The Benefits of Wireless Charging for Emergencies

These days, mobile phones are instrumental parts of the daily lives of almost anyone in the world. From practical uses such as keeping in touch with loved ones or acquaintances, to entertainment purposes such as browsing through social media or gaming, there’s no denying the huge impact these devices have on human existence.

Besides all these, mobile phones may even prove to be crucial in life or death scenarios. Phones can also be used to contact necessary emergency personnel as well as function as a flashlight, compass, or GPS navigator.

Naturally, a phone with zero battery is useless. Therefore, phone chargers, especially wireless ones, are just as important as mobile phones during emergencies. With wireless chargers, you are free from the constraints traditional mobile charging methods have. Going wireless means faster and easier setup time while also being more energy efficient along with other benefits.

With all that being said, let’s take a look as to what wireless chargers are and how vital they can be during emergencies.

What are Wireless Chargers & How Do they Work?

Believe it or not, wireless charging already existed since the late 19th century, due to the technological prowess and innovations of Nikola Tesla. With his advancements in transmitting electricity through the air using the magnetic field between transmitters and receivers, Tesla essentially invented the first wireless charging system. However, for about a century, this technology was virtually useless due to minimal practical applications during the 1800s, and thus was not extensively developed. Today, conventional wireless chargers harness the same technology Tesla developed, using charging mats as transmitters to transfer energy to your phone, the receiver.

What are the Benefits of Wireless Chargers During Emergencies?

Faster to set up

During emergencies, every second counts. In these crucial situations, panic sets in most of the time and causes your body to respond much slower than usual. Laying your phone down onto the charging mat is all you need to do to charge your phone instead of wasting time, nervously fumbling over to connect the charging cable to your phone. By effortlessly putting it down on the charger mat, you’ll get to save precious time compared to using traditional chargers.

Wireless chargers are also beneficial for backup batteries. Charging your extra battery by simply placing it on a charging mat without needing to put it in a phone will come in handy during emergencies.

They fill up your phone faster

Although it’s been somewhat of an open secret over the past couple of years that wireless chargers are less efficient in charging smartphones, this is not the case now. Some of the latest smartphones with more advanced wireless-charging capabilities charge faster than traditional wired charging.

Having a full battery to use with handy phone features such as flashlights or GPS systems during emergencies is exceptionally crucial.

Easier to use

With traditional chargers, you are at the mercy of power outlets. In scenarios wherein power sockets are unavailable or are located in poorly situated areas, making short charging cables unusable, using traditional charging methods during emergencies is not recommended. These scenarios will result in instances wherein you’ll repeatedly be yanking your phone and may end up disconnecting or destroying your phone adaptor, wire, and even your phone itself.

With wireless chargers, you’ll be able to use your phone conveniently as these wireless chargers are situated on top of flat surfaces. Contacting the necessary authorities in case of emergency will be more convenient with your phone comfortably being on its right-side-up.

Additional Benefits

They’re cheaper

It is common knowledge that smartphone cables break easily. The poor quality results in constant replacements which cost more over time. With wireless charging, you’ll never have to deal with frayed and tangled charging cables again.

Furthermore, charging cables have also been known to accumulate rust as time goes by. On the other hand, wireless chargers are not corroded by liquid substances so easily, hence lasting longer and producing less waste over time than conventional charging cables.

They’re safer for you

There have been many documented cases of smartphone chargers short-circuiting and exploding. This results to damaged property or physical injuries for you or anyone near it. One of the additional advantages of using wireless chargers is that it reduces the risk of circuit sparks and electric shocks from plugging it in outlets since you only have to plug it in once and not move around with it.

They’re safer for your phone

Malware is harmful to your phone. And typically, Malware hides in cables, especially in public charging stations. With a charging mat, your phone is virtually safer as smartphone wireless charging is a relatively new technology. Hence people have yet to find a way to exploit it.

5 Everyday Items You Can Repurpose for Survival

5 Everyday Items You Can Repurpose for Survival

Lots of us think that we’re prepared for a disaster. We’ve got supplies socked away: extra food, water filters, communications equipment, clothing, fuel, and a generator, even weapons. But, you can’t expect disaster to strike when it’s convenient. In fact, you should expect them when it’s not.

The real way to prepare is to mentally prepare. You need to have a mind that is limber, creative and able to adapt to your surroundings almost immediately. That means not just having things on hand in your home to help you get through a disaster, but knowing how to turn the things around you into important tools.

We drew up a list of common, household items that you are likely to find anywhere that can help you in a survival situation. It could be the end of the world or even just a few days where you’re trapped somewhere unfamiliar during a bad storm or separated from polite society by a wildfire. In either case, knowing what you find around you can do for you could give you a big edge when it comes to increasing your odds to make it out alive.

  1. A condom

This is no joke. The latex construction of a condom gives it a waterproof membrane that could serve you in a couple of key ways. The first is that it can keep water off things you need to keep dry, like a matchbook that you use to light signal or cooking fires. You can also fill it with water to stay hydrated, but you’ll want to make sure that you don’t stretch it too far or you’ll pop it.

  1. Eyeglasses

A good set of glasses can be helpful above and beyond whether you need them to see. Depending on how thick they are, you can use them to focus the sun’s light as a kind of magnifying glass. The same quality that would allow you to use them to burn ants will let you start fires with them. In a wilderness survival situation, water and warmth are probably the two biggest challenges you have and this addresses one. The other thing you can use glasses for is to signal low-flying aircraft or search parties if you’re lost.

  1. Dental floss

The primary quality that makes dental floss such a great way to clean teeth can make it an overlooked tool with great potential during survival situations. It is really strong for its size. You can increase its strength by braiding it up and either tie things together. It’s also thin enough that it’s hard to see, which when combined with its strength makes it perfect for setting basic snares to catch food.

  1. Socks

One thing you probably don’t have to hope you luck across in a survival situation are socks. Like the other things we’ve looked at, socks have a few different uses. The first one is that they are obviously a way to transport things that are too small to carry in your hand. If you run across a blueberry bush while looking for a way back to civilization, you can carry all of that food in a sock. The second is that if you’re wearing cotton or wool socks, you can scrape off a little bit of lint and use that as tinder to start fires. Finally, you can use them as crude filters for drinking water. The pores are far too large for you to drink water without fear of bacterial or viral contamination, but you can remove solids well enough before boiling water to make it safe to drink.

  1. Aluminum Cans

One thing that aluminum cans have going for them is that they are nearly ubiquitous. Cans people dropped on the ground 30 years ago are still there. Cans people dropping into streams 30 years ago are still there. If you find yourself in a survival situation, you can count on finding aluminum cans. What they offer you is a way to transport liquid. If they are still whole, you can fill them with water and carry them around. If you find a few of them, you can also tear them apart and double up the aluminum strips to make a cutting edge. An aluminum point won’t cut metal, but it’ll cut fabric easily enough and maybe even allow you to gut and clean a fish if you can land one.

Summary

We looked at five everyday items you can find around the house that will help you in a survival situation. It’s not intended to be an exhaustive list. In fact, what we’d like to suggest is that the real lesson is that this list helps you think creatively about everyday objects. Just about everything has some kind of utility in a survival situation if you can identify what strengths it has that you can use.

This post was written by Adam from HealthyHandyman.com – Feel free to check out his blog for more resources related to finding the right gear & equipment for your DIY, Woodworking or home improvement needs.

(The image was found at https://pixabay.com/en/aluminum-can-coca-cola-drink-87966/ by the way)

How Lockpicks Work

How Lockpicks Work: Why Preppers Should Learn Lockpicking

 

Lockpicks are a good tool for a prepper to have.  I enjoy the locksport hobby because I enjoy puzzles and seeing how things work.

While, I have no tolerance for crime, and I hate a thief more than anything.  Lockpicking does have non-criminal uses.

Inside prison, specially trained key control officers understand how locks work so that they can repair and maintain the locks.  Locksmiths on the outside have to have the lock picking skill as well.

For preppers, imagine a large scale collapse – like what Selco describes during the Yugoslav wars.  During that time, people spent a large portion of their time scavenging for food.  Being able to open locks without obvious signs of entry or damage would be highly useful in that situation.

Additionally, while a bolt cutter and a 12 gauge shotgun can get past almost any normal lock, you can’t relock it after you are done.  People will know you were there.

How Lockpicking Works

Lock picking is the art of unlocking a lock by manipulating the components of the lock device using picks instead of the key.

The main components in the pin-and-tumbler design are a series of small pins of varying length.

The pins are paired up with two pins and a spring in each shaft.

There are multiple shafts lined up and running through a central cylinder plug and into the housing around the plug.

The springs at the top of the shafts keep the pin pairs in position in the plug.

The bottom pin in each pair is rests inside the plug, while the upper pin is halfway in the plug and halfway in the housing.

The top pin keeps the cylinder from turning because the pins bind the plug to the housing.

When you insert a key, the series of notches in the key push the pin pairs up to different levels. A correct key will line up the “shear line” between each pin pair at the gap between the cylinder and the housing.  This allows the cylinder to turn.

An incorrect key will push the pins so that most of the top pins are still partly in the plug and partly in the housing.

This simple design is very effective.

Since the pins are hidden inside the lock, it is difficult to move the plug without the correct key.  However, with a lot of practice, it is possible to open the lock by picking.

Two Main Tools Used to Pick Locks:

  • Picks – lockpicks are long, thin pieces of metal that curve up at the end. They are used to reach into the lock and push the pins up
  • Tension wrench – Tension wrenches put pressure on the pins by slightly turning the cylinder so that as a pin set reaches the shear line it is held in place.

Pin_and_tumbler_lock_pickingThe first step in picking a lock is to insert the tension wrench into the keyhole and turn it in the same direction that you would turn the key.

This turns the plug so that it is slightly offset from the housing around it.

While applying pressure on the plug, you insert a pick into the keyhole and begin lifting pin.

The object is to lift each pin pair so that the top pin moves into the housing while the lower pin remains in the cylinder.  Just as it does when it is pushed by a key.

When you do this while applying pressure with the tension wrench, you feel or hear a slight click when the pin falls into position.

The process is to lift each pin pair into the correct position until all of the upper pins are pushed completely into the housing and all of the lower pins rest inside the plug.  When you get that done, the plug rotates freely and you can open the lock.

Conceptually, the lock-picking process is quite simple, but it is a can be a difficult skill to master.

Lock Picking and the Law

Although lock picking is usually associated with crime, it is an essential skill for the legitimate profession of locksmithing.  Additionally is a hobby called locksport.

In the United States, laws concerning possession of lock picks vary from state to state.

Generally, possession and use of lockpicks is considered equivalent to the possession of a crowbar or any tool that can be used for burglary.

Possession of lock picks with an intent for their unlawful use is generally prosecuted as a misdemeanor under the category of possession of burglary tools or similar statutes.

In many states, simple possession of lock picks is legal, as the statutes only prohibit the possession of lock picks or the activity of lock picking when there is a malicious intent. This is the case in Arizona,California, Utah, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Washington D.C., Washington State, and New York.

Some states, such as California and New York, impose restrictions on businesses, such as prohibiting the operation of a locksmithing business without a license and imposing requirements to keep records about sales of lock picking devices.

Where To Buy Lockpicks

Amazon does not allow lockpicking tools to be sold.  While some can skirt the rules for a while before getting caught, its not the best place to find tools.

I found a great online site called lockpickworld.com.  They sell a variety of kits, tools, and books to get you started.  There prices and quality are hard to beat.  I fully recommend you visiting them.

