Review: PacSafe CitySafe 400 GII Hobo Bag

Stated specifications:

Dimensions: 14.6" W x 13" H x 6.7" D (37 x 33 x 17 cm)

Volume: 884.8 in3 (14.5 L)

Weight: 1 lb 4.5 oz (580 g)

Strap length max: 33.1 in (84 cm)

Strap length min: 19.7 in (50 cm)

This is my fifth security travel bag and third from PacSafe, the other two being the CitySafe 200 shoulder bag and the StashSafe 200 waist pack. I wanted a cross-body bag and for it to be cavernously large for carrying my usual assortment of travel items like my notepad, camera, mini tripod, monocular/binoculars, water bottle, folding umbrella, and pareo plus air travel comfort items such as lumbar and neck pillows in addition to my small travel survival kit that fits into a waist pack like the PacSafe StashSafe 200 or Mountainsmith Nitro waist pack or about half of a gallon zip bag with the top half folded down. Because some museums and stores require large bags to be checked, I also bought a Baggallini Everything Bagg to easily take my wallet items, camera, and cell phone with me. It all fits!

Designed to foil pickpockets, slash-and-run, and slash-to-dump thieves, PacSafe anti-theft travel bags feature security closures as well as cut-proof straps and panels.

This particular hobo bag, which I got with a standard water-repellent jet black exterior and celadon interior (it's supposed to be lemon yellow) that makes it easier to see items inside, has an outside back pocket with a zipper at the bottom edge to allow the extended handle of wheeled luggage to slip through; there is an interior band to stabilize the bag.

The generous pockets at either end of the bag have cord locks to make the openings smaller so contents won't slip out and are more than large enough for a 1 liter bottle. The pocket that would be out of sight at the rear when it's carried as a shoulder bag has a D-ring inside at the top and at the bottom to secure items using my own utility carabiners or other fasteners to thwart pickpockets.

The padded strap, that has wires inside to prevent slash-and-run theft, may be detached at one end to secure the bag temporarily to a fixed object to foil a bag snatcher. The snap hook has a locking collar as an additional deterrent. The other end has a snap hook to secure the zipper pull of the bag's main compartment to stop a pickpocket from opening it.

The strap may be snapped up to make it shorter to convert the bag into a shoulder bag or left long to use the bag as a hip-length cross-body bag.

Because I tend to heavily load my travel bag and because the wires of the unpadded CitySafe 200 strap dug into my shoulder painfully, I went ahead and attached a removable Timbuk2 Gripster strap pad over the CitySafe 400 GII's too thin-looking shoulder pad without even first trying it by itself. YMMV.

Inside the main compartment is a variety of pockets. Along the front wall, that is the inside wall of the front of the bag, there is a zippered pocket, 7" W x 14.5" L, with a press hook fastener to hold anything like a key ring.

Below the zipper of that pocket is a line of:

1. A split key ring to which I attached a mini key ring LED to help me see what's inside the bag.

2. A pocket, 4.5" W x 5.25" L.

3. A pocket, 3.25" W x 5.25" L.

4. A pocket, 4.25" W x 5.25" L, labeled "RFIDsafe" to hold passport and credit cards containing RFID chips to prevent identity theft.

5. A fat pen pocket, 0.75" W x 5.25" L.

6. A fatter pen pocket, 1.25" W x 5.25" L, that will hold a standard highlighter if inserted cap down.

Those preferring the pockets could be closed can put their own self-adhesive Velcro coins or strips available from stores selling sewing notions.

Along the interior rear wall, there is one large pocket, 10" W x 15" L, that the enclosed literature says will hold a 13" laptop and an iPad or similar tablet. I found it holds my 15" laptop snugly. There's a strap that snaps over the top of the opening to ensure it doesn't slip out.

The bag's front, back, side, and bottom panels are all lined with eXomesh to prevent thieves from slashing the bag to let the contents fall out. The included literature has a diagram of the eXomesh rising to just under the top edge of the side pockets. On the front and rear panels, I can feel the top edge of the eXomesh about five inches up from the bottom, about three inches lower than in the side panels. I appreciate this sensible weight-saving design since gravity prevents items from falling up.

Overall, I'm exceptionally pleased with this bag. Purchased in January for travel to cities known for pickpockets and purse snatchers and slashers such as Barcelona, I've expanded its use to ordinary weekend getaways and other domestic travel.

Highly recommended.

Review: Outdoor Products Water Bottle Sleeve

Last month, I bought the large neoprene insulated water bottle sleeve designed to fit most 750 ml bottles, item #1161 OP, by Outdoor Products for US$3.00 at Wal-Mart's sports department. The measurements are 7.75" x 3.125" (19.6 cm x 7.9 cm). The available colors I saw were black, red, blue, and orange.

Since a carabiner clip and a webbed carrying strap are included, I don't need the Brita Bottle's carrying loop anymore and removed it. Because the sleeve is tall enough to reach the lower edge of the Bottle's cap, I don't have to be as careful when capping my Bottle after refilling it because the sleeve catches any drops and absorbs them just like it absorbs condensation produced by the ice I put in the Bottle.

When inserting my Bottle into the sleeve, I align the mark I put on one of the seams of the Bottle with the stylish, diamond-shaped silver logo on the front so I may get as much water as possible before having to refill it.

The care instruction tag states, "SPOT CLEAN OR HAND WASH WITH COLD WATER AND MILD DETERGENT DRIP DRY ONLY."

It works well and I'd buy it again. In fact, I did buy another in a different color to rotate them from day to day so one may air dry while I use the other figuring nearly constant moisture on the inside of the sleeve from the condensation and drips would create an environment for breeding things I rather not think about. Those wanting to be able to visually monitor their water level may want to buy the smaller size, instead.

However, with the scorching temperatures this summer, yesterday being the 55th day the high temperature has been over 100°F, last week I went back to using my 17 oz. (.5 L) stainless steel Aladdin thermal bottle simply because ice lasts longer in it. The bottle sleeve fits it, too, better than all the other insulated carriers I've tried on it. Whoo-hoo!

Review: Brita Bottle

The new Brita Bottle, available since mid-February, is an on-demand, aesthetic-filtering, environmentally-friendly, reusable water bottle made of durable, easy-to-squeeze, BPA-free, recycle code #4 LDPE plastic.

It is available in translucent blue or green for MSRP US$9.99 each, including one replaceable filter, or in a Twin Pack from $18.99. Replacement filters are MSRP $7.99 per pair.

The Bottle is 9.75" tall. The circumference varies from 7-5/8" at the waist to 9" at the largest point.

The literature inside says the filtering system was tested and certified in accordance with NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for aesthetics to reduce chlorine taste and odor by at least 50%. The Brita Bottle averaged 79% with the minimum at 58%.

The NSF requirement for the reduction of particulates is 85% to be a Class VI filter which is 50 to <80 microns. The Brita Bottle averaged more than 99.9% that was also the minimum.

Not finding the Brita Bottle at Wal-Mart and not wanting to drive out-of-town to Target or shop online, I located my blue Bottle at Walgreens. The enclosed directions say to first hand-wash it with mild soap, but knowing soap can leave a residue even when well-rinsed, I used regular liquid dishwashing detergent, instead. The directions also say that everything except the filter is top-rack dishwasher-safe.

After flushing out the loose carbon dust as directed by squeezing a full bottle of water through the filter, I was ready to begin my evaluation. Since I work at home, my interest in the Bottle is for when I'm out-and-about longer than water in another convenient-to-carry bottle filled from my Brita pitcher would last like for festivals, day trips, and travel to areas with safe water.

For road trips, the Bottle will save my having to pack my Brita Space Saver pitcher which is much too large for air travel. Although I haven't flown anywhere since I bought the Bottle, I expect it to be acceptable by the TSA just as my Brita Fill & Go filtering bottle was as long as it's empty when I go through inspection.

The capacity according to Brita is 20 oz. Filling the Bottle to the ledge below the screw thread for the cap, I measured the capacity as 21 oz.

The cap consists of several pieces. First, there is a base cap that screws onto the 49 mm opening large enough to add ice cubes and for easy washing. The filter slides into a hole in the center of the base cap and is held in place by a screw-on, push-pull sport cap. The sport cap is covered by a snap-on hygiene cap.

According to the label and enclosed literature, the filter, Model No. BB02 which also fits Brita's older Fill & Go bottle, needs to be replaced every 128 (20 oz.) servings/20 gallons/75 liters or every two months for proper performance.

Knowing that 128 (20 oz.) servings equals 20 gallons, I was curious how it correlated to two months and did some calculating. By using the Bottle for all of the standard hydration recommendation of 64 oz. per day, it would take only 40 days to consume 20 gallons.

However, after keeping track for a week and learning I average two fillings (42 oz.) per day, I calculated the filter would last 61 days (128 servings x 20 oz. per serving / 42 oz. per day = 60.95 days).

