Battlbox “Mission Brief: 110” Subscription Box

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After a five-and-a-half year hiatus from MSA, BattlBox is back. It's bigger, beefier, and better than ever. BattlBox is a monthly outdoors/survivalist subscription with four tiers. Depending on the level, subscribers can expect items like outdoor gear, survival tools, manuals, first aid supplies, food rations, camp equipment, hiking essentials, knives, bushcraft, EDC gear, sleeping bags, backpacks, flashlights, and tents.

The four tiers of BattlBox are:

• Basic costs $34.99 a month plus shipping. This level averages a value of $60.
• Advanced costs $64.99 a month plus shipping. This level averages a value of $100.
• Pro costs $119.99 a month plus shipping. This level averages a value of $180.
• Pro Plus costs $169.99 a month plus shipping. This level averages a value of $287.

Each level includes the one(s) before it, plus additional items. This review is for the Pro Plus level and will be broken down by what subscribers would get at each level.

In addition to the items, all subscribers receive access to The BattlVault. The BattlVault has a few hundred products that they sell at prices below what is possible to find anywhere else. The are also exclusive discount codes and special offers their partners.

This is a review of the "BattlBox: Mission Brief 110" box.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

First Impressions

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My honest first impression was "this is the biggest box I've ever got from a subscription." It was very exciting to open up, not unlike Christmas morning. There is a nicely printed booklet that goes over all the items and includes a few special offers.

Inside the BattlBox "Mission 110" Box

Rockagator Ultralight Series 15L Dry Bag - Retail Price $29.99

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You can never have too many dry bags. I have several, including the 10L version of this bag, but always welcome more. This bad boy from Rockagator weighs in at just a few ounces. It's fabricated out of lightweight, but durable, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and all of the seams are welded (not taped) so you can count on these being 100% waterproof, according to the site. They can be stuffed with clothes, food, or any item that needs to stay dry for your adventure, like hiking, hitting the beach, or riding the river. When empty can easily be stowed without taking hardly any space in your pack.

Mpowerd Luci Core - Retail Price $19.95

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I have received many different Luci Lights over the years of reviewing outdoor subscriptions, but this one manages to be new. The Luci Core stands out with its adjustable silicone arm, you can direct light however you choose. Make it stand or hang. It looks like a flower of sorts, which can shine 40 lumens for up to 12 hours on a single charge. It comes with a micro-USB cord, but can also be recharged by the solar panel. The cool white LEDs make it perfect for a bunch of uses like camping, emergencies, or just reading in bed.

SOG Entrenching Tool - Retail Price $29.99

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This 3-in-1 tool from SOG can be used as a shovel, pickaxe, and saw. A twisting collar locks the tool into place. I feel like a lot of "travel-size" shovels would sacrifice a nice handle for portability, but this shovel comes with a full-size triangular handle that fits perfectly in your hand. The overall length is 18-1/4 inches and it weighs in at 24.5 oz. The blade length is 4-3/4 inches. The shovel and pickaxe are pretty nice, but the saw leaves a little to be desired. The packaging admits the edge is "for minor sawing applications." That's to be expected, because even a nice saw tooth edge would be dulled by the shoveling. I think this is one of those smart items you might not even think to buy for yourself, but you'll be happy you did. I'm putting together an emergency kit for my car and this is definitely going on it.

Fix It Sticks: Shooting/Hunting Edition - Retail Price $44

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I've try many multi-tools that were cheap or thoughtless, but I was pleasantly surprise with these The Fix It Sticks. This version is geared toward hunting and shooting. I don't do either, so I can't speak to the usefulness in the field. Maybe a hunter can chime in in the comments. However, I can confirm it is certainly portable and versatile. This set includes two sticks, bracket, and 16 different bits: 2.5mm hex, 3mm hex, 4mm hex, 5mm hex, T-10 ,T-15 ,T-20 ,T-25 ,T-30, 1/8" Hex, 5/64" Hex, 3/32" Hex, 5/32" Hex, 3/16" Hex, Slotted #5, and Phillips #1. The sticks are high quality steel construction and magnetically connect as a "T" that can be easily twisted. If you're hands can't torque enough, another tool like a wrench can help. The website said the steel can withstand 40Nm of torque. I don't know how much that is. I didn't see it listed anywhere, but I think the sticks can also be inserted into the handle to make a screwdriver. Although I am not a shooter or hunter, I am a tinkerer and I think this multi-tool will be great sitting on my workbench.

