The Path of Light

It seems like it was just yesterday that I dream to own a SureFire. I kept drooling at a G2 Nitrolon basking proudly in a display case at Ace, and how I swear to myself that I will starve just to own one.

John Q. Public would raise a concerned eyebrow looking at the price tag for SureFire's offering of excellent illumination tools, because even the cheapest offering starts with a triple-digit-MYR, and the first most digit is not "1".

"Why the heck would you want to spend that much on a friggin' flashlight?"

That's the question I get asked the most. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about what you think - because collecting flashlight is a hobby of mine. A practical hobby, if I may say so myself.

Not just any flashlight though.

I have strict and very specific requirements for a flashlight. To sum it all up: it must be able to project some considerable lumens, and it must be somewhat rugged. Waterproof, and a reliable tool that I can rely on in a post-apocalyptic world after TEOFWAWKI.

If I'm able to beat a nail into a plank with it, I'll consider that as a bonus - but people invent a hammer for a reason. Realistically, I'm set if I can bash your meaty head with it, not that I want to of course, but if situation calls for it, then..just sayin'.

What I'm trying to say is, why won't anybody carry a flashlight with them? Not necessarily these compact, tactical super-bright LED lights, but at least some sort of illumination. Good grief, I can hear you thinking "I got Flashlite app on my phone!"

I give up.

Anyway, I digress. Let's just say that I have a passion for outstandingly made flashlight that I can rely on. By this I mean that the light will fire whenever I hit the button, and fire brightly. It will be waterproof and tough enough to be abused.

I am terribly biased towards flashlight from American companies i.e. MAGLites from Mag Instruments, Pelican lights, SureFire, and FourSevens. These companies stand by their product and I have personally experience first-class after-sales service by them. Each time, everytime. Sadly though, quality doesn't come cheap. So, fast-forward a couple of years and two jobs later, I have amassed a considerable amount of flashlights from the abovesaid manufacturer. I have lost count on SureFire's product that I've purchased, and Average Joes and Plain Janes that was bitten a little by the Flashaholic bug would be more than happy at this stage.

Too bad it wasn't like that in my case. Just too bad.

I have discovered the 'upper-levels' that one can ascend whilst traversing this Path of Light:

Custom Lights

I have grown to love some hand-made lights crafted out of exotic materials. I love Titanium! Don McLeish is legendary with his McGizmo Ti lights (The McGizmo Haiku is just to die for!). I will definitely get my hands on one of them, as well as on a 38DD - the flashlight model, but I won't refuse the other kind - by Steve Ku, yet another outstanding designer in the flashlight realm.

However, upgrading anything is best done step-by-step. In the very near future, I will get a flashlight by Prometheus Lights, hand-crafted to a higher-standard by Jason in California. This is a good 'starter' for my high-end light cuisine. I can't speak highly of him enough. Don't be like me - just go to his site and get one of his lights. It will most probably the last flashlight you'll ever need.

Ahh..choices. Money, where art thou?


Well, I think this post pretty much could be simplified by saying:


"I'm a Flashaholic!"


Thanks for reading!

Chilling Falls

I love adventures!

I love the sense of expedition - to explore and see what I've never been to and experience before. That is why you will see me so into adventuring, outdoor-sy gears.

This time we picked a waterfall - the Chilling Falls in Kuala Kubu Baru. It is about an hour plus drive along trunk roads from the City.

It was very fortunate that the rain has pretty much poured the whole day yesterday, so on this day the weather is very favorable. Along the way, we passed by a dam.

When we arrived, it was about mid-morning. However there were already many cars that parked along the road. We joined the queue.

Once everything is set, we walked 5 minutes to the registration hut at the Base Camp.

Registration is compulsory and the admission is RM1. At Base Camp, there's a campsite and it is downriver. This is the only place where one is allowed to pitch a tent or light a campfire.

The 'gateway' is actually a suspension cable bridge.


Only four is allowed at a time to cross.


We were set to claim the topmost falls, at the very peak. To get there, we have to hike for more than an hour.

Throughout the hike, we followed a trail that follows the terrain - not cut through it. That means that we trod on beaten path made by hikers before.

There were no paved steps and man-made railings, but a trail that made us duck under dead trees, climb over giant rocks, and wade through rivers.


Chilling Falls has many tiered falls, and the rivers that we crossed were actually the run-offs from one fall and feeds the fall below.

The rivers are actually waist-deep, and the current is quite strong. Waterfalls are known to have slippery submerged rocks that can trip one over, and the current will drag you along the rapids and off over the fall itself.

Thus, necessitating a human-chain bridge.


