itive slicing. The locking mechanism kept the blade firmly open during my trials. The knife felt
solid in my grip. Solid is a word I keep returning to with many of the Battlbox’s items and with
good reason... they are.
The included food item was roasted pumpkin seeds, and they were fresh, tasty and crunchy
directly out of the bag. Sweet Texas barbeque was the variety included, and it didn’t lack in the
flavor department. They made a great snack as I trod through the woods continuing with my
gear testing.
For safety reasons, I didn’t test the matches in my review location. However, the container
itself was durable, while the matches inside were long, thick and coated for rain-resistant use.
Lighting a few at home, after wiping through the protective coating, they lit up quickly and
burned down the matchstick slowly, both traits that you look for in a survival match.
NO FILLER, NO FLUFF
One area that I want to touch upon briefly is what the Battlbox doesn’t have and that’s filler.
Filler is basically small, insignificant items used to fluff-up the amount of “stuff” within a sub-
scription box. These products, more often than not, are cheaply constructed and offer no true use
in real-life settings. These could include easily breakable generic “survival” gear or even more out-
of-place items such as patches, stickers, t-shirts, generic bracelets and the like. These are items
you can find in most novelty stores or websites, and don’t belong in a true survival box.
FUNCTIONALITY DURING A CRISIS
Testing in a controlled environment is one thing, using the gear when your heart is beating
out of your chest during a real-life emergency situation is another. As with any testing, some
speculation based on the data collected in the control is needed. The question is, will this box’s
contents be useful when or if a crisis hit? My answer is a definite yes.
“WITH A FEW STROKES I SHAVED A BROKEN
BRANCH INTO TINDER FLAWLESSLY. THE
WOOD WITHERED UNDER THE SHARPNESS
OF THE BLADE, AND I EXPERIENCED NO
EFFORT OR FATIGUE WITH MY REPETITIVE
SLICING.”
› Near right: Cutting vines for cord-
age was a cinch for the Baron knife.
Photo by Michael D’Angona› Upper right: The Baron knife, by
Bastion Gear, which elevates the
Pro kit to the Pro Plus, offers both a
pleasant aesthetic and outdoor prac-
ticality to your outdoor arsenal.
Photo by Michael D’Angona› Far right: Not only exquisitely
designed, the Bastion Gear Baron is
highly effective while out in the field.
Photo by Michael D’Angona