Gear Reviews

by Dean C

A few months back, I had sold a few things of value and used that money to buy a Katadyn Vario water filter (click here to check availability and the current price at Amazon.com).  Since water is so important, and the items I sold had no real value to prepping, it was an easy decision.

I had been wanting a portable water filter for some time.  The Vario meets industry standards for reducing bacteria at 99.9999% efficiency, and protozoan cysts at 99.9%.  Now I’m not going to pretend I know much about these little buggies, I just know we don’t want em’.  I wanted to end up with a Katadyn due to company reputation, and that of Swiss-made products in general.  Thus far, I am quite pleased with the purchase.

The Vario is very lightweight and very easy to use.  Disassembly and reassembly for cleaning and filter cartridge replacement are very simple.  The main body of the filter breaks down into six main parts, and there are also the intake and output hoses.  At all critical breakdown points, there are o ring gaskets to help maintain the integrity of the filter.

Katadyn was also kind enough to include an extra set of o rings for replacement purposes, as well as a small tube of lubricant, and a small scouring pad for cleaning.

The Vario is the first microfilter with two different filtering modes, “longer life” and “faster flow”.  In longer life mode, water flows through a ceramic pre-filter disc before passing through the carbon core filter cartridge.  Faster flow mode bypasses the ceramic pre-filter and flows straight to the carbon cartridge, allowing a higher output rate.

It is recommended that faster flow mode only be used when water is already relatively clear.

Switching from one mode to another is as easy as taking the top housing off, turning the ceramic disc to line up with clearly indicated points, and replacing the top housing.  As with most filters, the ceramic pre-filter disc, the filter cartridge, and the carbon within the cartridge are all independently replaceable.  This will allow you to extend the life of the overall filter system.

At the end of the two feet of intake hose, there is a small strainer to keep large debris from getting into the pump assembly.  There is also a small weight to keep the hose in the water, and a small float to keep the strainer off the bottom of the pond/stream etc.. In murky or heavy sediment water, to extend cartridge life, it is recommended to wrap a coffee filter around the intake strainer and weight.

When possible, you could also put murky water in a bucket and wait for the sediment to settle before filtering.  The output hose will feed into whatever, or you can remove the bottom cap and the Vario will fit onto the tops of most standard sized water bottles.

The Vario retails for $89-$99 depending on where you get it.  The cartridges are good for 500 gallons, easily replaceable and retail for about $40.  Also, when water taste starts to decline, the carbon inside the cartridge can be easily replaced, and those pouches of carbon run about $12.

Now we all know that when TSHTF, water is going to be one of the most crucial factors to our survival, and we can only store so much.  Portability and affordability were my two deciding factors.  Yeah, it would be great to have a Big Berky, but in a bug out, it isn’t going to fit in a backpack.  The Vario, being two inches larger than a full can of beer, and weighing slightly less, leaves plenty of room in the backpack.

I’m very happy with the Vario, so cheers to clean water,(and the beer if you’re so inclined.)

Click here to check availability and the current price at Amazon.com

January 2016, a purchase was made of over 20 solar powered, crank powered and alternative powered handheld lights. These flashlights all underwent extensive testing. This testing included the following steps for my personal use.

1. Drop testing (from 4 feet and 6 feet using different angles and surfaces) – I live in the high desert, if they can’t handle being banged around a bit I cannot use them, regardless what it is.

2. Water survivability – just because I live in the high desert, does not mean things cannot or will not get wet! I use from several inches through 4 feet of water and leave the products submerged for several minutes through overnight depending on their rated survivability.

3. Overall durability/ quality– I always test multiple versions of the same product, like testing accuracy using a full magazine or expansion using 5 rounds minimum, etc., a test is only as good as the number of items used to ensure overall quality.

4. Battery life in use and stored – (this was originally going to be a year-long test, however, as of this writing only one flashlight has survived all testing and still retains a charge!)

The following lights were tested in full, using a minimum of two identical lights per test for each brand, maximum of four. (Donations always accepted, of course, this gets expensive!)

· MECO emergency hand-cranked/solar powered light. (Four lights were tested, I had two fail using cranks, and one crank snapped off after just two cranks, however, they were relatively bright.)

· Thorfire LED solar and hand cranked light. (Being an avid fan of Thorlight battery powered LED lights, I expected great things. Sadly, after testing just 2, I was quickly put in my place. Where they as a company have excelled at building strong, bright small pocket lights, their foray into alternative energy approaches and unfortunately leaves much to be desired. I didn’t have a light last longer than an hour with a full charge and had one crank break, maybe a pattern in cranking lights?)

· Bear Motion – motion powered light with solar backup/ radio and ports to charge other devices (I have never used a Bear Motion product, however, have owned several motion activated watches and really enjoy the idea. Sadly, the charge barely lasted out a week in both lights tested, and when on they gave me between 45 minutes and an hour of light. Also, drop testing shattered one into a thousand pieces, so a definite NO for this light, except as a possible addition for your vehicle?)

· ECEEN solar torch, with port for charging using usb – (My son took one to England, used it well and had it work quite nicely. Sadly, when charged fully it retains battery power for only around 3 days. This means without direct continuous sunlight you will eventually lose charge. I do not use this model in my packs and would not recommend it, my son, however, loves the light and since we live in a VERY sunny area, it will work for him for now. It is both water-resistant and relatively shockproof having been through multiple baggage handlers and the like and lasted fine!)

