Two-Pack Silicone Funnels by Deiss (Review)

Hi everybody. I have to set of 2 silicone funnels. They are made by #Deiss. They collapse to a nearly flat size. This makes them easy to store in your #kitchen, which is great if you have a lack of storage or cabinets. These would also be perfect for tiny house living as well.

I got these because my previous one from a different brand, the silicone is so thin you can actually see through the folds. These two though are much thicker and more durable. One is black and has a squared off end; the yellow one has a very small rounded tip. My husband uses a CPAP machine and uses a funnel to pour the water into the tank. It is also great for pouring drink mixes into small-mouthed containers. I also use them for refilling my #cooking spices into their little glass bottles. The other one I keep with my lantern oil and lanterns. I wanted one so it could stay with the oil all the time and be designated as not for food use. Lanterns can be difficult to pour oil into so having one of these little guys is ideal.

These are FDA-approved, BPA free, and of course #food safe. They're supposed to be heat resistant but personally I haven't used them for anything that would expose them to a very hot temperature. I wash them by hand but they are dishwasher safe. I am sure one of these days I will be too tired or lazy to do it by hand and I'm glad to know I can just pop it into the dishwasher and not worry about it. I definitely recommend this two pack because there are so many uses and they simply don't take up hardly any space at all. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GVSQQ3G

4 Gallon Trash Bags by Forid (Product Review)

I got this pack of 4 gallon Trash Bags to take with us on our camping trip last week. Our 5 gallon bucket was in use at home so we brought a 4 gallon bucket from a donut shop. This bucket serves as our camp toilet.

It was windy on our trip so we put a couple large rocks in the bucket, then used one of the bags to line the toilet. Every time we visit our Toilet Tent, we remove the bag afterward; it's easy to just spin the bag and tie it off. We immediately put a new bag in for the next person making a trip to the potty, as common courtesy since they may be in a hurry!

We did have a hard time determining how to get the first bag open. Once we realized how they were sealed, it was easy from then on. A couple times on the first day the bag stretched and tore a tiny bit, but that wasn't a quality issue. Four gallon buckets are a touch wider at the top than your typical standard five gallon, so a 4 gallon bag for a 4 gallon bucket is a tight fit. The biggest test last week was seeing if any bags leaked the toilet contents, either into the bucket or on us as we escorted tied bags to the master trash container. I am very happy and grateful to report we didn't have any leakages whatsoever the entire week!

There are various colors available for the bags; we got the silver & black. There are no odors, and with 6 rolls (20 bags each, equalling 120 bags total) we have enough to keep a couple rolls in our emergency kit. Now that we are home, the rest are going to be used in the rooms with smaller trash cans. https://www.amazon.com/small-garbage-bags/dp/B07DKZLPCM/ref?tag=jelenadeal-20

My husband and I went fishing yesterday to try out a new popper lure. We went to a park in Tucson; even though it is incredibly hot here right now. We didn't expect to actually catch anything since it was around 0900 and already over 90 degrees and climbing toward 103. In the past we have caught bass and trout at this lake. The lure is supposed to be good for salt water fishing as well, but given our location at the moment, we don't have any experience with that one.

This lure handles pretty nicely. It is a bit heavy toward the rear but that is actually intentional, causing it to reel in while it bobs just a bit. It casts smoothly and handled the shallow water (sludge really) near the shore perfectly.

The body is polycarbonate and there are three triple-hooks. They are very sharp (trust us both on that one)! There is a little section almost translucent so you can see the teeny bb's rattling around inside. The eyes are extra large and are 3D. The coloring is excellent, a bit color-changing even. We bought the Navy Blue UV but there are quite a few colors available to choose from.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079Q7HB49d

This is a nice little 10 milliliter bottle of essential oil. The scientific name is Melissa Oficinalis but it is also known as lemon balm. It is supposed to help improve mood, acne, and inflammation. I can't vouch for the acne or inflammation right now as I haven't had use for that. While it does not say this, I know citrus-tyoe scents often help with insect control. I use it in my bedroom diffuser and it seems to help me from being eaten alive by mosquitoes in my sleep.

I like that the bottle is glass, but what is even better is it has a built-in dropper. No pipette needed for once!

The scent is refreshing but not overwhelming. If you make your own household cleaners, this would be great to add.

My only concern has to do with packaging. I got mine off Amazon but I am not sure if they packages it, or if the company did. It arrived in a standard padded envelope and though the bottle was thankfully intact, the box was bent up a bit. It really needs to have wrapped around it in the mailer.

