So this really little package shows up...

[TwinBlade]

And inside it is my new 4Sevens Quark Mini 123.

There was obviously a tremendous amount of marketing detail that went into making an exceptional and professional first impression. Hell, I have purchased jewelry for my wife that didn't come in quite that good of a box (not the hard case, the actual box)...not this Walmart junk either...I mean good jewelry. It even comes with a battery. Too cool.

I am really likin' the hidden blinky stuff that I NEVER use...nice that it is there, but I don't want to have to cycle through it to get where I want to go. Really keeps interface to a simplistic level.

Just a really great little light. I am very impressed. For the extra $15, this blows the LED out of the iTP A1. Now I know why there is so much talk about the Quark Mini 123.

For size reference, those candles in one of my kits are .44 Magnum casings filled with wax and a wick. :thumbsup:

 

[Launch Mini]

Awesome, enjoy the light & hope nightfall comes sooner than later so you can play.

 

[ninemm]

Did you get it in neutral, cool, or warm? Definitely a nice little light. I really like your candles! Also, what is that metal twisty object with the bear paw print?

...as I pondered your fire starting kit a bit longer I figured out that it is maybe flint for that rock?

 

[Nasty]

It's a hard steel for striking with the rock...flint.

The wooden pieces are fatwood, out of the heart of a pine.

The long straight metal piece is ferrocerium...it makes sparks (pre-flashlight content).

 

[Flint&Steel]

The hardwood-handled , misch metal (?) striker is nice, but the one on top gets a big WOW! You can probably tell by my screen name what my favorite method of starting fire is

I have a very similar setup. Good call on the fatwood too, I love that stuff!

P.S. Congrats on the Q-mini, it's a ton of light in a little package. You won't be disappointed.

 

[ninemm]

Thanks for the answer Nasty. You can tell I flunked out of Boyscouts at an early age.

 

[TwinBlade]

All of that fire starting stuff is great, but what do you use to get the ember started Flint and steel? Char cloth? If so, I will one up you. That baggie is holding charred cottonwood bark. Between that and some dry grass or jute/hemp twine, that is old school at it's finest.:thumbsup:

Having shaken Nasty's hand and talked many an hour on the phone with him, he is another fella that might know what he is doing if given a flint rock, knife and stretch of paracord and asked to bug out a while. :thumbsup:

If you ever want to talk about Khukuri's, I can think of no other more educated man to teach you well about them. I know this first hand.

Oh, this little flashlight is really great too.

 

[Flint&Steel]

Yes sir, char cloth that I cook myself. After catching the spark, I put it in a "bird's nest" of jute, blow until I get a flame, followed by cedar bark, then fatwood, then twigs, and so on til you're burning bright.

Nasty sounds like a cool dude

I got to play with a pair of Q mini 123's (neutral) prior to gifting them to my niece and nephew for their b-day last month. I'm content with my A1, but they really like the strobe (as a good uncle figured they would) :devil:

 

[DHart]

The little MiNi123 is a nice light. I just got one with a neutral tint. Beautiful output and brilliant on a 16340! Twisty is a good, reliable switch, but I find it slow and cumbersome to use compared to a clicky.

Much as I like my MiNi123, I must admit, though, that the really tiny Preon 1 with clicky tailcap that I got in the same box with my MiNi123 is by far my favorite. My poor MiNi123 has been mostly ignored due to the charms of the Preon 1 which is just as bright running on a li-ion. You should check out the Preon 1 as well... with a clicky tailcap and 10440 li-ion... AMAZING.

Your little emergency kit is awesome. I love the .44 mag casings turned into candles. I've got some .454 Casull and .45 Colt cases I think I may follow you with. Great idea.

 

[TwinBlade]

That ain't my emergency kit...that's my "any time I go out in the woods and make a fire" kit.

Here is a shameless post of a video I did for a friend and owner of an online knife and outdoor business with a flint and steel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEl2ObWIHvU

Wanna hear something funny? Those are indeed .454 Casull casings. I recall picking up 10 of them at the local range I am a member of one day:thumbsup:

Regarding the 4Sevens Mini, I hear ya on the clicky vs twisty. I am a bigger fan of the clicky than the twisty, but have no problem sacrificing the size requirements that the twisty offers. Matter of fact, I just bought a Lumapower V3 CPF edition on CPFM and I am quite certain it is a clicky. I am also looking to buy a JETBeam E3S which is also a clicky. I totally hear the argument.:thumbsup:

 

[Hobbs]

There was obviously a tremendous amount of marketing detail that went into making an exceptional and professional first impression.

Yeah, my favorite light just came in a cheap plastic bag.

 

[nbp]

Yeah, my favorite light just came in a cheap plastic bag.

You use the light, not the package. Every penny saved on extra plastic wrappers and junk is a penny that can be put into making me a better flashlight. Bring on the baggies.