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In-humanness of the response aside, the risk is quite low, ships are replaceable, and crews are typically from poor countries where life is cheap. These aren't your western well paid sailors who are mourned and whose companies get sued into oblivion for providing unsafe work locations.

This is a common trope, but it's simply not true. The number of cargo ships lost at sea about equals the number of lives lost aboard those ships. That is, on average about 1 person dies for each ship that sinks.

The vast majority of people aboard a cargo ship which sinks are rescued. Life rafts are required by all shipping regulators. And satellite locator beacons have become so cheap that I suggest you get one if you do things like boating or hiking.. Their cost (a few hundred dollars, though a commercial model will run a few thousand) is much less than the liability and bad publicity of someone dying because your ship sank. When someone dies, it's usually because they were unable to reach the life raft in time (injured or blocked in due to the accident which sank the ship).

In fact, the fatality rate works out to (100 deaths) * (100,000) / (1.25 million) = 8 per 100,000. That makes it safer than a variety of jobs as mundane as taxi driver or landscaper. The fatality rate is right around the average for all jobs if you account for those people being aboard the ship 24/7, while people are at the other occupationss on average for less than 6 hours a day.

You're not worried about breakage of the container when backpacking, you use an anodized aluminum bottle with a plastic/rubber screw top stopper, something like this. They've really never been a problem with packing for me (the stove on the other hand..)

Hank Hill? Is that you?

Out of context, I admit my promotion of propane must seem quite odd. However, if you do some reading on some camping websites for a while, you'll completely understand why I phrased things as I did...

You see, backpackers heavily promote their preferred fuels that have huge drawbacks, all for some TINY benefit. Little or no thought is given to those who aren't interested in spending hundreds of dollars to save an oz of weight in their pack, or are not interested in terrible food prep methods, and living on the very edge (packing BARELY enough fuel to get by, and using dangerous methods to shave tiny bits of weight).

Common stove types being promoted include ethanol/methanol, gasoline/kerosene/naphtha, several types of incompatible isobutane mixes in various canisters, etc.

Here's just REI's superficial writeup:
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-stove.html

Now just imagine THOUSANDS of "experts" offering similar advice spread all over the internet, often the writeup is FAR more verbose and involved than that one.

Now imagine it's all a huge waste of time, and propane beats them all in convenience, price, availability, compatibility, efficiency, emissions, isn't much heavier than the lightest-weight options, and performs great both in hot and cold weather down to -40 degrees. It's the best of almost all worlds, and I see no reason for practically anyone to bother with any of the other options, except in very few *extreme* fringe cases. And those same propane canisters can be used for lamps, torches, and other accessories, so they have a second life in residential use as well.

For vehicles and stationary (home/business/industrial) use, I much prefer (compressed) natural gas over propane for many reasons. I also prefer to BBQ/grill with charcoal. And I never could stand to watch King of the Hill.

DEET sucks. I've worked in areas with loads and loads of ticks. I sprayed with a lot of DEET and it didn't make a difference in how many ticks I'd get. I started using Repel. (That's since been relabeled to something else that I can't remember at the moment) THAT worked. DEET-based doesn't seem to stop anything, it's got to have permethrin. Once the little bitey things get used to that, I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Live close enough to work that you can run or bike to and from work. If it snows or gets icy where you live, get Microspikes for your shoes so you can keep running in the winter. Problem solved!

A head lamp can be a life saver: http://www.rei.com/product/636965/princeton-tec-quest-headlamp

Studded tires on my older "winter" bike, so no need to swap. Like those http://www.rei.com/product/780258/nokian-mount-and-ground-studded-bike-tire-26-x-19

I have used this on kayaking trips
http://www.rei.com/product/833250/seattle-sports-dry-doc-kindle-case
It is cheap and does the job

Otterbox appears to make a variety of cases for many different devices. However, they don't come cheap and might be a substantial fraction of the cost of the ereader.

