Product Spotlight: Emergency Lights and Snow Grippers

     Every-once-in-a-while, I think I'll show you some things that have given me a little more peace of mind and have helped me to be more prepared and feel more awesome. I want to talk about two things today that I think are pretty incredible and I think everyone should have them, or some variation of them.

Emergency Lighting:
     There are a lot of ways to light your home in an emergency, this one just happens to be really neat:

     This is the one I have(thanks mom). It's the Eco-Lite 4-function LED light. It works well for a few different things. You always leave it plugged in. The best part, I think, is that when the power goes out, this light comes on...just like that. If you have it on that setting, and it's on, you know the power is out. I keep one out of the way in a corner outlet in the bedroom. If the power is off in the middle of the night, I know right away. We keep the other in the center of the house so we could quickly navigate without worrying about darkness. It's also a handy flashlight. You can pull it out of the charger and it comes on right away. You push the button, and it has three settings: bright, dim, and flashing. Don't worry, it's not like a strobe light, so you won't go into an epileptic fit. Also, you can set it to "on" while it is in the port, and it work as a little lamp. The last setting is a regular nightlight. Set it to "auto" and when it gets dark, the light comes on. 
     There are different types and brands, so look around and find one that works for you. I usually keep a flashlight next to the bed anyway, this one just does more. Fantastic item.

How to not slip on snow or ice:

     Well, I think we all know what it's like to be this guy(more or less):

    
     Well, what do you do? I was given a superpower. Okay, so it's not so much a superpower as it is a super gadget. I think it's about as awesome as Batman's bat-suit and utility belt, maybe even as awesome as Iron Man's suit. Anyway, I feel like I have superpowers every time I need to walk on ice or snow, thanks to a friend, who, to protect his identity will be referred to as M. Wampler, no, let's call him Michael W., because now I have these:

     
     I think these are the best kind. You can find some with cleats and even some that you spray on, but the goal of each of them is to keep you from falling on the ice. I keep these in a little bag attached to the side of my backpack. I've seen someone connect theirs with a carabiner, or a little hook. Well, I feel pretty invincible wearing these. You just stretch them over your footwear and you're set.


     Those are the products I think are amazing, and I'll be sure to talk about some other things in the future. There are a lot of things we can get our hands on that will really keep us out of trouble in some pretty sticky situations. Sometimes I'll talk about something I have, sometimes it'll be something I wish I had, and sometimes it will be stuff we learn how to make.

 Feedback

     I also want to know what anyone who reads this wants to learn. I've got a few topics planned out, and I have some posts started with some ideas, but I was thinking that I could gear them towards you guys better if you let me know what you want to know, and I'm sure I won't be able to think of everything(otherwise we would have had the winter driving post before it started snowing). I'm willing to try new things and share what I learn, as long as it's not too insane, but even then, I might give it a shot. Just leave a comment below and just say what you want to see on here, like "how to start fires without matches(or even with matches)," "what kind of food should I store," "how to take care of a bullet wound," or just about any sort of preparedness or survival topic or concept. I'm looking forward to learn and try new things, so let me hear it.  If I can't figure it out, I've got some friends who are smarter than me, so we'll get it figured out somehow.