Of course, YMMV, but if you drink an average of two Bottles per day, getting the rest of your hydration needs from other beverages and food, marking your calendar to replace the filter in two months will be both close enough and a whole lot easier than counting refills or calculating the number of gallons consumed.

The Bottle is very comfortable to hold, but once leaked a drop or two because the push-pull sport cap wasn't closed all the way although it looked like it was.

It leaks a lot more if I don't put the large base cap on carefully. I discovered I have to press the carrying loop down while screwing on the cap or it won't go on level. With the loop removed, it still leaks a little unless I unscrew the cap until the threads click before screwing the cap on. It's best to set the Bottle on the counter or other support to avoid squeezing it as the cap is screwed on.

After figuring out these little tricks, the Bottle is dripless no matter how vigorously shaken.

The leaking isn't due to the cap because I can put it on my Fill & Go without having to be careful about it and it doesn't leak, so it must be something about the Bottle.

I suspect it's because the thread goes around only once plus about a third where the ends overlap while the thread on the Fill & Go goes around twice. Wrapping the Bottle's thread with plumber's tape might resolve this minor issue; I plan to buy some, try it, and report back, but it really would be better for Brita to fix this issue for us rather than our having to be so much more careful than with the Fill & Go or trying to fix it ourselves.

[Update 6/2/11 - Too lazy to buy plumber's tape, I tried different tape only to get a small flood when I squeezed to drink. Since I figured out the little tricks required to make my Bottle dripless (other people haven't had these issues, so it just depends on the Bottle or maybe I'm squeezing more vigorously than they are), and I'm very happy with it preferring the new Bottle over Brita's older Fill & Go bottle, I decided against trying the plumber's tape.]

Disliking the plastic taste of my first Bottle of water as sometimes happens with LDPE water bottles I've tried, I put in a couple of tablespoons of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), filled it with hot tap water, capped it without the filter, shook it, and let it sit overnight.

Since my second Bottle of water still tasted of plastic, I dumped in enough baking soda to cover the bottom over 1/4 inch, filled it with hot tap water, capped it without the filter, and let it sit over 24 hours, shaking it occasionally. That fixed it. Subsequent servings of water have all tasted absolutely great.

If I couldn't have gotten rid of the plastic flavor or should I ever want a bottle with a different capacity, I could substitute a recycle code #1 PET/PETE bottle with a 28 mm opening such as is found on standard .5 L, 1 L, and 2 L water and soft drink bottles, Coke products excluded, since the filter and push-pull sport cap fit without leakage on the bottles I tried. A 1-liter bottle would be especially good for foreign travel and preparedness because it's the capacity recommended for most chemical treatments for unsafe water. I'm thinking the Brita Bottle filter will remove any lingering chlorine odor and taste, but don't care to speculate about iodine treatments.

By aligning the filter's arrow-shaped openings with the Bottle's seams for easy tactile detection and keeping a seam underneath the Bottle as it gets empty, I can squeeze out all of the water but a tablespoon enabling me to get a maximum quantity before needing to refill it.

[Edited 6/2/11 - If the seam that is aligned with the top end of the screw thread is downward, the Bottle leaks a drop when I upend and squeeze to drink if I set it on the counter while screwing on the cap although it still doesn't leak when shaken while the sport top is closed. It leaks a lot if I grip it around its middle while screwing on the cap, but less if it's supported on my palm. As a result, I marked the opposite seam with a Sharpie to ensure I have it downwards when I drink so there is no leakage as I squeeze.]

Aligning the filter with the Brita logo on the cap is another option for a visual indicator. Aligning my collapsible koozie seams with the Bottle's seams provides both easy visual and tactile indicators.

The koozie also serves its original purpose as an insulator helping keep the water cool and as a sweat band to collect condensation when ice is added.

[Update 7/30/11 - The Outdoor Products insulated water bottle sleeve, reviewed here, is better than a collapsible can koozie.]

Not only does the Bottle fit into my collapsible koozie and car cup holder, it also fits into the water bottle pockets of my travel purse and other carriers such as my water bottle parka with shoulder strap.

Like other sport caps with snap-on dust covers, the Brita Bottle's hygiene cap is likely to be easily lost. Since this is an on-going problem of mine that isn't likely to change, I attached a 4" cable tie to the carrying loop and Krazy-glued the loose end to the hygiene cap to leash it to the Bottle. Unfortunately, the Krazy Glue did not hold, perhaps because the cable tie was too short and/or too stiff to withstand the stress of movement as I removed and replaced the hygiene cap.

Losing the hygiene cap is no big deal since I don't put the cap in my mouth and figure I can easily use the water's outward flow to rinse it off. Besides, I don't wash my hands every time before pulling the top open and only God knows what germs I pick up from the surfaces I touch between drinks.

However, since I do like having a cover to prevent a fly from landing on the center of the sport cap behind my back, I'm trying another way to make a leash and will post a report on it, later.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Brita Bottle and prefer it to the older Fill & Go except for needing to be careful about closing the cap to prevent leakage. It's easy to use, comfortable to hold, conveniently-sized, and produces great-tasting water.

[Update 9/19/2012 - In March, I bought a two-pack and have had no problems whatsoever. The new bottles are lavender and a pretty blue. The older bottle is a wussy-looking light blue. I don't know if the leakage was peculiar to the light blue bottles or if Brita changed something in the new bottles since they look the same to me. Either way, I'm totally thrilled with my newer bottles!]

I recommend it to everyone wanting an on-demand, aesthetic-filtering, environmentally-friendly, reusable water bottle that can be refilled from any source of potable water.

Review: Brita Bottle vs. Fill & Go

Last week, I bought a new Brita Bottle. Wanting more time to evaluate it before posting a review, this post compares it to Brita's older Fill & Go model that I've had since 2001.

First, the similarities:

1. Both are made of easy-to-squeeze, recycle code #4 LDPE. I've found this to be an inconsistent plastic in that sometimes it smells and/or imparts a plasticky flavor and sometimes it doesn't, even with the same product from the same manufacturer. Usually, the problem can be resolved by soaking the item in a solution of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and hot tap water overnight or longer, but sometimes, it can't which is why I generally prefer a stainless steel water bottle. I got tired of dealing with the inconsistency in my search for the perfect water bottle after the Fill & Go and Lexan (polycarbonate) products were discontinued.

2. Except for color and translucency, the caps for both bottles are exactly the same and all parts interchange. For those of you who are hoping the new Bottle filter fits the old Fill & Go bottle, yes, it most certainly does fit. In fact, right now I'm using my old Fill & Go cap with the new filter on the new Bottle, only because I like the color combination. My now all-white Fill & Go bottle looks pretty sharp, too.

3. Both bottles are leakproof although the new Bottle is somewhat persnickety about it, requiring me to be careful about getting the cap on exactly right.

4. The openings for both bottles are wide enough to allow the addition of ice cubes.

5. Both bottles fit into the water bottle pocket of my Pacsafe travel purse, but not at the same time.

Now, the differences:

1. Capacity - filling each bottle to the ledge below the screw-on threads for the cap, I measured 24 oz for the Fill & Go and 21 oz. for the new Bottle.

2. The new Bottle is slightly shorter with a smaller circumference than the Fill & Go enabling it to fit into standard car cup holders and snugly, but easily, into a collapsible koozie I have but too tightly for ease into another koozie that isn't collapsible. The Fill & Go doesn't fit into my car's cup holder or either koozie.

3. Color - the Fill & Go was available only in opaque white with a blue cap. The new Bottle is available in translucent blue or green with a translucent white cap. From my research, opaque, light colors are the safest for plastic water bottles. This makes the Fill & Go's opaque white perfect. However, the translucency of the new Bottle makes it a whole lot easier to know exactly how much water remains so one may decide whether to fill up now, at this faucet or water fountain, or if there's enough to last until the next one is encountered. Considering the size of the bottles, I don't think opacity matters as much as it would for large capacity bottles because, since we should be drinking much more than 21 oz per day, the water shouldn't remain in the bottle as long.

4. Comfort - the new Bottle is much more comfortable to hold anywhere from the widest to the narrowest point whereas the Fill & Go has uncomfortable sharp turns going from the broadest part to the waist of the bottle.

5. Carrying loop - the new Bottle comes with a flexible, removable carrying loop. The Fill & Go didn't.

6. Filter - the new Bottle filter has openings near the top instead of near the bottom as the Fill & Go filter did. This makes it easier to consume more of the contents before having to refill. The Fill & Go filters came with stickers that fit into a depressed area on the bottle as a reminder of when to replace the filter and the new Bottle does not. Not having the stickers anymore doesn't bother me, but others may wish they were still available.

