Many of us at Adventure® Medical Kits just got back from another busy but greatOutdoor Retailer Summer Market — the trade show for leading outdoor manufacturers and retailers, which takes place the first week of August in Salt Lake City, UT. Prior to and during the show, AMK was recognized by OR’s organizers as one of its ’40+ Legacy Partners’. The initiative, which included special call-outs on OR’s website and signage on the convention floor, honored AMK as one of only 54 companies that has exhibited at Outdoor Retailer for at least 40 shows. Below is a summary of other highlights that occurred during OR:
SOL ORIGIN & CORE LITE MANIA!
Buyers and media alike couldn’t get enough of the company’s first ever line of Essential Tools, the SOL Origin and Core Lite. The Origin was prominently featured on the local Salt Lake ABC affiliate and Park City Television, among a plethora of other media outlets. Representing AMK’s first entry into hard goods, the Origin and Core Lite — which will also be the first products to be released under the newly minted SOL brand — offer a multitude of survival components that will save your bacon, if you’re lost, hurt or stranded in the outdoors. Among other items, both the Origin and the Core Lite come with a fully featured knife — a folding AUS-8 locking blade with easy-grip handle that includes a built-in LED light and single-frequency, pea-less whistle. Both products will hit store shelves later this year — just in time for the holiday rush!
AMK ATHLETES IN THE BOOTH
Plenty of AMK’s athletes and other industry notables stopped by the booth, including International Mountain Guides‘ partners Eric Simonson and George Dunn. George recently became the first person to ever summit Mt. Rainier 500 times. An amazing milestone. Congratulations George! Only 500 more till you reach 1000, right? Women’s World Mountain Bike Champ Rebecca Rusch also hung out in the booth. Rebecca was preparing to compete in the Leadville 100, which is coming up this weekend. Rebecca won the event in ’09 and is gunning for the two-pete this year. Best of luck, Rebecca!
Rebecca Rusch hanging out in the AMK booth
Throughout the show, AMK was also helping to raise money for Epicocity’s Elephant Ivory Project, which aims to end the practice of elephant poaching in Africa. National Geographic Channel’s Young Explorer grant winner Trip Jennings and the Epicocity Crew are currently raising funds for a forensic biology expedition to the remote jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo this fall, with the goal of saving wild elephants from the illegal ivory trade. You can help the cause directly, by donating money to the project here.
During the OR show, AMK also donated DEET-free Natrapel® 8 hour insect repellent and Ultralight/Watertight medical kits to the Four Corners School of Outdoor Education(FCS), a Monticello, Utah-based non-profit organization that provides outdoor education on and about the Colorado Plateau located in parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. According to executive director and founder Janet Ross, the Natrapel® 8 hour was sure to be an indispensable item for the trip the FCS was organizing for a group of outdoor industry leaders to the Canyonlands and Arches National Park, following the conclusion of OR. To learn more about the great work the FCS does, go here.
It’s hard to believe it already came and went, but it was another amazing Summer OR show for Adventure® Medical Kits. Now the real work begins, getting the new products onto retailers’ shelves – oh yeah, and preparing for Winter OR 2011. It’s, like, only six months away!
Read below climber Paul Warman’s first-person account on how Adventure Medical Kits’ Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy helped save his life and that of a friend, after the two had become stranded near the summit of British Columbia’s Bugaboo Spire.
Hello,
I would like to take a moment to give a heartfelt thanks to you guys. If it wasn’t for your HeatSheets Emergency Bivvy, we would not be here today.
Click image to view video of climber Paul Warman's rescue near summit of Bugaboo Spire.
Long story short, in August 2008, myself and a friend were trapped on the top of Bugaboo Spire in a bad storm awaiting rescue for 56 hours. When pulled, we were hypothermic, out of food, water and hope. The silver emergency blanket we had taken along was shredded by the wind and we were forced to spend the final 20 hours on a super narrow ledge with your Heatsheets blanket “bag,” which we sliced to cover us both. It was probably about the most intense field test one could subject a product to — high altitude, UV, snow and rain, windy as hell, etc. I still have the tattered remains of the bag. It did the job where the others had failed miserably the first night. This thing kept going – providing a 20 degree increase in temperature, I’m guessing — and was enough to keep us alive.
