This is a very neat product. This is a quality vest with a versatile list of applications. It can be used by military personnel, SWAT, police, paintballers, or any person that wants extra pockets in case of an emergency. It has 12 pouches on the front of the vest, some of which are big enough to hold magazines for the M-16 (or AR-15 for us civilians) and 2 zipper pouches inside the vest. If that's not enough storage space, it has straps on the back for your molle gear. More importantly, it has a handgun holster that can fit up to a large sized handgun.
What's amazing about this vest, other than it's versatility, is it's ability to adjust for a person of nearly any size. I tested this product on a 120 lb person and a 270 pound person. In both scenarios, the vest was snug and comfortable.
If you're military, SWAT, police, or just another survivalist, I definitely recommend this vest. You can get it in black, digital camo, or woodland camo.
The vest retails for up to $100, but you can get it from Radical Survival for $59.95. It is available at their store front or by phone order. Radical Survival also offers a discount for current and former military, public servants, and more.
Also available is a matching Drop Leg Handgun Holster that attaches to the vest, available for $12.95.
Now, I typically wouldn't review a restaurant on this blog. In fact, I've never reviewed a restaurant before, but I'll explain the reasons that I want to talk about this one.
As a survivalist, I believe that people should always plan on having some sort of garden to help sustain themselves in case of a long term disaster. That being said, I believe that Potager Cafe gives an incredible insight on the ability to have great tasting, high quality meals made from home grown natural foods.
There are many things that set Potager apart from a typical restaurant, but the ones that stand out the most are: No menu, no prices, and all natural food.
That's right, I said no prices. Why? Because they want you to pay what you think the meal and service was worth. A couple of hours before we headed over there, I gave them a call to find out what was on their menu. Cynthia, the owner, read off the entire menu and I was sold:
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Fruit and Onion Stuffed Berkshire Pork Loin
Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Sauteed Summer Squash
Cucumber, Radish and Dill Salad
Sweet and Sour Cabbage Salad
Bulgar and Chickpea Salad
Green Salad
French Bread
Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
As soon as you walk into Potager, you realize it's not your typical restaurant. It's got an at home feel to it. Each table and chair is unique, customers are eating and enjoying themselves with friends, and there's beautiful music playing the background.
We were greeted by Cynthia at the counter and explained to her that we had never been there before. She made us feel right at home and started us off with some salad, soup, and bread. We then went on to the quiche and vegetable sides. I never knew these foods could taste so great. I think last night I fell in love with chick peas all over again, and with cucumber for the first time. I stand by my words when I say that the cheese and brocolli soup and quiche were by far the best I've ever tasted.
Once we were finished eating, we went to go pay. We stuffed our money in a cute little envelope and put the envelope in their watering can. It was that simple.
The experience was amazing and the food was astounding. I would suggest this restaurant to anyone and everyone.
For those of you that would like to try it out, here is their information:
I'm under the belief that everyone should have a way to purify water in case of an emergency. Whether it's bad weather, earthquakes, or some man made disaster, clean water may not be available immediately. Drinking unclean water is extremely dangerous.
In case of an emergency in which clean water may not be available, I suggest filling your bathtub with as much water as you can. Drinking this water isn't safe because a bath tub is filled with bacteria and soap scum. That's where the water purifier comes in.
I recommend the Triton EP Personal Water Purification Unit. It's affordable and easy to use. It's gravity fed so it uses no electricity. It's also very compact and can be added to any reasonably sized emergency survival kit.
I used this wonderful product and fell in love with it. It stays true to it's 75mL/minute (1.2 gallons/hour) specification, and the result is the cleanest water I have ever seen and tasted. It was incredibly easy to set up and find a place to put it.
The most important aspect of this product is how clean it makes water. It filters down to .22 microns which means it filters out bacteria, virus, cysts, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, particulates, bad odors and tastes. It automatically slows and/or stops the flow when the sterilization filter reaches capacity.
This product is a definite must have!
Specifications Power: None required; no pumping Weight: 1.18 lbs. Package Volume: 0.072 cu ft. (2.03 liters) Flow rate: 75 mL/min (1.2 gal./hr) approximate Capacity: Up to 200 liters (55 gal.) Filter Porosity: 0.22 micron absolute
NewsOK has published a great article listing many ways to help and get help.
If you are in Oklahoma County, you can volunteer at District 2 barn, 7501 S Anderson Road, 8AM to 5PM, today and Friday. There are other locations open as well.
The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations. You can donate through their website at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by phone at (800) 725-2769. Be sure to designate your donation for Oklahoma Tornado Assistance.
If you need help, please click on the link to the article for a list of feeding locations and other places where can get help. (U-Haul is even offering free storage for 30 days for families with damaged homes.)
Preparing correctly entirely depends on your knowledge of your needs in case of an emergency. Fortunately, a quick and simple website is available for all of us to learn and understand the basics that we need to store for an emergency: www.ready.gov
The three basics on being prepared are:
Have a survival kit.
Make a plan.
Be informed.
What do I need in a kit?
Water (1 gallon per person, at least three days worth. A water purification unit is also great to have.)
Food (3 day supply of non-perishable food. This can be MREs or food bars.)
Hand crank or battery powered radio and NOAA radio with emergency tone (Have extra batteries.)
Hand crank flashlight (If a hand crank isn't readily available, a battery powered flashlight with extra batteries will suffice.)
First aid kit
Whistle (This is to signal for help if needed.)
Dust mask
Moist towelettes, trash bags, and plastic ties
Personal hygiene products
Can opener if needed
Local maps
Cell phone charger (Hand crank or solar is recommended.)
Medications and prescriptions
This list is a just a rundown of the basics you would need in an emergency. Be sure to analyze your situation and think about anything else you might need. Don't forget your pets!
Check out www.ready.gov for more information on planning and preparing. They offer great advice on making a disaster plan.
Don't forget to stay informed. Watch local and national news. Learn what disaster plans are in place in your city, and contact your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Always remember, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
The first step in being prepared is knowing and admitting that there is always that possibility, albeit it slight at times, that some sort of disaster can happen.
The second step is understanding the importance.
Why is it important to be prepared? Isn't it just being paranoid? Why prepare when you could just call 911?
Those are very common questions. These can easily be answered with real life occurrences. Let's take Hurricane Katrina, for example. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, lawlessness ensued. Public services (911, hospitals, police) were no longer readily available. Clean water and food were nearly non-existent. Many may not know that 5 people perished after Hurricane Katrina due to drinking unclean water. It was days before people got the help they needed.
It's not just being paranoid. These things happen, and they happen more often than one would think. Just yesterday tornadoes ravaged Oklahoma. Just a couple of weeks ago, we experienced a failed terror attack. When a disaster happens, whether man made or natural, you're going to need clean water and food. You're going to need to stay warm. You're going to want to keep providing for and protecting your family.