How to Protect Your Home and Survive a SHTF Crisis

How to Protect Your Home and Survive a SHTF CrisisIn recent years we have seen an increase in the increased risk and possibility of SHTF crisis type situations actually happening. Most emergencyies are relatively small.  However, that is not always the case. To be honest, if you really want to keep your family safe, you definitely wouldn’t want to risk planning for anything other than the worst case scenario!

So let’s take a look at some of the main steps for how to protect your home and survive a SHTF crisis. You’ll probably find a calm and analytic approach may even save your life, if you do your planning well in advance.

1. Start by Assessing What You Need

If you haven’t made an inventory of what you might need in a crisis situation, it’s never too soon or too late to do so. Evaluate your needs, and see what you don’t have. Do you have enough batteries for radios and flashlights, got yourself a hand crank lantern? Do you have a portable generator in case the power goes out? Have you prepared a place to stock up on food rations and water?

All these considerations have to be kept in mind. Make a list of all the necessary survival tasks and supplies, and then do your best to check every item on that list as soon as possible.

2. Get Your Home Ready

Installing new strengthened windows, strong metal doors and a sturdy fence can be among the best means of keeping your home safe in a SHTF situation. Additionally, you will want to replace all outside locks with some heavy-duty deadbolts and prepare a few secret hiding places that friends or family members can use, if they find themselves outside at a bad time, possibly even having to run away from an angry mob.

3. Top Up on Supplies

When it comes to food, make sure you get supplies that will last for a long time. Cans of soup and meat are a great idea, and you should also get stocked up on cans of peas, beans, pickles and other vegetables. If possible, avoid buying large quantities of white bread and food that tends to go bad after a shorter period of time. Instead, consider getting your own flour and preparing survival bread by using one of the numerous recipes you can find online, although truth be told, if you cannot get by without bread when you have ample other foods stored, then you are going to struggle!

4. Instruct Your Friends and Family Members

Even if you don’t have all the supplies and weapons you need, you can gain a great deal of assurance simply by instructing family members and friends on what to do in an emergency.

Consider setting up a code for easy communication or a special knock to avoid opening the door to looters. Also, instruct your children to stay in areas you designate for their safety.  They should keep away from the windows.  Teach them to communicate immediately if they hear strange noises.

5. Keep Up with the News and Emergency Broadcasts

You’ll need to have a minimum amount of electricity allocated to radios and phones. It might be the case that your phones are not working and the likelihood of an internet connection will be slim at best.

However, an emergency radio can be great for keeping up with emergency broadcasts and getting the scoop on what’s going on outside, when you have to sit tight, and when it’s safe to go out.

Before a crisis happens, always check the most important local and nationwide news bulletins. You can even set up a Google alert on your phone.  That way you’ll be alerted if a SHTF situation is at hand.

7 Affordable Gifts You Can Get Your Prepper for Christmas

christmasLooking for unique prepper stocking stuffers?

If you’re after regular gift options you can find everywhere else, this may not be the gift idea list for you.

You won’t find pocket knives, paracord bracelets, waterproof matches, or flashlights here.

About this time of year, there’s an innate desire within us to gift something unique.

Perhaps, something you haven’t thought of before.

Hopefully, we can help inspire you with some new gift ideas that your prepper can add to their arsenal.

Toilet Paper Tablets

When we first saw these, we couldn’t have been more excited to share them as a gift idea.  They’re cheap, small, chemical-free, and they’re simply brilliant.

  • Add water
  • It expands
  • Open it up
  • It dries

You instantly have emergency toilet paper, a make-shift diaper, or even a fire starter.

They’re perfect for disaster situations, hunting, camping, the bug-out bag, etc.  It might be a good time to upgrade your survival kits with these convenient, space-saving tablets and leave the toilet rolls for the bathroom.

Adventure Medical Advanced Clotting Sponges

The thing about preppers, they prep for everything as much as possible, and this includes medical supplies.  These newly, redesigned sponges have moved away from using exposed powder on wounds to using a hemostatic sponge that holds zeolite beads.

