I’m watching the rain and snow beat on my window pane during the first storm of  2012 in Central Oregon. But the rest of the country has already had  major winter storms and power blackouts. Millions were left without power, and some areas suffered greatly.

A survival situation can develop in your home when the power goes out. The backup plan must include emergency lighting.

If you lived in those affected areas, let’s hope you were prepared for power outages. Here are some tips to keep you from sitting in the dark.

by Leon Pantenburg

This brings an important topic to the forefront : What happens when high winds, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures combine to knock out the electricity in your home?

Emergency preparedness means you should have backup systems or plans for heat, lighting and water. If you’re lucky, the power won’t be off long, but batteries are gone after a few days, unless you have a way to recharge them. A generator will only work until it runs out of fuel.

One of the more important aspects of urban survival during winter storms is lighting. Without a lighting plan, you could end up in the dark from when the sun sets at around 5:30 p.m. until dawn. The right lighting supplies can make this situation more bearable.

This scenario is familiar to Tom Dumalt, manager of Globe Lighting in Bend, OR.

Dumalt lived in the Milwaukee, OR., area from 1978 through 1981, he said, when days-long power outages were common. While various battery-operated light sources work well, Dumalt also recommends stocking up with plenty of candles and matches because emergency power only lasts so long.

For the long term, candles may be one of the best choices, he said, because they’re cheap, easily available
and easy to use safely.

And if you’re a scrounger/recycler/prepper, candles are something that is always on the “To-Buy” list. And they have a place in any urban survival kit.

When buying candles for a potential power outage, all you’re really

A single candle may provide enough lighting in some power outage situations.

concerned about is quantity.  The aesthetics and mood of a romantic candle-lit dinner will soon wear off, and everyone will soon be more concerned about seeing what is for dinner.

Great places to find really cheap candles are garage and rummage sales and thrift stores. It doesn’t matter if the candles are outdated Christmas or novelty candles, odds-and-ends from a dinner party, or clunky art projects – all they have to do is provide light. Buy all you can find and stockpile them.

Another good lighting choice is the old-fashioned kerosene lamps our grandparents used. My urban survival kit includes several such lanterns and lamps, plus a supply of kerosene to fuel them. A standard Deitz lantern, according to the manufacturer, will burn up to eight hours on one tankfull of fuel. 21st Century Inc 210-32060 Hurricane Lantern No. 30

Other garage sale treasures can include old Coleman gas lanterns. These run on Coleman camp fuel or (in
some cases) unleaded gasoline, and they can be dirt cheap. I was given several once after an estate sale, when nobody would buy them. Repairing them was not difficult, and if I can fix one, so can you.

Generally, the reason gas lanterns don’t work is because of a worn-out pump or from being clogged from dirty fuel. Sometimes a good cleaning is all they need. Repair parts are dirt cheap too, so there is no reason you can’t have several. Coleman Two-Mantle Dual Fuel Lantern with Hard Case

Before you lay in a stock of lighting sources that require combustion, consider how safe they are, and if they
will work for your intended purpose.

Probably the first consideration is if your lighting source emits carbon monoxide. This odorless gas is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas and oil.

This means a gas, kerosene or propane-powered lantern has the potential to be life-threatening in a closed, well-sealed space, says Gary Marshall, deputy chief with the Bend Fire Department.

The red kerosene and Coleman gasoline lanterns can provide a source of efficient lighting, but be aware of potential carbon monoxide problems.

All of these light sources must be used in a well-ventilated area only, Marshall said. Remember, if the electricity is off, so is the fan motor in your furnace, and there may not be a way to circulate air.

Both the American Red Cross and the Bend Fire Department recommend an emergency illumination source that is battery-powered.

In any emergency lighting situation, you should be prepared with battery-operated lamps or flashlights, Marshall said. Be very careful with candles or any open flame.

An important part of any emergency preparations is The Plan. Come up with a plausible lighting scenario for your area, then decide how you will handle it.

Think about your lighting needs when there is no electricity, Dumalt advises. When the sun comes up, will you need a light source to work? If so, can you move the work area to take advantage of sunlight?

Look at window placement as it relates to lighting, he added. Would the best idea be to shut down other areas of the house, and move into a central area that is more easily lighted and heated?

Another consideration is what the lighting needs are when the sun goes down. Decide what area you’ll be in when it becomes dark, Dumalt said, then think about the most effective way to light it for different activities. A single candle might be enough to light one area for certain activities, while more light might be needed later for cooking, bathing or washing clothes.

In some cases, such as two people reading together, a single candle will be enough, Dumalt said. In situations where it can be done safely, you can use a candle or lamp to save batteries.

While you’re picking up candles, stock up on extra batteries, too, and be sure to check your flashlights or electric lanterns to determine which batteries they require.

