Review – Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker

A few weeks ago, several of our authors met up on a Saturday to test out some stoves we were given to review. Jayce will be posting some information and pictures on those soon. The subject of this post was an unexpected surprise to me. At our meet up were the owners of Saratoga Jacks, a local company that imports and sells high quality thermal cookers.

After the break you’ll find a complete unboxing and review of the 7 liter Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker as well as an introduction to thermal cookers and why they matter to preppers.
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Group Stove Test: First Thoughts

UtahPreppers stove test
UtahPreppers stove test
Several of the stoves getting setup

Last weekend several of the UtahPreppers got together with some friends to begin doing some hands on tests to start preparing for winter. Recently several of us have acquired new stoves and we wanted to give a conduct some tests to compare how well they worked. For our first meet up we wanted to test a few stoves and other devices with the group. While we learned a lot we realized that we’ve got some more comprehensive tests to run through before we can highlight each of them adequately. But before we move along with the individual tests, we wanted to thank some of the people that helped make this first stove test so much fun and informative. Continue reading “Group Stove Test: First Thoughts”

Goal0 Guide 10 Power Kit

Charging up while camping

Recently I wrote a bit about my new toys, a varied set of Goal0 solar and battery products. Charging up while campingOne of the key pieces that I bought was their 7m folding solar panels. This well-designed kit provided 7-watts of peak solar power in a tiny kit that could easily strap on to my backpack and provide charging throughout the day for small devices. The kit I bought also included their ‘rockbox’ speaker set, a small set of speakers that that have a built in battery, but easily charge from this small panel.

As handy as the device is, there were some shortcomings.  First off, the device I most wanted to use on it is extremely finicky with what it allows to charge (yeah, it’s an iPhone), and the variability of solar electricity meant that the iPhone didn’t like accepting the charge.  Secondly, some of my devices simply take AA or AAA batteries, and I didn’t have a good charger that would run off the USB adaptor that the 7m provides.

Thankfully there is a relatively new product that addresses these shortcomings, their Goal0 Guide 10.  In short, it’s a battery charger, that doubles as a combined power pack for those devices you would most likely charge from the panel. Continue reading “Goal0 Guide 10 Power Kit”

Suturing a scalp

Suturing is an important skill to have.  Knowing how to properly sew somebody shut isn’t something you need every day, but when you need it – you need it!  Sure, right now we can just run to the doctor, but what if you’re way in the outback or things have collapsed and good medical care isn’t easily available.  Suturing allows you to quickly close up a wound to help stop bleeding, help prevent infection and to lower the risk of damaging a wound while trying to get to better care – if needed.  There are plenty of ways and places to get training in suturing without going through medical school.  It’s easy to do once you learn, you just need to look around and find a class you can take.

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Saved by Preps – Flat Tire

Yesterday I was driving in my truck to pick up my son from school.  I heard a strange noise outside the truck and rolled down the window to investigate.  I could hear a hissing that rhythmically got quiet as I drove – then I realized, my left rear tire was punctured and deflating FAST!  I pulled over to the shoulder as far as I could and got out to investigate.  Sure enough, there was what looked like a nail hole right through my nice new tire.

That’s when my car Preps came to the rescue!

Continue reading “Saved by Preps – Flat Tire”

Getting the Blues – Dealing with Corrosion


My Blued Hawken

Gun ownership is a long-term investment which requires proper maintenance and cleaning in order to keep your guns working at their peak performance. A primary concern with long term storage of any gun — especially those stored in humid climates — is corrosion. Preventing corrosion is a multi-step process, starting with proper care of your firearm in the field, and followed with proper storage.  However, even if you take all the necessary precautions and care possible with your firearm, and even in the best of situations, if you use it corrosion or wearing will probably happen. How you deal with the results of such wear is the purpose of this article. Continue reading “Getting the Blues – Dealing with Corrosion”

Goal0 Sherpa Kit

Goal0 Sherpa Setup
Goal0 Sherpa Setup
My Sherpa gear

Recently, Mike published an article introducing a local company named Goal0 (article link). They develop solar products to fit a wider variety of needs than your average solar pack, and so we were very intrigued as to their application to a prepper mindset.

Elite/Sherpa Products

In reviewing the different models, I decided to purchase some of the Sherpa series of products to try out.  One of the ideal solutions when buying gear is to get one of the pre-defined kits, in my case I specifically picked up the Sherpa 120 kit.  This kit is made up of the following items, which in the bundle came at a good discount:

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Another Water Tank Group Buy — Act Fast!

Two years ago, we organized a water tank group buy and received a good response. I’ve now organized another water tank group buy.

These are new (unused) food-grade plastic bladders housed in new/used metal cages. 285 gallons! And it stores in a lot less space than you’d think. While I’m aware of others having stacked their tanks three high, due to space constraints (and a lack of a death wish) ours are stored two high. I’ve now had mine stored in the garage for three years without any incident; I rotate one tank every six months.

Continue reading “Another Water Tank Group Buy — Act Fast!”

Starting a Fire with Steel Wool

Continuing my Heat and Light Series, today we’re going to look at an alternative way to start a fire – with Steel Wool and Batteries.  Like I’ve said in previous posts in this series, this is probably something that every old Boy Scout and every long time Prepper already knows.  The point of this series is to get back to basics and cover things that new Preppers will need to get up to speed on – and to remind some of you about the skills and knowledge you have that you may have forgotten.  :) Continue reading “Starting a Fire with Steel Wool”

Bouncing The Bugs Away

Mosquito bloodfed
Mosquito bloodfed by eyeweed, on Flickr

In a group camping situation, I’m “That Guy”.  You know, the one everybody is thankful is around because all the bugs seem to be biting him.  For some reason I tend to get singled out for the airborne attack, and with my allergic nature, I tend to get largest bumps you’ve ever seen.  So I’m always on the lookout for something to improve my chances in the wild, battling the vampiric forces of the bugs.

With that said, I was quite happy to see this bit of research on the Medical Today site: Scientists Prove Fabric Softener Sheets Fend Off Insect Pests

In my search for more weapons in the battle against the bite, I’d heard of people suggesting using drying sheets with some success; now there appears to be some scientific proof to this case.  According to the study:

Continue reading “Bouncing The Bugs Away”

Amazing deal on shelving

Need a way to store all your preps? Ready to get your food storage off the floor? I’ve been dreaming of shelves for a long time but have always had it on the some-day list. Well, today’s your day. I just got back from Lowe’s and if you hurry, there are still some left. They have 48′ x 24′ x 72′ steel shelving units on sale for $49. These are the same style as the famous Gorilla Rack shelves. These shelves are normally $100, but you also have to pay $50 to ship them. Amazon has them for $132 with free shipping. Sam’s Club currently has them for $72, but you have to have a membership and happen to live near one of their warehouses.

Anyway, today, Lowe’s is selling the shelves for $49 and there isn’t a limit on quantity. Don’t be confused by the website saying the brand is Edsal while the packaging says Muscle Rack. Muscle Rack is simply a trade name. You can find Edsal’s products packaged under several names, including Maxi Rack. I spent a lot of time researching and reading reviews about these shelving units yesterday and I’m of the opinion that they are all the same as the Gorilla Rack. Time to get organized!