When Disaster Strikes
Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects, both to people and property. If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help you, but you need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere.
You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area – hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme cold, flooding, or terrorism. You should also be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation. One of the best ways to ensure that you have everything that you need is with emergency preparedness kits.
When It’s Hot – Stay Hydrated!
The warmer weather brings about unique challenges to campers, hikers, or any other outdoors sports participants. When it’s hot outside, it is very important to stay hydrated – keeping your water intake high. A readily available supply of emergency drinking water is a critical component to an enjoyable and safe outdoors experience.
The most important source of replenishing fluids in your body is water. Drinks with high sugar or caffeine content, such as sodas or coffee, can actually be detrimental if your body becomes dehydrated (not enough fluid). Water is the body’s most natural source of hydration.
Should You Invest in a Water Filtration System?
When you’re trekking in the wilderness, it’s all about the basics of survival-shelter, food, and water. Without these fundamentals, your camping trip is going to be inordinately short. There is, however, the cost of camping gear to consider.
Take, for example, portable water purifiers. There is no question that these devices are useful. Water is heavy to carry, and for any extended trip, you can’t possibly take enough. With access to a water purifier and any water source, you are guaranteed to stay hydrated.
But, on the other hand, water purifiers are expensive. There is a range of prices, but even the inexpensive products are around $50. The more expensive units run upwards of $250.
Purification tablets are a more cost-effective solution, but they have their own set of downsides. Some add an unpleasant taste to the water. Some take a long time to work. And so on.
Camping and the Knife
When you are out in the woods, you very best friend will be your pocket knife. It is incredible the amount of work you can get out of a good knife when you are away from home. When we are in our houses, the creature comforts are not really thought of in the same way. Inside your house, you have a cutting tool for each occasion.
But on the outside, where you have to carry everything that you use on your person, having a pocket knife handy can get you untangled from many messy situations. A sharp pocket knife will be near and dear to you the entire time you are out in the woods, and you will never want to leave home without one again.
Preparing for Roadside Emergencies
When traveling by road, it is easy for us to assume that all is well. The chances of being involved in an accident are close to nil. However, it is best to be prepared in whatever situation. You never know when an emergency car kit will come in handy.
Road accidents happen when you least expect them. Even if you’re not the one involved in an accident, you may come across someone who is. With your first aid kit in hand, you can be the Good Samaritan they need. Reckless driving causes most accidents on the road, and even if you are responsible behind the wheel, it doesn’t mean that other people are.
Gifts for the Picky Outdoorsman
We all know the old cliché that men are difficult to buy for, but my dad takes it to another level. For his past five birthdays, he has returned every item he has received, claiming that he doesn’t have any use for them. Some people may see this as a cantankerous act, but I use it as motivation to find a gift that is worthy of his high standards.
This year I am doing my research to ensure that my gift doesn’t end up back on the store shelf. One of my dad’s only pastimes is hunting, so I’ve decided to get him something to assist him in his efforts in the outdoors. After inspecting some of his knives, I noticed that the blades left much to be desired. I recently purchased him a set of Gerber knives, and I’m confident that he will finally be satisfied when he opens a gift.
Be Prepared
Whether you’re going camping, backpacking, or hiking, there are a few essential pieces of equipment necessary to ensure safety and an enjoyable wilderness experience for all involved. The most important item to have is a first aid kit; it’s essential just in case of injury, snakebites, or infection.
It’s also important to have a compass and map, or if you want to go modern, a handheld GPS unit. When venturing into the wilderness apparel like warm clothing, rain gear, gloves, and hiking boots can help you to stay dry and warm if you happen to become cold. Hypothermia can be a real danger in the outdoors, even in warmer locations where you wouldn’t think it
Getting the Whole Family Outside
If you’re looking for ways for the entire family to enjoy events together, you should consider instating an annual family camping trip. And if your family isn’t interested in tough trekking, it certainly doesn’t have to involve an intense hike or anything else that will make the children groan with displeasure. Rather, it can simply be a pitched tent in a state park with a warm and fun campfire to finish out the night. But if the sleeping arrangements are barring people from jumping onboard the camping idea, make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.
This means that the tents have to be spacious enough. If people have trouble sleeping, the last thing they want is to feel crowded. As such, 6 person tents are a great option if there are only four of you. The added room allows for even more pillows, blankets, and other bedding, which might help even the most finicky sleeper get through the night. After all, one of the most common complaints is that it’s simply too cold sleeping outside, and the added bedding can alleviate some of that chill. Also, make sure your trip is aligned with a weekend that promises lots of sunshine and warmth.
An Indispensable Travel Accessory
If you’re at all interested in traveling to remote and exotic locations in the world, there is always a litany of safety precautions to take before your flight out. Some locations in the world, especially areas such as Thailand and Africa, require that you get a series of vaccinations and shots before you enter the country. This is to protect you against any viruses or diseases that you might contract while you’re traveling.
But even in areas that don’t require these medical precautions, there is still the potential for coming across contaminated water. So whether you’re traveling in Mexico or South Korea, it is recommended that you boil the water before drinking it. But that is a huge hassle. Not only is it time consuming to boil the water itself, but you’ll also have to wait for the water to cool. Therefore, a much more convenient tactic is to bring one or two high quality portable water filters with you on your trip. It’s the easiest, quickest way to be certain your water is clean and safe.