September is National Preparedness Month here in the U.S., a reminder that we should all have plans and provisions in place in case of a natural disaster or emergency that affects our area. This year’s theme is: Prepared, not scared. I like the sentiment behind this statement because my intention with this month’s series of posts is not to scare you with the what ifs, but for you to be prepared and therefore less scared if you find yourself in one of those “what if” situations. So, over the next few weeks I’ll be giving you my tips and suggestions for building your Go-Bag in case of evacuation, your Home Emergency Kit for times when you need to shelter in place, and your Car Emergency Kit in case you are stranded or have a roadside emergency.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of what to put in your kits  (we’ll get into specifics in the subsequent posts this month), here are a few of the most practical tips I have learned from first responders, insurance officials, and from my own experiences working in the survival industry, living in parts of the country where earthquakes, blizzards, fires, and floods are common, and from having to evacuate my own home due to fire.

 

1. Make a Plan

If you live alone, just write it down to help you commit it to memory – what to grab and where to go. Then, pick a friend or family member in a nearby town and let them know that their home is your destination in an emergency, so they’ll know to watch out for you. If you live with other family members or roommates, have a dinnertime discussion to determine a meeting point for everyone in case you aren’t home or together when a disaster occurs – FEMA has this helpful worksheet you can fill out as a family and leave on the fridge as a reminder.

 

2. Telecommunicate Smarter 

In emergencies, phone lines often jam up and getting calls through is difficult. Texting is more reliable, but it can also be easier to place a call to someone out of the affected area, so you should choose an out-of-state relative who everyone in your family knows to call and check-in safe, and who can be a communication point for all of you. (Choose your relative who is most reliable at answering their phone).

 

3. Tell Each Other Your Most Important Item

There’s a chance you won’t be home when a disaster happens but someone else might be. Have a discussion to communicate everyone’s very most treasured item so if there is time before evacuating, the person at home can grab what is cherished most for their family members.

 

4. Document everything. Today.

Take photos of every room and the contents of every closet then send them to a friend or make sure they are backed up to a cloud service. I can tell you from experience, trying to remember all of your belongings when making a list for insurance is impossible. If you haven’t done this and you are given time to evacuate in an emergency, have one person be in charge of packing belongings while the other walks through the house and takes a quick video of all the contents and state of your home.

 

5. Grab the Hampers

This is a very simple but practical tip, if you are given time to evacuate and are unsure what to pack just throw the clothes from everyone’s hampers in a bag. You know those are ones that currently fit and no one cares about slightly smelly clothes in an emergency.

 

6. Learn Alternate Ways To Use Your Appliances

If you need to shelter at home and have a wood burning fireplace, you’re in business for warmth and cooking. If you have a gas fireplace, you’ll have a heat source, but if the power’s out and it requires a switch you might think you’re out of luck. However, most gas fireplaces have either an igniter bypass to the switch, or a box that you can put batteries in to turn it on. Look into this before an emergency situation so you’ll know how it works. If you have a generator, do not use it in the house or garage. Generators emit high levels of carbon monoxide and have led to many post-disaster injuries and deaths – check out this article by Consumer Reports for generator safety tips. Always have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in your home as well.

 

7. Strengthen Your Community Ties 

Communities that are organized and well connected are able to respond better and recover more quickly from disasters. Get to know your neighbors and keep phone lists so you can notify each other if something is happening or to contact anyone who may be unaccounted for. Online communities like Facebook Groups and NextDoor are a great resource for branching out within your neighborhood.

 

8. Mental and Emotional Survival are Important Too 

Experiencing a disaster can be even more devastating to your mental health than to your physical. If you are a parent, your mental state can greatly affect how your children cope and heal as well. Here are some helpful resources if you have been through a disaster situation:

For Adults: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters

For Children/Parents: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/children-and-families

 

9. Be Informed

Ready.Gov is a National Public Service campaign designed to “educate and empower the American People to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate emergencies, including natural and manmade disasters.” This page in particular has action plans for handling most every type of disaster you can think of – from tornadoes and flooding to nuclear explosions and space weather. So, my recommendation, if you’re an anxious person, don’t go down this rabbit hole. And even if you’re not, only click on the ones you’re genuinely concerned about, or you might become an anxious person.

