If you’ve spent significant amounts of time outdoors, especially in heavily-wooded areas, you’ve likely seen or experienced the effects of Toxicodendron radicans—commonly known as poison ivy. This three-leafed vine may look innocuous to the untrained eye, but even slight contact with your skin can lead to painful irritation, an itchy rash, or even blisters. Experienced hikers are always on the lookout for “leaves of three”, and know to “let them be”.
Poison oak foliage on the forest floor. Source: Wikipedia
As a result of the harmful effects of poison ivy, and similar species such as poison oak and poison sumac, many ointments and soaps have been developed to protect against its symptoms. However, Jim Brauker, a Ph.D biomedical scientist with 25 years of experience studying skin inflammation, feels that these specialized treatments are unnecessary.
These poisonous plants create an invisible oil called urushiol, which clings to skin and causes irritation. With the right treatment, the oil can be removed before it causes a rash. Jim explains more about how to avoid poison ivy rashes in the following video:
As you can see, the urushiol oil behaves similar to any other greasy substance on skin. Thorough lathering with dish soap or any other oil-removing soap helps, but the key is friction. If you’ve tried to remove grease and grime from your hands after a long day at work, you’ll know it tends to get everywhere and can be near impossible to remove. Now imagine how much harder that grease would be to remove if it was invisible—this is the key danger of urushiol.
So, any time you think you may have come into contact with poison ivy, remember to scrub any affected areas thoroughly with soap and water. Also clean your tools, boots, and clothing thoroughly, since the oil can remain active for years after it leaves the plant. If you remember these tips and are sufficiently cautious, you may never have to deal with poison ivy rash again.
The Internet has proven to be both an invaluable resource and a highly invasive form of technology. It makes our lives easier by permitting instant web searches on any topic imaginable, and it has made physical encyclopedias an archaic concept. We’re also able to stay in touch with our distant friends and relatives easily through a variety of social media channels. You wouldn’t even be reading this article if it weren’t for the Internet.
However, the interconnected and permanent nature of the web has created some valid concerns over privacy. Once something makes its way onto the Internet, it should be expected that it’s there to stay. For better or for worse, removing or suppressing an image or piece of information from the web is extremely difficult. Data can be duplicated, backed up, reposted, and shared around the world in the blink of an eye.
Fortunately, if you need to erase your digital identity and disappear online, there are some steps you can take to remove your personal information. It may not be a foolproof solution, but the infographic below provides a number of good suggestions on this topic:
As CNet Senior Editor Eric Franklin puts it, “Even if you’ve never set foot on the Internet, your information is out there, and by ‘out there’ I mean available to the public. If that concept makes you nervous or concerns you in any way, then it probably should.” Eric’s article on Five Ways to Delete Yourself from the Internet is a good read, so check it out if you’d like to learn more about this topic.
If someone told you that they could jump start a car with AA batteries, you might think they’re pulling your leg. After all a car battery produces higher voltage and a huge amount of cranking amps in order to turn the starter motor and fire up the engine. However, it turns out that there’s some truth to this claim—it’s actually possible to use some spare AAs to provide enough energy to get your vehicle running in an emergency.
Wiring the AA batteries in series yields enough power to boost the car battery for a single crank.
A car battery is powerful, and can produce between 50 and 150 amps of cranking power in a short burst. To completely replace a car battery with AAs, you might need as many as 1,000 AA batteries, and that’s not practical at all. Then again, if your goal is to boost an existing car battery that doesn’t quite have the power to start a car, that can be done with only a few AAs, some wire, and a soldering iron (or some electrical tape).
Twelve AA batteries are connected end-to-end, forming a single chain with wires on each end.
Youtube host ElectroBOOM demonstrates how it’s done in this humorous video:
“To charge the car battery, I need to create a voltage above its level. I used 12 AA brand new batteries that gave me 19.4V at no load, or 1.62V per battery. I also put a one ohm resistor in series to measure the current as well as limit the current flowing through batteries.
“I charged the car battery for 10 minutes, and I roughly had an average of around 1.5A going into the battery. This means that I could draw an average of 90A from the car battery for 10 seconds which is more than enough for most engines for a single crank.”
