06 Apr
Camping

Your Quick Camping Survival Guide (Part 3: Mental Preparedness)

#81YourQuickCampingSurvivalGuide(Part3MentalPreparedness) If you’re seeking an adventure and would like to use the great outdoors to help prepare you for an emergency, why not go on a camping trip! In our most recent blog posts, we’ve gone through a few survival tips, and now, we want to talk about preparing yourself mentally! Mental preparedness will take you a long ways!

By definition, “roughing it” isn’t luxurious, or nearly as comfortable as being at home. But that doesn’t mean you need to be afraid. Instead, make yourself aware of the factors that will increase your fear, and think through them ahead of time. It’s difficult to prepare for fear, but if you’ve given yourself opportunities to experience survival camping before, then if you get caught in a real-life, unplanned wilderness situation, you’ll know what to expect.

You can thus banish the unknown, and isn’t the unknown one of the greatest fears of all?

Below is a list of some unpleasant feelings that you should be aware of:

  1. Boredom & Loneliness: If you are experiencing your emergency alone, it’s best to think up routines, activities and games that you can play with yourself. Boredom and solitude has the potential to dull your mind, putting you at greater risk of danger, so don’t delay and use what nature has provided to get creative! Routine and activities will keep your mind sharp!
  2. Fatigue: Remember that being overtired will lower your mental ability, so do whatever you can to force yourself to sleep. Assume that you won’t be rescued for a while, so you need your rest now.
  3. Hunger: Hunger can be dangerous, if it’s extreme. It can increase your susceptibility to the effects of cold, pain and fear. In order to avoid this, get to know the wild edibles in your region and perhaps practice functional fasting.
  4. Thirst: Thirst should never be ignored, and cannot be overcome with mental fortitude. Bringing a water bottle with you everywhere is not a bad idea! If you get caught without water, ensure that finding a clean source of water is your very first priority! Keep that foremost in your mind. And of course, remember that water access doesn’t necessarily mean you need to carry around anything heavier than a LifeStraw, as long as you can find a stream!
  5. Cold: Experiencing cold can be uncomfortable at the best of times and fatal at the worst of times. In extreme situations, the cold may try to persuade you to curl up and fall asleep but that’s the last thing you want to do. Instead, keep on moving to stay alive. If you need to sleep, you’ll need to build a warm enough shelter first, but more on that in next week’s post!
  6. Acute Pain: Force yourself to recognize when you are hurt and deal with it, even if you are panicking and numb to the pain at first. You will thank yourself later.

Of course, no matter how mentally prepared you are, it’s best if you have the basic emergency supplies with you. So don’t hesitate to buy yourself a starter survival kit and build from there!

If you’d like to learn more about wilderness survival, check out this guide or return to our blog soon to read about more survival skills!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

30 Mar
Camping

Your Quick Camping Survival Guide (Part 2: Fitness as a Survival Skill)

YourQuickCampingGearSurvivalGuide As part of our Quick Camping Survival Guide series, we want to talk about some of the most important survival skills to add to your arsenal, along with the essential gear—like a survival aid whistle, and nylon paracord. In this post particularly, we want to emphasize the value of fitness in a wilderness setting.

To inspire you to seek an even higher level of fitness, we’ve outlined a number of scenarios where specific physical strengths will allow you to keep yourself and others safe in the case of an emergency.

This is not an exhaustive list, just a few ideas to get your thoughts flowing:

  1. If you get caught in rough waters—whether they’re the sudden result of flash flooding or a tsunami—you’ll find that your whole body is needed to get yourself to the safety of dry land. The most obvious way to train for this kind of emergency is to swim regularly—perhaps even in the ocean, to get yourself accustomed to the cold!>
  2. If you get caught in a situation where you need to walk or hike long distances without the proper footwear—you may want to have prepared with the practice of barefoot running!
  3. If you get caught needing to help carry someone who is injured, you will need strength in your legs, back, and arms.

