Why Would I Want To Buy a Snugpak?

  

Snugpak claims to have an experienced workforce trained in the use of both state of the art machinery and traditional sewing techniques, which is one of the reasons this brand stands out. They tailor their sleeping bags to fit your needs and your lifestyle.

Choosing a Sleeping Bag

When choosing a sleeping bag, there are some things to consider: the temperature, destination, and location of your campsite. Snugpak took these elements into consideration and created a product that has multiple layers designed to withstand temperatures from very cold to warm.

Each layer provides a certain level of protection. Snugpak uses a variety of materials in certain sleeping bags. The materials were designed based on client feedback over the last 30 years and are constructed for the "camper to the arctic adventurer" (those materials are not listed here).

•  Paratex Steelplate is a durable, but soft fabric, which is able to wick moisture quickly away        from you. It is windproof, enabling it to keep the warm air in.

•  Paratex light is lightweight, highly windproof, water repellent, breathable and able to wick        moisture away. Most commonly, it is used as a liner in a sleeping bag.

•  Paratex Micro is a durable, but soft fabric, lightweight, highly windproof and water repellent. It is used in the outer lining of the sleeping bag.

•   Paratex Antibacterial is a treatment used on the outer and inner linings.

•   Softie, made up of fine filament fibers, creates extra voids and loft to trap more warm air.

Care of Your Sleeping Bag

All Snugpak sleeping bags are fully washable, however, make sure to check the label for special instructions.

These are some of the reasons why we feel Snugpak is a high-quality product, and so will you.              

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Poked in the Eye 

There are 5 common injuries that happen to people while they are camping, some of the injuries happen from kids playing around to weather induced injuries. I am going to provide you with this helpful information, so you will be better prepared to help the injured person.


Fractures or Sprains

DO NOT move the person with the injury. Make clear to the person who is hurt not to move, as they could potentially make a bad injury worse. The only time someone should be moved is when:

• There is a more seriously injured person and you need to get to them. 
• The person is in danger of becoming injured by something else. 
• You need to perform CPR and need to place the person on a hard surface

Make sure that the person can breathe and they have a pulse, then wait for help to arrive. This is the one case where you do not treat for shock! 

A sprain/ strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. You will  apply an ice pack over a barrier such as a towel for 15-20 min to reduce swelling and help ease the pain. Wrap the injured area firmly with an elastic bandage to limit the swelling and to protect the injury. Stay off the injury. It may take up to 3 weeks to heal. 

  Open Wounds and Cuts

Most small wounds, such as cuts and scrapes, can be easily treated when you are camping.

⦁ Apply pressure to the wound to stop any bleeding. 
⦁ Run clean water over the wound to remove any particles or dirt. Wash the skin around the wound with soap and rinse.
⦁ Apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a bandage; change as necessary to keep wound clean as it heals.

If the wound has an object embedded in it, such as a fishing lure, do not remove it. Instead, go to the URGENT CARE,

so that it can be removed safely without causing additional damage.

Bee stings and insect bites

Take an antihistamine as soon as possible or aid the person in retrieving their emergency EPI pen.

Seek emergency care immediately if you notice signs of an allergic reaction: 

⦁ Difficulty breathing
⦁ Swelling of the face, throat or mouth 
⦁ Wheezing or difficulty swallowing

You will be able to remove the stinger by scraping it off. Don't pinch it, this will only release more poison into the affected area. Take Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen for pain relief and a antihistamine to help alleviate itching. After washing the bite with soap and rinsing with water you can apply a paste of baking soda and water or for our holistic persons, they will probably use essential oils (tips will be in a future blog) If you apply an ice pack over a barrier such as a towel for 15-20 min it will help reduce swelling and help ease the pain also.

Skin Irritants (Poison Ivy or Oak)  

Before starting treatment remove your clothes and place the garments in a plastic garbage bag until you are ready to wash them, as a separate load.

 Applying rubbing alcohol will dissolve the oils that have been transferred from the leaf to your skin. Rinse the area with cool water for 10-15 min, as warm or hot water will open the pores and allow the toxin to penetrate deeper. I have used Dawn dish soap to remove the oils from the plant, remember to wash everywhere, including under your nails. After you are finished with the wash cloth (men DO need to use a wash cloth lol) take it and the towel you used and place them into the plastic bag you used for your clothes earlier. 

