In this preview, Luke is taking a look at the Hyke and Byke Zion 2 Person Tent, going over his thoughts and impressions before beginning his field testing.
Why must there be so much BS with this company? ... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Materials : Fly : YKK Zippers, 210T Polyester, 63D up coating - 5000mm rating Body : YKK Zippers, 190T Polyester 63D with +B3 Net Yarn Poles : 7000 Series Aluminum Alloy 8.5mm diameter
Dimensions Compressed : 17.75 x 6.3”
Hyke and Byke Company : I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard much of this company before stumbling upon it on Amazon and deciding to purchase it for review.
Before filming this episode, last night I did a quick search for Hyke and Byke and the only thing that I came across was a discussion on reddit where someone stated that this is a company which is very much like Outdoor Vitals in that they rebrand Chinese products for sale in the USA.
I haven’t looked into those claims myself and I’d love to hear your thoughts; do you have any experience with Hyke and Byke? Good, bad?
Professionally designed for thru-hiking, backpacking, and camping, this tent boasts superior weight-to-size ratio
Initial Thoughts : Heavy, incredibly heavy. Once a tent hits this weight range, it becomes obvious that this isn’t the tent that the average individual is going to hike with. ...
Up for an Agenda Free Review today is the Helikon-Tex Stainless Steel Mess Kit...
There are some problems + disappointments and the review begins now! ... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Support TOGR through YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpmbA7yNOl7aTj_ffkaWWag/join ... Helikon Tex MESS TIN - STAINLESS STEEL Forward : There are a lot of mess kits on the market today and this is one of them; you all know that I have a thing for mess kits so after receiving this as a gift from a viewer, I have been using it out in the field and I’m here today to share my thoughts about it.
Capacity: Large tin: 1 liter; 15 cm in diameter Small tin: 0,7 liters, 13 cm in diameter Cover: 15,5 cm in diameter
A big thank you goes out to the viewer who sent this in to me to review, I really appreciate it. While I’m not longer doing viewer mail videos on the channel if you want to send something in for me to potentially to review, feel free to do so.
When using the Helikon Tex Mess kit another system came to mind and that would be the Czech Mess Kit which is a 3 piece kit as well. The difference is that the Czech military version is make from aluminum.
With that being said, this is not a unique design as there are plenty of companies who have variants of Cookset which look just like this one.
Pros : Good quality Durable
Excellent value especially when you compare this to other 3 piece systems - some can be very expensive with many over $50. Some even higher.
Lid can be used as a plate, a frying and can be used as a cutting board
Handles are comfortable to hold
Cons : Warping Heavy No locking mechanism for the handle No cover for the handles but in truth, if you keep the handles away from your heat source they will be completely holdable in most situations No handle included to hold the lid when using it as a frying pan No tab to lift lid from pot Nothing New - Copied design
Summary : This is a fair quality system for the money and for the $20 you are getting 2 very solid stainless pots and a multi use lid.
While I like this kit, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed namely because the company simply copied other existing systems instead of improving upon what was out there. A few simple alterations to this would make this a better Cookset that is easier to use.
In the end, I can recommend this for those who are looking for a stainless steel pot Cookset who don’t mind the weight or the potential warping issues. For the money, it is good enough even though it isn’t as good as it could be.
In this Test Night episode, Luke is testing out the Jack Wolfskin Gossamer 2 in a lot of rain and I mean it...
A LOT OF RAIN!
Will there be problems? Will the tent leak? Find out now. .... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers. Support TOGR through Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR
Today Luke is reviewing the Tasmanian Tiger Modular Four Pouch Set; how would you use them to organize your gear? .... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers. Support TOGR through Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR
Price : Retail is $40 but currently $36 at the time of filming on Amazon
Materials : YKK Zippers 200 den Polyester with PU 150 den Polyester Mesh
Colors : Black, Olive and Coyote
Sizes and Weights : 4 Pouches, 3 different sizes : 2 -S: 6 x 4 x 2in - 15 x 11 x 6cm | 1.75oz - 50g 1 -M: 7 x 6 x 3in - 22 x 15 x 7cm | 2oz - 65g 1 -L : 12 x 9 x 6in - 30 x 22 x 15cm | 4oz - 125g
Flexible mesh pouches in three sizes, one for compression. With hook-and-loop fastening back (hooks) for modular use. The back is also covered for universal use. The set consists of four pouches.
Hook-and-loop straps on all pocket backsides (loops) Blind hook-and-loop fastening available Consists of 4 pouches in 3 sizes Lids made of mesh, Size S with Vinyl
Large bag is cinchable -
Review Pros : Top notch quality Excellent materials Good zippers pulls Good Value considering that higher end bags like this can easily run $50 to $70 Adaptable - can be used as standalone packs or attached via hook and loop internally as well as externally Excellent for organizing your backpack and gear Works great in vehicles as well. Zippers are of a good quality and are smooth Thanks to the fabric mesh you can see somewhat the contents
Fabric mesh has been more durable than I expected -
Review Cons : As for cons, I don’t have any for this kit;
Summary :
TT gear continues to impress me with their quality, designs and value; these kit bags are excellent; compared to the mesh kit bags, they are stronger, more durable, heavier. ...
Today Luke is setting up the NatureHike Vik 2 Tent and as you know, the Setup process is very important when it comes to the purchasing of a shelter;
how easy or how complex will it be? Find out now! .... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers. Support TOGR through Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR
As Luke the Lone Wolf prepares for the evening in the vast forest of Pisgah, he is alerted to the presence of something walking in the woods around his camp.
As the sun goes down, whatever it is continues to stomp in the leaves as it circles his camp....
After receiving countless messages from viewers about supporting the channel through Amazon, I have begun using Amazon Affiliate links in the Adventure Videos and if you choose to purchase one of these products via these links I will receive a small commission which will help fund future honest reviews and adventures.
The channel remains as it always was, 100% Agenda Free with no sponsored videos, no paid reviews, and I don't care if you purchase these products or not; you won't find affiliate links in review videos only in adventures.
I'm going to do my best to put gear lists into all of my videos since everyone is asking for them all the time.
For this trip, here are the big items that I used.
This is the Esbit 1100ML Solid Fuel Stove and in this Agenda Free Review, Luke goes over the Pros, the Cons and why this may be or might not be the right stove for you. .... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Materials : Anodized Aluminum and stainless steel handle hardware
Measurements : 8.07 x 6.3 x 3.35 inches
Max Capacity : 5 cups or roughly 1100ml
Solid Fuels : Stove can be used with any fold of solid fuel includes trioxane and Hexamine and that includes mutliple cube sizes - when talking about Hexamine, Esbit offers a number of options including 27g or 14g Esbit solid fuel tablets.
Speaking of which, this stove was designed to be used with the larger 27g tablets which were brought to the market for this very specific stove.
8 x 27g tablets cost $13 at the time of filming - they burn up to 12 minutes and in perfect conditions one tablet can boil 1 liter of water
Works at high altitudes and sub-zero temperatures Long shelf life is great for emergency preparedness or survival usage My thoughts; the tablets do perform well but are expensive Can be blown out if not used completely and relit when needed. Tablets can be broken into smaller pieces Stink like shrimp and will need to be stored in plastic a bag; I normally store opened fuels in two zip lock bags
Review Pros : The quality is good It is a unique system Size is good Multiple fuel cubes can be used for quick boil times Very easy to use - quick get up and go time Good quality handle - easy to deploy
Smart use of the lid as a wind screen
Large stove pan - big enough to heat up a reasonable meal, boil XX of water; can hold a wash cloth, a package of Roman noodles, lighter, spork and fuel tablets when not being used.
Stove plate offers good wind resistance
Thanks to the design, heat is distributed evenly from the center of the pan
Review Cons : Expensive for what this system is. It is a nonstick aluminum stove with pan and $54 is a high price for it. For $54 this should be made from Titanium. Seriously, you can buy an entire stove kit including pots, pans, a kettle and more for less than this. Fuel is pricey. Wish it was nonstick Storage bag is just ok Fuel has a strong smell to it Somewhat heavy for being a solid fuel stove
Stove can only be used with the pan unless you want to rig something up; not cup or reasonable sized pot is going to sit on the stove plate.
Summary :
Overall I really like this stove and I like what the company has done here and while I do recommend it there are some important points to consider. For an example, to performs very well, certainly gets the job done when it comes to heating up meals and boiling water. It’s easy to setup, break down, easy to clean and easy to use. Also, I like the form factor.
