January 2017 | Page 6 of 7

16 Jan 2017

How to Make a Camera Mount Hat

I have been having trouble with my videos. Because I normally shoot the videos my self as I am in the videos sometimes what I think I am

showing is not what gets captured.

This causes all manner of problems.

I recently bought a new tripod and it came with a cell phone mount and being unable to use more than one camera mount on the tripod at a time I wanted to figure out a way to use it.

Since a 1/4 20 bolt has the same threads as a camera mounting screw I figured I could hang the cell phone mount somewhere.

In looking for a good place I realized my head would be perfect. Since my head is always pointing where my eyes are looking at a diy camera mount hat would be perfect

Making the Camera Mount Hat was easy.

First I took a punch and made a hole in the brim of the hat. If you don’t have a punch a hot soldering iron would work.
Next use a washer and run the camera mounting screw through the hole.
Finally screw the camera to the screw and have a good time taking video.

This project could not be any easier. Of course my wife could not stop laughing at how funny she said the contraption looked.

However, looking is a small price to pay for making videos you find useful.

As said in Jerry Maguire “I’m not in it for the money, its all about you babe”.

Seriously, I do have a horrible lack of camera skills, and bad equipment had plagued me.

Every time I save enough for better equipment I look at the reviews and promptly buy the wrong thing.

I hope that this helps me better capture the DIY projects I am working on.

Unfortunately, in a video I am working on now, I used this device when working on putting foam in the ceiling of the conex box and got sick watching it because I kept looking from place to place.

Its not noticeable wearing the hat, but watching the video I was like “Dave, can you ever stay still”.

13 Jan 2017

2 Great Bugout Flashlights

Gear Review: Best Bugout Flashlight — Buy at Amazon

I was updating my bug out bag this weekend.

I like to do this in winter every year since there are times we can be iced in.

I had the toughest time picking which flashlight I wanted to put into my bug out bag this year though!

There are so many great flashlights to pick from and as I was thinking about it I realized that it’d be a good idea to write about what to look for in a bugout flashlight.

So, let’s start with the basics. For those who may not know, a bug out bag is usually a portable emergency kit filled with items that help you survive for 48 – 72 hours.

Of course, everyone’s bug out bag (BOB) is different and tailored to their wants and needs, but there are some essentials that should absolutely be packed such as first aid materials, a water filter, a multi-tool, and a flashlight, to name a few.

The same idea goes for picking out a flashlight for your BOB, it depends on preference but there are some essential features you want to keep in mind and that’s what I’ll be focusing on.

Best Lightweight Flashlight

A common problem with BOB is the weight of the pack. If you over-stuff it you risk it ripping or being too heavy to carry throughout the day. To help with this issue, you want to find an easy-to-carry lightweight flashlight. One that isn’t so big that it takes up a significant amount of your bag.

Multiple Brightness Modes

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have an LED flashlight with multiple brightness modes, especially with a survival flashlight. Even in an extreme survival setting, you wouldn’t want to use the highest modes constantly and drain the battery. Battery conservation is key to survival so you want a flashlight that has a variety of brightness modes that you can easily cycle through for different situations. I would also suggest packing a flashlight that has a focused beam and decent spill. The focused beam allows you to see far ahead of you and plan an appropriate path.

Waterproof Flashlight

You want the flashlight to be ready for all kinds of conditions so it’s important to get a high quality, durable flashlight. I suggest packing a flashlight that’s made of aluminum with an anodized finish. With this material the flashlight will work in all kinds of temperatures and can take a beating. You want to make sure that the flashlight you get is impact and water resistant, but preferably waterproof.

Here are the two flashlights that I’m currently choosing between for my BOB:

Klarus XT11S

It may seem like a bulky choice, but I love how tactical the XT11S is. Not to mention that this flashlight is actually quite lightweight for its size. So what makes this flashlight so great for a BOB? First, it has an amazing beam throw in any of the four brightness modes as well as a good spill so you can see around you very well. The run times are really good with this light and will last you a long time especially if you only use the medium and low mode. It also has a battery capacity indicator which I find incredibly helpful. With the indicator I can check to see how much charge the battery has left and plan my usage accordingly.

