From Carol F: My son bikes everywhere, he doesn’t have a car. How can he keep his bike (or any of the parts) from being stolen? Last weekend, someone stole his seat and a few months ago someone took his front wheel…

Answer: First, at night, always store the bike inside. I know it may be a pain to carry up stairs but when you leave a bike out all night it’s obviously more likely to get stolen. Next, buy two or three quality bike locks but avoid using cable locks since these can easily be cut. The more difficult the bike appears to be to steal the better, since most criminals will move on to an easier target. Plus, make sure to lock the wheels and seat so that someone can’t just remove the bolts holding these on.

From Paul O: What’s a good survival lantern that will last and doesn’t take a whole bunch of batteries?

Answer: I would look into the Tough Light LED Rechargeable lantern. This lantern puts out 400 lumens and runs off rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Many lanterns like this typically use up to eight D batteries so having a rechargeable option is convenient. It’s a smaller lantern but still provides a nice amount of light compared to other similar options. This lantern is water resistant and comes with a USB charger for cell phones. It sells for around $65 on Amazon.

From Dan M: I’m brand new to shooting. I want to start going to my local range to decide what kind of gun I want. What should I bring? Any advice for such a beginner?

Answer: The best thing you can do is to rent many different guns and find which one is best for you. We all have different size hands and you need to find what fits you best and is most comfortable to shoot. Don’t let anyone at the range tell you that a specific gun is the best one for you since you need to figure this out on your own. One firearm I would start with is the Glock 19. This is a simple gun to shoot and operate and is very popular for concealed carry. As for what to bring, you can bring your own ear and eye protection or you can likely rent this stuff from the range. However, if you think you will be shooting more often I would purchase this gear for you to keep. Be safe and you will hopefully learn a lot.

From Stacy D: Is it a good idea to save all your passwords to your web browser? And if a website says, “Remember me?” is it safe to click “yes?” You need a password for practically every website these days and I know they should be different. I can’t remember them all!

Answer: You never want to save your important passwords in the browser for two main reasons. First, this means that your browser has a data log of your entire log in information and if it were hacked a criminal would easily have this access. Second, the physical security risk of your computer being stolen means that a thief would have access to all your accounts and information in a heartbeat.

It’s not going to be a huge problem if someone accesses your Netflix account, but you want to take extra precautions with other accounts like your bank. This should at least cut down on the number of passwords you have to remember.

From Evan H: Got any compass recommendations?

Answer: I would check out the Suunto M-3 G Compass. This model will work anywhere in the world, has a long flat edge for measuring and marking, and has an adjustible declination.