The biggest cons in my opinion are the fact that the stove is expensive, the fuel is also expensive and it stinks and if you are wanting to save weight in your pack when compared to a canister stove, this isn’t it. You can go much lighter with solid fuel with other systems or ultralight if you are willing to build a stove platform.
With this system, its primary use is going to be for heating up a meal, heating up water; it isn’t a system for cooking or for long term burns due to the nature of the fuel. When considering this kit, ask yourself how you plan to use it; are you a heat up some water and pour it into a bag type of outdoors person or are you more of a cooker.
Because of the rather short burn times of the fuel, this stove is what I would consider to be perfect for quick in and out trips; if you were heading out for a longer period of time nothing is going to replace your canister stove. ...
In this preview, Luke is taking a look at the OneTigris Cosmitto Backpacking Tent, going over his thoughts and impressions before beginning his field testing.
This is going to be very interesting! ... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Luke is venturing deep into the backcountry to explore some old mountain trails and along the way he stops to build an Elevated Stone Stove to cook up a Salmon and Asparagus lunch!
After receiving countless messages from viewers about supporting the channel through Amazon, I have begun using Amazon Affiliate links in the Adventure Videos and if you choose to purchase one of these products via these links I will receive a small commission which will help fund future honest reviews and adventures.
The channel remains as it always was, 100% Agenda Free with no sponsored videos, no paid reviews, and I don't care if you purchase these products or not; you won't find affiliate links in review videos only in adventures.
I'm going to do my best to put gear lists into all of my videos since everyone is asking for them all the time.
For this trip, here are the big items that I used.
This little cast iron skillet is perfect for your outdoor adventure and the price will surprised you!
Over the years I have cooked just about everything that you can imagine on this and it is time to pass on my Agenda Free Review of the 6.5” Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge.
...
100% Agenda Free :
This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Size : 6.5” but there are plenty of sizes ranging from 3.5” all the way up to 15”
For bushcraft purpose and hiking trips I have found that the 6.5” model offers a good balance of weight and overall cooking space.
Over the years, you all have seen me use this cast iron skillet in all sorts of situations and on all sorts of trips; I used it with canister stoves, over fires, under tarps during thunder storms and so on and I plan to continue to use it for a long time to come.
Pros :
Excellent value
Good size and weight for backpacking, camping and Bushcraft it
Very good quality
Preseasoned
Excellent handle
Made in the USA
Excellent heat retention and even cooking
Can easily be used over an open fire or on a canister stove
Like all Lodge, it comes pre-seasoned, which simply means it has a coating of oil that prevents oxidation. This seasoning is not what makes it non-stick. How you cook with it does.
Cons :
The claim that this is a 6.5” skillet is a bit of a stretch, the company rounded up as it is just a bit over 6”s.
Seasoning could be a bit better but for the money I can’t really complain. You can find plenty of videos on how to do this if you feel that it needs a more substantial treatment.
For the money, that is the only con that I have and that takes us over to the summary.
Summary :
For only $10, this is skillet presents an excellent value for any outdoors person; the weight isn’t crazy, the size is aqaquet, the quality is excellent and it can be used any way that you like. Over a fire, on a stove and you can sear, sauté, fry, bake and so on.
It’s easy to cook on, the heat retention and heat distribution through the bottom and side walls is excellent and it is easy to clean.
Here is a tip, because of the small size of this skillet the handle does become very hot very fast so you will need to come up with a way to hold and to use this pan so you don’t burn your hands. I use a washcloth and will often wet it and then use it; that works great.
If you take care of this skillet, it is going to last you longer than you will be able to physically use it. Lodge has been around since 1896 and there is a reason why the company has survived this long; they make great products and sell them at affordable prices.
Something to consider before purchase, cast iron takes a delicate hand to care for it; you can’t just go to town and wash it with dish soap; there are plenty of videos on cast iron care so if you have any questions you can watch those or you can send me a message. Happy to help.
Lid : Lodge makes a cast iron cover for the 6.5” skillet but it is very hard to find. That is the 6.5" Cast Iron Cover, L3SC3.
What I have found for a lid that both works well and isn’t too heavy is the Imusa Casserole with Lid and Handle, STD, Multicolor;
This is part 1 of a 4 part series and the focus is on a product from Coleman, this is the Sundome 2 person tent and it is the Best Selling Backpacking Tent on Amazon! ... 100% Agenda Free : This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.