Bearded Snackfood? Yes!

Today I want to take a look at some energy bars from the Bearded Brothers.

I will be the first to admit I am not in any way, shape, or form a health food guy.  My idea of organic food usually has four feet and fur.  I do however, like to pack light when I hit the woods or trail, and I like to get the best bang for my buck.  When researching backpacking foodstuffs, I came across the Bearded Brothers Snackfood Company from Austin, Texas.  It was their passion for the outdoors that drew me, and it is the quality and taste of their food that will keep me coming back.  Well, on with the show.

Technical:

Each energy bar is handmade.  They are 100% Natural, Mostly Raw, Vegan Friendly, and Gluten Free.  They come with names like Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla, Colossal Coconut Mango, and Fabulous Ginger Peach.  Each package I tested weighed 2.3oz or 65grams.  Each is sealed in a foil lined, ziplock, brown paper wrapper.  The list of ingredients on the back would make any self respecting hippy bubble over with joy!  The ingredients are very simple, things like: Organic Dates, Organic Almonds, Vanilla Rice Protein, Whole Brown Rice, Vanilla, Organic Blueberries, Sea Salt, ect.  There is a warning to chew carefully as some product may contain pit pieces, and your nutrition facts.  (Around 300 calories per bar and jam packed with vitamins and go power)

 

 















 Impressions:

When the little brown resealable packages arrived in the mail I was a bit nervous.  As I stated earlier, I am not a "health food" guy.  I am not that guy because in my experience a majority of food packaged as "organic" or "health food" and the like usually tastes like it was already eaten once.  When I think of these types of foods I think of drum circles, bean sprouts, tofu, and granola eating hippies.  (no offense to any of you who happen to be granola eating hippies, it's just not my thing.  think caveman, and red meat, and fire, and lots of grunting and pointing with sharp sticks, that's my thing) 

Anyway, the first one I tried was the Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla bar.  When you remove it from the package it feels heavy for its size.  It is not mushy, and it does not crumble or fall apart.  It feels like it has "substance" if that makes any sense.  The first thing I noticed was the smell.  I expected it to smell like a granola bar, and boy was I wrong!  What a smell these have!  You could literally smell blueberries, and vanilla.  In fact, my wife asked me what that amazing smell was.

I told her it was nothing.  I turned into the creepy little golum from the Lord of the Rings movies.  Must hiidess my preccciouss.... ahem.  If it smelled this good I could only imagine the taste.  The dog was circling me, eying my precious.  I promptly locked myself in the bedroom to be alone with my precious, and I ate the whole thing.

Now, let me be serious for a moment and tell you that this is a "good thing".  I do not say things are good if they are not in fact, good.  If I see something wrong with an item, I say so.  I take pride in giving honest reviews, warts and all.  The only thing I could find wrong with these bars is the fact that they didn't send me enough of them.  These are made with quality in mind and it shows.  Now everybody may not find them as good as I did, but I think most people will.  I think that these will certainly replace a majority of the snacks and such that I take into the outdoors with me.  They weigh next to nothing, are resealable, easily packable, crazy good, and they give you a natural boost of energy for sure.  

Perfect for backpackers and outdoors folk who want something no muss, no fuss on the trail or at the campsite.  I will be packing these for the kids as well.  A homemade, handmade, USA product that I recommend highly.  10/10

Note: please make sure that you are not allergic to any of the listed ingredients.

Survival Neck Wallet - Tops Knives

Today we look at a unique product from world famous Tops Knives.  It is called the SNW-01 or the Survival Neck Wallet.

SNW-01 Survival Neck Wallet

It was nice to see Tops, who has traditionally been a more tactical and hunting type knife producer, move into the realm of survival products.  With Tops legendary attention to detail and quality, it ought to prove an interesting test.

Technical:

It comes packaged in a heavy duty nylon type wallet.  Has open top velcro flap.  Inside is a clear pouch for your ID or other items, and two zig-zag pouches that run the depth of the wallet.  On the top of the flap itself is a small zippered compartment.  The rear of the wallet has one open pocket that runs the length and width of the wallet, and is covered with an emergency orange and reflective stripe surface.  (pictures will follow)  The wallet is approximately 6 1/2in tall x 5 1/2in wide.  It includes the following items:

1. TOPS Survival Whistle tested at 126 decibels.
2. TOPS Pocket Survival Saw.
3. Compass.
4. The TOPS Firestarter with Ferrocium and magnesium rods.
5. P38 military can opener/Fire striker.
6. Offset Phillips/flat head Screwdriver.
7. TOPS Dog Tag Signal Mirror.
8. Lighthound LED Flashlight.
9. Lansky Quick Fix Pocket Sharpener.
10. Monofilament HD Line 24 ft
11. Snap Link  3/16 " x 2.0 "
12. 2 Ranger Bands
13. Razor Blade
14. Heavy Duty Sail Needle
15.  Fresnel Lens x3