For DIY, if your concern is just while the reader is in transit/packed (ie, not in your hand), have you considered just using (small) bubble wrap? Its light and two or three times around should provide adequate protection against all but a hammer. Seal inside zip lock bag(s) and for good measure toss in a couple of those silicone moisture absorbing packets. If you have a small styrofoam shell from product packaging you might be able to adapt that and close with duct tape.

34.17 (at the momment) at amazon ASIN: B0015ZP2AC

I thought I saw them at an REI store for less than that, $10 - $25 depending on the model, still made in the USA too. Judging from the model names these may now be used by the military not just NASA.
http://www.rei.com/search?query=space+pen

... it's not even possible to buy American-made goods even if you wanted to. You're stuck buying shitty foreign products ...

Try googling "Made in USA".

And when on a particular website see if "Made in USA" is one of the search filters: http://www.rei.com/search?search=Made+in+the+USA. Look at the categories and item counts on the left of this page.

You are right.

My commuting vehicle also has no air conditioner, seat belt, airbags, computer assisted direction and engine or sophisticated electronic gadget[s]. It is not a living room on wheels, but it is true to its minimalist roots and gets me from A to B reliably.

It also cost me $250 (lightly used) in 1995, and with regular maintenance works as well now as it did then. (Granted, I've probably put an additional $1000 into it over the years replacing worn parts and consumables like tires and lubrication.)

You can still get a new one, too, though the cost has gone up a little, along with the wheel size. It's still a great deal.

Oh, and in my experience it gets approximately 50 miles per cheeseburger.

OP here, replying AC. To be honest, I'm not totally sure (also my plan was to give them away; something I now see might also be a bad idea for tangible goods). I think the basic explanation I would give is that living in the dark isn't that big an annoyance to them. I am wary of generalizing here, so I want to be clear that I am speaking only for my own experiences, in a portion of (southwest) Ghana. This is like saying Californians wouldn't want X; it may or may not hold true for those in Arizona, and especially for those in, say, Texas. So there may be plenty of places in sub-Saharan Africa or other poor countries where solar lights make sense and are highly valued by the folks living there ... but in Ghana I didn't find that to be the case.

Basically people in the area I was living do have electricity in proximity to their home, if not in their own exact home. So at night, between the occasional streetlamp or other home with lights on, plus a lot of outdoor vendor stalls (which are basically flimsy wooden tables people sell stuff off of, and at night they have oil lamps on them), you can more or less see where you're walking well enough.

Again, oil lamps are bad, the fuel costs money. The disease burden from breathing cooking smoke and oil lamp smoke is a big deal. But it's a big deal to me [Western-educated guy with interest in global health], not necessarily to some people in Ghana. So my overall sense is that people are happy with their oil lamps, and if offered the chance to buy a solar lamp to replace it, most wouldn't. If given a solar lamp, they would probably take it, but if it was made out of a jar, I'd say there's half a chance a month later you'd find them using the jar for something else, and the lamp guts repurposed or given to a kid/neighbor/whatever.

Also, 99.9% of their electronics are cheap Chinese crap that put the cheap-Chinese-crap Americans get to shame, as far as flimsiness. I cannot convey how crappy the Chinese-made products there are. So when *I* think about a solar lamp, I think a rugged REI-type product; when a Ghanaian thinks about one, they probably picture a flimsy plastic thing that will break in a week or two.

I had a Coleman-brand LED lantern, and the family I spent most of my time living with did, at one point, remark that it was pretty cool. The kids were always enamored with it, as they would be with any gadget, but the mother did actually say the equivalent of "you should mail us one of those for Christmas." But it was said in passing, as a sort of 'hey this probably only costs $5 and I guess we might use it' comment (was my sense) ... had they really thought it was awesome, I think they would have told me so much earlier, and much more definitively. Again, maybe her perception of Chinese crap colored her beliefs about my lantern (which actually cost me like $85).