· Hybrid Solar – Solar powered flashlight with emergency battery backup(This light is the clear winner, and the rest of the review will go into detail as to why with pictures and video attached.)

The rest of this review will focus solely on the Hybrid Solar, solar powered flashlight with emergency battery backup. First I want to review the factory specifications with you.

• a. Recharges with any light source
• b. 8 hours of light from one full charge
• c. Holds a charge for up to 3 years
• d. Water resistant to 3 meters
• e. 40 lumens
• f. 72 meter light beam
• g. Floats

h. 3 click operation, one click is solar battery/charge light source, two clicks puts it in charge mode, three clicks puts it in backup battery mode

Now it’s my turn based on testing 4 identical lights from this manufacturer.

· It will charge if there is any ambient light in the room, however, full sunlight will charge it in under 3 hrs.

· My max life of light on solar powered side, without battery backup was 6.5 hours approximately, (plus or minus a minute or two) the minimum life was 5.5 hours (plus or minus a minute or two) I was never able to get a full 8 hours, however, I have never had a flashlight that met fully this particular claim regardless.

· As of right now I have one that I charged put through testing and charged again that has been sitting since the 20th of January of this year in a closet with no light, every week I test it just to see if it still lights up, so far it continues, NONE of the other lights tested lasted over a month.

· Because it DOES float, I had to hold it under water, which I did before and after drop testing. Without ANY ill effects and this was on all four being tested. One light I used in a pools deep end of 10 feet and had no problems, I have seen reviews from others that this is a light they used for snorkeling and took it to 40+ feet without any ill effects.

· The 40 lumens are closer to 100 for the first hour or so- however, again this averages out to 40 over the entire length of life lit. It is quite bright and while it cannot come close to my sun like de.Power 1000 lumen lights or an expensive 4000 lumen LED spotlight I have, it functions extremely well for the purposes it is designed. As a survival/ lightweight/ backpacking light!

· Measured beam averaged 70 meters, so this claim from the manufacturer is correct.

· I have used the clicker on one light specifically every day several times a day since purchasing and have had no failures, this was a weak point in a few other lights.

· There were no specific claims to drop testing, though they stated it was durable, my testing dropped it sideways and end over end onto concrete, gravel, dirt and tile. I had no major breakages and only one minor scuff mark on one flashlight as a result. While I would not use it as a baton, it is after all made entirely of polymers, I would not hesitate to rely on it while mountain climbing at this time.

· There is very little information about the power sources for this light, I am not even sure if you can replace the backup battery. However, from what I gather and can tell after breaking one down completely, the solar cells charge a capacitor style bank which stores the initial charge. The backup battery has the average shelf life of most batteries of 7 years and once it’s used up can be changed, using two CR2032 3v button cell. However, I did not test this feature, simply because I did not need too as the solar side/capacitors continue to work very well!

· The factory does not state the weight of this flashlight, so I weighed it myself, as weight is of course always an issue! It came out to right at 6 ounces.

· My children and wife both LOVED this light, and as a result, we are replacing all of our go bag/ vehicle lights with this light.

· Temperatures that it safely operates at, I left one of mine in the sunlight on the dashboard of my 4 Runner Sport in Tucson, Arizona since January. Quite literally it took temperatures from freezing through close to 150 degrees (inside the car) and didn’t waver for second, the polymer build means it will not necessarily burn your hands if you pick it up from being in the sun charging, versus other models which use aluminum casings meaning they get quite a bit hotter.

In conclusion, it is my educated opinion based on extreme testing that the Hybrid Solar flashlight (40-lumen model) is the overall best solar/ alternative energy powered light available at this time. Amazon carries these at a great price of under $20 apiece. Given the lack of need to change batteries, or bulbs due to the LED setup, this is an absolutely amazing price and because it weighs about half as much as most battery powered lights of the same size, carrying two would not be a bad thing and would essentially double your ability for the same weight requirements.

This light also comes in 120-lumen model as well, which is quite a bit brighter, however, again, for the weight savings and pricing, the 40-lumen model is sufficient in every way.

If you have any questions or would like to add your experiences, please feel free to do so. And as always, free the mind and the body will follow.

Jesse Mathewson bio:

• BSCJA / Alpha Phi Sigma
• Massad Ayoob graduate
• Multiple advanced firearms schools
• NRA range safety instructor

Currently volunteers time writing reviews and educational articles based on his experience and background, as well as being a disabled father at home.

He taught LE/Mil/Fed programs ranging from firearms safety through active use as well as surveillance/counter-surveillance as paid contractor and volunteer instructor

He has lived in and immersed himself in the Arizona high desert for over 25 years, experienced bushcrafter with extensive knowledge both taught and learned in the state/le/mil approach to the same.

Is an active non-voting, freedom loving, non-religious (in normal sense) human being with a desire to share freedom through knowledge with others

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.” Sun Tzu

Budget prepping is a difficult thing to do. After all, there is a difference between budget and cheap, inexpensive and cheap. Cheap by definition does not mean something is necessarily bad or of poor quality, however, with some things cheap is bad. Red dot technology has progressed light years beyond the first bulky Aimpoint, EOTech, and Trijicon.

Obviously, Aimpoint as a company has maintained a seriously good reputation and continued to progress with the times, as has Eotech and Trijicon, however, their pricing reflects no shifts for markets unable to afford to spend $600 – $2500 on a simple 1-4 power red dot styled optic.

