Getting Good Drinking Water Quickly and Easily

Water! It's essential. We can't live without it. If we don't drink enough of it, we become dehydrated and either develop problems with our bodies or die. Water carries nutrients, sugar and hormones throughout our bodies. It lubricates our joints and without it we would develop problems excreting waste from our bodies; in other words, we'd become constipated. It cools our skin and brains and helps us stay fit. People who don't drink enough water tend to have higher body fat as well as improper body temperature regulation, heart problems and brain issues that can lead to damage and/or stroke.

I think I have said enough. You get the point so far.

As our world population gets larger and larger and development expands into areas that were once forest or farmland, rivers, creeks and streams that once carried clean drinkable water can no longer be trusted for cleanliness. While most water sources are clear of chemicals, bacteria and parasites like Giardia that come from human or animal waste make their way down contaminating water sources animals and humans drink from.

Giardia is one of the most common microscopic culprits in gastrointestinal illness and disease. Giardia is found on surfaces or in soil, food and water that has been contaminated by feces, also known as poop, from infected humans or animals.

Picture a beautiful stream flowing down out of the mountains. As you look at it, it would seem clear and clean enough to drink out of, as long as it's flowing and it's hasn't rained recently. Unfortunately, if an animal or human upstream from where you are happens to leave behind some fecal excrement tainted with Giardia or any other harmful bacteria and it gets washed into the river, there is a good chance you will encounter stomach problems from drinking from that stream.

One of the best ways to steer clear of stomach illness while outdoors is by boiling the water you drink, cook and wash with. Yes, even wash! If Giardia can live on surfaces, they can also live on your dishes you've washed in the nearby stream. Most people, however, don't want to spend the time boiling all the water they need to do all these things, so they skip them and take the chance of getting sick.

With technology expanding so quickly these days, there are lots of ways to clean water other than just boiling it. Some people like using water treatment tablets, which fall into the chemical treatment category of cleaning water. Another way is via UV light purifiers. However, this can be limited by the amount of battery you have to run the process.

I personally gravitate toward water filters because they last longer, don't depend on chemicals or batteries and are lighter. In my opinion, thee #1 Best Way to get clean drinkable water is by filtering it with a Lifestraw product.

LifeStraw has created several tools for filtering water to make it very drinkable. The Lifestraw is one good, easy to carry way to filter water. The latest LifeStraw Go, which has two separate filtering systems, is the best method for filtering and carrying water with you. LifeStraw also makes other apparatus that help filter water, but these two are the best options for hiking or lightweight backpacking. If you want a larger volume system, LifeStraw has the LifeStraw Family and the LifeStraw Mission. I have both the Lifestraw and the LifeStraw Go.

If you are planning to do anything outdoors where water is scarce or may not be the cleanest, or you are traveling to a country where the water is questionable, I highly recommend getting a Lifestraw or LifeStraw Go to carry with you and filter your drinking water. They are very cheap and will last you a very long time. Each filters hundreds of liters before the filters need replacing.

Gas Blowback Pistols Compared to Non-blowback Pistols

Airsoft Pistols come in many different shapes, weights and sizes. Most are replicates of real pistol models and used not only in war games between youth, but also in the military and police force for practice. They are loads of fun to shoot and a great backup shooter just like in the real world. Military soldiers use their rifles for the main shooting and pistols as backup shooters as a last resort.

Size and weight are two of the main features you want to pay attention to when deciding what pistol to buy. Once you've decided what size and weight you want to carry around with you and hold in your hand, another key feature to think about is blowback vs non-blowback.

Each type has pros and cons, so consider these points before making your purchase.

Blowback

KWA ATP Training Pistol

The majority of pistols or handguns on the market these days are GBB (gas blowback) because they give the shooter a real pistol action and feel. GBB guns vary in price, quality and effectiveness.

Pros
Experience. GBB pistols provide a realistic and eye-catching blowback action that cycles the slide with every shot. The gun function and feel is as realistic as it gets compared to the average non blowback pistol. When you pull the trigger of a GBB pistol, you'll feel immediately satisfied with the gun action, its biggest plus!

Upgrading. One not-so-immediately-noticeable benefit of airsoft gas blowback pistols is the number of available spare parts and magazines. The reason being has to do with the number of manufacturers. There are many more GBB manufacturers compared to non-blowback ones. The only daunting task involved in finding spare parts to fix or upgrade a pistol is when it comes to choosing a manufacturer. Another benefit is pricing because there are so many companies vying for business; supply and demand!

Cons
Maintenance. Because of the gas blowback action involving many moving parts, GBB pistols can develop problems causing the guns to malfunction unless they are well taken care of and cleaned. As long as they are well maintained, they should operate without problem just like a real handgun.

CO2. One of the biggest drawbacks to using a GBB pistol, which many may consider a minor issue, comes from using extra CO2. Pistols that have gas blowback use a little extra CO2 in order to cycle the slide back and load the next round. Compared to non- blowback pistols BGG ones are not as efficient which can mean victory or defeat because you run out of CO2 and have to load more into the pistol leaving yourself open to attack.

The KWA ATP Training Pistol is a great gun to shoot and use to target practice. It's weight and feel are very realistic.


Non-blowback

WG Sport 306

Non-blowback pistols aren’t as popular as blowback pistols because they don’t have the real pistol blowback feel or appeal and there are fewer manufacturing companies creating these handguns.

Pros
Efficiency. Gas non-blowback pistols have far fewer moving parts so they are much more efficient with their gas usage allowing shooters to pop off a larger number of shots. And because there are fewer parts moving around in the gun, maintenance is lower so fewer chances of the guns fouling up while in a shootout.

Price. Non-blowback pistols are generally more affordable than gas blowback pistols, which makes them excellent choices for shooters who are trying to enlarge their arsenal on a budget.

