Arizona residents - tune into ABC 15 Sonoran Living this morning around 8am. Brian Brawdy is scheduled to appear with Kaley O’Keley to discuss RVing, summer safety and emergency preparedness.

Following his appearance, Brian will be on location on Saturday, July 11th from noon to 4 pm at Tom’s Camperland in Tempe. Stop in to meet Brian, learn more about his RV and the technologies he uses on the Green RV.

Tune in & stop by if you are in the area!!!

Arizona residents - tune into Good Morning Arizona KTVK Channel 3 tomorrow morning around 8am. Brian Brawdy is scheduled to appear to discuss RVing, summer safety and emergency preparedness.

Following his appearance, Brian will be on location on Saturday, July 11th from noon to 4 pm at Tom’s Camperland in Tempe. Stop in to meet Brian, learn more about his RV and the technologies he uses on the Green RV.

Tune in & stop by if you are in the area!!!

Brian Brawdy will be at Ketelsen Campers from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm today, Tuesday, July 7th. You can join him for a meet & greet, tour his Lance Camper (Green RV) and learn about all the technology Brian uses to help him stay “off road and off grid.”

Ketelsen Campers is located at 9870 W. I-70 Service Road South, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033.  For more information please visit: Ketelsen Campers

Please stop by if you are in the area!

We will be discussing the “7 Sins of Summer Safety” along with general outdoor and urban survival and Buried Logic.

I will be posting to Twitter and Facebook throughout the show.

Afterwards, I’ll have my Lance Camper, aka “The Green RV” at Ketelsen Campers from 11:00 to 1:oo, so stop on over.

Summer Survival. Fahrenheit 911

Life is built with wiggle room, a certain flexibility that allows us to adjust to our surrounding situations. Our flexibility not only makes us who we are, it brought us to where we are. Human Evolution is a story of adaptability and compromise emotionally, physically, societally. Our planet, as well as our physical bodies, is in a constant state of natural flux as well.

There is one exception to all this Human fluidity; our internal body temperature.

The Human body digs 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. No wiggle room here. Just a degree or two either side of this set point, and trouble begins. During the hot and humid summer months, when outside heat can be extreme, that heat only exacerbates the problem. Today, we are going to focus on Hyperthermia, the evil twin to its cold-weather cousin, Hypothermia, or too little heat.

Now according to the experts at 72HourPlan, “Hyperthermia is indeed a deadly foe in the summer months. Most folks do not drink enough water in their normal routine and when they add yard work, or outdoor activities during warm and hot days along with their lack of proper hydration, they create a recipie for disaster! Should they neglect #3 on your list and leave themselves open to sunburn and additional water loss, an unpleasant heat exhaustion can rapidly become life threatening heat stroke. Parents must be sure to hydrate their children (and pets) as well and limit exposure to the sun and heat.”

Before we jump into the tips, a quick video on how we can help regulate our internal temperature.

Now to the tips.

1. When it comes to heat hazards, hydration is the key. Your body uses water not unlike the way your vehicle radiator uses coolant. I use Katadyn products to guarantee I always have drinkable water (fresh and salt) to help regulate my body thermostat. Remember also that air conditioned air is air with the moisture stripped out. The more you live in AC, the more you need to pay attention to staying hydrated. When we perspire, drink or eat diuretics like caffeine, or urinate, we surrender our internal water supplies. Rule: Drink more water than you discard.

2. Good for both blocking the sun as well, a light-colored, light-weight, wide-brimmed hat is portable shade. It can reduce the temperature registering on your face substantially. Same applies for your clothing; loose fitting, light-weight, light-colored clothing. Dark colors actually attract sun-rays and absorb sunlight, only adding to the heat. See 5 Tips for Sidestepping Sun’s Harmful UVRays. You can beat the heat by staying hydrated and shaded.

3. Discuss all medications with your M.D. before you venture out. Some prescriptions, in addition to adding to dehydration, can actually heighten and amplify the effects of external heat and humidity. Also discuss with your doctor a sensible electrolyte replacement strategy for when heat and inadequate hydration are of concern.

4. Obviously, avoiding the hottest times and temperatures of the day is a great way to combat heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Remember to focus on children, the elderly and your furry pets as well. If you have access to air conditioning or a cooling fan, take full advantage of it.

5. Don’t rush outdoors from the AC, take time to acclimatize. Remember that shock to the body is always dangerous. Let your body adjust gradually to extremes of temperature and humidity.

Thank you for joining me this week for The 7 Sins of Summer Safety. Before you go, remember that fear and inactivity (and the diseases they contribute to) cause more human deaths each year than all the Sins of Summer Safety combined.

MORE 2 EXPLORE

FEMA Tips

OSHA QUICK CARD on Heat Illness

Beating the Heat

Continue Reading

Many had grown comfortable in the knowledge that they could pick up the phone, that it would have a dial tone, that an emergency 911 operator would answer their call for and connect them with an available paramedic or other rescue professional. As we now know, nothing could be farther from the truth.