Overall, I'm more pleased with the new Brita Bottle than with the Fill & Go because the new Bottle is more comfortable to hold, makes it easy to see how much water remains, fits into my koozie and car cup holders, and has a convenient carrying loop. Brita also did very well with the redesign of the filter.

Preparedness 2010 - Stoves

Instead of a camping canister stove costing US$25 - $295, here are some low-cost, low- or no-maintenance alternatives to see you and your family through an emergency situation:

1. Esbit Emergency Stove, $2.99, comes with three hexamine fuel cubes. A flat piece of steel you bend to form a pot stand, it is ideal for day hikers, travelers, and vehicle survival kits for one to two persons. Best use is to boil water for safe drinking, hot beverages, instant foods, freeze-dried meals, and preparing Ramen and soups. Natural fuel can be used to supplement or as an alternative to the fuel cube which also is an excellent fire starter.

Needing to be lit by a flame, such as from a match or cigarette lighter, each cube burns for about 13 minutes. It takes about 8 minutes to bring 16 oz. (.5 L) of cold tap water to a full rolling boil, less if you have a windscreen (recommended). Cover the vessel, however, as an uncovered vessel gets merely steamy. If you want to light it with a sparker such as a Spark-Lite or Swedish FireSteel, place some tinder on or next to it and light the tinder, instead. Only a small bit is necessary; it took only a few strokes of my FireSteel to light about a quarter of a square of toilet tissue moistened with hand sanitizer that I set on top of the cube.

If you want to conserve fuel, and as fuels go, hexamine tabs are expensive so should be conserved, simply blow it out like a birthday candle as soon as you don't need the flame anymore and save what remains for future use. Since it will stick to the stove's fuel platform, you may want to set the cube in an Altoids Smalls tin before lighting it to make it easier to store after extinguishing it. You can make the lid removable by simply pushing out the tabs forming the hinges to release the lid from the bottom of the tin, then pushing the tabs back so they won't catch on anything.

An alternative to the fuel cubes is an alcohol burner made of an Altoids Smalls tin (see 6. Alcohol Burners below for instructions). Be aware, however, that since the slits for the hinges won't permit you to completely fill the tin with your liquid fuel, you may not be able to attain a boil.

By bending the stove to support my 18 oz. stainless steel backpacker's mug (the handles fold in for easy packing), I can store it in the mug along with 11 fuel cubes (four go in the stove and one in the Altoids Smalls tin), an Altoids Smalls tin, a disposable cigarette lighter, and one of those tubular orange, waterproof match boxes that can be found online, in camping stores, and Wal-Mart's camping department for about $2.

Having both wooden matches and a lighter is better because matches may fail or break and butane lighters don't work when cold or at higher elevations. If using safety matches, be sure to tuck the striker strip from the original box into the waterproof match box or you won't be able to get the matches to light.

2. Esbit Pocket Stove, $9.99 although it may sometimes be found it in military surplus stores for as low as $3. The website says, "Includes 3 large solid fuel cubes." Mine came with six and the steel isn't pliable like the description states. (Frankly, I think they put up the same description as the Emergency Stove instead of the description for the Pocket Stove.) Four cubes store neatly in the stove when it's closed.

Popular for its small size by outdoors people, military forces, and expeditions since 1936, the Pocket Stove is more robust than the Esbit Emergency Stove and more versatile in fuel options. As well as a Kiwi alcohol burner (see 6. Alcohol Burners below), natural fuel or two charcoal briquettes will fit and may be continually added if you want to keep the fire going outdoors.

Since there's no heat control other than the two positions in which it may be set, the Pocket Stove is better for simple cooking like frying bacon or burgers or boiling water for one to three people. Substituting a tealight candle allows simmering.

Because hexamine fuel cubes, a safe fuel, aren't always available in local stores, it's best to stock up on Esbit tabs (12 for $5.95) and/or make an alcohol burner. Trioxane tabs are available, usually through military surplus stores, but need to be used outdoors carefully because they're toxic. The advantage of trioxane tabs is they can be lit with only a spark, not requiring a direct flame as do hexamine tabs.

3. Coghlan's Folding Stove, $8.98, is limited to canned fuel such as Sterno, the Nuwick 44-hour candle (the 120-hour Nuwick candle doesn't fit), or an alcohol burner such as a Trangia or a DIY project, although I don't see why natural fuel or charcoal briquettes can't be used as long as it's set on the ground outside with a foil pan underneath so nothing will be harmed when hot embers and ashes fall off the fuel platform. Hexamine tabs might be used if an empty can is put on the platform upside down to boost the height.

Because it's rather large when compared the Esbit stoves and is heavier, being made of steel, than the Sterno Portable Folding Stove (next), the best use is for a family at home if you have only heavy pots or for car camping. I don't like it for a car survival kit because it's heavy for lugging around should you have to leave the car; rarely advisable but a possibility.

4. Sterno Portable Folding Stove, $9.75, uses 7 and 8 oz. Sterno canned fuel that will simmer but might not boil water depending on conditions, as well as 44-hour and 120-hour Nuwick candles that can have the heat output regulated according to the number of wicks lit. It is also available in a Stove Kit that includes two cans of Sterno fuel and in the Sterno Emergency Kit that includes the stove, cans of Sterno, and candles.

When I tested it with a can of Sterno, I got 16 oz. of water, uncovered, to a slow, gentle, boil in 25 minutes. I quit ten minutes later when there was no change.

Because the fuel platform is only a couple of wire supports instead of being solid, using a Trangia alcohol burner is too close to being a balancing act for my comfort so I set my Trangia burner into an empty, clean, 5 oz. chicken can to make it stable. With the Trangia filled with 91% isopropyl alcohol, my uncovered stainless steel mug with 16 oz. of cold tap water took 5.5 minutes to reach a full, vigorously rolling boil.

To make your own alcohol burner that fits the fuel platform, I suggest using up a can of Sterno, and then making an alcohol burner with the empty can (see 6. Alcohol Burners below). Not having an empty Sterno can, I used a 1.76 oz. (50g) Altoids tin with a thin layer of 0000 steel wool and 91% isopropyl alcohol and got a full boil in 6 minutes. The flame went out nine minutes later making 15 minutes the total burn time for the Altoids burner.

Using a 120-hour Nuwick for cooking that needs high heat isn't feasible; after an hour with three wicks, I didn't get anything more than steamy water. Starting over, reducing the water from 16 oz. to 8 oz., I got some steam at 30 minutes and gave up knowing it's much faster for me to use an alcohol burner if I need to boil water.

Like the Coghlan's stove above, I don't know of any reason natural fuels or charcoal shouldn't be used as long as the stove is set on the ground outdoors with a foil pan underneath to catch the ashes.

The advantage the Sterno stove has over the others is that the pot support portion of it is made of wire that campers have used for toasting bread and grilling. However, it is faster to toast more than one or two slices at a time by using a stove toasting rack.

Because of its size and being made of aluminum, this is a good choice for a family at home, for a family's Grab & Go bag, as well as for a car survival kit, and car camping.

5. UCO Candlelier, $36.95. Not readily apparent as a stove, the flat heat shield top has been used for years by campers and backpackers to boil water. The amount of heat may be lowered by extinguishing one or two of the three 9-hour candles. Although it's more expensive than the cheapest canister stove, it provides light, heat, and a stove in a single unit making it as good for a car survival kit or an individual's Grab & Go bag as for backpacking. If bugs are a problem, 9-hour citronella candles are available.

6. Alcohol burners or stoves might be the least expensive option of all since the majority of them are DIY projects. Known as a "Cat stove," "Super Cat stove," "Pepsi stove," "Penny stove," or by whatever container or design is used, alcohol burners are popular for their reliability, ease of use being practically maintenance-free thus no hard-to-find parts to break or buy when access to camping stores is limited, and use inexpensive denatured or 90+% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol that's available practically everywhere, from marine stores, hardware and home improvement stores, service stations and automotive parts stores, to drug stores, and doesn't require special fuel bottles. In a pinch, more expensive alcohol is available from liquor stores.

I made my first Kiwi burner back in 2006 by cleaning out all the residue from a 1-1/8 oz can of Kiwi shoe polish that fit perfectly into my Esbit Pocket Stove, then filled it with fine steel wool (recommended grades are 0000 or 000). When I was ready to cook my scrambled eggs and sausage, I filled it with 91% rubbing alcohol and lit it with a match.

Unfortunately, after my last meal was eaten and the stove cooled off ready for storage, I stored the steel wool in the Kiwi can which corroded during the three years I didn't use it. As a result, next time, instead of steel wool, I plan to use perlite with a piece of aluminum screen cut to fit inside the container to keep the beads from scattering when the lid's off or I'll store the piece of steel wool separately.

