The Olight M20 Warrior Premium was developed for military and law enforcement users, and it excels for those type of tasks, but it also works great as an outdoor light. The M20 uses lithium batteries, given you a super bright light in a relatively small package. The packaging contains the light, a killer sheath, a battery holder, and other standard accessories.
Until I run out of them, the 2009 holiday set has an M20 and an iTP A3 EOS titanium for $100. Considering that the lights separately would cost you $140, the set is a pretty ridiculous deal.
The NiteCore D10 SP and EX10 SP are new versions of the popular D10 and EX10. While the previous models had adjustable brightness, the SP versions give you three useful levels and add strobe and SOS. The small size and excellent knurling are still in place, as is the piston drive. The piston drive is a metal sleeve that goes the full inside length of the battery tube to make contact with the head, giving you a more reliable switching mechanism than the traditional switch.
The TA series (TA20, TA21, and TA30) from Fenix is an alternative to the JETBeam Raptor selector ring system. Unlike the smooth action of the JETBeam lights, the TA series has a more tactile feel, with a solid click at each level.
The TA20 has three brightnesses and one strobe setting, running off of two CR123 batteries. The TA30 is a very similar light with the same settings, except it runs off of three CR123 batteries that give you about 50% increased runtime. The TA21 steps up the levels, giving you nine brightnesses and three flashing modes off of two CR123 batteries.
JETBeam is always coming up with new ways to make me drool over flashlights, and one of the neatest things they have incorporated into their lights is the IBS system. The current models that feature a reverse switch (click and release to turn on the light, soft press to switch modes) all have the IBS system. The system allows you to program the light’s three modes to whatever you want, from 2-240 lumens, strobe, SOS, and several other flashing modes. My customers are divided on whether or not strobe is a good thing to have in a light, so this is the light to get if you want to make sure that your light does not have strobe on a daily basis. Of course, if you like strobe and the other flashing modes, you could always program all three modes to give seizures.
The Jet I Pro is the baby of the family, using only one AA battery. On a 14500 rechargeable lithium, the Jet I Pro easily rivals lights several times its size thanks to the powerful LED and reflector designed to take advantage of the LED as much as possible. This is the light that I combine with a headlamp as my lighting arsenal in the woods when I am looking to keep things relatively lightweight.
The Jet I Pro EX is the same as the Jet I Pro, but uses 2 AA batteries instead of just one for twice the battery life and higher brightness on NiMh and alkaline batteries.
The Jet III ST can use 2 CR123, 2 16340, or 1 18650 battery. The body is still slim enough to keep in your pocket or pack, making this one a good option for people who like lithiums and still want a compact light.
The Jet III Ultra is a larger lithium light, with a much larger head and reflector compared to the Jet III ST. The larger head gives you a light that throw the beam much further than the smaller reflectors.
Here’s a video showing the lights and how to program the interface:
I went a little video crazy over the past couple of days, meaning that after being really slack on the blog and video front over the past few months, you now have 12 new videos to suffer through.
The first one shows the butane lighters I stock. I had several requests for this one, which kind of surprised me. I always figured the lighters kind of explained themselves…
I made a video showing the new Firesteel Super Strikers from my store. I was really pleased with the way the strikers turned out. They work as well (or better) than anything else I use, even the squared off spine of a fixed blade, which is impressive considering they are under $2.
Some customers asked if UST’s Wetfire can actually burn while floating in water. Yes, yes it can. I know I’m the guy shilling it, but that is pretty friggin’ cool.
Rite in the Rain makes a pretty cool line of products. As the name suggests, the pads and pens they make can handle rain and other water sources with no problem. Water beads up and runs off, and the ink isn’t touched.
I discovered RITR several years ago when I lost a notebook of important (to me) notes to a sudden downpour on a hike. I forgot that the pad was in an outside pocket of my pack and not in a dry bag like everything else I was carrying that was susceptible to water. I went searching for a solution and, lo and behold, there is a whole company dedicated to making products that laugh at precipitation and scoff at a dunk in a river.
Here is a video I made showing the products in action:
I imagine that Ray Mears wanders through the woods, sipping tea in his cup made from riverbank clay, making bird calls, and generally being at ease in the wilderness. He is like the polar opposite of Bear Grylls, and while both have their entertainment value, Ray’s advice is usually much easier to trust and follow. In the below video, Ray shows how to select an axe and then safely use it. Even if you have been using an axe since you were a toddler, the video might teach you a new good trick or two.
I don’t think this guy would ever want for food if he got stranded in the woods with just a slingshot:
I can barely hit a house with one of those fancy slingshots, and he can take an old school slingshot and hit bugs on a leaf without damaging the leaf? Amazing…