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Lemon-Balm-Essential-Oil/dp/B076V3MKH8

Compact Scope by MA3TY (Product Review)

This is a 4x32 scope, made in China. We have it attached to our Airsoft rifle. It says it has a fiberoptic sight, with a 4 times magnification of a 32mm objective. It's got triple illumination (red, green, or blue). It also says it has an 8-inch pupil extension, which we have no idea what that is supposed to mean; the field of use is "7" but no clarification of what that means. The length is 5.5 inches and the weight is 15.9 ounces.

It is shock-proof, water-proof, recoil-proof and fog-proof. It is also nitrogen filled. The pre-set parallax is adjusted for 100 yards. The reticle is supposed to be grade for 100, 200, and 400 yards. Our issue with that claim is it does not say what type of ammunition it is rated for.

We tested the illumination. In the daytime the only one usable is full-on bright. In low light, the illumination is so bright, it all but obliterates your target. There is a CR2032 included, which is required for illumination. The fiberopic sight is actually just a plastic rod, and it is a bit warped at that. It does glow but only when it is really bright. The rear sight aperture is as tight as we could get it and it is still a bit loose. It is a bit sharp as well, enough to catch on your arm or your clothing. As we have not been able to go to the range with this yet, we can't say whether or not this will hold zero.

You can unscrew the caps on top and to the right to make adjustments. There are pic rails on the front of the scope. Not sure what they are for. If you mounted a laser to it, it would put you so far off your bore axis it makes it unusable past the zero point. A mounted red dot could only be placed sideways, which means your up/down, left/right, have all been switched.

It comes with three tools. Two are Allen wrenches. Two don't fit anything on this but the other can take off the rear sight, which we recommend so you won't scratch your arm or tear your clothes.

We will try it at the range but we honestly do not expect it to remain on our actual weapons. It will do just fine for Airsoft.

https://www.amazon.com/MA3TY-Tactical-Reticle-Red-Green-Blue-Illuminated/dp/B07D8V3DV2?SubscriptionId=AKIAIJKR6IY4BV5FKK7A&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07D8V3DV2/ref=sr_1_6&ie=UTF8&qid=1534351684&sr=1-6&keywords=rifle+scope

2-pack Eyemasks by #Tongcison (Product Review)

This is a nice set of 2 eyemasks by Tangcison. One of my teens inherited my insomnia so having two masks is a must. These only weigh a half ounce so they don't feel like an alien wrapping itself around your head and face. The eye areas are concave, so if you have really long lashes like I do, these masks won't irritate your eyes from your lashes rubbing on it.

They are made of bamboo and cotton, and are memory foam. The strap has a section of Velcro so you can adjust it just right for your size. It stays in place well without any annoying shifting, even with all the tossing I do during the night. Another aspect of these I really like is how the nose part is shaped. I have in the past used eyemasks that simply skip the nose area completely. These however do have nose coverage, and the shape works well. I think it's another reason these fit and set soe well on the face.

Each eyemask can be stored in its own drawstring pouch. The two pouches arrive in a clear vinyl pouch with a zip-tyoe of closure. It's a tight fit but if you keep just one eyemask in it, there is room for a toothbrush and maybe a trial size product.

They are easy to keep clean with a quick wash by hand. And check this out: these masks are anti-bacterial and anti-mite!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071XBSKZ2

Camping Lantern/10,400 mAh charger by SadoTech (Product Review)

This is a camping lantern from #SadoTech. It also has a charger on it with 10,400 mAh. It is handy to have if you need to charge your phone while you're out and about. Or maybe you need to bring your laptop if you take some work with you to finish up when you go camping.

There are multiple settings including a mosquito repelling light. This light does not come with instructions so it does take some time to figure out how to access each mode. The flashlight / torch is in the middle. It is an LED and gets quite bright including on the lowest setting. The flashlight can be set at low, medium, or high for brightness.

The ring around the outside is useful for having a soft white light in your tent or maybe just a soft light if you're outside in the dark. It's a shade of orange and can also be set to light, medium, or bright. Last but not least there is also an SOS pattern that uses the outer ring.

