How to Prepare for and Deal With a Flood.

The vast flood plains that surround the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers are prone to frequent flooding. A quarter of the population of the U.S. lives in these plains.

There are also unexpected cloudbursts which can occur in any part of the country, as well as hurricanes along coastal areas that can inundate an area in a matter of hours.

Hikingware.com recommends you follow these guidelines if you live in a flood plain, or are in any danger of becoming a victim of a flood:

Your Pets Need to be Part of Your Emergency Preparation Plans

Hikingware reminds you that emergencies come in many forms, and they may require anything from a brief absence from your home to permanent evacuation. Each type of disaster requires different measures to keep your pets safe. The best thing you can do for yourself and your pets is to be prepared.

Step 1: Get a Rescue Alert Sticker

This easy-to-use sticker will let people know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers, and that it includes 1) the types and number of pets in your household; 2) the name of your veterinarian; and 3) your veterinarian's phone number. If you must evacuate with your pets, and if time allows, write "EVACUATED" across the stickers.

To get a free ASCPA emergency pet alert sticker for your home, please fill out this online order form; please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Your local pet supply store may also sell similar stickers.

Step 2: Arrange a Safe Haven

Arrange a safe haven for your pets in the event of evacuation. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. Remember, if it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your pets. They may become trapped or escape and be exposed to numerous life-threatening hazards. Note that not all Red Cross disaster shelters accept pets, so it is imperative that you have determined where you will bring your pets ahead of time:

• Contact your veterinarian for a list of preferred boarding kennels and facilities.
• Ask your local animal shelter if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets.
• Identify hotels or motels outside of your immediate area that accept pets.
• Ask friends and relatives outside your immediate area if they would be willing to take in your pet.

Step 3: Pet Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits

Keep an Evac-Pack and supplies handy for your pets. Make sure that everyone in the family knows where it is. This kit should be clearly labeled and easy to carry. Items to consider keeping in or near your pack include:

• Pet first-aid kit and guide book (ask your vet what to include)
• 3-7 days' worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
• Litter or paper toweling
• Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
• Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
• Pet feeding dishes
• Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
• Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires (Remember, food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit—otherwise they may go bad or become useless.)
• Bottled water, at least 7 days' worth for each person and pet (store in a cool, dry place and replace every two months)
• A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet
• Flashlight
• Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
• Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make "Lost" posters)
• Especially for cats: Pillowcase or EvackSack, toys, scoopable litter
• Especially for dogs: Extra leash, toys and chew toys, a week's worth of cage liner.

Step 4: Choose “Designated Caregivers”

This step will take considerable time and thought. When choosing a temporary caregiver, consider someone who lives close to your residence. He or she should be someone who is generally home during the day while you are at work or has easy access to your home. A set of keys should be given to this trusted individual. This may work well with neighbors who have pets of their own—you may even swap responsibilities, depending upon who has accessibility.

When selecting a permanent caregiver, you’ll need to consider other criteria. This is a person to whom you are entrusting the care of your pet in the event that something should happen to you. When selecting this "foster parent," consider people who have met your pet and have successfully cared for animals in the past. Be sure to discuss your expectations at length with a permanent caregiver, so he or she understands the responsibility of caring for your pet.

Step 5: Evacuation Preparation

If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced, follow the instructions of local and state officials. To minimize evacuation time, take these simple steps:

• Store an emergency kit and leashes as close to an exit as possible.
• Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. Your pet's ID tag should contain his name, telephone number, and any urgent medical needs. Be sure to write your pet's name, your name and contact information on your pet's carrier.
• The ASPCA recommends microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification. A microchip is implanted in the animal's shoulder area, and can be read by scanner at most animal shelters.
• Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis.
• Consider your evacuation route and call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of disaster.

Step 6: Geographic and Climatic Considerations

Do you live in an area that is prone to certain natural catastrophes, such as tornadoes, earthquakes or floods? If so, you should plan accordingly.