As a climber who tends to be a bit on the cheap side, I had seen your bivvies at Mountain Equipment Co-op before the climb and thought that they were too expensive. I opted instead to buy a cheapo silver one – BIG MISTAKE. Following my experience on Bugaboo Spire, I don’t even let friends go out without your Heatsheets Bivvy on trips. If they complain about the price, I calmly pose the question, “How much is your life worth?” and then slap a new one in their hands. Because there is no doubt that the durability of the silver ones just doesn’t hold up.
In fact, I still have both blankets from the trip (or what’s left of them) and the silver ones look like a shredded sheet of clear polyester. Yours, although no longer really usable (crampon spikes don’t like anything soft), would still work in a bind. The bright orange coating helped greatly in enabling the helicopters to locate us when the whiteout cleared for a few quick seconds, allowing for a quick extrication off of the mountain. By “quick,” I mean there was only a four-minute window for the next bunch of days, which means if we hadn’t gotten off the ledge when we did we would not be here today.
My message to you fine folks is of genuine heartfelt thanks. Your Emergency Bivvy Works! Others just fail in comparison.
It’s always gratifying whenever we hear that an Adventure Medical Kits’ product has helped someone out of a major jam. Such was the case last April, when we received a call from Mike Mason, who informed us that, thanks in part to AMK’s Thermo-Lite 2 Bivvy, his son Scott was able to survive three chilly nights in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
The younger Mason had been solo hiking near Mount Clay when he hurt his ankle, tried to take a shortcut through a river pass and got lost. Rapidly melting snow had swollen the river, making it impossible to cross and Mason was subsequently forced to hunker down for the next three days, before being found by rescuers.
Mason after 3-day ordeal in White Mountains
What’s not so gratifying, certainly for the Mason household, was when the N.H. government slapped Scott with a bill for $25,734.65 to cover the cost of a three-day search and rescue mission it had initiated after he was reported missing. Even though Mason, an Eagle Scout, showed tremendous survival savvy — at night he slept in the crevice of a boulder for shelter and used an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to start fires — the N.H. government determined that he was negligent because he veered off of a marked path and did not adequately anticipate the problems that melting snow would pose in finding a route back down the mountain.
Mason has since hired a lawyer to negotiate a settlement. One of Mason’s scoutmasters also started a Facebook page — “Rescue Scott Mason – Again” — to help raise money to offset the hefty fine and the family’s legal costs, which according to a recent wall post now total $5,000.
Currently, New Hampshire is one of eight states with laws on the books that allow it to recoup the costs of search and rescue missions. However, lately New Hampshire is the only state that has attempted to bill people. Last year, it strengthened the law, allowing it to suspend the hiking, fishing and driver’s licenses of individuals who refuse to pay.
In a recent AP article, New Hampshire State officials argued that the threat of a fine should encourage outdoor enthusiasts to be better prepared before they head out on the trail. Not all in search and rescue (SAR) services, however, are convinced of the benefits of this policy.
Dr. Chris Van Tilburg, editor of Wilderness Medicine magazine and a member of Crag Rats Mountain Rescue, located in Hood River, OR, says the law is highly problematic.
“If hikers or climbers are concerned about the costs they may face, they may put off calling for help, which can hinder their chances for survival,” says Van Tilburg, who was part of the team that attempted to rescue three climbers who became stranded on Mt. Hood, in 2006.
“We don’t charge people requiring law enforcement or fire department services, so charging for SAR services seems unfair,” he added.
What do you think? Should outdoor enthusiasts who aren’t prepared be charged for search and rescue missions? Should Scott Mason have been fined?
AMK’s Light & Fast Adventurer kit made a cameo appearance on the October 11th broadcast of the hit reality TV series, The Amazing Race. In episode 4, the Adventurer shows up when contestants Zev and Justin arrive at the Shrine Wat Phnom, one of the key pit stops in the show, which this season in set in Cambodia. Though leading at the time, the two realize that they’ve misplaced their passports and if they can’t find them soon they’ll lose the race.
They proceed to empty their backpacks, which is when we see the Adventurer kit, strewn amongst clothes and other items.
Spoiler Alert: Zev and Justin are ultimately eliminated by the end of show. Oh, well. Good to know reality TV stars select the best medical kits available.
