Elegant Stainles Steel Water Carafe

This is a very stylish water carafe.
It keeps water icy cold.
The lid fits tight.
It doesn't leak.
Easy to drink out of as a personal water bottle.
Gorgeous as an elegant water carafe on a table for 2-4 guests.
My pictures don't do it justice, it's really quite beautiful brushed stainless steel.

Toplus Lightweight Stainless Steel Water Bottle Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Thermos, 17 Oz (500 ml)

Nice Flask for my Bicycle, Walking and Car Use

Nice tumbler, but the label on it is impossible to take off. I don't like the label, so I am taking a star off for that.

Otherwise seems good quality stainless steel.

Doesn't splash when closed, but will leak if turned over.

Mossy Oak Double Wall Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler, 20 oz, Silver

Quality Construction With Metal Fittings That Tighten Nicely

weGarden 50ft Expanding Hose,Strongest Expandable Garden Water Hose with Double Latex Core,Solid Brass Connector and Extra Strength Fabric with 8 Pattern Spray Nozzle for House Car Garden Hose Nozzle

This expanding water hose is very well made. The fittings are metal. 

Included is an on/off valve at the end of the hose, so you can turn it off or on there to attach  the included sprayer which came with assroted functions. I tested them all, they work beautifully.

I mostly use this to water outdoor plants, but it has some good strong settings for washing my motorhome. 

This hose collapses nice and neat not wrinkly like some hoses. 

I am very impressed. This is well made and very functional.

Click here for pricing and speedy shipping. 

A Must Have For Emergency Repairs

J-B Water Weld is MAGIC, it can fix plumbing or oil pan or hot water heaters. It withstands heat. It's easy to use.

The cost at Amazon was half the price of what the hardware store wanted. I know because I called and asked them, while listening to their outrageous price on the phone, I looked it up on Amazon, it was such a bargain I ordered it from Amazon instead.

After much trial and error with other products, J-B Water Weld FIXED my leaking hot water tank in my motorhome without having to rip apart the place to install a new heater. I am now happily using my old heater just fine.

My water tank is stored in an area with a ton of RV electrical wiring. Replacing it would be very costly both for the tank itself (have to buy the entire unit) plus the installation was way beyond my capabilities for sure. Being that RV repairman charge 80-120 per hour, I could see where this could become a ridiculously expensive repair if they took 10-20 hours to reroute and remove all the wiring (that services the rest of the RV)  and plumbing (also servicing the entire RV) long enough to remove the tank, replace and hook the entire mess back up again.

This stuff was a lifesaver. I now have hot water in my RV again, no water leaks, and the cost of the repair was teeny tiny fraction of what replacing the hot water tank would have been.

I've included a picture of my hot water fix. As of this writing, the weld has held up to hot water 24 hour daily use for over 8 months. I expect it will outlast the rig.

I learned about this product when I lived aboard a sailboat. You can use it on cars, RV's sailboats and around the home.

J-B Weld 8277 WaterWeld Epoxy Putty Stick - 2 oz.

Super Tight Lid, Open It a Little to Get it To Snap on Tightly

These are nice water tight and air tight lids.

They fit the 20 ounce Yeti style vacuum insulated tumblers, but they do not fit the 30 ounce ones. So make sure you know which size you need before ordering.

Having 3 lids, means you never have to hunt one down or if you have multiple containers it will fit them all. The best lid, because it makes the tumbler spill proof.

WINOMO 3pcs 20 oz Tumbler Lids Spillproof Splash Resistant for Yeti Rambler Rtic Ozark

Water Quality Meter

Boboai Digital Aid Professional Quality Water Test Meter. TDS, EC and Temperature Meter. 0-9990ppm. Accurate and Reliable Water Test Meter. Ideal For Drinking Water, Aquariums, Ponds.

High TDS results in undesirable taste which could be salty, bitter, or metallic. It could also indicate the presence of toxic minerals. The EPA's recommended maximum level of TDS in water is 500mg/L (500ppm)

TDS is acronym is for Total Dissolved Solids
PPM is acronym for Parts Per Million
EC is acronym for Electrical Conductivity

The instructions that arrive with this meter are vague. The enclosed case for the meter is handy for protecting the meter when not in use.

I did not realize the battery was not installed and there was nothing on the meter or the instructions to indicate where the battery was housed. Typically products shipped with a battery have a tabbed protective plastic liner inserted to prevent the battery making contact until the liner is pulled away. I took off the caps on both ends of the meter and couldn't figure out where the removable tab for the  battery was supposed to be.

