Summary

The Daylite Plus is a 20L frameless pack classified by Osprey as an everyday pack. Whether you are in the market for something easy to grab as you venture out on that day-hike or a lightweight means of carrying your everyday carry items, the Daylite Plus is a great candidate. It will definitely outperform most daypacks less than $100 and has a ton of applications where it is my go-to pack, but it straddles a lot of different applications and ends up being a jack of all trades, but a master of none. If you're trying to spend 50 bucks on a backpack for use when you go on an outdoor adventure this is a great pack stuffed full of features you won't find in a 20 dollar pack from Amazon, but if you have a more specific use (laptop bag, commuter bag, hydration pack), there are bags with more focused feature sets that might be a better fit.

Daylite Plus on Amazon

Check out this demo of what its like to pack up the Daylite Plus!

Key points of this review:

• Best Uses for the Daylite Plus
• Pocket Breakdown
• Comfort Review
• Comparison to Similar Products
• FAQs

My Experience with the Diaper Daylite Plus

I bought this pack with the intent of using it as a diaper bag for my first child. My wife and I were increasingly frustrated by the design of conventional diaper bags, with their lack of easy opening zippers and focus on fashion over function. This bag performed significantly better than our previous bag and was a lot more comfortable to carry around and was easier to access in times of distress (emergency diaper changes) with the large zipper pulls. It was a good size for a diaper bag and we didn't really miss any of the 'diaper bag' specific features.

Ultimately a few minor annoyances caused this bag to be dethroned as our daily diaper bag...

• The two side mesh sleeves are too shallow to secure a Nalgene or any wider water bottle. They can fit, but they are by no means secure and if your pack is heavily loaded the bottles are prone to fall out.
• The other thing that annoyed me about this product was the design of the exterior 'shove-it' pouch. When the cinch down straps are tight, they get in the way of reaching the zipper pulls of the main compartment.

Despite those shortcomings the bag still is in my rotation and it has now found a new home as my go-to bag for day trips, specifically my fishing and kayaking daypack. It is a good size for carrying everything for a day trip on the river, which for me generally includes water, snacks, all my tackle boxes (and there are so so many), a Leatherman multitool, some extra clothes, sunscreen, and a hat. The bag fits nicely in the rear cargo area of my kayak and makes it easy to lug around when launching and unloading my kayak. Even though I am still sometimes annoyed by the above mentioned issues its much less of a factor when I'm not holding a baby in one hand while I'm trying to access the pack.

Best Uses for the Daylite Plus Daypack

• Dayhikes
• Music Festivals
• Diaper Bags
• Disney Daypack
• Secondary Pack to a Full Size Pack
• Flight Carry On
• Fishing Bag
• Running/Biking Commute Bag
• EDC (everyday carry) Bag
• Bug Out Bag

Less than Desirable for…

• Primary Laptop Bag - I would not trust the padding with an expensive laptop. (I love my Osprey Pixel)
• Above average height individuals - The vertical shoulder strap adjustment is limited
• Overnight Hiking Trips
• College Backpack

Comfort

The Daylite Plus is a very comfortable pack that employs Osprey’s breathable shoulder straps. These shoulder straps have a conveniently adjustable chest buckle as well as an adjustable waist strap, both of which help minimize movement of the pack while being worn.

For people who are unfamiliar with technical backpacks these features can seem unnecessary, but the first time you load any considerable weight into your pack you will appreciate the thoughtfulness of Osprey's design. Their straps always seem significantly lighter and thinner than their competitors, but they provide ample cushion, and the curvature of the straps carry the weight very evenly.

Another subtle design choice is Osprey's use of their vented back padding, which allows your back to get more airflow on those sweaty hikes. It is rigid enough to keep the shape of the pack, but also flexible enough that it could be rolled up and stuffed somewhere for storage.

Pocket break down

Osprey definitely designed this pack with organization in mind. The different pockets in various sizes makes it easy to divide your items by desired accessibility.

• Main Compartment – The main zipper compartment is approximately 19 inches deep and contains a lightly padded laptop sleeve. The laptop sleeve also has a buckle that can be used to secure any laptop, tablet, etc.

• Front Zipper Pouch - The smallest pocket, located on the outside of the pack, is particularly useful for smaller items that you may need quick access to.
• Key/Accessory Pocket – This top exterior pocket contains mesh pockets for organization as well as a key hook.
  
• Hydration Sleeve – Though it doesn’t come with the pack itself, a hydration pack could easily be slipped into the hydration sleeve on the backside of the pack.
• Side Pockets – Each side of the Daylite Plus has a mesh, open pouch for water bottles. These are great when the bag isn’t fully packed out, but as the internal capacity is increasingly utilized, these pouches become less and less useful. If you lean forward with a full pack and full Nalgene or Hydroflask, it will most likely fall out of the sleeve.
• Shove-It Pouch – This open-air pouch is perfect for storing a light-weight rain jacket. Attached straps and buckles make it easy to cinch down anything stored in this area.

Comparison to Similar Products

With all their history and expertise, it’s no wonder Osprey makes a variety of daypacks similar to the Daylite Plus, many of which are compared below. In this size range, Osprey has made the Daylite Plus lighter without compromising on storage, organizational features, and aesthetics. If you’re debating between the Daylite Plus and the Daylite packs, you’ll see below that with an approximate 50% increase in capacity for only a 30% increase in cost, you can’t really beat the additional functionality and features of the Daylite Plus.

Made By Osprey

Pack		Size	Weight	Main Function
Daylite		13L	1.0 lbs	Hiking, Everyday, Travel
Hikelite		18L / 26L	1.5 / 1.6 lbs	Hiking, Everyday
Talon		20 / 22L	1.9 lbs	Hiking, Adventure Racing
Escapist		16 / 18L	1.6 / 1.7 lbs	Hiking, Biking

There are also a lot of other great daypacks on the market in addition to those made by Osprey. Many of the brands like REI, Deuter, and Gregory, who are known for their larger packs, also make comparable daypacks to the Daylite Plus. However, I have a total of 5 different Osprey packs of varying sizes and have never been let down so I elected to go with the Daylite Plus when opting for a new daypack. But as always, choose what suits your needs best!

Non-Osprey Products

Pack		Size	Weight	Main Function
Deuter Speed Lite		20L	1.1 lbs	Hiking
Gregory Salvo		18	1.9 lbs	Hiking
Camelbak Fourteener		24L	2.6 lbs	Hiking

All mighty Guarantee

One thing worth mentioning is that the Osprey Daylite Plus (and other Osprey products) comes with the All Mighty Guarantee. Any damage or defects in their packs can be repaired or replaced free of charge without question. I can personally attest to the pleasurable experience of getting a new Osprey pack through this process when my zippers broke, which is one reason I so happily return to their products time and time again.

FAQs

Can I fit my laptop in the laptop sleeve?
Unless you have a 10-year old, 3-inch thick laptop, yes. The width measures 15" and the depth is approximately 19”. My 15" XPS fits snugly. It is about the size of a 15" Macbook Pro.

What size hydration bladder would this fit?
3L

Would this be a good backpack for college?
If you don’t go to class or don’t have a lot of books and binders then maybe. It would not handle multiple heavy textbooks and a laptop comfortably.

How can I clean my Daylite Plus?
Simply throw it in the washing machine on cold with no detergent and hang to dry. Voila!

The ESEE Izula is an incredible little do-all neck knife from ESEE. It is a high-carbon fixed blade that is great for EDC. It is small enough to fit in your pocket but strong enough to tackle jobs that your folding knife might not be robust enough for. I typically carry a folding knife with me most days at the office, but will reach for my Izula when going camping or building fires.

Quality

The ESEE Izula meets the same rigorous quality standards as its larger cousin the ESEE-3, but in a smaller package. The knife comes without any handle scales, and generally is seen out in the wild sporting either a paracord wrap or aftermarket scales.

The scales pictured can be found here.

Utility

The Izula can be worn around the neck, in the pocket, or on a belt without much fuss. It is great for EDC cutting tasks and is comfortable for general use. If the Izula is to be used as a survival blade it is highly advisable to purchase grips or at the very least give it a paracord wrap. The skeletonized handle can dig into the hand after extended use.

Those will larger hands will also have to consider the handle typically does not generally provide enough space for all four meaty fingers. I have not noticed this issue because my hands are on the smaller side but I could see this being an issue for some. My one complaint for the Izula is the blade is slightly short for my tastes. I recognize that it is designed to be small, and complete the necessary tasks for survival in a minimal package, but I found myself wishing I had an extra inch on the end of the blade. This was most apparent for me during food prep, as I constantly found myself having to rotate the blade around apples or other hard fruit to cut completely through. It does fit an interesting niche of fixed blades that are small enough to carry without effort to conceal.

Value

The Izula runs in at about $60 which is little more than some of their competitors such as the Ka-Bar BK11. Depending on your budget the extra $20 bucks might not be worth it for the ESEE name, but if my life were depending on this knife I would certainly pony up. You can certainly tell a difference in the finishing on the steel, and its hard to argue with the ESEE warranty.

Specifications

  <th>
    Blade Length
  </th>
  
  <th>
    Handle
  </th>
  
  <th>
    Lockback
  </th>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td>
    2.0 oz
  </td>
  
  <td>
    2.63"
  </td>
  
  <td>
    Skeletonized 1095 Steel
  </td>
  
  <td>
    Fixed
  </td>
</tr>

Overview

If you are looking to haul lots of gear comfortably and you're tired of fighting your top-loading backpack to quickly access the contents of your bag this duffel provides a welcome alternative. Although it is not totally waterproof and the shoulder straps don't magically turn this bag into a technical backpacking pack, it takes the traditional duffel design and spices it up with weather resistant materials and backpack style shoulder straps.

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel is a great all around travel bag from Patagonia for the adventurer that wants to keep it simple. It has a drop dead simple design with enough additional comfort enhancing features and quality materials to make it well worth the price tag.

Key Features

• 45L / 60L / 120L Sizes available
• detachable shoulder straps
• water-resistant coating
• 3 zippered pouches
• high-visibility interior
• durable material

The Black Hole Duffel comes in a variety of different sizes. The bag pictured here is the 60L bag.

