The Green Hiker

As winter months approach, we can look forward to a beautiful blanket of crisp pristine snow and crystal blue skies overhead, but the beauty of freshly fallen snow can be deceptive. Heavy snow fall can mean plummeting temperatures, impassable roads and massive power failures for those who live in the Snow Belt.

Being prepared for a winter emergency is the best way to increase your chances of survival should the snow leave you stranded or without power.

What to Carry in Your Car’s Winter Survival Kit

Space blankets are reflective tarps that fold up into compact bundles. They reflect your body heat back to you, helping to keep you warm when stranded.

Several wooden matches in a waterproof container are always good to keep on hand. Throw in a metal can and use these items to melt snow for drinking water.

A small radio and two flashlights should always be included. Pack away fresh, extra batteries or invest in hand crank powered models.

Keep chocolate bars, unsalted nuts and several plastic bottles of water for emergency rations. A small cup, trail mix and hot cocoa mix are good additions if you have the room.

An old cell phone can be used to call 911 even if there is no calling plan. You just need a charged battery or the means to charge it in an emergency.

A small toolkit with common wrenches and sockets, pliers and a tire iron is good to keep in the car year round. Throw in a few extra fuses, a quart of oil, transmission fluid and power steering fluid to help get you to a garage if a leak occurs.

Instant heat hand warmer are great for winter survival kits and are fairly inexpensive. They only provide heat for a few minutes, but can save fingers and toes from frost bite.

Thick, dry socks, an extra hat and gloves are useful to change out wet garments in cold weather. You may even want to carry a full change of warm clothing and an extra heavy jacket.

Candles and a pocket knife are good additions to your winter survival kit as are a few plastic garbage bags that will double as a dry ground covering in bad weather.

A first aid kit, tire chains, jumper cables, extra gasoline, a tow chain, a collapsible shovel, two cans of compressed air for flat tires, a windshield scrapper and local maps are all good items to carry in your vehicle’s winter survival kit.

The Fundamentals Kit
click here to learn more

What to Pack for Your Winter Survival Kit at Home

An alternate heat source is a must. Fire wood or kerosene heaters are common choices.

Blankets are always welcome when the power goes off.

A hand powered can opener and several cans of food you can eat cold should be included as well as several gallons of drinking water. Include five gallons of water for each person in your home.

The standard radio, flashlight and batteries go into your home kit as well.

A dry chemical fire extinguisher should be included in case of a fire.

Matches are useful for lighting candles and relighting pilot lights on appliances, the water heater and the furnace once power is restored.

Candles are essential for light once the power fails, but remember to use them with caution. Keep the open flames covered with glass globes if possible to prevent an accidental fire.

These items can make surviving the dangerous effects of a heavy snowfall possible. While they may not keep you comfortable and entertained, they will keep you alive in the event of a winter emergency.

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Jim Dornfield is a staff writer for Northwest Backpack Specialties. They specialize in camping and hiking equipment for the outdoor enthusiast, featuring all the major brand names.

Now Go Outdoors!

In 2009, Zion National Park will celebrate a “Century Of Sanctuary”. Next spring the Park plans to have a series of celebrations and events to commemorate this historic milestone. Here is a list of Zion’s hiking trails.

East Temple

Short Hikes offered at Zion National Park:

• Emerald Pool Trail

This trail is one of Zion’s family friendly hikes. You can wander
around three level pools with small streams and small waterfalls. There
is some adventure to this hike as there are parts of it that require
you to take big steps up rocks. Be sure to bring plenty of water with
you. At the third pool, there is nice shade for sitting, having your
lunch or snack and taking in the view.

• Weeping Rock

This trail takes you to the famous seeping wall of the park. It gets it
name because it appears that water is seeking out from the wall as if
it’s crying.

• Riverside Walk

It is a gateway to the famous Narrows where you will see many trees,
ferns and weeping walls along the Virgin Rivers. It’s a very gentle
walk and the scenery is beautiful.

• Canyon Overlook Trails

If you have your car, you can drive up to the east side of Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
For those of you what want to see the stunning heights and spectacular views
of Zion National Park, a long hike is in store.

Stunning Heights Hike:

• Angels Landing

It is the Zion’s genuine classic hike and one of the most stunning
attractions you will ever experience. It is not recommended to people
with a fear of heights. There have been deaths from this trail as
people tend to get confident, hurried and goofing off and go right off
the side. This is a trail to enjoy, but also to take seriously. Don’t
let your trip and hiking experience of Zion National Park end in
tragedy.

• Hidden canyon

A beautiful place to hike up with secluded hanging canyons positioned
above the main canyons with sections of scrambled rocks for more
historical sight.

• Zion National Park – “The Narrows” Day Hike

Here’s a classic hikes offered by Zion National Park. During this hike
you are constantly hiking through water. The Narrow hike is a view
point to the amazing deep and amazing sections of Virgin River. The
ranger station will advise if this trail is open and when there’s
dangers of flash floods. Always check the weather and with the ranger
station before heading out.

