Prepping essentials delivered monthly to your door
The world is an unpredictable place. One day, you’re going about your normal routine; the next, you’re smack dab in a worldwide emergency with an unclear view of its long-term outcome. What’as worse is that millions of other people are in the same situation, further taxing an already overloaded supply chain and depleting much-needed supplies necessary to prepare for the next stage of the unknown.
However, there’s a silver lining to this stressful situation—and that comes in the form of Gear Pack.
Gear Pack is a monthly subscription service that sends, directly to your front door, a box filled with a variety of themed survival, self-defense, tactical, outdoor and prepping gear for use in nearly any emergency situation. Gear Pack does the work for you! No more scouring retail shelves and finding scraps; no more clicking “add to cart” with your mouse … only to see “out of stock” pop up. Time is both precious and limited during trying times. Adding worry to your already overburdened mind only makes a bad situation much worse.
How good is the gear found within the box? Is it reliable? Does it hold up to the rigors of true-life situations. Most importantly, is it relevant to most people’s needs and not simply fluff pieces, samples or otherwise “dust-collectors” that just fill the box? My plan was to find out.
The great team over at Gear Pack sent me four of their top boxes to inspect, review and put through a range of demanding and realistic tests. Did they hold up? Should you join this intriguing service to make your life a bit better during trying times?
Well, read on. But, here’s a hint: Have the GearPack.net website open and handy when you’re finished reading.
First Opening
When I received my boxes, the first noticeable characteristic of every one was that it was heavy. They boxes weren’t hard to carry, by any means, but they were definitely solid and, my guess was, loaded with goodies. True, the heavy weight doesn’t automatically equate to quality goods but, in my past experiences, the lighter the box, the chintzier the products.
As the lid was flipped upward, loads of paper shred were visible. This not only kept the items from clashing with each other in transit but, as any good survival practitioner knows, this stuff also makes great tinder when a fire is needed. So far, just with the packing, I was liking this box already.
I dug deep into the twisted paper shreds and began to pull out the items. From a durable camping cup, a multi-tool key chain, outdoor matches, knives and paracord to camping supplies, the mixture was both creative and diverse. There were no “samples” or “opened” goods; only pre-packed, manufacturer-direct items that were all in great physical shape and were complemented by a glossed card describing the box as a whole, as well as each item inside.
Awesome Theming
One aspect of the Gear Pack business model I thoroughly enjoyed was that the boxes were themed. These Gear Pack boxes had a distinct motif via which all the included items focused on one aspect of a particular category, such as survival, camping, hunting, tactical and others. The four boxes I reviewed offered around a dozen products pertaining to fire, knots, survival-style food and “on the trail” items.
I enjoy the theming aspect, because it allows you to complete your collection of core survival needs categories without having to hunt for them at various outlets or forgetting what you have or need … only to end up buying duplicate items. With Gear Pack, once you have your survival category set, move on to the next. It’s a great way to build your overall survival stockpile.
In addition, the varieties included in the boxes aren’t partial duplicates of one another. They complement each other and are highly diverse, even though they’re generally in the same category.
For example, the box called “knots” offered—
- A guide book for outdoor knot-tying
- A paracord dispenser and cutter
- A buckle and firesteel for integration into a self-made paracord product
- Ultimate survival cordage that offered Kevlar, waxed jute with Dyna X inside and Battlecord, which has a tensile strength of 2,650 pounds
- Two knives (useful for cutting the cordage)
- A number of knot-tying informational plastic cards that are useful to take into the harsh outdoors
What’s exceptional about the themed box is that each item could work independently of the others if the situation arose but could also function with other boxes as “parts of a whole” when a large project is underway.
In the Field
Admiring the gear out of the box is one thing; functioning in the field is another. It was now time to tear open the packaging, head out into nature and put a selection of the Gear Pack items through some hard-core testing.
I first choose an item from the Fire 2.0 box. It was a small, plastic tube containing survival matches.
Matches, as far as the world of survival is concerned, can be a mixed bag. Inexpensive matches can be just that—regular matches that are unreliable, perform poorly and can be utterly useless under imperfect conditions. The item I tested was labeled, “stormproof” (from UCO), so that was exactly the type of condition I was going to put them through.
I first submerged them in a cup of water. If they couldn’t withstand wetness, they’d be ultimately worthless in the field.
Upon striking one on the included pad, it lit instantly, brightly and with plenty of flame. I attempted to blow out the match with my hardest breath, but it didn’t affect the flame in the least. These matches were tough! I finally tried to extinguish the flame in the dirt. Again, it relit with no loss of intensity. These matches were the real deal and fully backed up their “stormproof” description.
While I had the matches nearby, I next chose to test the zipper pull tinder, made by Exotac. This tinder is intended to be added to your jacket or gear bag’s zipper and used in an emergency to get a roaring fire started. Exotac claimed it was water resistant and offered a quick-flammable core. Being in Florida, the rains were plentiful during my testing, so “wet” conditions were no problem to find.
I cut the cordage and fluffed out the core to a cotton ball-like consistency, as the instructions directed. Using a fire starter, I showered a few sparks onto the tinder, and a flame leapt up. Success number 2!
The knot-themed box also intrigued me. This seemingly simple category had some unique items inside, and I was anxious to test a few of them.
The tactical rope dispenser was up first. This item offered a durable, hard-shell dispenser that contained 50 feet of 550 paracord. Paracord is a great survival item, but its one drawback is that it tangles if a person isn’t careful when unwinding a hank of it. Trying to undo knots is the last thing one needs during a survival scenario.
This item solved that potential issue. I clipped it to my belt, feeling like a superhero with a stocked utility belt, and began to unwind the paracord. The description stated that it was a one-handed operation—and it was correct. I pulled my required amount and, with a quick slice across the knife, it was cut.
The dispenser is easy to use, efficient and one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen in the world of cordage! It’s also reusable. So, when the cordage is depleted, it can be re-spooled with whatever version of paracord you prefer.
Finally, I wanted to validate the knives in the boxes. As almost anyone knows, knife quality can vary greatly—from cheap and easily breakable to reliable, high quality and offering year after year of solid performance. The four I received from Gear Pack were from very reputable companies (CRKT, Browning, Ontario Knife Company and Kizer), so I knew I was off to a great start.
The folders were solidly built, offered excellent EDC options (with most of them having an integrated pocket clip for security) and were sharp upon arrival and after usage. What more could I ask for? Without a doubt, I’ll carry these on a regular basis moving forward.
Many of the other items in the four boxes were from such respected brands as Gerber, Lansky, Atwood Rope and Wazoo. I “dissected” and used all of them but, due to space limitations here, I can’t go into detail about them all.
Nevertheless, I can say that none of the items disappointed. None was what I consider “filler” in order to take up space within the box. All had at least one specific feature that added to the overall experience and made them suitable for inclusion in the appropriate EDC, BOB or camping kit.
It’s a Go!
Gear Pack is one of the most unique subscription services on the market today. It’s not just a mixture of gear boxed up and shipped out; it’s a thoroughly thought-out grouping of themed items that make creating an emergency kit or bug-out bag easy, stress free and all-around fun.
The items comprise mainstream products provided by reputable companies in the world of survival and preparedness, as well as never-before-seen items—making opening each box an exciting monthly experience. All items are clearly described on the card included within the box, and the main theme is printed on one side of the description sheet.
I immensely enjoyed the four Gear Pack boxes I reviewed. Anyone receiving these, whether through a self-purchased subscription or as a gift, will undoubtedly enjoy them to their fullest.
However, the best benefit of these boxes isn’t the selection, quality and exciting anticipation of their contents—far from it. The true value is that the plethora of gear can aid when lives are on the line, when danger comes your way and when you’re faced with real emergencies that can be eased or avoided by using your assemblage of Gear Pack products.
Level-Up!
The Gear Pack subscription service offers four sizes to meet everyone’s budget and survival needs. The subscriber can alter their plan at any time to upgrade or downgrade, based on their needs. Here are the options:
The Basic Box: Get your feet wet with this entry-level box. It offers a great start into the survival gear-collecting world and features four to eight items. Priced at $19.99, it’s an amazing deal, with the products inside worth much more!
The Basic Plus Box: Like blades? Then order this option. The Basic Plus, priced at $39.99, comes with all the gear found in the “Basic” version but adds a useful knife with every monthly delivery. It might be a fixed blade or a folder, but it’s guaranteed to be a quality cutting tool.
The Advanced Box: At $79.99, this choice includes all that the previous size has to offer and ups the ante with higher-valued goods such as backpacks, tents, watches, flashlights or other essentials. Six to 12 products pack every box in this tier.
The Ultimate Box: Go big, or go home! This ultimate assembly features all the preceding items and includes a high-quality, premium blade that far surpasses the extra cost of this top-tier box. When you want to keep the most high-quality gear coming to your home, go “Ultimate” for $119.99.
Contact Gear Pack at GearPack.net for full details and ordering information.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
If you simply don’t know what to get your friend or family member for the holidays—or for that one person who “has everything”—Gear Pack makes for both a unique and highly utilitarian gift idea.
Because of the two options Gear Pack offers, you can receive a 20 percent discount on your first box with a six-month subscription or save 30 percent off your first box with a 12-month subscription. These are pre-paid, non-renewing subscriptions, so you don’t have to worry about monthly payments for the rest of the subscription.
Also, similar to purchasing a subscription for yourself, you’ll have four sizes of Gear Pack boxes to consider for your gift recipient: Basic, Basic Plus, Advanced and Ultimate. They’ll enjoy month after month of only the best and highest-quality gear that’ll assure a smile on their faces and also grow their cache of emergency gear for when the worst comes their way.