Prudent Prepping: Info Dump

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Here is a heads-up on a sale from one of my favorite camping/outdoors stores! Yes, it is a sale at REI, a company with which I have a love/hate relationship due to missing out on bargains and close-outs.

REI Labor Day Sale
The sale starts August 26 and runs through September 5, with savings up to 30% and other ways to save more! By signing up for email alerts you get a 15% off coupon and early notification of all sales. For those with good credit, REI offers their branded credit card which earns 'cash back' from all purchases and a $100 gift card on issue.

Some of many things that jumped off the page at 25% off were all Lifestraw items, MSR liquid stoves and cooking items, plus all Petzl lights and climbing gear!

REI has changed their way to sell their closeouts and discontinued items. Now it is through the REI Garage, formerly The Outlet. What has changed is the ability to see items coming into The Garage before they are up for sale. I like the new setup and expect to shop the Previews every week for bargain additions to my gear.

New Purchases 
Last week I did say "no new purchases are planned", but things changed: while eating lunch at work, a friend found she had left her plastic knife and fork at home, leaving no way to cut her food. Usually there are plastic utensils available in the break room, but not this week. Since I had a sandwich to eat and this lady had made me lunch many times in the past, I gave her my Sea-to-Summit Knife and Spork set to keep and use. I really was happy to pass this on, because it was going into my camping gear, anyway as I was getting a bit tired of not having a real spoon. Several friends who like a spork seem to complain about the poor fork performance, but I have found a lack of spoonability to be what bothers me.

I replaced my set with this:

Sea-to-Summit Alpha Cutlery Set 

http://amzn.to/2buKn0S

From their website:

The Alpha Cutlery Set uses a durable aluminum which is hard anodized to add strength. This hardened shell also encapsulates the aluminum, to eliminate the risk of the alloy leaching into food. The Knife, Fork and Spoon of the Alpha Set all have a hexagonal hole (3mm, 4mm or 5mm) in the handle which can be used as a wrench for stove repair. Supplied with a mini-carabiner.

Product Details: 

• Lightest metal cutlery on the market 
• Ultra-light & strong aircraft aluminum alloy 
• Conforms to FDA food safety standards 
• Smooth matte finish 
• Excellent-value utensil set which comes with a mini carabiner 
• Note: the cleanser used in dishwashers will damage the anodization, so Alpha Cutlery should not be washed in a dishwasher

Also purchased was a find at my local discount grocery outlet: orange juice in a can. This is real, 100% orange juice from concentrate in a can, so no refrigeration is needed! I really like orange juice in the morning, and having the ability to carry some with me that is not damaged by heat is great! This particular product is in a 12 oz. can from Welch's, and appears to be discontinued. Priced at 2 for $1, I bought 12.

The Takeaway

• Keep an eye open for sales and bargains wherever you shop. 
• Take care of your friends, especially those who return the favor with great food!

The Recap

• One Sea to Summit Alpha Cutlery Set: $18.95 from REI, also $18.95 from Amazon with Prime. 
• 12 cans of Orange juice: $6 from a discount grocery outlet. 

Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running! 

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.