Avalance Airbag

Here's something new to me, an avalanche airbag. In February three skiers died in an avalanche near Stevens Pass in Washington state. A fourth skier survived and some credit the "avalanche airbag backpack" she was wearing. One website describes their product as,

"In the event of an avalanche, the air stored in the high-pressure cylinder is released by simply pulling the handle. A combination of compressed air and a Venturi effect inflates the airbag in just 3 seconds.
Once the airbag has been inflated it protects the victim from shocks while simultaneously pulling them to the surface thanks to the inverse segregation phenomenon."

The inverse segregation phenomenon means that, all other aspects being equal, large objects tend to move upwards during mixing. Consider a can of mixed nuts, during shaking a peanut can fall into a small space created underneath while a large brazil nut cannot; so the large nuts "float" to the top over time.

Airbag makers are claiming this also applies during the mixing of snow and rocks during an avalanche but I fail to see how the airbag makes a person that much larger. I find it more believable that the airbag lowers your total density making you more likely to "float" upwards (but that's not called "inverse segregation").

Bottom Line

If you enjoy off trail mountain hiking and skiing consider an airbag backpack. But be warned they are not cheap. Costs have recently come down to $600 to $1,000.

Emergency Essentials

“Helping People Prepare…for over 20 years." - Emergency Essentials

One catalog that I like to shop from for food storage and supplies is "Emergency Essentials". (website http://www.beprepared.com/). It reminds me of the fun I had as a kid looking at the old Sears Wish Book. I recommend signing up for a free monthly catalog and then looking at their monthly "Group Special". These "Specials" give low prices and free shipping within the continental US for orders of 12-20 of select items. For example the July group items are "Whole Egg Powder" (min 12), "Instant Mashed Potatoes" (min 12), and Leather Gloves (min 20). When my wife was the Emergency Coordinator for our church she would bundle orders from other families to reach the minimum order size.

One reason I'm discussing Emergency Essentials is that they have launched a new blog, http://www.preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/. I was hoping it would be informative about food storage but mostly what I see are daily/monthly sales and product pitches. The only educational article I found there was How Long Does Dehydrated or Freeze-dried Food Last After Opening?

Bottom Line

The http://www.beprepared.com/ website is a great resource with recipes, preparedness articles, 72-hour kit lists, and more. Check out the tabs at the top of the web page for topics. I'm not yet convinced that the new blog will be a great resource - perhaps they'll improve with practice.

Affordable Toys

“I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.”
- comedian Bernard Manning

I’m amazed at the prices parents are willing to pay for children’s toys. Here are some examples from Amazon.com:

Fisher-Price Power Wheels Ultimate Terrain Traction Jeep - $825.00
Inflatable Jump 'N Double Slide $650.00
Educational Insights Math Shark Class Pack - $579.99
PlanToys Kitchen Center - $449.97

Now consider the alternatives. Instead of a powered kid-sized jeep, how about helping your son or daughter build his or her own go-cart? This teaches tool use and engineering skills. Instead of a plastic mini-kitchen with plastic equipment, give your child your old kitchen items and a sand box to play in. My grandparents had a one-room shack on their farm that the grandkids called the mud pie house. Inside were a table, old cracked bowls, rusted muffin tins, and lots of kitchen implements for making mud pies. My grandparents also included a “cash box” with play money so we could sell our creations to the adults who would drop by to check our wares. I spent a lot of time there with my siblings and cousins and it was great fun.

If mud is too dirty, consider “play dough.” There are many expensive variants on this today with play foam and quick drying sculpey and dough “factories” but you can have all the fun with little cost by making your own dough. Combine:

1 cup Flour
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Salt
2 tablespoon Cream of tartar
1 tablespoon Oil

Cook until ingredients start to clump together. Turn out the lump onto a plate or piece of wax paper. Knead in food coloring if you wish (the kids might enjoy this part and learn something about colors). Make more balls if you want other colors. Pull out some old kitchen utensils and have fun “baking” and making with your new dough! When it dries out, knead in a splash of water or make a new batch.

Bottom Line
There is nothing wrong with cheap toys, especially with young children. Who hasn’t heard the story of a child having more fun with the box than with the expensive toy that was inside? In my church bag I keep the cardboard center from a used large roll of tape. Young kids love to roll it about. At home we have a wooden block set that gets lot of playtime. Simple works.

Emergency Home Supplies

Overheard while camping…
1. I'm sure that's not poison ivy
2. Who brought the bug repellant?
3. I thought you packed the toilet paper!
4. The salesperson said this tent was super easy to set up.
5. I'm sure these mushrooms are edible...

As a follow-up to my earlier post on 72-hour kits, the following is based upon a list for emergency home supplies provided by J.R. Pullum on the Amazon Survival Community forum:

(1) Food: At least thirty days of canned food. Buy low salt soup/veggies so you don’t get overly thirsty. (If you use packaged foods instead, you’ll need extra water to prepare them)

(2) Stored Water: At least thirty days of bottled water

(3) Found Water: Water Purification tablets and chlorine, Buckets

(4) Light & Fire: Flashlights with extra Batteries, Candles, Kerosene lanterns, Matches, Bic lighters

(5) Medical: Complete First Aid Kit including Potassium Iodide tablets for radiation exposure, surgical masks & rubber gloves, anti-bacterial soaps, mouth wash (Listerine) as a disinfectant, personal medicines, aspirins, Tylenol, antibiotics, deodorants, blood Pressure / diabetes, etc. Don’t forget to buy a First aid manual with great how-to pictures.

(6) News: Radio and batteries

(7) Repairs & Misc: Duct tape, Rope or twine

(8) Eating: Disposable utensils (Paper plates, Plastic spoons, Knives and forks)

(9) Hygiene: Toilet paper, Pre-moist washcloths, Toothbrush and paste, Portable camp toilet

(10) Money or an alternate form of trade (Gold).

(11) Boredom: Games, playing Cards, scriptures or other books

(12) Basic tools: Pliers, Screwdrivers, Hammer, Pry bar, Saw, Shovels to bury waste

(13) Shelter: Blankets or Sleeping bags, tent for shelter (In the event of sudden home evacuation)

(14) Cooking: Sterno stove with canned fuels. Grill or Propane stove

(15) Information: Buy a survival guide and a survival cookbook

(16) Everyday Clothes: Socks, Underwear, Extra pants and shirts

(17) Extreme weather gear: Raincoats, winter coats, Boots or heavy footwear

(18) Hunting: Fishing poles and/or Harpoons, Bow and Arrows or Spears to gather extra food.

(19) Defense: Consider guns and ammunition, a club, hunting or survival knives, etc. for home or campsite defense weapons

(20) Nice to have: Geiger counter.

Bottom Line

If you buy these items on sale, individually, it need not cost much. Don’t just buy these items, put them in a bag or closet and forget about them. Keep the tools and equipment accessible and use them as appropriate. Practice camping and cooking indoors or out. [Warning: some camp stoves require LOTS of ventilation for your safety]

Just remember to put back or restock the items you use.

Right tool for the Right Job

“We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job.” - Winston Churchill

The Survivalist Blog has an interesting article that covers emergency preparedness two ways:

• Generic recommendations
• Specific equipment for Specific disasters

The generic preparation includes the usual suspects: water, food, and clothes plus planning, training and compassion.

Equipment preparation for specific disasters include:

• Biological attack/epidemic
• Chemical accident/attack
• Civil disorder/riot
• Financial collapse
• Nuclear war
• Radiological accident
• Transportation accident

Bottom Line
As the Survivalist points out, some of these disasters may be more common than you think. Is there a radioactive facility of some kind close to you? Do you live less than 20 miles from a chemical plant, railroad tracks, commercial freeway, an agricultural storage facility, or a manufacturing plant that uses poisonous chemicals?
One way to find out the nearby chemical risks it to ask your local fire department to let you read their “Hazardous Material Management Plan.” It lists all the hazardous materials being used by industries within the district.

Fear as a Motivator

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - FDR

A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, Survivalist businesses surge in uncertain times, noted that one business that is doing well during our recession is the business of selling survivalist goods.

"Once seen as a radical and paranoid ideology, survivalism is expanding as a business, and growing fast. Lehman's, an Ohio retailer of home self-sufficiency equipment, has recorded large sales increases, with water-pump sales up 95 percent and sales of home agriculture equipment up 50 percent from last fall. "

(BTW - if you're ever near Kidron, Ohio visit the Lehman's store. It's in the heart of Ohio Amish country and specializes in "old fashioned" equipment because that is what the Amish live by. Hurricane lanterns, wood burning stoves, hand cranked washing machines - it's like a museum but you can buy what you see. We bought some syrup for home made rootbeer, wicks for our lanterns, and other spare parts.)

"Fear is a factor that often draws people into preparedness. Pandemic, economic disaster, climate change, world war – these are some big-picture threats that some folks want to be able to counter."

"... but there are many more in America who are simply involved in preparing for down times, lean times, or disaster," says Mr. Rantala, a former US intelligence analyst. "It's logical. It's common sense."

I agree! See New Year Predictions?

Bottom Line

Doug Ritter, executive director of Equipped to Survive, says people need to be serious about how they go about purchasing peace of mind. "Are you willing to bet your life on a piece of equipment?"

Personally I recommend buying simple things that work like Cooking with Cast Iron. And also Learning Survival Skills. Diversify and have backup plans, don't put All your eggs in one basket.