The best-known of the commercially-made alcohol stoves is the Trangia that's been used since 1925 by military forces and outdoors people. Available in cook sets for one to four people, with accessories to use other fuels, the alcohol burner is available separately for about $14.95. Made of brass so it's a lot sturdier than any DIY burner, the best features of the Trangia burner are the adjustable simmer ring that allows you to regulate the flame or extinguish it by moving the damper (Caution! Hot! Use something like the pliers of your multitool to lift the simmer ring off the burner and protect your fingers from being burned while adjusting the hot damper), and the cap that lets you store unused fuel in the burner which can't be done with others.

As with my Kiwi burner, all that's needed to operate a Trangia is to pour in the fuel and light it. When done, close the damper on the simmer ring and set the simmer ring on the burner to smother the flame.

If the burner is filled to capacity, it will cook at full blast for 30-45 minutes depending on wind and outside temperature. The only cautions are to set it on a stable surface so the fuel won't spill, don't check the difficult-to-see flame by passing your hand over it (Duh!), don't refill the burner while it's still warm - avoid a flare-up by using a second burner if you need to continue cooking longer - and avoid ruining the O-ring by waiting for the burner to cool before capping it. Also, it's better to coat the O-ring with silicone grease when you first get it and occasionally after so it doesn't dry and crack.

Detractors claim alcohol stoves are slow, but it's significantly true only for making coffee or hot cocoa for a crowd of eight which seems like it takes forever. Breaking the task down into two to four cups at a time will get it served a lot faster. Parties of only a few people won't notice a difference between a canister stove and a Trangia because of the pre-cook fiddling and priming that canister stoves require and the Trangia is sometimes even faster. Besides, what else are you going to be doing that's making you impatient over so very few minutes other than wait for your situation to improve?

For winter conditions, there's a Winter Attachment set ($26) that comes with a burner, a pre-burner to warm the burner so it starts easily in cold temperatures, and a pan so the burner won't sink into melted snow and disappear from sight.

In addition to the pot stands mentioned here, there are others made by other companies specifically for the Trangia burner. I favor the Westwind, available with a Trangia burner ($29.95) or without ($17.95), because it's lightweight and can be taken apart and easily stored flat in your pot or a Grab & Go bag.

*****

Accessories for whichever type of stove you choose for your preparedness kit should include a windscreen for cooking outdoors or with adequate ventilation and a pot cozy.

While a windscreen may be fashioned from heavy-duty foil doubled and wrapped around your pot stand, it might be easier to use one made of aluminum with accordion folds available for about $11.

A pot cozy is recommended to conserve fuel. When instructions say to simmer for n minutes, you can remove the pot from the stove after the water's boiled and set it in a pot cozy to continue cooking for the remaining time using residual heat.

Preparedness 2010 - Part 5

I was looking for another knife for my hiking Essentials, a subset of my preparedness kit, when I realized I hadn't replaced my pocket-sized knife sharpener that had been in my hydration pack when it was stolen from the trunk of my car three years ago while I was in San Ysidro, California.

My first thought was to buy another Smith's 2-Step sharpener from Wal-Mart for less than US$4 because, although uncomfortable to hold (and you can NOT hold it at the base as illustrated on the packaging because drawing the blade through will topple it toward you and possibly get you cut), it produces a satisfactory edge on the cheap Pampered Chef paring and Farberware utility knives I use for motel camping and is a lot less expensive than professional sharpening.

However, the poorly designed finger guard prevents as much as 7/16" of a knife's edge from being sharpened depending on the knife's design. For a 2-1/2" blade I have, this means about 20% won't be sharpened. For a small knife like the SAK Classic model, close to a third of the cutting edge is left dull. That's unacceptable.

Unable to recall the brand name of the stolen sharpener that I liked better than the Smith's 2-Step and happening to run across the Lansky Quick Fix pocket sharpener, I bought one for US$5.95 and was pleased to find it the most comfortable to hold of the three pocket sharpeners I've used and able to sharpen the entire length of the blades the Smith's sharpener can't.

I advocate having a pocket-sized knife sharpener in your preparedness kit to touch up your knife should you have to leave home because the safest knife is a sharp knife since less pressure is needed to cut. A duller knife, needing more pressure, is more likely to slip and cut you.

With a pocket sharpener that has the angle preset for you, all you have to do is hold it firmly on a stable surface and draw the knife straight through three to five times although a hard stainless steel blade like a SAK, will need more than those few. The carbide side is for very dull or damaged edges while the ceramic rods are for touch ups. Inexpensive and easy!

More LED Flashlights & Conversion Kits

Getting that 2-AA Mini Maglite LED flashlight for my friend last week prompted me to order more LED conversion kits for my incandescent Mini Maglites and finish this post I started working on last year.

My requirements for a mini flashlight are that it's affordable, costing less than $30, and is powered by one or two AA cells because they're inexpensive and widely available, a consideration for foreign travel since cells we're used to getting here are not always available elsewhere.

My intended use is general preparedness, household, auto, travel, and outdoors such as hiking, geocaching, and waymarking.

My research taught me that the best of the high output LEDs are made by Cree, Philips Lumileds (Luxeon and Rebel), Nichia, and Seoul Semiconductor (SSC). Lights that use these LEDs are likely to mention them on the packaging to assure you of getting a quality product.

The flashlights with which I've gotten familiar since posting "Let There Be Light" are:

1. 2-AA Coleman Max (Cree XR-E): 115 lumens, 5 hours runtime - This is the same length as the incandescent Mini Maglite but for the slightly protruding push-button on the tail cap that prevents it from standing on end. Unlike the push-button on the Duracell Daylite (below), the push-button on the Coleman Max is easy to operate. The Max weighs slightly more than the Mini Maglite LED (below) and has a really good feel in the hand.

However, the light is significantly warmer (yellow) from the hotspot throughout the corona.

If I didn't like the next generation Mini Maglite LED flashlight so much because of its white light and features plus the Accessory Pack or the incandescent Mini Maglite with an LED conversion kit, this would be my favorite.

Comes with lanyard. US$24.88 at Wal-Mart.

2. 2-AA Duracell Daylite: 80 lumens, ? hours runtime - The housing is attractive with a textured surface to enhance grip and the diffused beam is a nice white.

I didn't bother to look for nor test the runtime because I really don't like the flashlight. The adjustable focus doesn't vary much. The corona of the light doesn't really exist because it's so dark, it's not useful. It's marked by rather attractive circles at the narrowest focus setting and strangely-shaped light rings at the widest adjustment. You have to provide your own lanyard to attach to the hole on the tail cap.

Considering that it isn't comfortable in the hand and is more unwieldy being longer, larger around, and heavier than the next-gen Mini Maglite LED or the Coleman Max, and that the recessed push-button on the tail cap is significantly more difficult to use than that on the Coleman Max, in addition to it costing more than either of the other two, it simply isn't worth buying.

Not recommended. US$26.88 at Wal-Mart.

3. Next generation 2-AA Mini Maglite LED (Luxeon Rebel®): 69 lumens, 18 hours runtime at 100% setting, 31 hours at 25%. The one I bought last year didn't have ratings on the packaging and not finding any online for the next-gen Mini Maglite LED flashlight, I did my own runtime tests using new Duracell alkaline batteries for each test that performed considerably longer than what the package now says.

At 100% power, it dimmed and started flickering at 116 hours (4 days 20 hours) until it went out at 117 hours.

At 25% power, it started flickering at 192 hours (8 days) and went out some time during the next 6.5 hours while I was asleep.

As far as brightness goes, at full power it's definitely brighter than the 50 lumens of the TerraLUX TLE-5 conversion LED (below) and the center hotspot is brighter than the diffused beam of the 80-lumens rated 2-AA Duracell Daylite (above). It looks a bit brighter than the Coleman Max (above), but that might be because the Max is warm (yellow); it's hard for me to judge between the two.

I like the 25% power level for reading and, as a result, eliminated my formerly ideal, incandescent 2-AAA book light from my packing list because the 6-8 hours runtime for it is much too short by comparison to warrant taking it along anymore.

The strobe and SOS features make it ideal for preparedness for situations ranging from natural disasters like Katrina to getting lost in the great outdoors. Being shock- and water-resistant, it's just as good as the incandescent Mini Maglite that was the standard by which other flashlights were judged for many years prior to LED flashlights coming out.

Available in black, red, silver, blue, gray, and camo according to Maglite, I've seen only black and gray at the two Wal-Mart Super Centers I've visited. If you want another color, please be careful of buying online as some don't have the lanyard hole on the tailcap and, as such, may be the previous version that the Mini Maglite Accessory Pack doesn't fit instead of the next generation that does have a lanyard hole and for which the items of the Accessory Pack do fit.

My guess is that online stores such as Amazon are selling existing stock of the first version before getting the next gens.

Still my favorite LED mini flashlight, the next gen 2-AA Mini Maglite LED is US$21.88 at Wal-Mart.

