A few weeks ago I was approached by the guys at Instafire to try out their product. I saw it on Sharktank and was already familiar with it so of course I said okay. I have messed with various fire starters before so I was not really expecting much, but after using it, I think its one of the best firestarting products I have used.
It burns a lot like vasoline soaked cotton balls for those woodsman who have tried that common tool, but it is infinitely less messy and burns a lot hotter.
Using Instafire is simple, if its the charcoal starter (as seen in the video above) just light two sides of the bag and place under the grate so air can flow, then stack charcoal on the grate so the flames can ignite it.
My camera did not do so well in the heat, so it is a little foggy in the video, but you can see in it that a single starter pack burned long after the coals started to turn white, which is an indication that this stuff is as fire and forget as a burning tool can be. You don’t have to mess with lighting and relighting and pouring lighter fluid and relighting over and over again.
Now for the fire starter bag, I didn’t video this because its just too easy – pour the contents on a non-porous surface (like a rock) light it and put your wood over it. I am not one to follow directions, so I poured mine on a log and then pout more wood over it and that works as well.
This product is simple and contains no hazardous chemicals – its basically wood pulp, a special blend of paraffin wax, and perlite. When its done, it is a great fertilizer for your garden.
Instafire is such a great product, in 2011 it won the innovative product of the year award as well as being funded on Sharktank.
It comes in small individual bags you can keep in your hunting bag or emergency kit, as well as large buckets you can keep at the cabin or near the fireplace. I love it and have decided to become an affiliate – which, as you know, I review a lot of stuff, but I don’t become an affiliate very often.
I bought this on a whim when I was searching through amazon. I was trying to find something cheap to allow me to buy an add on item I needed.
This product is a USB Rechargeable AA Battery. It uses a USB port to recharge so there are not cords to keep up with.
I like rechargeable batteries, because they are easier to store than hundreds of batteries, and I have several solar setups to recharge these batteries.
Here is some basic information about this battery:
Rechargeable——500 guaranteed recharges,applicable to all device with AA battery such as wireless. mouse, keyboards, clock, game controllers, electric shaver, remote control, household products.
High capacity——1450 mAh each battery and 1.2V nickel performance, suitable for any device which are using AA battery. Due to the high capacity it needs over 5 hours to full charge.
Easy to use and Charge from any USB Port——Recharge hundreds of times, at home, in the office. As long as there is an USB port, and then you can charge it.
USB Rechargeable Battery——Charging via USB interface, while they are charging, they are a red light flashes and get a little warm. When they are fully charged, the light goes blue and will get cool immediately.
Green & environmental——Long life, which can be charged 500+ times, a great substitute of traditional batteries.
If you like this product, remember I am an “amazon influencer” and have a page of other great items on Amazon that I use to make these videos, or just like having around. Please visit my influencer page on amazon, it won’t cost you any more to purchase those items, and the revenue I get helps me run this website
“The ReadySet is a renewable energy system that charges from solar panels and can power lights, radios, cell phones, tablets, and even Wi-Fi hot spots. The ReadySet’s intelligent battery can charge up to 10 iPhones, or power an iPad for over 12 hours of continuous video-play and can recharge from the included solar panel in just a few hours. Designed originally for Africa, the ReadySet is rugged and easy to use and now available here to power a tailgate, camping trip or for use in case of an emergency. You can even go on a carbon-diet and power your electronics from renewable energy at home.”
The Fenix Solar panel is a custom-built 15W peak mono-crystalline solar panel specially designed for use with the ReadySet Power System. It can fully charge the ReadySet in just 8-10 hours of full sun. Its rugged aluminum frame and portable size make it easy to transport or simply move indoors at night for safekeeping.
Beyond solar, the ReadySet’s smart electronics and firmware allow you to charge from virtually any source such as solar panels, bicycle generators, micro-wind turbines, and more. The ReadySet’s sleek yet simple design allows you to use this energy and power all kinds of devices from its two open standard 12-volt Car Lighter Adapter ports and two 5-volt USB ports.”
Each ReadySet Solar Kit includes:
The ReadySet battery (54 WHr equals ~10 iPhone charges)
15 Watt Solar Panel with rugged aluminum frame (it’s fully weatherproof & waterproof)
23 Watt Power Adapter for grid charging
3 Watt LED Light with socket, cable and switch
USB Universal Battery Charger that allows you charge any 3.7-volt Lithium battery (for phones, cameras, etc)
Instruction Manual
On the negative side, I did have some problems with the original set. However, as a brand new company with a brand new design it is too be expected.
To readyset’s credit they did offer two solutions:
I could return the set
They would give me instructions to fix what they thought the problem was.
Once I got the problem fixed, see below, I tried it out. I think it is a very useful piece of equipment. Personally, I look at it as a hybrid of the harbor freight solar setup and my diy battery pack.
For the purpose of seeing how powerful it is, I tried to run my CPAP machine. I did this even though common sense said not to. Unfortunately, the battery just is not powerful enough to run my CPAP machine. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the small size means limited power.
However, when running the things the kit is designed to run I have had great experience – it charges from wall power in about 6 hours, and about 8 in the sun (depending on location, time of year, and weather). I have been able to run both lights for over 8 hours on a single charge.
Finally, after looking at it, I think that even if I had not won it in a contest I would have bought it. I look forward to their upcoming bike powered generator.
Repair of the Ready Set Solar Battery
Buy at Amazon
I won a Ready Set solar kit at an instructables.com contest and was dying to do a review.
During the review process I noticed that the ReadySet I received did not work. Now, I was saddened by this as I have been wanting to do this review for several months.
I contacted Fenix Intl through customer service about the problem and after about an hour I received what I consider to be an appropriate reply.
Basically I got one of the kits on the first production run, and the spade connection on the battery worked itself off in transit. The company said I could either get an RMA and ship the old kit in for a replacement OR they could send me instructions for fixing the problem myself, and if I could not fix it they would get me and RMA.
I bet you have no question about which option I took….
The process was very simple, and considering that the first batch always has some problems I still think this is a pretty nice device.
Then, all I did was to flip the device upside down, take out 8 screws, flip it back over and remove the top.
Sure enough the negative battery clip was a little loose. I pushed it back on and plugged it in.
The lights came on and the device starting to charge.
In conclusion, I think this is a neat idea, and it has some potential. The company seems to be working very hard at providing a quality product, and they have some great ideas.
One thing is certain, their battery pack is light years better than mine…
I bought Windmills and Wind Motors from the now defunct Lindsey Books company. I immediately jumped on buying this book as a reference when I saw that it was a guide for making and using your own windmills, even to generate electricity!
Free, clean, and sustainable energy: wind power is an essential resource everyone can harness.
This comprehensive and compact historical work provides everything you need to learn about the theory and construction of everyday windmills, from small ones intended solely as models to those large enough to generate electricity.
Powell provides all the necessities to get you on your way, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and designs for every part of the project.
Types of windmill projects include:
A model windmill with sails two feet across
A working windmill with sails six feet across, suitable for pumping water
A practical windmill with sails ten feet across, capable of producing up to one-half horse power and able to run light machinery
For those interested in developing alternate, off-the-grid sources of energy, or even those who like to build for fun, Windmills and Wind Motors is a classic, useful guide to harnessing wind power.
I won this Ready Set Solar set in an 
I bought Windmills and Wind Motors from the now defunct Lindsey Books company. I immediately jumped on buying this book as a reference when I saw that it was a guide for making and using your own windmills, even to generate electricity!