The hike gets harder as the altitude rose. The trail gets less-beaten as most hikers chose not to proceed beyond the Fourth Crossing.


I'll say that they opted out for a good reason.

It was an absolute PAIN to reach the topmost falls.

We had to climb on sheer terrain about 100 feet tall, and it was the most dangerous part of the hike to the top. At this point, the group broke into two, separated by our most portly member.

The other half has to cheer, and help the person on. I swore the person begged to be thrown off the cliff as the person could not take the climb anymore - or maybe because Alex has been persistently when he drilled the fact that this person was severely overweight for this excursion.

Maybe that was it. All I hear was Alex pestering this person to put one foot on that rock, another on that root, stop eating greasy fatty foods, grab that vine, go for more cardio, watch out for that loose rock, stop eating, don't look below, etc. ...

Soon, we got a peak at the Top Falls.

Alas, our expedition has reached its goal. We have arrived at the topmost falls!












It was a grueling trek as most of us were regular urbanites - city folks that venture into our concrete jungles. We're also not in the best shape as well for adventuring, but we worked as a team.

Even the weakest link on our chain has successfully made it, and we're quite proud of that. Thankfully nothing major happened, although I have managed to grab a member that's about to fall to certain death when the person slipped.


All in all, it was the best adventure this group has had thus far.

And it won't be the last!

Custom Bushcrafting Knife & Kit

Simon a.k.a. Landroza has done it again.

Apparently after tedious and meticulous hours of crafting, Simon has unveiled his latest pride and joy to me for review - a fully-custom and one-of-a-kind bushcrafting knife that's ready to take on the wilds.

I remembered going with him to a bladesmith to forge out the blade for this project knife. Simon then sculpted the handle from a very special wood - Raja Kayu (literally means King of Wood) - that is revered among some circle of superstitious bushmen.

The sheath is modular, and features a pouch to store a sharpening stone, and slot for the firesteel. Wrapping the whole system with some length of 550 paracord would prove invaluable in times of need, and presents itself as a method of lashing or fastening via the retention holes built onto the sheath. Hardware used are brass studs and Chicago screws.

Lots of work has been invested in the creation of the perfect fitting sheath from hi-quality leather.

A clever feature that I'm highlighting is the retention system for the strap. Once the snap button are popped, the elastic string draws the strap open and away for fast deployment.

Ironically, the end products looks to good to be deployed but Simon ensures that this is no cupboard queen - it will serve its intended purpose well and earn its status as an object that inspires assurance as a survival piece.

After all, the knife is the earliest form of tool created by ancient modern humans, and it is a icon that symbolizes the onset of the age of modern man.

Another job well done Simon!

Spyderco Manix II MoonGlow - EDCF Special Edition

Limited to 500 units, Spyderco made this beauty in collaboration with the EDCForums.

Unlike normal Manix II, the blade has a flat grind.

The blade steel is CPM's S30V super-steel. The knife is made in Golden, Colorado. USA.

However, the main difference is the material of the scales - this sprint-run blade has scales made of Jon Burly's proprietary MoonGlow material that glows in the dark brilliantly.

Charged up with the Inova x5 UV flashlight:

I'm happy to be able to own a collector's item, and being able to support the EDCForums.

Special thanks to Jon S. Burly who has shipped this beauty with care all the way from Ponca City, OK and a huge congratulations on the success of this project.

A Moment of Silence

Nine years ago this date, the world was rocked by the destruction of the World Trade Center in NYC.

Some call it conspiracy, some call it terrorism.

Whatever it is, the world as we know it was changed ever since the event.

A Moment of Silent as a tribute to the devastation that happened, and follows..

Car Care DIY: How to Service & Clean Your K&N Air-Filter

My car was due for her fourth service soon, so I decide to do a little pre-service of my own.

I had replaced the stock air filter with a better aftermarket replacement filter. This new filter is better as they are washable and reusable, as opposed to the single-use stock filter that you completely replace on every other service, or 10000 km. Although the aftermarket filter is pricey, in the long run it will pay back for itself.

Other than that, the aftermarket air filter (in this case, a stock-replacement drop-in filter) has a much higher rate of airflow while retaining, if not better, filtration capabilities. My experience in using them is slightly better fuel economy and better acceleration as the engine breathes easier. After all, it's easier to breathe through a cotton cloth (aftermarket filters) than a piece of carboard (OEM filters).

Even so, I do not imply that the stock filters were not good - it gets the job done. Good, pricey aftermarket parts does the same job as stock parts too, only better.

Medusa is equipped with a hi-flow K&N filter. This filter is made from thick cotton sandwiched between wire mesh. This type of filter is oiled to provide the best filtration capability, and it's different from foam-type aftermarket filters.