My Experience

My primary experience with this bag over the past 3 years has been using this bag as an ultimate frisbee bag. I started out searching a medium sized weatherproof bag that had easy access. I started out using medium sized daypacks like the Osprey Talon 33L or a combination of smaller bags. I eventually got frustrated having to slim down my weekend carry when I headed to the field, as well as the struggle of fighting through your stuff to find what you were looking for. I also was always keeping an eye to the sky to ensure my bag was under cover if dark clouds were approaching.

When I first purchased this bag I was under the impression it would stand up to sitting in the rain for the duration of ultimate frisbee games without leaking through to my clothes and other gear. I quickly realized that it was not waterproof, just merely water resistant. This was somewhat of a let down considering the price of the bag, but overtime the bag has won me over. It is big enough to carry all of my gear, but still feels much less cumbersome when loading into tight quarters. Having all of your stuff sharing one compartment takes some getting used to, but it has so much more capacity than a similarly sized backpack. For longer trips (or trips where I know I want to avoid my dirty clothes sharing space with clean clothes), I generally pack things into a couple of medium sized dry sacks. This provides a flexible system for organization and a great way to keep from the entire contents of the bag absorbing the smell of wet socks.

The 60L bag is plenty of space for me to live out of for about a week of casual living, or a weekend of outdoor activities. The bag started out as my adventure bag, but has gradually replaced my traditional luggage for most trips.

An example of whats in my bag for a weekend trip

• 2 days worth of clothes
• sunglasses
• hat
• rain jacket
• cleats
• jersey/shorts
• 32 oz and 18 oz Hydro Flask
• DSLR
• toiletry bag
• snacks

Highs

• duffel format is practical
• great for a single use bag
• shoulder straps
• water resistant
• top pocket is great for quick access
• lots of places to hang on
• efficient on space

Lows

• not waterproof
• you have use some other organizational method
• side pocket is small
• not comfortable for extended carrying
• no protection for fragile things

Design

The Black Hole is an apt name for this bag as its design is dead simple. It consists of a large main compartment with access from the top flap via a U shaped zipper. The flap folds out to allow plenty of space to access the main compartment. The main storage area is designed with a high visibility color to make digging things out of the bag in low light a little easier.

Two mesh pockets on the top flap. Easily big enough for phone and wallet.

Pockets

There are also three other additional zippered compartments. Two independent mesh zipper pouches on the top flap as well as one exterior zipper pocket on the outside of the bag. The flap pockets are perfect for toiletries or other small items you don't want to have to dig for. The singular exterior pocket is great for holding things like a boarding pass or your wallet. If your bag is jam packed full of stuff the exterior pocket can be a bit difficult to get in and out of because of the way the pocket shares some real estate with your main compartment.

Front pocket for keeping things you need to access in a hurry.

Material

The bag material is Ripstop polyester with the exterior sides and top coated in a weather resistant thermoplastic urethane film laminate. If you don't know what those things are that's totally fine. The bag feels like a big canvas duffel bag bag with the sides and top coated with a weather resistant coating. It feels heavy duty, but not so heavy duty that it makes it feel burdensome. The bag has no frame or any real rigidity beyond the stiffness of the material which makes it easy to compress if empty or lightly packed. The bottom floor of the bag is lightly padded which gives it a little bit of shape and insulation from the outside but not enough that I would ever feel comfortable throwing my laptop in it without a dedicated case or cover. It is marketed as a weather resistant bag and has generally held up well against light rain but in a downpour some moisture will leak through.

Carry Options

There are numerous carry options with this bag that all come in handy. The one option that sets this bag apart from most duffels is the padded shoulder straps. They allow you to throw the bag over your shoulders and carry like a backpack when the bag is heavily loaded or you are looking to keep your hands free. The shoulder straps are comfortable and convenient but they do not turn the duffel into a backpack. They are acceptable and definitely more convenient than handles, but it won't compete with the comfort of a dedicated backpack with a more rigid design. The straps come with a quick release buckle that makes it easy to lose the straps should you choose not to use them. I generally leave them on as they don't get in the way of accessing the bag's main compartment and are my primary carry option.

Carrying using the shoulder straps. Very comfortable but bag can get a little saggy if it is heavily loaded.

There are also reinforced handles on either side of the pack that makes it really easy to pull out of a car or clip on a pair of dirty boots. It also has a padded handle that can be used when carrying one handed.

Reinforced handles on both sides of the bag.

Summary

Patagonia uses quality materials to produce a very utilitarian bag that can last many years.

I purchased this head on EBay for about $15 dollars. The head weighs approximately 1 1/4 lb. I figured this would make a nimble hatchet.

I purchased a straight 14" handle from the hardware store. I believe it was a Link brand handle. It was covered in a pretty thick lacquer and I had to rifle through a box to find one with a straight slot (the kerf) in the top as well as good grain orientation. The straight style wouldn't have been my first choice but it was the only handle at the store that looked like it would be a reasonable fit into my very small eye. In the end after a bit of sanding and some linseed oil it feels very functional and I will definitely consider straight handles for tools in this size range.

