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The single largest domino effect of disasters and emergencies is a power outage. Weathering a power outage can be easy if it only lasts for an hour or two, but when it continues, it can threaten your food security, water access, and temperature regulation. Many people also rely on power for medical reasons. Luckily, power stations perform better than ever for emergencies and offer high-capacity energy storage at prices that are much more affordable. Unfortunately, finding the best power stations for your needs during an emergency can be a tough task.This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best…

Zombies are often considered a worst-case scenario, and we even planned for undead outbreaks in the military. While prepping for zombies isn’t exactly practical, it can be motivating and a means to an end with general preparedness. Plus, people can prepare however they want for whatever they want.I’ve found zombies intriguing for a long time. The popularity of zombies has exploded over the past 15 years, with video games, movies, and long-running TV shows filling out the niche. Even before that, I helped develop military plans for zombie outbreaks, remembering that there is a difference between ‘impossible’ and ‘improbable’.In this…

Peanut butter powder is a great way to add some low-fat protein to the pantry. Peanut butter has plenty of uses, and adding the powdered form to your food storage can make sense. Powdered peanuts aren’t always made the same way, so you’ll run into a variety of tastes, nutrition profiles, and shelf lives between the various brands. The best peanut butter powder is the one that maximizes these qualities without breaking any budgets.This is where we come in. We got our hands on a variety of peanut powder, compared them, taste-tested them, and now the results are in: the…

Portable and handheld fans have been around for thousands of years, but have had significant improvements over just the past few years. The best camping fans now give us high air speed, low fan noise, efficient battery use, and are versatile for many applications. Portable fans have been evolving with battery technology, so there is a wide range of lightweight fans to consider from different brands.This is where we come in. We’ve tested a variety of camping fans, compared them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a highly portable option, and a solar fan ideal for tents.…

Images by the author Trailblazer Firearms has a couple of unique products, one of which is their 9mm Pivot folding PCC… look for a review of that gun soon.  Their other innovation is a folding .22LR, wallet-sized, single-shot pistol called the LifeCard.  Well, OK, unless you have a humongous wallet, it wouldn’t fit, but the LifeCard isn’t a whole lot larger than some wallets. The first-generation LifeCard did fit in an Altoid box… they’re pretty tiny.  So… was ist das LifeCard? Something truly unique, for sure. (Notice this one has a threaded barrel… we shot a suppressed LifeCard during my…

Spoiler Alert – The results of Extracted are discussed as we dive into the gear options for the various supply drops.Extracted is a new TV series from Fox (streaming on Hulu) that takes 12 amateur survivalists with two teammates each out to British Columbia to compete for $250,000. The survivalists are monitored by their teammates from a command center, where the team attempts to help them with supply drops and instructions. The team can also hit the big red button, extracting the survivalist, which is where the show’s name comes from.Survivalism takes a backseat to drama in this series, since…

In my most recent article, Off-Body Carry for Women, I shared my favorite products for women to carry a concealed handgun off-body. One bag not mentioned in that article, because I felt it deserved its own review, and that is great for both men and women, is the Obscura Sling Bag from Savior Equipment. This bag was released at SHOT Show, and since that week, I’ve been using it as my new off-body carry bag. It’s even been on several road trips with me so far, used on a thermal-hunting trip, and I’ve worn it to a shooting match and…

Oil lamps have been around for thousands of years, and they haven’t completely given way to modern lighting technology. Their low-tech appeal can bring ambiance to a table or provide lighting during power outages and emergencies. There is a range of sizes, brands, and features to consider when you’re looking for the best oil lamp.I bought several oil lamps to test and add to my collection, and I’ve been reviewing them for several years now. I measured their light output with a light meter, verified their oil capacity with measuring cups, and used them both indoors and deep in the…

Whether you’re out on a solo car-camping adventure, making fireside meals with friends, or relaxing in your hammock, the best camping string lights make the mood what you want it to be. Our experts have been testing camp lighting for nearly a decade, and we’ve tested just about every option on the market and settled on eight of the best for every occasion. A long string of twinkle lights like the BioLite Luci 44′ Solar String Lights — our top pick — can really brighten the mood wherever you use them, and even a budget-friendly option like the Revel Gear…

When the NFA was sold to the American public, it was defended not as an infringement of the Second Amendment, but as an action stemming from the federal government’s taxation authority in the Constitution. It wasn’t gun control, just a tax. The registry itself was simply a listing of everyone who had paid the tax. Easy peasy lemon squeezey.With President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the tax on short-barreled long guns and suppressors came to an end. However, the DOJ says it should keep the registry.To say it’s being challenged is an understatement, and…

A major gun-rights organization wants the New York law banning civilian purchase of body armor declared unconstitutional and tossed into the dustbin of history. On March 27, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a motion for summary judgment with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York in the case Heeter v. James. At issue is a New York state law that unconstitutionally criminalizes the purchase of simple personal protective equipment and shows just how far off the deep end the state is willing to go to prevent peaceable people from protecting themselves. The motion states: “The…