• Middle Fork of Taylor Creek

It is located at the Kolob section and one of the most popular 5-mile hikes
to get through the stunning Double-Arch Alcove.

Slot Canyon

Scenic View Points:

• Angel’s landing

This is a truly amazing summit. You can view 360 degrees of canyon from your standing point.

• Observation Point

This hike starts from the Weeping Rock, a hot and strenuous hike with
alternative switch backs up to the end of the trail. The view is worth
the sweat. This is a day hike and it’s not for out of shape
individuals. Take plenty of water as there is none along the trail.
Plan to take your time, enjoy the views on the way up, you’ll be taking
several rest stops. Wear good shoes that fit properly.

• West Rim Trail

A grand over viewing site of Great West Canyon. The Great West Canyon adds
remarkable attraction to the place.

• Deer trap Mountain

It is one of the best panoramas with long hiking from the main canyon or from the east.

• Timber Creek Overlook

To get the grand view of the Kolob Finger Canyons, travel to the end
of Kolob Canyon roads to maximize the beauty.

• Lady Mountain

Astounding,breath-taking view of the Grand Canyons. This is for expert climbers
because there is exposed scrambled rock.

The Alternative Routes for Hiking:

West Rim Trails

Top Down Route of Zion Narrows

La Verkin Creek Tail

Make sure you have good shoes, a hat, plenty of water, some
carbohydrate snacks or pack your lunch, a camera, walking stick or
hiking stick, and are rested before heading out. And, of course, stay
on the clearly marked trails for your safety.

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Debbie Turner is an entrepreneur and Global Resorts Network home business coach and focuses on outsourcing. For details on the Global Resorts Network luxury travel club membership and business opportunity please visit www.grnreport.com, Blog: www.globalresortsnetworkblog.com Debbie can be reached at 843.270.5611

Additional information is available at the non-profit The Zion Natural History Association.

Now Go Outdoors!

More and more people cut back on vacationing abroad during slow economic times. Many of these people find a great (and inexpensive) alternative closer to home in camping. If you don’t mind reconnecting with nature, then you should consider a camping trip for your next vacation.

Safe Camping

Camping can be great fun, but the basics are often overlooked. Follow these 6 basic camping tips and you’re in for a fun camping trip!

Inform someone of your plans - An accident in the middle of nowhere can turn out really bad if nobody knows where you are, or that you’re missing in the first place. “Jimmy wasn’t at Karate today? He’s probably out sick” - meanwhile Jimmy broke 2 legs in the middle of nowhere with no rescue in sight.

Extra Clothing - If you’ve ever experienced hypothermia you know how horrible it is. You can get it very easily by running around in wet clothes. So bring extra clothes just in case you get caught in a storm. Don’t forget to put your spare clothes in a WATERPROOF bag too.

Don’t take risks when it comes to the Weather - The sky might be clear and temperatures might be comfortable today, but that can change overnight or even within hours. Before going on a camping trip, check the weather forecast. It would suck to have nasty weather ruin your camping trip wouldn’t it?

Fire - If you’re going to build a campfire, be sure to clear at least 20 feet around it. Also note that just because you took the necessary precautions doesn’t mean the camper a few miles away from you did. If you see a big plume of smoke in the distance, you better pack up FAST as wildfires can travel at insane speeds.

Bring Drinking Water - Water, the building blocks of life. You would be surprised how many people tend to oversee the fact that a lot of campgrounds don’t have running water (unless you consider a river running water). It is highly advisable to take at least 2 five-gallon containers with drinking water when spending more than a few days out in the outdoors. A few gallons will do if you’re only going for 1 or 2 days.

Food - Bring your own food as not every campsite has a store, some not even without an hour’s driving range. Nuts, beef jerky, dried fruit, as well as high energy bars are your best choice because they are high in nutrients but light in weight. See the beginners guide to camping for more “what food to bring”-tips.

These are very basic tips. You can find details as well as other tips on safety, packing for camping, recipes, instructional videos, choosing a tent, and much more at my camping trip-site.

And Go Outdoors!

These backpacks use solar energy to keep cell phones (think hiking crisis) and other electronic gear fully charged. About three hours of sunlight on this outdoor gear should provide one hour of power.

The Voltaic backpacks use fabrics made from recycled soda bottles.

Voltaic Solar Battery Charger Backpack

If you’re on the go or have a kid who is, look at the Voltaic solar battery charger backpack. The solar panels on the Voltaic solar battery charger backpack connect to a battery to charge your iPod, cell phone or laptop. The Voltaic solar battery charger backpack comes with a phone adapter and a USB adapter so you can charge your batteries and gear.

Eclipse Solar Gear - KVUE Inteview

KVUE TV news clip interview about Eclipse Solar Gear’s innovative solar backpacks and solar chargers.