5.11 RUSH12™ BACKPACK review

Hello, readers from all over the world! I've seen the stats this morning and according to Blogger, I have readers in the USA, Russia, South Korea, China, The Netherlands, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, France, Spain, Taiwan and Brazil of course. Nice!

Wait, no cacti?! Nothing about whisky, beer or pipe smoking either? Today's blog post is about my new backpack: the '5.11 Tactical RUSH12™'.

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™

I like backpacks and never leave my home without one. Why? Because it's so freakin' handy; you can carry whatever you want and keep your hands free. Needless to say, I do carry a bunch of stuff. A water bottle, study books, First Aid Kit, EDC pouch, my lunch box, etcetera, just to name a few.

'You already have three backpacks! Why do you need another one?!', said my lovely wife. 'Well...because this might be THE ONE!', I answered. Then she said smiling: 'Okay, if it makes you happy, go buy it.'. I love that woman! She has to live with all the cacti, whisky, pipes and EDC stuff. She must love me a lot too, haha!

It took me a while to decide whether I should buy a tactical backpack or just a normal looking one. There are things to say about both options. A tactical backpack might call too much attention. I mean, I don't want to walk around like John James Rambo. On the other hand, tactical backpacks have a lot of options. It's fairly easy to attach a pouch or just anything you want to the Molle system (pronounced "Molly"). The more common looking packs do blend better in an urban environment, but after packing the rain cover from my old Deuter, I can easily hide the tactical appearance when TSHTF (of course it's also handy for when I need to walk for long period of time in heavy rain).

Deuter

My last backpack was a Deuter Spider 20 and before that one, I've had a slightly larger Deuter. Now, I'm not going to complain a lot about Deuter, because their Backpacks are top-notch and will last for many years. However, the 'Air Comfort' system on their smaller packs annoys the crap out of me. Yes, it does keep my back cooler, but it also pulls my shirt up every few steps I take. The empty space between the 'Air Comfort' panel and the actual pack also gives you a smaller backpack than necessary and because of this, both the rear and the front of the pack are round. Just some books, a lunchbox and a sweater are enough to fill it up (I'm talking about the 20-liter backpacks with 'Air Comfort'). Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion. I just want you to be aware of it. If you ever feel like buying this particular backpack, go to a store, put some weight in it and walk around at your normal speed. Enough about my old pack. Let's move on to the Rush 12!

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™

There are three different Rush packs on the market: the 12, 24 and the 72, which can be translated to half a day, one day and three days. I was looking for a not-too-large EDC(Every Day Carry) bag that can carry all the stuff named above and maybe offer some extra space for a sweater or a jacket. After seeing a few reviews on YouTube, the Rush 12 seemed my best option. I've decided to go for the black version. Mainly because it looks just a bit less tactical than the 'Multicam', 'Sandstone' or 'Double Tap'. There were other options on the market, but taking quality, price, and availability in consideration, the 5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ beats them all. I've ordered my Rush 12 at www.nightgearstore.com (UK) and they've actually shipped it within a week for "free" to the Netherlands.

The Rush 24 seemed a bit too fat to carry around in an urban environment. Imagine yourself standing in a loaded bus with a huge pack on your back. That's why I've decided to go for the Rush 12 and make use of the Molle system so that I can expand to the sides. That is why, next to the backpack, I've also ordered their H2O carrier (before ordering this pouch, check if your bottle will fit in it. I have an 800ml/27oz Klean Kanteen with a stainless steel lid. The plastic lids are higher and you won't be able to close the pouch properly). Later on, I'll maybe add another pouch to the other side of the bag).

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ front

(check THIS page for more details, photos, and videos of the pack)

I'm actually surprised about how much space this bag offers. As mentioned above, I carry quite a bit each day. Let me list what I do carry in it on a regular day:

• EDC-pouch (EDCM-Husky by Vanquest);
• First Aid Kit;
• E-reader;
• Power bank;
• USB cables
• Pen drive;
• Pens
• 2 study books;
• Klean Kanteen water bottle (800ml/27oz);
• 1 sweater.

And even then, there is still a lot of free space left. Last week I traveled with my family and was able to fit in some clothes of my son and the camera bag of my wife. Still some free space left! Let's see how much it takes to fill it up entirely.

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ front compartment

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ main compartment

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ main compartment

• EDC-pouch (EDCM-Husky by Vanquest);
• First Aid Kit;
• E-reader;
• Power bank;
• USB cables
• Pen drive;
• Pens;
• 2 books;
• Klean Kanteen Stainless steel water bottle (800ml/27oz);
• 1 sweater;
• 1 pair of jeans;
• 1 T-shirt;
• 2 pair of socks;
• A large hygiene "kit";
• My Phone.