Here are some emergency power outage tips from the American Red Cross:

• Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer.
• Do not run a generator inside a home or garage.
• If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not connect a generator to a home’s electrical system.
• Listen to local radio and television for updated information.
• Turn off or disconnect any appliances, equipment (like air conditioners) or electronics you were using when the power went out. When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary surges or spikes that can damage equipment such as computers and motors in appliances like the air conditioner, refrigerator, washer or furnace.
• Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when your power returns.
  
  

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Part of the fun of  being a prepper/survivalist is that there is always some piece of equipment that needs to be bought or upgraded. But if you’re just getting started in the process, you will need a lot of stuff, and your budget may be stretched.

So what better gift to give someone at Christmas than an effective, inexpensive piece of survival gear?

by Leon Pantenburg

Several years ago, my daughter Mary started her own family Christmas tradition. Starting in October, she began making presents for family members. Since she paints, we all got acrylic images of things we like. My painting of the intersection of Highways 69 and 41 in Clarksdale, MS, hangs in my office. (For people unfamiliar with the Blues, that is where the legendary Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil in return for becoming a better guitar player.)

I replaced all my boot laces with paracord. Many useful gifts are also great do-it-yourself projects.

Here are 10 suggestions for do-it-yourself prepper/survivalist gifts that are easily made and incredibly effective. Several would make unique stocking-stuffers. Best of all, in my frugal mind, is that these items are very inexpensive, or recycled. All of them  cost under $10.

Cotton balls and petroleum jelly: This is one of the best survival firestarters available. It is quick, effective and cheap. All you need is an old prescription bottle, or some other sealed container, several cotton balls and some petroleum jelly. Infuse the cotton balls with the jelly, and place them in the container. When it’s time to use the firestarter, fluff the cotton and use. (Here’s how.)

Waxed Firestarter: This is another incredibly effective firestarter. You can use old cotton rags, some candle wax mixed with paraffin, and create an easy-to-carry firestarter. (To read the recipe, click here.)

Mop handle walking stick: A walking stick doesn’t need to be expensive. Go to the local hardware store, and buy a five to six- foot-long hardwood mop handle. Then get a rubber end, such as is used on chair legs, and slip it on the tapered end. The walking stick will serve you well at a cost of between $5 to $8.

Bic Lighter Wrapped With Duct tape:I don’t smoke, but I carry a small BIC lighter everywhere. Affix a poptop, so it can

Butane lighters work fine as long as they are warm and dry.

be secured to a lanyard, and wrap the lighter a couple feet of duct tape. You’ll be surprised how often you use the tape!

Notebook and pencil: As a journalist, a notebook and writing implement are part of my wardrobe. The internet is full of suggestions on making notebooks from recycled paper. Make a pocket-sized notebook, and carry a pencil (they write upside down, and don’t freeze). You will use your notebook every day.

Paracord shoelaces: One of the most useful ways to carry several feet of paracord  is to substitute it for shoelaces in your boots. Just check out the length of the shoelaces,  cut the paracord to fit, and fuse the ends with a match or lighter. Not only do the laces last almost forever, but in an emergency, you have several feet of cordage available.

Mora Knife: If you watch the  sales, you can get one of these fantastic, small fixed blade knives for under $10. I carry a Mora in my Bug Out Bag, daypack and briefcase. Here’s a good deal.

Charcloth: Charcloth is a material that will catch a spark, develop into an ember, and allow you to blow that heat source into a flame. All you need to make charlcloth is a heat source, an Altoids tin and some old 100 percent cotton cloth. Here is how to make it.

Trash bag for an emergency shelter: In our Boy Scout troop, we carry large plastic bags to use as emergency shelters. While you can buy the larger bags at any hardware store, a good source is your local tire store. Chances are the manager will give you one if you ask. I carry at least one shelter bag in all my survival kits. Here is how to use them.

Credit Card Sized Signal Mirror: Several years ago, I was researching materials to include in a wallet survival kit. I went to the local car parts store and found some flexible plastic mirror material. I used a utility knife to cut it to size, and drilled a hole in the center. The mirror is flexible, and fits in the credit card part of a wallet. It can be used for signaling, of course, but it you get something in your eye, or need to adjust a contact lens, the mirror proves its worth. Cost per mirror is about a buck.

For more info on making survival kits, click here.

 Learn what fabrics to wear in the outdoors to stay warm and dry.

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I was not compensated for this review, nor does the company, at the time of this publication, advertise on this website. The following is my opinion.

It used to be that backpackers fell into two camps: those who filtered water, and those who never did.