My search for a less expensive optic commenced several years ago. I worked my way through Bushnell T series which functioned fine but were hit and miss at best. Eventually, I settled on the Bushnell AR scope series and decided to simply move on from the red dot phase.

After all, a solid scope with excellent glass and comparable abilities to other more expensive brands will work in most cases.

This didn’t mean I had no need for a red dot, after all, a solid red dot with a solid pair of backup irons is an amazing thing to have. Quick on target and easy to use, good red dots mean the difference between hits and misses in many arenas, especially combat-related training and combat itself.

Over the past year, I decided to do some research and look around again for a solid red dot under $500. I found several brand names, Vortex, AIM sports, and even Bushnell had new offerings on the market. However, I was drawn to a relatively new company, Holosun©, this optic had serious potential.

After dropping $170 on the HS403B found on Amazon, I received the well-wrapped package and mounting hardware. Two sets, a low riser, and high riser were included. The high riser fit my carbine exactly as needed. Co-witnessed with my irons I took it out to the range and started testing.

After around 100 rounds I set the rifle to the side as there were other reviews that needed fulfilling and it held zero very well, so what more needed testing. As I leaned it against the carbine rack it smacked the crossbar on the way by and snap, the red dot came off. I leaned over and realized that the screw holding it too the gun had snapped off at the head.

I finished my testing for the rest of the products and called Holosun on the way home.

They assured me that they both knew about the problem and apologized for the inconvenience this had caused, I asked if this was going to be an ongoing issue or if it was a simple flaw in this particular part of the design.

The person I spoke with grabbed another individual who explained that the model I had received was the last in a first gen run and the new gen had the much stronger hardware.

Upon arrival 3 days after the call, I installed the part and decided to test it too its breaking point. After all, nothing to lose at this point as the people I had spoken with assured me they would replace the entire unit free of charge if it happened again.

I dropped tested it on dirt, grass, and concrete from approximately 5 feet. I also decided to “accidentally” smack the red dot housing into a few items during my next test run. Needless to say, it held firm and I have not had a breakage or issue since.

Though I doubt it will take a bullet to the casing as say an Aimpoint will, at 50,000 hours of battery life and with a VERY clear dot picture and glass as well as solid easy on when you pick the gun up, well I think this is my new best friend in the red dot world.

They have different variations, shotgun patterning dots, circle over a dot, plain jane red dot and all of the varieties can be had with a nifty solar-powered recharger put on the top if you want.

The company offers a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, and their customer service is very expedient and quick to respond, a truly rare commodity in today’s age of somewhat lackadaisical service. They are located in the USA, Walnut California, to be exact.

They offer a 50,000-hour battery life, a variety of aiming products from lasers too red dots. In this case, my interest lying completely in their cost-effective, efficient and extremely solid red dots. The HS507A is compatible with the standard RMR mount and the other red dots have a variety of mountings available with some specifically designed for Aks and others for Ars.

Some options have a quick release mount and others a kill flash and other essential needs for red dots. The best part is their red dots run between $165 and $350 dollars and you can order from Amazon.

Now obviously I have not been able to test the veracity of the 50,000-hour battery life, however, the unit I have has been on and working clearly for well over 6 months without a hiccup. I have no doubt that the longevity is easily better than Bushnell’s offerings and Vortex. The price point allows budget preppers and shooters to have (as the company motto says) “A military-grade optic at under military prices” now personally, I have not tested it in combat yet. However, it has performed well through many tests it is NOT designed for. I do not recommend you treat your optics badly on purpose, that is my pleasure to do for you! Having family and friends still in the military this is the question I ask myself, “would I recommend this to them?”

YES!

It works very well, it will be ready for them when they need it, and will function with general abuse and function well. This being said, I am not the desk personnel from the Pentagon and it isn’t my job to accept money to pass along new products to our soldiers.

This being said, what are the pros and cons listed out?

Pros

1. 50,000-hour battery life with an optional solar panel for charging and auto adjustment in all light conditions.
2. Multiple reticle styles and mount styles available.
3. Crisp clear dot, brightness easily adjustable or set for auto adjust.
4. Movement activated the red dot when you pick up your firearm, the red dot comes on!
5. Built for shotguns, rifles of many calibers and even handguns.
6. Limited lifetime warranty.

Cons

1. They are a relatively newer company, so not as much time to evaluate and test as other more established companies.
2. They have had some issues with mounts, however, this is being addressed and is easily fixed, upgraded with a call to their customer service.

Overall, this is a product I definitely recommend and run on my carbines now. MD Creekmore also has one and here is what he says, “I bought this sight a couple of weeks ago and mounted it on my Colt M4 and so far I’ve been very impressed and agree with everything Jesse has said here in his review.

I have an Aimpoint and an EOTech on two other AR’s and the Holosun HS503GU (the model that I have) is just as good as either one of those for half the cost. ”

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Fire is an essential element of survival, living, and warfare. It has been used for many millennia for heating, cooking, controlling growth, reducing wildfire damage, to promote grazing and conduct defensive and offensive campaigns against enemies.

Ferro Rod usage is popular with many people within the prepper community, and yet, from what I have seen personally, there are many who have never actually used the ferro rods they carry! It is my goal with this article to hopefully show you the benefits and necessity of owning and using one correctly.

Did you know that contrary to modern American conservationist thought the use of fire as a tool to prevent larger out of control fires was embraced by many American Indian tribes?

Native Americans of the Southwest often used fire as a means of clearing grazing land, driving game, reducing the build-up of excess detritus or fallen leaves and pine needles as well as dead and or diseased trees further preventing the wild exceedingly large conflagrations seen over the past 80 years of modern “conservationism”.

They realized that not only did smaller fires contribute to the faster growth of young, strong plants it also allowed animals to populate faster and in greater numbers as they did not have to fear the massive millions of acres of burned out land that actually causes a far greater toll in the end to both plant and animal life.

Such is the wisdom of those who lived with the land versus seeking to control it.

For modern preppers, all of us have seen or lived through instances where are daily prepping came into play and filled holes needed at the moment. Even if it is as simple as having extra aspirin or band-aids. With current nasty natural and some not so natural events occurring and our ability to see them being as fast as our current cell phone or internet service allows, things seem to be spiraling out of control.

The reality is, they are not. So do not panic! Mortgaging the house and selling off the kids will only serve to enrich others, stick to your current approach of getting a little here and there as you can. Make sure you have holes filled in areas that may have shown weaknesses upon the use of preps (vehicle kits and house alike)

This week I assisted an older lady who had her cell phone and nothing else when her car broke down on the highway thankfully close to a fueling station. In Arizona, we have stretches of road where people are rare and most humans traveling have no idea as to what is readily available.

From food through water, and yes in Arizona even on the Playa outside of Wilcox or around Yuma there is available food, water and more if you just know what to look for and when and where to look. The Playa is a massive dried lake bed that stretches easily 40 miles long and upwards of 15 or 20 miles in width.

Currently used by fun seekers for their sand rails and even local military testing, it is a desolate area. While I could have preached the benefits of being prepared to this lady, her concerns were more immediate and after getting her vehicle to the parking lot she became a bit more at ease. The moral of the story is, there is no such thing as too prepared!

So let’s get back to fire and why it is so very important, dangerous and necessary all in one. Having a fire starting implement is a good idea, I know many people who carry mini bic lighters, waterproof matches, flint, and steel kits and my favorite the ferrocerium rods eg., ferro rods!

What I have also found to be true is that many times these implements are purchased a book or article is read and then they are stashed away never to be practiced with. The assumption being made that like many firearms owners, we have it if we need it, it is there.

Sadly, without practice a person can easily go through 20 plus matches, a bic lighter, and never get their flint to strike a spark…I know from personal experience that this is very true and occurs quite frequently.

Camping about five years back approximately 30 miles from nearest other humans, we were hit with an unexpected deluge and spent 3 miserable days without a fire. This was my fault, and my fault alone, why did we go ahead and stay, because, the roads had become flooded and we couldn’t have crossed back if we wanted.

Now thankfully I layer my preps, meaning I had wool blankets and candles for cooking, but it still wasn’t the same as having a nice campfire going, after all, a good flame tends to cheer the soul when things are dreary outside. It is the camping/ survival equivalent of a television.

Add a bit of shine or mead to one’s tea or coffee and things can get downright cheerful! What have I done to fix this glaring hole in my preps, well, I learned how to use my tools all over again and what to do with wet wood and more.

How do we best use a ferro rod?

1. First, it is essential to understand that a ferro rod is useless without steel, so make sure you have a striker or that your knives have at least an inch of 90-degree angle on their spine (do not use the sharpened side).
2. Using the sharpened side leads to cuts and cuts lead to infections which easily lead to death in a grid down situation!
3. I file the backs of all of my knives, 440c stainless will spark a ferro rod though not as well as a high carbon blade will. I only file about an inch to a 90-degree angle and I always file it at the base where the blade meets the handle.
4. Tinder, most of us probably carry some type of fatwood or tinder mixture from Vaseline soaked cotton balls too charred cotton cloth, (easily made in a small enclosed metal container with a small pinhole sized air hole, stuff it tight with small pieces (an inch square) of cotton cloth or cotton balls cut in quarters for best overall use.) Fatwood is the sappy heartwood of trees, [preferably semi-aged or well-aged trees, pine really works best but I have mesquite and more that also works well!)
5. Now here is where things get fun, just having some tinder materials DOES NOT MAKE A FIRE or ensure you can make a fire. You still need a semi-dry additional fuel to allow for damp or even wet wood to be capable of drying while burning. (bear in mind THIS CREATES A SMOKEY FIRE!) So how do you go about collecting more from around you?
6. Grass, older grass eating animal dung, small dead twigs and bark tend to make the best next step for building a solid fire. This is where patience becomes essential, if things are wet, you will have to keep a pile in an area that stays dry and allow it to dry, make sure you get good air flow and you may be able to get a fire going within a few hours, in worse case a days time. My suggestion is to find large dead logs when possible, bring them into the sheltered area and split them down, the insides past about an inch tend to be relatively dry in many cases unless the area is flooded or a regular rainforest. In which case splitting them down simply allows for their drying easier.
7. Once you have a 4 to the 6-inch square loose bundle of kindling (pick a type from above) you can try to get your fire started, I highly recommend working out kinks of your system when dry wood and kindling is available. However, am offering worse case scenario as a way to make the best case look much easier.
8. Using a ferro rod specifically, as this article is about that, place the striking device in your strong hand, place your hand fist down beside with the striking device above the tinder. Make sure your kindling is close and that you have built a good teepee style fire setup, eg., tinder into kindling and this underneath smaller branches/ pieces with larger angled over top leaving a hole in the side of the fire to be about the size of two fists so you don’t have to battle with yourself to get the tinder into the kindling and the kindling into the fire structure. Others prefer different shapes, I have found the triangle shaped approach to work best for myself.
9. Place the ferro rod UNDER the striking surface, with the end you are not holding facing the tinder.
10. Draw vigorously but NOT quickly towards yourself (making sure you have already scraped the water-resistant coating off of the rod so you get even solid sparks) This will shower sparks into the tinder igniting embers allowing for you to transfer these embers into the kindling and getting a flame going, Breath gently with long regular exhales towards the kindling and tinder from about 4” to 6” away or the length of the blade you are using. Do so until you get a young bright flame going in the kindling than smoothly move this into the pre-built fire. Continue blowing into this until the flames take on a life of their own and become teenagers, raging to get out!
11. Easy?
12. No, this takes practice, I would suggest working with dry woods until you are confident and then use a water hose to wet some wood and work with that, do this until you have used up a ferro rod! By this point as with everything we humans learn, the repetitions of the movements and practice will make it relatively easy based on circumstances to get a fire going when needed.