Kong Case Rampage Edition - Retail Price $89

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I went to school for photography and have always been around hard cases like this for expensive equipment. I've always wanted one of my own, but never had a reason to buy one. Now my little dream of owning one has come true and I am very excited. The Kong Kase is a durable, waterproof, shockproof case that would be perfect for that expensive equipment, firearms, or tools. There are different versions. This one is the Rampage Edition. The outer size measures 16.02 by 13.46 by7.6 inches. The inner size is 14.56 by 11.02 by 7.08 inches. Subscribers may get one of five colors: Nuke/Chili, Ocean/Nuke, Aqua/Sunset, Earth/Jungle, or Lava/Sky. Mine is the latter and while it's my least favorite of the five, I think they all look awesome and statement worthy; rather than boring black. It closes so tightly that is has a dust and water protection level (IP67, for those of you who know what that means). And there are two eyelets you can secure combination locks through. Perhaps coolest of all, the case comes with customizable foam padding. The foam is perforated (hard to photograph) so that you can tear out the exactly shape of what you what so that your equipment fits perfectly inside. This thing is so freaking cool that I want to go buy something special to put inside it.

Razorback Canyon Fixed Blade - Retail Price $89.99

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In addition to not shooting guns very often, I am also not a knowledgeable knife guy. I love'em, but am not an authority. I have many flip blades, but this may be my first fixed-blade knife and it's a beauty. The Canyon from Razorback was designed by Russ Kommer, who a name knowledgeable knife guys might recognize. Its D2 steel blade maintains a razor-sharp edge, while the ergonomic two-tone G-10 handle provides a sure grip. It comes with a robust, injection-molded sheath for convenient carry. I like the ribbed back for finger grip, which I just found out is called "jimping," and I personally dig the flat-looking blade as opposed to a shiny one. The handle is trippy. The knife comes with a sticker and cleaning cloth. This feels like a one-and-done knife for me. I'll never need another.

Additional Offers

The box included additional coupons for Rockagator, Fix It Sticks, and Fresh n Lean. I think this is a great way to spread the word, and they will be perfect for some subscribers.

Verdict

I jumped at the opportunity to review this box and I'm sure glad I did. In its absence from MSA, BattlBox has only gotten bigger and better. The size of the box alone blew me away and what they filled it with did not disappoint. If you didn't notice, I was over the moon for the Kong Case. I'm not even sure what to do with it, but I'm happy I have it. What a cool item to have in a subscription box. I really enjoyed the fixed blade knife. I saw a lot of knives from other boxes and I think this was one of the best. The Fix it Sticks really impressed me. They will be great for tinkering. If I were a hunter, I'd probably be even more pumped. You can never have too many dry bags, so I'm excited to have another, larger one. They are so useful. The light is cute and I think will look great on my daughter's desk. And the shovel is something I know I'll be glad to have when I need it. Overall, I was knocked out by this effort from BattlBox. All thoughtful, useful, and cool items.

As a first impression, this was one of my all time favorites. However, I wanted to take a step back and look at the subscription through the lens of a long-time subscriber. I went back through what was in the last 20 boxes or so and here are a couple thoughts.

1. The Basic Box ($34.99) seems like a slightly better Nomadik. It's the same cost and same amount of items. It's not always the case, but from what I've seen, I think I'd give the edge to BattlBox Basic.
2. For me, the sweet spot is the Pro Box ($119.99). Yes, it's a chunk of change, but for every Mission I looked through, it was the Pro level item(s) that got me the most excited.
3. In my opinion, Pro Plus is a luxury, because it's a knife every single time. On one hand, it's nice that BattlBox is consistent about what subscribers can expect at that level and they vary the kind of knife you get. On the other hand, that's a lot of knives. Sometimes there is already a knife at another level that month. If you like knives, Pro Plus is for you. It is essentially a knife of the month subscription add-on.
4. I thought that this box, Mission 110, was the best one that I saw. Every item, even the knife, was just right for me. It seemed like each one was better than the last.

Let's Talk About Value

Here are the value amounts for each tier, according to the website:

• The Basic Box ($34.99) clocks in at $73.93.
• The Advanced Box ($64.99) clocks in at $117.93.
• The Pro Box ($119.99) has a value of $206.93
• And finally the Pro Plus ($169.99) comes in at $295.93

Every one of the tiers were above their average promised value. Even with just three items, the Basic Box was twice its cost. At all levels, I was impressed with the value. It's good to know that, whatever your price point is, you'll be getting a decent value for your money.

To Wrap Up

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, the "Mission 110" is available at the time of this post.

If you want to see what was in past boxes, check our their site here.

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist.

What do you think of the "Mission 110" Battlbox box? Let us know in the comments below.