Whatever situation you can imagine, a foundation of fitness will improve it tenfold. If you’re regularly are cardio junkie, try implementing some weight workouts—even if you start with bodyweights. Or vice versa.

If you already feel like you’re pretty well-rounded, that’s great! But don’t let that stop you from seeking new challenges—like taking up climbing or joining a rowing club—because nature is a powerful force. When it’s man against nature, we need to be at our strongest to survive.

As always you’ll thank yourself later.

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

22 Mar
Camping

Your Quick Camping Survival Guide

YourQuickCampingGearSurvivalGuide Spring is here and for many this means it’s time to start planning for camping! Many reservation systems across Canada are now official open and you may be one of the thousands of people chomping at the bit to snag your favourite camping spot.

Although some people are brave enough to snow-camp, for the regular folk, camping in +degrees (at least during the day) is where it’s at, so the wait for warmer weather is almost over. Do you remember what campfires smell like? What brushing your teeth at an outdoor faucet feels like? What S’mores taste like?

Activities like building a fire can be so much fun—and hold so much nostalgia for those of us who grew up camping, and yet, like so many survival skills, it could be of utmost importance during an emergency. It could even save your life.

Likewise, knowing how to “rough it,” even if it’s just summer camping, could be a lifesaver one day.

If it’s difficult to make the decision to buy emergency preparedness supplies that could very well sit unused in a closet for years, why not think of it as buying camping supplies? Then—at least once each year—you can test out your gear and make sure you have everything you need.

For example, you may find that you really enjoy our Legacy Premium Entrées, but realize that you crave more fruit to really make you feel energized.

Or—if you camp in a more remote setting—you might find out that you really hate carrying around so much water, and that you’d prefer to use nearby lakes and streams and a filter like the LifeStraw Water Filter or the LifeStraw Mission 

Consider your camping trip as a test run, and try to learn as much as you can about each item of gear you own. As a bonus, you could challenge yourself to learn a new survival skill each time you go camping—like how to use a survival signal mirror or how to build a campfire without matches. You could even keep a journal to track your progress, and to make sure that you’re remembering what you learn.

Please feel free to add your ideas or notes in the comment section below. And in the upcoming weeks, check back for more blog posts on the survival guide topic!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

15 Mar
Severe Weather & Floods, Shelter

How to Stay Safe During Windstorms

HowtoStaySafeDuringWindstorms With all of the wind warnings and windstorms that are whipping through Canada this year, many of us are getting used to the constant slamming of gates left open and the rattling of window panes. When you’re inside—as long as the wind doesn’t take down a power line or topple a tree, the raging sounds from outside can make inside seem especially cozy in comparison.

However, when you inevitably need to go outdoors, all of a sudden the wind can seem to be targeting you directly. Here are a few tips on how to avoid getting hurt during these storms:

  • Stay out of the forest. If you need to walk underneath or near trees, keep an eye on the branches and an ear out for cracking sounds. Keep your wits about you, in case a branch comes falling down. Ideally, of course, you’ll just stay inside where it’s safer.
  • In fact, any loose object can become a dangerous projectile, so walk and drive with extra caution, wherever you are.
  • To avoid causing damage on your own property, make sure that your house is well kept-up, with anything that has previously come loose nailed back down again. Also, make sure you move indoor furniture and garbage cans inside, along with any other loose objects.
  • Keep an ear out for wind warnings! It’s a good idea to tune into your local weather network regularly. Why not keep a radio on hand at all times—even if the power does go out—and use something like the FRX5 Cell/Tablet Charging Weather Alert Radio? If there is a wind warning, it means that winds will be blowing steadily at 60-65 kilometres per hour or more.
  • If you’re driving, slow down.
  • If you’re cycling, it’s easy for the wind to grab your bike and cause you to swerve—possibly into traffic. So be extremely careful, slow down, and consider whether you really need to be cycling at this time.

Of course, life goes on during windstorms, so it’s understandable that you may need to leave your house. When you do, exercise extreme caution and stay away from distractions such as listening to music or getting into conversations that are too involved. Focus on your safety first. And if you can, bring a first aid kit with you so that you can deal with whatever may come your way.

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

03 Mar
News

The Importance of Learning and Sharing Emergency Preparedness Resources

Have you ever heard of Public Safety Canada, or visited their website? Committed to mitigating disasters nationally and keeping the country safe, they’re a resource not to be missed when you’re doing your own, personal emergency preparations or you’re considering sharing emergency preparedness resources.

Not only do they strategize and make plans, they train federal employees in emergency management through a learning partnership with Canada School of Public Service. Public Safety Canada is also in the process of exploring ways of expand access to training.

Realizing how much time and resources go into this can be a wake-up call for those of us who may be distracted by the busyness of our day-to-day lives. Because we haven’t seen a huge disaster yet, it can be hard to imagine it really happening to us. But natural disasters like the pending “big one” on the West Coast or severe hurricanes on the East Coast are not only for the movies.

Emergency preparedness is not only important for keeping ourselves as safe as possible, it’s important because it could very well allow us to keep our loved ones, neighbours or complete strangers safe. And—as you’ll probably agree—the more lives we can collectively save, the better.

If you have some of the basics down, why not consider spreading your knowledge. Perhaps take a look around your community and find a way to share what you’ve learned. You could even start a little fundraising campaign and once you’ve raised enough, purchase some basic items like a workplace emergency kit or some classroom emergency kits. Looking into sharing emergency preparedness resources is also a great way to get to get to know your community.

These communities could include:

  • your workplace
  • your gym, yoga studio or running group
  • your neighbourhood or apartment building
  • your school or your kids’ school
  • any other group you belong to!

The important thing is that—once you’ve read through resources like the ones we’ve shared today—you share what you’ve learned! This way, we can all do our part, instead of leaving it all up to our governments, and see a safer Canada!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

18 Jan
News

“Now” is Always the Best Time to Start Preparing

As we continue to welcome 2016, some of us may feel blindsided by the new year but hopefully we’re all excited about what the next twelve months hold. It’s always interesting to consider the unknown future, but it can also be empowering to take the reins and try to plan for it as best we can, aiming for the brightest outcome.

January is a great time to use your spirit of resolution for motivation. And hopefully this year, you resolved to get better prepared! Did you feel the 4.8 magnitude earthquake on the night of December 29th? We sure did, and the response from our customers indicates that the small shaker spurred people on to get prepared sooner rather than later this year!

Here are a few ways to get to it:

  1. Go through whatever emergency kit you have and check the expiry dates on any food items. Replace whatever food needs replacing, and also test any batteries and replace whichever of those need replacing.
  2. While you’re going through your kit, take note of any missing items and make a checklist, prioritizing the most necessary items before the nice-to-haves. This way, you can use your list throughout the year, and hopefully finish checking everything off before 2017! Hint: top priority, of course, is enough water and food.
  3. If you don’t own a kit, and this is the first time you’ve felt motivated to prepare for emergencies, welcome! You should start by getting a piece of paper and a pen and doing a little research while making a list! A few great places to gather information are through our Total Prepare website and blog and Canada’s government website on getting prepared. Once you’ve acquainted yourself with the basics, share your knowledge with your household! Turn yourself into a team, make sure you’re all on the same page when it comes to emergency procedures and start your emergency kit! Top priorities are water, food, heat and shelter, then light, communication, first aid and sanitation.
  4. It’s also the perfect time to create some new fitness goals! Being the start of January, you may already be inspired to put new effort into improving your health and strength. And being fit is important for survival, too, so now you have another reason to get going.