Now you may ask what product am I reviewing, I can answer that, firstly there is the FireSpark by helicon-tex – it s a robust ferro rod that gives a great shower of hot sparks when needed, the handle allows for insertion of anything from necessary pills too a very small amount of tinder material! And I should note the handle has an O ring making it waterproof. The second product I am reviewing is my home brewed ferro rods, I learned long ago that in my world making my own tends to allow me to better adjust needed aspects such as a good gripping surface and having a case of ferro rods available. I prefer .30 caliber diameter by 3 inches long for my ferro rods. And I use old .308 casings as handles. (makes for a fun conversation piece) The helicon-tex FireSpark runs 21.99 on their website. The blanks I get run about $13 for a case of 10 or 12.

I can and do make ferro rods for my friends and neighbors and tend to give them away, (I really should launch a product line – arrgg – but my marketing skills have declined over the years.) if any of you want to get some let me know, I may start marketing if not, I would suggest the linked amazon approach from HOODDEAL – they are a solid manufacture/ retailer and I have never been done wrong, besides it will allow the proceeds to go to MD Creekmore for further site maintenance! Regardless, I hope you found this article educational and helpful and as always.

M.D. Creekmore adds: The Mora Bushcraft Survival Knife with built-in fire starter is something else that you might be interested in. It’s the official survival knife of The Wolf Pack.

Free the mind and the body will follow!

Not everything made for the military is truly well made. In many cases what is made for the military, regardless of nation of origin, often is low-end and fits into a rather loose set of restrictions guiding its building.

This is the case with the amazing folding can opener known as the P-38 and P-51. 

The P-38 can opener was designed for soldiers in 1942, it filled the need for a can opener for the C Rations that existed in some form through the early 1980s when MREs replaced these. It should be noted that an identical tool was featured in a 1924 Popular Mechanics issue in tools for women. (see picture) The provenance as we can see is slightly murky.

This is not a history lesson, I will leave that for others who are willing to dig further than I am at this time. It should be noted that it was not the Army that invented it, but rather an individual working under contract out of a private laboratory in Chicago, possibly far earlier than 1942. The P-38 or P-51 has never been known to break, need sharpening or rust. It simply works and it works very well!

Every single soldier that has had one has embraced them and ends up keeping them for many years. This truly is one of the best inventions ever made. It is a true multi-tool in that its design allows use for many applications and it does those well without fuss or being large and complicated like so many approaches to the same issues today.

They are extremely easy to use and inexpensive to purchase. Here are the instructions for use of the can opener regardless type as printed by the military.

Can Opener Directions

1. Open blade
2. Place can opener as shown in diagram (see attached diagram)
3. Twist down to puncture slot in the top of the can
4. Cut top by advancing opener with a rocking motion. Take small bites as you move forward.

Sterilize it after every use!

There is really nothing I can say that will detract from the overall benefit seen in this simple tool. I would suggest purchasing U.S. Shelby Co. labeled product versus others available. Because of the very low cost to produce these great tools, there is no real market for knock-offs, the profit margin is extremely low. You can buy a package of ten of them for under $10 using this link here. And yes, I have specifically tested and used these. Again, they make amazing stocking stuffer type gifts.

If you are thinking, why do I need 10 of these, well the answer is literally this good. One for the keychain, two for the tool drawer in the kitchen, one for your car and one for each bug out type bag, another for traveling and always have spares because…the airport security may indeed take yours. Personally, I have purchased several dozen over the years. Between losing them and giving them away it is definitely something to buy a few of!

There it is, my review of the P-38/P-51 can opener and with a definite buy a couple more as a suggestion I can end this article with a two thumbs up. Hope you enjoyed this article, comment and let me know when you got your first can opener and if you use it regularly.

Free the mind and the body will follow

Electromagnetic Pulse’s have been apart of the subculture of doomsday prepping since the 1970’s. The specter of ultimate doom causing humans to revert to their pre-industrialized days scares many of us. There have been dozens of books written by professionals regarding a man-made EMP or natural similar event occurring. Alive After the Fall™ was written approximately two years ago by Alexander Cain, which is the pen name for someone who supposedly has a Doctorate in Theology and Archeology.