As it came to me with the old broken handle loosely still lingering in the eye. I ended up digging the old metal wedge out of the old handle and reused it with my new handle.

I soaked the head in a vinegar bath for about 24hrs, and then scrubbed with a wire brush. In this photo you can see some of the old blue paint coming through.

After putting an quick edge on it with the wet grinder.

I chose not to file away the minor mushrooming on the poll. In the future I might consider more aggressive restoration methods but it didn't seem appropriate here.

Thanks for reading!

2016 Shopping list for EDC Gear

Keychain replacements

1. FreeKey system

Tired of broken finger nails when adding or removing keys? The FreeKey system solves the problem with a spring driven ring. Plus, its the most affordable gift in this list.

Interested in the FreeKey system? You'll find it here.

2. Keyport Slide 3.0 and Pivot

The brand spanking new design from Keyport including new modular and tech features.

Interested in the Slide 3.0 or Pivot? You'll find it here.

3. Keyport Slide 2.0

Being replaced by the 3.0 version, but still a great tool. Plus, you can get it on the cheap.

Interested in the Slide 2.0? You'll find it on clearance here.

4. Keysmart

Feel like a janitor with all of those keys? The Keysmart is simple and elegant. It can store up to 34 keys with extensions.

Interested in the Keysmart? You'll find it here.

Keychain tools:

1. Gerber Shard

With a slim and compact form factor the Shard offers four tools: a 3-d Philips screwdriver bit, small and large flat head screwdriver bits, pry bar, and bottle opener. A full review can be located here.

Interested in the Gerber Shard? You'll find it here.

2. Leatherman Micra

I've had one of these since my freshman year of college and it's never let me down. Its a bit heavier than the Gerber Shard but extremely useful. For example, I've taken apart several laptops with the small flat head screwdriver on the Micra.

Interested in the Leatherman Micra? You'll find it here.

Watches:

1. Timex Weekender

Classic, reliable, and simple. The Timex Weekender is extremely easy to read, lights up in the dark, comes in a variety of colors, and most importantly is affordable. I've seen these as low as $12 on Amazon.com

Interested in the Timex Weekender? You'll find them here.

2. Casio G-Shock 5600

For those people that enjoy a robust and tough timepiece, look no further than the G-Shock 5600 from Casio. Check out this extensive review of the 5600 from 555 Gear on Youtube.

Interested in the G-Shock? You'll find them here.

Wallets:

1. Recycled Firefighter EDC Wallets

These unique wallets are made by a retired firefighter from actual firehose material. 100% made in the USA and products that are great conversation starters. Check out the video below to learn more about these interesting wallets.

Interested in the Recycled Firefighter EDC Wallets? You'll find them here.

Flashlights:

1. ThorFire BD04

Need a light? At the sub $20 mark, the BD04 is hard to beat with 200+ lumens, 5 different modes, a rechargeable lithium battery, and charging kit. Walking the dog(s) just got a lot easier.

Interested in the Olight S30R? You'll find them <a target="_blank". href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QRD8PC4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00QRD8PC4&linkCode=as2&tag=treeedc-20&linkId=effb54e371a480e767a27e3f9af30689">here.

Knives:

1. CRKT Burnley Squid

An affordable and well-designed EDC blade by Lucas Burnley, the CRKT squid is a hard blade to beat with features like a deep carry clip and an excellent acid stonewashed finish for under $20. Perfect stocking stuffer.

Interested in the CRKT Burnley Squid? You'll find it here.

2. CRKT Homefront

Want to impress a knife aficionado? Know an outdoorsman that gets dirty with their blades? The CRKT Homefront is the perfect option for 2016 since it is the first folding knife that can be field stripped without any tools. Another homerun design by Ken Onion. Check out the video below!

Interested in the CRKT Homefront? You'll find it here.

Multi-tools:

1. Gerber Center-drive

A new product this month, the Gerber Center-drive offers three one-handed opening tools: the pliers, knife, and full size screwdriver. The Center-drive's main attraction is the full size screwdriver bit that can accept standard bits and the full size knife blade along with replaceable carbide cutters in the pliers' head. 100% Made in the USA.

Interested in the Gerber Center-Drive? You'll find it here.

2.Leatherman OHT

Leatherman multi-tools are the gold standard among multi-tool lovers. The OHT was the first one handed multi-tool on the market, meaning that all of the tools can be accessed with one hand. Below is a COMPREHENSIVE review by the one and only Nutnfancy. Any gear fan would be ecstatic to receive one.

Interested in the Leatherman OHT? You'll find it here.

Despite glowing reviews on Amazon, the CardNinja has not held up to expectations.

My wife came to me with a problem. She had too many things. A wallet, a clutch/purse, a phone, keys, and ID badge. However, she created a self-made solution by combining her wallet and phone and ditching the purse all together. She unknowingly turned into a minimalist by putting her credit cards and ID into the back of her phone case. Her solution worked perfectly, albeit roughly, until she upgraded phones and was stuck with a case that was not compatible with hiding her cards.