 Impressions:

As with most pre-packaged "survival" items, I will be honest and say I expected very cheap, low quality items.  I do not like survival kits.  I prefer to build my own, but this one was different.  I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.  The whistle is a flat whistle with 3 holes.  Each hole makes a different pitch, or can be used all together.  Tops claims 126 decibels.  My car stereo friend tested it, and it reached 128 decibels.  I like its shape and size.  The saw is not the old key ring and wire saw I expected when you think survival saw, but a heavy duty hacksaw type blade set up like a folding knife.  It performed well on small camp tasks and fire work.  I also used it to make a few stick traps, wooden camp tools and a fire bow set and it performed well.  The compass was not a name brand compass that I could see, but when I tested it against three other compasses I had lying around, it held to true north and was very responsive, with the needle returning to true within a 2 second count when forced out with a steel nail.

The fire starter is actually a three piece unit, with 3 rods pressed into a metal hub, so that it can be used with a lanyard.  It holds 2 small magnesium rods, and 1 small ferro rod.  It performed well, even in damp conditions, even though it was a different configuration than I was used to.  The P38 can opener does it's job, and has been a military icon for years.  It also works well for throwing sparks on your fire rods.  (as does the saw blade just so you know)  The offset screwdriver is well made and easy to use, although I did not use it during this test.  The small plastic dog tag signal mirror is adequate I suppose.  (I will talk about that later)

The small keyring squeeze type LED light was surprisingly bright.  It stays on until you squeeze it a second time.  It came with the key ring and carabiner attached, but you can remove them.  (I took off the carabiner to use elsewhere.  It is NOT load bearing!)  Anyone familiar with Lansky products knows their quality.  The pocket sharpener did well as expected, with a carbide side and a crock stick honing side.

The kit was rounded out with 24ft of monofilament fishing line and 2 small hooks, a standard razor blade with a paper sleeve, (fire material?) a fresnel lens, a #13 sail needle, 2 ranger rubber bands, 2 large safety pins, and a 5ft wire small game snare with lock.  All in all a very decent, usable kit.  Everything in the kit was usable and functioned as advertised.  It would make a good starter type kit for a novice interested in getting started with survival items.  A more experienced survivalist might find other items he or she would replace or add, and there is plenty of room in the wallet for upgrades.  It was comfortable around the neck with a long lanyard with a cord lock.

One of the things I liked the most was the way the items came packed separately, forcing the user to unpack each item carefully and place it in the kit, allowing them to become familiar with the contents ahead of time, so they know what they have on hand.  I also like the ease of getting items in and out of the wallet.  At a price of $49.95 USD it is also easy on YOUR wallet.

The only thing I really didn't care for was the plastic dog tag type signal mirror.  It did cast a weak signal in direct sunlight, but I would not want to rely on this and only this in a true survival situation.  It could easily be replaced with an actual safety glass signal mirror of similar size pretty cheaply, and not impact production costs, and that is the one suggestion I would mention for the designers at Tops to consider changing for newer models.  (Maybe the inclusion of a mylar space or survival type blanket for warmth/shelter, and a few water purification tablets as well?)  All in all a good buy for those interested in getting their personal kit started on a budget.  I would recommend to friends.  Well done Tops.  9/10

UPDATE:  It appears there was a very thin plastic film over the dog tag style signal mirror.  It is difficult to see and remove, but once removed, it becomes as reflective as any glass mirror it's size.  My mistake.  Sorry TOPS.

Injinji Merino Sock Review

Today we will be reviewing the Outdoor Series Sock from Injinji.

Technical:

This sock is a premium Australian Merino Wool, trademarked as NuWool.  This is their Original Weight offering in Forest Green.  It is constructed of 70% nuwool, 25% nylon, and 5% lycra Fibers.  This allows for better temperature control, dryness, and comfort.  They also have the companies patented AIS Technology, Which includes an anatomical 5 toe design, Arch Support, Vector Heel, and Dual Welt Band.  The sock is all season performance in any footwear, in any terrain.  The breakdown is as follows:

1. Anatomical 5 Toe Design: Keeps toes dry and prevents blisters and hotspots.  Properly aligns toes for more natural movement.

2. Arch Support: Provides mid-foot stability and eliminates bunching.

3. Vector Heel: Precision stitched heel for custom fit, prevents slipping.

4. Dual Welt Band: Specially constructed band ensures socks stay in place.

Sock is naturally moisture wicking.  Sock tested was crew length.  Sock is offered in mini-crew, quarter, crew, and over the calf length.

Impressions:

The socks feel very well constructed.  Very soft and itch free as expected from premium merino wool.  The nylon and lycra give the sock just enough stretch to hold your foot snugly, but not so snug as to interfere with circulation.  There is a dedicated left and right foot, and a dedicated heel box, so there is no way to put the sock on improperly.

Preformed Heel (taken outside very sunny!)

Preformed Toes (taken outside very sunny!)

Putting on this sock is not like just dragging on a regular sock.  It takes a bit of wiggling your piggies as you need to fit your toes one by one into their own spot first, then snug up the toes, finally pulling into the heel and on to full fit.  (My daughter calls them sleeping bags for your toes!)  The socks fit snugly.

There is a bit of getting used to if you have never worn toe socks before. (I had not)  It did feel very different having your toes surrounded like that, and I had the constant urge to pick the fabric from between my toes, but it subsides quickly.  The thing I noticed nearly immediately about the sock was that as stated it did not move around once it was on.  No matter how much wiggling or squirming I did, they stayed in place, and they stayed up.  I suppose you could make them move if you were determined to, but that was not the purpose of the test.  I wore them in several different types of footwear, in several different conditions.  The thing I noticed is that they did not slide around in my boots, and I did not get blisters on my heel or the sides of my foot.  (I had purposely worn boots that were not broken in and caused blisters previously)  I think this is where the sock really started to grow on me.  I can't stand when a sock moves around and bunches up, no matter how warm they are.  If you have to keep taking your boots off to fix your sock it kinda defeats the purpose.  I never had to do that with these socks.

The urge to pick at the toes went away fairly quickly, and by the second day of wear I don't remember noticing it anymore.  The sock was as warm as I expected.  I even wore them to bed.  They dried by the fire very quickly, and kept my feet warm when I got them wet.  Overall, it was a good experience, and a good sock.  Well made, and I would recommend giving them a try if they sound interesting to you.  They are around $16.00 USD for the pair I tested, so they do not break the bank either.

On a side note, customer service was excellent, and the socks arrived very quickly.  The folks at Injinji take their product and it's quality very seriously, and that is a good thing.

Upcoming Reviews & Tests

Well, the last few months have been crazy beyond belief!  When I started this thing I never had the slightest idea that it would take off the way it has.  There have been so many people willing to help and support a new guy, that I have literally been overrun by opportunities.  (not that I'm complaining mind you!)  I just want to take a second to say thank you for all who have supported us, and give you a small taste of some of our upcoming reviews.  I will put a link to the companies website in each listing so you can visit them!  Make sure to tell them you heard about them from us here at Natural Living Outdoors!  (Note: These are not links to the actual reviews just some upcoming teasers)  Stay tuned for more updates!  God Bless!

(The reviews are in no certain order, just a few on the list to get posted in the upcoming weeks/months)

Energy Bars from Bearded Brothers Co. (Thanks Caleb & Chris!)
Extreme Ultralite Towel from Discovery Trekking (Thanks April!)
Buddy Burner from Buddy Burner.com
Lifestraw from Vestergaard-Frandsen Co. (Thanks Elisabeth!)
Sierra Combo Stove from Ursa Designs at Clickstand.com (Thanks Sara!)
Merino Outdoor Hiking Socks from Lorpen North America (Thanks Nick!)
Warrior Meals High Protein Meals from Core Foods (Thanks Laraine!)
Beaver Falls LS Shirt from Tasc Performance (Thanks Jessica!)
Blackbird Hammock from Warbonnet Outdoors (Thanks Brandon!)
Biffy Bag Disposable Toilet from Biffybag.com (Thanks Greg!)
Survival Neck Wallet from Tops Knives (Thanks Mike!)
The PACK ONE Canvas Knapsack from Mule Team Canvas (Thanks Jeff!)
Outdoor Series Australian Merino NuWool Toe Socks from Injinji (Thanks Eva!)


I will also be doing some reviews I can't talk about right now (top secret hush hush goodness) as well as some general outdoors videos, bushcraft and survival skills videos, among other things.  Check back in the days and weeks ahead and see whats new!  Thanks for stopping by, now let's go outside...

p.s. - If we have talked about doing reviews for you and I haven't gotten back to you it is not because we do not want to do them.  I accidentally deleted my entire email database somehow!  Please contact me here and we will get your reviews schedules asap!  Thank you.

Welcome!

Hello all and welcome to Natural Living Outdoors.  This blog is being set up as a companion to my Youtube Page.  There are just some things that you can't address properly in a video, and I want to provide the best services and advice I can to those who have put their faith and trust in me.

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Now, Let's Get Outside.....