The instructions did not indicate where the battery was installed. Removing the top I could see a tiny piece of metal and what looked like the skinny end of an electronic board. Finally I found the battery jammed in the bottom of the black case housing the meter and a tiny piece of paper with vague instructions. I was relieved to find it stuck down there. Now I had to figure out how and where to install it through trial and error. I delicately inserted it next to the metal tab and the meter didn't work, I tried it the other way and it did finally work. I was worried about accidentally touching the electronic board or breaking the meter.

I have included a picture that shows the battery installed in the top of the meter.

So yes, the battery is included look for it jammed in the bottom of the case.

From other websites featuring similar meters, I found out the bottom cap is for storage and protection only, not to be used for scooping out water to test.  For best results, use a  large clean cup  so there is a larger volume of water that will be tested.

Turn the meter on.

Remove the cap from the bottom of the meter. Swirl the bottom inch of  the meter in the water. Do not let water get above the cap line. The numbers will run up and down, when they stop, hit the hold button so the number will remain constant while you find a place to write this down.

To ensure a long lifespan of your product, the TDS/EC sensors should be stored dry. Remove battery if you use the meter infrequently. (This is true for any battery operated product.) You can install the battery again when you are ready to use it. It will fit in the bottom of the enclosed case as I found out.

Total dissolved solids (TDS) are the total weight of all solids (minerals, salts or metals) that are dissolved in a given volume of water expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L), or in parts per million (PPM). The lower the TDS level in the water, the more efficiently your body's cells actually get hydrated by the water that you drink. The higher the TDS levels in the water, the greater the probability of harmful contaminants that can pose health risks or hinder the absorption of water molecules on the cellular level. 17 PPM of TDS = 1 grain of hardness.

You will have to do your own research further to decide what the numbers mean for your particular use whether it is testing your drinking water or aquarium or hydroponic garden etc.

Great Water Quality Meter but the included instructions about use, safety, storage and battery location could be drastically improved.

Boboai Digital Aid Professional Quality Water Test Meter. TDS, EC and Temperature Meter. 0-9990ppm. Accurate and Reliable Water Test Meter. Ideal For Drinking Water, Aquariums, Ponds.

Fantastic Water Everyone Should Look Into Owning This System

The review below was written February 2014. As of March 2017, I am EXTREMELY pleased with my Berkey's performance. My health has enjoyed a great deal of improvements in many areas. Amazing what purified water can do for one. I do not trust bottled water one bit! It's not regulated and you have zero control over what's in it. The endless water bottles are clogging up our landfills and I see them littered liberally all over our beautiful countryside. 

I personally use a stainless steel water water bottle (flask) that I can refill from home thousands and thousands of times. I also use stainless steel drinking tumblers in my motorhome. Stainless steel is safe, non-toxic, unbreakable and free from BPA. As a bonus, you can store the stainless steel cups in the freezer (where I keep mine) so you always have icy cold drinks.After removing from the freezer,  I shove mine in a cozy cup so they are insulated and don't leave water rings when I set them down. 

My original review of the fantastic Berkey water purifier is posted below. If you don't own this, you aren't living right. Our bodies (and our pets) need good healthy water. Go green and be kind to mother nature. Stop buying bottled water and purify your own for drinking and cooking. Improve the health of you and your pets. 

Berkey Water Purifiers Come In Assorted Sizes

I own the one on the far left, which is 

18 inches high with a diameter of 7.5 inches

First off, do the math. This system will save you money. The filters in the one I bought last about 6,000 gallons, if I use 2 gallons per day for drinking and cooking, that works out to a filter life of over 8 years. I wanted quality stainless steel and was prepared to return this unit immediately if anything at all was flimsy about it. I have been vagabonding in a mini-motorhome for 4 years, so I need quality products that can stand up to the rigors of travel.

Water quality in the areas I travel varies widely, so this filter system will get a good workout over the years. There are times I camp remotely and the ability to filter water from natural sources that may or may be contaminated is awesome. I'm not expecting a major disaster, but I've lived overseas in a disaster zone and this would have been a coveted treasured item to have had then.

I ordered direct from Amazon because I've been a devoted fan of Amazon for many years. They have always been extremely attentive and prompt on solving issues on returns of faulty products. This one arrived well packed and in excellent shape. The directions are a bit clumsy, they could do so much better, but after a day of reading and rereading, I finally figured it all out.