 

10. Look for the Helpers

In times of disaster it is easy to focus on what is scary, and often fears of increased crime are greatly exaggerated. The truth is though, more often than not, disasters bring communities together and strangers go to great lengths to help one another. So, when you’re feeling scared, think back on the wise lessons of Mr. Rogers who once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” And if you are safe and able to reach out to someone in need, be that helper.

Communities are stronger together. Please help our online community by providing your own tips and suggestions of how to prepare for emergency situations in the comments section below.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries. That’s billion—with a ‘B’. As proud supporters of organizations such as American Rivers and The Conservation Alliance, we at Nite Ize recognize the importance of responsibility in respect to our natural world. That’s why we’re converting many of our lighting and nighttime visibility products to micro-USB rechargeable power. This year alone, we introduced eight exciting LED products that offer the convenience of rechargeability while reducing battery waste. We call that a win/win!

 

1. Radiant 314 Rechargeable Lantern

This compact but mighty rechargeable lantern features bright white light as high as 314 lumens and low as 16, plus an amber mode that casts a gentle, night-vision saving illumination. It also features a built-in power bank that you can use to charge your devices from anywhere! Durable, drop-proof (up to 1 meter), and water resistant, this lantern is the perfect companion for outdoor adventures, backyard barbeques, and emergency home use.

 

2. Radiant Rechargeable Micro Lantern

The little brother in the family of Radiant Lanterns is the Rechargeable Micro Lantern. This small, clippable swivel light is perfect for everything from lighting a tent to bedside reading. The Micro Lantern features Disc-O Select technology, so you can choose between four different colors (red, green, blue and white), or keep it in fun, color-changing Disc-O mode. This pocket-sized light is water resistant and runs for up to 10 hours on a single charge.

 

3. Radiant 300 Headlamp

Our rechargeable Radiant headlamp also got an upgrade in 2019. The Radiant 300 now offers 300 lumens of bright white light and features five modes plus lockout to prevent it from accidentally turning on and draining the battery during transportation. It is micro USB rechargeable and lasts between 4 and 36 hours (depending on light setting) on a single charge.

 

4. TagLit Rechargeable Magnetic LED Marker

Being seen while you’re out at night is crucial to your safety, which is why we offer a wide variety of LED products to keep you visible in the evening and early morning hours. Our popular TagLit is now available in rechargeable form, and brighter than before. This little marker features a magnetic closure so you can easily attach it to clothing, hats, bags and more. Set it to steady glow or flash mode and you’re ready for evening runs, rides or walks with your dog.

 

5. SlapLit Rechargeable LED Slap Wrap

Another one of our popular visibility products, the SlapLit LED Slap Wrap, also got a rechargeable upgrade this year. Slap it on your wrist, arm, or ankle and the bright 360˚ illumination will keep you visible during nighttime fitness and fun.

 

6. SpokeLit Rechargeable Wheel Light

Side visibility while biking is paramount for safety, but too often ignored. Our iconic SpokeLit bike lights are now available in rechargeable Disc-O Select! The SpokeLit offers easy, tool-free installation, fits most bicycle wheels, is weather resistant, and runs for 6 hours per charge.

 

7. SpotLit XL Rechargeable Carabiner & Collar Light

One of our most popular products (that you may already own) is the SpotLit carabiner light. Often clipped on dog collars, key chains, or bags, this little light is versatile, compact and convenient. The new SpotLit XL is not just larger, but bigger, brighter and, of course, rechargeable! As a Disc-O Select product, it features color-changing mode plus four selectable colors. This light is also great for households with multiple dogs – give each of them their own color and be able to tell who’s who in a pitch-black backyard on a moonless night.

 

8. INOVA T8R PowerSwitch Rechargeable Flashlight

If you're in the market for a high-performance flashlight that is as versatile as it is convenient, look no further than the new T8R in our INOVA line. This tactical-grade rechargeable flashlight packs 762 lumens and offers both bright white and red beams to preserve night vision. If you're in an environment where you don't have access to a charger, the T8R also works with two CR123 batteries.

 

Although we know we can’t solve the world’s problems with a little rechargeability, we certainly recognize the benefits of rechargeable products. If we can help put a dent in the 180,000 tons of batteries that end up in landfills each year, we’re going to make it happen.