This desert spring was the only water source for quite a distance. The animals and livestock had already found it!

by Leon Pantenburg

In the mid-1970s, I never did. On some of my hikes, like the 225-mile John Muir Trail in the Sierras, weight was critical. I didn’t take a water filter, was careful what water sources I drank from and never got sick. Same thing when I backpacked through the Thoroughfare Creek loop of Yellowstone – no filter and no problems.

But that was a long time ago, and I never drink unfiltered water any more, no matter how isolated, or clean-looking the source may be. I’m still backpacking, hiking and hunting, but weight is even more of an issue now! Anything that goes in my daypack has to be light and effective.

So I looked at the LifeStraw Water Filter, distributed by the Eartheasy  company, with a good bit of interest. The filter is light enough at two ounces and small enough (8.5 inches long) to fit easily in a backpack  or briefcase. The company claims each one can filter 264 gallons of clean drinking water.

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I suppose I could fill my bottle with some disgusting water from a wildlife guzzler or desert spring, test the filter and get back to you in a couple weeks. (But this is SurvivalCommonSense.com –  I’ll let the YouTube and video “survival experts” do the made-for-TV experiments!)

Here are some important LifeStraw features, according to EarthEasy:

• Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria
• Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites
• Reduces turbidity, filtering down to 0.2 microns
• Ultralight: weighs only two ounces.
• Contains no chemicals, uses no batteries, has no moving parts
• Has a three-year shelf life
• Fits right inside most reusable water bottles

The LifeStraw water filter weighs two ounces, according to the company, and can filter hundreds of gallons.

The usual problem with filter straws is how hard it is to drink from one. This is a big deal, particularly if you are trying to keep a child or older person hydrated during an emergency. If water can’t be easily sucked out of  the tube,  the filter may not be useful to you.

After a rain shower, you may be able to find water caught in a depression in a rock.

Backpackers, hikers, hunters and other outdoors people should carry some sort of water filter. Every year, I hunt the desert and the mountains for elk and deer. In both cases, I carry a small filter.

You may come across an irrigation water line, abandoned windmill or stock tank. These sources may produce some pretty funky-looking and tasting water, but if it is all that is available, it could save your life. Being able to filter that water could  keep you from getting violently ill.                         Shop Amazon’s Gift Cards – Perfect Anytime

For hikers, campers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, this filter might be what you’re looking for. The LifeStraw retails for $19.95, and for every 10 purchased Eartheasy is donating one straw to individuals in developing countries to help them drink safer water.

I like the product. It is worthy of consideration in your survival gear.

For other survival gear reviews, click here.

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What Christmas gifts do you give your prepper or survival mom or dad? Here are some suggestions for the person who may need everything!

The intangibles should be part of every survival kit!

by Leon Pantenburg

Everybody needs to carry a small, pocket-sized survival kit wherever they go. If an unexpected emergency happens, and by definition they are unexpected or they wouldn’t be an emergency, the only survival tools you’ll have are the ones in your pockets, purse, briefcase or coat pocket.

Maybe your family members are already on the preparedness or survival bandwagon, and are pretty well set up.  Or, maybe (more likely)  they don’t have anything, and see no need to prepare for anything.

Either way, here are some suggestions for inexpensive, useful gifts that can come from the kids. Any parent worthy of  the title will appreciate and carry these items, because of who gave them!

This photo demonstrates how a trash bag can be used as a quick, effective emergency shelter. (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

Many of the necessary items are small and inexpensive such as water bottles or a notebook.

Start giving some of these items piecemeal, possibly as stocking stuffers, and soon a complete kit will have been made.

Here are some suggestions, in no particular order, for gifts.  Include a cute little daypack to make it a fun gift!

Large plastic bag: This can fit easily in a briefcase or purse, and has multiple uses. The bag can be improvised into a shelter or raingear, used as a mat while changing a tire, as a way to signal for help or as a container for water. The uses are limitless, you can probably get one free from your local tire store, and the bag can fold down small enough to be easily carried

Mora Knife: This small, Scandinavian-style knife can be carried in a purse or briefcase, and its convenient size and shape make it incredibly useful. Your survival knife is the one you have with you! A knife is my nomination for the most useful survival tool, and a Mora is one of the most useful survival knife designs!

BIC Lighter wrapped with duct tape and attached pop top: I don’t smoke, but I always have a small BIC lighter, wrapped with a couple feet of duct tape, and with a can pop top attached, in my pocket. In a survival situation, I hope to “Flick my Bic,” and take care of any firemaking needs. Duct tape is useful for everything, and makes a pretty decent firestarter. A  pop top to the lighter attached allows you to secure it to a lanyard or piece of cord, so it doesn’t get lost. 

