Adventure Gadget - Benchmade 9100 AutoStryker

Photo from Benchmade.com

There are few things with as much utility and value to the intrepid adventurer as a trusty pocket knife. It's possible to find good quality lock-blade knives for as little as $20.00. Coast Cutlery, for example, makes some excellent low cost, high quality pocket knives. But if you want the very best in one-handed utility, a high quality automatic knife is the way to go. If the idea of automatic knives brings up images of the flimsy Italian-made switch blades of the past, set your prejudice aside. The new generation of automatic knives are solidly build, durable, and just as reliable as an old fashioned folder.

Benchmade Knives, based in Oregon makes some of the best automatic knives in the world. My favorite, the Benchmade 9100 AutoStryker was designed for military and law enforcement use and features a 3.7 inch 154CM Stainless Steel blade with a unique tanto spear point designed for exceptional piercing power. The thick blade spine absorbs shock and enhances tip strength. I've seen this blade punch through half an inch of kevlar. This knife has no cheap parts. The safety lever and trigger button are stainless steel, and the scales are solid cast aluminum with a thick black anodized finish. You can get the knife with a regular blade, or partially serrated. It's also available with black BK1 non-reflective blade coating for tactical applications. The AutoStryker isn't cheap, but I have seen it available on some websites for under $200.00. That's a lot of money for a pocket knife, but if I'm cutting myself out of fallen rigging on the deck of my sailboat in a storm, or freeing myself from tangled para-cord after catching my parachute in a tree, the best is worth it.

For those of you who aren't military or law enforcement, and don't live in a place where automatic knives are legal, Benchmade makes a number of great thumb-open tactical folders.

Adventure Gadget - Eton Solar Radio

Photo from Eton.com

This Eton FR160 radio is a great choice for the intrepid adventurer. It requires no batteries and can be charged in a pinch with the hand crank generator that folds into the back of the unit. 90 seconds of cranking will the radio will play for about half an hour. Don't want to be constantly cranking? No problem, under normal conditions, just leave the radio out in the sun all day. Seven hours of sunlight on the radio's solar cell will give the radio about four hours of run time. It features all the AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio bands, includes an LED flashlight, and you can even plug in your cell phone with a USB adapter and recharge your phone in an emergency using the hand crank generator. Best of all the FR160 is light and very compact, about the size of a can of soda, and only half the weight, so it won't take up too much space in your bag.

Is it perfect? Well, maybe not. I would like to see a waterproof and impact resistant version, but for about thirty bucks on Amazon , you get a lot of great features for your money.