CPAP Masks

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

You've had your sleep study done and you've selected your CPAP machine. Now on to the million-dollar question: What kind of mask should you get?

That's a question only you can answer, and it may take some experimentation to find out. I thought that because of my deviated septum and my tendency to be a mouth-breather when I sleep that a mask which covered both my mouth and my nose would be the best choice; unfortunately, it turns out that I cough a lot at night and coughing into my breathing supply is quite unpleasant. I was fortunate in that a friend of mine gave me some spare masks to try, and last night was the first time I was able to wear the mask ( a device which only covers my nose) through the entire night. 

In this post I will discuss the different types of CPAP masks and their pros and cons. 

Nasal Pillow Masks

These are minimalist masks which are much like the hoses which feed oxygen into your nose when you are receiving medical treatment, except that they have straps to ensure a snug fit while you sleep and mushroom-shaped nozzles called pillows which completely seal against your nostrils. 

Pros

• These masks are lightweight and the least invasive of the styles.
• They are the easiest to put on and take off, and can accommodate many different types of noses and faces. 
• If you are claustrophobic or cannot sleep with a lot of gear on your head or face, pick this style. 

Cons

• If you have a deviated septum you may have problems getting the air to flow up one of your nostrils before the pressure ramps up, making you feel like you are struggling for breath. 
• If you sneeze a lot at night, this is not the mask for you. 

A close-up of the pillows

Face Masks

These masks cover your mouth and all or part of your nose. They are the largest and bulkiest of the masks. 

Pros

• This is the mask for you if you have severe nasal congestion or if you cannot break yourself of the habit of mouth-breathing while you sleep. 

Cons

• The sensation of drowning (see below) that many new CPAP wearers suffer is made worse by these masks. 
• Do not wear this if you are claustrophobic or easily feel smothered. 
• Do not wear this if you are a sleep cougher. 

Nasal Masks

A compromise between nasal pillows and full face masks, these are masks which cover all of your nose and only your nose. They are more than a little silly to look at. 

Pros

• Not as bulky or as suffocating as a full face mask. 
• Not as insecure as a nasal pillow mask. 
• If you have a deviated septum, inserting one of these in your nostrils works to open your nose and allow airflow. (They did not work well with the pillows, as the snug seal against the nostril made them uncomfortable)

Cons

• Still pretty bulky. 
• Not very easy to put on or take off quickly. 
• If you have a large or misshapen nose, the mask may not fit you well (the tip of my nose frequently bumps against the part where the tube joins the mask). 

That Drowning Feeling

I'm told that it's very common for new CPAP wearers to have a feeling like they are suffocating or drowning, and that it's something you just have to get used to. I know that I had that feeling and ended up ripping off my mask after a couple hours, and it was only until I found the right mask configuration that I was finally able to sleep through the night with it. 

You may be wondering how it's possible to feel suffocated by air, but it's true. Air is a fluid, meaning that it flows and has thickness; the more pressure air is put under, the thicker it is and the more it flows like water. Think of when you put your hand outside a car window and the way the air changes when you speed up; when you accelerate you are effectively hitting the air at a faster rate, thereby compressing it. This "thickening" is what enables you to use your hand like a wing when you are at speed, and this is how aircraft can fly. 

Now imagine trying to breathe that much thicker air which, being a fluid, is behaving more like a liquid than a gas. That's what a CPAP -- Constant Positive Air Pressure -- does. Even though your brain knows it's air and that you can breathe it and everything is fine, it's very common to feel like you are drowning, panic, and take off the mask. 

It's taken me two weeks and trying several different masks to be able to sleep through the night. Don't be discouraged; find the fit which is right for you and give yourself permission to work up to it. The health benefits are worth the time and effort. 

Prepper Fiction

I was chatting with a prepper friend whom I've known most of my live, and we started talking about books that we've both read. Being veterans as well as fans of fiction, we have similar tastes and our libraries have a lot of overlap. We started comparing our views of some of the popular prepper books of the last 30 or so years and came to the conclusion that while nobody had a crystal ball that told them everything, they each foresaw a corner of what has happened in recent history (or could happen soon). 

