First Priority - Keep Yourself Alive: Escape and Evade

You know how in the movies, when they hear a strange noise and they try to investigate the noise instead of just running away or standing your ground in your familiar area?

Yeah, the movies are wrong.

It is NOT cowardly to run away from a situation. In fact, it's encouraged. Whether you can handle it or not, if you have the option, and can get away safely, then take the opportunity and just go.

This is especially true if you're in unfamiliar territory. If you're on the road and you need to find a new place to camp for the night, then by all means, you need to investigate places in order to figure out if it's safe to stay there or not.

We all want to be badasses, but when it comes right down to it, we need to protect ourselves, our team and our loved ones.

If something feels wrong, just walk/run away. There are other places to go.

Just to be clear, escape and evade ONLY applies for when you're bugging out. If you're safe in your home, there's no need to escape or evade, just stay there until when/if it's no longer safe.

Your first priority is to keep yourself alive, you can't do that if you're in unfamiliar territory and someone - or something - sneaks up on you and takes you out.

Be safe, always.

May Giveaway - The PowerPot

For the month of May, we're giving away a PowerPot.

Read our blog post about the amazing powers of the PowerPot, but as a brief overview:

This pot generates energy from a heat source, so that you can power your phone or other small electronic. The pot just needs heat to generate power. Boil water on a camping stove, a kitchen stove or over a fire.

You will not regret having this by your side!

How to enter:

Like The PowerPot on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thepowerpot

Then leave a comment below telling us how you'd use/store the PowerPot, such as, you'd put it in your BOB, you'd use it for backpacking/camping, you'd use it for emergency situations such as the lights going out for extended periods of time, etc.

Ends May 31st and winner will be picked June 1st.

Good luck!

How To Be Prepared for The Unexpected

Whether its the Boston Marathon, the West, TX plant explosion or any other tragedy or disaster that falls upon us; they're usually unexpected and terrifying.

It's almost impossible to put into words how we felt when the Boston Marathon explosions happened or when a freak explosion happened at the West, TX plant; we were devastated, to say the least. But in each incident, it's always the same; we as a society banded together to do what needed to be done to help the victims, their friends and family.

Donating blood, assisting people to safety, donating funds to the American Red Cross or local fire stations and praying for everyone's safety are all truly remarkable acts of human nature. It is heartbreaking when tragedy strikes, no matter what form it takes, but we're never helpless. There's always something everyone can do; even if it's just spreading awareness.

We never know when these disasters or tragedies will strike, so we emphasis now how important it is to be prepared.

Granted, we're not going to be prepared for everything, but here are some really easy way to get prepared NOW:

1. EDC (everyday carry): You need to establish your everyday carry items. For us, we usually always have on us: leatherman, lighter, paracord, mini first aid kit, water bottle. The leatherman alone has assisted us dozens of times over. You don't need a whole lot in your EDC, but some may have more than others, simply based on space availability, how secure you feel with certain items, etc. I also didn't include things like a cell phone, keys, wallet, etc., as those are usually always on us. Make the best judgment on what YOU would find most useful.

2. Stock water & food: I'm not saying to fill your home up with food and water to last 5 years. What I am saying, is have a little bit of extra rations. You never know when you might need them. Trade them out at the end of every month so you have fresh non-perishable food & water.

3. Learn skills: You'll need to learn specific skills, such as CPR and basic first aid, along with general basic survival skills. If you don't have the skills, then all the equipment and STUFF in the world isn't going to help you or those around you. If you truly want to be an asset, then learning valuable skills to help yourself and those around you will be extremely valuable.

4. Mindset: Training your mind to be able to handle terrifying situations will help you react more effectively to the situation. Running physical and mental drills will help tremendously to help you understand what it's going to take to be able to help yourself and others and to know your limits.

5. Be active in your community: Whether it's through social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, or physically going out and getting involved, knowing what's around in your area will be extremely helpful during a crisis. You'll know where you can go for help or where you can go to be of assistance or even where to turn to for up-to-date news on a specific disaster. Being active and aware will keep your mind sharp and your resources strong.

