Barricade Fire Blocking Gel

Remember last September when neighbor kids were lighting houses on fire? Two houses within a block suffered severe damage, and it seemed like all of 6th Ave was going to go up in flames. Shortly after witnessing these terrible disasters, I learned about Barricade Fire Blocking Gel. Be sure to watch the video below. Might be worth stocking several gallons. You wouldn't apply this if the house next to yours was already fully engulfed in flames (too dangerously close), but if you were two or three houses away, I'd do it. -- Scott

BARRICADE® Fire Blocking Gel is a revolutionary product that is changing the science of fire fighting and exposure protection. During recent years, the increasing number of out-of-control wildland/urban interface fires has made headlines around the world. These challenging incidents, such as the devastating fires in California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Florida have threatened lives and destroyed many homes, businesses and other structures. Even more unfortunate is the fact that firefighters have been injured and killed in their valiant efforts to fight these monsters. BARRICADE will finally allow us to control and extinguish these fires safely and effectively.

BARRICADE has been tested and proven in the most severe firestorm conditions and is being lauded by firefighters, homeowners and government officials for saving millions of dollars worth of property.

Retardant Gel Helps Protect Homes From Wildfires -- Fox News

Fire Gel: "Like Spraying A Wet Blanket Over Your Home" -- CBS

New Fire-Retardant Gel Can Save Homes - Washington Post

Discussion about the gel on firehouse.com.

Popular Mechanics - Survive Anything

This issue was published last August. Still good info on earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods.

Popular Mechanics - August 2007

There's a checklist for a well-stocked disaster kit, including items for car, home, and To-Go bag.

Take the quiz -- Are you ready for disaster? From tornadoes to tsunamis, wildfires to earthquakes and everything in between, test how prepared you, your family and your home are to survive anything.

U.S. Storm Shelters

The people at U.S. Storm Shelters take pride in providing their customers with a selection of high quality, FEMA compliant storm shelters and safe rooms. These shelters have been used in residential, commercial, government and military applications. Their pledge to you is a safe shelter with no runaround, no high pressure and no hidden costs.

U.S. Storm Shelters -- PO Box 14514, Fort Worth, TX 76117. Toll free (800) 868-5799, (800) 379-9712

U.S. Storm Shelters, LLC is devoted exclusively to the sale and installation of in-ground storm shelters and above ground safe rooms. Providing safe shelter for you and your family is not a sideline business for us...it is our only business. All of our shelters have successfully completed impact debris tests simulating wind speeds of an F-5 tornado.

MRE info

http://www.mreinfo.com/

This site is all about U.S. military operational rations - both current and from the recent past. You'll also find information on some foreign rations (Canadian and British).

MRE stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat and is currently the main individual operational ration for the U.S. military. MREs are meant to be completely self-contained meals that provide all the nutrition a solider-on-the-go needs to sustain him/herself. Typical contents include entree, side dish, crackers, peanut butter/cheese spread, desert, instant coffee/tea, matches, toilet paper, spoon, and a heater to heat the main entree. While everything in an MRE can be eaten cold, it usually tastes better warm.

2008 Menus

How Old?

Longevity

The BoGo Light

The BoGo Light is a scientific, eco-friendly breakthrough that is making an impact worldwide. From Cairo to Cape Town, from the Caribbean to the Amazon, it is improving the lives of individuals, families, and entire villages by replacing costly kerosene, candles, and disposable battery flashlights with an affordable, long lasting, solar flashlight.

BoGo means Buy one, Give one. We want our lights to benefit the less fortunate; therefore, with each light purchased in the developed world, a second identical light will be donated to an organization that will distribute it in the developing world with our direct financial support. Give the Gift of Light, and Help Us Change the World!

BoGo Light

Article from the New York Times: Solar Flashlight Lets Africa’s Sun Deliver the Luxury of Light to the Poorest Villages

Skycall Communications

I listen to a Saturday morning radio show on local KSL 1160 that starts at 6:00 am and runs for two hours. During the show, they get people out in the field to call in to the program using satellite phones provided by Skycall Communications. These on-site reports are highly entertaining and very informative. The one I remember the most was a husband and wife couple who were hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail. Another was a Lewis and Clark expedition re-enactment.

Skycall is a local company that services Utah and the Intermountain West. Besides selling sat phones and service plans, they have a rental business as well. For around $14 a day, or $50 a week (check for updated prices), you can rent a satellite phone. They say Boy Scout troops take advantage of this service quite often when they are backpacking up in the High Uintas. Anything happens and they can immediately dial for help no matter where they are. River runners, canyoneers, ATVers, and other outdoors people like to take advantage of Skycall's rental services as well.

Skycall Communications, 2493 S. 1700 E., Salt Lake City, Utah 84106; United States; 801-463-1869

The idea of renting a satellite phone might be new to you, but if you're planning a trip into some remote area of the world, or in areas with spotty cell coverage, a sat phone might prove useful. If you live outside of the state of Utah, consider finding a local company similar to Skycall that will rent you a sat phone for your next trip.

Disclaimer -- in no way should a satellite phone or any other communication device (be it cell phone, emergency beacon, ham radio, etc.) replace common sense, personal safety and preparedness (including equipment for self rescue) when traveling in remote and dangerous terrain.

Live Free

This survival group has been around since its inception in the late 1960s, and has done much to promote a common-sense understanding as to how and why Americans need to be prepared. I think they have come up with the best definition of the term "survivalist." I'll post the first few paragraphs below the contact information, and should you desire to read the full text - click the link to the entire thing. They refer to it as their philosophy. Be sure to check out their website. Under the heading of "Training" on the left menu bar, you'll find lots of useful information with topics such as: Basic Home Safety, Basic School Safety, Outdoor Safety, Safety at Work, Urban Safety, Winter Safety.

Live Free, USA, Box 375, Dolton, IL 60419-9998,USA. E-mail: lfinow@aol.com

Long before the media twisted the term “survivalist” into a negative concept and associated it with a variety of negative organizations and philosophies we called ourselves “survivalists”. The name of the mind-set is not really important. Call it preparedness advocacy, survival studies, or self-reliance hobbyists if you wish. It’s about the positive values of responsible citizenship and positive ideas. The events of the 911, hurricane Katrina, etc. have moved these philosophies toward the acceptable “main stream”. Our most popular and most reprinted paper “We Are Survivalists” (insert your own term) was published by Live Free in the early 1980s:

WE ARE “SURVIVALISTS”

By James C. Jones

“He who fails to prepare for the night, fails to prepare for the dawn”

I am a survivalist and by nature a survivalist is an optimist. I do not have a pessimistic bone in my body. If what I just said sounds odd to you then you are not yet a survivalist and you do not understand the modern survivalist at all. It has been very difficult to communicate to the public and the mass communications media, the concept of an optimistic, hopeful survivalist.

A fireman is a fireman, not because he believes everything will burn but because he believes much can be saved. Doctors don’t believe in death, they believe in life, and a survivalist is not a survivalist because he believes that everything will be destroyed and everyone will die, he believes that life and freedom can be saved if people of god will are prepared. A fireman does not start fires, a doctor does not make diseases and a survivalist does not make disaster. Crime, disease, war, revolution, tyranny, fire, flood, famine and economic upheavals are the results of nature and the nature of man and unfortunately are not always within the power of anyone on this earth to prevent.

We all know that the sun will set each day, leaving us in the darkness and we all know that warm summers give way to cold winters and though we know we can not stop the sun from setting or the cold winds from coming, does this make us pessimistic? I think not! So then, why is the survivalist called a pessimist when he makes ready to face events that are just as much part of history and nature as the sunset or the changing of the seasons?

Read the whole thing -- We Are Survivalists

Why store food for survival?

I consider Emergency Essentials one of my go-to sources for storage food. They are located here in Salt Lake City, but can mail order anywhere. I'm on their email contact list, so I get regular emails from them. Their latest email contains this article, which has a lot of helpful info. -- Scott

The Wisdom of Food Storage -- America is the land of plenty; a place of security and shelter for its citizens. Would we ever really need to use food storage here? This is a thought-provoking question. Research has shown that the average American household has less than a week's supply of food on hand. This is also the case with the average American supermarket. Without being paranoid or panicked, there are many valid reasons to put extra food away. We are all somewhat vulnerable to events beyond our control. But most situations are probably closer to home: loss of power, unexpected or unplanned interruptions of life such as unemployment, loss of income due to illness or injury, or high medical bills due to an accident. Food storage is a form of insurance protecting your family from the unexpected.

A Wise Investment

Food storage becomes a wise investment in future stability and an even wiser investment if you practice storing what you use and using what you store. Making food storage a life-style rather than a make-do will help you maintain your investment. Food storage that matches your family's lifestyle is food that more likely will be used. Using and rotating your Freeze Dried Foods and Dehydrated & Dry Foods on a regular basis maintains the original investment and prevents it from being wasted.

The Basics

It is recommended to always start your food storage program by storing the basics. Grains, legumes, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, and garden seeds have come to be known as the "basics." Do not underestimate the power these foods have, as they have been shown throughout history to sustain life. It is important to know how to prepare and use the basics, especially ways that your family will enjoy. If you are familiar with the food you have stored, you will be better prepared to use it during times of emergency.

Beside the Year Supply of Basics, we offer various year supply units. These year supply units vary from just over 1100 calories per day to 1800 calories per day. If a person has a year supply of wheat on hand it would be an additional 1374 calories per day. If a person had a complete year supply of basics it would add 2000 calories a day more. It is easy to see the value of storing basics and the variety of fruits, vegetables, and mixes as found in our prepackaged year supply units

Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in Wells, Nevada

I actually felt the Wells quake this morning. People aren't used to quakes here in Utah. It's been over 10 years since I've lived in California where I felt plenty. I know it was a "wake-up call" for me. I need to bolt bookshelves to wall studs in my bedroom, and strap my water heater to the wall as well.

I have 72-hour kits, I have plenty of survival gear -- just need to go around the house and figure out what will fall in a quake, and what I can bolt down. At a CERT meeting I was told this is the most important thing you can do to prepare. Bolt stuff down!

10-day Survival Car Kit for only $25

Backwoods Home Magazine has a great article on how to build your own survival car kit from items you can purchase at the grocery store. While it's targeted for those driving during the winter months, it provides a lot of good ideas for building a survival car kit for any time of the year.

It seems like every winter there are news stories of people getting stranded for weeks in bad weather while driving through the many remote areas of our country. Last year, the nation held its breath waiting for news of James Kim and his family who got lost traveling the snowy roads of Josephine County in Oregon, not far from where BWH is published. While his wife and daughters, who stayed with their vehicle, were eventually found alive, he succumbed to the cold as he hiked through snow looking for help for his family. And there are also many cases of people trapped for days in their vehicles after skidding over a bridge embankment, even though they were only a few hundred feet from a busy highway.

This year we had the case of Thomas and Tamitha Garner, who were stranded over 12 days. Luckily they survived their ordeal.

Back to the car kit -- start making your own today! Read the whole thing.

1918 Spanish Flu

How (and how not) to battle flu -- When the Spanish flu reached the United States in the summer of 1918, it seemed to confine itself to military camps. But when it arrived in Philadelphia in September, it struck with a vengeance.

By the time officials there grasped the threat of the virus, it was too late. The disease was rampaging through the population, partly because the city had allowed large public gatherings, including a citywide parade in support of a World War I loan drive, to go on as planned. In four months, more than 12,000 Philadelphians died, an excess death rate of 719 people for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The story was quite different in St. Louis. Two weeks before Philadelphia officials began to react, doctors in St. Louis persuaded the city to require that influenza cases be registered with the health department. And two days after the first civilian cases, police officers helped the department enforce a shutdown of schools, churches and other gathering places. Infected people were quarantined in their homes.

Excess deaths in St. Louis were 347 per 100,000 people, less than half the rate in Philadelphia. Early action appeared to have saved thousands of lives.

Disasters Up Close -- book series for children

BooksForKidsBlog has a review on the Disasters Up Close series of non-fiction books for kids (grades 3-8). The series includes titles such as Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Fires, Hurricanes, Tsunamis and Volcanoes.

How do you evaluate nonfiction for young readers? Actually, it's simpler and less subjective than judging the merits of a novel. If you remember the five W's from English class, you're already an expert. Begin with the table of contents. Do the chapter titles and subtitles seem to answer the who, what, when, where, why, (and how) questions? For example, in the case of Tornadoes, who forecasts tornadoes and how do they do it? What is a tornado? When and where do they occur? Why do they happen where and when they do? How powerful are they? How can people protect themselves from the damage tornadoes cause? If the book has an introduction, skim through it to see what methodology the author plans to use to engage with the subject. For example, the authors of Tornadoes use first-person narratives and newspaper accounts of famous tornadoes to focus on the whys and wherefores.

Book titles include: Tornadoes, Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Droughts, Fires, Mudflows and Landslides, Floods, Avalanches, and Tsunamis. Paperback. 64 pages each. Grades 4-8. The entire book set sells for about $90.

U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76

It's always handy to have useful knowledge neatly tucked away in your head, especially knowledge that military survival field manuals can provide. If some of these concepts are beginning to get a little hazy in your mind, better to review before sound survival principles become the fuzzy logic of death. This website makes it easy to one-click your way to the chapter you need to review. -- Scott

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/ -- CBS's Survivor has become one of the most watched television shows in America. One of the reasons for this show's success is that there is an adventurer in all of us and since we all cannot be in a survival situation we like to live vicariously through the people on the show.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that being in a survival situation would be fun. Wilderness Survival is not a game, there is no reward challenges, and there is no immunity. How do you think you would fare in a survival situation? Could you build a shelter? Could you light a fire without matches? Could you forage for food and purify water? In real life you don't have luxury items, you don't get tarps and matches and camping supplies. In real life you may not have any tools except your own two hands. If you were stranded in the wilderness would you end up a survivor?

Don't worry about those questions. Instead take action and educate yourself on survival techniques. Nature is unforgiving and you must be prepared to fight to stay alive. The contents of this website are taken from actual US Army training manuals, this is the same material used to train the best army in the world. You will not find a more complete resource on Wilderness Survival. So prepare yourself because one day you may need it.

Seeds of Change

As the technology of genetically manipulated food grows more and more controversial, it's always nice to know there are people doing it the old fashioned way. I have purchased many packets of seeds from SOC, and always look forward to receiving their colorful catalogs in the mail. - Scott

In 1989, Seeds of Change started with a simple mission: to help preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture. By cultivating hundreds of open-pollinated, organically grown, heirloom and traditional vegetable, flower and herb seeds, we have kept to this mission. Click here for more About Us.

Seeds: Our seed list is like our extended family. They are the plants we live with day-to-day, nurturing them as they nurture us. So we choose carefully what we add to our list from year to year. In 2007 we welcomed 72 new intros to the Seeds of Change family and continue to cultivate more throughout the year.

Seeds of Change, PO Box 15700, Santa Fe, NM 87592; phone: 888.762.7333.

Catalog request - - eNewsletter - - Garden Seeds

Freeze-drying has several advantages over other food preservation methods.

Frozen foods retain fresh flavor and nutritional value, but require uniform, low temperature storage conditions. Dehydrated and canned foods are shelf-stable, but high-temperature processing can degrade flavor, texture and nutritional content. Freeze-drying combines the best of these processing methods. It preserves freshness, color and aroma similar to frozen food, while providing the shelf-stable convenience of canned or dehydrated food. Freeze-dried foods:

Taste fresh. Freeze-dried foods, like frozen, retain virtually all their fresh-food taste and nutritional content. Freeze-drying removes the water, not the flavor.

Look fresh. Freeze-dried foods maintain their original shape and texture, unlike dehydrated foods, which shrink and shrivel due to high-temperature processing. Freeze-drying removes water under low temperatures (typically a maximum of 100 to 130 degrees F), which keeps intact the moisture channels and food fibers. Just add water, and in minutes every fresh food detail returns.

Weigh less than fresh. Freeze-dried foods have 98% of their water removed. This reduces the food's weight by about 90%. Mountain House products light weight and compact so you can carry several days of food in a small backpack..

Stay fresh. Freeze-dried foods can be stored at room temperature, without deterioration or spoilage. This is because freeze-drying and packaging remove both water and oxygen - the two primary causes of food deterioration. Mountain House, backpacking products are immediately packed in a unique moisture and oxygen-barrier packaging to preserve the food's flavor, texture, color, and nutrients. To "double" ensure freshness and prevent the food from turning rancid, an oxygen scavenger packet is placed in each pouch. The oxygen scavenger consists of iron oxide, which absorbs oxygen within the pouch. This product is not harmful to your health, but is not meant to be eaten.

Almost any food, from apples to zucchini, can be freeze-dried. So can entire meals, such as omelettes, hamburgers, or Chicken a la King. In fact, Oregon Freeze Dry has produced over 400 different foods and beverages.

Oregon Freeze Dry, PO Box 1048, Albany, OR USA 97321; Phone: (541) 926-6001; Fax: (541) 967-6527

Mountain House the #1 brand of backpacking foods has been the choice of backpackers, hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts for over 30 years. When it comes to long-term storage and recreational activities like camping, hiking, backpacking and hunting, Mountain House is the #1 choice. That's because Mountain House has been recognized as the best tasting freeze dried meals. Mountain House, winner of the Gold Taste Award for the last 3 years, is convenient, easy to prepare and has a long shelf life.

Shop for Mountain House foods here.

Freeze Drying - Wikipedia

How Freeze Drying Works - How Stuff Works

Provident Living - Self Reliance and Welfare Resources

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the LDS Church -- members sometimes referred to as Mormons) is very big on self reliance, emergency preparedness, and welfare principles that lift people up rather than making them slaves of the dole.

Their website called providentliving.org has a wealth of information on topics such as: food storage, family finances, humanitarian services, employment, education and literacy, physical health, family and marriage counseling, adoption assistance, rehabilitation services, and more. To participate in some of these services, membership is required, but much of these resources are available to all.

With their pioneer heritage of self reliance and frontier spirit, building towns, settlements and families throughout the mountain west, members of the LDS Church have always been taught to provide for themselves and to serve their fellow men. Christian charity means not only helping the worthy poor with food and monetary aid, but with training, counseling, and education helps so that all are taken care of, and all can take care of themselves. So none are left behind if they truly desire to better themselves.

The section on food storage provides information on why one should store food, what to store, how to store, using food storage, home flour mills, emergency preparation, and home gardening. There are also suggestions on how to build one month food storage kits, how to dry-pack food, how to inventory your present storage, and locations where members of the church can do their own dry packing. (If you're not a member, find someone who is, and tag along with them.)

LED Flashlights

Why switch over to the LED side? Think reliability, efficiency, and brightness.

An LED flashlight produces light through light emitting diodes (LEDs) rather than an incandescent bulb, making them cooler, more energy efficient and tougher.

Incandescent light used in traditional flashlights utilizes a filament wire encased in a glass vacuum tube or bulb. When electricity is supplied to the wire from the batteries, the wire glows with heat that produces light. The heat, however, is not only lost energy but it eventually burns out the wire and the bulb must be replaced.

An LED flashlight harnesses light created by an entirely different process. Two types of semiconductor materials are used in a LED: one type that has an abundance of free electrons and the other that has a deficit. When enough energy is supplied in the form of electricity, a threshold is reached that pushes some of the free electrons in the abundant material to jump to the attracting material. When that electron takes its place in the new material a photon or particle of light is released.

The light from a LED flashlight is pure, bright and true and can be seen for up to 1 mile (1.6 kilometers). Unlike incandescent bulbs that produced rings of brighter light within the scope of the beam, LED beams are evenly illuminated, like fluorescent light.

An LED flashlight draws only 5-10 percent of the power of an equivalent light bulb, conserving batteries and saving money. It can also hold up under 5-10 years of continual use. A sturdy LED flashlight, powered with lithium batteries (lithium batteries have shelf lives of over 10 years) is a winning combination for any survivalist. Add solar rechargeable batteries, and you have the ideal set-up.

If you have a lot of the older Mini Maglite flashlights around the house (with incandescent bulbs), I would suggest converting them all to LEDs. The fastest way to do this is buying an LED replacement kit from a company like Nite Ize. Nite Ize carries upgrade kits for even C and D cell flashlights.

If you'd rather keep your incandescents and simply upgrade the entire flashlight, consider the new Maglites with LEDs already installed. It took them a while, but Maglite is finally on the bandwagon! These new Min-Mags, with a three watt LED, feature that trusty and durable aircraft aluminum body that can also serve in some self defense scenarios.

SureFire flashlights could be considered the Cadillac or Mercedes Benz of the flashlight world. They are prized in the law enforcement and military community for being the brightest, toughest, and most versatile flashlights in the world. They command high prices, but they are quality made, and when reliability is an important factor, you try to choose the best. If I had a couple extra hundred dollars laying around . . . I love going through their catalog.

Emerging technology at an affordable price -- would you like the power of a SureFire, at the price of a MiniMag? I recently purchased one of the following, and can't believe the power and brightness! The LED in this flashlight is made by a company called CREE, and the CREE XLamp XR-E LED is supposed to deliver 176 lumens at 1000 mA. That is bright! I've purchased a flashlight with one of these LEDs from All-Battery.com. The flashlight comes with 10 CR123A lithium 1300mAh batteries for only $29.95. Maybe not the quality of a SureFire, but you can't beat the price.

February Group Specials -- Emergency Essentials

Get a group of neighbors to go in together, and you'll save a lot of money. This month's group buys include:

• MRE Snack Pack


• EverSafe Emergency Meal Kit (Case of 12 Meals -- see photo)


• 18+ Hour Hand and Body Warmer


• Provident Pantry® Freeze Dried Tomato Chunks


• Emergency Bag (reflective)


• Wool Blend Blanket

KI4U, Inc.

On the Periodic Chart of Elements, "K" stands for Potassium, and "I" is Iodine. That's all you need to know to figure out the name of this company, although it might be helpful to know why Potassium Iodide (KI) is such an important item to have should a nuclear incident occur. KI4U is the largest direct-to-public source for Potassium Iodide since 1999 and is a supplier to the federal government, U.S.M.C. and U.S. embassies. Visit their website. It's probably the best one-stop site for nuke info and protection around.

KI4U, Inc., 212 Oil Patch Lane, Gonzales, TX 78629; (830) 672-8734

Cresson H. Kearny, the author of Nuclear War Survival Skills, Original Edition Published September, 1979, by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Facility of the U.S. Department of Energy (Updated and Expanded 1987 Edition) states on page 111:

"There is no medicine that will effectively prevent nuclear radiations from damaging the human body cells that they strike.

However, a salt of the elements potassium and iodine, taken orally even in very small quantities 1/2 hour to 1 day before radioactive iodines are swallowed or inhaled, prevents about 99% of the damage to the thyroid gland that otherwise would result. The thyroid gland readily absorbs both non-radioactive and radioactive iodine, and normally it retains much of this element in either or both forms.

When ordinary, non-radioactive iodine is made available in the blood for absorption by the thyroid gland before any radioactive iodine is made available, the gland will absorb and retain so much that it becomes saturated with non-radioactive iodine. When saturated, the thyroid can absorb only about l% as much additional iodine, including radioactive forms that later may become available in the blood: then it is said to be blocked. (Excess iodine in the blood is rapidly eliminated by the action of the kidneys.)"

Four Dog Stove

Their name and motto: Will Keep you Warm on a Four-Dog Night, has to do with a method of tracking temperature in the Arctic Circle: when it gets dreadfully cold you bring dogs from the sled team into the tent to sleep with you. The measure of cold is how many dogs it takes to provide enough body heat to get through the night. I've heard of four dog and five dog nights, but three dog night is the most recognizable phrase because of the rock group with the same name.

Four Dog Stove builds some of the best woodstoves for outfitter-style canvas tents on the market. Each stove features welded steel construction, and will hold a fire all night. I own the Two Dog version, and it keeps my 9 x 12 wall tent plenty warm all night.

One accessory that is a must is the stainless steel water jacket. It slips onto the side of your Four Dog Stove, and heats water for cooking, washing, and morning hot chocolate. Removable side shelf and extra stove pipe is also available. For those planning pack animal trips, an ultra-light titanium stove in three sizes is a great option.

Four Dog Stove Company, 25909 Variolite St. NW, St. Francis, MN 55070; phone: 763.444.9587.

Aladdin Mantle Lamps first became popular around the turn of the 20th century, and soon established themselves as the best available. Constructed on highly scientific principles, the mantle produces 60 full candlepower (equivalent to a 50 watt bulb). When compared to electric or gas lighting, Aladdin has been proven in laboratories to be the closest to natural sunlight. There is no smoke, no odor, no noise, and no pumping -- no dangerous, troublesome pressure systems. So easy to use, all you need is a match. Light is adjustable from candle glow to bright enough for reading without eye strain. All models use the same proven oil burner (Aladdin recommends using only kerosene or Aladdin Lamp Oil for their lamps. Kerosene burns with a distinctive smell that some people don't like. Aladdin Lamp Oil is a distilled product and burns odor-free).

Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company, phone: 800.457.5267. Buy Aladdin Lamps at national retail hardware chains such as: Ace, Tru-Serv, and Do-It-Best, as well as several regional hardware stores. Click here for dealer locater.

Adventure Medical Kits

Because there is no one kit that suits every situation, AMK produces a wide variety of first-aid / medical kits that are tailor-made for specific sports and outdoor activities. For example, the Light & Fast series is an excellent choice for backpackers, hikers and families on the go. The Sportsman series is great for hunters and fishermen, while the Marine series is made especially for recreational and commercial mariners. There are kits for paddlers, business and international travelers, large mountain expeditions, and wilderness medical professionals.

Designed by medical and outdoor professionals, AMK kits are favored by outdoor pros worldwide.

Adventure Medical Kits

PO Box 43309,Oakland, CA; (800) 324-3517; Fax: 510-261-7419

first post

Welcome to the AvesReady blog! There's still a lot of work to do to get this site running smoothly, but at least we are here. I'll be posting in this spot from time to time with suggestions on survival tools, first aid kits, and good buys from our local preparedness providers. We'll also post announcements for future CERT meetings and trainings.

Please feel free to add your comments and findings too!