First Secure Roadside Emergency Preparedness Kit

It’s always in the back of your mind: I hope nothing happens to me on the road today. Especially in Southern California, with it’s cornucopia of, let’s call them “challenged” drivers, you feel like you’re taking your life in your hands every time you hit the road. And while we haven’t had a major incident in over 30 years, it doesn’t mean one couldn’t happen to us. But if it does, we feel a little more secure with First Secure’s Premium Roadside Emergency Kit.

Packed to the gills with almost every conceivable thing one would need in a minor (or maybe moderate) roadside emergency, it’s 90 pieces of peace of mind all in a zip-up travel case. And while the piece count is made up of many multiples like multiple zip ties and a 48-item First Aid kit, it still has plenty of stuff you always hope you never need but feel better knowing you have them. A couple of the items are things you should immediately replace with better, stronger items, such as the gloves, headlamp and multi-tool, and the compressor is nice in a pinch but could take some serious time to fully inflate tires on anything but a mid-size vehicle. But it’s still nice to know those things are there in a pinch. And some items are absolutely indispensable and I’m ashamed I didn’t have them in the truck before I got this kit, like the roadside triangle, the tow strap, first aid kit and the bungee cords. The only item I have a major problem with is the jumper cables. While the heavy, 6-gauge braided copper wiring seem more than adequate, the flimsy plastic handles/covers tend to slide off or just plain break apart, leaving your bare hand grabbing a live wire. It’s dangerous and should be redesigned immediately. I replaced them with some other jumper cables with more secure handles on the leads. Aside from that the kit includes:

• (1) 6 Gauge 300 Amp 10 Foot Jumper Cable
• 250 PSI DC (Cigarette Lighter) Portable Air Compressor
• 11 Ft. 10,000 Pound Capacity Tow Rope
• 1 Reflective Warning Triangle
• Multi-Tool Unit with 9 Tools, including Knife and Screwdrivers
• 1 Roll Black Electrical Tape
• 2 Bungie Cords
• 20 Cable Ties
• 1 Pair of Work Gloves
• Headlamp with Batteries
• 8 Piece Tire Repair Kit

48 Piece First Aid Kit includes:

6 Povidone-Iodine Prep Pads, 6 Alcohol Pads, 2 Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes, 10 Regular Size Adhesive Bandages, 3 Cotton Sponges, 1 Bandage Triangular, 2 Rolls PBT Bandage, 1 Roll Medical Tape, 10 Cotton Swabs, 1 Pair Gloves, 1 Pair Scissors, 5 Safety Pins,plus 1 Storage Case

 

At $59.95, it’s a touch over priced, especially considering that almost half of the item count of the entire kit are in the first aid kit. I would also like to see a basic flashlight and some road flares, but as it stands it’s a pretty decent kit. There’s also something to be said about the peace of mind one gets knowing that you’re covered in a great many different types of roadside emergencies. Hard to put a price on that.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from First Secure. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Summit Survival’s Premium Paracord Bracelet & Keychain

Everyone should be prepared for the unexpected. And no one is saying you have to be an extreme prepper with a year’s worth of freeze dried food in your garage or basement. But keeping things handy never hurt anyone. “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it” my Father-in-Law would always say. In that vein, it never hurts you to have something handy that looks pretty snazzy too. 

 

That’s where Summit Survival’s Premium Paracord Bracelet and “Survival Grenade” comes in. You’ve probably seen folks wearing those neat little braided bracelets and wondered what they were about. Well, they’re usually made of paracord which is a lightweight, nylon, general purpose utility cord popular with the military for being extremely strong, durable and useful. Being all nylon makes it somewhat elastic as well. It can be used to tie, bind, dangle, affix and repair any number of things, and it comes in a near infinite number of patterns and colors. What separates Summit Survival’s bracelet from most others, though, is the Type III 550 paracord (550 refer’s to the “breaking strength” of the cord), and the Sharp Eye fire starter/clasp that secures it around your wrist. While most are content with just a simple plastic snap buckle, Summit Survival went the extra mile and added another indispensable tool on another already indispensable tool. I like multi tools. So does Hubby. He’s worn it nearly every day since we got it.

