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neo · 6/5/2026, 8:53:16 PM · permalink

6 bumps

dickie · 6/6/2026, 2:48:35 PM · permalink

I used to think a multitool was the answer to everything.

For years I carried a multitool every day.

Then something interesting happened.

I started carrying a good pocket knife.

In my case, a Benchmade Barrage with a tanto blade, partial serrations.

Once you have a fast-opening pocket knife, you realize how often you actually use a knife and how rarely you need the rest of the multitool. Most days are boxes, rope, food, zip ties, and random cutting tasks. The Benchmade did all of that better.

Then I noticed another problem.

Multitool screwdrivers kind of suck.

Not because the screwdriver tips are bad.

Because the handle is bad.

When you're really leaning into a screw, you're gripping a folded pile of metal edges that seem specifically designed to make your hand regret its life choices.

A dedicated screwdriver is simply better.

Enter the Vessel e-Assist.

Now I had a real handle, real leverage, real bits, and access to Torx, Robertson, hex, Phillips, and whatever bizarre fastener some engineer decided was a good idea.

Then came the Knipex Cobra XS.

![image](https://us-lax-1.linodeobjects.com/sojooo/comments/2835/1780757314995-66519cdc07d30e14.jpg)

The first time you use one, you realize multitool pliers are mostly emergency pliers.

Or a second set of pliers.

The Cobra grabs harder, adjusts faster, and generally humiliates multitool pliers in direct competition.

So now the multitool's pliers mostly serve as:

"Hold this side while I use the Knipex on the other."

The funny part is the cost.

But a Cobra XS isn't much money. $35

A Vessel isn't much money.

The EOD multitool was already paid for years ago.  I dont think I'd pay $150+ for one today.

The expensive part of my entire setup is actually the Benchmade. Around $150. But i carry it every day.

So my modern carry evolved into:

\- Benchmade Barrage: cut things

\- Knipex Cobra XS: grab things

\- Vessel e-Assist: unscrew things

\- EOD multitool: weird things

And if civilization collapses?

I'll be ready.

Not because of the knife.

Not because of the Knipex.

Because if somebody suddenly needs a blasting cap crimped after the apocalypse, I have spent decades preparing for that exact moment.

The odds may be low.

But preparedness is preparedness.

3 bumps

dickie · 6/14/2026, 3:02:58 AM · permalink

1 bump

H

hyokkim · 6/6/2026, 4:23:14 AM · permalink

8 bumps

dickie · 6/6/2026, 1:26:46 PM · permalink

America has a fascinating relationship with caffeine.

About 85% of Americans consume caffeine every day. Depending on the survey, the average consumer takes in around 200 mg daily, roughly equivalent to two small cups of coffee. Older Americans tend to consume even more. Entire industries exist because millions of people wake up every morning and immediately begin the process of correcting a chemical imbalance they voluntarily created the day before.

We don't usually think of caffeine this way because it is normal. Coffee shops are on every corner. Offices provide it for free. Churches serve it after services. Gas stations dedicate entire walls to it. If someone says, "I can't function until I've had my coffee," most people nod in understanding rather than suggesting they may be describing dependence.

The numbers are staggering. Americans spend tens of billions of dollars each year on coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks. Coffee alone is well over a $100 billion industry. The country runs on a mild stimulant and a shared agreement not to think too hard about it.

Which brings us to preppers.

Every prepper eventually builds a list of essentials. Water. Food. Medical supplies. Flashlights. Batteries. Radio gear. Then, somewhere around page three, they remember they drink three cups of coffee every morning.

This realization usually arrives about the same time they discover that coffee beans are bulky, coffee makers require electricity, and their carefully planned collapse-of-civilization scenario somehow assumes Starbucks will remain operational.

The practical answer is caffeine pills.

Caffeine tablets are the least romantic prepper supply imaginable. Nobody posts glamorous photos of a bottle of generic caffeine tablets next to a rifle and a tactical tomahawk. There are no YouTube channels devoted to artisanal emergency caffeine storage. Yet they solve a real problem.

A bottle of caffeine pills contains weeks or months of caffeine in a package smaller than a deck of cards. They are cheap, lightweight, shelf-stable and easy to store.

More importantly, they are not really there to make you energetic.

They are there to prevent withdrawal.

If you consume caffeine daily, abruptly stopping can cause headaches, fatigue, irritability, sleepiness and brain fog. The symptoms are usually not dangerous, but they can make you miserable for several days. In normal life, that means feeling lousy at work. During an emergency, it means becoming the person staring blankly at a generator while wondering why everyone is suddenly so annoying.

The prepper logic is straightforward. You keep ibuprofen in the first aid kit because headaches happen. You keep antihistamines because allergic reactions happen. If you are a regular caffeine consumer, keeping a bottle of caffeine tablets for withdrawal management is not much different.

The apocalypse is a poor time to discover that your greatest vulnerability is the inability to acquire a medium roast.

Imagine surviving the collapse of the electrical grid, defending your supplies, purifying water and maintaining communications, only to be defeated by a missed cup of coffee.

History books would be brutal.

"Subject successfully endured societal collapse for six months before becoming cranky and developing a headache."

In that sense, caffeine pills may be one of the most honest items in a preparedness kit. They acknowledge reality. Most people are not preparing to become rugged mountain men living on pine needles and determination. They are preparing to remain functional versions of themselves.

And if civilization does collapse, there is a decent chance the first new government will be organized around restoring coffee distribution.

The Constitution may fail. The power grid may fail. The internet may fail.

But somewhere, somehow, the Watermelon Emergency Management Agency will establish a caffeine rationing program before the end of the first week. 🍉☕️

5 bumps

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hyokkim · 6/6/2026, 2:44:51 PM · permalink

2 bumps

serenity · 6/5/2026, 8:47:37 PM · permalink

9 bumps

dickie · 6/5/2026, 8:54:49 PM · permalink

5 bumps

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