***Warning this product will take 4 to 6 weeks to cure but if your patient then cool enjoy.***

Ingredients-
200 grams of coconut oil
25 grams of sweet almond oil
25 grams of castor oil
250 grams of olive oil
190 grams of aloe juice - (water may be substituted instead)
77 grams of lye 
10 drops of vitamin E
1 tsp of sodium lactate (per lbs of soup for longer lasting solidification)


Instructions-
Mix the coconut oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, olive oil, sodium lactate, and vitamin E together in a pot and heat the pot till all solids are melted completely and steer.

Add the aloe juice and the olive oil together till completely dissolved. Then add the oil mixture with the aloe and lye mix and mix thoroughly. Place in a silicone mold or use a silicone liner for nonstick surface. And let it rest for 48 hrs. Cut into pieces and let it sit for 4 to 6 weeks to cure. Then lather up and enjoy!

Before you go out and run to buy a pair a combat boots, lets view a few things before you begin to spend that money you so earned to purchase these bad boys. If you are like me and love the convenience of quick pull lacing, and not to mention their rugged durability then you know the worth they bring. But if you go and run out to buy these awesome boots lets understand a few things here.

The Boot Soles

Back in my days the common boot sole that was used and purchased were the main jungle type, both the black or green and if you earned the merit the tan, which were only allowed  for desert ops. And well if you had never been sent to the middle east well you were not permitted in my unit to wear these puppies. That is, until we were sent to Kuwait, then we were told we now rated wearing these bad boys any time we went out into the field to train. Yeah that was what you called a grunts badge of honor back then.

This is where the jungle boot spread out spaces allowed the mud to move and not cling so easily to the bottoms. So you will want to think about the type of terrain you will be trucking on, if there will be mud and thick wet soil you will be humping, or if the soil will not have as much of a moisture content. Then today's main stream boots won't be the best things to have on. As they are more focused upon the desert dry ground environments, do to the conflicts taking place today, which is why the boot soles have changed as compared to the ones we used some 20 years ago. 

If you would like some advice on buying these bad boys the best companies to buy combat boots are Belleville, U.S. Patriot, and Danners, do not waist your time on other labels as the boot quality is inferior in my eyes, if you ask me. Those I have found out there tend to be made from cheap fabric and soft rubber soles more commonly the kind of stuff you would think are more for looks than for functionality. Where as the labels I mentioned above we used and still use in the Marines and military as a whole.

Every time I see someone post a video or picture of some false survival hunt for frogs I can't help but cringe. Frogs are known for their role in having a host of buddies that love to tag along with them known as parasites. And well if you have no idea as to how and in what way these little filth magnets carry their friends the parasites stay tuned because your stomach is about to hurl. Female flies lay their eggs on frogs and sometimes on their skin and in their noses. Yup, you heard it, in those small tiny noses of theirs. When they hatch these little critters, these nasty's, eat their way inside them and sometimes their entry point can can be visible, but this is not always the case. And once they begin to flourish while they have feasted some unknown person while hunting them in the dark of night is about to take his hunting tool and pierce one of these disease carriers. And make it his new health problem he will encounter down the road after ingesting these gross creatures for the false idea of, "hey I needed protein." 283 parasitic worms types have been known to infest over 156 types of frogs as was recorded in a study recorded in an article titled, "How many parasites species a frog might have? Determinants of Parasites Diversity in South American Anurans" So the next time someone says, "go get your frog spear and lets catch us some food!" Just tell him, "nah I would prefer to stay healthy and find something that is actually edible, like some berries or pawpaw.

​The wisdom and simplicity of old-style camping could never be replaced by any modern materials and technology whatsoever. In today's tents you sweat like crazy and pretend that the minimal weight it offers was worth the sacrifice of comfort. Canvas on the other hand breaths, is waterproof, and frankly, it lasts. In the book, Camping in the Old Style by David Westcott, nothing could be said any better than what Westcott said, "Old-school wisdom and tech is a man's true means to joyful outdoor living and adventure."
 
I have always been inspired in seeing others, like myself, who enjoy the art of creating things with their bare hands. Who let their imagination loose to both design and create something amazing. Some time ago, I came across a YouTube video by Simon, also known as “Simon, A Bloke in the Woods,” who had designed and made his own Baker Campfire Tent. I loved what he had done and was inspired to contact him in hopes to interview him regarding what he had accomplished as well as his own personal journey and I was glad I did. After some time and several emails later, Simon had kindly shared with me his story, passion and journey into bushcraft and the outdoors.
 
Simon, who hails from the United Kingdom, started his YouTube channel back in 2013 sharing his love of the outdoors as well as projects he has made and since has acquired more than 34,000 subscribers. Simon is very knowledgeable yet unassuming as he talks with you and more than willing to share what he knows. Below is my interview on Simon about his journey and how he made his Baker Campfire Tent.

Simon what got you inspired to make the Baker Campfire Tent?

“I remember seeing an old picture of a Baker Tent in use during the 1800s - a lonely figure warming himself in front of the campfire under the porch - it evoked a feeling of longing to be there in the picture. I love that old-world style! More recently, I have been hugely inspired by the legendary Bill Mason who used the Baker Tent on his expeditions into the wilderness.”

​Did you consult or use any plans in making your own tent pattern?

“I didn’t use any plans. I did what most people do and researched images on the internet, to get an idea of proportions, but then made my plans to suit what I wanted in the tent - high enough to sit under, wide enough to sleep in, deep enough to accommodate me and my dog Maggie.” 

What specific design features did you want your Baker Tent to have?

“I wanted to have sides that I could roll away when not needed, but fix in place, simply. I wanted a solid canvas door (flying, biting insects are not such an issue where I live as they are in other parts of the world.) A removable groundsheet to save weight and for ease of assembly! Poles that come apart for transportation. An old-style, nostalgic feel. A dark, muted color for blending in with the environment.” 

What was your main goal in using the tent? Was it for long-term, four-season use?

“Not so much for long-term use, but it would be ideal. Certainly for four-season use on canoe and car camping trips. Winter warmth from the fire, but also suitable for summer use - I still need to add some ventilation panels.”

How much time did it take for you to completely construct the tent?

“All-in-all about 40 hours, including ‘thinking’ time - I had to plan the sequence of sewing carefully to avoid problems when feeding the canvas through my sewing machine.” 


Were the materials hard to find or any items difficult to hunt down when you began the processes?

“The canvas, zips, velcro, thread and grommets were easy enough to find online. I had the most difficulty sourcing the groundsheet fabric - which I eventually found in an army surplus store. The brass ferrules came from an upcycled curtain pole - I didn’t want to pay the ludicrously high price for new brass tubing. If I had been less picky, I’m sure I could have gotten all the materials online.”

What would you have done differently if you could go back and redo anything?

“I would have added mesh ventilation panels before sewing the tent together - it’s much easier to work on smaller panels than feeding the whole lump of canvas through the throat of a sewing machine.”

How portable is this tent? Are you able to carry it in your pack or do you have to arrange other means to transport it?

“The tent is bulky and heavy - not suited to carrying for any distance - it would fill most backpacks, so I’d only use it for canoe trips, car camping or pulling in a paulk.”

What materials did you use?

“I used a heavy 14 oz treated canvas, in hindsight, I could/should have used a lighter gauge! Heavy duty YKK zips. A thermal tent panel groundsheet (from a Gulf War era military mess/barrack tent). Pine poles with brass ferrules. 550 paracord guylines.”

​Did you find you had more ideas you wished you had added after making the tent?

“Aside from the vents, perhaps a detachable fly-screen for when using in areas where bugs are an issue. A removable front panel, to completely enclose the porch area - I’d then need to use a stove with a stove jack through one of the panels.” 
 
What kind of sewing machine did you use and what would you advise others to use if they desire to replicate this project themselves?

“I used an old 1970s Jone’s domestic sewing machine. Although it coped fine with the multiple layers of canvas, it was difficult to feed the fabric through the small throat of the machine. The bobbin also only allowed for about 25 yards of thread on the spool at a time (using the heavy thread I chose) I would advise anyone taking on a project like this to use a big industrial machine if they have access to one - a walking foot would also help lots!”

Did you use anything to waterproof the tent?

“The canvas I bought was already treated, although canvas is already waterproof by its very nature - it gets wet, the cotton fibers swell, closing up the gaps and stopping water from getting through (as long as you don’t touch it!!) the needle holes should also close up as it wets out.”

Do you feel there are any design flaws you have come accross, such as fabric stress or airflow issues, now that you have made it and used it?

“The canvas has shrunk slightly since I made it - causing stress on the pole sleeves (and resulting in some pulling of the stitching) I had to shorten the horizontal pole by nearly 1” to accommodate this. Ventilation I can see will be a problem in the rain - the canvas is very breathable when dry, but get it wet and the fibers swell, closing up all those air gaps. I will need to add ventilation panels.” 

Are you planning on making your plans available to the public? If so, how would people access them?

“I have some hand-drawn plans on my Facebook page: Simon, A Bloke in the Woods.” 

How do you feel bushcraft and wilderness survival has impacted your personal life?

“Bushcraft and wilderness living skills has affected my life hugely - I spend much of my spare time out in the woods or on the river exploring, camping, cooking and practicing bushcraft skills. Add to that, making videos of my journey of discovery and the ‘dirt time’ spills into evenings during the week when I edit and produce the videos. Making outdoor gear is another passion. Yeah, it’s all a big part of my life - I’m pretty much obsessed!!” 

How did you get into bushcraft and who or what has inspired you in your journey?

“My interest in all things outdoors started early on in my life and has never gone away. I was in the Boy Scouts from the age of about 8 and also spend several weekends each year walking, exploring and camping on Dartmoor, one of our national parks here in the UK. I spent a lot of time as a youngster climbing and mountain walking in the mountains of North Wales, the Lake District, France and Norway, taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme up to Gold level. As I’ve got older my interests in outdoor pursuits and bushcraft have broadened and I have spent my time learning and experiencing all I can! I have gained inspiration from many people over the years. From teachers at school who introduced me to the great outdoors, through to people I’ve met along the way and of course experts in their respective fields such as Ray Mears, John Lord, Ray Goodwin, Lars Fält, Lofty Wiseman, Mors Kochansky, etc, and also the great explorers of times gone by and modern day alike.”

​People like Simon help remind us that some of the greatest moments of our life is when we venture to make something with our hands rather than buy it. For when we do so, that is when we take part in the journey of our ancestors who lived before us and appreciate the journey altogether.
 
It is indeed a great and amazing experience when one is willing to pass down the things they have ventured and done. For when they share with others, you are able take from that moment valuable tools of knowledge from their mistakes, their triumphs, even gaining insight you may not have pondered before, as well as hearing their voice of concerns in the things they have encountered. A man doesn't go out in the woods to escape the bond of others, but rather, it is in the moment he sits before the fire that he builds some of the most closest bonds in sharing his journey with others. It’s in that moment a new spark is kindled and a new flame is set ablaze in the heart of another who came to sit and warm his hands by the flickering flames.

There is a wise Hebrew saying which says, "A righteous mouth will bear fruit of wisdom, but the tongue of those who twist will be cut off." (Proverbs 10:31). I first began to hear about The Grayl water purification cups on YouTube from those using it saying it was able to kill even viruses. I was indeed skeptical about its abilities, as their are many such companies today who will indeed exaggerate their product's abilities just to make a buck and ultimately taking advantage of people and their hard-earned money. So, I decided to put Grayl into a corner since they stipulated their product can kill viruses. Since nothing was given as proof for this on their website to establish this reality, I first of all contacted them directly via email and asked them point blank. And here was their actual letter of response they wrote to me:

Hello Avi,

Thank you for your inquiry! 

First of all, to answer your question in a round about way, our purification filter is not a mechanical filter media. The technology removes sub-micron contaminants through electroadhesion and ion exchange. Therefore, you can think of the filter as a matrix with a positively charged mesh made from pseudoboehmite, activated carbon, and alumina fibers that act like tiny magnets to attract virus, bacteria, protozoa, and other contaminants. Rather than through size exclusion as many common camping filters. 

The pore size of the purification filter is about 1.25 microns. I know that this seems large, but the purification process relies mainly on electroadsorptive technology as explained above.

The pore size of the media is engineered such that the charge field covers the void volume of every pore. There are approximately 400 layers of these pores in the thickness of the media that the contamination passes through during filtration, creating a tortuous path. The charge field removes the negatively charged sub-micron particles while the larger particles are captured within the fiber structure of the media.

Our purification media has much larger physical pore size (1.25 micron median) which allows for higher flow rate and lower pressure drop, and can still remove sub-micron particles due to the inherent charge field extending across the void volume of the pores.

I hope this information answers your question! If not, please reach back out.

Kind regards,
Jessica

Me being more inclined to know how authentic their words were I went and proceeded to contact the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and gave them all the information they had given me to see if their words matched the reality of their claim. After waiting for some weeks I then received their reply back from the CDC in which they wrote me saying:

Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. 

We are sorry for the delay in responding to your e-mail. A recent high volume of inquiries has delayed our response. Your request for information was forwarded to the CDC Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases (DFWED). We hope you find their reply helpful.
 
While electrostatically charged filtration removal technology is possible, available documentation on the product you mentioned does not provide enough information about the technology or its performance to assess whether a 1.25 µm pore size activated carbon filter can achieve pathogenic virus removal. 

The documentation does state that the filter is NSF 42/53 tested for meeting USEPA drinking water treatment standards but does not provide this data or how and who conducted the testing. Standard certification 42 is in reference to reduction of aesthetic impurities (e.g., chlorine, taste, odor), and Standard certification 53 certifies reduction of contaminants with a health effect – most carbon filters achieve this certification. 

However, it does not state that the filter has achieved NSP P231 certification, which means the filter was tested using an NSF standard protocol and shown to reduce microbial contaminants from water. 

For further information about certification, we recommend you contact the manufacturer and request additional information.

Well you might wonder why I even got so involved with all this? Well let understand some vital things here, according to the CDC .03 µm pore size is how much a virus needs to pass through where are the Grayl pore size is listed at 1.25 µm pore size, which made me ask how then is this thing able to filter out a virus seeing only .03 µm pore size is smaller? So the question I had to seek out was if their pore size is larger how does electrostatically charged filtration work? And can it stop a virus which has a .03 µm pore size? Indeed it can, which is what the CDC investigated for me and were able to prove when I had asked them in my email request to them to respond to their claim as seen below.

"There's a company named GRAYL they are saying that they're water purification filters a total of 1.25 microns that is able to filter out viruses from water because they have a technology that removes sub microns contaminants to electroadhesion and ion exchange and they claim that the filter is not a mechanical filter media unlike the information on CDC website that speaks about general filtration. I am trying to understand how is it that CDC states that filters have to be at least at a 0.03 - 0.01 to be able to filter viruses from water. Is this technology actually existent to filter out the viruses?"

After getting a later email from Jessica who gave me the actual test documents which indeed show it passed the NSP P231 certification I was able to finally smile and say now I have all I needed to back these guys up. My complete belief in life is how can you stand by others if you really don't know who they are? I am not here to sell someone monetary drive to make a fortune off of people by in their mass producing a deceptive false product and for this reason I feel its my duty to both do my homework as well as represent to you the public with the real down and dirty facts. Cause when I go to sleep I want to sleep knowing I am doing my job the right way and your getting the real truth no matter what. So thanks guys at the CDC for your help and I tip my hat off to you Jessica for doing above and beyond by keeping a true honest transparency in all things. So if you want the full results check out the page below and the certification.

The point of the article is to destroy the lies of passed down talk and banter. I love Samuel Thayer who in all truth hits people right in the face with reality as he states saying, "There is no dichotomy between toxic and edible. All vegetables, wild or domestic, contain toxins, and every day, you ingest many different chemicals that your body must process and remove. Potatoes contain solanine and many allied toxic alkaloids, and have caused fatal poisonings."

Indeed all plants have something that is has which is not edible so the question I ask are pokeberries edible? Thayers says in his book page 276 "Most sources list them as toxic. There are reports of people vomiting or feeling ill after eating them. There are even a few claims in the literature of children being fatally poisoned by them, but I have been unable to substantiate this. In one documented case, a Scout group made pancakes with pokeberries in the batter, and the worst symptom was a mild diarrhea. (Edward and Rogers 1982). Some sources claim that the toxin has little effect on adults or older children, but is extremely toxic to infants and toddlers (Frohne and Pfander 2005). This claim, too, I have been unabler to trace to any meaningful source. It is often stated that the berries are toxic raw but not cooked. There are people alive today who make and consume pie, jelly, or juice from pokeberries. I personally know some of these people. They emphasized to me that the seeds are the toxic part, and should be removed and not broken in the processing."

Even the Audubon Society quotes saying in page 678 "The berry sap was used as a dye by the early colonists and has also been used to color cheap wine." So indeed the berries are not diabolically toxic if used properly so in truth what has happened over the years? Well we have gone from knowing and passing down that knowledge to becoming ignorant and speaking our lack of knowledge all over. Think about it? honey is toxic to infants and toddlers but not adults and older children but then again knowledge is indeed very powerful if you know what your doing and do what is right and safe. 

I have found that when it comes to finding the portable perfect stove the main factors one should look for are based upon need and ability. I know it sounds simple right but sometimes we just don't think as clear as we aught. I hate these gimmick garbage selling ideas people throw out there, but are not giving you the real down and dirty details you seriously need to know about its real capabilities. When it comes to purchasing I don't feel people should ever get caught up in this awh view of something just being the new thing on the market. So let me brake down for you what most fail to sincerely advertise. But before I begin, let me help bring reality to the table here as many people out there have families, and I know, your in shock hearing it, but its true, and well when it comes to cooking, time plays a huge part in that. Ok, stop, I know that your wheels are just turning inside saying, "What, No way? Are you serious?" Also let me state this as well, I am not focusing upon the ideal traveling backpack stove as this follows under individual cooking and not group cooking. So here is my quest for finding the perfect portable stove and the considerations I feel one should look into.

So let me start with this, money should never be the reason one purchase something but rather because it does the things you need and has multiple abilities that add towards its over all value. Now you might ask, why are you saying money should never be the reason to purchase and or not purchase. Here is why, if you purchase for the price and not the real value of a thing you are wasting your money period. And this is frankly why people get bummed out at when they buy the hype and not the real value they are unknowingly seeking. Let me explain some. I purchased some time ago a solo stove and well I was not fully happy with it, but then again I was not aware of what I was fully needing as I had thought. And why, I hadn't cook out in a while nor was I considering all the other possible things I would later need, which tends to exist when you do things more often. I saw it work and how it functioned, and well it was not till I began to cook things myself, that I began to actually see where its real limits where. Sure it made a nice fire, but I didn't know how smoky things would get till the fire really got going and the air flow was at its peak. Once it did, feeding the fire required a lot of paying attention when cooking, which was actually annoying as it made me change my focus on cooking certain foods at time to keeping a bunch of fuel near me and or needing to have more processed at times. If I had a full 5 gallon bucket filled with finely cut fire wood about the size of a common medicine bottle as think and long, I could cook about three simple meals for family of 9. Now if I used charcoal the burn time was far more controllable but I had to play with the heat some adding and or using less charcoal to keep things more level based. But there was always a problem I found and it was the issue of low heat. I could never sincerely keep the low heat going good because the height of the canister was to far away for the heat to radiate well enough to cook at a lower heat. So I had to realize that fast high heat or medium heat was about as far I was going to be able to cook, which showed me something I had not considered as the fuel issue as well. ​Also as I might add cooking with hardwood which I had a lot of was not so easy as it burns at a lower level of heat as opposed to soft words which burn fast and furious. When it comes to abilities these are the qualities we need to filter through to find it's weaknesses and expose them to our mind. Does it cook well for all purposes sure, is money a factor when it comes to fuel, or does it have multi-fuel capabilities.

The Double Burn Gas Stove: These stoves are simply difficult to cook with if you are needing to sincerely cook long term for a family and here is why, first they require continual feeding of fuel in order to continue cooking for a prolong period of time. And since they air flow is constantly being drawn in the fuel is forced to burn faster and controlling the air flow is not so simple. They work fine for simple cooking like eggs and toast, but if you have to cook more complicated meals that require more time to cook for example chicken and dumpling soup, well you might as well sit by the stove and have a bucket full of small cut wood for fuel to feed it over and over again, to keep the heat continually fluctuating. Also the only time you can enjoy it with no smoke will be when your fuel intake is not compromised by over feed it, or you don't compromise your air intake, which means keeping the ash down and no damp wood as it takes a little time to get the right heat and ignition and burn working together. Another thing these don't cook on low heat long, so yeah it limited. Its great and all for high heat cooking, but again you have to feed the beast. And if we include the issues of baking well this is out of its scope and abilities as well. Therefore, one would have to create some creative means as to bake which would require adding something and or using some creative measures to do so. Just remember these stoves are basically useful for simple dishes which just want a normal flow of medium to high heat. Price wise some of these are just about ranging from $100 dollars to $130

The Propane Stove: These bad boys I do not like one bit and here is why, first the are completely dependent upon propane gas fuel sources which means heavy canisters and a non replenish-able fuel in the field, and refuel cost every time its fuel has been expended. Not very bright if you ask me. Sure it may sound great but it abilities are so limited its not worth the purchase. Unless you enjoy throwing away money these bad boys are not worth their weight in gold. If hard times where to arise finding fuel may be something you just can spend you money on as it will literally act like paying monthly rent and that is a cost you sincerely have to consider. Also I must add if we include the issues of baking here only the oven type propane stoves have this ability but in small quantity, which means a considerable wait time for any baking to be procured if needed and small portions. These price range from about $100 dollars to $300 dollars.

Fold-able Stove and Oven: This stove (Firebox Stove) is by far a sincerely worthy stove. First off, you can use any bio-fuel as well as add a propane stove if you so desire when you add the tangia propane stove attachment. You can cook both with high heat as well as low heat, and if you want to bake something just add the fold-able coleman oven and begin baking. I can indeed vouch for this, as I also own one myself and was able to cook easily for my family of 9 and fuel wise it only required a 5 gallon bucket of processed wood and only used about half of the wood for fuel for a days worth of cooking. The great part about this stove is how compact it is and yet, throw a cast iron pot or pan and your good to go cooking wise. I prefer cast iron cooking as the pan holds the heat far longer and better rather than the hear just radiating out quickly, do to convection. And because it does not function like a rocket stove but more like a mini grill, your heat index is easier to manipulate. If you add the oven to bake it fits perfectly on top of the stove inside the circular bottom the oven has under it, but mind you your baking amount is still limited and if you can find a coleman stove rack get it so you can bake on two levels because they dont sell this rack separately unfortunately. You can also buy an attachment for the tangia so you can hook up to normal propane tanks so frankly its a complete system in its self. And all this is under $200 dollars. If you want to add more insulation to the oven just use a welders mat and make a cover to slide over the sides and top. But if you ask me who else can you do that can do this and completely remain compact-able and portable? I personally left my stove in the rain numerous times and well it functions perfectly even with all the rain wear and tear on it. So there you have it the perfect stove and oven.

If you want a more durable oven model Winnerwell makes a portable oven however it cost is $115 dollars but like I said before quality over cost is far better in the long run. And it has two racks to bake on. I know, your smiling as I am, its ok just buy it....LOL

​You might have heard of the 10 c's of survival ability although I feel these 10 c's are kind of a stretch to hold on to as an acronym the main idea of a survival acronym is to make your mind simply grasp the main points so they will not be forgotten. Although I don't feel the whole 10 c's are horrible, however they just don't actually help you memorize the survival items so well. Take for example the K.I.S.S "Keep it simple stupid" oh how many times I heard this one in the Marine Corps. But it really worked, and it was simple to digest mentally. I remember while in boot camp we were told the remember S.S.P.T. "Stop the bleeding, Start the treating, Protect the wound and Treat for shock." Simple and yet very effective. So for those who want to find a way to memorize the items needed for survival, such as the 10 c's of survival ability, you can use the acronym W.A.R.M C.R.I.S.I.S .

Water: What you need to use for gathering it
Adhesive: What you can use to tape things together
Repair:  What you can use to fix your gear
Maneuver: What you need to travel

Cutting:  What you need to cut things and chop
Rope: What you need to bind things with
Ignite:  What you need to create fire
Shelter: What you need to stay away from the elements
Illuminate: What you need to create light
Save: What you need to protect your life

Can't you tell I was a grunt...lol The acronym is meant to simply point to the main ideas contained in those gear necessities. For example:

Water: canteens, water vessels, cooking gear
Adhesive: duck tape, gorilla tape
Repair:  Speedy stick sewing awl
Maneuver: Lensatic compass, flat protractor compass, maps, protractors ect.

Cutting:  knifes, axes, saws
Rope: 5/50 Cord, bankline, rope, webbing, tape
Ignition:  ferro rods, lighter, mag lens, matches
Shelter: clothing, wool blankets, sleeping systems, tents, hammocks, and tarps
Illuminate:  lamps, candles, headlamps, flashlights
Save:  first aid kit, shemaghs, bandanas, pieces of cloth

On day when I was walking with my daughter while we gazed into the evening sky I was mentioning to her how to find the north star where we were at seeing the sky was so brilliantly visible. When I was showing her, she said to me, "So then over there is East." I was very proud of her and when I said to her, "Very good." She said, "I once had a teacher who taught me a little sentence to say if you know where North is." So I asked her, "What was it he taught you?" So she said, "Never East Slimy Worms" So I began to laugh and chuckle and said, "You know, it's things like this that help make stuff just stick to your mind like glue."

When it comes to long term survival there are some rather important things to consider. If you have ever tried Iodine water purification tablets, or if you have never used them before like these Coleman ones, here is something to think about. The yellow bottle which contains the iodine tablets holds only 50 tablets per bottle. And requires 2 tablets for every quart (4 cups, or about 1 liter) which means the max amount of water purification this bottle is capable of treating is 6.25 gallons of water. Now if you sincerely calculate this seeing your average need for water consumption is 1 gallon roughly a day you basically only have about a six day supply if one is purifying filtered clear water. When using these tablets the water has to sit for 30 minutes once the tablets are placed into the water and steer gentile to allow the tablets to dissolve evenly and let sit for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes has passed the water will then take on the iodine color. Its at this point you can add the PA+PLUS neutralizing tablets, which requires 2 tablets for every quart, and let it sit after steering gentile after applying the tablets for 3 minutes. Then the water will turn back to it clear state and can be consumed. Personally the water taste perfectly fine and there is no iodine taste left remaining in the water. Back in my time in the Marines we did not have this luxury and well drank iodine water to our fill. For those who want to know how to plan for this if you are seeking to have a supply and for an elongation of need. Follow the chart below.

2 Tablets Per 32 oz of water

The Pathfinder Canteen                39 oz                             2 tablets per                        25 Times
Pathfinder Wide Mouth Bottle     32 oz                              2 tablets per                       25 Times
Military Issue Canteen                   32 oz                              2 tablets per                       25 Times

Based on a person who drinks on average 3 full canteens a day which is .75 gallons of water the chart below will indicate how much supply these bottles contain.

8 full days and 1 canteen left over supply for one person

If a person where to ration out his water and only drink 64 oz each day the supply would last 12 days with 1 canteen left over supply for one person.

Therefore for a month supply per person who drinks 96 oz per. day would require 4 of these two pack supply to get one person 33 days and 1 canteen bottle supply. While a month supply for a person who drinks 64 oz each per. day would require 3 of these two pack supply to get through 37 days.

The cost for a Coleman ​Potable Aqua with PA Plus is $7.76

I never knew until after getting out of the Marine Corps I was clinically diagnosed with hyperthyroidism while I was in. If you had asked me, I was just a dude who struggled with weight gain and well could eat about anything and didn't have to worry about my calories. However, later on in my life I took a turn for the opposite I went from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism. And well if your like me you have probably been told you going to have to take some medication for your thyroid problem something like levothyroxine. Which just happens to be the very drug I have been taking for a while. What really got me was how little my doctor was telling me about my thyroid issue, except for I guess what they deem pertinent information, if what we are ever really told is really what we need to know. And I say this because it was not till I was reading in Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment 12th Edition I was shocked what I happened to learn. In the subject of nutritional disorders I just happen to run across iodine. And well as my eyes began to skim down slowly while reading I was shocked, to say the least. As I read in the section labeled treatment to read these hard to hear words, "Iodide with or without levothyroxine." I was totally in dismay as the documentation stipulated if iodine is a deficiency that being if one's body is only taking in less than 20 mcg a day. That instead of giving Iodine as a treatment while monitoring the persons TSH levels of 150 mcg of iodide one can be given in place of iodine levothyroxine? until the levels are normal and reach less than 5 uIU/mL (milliliter). I was completely floored once I read that. I was like, "what you mean to say hyperthyroidism is caused by having to much iodine in my system and hypothyroidism is basically a iodine deficiency?" Here is exactly what they say "If iodine deficiency is severe, the patient becomes hypothyroid, a rare occurrence in the US since the advent of iodized salt." (chapter 173 Thyroid Disorders) 

One of the main causes for hyperthyroidism is excess iodine ingestion. Some causes can be do to medication which contains iodine such as amiodarone an expectorant which contains iodine. Or can possible be caused by on who has undergone a radiologic study using iodine-rich contrast agents. Or the cause may be simple an excess of iodine ingestion such as dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, and cheese) and products made from grains (like breads and cereals), which are the major sources of iodine. And since your thyroid absorbs literally all the iodine that exist in your body, now you can understand why people who are suffering from hyperthyroid can not take iodine as a form of water purification, as it will only create iodine toxicity and well in the end result in inhibiting hormone synthesis in the thyroid itself. Thus iodine toxicity can eventually cause iodine goiter which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, or cause the gland to not work thus creating hypothyroidism or myxedema (refers to cold tolerance, fatigue, sluggishness, skin coarsening, weight gain, mental dullness and in women menstrual irregularities). So if you know someone who has hypothyroid well in his case he is in the clear, but if he is hyperthyroid use some other means instead.