• Determine well in advance which rooms offer safe havens. These rooms should be clear of hazards such as windows, flying debris, etc.
• Choose easy-to-clean areas such as utility rooms, bathrooms, and basements as safe zones.
• Access to a supply of fresh water is particularly important. In areas that may lose electricity, fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure that you have access to water during a power outage or other crises.
• In the event of flooding, go to the highest location in your home, or a room that has access to counters or high shelves where your animals can take shelter.

If emergency officials recommend that you stay in your home, it's crucial that you keep your pets with you. Keep your Evac-Pack and supplies close at hand. Your pets may become stressed during the in-house confinement, so you may consider crating them for safety and comfort.

Your Children in a Disaster – Do They Know What to Do?

Disasters affect children differently than they do adults. Hikingware wants you not only to be prepared for a disaster by having an adequate supply of food and water, but also, if you have children, to be aware of their special needs:

Children’s bodies are different from adults’ bodies.

• They are more likely to get sick or severely injured.
• They breathe in more air per pound of body weight than adults do.
• They have thinner skin, and more of it per pound of body weight (higher surface-to-mass ratio).
• Fluid loss (e.g. dehydration, blood loss) can have a bigger effect on children because they have less fluid in their bodies.
• They are more likely to lose too much body heat.
• They spend more time outside and on the ground. They also put their hands in their mouths more often than adults do.

Children need help from adults in an emergency.

• They don’t fully understand how to keep themselves safe.
• Older children and adolescents may take their cues from others.
• Young children may freeze, cry, or scream.
• They may not be able to explain what hurts or bothers them.
• They are more likely to get the care they need when they have parents or other caregivers around.
• Laws require an adult to make medical decisions for a child.
• There is limited information on the ways some illnesses and medicines affect children. Sometimes adults will have to make decisions with the information they have.

Mental stress from a disaster can be harder on children.

• They feel less of a sense of control.
• They understand less about the situation.
• They have fewer experiences bouncing back from hard situations.

Teach your child one parent's cell-phone number or a good contact number. Starting at around age 5, kids are developmentally ready to memorize a 7- or 10-digit number. Practice with your child and turn the phone number into a song, like a modified version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Designate an out-of-state contact. This will be a resource and point person for your family to call.

Choose a location other than your home where your family can meet. You'll need to go there in case of a fire or an earthquake, for example. Your meeting place might be a local park, school, or shelter. Walk to the site with your child so he knows exactly how to get there.

Designate a trusted friend or family member who can pick up your kid at child care or school if you are unable to get there in a disaster situation. Be sure that you give official permission to release your child to that person.

Make a card with your plan for each adult's wallet. Include contact names, your emergency location, and the out-of-state contact number. Put a copy in your school-age child's backpack, and discuss the plan with your kids.

Inform caregivers and nearby relatives of your plan. Be sure to give a copy of your plan to your child's teacher too.

Write a letter for your child to have in case of an emergency and leave it with child care or school.

If you're not good at texting, improve your skills. When cell- phone signal strength goes down, texting often still works because it uses less bandwidth and network capacity.

Look into how at-risk your own area may be. Contact your local fire department and school to inquire about specific threats to your neighborhood such as unstable trees, streets prone to flooding, or transportation challenges.

After gathering that info, it's essential to figure out how your neighbors can work together in the event of an emergency. For example, if you're a nurse or a teacher, you may have a comprehensive first-aid kit available, and if a carpenter lives on your street, he might have tools or equipment that would be useful in an emergency. Pool your expertise and resources! It will ultimately save lives.

Probably the most important thing to remember when dealing with children in an emergency is that children act as a mirror to adult feelings, attitudes and emotions around them. So try to stay calm, reasonable, and, if at all possible, even upbeat about the situation. Don’t mislead children into thinking everything is perfectly fine, but be careful how much of the truth you dole out to them – they don’t need to know everything, and they will need reassurance more than anything else.

The Can Opener and I.

HikingWare is proud to present another original humor piece by noted poet and blogger Tim Torkildson. Mr. Torkildson’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Here he takes us on a trip down memory lane with that ubiquitous survival tool and instrument of torture, the can opener!