Small notebook with pen/pencil: As a journalist, I feel naked without a notebook of some
sort and a writing instrument. This combination can be used for everything from grocery lists, to notes on windshields in the office parking lot, or during an emergency, to record waypoints, directions or emergency phone numbers. A small, pocket-sized notebook is best, so it won’t get left behind.

Collapsible water bottle: These containers roll up into a tiny package, and can be stashed easily. If you need to carry water, you will have an effective method to do so!

Signal mirror: While the point is to have a  mirror for signaling, mom can also use this to check her makeup and help put in a contact lens! Not to mention, if you have to remove something from your eye, this tool is invaluable!

Cotton balls and Vaseline: To be used as a firestarter. This is a hands-on project the smaller kids can make for Dad. It is a bit messy to put together, but it is a definite winner in the crafts project division! (To learn more, click here.)

These basic survival items can be carried in your pocket, purse or belt.

Put these items on a keyring:

Swiss Army Classic: This is the smallest, and one of the most useful, Swiss Army Knives imaginable. I’ve carried one constantly on my keychain for at least 20 years, and it gets used virtually every day.

The knife features a small blade, scissors , toothpick, fingernail file and screwdriver tip.  Most importantly, it has the best tweezers in the world for pulling splinters out of kids’ fingers.

First impression of : “What good is that tiny thing?” will soon change to: “How did I get along without it!” You can also get special colors in the handle!

Small, Keychain LED light: This will be one of the most-used items on your keychain. But make sure you get one that has an on-off switch. Otherwise, you’ll get really tired of pinching the light to keep it going!

Whistle: Use this for signaling, calling for help or to attract attention in crowds or disaster situations.

Fingernail clippers: This is another item that will get almost constant use.

Small magnesium stick: For firemaking and signaling. Make sure the parent  knows how to use this!

Small laminated photograph of family and/or note in gear: I opened my duffel bag at elk camp in the middle of nowhere, Idaho, several years ago to find little notes from my 10-year old daughter stuck in pockets, rolled-up socks, and in my book.

I put all those notes in my survival gear before heading out into the backcountry. Sentiments such as “I love you, Dad” and “Dad! Come home safe!” reminded me to be safe, and how much I had to lose if I got lost or  injured  in the backcountry.

These little reminders may keep you from giving up, and may be the deciding factor in any survival situation!

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Your first line of defence against hypothermia is your clothing. Make the right choices to survive!

by Leon Pantenburg
Dressing to survive starts with knowing what fabrics to wear. Different fabrics have radically different properties. Choosing the wrong type, or mixing clothing of

These Troop 18 Boy Scouts stayed warm on this winter hike because they all dressed correctly for the weather conditions.

different materials, can be disastrous!

You may not be able to tell what a garment is made of by looking. A nice, fuzzy, thick 100-percent cotton flannel shirt will be warm and cozy until it gets wet. Then that wet shirt may suck the heat out of your torso and cause hypothermia!

On the other side of the equation is wool. My hands-down favorite in the winter, wool, is generally a bad choice for a desert hike in August. Wool traps heat, and while it provides some UV protection, the material will prevent your body from cooling.
So, the buyer needs to beware.

Before buying any clothing item, read the labels and find out what the material is. Ignore fashion or what’s trendy (I know that’s hard – I have a 16-year-old daughter!), and make your purchase based on the activity and the clothing protection that will be needed.

Here are some common fabric choices:

* Cotton:  Depending on where you live, cotton clothing can kill you. Cotton is hydrophilic, meaning it is no good at wicking wetness away from the skin, and can become damp just by being exposed to humidity.

Since I’ve spent a lot of time in the Deep South, my favorite hot weather shirt is a medium-weight, white, 100 percent cotton Navy surplus shirt. The shirt has a collar that can be pulled up to shade my neck, and pockets with flaps and buttons. Cotton also has a reasonable amount of UV protection.

Both of these 100% cotton garments would keep you warm until they got wet. Then, this clothing can become dangerous to wear!

On really hot days in a canoe, a cotton shirt can be soaked with water, and worn to cool you down. On a desert hike, help prevent heat stroke by using a few ounces of water to wet the shirt down. (The water can come from anywhere, including that algae-edged stock tank. The evaporation is what cools you!)

Typical urban casual garb is probably all cotton: sweatsocks, Hanes or Fruit of the Loom underwear, jeans, tee shirt, flannel shirt and sweatshirt. This outfit may keep you warm in town, but don’t wear it into the backcountry! Once the cotton gets wet, you could end up in trouble.

Don’t be mislead by the looks and camouflage patterns of 100 percent cotton hunting clothes. These garments may be just what you need for a hot, September dove hunt in Mississippi, but they become cold and clammy when damp or wet, just like anything else made of cotton.