6. Don't go at it alone: The lone wolf mindset is not desired, especially when we're talking about overcoming tragedy/disasters/crisis's. Join a local group, team or just get with your friends and develop a PLAN OF ACTION. Think of scenarios and carry them out together. Being with people you trust holds great value and will get you through the tough times.

Conclusion:

When disaster strikes, it's not just one person who steps up: it's everyone.

We are united in everything we do, even if you're just able to share the news or send out good vibes; every little bit helps.

Stay safe, by staying prepared!

The PowerPot - Electricity Anywhere

Credit: The PowerPot

If you've been following ZRT, you know that we LOVE alternative energy/power sources. We believe in solar & wind power and are always looking for alternative methods of energy.

So, it's time to spill the beans: for the past couple of months we've been in talks with the good people at The PowerPot and they have agreed to giveaway a PowerPot in May.

What is a PowerPot, you ask?

Excellent question!

Kenyon, a representative from The PowerPot who has been so helpful and graceful during this process of doing a giveaway, had provided some amazing information.

Many people simply don't understand what it is and how it works, so we're hoping this blog not only informs, but excites you about the possibility of having a PowerPot of your very own. Here at ZRT, we jumped at the chance to purchase one for ourselves in 2012. And we were so pleased we did, because this thing is absolutely amazing.

The pot just needs heat to generate power. Boil water on a camping stove, a kitchen stove or over a fire.

By generating power through boiling water over a stove (using propane or even coals) or over a fire, you can charge your USB devices, such as your iPhone.

How it works

The PowerPot® converts heat into electricity to provide power to a USB device. Here are the basics:

· The temperature difference between the bottom side of the PowerPot generator system (on the heat source) and the inside of the pot (holding water) is harnessed to create electricity. The greater the difference between the heat and the inside of the pot, the more efficient the process. (Speed things up by boiling snow or ice in your PowerPot!) As the water starts to boil, either increase the heat source or cool the water to maximize the output.
· The PowerPot thermoelectric generator works by transforming some of the energy going from the flame into the water into electrical power
· Our voltage regulators are designed to safely power USB devices from the raw output of the PowerPot

What to do before using the PowerPot:

Fill the pot at least half full with water.
Connect the regulator cable to the PowerPot and close the handles around the cable to guide away from heat
Place the pot directly on a heat source; avoid flames so high that they wrap the sides
Wait for the green indicator light to turn on, which tells you power is being generated and you’re ready to plug in USB devices
Use the included USB cord and adaptable tips to charge devices (the provided tips ensure you are maximizing output—some charging tips will limit the output to something less than 5 watts)

What does it charge?

Type of device | Battery capacity | Time it takes to charge

Flip Phone - 0.75 - 45 minutes
Smart phone - 1.65 - 1 hour, 30 minutes
Headlamp - 0.9 - 50 minutes
Adventure Camera - 1.05 - 1 hour
Lithium 1800 - 1.8 - 1 hour, 45 minutes

Considering the type of devices that we're talking about above, these are impressive results!

Here are some FAQ's:

Can I cook food in the PowerPot?
We recommend that only water be used in the PowerPot to achieve optimal power production. If possible, start with very cold water (or snow or ice). Using water will achieve the longest lifetime for a PowerPot and will produce the most consistent results.

How do I make sure I am getting maximum power?
To achieve maximum power, replace boiling water with cool water periodically and use a hot flame. However, engulfing the PowerPot in a large flame will not increase power generation and may cause damage to the PowerPot. Water does not have to be boiling. There just needs to be a transfer of heat from the bottom plate into the body of the pot.

Can I break it?
Yes. Letting the pot boil dry will break it. Don’t do that! Be sure to add water to the pot as the water boils down.

What’s included?[RW3]
The PowerPot® comes with a lid that can double as a bowl, a 5-volt USB regulator cable and a USB 5-volt LED light that can be used for night-time charging. Adaptable tips also are included to work with different devices. We recommend using the USB cable that is included, not the one that came with your device.

Will the cable melt?
No, the cable has three feet of heavy-duty flame-resistant wire so it’s safe to use near flames.

How do I wash it?
The PowerPot should be washed by hand. The surface is hard-anodized aluminum and will not scratch.

Excited? I know you are.

Stay tuned for the giveaway in May, 2013!

In the mean time, stay safe, by staying prepared!