If you don’t have AAs, it’s also possible to start a car using a 12V drill battery or power tool battery, as seen in this video:
Ever wonder what the world would be like if humans suddenly disappeared? When major disasters occur, we see this phenomenon on a small scale, as all residents of a region drop what they’re doing and evacuate. It’s especially apparent when a disaster zone is left unoccupied and untouched for an extended period of time. Food rots on shelves, buildings crumble, wild animals roam the streets, plants grow out of control, and nature eventually reclaims the land.
Have you ever held a flashlight to illuminate your workspace, only to fumble with it and wish you had an extra pair of hands? Most of us have encountered this frustrating situation at one time or another. You could try setting the light down somewhere, but that’s impossible if you’re on the move. Alternatively, you could get a headlamp, but it could interfere with certain headgear. Plus, they don’t fit as conveniently in a pants pocket as a flashlight and can make you look like Spencer Spelunker.
What you could really use is a device that bridges the gap between flashlight and headlamp. Fortunately, such a tool already exists: the angle-head flashlight.
The key benefit of an angle-head flashlight is its ability to clip onto your existing gear, whether that’s a belt, shirt pocket, backpack strap, or tactical vest. This enables you to keep moving and work freely with both hands. No more slobbering as you hold a flashlight in your mouth and curse under your breath — angle-head lights are truly hands-free. It’s for this reason that they’re used extensively by firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other search-and-rescue professionals.
For this issue’s HighLights, we’ve collected five different angle-head flashlights to test and compare. Read on to see which ones bend to your wants and needs.
Negotiation is an essential life skill, and if you’re not very good at it, you might end up getting ripped off left and right. Most people are familiar with negotiation during major purchases, such as haggling with a car dealer, or making offers on a new home. However, there are other places where negotiation can save you time and money.
In our current economic state, the prices of smaller everyday purchases are non-negotiable—you wouldn’t try to make an offer for a cup of coffee at your local coffee shop, or a loaf of bread at the grocery store. Then again, this could easily change with a major economic downturn or economic collapse, as we’ve seen recently in Venezuela. Bartering and bargaining are major factors in places where the economy is not tightly controlled by laws. They also come into play when you’re trying to negotiate a pay raise, or simply win an argument.
No matter when you need to use the skill, it’s important to know how to negotiate effectively. The following infographic from American University’s Kogod School of Business provides a flow chart for negotiations. Note: For a larger view, click the image, then click “Download” in the top right corner.
While some enjoy this process, most people find it exhausting. However, an argument could be made that it’s much less exhausting when you’re fully in control of the situation. With the right set of negotiating skills, and some experience under your belt, the haggling process can actually be fun and empowering.
While tactical bags covered in PALS webbing, velcro, and modular pouches certainly have their place, we also appreciate gear that can remain discreet. It’s important to keep onlookers guessing at what’s in your pack, rather than wearing gear that screams “steal me—expensive things inside”. This is even more important in survival scenarios, when hostile crowds may want to separate you from your valuables.
That said, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice interior versatility and organization for exterior appearance. There has to be a balance between the two elements, and it appears that Peak Design may have achieved this balance with their latest Everyday gear line. Launched in 2015 with the Everyday Messenger, this line is now expanding by launching three new styles via Kickstarter: a backpack, sling bag, and tote.
The first new model is the Everyday Backpack, which is available in either 20-liter or 30-liter capacity. It uses dual weatherproof side zips as well as a MagLatch magnetic flap on top, providing access to your gear from various angles. Each bag can also expand by up to 10 liters by latching the top closure in a higher position. Flexfold dividers provide organization and prevent gear from shifting.
Next, there’s the sling bag, which offers a minimal size and two zippered compartments. External carry straps and compression straps allow larger items to be secured to the exterior of the bag. Many internal pockets, sleeves, and anchor points help organize your gear.
Finally, there’s the tote bag, which also offers three access flaps—one on each side, and one on top. A versatile strap system permits the user to wear this bag as a backpack, cross-body sling bag, or carry it by the handle. Leather handles and accents add extra visual appeal.
Warning! This article is a quick overview and not a detailed guide. Consult with a licensed medical professional before ingesting any activated charcoal, medicine, or supplements.
It’s been a few days since you got separated from the rest of the group. To stretch out your supplies while you await rescue or find help, you’ve been living off the earth as much as possible. While your intentions may have been sound, your ability to spot edible plants wasn’t. Something you ate isn’t playing well with your internals. At best, you may be dealing with a major bout of gas. At worst, you might have inadvertently ingested some sort of poison.
If you’re forced to fend for yourself during a natural disaster, have found yourself in a postapocalyptic landscape, or are hopelessly lost in the woods, there’s a good chance that safe food and drinking water will be at a minimum. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pains can result from ingesting contaminated food and drink.
So what can you do when there’s no doctor in sight or a working hospital around? Enter activated charcoal.
Activated carbon is available in pill form for easy storage and carry.
The What
Activated charcoal — sometimes known as activated carbon or activated coal — is a type of charcoal that’s processed in a way to give its surface area large volumes of pores. It’s these tiny pores that allow it to efficiently adsorb toxins and chemicals, removing them from your body. Note this is adsorption, not absorption. What’s the difference? The latter involves a fluid being dissolved by another substance (think water being absorbed by a cracker), while the former involves molecules of a substance (say, a poison) adhering to the surface of another substance (in this case, activated charcoal).
This material is used in a span of fields — from engineering to agriculture. In fact, it’s the stuff that’s oftentimes used in air and water filters to keep the essentials of life clean enough for our consumption.
Note: It’s probably a good idea to mention here that activated charcoal isn’t the same as what you use to light up the grill. Don’t confuse the two. Barbecue charcoal is packed with toxins and should never be ingested.
The Why
The application of a couple of pills of activated charcoal could do the trick to ease the symptoms of poisoning. If ingested while the offending chemical is still in your stomach, the carbon traps the poison before it’s absorbed into your system. And because the charcoal itself can’t be absorbed into your system, it (and the trapped chemical) can be expelled from your body when nature calls before real damage is done.
Activated charcoal is often used by doctors in drug overdose cases. Some advocates recommend it for certain allergic food reactions and “stomach bugs.” Other benefits claimed by activated-charcoal users include the reduction of intestinal gas and reduced bile flow during pregnancy, though skeptics say that more studies are required to determine just how effective it is for those cases.
Activated charcoal shouldn’t be used with alcohol, because the two can interact and decrease the charcoal’s effectiveness. Also, several studies have shown that this type of carbon isn’t effective at treating alcohol poisoning — but it reportedly helps remove alcohol mixers, such as artificial sweeteners, that contribute to the poisoning.
The same way activated charcoal adsorbs poisons from the stomach and intestines, it’ll also adsorb medications and vitamins taken orally. Because of this, it’s recommended to take the charcoal an hour after medications.
The How
Typically, activated charcoal should be administered within two hours of a poison’s ingestion because it’s most effective before the poison gets absorbed through your gastrointestinal tract. It comes in tablet, caplet, or powder form, and can be taken orally in pill form or mixed with water to form a slurry. For poisonings and drug overdoses, it’s recommended that adults initially take between 50 and 100 grams followed by smaller 12.5-gram doses every two to four hours. Of course these are very general guidelines for adults, and we recommend you seek out professional medical advice for your own or your children’s needs.
The Side Effects
Side effects of activated charcoal may include constipation and the darkening or complete blackout of stool, but it’s generally considered safe for short-term use in most adults. In extreme cases, worse side effects can include the slowing or blocking of the intestinal tract, regurgitation into the lungs, and dehydration.
Again, because there’s always potential for people to react to things differently, we recommend consulting a physician prior to planning to use activated charcoal.
The Other Uses
Aside from the main use of slowing and removing poisons from the body, activated charcoal can be used in a variety of ways that can enhance your survival or daily living. As mentioned earlier, it’s often the main component in filtration systems for both air and water. The use of activated charcoal with impromptu water filtration methods can greatly increase the effectiveness — and taste — of your results.
Also, advocates claim it’s an effective teeth whitener. Having a clean mouth is essential to good hygiene and by extension good health, improving your survivability.
Activated charcoal can reportedly be mixed with a little water and applied as a salve to skin irritations or even wounds. It’s been said to be effective against spider bites and other insect bites and stings as well. This salve can also act as camouflage when applied to the skin.
When you’re in full survival mode, it’s easy to pay less attention to the finer things in life, such as the interesting smells that you’re emitting. From the cap on your head to the boots on your feet, there are plenty of ways you give away your position to critters and people alike through the power of your powerful smell. Odor adsorption is a popular use for activated charcoal. Make pouches of it to place in your footwear (if you have stanky-ass feet) or in your clothing (if laundry isn’t an option in your bug-out scenario). But beware: The black stuff will stain anything it comes in contact with, so don’t sprinkle it like baby powder — unless you’re into coal miner chic. The activated charcoal helps in reducing musky odors and possibly even harmful mold.
