The Permanent Portfolio, Investing, Finance and Random Thoughts.
Gear Reviews
Westwind vs Clikstand Trangia Alcohol Stove Stand and Trangia Thoughts
02 days ago
In this review I take ideal indoor conditions and compare performance times to boil 16 ozs. of water. My findings are that the Westwind when run *upside down* is near identical performance to the excellent Clikstand system. When used with a windscreen, both of these systems provide outstanding lightweight performance with the Trangia stove.
The Trangia mini is a neat nesting pan system with simple burner. However the performance is just average. Although I do give it credit for a good all-in-one contained system and decent weight. It is also a good value.
For the money the Westwind stand is a really good deal especially when you buy it with the Trangia burner. Add a cheap aluminum flashing or foil wind screen and you’ll get really good performance for under $25 at most stores!
If you add in the Evernew 0.9L ultralight titanium pot you’ll have a complete cook system for about 10-11 ozs. of weight. This is for a rugged Trangia (4 oz.), simple stand (2.7 oz.) and a good versatile pot (4 oz.).
Sound like a good setup? It is. You can help support my work by ordering one from my Amazon store. 
Thanks for your subscription and comments. If you want to see other gear reviewed or have further questions, send me a note. See you on the trail!
Trangia Westwind Alcohol Stove Stand Review
04 days ago
This stand is shown often with the Trangia burner set in the top section. However a tip I saw online a while back suggested using it upside down (from YouTuber “TheBeebopper”).
This tip has you put the Trangia burner on the ground first and then set the stand over it. In this video I test it both ways to see how much of a difference it makes. And yes, it does make a big difference!
For a price around $20 you get the Trangia burner and the stand. This will give you a cook system around 6-7ozs. very inexpensively to use with your own pans. I like this little stand as an inexpensive and lightweight hiking stove and have used it many times on multi-night and day hikes for hot drinks and food on the trail.
You can find this stand listed in my Amazon store as well as larger Trangia systems for more elaborate cooking needs:
http://www.crawlingroad.com/store
The Trangia stove (in various configurations) is a simple and reliable system that I’ve been using for over a decade. It won’t let you down!
Thanks for watching and your support!
Aquamira Water Purification Chemical Review
22 weeks ago
Aquamira is a very lightweight water purification chemical. It comes in two parts, mixes easily, and produces water with no bad tastes. This is a good solution for hikers looking to save a lot of weight over a filter. Also, for those that don’t want to deal with a clogging filter, broken parts, busted seals, etc. that many pumps may have.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), chlorine dioxide (the chemical of Aquamira) is one of the best chemical treatments for a wide number of pathogens. A chart detailing the various methods is here:
CDC Backcountry Water Treatment Options
Aquamira is a simple, light and reliable way to get clean water. Highly recommended!
If you want to use a filter, then I highly recommend the Platypus GravityWorks system. It is a great solution as well:
If this review was helpful to you, please consider making your purchase through my Amazon store. It costs you nothing extra but helps support my work. Thanks!
Compass Overview and Review – Suunto MC-3G, Suunto M-3DL, Silva Ranger, Brunton 54LU and Cammenga Lensatic
02 weeks ago
In this video I go over baseplate, prismatic, mirror and lensatic sighting compasses from Suunto, Brunton, Silva and Cammenga:
Suunto M-3DL
Suunto MC-2G
Silver Ranger (US Brand, not Swedish)
Brunton 54LU (Silva 54 Expedition)
Cammenga USGI Lensatic
All of these compasses have plusses and minuses. The baseplate versions are simplest and lightest with good enough accuracy for just about anything I’ve ever needed a compass to do.
The prismatic sighting compass is a neat design that can give more accuracy but lacks declination adjustment.
The mirror compasses are more feature packed with things like inclinometers. The mirror is a little more accurate under ideal conditions, but can sometimes get in the way when on a map or need a quick read. However it is nice having a mirror for first aid purposes (getting stuff out of your eye), hygiene purposes, emergency signaling, etc.
The Cammenga lensastic is USGI milspec. It is accurate, but heavy and lacks features such as declination and a built in protractor. However it can be had with Tritium illumination if you work a lot in dim conditions. It also is not liquid filled so it will not develop a bubble in colder temps or high altitude which (mainly cheaper or damaged) liquid filled compasses may. It is also very rugged.
I like and use all the compasses except the Silva Ranger. The Silva Ranger sold in the US and Canada is not made by Silva of Sweden any longer, but another company. Don’t waste your money on the US marketed Silva Ranger or any other US marketed Silva products. They are all junk. I demonstrate why in this video.
I also had a chance to feel the new Brunton 15TDCL compass in a store (supposedly the original Ranger compass from long ago as sold in the US). It felt like junk as well. I turned over the package and saw it is made in China. I would avoid this compass as well and just buy Suunto brand compasses which are all well made.
I rate the Suunto MC-2G with the global needle as the best liquid filled compass I’ve used. The M-3G version is identical but without the mirror. It’s light and simple and will save you a few bucks for a great compass. The Cammenga is the best lensatic type compass I’ve used but lacks some features that make using it on a map a little harder. You can’t go wrong with any one of these.
If you are interested in learning the Cammenga lensatic compass, there is a very extensive free online course here:
Land Navigation Course with Cammenga Lensatic Compass
Products reviewed in this video are available through my Amazon Store under the Navigation section. I’d appreciate the purchase if you found it helpful:
Fallkniven TK2 Knife Review and Starting a Fire in Winter Conditions
02 weeks ago
I have really taken a liking to Fallkniven Knives. I really like my Fallkniven F1 and thought I’d like to have the same length blade but a little thinner.
The F1 is a fine knife, but it is a survival knife for the Swedish Air Force and the blade is made stout to take more abuse. The Fallkniven TK2 has a similar blade shape (a little more pointed at the tip), but it features a distal taper. Meaning it thins out towards the point and the convex edge is also thinner allowing it to get a really keen edge. On top of this, it features a Japanese Super Gold Powdered Steel (SGPS) that Fallkniven calls “3G”. The blade is a lamination of VG-2, SGPS, and VG-2 steels. That’s the 3G part. And it’s really tough!
This knife has a wonderful balance in the hand and is just a great all purpose outdoor blade. It holds a great edge as well. Compared to the F1, the blade is not as thick. However the steel used in this knife is stronger than the VG-10 steel of the F1 so it probably comes out as a wash in terms of toughness. Basically, even under abusive conditions I think it is pretty unlikely you’d damage this or any other Fallkniven knife.
In terms of which I prefer, honestly it’s a toss up. The F1 is an outstanding deal for the price. No other knife I’ve used comes close to it in that regard. If you want a thinner knife and more exotic steel that will hold an edge a little longer, then the TK2 is your ticket.
In this video I also demonstrate how to start a fire in snow conditions. Starting a fire on snow is not much different than starting it on dry ground. The only difference really is you need to build a platform for your fire materials to keep them off the snow. Thick green or damp wood is best for the base. They dry wood is put on top of this. The wet base allows the fire to burn and keep off the snow. In this video I make a simple cook fire to show how to collect materials, build a platform, and get the fire going.
Products reviewed on this site are available through the Amazon Store:
