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Alpha Outpost Subscription Box Review – January 2016

Anna Rodriguez
ByAnna RodriguezJun 11, 2016 | 22 comments

alpha-outpost-jan

Alpha Outpost
0 overall rating
0 Ratings | 2 Reviews

Alpha Outpost is a really unique new box for men. From their website, "Alpha Outpost is a subscription box company for men that provides the tools and training you need to take any situation by the jugular."

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Alpha Outpost kindly sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

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Subscription: Alpha Outpost

The Cost: $39.95/mo + $6.95 shipping

Products: Men's empowerment items, curated around a theme

Ships To: US

Check out other men's boxes!

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This month's theme is "The Gentleman." This list was included to describe the contents and the strategy that was employed in choosing these contents. This is definitely something you should read if you are considering subscribing to this box for yourself or a loved one.

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This list was also included, which gives the breakdown of the items and their values. Many of the items in this box appear to have been made for (or customized for) Alpha Outpost, but these prices look reasonable to me. The value of the included items totals $135.97!

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This was the final piece of literature included. It's a handy reference card with essential cocktail recipes on one side and "Rules for Being a Gentleman" on the other side.

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On the left is a 12-ounce bag of coffee from Black Rifle Coffee Company. It boasts a high level of caffeine, so I think I will have to give it a try! On the right is a wooden comb. It's really smooth and has a nice weight to it. These are both definitely things that we could use around our house!

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This is another big score for us! These glasses are also pretty high quality, heavy pieces. This is a nice, roomy flask, too.

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My husband and I were so happy to see these in this box! We have always wanted to try whiskey stones but have never had any! I'm not a whiskey drinker, but he is, plus we do a good bit of entertaining.

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The pen on the left is described as a "tactical" pen. It's really heavy! I'm not sure what tactics it can employ exactly, but the top of it is super jagged, but uniformly, so it might be some kind of wrench? The notebook is another handy piece; we can never seem to have enough!

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A black tie and a silk handkerchief are two things that Alpha Outpost says a gentleman should never be without, so both were included this month. I think the black tie should be a bow tie, and the silk handkerchief should not be made of satin, but both were a thoughtful inclusion!

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Also included this month were a power bank (left) and some lip balm (right). Both are pretty essential for any man these days!

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This is a really interesting inclusion. This is a Hostage Escape Tool Card by Readyman. It fits in your wallet for convenience.

Verdict: Y'all, I have to be honest. My husband likes to paint and play with kittens, and I'm a feminist. I think we are pretty far outside the target group for this subscription. The being said, I think I know the type of man who would really enjoy this subscription. If you are that type of man, or find reason to gift that type of man, the value of this box is fantastic! Even if you're not that type of man, they did include several really useful items, most of which are pretty good quality. I would like to see one of their other boxes, because I think if the theme was something traditionally manly like fishing or carpentry, it would probably include even more extremely helpful items.

What do you think of Alpha Outpost? Do you know that kind of man?

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"Alpha Outpost is a veteran owned and operated subscription box company for men that provides the tools and training you need to take on any situation. Each month we deliver a curated box of 8-12 great quality items centered around a different story and theme. Each box is guaranteed to be worth d... read more.
Anna Rodriguez
Anna Rodriguez
Anna has been a fan of subscription boxes since joining Birchbox in 2013, but didn't become a true addict until discovering subscriptions she could share with her children. Her favorites include Kiwi Crate and Fab Kids.

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22 comments

Caroline

I’m pretty upset with this box so far. The items haven’t been that great and everything seems pretty cheaply made. I tried to cancel and they’re giving me the run around and trying to charge me cancellation fees. Disputing the charges with my credit card company now. Terrible customer service as well! Don’t bother getting this box!

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Michael DiSalvo

Alpha Outpost has horrible customer service. I called to cancel my subscription and escalated the call to Mitch Brown CEO who said “you need to stop talking and listen to what I am going to say” I replied “ That is no way to talk to one of your customers” Mitch then said “good bye” and promptly hung up on me. Also I feel it is really shady they hide the $34.95 cancellation fee in the TOS on another page on their site. I will not be doing business with them ever in the future and suggest you read all of their TOS before anyone signs up for their “$5” box. I’ll be taking this up with the BBB

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Vincent

Just some thoughts from a FOMER subscriber of AO.
Personally I disliked most boxes as cheap knockoffs, low quality start-ups similar to popular items, and was very disappointed in their customer service.