The Crisco Kid

Growing up in a traditional 1950’s household, my mother forbade me to mess with anything in the kitchen. The kitchen was her private domain, and, for better or for worse, she was the only personage allowed to open cupboards, fiddle with dials on the stove, and mix stuff up in bowls.

I grew to resent this overbearing attitude on her part, so one day I waited for her to go down to the corner grocery for a bottle of Lysol and a can of Carnation evaporated milk and stepped into the inner sanctum to see what I could see.

My eye immediately rested on a shiny new can of Crisco vegetable shortening, sitting on the draining board of the sink, waiting to be opened. In those days you took a little key that was glued on the top of the can and carefully inserted it into a metal strip at the top of the can. You then wound the key around and around, pulling off the metal strip to remove the metal lid. This operation not only opened the can of vegetable shortening, but revealed a razor-sharp edge that was meant to cut open naughty little boy’s fingers.

Which it did. When my mother returned she found me racing around her heretofore immaculate kitchen, screaming bloody murder with a dish towel wrapped around my disemboweled digit.

The doctor put in 3 stitches. And I began to hate everything to do with opening cans.

The Swiss Army Knife

My Victorinox was a beauty. Shiny red and chock full of blades and doo-dads. The one-page instructions that came with it (printed in French, Italian AND Spanish!) told me it included a can-opener – which I assumed was the funny-looking dingus with a bladed hook on the end.

The summer of my senior year in high school my pal Wayne and I planned a long fishing trip up to Canada. We made reservations for a campsite on the shores of a pine-fringed lake, packed the tent and equipment, and took off in my older brother’s rusty Corvette that devoured oil and spewed fumes like a volcano.

Once the tent was up at the campsite we headed into town for the REAL purpose of our expedition – to buy and consume BEER! Because in Canada you could get it when you turned 17 – or anyway they never asked any questions at the general store.

Neither Wayne nor I had much experience as drinkers, so when we got the beer cans back to the tent they were warm – and that’s when it hit us we had no way to open them, since this was long before the days of the pop top. Luckily, I told Wayne, my Swiss Army Knife contained a can opener of sorts, and we would soon be swilling suds like the hardened topers we considered ourselves to be.

But the damn thing refused to open a breach in the cans of Molson. So we had recourse to a screwdriver and hammer. By this time the warm beer had been shaken up quite a bit. When Wayne struck the first blow the agitated brew erupted like Old Faithful, soaking the canvas tent.

That smell lingered in the canvas after we packed up and came home – and both of us caught holy you-know-what when our parents sniffed out our misdemeanor.

Can opening continued to be a sore point with me.

The Electric Can Opener.

As a householder with a family, I thought it wise to invest in an electric can opener. I was wrong. Although my wife Amy could with impunity place a can under the little metal wheel and open any can in a jiffy, it was a different kettle of smelt when I tried it. The can would start to open, and then go sideways to spill all the liquid out. Or I couldn’t make the ridge of the can top catch on the blasted little wheel, and it would grind away in futility – revolving the can like a merry-go-round without ever opening it.

One frantic day when Amy was away and it was my job to feed the ravening hoard we sardonically called our lovely children, I attempted to open an oversized can of spaghetti sauce. This time the electric can opener really went cattywampus. There was red sauce on the floor, on the windows and on the ceiling – but there was none leftover to put on the noodles. So the kids ate them plain, with butter and salt and pepper. They could see the dangerous gleam in my eye that warned them to remain mum or suffer the Wrath of Khan.

When Amy returned I had most of the sauce cleaned up – but, y’know, that stuff really leaves a stain no matter how much Comet you sprinkle on it and scrub.

Amy summarily banished me from the precincts of the can opener, for life.

In my mellow old age . . .

I manage to do without a can opener entirely. I eat frozen foods and fresh foods. And if I do get a hankering for some Progresso Split Pea with Bacon or a bit of Chef Boyardee, I make sure to get the cans that have the Easy Open lid.

You just pull on the tab, and . . .

It comes off in your friggin’ finger . . .

And you throw the can away and call Dominoes.

Scouting with Hikingware

The Boy Scouts of America program is now over 100 years old. It has proven to be a solid benefit to the boys and men who have participated in it, as well as to the communities in which it functions.

