No matter what part of the country you live in it is a great idea to have an Emergency Preparedness Disaster Supply Kit in your home to protect yourself and your family in case of an unforeseen natural disaster. Whether you live on the Atlantic or Gulf Coast and prepare for hurricanes, in the Midwest and prepare for floods and tornados, on the West Coast and prepare for fires or earthquakes, or live in the Northern Sections and must be prepared for blizzards; a Disaster Supply Kit can not only give your family the essentials to ride out the weather, but can also save your lives in some situations.
To prepare your family only requires some very essential items and many of these items can be purchased here at Big T Sports. Not only do we want to assist you in planning for the best times in life, but we would also like to see each family remain safe when the unexpected happens.
Essential Items Each Emergency Preparedness Kit Should Contain:
- Water in the form of water bottles, gallon jugs, or other sealed containers of water. A minimum of 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days should be on hand. A great item to have is a portable water purification system or drink bottle in case supplies of drinking water run short.
- Food in the form of non-perishable canned goods or juices. Popular selections included canned meats, canned soups, canned beans, or canned prepared foods. Also special foods for infants or elderly.
- Non-electric can opener
- Cooking tools and fuel. Portable camp stoves, single burner portable gas stoves, and adequate supplies of stove fuel. Camp stoves are preferred over bar-b-que grills as they can be used indoors without the harmful odors or fumes (check with the particular model for this option).
- Cooking utensils such as those used for camping. Plastic dinner wear, disposable cups, plates, and bowls.
- Blankets, pillows, and bedding. Sleeping bags, air mattresses, and tents come in handy when the home is damaged or the weather is unfavorable for travel. A basic set of camping gear can be a real life-saver to provide warmth, shelter, and comfort.
- Clothing, especially rain gear, sturdy boots (such as fishing waders or hiking boots), seasonal clothing (depending on location).
- A comprehensive First Aid Kit with the essential bandages, equipment, and medicines.
- Flashlights, Lanterns, Emergency Flares or Signaling Devices.
- Radio or Portable Television, Weather Radio, Emergency Radio
- Batteries, Batteries, Batteries.
- Toiletries, Hygiene Items, Antiseptic Moisture Wipes.
- Tools such as a camping set, Multi-Purpose Knife (Swiss Army or Multi-tool), Essential Tools
- Telephone (fully charged cell phone, emergency cell phone charger, non-cordless home telephone)
- Cash (with some small bills) and credit cards
- Important Documents stored in waterproof containers, safes, or waterproof bags
- Fuel Canisters with gasoline for vehicles or generators
- Keys
- Pet Care Items such as leash, carrier, food, and records/licenses
- Toys, games, books
Being prepared for an emergency does not have to be time consuming, expensive, confusing, or scary with this simple checklist and Big T Sports. We carry a wide selection of gear and accessories that are dual purpose for recreation and for emergency Preparedness. Take the fright and danger out of the unexpected by preparing before the storm or disaster occurs. No one wants to be caught in a tragedy; however proper preparation can make all the difference in survival after the event.
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Traveling across the country or even state lines can be an enjoyable but complicated experience, especially when family or friends are involved. Despite keeping vigilant eyes on the road, distractions are bound to happen out of your control. You might miss an obscure turn in an unfamiliar neighborhood, or you might not see an overhead sign on a highway telling you to keep right to stay on that highway. You could just turn around when you realize you past the street or exit, but how long would it be before you realize it? Two miles-maybe even twenty? What about the gnawing doubt of being lost? And wasting precious time and gas might be the least of your worries if you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood when it's dark outside.
But there is an easy solution: a GPS.
A GPS unit, like Garmin's Streetpilot or Magellan's Maestro, would solve all these problems and more. Backseat distractions causing you to miss your turn and passenger seat navigators are things of the past. With a pleasant voice directing you to your destination, whether you're traveling across the country or in your own neighborhood, you'll never have to worry about getting lost again.
The voice will automatically tell you the distance until the turn, and it will remind you of the street's approach. It will even tell you when to keep left or right. If you want a quiet ride, you can adjust the GPS's easily accessible volume and watch the screen from the corner of your eye. The GPS always highlights your route with a red arrow, and it will automatically dim the background at night. Even if you miss a turn, it will recalculate the quickest route to your destination without any involvement from you. You wouldn't have to pull over.
