|
|
|
The survival gear covered here are those that seemed to be of interest to someone in a wilderness survival situation. This is not an all-inclusive coverage, just what caught our eye.
We have provided the specifications we received from the manufacturers for the most part; some are much better than others in what they provide, so blame them if you are missing some spec you'd have liked to have seen.
Prices quoted are manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) as of January, 2010 (we don't waste bytes, or your intelligence, on 95 or 99 cents, we just round up). Most knives and tools covered here can be purchased at significantly discounted prices from those quoted. In some cases, items will not be available until much later this year. When we have been given an expected production date, we have included it, but manufacturers often miss such targets.
(Disclaimer: Editor Doug Ritter, author of a number of the articles in this SHOT Show gear review, is currently collaborating Adventure Medical Kits on the Pocket Survival Pak and Pocket Survival Pak+.)
Assembling this SHOT Show Report is a major undertaking. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Equipped To Survive Foundation if you find this report to be of value to you. The Equipped To Survive Foundation is a tax-exempt non-profit corporation that supports the continued operation and expansion of Equipped To Survive® and which allows me to attend shows such as this and report to you on the latest and greatest gear. Again, donations are fully tax-deductible. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation or to find out more. Thanks very much for your support and consideration.
ACR debuted the new SARLink View, adding a digital LCD display to their
SARLink 406 MHz GPS PLB to create the "View" model with an MSRP of $649. If it
strikes you as an uninspired name, though admittedly more or less descriptive, join the crowd. In any case, it is modeled on the same the display used on their GlobalFix iPro EPIRB and provides similar information to the user:
OK, the "ResQ" message is just too cute for me, even if it is an ACR trademark from an earlier series of PLBs and probably understandable.
The digital display is housed under the clear polycarbonate cover and unless you physically break the PLB itself, no easy task, you are not going to harm the display. This isn’t like the display on your cell phone. ACR also reports they have solved the challenge of liquid crystal displays and cold temperature operation.
Beyond the display, this is your basic SARLink PLB, 2.3 x 5.8 x 1.25" (5.8 x 14.8 x 3.2 cm) and 8.9 oz (252 g), which includes the following features:
This latter capability brings us to ACR’s second
SHOT Show announcement, the acquisition by Cobham Life Support, ACR Products,
of SafeLife Systems, the subscription-based satellite self test detection
service from PROCON, Inc. This web-based service provides owners of many 406
MHz Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) and
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) to confirm the functioning
of their beacons through the COSPAS-SARSAT satellites and also allows them to
send a limited number of pre-determined non-distress messages via text/e-mail
to family and friends. Think of this as a watered down SPOT Satellite
Messenger messaging capability coupled with the reliable 406 MHz beacons.
SafeLife's beacon management and testing program will continue in its present form as a subscription service for non-ACR product users (406 MHz distress beacons manufactured by competitors), and a new service brand with additional and unique ACR features has been launched as a subscriber service for ACR product owners called 406Link.com.
Subscribers to the 406Link.com service, for example, will have access to ACR's unique thru-the-system self-test application for PLBs, ELTs and EPIRBs, which ensures the beacon is performing properly via transmission and satellite confirmation, ultimately sending a text and e-mail message to the beacon's owner. New ACR PLBs, including the View, will also allow users to perform a GPS acquisition test and simultaneously send the "I'm OK" message to family and friends along with a GPS position and location mapping.
A 406Link.com Beacon Management program, applicable to all ACR PLBs and EPIRBs, includes battery replacement reminders, self test and activation history, providing trip plans to family and friends and managing the account.
The SafeLife/406Link.com coverage includes North and South American land masses and "most of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans," including Hawaii.
For more information go to www.406Link.com (ACR product owners) or www.safelifesystems.com (Non-ACR product owners). Note that this will not work with PLBs on which you cannot erect the antenna, such as the McMurdo Fast Find models, for example.
These services aren't free. For ACR beacons, there are two plans:
406Link: $39.95 Annual Subscription. With 406Link you can test your beacon multiple times through the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. Self test confirmation messages are sent to your cell phone and email. With this basic package, messages are sent only to the account owner.406Link Plus: $59.95 Annual Subscription. With 406Link Plus you get the same trough system tests of the basic 406Link plan, plus the added features of multiple SMS and email messaging (up to 5 contacts), trip planning, and GPS test location. Newer, GPS-enabled PLBs will also allow you to send "I'm Ok, I'm here" messages with a hyperlink map of your GPS location.
For those with other make beacons, SafeLife Systems currently only offers a "comprehensive service plan" for $60 for one year, 2 years for $100 and 3 years for $130.
(ACR report by Doug Ritter)
Zippo introduced the Emergency Fire Starter Kit, in a slimmed down orange metal case similar to the familiar Zippo lighter. The kit contains a sparker, similar in concept to the Four Seasons Survival Spark-Lite, and four proprietary waxed tinder sticks, which Zippo says have a burn time of 30 seconds to one minute. The sparker uses replaceable lighter flints and Zippo claims the case is "water resistant" when closed. The unit is somewhat heavier than the Spark-Lite at 2.2 oz, and more expensive with an MSRP of $20. Extra tinder sticks are listed for $5 for a pack of eight. The metal case seems durable, and the with the Zippo name it may put more fire-starting kits in the hands of those who might not otherwise carry one.
(Zippo report by Clifford Grout)
Not typically thought of as a survival equipment supplier, Mossberg has teamed up with ASAP Survival Gear and TV personality Dr. Bob Arnot and introduced a series of pre-packaged bug-out bags for people who want to be prepared - but who do not have the skills or inclination to assemble their own kits. The ASAP Survival Web site was pretty much just a placeholder at time of publication of this report and we have been unable to find out anything about the company from Mossberg. ASAP Survival didn't return our calls.
Most prepackaged bug-out kits offered to the general public (as opposed to outdoors folks and aviators) have never really been very successful for two reasons: First, they are usually very general in nature - and what is needed for a hurricane emergency is often different from what is needed after an earthquake, flood, or marine emergency. Second, the materials included in these consumer-oriented kits have often not been of the best quality; and when you need them is not the time to find this out.
What makes these Mossberg/ASAP Survival kits different is some thought was put into what is needed and how it will be used. There are four basic kits with the basics only - 1-2 people/24 hours, the Sidekick, 2 people/48 hours, the Sentinal, 2 people/72 hours, the Survivor, and a 2 people/72 hours kit packaged as a Marine kit. The difference is the available Modules, which are to be purchased separately, and which one adds to the kits as needed for a consumer's particular situation. Modules listed in the literature include a Winter Home Survival Module, Children's Care Module, Vehicle Emergency Module, Pet Care Module, and 6 others. A company spokesmen said that other grab-and-go modules will be added to take care of more unique situations, such as an Evacuation to a Shelter module. The bags shown have extra room for modules and some personal items.
The other difference one notices almost immediately is the quality of the components. The multi-tool isn't some nameless brand, but Leatherman. The first aid kits are by Adventure Medical Kits. The emergency rations and water are Mainstay. Black Diamond headlamps are also included, as is a Fox 40 whistle.
Mossberg/ASAP Survival said a thumb drive may be included in the future for digital storage of important personal papers and images.
A survival guide, authored by Dr. Arnot, is included in each kit.
While many scoff at pre-packaged kits like these (and often for good reason), they do give those who are not inclined to prepare their own kits a way to have supplies available when necessary. If folks are going to try to be better prepared, it is far better that their kit include good quality compoennts than the junck that is so often included.
The Mossberg/ASAP Survival kits will initially be sold only via the Internet. Pricing for the kits has not been established, and that will be a factor in how successful the kits will be. Based on the quality compoennts, they won't be cheap, though they may well represent a good value if they can keep costs down with volume. Availability is scheduled for later this spring.
(Mossberg/ASAP Survival Gear report by Clifford Grout)
|
 | SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site. |
Publisher and Editor: Doug Ritter
Email: Doug Ritter
URL:
http://www.equipped.org/shot_show_2010_gear.htm
First Published: February 04, 2006
|
![[Previous]](icons/1left.gif){kind=icon}
![[Next]](icons/1right.gif){kind=icon}