My research has turned up over 4000 different doomsday prophecies dating back as far as 400 B.C., none of these has come true and most of them including Nostradamus and others are at best vague “prophetic” ramblings by individuals more interested in personal fame and fortune at the moment. ¹ So it with apprehension that I read this E-Book. It is my goal, however, to provide you with reviews of applicable literature. So here goes the review!

I agree with the authors premise, an EMP event is quite possible and in fact likely whether it be natural or man-made. Unfortunately, this is where my agreement ends. The author adds just enough “science/math” to support their continued statements as being fact. Sadly, this could not be further from the truth and why I personally adjusted from being a “doomsday” prepper to an everyday prepper years ago. The statement, “we’ve established that an EMP incident will fry all electronics regardless whether they are plugged in or not…” unfortunately is not correct.

While some electronics will, in fact, become disabled, with modern electronics this is actually less of a long-term issue than an immediate issue while the disruption is occurring. Testing completed and evidence available shows that modern electronics due to the use of non-metallic components are less likely to have issues. Additionally, the reality is that North Korea does not have the potential and Russia simply has no reason to attack us.²

Now I should mention, I agree that there is a potential for these types of events, I disagree with the “facts” the author presents and his approach in using your fear to sell a book. Given the lack of principles evidenced by the author in refusing to use their real name or provide any validation as to their purported credentials, I find it difficult to believe anyone willingly believed and even acted on the message in the book. Additionally, the author promotes preparing in ways that are unsustainable and impossible for anyone making under 125,000 dollars a year.

Additional critiques are the author’s insistence on conflating Decibels and MHz with the following science sounding line. “Rooms built in this way have been shown to offer at least 80 db of shielding, but up too several hundred Mhz.” This line shows the ignorance of the author. The real science here is more difficult, 1,000,000 h or hertz makes up a Mhz. The measurement of 0 db is equal to 1000 h, additionally, it is a measure of sound specifically. ³ Given how sound is measure from what I gather, the author’s statement effectively invalidates itself and was likely taken without any real research from another crackpots website versus actually researched with any desire to impart truth. (it is important to note that unlike the author I am not using fake credentials in a different field to convince my readers of somethings existence, rather I as someone who has no formal experience or education in electromagnetic theory and its relation to electromagnetic pulses generated by man or nature on the earth, is simply attempting to introduce what little truth I have in this area)

I will say that the author was correct in at least two areas in the book, the information on the necessity of clean water and the authors desire to have more than one plan. These alone, however, do not make the book worth purchasing. In fact given the premise that the book was marketed with a date of destruction ending in January of 2017 I believe, it failed in every other way. I could go on to explain any number of reasons why this is a terrible purchase, however, I will simply leave you all with this warning.

If it seems to good to be true, or if as a religious person another religious person claims to “know the time”, RUN AWAY, do not give that person or persons your money and absolutely avoid disseminating the included information. I firmly believe if living a prepared life, however, after 41 years on this earth and having weathered dozens of natural disasters and personal major life-changing events I can honestly say, “if you need to believe that the world is about to end to be prepared in your life…you have not lived.”

This book is absolutely a DO NOT BUY!

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Links and related references: 

• ¹ The millennium and end-of-the-world predictions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/end_wrld.htm
• Moore, R. (2017, September 22). Perspective | Why Americans love doomsday prophecies. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/22/why-americans-love-doomsday-prophecies/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2a9dc16b546e\
• The 15 Greatest End of the World Prophecy FAILs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ranker.com/list/the-12-greatest-end-of-the-world-prophecy-fails/ivana-wynn
• ² Electromagnetic Pulse – EMP Myths. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.futurescience.com/emp/EMP-myths.html
• https://newatlas.com/portable-e-bomb/11522/
• Researchers developing portable E-Bomb – New Atlas newatlas.com
• https://science.howstuffworks.com/e-bomb3.htm
• Non-nuclear EMP Weapons – How E-Bombs Work | HowStuffWorks science.howstuffworks.com
• http://www2.siba.fi/akustiikka/index.php?id=38&la=en
• Basics of Acoustics – Hertz, cent and decibel www2.siba.fi

Here in Arizona, we enjoy bicycling, we also enjoy one of the densest populations of spiny flora on the planet. This combination is absolutely terrible for bicycle tubes. This is a review of one product I have found for my bicycle that works quite well and allows us to maintain pressure even when we encounter the inevitable patch of cacti or mesquite laying across a pathway. As with most of my reviews this product was purchased by myself and has been tested for several years with my children and self.

First, let’s get the downside out of the way, these tubes cost on average $15 for two depending on size, we as a family have 26” x 1.75-2.25 tires on our bicycles. We chose mountain and beach style cruisers over road bikes for several reasons, the largest being the lack of maintained roads in many places where we regularly travel. Using M.D. Creekmore Amazon link you can find them here! Now, if you are a regular bicyclist you will know that these tubes are actually not that expensive when you look at what you are getting in return.

Extended use alone makes these a valuable investment. They are not great for road bikes or competitive bicyclists simply because they are heavier and can seem unwieldy after installation. Personally, I have never noticed balance changes. While they are somewhat heavier again, the benefits outweigh these perceived negatives. The company warranties them for up to 2 years after installation. Honestly, I can say that prior to using these I was spending $5-9 every other month on new tires, even with patch kits, which can still be used on these if necessary. Given the sheer amount of unseen thorny threats, these have paid for themselves several times over.