For those who may have a hard time getting used to the twist on/off of the Mini Maglite, there are rear clicky conversions available. The best seems to be the TerraLUX TCS-1 Tailcap Switch for the AA Mini Mag for US$5 at Amazon.

If you already have an incandescent Mini Maglite (12 lumens, 5 hours 15 minutes runtime, currently US$8.88 at Wal-Mart), there are several LED conversion kits offered by Nite Ize and TerraLUX. These are excellent for giving new life to the outdated incandescent Mini Mags. At first glance, the conversion kits may seem expensive but what you'll save in batteries and/or gain in brightness will more than make up for the purchase price plus you'll never again have to change a light bulb.

Also, since LEDs are not to be shined into someone's eyes because doing so will cause retinal damage, you could give your children incandescent Mini Maglites for their own recreational use or preparedness kits and upgrade their flashlights with LED conversion kits when they're old enough to use LEDs responsibly.

Other than for children, there's probably no reason to buy a new incandescent Mini Maglite and an LED conversion kit unless it's to get a color finish like purple or pink or the American flag that isn't available (yet?) on a Mini Maglite LED flashlight. You're better off simply getting the next-generation Mini Maglite LED flashlight unless you want to assemble your own tactical flashlight (see TerraLUX #4 below) or need a specialty LED for another purpose such as a UV LED for hunting scorpions or inspecting hotel rooms.

Just be sure you're getting the next generation version that has a lanyard hole instead of the first version without the lanyard hole unless you're 100% absolutely sure you will never want to attach a lanyard or want to use the rubber head cap that is a great anti-roll device, a colored lens, or replacement clear lens of the Accessory Pack. A quick way to tell the difference between the two versions is that the packaging for the first version has three colored circles on the front while the packaging for the next generation has four colored circles.

Nite Ize:

1. The Nite Ize 3-LED Upgrade Kit is approximately 8 lumens and runs up to 20 hours. I bought one of these when I first saw them years ago at a local Gibson's and was disappointed because the incandescent Mini Maglite is brighter. My disappointment was such that I held off converting my other Mini Mags until last year when I found out about other LED conversion kits. However, using it as a map-reading light with the red lens from the Mini Maglite Accessory Pack to preserve my night vision redeemed its purchase. From US$4.50 through Amazon.

2. The Nite Ize LED Upgrade II is approximately 30 lumens and has a runtime of about 25 hours. About $9 through Amazon.

3. The 1 Watt Nite Ize LED Upgrade Kit is approximately 55 lumens with a runtime of 15 hours. About US$19 at Amazon. With the IQ Switch, the kit is about US$25.

TerraLUX offers the following Luxeon LED conversion kits for the Mini Maglite:

1. TerraLUX MiniStar3 TLE-3: 15 lumens, 50 hours runtime - This has 3 LEDs. Because this is about the same brightness as an incandescent Mini Maglite and because of the long runtime, it's ideal for your preparedness kit if you don't want to buy a new flashlight. Other than that, I recommend getting one of the others that produces a brighter light because they're so nice. From US$5.99 through Amazon.

2. TerraLUX TLE-20 (Nichia Regel), 0.5 watt: 36 lumens, 15 hours runtime - This produces a nice, white light. To avoid going bump in the night, I chose this one to upgrade my bedside flashlight. Also for the 2-AAA Mini Maglite. From US$9.95 through Amazon.

3. TerraLUX MiniStar2 TLE-5 (Luxeon III?), 1 watt: 50 lumens, 6 hours runtime - This has a distinctly yellow tint in the hotspot but not as yellow as the Coleman Max. This is my favorite upgrade kit because it yields suitable brightness coupled with a decent runtime. I put it in my kitchen flashlight. I got mine last year through Amazon for US$9.70.

4. TerraLUX MiniStar2 Extreme TLE-5EX (Cree XR-E), 3 watts: 140 lumens, 4 hours runtime. I got it just to see and... Wow! It's bright! Use this kit and the TerraLUX TCS-1 rear clicky conversion to turn an excellent general purpose incandescent made-in-America flashlight into an LED tactical light for about US$35.

I couldn't find a runtime rating, so I did my own test using new batteries.

At 4.5 hours, the circle of light began to get smaller and smaller until it was so tiny it was useless at 6 hours. I turned it off at 6.75 hours.

The nice thing about alkaline batteries is that they tend to recharge themselves when they're not being used which is the reason alkaline batteries for any LED flashlight will last longer than the rated runtimes if the light is used intermittently instead of continuously as during tests to rate the runtime.

As a result, I was able to use it for another hour a week after the test. (It didn't quit. I was through using it.)

After another week, I decided to resume testing with the same pair of batteries. It ran for 1.5 hours before going out. I let it rest for 8 hours and turned it on for another 3 hours with it dimming and shrinking over the last hour.

This LED produces a nice, white light and cost me US$17.95 last year through Amazon.

If you have other styles of incandescent Maglites, Streamlights, or SureFires, TerraLUX has LED upgrade conversion kits for them, too, as well as a couple of universal upgrade kits that work with other brands.

Something to keep in mind is that there are no industry-wide standards for rating flashlights. As a result, a flashlight rated n lumens with a stated runtime may be brighter or less bright and have a longer or shorter throw than another flashlight with the same rating and may run longer or for less time. Your best bet is to check independent reviews such as those on CandlePowerForums Reviews.

Another thing is that, although I've listed the wattage as do several manufacturers, watts are not indicative of the amount of light produced like we're used to thinking when looking at incandescent bulbs. In fact, watts only indicate how much power an item needs such as how much power an LED needs to produce its best light. For an example of how we can't use wattage to indicate output, a 26-watt CFL bulb produces light equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent bulb.

For more info, Flashlight Reviews and the flashaholics on the CandlePowerForums may be the most helpful sources.

"Prey"

I watched the movie, "Prey," this morning on HBO and can't contain this rant. I didn't know it was supposed to be a horror flick which is okay because it isn't. It is, however, the type of movie that has great scenery, excellent animal action, and an encounter with natives that had me tense up.

It's also the kind of flick that's great to hoot and holler at and for throwing popcorn at the screen.

For those who have yet to see it, "Prey" is a survival story about a woman and her two step-children, all seemingly fairly typical American tourists, who go off on a game safari in Africa for a day.

Got that? I don't want to spoil the story for you so it's important for you to get those parts. Game safari, in Africa, for a day.

Oh, heck.

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Who in their right mind goes off into the WILDERNESS in AFRICA without WATER? Sure, they hired a guide and he should have had a large container of extra water, but he didn't and they didn't think to check. I didn't see a can for extra gas, either, and he certainly didn't have a radio or a satellite phone, nor a first aid kit not that the latter would have helped considering the way the lions were killing off the people.

The guide dropped his keys in the grass and the step-daughter used her camera's zoom to verify that the bright shiny thing is one of the keys so they know it's worth leaving the vehicle which may put them at risk of being attacked by the lions that kept them in the vehicle on the afternoon of the first day and all night.

Why didn't they use the camera to check for lions before leaving the vehicle to get the keys?

Why didn't they have binoculars with them in the first place? It wasn't a visit to a zoo where the animals are sure to be closer than they are in the great outdoors of Africa. The guide didn't have any, either.

Unbelievable. No water and no binoculars.

Yes, they had a little water with them that quickly ran out, but when the girl went to get water, she didn't take any containers with her. Surely, she wasn't planning to carry water back in her palms, was she?

I don't mind when what goes on is plausible such as when the woman panicked driving away from the attacking lion, got them lost, and damaged the vehicle by driving too fast off-road.

I didn't mind so much that they didn't have whistles or red bandannas to signal for help or didn't think to gather enough grass from around the vehicle to make a fire on the roof of the vehicle to signal the helicopter or use a mirror from the vehicle or a compact, if either the woman or teen step-daughter had one.

I didn't mind that no one thought to take inventory of what was available to them until the third day...except they waited until the THIRD day.

However, I did mind that they didn't think to even try to collect rain water during the first night so they'd have something to quench their thirst.

Come on movie people, especially the writer(s). In the WILDERNESS, in AFRICA, without enough WATER to last them through the first afternoon.

Puh-leeze, gimme a break.

Yum! (Part 2)

Returning to the Red Lobster for more "Endless Shrimp" last night, I was puzzled by the menu:

Teriyaki Grilled Shrimp
Cajun Shrimp
Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Hand-breaded Shrimp
Coconut Shrimp Bites.

Where were the shrimp Alfredo and popcorn shrimp? Surely, the menu wasn't reprinted since Tuesday.

I asked Ashley, the same server as before. "I told you about them," she said.

"Oh, okay." I guess I hadn't looked at the menu very well.

After enjoying the teriyaki and the shrimp scampi, I asked what is the difference between the hand-breaded shrimp and the popcorn shrimp.

"The popcorn shrimp have the tails cut off. Other than that, they're pretty much the same. They both come with marinara sauce," Ashley explained.