I clean mine every 10000 km or so, but if you drive on dusty roads alot, clean them more frequently.

This filter could be serviced at the place you bought the filter, or you could buy this cleaning kit for DIY Car Care. The multi-tool above is used to undo the securing screw of the airbox.

This kit is by K&N, and it comes with a bottle of Air Filter Cleaner, and a bottle of Air Filter Oil. The other version of this kit comes with a bigger bottle of the Air Filter Cleaner with a trigger-spray, and an aerosol can of the Air Filter Oil.

First off, undo the latches securing the airbox.

Three latches in total for the Neo. Plus one screw at the south point.

Just one simple screw. You don't have to unsrew it all the way.

Remove the filter, and visually inspect it for any damage. The filter will have a dirty side where it comes in contact with outside particles. Identify which side it is on - usually it's the side with small bugs are trapped in-between the pleats, or dustier pleats. Shake the debris loose, and (lightly) tap the filter to dislodge the debris.

Flip the filter so that the dirty side is facing downwards. Spray the filter with theAir Filter Cleaner until it's soaked with the cleaning solution.

Let the filter sit for 10 minutes to ensure that the cleaning solution soaks and seeps into the pleats thoroghly. The stock filter that my K&N filter replaces is for comparison.

Notice the higher number of pleats on this filter. The other major difference is that this filter is 'dry', in contrast to my K&N aftermarket filter which is oiled for best filtration capability.

This filter is made of cardboard, or thick paper that is very restrictive for the airflow. Like I said, using the stock filter for your engine is like putting a tight cardboard box against your face and trying to breathe through it.

Rinse the filter thoroughly. DO NOT use high pressure water, or a high pressure air blower. It will damage the pleats and shortens the filter's lifespan. Use a normal garden hose or tap.

It's also important to rinse the filter by passing water from the cleaner side. If you rinse with the 'dirty' side on top, you might push some smaller contaminants deeper inside the filter.

Set the filter out to dry. Ensure that the filter is dried thoroughly, and drying it out under the sun is a great way. Else, dry the filter on some newspapers overnight, preferably in a room with the fan on.

When the filter is completely dry, notice the change of color.

The filter is ready for the next step - re-oiling

Follow the instructions carefully - particularly about the amount of oil needed to re-oil the air filter. If you over oiled the filter, it might mess up the MAF (Mass Air-Flow) sensor,a nd other engine components.

The correct amount of oil to be used for the filter is indicated on the bar code label of the airfilter's box.

The air filter oil bottle has a scaled measure with a see-through window. Use it.

On the 'dirty' side, draw a bead of the oil across the top of the pleat. Use a consistent amount on each, and use only a single, continuous pass.

When all the pleats were oiled, set it aside for about 20 minutes to let the oil wick through the pleats completely. If you do it right, turning the filter over will reveal that the other side of the filter - the 'clean' side - evenly coated too. Dab some more oil on any spots missed.

Before installing the air filter back to the airbox, clean the box and inspect for any large debris or damages.

Finally, re-install the air filter, with the 'clean' side facing to the intake manifold, back to the airbox. Ensure the sides are properly inserted to make a good air seal.

Latch the closures shut, and screw it home. Now your air filter is good to go!

Hobby #6 - Multi-tool Collection: The Medley

Checked the mailbox, and whadya know?

My package from the US of A is here!

Let's see what's inside..

Cool! My pair of Squirts.

Powder Pink & Inferno Red

Scissors, knife blade, nail file, cap lifer, several flat drivers, a phillips driver, and a pair of tweezers. Missing the kitchen sink though.

Red for me, Pink for the girlfriend

Rides nicely on my key-chain.

I love shiny new (multi)tools!


The Leatherman Squirt S4 is a real handy, keychain-sized multi-tool that could tackle most tasks at hand. "S4" stands for "Scissors, 4 external tools".


The other variant is the Squirt P4, "P4" as in "Pliers, 4 external tools". I opted for the scissors variant as I have two bigger-sized pliers to get a job done. I often overlooked how much a scissors is needed for specific jobs where even my scalpel-sharp knife blades won't..err, cut.


The Squirts came in Blue, Gray, Red, or Pink. I decided to take the Red for myself, and the Pink for my girlfriend. She likes the tool a lot, and quickly found many uses for it daily.


While I'm on the topic of multi-tools, I might as well show you the collection thus far:

Skeletool CX. Yessireebob, that's a real carbon fiber insert.

The Big, Bad Daddy - Charge TTi. Yup, Ti as in Titanium slabs on the handles.

The Medley: Exposed

The Medley: Lining Up for the Shot

Cheers~!