The Sport Berkey Water Purification Bottle will eliminate 99.9% of all bacteria and chemicals that are found in water. You could literally dip water out of a ditch and sip clean water from the filter. This life saver bottle has a shelf life of 15 years unused. The filter also removes bad tastes and odors that usually accompany filtered water from other comparable products. You can get nearly 640 cycles from one filter. That’s a ton of water! If for some reason you ever use this emergency device that many times, you can buy replacement filters and continue using the original bottle.

It’s also great to be used as a travel companion to foreign countries so you can be sure to drink water safely without the worry of getting sick from bacteria. Backpackers and hikers enjoy packing up the bottle for long hikes and camping trips to eliminate the need for carrying tons of water along.

Thanks to the guys from LittleSurvivalShop.com for sending out a bottle to review. You can check out the review in the video below. If you’re interested in purchasing the bottle, be sure to get it at LittleSurvivalShop.com and use the coupon code “jayme” to get 5% off your purchase!

Life Saver Bottle – Portable Water Purification is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Before you purchase another plastic water bottle for your hiking or travel purposes, you may want to look into a stainless steel option. Stainless steel water bottles are an essential part of any solid survival kit. Not only are they more durable than plastic, they allow you to boil water for purification purposes in an emergency situation. There are several brand names out there but the one I own is the Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle.

This particular stainless steel bottle comes in several sizes and colors. I have the 27oz and the actual bottle itself is very light at 8 ounces total weight. They also come with different screw on caps – I suggest the poly loop cap so you can secure the bottle to your backpack. Keep in mind there is a disclaimer on the bottle suggesting that you shouldn’t use hot liquids inside the bottle because there is no insulating wall. I agree that regular use of hot liquids isn’t a great idea, but if you’re in a crunch and need to purify water, this bottle works just fine for that purpose.

The Klean Kanteen also comes in different width openings. I have the wider mouth opening at 1 3/4 inches so cleaning the bottle is somewhat easier. If the Klean Kanteen isn’t for you, having a stainless steel water bottle in your possession of some sorts is highly suggested. Sometimes you can find regular military style canteens at army surplus stores or thrift shops for cheap.

If you’re interested in the Klean Kanteen you can find it on Amazon.com for around 20 bucks.

Stainless Steel Water Bottle is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

I was given the Brookstone Shake Flashlight as a gift a few years ago when this technology first arrived on the scene. The light has two settings and two LEDs which allow you to run the light using one LED that is powered by the electromagnetism when you shake the device and a battery cartridge that accepts three AA batteries to give you a full powered flashlight. Five to ten minutes of shaking the flashlight will give you plenty of light to see in the dark. It’s really cool how the shake flashlight works. The inside of the light has an induction coil with a neodymium magnet that slides through the coil when you shake it, generating electricity. LEDs can work on very small voltage and amperage so giving it a few shakes inducts the coil with plenty of energy to burn it.

Being shake flashlights have been on the market for a while, they are probably better now than the one I own and more compact. You can now find wind up radios with LEDs built into them, but sometimes you just want a flashlight and not a bulky radio – but that’s another option if you want both. Regardless of your choice, you should consider buying one before you get caught in the dark without batteries.

Watch my video showing you how the shake flashlight works below:

Shake Flashlight is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Justine and myself are learning to garden not only to enjoy fresh vegetables but to also teach ourselves how to grow and preserve our food in case of an emergency. If you don’t have the room to create a traditional garden, raised garden boxes provide a great alternative for a homestead garden. Building a raised garden is easy and can be used year after year. You can produce a lot of food in such a small space if you use the space wisely. For instance, consider growing vegetables vertically when possible to preserve space.

Our garden boxes are 5 feet wide, 8 feet long and 1.5 feet high. The height is made of two 2 x 8 pressure treated boards. In each corner and midway the length of the boxes are six 4 x 4 posts to secure the frame together. If possible, use screws to fasten the outer boards to the 4 x 4 posts in case you ever want to take them apart. These boxes sit on top of the ground. With a 5 x 8 box get ready to shovel some dirt. We were lucky and found someone that wanted to give away topsoil, but it took 3-4 trailer loads to get a nice solid garden bed established. Mix in some cow manure or compost to enrich the soil instead of using granular fertilizer.

Creating a successful homestead garden can leave you filled and fulfilled! Learning how to grow your own food makes you self reliant and prepared for any situation. You also will have to learn to protect your garden from other critters that are hungry too! Chicken wire will help keep birds away from your seeds. Rabbits and deer are the usual suspects in destroying gardens. Read more online about how to protect your homestead garden.

Check out my brief video below to see the boxes. I have to give credit to Justine’s Dad for making them and credit to my Dad for hauling the topsoil my way. Thanks!

Homestead Garden: Raised Garden Boxes is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Choose a Solid Knife
Choosing the right knife is just as important as having one. A broken knife handle won’t do you much good. Keeping it simple usually often works out best in almost any scenario – the same goes for knives. While folded multi-bladed knives can be useful and contain everything from tweezers to ink pens, they aren’t the best survival knives. They are great supplement tools though. The same goes for knives with a hollowed out handle where you can store other essentials. While those types of knives seem like great ideas, if the end falls off you lose the functionality of your knife as well as your survival kit. A knife with a solid wooden handle that runs the full length of the tang and fastened on the end is very solid design. If the wooden part breaks off, you can still use the knife because the tang is long enough to be wrapped in a towel or piece of fabric to protect your hand.

Folding Knives
Another good survival knife is a regular single-bladed folding knife that can be opened one handed. Getting a folding knife with a wooden handle is easier to grip with sweaty hands and reduces blisters. Make sure any folding knife you purchase has a good locking position and is not loose.

Parang
A parang has a long blade like a machete which is usually around 12 inches in length. They aren’t very suitable to wear on a daily basis, but they are a nice tool if you are in a survival or adventure situation. They are usually worn on the waistline with a sheath. The curved blade is 2 inches at its widest point. The curved nature of the blade allows for greater leverage when chopping timber allowing the blade to hit before the knuckles. Three parts of the blade allow for different functions. The tip is primarily used for skinning, the middle for chopping and the part closest to the handle is used for delicate work. It’s a great all around survival knife to have in addition to a normal smaller knife. Get an up-close look at my Ka-bar Kukri Machete doing some damage to a soda bottle.

Protecting and Sharpening
Any knife is subject to general wear and tear the more you use it. If you aren’t using your knife, keep it oiled and in its sheath for protection. If you notice the blade dulling, use sandstone or granite to sharpen. Find a rough surface to remove any fragments and a smoother surface to refine the blade.

Finding a Knife
I strongly recommend the Ka-bar Kukri Machete Knife. The build is very solid and they are a reputable company. The Knife Depot carries a large selection of machete knives: Machete Knives.

The Best Survival Knives is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Unless you plan on riding around on a snow mobile, plan your trip to Yellowstone for the Summer months. People always say it’s the worst time to visit because of slow RVs, but anytime the roads are clear, there will be RVs. Staying 4-5 days will allow you enough time regardless of traffic problems to see most of the hot spots. During our trip we managed to see the highlights, do a little hiking and some white water rafting.

Waterfalls

There are several waterfalls in Yellowstone that are easily accessible. The best thing to do is download the Yellowstone Park Map and look for the waterfalls. Study it several times before your trip so you can get familiar where they are located in order to make the best use of your time.

Gibbon Falls
The first one we saw was Gibbon Falls. It is right off the side of the road and there are areas to pull off near the falls, so it’s easily accessible. Expect a crowd near the falls pull off because of its easy access.

Mystic Falls
Mystic Falls was probably my favorite because it required a short hike and most of the people weren’t willing to do the hike, so it was less crowded. Not to mention, the waterfall was beautiful! There’s a parking area near Upper Geyser Basin to access the trailhead to Mystic Falls. The hike is probably 2 miles roundtrip – so not that bad at all.

Upper & Lower Falls
The Upper and Lower Falls are probably the most impressive, powerful waterfalls in the park. They are located in the Northeast part of the park. The Upper Falls are most easily accessible and is just a walk from the main parking area. The Lower Falls can be seen from the bottom via Uncle Tom’s Trail, which is a winding staircase of steps all the way to the bottom. The Lower Falls are much taller and more like a traditional waterfall. You can also see Lower Falls from Artist Point.

Tower Falls
We didn’t get a chance to see Tower Falls because the trail was impassable, but would probably worth the stop if you get the chance.

Old Faithful, Geysers & Sulfur Pools

The geysers and sulfur pools in Yellowstone make the park unique. There are several geysers in the park, but the ones I would suggest seeing are of course, Yellowstone’s famous Old Faithful. Your trip wouldn’t be complete without seeing it! Some of the geysers in the park erupt at different time increments, so do your reading on which ones erupt at different times and plan accordingly. Another great geyser is Steamboat Geyser at the Norris Geyser Basin. A short trail takes you down a boardwalk that gives you access to Steamboat. I found this just as cool as Old Faithful and much less crowded. West Thumb Geyser Basin is another popular spot and it overlooks Yellowstone Lake, which is beautiful. There are others like Midway, Lower and Upper Geyser Basins that offer much of the same, but I suggest stopping at them all just because they are so easily accessible.

Yellowstone Lake Cruise

If you’re looking to take a load off and enjoy some nice scenery, I suggest going on the Yellowstone Lake Cruise. It’s a free cruise provided by the national park. You board the cruise at Lake Village in the eastern part of the park. The captain is great at giving you a history of the lake and the areas around the lake.

Hiking

I didn’t get a huge opportunity to hike in Yellowstone. If you plan on doing much hiking make sure you are prepared for anything. Grizzly bears are abundant in Yellowstone as are wolves. I recommend taking some bear spray or some other form of protection as a safeguard. We did one short hike to Ice Lake (1 mile roundtrip) and we actually saw fresh bear tracks that certainly heightened our senses!

There are tons of hiking trails in the park. You can get a back country pass which will get you away from the frequented hiking trails that most sightseers tend to use. I have no experience on the back country in Yellowstone, so it would be my recommendation to do your research before you do wander off into the back country.

White Water Rafting

This was my first white water rafting experience and it was a rude awakening for sure! There are several adventure companies outside of Yellowstone that offer rafting for any age group. We drove up to Gardiner, Montana which is north of Yellowstone. The Yellowstone River runs through Gardiner which is where we launched our raft. You’ll want to book your trip in advance just because they work on a tight schedule. Make sure you are there in plenty of time to get dressed into a wet suit and get the quick run down of the entire process.

Wildlife Viewing

Last but not least, the wildlife in Yellowstone is simply amazing. Buffalo are practically everywhere. If you notice slow traffic, more than likely it’s a herd of buffalo crossing the road. They aren’t scared of people, but you should definitely be scared of them. They seem pretty laid back, but there are more people in Yellowstone attacked and gored by buffalo than attacked by bears. My advice is to stay in the car and admire them from afar! You’ll also notice mule deer and plenty of elk.

Things to do in Yellowstone National Park is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Is being prepared for an emergency an overreaction? When the emergency happens most people would believe it was warranted. We have all heard about 2012, the Mayan calendar and all the doomsday theories out there. While I’m not certain that those events are legit, I certainly think an economic meltdown, high inflation, gas and food shortages, or the possibility of power grid failure are highly likely scenarios and not that far-fetched. I’m starting a new video series based on what I believe to be the right course of action in prepping for such an event. Being that the building block of life is water, I thought talking about storing water would be an appropriate starting point.

My theory is that if you can’t take it with you, it’s a wasted effort. I’ve seen preppers that are putting all their eggs in defending their home turf. Staying amidst the population raises a red flag for me. The first thing people are going to do is raid the grocery stores. You’ve seen it before. There’s a chance of snow and people flock to buy bread and milk. Just imagine gas getting to $10.00 a gallon and deliveries are cut back. Imagine local governments collapsing which would stop water purification and supplies (unless you have a water well). Our society is so dependent on the energy and commodities sector of our economy that it would only take one of them failing to see hit our front doors.

People would quickly go into hysterics making sure that their families are provided for. Imagine your kid saying they are hungry or thirsty and you can’t provide them with anything. There’s no security force because there’s no gas. People will start killing to take other people’s resources and it will happen faster than you think. So staying in the population isn’t a very good idea. My plan is based around making my resources mobile and being able to bug out quickly. However, I think it’s a good idea to have a long term water solution if you have a safe house or alternate location outside of the population – whether it’s having a piece of land near a water supply or drilling a hand-pump well.

This video shows how I’m using empty soda bottles and filling them with drinking water to store. Most people can get away with drinking a couple of 20oz bottles of water per day and possibly one bottle if push comes to shove. I don’t think storing much beyond one month of water is that necessary because you can still load that water up and take it with you – everything else you would have to leave behind. I highly suggest reading some of my water purification articles to learn how to purify your water when it runs out. Survival knowledge can get you by in a situation when you have next to nothing.

Storing Water for Societal Collapse is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

As you can imagine, summer is one of the most popular seasons because of the spring-like temperatures. Most people migrate to Acadia to see its awesome foliage display in the fall months, so expect bumper to bumper action if you plan on going then. If you can deal with the cooler temperatures, wait till the leaves fall and you’ll have a much more solitary experience at the main attractions. Our trip highlighted four stops within the park.

Cadillac Mountain
This is by far the most popular attraction in Acadia. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point in the park that gives you a spectacular view of the mountains meeting the ocean. Follow Cadillac Mountain road to the top where you’ll find a huge parking area and a gift shop. Once you’re out of the car, look around for the many walking paths that will take you onto the granite rocks that Cadillac Mountain is known for. Even with the crowds, most of the time you can find your own little spot off the beaten path that offers a bit more solitude. If riding to the top isn’t for you, you can also hit the trailhead at the bottom for a hike up to the top. It’s usually pretty windy at the top and the temperature is quite a bit cooler than down in Bar Harbor, so packing a light jacket might be a good idea.

Sand Beach
Most of the shoreline in Maine is rather rocky so the last thing you think you would see is a beach. During the summer Sand Beach is a popular hang out. When we were there, the parking lot was full and many cars parked along the road as you would assume during August. It’s a short walk down to the beach though, so don’t let the full parking lot scare you off. In the parking area there are changing rooms and bathrooms if you decide you want to brave the cold water. There are also hiking trails along the cliffs above the beach that will give you a better view of the shoreline. Ocean Path is a trail that connects Sand Beach to another popular hotspot, Thunder Hole. We didn’t make it to Thunder Hole due to time constraints, but you should definitely take the time to fit it into your schedule.

Beehive Mountain Hike
Acadia National Park has miles of hiking trails, so if you’re a hiking enthusiast be sure to check the park maps for hiking trails that fit your experience level. We were up for a challenge and decided we wanted to hike Beehive Mountain which is directly across the road from the Sand Beach access area. The trail head markers are wooden, so they are easy to miss. The Beehive is considered a strenuous hike and the elevation gain happens pretty fast – so do your research and look at my video on YouTube to see if this is for you. The hike includes scrambling over large rocks even from the start of the hike, so wear appropriate footwear. Midway through the hike you’ll start seeing markers on the rocks to keep you on the trail. You’ll also notice the climbing bars that are mounted into the rocks. Yes, you have to hold onto the bars and climb up to continue up the trail. I expected a few of those during the hike, but I must say I didn’t expect to see 10-12 of those staring me down. If you are afraid of heights and sudden drop-offs, this isn’t for you. You can expect about a 2 mile round trip which usually takes a couple of hours at a steady pace. If you love a challenge, this hike is highly recommended!

Bar Island Natural Bridge
Another neat feature in Acadia National Park is the Bar Island Natural Bridge which is located in the harbor in Bar Harbor. The natural bridge connects the shoreline in Bar Harbor to Bar Island. Bar Island is one of the many barrier islands you’ll see along the coast. It’s still considered part of Acadia National Park even though it isn’t near the rest of the park. The island is only accessible at low tide so be sure to check tide times in Bar Harbor to schedule a walk across the land bridge. Be advised that walking is the only way off the island, so if you get stuck – you’ll have to wait until the next low tide, unless you enjoy swimming in cold water.

There are other things to do in Acadia National Park, but we found these to be the most popular and the most representative of what the park has to offer. Unfortunately we crammed everything into a day visit – so at least plan to spend a weekend in the area so you won’t feel rushed. It’ll also help you get an earlier start which will help you beat the crowds!

For more on Acadia National Park, I’ve posted pictures on my Flickr Photostream – or you can check out the Acadia National Park episode below:

Things to do in Acadia National Park is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Devil’s Bridge Hike
This was our first hike in Sedona. We actually stayed in Flagstaff because the rates were cheaper, but we didn’t mind getting up early and doing 30-40 mins worth of driving either, so it worked out. We woke up around 4am, ate some breakfast and headed into Sedona before sunrise. A general rule of thumb is that people don’t like to get up extremely early, so we took advantage of that as well as the cooler temperatures! The cool thing about Sedona is that all the hiking surrounds the town, so you don’t have to drive very far to be in the middle of nowhere, fast. To access the Devil’s Bridge trail head, just find Dry Creek Road on your favorite mapping tool. You’ll come to a pull off a few miles down the road that looks like a dirt road on your right. It is indeed a dirt road, and a bumpy one at that. Yes, an SUV will cost a bit more to rent – but I highly recommend driving something with high clearance (unlike we did). Just take my word for it because we walked down that same dirt road an extra mile before we hit the trail due to me trying to save money by driving a Ford Focus (yikes). Anyway, follow the dirt road for nearly a mile and you’ll see a parking area and a sign that says “Devil’s Bridge”. Expect an uphill hike for nearly a mile. About 3/4 mi into the hike, there is a split where you can go below Devil’s Bridge or above it. I recommend doing both just so you can get an idea of the size of the arch. The hike back down is very easy and you can expect to sink about 2 hours round trip, maybe more if you wanna explore a bit more. It’s a great hike with a big pay off.

Honanki Ruins
If you did the Devil’s Bridge hike in the morning, pack a lunch and stay on Dry Creek Road and head down to the Honanki Ruins site. It’s a very cool ruin site that dates back to around 1300 AD. The walls the indians built along with rock art are still able to be seen. You will drive about 6-7 miles on a dirt road, though it’s not as rough as the one leading to Devil’s Bridge, you should probably still consider driving an SUV or truck. Honanki is one of the two ruin sites in the Sedona area and from what I’ve read, the least crowded. Once you arrive at the visitor’s center you’ll be asked to sign in. There’s a looped path that carries you under the butte where the indian ruins are located. It’s quite shaded, so it’s nice if you are doing this in the afternoon because of how hot the weather can get in Sedona. This is my first time seeing any sort of rock art or petroglyphs so it was a neat experience and best of all, it’s free!

Cathedral Rock Hike
This was probably my favorite hike in Sedona. You’ve probably seen this structure all over magazines, tv and even in the movies. Cathedral Rock is really the center piece of Sedona and what most people associate with it. It’s located off Back O’Beyond Road – again, just pull up Google Maps to find it – it’s very easy. You can expect this hike to be a bit more crowded just because the road is paved to the parking area. It’s much more accessible, but in my opinion a much more difficult hike than Devil’s Bridge. Once again, we arrived before the sun came up so we could beat the crowds and see the sun come up over Sedona. At first the trail starts out with a bit of an uphill incline about 1/4 mi into the hike. You will see quickly you will start somewhat of a rock climb near the middle of the hike up. Grippy shoes with ankle support should be worn for this. One slip on those rocks and you’ll leave some DNA behind. If you are new to hiking, it’s considered a strenuous one by park standards. If I can do it, most anyone can though and it’s well worth the few nail biting scenarios on the way up. The hike less than two miles round trip. Once you reach the top, you’ll be staggered by the beauty.

Other Attractions
We did manage to do another hike that is less frequented called Little Horse Trail – which leads to a rock called Chicken Point. It’s a very hot hike in the afternoon, so pack lots of water because there’s little to no shade on the trail. You can also access Chicken Point by taking one of the gazillion jeep tours in the area. If you have the extra time, it’s probably worth it to do the tour just to get all the history and get down on some roads that aren’t accessible by a Ford Focus haha. There are tons of hiking trails to other random vistas, but we felt with the time we had, the ones we did were the best payoff for us and didn’t leave us feeling rushed.

We didn’t get a chance to check out any of the local restaurants in the area, but we did stroll through some of the shops. If you have extra time, go downtown and check all that out and support their local vendors. I did purchase my official “Red Dirt Shirt” which is colored directly from the red rocks in the area. Pretty cool huh?

To see more, I’ve posted pictures on my Flickr Photostream and have a Sedona playlist series on my YouTube Channel which will show you first hand our hiking experiences!

Things to do in Sedona, AZ is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!

Being on the road doing documentaries and going on long hikes – a solar power source comes in handy when you’re low on battery power. The Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel is one of the many solar products Goal Zero sells. It’s meant to charge portable USB devices such as smart phones, gps devices, mp3 players etc. The solar panel system comes with several adapters that will allow you to charge directly from the panel or you can utilize the Guide 10 Plus battery pack charger. Basically the panel will charge AA or AAA batteries in the Guide 10 Plus, which also boasts a USB/mini USB port for charge your devices later if you need to. You can charge most things in a couple of hours in full sun, which isn’t bad at all.

Check out the video above to get a full rundown of the product or visit GoalZero’s website for all of their products.

If you’re interested in solar power on a larger scale like powering your home, consult one of our preferred solar contractors in your area: Find Solar Contractors

Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel Review is a post from: Travel, Self Reliance & Gadgetry. Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!