So in conclusion, I think it's a combination of crappy Chinese products coloring their view of all electronics, their own perception of who does and doesn't use these sort of products (fancy solar gadgets are for Obruni [white people]), and a lack of dissatisfaction with existing technologies and methods (however dissatisfied I may be on their behalf means little!).

When I look at a project like Bogolight (linked above), I think "cool!" But, honestly, I have no idea if the average Haitian even wants a Bogolight. I would think yes, but my experience in Ghana tells me not to trust my American-calibrated barometer, that you need to know how Ghanaians, or Haitians, or Angolans think, before you can understand if this is something they will want and ultimately benefit from, regardless of how it may look from a straight up s

Is why I have a Gerber Mk II and a Gerber Evo Jr.

Another alternative that I have found to be very useful: http://www.rei.com/product/685312

It's basically a keychain with several detachable smaller rings. It not only makes it really easy to group and separate your keys as you need them, but I discovered that it has the added bonus that it makes the bundle of keys much more flexible in your pocket, avoiding the situation where the keys stick out at a hard angle that makes it more likely to tear through your pocket.

1)
the iPhone and touch keyboard are the best out there for that screen size, I wish my G1 implemented a similar style.

2)
You need t get the right kind of glove.

I use these:

http://www.rei.com/product/305045

or make your own using conductive thread:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/diy-touchscreen-gloves-are-as-simple-as-a-few-stitches/

3)
The iPhone touch screen is awesome, and I wish they would enable multipoint touch on my G1.
I find it useful as hell on my iPod Touch. I'm not sure what you are doing, or what you mean by 'actual work'.

I would have got one, but it is/was lacking features compared to the G1. TO many to give up in exchange for a more stylish phone with a great UI.

If T-Mobil comes out with a family plan for the Nexus one, I'll grab one in a heart beat.

http://www.rei.com/help/feedback/privacyfb.html

That is the link to send them an email about "privacy". I am sending them an email outlining that if the details are true as they are being presented that I am shocked and embarrassed that REI loss prevention would help with this.

I am an REI member and I shop at the downtown Seattle location often. I am providing them with my membership number and I hope to hear back from them. As a coop they really don't have any interesting in pissing off their members so we will see how this goes.

At the same time if it is false then this guy is accusing them of something false. I am however inclined to believe him.

Also recently I looked up some of the laws around this completely unrelated to this. In Washington state there was once a law requiring a citizen to present ID to a police officer without a crime being committed. Refusing to show ID was a crime itself. This law was struck down as unconstitutional by the WA state supreme court. If there really was no law being broken it is not obstruction to not present ID, the court was very clear about that.

http://www.rei.com/help/feedback/servicefb.html#

For those who might want to make their feelings known, here is the contact page" for the Seattle PD and for REI (who banned the photographer (their customer) for a year from the premises.

I got this purse at REI for my 10" Lenovo s10e - http://www.rei.com/product/763408 - it fits it perfectly, with room for the power adapter, bluetooth mouse, and all kinds of great stuff (makes me wish I could get away with a man-purse...)

It doesn't look girly - I guess it's supposed to look like a miniature messenger bag - but it IS a purse. It makes up for the relative manliness of the black s10e over some of the other netbooks out there, especially the white ones. It's not as manly as my T61 thinkpad though. Hmm, maybe I should get a purse for that one too?

I don't think stickers are actually that great of an idea. It's a matter of personal taste, I guess, but stickers to me signal that you're not creative enough to design decorations yourself. On a Dell laptop I got 5-6 years ago, I painted over the Dell logo with a penguin in acrylic; it looks really nice (and yes - cute) and got nice comments occasionally. I did a similar penguin design for the case badge on my tower computer. I'm still working out in my head what, if anything, to put on my newer computers; I may leave the T61 blank so that it looks professional (I really like the basic thinkpad design as it is) but will probably do something with the netbook.

Anyway, my point is that to make your netbook really stand out, try to customize it with your own creativity. For example, if you're good at cartoons, draw some characters on it with a sharpie. If you can paint, paint a landscape or something. Even if you think you're not creative, just try it (practice on scrap first, obviously) - you will be much more satisfied than if you put some lame stickers on it that you will get sick of, and others (especially girls) will be really, really, impressed, even if it's not astoundingly artistic. Just have fun with it!