I have an uncanny ability to kill phones. Ashamedly, over the past two decades I have killed more phones than can be counted on one hand, and every massacre involved water (or beer). My high school days tended to involve being pushed into a pool or lake with a phone in my pocket, college it was bar toilets and once an unfortunately aimed drop into a pint of beer. But those days it was a butterfly-cased Nokia or Motorola Razr that bit the dust, something that came free with my phone plan and the frustration came only in having to track down all of my friends’ phone numbers again. It wasn’t until my 20s when I dropped my first iPhone in water and the meager paycheck from my first job wasn’t going to cover the replacement that the consequences really hit me.

So, after nearly 20 years of assassinating phones, here are the best practices I’ve learned for saving them (and for destroying them).

 

Myths – What NOT to do With a Dropped iPhone In water:

• Rice will make things worse. 

Rice dust is your phone’s worst nemesis, even worse than water. Phones are sleek and tightly made, but rice dust is sneaky and it will get into the cracks and ports and jam your buttons and if the water didn’t kill your phone, the rice dust definitely will.

• Do not heat it in any way.

No blow dryers, no oven, no microwave, heating your device isn’t going to dry it, it’s just going to fry it.

• Don’t turn it on!

This is the hardest one, you want to check if it’s ok. Don’t do it, you’re much more likely to short circuit everything. Leave it off.

 

Miracles – Here’s what you should do to fix a water damaged phone:

Phones these days are resilient. I once dropped a smartphone off the dock into Lake Winnipesaukee. I had to walk to the marina, borrow a mask, dive down into the murky depths of who-knows-what to find it, pulled it out after about 20 minutes submerged at about 15 feet, and turned it on in working condition two days later. So, if you’re reading this in a panic, hold on to hope, there’s a chance your phone is going to be just fine. Here’s what to do:

1. Retrieve it Quickly

Many phones are getting closer to waterproofness, and can be submerged for a couple minutes at shallow depths. If this is your phone, just grab it, wipe it off, and go! Regardless, if your phone isn’t water resistant, the less time it spends in the water, the less damage is likely to be done.

2. Remove Your Case and SIM Card

Take off anything that could trap water around it. (For an iPhone, insert a paperclip into the tiny hole halfway down the phone below the power button to pop out the SIM card).

3. Make Sure It’s Off and DON’T Turn it on!

Let it sit for 48 hours before charging it and turning it back on.

Drying Option 1:

Place it upright on a paper towel in a dry sunny place for 48 hours.

Drying Option 2:

Keep a bag full of silica gel packets (my husband saves these for me, knowing my past luck with phones…) place your phone in the bag, prop it up in a window, and wait 48 hours to charge it up and turn it on. Fingers crossed you and your phone will come through the process unscathed and happy from a little time being “unplugged”.

How to prevent the plop:

Even better than saving your phone, is to never dunk it in the first place. I am proud to say that since learning about and using Nite Ize products over the past four years, I have not lost a single phone to water. I use the Hitch with Tether on a daily basis to keep a better hold of my phone. Steelie is my go-to for hands-free driving, but the magnet on my phone also makes it stick to things like the toilet paper dispensers in bathrooms so no more potty-swimming for my phone. And, when I get out on the water to go fishing or am hanging out at the pool, I have learned to always put my phone in a RunOff Waterproof Pocket – what a novel concept!

By Amanda Lauteri, Brand Protection & Legal Specialist at Nite Ize

Nite Ize produces hundreds of unique products and introduces brand new ones twice each year, so it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of covet-worthy items designed to make life a little easier. Please allow me to draw your attention to one of my personal favorites, the Steelie Pedestal Kit. If you use a Steelie in your car to hold your phone while you drive (as of course you should), adding a Pedestal to your Steelie system is an undeniably good idea. Now that I’ve been using one, I don’t know how I ever lived without it! Let's dive into the top 5 ways to use your Steelie Pedestal to its fullest capacity.

