GORUCK has a reputation for making some great gear and are especially well known for their backpacks. It used to be that you could get a GORUCK bag in any color that you wanted so long as it was black but now they have released 2 new color options: Sand (tan) and Multicam.
Check out the new color options at GORUCKGear.com.
When it comes to pre-assembled survival kits, the contents don’t seem to vary much from one kit to the next. Many kits use the same components from the same vendors or at least similar components. It is often the container itself that differentiates one kit from another. However, the GearPods Survival Pro is one kit that differentiates itself by its container and contents.
The GearPods container system is versatile, unique, and innovative.
The caps allow you to terminate a module, join modules to make a longer module, or join them as separate modules.
The bread and butter of GearPods is their innovative container design. The GearPods containers are translucent plastic tubes in various lengths that are capped at both ends. The caps can be end caps or couplers (open or closed style) that allow multiple tubes to be connected together. This tube form factor allows the GearPods to be carried like a water bottle and they can even function as a water bottle in a survival situation.
The Survival Pro kit is one of GearPods pre-assembled kits. It comes with the container and several items packed inside that cover a variety of survival needs:
Removing the top reveals the cap on the cooking cup.
The Survival Pro kit contains two modules: the cup and the stove.
The list of items that the GearPods Survival Pro contains is extensive. There are many standard items that are survival kit mainstays and a handful of very innovative items that you won’t find anywhere else.
Cup module and contents
Stove module and contents
I won’t talk about every item in depth. Much of what is contained in this kit are items that are already proven performers. GearPods has done a great job of sourcing quality components for this kit but the parts that really shine are the parts that they designed themselves.
The Survival Pro kit comes with a small cooking set that GearPods designed to fit their containers. The design of the cook set is ingenious. It consists of a small stove, a cup that nests into the stove top, and a windscreen. The stove is designed to work with fuel tablets like those from Esbit and has three legs that can be spread out to stabilize the whole unit. The cup has a heat resistant fabric ring at the top which makes it a bit easier to handle when it is hot and a concave bottom which helps catch and hold the heat from the stove.
The cook set can boil water fairly quickly, which isn’t really surprising since it is a relatively small cup. The set up and take down is very easy. The windscreen can be rolled tightly and inserted into the cup for storage but you should take some care when storing it because it will scratch and scuff the anodization on the cup. The fabric on the cup won’t make it possible to handle a cup full of boiling water but it does make it possible to handle the cup sooner than you would be able to without some protection from the heat.
The Survival Pro comes with an instruction sheet that contains valuable information like general survival tips and information about items in the kit. It is printed on a material that feels like Tyvek. That may seem like a small thing but it shows just how clever the folks at GearPods are. Tyvek is extremely difficult to tear and basically water-proof. Those are desirable attributes for something that may have to be used in adverse conditions.
Cup on stove
Many of the items in the kit allow for one handed use in the event of an injury. The Spark-Lite fire starter can be used with just one hand without much trouble. Additionally, the kit includes a rescue Flash signal mirror that has a retro-reflective aiming reticle which allows it to be used one handed (some mirrors require a second hand to aim).
The kit doesn’t include any shelter specific items but it does include items that can be used in shelter construction (cordage). An A-frame style shelter can be built without any tools or cordage if the right materials are present. You may want to consider supplementing the kit with a GearPods Shelter unit or at least carrying something like an emergency blanket/bivy, poncho, tarp, or similar item.
The kit itself is very efficiently packed. You will want to take note of how things are packed when you are using the various components or you may have some difficulty packing the contents. I played around with different configurations and there is some leeway with how you pack the kit but a little bit of care goes a long way. GearPods thoughtfully provided two small stuff sacks that hold every component of the kit except the cook set. These bags let you keep the kit components together and organized even if you are using the cookset.
Cup, stove, and wind screen
The kit contains some redundancy (the good kind). There are multiple ways of starting a fire, multiple ways of food gathering, multiple ways to purify water, and multiple repair items. Redundancy can be a very good thing in a survival kit. Take the fire starters for instance, you will likely find that the Tinder-Quik are a very easy and reliable fire-starting method. However, in situations when you have direct sunlight, you will want to use the Fresnel lens in order to conserve the Tinder-Quik tabs and matches. The redundant items allow you to conserve resources by choosing the tool for the job.