If you have a young child clip their fingernails immediately to prevent scratching. Take a antihistamine, use a paste that consists of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply to the rash and leave on to dry. Apply every few hours. You can also apply buttermilk or yogurt, these methods help draw the fluid from your blisters. After the fluid is drawn out, then you can apply topical creams and lotions to reduce the itching you may feel a few hours later.

Weather Induced Injury

There is no way to explain this without much detail, however I can give you tips that may help you to stay alive:

If you hear thunder, it means you should seek shelter immediately. Do not go into your tent, instead go into your vehicle, which will provide you better protection from the current of a lightening strike. When you are seeking shelter avoid large meadows, crests of a ridge, or lone trees. The best place for cover during this situation is in a dense forest, located in a valley or a depression. Try to pick an area where the trees appear to be the same height. Hiding in a dense forest will reduce the chances of ground currents coming in contact with you.

Why Dogs Wear Boots

Part Two

My dog will never let me put those things on his feet! If your dog isn’t used to having his feet handled you may have to start by touching his feet, then praise him with a treat, and stop. When you can touch all 4 feet without any issues from your pet you are ready to move on to training.

Supplies Needed

Fido
Friend
Leash
Booties
Very small treats

Training

Day 1-4

It is important to keep the bootie attached to your pets’ foot, meaning do not let him walk out or kick off the bootie, you may need your friend to hold your pet in place.

Take the bootie and slip it onto one of his feet, then treat him, remove the bootie and stop. Do a different foot daily until you have completely had a bootie on each foot.

Training

Day 5-6

The idea here is the same as the 1st four days except you will boot up 2 feet at a time until all 4 booties are on your dog successfully. Your dog might have problems walking across a slippery surface, so start your pet walking on carpet or outside on the grass. With your love and plenty of treats your pet will be willing to protect his paws with every step he takes out the door.

Molly Loves her boots! 

DOES YOUR DOG WEAR BOOTS?

What pet owner likes to clean mud and dirt off their dog’s paws?  I remember back in the 70s, in an attempt to weather-proof our dog’s paws, my mom tried to put plastic sandwich bags on "Suds" our young German Short-haired Pointer. I found myself laughing while watching her straddle him, then pick up a paw and slide the bag on before securing it with tape. Unfortunately, his paw poked out of the end of the bag, and she had to start all over. When she finally secured the last foot, it was time to take him out into the soaked yard with umbrella in hand. This breed of dogs is known for its stubbornness, and he didn’t want to move an inch because of this funny-feeling material on his feet.  

Round 2 had my mom going to the refrigerator to get something the dog loved to eat. This didn’t go as planned either because my mother would wiggle it in front of Sud’s nose, and then pull it away to make him move towards the door, but he always seemed to grab the treat from her hand before she could get him to move an inch.  

My mother decided it was time to get out the big guns; not my dad as one would have thought, but a leash and me. She tugged from the front and I pushed from the back. What a sight that would have been if anyone could have seen us. Finally, success! Suds made it to just outside the door, and mom took off his leash to “let him go”. Only he didn't go; he stood there in the rain, all forlorn, with his plastic booties on all wrapped up with tape.  

Mom and I watched him through the open door until finally he moved. Not what you’re thinking I bet…he decided he would rather lift one foot and shake it and repeat. Yes, he was trying hard to get the booties off. When this didn't work, he decided to shake, rattle and roll. Mom and I were laughing so hard because it was funny to watch him try to figure out how to get them off his feet. Eventually he did his duty and came to the door and mom took off what was left of the booties; they didn't hold up as well as one would have expected with dog doing the jitterbug. Mom had thought "how hard can this be?" You put plastic bags on, secure with tape, let dog out and let dog back in. Not so much. And she never attempted this again. 

Seriously, there are products out now that do protect your dogs’ feet from cold, hot pavement or sand, cuts, etc. These products were not available to the consumer “back in the day”. People are becoming aware of the importance of protecting their pets’ paws. Believe it or not, dogs do not have indestructible paw pads. As pet owners, we should provide the same comfort and safety as we do for our children.  

If you think your dog will never let you put booties on his/her feet, please be aware that with minimal training this can be achieved, and isn't your furry friend worth it? 

Come back next week to find out how to successfully put on booties on your pets’ feet.