Not a fan of marinara, I asked if I may have the Alfredo again and was soon indulging in its delectable richness followed by the coconut shrimp.

Ahh....

Yum!

A friend and I went to the Red Lobster for dinner last night. Unknown to us, it was the first night of the "Endless Shrimp" special which was a great surprise and blessing because shrimp is my friend's favorite seafood.

On the advice of the manager who verified that the gift certificates I received as a farewell gift when I left a company in January 2000 were still valid (I haven't been to a Red Lobster in nearly 10 years - how time flies!), we first ordered the Grilled Shrimp Teriyaki and the Cajun shrimp because they take the longest time to cook and enjoyed our salad and cheese rolls while waiting for our platters to arrive.

Delicious! The Cajun shrimp was spicy, but not overwhelmingly. The shrimp teriyaki was perfection itself.

Realizing that we wouldn't be able to complete all of the five different shrimp dishes available in the special, we next ordered the shrimp Alfredo as a single order with an extra clean plate so we could share. That was permitted because we were both having the same dinner. Smooth and creamy, it rivaled the teriyaki for perfection.

Feeling full, we bypassed the popcorn shrimp and split a single serving of the coconut shrimp that was served with a piña colada dipping sauce for the finish. Ahh... No room for dessert was necessary after that treat.

Yum! I want to go back and have more.

(Which I did in Part 2.)

Let There Be Light

When I left home at age 17 to move into my own apartment, Dad set up a small toolbox for me that included a small flashlight saying, "Here, this is a good one."

How right he was!

I didn't realize it at the time, but there's a wide range in the quality of flashlights, more so now that LEDs have transformed the world of flashlights.

So, there I was, happy for years with the silver flashlight from Dad kept in the kitchen followed by a brilliant blue Mini Maglite that I bought later because I wanted a flashlight in the bedroom and someone told me that Maglites are good flashlights. Later, I added a blue Maglite Solitaire to my purse because I was tired of the electricity going off at work just before I needed to use the Ladies' room.

Eventually, with the advent of LEDs, I tried a Garrity keychain flashlight and was very pleased to be the heroine several years ago when a car hit a pole and took out the electricity for several blocks while I was at the dentist's office.

"What do we do, now?" I asked the hygienist.

"We're done with your cleaning, but the doctor still needs to check your teeth. If the lights don't come back on, you might have to come back," she replied.

Inwardly, I groaned. When the dentist came by, I asked if he could use my flashlight to check my teeth so I could leave. He examined my flashlight, was impressed with the quality of its light, checked my teeth, then asked if he could borrow it to finish another patient. As he returned, another woman asked to borrow it because she needed to use the rest room.

"That's a great light," the dentist said while the other patient went off to the rest room. "Where did you get it? I'd like to get some for us here in the office."

I told him that I got it from Wal-Mart for less than $5 and he wrote down the name of the manufacturer before leaving me.

The woman returned my little Garrity with great thanks. There's nothing like not being able to see in an unfamiliar facility well enough to relieve yourself when you really need to go.

My hygienist laughed as I picked up my purse to leave, "You didn't know you were going to be a heroine today, did you?"

Since that afternoon four years ago, I've been on the lookout for good LED flashlights. The thing is, although I want a good flashlight, "good" means different things to different people. I don't need a tactical flashlight that costs $300 or want one that uses expensive batteries or need one that puts out 200+ lumens and runs through a set of batteries in an hour or two like some other people do.

I converted my blue Mini Maglite using the Nite Ize three-diode conversion kit, but that was a disappointment. The only reason I didn't convert it back to the Krypton bulb is because the batteries last longer. Since then, Nite Ize and other companies have come out with better conversions. If I try another conversion with other Mini Maglites, I'll probably get one by Terralux because there are more options. Deciding on one gets tricky because more watts and more lumens also mean a shorter battery life. I have to decide the trade-offs I'm willing to make to get an acceptable light with a decent run time.

The next thing I tried was a couple of Forever Flashlights because I like the idea of not needing batteries. One problem is that I don't like waiting while I shake it when I need light. I thought I'd resolve that issue by leaving them in the well on the floor of my car between the driver's seat and door. Evidently, I don't drive enough or brake enough to simulate shaking because the lights are really dim until after I shake them for a minute or two.

Another problem is that they produce a rather small spot of light and one is dimmer and more yellow than the other although brighter than my Nite Ize converted Mini Maglite. The final problem is that since the shake flashlights are magnetic, care must be taken around magnetic media to avoid corruption.

After severely bashing my little toe in a motel in Oregon when a storm put out the lights, I decided to get a Garrity LED lantern/AM-FM radio combination, model KP052, that charges by electricity or the hand-crank. It has several LEDs in it and is a decent area light for preventing stubbed toes, although it isn't bright enough for reading even if it's right next to you. It looks like it's supposed to be able to charge a cell phone, but there wasn't a cord or plug in the package or a card to return to Garrity to request one.

Because the Garrity lantern is rather large for travel and hiking, I next bought the little yellow Coleman MicroPacker 2-LED lantern that was so much dimmer in my motel room than my single-LED Garrity keychain flashlight, I immediately returned it. Some people may like it; I'm not one of them.

Late last year, I tried again with the hand-sized Eton Microlink FR 150 that has a solar-charged/hand-crank AM/FM/NOAA weather radio and flashlight. It may also be charged via USB if you have a cord to do so, but it's a lot easier to keep it on a sunny window sill. The light isn't very bright, but is somewhat adequate for reading except for the strange pattern of light it makes when close up. I'm glad I bought it because it's a nice, small, compact, all-in-one unit that could charge my cell phone if I requested the free plug from Eton. That it has a flashlight is a bonus.

Attracted by the half price on Sierra Trading Post, I bought a Solar Lite by All American Light last month. It's nice that it needs only bright light to charge, but it produces a spot light that's similar to my Forever Flashlight. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it and, like the Forever Flashlight, wouldn't recommend it unless you need something that's better than nothing and doesn't need batteries. What's nice about it is its light weight and that you don't have to shake it. It's also nice that you don't have to be careful with it around magnetic media.

At last, I am very happy to report on the next generation of the 2 AA Mini Maglite LED flashlight. Mine is gray, model #SP2209HJ, that I bought from Wal-Mart for $21.88 on Tuesday.

Where the older style of the Mini Maglite LED has a larger head than the incandescent version and no hole on the tail cap to attach a lanyard, with the next generation Mini Maglite LED, we see the return of the smaller head so the rubber rim for the face cap fits as well as the lenses of the accessories pack. The hole to attach a lanyard is back in the tail cap.

It measures 1/2" longer than the incandescent version.

The holster still doesn't have the Velcro flap that the holsters for the incandescent Mini Maglites used to have and is a tighter fit than my Velcro-flapped holster, but then, that applies to the current incandescent Mini Maglite's holster, too. I guess Mag changed the design to save on production costs.

Although the corona isn't quite as bright or quite as white as the diffused beam of the 80 lumens Duracell Daylite 2 AA LED flashlight that I bought at Wal-Mart for $26.88 at the same time, the hotspot is brighter and the overall diameter of the beam is broader than the Daylite's. I like the Mini Maglite LED much better, not only because the beam is broader, but also because it weighs less, is narrower and shorter, and doesn't have a push-button on the tail cap. Plus, the Mini Maglite may be set up in candle mode for wider illumination (directions are on the package).

I'm VERY pleased with the Mini Maglite LED because it has settings for 100% power, 25% power, blink, and SOS that is definitely good for signaling for help whether by a lost hiker or a survivor of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. Just twist as usual to turn on, then twist off & on again to sequence to the other modes.

What that does to those who prefer the tail cap push button modifications offered by different companies, I don't know. I prefer to twist the head and can do it easily by gripping it with my little, ring, and middle fingers while twisting with my forefinger and thumb of the same hand.

At the 25% power level, designed for reading or saving the batteries during prolonged emergency use, instead of lasting for hours of continuous use as on the 100% setting, the package says that fresh batteries will last for days. I haven't tried to run down a pair of batteries through it to see how long they'll last, but it makes sense because any of the brighter LED flashlights go through batteries faster than those producing fewer lumens.

[Updated on 8/31/09 - I tested the battery life with a pair of fresh alkaline batteries at 100% power and a second pair of fresh alkaline batteries at 25% power.

Continuously on at 100% power, it dimmed to an unusable level and started flickering at 116 hours (4 days, 20 hours) until it went out at 117 hours.

Continuously on at 25% power, it started flickering at 192 hours (8 days) and went out some time during the next 6.5 hours while I was asleep.]

All in all, this ends my search for a small LED flashlight. I think Mag did this version of the Mini Maglite LED right and hope they do as well when they upgrade the Solitaire to LED.