* Polypropylene: This material doesn’t absorb water, so it is a hydrophobic. This makes it a great base layer, since it wicks moisture away from your body.  The bad news is that polypropylene melts, so a spark from the campfire may melt holes in your clothing.

* Wool: Where I live in Central Oregon, wool is the standard for  six months of the year. A good pair of wool pants and wool socks are the first clothing items we recommend to new Boy Scouts in our troop. For our winter scout excursions, any sort of cotton clothing is strongly discouraged. Jeans are banned.

Wool absorbs moisture, but stays warmer than many other fabrics. Wool is also inherently flame retardant.

* Polyester: This is essentially fabric made from plastic, and it’s good stuff. The material has good insulative and windstopping value, and can be made into many different thicknesses.

Dressed completely in wool, I was warm and comfortable on this winter hike. I took off my hat and coat for the photo.

* Nylon: The fabric is pretty tough and can be used on your outer layer. It doesn’t absorb much moisture, and what does evaporates quickly. It is best used as some sort of windbreaker, to keep your clothing from being compromised by the wind.

* Down: This material is not a fabric, but rather, fluffy feathers stuffed inside a garment or sleeping bag. When dry, down is one of my favorite insulative materials.

In addition, a down sleeping bag or garment is virtually impossible to dry out in the backcountry, even with a roaring campfire.

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Before any advertising is accepted on this site, the products must be tested and evaluated. This review of  the Brazos Walking Stick is my opinion, and I was not paid to do the test.

by Leon Pantenburg

Adoption of a walking stick as part of my hiking gear was gradual.

As a 20-something-year-old backpacker, my lack of common sense was exceeded only by my enthusiasm for long distance backpacking. My pack was cheap, frequently too heavy, was carried too far, and up and down mountains that were too steep. I never thought a walking stick would make much difference. (To read my 1976 John Muir Trail journal, click here.)

But I should have known better – I was a long-time reader of hiking guru Colin Fletcher (“The Man Who Walked Through Time,”  “The Thousand Mile Summer,”) but never absorbed what he wrote about walking sticks:

“Although the vast majority of walkers never even think of using a walking staff, I unhesitatingly include it among the foundations of the house that travels on my back. I still take my staff along almost as automatically as I take my pack. It is a third leg to me – and much more besides.

“On smooth surfaces, the staff helps maintain an easy rhythm to my walking and gives me something to lean on when I stop to stand and stare. Over rough going of any kind, from tussocky grass to pockety rock, and also in a high wind, it converts me when I am heavily laded from an insecure biped to a confident tripod…

“It may well be, too, that the staff also gives me a false but subconsciously comforting feeling that I am not after all completely defenseless against attack by such enemies as snakes, bears and men.” – Colin Fletcher, The Complete Walker III, 1984 (page 78)

Over the years, I started using a walking stick on some hikes, and eventually a stick became part of my hiking gear. I have several – my son gave me a nice stick as a birthday present, but most of  my walking sticks  are hardwood mop handles from Home Depot or Lowe’s. With the addition of a rubber tip (the kind used to cap table or chair legs) you end up with a highly functional walking stick for about five bucks.

I drilled holes at different heights, so I could thread paracord through them and use the stick as one end of a tarp shelter. Two walking sticks, obviously, could  allow you to set up an A-Frame tarp shelter virtually anywhere.

I already had a collection of walking sticks that worked quite well. So, when contacted by Brazos Walking Sticks to review one of their products, I was somewhat underwhelmed. After all, a stick is a stick, right? (Do you need a walking stick? Click here to read the story.)

This illustration shows the correct height of a walking stick. (Brazos Walking Sticks Illustration)

My first inking  that this idea wasn’t necessarily  so came when I talked to the company’s owner over the phone. The company is located in Waco, Texas, and the “Made in the USA” sticker is always a positive thing in my book.

Every Brazos stick or cane comes with a lifetime guarantee, and prices start at about $29.

One thing the company takes pride in is making the stick fit the individual. After getting my height and hiking preferences, my custom stick arrived in the mail about a week later.

First impressions out of the box were that the stick is a fine piece of woodworking. My stick is made of white oak – I prefer a study, solid-feeling stick in the event I have to use it for self-defense. The finish was superb, and the contours of the woodworking make the piece an attractive and stylish-looking item.

But eye candy has never done much for me, and I set out to see if the design and materials make it worth the pricetag.

I walk my dog every night, rain or shine, in a wooded area behind my house. I always carry a walking stick or long-handled shovel (to clean up after irresponsible dog walkers).

On walking stick nights, I found the Brazos stick to be very comfortable to handle. The grip fit me to a tee, and the well-balanced stick was easy to carry and use.

But the really nice thing about the Brazos sticks is that they are unique and stylish. You can carry one anywhere, and because of the fine finish, they don’t look out of place.

