As we have discussed on this forum before, filtering water for biological is fairly easy with many products available. Chemical pollutants, however, is more difficult. I have found three of products:

Seychelle Water Filters

Renovo Water

H2O Survival Straw

Has anyone had any experience with them? Does anyone have any insight (yes I know there will be many comments)? I am looking for a way of testing them, and if successful, I will post on it.

British Actor Dies in Death Valley

I was recently in southern Nevada with some students, and I took them to Death Valley, a week after this actor's body was found. I saw the report the day before we went there, so it was interesting to see the reaction of my students to the article the day before we went to the same area.

He evidently had no water or other survival equipment, was alone, and nobody knew where he had gone. We went to this particular spot, and there is a great deal of traffic in the area, and visibility of the high ground from two different roads. A very little preparation could have saved his life. Water, signaling materials, another person accompanying him, or a plan left with a friend could each have made a difference.

While designing a kit to fit a BDU leg pocket I was struck by how much Fire making tools I had included on a paper. There was a lot, matches, mini bic, firesteel, sparklite and a lot more, including various tinder's. So, I thought I'd ask here, how much is too much? Obviously if it takes room away from other valuable items, but assuming you have the space.

Another question is, what can anyone tell me about fire cards? I have seen them mentioned, but have found virtually no information on the net. Can survival information be printed on them? Or written on them with no loss of performance. Any info at all will be appreciated.

Thanks

well deciding which PLB to buy was just half the problem.
here's the other half,where to carry it.
the problem is that there is no one set of conditions in a day of wilderness canoe tripping.
out on the water is a given of course and while i stay away from "bad water" and keep fairly close to the shore bad weather can move in fast.i only slip on my PFD if i don't like the looks of things,%90 of the time i'm loafing along the shore fishing or enjoying the view.the rapids in the BWCA wilderness are not the sort you can run as they are choked with rock and fallen trees so i always portage.
thats the next condition i'm faced with.a hiker can put the PLB in a pocket and leave it there all day.portage trails are not like hiking paths.expect mud pits,narrow log walks across swamps or bush whacking around downed trees for a start.so the PLB better be on you as you pick your way down a path that is nothing more than a stream bed running in boot top water.
then how about the camp? better have the PLB handy if a visit by a agressive bear go's very wrong,or a stove blows up,tree branch falls,you fall,have chest pains and so on.
i have put away most of the survival gear that was weighing down my PFD and now just have a foil bag and blanket and ration bars to keep me sheltered until help arrives by way of a PLB alert.
these are some carry ideas.





to keep the PLB from getting bashed around,yes bashed around,i have it in a dry box.someone said in wilderness canoeing everything small will get lost and if can break it will.packs are heaved out of the canoe while standing on slippery rocks or knee deep water.you just can't walk up to a nice spot and set your pack down.
the dry box has cut outs of the PLB from the box it came it to help anyone who might have to help find it without delay if i'm sort of out of it.



first idea was to have it in the boat/day bag with the odds and ends,fishing gear,lunch and so on.



i decided a better place would be in it's own pouch and not covered with clutter.a bit of reflective cord keeps it with the bag.
on a portage that is long,unknown,or known to be bad i would carry just the PLB in a shirt pocket.
at 68 years old i don't have that "nothing can happen" frame of mind i had just five or ten years ago and this little gizmo is going to be my main survival tool.
feedback is more than welcome.

For the past year to year and a half, I have been carrying out an unintentional and uncontrolled experiment with the Charbroil Sure2burn fire starter packs that I found in Home Depot.

Unlike the similar Weber Lighter cube, which "evaporates" over months into a styrofoam-like substance that is not flammable, the sure2burn is smaller and flat. It is easy to carry around in a wallet (which in turn is in my pants). Thus, it is in a warm, humid place that is jostled and rubbed frequently, hardly a friendly environment.

Over this time, the packaging did not have any visible cracks or leaks. The white substance within became fairly crumbly like coarse sand. Originally it was a single flat piece.

However, a single firestarter burned well and easily with a lighter. I did not try my usual ferro spark. Since the fuel "melts" a bit, the fuel can be maximized on an impermeable surface. After burning, there MAY be somewhat MORE black residue than a fresh packet but I'm unsure.

The energy in the packet was sufficient to heat about half of canteen cup of water to make a decent cup of tea (goldilocks temp: not too hot, not too cold). Like the Weber Lighter Cube, it burns with a lot of smoke.

With the Lighter cube, I have had reasonable success using wax to cover the fuel after separating out the 24 cubes into individual cups. While more expensive than the lighter cube, I like the packaging of the sure2burn better. Two lighter cubes fit in the pocket of a USGI canteen cover. The same space fits four sure2burn. The lighter cube is not suitable for wallets.

In summary, the Charbroil Sure2Burn appears to be a superior EDC product compared to the Weber lighter cube.