Alpha Outpost is a monthly subscription dedicated to providing its subscribers with the tools and training to “take any situation by the jugular.” Each month’s gear is curated around a central theme by an expert or experts in the field. The curator may be either a specific person or a team of veterans and expert survivalists. Whoever the curator is, Alpha Outpost is designed so that its subscribers learn how to tackle any obstacle they may encounter. It’s worth noting that Alpha Outpost doesn’t limit itself to survivalist themes; past themes have included dopp kits and BYOB picnics! Whatever the theme, Alpha Outpost promises that its boxes’ retail values will be will be at least twice the cost of their boxes.
Alpha Outpost costs $39.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling each month, although you can save a little over $60 each year by prepaying for the entire year up front (which also entitles you to some extra gear!).
New subscribers’ first three boxes are set; after those introductory packages, they’ll receive the regular monthly boxes. The first three boxes are: 1) Everyday Carry 2) Upgraded Gentlemen 3) Upgraded Medic. Shipping is available within the United States as well as to APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
Alpha Outpost’s theme for December 2016 was Feast.
The best feasts usually include hot food, and that’s where Primus’ Yellowstone Classic Trail Stove ($19.95; Alpha Outpost lists its retail value as $22) comes in handy. Weighing in at 8 oz, this 4.9″ x 4.9″ x 2.2″ stove is a portable classic. Its pot support acts as a built-in wind screen. You’ll want to pick up a gas canister to screw onto the stove’s base before taking this outdoors with you.
I appreciated receiving this discount code for use on future Primus purchases.
Frankly, I was a bit confused by the inclusion of this 3-Pack Of Esbit Fuel ($1.75 based on the cost of 12; $3 according to Alpha Outpost) since it’s incompatible with the enclosed stove. I have a stove at home that it is compatible with, though, so I’ll happily add it to my fuel store for that stove.
I was excited to see this Cedar Plank ($1.67 based on the cost of 12 cedar planks; $6 according to Alpha Outpost) in my box! I’ve never cooked with a cedar plank before, and I’m thrilled to experiment with it.
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning ($2.25 based on the cost of 5; $3.50 according to Alpha Outpost) is an MSG-free seasoning powder that works well with just about anything. If you’re going to have just one condiment at camp, it’s a great one to tote along.
I was pleased to see these Two Metal Skewers ($0.53 based on the cost of 12; $4 according to Alpha Outpost) included in the feast box. I love kabobs, and these will be the perfect addition to my family’s camping supplies.
Chef Craft’s 4″ Cut and Spread Knife ($1.65; $5 according to Alpha Outpost) has a serrated blade and wooden handle. It’s compact size makes it an easy addition to a camp cooking pack.
Every month, Alpha Outpost includes a glossy booklet to accompany its boxes.
The inside of the booklet contains a list of items in the box along with their stated retail values. I wish this list were more descriptive. Without any brand names to go by, it’s difficult for me to verify some of their retail values. It also makes it more difficult to locate information about each of the included products. Still, I’ve been able to verify enough of the retail values to know that I should be skeptical about the listed prices. It’s too bad because this was one area where Prepper Gear Box really shined; their retail prices were always spot on.
After reading through a nice cartoon that brought this month’s and last month’s themes together (namely, Predator and Feast), I was delighted to see a list of wild edibles.
The box also included some recipes incorporating wild game.
Each month, Alpha Outpost includes a patch featuring the theme for the month. Subscribers can affix this to clothing or to the pack they received in their first everyday carry box.
I very much enjoyed receiving the Feast box from Alpha Outpost this month. My main concern about this subscription has to do with their inflated retail values. Assuming this box was sent in fulfillment of Prepper Gear Box commitments (I’m guessing this based on the value this month, even though Alpha Outpost said last month’s box was in fulfillment of Prepper Gear and not this month), their value estimate comes in at $46.50, which is good, but not at the double the retail value that they tout. Using my own calculations, though, the value of the box comes in at $27.80, which is much lower (although still higher than the cost of the box). The complete Alpha Outpost box for subscribers contained another knife and utensil, adding $51 in Alpha Outpost’s values to the value of the box (I can’t verify these values since I didn’t receive the products, and Alpha Outpost didn’t list the manufacturers or the models on their list of included items).
What do you think of Alpha Outpost?
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