Firebiner Characteristics:

• Stainless steel
• Titanium coating
• Rated for 50lbs/ 22kgs
• Weighs 1 oz / 22g
• Patent Pending EverSpark wheel Firestarter
• 2 Free Replaceable Ferro rods
• 5 colors: Silver, Black, Gold, Blue & Red-Blue

Firebiner Review:

There are a multitude of keyring survival tools on the market. But few of them took it as far as a complete re-design of the humble carabiner. In fact, most keyring survival tools need to be clipped on to a carabiner. The Firebiner sails past its competition in being able to legally hold 50lbs / 22kgs (pushed to 403lb /182kg before breaking) while sporting a blade, firestarter, screwdriver and bottle opener.

Thus far, I have lit a bunch of cotton balls on fire in the sink, easily cut threads off any item of clothing to come my way and hung the firebiner on my belt loop without it catching when I took it off. All in all, it has been a joy to use. And I am not the only one to think so. Positive reviews from other Kickstarter backers have been flooding the Firebiner comment section, while some have even taken to leaving 5 star reviews on their website.

Outdoor Element has done just that. Their campaign promises were to make the Firebiner better and more cost-effective for backers. For instance, they promised a free accessory kit to international backers after sourcing cheaper international shipping. Many companies simply absorb these savings as profit. Outdoor Element kept things transparent and courteous. They consistently provide updates, acknowledge any mistakes, speak to the community as often as they can, and continue to take on board feedback to improve their products.

Some are easily remedied (if your firebiner won’t spark, prime it by turning it in the opposite direction for a bit first before trying again), others require a bit of DIY (dab some super glue in the wire gate holes to decrease likelihood of losing the wire gates). Quality wise, there are bumps, burrs and scratches on the Firebiners, and one person’s Firebiner only had one hang slot. Go figure. Others who have tried to “fix” their Firebiners have accidentally lost their screws and springs, and it seems that a fair number of international backers didn’t receive their free accessory kits (myself included). However, the latest updates from Outdoor Element show that they are aware of these issues, and are already working to rectify them.

In fact, I’m planning on buying more for Christmas. The Firebiner completely replaces an everyday object, and that is what truly makes it.

p.s. What to put in the vials?!? So many options. Cotton wool, sewing needle, thread, fishing line, strike-anywhere matches, iodine, bobby pins, a paper clip (for sim card removal!), hair bands, water purification tablets, prescription medication, Potassium Permanganate (firestarter, trail marker, water purifier all in one), alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc. Personally, I had a lot of trouble deciding and am still trying to stuff more things in there.

The post “Firebiner” Review – The Carabiner Preppers Dream About appeared first on The Motley Geek.

Tool Arc didn’t break any Kickstarter records or start trending over social media when it came out. But even though it flew under the radar somewhat, it did manage to get double its original goal of $2500, and manufacture a quality product.

At 2.5oz / 70g, you get a 15-in-1 tool. That is a hefty selection of tools. You get wrenches, a safe serrated edge, replaceable screwdriver bits, a wire stripper, a nail pry, etc. At $26 during the Kickstarter campaign, it was a pretty easy decision to support this company. Particular as they do all the work of producing their designs in house. It’s like a mom-n-pop shop, but with CNC machines.

The best multi-tool is the one that you have on you. As it is attached to my keyring, I haven’t yet left the house without the Tool Arc since it arrived in March. Thus far, I’ve used it to slice open multiple boxes of geeky postage, tighten the screws of my door lock, help my friends put together their quail coop and pull up a stabby nail. Damage-wise, the Tool Arc has sustained cosmetic scratching from being amongst my keys, but otherwise has no visible defects – rust or otherwise. So far, it seems to be living up to its promise of being a Tough Lifetime tool.

However, the magnetic core that is supposed to hold it all together has failed me once. A relatively hearty bump against a cupboard door caused the core to get knocked out of its housing, letting loose my 2 screwdriver bits. Small moment of panic as the cat went chasing after them. I also discovered that the bits only slide in and out perfectly when you allow gravity to pull them back into place. It’s a small thing, but as I sometimes enjoy spinning its wheel (it is my multi-tool-fidget-spinner) just for fun, it can get a bit irksome.

Will this be my forever multi-tool? To be honest, it is still a bit on the heavy side. If this had been made out of titanium, my answer would probably be a hundred times yes. As it is, you can feel even 70 grams. Who knew. Then again, this may just be a matter of always wanting it lighter, and never being satisfied.

Furthermore, although I received my Tool Arc (I was backer #49 out of #136 and they are delivering 1 by 1), many others haven’t. Despite not having finalized delivery to their Kickstarter backers, TFD has the Tool Arc for sale on their website, with an estimated shipping date of 3-5 days. This is quite surprising, especially as TFD have stated that their CNC machine is only able to cut out 2 Tool Arcs at a time. I guess that’s what we get for not shipping manufacturing off to a third world country.

At the end of the day, I will continue to use my Tool Arc, as it definitely does what it says it should. It is a tough, hard-wearing tool, that has not failed me. That is, until something better my way comes. I should probably get the tool hoarding under control. Right after I get the board game hoarding under control. Oh, who am I kidding.

Everyday Usefulness Rating: 4/5

Zombie Apocalypse Usefulness Rating: 2/5  

Here’s how Tool Arc stacks up against other EDC multi-tools:

The post “Tool Arc” EDC Multi-tool Review and Comparison appeared first on The Motley Geek.