+5 Knife of Exiting - CRKT Extrik-8-R

Alright...  this one is a personal must have especially with a family, my personally preferred CRKT McGowan Extrik-8-R Seat Belt Cutter. Note the hand-tied reflective orange paracord fob that comes attached, this was not my doing.   It is very easy to keep a grip on with the scalloped edges and very roomy finger holes.  This functional and well thought out tool is the design of one James McGowan, a professional firefighter and knifemaker residing in Toronto, Canada.  

Key of Opening and Biting - Swiss Tech Utili-Key

Let me start this out by saying i LOVE multi-tools.   Put the title on something and you have my interest.  Simply put, I detest having to carry more stuff than I have to, so anything that lightens the load is perfect.  Inventory management has plagued gamers for decades as a sort of necessary evil, and this is even MORE true in real life if you prefer to follow a lifestyle that includes some EDC gear.  In this case, this very reduction is why I will gladly take the risks involved with this annoyingly wonderful tool:  the Swiss Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1 KeyChain MultiTool.

New Solar Technology

This is one that needs no metaphor.  Solar power as it stands right now SUCKS.  It's costs without government subsidies simply don't compare to the cost of the normal fossil fuel generated electricity over the long run.  Until now.  A US company has blown the roof off of china's stranglehold on the cheapest solar panels with a sweet new technology.  Check out the article:   http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/122231-solar-panels-made-with-ion-cannon-are-cheap-enough-to-challenge-fossil-fuels (thanks to Jack Spirko for mentioning this in his podcast today as well as some intelligent commentary that is worth listening to, go check it out)

My questions:  how long until this new process is usable in mass production? How long till we actually see these at the prices promised?  And will the price actually be as low as they promise, vs lower due to possible subsidies by our government, or even higher due to market influences and middlemen.  Either way, great stuff to keep an eye on in the years to come, not just for home power, but for useful power on the go.  That's better than +5 in my book.  +6 Vorpal Sword vs Power Companies... taking the head clean off our electricity bills.
In the mean time...  I'll stick to my Brunton 6 Watt Foldable Solar Array and Scosche SolBAT II Backup Battery for simple on the go power.

Gerber Artifact - What's a RPG without an Artifact?

Oh the memories of various artifacts listed in many fantasy based role playing books.  Most of the best ones had all sorts of neet functions.  Remember the Rod of Seven Parts?  Anyone?  Am I showing my age here?  Classic Dungeons and Dragons items.  Well, we all know there's no real magic items... but in this case, we have an artifact by name that does a whole lot of useful things in one very small package, the Gerber Artifact Pocket Tool.  Bonus to this, it's probably a hell of a lot cheaper than the magical versions.

Pocket of Holding - Blackhawk! Pocket Pack

For our first series of posts, I'm going to cover a subject I live by.  It's called Every Day Carry, or EDC.  I have a very simple philosophy in life.  I like to have what I need when I need it.  I absolutely detest when a package won't open, or when I've got a non screw top bottle to open, or when I have to cut the red or blue wire to save everyone in a huge skyscraper from another catastrophe, or how about a screwdriver that works on glasses?  I could go on for hours.  The problem here is, by the time you are done, you will have put Batman's utility belt to shame...  While he's got the money, the style, and the bad ass butler, let's face it YOU don't.

That leaves your pockets...  and the minute you put more than one thing in there, they get mixed up, scratch each other, and poke the stuffing out of your leg.  Enter the concept of the Pocket of Holding!  Various manufacturers make some fine products along these lines, however the particular item that fills this role for me is the BLACKHAWK! Pocket Pack.