In height it is just a little smaller than a can of soda. It fits well into the hand and does weigh too much. It's easy to use one-handed if necessary. On top there's a series of small lights, I think five of them. These tell you how much battery you have left. The two ports are marked as in and the other is out so you can tell which to use if you want to recharge it or if you wanThis is a camping lantern from #SadoTech. It also has a charger on it with 10,400 mAh. It is handy to have if you need to charge your phone while you're out and about. Or maybe you need to bring your laptop if you take some work with you to finish up when you go camping. https://www.amazon.com/SadoTech-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Mosquito-Repelling/dp/B078TFS1M5/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0

12-pack Carabiner by Roraima (Product Review)

This is a pack of 12 carabiners from #Roraima. These are lightweight aluminum so please do not attempt to climb with these. They are not weight-bearing!

It comes in a 12-pack with multiple different colors as you can see. There's black, silver, green, purple, orange, and dark blue. They are around 3 inches long by 1 1/2 inches at the widest point. Each comes with a key ring on it.

With it being a multipack I expected for one or two of them to not work but I did check each one. Every one of them is fine. I typically use these for my keys; using a cane I only have one hand free so I need to keep it available. When I get out of the car I take the carabiner with my keys on it and hook it right onto my purse. It's very easy to do one-handed.

These are also great for when we go camping such as for hooking a bottle of water onto a pack or four securing a dishcloth or drying cloth at our washing station so they won't blow away in the heavy winds we often experience here.

Having multiple of them, there's plenty to share amongst the people in my household, and a friend if you spot they could use one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DP2JLHX

Fish hooks set by AotengStar (Product Review)

#AotengStar has a handy pack of 500 fish hooks made of carbon steel. They come in a small one piece plastic box with dividers; the front has latch and the rear has a hinge. I like the front but with repeated use the rear will no doubt eventually wear out and break, so be watchful of that. It's nothing a piece if duct tape can't handle. I like that the case is small enough that it won't occupy much room in a tackle box. It can also just be stashed in the pocket of a typical pair of cargo pants.

The hooks themselves are most important. They range from very tiny, up to a more common size. The nickel in the pics should show the actual size pretty well.

I went fishing with my husband three days ago and though the lake hasn't been stocked in months (this is Arizona after all), we managed to bring in one little bass around a half pound. I initially started with one of the wee hooks but it was simply too small to hold the weight of a piece of chicken liver being used for bait. Once swapped out to a larger one, there was no trouble at all.

One can never have too many hooks!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FF2P1WD

LED Flashlight by Kllarmant (Product Review)

Bright light bright light! I love this 8 watt LED #Kllarmant flashlight. It seems decent quality, which I expect of flashlights that have a Cree chip. You can see the chip when the flashlight is in use and you zoom all of the way out.

It is black aluminum and can zoom in and out simply by extending the end of the flashlight. At a touch over 5" long, it is comfortable to hold since it is not heavy. It is easy to use with one hand, something especially important to me since one hand is occasionally occupied with a cane.

There are five light modes available on this flashlight: you can choose from low, medium, high, SOS, & strobe, depending upon your specific need. It does require three AAA batteries which are not included, so make sure you have them at the ready.

The estimated service time is 50,000 to 100,000 hours, which of course depends upon how it is used. The light can reach a distance of anywhere from 150 meters to 350 meters.

Just one last little tip: always keep a flashlight nearby! You never know when or where you will need one. Be prepared! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKWY3LW

Genuine leather bi-fold wallet by Amelleon (Product Review)

This is a genuine leather bi-fold wallet from Amelleon. It has RFID-blocking capability and protects up to 13.56 MHz. Admittedly I don't know a whole lot about RFID but I know it's good to have if you carry debit or credit cards. RFID keeps your information safer.

The wallet can hold around ten cards and also has a little coin pocket. To find it look in the area where you keep your paper money; on the left side you will see a little flap at the top. Lift that flap and you will find the pocket's opening. It's not a big pocket but kind of nice to have, if you need to carry a few quarters to feed a parking meter, etc.

If you think the standard tri-fold wallets are too bulky, this is a nice alternative. It comes in a nice brown box, and the wallet has a little wrapping tissue around it. It was a great gift for my child's 16th birthday last week, especially since he just got his learning permit. I want him to get used to the responsibility of carrying his license and school ID. This is a great wallet and is suitable for any age.

A small bit of advice: if you take your wallet camping, or know you will be in area where you are likely going to get wet, your wallet and its contents will be that much safer if you store it in a "dry bag." Although most are large (to protect wet clothes without leaking, etc), they are easily obtainable in sizes for wallets or cell phones. These are not items you want to risk by using a food storage bag!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DAWR6N4DSVZFN&field-keywords=bifold+wallets+for+men

This is a two pack of sketchbooks by #Lasten. They are each 96 pages and are completely acid-free. At the top they have two coils so it is easy to flip the pages so you do not have to worry about paper getting caught. The covers are made of cardstock.