CardNinja appeared to be a logical solution to her woes. It turns any phone case into a wallet with a self-adhesive backing with an elastic fiber that holds all of your cards.

I eagerly ordered a CardNinja for my wife. It arrived and we attached it to her phone. We read many of the scathing reviews on Amazon and noted that any more than two cards would stretch the elastic fabric. Duly noted. We narrowed her EDC wallet to her driver's license and one credit card.

First day on duty; there were no lost credit cards in the Au Bon Pan salad bar at work. However, the additional bulk that the CardNinja added to the phone was noticeable and annoying. Also, the elastic fiber now covers a large majority of your phone and adds unnecessary friction when taking it in or out of a jean pocket.

The other downside is the bulkiness felt when the phone is in your hand. The CardNinja with two cards adds an additional bulk and forces your fingers to wrap around the phone further than expected. It is just uncomfortable, but this may depend on the size of your hand.

The last straw for the CardNinja is the longevity of the elastic material. We purchased our CardNinja on Nov 8th and it is now Nov 25th. Currently, after only holding two cards, the elastic material is almost worn out. It still holds cards, but it is loose which is not desirable in the least.

So if you are looking for a similar solution to your everyday carry, my wife wholeheartedly disapproves of the CardNinja. We are looking elsewhere for alternative products and if any of our readers have success send us a tweet at @TreehouseEDC and we'll give it a try.

For 17 USD, I had to pick up one of these lights from ThorFire--a brand that I know very little about. I will write up a complete review but here are my initial impressions.

Interested? Find it <a target="_blank". href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QRD8PC4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00QRD8PC4&linkCode=as2&tag=treeedc-20&linkId=effb54e371a480e767a27e3f9af30689">here

Additional Pictures

I’m a woman. I carry a purse. My EDC consists primarily of things I never use. I never dreamed I would carry a knife on a daily basis. But here I find myself, a female professional who pulls out my pocket knife to eat lunch at my desk each day. How did I manage to get here?

My husband put a knife in my hand while we were friends in college. In case you can’t tell by this site, he loves photography. He loved it then just as much as he does now so of course he documented me fondling his EDC knife at the time. If you can’t tell, I was mesmerized by that knife, a Gerber AR 3.0 My appreciation for the beauty and practicality of knives only grew from there.

So here I find myself, on Treehouse EDC reviewing a few things that I deem important and worthwhile to have on me each day. Unfortunately, I lost that knife for a few years only to find it later, very dirty and at the bottom of an old purse on my closet floor, which is total fitting that my favorite knife ultimately ended up in my purse. In the meantime though, I found myself a new EDC knife, one that has quickly become my favorite. The knife currently residing on my person is the Benchmade Mini Griptilian.

General Specs

The mini griptilian is a simple, classic knife, and one that perfectly fits my EDC needs (plus it gels with my simple sense of style). Coming in at 2.8 ounces, it’s in the middle of the pack in terms of weight, which makes it ideal for carrying either in the pocket, or in my case, a small bag/purse. With a classic drop point style blade with a plain edge only measuring 2.9”, my coworkers don’t get too scared when I break it out in the office for lunch. Of note is that the Mini Griptilian is also produced with a tanto and sheepsfoot blade style, neither of which have ever really appealed to me. The steel on my mini is 154CM, which seems to hold an edge for quite some time given the daily tasks I use it for.

Comfort

Given the fact that I’m not typically carrying the knife actually on my person, the comfort of this knife really relates to my ability and comfortableness while actually using it. The Mini Griptilian is smaller than its larger counterpart, the Griptilian, making it perfect for my relatively small hands. All four of my fingers seamlessly wrap around the handle in what feels like a very natural and sturdy formation. Add that to the nice texture of the finger groove and thumb ramp, and I’ve got a pretty confident grasp on the mini.

The handle is glass-filled nylon, which some say feels cheap, but I’ve found it to be quite comfortable, which is what really matters to me. The detailed texture of the handle provides a nice friction in my hand, making it easy to use in really any situation.

Security

Despite my love of knives, I’ve still got a lot of respect for the tools that they are, which sometimes makes me wary of knives that are fast and loose. I don’t like knives with assisted opening mechanisms as I find them somewhat scary, and in truth, deploying them makes me feel like I’m about to get into a knife fight in an alley. In fact, I’ll typically elect to control the opening of these knives with two hands. For that reason, I love the design of the thumb stud and the manual opening of the Mini Griptilian, which ultimately allows me to open the knife at my own pace. When tightened and lubed appropriately, it’s easy enough for me to open with only one hand, a feat that often escapes me with larger knives. The AXIS locking mechanism in the Mini Griptilian is also really nice as the spring-loaded metal stud is easy to pull back to release the blade to close.

Coming in at around $100, it’s definitely not the cheapest of the EDC knives out there, but it’s been my favorite thus far (yes, even better than the Gerber AR 3.0).

** UPDATE **
The Osprey Pixel has been updated. The new version is available here: http://amzn.to/2qytiHK

The old version continues to be sold and is a great deal for about half the price:
http://amzn.to/2qy2yHa

Overview

The Osprey Pixel is a toploading daypack designed to be used as a commuting laptop bag. It has a top flap that provides access to the main compartment as well as a side-loading zipper to access the laptop compartment capable of storing a 15" laptop. The total volume is listed at 26L. The pixel also has zippers on each side that allow you to expand the total volume of the pack by 4 liters. It provides a lot of technical features that make it a great choice for bike commuters or college students and is stylish enough to carry proudly in a relaxed office environment.

Key Specs

• 26L Volume
• 15" Laptop Compartment
• 10" Tablet Pocket

Laptop Compartment

I absolutely love the trend for the sideloading laptop compartment in packs. It provides easy access to your laptop while still providing a great amount of protection. The zipper opening in the pixel laptop compartment is roughly 15 1/2" tall and provides an elastic mesh safety flap that I believe was added to prevent your bag from sliding out unintentionally. A lot of other reviewers complained that they would frequently forget to zip their side pocket and end up paying the iron price with their laptop. I haven't found this to be a problem personally, but I appreciate the added safety precaution.

The padding in the laptop compartment is sufficient, but I was a little turned off by the amount of extra space my Macbook Pro had when stowed. The pack widens towards the top slightly which is probably to account for slightly larger laptops. This hasn't historically been a problem for me, and my laptop has been protected; however, I do think the earlier generation Pixel was more appropriately sized for my particular laptop.

The interior of the laptop compartment is fleece lined and has an interior 10" zipper pocket to store a tablet.

Main Compartment

The Pixel's main compartment is accessible via its top flap. The flap is secured with two adjustable buckles. There are three cascading flaps for storing documents, as well as direct access to the laptop compartment. I appreciate the ability to access the laptop slot from multiple compartments, but I feel like they sacrificed the fit and compactness of the bag to make it more flexible.

As I mentioned earlier, the pack has two zippers on either side to allow it to expand. This feature really allows the pack to be used regularly as an everyday pack with your laptop and a few books, but then also expand a bit to squeeze in a bag of groceries or a warmer jacket. Most days, I appreciate the slimness of the bag when I make the commute to the office, but on the weekend I love not having to carry an extra bag if I want to throw in that extra changes of clothes or maybe my camera.

Other Compartments

There is a upside-down teardropped shape zipper pouch on the outside of the main compartment that has a key hook as well as some organizational pockets.

The bottom zipper pouch is a compartment, approximately 1L in size, that houses the Osprey branded Powerhouse cord pouch, which comes with the pack. The Powerhouse pouch is quite nice and is a great little bonus addition. It has some good organizational compartments, but is large enough to hold a power brick for a laptop. I do, however, contend that the bottom pouch in the Pixel is not an ideal place to store your charger. I have found that it is by far the most inaccessible pouch due to the way the nylon overlaps the zipper. Opening it often involves the use of two hands - one to carefully lead the zipper open and another to make sure the zipper avoids the top flap. I generally stow things in this compartment that I use less frequently to avoid having to fight the zipper open.

There is also a scratch-free zippered slot on the outside of the main flap to store sunglasses or your phone.

Comfort

The Pixel is designed with comfort in mind, and Osprey rarely disappoints in this area. The bag includes shoulder straps and a sternum strap, all of which are adjustable. Additionally, it has a light duty hip belt designed to better distribute the weight of a heavily loaded pack or, better yet, keep it close to the body when humming down the road on your bike.

The contoured mesh back provides great ventilation and does its best to prevent a sweaty back when arriving to work or class.

Osprey

As always when buying an Osprey pack, the Pixel comes with their all mighty guarantee. I had a very positive experience with Osprey when I had an issue with the zipper coming off of the rails on my first generation Pixel. They promptly replied to my request with instructions on shipping the pack to them and followed up as soon as it arrived. They ended up sending me a brand new pack, an experience that validated their commitment to their customers.

Quality

The ESEE 3 resembles a fine time piece in that its function is matched by its beauty. The ESEE is manufactured in the USA by the group ROWEN Manufacturing. ROWEN is well known for producing some of the most high quality 1095 steel.

The knife also is equipped with micarta scales, which if you have never felt before, feel similar to a hardened cast. It provides the knife with a wonderful fullness in hand, as well as a very solid grip that is not going to slip. It is often said that micarta becomes more grippy when wet.

Utility

Despite the ESEE 3's delicate attention to detail it is ultimately a tremendous tool. The knife comes extremely sharp out of the box, and is a snap to resharpen should it need it. The knife is fairly hard to dull and takes pretty much any amount of abuse you can put it through. Have I mentioned that ESEE stands by their products with a transferable lifetime warranty? If you somehow find a way to break or damage one of their knives they will replace them free of charge.

The ESEE 3 is a fairly large knife, but it feels very capable of performing very intricate work. The finger choil on the knife provides an easy way to choke up on the knife and get a little bit more dexterity. When you are not used to working with a knife this large it is very encouraging to not feel like the knife is awkward in hand. Many people when initially holding the knife comment on the knife's comfort.

