The James Brand x Roark Road Kit - A mess (kit) of a collaboration if ever there was one...

[@epretto]

Wow … That is how you do a critical review in a polite way.

[@TheMountainborn]

Well, you know me my friend. 😂 I'm always going to keep it 100% honest with people and call it how I see it. I've got nothing but love for the vast majority of stuff that TJB puts out but I just can't get behind this collaboration 🥲

[@XxCrankyMoosexX]

Snow Peak really do be making the best camping little bits. For anyone unfamiliar with them -- honestly Snow Peak most of your camp kitchen equipment.

[@praxis-cat870]

I'm not in the market for this stuff as I'm not a camper (sadly, I've always wanted to go), but I really enjoyed this review never the less. I'll also admit I had a lot of sticker shock when you pulled the kit out. I was expecting a price in the 200 range, just because I know about the James Brand, so I already figured the knife would be fairly expensive. The price mentioned made my eyes bulge out of my head.

[@TheMountainborn]

I feel your pain. I am fortunate enough to be able to indulge my carry/edc hobby but still when things fall short like this one it really hurts. It is definitely possible to put together a much superior setup for less than half of the cost of this set (probably even for 1/3rd the cost). I personally really like the TJB knife but if you're just starting out there's no need for such a fancy knife - many other competent blades that will do everything the beginning camper will need and more - for much much less, and I've already shown how the Snow Peak stuff - while pricey - is still a much better deal. Regarding having never gone camping - my friend, I strongly urge you to go someday! It's easy to get wrapped up in buying gear in the camping hobby (same as the carry game haha) but to get started you really don't need much dedicate equipment other than a tent, a sleeping bag and a foam pad - you can pretty much reuse your normal kitchen gear and everything else if you are starting out with car camping. It is totally possible to get into camping for a very affordable price and then if you like it, you can start to upgrade your kit little by little. There are few things as relaxing for me as being out in nature and depending on where you live, there's usually some place you can be remarkably away from the maddening crowds within a couple hours drive.

[@praxis-cat870]

@@TheMountainborn I'd really love to! I've always wanted to, but my parents were never particularly keen on the idea when I was a child (I assume both of them having been in the military made them deeply uninterested) and so we never went. Camping now feels like something that's not "for me" (a silly premise) because I don't know where to start -- there seems to be an information gap between people who grew up with it and me. I'll start researching it, though, and maybe in a few months time will report back with some good news :)

[@Kaucera]

Do some european gear! Savotta Jaakari backpack or the Chrome Kadet Sling! Or Topo designs quick pack! Your reviews are super great.

[@juanestey]

Great hand conversation (no redundant hand stutters / overly-repetitive movements). Yes, "disappointing" was the word of the day. This is junk for $$$. Some people are riding the EDC/Bushcraft train and really doing some lazy work. I want lifetime quality if I pay $$$-$$$$. I appreciate the on-hand comparisons! Me like.

[@yeetmeister5565]

Hi i know im a year late but does anybody by chance know what kind of mounting options come with the knife or which aftermarket mounts would fit?

[@The556network]

From my research, most people end up buying aftermarket stealths for it.

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi @yeetmeister5565 - First of all, fabulous user name! 😂 Secondly, whilst I'm not a knife expert, the stock kydex sheath has a few riveted holes around the periphery as you can see in the video - you could ostensibly run some paracord or something through it and lash it to something (outside of a pack, etc.). Alternatively you could fit an aftermarket belt clip to it - you can see something like this demonstrated here (requires a bit of DIY) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXymaHppbNeJrKM There's a variety of pre-made ones here: sagewoodgear.com/sheath-carry-systems/belt-loop-sheath-adapter/ Finally, if you regularly run around wearing a plate carrier (in which case you might want to consider another knife anyway) and/or need to mount it to something with MOLLE straps you could use something like this: tkellknives.com/products/molle-attachment-kit kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqWnmmWJorGEiZo I have no affiliation with either of any of those items/videos above (I just randomly googled) but let me know if that seems like what you had in mind and I can measure the distance between the sheath eyelets for you if needed. (also someone else below mentioned that you can also just buy an aftermarket sheath for it which is probably even the easiest especially since the stock sheath isn't that great IMO)

[@yusux]

Good review! Can we expect a review on the evergoods ctb35 soon? Really wondering what more reviewers think of it.

[@TheMountainborn]

Yes my friend - coming up next week!

[@beckyjohnson187]

Thanks for the honest review. I’m trying to set up my camping cook set and coffee set up. Would love to see a review of these and how they’re stored and carried.

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi Becky - my pleasure and glad you enjoyed the review! I am happy to share some thoughts on that. Quick question - are you referring to car camping or more the "everything in a backpack and hike to the destination" type of camping? (For me, the items and the way I carry them varies quite a bit between the two setups) Also, are you more of a drip coffee type person or are you interested in things like a percolator?

[@fat_head_Carl]

I appreciate the review...but I think it's unfair to compare things to snowpeak...that stuff is really made well. :-)

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi Carl! Thanks for the kind words. That having been said, I have to disagree with you on not comparing to Snowpeak. If the contents of the set were priced very low/affordably, then I would agree, a comparison against a much more expensive set would be unfair. However, the knife, fork and chopsticks in this set are dramatically lower quality yet actually priced *more expensively* than the comparable Snow Peak goods. That's my point - one could get much better products and still end up saving money over getting the contents of this set :)

[@fat_head_Carl]

@@TheMountainborn sorry, the sarcasm wasn't conveyed that well. Regardless of price, snowpeak is far superior.

[@TheMountainborn]

ahhhh!!! I'm so sorry! I was also going back and forth like "I wonder if maybe he's being sarcastic?" 😂 Well noted!!

[@fat_head_Carl]

@@TheMountainborn no problem my man, it's hard to inflect in text! :-)