Servings: 6; Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Refresh Time: 10 minutes
| 1 ½ cup | Chopped Chicken |
| 1 ½ tsp | Chef’s Choice |
| 1 3/8 cup | Water |
| ½ cup | Celery |
| 1/3 cup | Onion |
The ProTac HL USB has a higher lumen and lower candela rating than my ProTac HL. This means that the HL USB generates a brighter overall beam (higher lumens) with less intensity in the middle of the beam (low candelas). The lens is also the same diameter as the body.
This is a good, solid, high-power, rechargeable flashlight. Things I like about this light:
The ProTac HL USB is a very good light but it is not perfect. Here are some minor issues that I have with this light:
If you are looking for an everyday, tactical light then I would NOT choose the HL USB. It is large and would be difficult to conceal for everyday carry. If you need to use the light extensively then a rechargeable light is extremely practical. The standard 18650 rechargeable battery is easy to replace. You can carry CR123s to use as backup batteries in the field. If you use your flashlight extensively, need to generate a lot of light, and do not need to conceal the light then the ProTac HL USB is a solid alternative.
This light has some really nice features including:
I did not think that I would like a side selector switch but I was mistaken. You can activate the light and set the output mode using the side switch. Then next time you activate the light it will default to that setting. This is a REALLY nice feature. If I want to use my flashlight in tactical strobe mode then I can select that mode, turn off the light, and when I activate the light again it defaults to strobe mode (or whichever mode was selected). This means I can single-click into whatever mode I want. This is REALLY nice. The feel of the button is good and the flashlight appears to be v waery well constructed. The cost is extremely reasonable for a flashlight of this caliber.
While this appears to be an excellent light it is just a bit larger than I prefer as an everyday carry (EDC) light. With an EDC light I want to be able to easily conceal the light in a pocket. This light would work well on a belt holster but this creates another issue. With I carry a light on my belt I use a holster with an elastic, friction grip. If I need to grab the light quickly I have to overcome the friction fitting of the holster. My ProTac HL light has a larger head making it easier to grasp and remove from the holster. The P12 body is the same diameter and would be slightly more difficult to remove from certain belt holsters. The P12 has a tactical strike bezel on the tail but a smooth bezel on the lens. While this is not a deal breaker I would prefer to have a tactical strike bezel on the front lens also. These are minor points. I did find some user reviews that stated that the light is not as durable as others. I could NOT verify these claims but saw these in the comments of YouTube review videos.
I had a random thought the other day after reading two articles that were day-and-night apart from each other. I read about the problems caused by a massive east coast storm. I recalled the destruction and loss of life and property caused by hurricanes and tsunamis. I also read with sadness that our first nuclear aircraft carrier, Enterprise, was on its final voyage to the scrapyard. What could these items possibly have in common?
I thought about the various natural disasters that affected the east coast, Haiti, Japan, the Gulf coast and islands, etc. Disasters of this type occur regularly (unfortuneately). I thought about how we have massive airlifts and how it is always a logical nightmare to get to these places due to damaged ground conditions. I heard a radio interview with a relief worker in Haiti after a massive hurricane and he stated that chainsaws were sorely needed in the relief effort. While the world sent clothes and food what was sorely needed were people with chainsaws to clear roads so that supplies could be moved.
I had a thought but I have no idea if it would feasible or practical. What if the Enterprise, or a similar aircraft carrier, was converted from a military vessel to a disaster and relief vessel. It has nearly unlimited power, massive cooking facilities, lots of room, complete infrastructure, it is mobile, and it was designed to handle almost any weather condition. Could such a ship be re-configured as a floating rescue and emergency base? The ship could be equipped with evacuation aircraft, heavy lift helicopters, heavy equipment (bulldozers, loaders, graders, etc.), temporary living facilities, triage/medical areas, operating rooms, etc. It is already a portable airport where planes and helicopters could land even if ground landstrips are gone.
Airlift planes and helicopters could transport casualties and the massive elevators could transport equipment and victims to the hanger deck for treatment. The flight deck would be relatively stable since the ship would normally be stationary when deployed. When a disaster hits it could be a temporary shelter, floating hospital, and command center for heavy operations such as clearing and road building.
Think of the benefit that this could have in the event of a disaster. Staffing the ship could provide training for military, cadets, and relief personnel. It would be expensive but it would also save the cost of doing much of the current airlifts (which are VERY expensive). It already has a full shop for equipment and aircraft maintenance so it would be completely self-contained. Again, I have no idea if this would be feasible but it would be very cool.
When hiking in bear country be sure to carry bear repellent. Bear spray is an effective and non-lethal product to help protect you from bears. It is basically a high-powered pepper spray designed to cause immediate inflammation of the lungs and respiratory distress. You must be able to access the spray IMMEDIATELY. Most bear spray is designed to shoot about 30′ for 5-8 seconds. The spray is often an orange or reddish color so that you can see the stream.
Before hiking stop at a Ranger Station and ask about bear dangers and how to deploy the spray. Different species of bears require different tactics so check with Rangers first. When I visited Yellowstone a Ranger explained how to deploy bear spray.
Bear spray should be carried where you can access it very quickly such as on your belt or on a shirt loop. NEVER put bear spray in your backpack. Note that the propellant in the canister is temperature sensitive and it may be less effective in cold weather. If the temperature is below 50° then consider carrying the canister inside your coat. The canister can also explode when exposed to high temperatures such as in a car on a hot day. The bear spray will not lose its effectiveness but the propellant will.