One downside of the most of the ESEE knives is the steel that they use is a high-carbon steel which is not as resistant to corrosion as a stainless steel. Some people are scared off by this fact and assume the knives are going to crumble after a few days of use, but I have found that unless you are particularly careless with how much moisture you allow to linger on your knife you should be fine. The upside of the 1095 steel (and ROWEN's 1095 in particular) is that it is good at retaining an edge, but also very easy to sharpen in the field. I am not a metallurgist or an expert in steel but I have owned my fair share of knives and the steel on my ESEE knives is quite impressive.

ESEE 3 vs. ESEE 4

When buying your first ESEE knife people frequently get hung up deciding between the ESEE 3 or the ESEE 4. The two most important differences are the width of the blade as well as the length. The ESEE 4 has about a half an inch of extra cutting edge as well as posessing a thicker blade. Which is right for you depends on your use. The ESEE 3 is a more appropriate EDC blade coming in 3 ounces lighter as well as being a more manageable size to keep in your pocket or clipped to your belt. The slightly thinner blade also is more appropriate for everyday tasks and makes slicing up tomatoes more fun than it should be. The ESEE 4 is right for you if you're interested in a bit heavier use, its extra weight and length makes things like batoning wood a bit easier.

Value

An ESEE 3 will run you about $100 which seems rather pricey for a knife most of us will just keep in a drawer, but when you get one of these knives in hand you will immediately feel like it was a steal. If you purchase from a reputable dealer they generally come with an injected molded sheath as well as a boot clip.

Specifications

Overview

Forged from a single shard of steel, the Gerber Shard is a simple and affordable keychain tool.

It offers four tools:

• 3-d Philips screwdriver bit
• Small and large flat head screwdriver bits
• Pry bar^[1]
• Bottle opener

The Good

I've carried this keychain tool for approximately one year to date. In that time, I've found the Shard a capable companion. Its slim and lightweight form factor allows you forget that you have such a useful tool.

• The most useful tool to me personally has been the Philips head screwdriver and bottle opener. The 3-d bit works surprisingly well and is useful for differently sized screw heads due to the angled design of the bit. Also, I should mention that you can get a good amount of torque with the Shard due to the angle of the bit.

• The pry bar is a nice addition and works quite well for the size of the Shard. I've been able to remove large nail heads with it a bit of work. The pry bar can be used as a scraper for old paint or opening paint cans. The secondary use for the pry bar is opening boxes or packages with the sharpened inner edge.

• The Shard fits perfectly to your hand when using the bottle opener.

• The titanium nitrite finish is very durable.

The Bad

The only negatives for the Shard only pertain to the driver bits:

• The flat head bits can be hard to use, especially if you don't have room to angle the Shard appropriately.

• The Philips head bit has a short reach and can be hard to use if your keychain ring is small or full of keys.

The Ugly

The main take-away message: if you carry a bottle opener on your key-chain then you should consider switching it to the Shard because it is probably lighter, you get driver bits and a pry bar. For the price point of $7 USD, the Shard is an unbeatable value.

Specifications

Weight: 0.6 oz / 17.0 g
Size: length: 2.75"
Material: Stainless steel with titanium nitride coating

Additional Pictures:

Overview

There is something attractive about the simplicity of traditional folding knives. With that said, I think that the no-nonsense approach of Opinel folding knives embody this sentiment especially since the Victoria and Albert Museum declared the Opinel knife one of the 100 best designed objects in the world in 1985. Opinel knives are largely unchanged from their original designs from 1890 and consist of four parts: a wood handle, steel collar, a pin, and a blade. All the different models (No1-13) essentially only differ in size, so there is a model for everyone.

Unlike many traditional american folding knives, which are typically slipknots and utilize a spring bar to keep the knife open or closed with tension, these Opinels use a no-nonsense rotating collar system that locks the blade open or closed.

This type of locking system unfortunately requires two hands for most situations. So if one-handed opening is a requirement for your EDC, then Opinels are definitely not for you. There is a simple trick to open these with one hand but it's not appropriate for field work and is more suited to picnics or work in the kitchen. However, I find it completely usable for the majority of EDC tasks.

Blade

Thus far, I've discussed the traditional design of these knives and its downside. So why are these knives so popular with knife aficionados? Well, first its the price point of $10-15 and the exceptional cutting ability of these blades. The blade has a classic clip-point profile with a nearly Scandinavian blade profile (single bevel edge profile). This combined with the slim blade stock (thickness of the blade) gives tremendous slicing ability from wood carving to food preparation. Note: The two blades that I received had two small micro-bevels at the edge--so they are more close to a convex edge at this point.

Combine the excellent blade and edge profile with the fact that you can obtain both a high carbon and stainless (inox) version, these knives are a steal of a deal. I haven't done a rigorous comparison of the edge retention between the carbone and inox versions but the online communities rate them equivalently. Therefore, if you are looking to use one of these knives for outdoor activities like bushcrafting then the inox version should work adequately without compromising longevity of a sharp edge. Both versions have a very sharp 90-degree spine that works well with ferro-rods.

Handle:

I've been working with these knives from food prep to wood carving and the wood handle is extremely comfortable. Also, the overall knife is extremely lightweight since there are no liners which makes working with these blades very easy. I did find that moisture was somewhat of an issue upon first arrival, especially after food prep. After the pivot point was wet, the blade would become extremely hard to move open or close. Actually, this was more of an issue on the carbone version than the inox version which may be related to how they seal the wood. I believe that the carbone version has a varnish finish and the inox has a polyurethane finish (note the different color).

Modifications

To fix this issue, I did not want to disassemble the entire knife nor sand the original finish off of the handle, so I sealed the entire handle. It was an extremely easy process and involves baking your opinel in the oven at 350 F with a light coating of olive oil. Below is a "before" picture.

Below is the "after" picture with some excess olive oil still present. The difference is uncanny and looks similar to the walnut handle finish.

After sealing the wood I haven't experienced any wood swelling from moisture and it is actually a bit easier and smoother to open than originally. Update: Actually, it has made the entire opening much easier and now can be opened one handed as shown in this video.

Conclusions

Overall, I've really enjoyed EDC'ing the carbone version for about a month and can definitely recommend these knives to anyone in the market for a traditional blade. The blade profile and grind really make this knife excel at cutting and it's hard to beat at the price point of $10-15.

Please note that the carbone version will rust if proper care is not provided.

Where to get one:

• The quickest place to obtain these blades is Amazon.

• Direct from Opinel-Usa

Also, if you are in the market for affordable kitchen knives, Opinel has a wide variety of options.

Additional pictures:

Pictured above is Rob's walnut inox version.

Spyderco is a unique knife manufacturer that puts the upmost priority on the ergonomics and target application of a given cutting tool. This mantra often leads to the design and creation of very unique and sometimes strange knife designs that are constantly being redesigned and improved. The Spyderco Native line is a perfect example of this design philosophy.

The Spyderco Native was originally designed in 1996 by a collaborate effort to bring an affordable American-made folding knife to be manufactured by Camillus Knife Company in Syracuse, NY and to be sold exclusively in Walmart stores. Camillus produced a first generation batch for Walmart but for reasons unknown to me, the deal fell through and Spyderco started manufacturing the Native themselves.

In late the 1990’s Spyderco began producing several prototypes in their factory in Golden, Colorado. The original knife was constructed with a similar FRN molded handle and GIN-1 blade steel.

In 2005, due to spyderco’s constant quality improvement (CQI) philosophy, the Native’s blade steel was upgraded to CPM-440V which at the time provided a tremendous value to the line. This is still true today where the Native is one of the only knives on the market with a powdered blade steel under $100. Currently, new variants of the Native sport CPM-S30V or CPM-S35V blade steels which have much better edge retention than the previous CPM-440V. If you would like to read more about the Native's lineage, check this site.

The Native has gone through 5 iterations of the CQI process and there are models with G10, carbon fiber, and FRN handle scales and with different blade grinds. Currently, the Native 4 and 5 Lightweight FRN models are the most popular and accessible.

As an owner of the previous Native 4 rendition and carrying it every day for about one year, I can say that it is a great knife. The American-made quality of this product is obvious from the time you pick it up in the store. If you have reservations about the 100% FRN handle, put them aside—it is literally a space-age composite material. My Native 4 has zero blade play which is less than my knives with stainless steel liners.

The Native 5 Lightweight has several small changes that greatly improve the overall functionality of the knife.

Pocket clip:

• The Native 4 had two pocket clip positions that only allow tip up carry. I have no qualms with this but some people prefer tip down carry. I do like that you can use the edge of a penny to remove the old pocket clip and change sides. The old clip does carry high in the pocket.
• The Native 5 now has 4 pocket clip positions that allow for any carry position and has a polished finish. However, it still rides high in the pocket.

Handle Texture:

• The Native 4 has very little texturing and it provides almost no grip, especially when wet.
• The Native 5 now the volcano grip texture found on other Spyderco blades such as the Delica or Endura. It much better traction even when wet.

Handle Construction:

• The Native 4 used rivet construction which prevented disassembly of the knife for cleaning as well as adjusting the tension on the blade.
• The Native 5 now uses screw construction which allows for complete disassembly and adjusting for blade play.

Blade Grind:

• The Native 4 has a very fine hollow grind on the blade that provides a very sharp cutting edge. However, the blade stock is still rather thick at the spine of the blade which prevents the Native 4 grind from being good at slicing anything thicker than the width of the blade. There is also a strange false edge on the spine of the blade that look mildly threating.
• The Native 5 fixed this problem by replacing the hollow grind with a continuous full flat grind. With the full flat grind, you can cut things by applying a more constant force than the hollow grind.

Other:

• The finger grove near the blade was made much more round than the Native 4 version. Jimping was added to this grove as well as to the back of the blade (where the thumb rests) and is much less aggressive than the previous jimping.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Spyderco Native line of knives is one of the oldest designs in the Spyderco family and for a good reason—the simplistic design combined with an American powdered super steel at a very reasonable price. The fact that the Native is manufactured in Golden, CO, USA at this price point still shocks me.

I highly recommend either version of the Native for every day carry use. This knife is a tremendous value and is designed to do work. (Look elsewhere if you are looking for a safe queen.) If you’re interested in the Native 4 or 5 you can pick up them up here before they sell out.

Additional Pictures: