Grab and Go

...f the contents of our first aid kit in a subsequent post. 6. Fire Our fire making kit includes waterproof matches and kindling material made with dryer lint and candle wax 7. Repair kit and tools We wear a Leatherman multi-tool at all times on our belt. 8. Nutrition Our grab and go bags contain an array of Cliff bars and other items with a long shelf life. 9. Hydration We have both extra water and a ceramic water filter. 10. Emergency shelter We h...

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Roughin’ It

...ain for a survival situation is to studiously avoid survival situations by making sure to always have extra food, extra water, extra clothes, a map and a compass. In short, we like the WTC way. And the nice thing about having the backpacking gear around is that should an earthquake or other disaster strike our urban compound we are prepared to camp out in the backyard and, if necessary, head out on the Xtracycle. The Wilderness Travel Course start...

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LED Light Bulbs

...act fluorescents to LED lights, since LED bulbs have a more directed light making them perhaps better for applications such as bedside reading lights, where you don’t want to bother a dozing partner. LEDs, due to their exceptionally long life — upwards of 60,000 hours — are also great for installation in hard to reach locations where the lights will be on continuously. LED lights, however, still bust the wallet with their high price. This issue re...

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Homegrown Evolution Food Review: Backpacker’s Pantry Huevos Rancheros

.... While this product has an impressive shelf life and ease of preparation, making it appropriate for emergency food supplies, we’ve had better freeze dried entrees. Our fellow campers had the same reaction to the visual look of the cooked and re-hydrated product: dog vomit. The taste wasn’t all that bad, but it had the overly salty and questionably seasoned feeling of almost all dehydrated foods. Imagine eating just the seasoning packet from a bow...

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Block Party Weekend

...f the block the smell of spray paint filled the air as kids got to go nuts making art on some old sheets of plywood. But what impressed us the most was the booth touting LAEV’s participation in plans to improve humble Bimini street with such things as trees, park benches, traffic calming measures and public art all made possible with a grant from the city and the MTA. Called SNAP, or Station Neighborhood Area Plan, this initiative provides grants...

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