I live about three miles from my job at Central Oregon Community College, and on days when my daughter doesn’t need to be picked up from high school, I walk.

My attire is generally that of the down-at-the-heels academic who only comes inside because he is forced to, and my Brazos stick fits right in. I don’t even get a second look when I carry the Brazos through the crowded cafeteria, and the only comments are positive.

That is my main attraction to the Brazos. To some people, a cane implies some sort of disability, whereas a classy-looking walking stick can be viewed as the tool of a vigorous outdoorsman. You might feel sorry for a guy with a cane; but a walking stick user can be seen as a vigorous hiker, ready and willing to walk long distances or scale faraway mountains.

And that may be the best attribute of the Brazos walking stick – it looks fine under most circumstances, and it allows you to carry a useful tool anywhere with a touch of panache.

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“Although the vast majority of walkers never even think of using a walking staff, I unhesitatingly include it among the foundations of the house that travels on my back. I still take my staff along almost as automatically as I take my pack. It is a third leg to me – and much more besides.” – Colin Fletcher, The Complete Walker III, 1984 (page 78)

by Leon Pantenburg

What would Moses have been without his walking stick?

Most of us don’t give much thought to including a walking stick into our survival preparations. But for many prepper/survivalists, a sturdy walking stick should be a key component in a Bug Out Bag or any emergency survival gear.

Older people might need the stick to serve as a balancing tool. With training, the stick can be a formidable weapon. The stick can serve as one support for a tarp shelter. If you have to cross a stream, a wading staff can keep you from going into the water.

If you are wading out of your house in floodwaters, or picking your way through debris after a tornado, a sturdy stick can be very helpful. If nothing else, you can whittle it up for fire tinder!

Like most people I never gave any thought to using a walking stick, even though I read Fletcher’s books cover-to-cover  several times. I backpacked and hiked more than a thousand miles without one, and never thought I missed anything.

But one of the weapons I studied in the martial arts was the bo staff. A long stick about six feet long, the weapon has been used informally since the earliest recorded history. A martial art called kobudo emerged from Okinawa in the early 1600s that featured this weapon.

Since my idea of a weapon is something that shoots, I was lukewarm at best about nunchucka, exotic swords, twirly chains and the like. But the bo makes sense. It is deadly in the right hands, and,  if I can’t have my first choice rapid-fire weapon, my second pick would be a bo staff.

Only in the past few years have I started using a walking stick when backpacking. That was mostly because I wanted the extra assistance a stick can give when ascending steep trails or crossing streams on stepping stones.

But a knee replacement operation two years ago left my balance severely impacted and for a while, I needed something to lean on when I walked. During the initial recovery after surgery, I was forced to use a cane to get around.

Gandalf won't have been nearly as cool-looking without his staff.

I loathed that damned cane. If I wasn’t forgetting it somewhere, I was forgetting to take it along. And an icy parking lot can be downright terrifying to someone with a new, barely-healed six-inch scar across his knee!

According to my physical therapists, a cane serves two purposes:

• It improves balance by providing a third contact point with the ground.
• It redistributes weight away from an injured  joint or arthritic lower limb.

But, newspaper guy that I am, I had to do some research on canes versus walking sticks. I got this info from “Time Goes By’:

1. The cane places the greatest strain on the smallest muscles and joints (the wrist and forearm). Repetitive use can easily lead to wrist and forearm injury.
2. The quarterstaff (or walking stick) transfers the weight into the shoulder girdle itself. The shoulder joint and its surrounding muscles are much better prepared to handle the load than are the wrist and forearm.
3. Imagine a scene: an older woman using a bent-top walking cane crosses a building lobby, trying to reach the elevator before the doors roll closed. Now imagine the same scene with the older woman striding across the lobby with the aid of a seven-foot, oak quarterstaff. People hold the door open not because of chivalry, not out of a desire to help little old ladies, but rather because she just looks so damned cool. (I’m not sure how true this is, but am in favor of anything that makes us oldies look better!)

Anyway, I had several bos in the garage, and of necessity I started using one as a walking stick on my nightly dog strolls with Belle. Fletcher’s thoughts  on hiking with a walking stick were right on: 

“On smooth surfaces, the staff helps maintain an easy rhythm to my walking and gives me something to lean on when I stop to stand and stare. Over rough going of any kind, from tussocky grass to pockety rock, and also in a high wind, it converts me when I am heavily laded from an insecure biped to a confident tripod…

“It may well be, too, that the staff also gives me a false but subconsciously comforting feeling that I am not after all completely defenseless against attack by such enemies as snakes, bears and men.”

Regardless of your age or physical fitness, a walking stick can be a useful tool and should be considered for inclusion in your survival gear!