I wear a digital watch with an analog face you insensitive clod!
I enjoy analog watches but without the countdown timer and alarm, i found them quite annoying.
I liked the merging of these two styles as shown in this watch:http://media.rei.com/media/712368.jpg

Generally, we have to wait YEARS after press release to get products! Any "no shit, there they were" already on sale at places like REI...two years ago. REI Brunton makes several kinds, you can even connect some types in series for more watts. I heard we can look forward to polio vaccinations sometime next year too!

$385 is a high price but not really out of line considering the expected lifetime of 4000 litres (about 1000 US Gallons). But somehow thinking this is a new product or technology is stupid. There are lots of products out there that already do this.

http://www.rei.com/product/662937?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000 (Filters about the same amount of water and can filter it faster for dispensing to multiple people, but costs a bit more)

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/exxrwabopu.html (has to be replaced much quicker, but is convenient and it only costs $50 and would provide someone at least 30 days worth of clean water.)

And yes, Both of these filters can handle viruses down to 25 nanometers and lower (they are rated for 20nanometers or .2 microns)

Micron size water filters have been around for a long time, ask any outdoorsman or backpacker

Yes. I have one in my emergency supplies. Here's some basic info on small water purifiers. These things tend to be slow, low-throughput devices, since they work by forcing water through a 200nm or so absolute filter. Prices are in the US$100 - US$300 range, depending on throughput. Is this new thing faster, or easier to clean, or cheaper, or something?

I like helmet mounted mirrors like this or this. I've heard the "third eye" mirrors are more fragile than other designs, but their warranty service is excellent... YMMV

Regards,
Ross

REI sells a light lexan french press for making coffee on the trail.
Here's one: http://www.rei.com/product/629245
but I bought one with a insulation sleeve.

They also sell a ball the makes ice cream while you hike. I might have to get one of those.

Get a Mokka pot, also known as a stovetop espresso pot (it isn't really espresso, more pressure percolated).

I second that. Moka pot does not make espresso though. It is something else, really an espresso like only much better and often stronger then espresso. Myself, I grind my coffee beens not as fine as for espresso making and tap it a bit with a spoon. The main trick is really to use very low flame and take it off as soon as it is done. It may take a while to make but result is well worth it, especially at the morning. I have electric stove which is hard to control. Instead I use this backpacking stove. Try the moka pot. Experiment with different beens, coarseness of the grinding, packing, etc. It is much better than any stuff from Peets or Starbucks.

At home, I have a good espresso machine, and I use that. Starbucks sold this machine years ago; it was so good they now put their own name on it and they still sell it. Mine says "Estro Vapore" on it, but the new ones say "Starbucks Barista". Highly rated on coffeegeek.com.

Note that other models of espresso machine have come and go, but this one has been selling for at least a decade now.

http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/starbucks_b arista

At work, I use the AeroPress. It was invented by the same guy who invented the Aerobie flying disc toy. The Aerobie web site has various flying toys... and one coffee maker. US$30 suggested retail, quick and easy to use and clean up.

http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm

Here is the review that convinced me to buy one.

http://www.dansdata.com/aeropress.htm

I bought mine from a mail-order company on Whidbey Island (in Washington state) called Locals Only Coffee. They offer a deal where you can get an extra pack of filters for only $2 when you buy the press.

http://www.localsonlycoffee.com/Aerobie-AeroPress- TM-p/aer01.htm

REI also sells this now.

http://www.rei.com/product/745004

The coffee beans I use are from Caffe Appassionato. I use their house brand, "Appassionato Blend", ground fine. Even though I live in the area and could theoretically get the beans from a local grocery store, we just order the beans direct from the company by mail.

When you get the beans mail order, they come in a sealed foil pack, and I believe they replace the air inside the foil pack with nitrogen to keep the beans fresher.

