June 2014 - In This Issue:

 

 

 

 

Did you know that injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages - and they are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44. The good news is everyone can get involved to help prevent injuries.

During National Safety Month, Nugget Alaskan Outfitter is working with community members to help reduce the risk of injuries. This June, we encourage you to learn more about important safety issues like prescription drug abuse, distracted driving, slips, trips, falls and wilderness survival.

• Prescription drug abuse: Prescription painkiller overdoses are a growing problem in the United States, especially among women. About 18 women die every day from a prescription painkiller overdose - more than 4 times as many as back in 1999.
• Slips, trips, and falls: One in 3 older adults falls each year. Many falls lead to broken bones and other health problems. Acciden�tal injuries are the third-highest cause of death in Alaska, twice the national incidence rate [source: Alaska Division of Public Health]. In addition to car accidents, this category of fatalities can also include people falling down mountains or slipping in the spaces between glaciers, called crevasses. Of those accidental deaths, drowning is the third-highest cause [source: Alaska Department of Public Safety].
• Distracted driving: Doing other activities while driving - like texting or eating - increases your chance of crashing. Almost 1 in 5 crashes (18%) that injured someone involved distracted driving. (www.Healthfinder.gov) 
• Of the hundreds of search and rescue operations performed each year, a majority are the result of people literally becoming lost in the middle of nowhere. More then half of the nation's federally-designated wilderness lies in Alaska [source: National Agricultural Law Center], and many of the permanent disappearances in Alaska are linked to the pristine, yet sometimes perilous, natural elements. (Cristen Conger, Missing in Alaska, Associated Press)

So how can you help prevent accidents and injury when you are on an outdoor adventure? The answer is to BE PREPARED! Your adventure began with an idea or a suggestion for a fun place to visit. To make it a reality, you must go on to the planning stage which encompasses: location, timing, travel and essentials. Essentials include food and water, food preparation, packs, clothing, shelter, fire starters, first aid kits, personal hygiene, communication and navigation devices, light sources, tools, and personal security (e.g. guns or bear spray). The last and most important part of your plan should include telling someone, where you are going and what time you will be back. Your life could depend on Search and Rescue (SAR) teams being able to reach you in a timely manner, and they can't do that if they don't know where to start looking.

PREPARED SURVIVAL is being ready for almost any type of outdoor survival situation by packing & carrying a survival kit or at least a handful of useful items that will help keep you alive until you are rescued or find your way back home or to civilization.

UNPREPARED SURVIVAL is not carrying any survival gear before venturing off into the great outdoors. And should something happen you'll either have to learn some really quick survival skills the hard way or you will most likely die of thirst, hunger, hypothermia or some type of injury or all four.

Important questions to answer as you do your planning:

• Are the equipment and supplies necessary to fulfill your needs going to be based on how cheap they are, or on the quality, value, and reliability of the product?  What is your budget for purchases in this category?
• What are the repercussions or benefits from the choices that are made? 
• Who is affected? 
• What chances are you willing to take with inferior and inadequate provisions? 
• What changes in weather should you prepare for? 

�        What is the probable availability of essential goods and services where you are going for your adventure?  (By Denis Korn,

 

The Nugget Alaskan Outfitter can help you with the following packing list items:

Tent, packs, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, water bottles, water purification, food, food preparation, fire starters, light sources, clothing and outer wear, footwear, socks, personal hygiene kits, navigation devices, knives, bear spray and bear bells, energy supplements, hats, gloves and much more to make your outdoor adventure or vacation safe and comfortable.

http://www.nuggetoutfitter.com