Even with everything listed above inside the pack, I could fit in more. I haven't even used the top-front compartment and I could easily throw more gear into the lower front compartment.

Here are some pics of me wearing it (with all the stuff named above in it):

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ front view

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™ side view

5.11 Tactical RUSH12™

Kind of impressive, right?! I also use the Rush 12 as a sports bag and simply leave everything in it that I would carry on a regular day and just add a towel, my boxing shorts, some sports shoes, hand wraps and attach the gloves with the straps on the sides of the bag. Of course, I could fit in everything if I would take out my kits, but I rather leave them in there. You never know when you need something.

Well, that was it for today. Stay prepared and till next post!

Cacti-update & some random stuff

Maihueniopsis darwinii

Ahoy! It has been three months since my last post and I can't say nothing blogworthy has happened. Especially my personal life is going like a roller-coaster (in a highly positive way!), but that's not what this blog post is about. Today's post is about a couple plants (randomly chosen) of my collection and some other stuff.

Echinopsis subdenudata

I haven't seen any flowers yet, but check out these buds on two of my Echinopsis subdenudata:

Echinopsis subdenutata

I've bought this E. subdenudata back in 2009 on the flower market in Amsterdam. Since 2011, it's flowering each year. Mostly it has one or two buds on it, but this year I count five!

Echinopsis subdenutata

This tiny E. subdenudata was a gift from someone of the Cactiguide.com forum and was sown in September 2010. Normally, this species has huge flowers, so I'm wondering what will become of this little fellow!

Brazilian Orchid

Orchid (Brazil)

The small Orchid in the back was a gift from a dear friend in Brazil. It was flowering the day I've received it and then didn't flower for over two years. Very soon these buds will turn into beautiful, little yellow flowers.

Some random chosen plants

Trichocereus terscheckii

I've sown this T. terscheckii back in 2011 and although it doesn't look that big in this photo, it's kind of huge comparing to the other seedlings that I've sown back in that year. I've given away a couple of them, but if I compare those to this monster... It is supposed to grow a lot quicker than a Saguaro, but the first few years feel like ages.

Maihueniopsis darwinii

This is the biggest bastard of my collection! I'm not talking about the size of the plant. It's the razor-sharp spines which makes this guy a real son-of-a-bitch. They'll pierce right through your fingernail if you don take caution. This Argentinian mountain cactus is actually outside on my balcony for a couple of years now. It seems to survive pretty well. Even a wet and cold winter couldn't kill this plant and It has been covered in snow too a couple of times.

EDC

Keychain with emergency whistle, NiteCore Tube & Leatherman Brewzer Prybar and an Opinel No. 10.

The two new additions to my EDC are the Leatherman Brewzer and the Opinel No. 10. I already wanted a mini pry bar for a long time! I immediately hear you thinking: "What the @#$% do you need a mini pry bar for?!". Well, it's to save all the other stuff that you're using to pry with. Think about a knife-tip, key, bankcard, fingernail or whatever you would use to open, loosen, detach, reach, etc. This thing is so small that I don't even notice it in my pocket, but it's there when I need it and... It has a bottle opener on it! (it also has a hex bit holder, box opening notch, flat screwdriver and an oxygen tank wrench on it).

The famous Opinel knife. I've seen this knife everywhere they sell knives and always thought it couldn't be that great, because of the low price. I also thought that this knife wouldn't lock. Well, I was wrong. It does lock and it's an amazing knife for the price you're paying! This French product came on the market in 1890 and has never left since. It was originally designed for farmers, so that they could have a decent knife for a decent price. The locking-ring (Opinel Virobloc) was invented in the 50s and although it's not as strong as the back-lock on my Buck, it provides all the safety an experienced knife owner needs. The blade on this No. 10 (10 also stands for 10 cm blade length) is made out of high carbon XC90 steel. It will rust, but if you take good care, it will show a nice, black patina over the years. Another nice thing about carbon steel is that it's easy to sharpen. For me this is the ideal knife to carry around in my EDC pouch. I won't use it daily, but it comes in handy while working with my plants, smoking a rope-tobacco or outside in the woods on a camping trip. I'm só positive about this blade that I've bought the smaller No. 8 (which is actually Opinel's most famous model) for my dad. He likes it a lot too and carries it around in his pocket.

The End

That's it for today. I hope to give you an update on my plants soon with some nice shots of flowering species.

What else can I write? My family and me went on a trip to Austria and it was amazing there! We went to a historical place called Bad Ischl, a quiet little place in the mountains. I won't bother you with a full travel journal, but I can tell you this: nothing beats traveling around with your wife and kid! Some people swear that your life ends the moment you start a family, but I strongly disagree. Everything I do and witness is one million times more intense. The smile on my son's face when he's happy is something I can't describe with words. Life's great!

