The Toll Men

The system’s concept is extremely cool, and the function is going to be really HOT! I’m talking about a company that currently designs hydration packs, and will soon be releasing a revolutionary outdoor hydration system into the outdoor gear market!

This pack incorporates the standard hydrating backpack style and features with an additional heating component to keep your valuable water source from freezing during outdoor cold temperatures! The only problem is that you will have to wait until September 2006 to get one, but that’s ok, because it can be in your grasp and ready to use before the next cold winter arrives.

There must have been some real feedback and much thought put into this hydration system, and for the extreme winter adventure seeker, this added feature just might be the difference in staying fully hydrated, versus getting dehydrated during very cold temperatures outside that can freeze hoses on current traditional hydration packs.

If your reservoir tube freezes during your mountain hike, or long tundra expeditions, this can be a great deficit to your health, and obviously many backpacks that currently offer limited insulation may not be enough to give you that peace-of-mind under colder conditions.

You should always feel confident that your backpacking system is going to work properly, and be there for you during the times you need it most. When you happen to be mountain climbing, and the outdoor weather changes for the worse, having the right outdoor hydration gear will allow you to focus on your sport in hand, and not where you’re going to find a secondary water source.

Ok, You Gave Us The Exciting Outdoor Features, But Who Is Making This Pack?

If you don’t know who is releasing this new heated backpack, you’re going to have to read my next article! Even though I was extremely excited to write about this uncovering, I didn’t want this to sound like a product sales pitch, or a press release, and that is why I didn’t list the company name here.

However, I will give you a little more detail on the features, and then if you’re as excited about this new backpack product as I am, you can follow my next article through my Author bio link below to see which company has designed this pack, and how you may get your hands on one of them this fall.

The heated hydration system is a simple to use hydration backpack that includes a combination of thermal and insulation technology. With this system, it allows the water in your back to maintain its liquidity for approximately 20 hours at a temperature of 15 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

It’s a fact that many outdoor athletes at some point find themselves in the middle of harsh winter conditions, and many snowboarding and skiers can attest to this. The mountains have a way of changing its weather attitude very quickly, but that doesn’t slow the athlete down; the equipment that fails them is the reason for their short-lived activity for the day!

So having a backpack with an active heating system that is powered in combination with AA batteries, and insulated drinking tube cover, gives this pack system the capability to provide water in a drinkable state at all times. With the additional sensor monitor, you can easily stay informed on the functionality, and if the monitor senses the hose is about to freeze, this information is passed through the system analysis, and turns on to prevent the liquid from freezing.

There are other added features that assist in keeping your water flowing, and when you hit the cold winter tundra, I’m sure you will be happy you have one of these packs on your back. If you would like to find out who’s making this incredible product, and get more backpack information, I encourage you to click on my link below for the second part of this article:

About the author: William is the owner and Author of “Hydration Backpacks.com” available at http://www.hydration-backpacks.com Your source for Hydration System Backpacks! Visit our site to read the continuation of my “Article Part 2″, on this innovative heating hydration system with more detail, and see if this pack will meet your future outdoor adventure requirements.

There are many good reasons to conserve energy. If we use less
gas, oil and electricity we will save money, and the pollution
associated with extracting and using fossil fuels will decrease.
Reducing greenhouse gas production may help to reverse global
warming. In a nutshell - conservation of energy has both
personal and societal benefits.

Most people are concerned with making their money last longer
and energy conservation can help by reducing our energy costs.
Homeowners can do many things to cut down on their energy needs.
Perhaps the best thing they can do to is to install better
insulation to retain warm and cool air.

Heating and air conditioning are the biggest energy consumers of
the average household. Much of the heat and cool air escapes
because of poorly insulated roofs, walls, doors, and windows. In
fact in a lot of cases heating and cooling is responsible for
around 50% of your energy costs. Improving insulation will
result in greater conservation of energy and lesser energy
costs. Small changes in this area can result in dramatic
reduction in your monthly payment to your utility company.

Old cooling and heating appliances should be replaced with newer
models which are more energy efficient. Other large appliances
like refrigerators can also be replaced with newer models that
are designed to conserve energy. Always make sure you read the
energy label, if you do, you will often find that a cheap
product in fact can be expensive in its every day use because of
its energy consumption.

Traditional light bulbs are inefficient because much of the
energy they consume is converted to heat. Replacing all your
incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs will provide
the same level at light with less energy consumption. Even
though the cost of these bulbs is greater than traditional
bulbs, they last up to 20 times longer, resulting in significant
overall savings.