The GPS also has a touchable screen. This allows you to quickly adjust any settings or type in the address to your destination. On the go, you can configure a short stop into your destination without any trouble. If you're looking for food, hotels, airports, shopping malls, then the GPS will be able to redirect you. It will you a list of restaurants and fast food places. This is an important feature if you're in an unfamiliar area. Also, one of the best features of the GPS is its ability to accurately calculate the time of arrival at your destination. It automatically estimates your current speed, the speed limit, and your overall speed and factors them into the arrival time. With this feature, you'll certainly be on time.
A GPS is a good investment no matter how often you hit the road. When purchasing a unit, among the many features of a GPS, you aren't only buying a piece of hardware and software; you're buying the certainty to get where you need to go and the removal of the doubt and fear of being lost. It's an investment in the certainty that you will get where you need to go. That in itself makes the GPS worth ever penny.
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Before heading out into the wilderness for your next hunting expedition it may be time to find the correct rifle scope that suits your individual needs. Whether you are replacing and old scope that has become outdated or broken, upgrading to a more feature packed scope, or just trying to match a new scope to a new rifle; many choices and options are available and sometimes figuring out what you need can be a daunting task. While owning a scope is not absolutely necessary, it will definitely make your hunting trips more productive and can mean the difference between going home with a trophy and going home with another 'could have been' story. Following a few simple guidelines and rules can make matching yourself to the right scope much easier and can actually save you time and money. At Big T Sports we want to provide you with the best products for your individual adventures and the following steps will assist any hunter with making an informed choice.
The first thing to consider is the magnification of the scope, which determines how far your target can be from you and still be accurately sighted. Magnification can be the most important factor to consider when purchasing a new scope and can affect the price, the size, and the usefulness of the scope. A scope can either carry a fixed magnification (non-adjustable) or it can have a variable magnification (adjustable) level that works like a zoom feature on a camera. A variable power scope is superior since it can be used for a variety of different game and can be quickly changed depending on the situation or terrain. While a 9x scope can be useful for whitetail deer, a 4x scope is much more suited for small game such as rabbits and squirrel, and sometimes a scope magnification of up to 12x is needed for mule deer or antelope. Having a variable power scope is equivalent to owning several fixed magnification scopes. While a variable power scope will be more expensive initially, its benefits can quickly pay off for a multi-season hunter. If you only hunt one type of game a fixed magnification scope could be an ideal and economic choice and can help you avoid having to change magnifications at the crucial moment in the field. The best way to choose a magnification is to match your scope to your intended game and if you hunt various game a variable power scope is essential.
After deciding on a fixed or variable scope the next task is determining the right size lenses for your new scope. Choosing the correct lens size (in millimeters) can determine the size of the scope, the clarity of the scope, and the price of the scope. Finding the right size of the lens will give you a scope that is transportable, provides a clear view, and fits into your budget. The larger the scope lens, the brighter the image and the clearer the resolution of the image. A large lens can provide a clear, sharp image that can provide a more accurate shot; however a lens size that is too large can become cumbersome to carry, difficult to conceal, and hard to protect from damage in close quarters or rough terrain. A 40mm lens is the most popular choice for all around hunting (especially deer), though a larger lens may be utilized for those with poor vision or those who are hunting at greater distances. A larger lens size can also add to the price of the scope and going too large may not be cost effective.
A good cross hair guide can greatly improve the accuracy and usability of your new scope. The guide in a scope can also be referred to as a plex or as a reticle and all of these terms refer to the guide lines that appear when looking through a scope. While variations do exist on the cross hairs, the best choice for the widest range of hunters remains the standard cross lines that are thicker on the outside of the site and narrow as they approach the center cross point. This type of cross hair guide makes for quick and accurate sighting of most game and is particularly useful for deer hunting.
Other considerations to make, though not essential, are the finish of the scope and the optic options of the scope. Most scopes are finished in black and can be purchased in either a matte or gloss finish. Also camouflage patterns are available on some models. The finish of the scope is generally a personal choice; however a gloss scope may become reflective in high-light situations and could become visible to some game. Some scopes now have optional lens finishes that can reflect light for better visibility and light exposure or come with anti-reflective coatings or can be anti-fog. These options are generally upgrades and are a personal choice that does not affect the overall usefulness of a scope.
Following these simple steps will help anyone to choose the right scope for their personal hunting style, whether it be for small game, deer, or larger game. Having the right scope attached to your hunting rifle can easily make or break your next hunting trip. We here at Big T Sports provide a great selection of scopes for hunting or target shooting and have the best prices around on many of the latest products from a wide selection of manufacturers.
Also view our related product reviews, '
The Perfect Deer Hunting Scope'.
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