Always include a very loud, durable whistle in your hiking kit or Bugout Bag. Most packs have corded zipper pulls. I replace one of the outside zipper pulls with a whistle to make it fast and easy to access.
The whistle is an essential device for signaling. Every hiking pack should include a very loud whistle and you should know the whistle code:
I prefer a simple, multiple frequency, loud, and durable whistle. A multiple frequency blast normally travels longer distances. Be sure everyone in your hiking group has a whistle that produces a very loud sound and requires minimal effort to blow.
Some multiple frequency whistles require a fair amount of air and others require much less effort. In an emergency situation you may be hurt, weak, and disoriented. If your whistle requires more effort for signaling then this could be a problem. Test the whistle occasionally to be sure that it is easy to blow. I found one by Emergency Essentials that was inexpensive and very loud.
The topic of batteries would seem to be a fairly simple subject. I purchased some tactical flashlights that use a more specialized battery and I wanted to see if I could use a rechargeable battery. This seems like a pretty simple question. What I found was a very confusing and complicated battery landscape. Here are some of the more common batteries:
| AA | 1.5v | Smaller devices including camera strobes, flashlights, etc. |
| AAA | 1.5v | Smaller devices including headlamps, flashlights, etc. |
| CR123 | 3v | Used in most tactical, high-powered flashlights. |
| RCR123 | 3.7v | Rechargeable version of the CR123. These normally output a higher voltage and I do NOT recommend using these batteries in flashlights that were not designed to use them. The higher voltage could damage your flashlight. |
| C & D | 1.5v | Used in larger flashlights, lanterns, etc. |
These are standard batteries and things get complicated after this.
| Type | Composition | Voltage | Size | mAHr | Comments |
| AA | Alkaline (d) | 1.5v | |||
| Alkaline (r) | 1.5v | ||||
| NiCad (r) | 1.2v | ||||
| NiM (r) | 1.5v | ||||
| CR123 | Lithium (r) | 3.0v | 0.64″ x 1.3″ | 1400 | |
| RCR123 | LiFePO4 (r) | 3.7v | 0.64″ x 1.3″ | An ICR battery includes circuit that makes the battery appear as a 3v cell. | |
| 16340 | Lithium (r) | 4.2v max 3.7v nominal |
0.71″ x 1.3″ | 550-700 | Similar to CR123 but slightly larger diameter. |
| 16340 | LiFePO4 (r) | v | Similar to RCR123s and uses safer chemistry but outputs lower voltage. | ||
| 18650 | (r) | 3.6v – 3.7v | 69.2mm x 18.4mm | Looks similar to a large AA battery and used in a number of rechargeable tactical flashlights. | |
| ICR & IMR | (r) | 4.2v max 3.7v nominal |
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| IFR | LiFePO4 (r) | 3.6v max 3.2v nominal |
The Sawyer Squeeze is the big brother of the Sawyer Mini. It connects to a (1) water bottle, (2) bladder (included), or (3) placed inline on a hydration pack. The Squeeze is slightly larger than the Mini and can filter a greater volume of water more quickly. Reasons that I like the Sawyer Squeeze include:
The Squeeze is available in two different kits. Both kits use the same filter but they include different accessories.
The Personal Squeeze Kit includes the filter, backflush syringe, three bladders, and straw. I recommend this kit for hiking and vehicle kits. Use the three bladders for storing and filtering water. Take a Sharpie pen and write DIRTY on one of the large bladders and then always use this bladder for the unfiltered water. Use only filtered water in the other two bladders. This way you will not contaminate your clean water.The All-in-One Squeeze Kit includes the Personal Kit plus bucket fittings (including a spade bit to drill the hole). With the bucket kit you can use the Squeeze as a higher volume gravity filter. Water added to the bucket flows through the Squeeze filter to filtered water container. If you are building a home kit then also consider the Sawyer Zero PointTwo filter.
I carry a Sawyer Mini in my hiking kit and I have a Sawyer Point ZERO Two filter at home. I think every hiking kit or vehicle kit should include a Sawyer Mini or Sawyer Squeeze. These filters are effective, small, long lasting, and affordably priced. Use the Mini for personal use, the Squeeze if you need a greater volume of water, and the Zero PointTwo for the finest level of filtration.
Reasons I like the Sawyer Mini:
I have a Sawyer Mini in my hiking kit and another in my Bugout Bag. I think every hiking kit or vehicle kit should include either Sawyer Mini or Sawyer Squeeze. It is effective, small, long lasting, and affordably priced. When carrying the Mini in your kit I take the filter and cleaning syringe and wrap then in the included water bladder. I then take the wrapped filter and store it in a poly zip bag or very small utility bag. This keeps all of the components together and protected.
Features include:
It is just a good, basic, small flashlight that is extremely easy to carry and use. It has a very long run time, uses two AAA batteries, and has two modes (ON and OFF), and the body is machined from aircraft aluminum. Once again StreamLight created a simple product that does its job very well. At less than $25 it is affordable and well worth that price.
This light is NOT a replacement for a high-powered tactical flashlight but it is a good addition to your light collection. If you want to carry a basic, non-tactical flashlight then this one is small, affordable, easy to carry, and has a very long runtime.
This is an excellent light to include in a hiking and emergency kit. You should have two forms of light in your kits and these two lights should use the same type of batteries. I use a Black Diamond Spot headlamp as my primary light and a Stylus Pro as my backup light. Both use AAA batteries and both have a very long runtime.