I have an espresso grinder with a "doser"; so at home, I can grind just enough beans each day that I am always brewing from fresh-ground beans.

For coffee at work, I grind every few days and keep the ground coffee in a tightly sealed jar.

steveha

They really should take all those defective batteries and sell them as fire starters at REI

Being a father myself, I found the James Kim story particularly heart-wrenching. The urge to do SOMETHING for your family would have been absolutely overwhelming. The Kims did so much right (burning the tires), and so much wrong (driving unfamiliar roads in heavy snow). If there is one thing the average person might carry away from this tragedy, there is an expensive but manageable solution that would have saved the Kims in hours: a personal locator beacon. Detected by geo-stationary satellites and located by low-earth orbitting satellites, the PLB's distress signal can be pin-pointed within several meters in just 30 minutes and emits a low-frequency homing beacon to guide rescue crews to you. The beacon must be registered (with NOAA I believe) so that the authorities know who is in trouble. If you've got a family to protect and you'll be on roads you don't know in weather unfavorable to navigation, you owe it to yourself to have one of these.

Usually to break in leather boots quickly is to get them completely wet and walk in them until they become completely dry.

To really minimize blisters while using boots for long days, and your feet aren't used to them, I would suggest what I use for hiking (did 100km(60 miles) in 4 days, feet were okay): Bring 2 pairs of liner socks and 2 pairs of woolies. The liner socks act as a second layer of skin and generally stay put while sliding against the woolies.

Wigwam CoolMax Liners - Liners.
Wigwam Ultimax Cool Lite Hiker Crew Socks - Woolies

Every day you can wash 'em and hang them to dry (since they're all quick drying) so no more than 2 pairs of each are necessary.

As a side note to any Canadians reading this, Mountain Equipment Co-op has the same stuff.

Usually to break in leather boots quickly is to get them completely wet and walk in them until they become completely dry.

To really minimize blisters while using boots for long days, and your feet aren't used to them, I would suggest what I use for hiking (did 100km(60 miles) in 4 days, feet were okay): Bring 2 pairs of liner socks and 2 pairs of woolies. The liner socks act as a second layer of skin and generally stay put while sliding against the woolies.

Wigwam CoolMax Liners - Liners.
Wigwam Ultimax Cool Lite Hiker Crew Socks - Woolies

Every day you can wash 'em and hang them to dry (since they're all quick drying) so no more than 2 pairs of each are necessary.

As a side note to any Canadians reading this, Mountain Equipment Co-op has the same stuff.

...are still the simplest ones.

Here's what I'd recommend, especially for a "bug-out" pack to grab from the house, or leave in the car: The Ten Essentials--and four more
http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html

For home, it would be wise to calculate 1.5 gallons of bottled water per person/day.

Good gadgets:
* MSR MIOX Water Purifier
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?sto reId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47792759 &parent_category_rn=4500462&vcat=REI_SEARCH

* For the knife mentioned in the Ten Essentials, I recommend a NON-FOLDING knife (sturdier, can be used to split wood), a Leatherman and (depending on space available or preference) either a Gerber Gator (stiff blade) type wood saw or their line of lightweight handled axes (get the biggest one possible)

* Dermabond (2-octylcyanoacrylate) or Vetbond (available at your tack & feed/farm supply store may also be an OK option) are good for small gashes.

Worthless gadgets:
* Space blanket. I have yet to figure out any use for this other than as a blanket of last resort. (The joke: Why is it called that? Because it only works in space.) The better deal is to get the "Space All Weather Blanket"

It's called a water purifier http://www.rei.com/product/47575396.htm?vcat=REI_S SHP_CAMPING_TOC.

The good ones have a ceramic filter that gets alot of the nasty microbes out of the water. Go camping some time and get Giardia http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/giardiasis /factsht_giardia.htm for a couple days you'll always have one with you after that.

It's called REI, and the verb is trekking. Backpacking--pfft. I'll bet you spent less than $1000 on your "backpacking" equipment.