Certain studies show that activated charcoal has the potential to reduce bad cholesterol, while some argue the findings need to be studied further.
Final Thoughts
Now back to your situation in the bushes. After feeling the after effects of living off the land, you bust out the vial of activated charcoal pills, take a couple of them, and begin to feel the pain ease away. If your stay in the woods becomes longer than expected, you not only have a way to fend off poisons and certain ailments, but you’ll smell fresh while donning a bright, winning smile, too.
Charcoal Shopping
Activated charcoal has been proven scientifically to treat poisonings, so it’s smart to have some at home or packed in your survival backpack. But where can you buy the black stuff? While most pharmacies carry them and an online search will turn up plenty of sources, you can also find them reliably through the following companies.
The term “computer hacking” has become a bit of a buzzword in our modern technologically-dependent society. The mere mention of the phrase evokes images of a shadowy figure tapping furiously on a keyboard in a dark room, as line after line of green code cascades down a black computer screen. That’s the Hollywood depiction, but the reality is much different.
This may not look like someone who’d steal your identity, but the video below may surprise you.
The real “hacking” that takes place is more often than not just social engineering. Social engineering exploits the gullibility of humans to negotiate around security features. For example, a malicious individual might call your bank and convince the call center representative to share your personal information. In many cases, these techniques mean that so-called computer hackers don’t need to write a single line of code to steal your identity or your money.
Real Future created a short documentary about the reality of computer hackers and social engineers, and it’s definitely interesting to watch:
This video is rather terrifying, since it shows how vulnerable our digital lives really are. However, we especially liked the analogy presented by Morgan Marquis-Boire near the end of the video—you probably don’t worry about expert martial artists fighting you on the street, so you also shouldn’t be overly concerned about world-renowned computer hackers focusing their efforts on you. If they did, there wouldn’t be much you could do about it.
What you should be doing is preparing for the smaller security threats you may be facing every day. You can start by reading our guides on how to set up a VPN (or virtual private network) and how to defend against RFID identity theft.
That bright flashlight might help you navigate, but it can also give away your position.
COAST has announced that it will be debuting two new lights at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer show next month in Salt Lake City. Both lights offer USB recharging, making it simple to top up the batteries from any wall charger, computer, or portable battery pack. We’re big fans of USB-rechargeable gear, since it eliminates the need to carry around several types of spare batteries, lightens your pack, and even helps the environment by reducing electronic waste.
The first of these two new lights from COAST is the HP8R rechargeable flashlight. The HP8R produces 760 lumens of white light, which can be focused between a wide flood beam and a “bulls-eye” spot beam using the COAST Pure Beam Focusing Optic. This optic can be adjusted with one hand, and locks in place via the Beam Lock system.
The HP8R can be recharged via USB with the included lithium-ion pack, by plugging an included cable into the Pro-Tek charging port hidden by the sliding tail cap. Alternatively, the light can use 4 AAA alkaline batteries as a backup option. High, medium, and low brightness modes are available.
Here are the rest of the COAST HP8R rechargeable flashlight’s specs:
Light output (high) – 760 lumens
Light output (low) – 61 lumens
Beam distance – 698 ft
Maximum run time – 26 hours
Length – 6.125 in
Weight – 7.2 oz
Battery type – lithium-ion (included) or 4 AAA
MSRP – $125
For hands-free applications, such as nighttime hikes, camping, or working in dark conditions, COAST will also offer the FL75R headlamp. This small LED light produces up to 530 lumens, and also incorporates COAST’s Pure Beam Focusing Optic for adjustable light dispersal. The FL75R offers dual red LEDs that allow the user to read maps and move discreetly at night without blinding others or impeding night vision.
The FL75R includes both a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, and a set of three standard AAA alkalines. The rechargeable battery can be charged inside the headlamp or outside it, permitting users to leave the lithium pack in the charger and continue using the light with AAA batteries. Here are the rest of this new headlamp’s specs:
Light output (high) – 530 lumens
Light output (low) – 65 lumens
Beam distance – 512 feet
Maximum run time – 23 hours
MSRP – $110 (not yet available, coming soon)
For more information on COAST lighting products, visit COASTPortland.com. Or, stay tuned here on OFFGRIDweb.com for live coverage of other new releases at the Outdoor Retailer show in August.
