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PowerFlares – An Alternative to Incendiary Flares

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Invented by a police officer, the PowerFlare PF-200 Electronic LED Safety Light is designed for use by police, firefighters, EMTs, rescue first responders, military, and members of emergency response teams. The applications are limited only by your imagination but work well for marking routes, drop and landing zones, and items of interest. It can also be used for IFF, Personnel Recovery, as well as illumination. In addition to a Morse Code SOS blinking feature the PowerFlare has 10 User-selectable blinking patterns.

The advantages are obvious as PowerFlares overcome the myriad problems experienced with incendiary flares. Flares/fusees cause unintentional fires, in some cases spontaneous trunk fires, they often donâ€™t light, leave toxic residue, and contaminate air and water. Additionally, flares are an expensive one time use item, not to mention that fusees burn out in in a mere 20 minutes.

On the other hand, PowerFlares can be used from 8 to 150 hours per battery (with a shelf life of up to 10 years) while the LEDâ€™s last for up to 100,000 hours. In addition, the systems are extremely impact resistant and can withstand the weight of a truck so they won’t need to be replaced.

PowerFlares are available in a variety of colors

Shells are available in Yellow, Orange, Blue, and OD. LEDs are offered in Amber, Blue, Green, Red, and White. Additionally, a special version of the PowerFlare is available with IR LEDs. The best value is the PF-200R 6-Pack Rechargeable System which comes with six of the PF-200R beacons packed in a recharging case. The recharger can be plugged into a vehicle hot point (12-30VDC) or wall outlet.

They also offer storage bags in UCP as well as other colors that carry four PowerFlares.

To order visit PowerFlare Distribution Center, Inc.

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Smith & Wesson Model 500 Emergency Survival Revolver

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Smith & Wesson has assembled a survival kit containing the things that will keep you alive and one item often overlooked; a gun.

Smith & Wesson Model 500 Emergency Survival Revolver

The centerpiece of the kit is a Smith & Wesson Model 500, 2 3/4″ Barrel with Bright Orange HogueÂ® recoil reducing grip. The kit comes packed in a waterproof StormÂ® Case and contains:
– Blast Matchâ„¢ Firestarter and WetFire tender
– Saber Cutâ„¢ Saw with fabric sheath
– Jet Screamâ„¢ whistle
– Star Flashâ„¢ signal mirror
– PolarisÂ® compass
– Two MPI Mylar SpaceÂ® Emergency Blankets
– Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops Liner Lock Folding Knife with Black Sheath
– “Bear Attacks of the Century – True Stories of Courage and Survival” book by Larry Mueller and Marguerite Reiss

Too bad they didn’t have one of these in the movie, “The Edge”. The book would have been most insightful.

The Survival Kit is available from Midwest Hunter Outlet.

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The Best â‚¬ 3,95 You’ll Ever Spend

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Well maybe not, but this one is so odd we had to show everybody. Imagine a “Royal with Cheese” in a can. In German that’s “Cheeseburger in der Dose”. At any rate, it’s interesting to see what the European Backpacking community is eating.

Order from TREK’N EAT. If you dare…

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TOPS Knives Survival Neck Wallet

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

We live in an increasingly dangerous world. Travelers face the danger of detainment or isolation from safety. Even at home, it’s wise to have a handy survival kit for the unforeseen. TOPS Knives has developed an new line of survival products and assembled them in a survival kit based on the popular neck wallet.

The Survival Neck Wallet has a see through ID window, two interior pouches, one zippered money/credit card pouch and rear slot.

It contains a variety of tools including:

1. TOPS Survival Whistle independently tested at 126 decibels.

2. TOPS Pocket size Survival Saw.

3. A liquid filled compass.

4. The TOPS Firestarter with Ferrocium Rod and magnesium. Will start fires even when wet.

5. Traditional P-38 military can opener/Firestarter striker.

6. Offset Phillips/flat head screwdriver.

7. TOPS Dog Tag Signal Mirror.

8. LED Flashlight.

9. Lansky Quick Fix Sharpener.

Several of the items are exclusive TOPS products including the Survival Mirror which is designed to be worn on a neck chain. It is hard chrome and includes a sighting hole.

What really differentiates TOPS’ pouch from others is that the back features a 3M highly reflective backing which is ideal for signalling.

To order visit www.TOPSKnives.com.

Photos from TOPS Knives.

Tags: TOPS Knives
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Ultimate Survival Technologies – Sparkie

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

The BlastMatch has been a mainstay in survival kits for many years. The BlastMatchâ„¢ utilzes a custom bar of high performance flint material which rotates 360 degrees to help prevent uneven wear. A tungsten carbide striker is built into the striker button. This combinatio0n generates three times the heat of a standard match. What’s more, it is weather proof.

UST is introducing a new product; the Sparkie. It is based on the same technology as the dependable Blastmatch but reduces it’s size and weight. Weighing in at an incredible one ounce, the Sparkie is designed to be used one-handed which can be crucial in a survival situation. The rubberized handle helps ensure you don’t lose your grip even when wet.

For more information contact Ultimate Survival Technologies.

Tags: SERE
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AMK Introduces New Survival Bivies

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Adventure Medical Kits has released the Thermo-LiteÂ® 2 Bivvy and HeatsheetsÂ® Emergency Bivvy (sic). â€œWhen youâ€™re in the outdoors, you have to remember that youâ€™re playing by natureâ€™s rules,â€ says AMKâ€™s marketing director Frank Meyer. â€œWhether itâ€™s a hurricane, snowstorm or an avalanche, you have to be prepared that things can and will go wrong and that, when they do, help may be hours or even days away.â€ â€œHaving a contingency plan for the outdoors,â€ Meyer added, â€œand the right gear, like the items contained in AMKâ€™s Essentials line, is a away for our customers to prepare now to survive later.â€

The Thermo-LiteÂ® 2 Bivvy
AMKâ€™s best-selling survival item of the last few years has been improved by making it 1.5 oz. lighter and 30% stronger than the material used in the original. The bivvy sack is a light-weight replacement for a sleeping bag, when nighttime temperatures are 50Â° F or higher or as an emergency survival bivvy for wintertime activities. The new bivvy features the stronger Thermo-LiteÂ® 2 material on the bottom to withstand rocky terrain and hard-packed snow conditions. It is easily repaired with duct tape should it ever sustain a tear. The 6.5 oz. Thermo-LiteÂ® 2 Bivvyâ€™s design retains 80% body heat and can be opened at top, bottom and side to allow moisture and heat to escape.

NEW! HeatsheetsÂ® Emergency Bivvy
Weighing in at a meager 3.5 ounces, the HeatsheetsÂ® Emergency Bivvy is now available with an ultralight stuff sack, allowing for repeat use. It is made from a newly developed polyethylene material that is vacuum-metalicized to reflect back 90% body heat. Also in the HeatsheetsÂ® line, AMK has added the HeatsheetsÂ® Emergency Blanket. The compact 2.5 oz. Blanket is quiet, durable and easy to fold out and fold up, even when youâ€™re wearing gloves; suitable for one person, the Emergency Blanket can also be used as a temporary shelter during inclement weather. Featuring a bright orange color, the Blanket is 20% larger than many other survival blankets and comes with survival and first aid instructions printed in English and French on the back.

To order contact Adventure Medical Kits.

Images courtesy of Adventure Medical Kits.

Tags: Adventure Medical Kits, Space Blanket
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AeroVest

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

Probably the most interesting product I saw at the Outdoor Retailer Summer market was a survival product called the AeroVest. manufactured by SolaTec, the AeroVest made from a lightweight metalized polyethylene, a material similar to a space blanket.
This is so it is not only durable but will reflect your body heat back towards you. Unlike a standard space blanket it is designed specifically to be worn and also utilizes trapped air as an additional insulation layer.

The 2 oz AeroVest comes standard in Orange but custom runs can be made in any color scheme. At OR they displayed an AeroVest made in UCP. Considered a one time use item it is only because it is difficult to get all of the air out of it once the 18 pockets are inflated. To inflate simply put the AeroVest on loosely, insert the straw provided with the vest into one of the two slots near the neck in the same manner as a juice pouch and blow (2 – 5 breaths) into the straw to inflate the vest. Repeat on the other side. You can remove the straw because the material is self-sealing. Small tears can be easily repaired with tape.

One size fits most and they mean it. The front opening is closed by a resealable adhesive that is good for about 30 closures. Of course use in an extremely dirty environment will reduce the number of times it will adhere.

AeroVest is made in the USA.

For more information contact AeroVest.

Diagram is property of AeroVest.

Tags: AeroVest, SERE
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Solkoa – SERE Products and Training

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Solkoa is well known in very tight circles for their specialized survival training. In conjunction with an expansion that provides both training and full E&E kits to a wider customer base, Solkoa has began to offer some of the individual pieces of their line. Solkoa specializes in working with the user to develop a dedicated kit or they can provide a variety of containers, survival aids, and general guidance so that the individual can develop their own solution. I hope to see a full article on the container in the near future, but sufficed to say that they are works of art; truly. Specialized symbols can be machined directly into the container.

I recently tried the fastfire fire starter. Like so many of their other products, each package is discreetly wrapped in a resealable black bag that does not scream military. Each package of two pieces of tinder is designed to start up to 16 fires and the tinder burns both smokeless and odorless.