Whatever step you’re at in the process, there’s always room for improvement. So take some time, this January, to make some new preparedness goals. You’ll thank yourself later!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

30 Dec
News

Holiday Cleaning Tips for your Safety

Now that the Christmas festivities are over, many of us are left with homes full of stale decorations that need to be taken down, leftover food and wine and egg nog, and new toys all over the house.

What’s the best way to go about restoring order to your home? Well, you probably have your own methods, but here are a few safety tips that we think are helpful to consider. HolidayCleaningTipsforyourSafety

  • Ladder Safety. If you need to use a stool or a ladder to take decorations down from those hard-to-reach places, make sure that you are wearing footwear with non-slip soles. It’s also important to practice caution with your ladder placement! Try to keep it away from doorways and if you can’t avoid it, make sure the door is locked with a warning sign on it, so that no one will open it and knock you over!
  • Leaving up the lights. Especially if you have kids, you might be inclined to leave your outdoor lights up for an extra few days, or at least until the new year. If you do, make sure that you stay on top of turning them out overnight and when nobody is home. Also, if it has snowed over Christmas, you may want to check on the wiring and make sure no extension cords or wires are anywhere near the wet ground or puddles that have formed.
  • Cleaning Supplies. Your windows may be in need of a scrubbing to remove the artificial snow. Or you may have other surfaces that need a good clean. It’s best to know what’s in your cleaners before you use them. And if you’re uncomfortable with any of the chemicals, switch to a more natural product. If you’re using cleaners in spray bottles, it’s also wise to be careful that you’re not breathing it in and that you give yourself some fresh air. If you have small children or pets, make sure they are not nearby.
  • Dealing with leftovers. What to do with all of the leftovers in the fridge? They may not all even fit in there! One idea—so that you don’t force yourself to overeat or make yourself sick—is to turn your leftovers into casseroles and freeze them or give them away to your family members.

Most importantly, try to enjoy the whole process of the holidays, even the clean-up and make it fun by rallying your whole family to pitch in, if possible. And just in case someone does get hurt, make sure you have a first-aid kit handy to deal with it efficiently and effectively!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

17 Dec
News

Staying Safe During the Holiday Season Part Four – Outdoor Safety

In our current series, Staying Safe During the Holiday Season, we’ve been talking about extra safety precautions to take during this time of year, whether you’re creating a bright and cozy atmosphere in your home, giving gifts, or jetting away to a getaway vacation. Today we want to wrap up our holiday safety series with some tips on things to think about when you’re enjoying the great outdoors during the holidays.

As we all know, nature can be beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Snow can smell like fairy dust, sound like peace and look like heaven, especially if you live in the country, but out on the streets, it can wreak havoc for those who are driving.

There a lot of reasons to leave the house during the holiday season, whether it’s to shop, decorate or celebrate! Here are some ways to stay safe:

  1. Christmas Shopping – whether online or in person – can be a hazard in itself nowadays, because of identity theft. If you’re shopping online, it’s best to do a little research on the company you’re buying from, and look for trustmarks on their website (such as the Better Business Bureau) before giving away your credit card or other information. Even if you’re shopping in a physical store, it’s wise to keep a close eye on the cards you use, and make sure no one is looking over your shoulder or swiping your card more times than they need to.
  2. When you’re out celebrating at a friend’s house, or at a restaurant, it can be easy to get carried away with the festivities. If you’ve had anything to drink, you should consider getting a ride home in a taxi or with a sober friend. You should also check out Operation Red Nose for a free ride home or perhaps a way to volunteer over the season and keep your community safe!
  3. When you’re putting up outdoor decorations, it’s best to leave the roof and ladders alone if there’s ice and snow.
  4. If you’re planning to drive, keep an ear tuned into your local weather station and make sure your vehicle is outfitted with winter tires and ready to brave ice and snow. If you’re uncomfortable driving in the weather conditions you’re facing, consider making alternate plans. It’s a good idea to give yourself extra time to get places, too!