Part of the Scout Motto is “Be Prepared”. The Scouting Program in the United States emphasizes that scouts should be willing and able to offer help during times of crises and emergency.

Hikingware.com urges parents and others concerned with the welfare of their community to actively support the Boy Scout Program through membership and donations. In a disaster, anyone who has developed required skills is going to be an important member of any relief program.

Emergency preparedness means being prepared for all kinds of emergencies, able to respond in time of crisis to save lives and property and to help a community—or even a nation—return to normal life after a disaster occurs. To encourage Scouts of all ages to be prepared for emergency situations, the BSA has approved an Emergency Preparedness Award program for members of all ages.

When a member has fulfilled the requirements, a completed application is submitted to the council. Upon approval, the Emergency Preparedness Award is awarded. The pin may be worn on civilian clothing or on the uniform, centered on the left pocket flap. The award may be earned more than once; for instance, as a young person advances through the ranks and is capable of more complex preparedness activities, but only one pin should be worn.

It is a challenge to be prepared for emergencies in our world of man-made and natural phenomena. The Emergency Preparedness BSA program is planned to inspire the desire and foster the skills to meet this challenge in our youth and adult members so that they can participate effectively in this crucial service to their families, communities, and nation.

The emergencies of today's world demand more than ever that our young people and adults be trained as individuals and as units to meet emergency situations. The importance of this training is not new to the Boy Scouts of America, as Scouting has always taught youth to be prepared for all types of emergencies. Since Scouting began in the United States, Scouts have responded to the needs of their communities and nation in time of crisis.

When an emergency occurs, it affects every youth and adult member of BSA in the immediate area, creating the responsibility to respond first, as an individual; second, as a member of a family; and third, as a member of a Scouting unit serving the neighborhood and community. Because of these multiple levels of responsibility, the Emergency Preparedness BSA plan includes training for individual, family, and unit preparedness. Special training in all three areas is a prerequisite for BSA members conducting any type of emergency service in their communities.

Individual Preparedness

• The primary emphasis of this initial step in the program is to train members to be mentally and emotionally prepared to act promptly and to develop in them the ability to take care of themselves.
• Teaching young people to know and be able to use practical survival skills when needed is an important part of individual preparedness.

Family Preparedness

• Since family groups will be involved in most emergency situations, this part of the plan includes basic instructions to help every Scouting family prepare for emergencies. Families will work together to learn basic emergency skills and how to react when faced with fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, explosions, warning signals, fallout protection, terrorism attacks, and other emergency situations.

Community Preparedness

• The program fosters the desire to help others and teaches members how to serve their communities in age-appropriate ways. By taking the age-appropriate First Aid for Children course (Tiger Cubs) and Basic Aid Training (Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts), these boys help ease the burden on the family and community resources. Through all Scouting ranks and for adult members, the responsibilities and skills for community service increase with the members' maturity.

A community with a strong Scouting program is going to be a strong community in a disaster.

Do You Have a Survival Kit Ready?

The Red Cross describes being prepared as “being equipped with the proper supplies you may need in the event of an emergency or disaster.” This event or disaster can be anywhere from an earthquake to civil unrest. In order to keep you and your family safe, think about preparing easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kits for your home or to travel with. Having a well-thought out survival kit on hand really can mean the difference between life and death.

Our experts at Hikingware suggest that if you have not gotten your survival supplies yet that you go about getting them in an organized manner. Don’t try to get everything at once. Buy one item a week, and soon you’ll have everything you need in the event of a man-made or natural disaster.

The American Red Cross endorses the list below as a basic emergency inventory:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit – Anatomy of a First Aid Kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

Once you have the basics secured and placed where they can be easily reached, you may want to consider adding these other items to help you through a disaster:

• Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc)
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Games and activities for children
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
• Two-way radios
• Extra set of car keys and house keys
• Manual can opener

Depending on where you live and the kind of natural disasters your area is prone to, you may also want to include some, or all, of the following:

• Whistle
• N95 or surgical masks
• Matches
• Rain gear
• Towels
• Work gloves
• Tools/supplies for securing your home
• Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
• Plastic sheeting
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Household liquid bleach
• Entertainment items
• Blankets or sleeping bags

In addition, always make sure that you have a way of knowing where all your family members are at any given moment. Cell phones with GPS are now standard, so that may be the way your family wants to go. ID bracelets around the wrist are a very good idea for children who are still too young to give a coherent account of who they are and where they live in the event of a catastrophe.