I also really like the tactical features of this flashlight. The strike bezel may look small, but it can really pack a punch and I like the idea of using the flashlight as a self-defense tool. It has instant turbo and instant strobe which is important in any tactical flashlight. The XT11S has three programmable modes so you can set it to whichever you feel is best for your BOB. Personally, I like the default Tactical Setting so I can get to instant strobe and turbo. However, I think the Outdoor setting is also great with instant turbo, instant low and access to SOS. You can check out my review of the XT11S here.

Felix LD41

The LD41 is a little more straightforward than the XT11S in terms of the user interface. The XT11S has longer runtimes which is definitely something to keep in mind. The LD41 also features a momentary-on function, has four brightness levels, and access to strobe and SOS. The medium and low brightness levels can last for a really long time on this flashlight and with the memory function you can conserve the battery and have the flashlight automatically turn on in the low brightness mode. The beam throw on this flashlight is also really great and it has a good spill so I know I’ll be able to see far in front of me as well as all around me.

The LD41 runs on four AA batteries as opposed to a lithium-ion battery. I love rechargeable batteries, but I think that flashlights that run on AA batteries might make better emergency flashlights. Of course, you could use a power bank to charge the lithium-ion battery, but AA batteries are significantly easier to come by. The LD41 also features a low battery indicator so you know when it’s about time to change the batteries out. You can see my review of the LD41 here.

13 Jan 2017

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice | Easy One Pot Dinner

13 Jan 2017

New Fence as a Thief Deterrent

After having a lot of small stuff stolen from the land, the thieves graduated to taking something of real value.My dad’s commercial grade backpack blower came up missing when he left the land for the day.

Hopefully the new gate will make it harder.

Now they have to either come from the neighbor’s place or through the woods. – I am working on things to prevent those types of threats also.

Besides my new fence working as a Thief Deterrent, I also have a wireless camera on the way to help with catching them.

Also, I soon hope to have my perimeter fence started, we found all the corners, and I have most of the posts. I still need to clear the brush along the perimeter and get some more gates so that I can access areas when I need them.

Right now, everything of value is locked in the shipping containers, but there are some larger items like the sawmill that are chained up. I don’t feel comfortable with chains as any one low enough to steal would have no problem cutting a chain. I want to set the sawmill trailer back up permanently and take the wheels off.

However, I hope a gate and a camera will do a lot to tell the neighborhood crackheads that there are easier sources of pill money than my place. However, that may be wishful thinking as getting caught is not even a good thief deterrent when the scum is a druggie.

12 Jan 2017

Kitchen DIY: How to Nixtimalize Corn

This project looks deceptively simple, but it is one that I had to try a couple times to get right. I only stuck with it because Nixtamalization is a vital process for people that use corn as a staple food.

This is because the nutrient niacin is unavailable in unprocessed corn, and by cooking dried corn with a strong alkali (nixtamaling it), Niacin becomes available.

Thereby preventing nutrient deficiency diseases like pellagra.

Besides preventing the typical symptoms of pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia and death) this process is how Masa (corn tortillas), hominy, grits, and posole are made.

This makes the process an essential skill for any culture that is based on corn.

Nixtimalization is simply the process of cooking corn with alkaline, which dissolves the hull and improves the nutritional content of the corn.

Ingredients:

2 cups Dried Corn
6 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Calcium Hydroxide

Equipment:

Non-reactive pot (stainless steel, borosilicate glass (pyrex), or an unbroken enameled pot) – Do NOT use aluminum.
Non-Reactive spoon (I use a wood or plastic spoon)

Procedure:

Obtain your Calcium Hydroxide – you could make lye from wood ashes, but I buy mine at the local Hispanic grocery store. It is sold as “Cal” and is normally on a rack with dried peppers and spices.

Mix the corn, water, and cal and put the pot on medim-low.

Slowly bring the mix to a boil (this should take 30-45 minutes). When it boils, remove from heat and let the pot sit overnight.

As the lime chemically alters the corn and the hulls undergo a visible change as well as loosen.

The next day, pour off the cooking liquid and rinse the corn in multiple changes of water.
In a bowl full of water, rub the corn in your hands to loosen the hull
Fill the bowl of corn with water and pour off any pieces of hull that float to the top, then drain.

The dehulled corn is now nixtamilized, it can be ground into Masa flour, or dried and broken up into grits.

Yield:

Approximately 3.5 cups of Corn

Notes:

Masa the corn is ground wet, using the retained water from the cooking as the liquid component. Add water as necessary until the dough begins to form.

Grits are made from dried nixtamilized corn, ground into small rice sized chunks

Monthly Archives: January 2017