These are just a few more ways that you can ensure your safety this holiday season! Don’t forget to check out our other articles and special products designed with your well-being in mind!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

16 Dec
News

Staying Safe During the Holiday Season Part Three – Travel Safety

By December, many of us have already made our Christmas plans and are looking forward to time spent with our loved ones. While some of us are able to stay in our hometowns and not worry about traffic or the weather, the nature of families is that they grow and are often dispersed across the city, province, country or world! Some families who live in colder climates feel the urge to spend their vacation somewhere hot and relaxing. Whatever the reason, Christmas time, for many people, involves travel.

If you’re planning on travelling this holiday season, we have a few tips for you, so that you can optimize the safety level of your trip!

  1. Let people know your travel itinerary. This way, if you don’t show up when you said you would, someone will know that things haven’t gone according to plan and will be better able to help you.
  2. Be sure all your paperwork (and vaccinations, if applicable) are up to date.
  3. While you are away, especially if your vacation is more than just a couple days long, try to make it look like someone is home at your house. This may involve leaving a light on, or asking a neighbour to come collect your mail every few days.
  4. Research your destination before you go. And if you’re going somewhere exotic, research the currency and budget accordingly.
  5. Bring any medications you or your family may need but keep them in their original bottles or packaging if you’re flying with them.
  6. Purchase travel insurance.
  7. Tag your luggage.
  8. Pack a basic first-aid kit – such as our 165 Piece First Aid Kit – for minor emergencies.
  9. Call your bank and let them know where you are going and for how long you will be away.
  10. Visit the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority website for the most up-to-date information and security measures on air travel.

For further details on these ten tips, please visit the Canada Safety Council.

And if you’re interested in purchasing other safety gear, have a look at our full line of products and remember to check back often!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

10 Dec
News

Staying Safe During the Holiday Season Part Two – Gift Safety

Gift Safety

StayingSafeDuringtheHolidaySeasonPartTwoGiftSafety Christmas is a time when many of us look forward to expressing our love for one another through gifts. Some of us may enjoy creating handmade foods, crafts and art for our loved ones, and some of us may shop for the gifts we give, or a mixture of the two!

At Total Prepare, we have hundreds of items that work perfectly as gifts! But even if you end up getting some of your gifts elsewhere, you’re sure to find this guide to gift safety helpful.

Below, we’ve outlined a few risks that come with certain categories of gifts, and provided a few tips for avoiding a disastrous Christmas so instead, you can enjoy one that is filled with peace.

  • Gifts that are delicate or broken easily (perhaps a gift that you made yourself!) may need to come with a cute little note or a verbal warning to unwrap with care. Then, once the initial oohing and aahing is over, it’s best to put it up on a safe shelf somewhere, away from rambunctious kids or accidental elbow smashes that may come with a home crowded with family or friends.
  • Edible gifts are another delightful token of love to receive. If you have pets or small children who like to eat themselves sick over the holidays, you’ll want to store these away somewhere safe as soon as possible as well.
  • Some of the best gifts come in the shape of tools, whether they’re for your kitchen, your workshop, your garden or other! But sharp or otherwise dangerous objects like these are obviously not meant to be left lying around. Have fun finding a home for them, right away, in your kitchen, your garage, your shed, or elsewhere.
  • Expensive gifts – when you’ve received an expensive gift, be careful what you do with the box, keeping in mind that theft often happens as the result of someone seeing the box in your recycling. To reduce the risk of theft, it’s a good idea to cut up (or keep and reuse) boxes that contained expensive gifts. The same goes for receipts. If you have a wood burning fireplace or stove, you have the perfect opportunity to play it safe and build yourself a cozy, crackling fire at the same time!

Navigating the world of gift-giving can be tricky, but with these reminders, you’re one step closer to being prepared for the giving season. And don’t forget, if you know someone who loves practical gifts—perhaps an adventurer—we have all sorts of gear that you can buy directly online (24/7!) or at our store in Victoria, BC.

It’s time to get prepared!

 

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

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