The smaller sketchbook is just bigger than the size of notebook paper at 8 1/4 inches by 11 3/8 inches. (I am in the United States but I think in Europe it is called A4.) The larger one is 11 3/8 inches by 16 1/2 inches (A3?). I have bought from Lasten before and so I knew to pay attention to the site because quite often they offer deals on their products, so their prices are even better.

I include things like this in my SHTF list for various reasons. One is that in a crisis, stress levels can skyrocket. Downtime is critical, even if it's only a short time. Doodling can be calming and help focus. A sketchbook can also be used for documentation instead of drawing; be sure to keep plenty of pencils in all bug out bags. It's an often overlooked item that is important. Sketchbooks can also occupy and distract small children, who pick up on their parents' or guardian's stress (even if they're trying to hide it).

I am keeping the large sketchbook and giving the smaller one as a gift; they do both have their own sleeve. As you can tell I am nothing of an artist but I do like to just doodle from time to time. It's relaxing and great on a rainy day when you're stuck indoors. I did two little doodles on the same page, one with a mechanical pencil and the other using some watercolor colored pencils that I have always wanted to try. So I drew with the colored pencils and then used a paintbrush to brush them with water. I wanted to know if the water would end up warping the page or the sheet behind it. It did have a bit of warping on the page which didn't surprise me given it is water after all. But I was surprised to find that nothing leaked onto the page behind it.

If you are professional artist and you do paintings and stuff I would definitely put a piece of cardboard in between the pages, or just remove your page. If I was a pro, I might opt for a thicker sketchbook but if you are like me then this is great!
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M5BPXP1

Collapsible Water Bucket by INNX (Product Review)

Collapsible water buckets are incredibly helpful to have not only on camping trips but also for at home use. This #INNX is my third of this type of bucket, and definitely the largest at 9 inches in height and around 18 inches in diameter.

While marketed for pet baths, it has many other uses. My German Shepherd obviously will not be washed in it, but I can wash my two little white dogs without issue (both together in it even, if I got up the nerve). I got it though because we go camping often, and we have found it really takes two buckets to really get dishes washed. One bucket can be used, filled up with hot (heat the water in a kettle over a camp fire) soapy water. The second is used with just plain water to rinse off the washed dishes.

The inside has proven to be completely waterproof. The outside has not had any water come through whatsoever. There are two wide handles so it can be carried without worry of any tears. I think though that my favorite thing about this bucket is that there are two large pouches, one on each side. If using this for pet baths, you could stick a shampoo bottle on one side. The other could hold one of those microfiber, quick-dry towels that don't take up much h room.

Last but not least, some other home uses include holding emergency water and also to force a toilet to flush (rapidly pour the bucket contents into the toilet bowl to make a non-working toilet flush properly).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C78RGDT

13" Knife Sharpener & Magnet Bar by Sumpri (Product Review)

This is a 13 inch #steel #sharpening tool from #Sumpri. It has a large handle that's easy to grip. There is a ring on the end so you can hang it up with the hook that is also included. It also comes with a #magnetic #bar #strip that you can put on your wall and use it to hold your knives. It comes with all necessary hardware to install.

We sharpened up a couple of knives and it works very well and is simple to use. We usually call this a finisher instead of a #sharpener (might be a regional thing) because they are meant to improve what you have. If you are looking to fix any little dings, like those little pieces that get knocked off your #knife from use, I would not use this to try and fix that. This is ideal though for your kitchen knives or steak knives and improving how sharp they are, which in turn makes them more efficient and they do their job much better.

We did not install the #magnet strip because our knives are in a wooden block. We do have plans to use it at our next home not too long from now, where counter space may come at a premium. We did make sure it worked properly and that all the needed installation tools were there.

If you currently do not have anything to sharpen your knives then I would definitely recommend this. We have two: one for use in the kitchen, and one that is kept with our emergency supplies.

Check it out for yourself!

https://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Professional-Sharpener-knives-Top-SUMPRI/dp/B0751JKMBP/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1508830244&sr=8-10&keywords=sumpri

8" Chef Knife by Amz Soaring

This 8" chef's knife from Amz Soaring is awesome! I did not expect a whole lot from it, to be honest. Apparently at some point I fell into the mindset of thinking the only decent kitchen knives are the couple of big, well-known brands. This one actually works beautifully.