I was extremely impressed with the stainless steel. It's heavy, shiny, quality stuff built for lifetime use. A super 5 stars on the quality. Follow the instructions carefully, it's a bit fussy to get the filters primed and all set up. At first mine filtered super slow, maybe I didn't prime it right. I kept tossing out the initial water filtration's per the instructions, so that it was almost a week from arrival until I started actually drinking the water. In the interim I continued with my old Brita pitcher. I have no beefs with Brita, they've been good to me and my health for decades, but Berkey is superior so bye bye Brita. Also, no need to buy filters every month, a huge relief. I never liked the plastic pitchers Brita supplies because they always look crazed no matter how delicately you clean and polish them.

After starting on the Berkey water, I am delighted over and over. The taste is HEAVEN ON EARTH! The water quality after filtering is just fantastic. Even though I've been filtering with Brita for 30 years, I could tell a difference in my coffee and green tea as well as plain water drinking.

I did tons of research on water filtration. I can't afford the ridiculous plastic bottled water. 90% or more of the cost goes to the plastic bottle and the rest to the water. I have no idea where or how they bottled that water, the landfills are overflowing with a a zillion water bottles, it's estimated that less than 10% are actually recycled. I volunteer for 5 months per year picking up litter in public parks, the mountain of water bottles I find tossed in the bushes is absolutely astounding. The same people that love nature, seem to also enjoy trashing it. Even crazier are the folks who throw out half full water bottles.

I have my own reusable bottles to take with me hiking and biking, I would never go buy someone else's water, I have to have my own Berkey filtered water. Good clean tasting water is a daily treat. Amazingly, I was having some health issues, they cleared up right away, whether by coincidence or maybe I was lapsing on changing out my Brita filters often enough. Now I don't have to worry for at least 8 more years before buying replacement filters.

I have used Brita water filter pitchers for about 30 years. But I was concerned that I failed to change my filters often enough. I never liked the plastic pitchers, they crazed super easily

So now it's Berkey all the way. I even managed to build my Berkey into a lower cabinet under the sink in the motorhome that is still a foot off the floor due to the air exchanger beneath the cabinet.This is perfect for dispensing the filtered water. I am able to refill the top with the pull-out kitchen faucet but the Berkey is lashed into the cabinet, so that when I go bouncing down the highways, the Berkey won't go dancing.

I bought the Rubbermaid 2 quart clear carafe (from Amazon) for storing filtered water on my counter top since the Berkey is built into my cabinet. That is one good looking carafe with a super tight lid. The opening in the lid is perfect for draining out the filtered Berkey water into the Carafe. The carafe is a beautiful addition to a dinner table or a party where delicious water is desired. I make my ice from the filtered water too, I can add ice to the carafe for dinner parties or for hot days when I am working inside and outside. To me, the carafe makes a perfect addition to the Berkey. Also, it allows me to drain out the Berkey, then refill the top without worry of overflowing.

LOVE MY BERKEY! If the RV is on fire, you will see me run out the door carrying the dog in one hand and the Berkey in the other. He loves the Berkey water in his water bowl too.

Berkey BT2X2-BB Travel Stainless Steel Water Filtration System with 2 Black Filter Elements

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Awesome flask. I use it all day long and take it on bicycle rides too.

UPDATE... I have been using this 18 months now for water. It is awesome and has held up beautifully. I have included a picture of it riding on my bicycle.

Many nights I park the flask full and closed on my bedside table. No spills if I flail around trying to find a sip of water in the night. Believe me I have spilled a lot of water cups sitting next to my bed.

I live in a motorhome fulltime and I enjoy relaxing outside. I often leave this flask outside as I come and go inside and outside to do things. There is always a sip of icy cold water waiting for me when I plop down outside in my rocking chair.

I like to have water with me everywhere. I purify my own water with a Berkey [[ASIN:B00BWIWX8G Berkey BT2X2-BB Travel Stainless Steel Water Filtration System with 2 Black Filter Elements]]. I also make my own ice with purified water.

I have been searching all over creation for a wide mouth stainless steel vacuum insulated water bottle so I can toss in my regular sized self made ice cubes and my purified Berkey water. While I am happy enough with room temperature water, when I am out with friends and leave this bottle in their car while we dine out, I return to cold water, not blazing hot water.

I also wanted an easy cap for sipping while bicycle riding.

Now I can have icy cold water no matter what the temperature when I am out and about on my bicycle.

