Jim:
I’ve been really busy lately, which is good. A fair bit of information from your great blog parallels my experiences and here’s some hopefully helpful information which I have gleaned:
1) PAL lights: Have several and always been pleased with them. [See: http://www.buckshotscamp.com/Flashlight-PALight-Sales.htm]
I found a great rechargeable 9 volt NiMH high capacity battery. Wow, they really do have JUICE! Once fully charged several times, they outlive any non-rechargeable battery I’ve found and they work well with solar charging.
One 9V NiMH 250mAh Rectangular NiMH Rechargeable Battery —Ultrahigh capacity
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1995
(BTW, I have purchased a lot of NiMH batteries from these people and always been pleased.)
Also, with NiMH rechargeable batteries, you have to cycle them several times before they achieve full capacity. My first experience with them was disappointing. I thought “Darn, I had hoped these would be better than this.” But after several charges, they really came to life.
2) Regarding “Buckshot on: What do Canadian Bush Pilots Carry?”: When I was flying oil exploration in northern Maine and southern Quebec during the the winter, I had a pair of snowshoes and a reliable 30-30 lever action carbine strapped to the engine mounts. Fortunately, the engine never quit. Had it quit, I would have been wishing for Buckshot’s list. However, the 30-30 met the need more than once.
Here’s a request for advice: My house is old, old cedar logs and with another round of drought apparently coming around, I’m looking at fire protection. When we were kids, we used waterglass to fireproof stuff and I wonder if I could soak my log house with waterglass? Any comments will be appreciated. What the heck is waterglass anyway? – The Army Aviator