Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on illumination items (See the Gear section.)
Books:
Churchill: Walking with Destiny
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Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 500 Everyday Recipes for Beginners and Advanced Users
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Planning to celebrate Hanukkah? Then learn the real reason for the season: Maccabee
Movies:
The Man Who Would Be King. From Roger Ebert’s 1975 review: “John Huston’s “The Man Who Would Be King” is swashbuckling adventure, pure and simple, from the hand of a master. It’s unabashed and thrilling and fun. The movie invites comparison with the great action films like “Gunga Din” and “Mutiny on the Bounty,” and with Huston’s own classic “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”: We get strong characterizations, we get excitement, we even get to laugh every once in a while.” Available on DVD and now on Amazon Prime for the first time.
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Soylent Green. Available on DVD and also on Amazon Prime.
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The Omega Man. Available on DVD and also on Amazon Prime.
Instructional Videos:
At Full30.com (my favorite site for gun-related videos): [Gun]Fighting From The Ground
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Wranglerstar: Logging with a FARM TRACTOR!
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How to make a Cache. JWR’s Pet Peeve Comment: The word is pronounced “Cash”, not “Cash-hay”!
Gear (Illumination Items):
CMMG Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass
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A couple of my friends have been raving about these compact but very bright LED flashlights: Fenix E12 CREE XP-E2 130 Lumen LED flashlight with EdisonBright AA alkaline battery.
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We tape these to our light switch plates, here at the ranch. That prevents a lot of fumbling around in the dark: Tritium Multicolor Self-luminous 15-Years 3×22.5mm – Blue
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I noticed that the Instant Pot is the number #1 best selling kitchen appliance for another year! That says a lot about their practicality.
Make a Suggestion
Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
JWR,
Your friends are absolutely correct about the Fenix E12. After acquiring mine about two years ago with my REI dividend, it has quickly earned a spot in my EDC Hall of Fame. It is incredibly bright for its small size and battery life is amazing, even with a regular Energizer AA. I tried carrying larger tactical flashlights, Olight, SureFire, etc, but always found them to be too bulky and slow to deploy. The Fenix E12 is the perfect size/performance flashlight.
If I were to find anything I don’t like, there is no last position memory, meaning you will have to cycle through Low and Med each time to reach High brightness after turning it off. Second, would be the thin loop portion of the wrist strap where it attaches to the flashlight. It will break eventually.
I use an electric pressure cooker several days a week. They are much easier to operate and safer than old fashioned pressure cookers.
I have a couple of sizes of pressure cookers for if or when the power went out for a prolonged period. They would save on fuel while cooking food faster. And the added attention they would require would be less of a burden without electronic distractions.
Saw “The Man Who Would Be King” last month on the telly. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life through the years, I had forgotten what an awesome movie it is. Definitely one of “The Essentials”.
If you have night lights or glow in the dark switches you may be disturbing the ability of your body to produce melatonin at night as the smallest amount of light, specifically blue light can hinder melatonin production.
The light that the tritium produces is very little. It will let you know where it is but it will not be lighting any way. They are as bright as your tritium firearm sites, possibly even made at the same factory.
I love the Fenix E12, I’ve had mine for years and it’s not failed on me – love it so much I bought 1 for each of my coworkers for Christmas a few years back, who still carry them to this day.
Yes, I know it’s not the brightest light out there, but it uses Eneloop AA rechargeables, runs even when (repeatedly) dropped off ladders onto concrete, and it can stand on its tail. All highly prized characteristics for me.
The ONLY gripe I have is that it doesn’t come with a pocket clip; however, following someone else’s advice, I tried this little guy:
http://www.zebralight.com/Pocket-Clip-for-H31-H32-H302-H51H52H53-H502_p_80.html
and while not a perfect fit, it works quite well.
Rewatched both Soylent Green and Omega Man in the last several months both top notch from a original idea. I am Legend is a uncredited rip off of Omega Man(surprised they weren’t sued).