I go to the beach for a month in spring and a month in fall. I am out on the beach every day riding my bicycle and playing Frisbee with the dog. Now we have icy cold water no matter how hot the beach is. If I forget my covered dog bowl of water to take to the beach, then I unscrew the cap, flip it over and let the doggy drink some water out of the top of the cap. This works well and he loves a drink of water on a hot day at the beach.

I like the way the lid is nice and tight and so far, doesn't leak a drop. Sometimes my water bottle is tossed in a tote bag with other things that I don't want to get wet. This bottle does not condensate on the outside, so my camera can stay dry, even if I don't have it in a waterproof container.

Now for those that wrote reviews complaining they can't switch back and forth from hot coffee to water, because the plastic absorbs the coffee odor, this seems true of any plastic and coffee. Coffee will always attach and odor to the plastic. So if you want this for hot coffee, then get a secondary one for icy water. I personally don't use mine for hot coffee, just ice water. I don't like the taste of coffee and plastic, so personally this would not be a choice for me if I wanted it for hot coffee.

The Bad...

The only bad thing to report is the plastic cap arrived pretty stinky. I know to wash anything I buy that is for food and drinks, so I washed the entire water bottle plus the top by hand. I do not have an automatic dishwasher, so I wash everything by hand.

Well shoot, the stinky lid  it took 3 super hot washings by hand with lots of soap to eliminate the stinky odor. On the third washing the rubber seal fell out and I had a heck of a time getting it to reseat nicely. But once I finally got it back in correctly and seated, it was water tight again.

The Ugly...

Nothing ugly really to report. My own persona preference would have been to have their logos and printed stuff on the bottom on the bottle and just a nice clean stainless steel outside.

Hydro Flask Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Wide Mouth w/Hydro Flip Cap

City Water Hookup for RV or Tiny Homes

Works But the Aluminum Flange is Thin, Rest is Well Built

The aluminum flange is flimsy, but the rest of it seems quality made.

It was the closest we could find to replace our heavy duty one that broke after only 22 years of use.

We had to order this twice. The first one arrived with the aluminum flange bent at a hard angle rendering it impossible to use without machine shop intervention.

The second one had skyrocketed in price by 33%.

Fortunately, Amazon eventually made up the difference after two phone calls about the problem.

We put a quick connect on ours, so the stopper was useless to us, but it's a nice touch if you don't use quick connect for your hoses.

Aqua Pro 27884 Aluminum Surface Packaged Mounting Flange with 1/2" Female Pipe Thread

Brass Water Quick Connect

5 Years Later, These Are Holding Up Beautifully and Still Work Perfectly

I have been using several sets of these on motorhome since 2012.

Brass is the way to go for serious longevity. These work on any garden hose or potable water hoses for RV's.

I was sick and tired of trying to twist the hose onto my water connection on the motorhome with teflon tape and hoping I got it tight enough. One day I was trying to unhook my water so I could drive the motorhome to go shopping since I don't tow a car. The water connection was on so tight, I couldn't get it off! It was embarrassing and humiliating as I spent hours trying to unscrew my water hose from the motorhome.

Finally a little light came on in my tiny head telling me "Duh, your washing machine uses a quick-connect fitting to hook to the bathroom sink, maybe they make quick-connect for water hoses!"

I went on Amazon and looked at the huge variety of quick connects and decided on the heavy duty brass because I wanted longevity. One the connectors arrived, I used teflon tape to install them on the motorhome home connections and all my hoses which are 25 feet each. Sometimes when I arrive at a camp, I need more than 25 feet, so I can now just quick connect two hoses together.

I can quick connect the water hose to my motorhome home water inlet and it pops off in a nano-second when I am ready to travel.

I also use it inline to quick connect to my water filter. I have another set on a water sprayer, so I can quick connect the water sprayer to wash the RV. This is a super handy item that will save you a load of time and grief over the years.

If you own an RV you need these. If you want something for your sticks and bricks home that is efficient and works quickly for water hoses and faucets, this is the ticket!

Dramm 22729 Heavy-Duty Quick Disconnect Brass

Condensates On The Outside With Iced Beverages, Vacuum Insulated Technology Shouldn't Do That

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...

This is a good looking mug with a nice convenient handle, so nothing really ugly to report but it has a few good qualities and several bad ones.

It does fit car drink holders nicely. The lid pops on and off, but it's not very tight. It does have a sliding cover so you can keep your beverage cold or hot a bit longer by sliding it closed each time.