Weight. Non-blowback pistols generally weigh less because they have fewer moving parts to weigh the down and many models have plastic parts instead of metal.

Cons
Less diversity. There aren’t as many non-blowback automatic pistols  to choose from compared to the number of blowback models. Also, a minor drawback is the majority of gas and CO2 powered non-blowback airsoft guns are made of plastic, which doesn’t provide a realistic weight and feel like the gas blowback models. There is also a lack of upgrade parts available for non-blowback airsoft pistols.

Satisfaction of use. Because these pistols lack blowback, it can make these guns somewhat unstimulating to fire. Because non-blowback pistols have parts made of plastic, they can break more easliy compared to their counterpart GBB pistols.

Aim. Trigger-pull when firing is much easier to do with a GBB pistol than a non-blowback one. So firing a non-blowback pistol can be slower and aiming can also be less accurate due to double-action trigger pull.

The WG Sport 306 is a high-powered non-blowback pistol features a bottom accessory rail for attaching a flashlight or laser. This is a great little pistol for shooting metal targets because of its 480 FPS high velocity.

Goal Zero Venture 30 Solar Rechargeable Outdoor Power Kit for Smart Devices

In today's world where technology is key, having power to run our electronic devices is even more important, especially for those of us who are away from home and go outdoors for leisure or pleasure. If you are like me and you enjoy outdoor adventure sports and activities like camping, hunting, fishing, hiking and so on, just because you are outdoors doesn't mean you leave your electronic devices behind. I need my devices with me at all times so I can keep in touch with people, update and work on graphics and websites like this one and our main one, WesternMilitarySupply.com.

When I am out in the woods there are not a lot of electrical outlets I can plug into to recharge my smartphone, camera, tablet or notebook computer. If I am gone outdoors for several days, and I am not talking about RV camping, a small charger just doesn't do the trick. The little pocket battery chargers so many people carry around with them these days only recharge a device one or two times. When the charger has been depleted, what are you going to do? If you have nothing to plug it into, you're in trouble.

The On-the-Go-Outdoors lifestyle is how I live my life and many of you reading this article do too. For us, it is essential to have some source of fuel to recharge our electronic devices. The best fuel these days comes from the sun; solar power. The sun is available for at least 12 hours or more a day depending on where you are. If you live in Alaska you might not have as much sun as those of us living in the lower 48. Regardless of how many hours you have, using a solar powered source is the best way to recharge your devices and keep yourself plugged in.

One of the best brands we have found here at Western Military Supply is Goal Zero, which can be purchased directly from our website at prices not available anywhere else including free shipping, which is something most companies only offer after you've bought X-amount of merchandise. Goal Zero makes high-quality products that take a beating and last a long time. They have numerous accessories to go with their solar panels and generators that can be used to run larger appliances or more devices at once.

The best kit to get is the Goal Zero Venture 30 Recharging Kit, if you are a backpacker, fisherman, hunter or camper and you don't have a lot of people you need to provide power for. This kit not only puts out 4.8 amps to quickly recharge your devices, but it also can take on the weather elements you have to deal with in the outdoors. One thing you definitely don't want to have happen to you while you're doing your thing in nature is to have your charger break on you because of the environment around you is so unforgiving.

Survival Preparedness: Putting Together Survival Supplies Preparing for the Worst 2

Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, these are all disasters we see more often in the news taking their toll on people and their lives around the world. It's hard to keep up with them all and it would be even harder to keep up with them if one happened in your neck of the woods. This is becoming more probable as terrorism plays a huge role in disastrous events; one Americans hope and pray they never experience, but might possibly have to deal with as more people wander across our borders undocumented and unknown.

If you were hit by some disaster all of a sudden, would you be ready? Are you prepared? Many people, if not most, are not.

One of the best things to do to prepare for any disaster is to prepare. Emergency kits or bags filled with emergency supplies is a great way to start.

Imagine having a vehicle you can drive, but roads being so torn up from either an earthquake or a flood that you can't go to a local store to buy food and water. In this case, you'd have to live off of what you have in your home as long as your home is still standing and you have electricity. If it isn't, you'll have to live in a tent or on a boat depending on the type of disaster you're faced with. You will need to have some sort of bag filled with survival supplies; one you can quickly grab and take with you wherever you end up going because when a disaster hits, you don't really have much time to react.

Emergency kits need to be near a front or back doorway, outside in a garage or storage area or in the back of a vehicle so you can quickly and easily grab it and go.

As for what to pack in an emergency bag, here are some items you can buy and pack yourself or buy an already-made emergency bag.

Emergency Bag Items to Pack

• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records packed in waterproof pouches or bags.
• Cash, traveler's checks and change. Gold and silver if owned.
• Matches, lighter or fire starter tools
• Paper, notebook and pencils
• Local and national maps
• Compass
• 8-hour Cyalume light stick
• 2-3 days worth of food, preferably MREs (meals ready to eat)
• Can opener
• Whistle
• Flashlight and extra batteries. Most recommended is a flashlight-stun gun for lighting and self defense. This is a non-lethal humane way to defend yourself!
• Dust mask
• Multi-tool and knife
• Battery powered and/or hand-crank NOAA weather radio and extra batteries
• Solar panel, charger, extra batteries and USB cords
• First aid kit containing bandages, compresses, tape, gauze, antibiotic ointment,  hydrocortisone ointment, antiseptic wipes or gel, iodine, aspirin, scissors, thermometer, tweezers, instruction booklet and non-latex gloves. Trauma Kit also good to have.
• Mylar emergency blanket
• Heavy duty work gloves
• 100 feet of parachute cord or rope
• Duct tape
• Rain poncho
• Large backpack or bag. Dry bag highly recommended
• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Emergency water and/or water purification filter/system like LifeStraw