I'm going to mention some titles that you may or may not have heard of; some of them have acquired bad reputations and others are just not politically correct. I really don't care what the SPLC thinks about a book or author; if a story is well-written and can make me think a bit, it's good enough to keep around. Here are a few examples:

Neither Predator Nor Prey by Mark Spungin

I picked up a copy directly from the author when it was first published back in 2008. The story is fairly simple: the Federal government signs on to a UN gun ban and people in a western state decide that they will not comply. The story has a strong start and middle, but a weak ending in my opinion. Some of the scenarios are believable even 12 years later, which makes it a good source of “what if” material for my late night musings. I think I paid $10 and shipping for my copy; it was a form of crowd-sourcing funds for a larger print run. A quick check on Amazon shows that copies are now selling for $46 used to $910 new.

The “Enemies” trilogy by Matt Bracken

• Enemies Foreign and Domestic
• Domestic Enemies
• Foreign Enemies and Traitors

The fiction is strong, some of the heroes are borderline superhuman, and the concepts and scenarios are more believable now than when they were written ca. 2011. I have the paperbacks buried somewhere in a box. I bought them new for $6 or so; they're still available new for $20 from Amazon. Not quite as collectible due to a larger print run and continued popularity, but still four times the money in ten years.

The Turner Diaries

A truly racist screed that culminates in a race war and the extermination of “non-white” people, this book has been banned from eBay and Amazon. It's been a long time since I read a borrowed copy, but I recall some of the “predictions” and a few of them have come true. If I ever find a copy it will go on the shelf that contains other non-PC books as a reference library of things to avoid. I'm sure I could find a pile of them at a local gun show, on the same tables that sell other banned books.

One Second After by William Forstchen

A chronicle of the events following an EMP strike on the USA and the destruction of our electrical systems, this book gets a few things right and a few things wrong. Mass printed, so used copies can be found for a few dollars. Not a bad read, you just have to double check some of the science and remember that it is fiction so “artistic license” is being used.

Pulling Through by Dean Ing

The effects of a nuclear strike from the vantage point of one man and his extended family, as written by an aerospace engineer. The science is tight; the original edition even had diagrams in the back for building your own Kearny Fallout Meter. The interpersonal and logistical problems of the first week in a fallout shelter are well-written and ring true. I'm a fan of Mr. Ing, as he writes good fiction and this one is actually helpful. Used, you can find this one for less than $5.

I read a lot of books. I buy them when and where I can, and I have a diverse library that is heavy on reference books but also has a fiction/fantasy section for entertainment. I try to have a few books aimed at audiences of all ages and education levels so information can be preserved and passed on. I am a strong believer in having a physical library for anything more important than entertainment, as digital books are too easy to electronically delete (it has already happened with some copyright issues) and I don't like the direction our education system is heading when I see reports of “teachers” claiming that math is subject to social pressure. History is constantly being rewritten and I like to have hard copies of how the stories used to be told.

Prudent Prepping: Course Change

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

I've written my posts here at Blue Collar Prepping with the idea of making all my preps for myself first, and then to take care of those around me. However, that is about to change: the Purple Pack Lady seems to be here in my life for the long run. She has supplies for staying in her place but nothing for camping, hiking or bugging out. I've got her car prepped for problems with a first aid kit and a good flashlight, some outdoor clothing, and rain gear, with a good pair of boots or shoes I'll be suggesting next. 

Just suggesting, okay? I'm dealing with a well educated, smart, city dweller who buys lots of things and has firm opinions on what needs to be purchased... for me. I've had skinny jeans brought home (wrong size, luckily), shirts (ditto), and three nice fleece that did fit, so we are learning.

What made a bit of difference was mentioning that I would like to return the favor and bring home clothes for her that I would pick out. Needless to say, this was not met with happiness and joy. I was told "I like [certain brands] because they fit me, and how could you possibly know what sizes and colors I like?" After a bit of me staring back with raised eyebrows, there was an actual Lightbulb Moment, similar to what you'd see in a cartoon. My point was made, politely and gently. 

What's Next?

We are going to visit several outdoor oriented stores starting with REI, since there is one close to me, and after that a Bass Pro which is a bit more than an hour away. 

On the list:

• Sleeping bag and pad. 
• Rain gear, type to be determined.
• outdoor shoes and my preference is boots of some type
• Fishing gear! She grew up fishing and I won't have any difficulty pointing her to that equipment!

I am still keeping most of the prepping gear with me, but as more personalized equipment is purchased, there will need to be a decision on where most things need to be stored and how to divide them. I now need to figure out what non-perishable things to suggest buying first, as she is onboard with preparing for emergencies.

Recap and Takeaway

• Nothing was purchased this week, and with the possibility of big ticket items on the shopping list, I don't plan on anything being purchased next week either. 
• I may not have the Final Word on that.
• Having an understanding and compatible partner makes everything easier. 

* * *

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.

What a Crock

The history of crockpots goes back further than most people think. The concept can be traced at least as far back as the late 19^th century in Vilnius, Lithuania, specifically the Jewish neighborhood of Vilna. Before the start of the Sabbath, observant Jews would bring ceramic crocks full of a bean stew called cholent to the local bakery, where the crocks would be placed in the cooling bread ovens to cook slowly overnight from the residual heat. By the next day the cholent would be cooked and ready to eat, providing them their only hot meal until the end of Sabbath at sunset. This is similar in concept to a Dutch Oven, but crocks would cook for 10-14 hours, usually at a low heat.

Irving Nachumsohn, a Russian Jew born in New Jersey in 1902, knew of this tradition and came up with an electric version of the traditional crock for home use: a base unit with a rheostat-controlled electric heating coil that wrapped around a heavy ceramic crock. He received a patent for his design in 1940 and brought it to market ten years later as the Naxon Beanery. Although commercially available for 20 years, the Naxon Beanery didn’t have much impact on the market until Nachumsohn retired in 1970 and sold his business to Kansas City-based Rival Manufacturing Company. After revamping the look and giving it a catchy new name, the Crock Pot was unveiled at the 1971 Chicago National Housewares Show. The rest, as they say, is history.

Modern crock pots (also called slow cookers) can be computerized marvels or as simple as the early 1970s version. In recent years, a combination crock pot/pressure cooker called the Instant Pot has gained popularity. On a basic version, temperature control is by a rotating dial with three positions: off, low, and high. Newer models add a fourth setting, warm. The fancier types may have a digital control panel with options for temperature and time settings.

Porkchop and sauerkraut dinner in the crock pot

One of the most important considerations when choosing a crockpot is a removable crock. This makes everything from serving to cleaning easier. Thankfully, nearly every crockpot currently on the market has this feature, but be aware that older versions may not if you’re picking one up at a yard sale or thrift shop.

One thing I’ve found that helps immeasurably with cleanup is spraying the inside of the crock with non-stick spray. There are commercially available plastic crock pot liners for a similar purpose, but I don’t care for the idea of cooking in plastic, so I haven’t used them.

Post-cooking care of a crock pot is quite simple, especially if the crock is removable. The most important thing to remember is never immerse the base unit in water; instead, wipe down the outside of the base unit with a damp sponge without getting it too wet. The crock itself can be washed as with any other ceramic dish, generally including in a dishwasher.

Just having a crock pot isn’t enough, though; recipes optimized for this cooking method are needed. I have an old, fragile copy of the original pamphlet that came with the 1970s Rival model, which was an exciting yard sale find. I also have a variety of more modern crockpot and slow cooker cookbooks, among which are: Rival Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine; the Easy Slow Cooker Cookbook; the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook; and Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook. Doing a web search for “crock pot recipes” will also provide many additional resources.

An early Rival Crock-Pot recipe booklet

I’ve amassed something of a collection of crockpots over the years. From my grandmother’s original Rival (in vintage 1970s burnt orange) to a couple of newer ones and a smaller yard sale find, all made by the Rival spin off company, Crock-Pot.

The author's crock pot collection (so far)

Crock pots come in all different sizes and with a wide array of features. They are just as useful for a single person who looks forward to a hot meal when they get home from work as for a large family who appreciates the hands off aspect. 

