Being Prepared for Emergencies

Our hearts and thoughts are with the citizens of Japan dealing with the effects of the earthquake and tsunami and potential radiation hazards. As backpackers, we have put more than the average amount of thought into what one needs in an emergency or ‘survival’ situation, and how best to pack and carry that gear in case walking with that gear is necessary. Having a pack with a tarp, tent, or hammock, a sleeping bag, a stove, and a method of water purification is a huge step ahead of the average homeowner or apartment dweller.

One thing to consider is what emergencies one is likely to face: do you live in a fault zone, in a tornado-prone area, hurricanes, or snow? Our office is in an area that has an inactive fault, is tornado-prone, suffers occasional flooding (a recent flood several years ago damaged some nearby businesses), and we’ve had some power outages over harsher winter blizzards. If you’re in an area that gets cold, cold weather gear is essential. In a hot weather area, sunscreen and extra drinking water are key.

A good place to start when considering what you might need for a home emergency kit is to visit a site like Ready.gov, which includes lists of equipment and tips on how to prepare for likely emergencies. I took the basic recommended kit and looked at what was already in my normal backpacking kit, then I put the missing items in boldface:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

An often-recommended tip is to keep emergency supplies in a new, large plastic trash can to keep supplies dry and accessible in event of flooding. I personally prefer to keep my supplies in hiking packs and use dry bags to keep sensitive items dry inside the pack, since disasters like Katrina show that sheltering in place with a heavy, immobile kit is sometimes not optimal given the type of emergency. If I had to travel to and shelter in a football stadium, for example, I’d definitely prefer to have my kit easily carried on my back. If it’s best to shelter in place at home, the packs will still work in this capacity as well. Gear that is useful only if sheltering in place can simply be stowed near the packs.

This list didn’t mention a shelter or sleeping bag and stove, but I can think of loads of scenarios where they would be indispensable, so I’ll keep them in my pack. A stove can be used to boil drinking water should other methods or supplies run out. An obvious approach is to keep your backpacking gear together and ready to go for hiking and camping, and simply keep this extra emergency gear in a stuff sack or dry bag, so it can be shoved into the pack quickly when needed. If you’re going to ditch the sleeping bag, you should at the very least consider carrying something like the Adventure Medical Bivvy Bag.

If your smartphone is part of your survival gear, you might want to check into a solar panel charging system from Goal Zero.

Other things to consider adding are medications, pet needs, games or toys for children, vital documents and photos (or preferably digital copies on a USB stick or SD card. Have fun, stay safe, and remember: DON’T PANIC!

Prius Camping: A Poor Man’s Winnebago

This past week, the crew at Sheepleg packed up the company Prius to try our hand at something curious we’d learned about on the Prius forums normally dedicated to discussions of how to eek out ever-more miles out of the hybrid cars. It’s not our usual lightweight backpacking fare, I guess you could even put it more into the ‘glamping’ or ‘glamour camping’ side of the equation. The hatchback cargo area is fairly roomy for this size of car, and by folding down the front seats and then the rear seats, you can accommodate a couple of inflatable mats and sleeping bags, enough room for two adults and possibly a small child, which was perfect for our mission.

So, what’s the big deal, you might be asking, I can do this in the back of my old Wagon Queen Family Truckster, right? Well, the cool thing about using a Prius (and the element of glamour it bestows) is that by leaving it powered on, with the parking brake on, the car will run the thermostat controlled AC or heat using battery power, and will start and shut the engine down automatically at intervals to keep the batteries charged. A typical night will be accomodated with less than half a gallon of gas, which is reasonable for an occasional outing. Do not try this idling your Suburban all night, please.

 

To provide a little privacy while camping in a glass bubble, we purchased a California King Tyvek cover, which is like a car cover that only covers the windows and top, leaving the body panels and, important for our experiment, the air vents below the front windshield, unobstructed. Most of the people on the forums suggested using plastic boxes to make a platform on the front seats to extend the cargo space for sleeping on, but we found it easier to sleep with our heads toward the aft end of the car, letting the foot end of our air mattresses hang over the front of the cargo deck slightly; this was quite comfortable, especially for backpackers used to sleeping on a torso-only mat on the cold hard ground. Taller campers might look into that plastic box thing.

We definitely prefer getting out into the backcountry in a tent or under a tarp, but if you’re looking to get some extra camping on the shoulder seasons when the electric heat will be welcome, or if you’re wanting a comfortable camping solution on a road trip (no sleep…till Brooklyn) or a fishing trip at a lake park, this is definitely a viable option.

Digging into Camping and Backpacking Meals

We’ve recently added some new utensils to our lineup of backpacking gear:

The Vargo titanium spork incorporates a handy wiregate clip at the end that allows it to hood onto pack webbing or attach to other cookware:

The Vargo stainless steel ‘Scork’ is a unique spork design that includes a can opener in the end of the handle, handy for those of you who insist on carrying a tin of beans into the backcountry.

The Brunton My-Ti titanium folding spork has a folding wireframe handle that locks in place, making it much more compact than straight-handle implements:

For those of you who cast a doubtful eye on sporks, there’s a more traditional My-Ti Fork and Spoon Set as well:

How Nielsen-Kellerman Gives Back

 

Here at Sheepleg we want to do all we can to encourage good environmental stewardship wherever we can in the conduct of our business, so occasionally, we like to highlight a partner that’s taking a positive lead in the right direction. On our product pages, companies that Give Back have a Give Back logo that links to a detailed description of what that company does to Give Back.

Nielsen-Kellerman is a company that produces outdoor electronic instruments such as the Kestrel 1000 Pocket Wind-meter, a meter crucial for hang-glider and light aircraft enthusiasts, climbers, and expedition teams around the world. The company has a commendable approach dedicated to reducing its environmental impact by triple insulating its facility, using high efficiency T5 lighting (which can reduce lighting energy consumption by 65%), and a policy of powering down equipment and lighting not in use.  Nielsen-Kellerman encourages the return of damaged or discarded products for recycling and reuse of durable components with a customer care discount. Nielsen-Kellerman uses a paperless office software system, minimizes use of printed sales materials, and encourages employee use of public transportation with financial rewards, and has 20% employee participation in their carpooling program. In the future, Nielsen-Kellerman has plans to install solar roof-panels to generate half of the factory’s power needs.

Thanks Nielsen-Kellerman, for being environmentally proactive and Giving Back.

Photon Microlights for a Light and Bright Outing

 

In a world where it’s possible to find $70 police flashlights that put out 120 lumens or more and require batteries that cost $5 a set, it’s good to know that one of the most practical lights for campsite use is lightweight, compact, and very affordable. If you’re not trying to blind perpetrators, but just need to find the snickers in your bear bag, an efficient, low power, bright enough light like the Photon is perfect. The Photon series of Microlights from LRI are made in the USA, and offer a remarkable set of features for such diminutive lights. With an included split ring, they easily attach to your keys, a neck chain or necklace, a beltloop or webbing strap. The basic Microlight I is the simplest of the trio, with a simple squeeze to light button; if you want the light to be on, you squeeze the button. Next up is the Microlight II, which adds an on-off switch in addition to the momentary squeeze button, allowing for hands-free use. The top of the line is the Photon Freedom Microlight, which has the on-off switch, momentary squeeze switch, adjustable intensity, and also comes with an alligator clip and a ball-socket mount that can clip to a hat brim, pocket, or pack strap, allowing for complete hands-free use. I personally wear mine on a dog tag chain and find that just clicking the light on and hanging down on my chest, it provides enough area light for typical campsite use, and because of this I no longer carry a headlamp for trips that don’t require night hiking.

Hammock Camping: Hennessy Hammocks

 

Having what I consider my dialed-in lightweight backpacking system, I have to admit I’ve always been plagued with the curiosity about hammock camping. Realistically, it’s not the lightest weight solution, when compared to something as light as a silnylon or cuben fiber tarp and a down sleeping bag. But it does offer some very real benefits over sleeping on the ground.

First, you’re not sleeping on the ground. Depending on the terrain and weather, the ground can be uneven, muddy, rocky, and otherwise unforgiving; a hammock, provided you have a couple of trees to hang one from, allows you to transcend that problem by elevating your sleeping accommodations above any terrain.

Second, a hammock allows you to sleep with your sore tootsies elevated, which can be a boon to overworked feet needing some recovery time.  But don’t think you have to sleep curled up like a banana, either. By laying slightly diagonally in a hammock, you can actually lay fairly flat and get a great night’s sleep.

Third, it’s a great way to practice Leave No Trace camping, since you don’t have to disturb the ground to pitch a tent or a tarp.

Fourth, it’s a great way to get above all the critters and creepy crawlies that like to explore your ground tarp. I love nature, but if I can cut down on spiders in the mouth, that’s always a good thing to me.

This summer and fall I will be experimenting with a Hennessy Hammock and sharing my experiences with using it on the trail. The Hennessy Hammock is fully enclosed in mosquito netting on the top and includes a unique bottom entry system that seals with velcro automagically when you boost yourself up through the opening. A tarp suspended over the hammock keeps the rain out.

At Sheepleg, we carry two versions of the Hammock, the Expedition, and the Explorer Deluxe. The Expedition is for those under 6 feet tall, less than 250lbs, and the Explorer Deluxe is for those over 6 feet tall and supports 300lbs.

Making the most of your Outdoor Gear Budget

 

You might think you'd never hear this from a business selling outdoor gear, but let's face it, getting together a complete backpacking kit can be a considerable investment, so let's consider how to best go about making decisions for gear. One thing I found difficult when putting together my gear was the tendency to concentrate on the super cool accessories at the expense of more vital gear. A common example? Getting several iterations of titanium spoon while not yet having a sleeping bag that doesn't have a Disney character on the front. What's the main problem with having this approach, after all, can't you just get gear over time, as you can afford it? Certainly, but consider the fact that while you can carry a regular tea spoon, you're not quite as likely to get into the outdoors with your futon mattress. Try to place a priority on your essential gear, like your pack, shelter, and sleeping bag, and that will allow you to spend more time outdoors, then you can concentrate on getting the creature comforts just right after you get more experience and learn what your actual needs are.