 

Summit Survival didn’t stop there. The went and added a second bundle of Type III paracord, all wrapped around 10 of the most important survival tools you’ll ever hope you never need. On top of the length of 550 paracord is tin foil, fishing floats, weights, swivels, cotton, fishing hooks, fishing line, fire starter, a carabiner, and an eye knife. Everything you’d ever need to keep yourself going in an extreme survival situation. It’s small and light enough to carry everywhere, and compact enough to carry in your purse, pocket or keychain. All of this, plus the paracord bracelet, that also has it’s own fire starter, all for only $14.95? That’s a steal in my book. If you don’t think so, there’s a lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee to back it up. Con’t beat that with a stick. (stick not included in kit)

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Summit Survival and DBS Publishing, LLC.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours. 

FlashBright LED Bike Light Kit, Review

I thought I’d reached the mountaintop with the previous bike light I tested. That is, until I tested out FlashBright’s version. Everything I liked about the previous light kit, has been improved upon here.

 

FlashBright raised the bar a notch here. The quality of the primary lamp is better. It’s a cleaner, slightly more focused light, but uses the same high-quality Cree LED XP-E diode. The aircraft-grade aluminum body is just a little smaller, and the focus mechanism is just a little tighter. It’s a high-polished black gloss finish, versus the matte black of the last unit, which is easier to wipe down and keep clean. It uses the same 3 AAA batteries (again, not included. **sad face**), and is painfully bright. Just like the last unit, I’m not so sure it’s a 200 lumen light, but it’s bright. I can see a bright, solid beam of light at night for what looks like a mile. The mount for a bicycle is almost identical to the other version, but FlashBright uses the same high-impact ABS plastic, and the same easy to tighten thumb screw mechanism. And this unit is also water and dust resistant, so riding in the rain should not be an issue.

Where FlashBright really separates itself from the previous unit is in the tail lamp portion of the kit. Instead of an awkward, big boxy tail lamp that needs two more (not included) batteries, it’s a simple 2 LED red clip-on with an included (YAY) easy to replace button cell battery. It has 3 simple modes, steady on, slow blink, and fast blink. It has an impact resistant silicone housing, also in red. The one downfall I see here is price. At $39.99 (at the time of this review), it is significantly more expensive than light kits of similar make and design.

So while the box and packaging aren’t as snazzy, I don’t buy things for a fancy box. And the goods inside this box are legit. Quality, made to last. And, like all the best products I review, it comes with a 100%, Lifetime, Satisfaction Guarantee. In FlashBright’s own words: “No Questions asked, No Hassle, Money Back or Replacement”. That’s bold and speaks to the belief in the quality of their product. I think I’m a believer too.

Connect with FlashBright:

• Online
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from FlashBright.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Team Obsidian’s Bicycle Light Set Review

We have sooooo many flashlights in this house. Hubby is a nut for them. So when I got a chance to test a couple to be used as bike lights, I wasn’t wild about that idea. But Team Obsidian won me over. They use a quality CREE Xp-E LED as their main light, in a sturdy aircraft-grade aluminum body. The main light sports 3 modes: High, battery saving Low, and Strobe. They claim of the light putting out 200 lumens of light is questionable, because Hubby’s old Surefire first generation LED lamp is as bright, or brighter, and it wasn’t rated at 200 lumens. But it was bright. Like, don’t shine it near anyone’s eyes bright. It also shines forever when using a tight beam. 100ft. tall palm trees? Shine one, little tree, shine on. The light is clean, white, and pretty well focused, with minimal haloing effect from the projection. No visible dead spots from the reflector either. With a rubberize tailcap clicker on the end, one handed operation is a breeze. You can also focus the beam narrow or wide, with a simple twist of the lens at the front. It runs on 3 standard AAA batteries (not included, unfortunately) and is fully removable from the bike mount. It’s even water and dust resistant (don’t submerge it, though. Water resistant is not water proof).