If you don’t already have one (or more) crock pots, maybe it’s something you should consider adding to your kitchen armory. If you already own a crock pot and enjoy using it, as an unofficial representative of the Jewish people I would like to say, "You’re welcome."

Prudent Prepping: (Purple) Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

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

I had a chance to break into my very basic First Aid kit to clean up and cover a very small cut to a finger belonging to the Purple Pack Lady. It's an odd story.

Purple Is The Color

I have no problem with someone having a favorite color, just as long as your favorite color isn't forced to be my favorite color. Besides the Purple Pack, there are shoes, socks, various apparel, stuffed toys (yes, even that one) and hats, but the one thing lacking was a small knife for Every Day Carry. Her home culture does not usually see women carrying knives in public, unless it is for food preparation or agricultural uses. Any EDC knife for her would have to be something that could be carried on a keychain lanyard, which meant small, light, and simple/easy to use. 

And Purple.

Jason Perry is a friend with a knife shop in Concord, CA where I've spent more that I should. He has found things for me before so this is where I went to ask for help. Did I mention that the knife had to be purple? 

Spyderco Ladybug 3 FRN Purple LPR3

https://tinyurl.com/y8qwfk96

And what a purple knife it is! This fit all the boxes that needed checked:

• Small
• Light Weight
• Easy to use
• And PURPLE!!!

From the Spyderco website:

It attaches to your keychain and is nearly as small as your car keys, one of Spyderco's smallest lightweight knives is the Ladybug.

Made of VG-10 stainless steel, the hollow-ground blade comes in a Plain Edge configuration. This modified clip-point blade style is matched up with a purple, lightweight handle of fiberglass-reinforced nylon making the entire knife weigh only 0.6 of an ounce (16.4 grams). The Ladybug doesn't have a clip but rather a lanyard hole for attachment to a keychain or lanyard.

Like its larger counterparts (and all Spyderco knives) the Ladybug 3 packs tremendous cutting power and can take on both fine and heavy cutting tasks. 

More on the last sentence soon.

Spyderco is a well respected brand and makes many different knives, many of which use the distinctive Thumb Hole as the opening method in place of studs. I don't have thumbs that work well due to several motorcycles crashes, so as much as I like how well Spyderco knives look, feel and work, I don't own any. That isn't a problem for Purple Pack Lady, so I ordered one of these for her. 

Remember when I mentioned the last sentence of the Spyderco ad? 

           

They come from the factory reasonably sharp, and if you are not very careful and deliberate in pushing the lock while holding the blade securely, you could end up with a small but painful cut, like the one shown above.

Out came the small First Aid box with my usual assortment of band aids in various sizes, alcohol wipes and triple antibiotic. Her finger was washed down, wiped with the pad, and a knuckle bandaid was adapted to the injured fingertip. I was given low marks for my sink-side manner, but earned an "Okay" score in how well I cleaned, applied ointment and pressed the 'wings' of the band aid down. I guess nurses are as hard to please as other professionals when having work done on them. 

The injury happens to be on the non-dominant hand, so while it is a bother to have a fingertip cut, it certainly could have been worse.

Recap And Takeaway

• Personal relationships with local businesses can pay off with that extra bit of knowledge Amazon can't supply when searching for items in a non-traditional way -- like color as the priority.
• Nothing was purchased this week -- I bought the knife last week. 
• While the Spyderco LadyBug 3 can be purchased at a lower price than what I paid, supporting local businesses when they do the hard work is only fair.

* * *

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.

Basic Electrical Math

If you've been following the blog recently, you'll know that Erin got herself a CPAP machine, which got her interested in revisiting my homebrew battery box idea. Our conversation inspired some upgrades that I'll discuss later, as well as a bit of frustration on her end. I've done electrical math so much, and for so long, that I can pretty much do it in my head, and I forget that most folks can't. I promised her a primer on electrical math, and it seems fitting to share it with the whole BCP family, so here goes.

Most electrical math is based on Ohm's Law, which breaks everything into ratios. All of it is contained in a diagram we call Ohm's Wheel.

Watts are Power. Volts are Energy. Ohms are Resistance. Amps are... current.
No, we don't know why "I" was used to represent Current. 

The formulas to find Watts, Amps, Volts, and Ohms are given in the appropriate quadrant of the wheel, assuming you have any two other pieces of the data. The ones I use most are watts, volts, and amps. Amps are equal to watts divided by volts, as the wheel shows, so if I have a 100 watt light bulb on a 120 volt circuit in my house, it will draw 0.83 amps. I know the wattage of the bulb because it's printed on the glass, and I know the voltage in my house because all standard appliance circuits in US homes are 120 volts. Plug that in to the formula, and the result is 0.83! These formulas will work any time you know two of the four elements of the wheel.

The other big math question that arises, especially for preppers, involves amp-hour battery ratings. They are often presented as "How long will this battery run my equipment?" Once you know how many amps your device draws, divide that number by the amp-hour rating of your battery, and you'll know roughly how many hours you can run your item before recharging or changing batteries.

That covers the vast majority of electrical math that most people will encounter in their lives. If you have any other electrical math questions, please feel free to ask in the comments here or in the BCP Facebook or MeWe groups, and I'll happily answer them.

Lokidude

Not All Files Are Created Equal

Anyone who plans on doing more than basic cleaning and maintenance of their firearms will eventually need to smooth or polish a contact point. Whether to slick up a trigger, polish a bolt, or clean up a scratch, metal will need to be removed, and the two main tools used for this purpose are stones and files.

The primary difference between files and stones is that files are generally used to remove metal in greater or lesser amounts, while stones are more commonly used to smooth metal while removing as little as possible. In this article I’m going to focus on files. I’ll cover stones another time.

There are a mystifying array of files available. Hard metal files for steel, soft metal files for aluminum and brass, wood files (often called rasps), and files for more specific materials such as plastic or bone.

File Types

Once the material to be filed is decided, the next question to be answered is "How much metal needs to be removed?" The bite, or coarseness, of the file has to be selected. Files are graded (from roughest to smoothest): rough, middle (or coarse), bastard, second cut, smooth, and dead smooth.

Image property of http://objective-questions.mechanicalrocks.com/

Files are also rated by their cut. There are single cut and double cut files, and single cut files have one set of angled grooves (called teeth) down their length, while double cut files have two sets that cross at opposing angles. Double cut files can be used with heavier pressure and will generally remove more metal. However, they can also leave a smoother finish.

File Shapes

Next, the shape of the file for a particular job needs to be selected. There are a baffling number of file shapes, from the general purpose pillar file to the very specific 60° or 65° rear sight dovetail file. Some files have one edge ground flat; these are called safe edge files and are designed for work in a small space where only one surface is to be cut.

Image property of www.flight-mechanic.com

To protect our hands, it’s always recommended that a file handle be used. These can be wood, plastic, or rubber, and can be permanently attached or removable. The important thing is that the sharp tail of the file, called the tang, is prevented from being driven into our hand if we slip. A good handle can also give more control when filing.

Proper File Technique

When filing, one of the most important things to remember is that files only cut in one direction. Usually this is from the push, not the pull, meaning it cuts when pushing the handle away as opposed to pulling it back. The recommended technique is to apply pressure to the file as its being pushed, then lift it off the workpiece to bring it back for the next stroke. Using a back and forth motion not only won’t cut any faster, but can damage the file teeth.

Image property of www.disher.com

File Care

We’ve all heard the old saying “Take care of your tools, and they’ll take care of you.” This is just as true with files as with anything else.

Before starting a work process that involves files, apply file chalk to the cutting surface. This aids in two main ways: it acts as a dry lubricant when filing, and it makes cleaning the pins (what metal filing residue is commonly called) out of the file teeth. Cleaning files during and after use involves a file brush.

Image property of www.brownells.com

Cleaning of the file should be done as the teeth become loaded during filing, as pins caught in the teeth can scratch the surface of the workpiece. Once filing is complete, the files should be thoroughly brushed before being stored.

Never put files where they can bump each other, as this can damage the teeth and shorten the useful life of the tool. Instead, store them in separate containers such as plastic tubes. These can be purchased in different sizes and cut to fit the file length. Caps are also available. 

There’s more to proper use, care, and feeding of files, of course, but this should get you started.