Guest Blog: Top 10 pieces of Wilderness Survival Gear for Children by Play Outside Gal

It's never to early to teach your children wilderness survival skills. what if little Johnny gets lost on your next big hike? Or there is a mudslide and you're cut off from camp or each other (it has happened!)? Maybe you're not doing hard core stuff right now, but what about next summer? It's easy to read headlines and think "that could never happen to us", but you just never know. It's best to have a plan in case you are separated (we've taught our kids to stay in one place and signal for help), discuss it with all members of your group/family, and ensure everyone is carrying their own wilderness survival gear, and that they know how to use each item.

Also known as a bug-out bag, your wilderness survival kit should contain everything you need to survive for three days. This list is different from what an adult would carry and is targeted to children aged 4-8 since they are a) old enough to carry their own small backpack, b) not big enough to carry larger items such as a bivvy/Siltarp, and c) usually not mature enough to carry a knife or fire making kit (essentials in any survival kit). Add other items (such as Epipen, medications, fire making kit, knife) at your discretion. Note that thesignalling devices (whistle, mirror, and flashlight) are critical. If your child is quickly found, she won't have to use the other items!

1. Marine Whistle on a lanyard: Get a high quality pealess marine whistle. A pealess whistle will work when wet and has no parts that can freeze together. Encourage your children to blast the whistle as loud as possible if they are lost or in trouble. Let them have some fun practicing (to make sure they know how to use it) then let them know it is for emergency use only. You may need earplugs for the practice session as high quality whistles are louder than 100 decibels! 


2. Signalling mirror: Teach your child how to use the mirror to signal for help and who/what the signal should be directed at (flash the mirror at helicopters, vehicles, signs of civilization such as fire lookouts or cabins; sweep the horizon if no signs of people). At night, use your headlamp and shine light on the mirror sweeping the light quickly across the mirror for a short flash and slowly for a long flash. The Universal distress signal is S.O.S. (3 dots, 3 dashes, 3 dots) and can be signalled with 3 short flashes, 3 long flashes, 3 short flashes. If you don't have a mirror, you could use your hand and a flashlight or the flashlight switch to make long and short flashes. Practice at home with your children to see what method works best! The SOS signal can also be made with stones on the ground by making 3 round pile of rocks, 3 dashes (horizontal line) and 3 more round piles of rocks. 


3. LED headlamp / flashlight - We prefer headlamps so the kids can be hands-free. Most models these days are LED which is great as the batteries last forever, but be sure to replace low batteries and carry replacements.

   

   Princeton Tec BOT Headlamp

4. Water bottle and purification tablets: Teach your children how to use water purification tablets and attach a note/picture to the package. For example, a hand-drawn 1 tablet + 1 bottle of water makes it easy for a panicking child to understand. If the quantities are different, e.g. half a tablet per Nalgene bottle, break the tablets in half and draw a picture of 1/2 tablet + 1 bottle of water. I trust Potable Aqua products to purify my drinking water.

   

   Trusty Nalgene bottles never leak!

5. Snacks: Make sure your child has a few high cal snacks such as protein bars or granola bars in her pack. Although you can survive a few days without food, a snack is comforting while you wait for help to arrive. Make sure it's something yummy that your child likes, but not something with a strong odor that may attract bears.

For more please click here and make sure to check out the rest of her blog!!

Also see my 15 Essentials here

MS Hiking for a Cure

Reposted from Ms-MegaVenture 
I recently came across Megans webpage quite by accident. Megan is hiking from Mexico to Canada on the PCT to raise money to find a cure for MS. Check out her story and support her quest.

Hello! I am hiking 2,650 miles on the pacific crest trail in honor of my father who has lived with multiple sclerosis since the year 2000. The hike starts on April 24, 2014 in Campo, CA and ends in Manning Park, B.C. It will take about 4-5 months to complete. With my home and few necessities strapped to my back, this is bound to be a wild ride!

My father has always taught me to work hard, be adventurous, and love others. It is the simple love one shows to smile, laugh or have a small conversation with a perfectly good stranger.
Multiple Sclerosis affects people in the prime of their lives, between the ages of 20 and 50. Every hour someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. More than 2.5 million people worldwide live with this unpredictable disease. The symptoms of MS are different for everyone - the only certainty is that it will affect yet another person every hour of every day.




Visit my other pages for more information: 
https://twitter.com/MS_Trek
https://www.facebook.com/PacificCrestTrekForMs
http://ms-megaventure.blogspot.com/p/mission.html

Taking care of your hiking feet

Taking care of your hiking feet- Guest Post

Reposted from HikingintheSmokys.com

Spring has finally arrived, and with it comes hiking season. As we prepare for our first hikes of the year, now's a good time to take some proactive steps to help prevent unwanted blisters. The following are a few tips, suggestions and strategies for taking care of your feet before and during a hike to help ensure that it isn’t ruined as a result of blisters

Toenails: Make sure you take the time to trim your toenails before a big hike, especially one that involves long descents. It’s best to clip your toenails as short as possible so that there’s no extra nail length. If need be, file the nails down until they’re flush with the skin. Sometimes I forget to do this and end up with a long nail digging into the flesh of a neighboring toe!