The kit itself is very easy to carry. It fits in most water bottle pouches or rides fairly unobtrusively in your pack. You can even add another small container module and it will still fit in most water bottle pouches. GearPods sent me an additional small module so I could see how the connectors work and I found that it was great for storing natural tinder that I foraged (something you may want to do immediately once you realize you are in a survival situation).
The GearPods is a well-stocked kit with a good mix of innovative original components and proven standard components. Its water bottle-ish form factor is unique and functional. The cook set’s design is ingenious in how it fits the container format while still retaining a lot of functionality. Between the container and the contents, this is easily one of the most innovative survival kits on the market. Check out the Survival Pro on GearPods.com.
Disclosure: This kit was provided to me free of charge by GearPods as a “thank you” for mentioning their products on JTT.
Some jobs have side benefits that aren’t deducted from your paycheck. For instance, when I worked on a carpentry crew framing custom homes, instead of health insurance we received suntans, a great sense of balance, and all the strength training that could be handled during a work day. It seemed like a great deal at the time and I really enjoyed that line of work. Being a police officer is no different in this respect.
One of the largest “non deductible” benefits to this job is developing a strong sense of situational awareness. My work environment brings regular exposure to dangerous people, vehicle/foot pursuits, fights, robberies in progress, shootings, and more. This is what has become of most large American “inner” cities. Functioning well under these conditions will inevitably help build a strong mindset.
The average guy, who wants to be alert and prepared, most likely doesn’t have the opportunity to function often in these types of circumstances. That’s a good thing or we’d already be living “Mad Max.” However, without some real life experience and time/stress training it is difficult to fully develop your mindset. I want to start an occasional series of entries to share with the readers some of the things that I’ve learned along the way and hopefully help with that development.
Of course, I don’t even come close to knowing it all and I approach each new shift at work as a student of the harder side of life. Unfairness, sudden calamity, life changing mistakes, and a myriad of other dangers wait daily in the wings for the right opportunity to swallow the unwitting and the experienced alike. No man is ever able to rise above these facts and can only maintain his relationship with God and run the race of life to the best of his ability. I hope that in these following articles the readers will find at least a few nuggets to help guide the way should any treacherous situation come along.
Tomahawks that feature full tang construction are typically pretty expensive. Browning is bucking that trend in their new Black Label line with the Shock N’ Awe Tomahawk.
This tomahawk can be found for less than $60. It is made from “sword grade” 1055 steel. 1055 is a simple carbon steel that can be pretty tough. The “sword grade” part is mostly marketing speak. The bit has a pretty practical shape and the spike looks sturdy. The cord wrapped handle terminates in a pointed skull crusher and has a lanyard hole. I was surprised to see that this tomahawk comes with Blade-Tech sheath with Tek-Lok.
I have no experience with this ‘hawk but the price makes it very attractive. I suspect it will become pretty popular with guys who want to modify it. Check out the Black Label Shock N’ Awe Tomahawk at Browning.com.
Eberlestock is well known for making backpacks that are designed to carry longarms. Their packs work very well for this task but they leave little doubt as to what the backpack is carrying. If you wanted something more discreet, you had to look elsewhere. That is no longer the case with Eberlestock’s introduction of the S25 Cherry Bomb and S34 Secret Weapon packs.
The Cherry Bomb and Secret Weapon packs are styled to look more discreet but they still offer the ability to conceal a long arm. Some so-called discreet packs really aren’t all that discreet but I think Eberlestock was quite successful at styling these packs to look like normal day packs. The colors are subdued but still manage to look innocuous.
The Cherry Bomb is the smaller of the 2 packs. It is capable of carrying a very short (7″ barrel) AR-15 with the stock collapsed. You could probably also fit a larger SBR (short barrel rifle) AR-15 if you were to separate the upper and lower receivers.
The larger Secret Weapon pack will accommodate an 11″ barreled AR-15 (or larger if broken down). It is also capable of carrying a 20″ barreled bolt action precision rifle if the user utilizes the Eberlestock M1 Stealth Chassis which folds shorter than just about any other stock like it.
Both packs also have an array of features and pockets for organization which make them very well mannered for use as a typical backpack when you don’t need the ability to carry a long arm. They are hydration compatible, have a removable waist belt, and have rain covers that stow in the bottom of the pack.
Check out the new S25 Cherry Bomb and S34 Secret Weapon packs from Eberlestock.
