Hey, I'm Chuck Ray - 9 year Marine Corps Infantry Rifleman. 3 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with 2/7, 1/4 and 1st LAR Purple Heart, 2 Combat Action Ribbons, 3 awards with Combat “V” for valor.Subscription: Alpha OutpostThe Cost: $39.95/mo + $6.95 shipping
My Box: "The Wilderness"
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Firestarter not pictured here. First impression - definitely got my monies worth.During my time in the Marine Corps, especially on deployments we lived in an expeditionary manner. You needed to pack as light as possible while maintaining sustainability. Everything needs to serve at least 1 specific purpose if not multiple purposes. This mindset has followed me into the civilian world, in not only my outdoor adventures but during activities of daily living. I want to be as mobile as possible while being prepared for as many situations as possible. This kit should prove to be useful for that purpose.
Literature
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The pamphlet was both entertaining as well as informative on ways to utilize enclosed gear. They include a comic-style usage guide, which was pretty creative.
Water Filtration Straw
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This handy water filter is compact and functional. Makes for a lighter pack, since you don't have to carry water or anything to purify it. I also appreciate the lanyard that is attached.
Hammock
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This is a self-packing hammock with 2 carabiner attachment points and pouch doubles as an anchor point and water catch point. Nice and sturdy, but light.
Woobie
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THE WOOBIE! The single most useful and enjoyed piece of gear issued by the US military, in my humble opinion. Poncho, blanket, shelter, this thing can do it all.
Firestarter
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This is ALWAYS good to have a mode of creating fire at any time for a slough of different situations and uses. Way better quality and more reliable than those bar matches.
Conclusion
In my opinion, this box is WELL worth the price paid. In fact, I feel like each individual product would be worth the price paid for the entire box honestlyI believe the box is VERY useful. Maybe not in an EDC sense. However, I can speak from experience that when the situation arises, you’ll be glad you have this gear. One thing I like about this particular box is the functionality of the products. You don’t necessarily need to go all “LOST IN THE AMAZON” to use these products. For example, I sleep with a woobie almost every night at my house by choice. As well as the hammock which can be set up in your backyard while enjoying a beer and a solid book.