 

1. Traveling

We all know that air travel in the modern era can be a complete hassle. You wake up early to make your flight, go through the painful process that is the TSA security, then you finally make it to your gate only to find out you’re stuck in the middle seat. Pro tip: take a Steelie Pedestal with you and make that middle seat more enjoyable. Set it up on the tray table, click your phone into place using your Steelie magnet, and away you go! Just don’t be surprised if you notice your neighbor starting to binge-watch your favorite shows with you over your shoulder…

 

2. At the Office

Everyone brings their phone with them wherever they go these days, right? When it’s off to work you go, don’t forget to bring the pedestal so you can dock your device for the perfect viewing angle. While your coworkers fumble to get their favorite music app set up, you’ll already be jamming out to that new single you like. When it gets to a song you want to skip, just reach over and hit that next button. See your meeting reminders on your screen or glance at your texts without even having to pick up your phone. You won’t need to fumble in your pocket or try to remember where you last set your phone down ever again.

 

3. Cooking

After a long day at work, I’m sure a nice dinner is in order. Do you fancy yourself to be the next Gordon Ramsay? Or is throwing something in the microwave more your speed? Either way, having a Steelie Pedestal in your kitchen is the way to go. If you need to look up a recipe, having your phone (or tablet) on the stand makes it easy to see what ingredient comes next without having to take your hands off your knife. If you’re using the microwave, crank some tunes! Maybe those tunes will make you forget how hangry you are.

 

4. Crafting

"Crafting" can mean so many different things. Perhaps you like to sew, work on cars, build bookshelves, or paint! If you’re trying out a new project, use the Steelie Pedestal to watch a tutorial or have the instructions handy. That way, you can keep your phone clean and out of the way of your project while still having easy access to it.

 

5. Makeup Tutorials

Do you watch makeup tutorials online? Do you make your own makeup tutorials? If you answered yes to either of these questions, the Steelie Pedestal will rock your bathroom countertop! Use the stand to ensure you can keep one eye on the makeup vlogger while you attempt to replicate their look. You could also use the stand to shoot your own makeup tutorials. (And if you do post your own makeup vlogs, please send them to me because I can use all the help I can get!)

 

I have used the Steelie Pedestal in every one of the ways I mentioned here. It is the one gadget I take with me wherever I go. I have one on my desk at work, one on my nightstand, and one in my kitchen. Have you used the pedestal in another way? I’d love to hear your pedestal hacks in the comments below!

There are few moments in life more exciting than bringing home a new puppy. In my life, I have been lucky enough to bring home three of the best dogs in the world. Very different dogs with very different personalities, but over the years each one taught me about love, loyalty, and friendship in ways that only the most devoted four-legged friends can. They also taught me a lot about surviving the energetic puppy years and thriving into the sunset ones. So, when a friend or family member is adopting a new dog into their family, I love putting together a gift basket with some of the essentials that have helped our household to maintain happy puppies and happy dog-parents. If you’re looking for gift ideas, below is the list of my favorites. If you’re thinking, “Why would I give a puppy gift?” then just watch this GIF for a bit:

Without further ado, here is your ultimate new puppy gift guide:

1. Anything that Squeaks 

The first couple months with a new puppy are basically about saving your house from destruction, both from accidents and from sharp little puppy teeth. The squeaky toys won’t last long, but they are essential to distract the new pup from chewing on everything else. I learned this the hard way. Daisy, my first dog on my own, destroyed my first apartment when she was bored. The molding – gone. The carpet – toast. The curtains – what fun she had pulling those down! Some dogs will even eat drywall. And you won’t believe how quickly they can do it. Vigilant supervision, endless entertainment, and exercise – these are the keys to saving your home from a new puppy.

 

2. The Gift of Exercise

A tired puppy is no longer a destructive puppy. The Huck ‘N Tuck by Nite Ize is my all-time favorite ball launcher. It comes with the LED GlowStreak ball so you can play into the night without losing it, and the launcher is a life-saver for shoulders (if the puppy has any retriever or herder in it, throwing the ball at least a thousand times a day will be necessary). The launcher is also collapsible so it’s convenient to tuck into your pocket or keep in the glovebox for quick stops at the dog park.

 

3. The Quickest Way to Their Heart is Via the Belly

Puppies are typically uncomplicated creatures. They simply want your attention, affection, and delicious treats all day long. Include a pack or two in your gift basket. I like to shop local, and we are lucky enough to have I and Love and You based in our Boulder backyard. They make tasty puppy food and treats that are perfect for bribery, distraction, and training.