Don’t become disturbed or fearful as you make the above preparations. Life is always going to be full of challenges, and it’s our duty and privilege to prepare to meet them. Remember these stirring words of Isabel Allende: “We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.”

Do you have any other suggestions for survival gear that’s missing from our list? Let us know in the comments! Who knows, maybe we’ll even start carrying some of your suggestions!

How Well Will You Eat During the Next Disaster?

MREs or “Meals, Ready to Eat” have long been used in the military but it wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina, the threat of Y2K and other natural disasters that a civilian demand for MREs was known. Unfortunately, companies that produce MREs are not allowed to publically sell them which create a demand that we at Hikingware are happy to fulfill.

We are proud to announce that we now have civilian MREs, with many different varieties of meals to choose from. There is no need to add water and the meals can be eaten anywhere at any time. Each meal contains the complete calories and nutrients of a regular meal. Here is an entertaining look back at the history of early efforts to provide meals for our military while they were out on the battlefield. It should bring back some memories (and perhaps a touch of indigestion!) to our older veterans. Reserve Ration: This early 1900s MRE was a field ration that included one pound of dehydrated meat (i.e. jerky) and hard tack biscuits. Yum.

C-Ration: Because the Reserve Ration had such low nutritional quality, in 1938, the C-Ration took its place in the military. Where the Reserve Ration composed of dehydrated meat and hand biscuits, the C-Ration was a canned, pre-cooked “wet” ration. C-Rations were meant as a worst case scenario type food and were intended for limited consumption like when there was no access to a camp kitchen (A-Ration) or to unprepared, pre-packaged (B-Ration). Unfortunately they ended up being pretty popular, and we’re using the term popular lightly, during World War II. Just like their predecessor, they lacked variety and consisted of only M-units and B-units; known to civilians as meat and bread.

MCI: In 1958, C-Rations were replaced by another wet ration type of food called MRIs aka the Meal, Combat, Individual Ration. Unfortunately for the soldiers subject to these rations there was little improvement made in the transition from C-Rations. They were used in the military until 1975 when the first MRE was developed.

MREs: Even after the MRE was created, they did not taste very good and were given a range fo nicknames by soldiers. Some of them were “Mr. E” (mystery), “Meals Rejected by Everyone”, “Meals, Rarely Edible”, “Meals Rejected by the Enemy”, “Morsels, Regurgitated, Eviscerated”, “Meal, Ready to Excrete”, “Materials Resembling Edibles”, and even “Meals Rejected by Ethiopians”. An individual meal that received its own personal nickname was the frankfurter. They came in packages of four and were referred to as the “four fingers of death”. Although quality has improved over the years, many of the nicknames have stuck.

One of the number one complaints about these older MREs was that they had a very low dietary fiber content which caused constipation and even more nicknames. Some of the examples of the nicknames are “Meals Refusing to Exit”, “Meals Refusing to Excrete” or “Massive Rectal Expulsions”. It has been quoted that in December 2006 comedian Al Franken (on his 8th USO tour at the time) joked to troops in Iraq that he’d had his fifth MRE so far and “none of them had an exit strategy”.

All joking aside, MREs have come a long way since their initial creation as the Reserve Ration. Now MREs come in a variety of flavors and with many different menu options helping to break up the monotony of mushed up meat and bread every time a soldier sits down to a meal. Our civilian MREs offer up to 1,300 calories a meal and can be eaten any place, any time.

Do you have any nicknames for MREs or any experiences eating the newer civilian MREs you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Tim Torkildson is a nationally-known writer and editor whose work has appeared in the New York Times. He currently works as an editor for Tork Media.