Already a while back I got my Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel and my Platypus 1l Water Bottle, both from Ultralight Outdoor Gear which showed once again what superior customer service is: Friday ordered, Tuesday delivered.
I got the Mini version of the LMF Firesteel, as it was the lightest one available - weighing in at 12 gr. I tried it out already, and it sparks nicely, though I still need to work on my skills with it. I found the shaver useless, and will probably take it off, as its a lot easier to use a knife to strike a spark. Its orange colour also is genius, as it is now easy to spot in case it should drop in the grass - plus it matches the colour of the TT 1100 stuff sack =)
I also got myself two 1l Platypus water bottles, which weight in at 23 gr. a piece, which is significant less than my Nalgene Top Loop bottle. I got those because they're easy to roll up when empty, and then they don't take up much space. The Platypus has proven itself already in daily life, performing very well on day trips as well in the city or on picnics with the girlfriend. A very useful item, and the material is sturdy - it withstood fishhooks which I carried next to it, without a problem.
If you're looking to lighten your load while being able to light a fire in a downpour, these two items are a highly recommended!
Already a while back I got my Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel and my Platypus 1l Water Bottle, both from Ultralight Outdoor Gear which showed once again what superior customer service is: Friday ordered, Tuesday delivered.
I got the Mini version of the LMF Firesteel, as it was the lightest one available - weighing in at 12 gr. I tried it out already, and it sparks nicely, though I still need to work on my skills with it. I found the shaver useless, and will probably take it off, as its a lot easier to use a knife to strike a spark. Its orange colour also is genius, as it is now easy to spot in case it should drop in the grass - plus it matches the colour of the TT 1100 stuff sack =)
I also got myself two 1l Platypus water bottles, which weight in at 23 gr. a piece, which is significant less than my Nalgene Top Loop bottle. I got those because they're easy to roll up when empty, and then they don't take up much space. The Platypus has proven itself already in daily life, performing very well on day trips as well in the city or on picnics with the girlfriend. A very useful item, and the material is sturdy - it withstood fishhooks which I carried next to it, without a problem.
If you're looking to lighten your load while being able to light a fire in a downpour, these two items are a highly recommended!
Gear Talk/ Test: LMF Firesteel and Platypus Water Bottle
Hi Hendrik
ReplyDeleteBoth are great pieces of kit. I use a LMF Swedish steel to light my gas, alcohol and wood stoves. One trick I learned is to hold the shaver still and drag the rod, this works really well with alcohol stoves. I prefer Platypus bottles as I have had no leaks with them in contrast with my Nalgene bottles, though admittedly all my collapsible bottles have seen many kilometres, a bit like your tape measure : )
Roger
Hej Roger,
ReplyDeleteyou made me laugh! Yeah, my tape measure has seen some duty, mainly on the tabletop playing Warmachine =) I read about holding the shave still, and it works indeed a lot better that way. But that shaver doesn't work for me at all - I guess I need to practice more with it before I take the girlfriend out for an overnighter!
Couldn't agree more with those purchases Hendrik. Good, lightweight stuff. I have the opposite problem with the fire steel though, I can get plenty of sparks with the striker but not from the back of my knife! Maybe we both need lessons! I'm still waiting for my NeoAir and Pinnacle from Ultralight Outdoor Gear. It's been a week. I hope they're not stuck in customs :-(
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah, maybe we need to meet in the middle - Sweden! - and teach each other how to handle the Firesteel! Do you need to get things through customs in Norway? I was always thinking that, while Norway isn't part of the EU, it should be as easy sending something to Norway as it is sending something to eg Finland. Anyhow, hope your stuff arrives today or tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteThe world of Norwegian Customs and the Post Office is a black hole of inconsistency! They 'hold' and try to charge me import tax for birthday presents from my own father but then expensive mail order items from the US arrive direct to my door a few days after ordering them.
ReplyDeleteI think that one day we should hold a Scandinavian bloggers meet. Maybe a weekend of backpacking in Sweden; it does seem like the logical choice being in the middle!
Haha, yeah, maybe we need to meet in the middle - Sweden! - and teach each other how to handle the Firesteel! Do you need to get things through customs in Norway? I was always thinking that, while Norway isn't part of the EU, it should be as easy sending something to Norway as it is sending something to eg Finland. Anyhow, hope your stuff arrives today or tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteThe world of Norwegian Customs and the Post Office is a black hole of inconsistency! They 'hold' and try to charge me import tax for birthday presents from my own father but then expensive mail order items from the US arrive direct to my door a few days after ordering them.
ReplyDeleteI think that one day we should hold a Scandinavian bloggers meet. Maybe a weekend of backpacking in Sweden; it does seem like the logical choice being in the middle!
Hi Hendrik
ReplyDeleteBoth are great pieces of kit. I use a LMF Swedish steel to light my gas, alcohol and wood stoves. One trick I learned is to hold the shaver still and drag the rod, this works really well with alcohol stoves. I prefer Platypus bottles as I have had no leaks with them in contrast with my Nalgene bottles, though admittedly all my collapsible bottles have seen many kilometres, a bit like your tape measure : )
Roger