It’s not the first time Hollywood has taken an interest in AMK’s products. A few years ago, an episode of The Ghost Whispererincluded the Pocket Survival Pak. AfterBite had a walk-on in the 2007 Scarlett Johansson flick The Nanny Diaries. And more recently, the producers of Survive This, hosted by survival expert Les Stroud, used several of AMK’s survival kits and bivvies.
Upcoming: AMK’s AfterBite insect bite and sting treatment as well as Natrapel 8 hour and Ben’s insect repellents are slated to appear in the new disaster flick 2012, due out November 13th .
If you see an AMK product in a movie or TV show, e-mail us at questions@adventuremedicalkits.com and — if we haven’t heard of it — we’ll send you a prize.
I just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much I enjoy your medical kits. I’ve used them for several years when traveling in Colorado and Moab. They’ve always served me well when an injury occurs. With this experience, when it came time to update the first aid kit for my SWAT Team I choose to use Adventure Medical Kits. Well, it turned out to be a great choice! Last week we were conducting our “SWAT Applicant Test” and we were on the Missouri River bluffs, outside Leavenworth, Kansas conducting some land navigation courses when one of the SWAT applicants collapsed. We immediately moved the applicant to a cliff and I began evaluating his injury. The first thing I did was grab my AMK “Adventurer” kit and pulled out the “The Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine”. The guide helped me determine that the applicant was suffering from heat stroke and shock. I immediately treated him based on the guide’s advice. We summoned an ambulance and had to evacuate the applicant off the cliff and over a quarter mile down the river bluff and through some dense woods. I’m please to say, that after a two day stay in a local hospital the SWAT applicant is back at work.
I can not stress enough how much your product has helped me in critical
situations and therefore you’ll have a customer for life.
Sincerely,
Paul Carrill, Captain, Platte County Sheriffs Department
I am happy to report that your survival kit helped me to survive an unplanned night in Point Reyes this past January. A friend and I went hiking around Abbott’s Lagoon. At the end of the trail, we walked along the beach. It was an overcast, cold day and we didn’t realize how late it was and so it was almost sunset when we headed back towards the trail. It seemed simple enough to follow the beach along until we saw the trail that went around the lagoon. But we got completely disoriented and were not sure where to pick up the trail. We tried to follow close to the lagoon to pick up the trail but this didn’t work (In the morning we realized that had walked to a much further end of the lagoon.) We were lost. And it was already cold.
Before we left for the hike, I returned to my car to get my hat. When I went back I noticed my Survival Kit, which I usually leave in the car. I bought it after I read about the Kim family who had been trapped in the wilderness, in their car, which scared the heck out of me. I took the kit along with me as an after thought. Afterall, it was only a 4 mile hike and it was on a well marked trail in Point Reyes. I rarely bring the survival gear with me for such a short adventure.
Well, we spend thirteen hours there in the darkness as it was January. It got down to the low 20s. We were right near the ocean so we didn’t have a lot of coverage. Luckily we found a little area that was mostly protected from the harsh wind that was blowing. It took us a long time but we were able to build a fire with your kit and keep it going all that time. It’s amazing how much wood it takes to keep a fire going that long.
The sky was cloudy and at one point it started to drizzle. But that only lasted a little bit. Very early in the morning, the clouds passed and we could see the star filled sky. I’ve never felt such relief! In the morning, we were able to find our way back to the trail. We weren’t that far from it, but who knows what would have happened if we had kept wandering around the night before.
Bringing the kit was a last minute decision. I don’t know what instinct made me do that or what angel was looking out for me, but I am so thankful that I took it. I know that hypothermia in windy, cold weather can set in quickly. And there is no more vulnerable feeling than being disoriented in the wilderness at night. I am thankful that we were able to stay put for the long night and set out in the morning. The tools in your kit helped save our lives. So thank you.
Also, it says that if we use this kit, we’re eligible for a replacement. We used most of the tinder, pencil, duct tape. I’d love to get a replacement!
Thanks for the life-saving kit!
Sincerely,
Tara, Oakland Ca.
AMK Response:
Tara- Thanks for passing this story along to us. We love to hear that our kits are helping people enjoy the outdoors safely, and it’s great that you were able to stay warm during a very challenging situation. We’re based in Oakland and familiar with the Pt Reyes area (and its winds), so you impressed everyone in the office by being able to get a fire going in that environment.
I’ll put a package of some replacement supplies together and send it your way.
Congratulations to Team iMoat and AMK’s Kyle Peter on their 6th place finish in the Primal Quest Badlands.
Crossing the finish line!!
The race began on August 14th and Team iMoat finished the race in Rapid City, SD after approximately 7 Days 11 Hours of racing. Congratulations to Team iMoat and Kyle on their incredible race!
Kyle after mountain biking and waiting for his turn on the ropes course.
Update from Eco Primal Quest : The sixth team to complete the 2009 Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT is Team iMoat, who arrived as the finish line a short time ago. Amongst their requests, other than the pizza, ice cream, and champagne that was awaiting them, was for a bottle of shampoo. I think the team is ready to hit the showers.
The 600 mile race was the longest Primal Quest event to date and one of the most challenging adventure/endurance races of all time. The Badlands are a challenging and brutal section of terrain to navigate – just look at the picture below – the view for as far as the eye can see…..
Team OrionHealth.com finished the race in first place in approximately 6 days 10 hours followed closely by Team Salomon/Crested Butte and Team Merrell/Zanfel. The final standings are still undecided until the race directors have a chance to review and assess possible time penalties.
It is compact, fits easily in a pocket and weighs about 7 oz. Plus it looks cool!
My two cents. Kurt
Response:
Thanks for the comment Kurt! Our Product Development team loves to hear feedback from our customers about how they use our products. Keep the ideas coming….
If you have a story or product idea to share with us, you can submit the info using this form.
I just came back from a ten day surf trip down to Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica and I had to send you some photos because to be honest, my Adventure Medical Kit saved my entire trip. I got the World Traveler kit last summer when I went down to Costa Rica to surf the first time because it was designed for travel to Third World Countries. This time that kit came in handy as I ended up taking a fin above my eye and getting a minor gash in my forehead.
I was very lucky and the only other person in the water was an American ER Doc and he ended up stitching me up that morning in a restaurant allowing me to go out and surf a four hour session later that afternoon. Without the kit, my surf trip could have been over.
Lessons Learned in the Big Sur Wilderness – Carry lots of Diphen!
The fog hit hard on the morning of November 23rd and I awoke knowing that something was not quite right.Although the Big Sur area is well known for its low visibility and dense fog, I knew that I should be able to see more than I currently could.That’s when my longtime friend and trusty campmate, Todd, looked at me from across our tent and politely exclaimed, “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!”.
Before I could decide if I was more offended or more worried, I couldn’t help but look back at Todd and ask him the exact same question.
After a bit of bickering about who was uglier and the nuances of backpacking without deodorant for several days, we came to the obvious conclusion that something was wrong with both of our faces.
Let me rewind a bit – The trip started out as planned near the Andrew Molera wilderness area in the rugged central California coast.After a few days of surfing, hanging out at the beach and “testing” some of AMK’s Freshbath and Hand Cleans products on our deodorant-less bodies, we settled into a nice camp site overlooking the ocean.The night unfolded as they usual do – a nice big dinner of freeze dried food, far-fetched stories about the awesome waves, great weather and adventures of years past and a roaring campfire.
At some point not too long after this, either Nate or Todd (depending on who you ask) volunteered to gather one last armful of firewood to warm us up before the long night.It was not until the next morning and our respective “face woes” that we realized that this was no normal firewood – someone (depending on who you ask) had accidentally gathered a large bundle of Poison Oak (poison ivy to all you east coasters) and inadvertently burned it all.If anyone is familiar with Poison Ivy and Oak, you probably know that standing over a fire of the burning toxic oil is not really a great idea.
So there we were the next morning – both of us with both eyes swelled shut and itching like mad men.Although it’s almost funny in retrospect, Poison Ivy and Oak reactions, particularly with combustion, can be quite severe if not deadly and we were lucky to have each other to solve the problem.Being trained in Wilderness First Aid and familiar with reactions of all sorts, I quickly pumped both of us full of as many Diphenhydramine (benadryl) as was recommended in Dr. Weiss’ book.This reduced our swelling enough to be able to see clearly, soothed our itchy bodies, and allowed us to hike the several miles back to our car without an ambulance or airlift.Another adventure saved by an Adventure Medical Kit and another great lesson learned about being very careful when gathering firewood.
-Nate is AMK’s Product Manager.He takes his work seriously and rigorously tests all kits that he designs.From now on – you can count on him putting lots of Diphen in as many kits as possible.
