Practical Inexpensive Uses for ICE - The List Grows

ICE4SAFETY Tools have many applications that lend themselves to providing increased levels of safety and preparedness. We occasionally get calls asking how to better use ICE. Here you go...

This homeowner has had some medical issues in the past and a few ambulance rides too so they decided to alert the paramedics just in case it happens again. To enhance the likelihood of ICE being recognized - another sticker (2"x 2" you would get with your free ICE Kit) was affixed to the main entrance - just in case (back up) it is obstructed at the mailbox during inclement weather. Make this a part of your overall effort to use ICE.

Once inside, First Responders would see the ICE Cards and Medical Info Forms in the patient wallet or purse or stuck the refrigerator with the supplied card holder and programmed information on their cell phone or their Smartphone - using smart-ICETM

Building in redundancy to your safety preparedness effort will increase the likelihood of success over any of these one shot wonder gimmicks we see flooding the market. We get a lot of people copying our ideas from here......

If your ambulance, police or fire department is running an ICE Program for the community be sure to get these ICE Stickers (2x2") to alert EMS as well.......they have plenty of other emergency uses .....and the name of any sponsor or their website address can be placed on one line at the bottom without detracting from the visual alert effect it was designed for.

One sponsor indicates his business gets plenty of hits for business as a result of sponsoring ICE in community giveaway programs. ICE just keeps getting better and better......

So, lets recap:

You can use ICE at home, on the job, in your motor vehicle, boat, ATV, snowmobile, recreation vehicle, bicycle, wallet, phone, smartphone, I-Pod, mailbox, emergency toolkit/supplies, ambulances, fire equipment/rescue trucks, USB Drives, mobile device, motorcycle, KeySure Devices, Downhill Ski's, Snowboards and on public safety posters to name just a few.....

Prep Tip - Fire Starter Idea

FIRE FIXINS by Jay Boggs

Adapted for the ICE4SAFETY Blog with permission from CampingSurvival.Com

Fire Fixins started as a father and son project with my son Wyatt. Wyatt and I are both involved with Scouting and we both enjoy learning woodcraft stuff. I have always believed that fire making is a skill that everybody who ventures into the wild should be able to do. As with any skill, one must learn and practice.

The Fire Fixins kit contains Jute string that has been infused in wax, and a piece of fat wood that is easily lit because of the high concentration of pine resin. The idea is to take a piece of jute string, pull it apart into very small strands. Then take the fat wood and scrape wood shavings onto the jute making something like a birds nest.

Once completed, light with a lighter, match or my preferred method, magnesium/iron fire starting rod. This kit should help a person light many fires and give you ideas on how to make your own fire kit.

DIRECTIONS: FLUFF IT! SCRAPE IT! and SPARK IT!

This is a great fire starter and I will now include it in all my fire starting kits. In fact Jay also sent me a picture of the jute attached to his knife sheath. That is a great idea. Not only is the product great for what it is, but the jute has wax worked throughout it. Wax can be great for many things in the wilderness and survival. For example, the wax can be used with a fire bow to lube the handhold or socket that you use to put downward pressure on the spindle and keep it moving freely without getting friction on the top.

Several times since Jay sent me the first sample of his new jute and fat wood fire starter I tried it and every time, I find myself thinking, why didn't I come up with this? All I did was cut a about a 2 inch piece of the jute string and work it out a bit to fray it and spread it all out so it catches the spark easily. Then I scrape just about a half dozen pieces of fat wood. I throw a spark and every time, it goes right up and burns for a couple minutes. This stuff is great. Actually, both the wax/jute and the fat wood can work by themselves. The two of them together can't be beat for fire starting even when wet.

I highly recommend that you have this in every kit and with you every time you go into the woods.

Tom SciaccaPresidentJHL Supply / CampingSurvival.com

Prep Tip - New Fire Starter - Aurora

Solo Scientific has come up with a novel metal striking fire starter tool. It is easy to use and practical to boot. The device is approximately 3.5 inches long and .75 inches in diameter and made of a totally checkered metal exterior for easy gripping and a lanyard hole for attaching to essential gear.

The device screws apart into two pieces - one is the striking surface comprised of a magnesium alloy rod that uses the substantial scraping blade (no knife needed but you can use one if you had to) that is screwed into a relieved portion of the metal case.

Simply unscrew the pieces and scrape the blade across the length of the rod and you will get a small number of glowing magnesium embers that will easily set tinder on fire. The rod is firmly secured into the base and won't fall off like the traditional magnesium fire starter flints.

So, in short it takes the best of two items and combines them making your attempt at fire starting that much more successful. Remember - REDUNDANCY is important - carry this along with or in place of some of the other fire starting tools.

The ICE fire kit will include this item. Price: MSRP is $19.95 and Camping Survival has them in stock... www.campingsurvival.com Andy Putrello is the inventor and owner of solo scientific.

ICE4SAFETY and CampingSurvival.Com field tested this device and can verify that it indeed produced a fire. We recommend that your fire kit have vaseline impregnated cotton balls as fire starters as they catch on fire instantly when molten magnesium is showered onto it. Everyone can afford and either has or can readily acquire these basic items.