5 gadgets that we took in the Low Beskid - mini review of Highlander products

Camping or survival gadgets are an essential element of any trip or trek. However, will the products you choose really work in the field or will they prove to be of little practical use? To avoid disappointment and taking unnecessary luggage with you, the Adventure CREX group has prepared a mini gadget review for your trip.

Not so long ago we described a survival tent, which we got for testing from Milworld.pl. However, we did not tell you everything - for the trip to the Low Beskids we also received several pieces of equipment for relaxation. Several days have passed since our return, so it's time to write a few words about these gadgets, from the user's point of view in the field. You are probably curious about what equipment we are talking about, here they are (random order):

• solid fuel tourist stove,
• pocket chemical heater,
• aluminum dishes,
• thermal mug,
• incandescent lighter.

At the beginning we started with dishes and a stove ...

Upon arrival, we immediately put water in a teapot to warm up our bodies. As, together with the stove, we got 4 cubes of tourist fuel, we decided to check their performance. Water in the teapot (capacity about 1l) was boiled on only 2 cubes of fuel. We set up the stove in a completely windless place, which definitely shortened the cooking time. Unfortunately, we did not measure the exact time of boiling 1l of water, but we can roughly state that it was about 10 minutes. If we used a smaller vessel, it could easily be assumed that on one cube of fuel we can boil 0.5l of water in 5 minutes. This is quite a good result.

To sum up: a set of cooker + 4 cubes of fuel is a perfect set to boil 2l of water. Sizes and weight are small, so you can easily take on short trips in the field. If you run out of fuel, don't panic, you can use cones and small branches in the oven, which is certainly an essential advantage when hiking in the field.

A hungry man is an angry man ...

When the water was boiling, we started to prepare something to eat. We scrambled eggs, as befits breakfast. A set of dishes is a set for two - we have 2 plastic cups, 2 plates, a frying pan, low profile pot and handle for hot dishes. The pot was used to insert and mix eggs, while the pan was frying. The Highlander solid fuel stove was being used, so we used our second one, the gas stove. The scrambled eggs came out perfect, and we used the plates from the set for consumption. Washing the dishes, especially the pan after frying, was not troublesome and it was easy to do it in the cold stream water.

Stuffed and happy we rated: The set of dishes is made of aluminum, and not anodized, so certainly many people will raise the larum that it is very harmful to health. However, the facts are that if we follow a few rules, then the damage is rather negligible. Certainly not much bigger than drinking beer and other drinks from aluminum cans, which some do every day. Due to the fact that aluminum was used for the production, which is quite thin, the set is extremely light; do not be afraid, aluminum does not deform. How do we pack the whole thing? We put cups, plates and a handle into the pot and cover with a pan. We fasten the set with a buckle strap and ready to go.

From additional materials: Dishes appealed to Masha :) However, after participating in the last film (review of the rescue tent) Masha decided to take a little break from the glimmer of flashes and spotlights. However, he will come back to you soon!

Two birds with one stone ...

Time for a few words about incandescent lighter. Before leaving, we remembered that you had to fill it with gas and unscrew the valve located at the bottom. First use and no one knows where the smile on the face comes from - it's practically a mini burner. Two nozzles that look like jet engines, and a blue flame with a quiet hissing comes out. We used it to light fires, to burn lines, to light stoves. The temperature created is very high and lighting it up is anything like operating a burner. The lighter has a fairly futuristic shape - an opening cap securing the nozzles and an eyelet to attach the leash or attach it to another object to avoid getting lost; in addition, from the outside the lighter is covered in something like rubber, which means that it is held firmly in your hand.

Our conclusions: Turboflame is a lighter for special tasks. You will light the stove, light the cord, light the fire, although in the latter case the firepower is just too high, it does not mean that it cannot be used for this. Launching always causes a slight smile and satisfaction. Even when thrown into the water with a lighter, nothing bad happens - we take out and start as if nothing had happened. The only downside, if you can call it that, is gas consumption. The gas level is controlled in a transparent gap on the handle. After 4 days of use, half of the gas disappeared. With such a flame, it's probably a good result, after all. For a standard getaway (up to a week in the field), the amount of gas is definitely enough. For longer trips, we suggest taking gas for recharging or a regular lighter and using a standard model for simple ignitions. Turboflame lighter will definitely not let us down, be it in the case of wind, or even gale, rain or wet burning material. For this temptation is to fire it for fun :)

And who among us does not drink ...

Time for a thermal mug. At first glance, it looks the same as a Lifeventure thermal mug. The construction is quite simple. We unscrew the lid and drink. In Lifeventure there is an additional pressure relief valve under the lid; Although there is no such option in the Highlander mug, there is a storage space where you can fit 1-2 tea bags or something else small. We didn't use it. However, it is not the extra functions that are important in the thermal mugs, but that they keep the beverage heat as long as possible. After filling the mug, we can count on a warm drink for about 2 hours, then the contents become lukewarm. Considering the 330ml capacity, after 2 hours the content was over. Also, the thermal mug is not equipment for transporting hot tea / coffee throughout the day. Standard large thermoses will work better for such tasks.

Our point of view: The mug will be great for taking a warm drink on the road after breakfast, or using it in the camp to avoid quickly cooling down in a standard mug.

Warm me, warm me up!

We end our adventure with travel gadgets with chemical heaters. A small, lightweight plastic sachet, with 2 pouches in it, which we shake after removing. After a few minutes we feel a lot of heat coming from them. It was their turn to use them on a rather cold night - Ola had a problem warming her feet, so she used the heaters, putting them in her socks under her toes. It turned out that they warmed her up all night. One of the heaters lasted 8 hours, the other lost heat after about 6 hours. The heaters were a pleasant surprise. Until now, we have had experience with gel heaters that do not do particularly well. In contrast, these chemicals will probably enter our inventory permanently. Free warmth for a minimum of 6 hours, with such a low weight, it can be useful even on summer nights. It should be added that this is a disposable heater. There is no option as for gel cooking and reuse. However, the same action cannot be compared to gel, which holds heat no more than an hour.

Highlander pocket chemical heater.

That's all we wanted to tell you about these few pieces of equipment. This is not a typical review, but a description of the user experience. We didn't measure exact times, we didn't make measurements, we only used it in the field. Dirty and damaged hands in the pictures are a sign that sometimes it looks like this after 3 days in the field; after all, there are always a lot more important things to do than keeping your hands clean;)

Photos, test and review: Adventure Group CREX
CREX Adventure Group on Facebook
Instagram Adventure Group CREX