Extreme Cheapskate Tactics May Actually Work

Interesting article over at reThinkSurvival:

Extreme Cheapskates: That Could Be You! I've caught one episode of Extreme Cheapskates and was appalled at some of the actions of the featured cheapskates such as scrounging other people's leavings in restaurants, dumpster diving for flowers to give the wife on a big anniversary..  Got turn off the show and never caught it again.  Well it sounds like some of the tactics described in this article may actually work for preparedness purposes.  Some of them don't sound bad at all, especially if water and other necessities get scarce.  I may give the show another chance!

Take Precautions when Storing your Supplies

I saw this article over at Whatifitstoday:

Be Careful. Your preps can kill someone

A lot of people do store miscellaneous items in sheds and garages, not realizing danger could be lurking with all the combinations of chemicals, gases and flammable materials.  This article made me think about being careful where to store stuff. 

 

Carjacking is Becoming more Common

We've been hearing about carjackings going on throughout the city.  Even though crime is said to be down statistically, these seemingly random occurrences still happen.  For the victim, it really doesn't matter what the statistics say.

So I thought I'd share this article as it has some great tips on avoiding being carjacked.

See How to Avoid Being Car Jacked at prepperskills.com

I am generally cautious but I picked up a few ideas I hadn't thought about. 

TravelJohn - for When You Really Need to Go

Here is a product that can be used for emergencies when there is no toilet.  It is for liquid waste only, but can be a lifesaver even on long car rides when kids really need to go " #1"  I ordered it from Amazon where TravelJohn has following product description:

Product Features

• Convenient, unisex, sanitary personal urinals containing patented Liqsorb material
• Ideal for motion sickness, potty training, car travel, outdoor activities, and bathroom emergencies of all types
• Biodegradable pouch filled with unique polymer substance which absorbs liquid waste and turns it into odorless, spill-proof gel
• Nontoxic and waste disposal safe; unisex adapter and spill guard make it easy for anyone to use
• Each bag measures two by two by 2.5 inches (W x H x D) folded, and five by 11 inches (W x H) unfolded, and weighs 1.5 ounces before use

Does it work?

We took this camping last summer for those dark nights when you really don't want to set foot outside the tent at 2 am.  You just take out of the packaging, unravel i and go.  You will need to position it so it is right underneath.  The gel quickly absorbs all the liquid so there is no threat of spilling (unless you completely missed it- with this you have to be careful)  They work very well.

It would be a good idea to have these in case of short term emergencies and there is no water to flush the toilet.  Of course you would also need heavy garbage bags or they will pile up.  They are great for camping and for long car rides when there is no place to stop.  I am going to resupply and get some more TravelJohns.

The Walking Dead is Awesome!

We watched the much anticipated premier of the The Walking Dead last Sunday.  We had some family over and we watched it together with lots of snacks and commentary.

I don't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't watched it yet, but there is a shocker near the end of the show so watch closely.  I cannot wait to see the next one.

It is off to a great start!

While we're on the subject of zombies, check out this article

The Comprehensive Plan For Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse From Your Pole Barn

A Stove that Cooks and Charges Small Electronics

I ran across the BioLite Stove website and found it interesting.  It's a portable stove that is unique in that it can also charge small electronics like cell phones at the same time.  That is cool technology!  I was wondering if there were any reviews out there and found this one at Apartment Prepper:

BioLite CampStove Review

The review indicates the stove worked well when tested.

It does say you have to charge it off a wall plug before you use it.  You would need to make sure you charge it and try it out well before an actual power outage.  But that is part of any preparedness plant- testing your gear.

I think I will save up and get one of these.  

 

Apartment Prepper is hosting a giveaway of the new book, Brushfire Plague.  It sounds like a really good book and it's easy to join.

Go to

Win a Free Copy of Brushfire Plague!

 http://apartmentprepper.com/?p=7578

 Good luck!

 

Motorola MH230TPR Giant Rechargeable Two Way Radio 3 Pack, FRS/GMRS

We needed some radios to communicate with each other while backpacking.  Being deep in the mountains, our cell phones would not work as there was no network available.  We ordered the Motorola MH230TPR Two Way Radios from Amazon.  This was the box it came in:

And here are the contents:

The instructions were not overly complicated and were easy to follow.  We used the radios while in the car in case one group got separated by a few blocks and they worked just fine.  There were channels that picked up other conversations, but if you choose the correct channel specified in the manual then you avoid the static and interference.

In addition to backpacking/camping purposes, we plan to have this in our emergency kit.  Communication can be crucial in an emergency.  If cell phone service were to be interrupted, it's good to have backup radios for your group.

All in all Motorola MH230TPR Two Way Radios set is a good product.