The idea is to soak up water molecules from blood and leave behind blood platelets and plasma that work to clot the wound up to three times faster than the body’s natural process alone.  Beef up your prepper’s medical supplies with the latest life-saving supplies while sticking to your budget.

Game Stockpile

Sometimes we get too distracted by the physical priorities of prepping that we may neglect supplies that help to ensure our mental and emotional survival.  If you have the space or just a bookshelf to spare, make room for some games.

Survival-themed games and cards are plenty.  But, I can tell you from experience, you can quickly fill this available space with cheap options from a thrift store with board and card games, coloring books for both kids and adults, and vintage classic toys like Legos and blocks.  $20 can go a long way when you’re stretching the dollar while building your stockpile.

Traction Cleats

This is another space-saving and convenient supply to add to your list of stocking stuffers.

The thing about emergency situations is you can never be quite sure where you’ll be when it will happen, or where you’ll find yourself.

Traction cleats will help give your prepper a sense of security of sure footedness.  Accidents, trips, and falls can quickly change a situation from bad to worse and then life-threatening.

Equipping your mobility with a sense of security may make all the difference in an emergency.

Gun Magnets

If your prepper has an arsenal of firearms, you may want to consider gun magnet mounts.  Hidden gun compartments and shelves can get expensive if you’re not particularly handy with tools, although we’re sure you can figure it out how to build one yourself.

For an instant fix to hiding your firearms in places that provide quick access, a gun magnet set is definitely a unique gift idea.  Here is a list of unique presents for a gun lover you might want to look over as well.

Binoculars

We all know optics play an important role in being prepared for your survival in many different scenarios.  So, I don’t think we need to get too much into its benefits here.

Also, it doesn’t mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars to land a quality bino for your prepper.

You can spend less than $100 and still see brand name manufacturers like Nikon, Vortex, and Celestron.

However, these gift ideas aren’t just for the prepper, these are some unique gift ideas for the hunter as well.

Bonus: Honorable Gift Mention

Berkey Water Filter

Okay, so this gift idea isn’t technically on the affordable end of the spectrum, but it’s so deserving of a mention.  A Berkey water filter is an excellent gift because it can be used for everyday use and not just for when the SHTF.

How would I know?  I have one.  It sits on the counter, and it provides peace of mind knowing that it’ll be there to provide some of the cleanest drinking water not only for prepper situations, but for everyday life.  Granted, filters may be considered high-maintenance parts as Dave mentions here.

Having the Big or Royal Berkey may not be affordable at this point.  If you prefer to equip your prepper with some bug-out bag upgrades, the Sport and Go Berkey may be the “right-now” solution.

Alternative Gift Ideas

Sometimes, gifts for a prepper or a prepper family can go beyond a physical present.  Here are some ideas that can mean the world to that special person:

  • Offer to help your prepper on a special project. A lot of the time, prepping is time-consuming, and a lot of it is done alone.  Get the kids involved and build bug-out bags together, practice using your prepper gear, or spend a night without electricity and running water and improvise on what you can do in a real-time emergency.
  • Babysit for free for your prepper spouse, family, or friends. They may need some productive time to shop for or pick up supplies, work on a project, do some canning, or gardening.
  • Use your food storage. Baking goodies or cookies to give as a gift has been done for as long as humans have thought of others.  It gives you a chance to put your first-in-first-out method to use.  You can then refresh your stockpile once everything goes on sale after Christmas.

A Gift from the Heart

One of the most appreciated aspects of a prepper’s attitude is you can never have too much of anything.  Whether you’re gifting them another pack of MRE meals or another book on canning recipes, it’s always appreciated because extra knowledge and supplies never get old.

But, beyond that, a thoughtful gift has a lot more meaning than how much it costs.  Looking for a unique way to stretch the budget while giving something meaningful is a win-win.