First Kite Day of 2009

Wednesday afternoon was the first time I was able to go kite-flying since the chill of last fall through the thunderstorms of nearly the last three weeks.

With the ground still muddy in spots, I carefully picked my way through the park to select where to place my stakes after launching each kite. I usually like to fly two or three kites at a time, anchoring them with light tent stakes, because they look so much better when flown in small groups, keeping each other company.

The first and third kites are favorite deltas of mine, Flip Flops #33195 and Warm Checkerboard #33123, both by Premier. They were doing well, so I launched my Parafoil 5 Rainbow Tecmo, Premier item #12035, between them for variety. The color-blocked tube tail proved to be too heavy for the existing wind, so I exchanged it after a while for the streamers that came with the kite.

There's something about kites. At the same time, they are both calming and uplifting, their bright colors cheering the soul while the fresh air and sunshine clear away the stresses of modern life.

The parafoil rode low above the horizon as sleds and parafoils usually do, and was easy to watch while the deltas surfed the vagaries of the wind. At times, they soared directly overhead and I felt like I was bending over backwards to view them from under the brim of my hat. When I was too lazy to check overhead, I searched for their shadows flitting along the grass.

After a while, I brought down the parafoil by walking it down with my hand on the line to lower the kite. Replacing it with a ladybug kite I bought last week at Walmart, I launched the ladybug only to have it crash almost immediately.

Bother!

Launching it again, I kept a suspicious eye on it until it got up to altitude having never flown that type of kite before and having had trouble with a previous kite by that company. The ladybug is a 25" wide modified diamond kite in that the top is a diamond while the lower section is rounded like the shape of a ladybug.

In addition to a center spine with cross spars to be inserted by the customer like a standard diamond kite, the top edges of the LadyBug also have fiberglass rods sewn in. The tail consists of a 3/8" wide length of nylon with nine small ladybugs stitched on at intervals.

After the relaunch, it flew nicely for a while, the loose legs wiggling realistically as if the ladybug was crawling across the sky. Oddly enough, this kite was flying west, directly into the descending sun while my other kites were flying toward the north. While I pondered why this might be, considering the wind was from the southeast, the ladybug headed downward as though it was going to do a gentle loop then accelerated to... CRASH!

Hmm.

Relaunching it made me review how other kites behaved. My deltas, diamonds, birds, and butterflies, usually make loops or simply drift downwards like sleds and parafoils when the wind goes away. I have a seagull kite, Go Fly A Kite item #15200, that consists mostly of outstretched wings that settles to the ground when the wind dies and has been known to relaunch itself when the wind picks up again, if I'm patient and leave it alone.

This ladybug?

There it goes again. CRASH! Now, I'm annoyed. How does X Kites test their kites, anyway? The other kite I had problems with was their SpinBox Spectrum, #82402, that I returned to the store I bought it from when I was in California. I tried that one out at Tecolate Shores in San Diego, and while it looked great while flying and drew compliments, it wasn't long before the fins came off of the cross spars which then popped out of the clips causing the section to collapse and the entire kite to drop out of the sky.

I relaunched the LadyBug, recalling that I haven't had problems with the delta or CloudBuster diamond kites made by X Kites that I own. Maybe it's only their kites with unique construction that have problems. Since too much wind causes kites to spin while too little wind causes kites to drift down tail first, maybe there's something about the wind conditions that this kite, rated for 5-18 MPH/8-29 KPH wind speeds, doesn't like.

I recalled the afternoon in 2007 when I was flying two kites at Mission Bay, San Diego. A family of three arrived and tried to launch a fairy princess kite unsuccessfully many times with frequent looks at mine flying successfully. The father got bored and wandered off to check the water.

Moved with pity, I went over and asked if I might help. The mother agreed, saying they bought the kite from Target, manufacturer unknown, for their daughter's eighth birthday and it was the first time they were trying to fly it.

Well, I tried and had the same crashing results. Turning it over, I found that there was a huge, heavy, sprocket in the center of the fairy's chest that I was sure was the reason the kite wouldn't fly.

Pulling down one of my butterfly kites that was made by New Tech, because the shape was similar to the fairy princess, I showed it to the mother, pointing out the differences in construction between it and their fairy, that there was no good reason for the heavy sprocket, and recommending that they return their daughter's birthday kite and go to a kite store to buy another that was sure to fly in the lighter wind conditions that prevail during the San Diego summers.

CRASH! The LadyBug, X Kites item #80472, came down again, breaking my reverie. No wonder people get discouraged about flying kites; some are really persnickety about the wind conditions in which they fly. The worst part was that I had also purchased the TurTle kite for a relative of mine, X Kites item #80476. Since it's the same as the LadyBug except for being a green turtle instead of a red ladybug, I have no reason to expect it to fly any better and plan to return it rather than subject the intended recipient to its crashing in variable conditions.

I launched a cellular kite, the eo6 Fire by Prism, in the place of the LadyBug and watched it soar, tumble, and dart up again while my deltas continued to dance until it was time for me to leave. Except for the experience with the LadyBug, it was a wonderful few hours spent flying kites on a beautiful spring afternoon.

Highly recommended.

"Taking Chance"

Tonight was the premiere cablecast of "Taking Chance," an original HBO movie starring Kevin Bacon, that is based on the journal of USMC Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (retired) who also wrote the screenplay with director Ross Katz.

It is a revealing, short at only 77 minutes, low-key, yet incredibly powerful movie of the true story about Strobl's escorting the body of USMC Lance Corporal Chance Phelps to his home town for burial.

Although Phelps was killed in Iraq, this is not a story about war nor the politics of the war.

It is about a moving, beautiful journey across America; a journey of honor, respect, care, and love; a story that I'm about to see for the second time as I type this and hope to eventually buy.

Highly recommended.

Dallas Opera: "Die Fledermaus"

There was only one skunk on the road to Dallas this past Sunday and the portent held true. There were no ringing or vibrating cell phones, no watch alarms, and no out-of-place applause. The only skunk in the audience was the woman next to me wearing perfume.

Fortunately, there were large blocks of empty seats in the upper balcony making it easy for me to move up and avoid having another allergic reaction to her otherwise pleasant fragrance.

I moved to an empty lower row of only three seats and settled in to having a good time with this comic operetta by Johann Strauss II.

Although the first act is filled with chuckles from the interplay of the characters which was easy to follow because the performance was in English, I was nearly overcome by yawns and general boredom. The only bright spots were the voices of Chad Shelton, playing Alfred, and Ava Pine, playing Adele, who turned out to be the star of the show both in voice and in acting.

To be fair, Ana Maria Martinez, playing the part of Rosalinde, was recovering from the flu. Knowing this only makes me wonder how much better she might have been if she had been in full health. On the other hand, Miss Pine was recovering from a sinus condition.

Since many of the singers, excluding Pine, Shelton, and later Grant Neale, weren't easily projecting their voices over the orchestra or filling the hall with their voices, it made me consider that the smaller capacity of the new Winspear Opera House with its 2200 - 2300 seats, compared to the 3400 seats of the Fair Park Music Hall, would aid weaker voices. In any case, a voice like Pine's will be sure to knock our socks off in the smaller venue.

Happily, the pace picked up in the second act and the production improved through to the end of Act III. Neale, as Frosch, the jailer, was in fine voice and left me in stitches with his pratfalls and complaints about opera and Alfred's singing. Indeed, I'd be lying if I didn't admit how well Shelton sang and portrayed Alfred despite Frosch's complaints.

The only character I found disconcerting was Prince Orlofsky, played by Marianna Kulikova. I don't know if it was her somewhat erratic voice which got stronger as she went on or her makeup or the sight of the side of her right breast bulging through the side of her uniform. There were too many lopsided features for me to ignore in order to catch the laughs. Was she a woman playing a man as a trouser role suggests? Or was she a woman playing a man playing a woman in drag as a man?

Overall, it turned out to be a gentle and pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon, not an expensive nap as I feared it would become during Act I, although it wasn't worth the 4-1/2 hour drive except for Ava Pine's performance.

If this production is any indication, we need to keep an eye on Ava Pine because she might be going places.

Dallas Opera: "The Marriage of Figaro"

I should have known by the five dead skunks I saw during my drive to Dallas, plus the two that I didn't, how the Sunday matinee performance of "The Marriage of Figaro" was going to be.

The opera is one of my favorites. Humor and wit abound along with the cleverness of Mozart's music. Like the road to Dallas, this production was thoroughly enjoyable and the best I've ever seen for this opera. The laughs were elicited from us by sight gags as well as by vocal phrasing and the performers' timing was impeccable. For example, Keith Jameson, who played Don Curzio, the magistrate, stuttered musically and majestically; we couldn't help bursting out with laughter and love how his stuttering was echoed by the other singers which enticed even more laughter from us. It wasn't just the laughs, either. Susanna Phillips, who portrayed the Countess Almaviva, sang so beautifully that I wanted her arias to last longer and wished we could shout, "Encore!" at the final curtain and get her to sing one again.

However, as excellent as it was, I am almost sorry that I went and I deeply regret buying season tickets; I am that disgusted. It wasn't the horribly uncomfortable seat that will hopefully be corrected with the move to the new Winspear Opera House next season or that I was perspiring until the third act when someone finally got smart enough to turn on the air conditioner.

The skunks were in the audience.

Every other opera I've attended in other cities, when the house lights go down, the audience settles in anticipation. In Dallas, chatter speeds up and doesn't finish until AFTER the music is started...except for the past-their-prime women sitting near me who started talking well into the act while the performers were singing. I couldn't give them the evil eye because they were in my row and wouldn't have been able to see me. I couldn't shush them without creating another disturbance. The only things I could do were pray for them to shut up already and wish my arm was long enough to reach over and head-slap the pair of them.

In addition to the talking were the cell phones. Not only did I hear a cell phone playing a tune that was discordant to the music being played by the orchestra, I heard the bzz-bzz-bzzz of a vibrating phone, and the ting-ting-tinging of a watch alarm. Which part of "Please turn off your cell phones" couldn't the morons understand?

Another skunk was the perfume. Ladies, when you're going to be sitting for hours, shoulder-to-shoulder with others, PLEASE DO NOT WEAR PERFUME OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF FRAGRANCE. All you need is the effective use of bath soap. For those of us who are allergic to fragrance, the watering eyes and congested sinuses are agony. For those of us who think your favorite fragrance stinks, it's misery. How would you like to spend three and a half hours sitting within five feet of a skunk? If you think I'm the only person who thinks this way, there were women in line at the ladies room who I overheard complaining about someone wearing perfume who was sitting near them, too.

Another thing, especially if you were among the group of idiots sitting in the right balcony and clapping when no one else was, here's a clue:

The superscription above the stage means that someone is singing or is about to sing and that you should be quiet and listen. It is NOT a signal for you to start clapping with all your might to drown out the singer's voice as well as the harpsichord being played by the conductor, Graeme Jenkins.

Since the Dallas Opera was founded in 1957, one would think there's been enough time for its audience to learn how to behave. Certainly, cell phones have been out long enough for people to have grasped general etiquette by now and turn off their cell phones in libraries, churches, theaters, AND AT THE OPERA. The mere fact that the performers are singing without microphones gives normal, respectful audiences the motivation to help them be heard by everyone by being quiet, but no, Dallas, you are too rude, crude, and socially unacceptable to exhibit the minimum in common courtesy or to have any degree of couth.

Dallas, it's time for you to grow up and start behaving yourself. I'm giving you the rest of the 2008-2009 season to prove yourself capable of not ruining another opera only because I already have tickets. Yes, I have thought about trying to get a refund or sell my tickets on eBay, but I really want to see the operas. After that, we'll see. There's also opera in Tulsa and Fort Worth's Bass Hall is too fabulous for me to waste nine hours of driving time plus the cost of gas and the ticket only to endure your atrocious behavior no matter how stellar the performance.

In the meantime, I'm telling everyone to stay away from you.

A Clearer View of "In Plain Sight"

Every story, no matter if it's a book, a play, on TV, in a movie, or told around the campfire, has the elements of plot, characters, and setting. When it's told on television, additional elements such as music, photography, and allowing for commercials are also important.

I don't have any squawks against the plots or settings of "In Plain Sight." The music and photography are fine, also. That leaves the characters.

Considering each of the regulars, I decided that they're all okay except for the lead, Mary Shannon. But, she's the main character! What can possibly be wrong with her?

It's simple. She speaks.

When she's yelling or on the phone in the throes of fake passion, anything where her voice isn't her normal speaking voice, she's fine. However, when actress Mary McCormack's speaking normally or doing the voice-over, the two of which are most of her lines, something in her near-monotone voice clicks on the "BORING" switch in me.

Something similar happened before with the movie, "Hero," starring Jet Li. I like Jet Li and his films aren't boring, yet I kept falling asleep. As many times as I tried to watch the movie were the number of times I conked out. I finally realized that it was always at about the same point and eventually figured out that the problem was the music. The first time, and every time since, that I watched the movie with the sound off, I was able to stay awake the entire time. It's a beautiful movie, too.

So, there I was last week, watching "K-Pax" starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges when Mary McCormack comes on portraying the wife of the character Jeff Bridges is playing.

Guess what happened.

It's a good thing she didn't have many lines.

Then yesterday, during the "Law & Order" marathon on the USA Network, there's a man in the witness protection program and U.S. Marshall Mary Shannon is flying into New York from Albuquerque.

So now, not only is it doubly confirmed that McCormack's normal speaking voice drives me to distraction, I also know from where the premise of "In Plain Sight" came.

The mystery is solved.

"Motor Mouth"

"Motor Mouth" is an Alexandra Barnaby novel by Janet Evanovitch, © 2006, ISBN: 978-0-06-058405-4, paperback, 376 pages.

I'm still trying to figure out why "In Plain Sight" is so bad. In the meantime, I continue to catch up on my reading.

I'm so stuck on Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum books that it was somewhat difficult for me to stop looking for counterparts to my favorite characters in this one.

I finally got that Barnaby isn't a bounty hunter, she's a NASCAR mechanic, and she doesn't have two hot men panting after her. She has only one. Instead of Stephanie's crazy family in New Jersey, Alexandra is helped by a family of Cuban aunts, cousins, and grandmothers in Florida. Nevertheless, she's compelled by circumstances to go after the bad guys and her hot man is right there with her.

It's fun and sexy with enough twists and intrigue to keep any fan of detective stories entertained to the very end. A great book for summer reading, it's perfect with real NASCAR races running on TV in the background, muted or not.

"Invisible Prey"

"Invisible Prey" is a Lucas Davenport novel by John Sandford, © 2007, ISBN: 978-0-425-22115-1, paperback, 420 pages.

My boredom with "In Plain Sight" continues. Wondering what in the world the people giving rave reviews can possibly see in it makes me think it might be a taste that takes a long time for me to acquire. I might like Marshall and definitely do like the little boy the second episode's about, but isn't the main character's name Mary Shannon? Why did she tell the judge her name is Sara White? Whatever. "In Plain Sight" is so bad, I reach for another book and happily begin rereading what I read a year or two ago.

But, I'm here to to give you my 2¢ about "Invisible Prey" by John Sandford while my first impression is still fresh.

Sandford is an author who tends to occasionally drift over to the dark side. I like Lucas Davenport and the rest of the good guys & gals that populate the "Prey" books so much, however, that I keep reading them.

Fortunately, "Invisible Prey" doesn't get into the really grisly details. We find out right away that serial killing's the crime, but there's little resemblance in the book to the creep or deeds seen in the movie, "The Silence of the Lambs" based on the book by Thomas Harris.

I highly recommend "Invisible Prey" for the story and the likable characters. The craftiness behind the murders in "Invisible Prey" and the tactics taken by the guilty make for page-turning intrigue. The bonus is what we learn from it about antiques.

One piece of advice: Don't read it immediately after reading "Echo Park" by Michael Connelly as I did because Sandford's style comes across as rough, even jagged, after Connelly's smooth flow. It's not that Sandford's writing actually is rough or unpolished; it's just that Connelly's writing is such a contrast that it seems that way.

"Echo Park"

"Echo Park" is a Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly, © 2006 Hieronymus, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-446-6646-1, paperback, 427 pages. Too many times, it seems to me that novels about serial killers dwell on the grisly details of the murders. I tend to skip over those parts, wondering why people find the macabre so fascinating. "Echo Park" is different in that Connelly concentrated where any good writer should, on plotting and characterizations, writing well to keep the reader engrossed in the story, not sprinkling in crass sensationalism to spur the reader on from one repulsive description to the next. We know from a few brief lines in parts toward the end of the book that the killer did terrible things, but the details are left to our imaginations. Except for a couple of oddly paced phrases at the beginning, the book's flow kept me turning page after page to see what happens next. Connelly is a former journalist who specialized in the crime beat and his weaving in of the details of police procedures and politics shows it. I've never before read anything like this; it was smooth, suspenseful, and completely satisfying. Although I've seen the movie adaptation of his book, "Blood Work," starring Clint Eastwood, this is the first book I've read by this author and I'm impressed enough to put his other works on my list of books to read. If they are as good, Connelly will easily be a favorite.

"In Plain Sight"

One word describes the first show of this new series on USA Network: "Boring." It was so boring that I wanted to read a book. Not turn to another channel, mind you. Read. A. Book. So, I did. I dutifully watched the entire show, then, gagging for something decent, reached for "Echo Park" by Michael Connelly. I'd never before read a book by him, but anything had to be better than that TV show. And it was. Much better.