Survival kits go mainstream

It amuses me greatly to walk around the stores I normally do in my mall walk, and see pseudo survival kits, Barnes and nobles can hold a great many treasures, mainly proper books on the subject, I have bought Les Stroud's Survive book, highly recommended, and I start at Cody Lundin's books debating whether to buy them or not, Though I am waiting to finish current books for it. These next few objects I do not recommend buying.

This is a handy gem is it not? Beyond the fact that someone opened the box and there were parts missing from it, a canteen, flashlight and a few pouches and an old book. since I can not find these on the website I am going to assume they are ashamed of selling it and do not want me to remember the price.






These two things would be good for a young cub scout yes, but don't young boys go into cub scouts for the cool toys, like pocket knives and fire starting implements, I know thats why I wanted to go in.
                                                                                    

Bad tv shows, guides.

First off, I am still here, I haven't gone anywhere or done anything really, I have just not thought of anything to write about. Now I have a short post. also Saturday news.. uh Libya still going on gas prices high, food costs going up. yeah that covers it.

Okay so over this weekend I went through my dvr, a show I recorded Apocalypse man. Out of the many things I could say about this, wow. This guy for one looked homeless and I am sure that is the look the producers wanted. Two he is nuts, in the first few minutes he jumped off a bridge, let me state again, Jumped, Off, A, Bridge. For this event he stated that in times of martial law the government or that which remains would raise the bridges to limit travel for civilians, so his travel, He was trying to go to the city, was limited by a bridge so he jumped off one side of the raised bridge to the other, with a crowbar and rope. through this he scavenged a lot for things, apparently the back pack he had was empty, it was walking through everything  like someone would snipe him, saying that he had to lay low, yes being the only moving target wearing black in an empty city isn't conspicuous. This was honestly a bad show, he collected fuel to start a generator so he could sit in some office building, and charge a car battery, how long into the end of the world is this guy? I hope him and Bear Grylls make good friends, they both will probably jump off the same cliff.

If the world ends, I hope you were a prepper, honestly its the easiest way in any outlook of it, you are at home in your comfort zone stocked up on food and supplies with no need to leave out for anything that could in danger your life. If you are not a prepper, do not want to start stocking up for what ever reason, you should honestly fuel prices up, food prices up, I don't see them going down anytime soon, better late than never.

Fine don't listen, but if the end of the world hits, why go to the city? whats there, a lot of trash from people, I see no use in it, learn planting, hunting, something. neither of these skills will always be useful, think of all the redneck hunters there are, if they are all out there no limit providing for their families, the game will go quickly, if you are a bad shot you wont have a chance. there will be fighting for food.

Think about last Christmas for a minute, now Christmas shopping, then black Friday shopping, you remember those idiots killing people to get into stores first, now think if the world  ends, no more food factories, whats in those stores is the first thing people are gonna go for, it will be gone.

the main problem with any out look for the end of the world is that you do not know how it will come, if you will be able to leave the house or not.

I hope this post makes ya think. I want to post more, maybe do a video still and a self reveal show who I am, or at least my face.

Work, Product Fail, and News Disappears

Today was a busy day for me, I went to work, did a job interview, then went home and promptly passed out, there for getting nothing else done for the day accept to wake up at about midnight unable to sleep again. now its nearly 3 am. 

previously I reviewed the power dome, http://sdsurvival.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-power-dome.html

now the thing seems to not be holding a charge, I have had it about a year now, my mother got more use  out of it than me, and at its current state, it does not hold at charge long enough to pump up my tire. I do not know what other reviewers would  say towards this, however it seems to be a failing product. Considering I enjoyed the concept of this device I will eventually have to obtain another one, though at this point I do not know what brand I will go with next. 

Also, What happed to the birds and fish? The news reports stopped, is this a government hush now? In our lives rush we forget about events so quickly, we also ignore the trials that other countries are going through and events that do not revolve around our country. How about you find out how many major earth quakes happened last year? Compare it to the year before, and the year before that? Is there a trend of escalation? 

I also am waiting for the new Zeitgeist movie, the 29th is when the download begins, I would pay to see it, if I were closer to a showing, if not for the movie, but to see how many other people would be interested in watching it, how many other people know the movement.  