The first thing I used the knife for was to cut up a honeydew melon for my kids. That knife with its German steel sliced right on through the entire thing in one clean whack. No hesitation, no muss no fuss.
The handle is comfortable (I would say it is ergonomic) and easy to hold. I have wrist and hand issues due to daily dislocations from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, but I have no trouble at all holding this kitchen knife. After chopping up the entire melon into bite-sized pieces and cutting off all the rind, I did not experience any pain in my wrists or hands. The handle is ergonomic and has a very natural feel to it. The weight distribution and length of the knife give it a nice balance and adds to how easy it is to use.

The chef knife comes in a box suitable for wrapping, if it is purchased as a gift for someone. I got this to give to my eldest son, who is about to move away for the first time. A flexible blade sheath is included, possibly made of vinyl. The only thing I can think of to possibly improve upon this knife is to have a better blade sheath. It would not need to be fancy, maybe just a sturdy plastic, plain and simple.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C8H8CCG

Lightweight Camping Chair by Roraima (Product Review)

This is a lightweight camping chair from #roraima. It comes with a carry bag that has a strap on it so it's easy to carry. The weight in its bag is 5.5 pounds. It does sit rather low to the ground. Even though it's lightweight it's still pretty comfortable; it is stronger than I expected for a lightweight chair. I can sit easily, as can my teenagers. The weight limit is listed at 260 pounds but I'm not sure I'd risk that much.

There is an additional strap included that's bright orange. I'm not quite sure what the purpose is in regards to the #campingchair, but I think one possibility is to attach it to a pack. It just pops open and closed again. There's no effort required whatsoever. It's pretty handy and easy to pop it over your shoulder and you're all set. Take it camping, your kid's sporting events, or simply bring it out and use it when you have more guests than chairs.

The #outdoorchair has two pouches: one hangs off the front and another that hangs off the other side. It is handy to hold a book, notebook, etc. I like it for holding my mandatory crochet project I always work on at camp sites!

The size is 22" x 21.7" x28.3".

Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YTHZ49

Cat Tent by Roraima (Product Review)

Last week I showed you the dog tent from #Roraima and now I am going to show you the one for cats!

This cat habitat or #catplaytent is pretty spacious at 75" x 69" x 36". It is made out of a highly breathable mesh. The tent does come with a rain fly that hooks on with an s-hook & loop, but it only covers a small bit. Honestly, I don't think the rain fly would, well, fly if you had this outside; chances are the rain would just come in through the rest of the mesh! So personally I would just use this indoors as a play area, maybe attach some tunnels to one or both of the circular openings. Then the cats can come and go as they please.

You could use this outside if it was on a patio, or if you needed to take your cats with you somewhere and you need them in a safe place; they wouldn't take off like some of them tend to do.

It comes with metal tent stakes if you want to use it outside. A length of material is included so you can tie it up as tightly as possible to get it back in the included carry bag. It is much bulkier than the dog tent and even with tightly tying the material around it, it still took two of us to get it back into the bag and zip it.

To open the tent, push the legs inward and downward and they will collapse. There will still be legs that need to be done so you need to pull them outward at the joint and then the legs will fold in toward the center of the tent. Then you can just wrap the mesh around in one direction (less bulky this way) and tie the strip of material around it.

The #cattent seems made very well. The only possibly negative thing I could say is the rain fly just seems ineffective or unnecessary. If you have cats who like to play indoors then I think they would really enjoy this...inside.

Want to check it out for yourself?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0732TVKL2

Dog Tent by Roraima (Product Review)

This is an instant pop-up dog tent by #Roraima. We opened the bag and UP it went, easy peasy. The size is a generous 42"X42"X31". My German Shepherd, miniature Schnauzer, and runt Maltese can all fit inside, but I'd only put any two of the three in it so there's plenty of room to move. It is great to use if you're out camping and the dogs need a safe place to go. You could also use it while at a picnic, or in a vehicle to prevent unsafe roaming.

It's made of Oxford canvas, feeling just like our family tent. It also comes with a detachable rain fly and has a waterproof bottom. Tent stakes are included, along with a carry bag.

Collapsing it takes a little effort. You have to push the main tent poles a bit inward and downward. Then hold the underside of the circular top of the tent and push up on it. Collapse the tent down. A tie came with it (appearing to be a cut of the carrying bag material, kind of a cool way to create less waste)  to go around the collapsed tent, and then toss the #dogtent in the bag and you're all set!

Check it out for yourself:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077S8TKPY