Using alternative energy sources such as solar panels or wind
turbines can greatly reduce the amount of energy needed from
traditional sources. The electricity produced by these devices
can be fed back into the local power grid if it is not
immediately used by the household. This reduces the power bill
even further (the power meter runs backwards) while supplying
clean power to your community.

Conservation of energy is not just for homes, cars and trucks
are available with more energy efficient engines and some can
run on alternate power sources such as hydrogen or electricity.

Conservation of energy is something that everyone can contribute
to. By being careful in how we use our resources we are building
a society for our children and grandchildren.

As pets go hamsters are fairly easy to take care of. Hamsters require no walking, are not particularly dirty or stinky, they are small and don’t take up much space and are generally inexpensive. Hamsters are also fairly hearty animals and can be a very good pet for a child or a family with several children. There are however, two distinct choices when it comes to adopting a hamster for your family, and that is the dwarf hamster and the syrian hamster. I spoke with Ken Brocx, the founder of Hamsterific.com, an authoritative hamster and small pet website about this question and what his recommendations would be to someone considering adopting a hamster but not knowing exactly which route is best for his/her family.

Andy Markison:
Thanks Ken for taking the time to speak to us. First of all, let’s assume a family
with a young child or children (let’s assume around seven or eight years of age for
this example) is considering adopting a hamster or hamsters for their home. Would
you personally recommend either a dwarf hamster or a syrian hamster in this case?

Ken Brocx:
Typically I would recommend a syrian hamster for younger children. Dwarf hamsters
are smaller which can make them harder to handle. Also, if a dwarf manages to
get loose they are faster than syrians and thus harder to catch. Syrians tend to be
more docile if they are properly raised.

AM:
Syrian hamsters are supposed to be solitary once they are weaned, but that’s not the
case with dwarf hamsters is it?

KB:
No. Most dwarf hamsters prefer some company, but that means more space. That
can be a problem since many commercial cages are too small for more than one
hamster, even a dwarf hamster.

AM:
Is there any reason to purchase a dwarf hamster solitarily? Or would it be better to
adopt two dwarfs rather than one?

KB:
In the wild dwarf hamsters live in colonies, so I prefer to keep them that way. A
dwarf hamster on it’s own will need a lot of attention to keep it from
getting depressed.

AM:
If you initially purchase a dwarf hamster and later wish to introduce a second (or
third) dwarf hamster would that be possible or are you asking for conflicts with such
an introduction?

KB:
It depends on the particular dwarf hamster and on how long they have been alone. If
a dwarf hamster has been on it’s own for more than a month I find it is very difficult
to introduce a new cagemate. Young dwarf hamsters will accept a new hamster
much more readilly than an older dwarf hamster. Also dwarf hamsters tend to
socialize better with siblings than with strange or unfamiliar hamsters.

AM:
Are dwarf hamsters generally less hearty creatures than syrians?

KB:
Both dwarf and syrian hamsters are very hardy creatures. Dwarf hamsters have been
domesticated for a much shorter time than syrians, and because of that there has
been less of an opportunity for them to become inbred. Inbreeding can cause many
problems with the health of any breed of hamster. In syrians this often results in a
hamster that is difficult to tame. In dwarf hamsters it is very common to see
diabetes in inbred pups.

AM:
What kind of equipment would you recommend someone about to adopt a hamster
get for their hamster’s new home?

KB:
Hamsters need a constant supply of clean water, a food bowl that’s heavy enough
that it won’t tip over when a hamster is crawling on it, a wheel for exercise and a
“nest” where they can feel secure. Wheels aren’t just toys. A hamster in the wild can
run several miles a night marking it’s territory and looking for food and the only way
we can duplicate that in a confined space is a wheel. In the wild hamsters live in
burrows underground. For nesting a hamster needs a place where it feels it can
retreat from danger. A hamster without a nest will feel insecure and nervous.

AM:
What are the life spans of dwarfs and syrian hamsters?

KB:
Dwarfs usually live 2-4 years depending on breed, living conditions and genetic
disposition. Syrians live about 2-3 years.

AM:
What would you suggest someone look for when purchasing or adopting a hamster?

KB:
The most important things are the hamsters health and personality. The color, long
hair and pretty eyes won’t matter much if you have a sick hamster. Look for clean
and dry fur, especially around the butt of the hamster, stressed hamsters can get
Wet Tail, which is a deadly type of diarrhea. Wet Tail can spread to surrounding
cages and it can be very difficult to sterilize an area after an outbreak. Personality is
very important, too. If you pick an outgoing hamster that doesn’t mind being held
you’re probably going to have a much easier time taming and making friends with
him or her.