To address some of the other comments above, this company sent for review two boxes that seem to fit in with the preferences of this website. Most of what this company is geared toward is hunting, camping, and old fashioned ‘manliness’. So to all the Feminists above, yes this box is exactly what you think it is.

To those who enjoy what Alpha Outpost is all about, go with any other company. AO is a waste of time and money.

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Apollo Child

Just an FYI. The tactical pen, the top part is called a dna catcher if some one attacks you, you can use it as a weapon to scratch, gouge or hurt the assailant. Then you will have their dna to take to the police.

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Amanda

This box is awesome!!! I don’t know if it’s quite as cool as BattlBox but it’s defiantly close! I would use literally everything in there! The pen is tactical because it’s used as a defensive weapon such as if you’re attacked walking to your car after drinks with friends, shopping at the mall OR can be used to break the window of a car if you’re in a car accident and can’t get the door open both are very highly likely these days given the the crime and accident rates. The tie I would have to gift as my hubby works in law enforcement and wears a uniform and that’s way hotter than a tie in my book! Lol! Speaking of the hubby…I would never see the whiskey stones or the flask again!!! He loves scotch, whiskey, vodka and all beverages like them. I think he’d like the glasses but he might have to fight me for them and I could use the tactical pen to guarantee a win! Hehe! 😉 I gotta admit even I don’t know what the hostage escape tool would be used for because if you would go by their own logic…what good hostage taker (my experience based solely on watching action movies) wouldn’t search you prior to placing you in handcuffs? Seems logical, right? Lol! For the most part this would be a kick butt box for my hubby and myself and with a little outside the box thinking I hope y’all find some fun ways to use them. P.S. You really should keep a glass breaker in your glovebox…you don’t want to know the number of accident that my hubs and his coworkers come upon where people couldn’t get out of get their family members out fast enough. It’s a total necessity with the crazy drivers these days!!!

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Meg D

Lol. I just read the descriptions of the products included. . . that might be the most unintentionally funny thing I’ve read recently! It’s like one long Chuck Norris / Most Interesting Man joke. We’re also pretty feminist here and the box is. . . clearly not for us. But I’d love to read more reviews b/c you can’t make this stuff up!

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Tia

LOVE THIS BOX! I hope they send you or a different MSA reviewer another box to review. I like to see 2 boxes before subscribing. My husband likes to think he is a manly man (typical Marine) and this would be perfect for him! I love the RV of the items received too. I’m keeping this box on my radar. I also didn’t like the wording of the descriptions for some of the items so I hope they tone that down in the future.

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Carolyn

I totally agree with the comment about the wording by the lip balm. Disgusting

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SJ

Tactical pens are usually made of a light weight super sturdy material (think aircraft aluminum), write in the rain, upside diwn, etc. Some have a special feature like a glass breaker or something (think trapped in your car and have to break the tempered glass). Not sure if the pen is exactly one of those but it looks like it.

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James J Daly

It’s a tactical pen as in out in the field, rugged, writes in the rain and upside down, just withstands torture, tactical just means able to be taken anywhere and still keeps working

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Anna

Thank you SJ! Good to know!

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AnnD

This box is amazing! Is it still available, or would I get a different one if I subscribed today?

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Anna

Ann, it looks like from their website that they are counting down to the February box. BUT, sometimes if you contact customer service with a sub box, they might still have some current boxes on hand. If you love it you should give it a try. Hope that helps!

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Emmy

This would be so cool, if it was like Bespoke and we could skip months where we didn’t like the theme. I would love to see a fishing or cooking box, but this is nothing I would use.

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Linda

“My husband likes to paint and play with kittens, and I’m a feminist.”
I love this.

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Anna

LOL! Thanks Linda!

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Ankareeda

My husband and I are both feminists, he also loves kittens (cats in general, but I’m allergic), and maybe I am missing something, but I don’t see anything anti-feminist about this. I read through their “about” section and still don’t see anything problematic. The box seems reasonably useful and if my we didn’t have the majority of this stuff already I think I would subscribe.

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Evian

The description for the lip balm is pretty iffy. “Keeps your lips as moist as she is”

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Anna

LOL, not very gentlemanly!

nelliebelle1197

The inclusion of the word “alpha” in the name disturbs me a more than a little bit. It pretty much sums up the mentality behind the box.

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Samantha

Anna, I feel you – I’m also a feminist, and I wouldn’t have been able to be nearly as nice as you in this review. I kind of hate the whole premise of this sub box, which is too bad because the gentleman box would be right up my alley. Alas, since it is for manly men roar I’ll have to skip.

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