However, it is advertised on the product page as "Thermos vacuum insulation technology" but strangely enough it sweats on the outside with a cold beverage on the inside. I've never had this problem with my other stainless steel mug that has never once sweated on the outside with water and ice cubes on the inside. It too is advertised as "vacuum insulated" and doesn't condensate on the outside so the fact that this one does is a big downer for me. I don't like having to use a coaster with this to prevent it from dripping all over the table. or drink holder.

As a hot coffee mug, it only lasts about an hour or so, not the 5 hours as listed on the product page. Also the product page listed cold as 9 hours, and that didn't work for me either, even with lots of big ice cubes, it stayed cold about 2-3 hours.

One reason I like "vacuum insulated" is the lack of condensation, and this one I am sad to report just completely fails at that.

I think this one needs to go back to the drawing board with better quality vacuum insulation and a much tighter fitting lid.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I only gave it 2 stars because of the annoying condensation problem and the loose lid.

Promug Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Handle

Over 6 Years Later This Kit Is Still Going Strong in my Motorhome

This is an awesome hot water kit. I have been using it every day in my motorhome since July 2011 and I am writing this review in July 2016.

It comes complete with EVERYTHING you need to add the electric option to a propane only hot water heater. It enables me to have either options now. I use the electric 99% of the time.

At 400 watts, it's perfect as an add-on, I only have 30 amp service for my 1994 motorhome, the 400 watts is perfect because I am not tripping breakers. I can make coffee or run the microwave while the hot water is on 24/7.

The thermostat is adjustable. I happen to keep mine at the highest setting because I use a lot of hot water through out the day. I don't buy disposable picnic supplies, so I am always washing up dishes, pots, pans and crockpots on top of that I prefer to shower in my motorhome plus I like to wash my hands often with warm water. I also own a compact washing machine, which I mostly use cold water was for, but having the hot water option when needed is a huge bonus.

The kit allows me to keep the propane option, which I do run the propane once in awhile to make sure it still works fine. For instance if I am visiting in a friend's garden where they provide me regular 15 amp service (not 30 amp) I am able to turn off the electric hot water (and electric fridge) and let both run off of propane so I am not overloading their electric socket.

Most of the year I am in campgrounds where the 30 amp electric is included with the camping rate, so having electric hot water is a huge bonus for me in my budget. My propane tank is builtin so I have to drive the entire motorhome to refill it. This normally works fine and since I don't have to rely on my propane for hot water anymore, my propane purchases have dropped dramatically.

The DIRECTIONS for installation of this product were the BEST I have ever seen. They are step by step with clear English instructions and simple diagrams that actually make sense.

I was able to carefully follow each step precisely and when I was finished, the hot water was good to go. I was thrilled!

The kit comes with a regular electric plug plus a separate on/off switch. So if you have  a spare electric outlet to plug this in, there is no need to direct wire the electricity.

I gave this a high FIVE star rating because the product is awesome and after 5 years, I can report,  it is still working flawlessly.

Camco 11673 Hot Water Hybrid Heat Kit - 6 Gallon

Retractable Hose Raises the Bar

Retractable Hose Raises the Bar

I have seen a retractable hose before, but the Serpentes King Cobra Hose far exceeds those other models in its quality. Take its substantial brass fittings, for example. Both the supply end and the dispensing end have very tough brass fittings, and the dispensing end includes a shut-off valve. I’m sure this helps to relieve pressure from the 8 setting spray nozzle included with the hose. Although the nozzle is plastic, it includes some nice spray settings that are not available on my other nozzles. My favorite is the shower setting, but it also provides others like mist, soaker, full, cone, flat, angle, and center settings, allowing the King Cobra hose to address all sorts of watering needs. But its retractability is what’s so cool. Like its name suggests, this black, heavy-duty hose resembles a living reptile as it uncoils when turned on and recoils when the water supply is turned off. I wish its shut-off valve was located at the supply end; at 25’ long, the King Cobra has its limits. If I could attach it to a longer hose, I could shut it off at the connection and retract the Cobra in the area I’m using it. But I can deal with that by adding a shut-off connection from another source myself.

I give the Serpente King Cobra Expandable Hose with Nozzle Five Stars for its quality construction and its versatile nozzle, that built-in shut-off valve gets extra credit, too. It also deserves credit for utilizing post-consumer recycled materials in its construction. This a fantastic product.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and review and am providing my honest and unbiased opinion. The vendor in no way has influenced or edited my comments.

Serpentes King Cobra 25' Expandable Hose, 2016 May Edition, Latest Model Best Garden Hose. For Heavy Duty use with Solid Brass Ends, Lightweight yet Strongest Fabric that is Flexible. UV Protected