 

4. Light ‘Em Up for Safety 

Dogs are great at getting into trouble and wiggling away unexpectedly. Nite Ize makes a host of products dedicated to keeping pets safe at night. The SpotLit LED Collar Light and NiteHowl Rechargeable LED Safety Necklace are two of my favorites. Not only do they keep pets safe, they are just plain fun to watch at night.

 

5. Safety, Safety, and More Safety

I can’t reiterate enough that dogs are great at getting into trouble. I have made more trips to the emergency vet than I’d like to admit. Throw a pet medical kit into your gift basket, especially for first-time or very outdoorsy dog owners. These ones from Adventure Medical Kits are my favorites and the larger ones have an instructional book written by a veterinarian to guide you through using the kit components in an emergency. If you are a really good friend, you can even gift your buddy pet insurance for the first year -  a great option for pet owners.

 

6. The Essentials

Every dog needs a good collar and leash – why not knock out two birds with one stone. The Nite Ize RadDog is a collar with a retractable leash built in – perfect for hitting the trail or dog park, places where you’ll want to be able to go quickly from unleashed to leashed and vice versa. Nite Ize even has a better way to attach dog tags to the collar too – S-Biner TagLocks. These might be my favorite/most practical item on this list because I hate the snug little split rings that come with dog tags. They are too little to actually attach to collars in any sort of reasonable way that doesn’t end in bleeding fingernails. Just throw these in the gift basket, the new dog owners will thank you endlessly.

 

7. Give The Gift of Silence

It turns out the jingling sound of dog tags drives my husband to near insanity. Hence, I discovered Quiet Spot Tag Silencers. Super easy to use, these just wrap around dog tags snugly to keep them from clinking together. In our case, they were a marriage saver.

 

8. Poop Prep

Yep, it’s just a fact of life, and responsible dog owners need to be prepared on the go. The Pack-A-Poo has a super easy-to-use design that clips on with an S-Biner, but what I especially love are the compostable bags that come with it. When wrapping up your dog’s poo, it seems better not to be preserving it for 10,000+ years in a plastic bag.

 

The adorable puppy enjoying this gift basket in the photos is named Sweet Pea. She was recently adopted from The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, which houses a host of other wonderful furry companions. The family who adopted her received the gift basket along with their new forever friend. 

 

We’d love to hear about your favorite dog products. Please leave your suggestions in the comments section below for other readers.

By Nite Ize Field Team Member Sunny Stroeer

I am many things: I am an adventurer, a record breaker, a wife; a Harvard MBA, a recovering strategy consultant, and – as of the last four years - I am also somewhat of a serial #vanlifer. 

Vanlife has long graduated from its renegade counter-culture beginnings to cover a broad spectrum: from folks living out of their barely converted hatchbacks all the way to the fully-tricked-out $80,000 Sprinter van with 4WD and a custom interior that would give the most luxurious RV a run for its money.

My personal vanlife experience falls closer to the humble end of the spectrum - I bought my first dream mobile in 2015, an old Chevy Astro van named Eddie, for less than $3k on Craigslist. Ripping out the seats and a bit of basic carpentry gave me just enough headroom and storage space to have a little mobile adventure basecamp for one.

Three years and one wedding later, it was time to upsize so my husband Paul and I could live on the road as a couple. Once again, we scoured Craigslist and finally settled on a 2003 Ford E350 XL - a spacious but rusty bargain for $7k - whom we named Merlot the Van.

If there’s one thing that I have learned in my years of living on the road, it’s the importance of space and functionality in a van.  That’s why I’ve come to use and love a ton of Nite Ize gear; here are five of my favorites that I work with on a daily basis:

 

Gear Ties. Everybody loves Gear Ties, but it’s hard to overstate their usefulness in the van. We use them to secure our curtains, as a handy paper towel holder, for bookends, to hang lanterns, to organize our door storage space, and as a sunglasses holder in the driver’s cab. We’ve even used Gear Ties to fix a loose mounting bracket on our exhaust system that was causing a rattle!

