nanoSTRIKER 2 months later.

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2007
Messages
19,048
I know this thing has already been brought up right before I got

my first one a couple of months ago...but since I have had it a couple of months I just wanted to throw it out there again. For those who have no idea what I am talking about I am referring to the "nanoSTRIKER" by a company called EXOTAC.

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It's an ultra-lite (0.6 oz) ferro rod fire starter that gives you a

mischmetal ferro rod, handle, and striker all in one package.

When it is assemble in the "carry" configuration the ferro rod is

sealed inside a water proof aluminum cylinder. When in "use" mode

the cylinder is the handle.

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I like the nano striker because it doesn't matter what I am

gearing up for. Whether I am taking larger tools and just want a

lit redundancy...

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or taking the minimalist approach and still wanting a reliable

back-up fire starting method, it still fills the niche well.

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The following pics show the configurations of the tool. One

really cool thing about the nano is that the ferro rod is easily

replacable without having to have any tools at all. The ferro rod

just threads in. The small o-ring in the pack is a spare the nano

striker, the larger one is for a matchsafe.

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I've done a few different videos with it, this one the day I got

it.

[youtube]SLjN3avypjw[/youtube]



This one a few days later when I had more time.

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and then this one some time later using different tinders.


[youtube]i5SMmRDZbCg[/youtube]


and this one tonight. Just a quick one that shows how ferrocerium

reacts with salt water and why it is good to protect ferro rods

from sweat or salt water.

[youtube]cQnTPwEPEtc[/youtube]


If not protected they can look like after 8 hours in a sweaty

pocket, and this is after several minutes of cleaning it up.

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Now, two months later I still love the tool. I do have to say

that if you have large fingers like I do you may find the striker

a bit awkward the first few times you use it...especially if you

(and once again like me) are used to using a larger striker like

the spine of your knife. However once you get the hang of it it

does work very well. If you for whatever reason find you no

longer have the striker the nano will work just fine using other

means.


The serrations on my RAT RC-4 work great.

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as does the spine of an SAK saw

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even the edge of a larger knife.

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I don't want to start any arguments because I know it's not going to be every one's cup of tea. For the more traditionalists it may seem a little too hi-tech or a little too gadgety and that's all cool...everyone knows what they like. However if your into well rounded gear, are an ultra-lite backpacker who wants a light-weight ignition system that works for fires as well as stoves, or if you want a well made, light-weight, all weather/all environment ferro rod that you can carry anywhere on your body or cache in a kit for long periods of time without fear of the salt corroding it, then the nano is a great investment.

.
 
great review mistwalker :thumbup:
i like mine too. and the match caps are worth a good word.

thanks
Arne
 
One other thing I should mention...the hole in the striker is barely large enough to accommodate the para cord lanyard. You have to melt the end down long and thin to get it through, and it's still really tight once you get it in. But...the chances of losing the lanyard from it coming off while hiking if worn around the neck or it coming off in a pocket and then getting lost when you pull something else out are very slim. The knot has come undone on mine numerous times but the lanyard has never came out of the striker...except when I fought with it to get it off for the salt water shot.
 
Nice review Master Jedi Mist... :)

Will have to check one out one of these days..

thanks for posting it!
 
MrCoffee said:
Nice review Master Jedi Mist... :)

Will have to check one out one of these days..

thanks for posting it!
Click to expand...

Hello Mr. C, how are things?

Yeah, it does bear a striking resemblance to a light sabre eh? Throws some good sparks too.
 
It looks cool enough. Maybe I will try one out sometime. Nice review :thumbup:
 
Mist, does the fero rod act more like a going gear rod (chunks of stuff come off) or a light my fire rod?
 
TheGame said:
It looks cool enough. Maybe I will try one out sometime. Nice review :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks TG, it's a cool piece of kit.



DiverDn said:
Mist, does the fero rod act more like a going gear rod (chunks of stuff come off) or a light my fire rod?
Click to expand...


From what I can tell they are identical to the going gear mischmetal rods. I have a GG the same size that I put in the handle of my hest and other than the threads I can't tell them apart.

.
 
looks like it's a really nicely engineered piece :), would be neat if they made just a wee bit of room for a tinder tab or two- would be nice to have a relatively fail safe tinder w/ the rod
 
mtwarden said:
looks like it's a really nicely engineered piece :), would be neat if they made just a wee bit of room for a tinder tab or two- would be nice to have a relatively fail safe tinder w/ the rod
Click to expand...

My thoughts too.
 
Nice review, MW. Have you tested the rod's ability to spark after the salt water immersion?

mtwarden said:
looks like it's a really nicely engineered piece :), would be neat if they made just a wee bit of room for a tinder tab or two- would be nice to have a relatively fail safe tinder w/ the rod
Click to expand...

I emailed the designer about adding an additional chamber to stow tinder a few months ago. He said he had various ideas in the works but wouldn't commit to tinder storage. :)
 
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