Oh, yeah…did I mention? It comes with a sturdy, strong ABS plastic mount suitable for just about any bike on the planet. With a simple screw-down fastener for the lamp and the bar, it’s a cinch to set up and get going. So while this is a bike light, the mounting hardware is fully removable from the lamp. But wait, there’s more!

The Team Obsidian bike light is a kit. You get a tail lamp as well, also with a dedicated attached mount all it’s own. It also runs on 2 AAA batteries (again, not included), and while I appreciate the necessity of a tail lamp and appreciate it’s inclusion in the set, I’m not as big a fan of this piece of the pie. It’s not as sturdy, it’s hard to open, and instead of a high quality single LED cell, it’s got 5 LED’s, and 7 modes. Now, it is backed by a 100% no-hassle lifetime guarantee, so you should be golden as far as longevity for either piece.

Safety should be paramount, whether you’re riding your bike or just out for a stroll. This Team Obsidian Bicycle Light Set takes care of you regardless of whether you’re walking or riding. It’s bright, well made, and backed 100% by Team Obsidian. It even comes in a neat, padded little storage and presentation box, with installation instructions printed right on the lid, that keeps everything stowed safely when not in use. The value-added features here means that I highly recommend this set if you’re a regular rider. Score one for Team Obsidian!

Connect with Team Obsidian:

• Online
• On Facebook
• On YouTube (beware, it autoplays)
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Team Obsidian.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Aennon Headlamp Review #Headlamp

One thing you can never have enough of is flashlights, or so hubby says. Good ones are great, not great ones still have their uses, but bad ones can give you fits. Aennon asked me if I’d like to give one of their products a test drive, and I said sure, because flashlight, right?

For starters it’s LED, which makes it fairly impact resistant and bright. Unfortunately it is a multiple LED emitter, not a single diode. Aennon says it’s good for 30 lumens up to over 160 feet at it’s brightest setting. While I may admit it’s bright enough that it looks like about 30 lumens, at best I’d say the light goes about 40 feet, maybe 50. A far cry from 164 feet. While I don’t doubt you could be seen from that far away, it’s doubtful you’d have any meaningful vision in the dark at that range. It has 4 settings, low, mid, and high, with a red “night vision” setting as well. It uses a single button for all 4, so one must cycle through them to get to one’s desired brightness level. It runs on 3 (included, kudos to Aennon!) AAA batteries, which does make it a little front-heavy, but unlike the rear battery predecessor we own, no wires or pokey clips to power the unit running the length of the head straps.

It is adequate for small, dark spaces, and with it being LED it should be very energy efficient and impact resistant. Aennon’s claims it is good for around 16 hours of continuous use at it’s lowest setting. Depending on the battery type you use, that could be possible. Aennon also claims the front lens is shock-resistant glass with a anti-reflective coating. It is not. It’s plastic. Aennon further claimed to not having a “bobbing effect” with no brain squeeze. Unfortunately, it does bob, and in fact slides down the front of your face over time. It has a 90° swivel, but the bevel on the plastic lens means it’s going to start shining into your eyes range fairly quickly. Aennon also claims the headlamp’s lowest setting is suitable for nighttime reading. I would not recommend it. LED’s use a bright, harsh, blue-ish light that reflects very sharply off the page and hurts your eyes pretty quickly.

Overall, this is a simple light for simple, household tasks, like depositing old tax records into the attic storage box, or taking out the trash. But I wouldn’t consider it for camping or hiking. I’ll be glad it’s around during a power outrage, though! It is more comfortable than our previous headlamp, but not nearly as bright, focused or useful. Sadly, it is more expensive, too. At $17.50 (at time of review), there are better values to be had out there. I would say it’s decent, but I’ve had better, and for less. And the dubious claims (to outright non-truths!) are very troubling. Aennon does back the headlamp with a “What if something breaks-100 % satisfaction-or-money-back-guarantee”. So there’s that.

Connect with Aennon:

• On the web
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• On Amazon
• #headlamp

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Aennon.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.