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I was not paid to do this review. The following is my opinion, based on field testing prior to accepting advertising. All I ever guarantee is a fair review, based on use in the field. I will not sell, nor help anyone else sell any product I would not use myself.

The Dutch Oven dome works well with a standard 12-inch camp oven and Camp Chef double burner propane stove.

by Leon Pantenburg

Long before I gave much  thought to buying gear for long term survival, I bought a Camp Chef double burner propane stove.

At the time, during the early 1990s, I was looking for a reliable outdoor stove. It would be used to cook fish in a Dutch oven, boil lots of water quickly, serve as the main cooking stove for hunting and fishing camps, canning with a pressure cooker. The stove would be required  to do all the other things you’d expect out of an outdoor cooking implement.

The double burner has served me well for years! (To read the complete stove review, click here.)

The Camp Chef people, to their credit, realize that stove is the basis for a complete set of  preparedness tools and have added accessories accordingly.

One accessory I field-tested this summer was the Dutch Oven Dome. When used in conjunction with the double-burner and my Lodge 12-inch camp oven, this is a winning combination!

According to the package, the dome works by diverting, trapping and circulating the heat, creating a convection oven for cast iron outdoors. It reduces or eliminates the cost and mess of charcoal.

That last statement is important to the prepper/survivalist. One vital stockpile when the  SHTF (Stuff Hits The Fan) survival scenarios is fuel for cooking. In some instances, such as in the aftermath of a tornado, flood or other disaster a critical need would be water purification. Sometimes, boiling might be the only practical method. And the most effective stove  for that could be one that used standard propane containers, such as you’d find on barbecues.

In fact, during an urban situation, salvaged propane cylinders  from barbecues might end up being the safest, most plentiful single fuel source available.

And what about your storage foods? Some of them require lengthy baking times. If you have a campfire and lots of firewood, you can use the coals. But it takes a tremendous amount of burned firewood to make enough coals for extended baking. If charcoal and/or firewood are at a premium, what could be the best alternative for using on your Dutch oven?

After testing this Dutch oven dome, I’d suggest you consider it as part of your survival/off-grid cooking system.

The dome creates a convection oven atmosphere around the cast iron camp oven.

The dome is made of a sturdy, flexible reflective material, and it comes folded neatly in a square box. A circular metal disc comes with it, and the disc is placed over the flame. The disc defuses the heat and spreads it.

It is simplicity itself to use the dome. Light the burner, place the disc over it, and place your 12-inch  camp oven on top. Cover the whole setup with the dome.

The first time I used the dome was with a batch of biscuits. I had no idea of what to set the heat level at. So, assuming that a medium flame would produce a hot oven, that’s what I set the controls on.

When I checked a few minutes later, the bottom of the biscuits were already getting brown. I cut back the heat to low, and that setting proved to be about right.

Once you figure out your baking setting, the dome/double burner/camp oven combination worked with monotonous reliability. Once my setting was dialed in, there is no challenge at all to producing uniformly-baked foods. I would assume you could use the Camp Chef Remote Thermometer to get your settings down to really, really precise measurements.

The dome would work well with a roast or any other dish that required baking. And because the most effective settings (for my needs, anyway) are relatively low, there is not a tremendous propane consumption.

You will have to experiment some with the dome to figure out the best settings for your needs. Elevation, humidity and outside heat will all have some impact on how the dome works in different areas.

I didn’t do a lot of testing with other size ovens, since the 12-inch worked so well. I would image that a 14-inch oven might be too big for the dome to work effectively. Also, a smaller 10-inch might allow too much space between the oven and the dome sides for it to function as it does with the 12-inch.

You’ll just have to try it out!

But for my purposes, the dome works so well with the 12-inch camp oven, that there doesn’t seem to be much reason to experiment further!
For more survival recipes and cooking tips, check out these blogs: Jan’s Fabulous Food Storage Recipes, Survival Pantry, and Survival Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking

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This review is my opinion after using this product under field conditions. Before advertising for a specific product or from a company is accepted on SurvivalCommonSense.com, the items must be tested! That’s what I did with the EcoZoom Biomass Stove, and here is what I found out about it!

by Leon Pantenburg

Why is a survival site testing a biomass stove?

Well, because you, the readers, have asked about them! And the concept of a lightweight, portable stove that is fueled by a multitude of materials has merit.

Consider this scenario: If the Stuff Has Hit the Fan (SHTF), you may end up with no potable water. In the aftermath of a large-scale disaster, such as the tornado that hit Joplin, MO, large groups of people will need pure drinking water. In many such cases, boiling may be the only practical way to kill the nasties that can cause water-borne illnesses.

A handful of twigs and two pine cones were enough fuel to boil water!