You are clearly not young, urban or professional.

Sounds like what REI does. They give you the option of picking up your order at one of their stores so you don't have to pay for shipping (they must add it onto their regular distribution center delivery trucks). The down side is you have to wait about 2 weeks, at least, to get your order but I'm usually not in a rush anyway.

Actually, rock climbers & spelunkers who do lots of caving have been using LED based headlamps for a while now.

They have excellent focus and can illuminate pretty darned well, projecting the light to a good distance as well as a very effecient battery usage.

I do not even remember the last time I used a lightbulb based headlamp.

So, to answer your question - current LEDs can probably do that already.

Bring your own beverage in this. If you have to wait on the runway for a while and need to relieve yourself, drink what your brought, unscrew the cap, and make absolutely sure what you're about to do will go in the bag and nowhere else.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?sto reId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47814912 &parent_category_rn=12353603&vcat=REI_SEAR CH

I carried my Dell laptop in it for a year and a half of non-stop travel through every US state. I highly recomened it. Very sturdy, comforable, and does not look at all like a computer bag. I think it fits all your other requirements very well.

I really like my REI Big Byte.

No. But if you want, you could get a Child Trailer and haul around your linux/mac/windows laptop with you. And after you've worked up a sweat, you can play a little Quake or Doom or whatever, and check your email ;-)

Camping Gear? I think not.

Am I supposed to psychically guess the acronym, or is that an acronym that I really should know about?

cLive ;-)

As every backpacker knows, lightweight, portable water filters have long been available.

Here is selection .

Whether these could be used under combat conditions is another question.

Go over to REI or EMS or whatever local "outdoor" store you've got and pick up a small dry bag for it. Or look into an otter box.

Any kind of boating shop should have these too. Saves you when you get drenched. I do a lot of travel in non-modern areas (like camping in a foreign country) and things get wet at the oddest times.

The satellites don't "find" you or "tell you where you are."

Of course, once the GPS unit has computed your position, anything with RF transmission capability can phone home and relay that information.

These radio's do just that.
So does this Air Force SAR radio.
Even this thing like LoJack called ThiefJack
Even the Call For Help Watch to track your children can do it.

I would pretty much assume that this technology will be in every GPS capable device within the next few years.

Many die-hards out there will undoubtedly tell you that it's not the camera; it's the photographer. Thus, a waterproof point-and-shoot will work fun. That said, it's much more of a pain in the ass to try and figure out how the point-and-shoot will react... and you don't often see those die-hard professionals using point-and-shoots, anyway.

I'm assuming that by nature of the fact that you posted this question, you're concerned with your shots coming out well, so I'll ignore the disposables for now. Your next (and in my opinion, cheapest/easiest) option would be to use a small digital camera that you already have, or buy one that you'll be able to use later. Then get a waterproof case for it. You can get these in several styles.

This one, at $45 will let you shoot while it's in the case, and is not camera-specific. This type is camera specific and is a better choice, though considerably more expensive. ($100-$400, depending on the make/model of camera.) Pelican makes a series called the "Micro Case Series", which you also might want to take a look at. They're cheaper than the ones you can use the camera in ($10-$20), but will only keep the camera waterproof when it's in them.

However, since you mentioned that you're expecting floods with little warning, the last option is probably not the best. I'd recommend the first if you're on a budget, or the second if you're not. I use the third when sailing, but I usually have fair warning before conditions arise that I'll need to watch for. It sounds like you won't.

You can also get digital cameras that are inherently waterproof, like this one, and this one. However, I'd recommend against these, because it sounds like you only need it for this trip. I'd get a camera you can use normally, and a case for situations like these.

Check this out. I've got the same bag that I've been using for about two months now and it's the best laptop case I've 0wn3d thus far. Durable thus far, and has a top-handle, stowable backpack straps, and a shoulder strap. Lots of pockets and plenty of room for stuff. Current contents: 15" Powerbook, typography book, 3 O'Reilly's pocket references, assorted array of pencils and pens, Gameboy Advance SP, iPod, 20oz. Mt. Dew in side pocket, USB Bluetooth plug, power adapters, and a pair of sketchpads. With room to spare.

