The Hammock Experience

Slept out in my hammock last night, learning temperature limits & how well a newly purchased rain tarp sheds rain. Yes, it rained throughout the night & early this morning. Even with the downpour, everything under the tarp, (including me) stayed dry.

I had a very comfortable nights sleep, despite using an underquilt rated to only 40 degrees. By wearing a sweatshirt, socks & sweatpants, plus a toboggan cap, I was exceptionally comfortable all night long. Only where the Mummy bag, used as a top quilt, wasn't fully around my sides did I notice cold. I pulled the Mummy bag's hood over my face & head too.
But it was right when the temperature bottomed out early in the morning (36.5 F), did I wake up feeling cold on my backside & shoulders (a.k.a.CBS... cold butt syndrome) I had reached the limit of comfort the underquilt could offer. I got to admit though, I'm totally impressed.
Getting in & out of a hammock may seem tricky, but once settled in I found this to be the most comfortable sleep I've ever had camping outside in the elements.

You may never have the need to stay overnight outside, or even have a care too. But consider owning a hammock, a rain tarp, a good sleeping bag, and an underquilt. You never know when they may come in VERY handy. One thing is certain, once you experience the comfort a hammock provides you'll think twice about sleeping on the ground.

Here's the Amazon Grocery list of Hammock Gear I've come up with that has got me off the ground (pardon the pun), & into Hammock Camping.

First Up, my Hammock... 

Fox Outfitters Neolite Double Camping Hammock - A Lightweight Nylon Parachute Hammock for Backpacking, Travel, Beach, Yard. with Hammock Straps & Steel Carabiners 

This is what got me started, there was a promotion for them and I took the plunge. I was surprised how well made it is. 10'5 x 6'5 400lb capacity double parachute that comes with padded tree straps. All at a price half of what's out there that compares.

Next... The Rain Tarp

Gold Armour 12’ XL TARP Hammock Waterproof RAIN Fly Tent TARP 185" Centerline - Lightweight Ripstop Fabric - Stakes Included 

The most versatile piece of gear to get, and on a cold rainy night, the most  needed. A good tarp has to do only one thing... keep you & your gear dry. This one by Golden Armor is plenty big enough & plenty rugged enough to get the job done. What I liked most about it is the price. It offers the most bang for your buck!

Then a Bug Net...

ENO - Eagles Nest Outfitters 

Guardian Bug Net, Hammock Bug Netting

Not always needed but ALWAYS necessary when it is, understand? Unless you like getting chewed on in the night you NEED a bugnet. There are cheaper ones out there, but this ENO has kept me bug free here in a South Carolina SWAMP!

For creature comforts! Top & Bottom Quilts or Sleeping Bags...

HONEST OUTFITTERS Sleeping Bag with Compression Sack, Portable and Lightweight for 3-4 Season

It goes without saying, how a sleeping bag is necessary. I wish I could afford Goosedown, but synthetic fills offer as much insulation at far less cost. Here's a good sleeping that fills the bill for all but extreme cold.

Here's my choice of Underquilt...

Outdoor Vitals OV-Roost 40°F UnderQuilt/Sleeping Bag, Use As Ultralight UnderQuilt, Sleeping Bag, or Double Bag

It's important to understand what "CBS" (Cold Butt Syndrome) is, & how this relates to Hammocks, and most importantly, how this Underquilt came to be my choice. 

Since you're butt is literally "Hanging" in a hammock, air is passing around it, & cooling it in the night. To keep from freezing your butt off, it's necessary to insulate it from below, hence the need for a "Under Quilt", which hangs under a hammock, keeping you warm. This one... the "Roost" by Outdoor Vitals is a fantastically affordable one that meets the need for me. For you too!

There are other bits & pieces you can add to this list that make hammock camping enjoyable, but for the basics, these all fill the bill nicely & affordably. There is a wide variety of styles of every one of these items, but these are what's getting the job done for me. Every one making me able to "Hang Out" in a moments notice. 

The Hydra Light Review

I got word a water powered Flashlight was heading my way for a product review & immediately pictured a contraption with a propeller to dip in a running stream, or some penlight hooked up to a water bottle. Instead, I got the Hydra Light, a foot long, rubber-coated, yellow & black plastic cylinder, looking every inch a serious lighting device. It sported some heft to it too, but strangely, no propeller or water tank. Instead, inside it was a long white cylinder where a battery would be, with two metal ends and holes along the length of it’s sides.

End-cap with fold-out hook

The end-cap flares out forming a stable base with a recessed fold-out plastic hook to hang it upside down. (Although I doubt the hook will hold up long.)

At the business end, a clear plastic lamp bezel sports a mirrored concave top cover, and an aperture in the center. Around the single white LED inside the bezel, was more mirrored plastic.

The bezel does double duty. Slide the bezel fully extended, the light is configured as a lantern, with the bezel retracted, it becomes a directed flashlight, projecting the light out the end through the aperture.

So far, it LOOKS like a flashlight. But now what's up with this white plastic can-like tube inside, where a proper battery would be? It looked intriguing.

The fuel cell of tomorrow?

I learned it's the fuel cell that relies on a process of Ion Transfer involving oxygen as fuel. The Hydra-Light Fuel cell has a generous heft to it. It rattles, which I assume is something that somehow reacts to moisture.

I began to figure out that this ISN'T a water POWERED flashlight as the advertising implies. Instead, water is used another way, as a CONDUCTOR.

A chemical reaction occurs when two dissimilar forms of metal interact with each other. It's called ELECTROLYSIS. Simply put, molecular ions from one metal flows to another metal when a current path between the two is present. A common example of electrolysis is galvanic corrosion...how Iron becomes rusty when exposed to oxygen. All it takes is a conductor. It just so happens WATER is a conductor, and it's conductivity is greatly increased when MINERALS are dissolved in it.

It clicked...(like a light bulb over my head). In this moistened fuel cell container, enough electrical current is generated when the contents of the fuel cell is moistened and exposed to oxygen. Causing Ions to flow from one metal end-cap to the other.

Even though it only takes water to create electrical current, there's not a whole lot of electrical current being produced. There's another component in this that makes it work... a super efficient LED!

The star of the show is this LED

 LED's have revolutionized lighting. Light Emitting Diodes have become very efficient after years of development, all but replacing the incandescent light bulb. Being able to radiate bright white light from very little energy, modern LED's are now the ideal low cost, low maintenance, long-life light source.

And it's a single LED that makes the Hydra-Light happen.

Now...  Something needs pointing out.

While the Ion transfer process results in electrical current being generated, it isn't a LOT of electrical current. So, while the LED is efficiently producing light, it's not the brightest of lights. The Hydra Light isn't meant to blind, it's made to produce light just using water.

Within those narrow constraints, the Hydra Light DOES IT'S JOB LIKE NO OTHER!

The Hydra Light is ideally suited as an emergency light source, one that can provide light with just water, without ANY other technology.  I get that, and anyone who is desperately NEEDING light when ALL ELSE FAILS would get that too.

The Hydra-Light boasts of up to 100 hours of continuous service. One short dunking of the fuel cell in water is all it takes.

THAT I put it to the test.

I dipped the power cell in a glass of tap water, shook out the excess, slipped it in the Hydra Light and turned it on.  The LED immediately produced a bright blue-white light. As a flashlight it threw a very impressive beam. As a Lantern the single LED was able to light up a totally dark room to a respectable level, not super bright, but still bright enough.  Then I left the Hydra Light on and started the clock.

72 hours later (that's THREE DAYS), the light was noticeably dimmer, and it went dark while I was away at work on day four, at least 90 hours total. That's close enough for me.
Again, this is just dunking the fuel cell in water, shaking out the excess and turning the lamp on.

Again, this is just dunking the fuel cell in water, shaking out the excess and turning the lamp on.

Pretty darn impressive IMHO.

For the Hydra-light, the duration test is more of showing how long the fuel cell will conduct current until the fuel cell dries out.  Of course, normal battery powered flashlights can last 100 hours, (often brighter too). But after that, you just need to briefly re-moisten the fuel cell of the Hydra Light & the light will stay on for 100 hours more. (Do that with a regular battery flashlight)

After a few dips in water, the efficiency of the fuel cell diminishes. Still, that's remedied by simply adding salt to the water. The saltier the water, the brighter the lamp will glow. According to the maker, more fuel cells are available. But generally speaking, the whole idea of a emergency light source that can be left on a shelf for decades, & still be able to produce light after just a dip in some water, is just the thing to have when all else fails.

And for that, I TOTALLY approve.

The G.O.O.D. Board Game Review

I can't remember the last time I played a board game. It may have been 40 years ago, playing Clue, or Monopoly, long before I discovered computers & computer games. I don't know why it's been so long. Board Games are great family fun. It's something everyone can get involved with, sitting around the dining room table. Something to enjoy that doesn't involve a TV remote control or internet access.

So when I got the call that I got a Board Game heading my way to review, I was a bit reluctant at first. After so many years, so many other after-dinner pastimes, so many internet or electronic games, this one better be good. Turned out it was. It was The G.O.O.D. Game.

The G.O.O.D. Game, a.k.a  The "Get Out Of Dodge" Game, lived up to it's title. It was adventure, it was survival, it was hilarious.

Imagine Monopoly for a Zombie Apocalypse, or The Game of Life where a box of MRE's is worth more than your penthouse apartment in the city. In this game, you NEED to flee the city. Civilization has collapsed, you need to bug out with only what few supplies you can carry or scrounge along the way, to your safe house in the hills.  But along the way, you need to watch out! So many traps await you, you could wind up arrested in a FIMA Camp, or starving on top of Freeze Your A** Pass.

You'll use your wits, your luck, & occasionally your skill at bartering, to see your way through. It's ultimately the roll of the dice that'll determine if you're lucky enough to survive your journey, to make it to your bug out haven in the hills.

Amazing that Susan Kellerman-Hogue, the designer of The G.O.O.D. Game, could make S.H.T.F. an entertaining board game, but she certainly did, with tongue-in-cheek humor too. A few left-handed social comments thrown in the game along the way will have you giggling in your Flak Vest as you move your player piece along the board. BTW, since this IS a game of survival, you make your OWN game piece. Just be sure whoever uses a live .50 FMJ round as their game piece, gets first roll.

The Game Board is large & hilariously illustrated. The gameplay is roll the dice & land on a space, if it tells you to follow the instructions on the included "Determiner" Card, you'll do what the card says. It's pure luck if the outcome helps your cause or beats you bloody, you just have to take your turn to find out. Land on a space along with another player you can barter your gear. But be careful, one's man's treasure may be what you NEED the next turn you take. Ultimately, one person will get through & win, but along the way a whole evening will be spent in fun-filled survival & a battle of wits.  NOTE: Contains some Politically Incorrect Material & Some Harsh Language. 

Yes, I got to say it's been at least 40 years since I last played a board game. But I'm glad the long dry spell is over, & it was by a good board game I got to play. The G.O.O.D. Game.

Survival Seeds: How To Stay Alive...Long-Term

If you’re not saving seeds you should be, even if you have food storage already. They take up little room and could save your life if there is ever a long-lasting crises, natural or economical.

Store Well: Moisture, Temperature, & Light

To keep seeds from prematurely germinating they need to be stored effectively. 

Moisture is an enemy to long-term seed storage. Make sure all seeds are properly dried and placed in moisture-proof packaging.

Seeds need to be kept at a constant temperature just above freezing (40-45 degrees). However, if the seeds are fully dried they can be kept at freezing temperatures.

Light exposure should be zero to minimum. It is best if the packaging is light-proof and placed in a dark area.

Oh, to dream...

Overall, you’ll be safe if your seeds are stored in moisture and water proof packaging and placed in a freezer or, for extra long-term storage, placed in a sealed PPC pipe and buried.

Purchase High Quality Seeds: 

Non-GMO & Heirloom

Non-GMO seeds are seeds that have not been genetically modified. Examples would be corn seeds that are modified to resist pests helping farmers save on pesticides. But in the past few years, farmers are finding that nature is adapting and the natural non-GMO seeds are yielding more.

...a family owned business (we take pride in that.) Offering high quality GMO-FREE Seeds & Value Packs of Fruit, Vegetable, Herbs & Flowers. Look to our website as a resource for your Prepping, Homestead & Survival Needs. 

Guardline GS-5000 Motion Detection Security System

Imagine a line of pickets that can pick up the approach of anything heading your way. That's exactly what you have with the Guardline GL-5000 Motion Detecting Alarm System.

This product review was a walk in the park... actually a walk around the yard, testing the effective range of this rugged & versatile motion detector & programmable alarm system. The radio transponder motion detecting sensors easily covered the furthest reaches of my property, sending notice when movement was detected.

Available on Amazon

Guardline,  a major name in home security systems, has answered the call for a motion detector system with greater range & greater expandability, & has done so in a practical, affordable way.

Operating in the UHF 900 Mhz. radio band, Guardline's sensors lie in wait to detect movement. Each censor able to be set up with different sensitivity, detected rate of movement, as well as scheduled time of operation. You can configure each one to match it's location & need of coverage. With up to quarter mile range to the receiver, a sensor can alert you of movement, several minutes before anything could come close.

Made of high impact ABS Plastic in flat OD Green color, each sealed, battery powered sensor, blends into an outdoor setting & operates undetected day & night. The sensor comes with mounting screws for walls & fenceposts, but I found it handy to use tie-straps for temporary mounting. The sensors weigh not much more than the 4 AA batteries it holds, so deploying these sensors tactically is a not a problem at all.

But here's where the GL-5000 stands apart. The central receiver is programmable, with 4 monitoring zones, each able to monitor 4 separate sensors. That means you can deploy up to 16 sensors, & the receiver can keep track of each one.  You can assign each sensor it's own unique alert tone, so just by the sound you hear, you can know in an instant exactly where movement has been detected.

I noted several "chokepoints" where anyone coming onto my property would have to pass. It was easy to install a sensor at each spot & give full coverage of the area. The furthest sensor was deep in the woods150 yards away. It was picked up by the desktop receiver.  I even went all out and walked way out off my property, to the end of the road over a block away, it still was received.  The Guardline GL-5000 is ideal for long range motion detection capability. And with batteries supplying power to the sensors, the system makes for great temporary deployed perimeter security.

My one hitch in the review was all by my doing. The sensor's case is held together by four small brass screws, and I of course promptly dropped one as soon as I went to put batteries in the unit. I quickly found the dropped screw, but word to the wise, be careful with opening the sensors.

The number of batteries you invest in may be a burden if you have as many sensors the GL-5000 can handle...(16 units x 4 AA batteries each = 64 batteries), but rechargeable batteries are available which can minimize the burden. And if you're like me, a solar powered charging system can easily be put together which can keep things topped off indefinitely. The upside is how the sensors can be programmed to "sleep" for set periods of the day or night, cutting down on battery use. The GL-5000 doesn't come with connections to a computer or internet, however that's another thing a whiz-kid tinkerer could figure out.

That all said, if you're looking for a reliable, expandable & affordable way to guard for intruders Guardline's GL-5000 system is more than capable. For Home Security I give it a big Thumb's Up!

Point Zero Energy HomeGrid™ 5000HD Solar Electrical Generator

I'm a pretty jaded type. I don't often get excited, but I was all "a-tingle" when I got word of what was heading my way for review.  Most of my reviews are of small items, handheld radios, machetes, hand axes, not 200 lbs. of high-end, high power solar generator.

Needless to say, I was as giddy as a little school girl.

You see, any serious prepping plan needs a foundation based on sustainability. You need to work from a sustainable supply of anything to hold your own, whether it's a supply of beans, bullets or banjo strings. This applies especially for electricity.
The ultimate goal is to live comfortably "off grid".  Unless a life of a wilderness mountain man with flint & tinder is your bag, if you want electric lights, air conditioning & internet, you'll need a powerful electrical generator.

The HomeGrid™ 5000HD Solar Powered Generator.

Just like it's name, this solar-powered electrical generator is made to supply a entire household with clean, continuous electricity, for totally off-grid living.

Four heavy boxes arrived from Point Zero Energy by ground freight, with two large deep cycle 12V DC batteries, the inverter/generator unit, unit base, cart wheels & handle. Plus two pairs of solar panels, with two 100 watt panel built into sturdy frames with hinged supports & carry handles. Total capacity of the included solar panels came to 400 watts. Also included, was an assortment of parts including a heavy duty battery charge controller, three heavy-gauge jumper cables & connecting cables for the solar panels, along with an illustrated manual & instructional DVD.

Assembly was straight forward... the generator  bolts to the flat metal base with welded axle for the two wheels. At each side of the generator sits the two 12VDC batteries, on top of the generator a heavy duty handle is bolted on. Everything can be pushed around like a hand truck. The two batteries get wired in series to the generator to supply 24 Volts DC. On the front face of the Inverter/Generator are four 110VAC outlets, two USB outlets & One 220VAC outlet. There's also a power & standby toggle switch and an LED Display that shows battery status & output voltage.

With the large capacity deep cycle dry cells & heavy duty inverter, the Homegrid™ 5000HD is capable of 5000 watts of continuous 110 & 220 AC Power, and a whopping 22,000 watts of peak surge power. Read that again...TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND WATTS Surge power.  Meaning the generator can easily power multiple home appliances simultaneously including refrigerators, freezers, microwave ovens, and cooking appliances. It's pure sine wave power output will safely run power tools, electronics, and medical equipment.

A "Mac-Daddy Cadillac" Solar Generator, perfect for off-grid living. Two things make it deliver... Massive Dry Cell Batteries with tremendous capacity & a robust DC/AC inverter, built to take tremendous demand. The 220 Volt output, wired to a household circuit breaker system can give household appliances clean dependable electrical power day & night.

For my test, I plugged into my house transfer switch circuit, specifically to isolate my home off the Utility Company power meter, (and avoiding back feeding). There was no noticeable difference to the house load. The TV worked fine, my computers booted up, lights came on through the house, the refrigerator & microwave ran without a hiccup. Even my water well, with it's 220V AC motor did it's job. Then I ran some power tools... my chop saw & band saw in the shop, they all cut wood with no telltale difference in performance.
Overall, the power draw on the generator was usually less than 2500 watts, most often less than a thousand watts. It was when the refrigerator compressor came on, or when the well pump kicked on that power surged. Throughout my test, the generator was loafing along, operating well under capacity all day & even all night. One exception though, my house AC unit wasn't in the transfer circuit. When I wired up my transfer switch, I didn't include it in the circuit so I couldn't put it to test. Still, the AC is rated to draw 1500 to 3000 watts when operating, the HomeGrid™ 5000HD has the capacity to handle the load.  Through the night there wasn't much demand, just the few lights I had on, my computer & TV, and the refrigerator... altogether, no more than 1000 watts. By next morning, the battery status indictor showed less than one quarter depletion, and within the first hours of daylight, the system had regained a full charge by the solar panels.


Using the 400 watt solar panel array, the generator's batteries can easily be topped off throughout the day letting the system handle the heavy lifting alone only during the night. The generator can also accommodate a second 400 watt array as well.  Typically the deep cycle battery service life offers 7 to 8 years of reliable service.

Granted, my review was a weekend of use test, and in the long term, my energy demands would widely vary from day to day & seasonally. However, with some reasonable budgeting on the amount of power use, the Point Zero Energy HomeGrid™5000HD could give me a totally off grid existence right out of the box. Just by adding additional batteries & solar cells, the well of electrical power I'd have on tap would be far more than my modest needs. The great news is the HomeGrid™ 5000HD is easily expandable & PORTABLE.

My only gripe isn't really a gripe at all.
I was staggered by the weight the Point Zero Energy HomeGrid™5000HD.  Although designed & built to be portable, you'd be smart to have a couple of stout helpers to pitch in moving the generator & battery unit. By myself, it was a task. The solar panels are not a problem, but you certainly work up a sweat horsing the generator unit & batteries around. Imagine taking a hand truck and deadlifting a small refrigerator up some stairs.  Again, this isn't really a gripe against the gear, more it's against my own lack of strength. The weight is actually a good testament of the sheer ruggedness built into the unit. Point Zero Energy isn't building wimpy gear here, it's high quality, high capacity & highly reliable power generation equipment. It's well worth the sizable investment to insure safe, reliable, & dependable electrical energy to live totally off-grid, yet still enjoy modern electrical appliances in your household.  Until Doc Brown & Marty McFly shows up with a Mr. Fusion home reactor, the Point Zero Energy HomeGrid™ 5000HD is anyone's ticket to an off-grid lifestyle. Now that I've experienced life off-grid, I'm striving for more.
Pay a visit to Point Zero Energy's website to learn more about the complete line of HomeGrid™ Solar Powered Electrical Generators.

2 year service review: WORX 8 Amp Electric 14" Chainsaw

There are times when "You get what you pay for", doesn't hold water.
In the case of a 14"electric chainsaw by WORX, you get MORE.

Well into it's 2nd. year of hard service, getting this wood cutting powerhouse is money well spent. I had my doubts on a electric powered chainsaw, surely the motor & gearing can't possibly hold up to the

strain of cutting branches & logs, but after several good-sized tree-falls, and yards of firewood, the saw is just as sure & efficient as the day I pulled it out of the box.
My yard is full of trees. That means cutting up deadfalls, loping off branches, and harvesting firewood are common tasks. Over the years I've burned out two gas-engined chainsaws, each time cussing them for the aggravation of de-gumming clogged carburetors, despite keeping 2-cycle fuel fresh. Unless I was using the gas chainsaw daily, (which I wasn't) a year of use & storage was enough to turn a $100 investment into a crank pulling, blister-raising, pain in the butt. It got so I had to plan one whole day just getting the chainsaw running, to spend another full day using it.
When the second gas chainsaw finally bit the dust, I had had it. Worse, I had a big Bradford Pear decide to split in half on me leaving me a backyard FULL of fallen timber to cut up. I needed a chainsaw, & needed it right NOW!
So that's when I decided to take a chance on this WORX 14" Electric Chain Saw. I figured at half the price of a gas chainsaw, even if I only got a year's use out of it, at least I'm not out all the aggravation AND cost of a gas powered saw. Besides, with most of the work I needed to do... small branches with some thicker timber up to 20" thick... I figured I could knock out the small stuff, and if the saw puked on the bigger stuff, at least most of the cutting got done pretty cheap.

But surprisingly, that was TWO YEARS & more than three TREES AGO!

The WORX 14" saw is just as powerful, just as sharp, just as instant-on reliable as it was when I brought it home. No mixing gas, no priming, no choke, no yanking on a starter rope over & over & over. Lay out an extension cord, plug in & GO.

The WORX has an easy chain adjustment too. A twist of a knob snugs up the chain to proper tension, and just a top off of chain lube is all that's necessary for a full day of cutting.

It may seem like the saw takes a shade longer to cut through heavy work compared to a gas chainsaw, (but perhaps it was just the summer heat), but it certainly doesn't beat you up like a gas saw will. The motor is far quieter, the lighter weight of the saw is far less strain on your arms & back. I was totally surprised with the saw's cutting performance.
If your needs for a chainsaw is for light to medium yard work, mostly small diameter branches with the occasional larger log, the WORX 14" saw will do you very well, better than what you'd expect. Although tied to a electric power source via a plug in cord, you can kiss bye-bye all the starter rope pulling, spark plug fowling, gas mixture mess & smoky engine exhaust & ear ringing noise of a gas powered saw.
This has turned out to be one of my SMARTER investments.

Complete Water Analysis Test Kit / APN Product Review

It's not often when worry is put to rest, especially when it comes from playing in water.

A prime reason I chose my home was because it had a Water Well, a key item in maintaining independence from outside resource. Without need of a municipal water supply, I can live on my property without worry of  water suddenly not being available. I only then need to worry about it being drinkable.

Test Assured's Complete Water Analysis Test Kit

That's why I took on the task of doing a review of Test Assured's Complete Water Analysis Test Kit with enthusiasm.  I knew I had good tasting well water at my taps, but all the same, I wanted to know chemically how well my well water really was. (Say that 5 times fast.) Most importantly, I wanted to put to rest worries that there could be something in it that could potentially make me sick.

If you can follow directions how to mix cake batter, you can do all of the tests without messy eggs, butter, milk & stuff. It's simply fill a vial, dip in a test strip & compare colors from a chart. If I can do it, you can too.

The Complete Water Analysis Test Kit  is 10 tests in one.  Ten of the most common contaminants you need to be concerned about if you intend to use water to drink, cook or bathe.

Alkalinity: Water with low alkalinity can be corrosive and irritate eyes. Water with high alkalinity has a soda-like taste, dries out skin and causes scaling on fixtures and plumbing.

Hardness: The amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. Hard water is high in dissolved minerals. When using hard water, more soap or detergent is needed to get things clean, be it your hands, hair, or your laundry.
pH: An index of the amount of hydrogen ions (H-) in the water. When water has a pH that is too low, it can lead to corrosion and pitting of pipes in plumbing and distribution systems.
Chlorine: A highly efficient disinfectant added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing pathogens. But too much of a good thing is not necessarily good. Too much can burn & kill.
Copper: Reddish metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water, sediment, and air. New copper pipes leech copper into water which can be harmful for babies. Older pipes not so much, because of the natural patina that develops on the metal surface.
Iron: Water high in iron may taste metallic, be discolored and appear brownish, Iron leaves red or orange rust stains in the sink, toilet, bathtub or shower.

Nitrates & Nitrites: Naturally occurring chemicals made of nitrogen and oxygen. The primary health hazard occurs when nitrate is transformed to nitrite in the digestive system. The nitrite oxidizes the iron in red blood cells to form methemoglobin, which lacks the oxygen-carrying ability of hemoglobin. Too much nitrate & nitrites in drinking water can cause serious health problems for young infants.

Lead: If you don't already know how dangerous consuming lead is, go back to eating your paint chips. Lead poisoning is a real concern with older homes with leaded plumbing.

Pesticides: Commonly caused by ground water contamination. Just where do you think the bug spray your neighbor uses winds up?

Bacteria: The most worrisome fear,  pathogens in your water that can make you REALLY sick. This test requires 48 hours for results.

The testing was easy to do. The kit is packaged well & clear in it's instructions. It makes me wonder if this is EXACTLY what is used by "Professional Water Testers" who charge $$$ for the convenience.

Is it worth it? 

The results largely confirmed what I already knew... I have safe, clean well water.

Test results showed that my water is clear of Chlorine, Iron, Nitrates, Nitrites, Copper, Pesticides or Lead. Further, (and most importantly), my water is Bacteria Free.

The test kit did show that Alkalinity is right in the target range for drinking water at 80 to 120 ppm. (parts per million). Hardness, in the moderate to hard side, with approximately 100 to 200 ppm. And the pH right in the ideal range of 6.5 to 8, (7 being neutral).

The bottom line... A water softener could be a smart purchase, otherwise I should fill a tall glass & toast myself for having good water coming from my well.

I highly recommend this test kit. Get several, since each kit is single use. It's a smart idea to test your drinking water after large weather events occur which can effect your regional water supply. Pack along some kits when you travel, and you need to be sure the water that's available is safe.

I suppose I could get an independent lab do the same tests for comparative results. But unless folks buy a kit or two from this AMAZON LINK, I don't see shelling out the $$$ for that. However, just by testing regularly once a year, I can determine any changes that may occur. The kit makes doing that very affordable. (Way cheaper than hiring it done)

Add the Complete Water Analysis Test Kit  to your Prepper Needs List.  If you seek to know just the Lead content, Test Assured offers a separate test kit for that as well.
For more information about this product & other products by Test Assured, visit their website.

Alpha Bravo Creations: Tactical Hand Signals & Phonetic Alphabet Flash Cards

I'm to review Flashcards teaching Army Hand signals & the Phonetic Alphabet?

When I received this assignment, I was skeptical. Certainly, communications modes are a specialty I'm familiar with, but I'm no Platoon Leader, and my days of playing Army Man is a bit behind me. Besides, this is a review of kids flashcards, my last dealing with was in learning math in grade school.
But I was surprised when I examined the deck of cards of the Phonetic Alphabet, I immediately got the concept & it's potential. Then, when I tried out the deck of Army Hand signals & American Sign Language, it struck me that these flashcards are invaluable for not just kids, but for adults too.

Communication in it's purest sense is simply transferring information from one place to another by any means necessary, either verbally, or non-verbally. So while from the standpoint of preparedness, the ability to convey information clearly & accurately is paramount, the ability to also do so silently can be vital.
So here's where these flashcards come in handy, (pardon the pun).
Use of hand signals offers clear communication totally unspoken, as any misbehaving youngster frozen in mid-frolic by Mom & Dad pointing at them sternly can attest. Message CLEARLY conveyed.

Each flashcard offers a term or statement with an illustration of it's accompanying hand gesture. There's also directions on how to do the gesture.  By learning to recognize the gestures and connect it to the word or statement, standard terms & gestures can be strung together to make whole sentences or concepts. By repetition of using these cards anyone can become proficient in using hand signals.
Like I said... very handy.
It didn't take long at all for this old dog to learn some new tricks, not long at all.
Hand gestures can be very useful...(bet you thought I'd say HANDY again), if ever I'd be in a situation where I NEED to communicate without speaking a word. Serious stuff, like  HURRY! THIS WAY to the RALLY POINT.
While Alpha Bravo's Hand Signals for Kids helps kids add realism to their playacting, what you can learn from them can be a vital aid for anyone in a disaster to emergency.

Next came the deck of flashcards teaching the Phonetic Alphabet.
If you've ever seen a Cop show on TV or a Hollywood Blockbuster War Movie, someone is always talking over a microphone saying stuff like"Foxtrot Uniform Bravo Alpha Romeo"...or some sort of drivel. It's not heatstroke that's got the actor talking gibberish, it's a PHONETIC ALPHABET used to verbalize individual letters, using spoken words. Tango is the letter "T", India the letter "I", Charlie the letter "C", and so on. Using phonetics is handy when noise conditions make it hard to discern single letters. Sounds like "Eee" & "Tee" &"Cee" can often be misheard in a noisy location. So by attributing a word starting with the letter, it's easier to understand because you're more likely to hear parts of a word and mentally fill in the blanks.
With the Phonetic Alphabet Flashcards,  Alpha Delta Creations has presented each letter with a picture symbol, depicting the word, as well as it's corresponding Morse Code symbol.

HUH! What? Morse Code? Hams do Morse code! Heck, even Rambo tapped out Morse code to send a message in one of his movies! Morse Code is HANDY!

While not a requirement any longer to know Morse Code, it's still a widely popular mode of communication in Ham Radio, the dots & dashes all to be heard & deciphered when signal conditions are so poor that vocal speech is "in the mud" & unrecognizable.
I know very well the phonetic alphabet, but I never acquired Morse Code. So now, armed with a set of flash cards depicting them, I bet picking up the code could be just as easy as picking up these cards. Or better yet, it'll be CHILD'S PLAY.

My review started out skeptical, but I quickly came around. I seriously suggest getting your kids these flashcards & using them yourself. Who says kids get to do all the fun? In fact, make learning how to do Tactical Hand Signaling AND the Phonetic Alphabet & Morse Code a family fun project. One that may pay SERIOUS dividends later.
(I almost forgot... did anybody catch the reference of "Foxtrot, Uniform, Bravo, Alpha, Romeo"? Learn the Phonetic Alphabet & watch Saving Private Ryan again till you do. )
LEARN MORE or ORDER a set of flashcards, visit Alpha Bravo Creations Website. www.alphabravocreations.com

VPRacing Small Engine Fuel stays fresh for YEARS!

The weakest link with Gas Powered Tools is the shelf life of Gasoline Fuel. Gas with Ethanol attracts moisture, especially over winter months. To store gas for the long term, you spend $$ on fuel stabilizers needlessly, when you choose the wrong fuel in the first place. VPRacing Small Engine Fuel products are Ethanol free. The difference? How about Gasoline with a 5 YEAR SHELF LIFE? Interested? Check this out.    Available HERE.

goTenna™ A Magic Wand Enabling Smartphone Texting

Had the pleasure to check out some new technology that enables you to send & receive text messages on a smartphone, without need of cell towers or a wifi hotspot. I used a magic wand... a goTenna. In the race to develop additional communication capability for smartphones, goTenna has taken a simple approach, and has crossed the finish line with a winner.

Here's the problem... smartphones turn to dumb bricks when cell & wifi service is gone.  While a bunch of products have attempted to marry alternative communication like two-way radio to the smartphone platform, trying to add an additional layer of technology is problematic. We've seen prototypes of handheld radios glommed onto backs of smartphones, only to see them fall victim to ever changing smartphone technology, falling short in keeping up with the endless parade of new models & new hardware.

Magic Wand?

But goTenna took a different tack... make a simple device to establish an independent peer to peer communication mode. Instead of adding something new to smartphones, goTenna simply enables smartphones to do what does already... send & receive text...and enables it to do so when it can't be done through normal means.

A goTenna is a cognitive digital radio combined with an app that generates its own signal and automatically coordinates with other units within range. It does all the heavy-lifting, so you can chat 1-to-1, with a group, or even broadcast openly to anyone nearby. Distance is it's only limitation. The goTenna has a VHF signal in the unlicensed portion of the MURS band, transmitting 2 watts, so location, elevation, & surroundings are the only unknown variables where range is concerned. Still, you may count on 1 to 3 miles as typical. In my case, out on the bike trail I got just over 2 miles away before I lost connectivity to my other goTenna, although it was more due to terrain than distance. If I was on flat ground I would have likely got further.

Couldn't be any simpler...

Being a text only device, goTenna is not hamstrung by bandwidth & power needs that voice and imagery require.  And since the link between goTenna & smartphone is via bluetooth, any bluetooth equipped smartphone can use a goTenna. You install the free goTenna app available for Android or iOS, pair with the goTenna device, and you're sending & receiving text with other goTenna equipped smartphones.

The goTenna is packaged in pairs, so you have an alternative text communication method for you and one other right out of the box. You're not limited to just that pair of goTennas, you can broadcast to any goTenna within range. There's future potential with the technology to establish a mesh network, and goTenna maintains the capability lies in further development. In the meantime, this magic wand device offers you a way to stay in contact using your smartphone, when everyone else is carrying bricks seeking a cell signal or wifi hotspot.

HOLIDAY SALE UPDATE!!!
goTenna is making a big push this holiday season. MSRP for 2 goTenna units is $199, but now till Sunday Dec. 20, take $15 off with using code: APNHOLIDAY
Order before 9:30 EST Wednesday for pre-Christmas delivery with FREE GROUND DELIVERY
If you use the coupon code and order before Wednesday morning you SAVE $25
Order Direct Here

Baofeng UV-82HP UHF/VHF Handheld Amateur Radio vs Baofeng UV-5R

The folks at Baofeng Tech asked me if I'd review this radio. Given the chance to review the new UV-82HP, the FIRST thing I thought of was to pit two different models against each other, at their max power settings, and see how great a difference there was in range. A totally unscientific comparison, but doable, since I own two Baofeng's already, two Baofeng UV-5R's. I figured it would settle,(at least in my mind), the range question from a practical standpoint, and give me a reference point radio to compare. 

Let’s start with a practical assessment...

UV-82HP: you can play the FM radio for three full days at work on a full battery charge. 
For some, (like me), that’s important. It’s also a practical test of current drain, like turned on scanning memory banks all day. Figure perhaps 18 to 24 hours service between charges & light duty cycles.   Audio volume & clarity is VERY impressive. I'm also impressed with the radio's fit & feel. There's substance to the radio, but because of it’s slim form factor, there's no problem with it clipped to a pants pocket all day. It’s not a bulky brick. 
If ever I hear some blow-hard spout off about "cheap Chinese Radios" I'd hit them with this one... it'd leave a dent.  

The LED flashlight has a enclosed lens & reflector, a great improvement too. I've always loved the handy flashlight on both of my UV-5R's... this one's a lot brighter. 

UV-5R: (First this Crevat: I LOVE my UV5-R's) The radio resembles a handheld radio version of a Sherman Tank, a small Sherman Tank. The '82 is slim & curvy, the '5R, like a leading edge of a bowling ball. While part of it's appeal has been it's utilitarian chunkiness, I always found the '5R to be a bit top heavy clipped to my belt, the antenna trying to upend the radio, so I seldom kept the radio clipped to my side for long. I usually just carried it. As for volume, compared to the '82...it's no comparison, the 5R's speaker sounds thin & tinny, the female voice commands a mumble most of the time, except when saying "Low Voltage" after a long day turned on. 

Please understand, I know I'm comparing Apples to Oranges here, the UV-82HP is a different radio model from a feature standpoint... as I soon found out, testing first how both worked, from a level playing field.

Rubber meets Road...RF meets Ozone

Testing for typical performance, I used both of my stock UV-5R HT’s & the '82HP at the same power levels, to compare their signal reports through a local repeater about 5 miles away. 
I discovered the UV-82HP receiver had some signal fading due to antenna orientation, vertical being distinctly stronger than horizontal. So did the UV-5R's, only not as much.

Yippie Ki... Huh? What?

Holding the radio upright, the received signal clears up fine. It’s not a big problem, it just means I can’t look cool holding the radio sideways like they do on TV or in the movies.

All things the same, only different...

It turns out under identical power levels & operating conditions, the UV-82HP’s transmitted audio signal into the repeater was louder than both UV-5R’s. This was confirmed through signal reports from my contact, who didn’t know which radio I was using. Perhaps carrier deviation is just hotter in this particular HT, but over all, the UV-82HP had a better quality signal than both of my UV5-R’s. Actually, I’m more lead to think it's the battery capacity of the different radio models making the difference, the UV-5R’s using stock 1500 mAh. batteries, vs the UV-82HP, with 1800 mAh. (That’s a little radio tech secret… you get a cleaner signal with greater battery capacity.) 
The batteries and supplied chargers are not interchangeable between the UV-82HP & the UV-5R.  
This may also explain the longer times between charges, just listening to the FM radio.

The Main Event

On testing range, I tried all three... the two UV-5R's, and the UV-82HP, to get into a distant repeater, each using their highest transmit power.
It ended up being no contest...

For this test, I worked into the 1500' blowtorch of the Pee Dee region, the W4PDE 2 meter repeater outside of Dillion SC, 57 miles away, it covers a 125 mile radius. 

With several attempts, both UV-5R’s couldn't raise the repeater, no response at all. 
I expected that, it was quite a stretch for 4 watt UV-5R’s to get that far, with me standing at street level. But surprisingly, the UV-82HP hit the repeater first time with ease.  My contact, Tim W2SOC, reported my signal clear & readable with some white noise. Still, a VERY respectable report. Later on that evening, back home, The UV-82HP reached the Dillion repeater again, this time at 50 miles. Sadly again, both UV-5R’s couldn’t cut the mustard. In the past, I had got into the Dillion repeater from my front porch with one of my UV-5R's ...on a good day. It wasn't one of those days for a UV-5R, but another day in paradise for the UV-82HP.

 

All things being the same, the UV-82HP has better signal quality overall than my UV-5R's. As for it’s greater power settings, it’s obvious the radio’s range is significantly greater.

Showing Off...

At this years local field day, the UV-82HP was the belle of the ball because it was NEW! 

I got the radio in the hands of as many Hams as I could for their feedback.  Owners of UV-5R’s liked it's fit & finish, and everyone liked it's greater power output. Those who own older UV-82’s were envious, but knew it was the logical next step in the model line. 
The two-button PTT feature, used to select between two banks of memory, was initially confusing for UV-5R owners, but they quickly caught on to how it eliminates need to manually select between memory banks, and allows you to work two separate stations, just by pressing one or the other key button. If you don’t like the feature, you can turn it off in the settings using programming software. 
One noted the '82 seemed more geared for using preset memories, which it is, arriving out of the box set up in channel mode. You hold down the menu button when turning on, to switch the radio to frequency mode. I also showed both radios to Hams who don't own neither radio, asked them to pick which one they like. Most chose the UV-82HP over the UV-5R because it felt "more like a radio”, (One even called the '5R "a toy radio")

Assessing UV-82HP's set up & ease of use. 

Right off the bat I noticed manual programming is more refined than with the UV-5R series, however, a practiced hand is still needed to set up & load memories manually. It’s obvious the radio begs to be programmed plugged into a computer, using programming software like CHIRP.  Incidentally, the ’82 doesn't come with programming software or a USB programming cable. Not a problem with those who already have a earlier model Baofeng, but if you’re new to the brand, you should consider getting the programming cable too. Trust me, you’ll want one, even with this radio. The included manual is thick, informative, and written by someone here in the US.

Using the most recent daily build of CHIRP software, (it’s very good free software BTW), & accessing repeaterbook.com for the local repeater list, I had the radio on the air, 5 minutes out of the box.

Summing Up
I’m impressed with the UV-82HP, it's a big step up from the UV-5R, with a more refined design. Overall, the radio is easy to set up using programming software & a USB cable, (which most Baofeng radio owners already own), and it has plenty of transmit power. It’s a perfect alternative to the popular high power variant of the UV-5R, the Baofeng BF-F8HP. It appears cross-compatibility of batteries & chargers between same model series radios would be a factor. If your comfortable with how a UV-5R operates, and seek greater power, then go with the BF-F8HP. However if you seek a more refined design in functions & form, along with very respectable range, you should take a serious look at the UV-82HP, I think you’ll be very glad you did.