AM:
Is there a reason to adopt a hamster(s) from a breeder rather than a pet store?

KB:
Professional breeders usually take great care in ensuring their hamsters are not
inbred. Inbreeding can result in many health and personality problems. Many pet
stores buy from these same breeders, although some may just let their hamsters
breed in the store leading to rampant inbreeding and hamsters with poor health.
Also, just because a person has lots of hamsters and sells them does not mean they
are a quality professional breeder. Don’t forget to check your local shelters, too.
Animal shelters often have hamsters that need good homes.

AM:
Is the diet of the syrian significantly different than that of a dwarf? I know, for
example, that giving dwarf hamsters fruit that may be high in sugar could be
problematic because dwarfs may be more likely to become diabetic.

KB:
Other than that, syrians and dwarfs have similar diets.

AM:
What is “heat” exactly? It’s related to nuts in some way isn’t it or is it related to other
types of foods as well? And does “heat” affect a syrian and dwarf the same way?

KB:
Well, there are two types of “heat”. “Heat” can be the term for when a female
hamster comes into season, but you are talking about the condition that affects
hamsters that eat too many fatty foods. That type of “heat” is usually caused by an
owner who wants to feed their hamster a treat, usually sunflower seeds, and goes
overboard. Too much oil, like that in sunflower seeds, can cause a hamster’s
metabolism to speed up and cause them to lose hair. That’s “heat” and I’ve only
seen it in dwarf hamsters.

AM:
Any last words, warnings, recommendations or other thoughts in general that you’d
like to share with someone who is interested in adopting a hamster?

KB:
Health and personality are the most important things in buying a new hamster, buy
the biggest home for your hamster you can, never put two syrian hamsters
together, and play with your hamster as often as you can!

Interview with Ken Brocx, founder of Hamsterific.com an authoritative website on hamsters
and other small pets.

Andy Markison is an illustrator, graphic designer, animal lover and pet owner living
in Germany. His website, http://www.zapgraphix.com/, sells fun and humorous pet related
merchandise.

Selecting the right type of threads for any embroidery work is important because the color and texture of the design, and eventually the look of the final product depend on the material and type of thread used. There’s a wide variety of embroidery thread to choose from, so take your time to decide what type or combination should be best for the design you have in mind. More importantly, thread selections should be based on Sewability, Seam Performance and Appearance, Availability and Cost.

Types:

1. Rayon: This type of thread has a great sheen, and so the best looking embroidery designs are stitched with it. Rayon threads can range from combinations of two or more colors twisted together thereby forming a single strand, to one solid color strand. They are widely available, mostly in standard 40 wt. and 30 wt. Even though Rayon is the most popular type, it’s not very sturdy because of its thinness.

2. Polyester: Polyester thread is more durable than Rayon but it is not as attractive. However, this type of embroidery thread hardly shrinks or fades, and if combined with Rayon, the effect they provide is nearly indistinguishable. It is also cheaper than Rayon thread.

3. Cotton: Cotton thread allows for a wide range of tension adjustments because of its texture. It has a nice sheen, is quite sturdy (though finer threads above 50 wt. are not), and typically used for machine embroidery.

4. Silk: Silk embroidery thread hardly breaks and has its own unique, and probably the best sheen. Threads come in various sizes but their availability is low so they are mostly used for luxury fabrics.

5. Metallic Thread: This type of thread has a core wrapped with a metal foil which may be coated with silver alloy, and color is added to this foil with a polyester film which may also be applied as an undercoating. Metallic thread is one of the most durable available on the market.

6. Mylar Thread: Plies of film are combined into a layer, cut into slices to create Mylar threads. They are durable but may break under high-speed sewing. One unique color feature is holographic hue, which picks up and reflects light or color from other surrounding objects. This really enhances the color and design of the embroidery.

7. Special-effect: Like the name suggests, this type of thread can be used to create different design effects, such as crewel-like effect. Some of the special effect threads change colors under sunlight, or may glow in the dark.

Quality Evaluation:

1. Tensile Strength: The tensile strength of an embroidery thread can be tested by sawing a suspended strand with another strand back and forth until the first strand breaks. The faster it breaks, the lower the strength and quality of that particular thread type.

2. Elongation: A good thread must have the right amount of stretch. Take a piece of the thread and stretch it till it breaks. The strand should neither break too quickly nor stretch for too long.

3. Sheen: The luster and quality of the sheen can be tested by studying the color and design of a finished embroidery product.

Embroidery HQ offers articles, tips and tricks about embroidery.