My survival kit now contains more than just the basics and it's inevitable that for some emergency gear like flashlights, GPS etc, you need power. As well as a small Powerfilm solar panel, I also need batteries. I first saw the Nopopo (NO POlution POwer) batteries a couple of years ago but had not seen them anywhere to buy till recently. I ordered a packet of 4 AA batteries for ??12 … [Read more...] about Wee Haz Power – The urine powered battery
Bushtech
Sock Tech
Disclaimer: Those hairy legs are the result of an optical illusion. Looking down the legs has given the impression I'm wearing a gorilla suit. If I had one I would. It's freezing out there. I think sock technology is overlooked by the average tech lover. I won't think twice (when I can afford it) of spending ??20 on a pair of socks. (Why not?.. I've spent more on a t-shirt in order to … [Read more...] about Sock Tech
Solar Powered Journalist
I just discovered this old (slightly crappy) video from 2008. I still have the Maplin solar flight case but it needs a new Lithium Polymer motorbike battery to slot inside. This morning a friend of mine who is a Journalist in Syria emailed asking me how he can charge his camera batteries and laptop during power cuts. He is planning ahead and looking for a contingency plan should the … [Read more...] about Solar Powered Journalist
A 40 year old backpack
The best thing about airports are the travellers. Not the tourists, not the duty free or the sample shots of whisky it's ok to try before breakfast. It's the travellers with stories you can see before you've even spoken to them. This backpack is older than me. It's been travelling for 40 years on the shoulders of the same person. It's not heading home yet. This airport is a gateway to another … [Read more...] about A 40 year old backpack
John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman
Back in 1986 my paper round money went on a copy of John 'Lofty' Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook. I still have it. I'd managed to get a copy just before it was banned. Shortly after it was revised without the mantraps and chemical concoctions. All the bits we would talk about at school. I had spent a good chunk of my childhood living in and around woodland and to say this book changed me is an … [Read more...] about John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman