort of screw-on top instead of the lid that you have to pry off.  While it's easy to get the lid off with a screwdriver or knife, and it's easy to knock back into place, you'll probably be doing this over and over again I could see it potentially becoming a hassle.

But other than that, this little stove fits the bill for an emergency indoor stove so perfectly that it's hard to complain.

The "stove" is really nothing more than two metal pieces that snap onto the fuel canister.  It's simple but effective.



The piece that goes at the top of the stove has an additional metal damper that swings in and out, allowing you to adjust the heat.  Closing it completely will snuff out the flame.

Emergency Gear: Fisher Military Space Pen

Make: Fisher Space Pen
Model: Non-Reflective Military Matte Black Cap-O-Matic
Manufacturer's Product Code: SM4B


It was just about impossible to resist a piece of gear with the model name "Non-Reflective Military Matte Black Cap-O-Matic".  Seriously, you had me at "non-reflective"...  Not to mention that the Fisher company is quick to point out their long history with both the US and Russian space programs.  You would think this would be the alpha and omega of all tactical aerospace writing instruments.

Of course, the big selling point for Fisher is the pressurized ink cartridge that will work in extreme environments where you're average Bic won't (freezing temperatures, upside down, zero gravity, etc.).  I figured this would be the perfect addition to my EDC pack.  At first I was looking for smaller "wallet" pens, but I think those are better suited to keychain-type EDC's.  There was still plenty of room for a full-sized pen in my EDC pouch and so I decided to just go with something that would be comfortable to write with.

So as soon as I took it out of the packaging, I realized my first mistake.  The "cap-o-matic" part hadn't really registered with me when I bought it online, and I had wrongly assumed that it had a regular cap that you remove (it's easy to make that mistake if you're just looking at a picture of it).  Of course, it makes much more sense for it to just be a click type pen (no cap to lose, one-handed operation), but I knew that if I left a clickable pen in my EDC pack I'd end up with ink marks everywhere since that pack gets prodded, squeezed, and bounced around quite a bit.

So then I figured that if it wasn't meant to live in my EDC, I'd just use it as an everyday pen and still feel pretty good that I'm using a pen designed for military and law-enforcement personnel.

Except... it doesn't really write that well.

Now I'm definitely not a "pen guy", but I do enjoy a nice, smooth line of ink when I scribble something on paper.  I'm actually partial to the Uni-ball Signo 207, which you can probably find for about a dollar apiece online without searching too hard.  And so I figure that my $7 military space pen that can write upside down has got to be at least as good as my Uni-ball, if not ten times better.

And since I'm not a pen guy, it's a bit hard for me to describe what's lacking.  To me it just seems like the ink line is just thin and "weak".  It also feels to me like you have to hold the pen more upright than I usually do if you want to get a smoother flow.  I also noticed that if you don't use the pen for awhile, the first time you touch it to the paper, the ink is very, very weak making the first letter you write a lot lighter than the rest.  This sort of jives with what I've read about how the pressurized ink cartridge works.

So note that this isn't necessarily a "bad" pen.  It's just that for normal, everyday writing it's really no better than your average ballpoint.  I'm pretty sure it would shine under extreme conditions, but I was hoping it would also be a better pen during non-extreme situations (70 degrees, normal earth gravity, sitting upright at a desk).

So it's unfortunately not as good as my run-of-the-mill Uni-ball, so I don't think I'll end up using it for note-taking.  And with the Cap-O-Matic, I don't trust it bouncing around loose in my EDC.  I think it'll just end up with the bulk of the disaster supply, probably inside an admin pouch along with an all-weather notebook.

Emergency Gear: EDC pack

EDC (Every Day Carry) Emergency Pack
I try to bring this pack absolutely everywhere I go without exception (it sort of defeats the purpose of an EDC pack if you don't).  Note that while it has some traditional emergency items like bandages, a whistle, and 550 paracord, it also carries items for the somewhat more common "urban" emergency.  So there are quarters for parking meters, dollar bills for bus fare, a 2GB Titanium USB drive just because you never know when you'll suddenly need to grab someone's music files... 

Contents:

• Fenix PD30 R4 flashlight (2 x CR123A batteries) (posting)
• Leatherman Skeletool
• Gerber Shortcut
• Boker Trance folding knife
• Swiss Army Classic
• Petzl e+LITE headlamp (2 x CR2032 batteries) (posting)
• Cruzer Titanium USB drive
• Witz waterproof case
• Kerlix bandage
• small mirror
• band-aids and sterile wipes
• set of spare car and home keys
• handkerchief
• 10' length of 550 paracord
• Mini Sharpie
• Moleskine 2.5"x4" notebook
• foam ear plugs
• whistle
• clear plastic lighter
• cash in small bills
• credit card
• electrical tape
• spare contacts and eyedrops
• backup cellphone (LG Flare)
• tube of ibuprofen

And all this fits into... the North Face Granule lumbar pack

I find this North Face pack to be ideal for EDC as it tucks nicely into bigger packs (which is typically how I carry it), but in the event you need to drop everything but the essentials, you can wear it like a normal lumbar pack or even throw it over a shoulder, messenger bag-style.

Light Gear: Petzl e+LITE

Make: Petzl
Model: e+LITE

You can't ask for more than gear that is both thoroughly effective and highly compact.  This is the headlamp I carry in my EDC pack, and it's come in handy on numerous occasions.  Let's face it, emergency gear is no good unless you have it with you during the emergency.  The e+LITE is so small that there's really no excuse not to have one near you at all times.

So it has compact covered.  But on top of that it's simply well-designed.  The light rotates on a small ball joint that lets you aim the beam at the precise angle you want it, the switch operates with no fumbling, and it throws more than enough light for such a tiny lamp.

And it even packs down easily into its red protective case.  There's nothing worse than struggling to cram gear into a "compact" case that feels like it was intentionally made just a little bit too small.

My only advice for prospective buyers of the e+LITE is that perhaps you should consider getting two.