GearLine. The GearLine is one of my new favorite tools. With space at a premium it’s important for us to be able to use hanging space efficiently, and that’s exactly what the GearLine was designed for. Back in my old one-person van I actually used to (poorly) jerry-rig a homemade version of the same concept, stringing paracord and spiffing it up with knots for spacers… but that didn’t work very well for anything but the lightest loads.  You can imagine my joy when I got my hands on my first GearLine.

Steelie. The Steelie phone mount system is an obvious choice for any driver, but we get a lot more use out of it than handsfree navigation: many surfaces in Merlot The Van are metal, and that means that my phone sticks to just about anything!

Pro tip: even though I use the Steelie Phone Socket directly on the van’s walls, you may want to consider using a Steelie Dash Mount to keep painted surfaces scratch-free.

RunOff bags. The new line of RunOff bags has been getting tons of attention - and awards - since their introduction a few months ago. I love them in the van for three reasons:

• • Their revolutionary zipper seals gear and documents from the dust, dirt and spills that are all an inevitable part of living in a van.
    
    
  • They are hangable - remember what I said about the GearLine above!
    
    
  • The bags’ clear windows mean I know exactly what’s inside.

SlapLit LED Drink Wraps. Okay, these are just pure fun. One of the best parts of vanlife is getting to enjoy amazing views and a cold one at the end of a hot day of playing outdoors. Having different colored SlapLits to insulate, tell apart and light up our beverages is practical, yes, but mostly it’s simply just awesome.

Now… these five items may be my favorites, but they are far from the full list of Nite Ize gear that Paul and I rely on to keep us organized and efficient in the van. We use a plethora of S-Biners, Nite Ize lanterns and headlamps - and the HideOut Magnetic Key Box has saved us more than once from getting locked out of the van.

In the end, vanlife is all about freedom and mobility - but in order to enjoy that freedom and mobility, you first have to learn to navigate minimal space in an organized and efficient way; that’s why Nite Ize is with us every mile of the road.

 

Follow Sunny's adventures on Instagram at @sstroeer, visit her website and blog at www.sunnystroeer.com, and check out her organization Aurora Women’s Expeditions (AWE) at @awexpeditions and www.awexpeditions.org.

Nite Ize employees are predisposed to "geeking out" over our own products, and we love putting them to use in our everyday lives – including around the office. Here's a quick peek at how we're using our own gear to make our work lives easier.

 

At Our Desks:

We all have Gear Tie name tags, each expertly hand-bent by our COO.

We stick Steelie magnets onto just about anything to help organize our space. This one is keeping our white board eraser in place.

Not only are our products handy, but so are our employees. We've made ourselves some awesome coat and hat racks out of Figure 9s!

Our IT department is Gear Tie obsessed. Can you tell?

How did we ever live without Steelie Pedestals on our desks? if you have a Steelie on your phone, think about adding this one to your arsenal. It comes in handy way more often than you would think – on your desk, bedside table, kitchen, and anywhere else you'd want hands-free phone viewing.

In The Gym:

We've added Steelies to our treadmills and ellipticals, and HandleBands to our stationary bikes.

Our giant S-Biner #10s help hang and organize our workout gear. Bonus points for the Figure 9 rack.

In The Kitchen:

We make sure that the tape to mark your lunch stays with the fridge....

...And that no one mistakes a dirty dish for a clean one with this Gear Tie-ed sign.

In The Warehouse:

Keep that packing tape from wandering off with a Gear Tie.

Mad props to anyone who can name how many Nite Ize products are in this photo. SlideLock 360s are magnetic clips, so they can easily attach to metal surfaces and double as a quick hook. 

A Steelie magnet keeps our measuring tape right where we need it.

Yes the Gear Ties are doing a fantastic job holding our labeling essentials, but get a load of that Rugged Optics Case masquerading as a pen holder!

You betcha we're securing our trade show gear with CamJam Tie Down Straps.

We keep our sample room clipboard at eye-level and where everyone can find it with a Gear Tie.

Sure our CordCollars protect the ends of your cables from fraying, but they can also protect your hands from the sharp edges of this cellophane wrap holder.

Carrying this rig is so much easier with a Gear Tie Loopable + Handle.

And finally, a giant BugLit on the wall. Because why wouldn't we have that? It even hangs by an S-Biner #10!