And what about all that storage food you have on hand – how much of it needs to be cooked, and how long will your propane, charcoal or firewood reserves last?

Those are some of the reasons I agreed to field test the EcoZoom BioMass stove.

Another consideration was fuel availability. While stockpiling propane, kerosene, charcoal and other fuel sources is a good idea to a certain extent, eventually the stockpiles will run out. A stove that effectively burns yard debris for fuel would allow stretching those reserves.

A heat source requires fuel. After the SHTF, you may be able to gather enough debris, firewood etc to make a campfire. This may work fine for a few days, but such a heat source is inefficient for cooking and requires a tremendous amount of firewood to maintain.

And it’s not just about the amount of firewood burned: The time needed to gather firewood also has to be factored in. As the SHTF situation plays out, you may have to venture out further and further from the safe haven to seek fuel.

Subsequently, the concept of a portable stove fueled with biomass materials – twigs, sticks, charcoal, dried animal dung and other small pieces of flammable materials – intrigues me.

My first impression of the EcoZoom stove is that it is a compact, dense piece of equipment. The unit is made in China and imported by Portland, OR-based EcoZoomstove.com.Weighing in at 10 kilograms (or about 23 pounds) the stove would not be my first choice for backpacking! The weight also disqualifies it from being part of a bug-out bag or 72-hour survival kit.

But there is a lot about the stove to like. It is about the size of a five-gallon bucket, with a handle on each side for picking

The stove is well-made and has a durable finish.

it up. When boxed, it could be easily stacked with your storage food, or transported in a trailer or pickup. It has two doors for filling with fuel and regulating the draft. A cast iron stove top works well for cooking, and the ceramic combustion chamber and floor is easily cleaned. The sheet metal body is painted and the overall construction is rugged.

But this means nothing if the stove doesn’t work well. I unpacked the stove, set it up in my backyard and the first test was boiling water, specifically, enough to make my morning coffee.

I grabbed a handful of damp pine twigs and two pine cones, lighted the stove and put my tea kettle on it. The assumption was that the fire would have to get going while I gathered more twigs and sticks. When I returned to the stove about three to four minutes later with my larger firewood, the water was almost boiling! Time-wise, there was hardly any difference between the EcoZoom and my gas kitchen stove!

The first test was very impressive, so I continued. On my way home from work, I dumpster-dived near a construction site and gathered several scrapes of wood. A piece of two-by-four is too wide to fit in the stove, so I split it and started the stove again. This time, the idea was to make charcloth, an activity that requires intense, consistent heat. Again, the EcoZoom performed very well on the wood scraps. The stove was so efficient with the handfuls of wood, I also made a batch of firestarter.

When it came to cooking, my 10-inch diameter Dutch oven appeared to be designed for the stove. The cast iron fit perfectly on top, and worked so efficiently it was hard to believe I was using scrap lumber to cook dinner!

The stove also works superbly with charcoal. With a little practice, you can regulate the heat so the stove will simmer very well.

The chamber is ceramic-lined and easy to clean.

So far, the stove has proven to be very durable and reliable. I’ve left it set up, outdoors for a couple of months now, in the rain and inclement weather. I even left it set up on my lawn for a week, so the sprinkler system could hit it every day. Even when the water had to be poured out of it, I was able to quickly light and use the stove. The cast iron insert for the charcoal did rust, but the rest of the finish shows very minimal wear.

Here are a few suggestions to make the stove work better.

The top needs a grill, so smaller pans and Altoids tins for making charcloth can be used. A standard round 10-inch grill that frequently goes camping with me fit like it was designed for the stove.

Your camp oven with the three legs doesn’t work so well on top. A 12-inch camp oven is too big. A 10-inch fits OK, but the legs raise the cooking surface too high to be efficient. But conventional cookware works well!

It needs a sturdy carrying case. While the stove is sturdy, a hard shell case of some sort would protect it further.

A brick rocket stove will be efficient, but heavy! Click here to learn how to build one!

All things considered, I really like this stove and highly recommend it. It could easily become part of your camping gear, and the kids will love picking up sticks and biomass materials to help cook with.

The EcoZoom stove is one of those tools you will want to have when the SHTF!

To learn how to make a biomass rocket stove with bricks, click here!

For more survival recipes and off-grid cooking tips, check out these blogs: Jan’s Fabulous Food Storage Recipes, Survival Pantry, and Survival Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking

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This stove is easy and cheap to make, and a snap to use!

Make a rocket stove, a quick, simple, effective cooking stove that works on sticks and other flammable biomass materials!

Here is the easiest method I’ve seen yet, and all you need are some bricks. If you salvage the bricks, the cost is free!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSMR2ANIZ7E

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