In Buried Logic, I often ask, “When you can’t call on anyone else, can you call on your self?” Survival through self-reliance is the key!

Day 5 of “The 7 Sins of Summer Safety” Week: Neglecting to prepare an emergency first aid plan with a wel-stocked first aid kit. READ MORE

What happens when you go to flick the switch or plug in your favorite appliance and NOTHING HAPPENS? Given the violent summer storms that often take down trees and subsequently the power lines that weave in and around them, and the frequent brown-outs when the sweltering afternoons heat up, black-outs that darken your nights beyond belief, these are the days where your power is not as guaranteed as you might think.

We need a plan. Actually we need a power pack and portable lighting for emergency situations, along with explorations into the great outdoors, to anchor that plan.

First, let’s take a look at a video focused on this very topic.

Today’s tips for portable-personal-power.

1. A portable power pack, I dig Duracell, is a must. Keep it charged and ready to go. Even in your vehicle, portable power is a must. In an emergency situation, if you vehicle battery is dead, you might very well need an alternative power supply to recharge you cell phone and call for help.

2. Keep a headlamp, I carry Princeton Tec, nearby in your kitchen drawer, night stand or glove box. Hands free lightning enables you to have light without having to hold it.

3. Home Land Power and Lighting is one thing. Traveling, visiting relatives or hotel stays are important to remember as well. Many hotels and travel stops, not to mention family members, do not have access to emergency generators. Be prepared wherever you sleep. Personal power is your responsibility.

4. Make a list of things that are “power must-haves” and amend it often. Power to keep medications chilled and effective or power to supply emergency communications. This list is up to you.

5. DON”T rely on candles, firewood or other combustible forms of light. They have an obvious danger that should be avoided if at all possible. If you fall asleep with a power pack or a head lamp, you needn’t worry about starting a fire.

Tomorrow on BuriedLogic: Day 5 of the 7 Sins of Summer Safety Week; Neglecting to prepare a emergency first aid plan with a well stocked first aid kit.

Yesterday on Day 2 of "The 7 Sins of Summer Safety" week we looked at mosquitoes and ticks and how to combat them. We highlighted both topicals and technical apparel you can use battle the bugs. Today, two of the 5 Tips for "Sidestepping the Sun’s Harmful Rays" will focus on both clothing and creams as well.

Before we get into the tips, let’s take a quick look at a video on how to personally protect yourself from these pesky, interplanetary rays.

Now for the 5 Tips.

1. Watch the clock, calendar and your compass . From 10am to 3pm when the Sun, most times of the year, is high in our sky, its rays should be avoided. Mission Implausible, I know! Remember that time of year, notably Summer, your altitude (the higher you climb, the thinner the air, the thinner your protection) and your latitude also plays a role.

2. For many of us, whether we work, play or explore outdoors, the first tip is good to have, but nearly impossible to heed. Our next best bet is to protect our skin and our eyes while outdoors. Eyes? Oh yeah! Eyes can get sunburn from direct and reflected rays . Sun burned eyes or worse can be waiting if you choose not to protect them. Wear sunglasses that are rated to block UVA and UVB.

3. When it comes to SPF (Sun Protection Factor) ratings, there is a bit of math, some fuzzy. As a general rule, the SPF rating stands for the amount of time, in minutes, it would take for your skin to "redden" in the sun. If your skin would burn in 20 mins without protection, then 20 x15 would mean you could theoretically go 300 minutes without burning. There are so many additional factors, age, skin type, geographic location, your best bet is to reapply a broadband spectrum (UVA and UVB) if there is any question.

4. UPF (Ulraviolet Protection Factor)-determines a materials ability to repel solar rays. Clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat, (I love my Tilley Hats) with an UPF of 50 only allows 1/50th of the UV radiation to reach out and touch you. In other words, it blocks 49/50ths or 98% of the UV radiation. Look for it it shirts, pants, scarfs and hats.

5. Don’t count on the clouds for anything other than rainwater hydration. Clouds do little to cover us from harmful UV rays, so don’t fall for the "Overcast is OK" mentality. If you’re out, you’re exposed .

Now, before we go, we need to look at the flip side of the coin.

We should remember the Sun helps our bodies in the generation of Vitamin D and numerous studies show that a deficiency in Vitamin D might lead to, according to a U.S. News and World Report, "a host of diseases, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. What’s more, sunlight has other hidden benefits—like protecting against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system."

As always, moderation is the key. We need to look at the full spectrum, the pros and cons, of Sunlight. Our focus should always be on our overexposure to UV rays not the total avoidance of them.

MORE 2 EXPLORE

Kids Health resource

Skin Cancer Foundation

U.S. NEWS and World Report

Tomorrow on BuriedLogic: Day 4 of the 7 Sins of Summer Safety Week; Neglecting to procure emergency power and lighting.

Click the link below on Thursday, July 2 at 9:30 am EST to hear the entire interview -

Talk to the Town featuring Brian Brawdy