Some short notes about Bad Ischl: fresh and blue water, beautiful mountains, Jä­ger­tee, nice and polite people, lots of hunting trophies, WWI was signed there and on the highest mountain in the neighborhood I've ate the best Goulash of my entire life! Auf Wiedersehen!

My son and me in Austria

Zippo pipe insert

Hello free spirits! Welcome back on my blog. Today's post is about "good service", something that's kind of rare these days.

My "old" Zippo case, a pipe insert, the normal Zippo insert

Last week I was googling random stuff, something that I do once in a while. Normally I just search around for unimportant facts that I always wanted to know: like the name of that thing we put between our grocery's at the counter. Here in The Netherlands it's called a "beurtbalkje" and in English (thank you Wikipedia) it's a "Checkout divider". 'Can you please give me the Checkout divider? Thank you!'. Don't get me wrong: I have a life! And you can't say anything, because you're reading my blog at the moment!

Anyway, let me explain my train of thought. I was a little bit annoyed by having to replace products in a very short time. Mostly everything gets broke at once and in my opinion, way too fast. I mean, what has happened to all the good quality products which survive decades and sometimes even a lifetime?! Why the hell do we accept products that are built to stop functioning within several years (or even months), so that we have to buy them again. We often even buy products of the same brand, because we fall for their good and mind-controlling marketing. We also prefer to spend less money at this moment and forget that the price over time is much higher.

To make a long story short: I started googling products with a lifetime guarantee and found some cool stuff. And I'm not talking about products that normally can't be destroyed, but I've searched for things like wallets and socks! Yes, socks! I found socks with a lifetime guarantee. Imagine buying 7 pairs of socks and then never buy socks again your entire life! Check out this link: Cabela's  Lifetime Guarantee Socks. I know they're expensive, but think about all the money you flush down the toilet in a lifetime, just by buying socks.

Back on topic: I've always used a Zippo back in time when I still smoked cigarettes. A Zippo lighter comes with a lifetime warranty, which means that if there's any defect, you can just send it back to the factory and they'll repair it for free. That's the kind of service that I like! Normally, a Zippo isn't a very good pipe lighter, because the flame is huge and you have to hold the lighter horizontal to light your pipe, so the flame hangs to a side. That's why I've stopped using it. Years of pipe smoking later, I heard about the Zippo pipe insert. I've never bought one, because I thought it would make your tobacco taste crappy. More on that later.

Thunderbird pipe insert

Then I found a windproof gas insert with the name Thunderbird. Well... They're definitely not windproof, but what can you expect of a gas lighter? Here's a photo taken back in 2011:

Thunderbird pipe insert (gas)

It's a decent lighter that comes with a lifetime warranty, so if you want to use a Zippo case and don't want to use gasoline, this is your guy!

Zippo pipe insert

And then some members of the PRF (pipe smokers forum) told me that the Zippo pipe insert actually don't change the taste of your tobacco. I was surprised to hear that, but I wasn't convinced till the day I tried it myself on a meeting. When you light it, you can taste it slightly, but then it's gone. They also told me that if you send your old Zippo insert to the Zippo factory and ask for a pipe insert, they'll simply send you one for free. That's very nice of them, right? Well.. I've completely forgotten to do this.

Last week, while I was Googling for products with a lifetime warranty, I ended up on the Zippo website and my old passion for these gasoline lighters sort of "lighted up" again. Then I went to the Dutch Zippo site and sent them a message, explaining that I have an old Zippo that I don't use anymore, because I'm a pipe smoker now and asking if I could maybe trade the insert for a pipe insert. Four days without a reply and then I suddenly received a letter containing a Zippo pipe insert! I've had already heard about their good service, but this has totally surprised me! Here it is, in the middle:

My "old" Zippo case, a pipe insert, the normal Zippo insert

The hole in the pipe insert goes through, so that the flame can breath when you're lighting your pipe. The Thunderbird gas lighter insert only has an opening on one side, which makes the flame hang more to one side when you're not sucking it into your bowl.

I like my old Zippo case on the left, but I do want a new one. I've seen a Zippo Armor Case with a brushed chrome finish that I'm crazy about (it's added to my Wishlist). The armor case is 1,5 times as thick as the normal Zippo case and seems to be stronger too (except for the Hinge, that is the same as on the regular Ziippo case).

The End

That's it for today! Just a short post about my new Zippo pipe insert. Next post will probably be about my cacti seed order. I've changed my mind about some species and added others. I'll keep you up-to-date. Have a nice day! Cheers!