Try something like the Mountainsmith Day Pack 03. It's a waist pack, a shoulder bag, and a backpack. Different, at least. The only thing is the Mountainsmith bags tend to have an overabundance of straps. Also check out the REI Mother Lode - cheaper. You see these sorts of things on eBay, too, beat up and really cheap - but good ones last forever (get a good laptop sleeve). The last thing a bag like this says is "laptop bag" - good if you're not interested in advertising the fact that you're carrying around expensive hardware.

As an avid outdoorsmen and survivalist, I can say you're on the right track here but there are a few things neccesary to your survival that you're neglecting.

A non-electric cooking solution is probably something that most people should have anyway. As someone already mentioned, cooking with gas is a much better way to cook due to predictability and fast reaction to change. Gas service is available in most suburban and rural areas, however it may be impractical for those in the city. For those who are some reason bound to their electric stove, or for those who want to be prepared for emergencies, camp stoves are an excellent alternative. Cheap camp stoves can be found at walmart, like this one. That stove relies on propane for its fuel and is a bit bulky for some. For those who are interested in a portable and extremely flexible solution there are several backpacking stoves which burn just about anything. The MSR XGK Expedition advertises that it burns anything from white gas to jet fuel, including auto-grade gas and kerosene, and it only costs $109.95, really not too bad of a price for something that could be invaluable in a blackout.

While a warm meal is a wonderful "bonus" during a disaster, it's really not too much of a requirement. Considering most "disasters" seem to last around a week, one could easily survive on other forms of nutrition for that long. It's always a good idea to keep a few powerbars, clif bars, or other form of highly compacted nutritional bar around. More important than food though is water. Even if the worst case scenario were to hit and you were caught totally off guard with no food in the house, you can survive for quite some time on your lovehandles, thunder thighs, and beer (or geek) gut, as long as you've got WATER. Again for the camper/hiker/backpacker there are tons of great portable water filters out there that should make damn near anything drinkable. If you're planning on staying at home a filtration pitcher is a good thing to have, unlike faucet based filters, you can use the pitcher with water collected from any source (rainwater if need be).

But food and water are only one thing that you should be prepared with. Especially for the northerners, you should have some way of keeping warm. Now, if you're in a suburban or rural area, a woodstove may be the best way to "kill two birds with one stone", not only can they heat an entire house with flexible low-cost high-availability fuels, but in an emergency you can cook on them too. Regardless of what you're using to heat your home, there are a few simple items that can save your life in a "disaster" situation by keeping you warm. The first and maybe most important is a good sleeping bag. The body burns a ton of calories just trying to stay warm in cold weather, with food and water supplies possibly a concern, it is in anyone's best interests to stay as warm as possible. For those of you who are only looking at in-home emergencies, wal-mart sells cheap zero degree bags, and if your home should drop to below zero god help you. Anyone into camping/hiking or who would like something to keep in a car should check out a

As an avid outdoorsmen and survivalist, I can say you're on the right track here but there are a few things neccesary to your survival that you're neglecting.

A non-electric cooking solution is probably something that most people should have anyway. As someone already mentioned, cooking with gas is a much better way to cook due to predictability and fast reaction to change. Gas service is available in most suburban and rural areas, however it may be impractical for those in the city. For those who are some reason bound to their electric stove, or for those who want to be prepared for emergencies, camp stoves are an excellent alternative. Cheap camp stoves can be found at walmart, like this one. That stove relies on propane for its fuel and is a bit bulky for some. For those who are interested in a portable and extremely flexible solution there are several backpacking stoves which burn just about anything. The MSR XGK Expedition advertises that it burns anything from white gas to jet fuel, including auto-grade gas and kerosene, and it only costs $109.95, really not too bad of a price for something that could be invaluable in a blackout.

While a warm meal is a wonderful "bonus" during a disaster, it's really not too much of a requirement. Considering most "disasters" seem to last around a week, one could easily survive on other forms of nutrition for that long. It's always a good idea to keep a few powerbars, clif bars, or other form of highly compacted nutritional bar around. More important than food though is water. Even if the worst case scenario were to hit and you were caught totally off guard with no food in the house, you can survive for quite some time on your lovehandles, thunder thighs, and beer (or geek) gut, as long as you've got WATER. Again for the camper/hiker/backpacker there are tons of great portable water filters out there that should make damn near anything drinkable. If you're planning on staying at home a filtration pitcher is a good thing to have, unlike faucet based filters, you can use the pitcher with water collected from any source (rainwater if need be).

But food and water are only one thing that you should be prepared with. Especially for the northerners, you should have some way of keeping warm. Now, if you're in a suburban or rural area, a woodstove may be the best way to "kill two birds with one stone", not only can they heat an entire house with flexible low-cost high-availability fuels, but in an emergency you can cook on them too. Regardless of what you're using to heat your home, there are a few simple items that can save your life in a "disaster" situation by keeping you warm. The first and maybe most important is a good sleeping bag. The body burns a ton of calories just trying to stay warm in cold weather, with food and water supplies possibly a concern, it is in anyone's best interests to stay as warm as possible. For those of you who are only looking at in-home emergencies, wal-mart sells cheap zero degree bags, and if your home should drop to below zero god help you. Anyone into camping/hiking or who would like something to keep in a car should check out a

As an avid outdoorsmen and survivalist, I can say you're on the right track here but there are a few things neccesary to your survival that you're neglecting.

A non-electric cooking solution is probably something that most people should have anyway. As someone already mentioned, cooking with gas is a much better way to cook due to predictability and fast reaction to change. Gas service is available in most suburban and rural areas, however it may be impractical for those in the city. For those who are some reason bound to their electric stove, or for those who want to be prepared for emergencies, camp stoves are an excellent alternative. Cheap camp stoves can be found at walmart, like this one. That stove relies on propane for its fuel and is a bit bulky for some. For those who are interested in a portable and extremely flexible solution there are several backpacking stoves which burn just about anything. The MSR XGK Expedition advertises that it burns anything from white gas to jet fuel, including auto-grade gas and kerosene, and it only costs $109.95, really not too bad of a price for something that could be invaluable in a blackout.

While a warm meal is a wonderful "bonus" during a disaster, it's really not too much of a requirement. Considering most "disasters" seem to last around a week, one could easily survive on other forms of nutrition for that long. It's always a good idea to keep a few powerbars, clif bars, or other form of highly compacted nutritional bar around. More important than food though is water. Even if the worst case scenario were to hit and you were caught totally off guard with no food in the house, you can survive for quite some time on your lovehandles, thunder thighs, and beer (or geek) gut, as long as you've got WATER. Again for the camper/hiker/backpacker there are tons of great portable water filters out there that should make damn near anything drinkable. If you're planning on staying at home a filtration pitcher is a good thing to have, unlike faucet based filters, you can use the pitcher with water collected from any source (rainwater if need be).

But food and water are only one thing that you should be prepared with. Especially for the northerners, you should have some way of keeping warm. Now, if you're in a suburban or rural area, a woodstove may be the best way to "kill two birds with one stone", not only can they heat an entire house with flexible low-cost high-availability fuels, but in an emergency you can cook on them too. Regardless of what you're using to heat your home, there are a few simple items that can save your life in a "disaster" situation by keeping you warm. The first and maybe most important is a good sleeping bag. The body burns a ton of calories just trying to stay warm in cold weather, with food and water supplies possibly a concern, it is in anyone's best interests to stay as warm as possible. For those of you who are only looking at in-home emergencies, wal-mart sells cheap zero degree bags, and if your home should drop to below zero god help you. Anyone into camping/hiking or who would like something to keep in a car should check out a