Archives: March 2013

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Having a reliable light source is important during an emergency or a power outage.  In previous posts, I have reviewed flashlights, emergency lights, and headlamps.  In this post, I’ll review a larger light that you will want to have in your home.

The Energizer Weather Ready LED Night Light is a hand-held lantern that has multiple lighting modes that can be used depending upon the situation.  It can fold open and provide 360º illumination or it can remain folded and offer more directional lighting.  It has a night light which uses very little power along with a two multi-mode LED lights that have two brightness settings.  According to the manufacturer, this unit can provide 135 hours of operation on one set (4x D-cells) of batteries.  This is a long time and will come in handy during extended power outages.

I’ve had a pair of these for several years now and really like them.  They are rugged and have worked well during the last few power outages.  Lanterns like this complement the other flashlights and emergency lights I keep around the house, so I am glad I have these.  Normally, I keep one in the kitchen and one in my closet although you could also carry one of these in your car or keep one in your office.

Next time you see one of these online or at a local retailer, pick one up and see what I am talking about.  Small, compact lights are great to have but sometimes, you need a big lantern like this to really light things up.

Overall Rating:  7/10

Click here to order your Energizer Weather Ready LED Night Light

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A while back, I discovered how useful headlamps were.  They are a lot easier to work with than carrying a flashlight and whatever they lack in light output, they more than make up for with hands-free operation.  So I purchased a Petzl Tikka Plus several years ago at REI and LOVE IT!  Its one of the best purchases I have made, so I got another one for my Bug Out Bag.

Why do I like it so much?  The four LEDs put out a good amount of light and have multiple modes (three brightness settings plus strobe function) you can use.  It weighs less than 3 ounces and has a comfortable, adjustable headband that is just the right thickness for adult human heads.  I’ve used mine on camping trips for many years and don’t know how I lived without one.

Petzl makes a wide range of other quality products like this one.  If you are looking for a headlamp, this one is hard to beat.

Overall Rating:  9/10

Click here to purchase a Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp, Storm Gray

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When the starting gun goes off, will you be ready?

When you get started in your preparations, you don’t have to be perfect.  Preparation is an ongoing process and you won’t get everything right at the beginning.  It’s ok, just getting started and making a commitment to be prepared will make you better able to handle adversity.  Imperfect preparation today trumps perfect preparation tomorrow.

Here are some questions that can help you get started.  Think about how you can take action TODAY and incrementally improve your preparation.

  • Do you have flashlights and batteries for when the power goes out?
  • How much fresh water do you have?
  • Does your home have several fire extinguishers to put out small fires?
  • What canned or dry foods do you have in your pantry?
  • Do you have a safe place to take shelter in the event of a storm?
  • Have you taken a CPR class over the last three years?
  • When was the last time you checked your home first aid kit?
  • What weapons do you have that can protect yourself and your family from criminals?
  • Do you have emergency numbers written down and handy?
  • How secure is your house?
  • Do you have any emergency shelter items ready?
  • Is your battery-powered radio in good working order?
  • What skills do you have that can assist your community during a disaster?

Remember, these activities don’t have to cost a lot of money or involve a lot of time.  Think about how people eat pepperoni.  Its enjoyed one slice at a time on pizza and sandwiches, not by eating the whole sausage at once!  Think about preparation the same way, take it one slice at a time.

Don’t put this off, make a commitment to getting started with preparedness!

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One thing you need to have in an emergency is a good battery-powered radio.  If you want a great one, consider buying this one:

I purchased a Sony ICF-SW7600GR a few years ago based upon several outstanding recommendations and reviews.  Its an AM/FM/SW radio that is well-built and easy to use.  Many people use this as their everyday radio, especially in more remote areas.  The quality is second to none (Made in Japan), which is great when you have to rely upon it during bad times.

After I purchased mine, I created several lists of channels that I can access during an emergency.  I also set the clock so I can use it as a clock-radio alarm if the power is out for a long period of time.  The AA batteries in it will last over 40 hours, giving you a lot of time between changes.

The only downside to this unit is that the short-wave radio can only be tuned in 1kHz increments.  This isn’t a problem if the radio station you wish to tune in uses whole numbers like BBC (ex. 11910 MHz).  However, many broadcasters like NOAA Weather Radio use fractional frequencies (ex. 162.425 MHz) to transmit their signals.  This can be a problem because you won’t be able to hear broadcasts from FEMA, NOAA, local police, and other official agencies.  Just keep this limitation in mind if you are thinking about purchasing this radio.

Overall Rating:  7/10

Click here to buy the Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver

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What firearms should you have?  That’s a simple question that can have many answers.  However, in the interest of clarity and simplicity, you should have three.  Call it the holy trinity of protection, the triad of firepower, the troika, a firearms trio or something else, but your arsenal should include three guns.

My friend Kevin over at Misfires and Light Strikes wrote about this a while back and shares what he has.  Give it a read and some thought, it may help your decision-making process as you arm yourself.  Also, stop by his website and read some of his other postings.  Kevin is a great guy, a good friend, and an informed individual so keep his site in your bookmarks.

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Chances are you own vehicles that have pneumatic tires on them.  The problem is that they can lose air due to porosity, punctures, or catastrophic failure.  All these will eventually result in flat or destroyed tires that will prevent your wheeled vehicle from moving.

How do you prevent this from happening to your car, truck, van, Jeep®, SUV, trailer, ATV, UTV, motorhome, tractor, motorcycle, or bicycle?  The best product out there that prevents flats and reduces porosity air loss is Ride-On® from Inovex Industries.  They produce several different formulas that are specifically designed for various types of tires (ex. autos, motorcycle, ATV/UTVs) you may have.  Ride-On TPS has been around since the mid-90s and has been used world-wide by military, government, and civilian vehicle fleets.  I’ve been using the Auto/SUV formula in my vehicle for the past year and believe in it.

To find out more information, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and browse for more specific information.  You can click here to order the correct Ride-On® formula for your vehicles.  I would strongly suggest doing so in order to keep your tires properly inflated and ready to roll.  A flat tire is a liability so take steps now to prevent that from happening.

Click here to order the correct Ride-On formula for your wheeled vehicle(s)

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You checked your batteries and you have corrosion.

What do you do now?

One helpful battery corrosion remedy it is to use baking soda and water to neutralize and remove it.  Here’s an article from a few years back that walks you through the simple steps that will get your battery-powered items cleaned-up and running again.  Don’t have time to click on the link?  Well, here’s what you do:

For flashlight and other small electronic devices, first remove the batteries, then use a paper towel to gently wipe away light corrosion. Use two tablespoons of baking soda and a little water — just enough to form a paste. Apply the paste to the battery terminals, and the corrosion should foam up and go away. Wipe all the areas with a clean, damp cloth, and dry everything well.

All this only take a few minutes and costs only pennies per use.  Its a great way to save money, maintain equipment, and be ready.

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What should you have in your disaster supply kit?

It depends on a lot of things, but the Weather Channel has a list that you can start with.  The good news is you probably already have most of these items in your home, they key is to assemble them into kits that can be used in emergencies.  We will cover how to kit your gear in future posts, for now make sure you have the essentials.  If you don’t, make a list of what you are missing and shop for them.  Remember the concept of “Two is One, One is None” to ensure redundancy and you will be well on your way to assembling a useful disaster supply kit.

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Cars break down, often times at the wrong place at the wrong time.  It will happen, the only question is when.

How does one prepare for this?

Nationwide Insurance has a fairly helpful page on what you should have in your car and what you should do when you experience a break-down.  We’ll cover more details on what should be in your car kit in future posts but the Nationwide page is a good starting point.  You will want to fine-tune your car emergency kit based upon where you live and other factors, the key concept though is to learn principles that you can apply in your preparations.  So take some time and put together your car’s emergency kit today.  It doesn’t have to be complete, the main idea is to get started and add to it over time.

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If you ever have to shut off the water supply to your house, you will need one of these.

The technical name for this devices is a T-Handle Water Meter Key, but most people I know just call it a “T-Handle.”  Its a long steel rod with a handle on one end and a notch on the other.  To turn the water off, put the notch on the meter stub and turn right (clockwise).  To turn the water back on, turn the stub left (counter-clockwise).  You can watch a short YouTube video on how to do this too.

Make sure you have one of these handy because water leaks, equipment failures, and ruptures do happen.  I have used mine a few times over the last few years and will never be without one.  T-Handles aren’t expensive and you can purchase them online or at most hardware stores.  If you don’t have one, buy one today!

Click here to purchase a Jones Stephens Water Meter Key