Comments (13)

• 6

  ReadyPlayer - December 3, 2019

  I like that you suggested the bright yellow pouch to be used to signal! I wonder if that was the intention of the manufacturer?

   
  • 7

    Carlotta SusannaStaff - December 3, 2019

    Their website doesn’t say, but it seems that they also have a bright orange option too (that is, I don’t think you can choose which color pouch you want), so maybe there is something to it.

     
• 10

  Conrad Firewall - December 13, 2019

  Will there be a best folding knife article?

   
  • 7

    John AdamaStaff - December 16, 2019

    Yes, but for everyday carry, as that’s the only real component of preparedness where a folding knife is worthwhile.

     
  • 3

    Conrad Firewall - December 16, 2019

    Great!

     
• 3

  Jim Liesen - December 16, 2019

  Great rundown, but the homeless guy on the beach has it figured out. He carries a spoon, fork, and a knife. He stole them from Denny’s. I asked him about weight, he said some things are worth the weight. He also said they are easy to clean, liked the full length and didn’t care about titanium.

   
  • 4

    John AdamaStaff - December 16, 2019

    Keep the difference in context in mind: The homeless guy can assume, for example, that he can always just walk into another nearby restaurant and grab more. Can’t assume that in an emergency.

     
• 8

  TraceContributor - March 4, 2020

  In the midst of all this COVID-19 stuff, as I was ordering a few last minute prep items I decided to reward all of my good planning and preparations with a Rakuen Titanium spork — thanks for the recommendation!

   
  • 9

    John AdamaStaff - March 5, 2020

    Love it.

    

     
• 6

  Sam Miller - October 19, 2020

  Great article as always!  Just one question… Why was the Rakuen ranked over the Valtacan for #1?  I did notice some minor differences, but over-all, they look basically identical to me, even down to the same price point on Amazon. You even state in the article that they probably came from the same Chinese factory… so why the Rakuen over the Valtcan? Was it simply for the signaling capabilty of the storage bag, or was there something more that I missed? Don’t mean to split hairs… just curious.  Thanks!!

   
  • 5

    Carlotta SusannaStaff - October 19, 2020

    Hi Sam, I helped researching and testing the sporks for this article. If I recall correctly (ok, who am I kidding, I did look over at my notes) we’ve tested for bendiness/overall subjective strength, and the Rakuen seemed a tad stronger than the Valtcan. The difference was minimal (the Rakuten did not seem to bend at all, while the Valtcan had a slight springiness near the bowl – but by all means it did not bend nor lose its shape – it’s very sturdy). Combine that with the nice-to-have neon pouch, and we had a winner 🙂

     
  • 6

    Sam Miller - October 20, 2020

    Thank you for that extra little bit of info!  As others on here have noted time after time, the amount of effort and research you all do is awsome!  Thank you so much!! 🙂 

     
  • 4

    Carlotta SusannaStaff - October 20, 2020

    You’re welcome! And thank you for saying so – it really means a lot to us 🙂