Did you know that September is National Preparedness month in the U.S.? While it may seem overwhelming to prepare for anything that could possibly go wrong, the truth is with relatively minimal effort, you can prepare for the most likely types of natural disasters in your part of the country. That is the sentiment behind National Preparedness month. Have a plan in place so that you can be prepared and self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in case a disaster hits where you live. The more people who do this, the less overwhelmed emergency services are in a worst-case-scenario situation. Then they can focus all their efforts on those who need help the most. If you need motivation to start prepping, think of it as a future-kindness to the emergency service workers in your area.
Pumpkin-spice-everything, mums, and Labor Day vacations are actually not the most pressing to-do of your September. It is National Preparedness month here in the U.S. It is a time to reflect on who and what is most important in your life, and to make plans and take action to protect them in case of an emergency. And yes, once you've done that, then by all means, please go enjoy all the vacations and pumpkin-spice things with those wonderful people in your life.
Buying a flashlight can be tricky, and often people tend to settle for the least expensive light with the biggest numbers on the packaging only to be disappointed later when the light stops working after a small drop onto the floor. Fear not! I am here to help you sort through all the marketing jargon like “Turbo Mode” and to better understand what really matters; like, what’s a lumen? And, what type of flashlight should I buy for…(insert activity here)?
When it comes to packaging and marketing jargon, the terms “water resistant” and “waterproof” may seem like they mean the same thing at first glance. However, dig just a little deeper and you’ll quickly learn that the distinction in these terms can mean a difference in your gear becoming waterlogged and useless, or staying safe and dry. Many products – particularly when it comes to outdoor gear – are eager to tout themselves as “water-resistant” or “waterproof.” But when making a decision on what to buy, it’s important to know that you’re getting the right product for what you need.
The term “water resistant” means that the material or object in question is able to withstand a certain amount of moisture and wetness for a certain amount of time, before being completely soaked through. In a similar vein, “water repellent” usually means that the item is not easily penetrated by water and has been treated with some sort of hydrophobic coating to fend off liquids.
To put these terms into a very basic perspective, you can figure that “water resistant,” “weather resistant” or “water repellent” products can withstand a bit of light rain, snow or splashes without taking on damage.
My first long distance road trip was a complete failure. I had been riding for years, so I felt assured I could manage a multi- day trip for a couple thousand miles. It was early June in Colorado, and about 5 hours into the ride it started snowing, which turned into a white out. It was wet, heavy and cold and I was not prepared. It was in the high 70’s when I left home, so I was wearing a half helmet, fingerless gloves and a leather jacket. After waiting out the storm on the side of the road and giving time for the snow to melt, I continued, freezing, until I made it to a gas station. I consumed large amounts of hot coffee and chocolate attempting a warm up. The only clothing options available to try to keep dry on the road were bright yellow dishwashing gloves and a shower cap. I planned to be Wyatt from Easy Rider, but I looked like Scuba Steve and I felt miserable. I was so embarrassed I couldn’t even look at the other riders when I finished that days ride.
I’ve learned a number of lessons on my rides throughout the years. To save your ego and get you safely to your next destination, I’ve put together some helpful hints from my years on the road.
I live in an area that has the potential for fires and floods. Last year the fires were so bad, we had our first experience with evacuations. It was an incredibly intense experience and not the best time to be making decisions. If you are under a mandatory evacuation order, there is no time to waste.
National Preparedness Month is here again, and it is a great reminder that if you still haven’t built or updated your emergency kit, there’s no time like the present. A Go Bag (also referred to as a Bug-out Bag) is a pre-packed kit that will be your lifeline in case of an emergency evacuation situation. Some disaster scenarios don’t leave time for thorough planning in the moment. Fires, for example, move fast – so should you. In these instances, you aren’t going to be able to take your time to gather up everything you want to from home. A Go Bag is about making sure you have what you need and getting away quickly and safely. After working in the survival and medical industries over the last two decades and experiencing my own fire evacuation due to living in California, I have compiled a list of items that I have tested and strongly recommend.
Before you start compiling your kit, here are a few helpful considerations:
Build it out for the number of people in your household (including your pets). My bag (pictured above) is built for five: two adults, two small children, and one dog for 24 hours.
Consider the type of disaster you are most likely to encounter where you live. For us, it’s likely grass fires or floods, so we should be able to reach a friend’s home or red cross shelter in 24 hours or less on foot. If you live in earthquake or hurricane territories, you should pack enough supplies for 72 hours as those disasters can take out a much larger area of infrastructure at once.
Determine where you’re going to keep your kit and communicate exactly what it’s for to all members of your household (you can even label it as an extra reminder). I recommend putting it in a place that you would pass on your fastest way out of the house, like a coat closet or hook near the front door.
As professional adventure racers and race directors my husband Jason and I love big endurance training trips. But as new parents of Max (4) and Revel (1.5) it has been a fascination to look for ways to incorporate more adventure, play and training into our family life. One of our most favorite ways to check all of these boxes is to go on family bike-packing trips. When we had just one kid, it was much easier to go on backpacking trips (one person carried the kid, the other the camping gear), but once we added little brother Revel to the mix, we quickly turned to looking for other alternatives that allowed for us to manage even more gear and weight.
We just got back from our fourth bike packing trip through Central Oregon and it was amazing. We took 4 days (3 nights) to do 120 miles, most of it on dirt roads with lots of play stops along the way. Every night we ended at a different lake or river to ensure easy water access and lots of water, dirt and sand play (a kid’s dream). On average, we rode hard for about 2-3 hours before our first stop and tried to do a second push in the early to late afternoon after the kids had worn themselves out. A few days into the trip, we hit a small town, which proved to be a fun stop for the kids and enabled us to carry less weight in food and water knowing that we could refill during the trip.
When you first move into a tiny home on wheels, there is so much to learn. Figuring out how to secure everything while your home is going down the road is an artform and takes time to perfect. When we first moved into the school bus, it wasn’t uncommon for items to fly across the bus once we took off toward our next destination, but we had a head start on finding great solutions thanks to Nite Ize. We have used Nite Ize products for years and during the downsizing process, we kept every single item that had their logo on it. We didn’t know how we would use all of it, but we knew we would need it.
When looking for methods of organizing and securing belongings in our skoolie, Nite Ize has so much to offer, both in our home and in the great outdoors. When we recently reached out and shared our love of their brand and amazing products, they sent us a box of gear to replace some of the older products we are using. We’re happy to share all of the ways you can use Nite Ize to make travel day as easy as possible!