Zombie Survival Guide

I read the back of the book first, humor was the section it claimed to be in. honestly I found the book amusing and hard to put down until I got to the last part referring to " real life zombie events " then the book just became boring.
Honestly I thought the book held some decent tips for an end of the world scenario for zombies or any other mass chemical spread infecting many people, basically stating to stay home hold up in your house as long as you have supplies for. This goes hand in hand with prepper mentality, so I liked it, also stating where zombies can not climb I thought was amusing so destroying your stairwells and running to the second floor seemed to me like a good idea.
In many places in the book it relates to the fact that it does not contain all the knowledge needed to survive for long periods of time and that the person should own many survival guides, I think this is sound advice.

For a comedy book, after watching the walking dead series, zombie land, dawn of the dead, or 28 days later I think it is a needed read to put your mind at ease, and give you some ideas for your own post apocalyptic zombie prepping.
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/zombiesurvivalguide/index2.html

Library

I was bored today after having to go pick up my check at work, realizing I was right beside the library, even though I pass the building all the time, I hardly go in anymore. I went in and figured I would try to see what books they had on prepping or survival, being a county system library I would have thought it would have more books, of course I used the computer's " card catalog" I think that is a joke really, I remember card catalogs and they were not that easy  to use as I remember them.
There were a few sections and even fewer books. from the books I saw I got two  Wright's Complete disaster survival Manual, by Ted Wright, and Come back Alive by Robert Young Pelton. I apparently have two weeks to read the books, I know I wont get to, I am still reading the zombie survival guide, I just do not take much time to read, I have this blog to write, the day job, a wife, and just other general things I do to relax and reading just takes second string.
 I will probably keep checking out the books so I have time to read them, see how much I like them or they compare to Les Stroud, Survive or Sas Survival guide.  

review Power dome

Okay so here is another product review, there are several different brands of this thing, mine is called a power dome it is a combination device for vehicles, it jump starts a car, has an air compressor, light, DC and AC  converter, and a usb port ( for some reason).

Well it works great as an air compressor, and I have seen it jump start a car once, it really does have to have a good charge to jump off a car with it. the light is fine beyond one of the leds already burning out.

the ac converter is what I bought it for the most, I got it for a camping trip where I wanted to have as many amenities as possible since I was working near by at the renn fair and camping out where the rennies sleep. The ac converter is easily over strained, by my laptop. It also hates the cold, which I was using it in November, and it was quite cold, both actions made it have a really loud constant beep sound. from other reviews of this device I have seen it happen with them so I know it is not just mine.

I have not used the DC power supply at all I haven't had a need to power car devices away from my car.

I got this on amazon going for cheaper, 79.99 plus shipping made it come in at just 100 dollars, but they are sold at walmart and all other. it really does look like a rugged device, it just needs a bit more kick to power a laptop, but the battery just left in my car to pump up my tires when needed lasts for a decent while.
I think it is a must have for in the car, just to pump up a tire and jump yourself off rather than looking for a good person to help.

Book review Survive!

Okay, I have said I will do product reviews, know hows, and such. Time to review a book I read before starting this blog. Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to get you out of anywhere alive. by Les Stroud.

Now First I will say, I like this guy, to me he is smart on his survivor man shows, and I like his filming, as in being alone, that said, I don't like Canada speak in book form. Sorry Canadians. Most of this book related back to things you can learn just by watching his show, it did finally show how to make a figure 4 dead fall with some detail that he always speaks about in his shows. It is a good travel copy of 3 seasons of survivorman, and his one episode of urban disasters. Plus the stranded series he did to start up survivorman for the networks.

The book does have good tips, he is worth the read, but always do not just listen to one guide for all information, he also makes many references for everyplace he goes he consults local survival experts, something we all wont have if we were to get stranded in remote locations. it would mainly be book research like we would try to be doing with this book. I wouldn't call it an all knowing guide to survival, but it does have some tips tricks and opinions, like much hate for the the lean to shelter, why the hate Les?

I give it a 3 out of 5, I need to read more survival books honestly, this one didn't keep me that interested that I couldn't put the book down, but I did finish it.

Reading more books and reviewing more will come with time but money is tight like always for those with dead end jobs making it through life.

Also note, the leaving pages in the back of the book for tender was creative.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061373516?ie=UTF8%20&tag=harpercollinsusbuypage-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061373516

 I was attempting to not be bias on this review because I do like Les and his show, I like that even with having a show he is slow going, he is alone out there and takes care of himself, unlike Bear Grills who runs in headlong with no rhyme or reason to us the viewers, and he just works to make a good show rather than show someone how to survive, he shows ya just how to die faster.

drop a few cents in

well I am still thinking back on my camping trip on the things I could have accomplished had I stayed out there video wise, and I keep telling myself I will do something that will make up the things I didn't complete like the product reviews, and I do want to at least do a proper review of that hammock, and I want to stand by the fact that you do not have to buy name brand things, or things you see as over priced, for me that hammock was an impulse buy. something I wanted, I like how compact it is and how easy it is for me to set up, but I saw a hammock a few weeks later at a major mall store for 20 bucks, thats a stark difference from the 70 I paid.

I am going to do a video review of the hammock AND show you how make a cheap tarp like the one I made out in the woods, and even make it better since I will be making it in the comfort of my mothers house.

One thing I dislike about the world anymore is the fact of how much this nation is a consumer nation, made in the USA is a joke, even if something is branded that, the materials aren't, its like thinking back through how food is made, well a loaf of bread, what made it, flour and water, yeast, where did you get that? did you make it or buy it, yes there is a Simplicity to buying it but its so much easier later on knowing how to make something when you don't have the ability to buy it.

even todays news story today I found, he had no knowledge of his own, relied on information obtained at the point of tragedy, he had an iphone, and a first aid app, rather funny, but it did save his life, now he is writing a book
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2010/11/27/nr.baldwin.woolley.cnn?hpt=C2

Now question of the day, lets start a new thing to get people commenting. What is one thing you can make without buying something, anything, to make it? it can be anything, food, a charm, neckless, weapon. and I'll make it easy, you can scavenge garbage. show me, don't just say you can make it, do it and post a picture.

camping trip gone bad.

Well it turned out nothing of how I wanted, I shot no video, reviewed nothing, beyond just using them, the shelter wasn't made how it needed to be to keep us any kind of warm, I should have left the two I camped with gone off and made my own personal shelter. one person was dictated into not being able to come by his mother, the only under 18 person in the group, and the other two, well one kept leaving camp to go back home since the woods we were in was part of his families property, the idea was to sleep in shifts, and I let him have the first shift since he didn't dress properly and crawled into his sleeping bag first. but then after 6 am, his time to get up and someone else's time to sleep he decides to go get plastic to work on the shelter more,  which the shelter it's self needs to be remade it was rushed by a bit of rain that came through early the first day. he leaves for 3 hours, he went back home and went back to bed, and left me and knight out there cold and tired, and I will have to rethink my thoughts on cold weather camping, I was wearing clothes I normally wearing out into the snow, and I was cold to the bone.
the night the experience didn't work how I wanted, I will probably have to wait for another camping trip, this time not with knight or berzk cause knight also ruined it by running out of the shelter in the middle of the night and taking a dump about 10 feet away from camp, that ruined the site and we would have had to move the site well away from that nastiness. it wasn't the best experience.
the knife I made before the trip worked perfectly, it kept an edge, even after cutting through my hand, it could fell trees quite easily, cut through everything I needed.

one of the things I used while I was out there, a eno hammock- hammocks are not made for winter time, doing this with pads under you will keep air from flowing up under you but it doesn't make it warm, hammock would be good perhaps in the summer and to keep you off the ground from the bugs, something you don't have to worry about in the winter. I paid 70 dollars for this and I haven't used it much, but whats bad after getting it, looking at the design I should be able to make one myself, ill attempt it eventually, I did not buy the straps, bug net, or rain fly, I made a tarp from garbage bags, and I used truck tie down straps for hanging it up.

http://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/




the other main thing I was gonna test, is an Eton flashlight, this flashlight worked pretty well as a flashlight but the fact that I was using it as a weather radio too showed its flaws, it only lasted about 2 minutes on a few minutes of cranking, it was night so it wasn't easily charged from the solar panel, it also advertises it charging a cell phone from a usb port in the back of the flash light, its apparent this wasn't meant for my iphone the solar panel does not charge the cellphone at all, so if thats what you were wanting spend your 30 bucks on a solar panel charger. the crank is iffy at best for charging a phone, you can tell when you are charging the device or your phone because of the resistance it has when you are charging something but otherwise its a rather free flowing crank. the light worked as long as I needed and worked even after the radio would cut off. also the weather radio apparently uses more power than fm/am. when I bought this it was on special and I got a free blackout buddy flashlight with it. haven't needed it yet but I like that one too.
http://www.etoncorp.com/product_card/?p_ProductDbId=914953