Socks: One way of preventing blisters is to wear proper socks. This means staying far away from 100% cotton socks which absorb sweat and can lead to blisters. It’s best to wear socks made from synthetics, or a blend of synthetics and cotton, which wicks moisture away and keeps your feet drier and cooler. Also, make sure you wear socks that fit properly. Socks that are too big can bunch together in boots and create friction areas that result in blisters.

Finally, I always keep an extra pair of socks in my backpack just in case the ones I’m wearing get wet.

Boots: Much has already been written on boots and walking shoes, including what type to wear, proper fit, etc. That discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but if you’re looking for an informative article on the subject I highly recommend this one. Also, my wife has had problems with blisters, and even lost a toenail while hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon several years ago. She’s since discovered that as a result of her narrow feet, she wasn't wearing boots that fit her properly. This article on Backpacker Mag offers solutions for people who have similar issues.

Boot laces: One way to help prevent blisters from forming on your heels, and toes from hitting the front of your boot, is to make sure your boots are properly laced, especially on descents.

Backpacking season is right around the corner, and Chris Simmons would like to take a moment to remind you of all the stuff you won’t be needing when you head into the hills.

1. Mugs/cups. Everyone wants one, but these things are a pain to pack efficiently, are useless if they aren’t insulated, and weigh something if they are. More often than not, they don’t have a lid. A good compromise: Find a half-liter Nalgene bottle. It’s the perfect size for your morning coffee or evening tea, and with the lid screwed on, it can tuck into your jacket or sleeping bag, doubling as a hot-water warmer.
    
2. Pillows. Great for car camping, and inevitably inadequate for the backcountry. Most of the time, I drop all my extra stuff into my backpack and use it to prop up my head. I’ve also been known to use the climbing rope, or my boots.
    
3. Extra Clothes. You’re going out for a weekend—not climbing Mt Everest. Seriously, extra shirts, pants and underwear should be tossed out. It makes packing a ton easier, and eliminates the (perceived) need for #4. On a 21-day Denali expedition, I bring a single change of long underwear, which is only put on when we leave the 14,000-foot camp for the final summit push. I’ll bring an extra pair of socks per three days in the backcountry, maxing out at three pairs total.
    
4. 100 Stuff sacks/Ziploc bags. Does everything have to go in a bag? And then into another bag? And then into the backpack, which is a big bag all by itself? Seriously? Yes, it makes it more organized, but why are you carrying so much stuff that you need to be that organized? If it’s smaller than your hand, it goes in the lid. The hike or approach into the mountains is often hotter than the climb and time spent sitting around camp, so use your pants, jackets, hats, gloves and your share of the tent or shelter (but see #9) to stuff around the sleeping bag, stove, food and climbing gear.  Afraid it’s going to rain, and your pack isn’t water proof? See #5.
    
5. Pack Covers. The most clever —and useless—piece of equipment that the outdoor industry every convinced the public was necessary. Maybe it dates back to canvas packs. Your stove can get wet and still work. The tent is designed to get wet and still work. If you’re hiking in the rain, you’re probably wearing rain gear, so you shouldn’t notice the difference between a wet backpack and dry one. Often these overpriced pieces of fabric are held on with just some elastic and a draw string, making them the 2nd most commonly blown-away item (in between trucker hats and poorly-anchored tents).  Worried about your sleeping bag getting wet?  A waterproof treated stuff sack, not necessarily dunk proof, will work 90 percent of the time, unless you’re in the Pacific Northwest. For the other 10 percent (or 30 percent in the PNW) of the time, simply line your pack with a plastic trash bag. Voila.

See more HERE

Tent Review: REI Quarter Dome T2+

Thinking of getting a new tent? Check out NutnFancy's video review and make sure to follow him on YouTube he's got some informative well done videos.

How to use Bear Spray!!!

Check out this how to use bear spray from Backpacker Magazine and don't forget to visit their site!

Hike alone? Check out Yodel to help keep you safe.

Written by Adam Nutting at hikingthetrail.com make sure to check out his blog!

This past weekend I tried a new iPhone app called Yodel. Its a very simple little app that allows you to send information out to people to tell them where you are. I chose to set up 3 friends for my first trip. You can also have it check into Facebook or send out a message to email addresses.  I would typically do this all manually before I went on a hike but the one thing that Yodel provides that I did not have off hand was my coordinates.  Overall the app is very simple to use.  You schedule a notification that transmits your location to your contacts where you are what you are doing and when you will be back. You can set your activity by typing in a short description. Hit save and off you go. A timer keeps track of when you are scheduled to be done and when you reach your completion time a notification pops up that requires you to check in. The program runs in the background to help save battery life.There is also an SOS button to send an emergency message out to your contacts. One of the settings I did not activated  was when you push the SOS button it can  automatically dial 911.    The app is only 99 cents and can be purchased via the Apple app store.

The app was worth the money and worked great. There are only two things I might suggest. The first one is to be able to cancel your scheduled notifications rather than having it notify you your time is up and have to hit cancel before sending the message. The second feature I might suggest is adding integration with a twitter account.

Overall a great little app and it does exactly what they say it will. I would recommend it to anyone who has an iPhone who does any kind of outdoor adventure sports.

To find out more information about the app and the company  please visit their website .