The LifePod — High Tech Safety and Security
VaulTek? Isn’t the company from Fallout? A google search reveals that the Fallout company is Vault-Tec, and VaulTek is an American safe company that designs and produces technology advanced safes. They make a variety of small to moderate-sized safes. Today we are looking at the very cool and compact LifePod. Specifically, the Lifepod 1.0, which is the smaller variant of the LifePod. Also, just because I have to mention, they make a humidor LifePod, and that’s just all kinds of cool too.
The LifePod 1.0, henceforth referred to as the LifePod, is a 10.25″ L x 7″ W x 2.25″ H mini safe that weighs two pounds and three ounces. The inside of the safe gives you 7.75″ L x 6″ W x 1.75″ H of internal storage. As you can tell, this is on the small side of safes. It’s roughly the right size to fit a duty-sized handgun or smaller. A competitive-sized firearm with optic and light wouldn’t be the best option for this small safe. It fits a firearm that’s 7.75 inches or shorter.
Breaking Down the LifePod
This small safe is more than your average lockbox. It’s made from a mix of metal and some form of polymer. VaulTek calls it an impact-resistant proprietary material blend. Is polymer weaker than metal? Sure, but this isn’t intended to be a long-term firearm storage option. Hell, boxes this small don’t need to be cracked open when they can just be swiped and stolen.
Also, unlike your average lockbox, the LifePod comes with a digital locking system that uses a 4 to 8 digit combination. The digits are 1 through 4, and then the Lock button fires the thing up for you to key your code in. When you press the lock button, the keys light up a dim red for easy visibility.
This is your main lock when securing the firearm. Powering the lock and keypad is done via a micro USB cord or a 9-volt battery. This setup allows it to be a cord-free journey safe or to act as a backup if the power goes out. Additionally, should the power go out or the battery dies, you have a manual key as a tertiary means to open the safe.
Everything Proof!
On the sides sit two dual compression latches. These don’t lock but, compress the door down and ensure it’s also a waterproof design! Yep, it’s adventure approved. Oh, besides being waterproof, it can also float, so if it falls overboard, you can easily retrieve it without worrying about losing it. As a kayaker, this is something I seriously appreciate.
Along with being waterproof, it’s dustproof and airtight too. Dustproof is a must-have for me. I live on a dirt road and sandhill so the moon dust here gives Iraqi moon dust a run for its money. I’ve never found dust in the safe, and that’s after years of life in a dust bowl.
The LifePod can be dropped at any angle, including its corners, without popping open. Drop it, kick it, toss it, and it will take the beating without issue. The LifePod takes lots of abuse and protects the treasures you store inside from everything.
Set Up For Success
Sure the LifePod can act as a gun safe, and hell, that’s what I use mine for. However, the LifePod can be used to secure damn near anything for a wide variety of reasons. It’s perfect for securing cash, electronics, jewelry, and more while traveling. Expensive goodies like camera equipment or sensitive items like hard drives and SD cards can be stashed and secured while remaining protected.
Most of us use these kinds of things to limit access to something, be it a firearm, a Rolex, or a hard drive full of rare Hentai. The LifePod can do that, but more than just secure the goods, it can protect them. The LifePod’s foam-lined interior adds a good degree of protection, and the factthat it is air, water, and dustproof adds an entirely new level of protection to your goods.
When I go fishing or kayaking, I can stash my wallet, cell phone, and car keys in the LifePod. I’m not securing from theft but protecting them from life. If they fall overboard, I know they’ll float and remain protected until I retrieve them. The same goes for backpacking and hiking.
The sleek and slim design of the LifePod paired with its lightweight nature makes it perfect for hiking and camping. Again I’m securing goods but also protecting them from that cruel bitch we call nature.
How I Use the LifePod
As mentioned, I use the LifePod for a variety of tasks, but the main use is as a gun safe. Specifically, it acts as a car safe. When I know I’m going somewhere I can’t legally carry a gun, I want a safe to lock it up. I’m not dropping it in my glove box like an idiot and hoping no one breaks the window.
Instead, I drop my CCW in the safe and then use the included metal tether to secure the safe to my vehicle. Specifically, secured under and to my driver’s seat. This way, if someone tries to snatch it, they really have to work for it. It’s been sitting under my car seat for two years now, and that speaks to its durability.
This poor LifePod has been locked in the dark with barely any break for two years. Here it’s been exposed to kicks from kids, dirt, dust, and the bounces and bumps that accommodate rural living. Beyond that, it gets dropped into my kayak, or my boat, or my rucksack to get even more abuse thrown at it. Oh, and the inside is immaculate because, as mentioned before, it is dust, air, and waterproof.
Yet every time I type in my combo, the safe beeps, boops, and opens right up. The keypad isn’t tactile but is instantly reactive to my finger typing in the code. They advertise the battery will last a year, and I can say that’s more than accurate. I change the battery yearly, but it has never actually died on me. I just swap batteries for safety and convenience sake.
Staying Safe
The LifePod is one of those products that’s ultra-handy to have. It’s far from expensive, and when you factor in the quality, the electronics, and security, it’s damn near a bargain. The LifePod makes securing a firearm or protecting your goodies easy, and not just from thieves. Your stuff will be protected from the environment, from spills, tumbles, and more. If you need a bigger LifePod check out the 2.0.