We keep a full set available at all times just in case, and I have a full sized 200psi hand pump that will work in a pinch for vehicle tires as well. I also have a small hand pump and toolkit with patches that sits next to the small trauma kit under my bicycle seat. I should mention I got all of our bicycles for little or no money, two were purchased from local pawn stores for under $30 after a little elbow grease both work great and two others were either gifts or were added on by others in trade. So if you ever see our family riding “designer” bicycles, remember, “designer” can be had for far under new pricing if you are willing to look!

I can highly recommend Slime Self-Sealing Tubes for your bicycles! We enjoy them as a family and yes, I do ride a bicycle, after all, you have to stay in some type of physical shape and this is a lower impact approach.

Free the mind and the body will follow…

Related: 

• Work Sharp Pocket Knife Sharpener: Weekly Product Review
• Ten Amazing Book Related Life Hacks for the Modern Homesteader

Personally, I tend to avoid conspiracies and doomsday predictions, because typically they are, fear-based attempts to drive an individual or groups agenda. At no point in history has any species lived longer than it should nor has any state or collection of states lasted forever. This said I was sent a copy of the book Darkest Days: how to survive an EMP attack to the grid (Link goes to Amazon.com) recently, my review of this book follows. What follows is my review.

Thirty-five pages of explanations regarding what EMPs are and why they pose a risk using solid scientific and mathematical validation were how the book began. As I read through each page I had flashbacks to the e-book Alive after the Fall by an individual who was so ashamed of their work that they did not even use their real name. Certainly, there is a modicum of truth to the idea that in today’s highly industrialized world there is a risk of both natural and manmade EMP related disasters.

However, as I pointed out in the review of Alive after the Fall, these risks are not nearly as disastrous as many would have you believe. In fact, modern electronics are made from less and less metal than ever before lending to their increased survivability during magnetic or EMP interference.

For instance, modern Solid-State Drives are virtually indestructible and have the potential for extremely long-term data storage as compared to the older magnetic drives in use with many lower-end computers. ¹

Next is the inevitable discussion regarding vehicles and the overall electric grid. The simple reality is that if a pulse occurs that is large enough to knock it all offline, your vehicle running is the least of your concerns. Rather, the infrastructure itself providing you with extra fuel is the more important issue at hand.

This means that regardless vehicle type and in fact in spite of in some case, for instance, older fuel-guzzling non-electronically guided vehicles will need more fuel than most of us will be able to store with any real hope of longevity. This leads to the review of the rest of the book, and the preparations the author suggests implementing overall.

Page 39 of the book begins with this interesting line, “Unfortunately, it has been proven that those with less income tend to not fare as well as those who took a little bit of time and money each month to prepare. It is understandable but ANY small thing you can do today will help get you prepared and improve your chances of survival.”

When you look only at statistics coming from densely populated, heavily industrialized, city-states in the last 100 years this is in fact correct. However, what the author conveniently fails to make mention of is the simple reality that through excessive use of force by the states involved those who had less and in every case, no ability to defend themselves were indeed less likely to fare well and rarely have.

You see the author like the author of the other similar tome recently reviewed tends to believe that government is infallible and necessary to the continued happy coexistence of society as a whole.

I would posit that government is at its best unnecessary while society or people as a whole are in fact at their worst still better than government at its very best. I am agreed with by many of the brightest non-socialist minds across history, from Thomas More in the 1500’s through Thomas Paine and onward the reality of collapse is first that it is inevitable and second that humanity can indeed function quite well without babysitters made up of selfish individuals interested in personal gain of power or money.

The benefits of this book lie in the prepping advice,

• put away a little at a time and over time your supplies will build nicely
• food, water, toiletries, medication and the like are areas that are specifically looked at first in the book
• involving the family and having A meeting place is also beneficial goals, though as with everything I suggest more than one.
• A rather quick blurb regarding protection is mentioned without specifics

After these basic beneficial mentions, the author goes right back into in-depth preparations for what they describe as an inevitable EMP event. I personally do have spare electronic devices such as pre-programmed hand-held radios and backed up data storage in EMP resistant protective approaches, the reality is I could afford the extra radios at the time and I always backup data!

Over the rest of the book, there is some relatively decent information with regards to setting up a variety of energy generating pieces of equipment. Unfortunately, I do not believe that this brief and rather incomplete information is worth paying money for the book. Where the book itself may have some redeeming qualities is in the add-ons that are given to the original purchaser of this book.

First is Unscathed Survival: how to come out untouched from 10 different scenarios, 73 pages of reading with a few areas that are simply not applicable and several others that are.

Among the applicable information is the preparations for and survival after of floods, earthquakes, and other natural disaster preparation is essential. Though it should be mentioned that these same preparations can be easily found on the Red Cross site for free.

Next is Off-grid Home Protection System, this one is interesting with several solid approaches mentioned that are sometimes overlooked. Again, I would say that the author failed to adequately follow through. I have known several persons who purchased and installed many security measures as mentioned here including livestock guarding dogs or LGDs as the author states.

However, like the author they failed to implement any real training around these items and to this day the dogs are little better than house dogs regardless their use of German phrasing for commands as none of the dogs was trained and as many have proven untrained dogs regardless breed are little more than a distraction to home invaders.

My personal recommendation is either well-trained protection dogs OR small dogs like terriers (link goes to Amazon.com and terrier training manual) and the like who will be quite noisy and give an alarm. Some having proven to actually be more willing to attack intruders when compared to larger dog breeds (when both are untrained). I do love the use of vegetation with stickers on it as deterrents.

Personally, as a high desert dweller, I love prickly pear and ocatillo cacti along the inside of my back and front walls. These are almost impenetrable and can be placed for a visual benefit, not to mention the food and medicinal benefit of both of these plants!

Lastly, we have the final addition, how to make your own pharmacy. Sadly, this particular booklet has no value outside of pointing out the potential benefits of herbal medicine. There is no real guidance into what and how to make up various medications from the herbs mentioned.

And NO, making a tea or tonic is not simple nor is it the only way. There are dozens of approaches to the application of herbal medicines and only a few right ways. This booklet does not explain those well.

Only two or three of the mentioned herb-based recipes actually go into detail and offer a somewhat solid approach. For anyone with no or little real experience with these things, this book could easily do more harm than good.

My overall impression is that the authors or author of this book series simply wishes to cash in on the hysteria embracing so many uninformed individuals today. I would definitely suggest avoiding the purchase of these books and any that use words like “guarantee” in the ads for them.

Rather spend your money on solid well put together books (link goes to Amazon.com) that are written by individuals who use their own names and have the credentials and experience to support their work. I will be reviewing a few more books over the next few weeks, and many of them will be positive reviews.

Free the mind and the body will follow…

¹     Introducing the SSD Endurance Experiment. (2018). Retrieved from https://techreport.com/review/24841/introducing-the-ssd-endurance-experiment

The SSD Endurance Experiment: They’re all dead. (2018). Retrieved from https://techreport.com/review/27909/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-theyre-all-dead

Also Read:

• The Lost Ways – “A Guide to Real Life Homesteading and Survival Skills From Our Past That Work!”
• How to Make Your Own Faraday Cage at Home (Quick, Easy, Effective!)
• Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions, Et Al: weekly product review
• Kephart by Condor Knife and Tool: weekly product review

I am a fan of Work Sharp products, owning several and having purchased a few for gifts and various applications over time. In this case the Pocket Knife Sharpener is a brand new product that WorkSharp decided to allow me to test! So in this case, I did receive a product (that I will be buying more of) in exchange for a review. Please follow the links above for their website, this product is slated to be on the shelf by Fathers Day!

Work Sharp is an amazing brand name, well known in the knife building and sharpening industry. An American tool company founded in 1973 under the name Darex it is a business that has remained in the family for four generations. Matthew Bernard is the fourth generation family owner of the corporation. The brands under this name are Darex industrial bit sharpeners, Drill Doctor professional and DIY drill bit sharpeners and my personal favorite the Work Sharp line of knife and tool sharpeners.

Not only does Work Sharp (Darex) design and engineer their equipment in-house, they also manufacture it entirely under the same roof. Located in Jackson County, Oregon; it is based in a town of approximately 21,000 people called Ashland. Having been through that area I can say it is an absolutely beautiful place with hard-working individuals who remember the American work ethic. Makes sense as to why they chose this as their location after founding the company in Illinois, guess you could say the founders were truly forward thinkers in 1978 when they made the move out west!

When I first received the Work Sharp Pocket Knife Sharpener I was hesitant, honestly, it would be difficult for them to beat the Guided Field Sharpener I own and love. After grabbing some of my knives and the new sharpener I set to work and was quickly blown away by the ease of use and performance in such a small package. I sharpened inexpensive blades and some of my more expensive ones as well. It easily allowed for quick honing and full sharpening for everything from my Morakniv blades, Schrade multi-blade pocket knife to my skinning blades and the Husqvarna camp ax that has seen me through a few cold camping trips.

There are a few ways to hold the Pocket Knife Sharpener as you can see in the pictures the design allows for ease of use regardless choice in holding it. I would suggest ensuring your fingers are clear of the blade when you begin sharpening. Additionally, remember that you do not want to use excessive force when sharpening. In most cases allow the weight of the knife and a small added pressure do the work for you. The instructions say to use 10 strokes on each side of the edge and each side of the sharpener. With a few of my blades I needed to do 20 or 30 strokes and it should be noted that if you do not have to do NOT use the rough grit diamond plate side relying on a quick touch up with the ceramic rod only.

Overall this is a great product and would shine in the field as a tool for hunters, fishermen and the like who need something smaller and lighter. It weighs maybe a third of the Guided Field Sharpener and will cost less than half! Here is a quick rundown of what is included with this sharpener.

• 20-degree angle guide on a securely fastened 320 grit diamond plate (allowing for fixing of rough edges)
• 25-degree angle guide on a fine ceramic rod (giving you a hair-splitting edge)
• It has grippy soft rubber ends that make it easy to hold onto it regardless weather

This is a definite addition if you need something that is compact and works!

WorkSharp has this marked at $15 retail with a hold for sale at or around Fathers Day this year. Make sure to note the Work Sharp page on Amazon and check out their other amazing well-made tools! This tool gets two thumbs up with no hesitation and a definite nod towards those wanting to lighten their go bags or hunting kit! As always thanks for reading and if you have questions please do so!

Free the mind and the body will follow…