Columbia and Adventure Medical Kits Gear up Hikers at National Trails Day ® Events
SILVER SPRING, MD– May 24, 2013 – Aiming to help National Trails Day® attendees be safe and keep their cool on June 1, sponsors Columbia and Adventure Medical Kits have provided special supplies to selected events across the country. In addition to serving as national sponsors for America’s largest trails celebration, both of these companies have also chosen to offer free product to the organizers of some of the 2,000+ trail events being organized at the local level. Other national sponsors of the event include The North Face, Merrell, Gregory and Gerber. Additional support at the national level is provided by American Park Network, Backpacker magazine, Boy Scouts of America, REI, YMCA of the USA, the Bureau of Land Management, Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“We appreciate the strong commitment to trails that Columbia and Adventure Medical Kits have demonstrated by extending their support of this nationwide event to the local level, and we know that event attendees will be happy to have access to these high-quality products,” commented Gregory Miller, President of American Hiking Society. “Availability of these items at selected National Trails Day events helps convey the importance of being properly prepared for safe enjoyment of outdoor adventures by always carrying our 10 Essentials of Hiking.”
Columbia has provided 450 of its Coolhead Booney hats to selected National Trails Day events that are being held near REI retail outlets where the hats are being sold. The wide-brimmed, sun-protective hats feature Omni-Freeze ZERO® fabric, which is designed to react with sweat to lower the temperature of the material, accelerate the wicking process, and provide an instant and prolonged cooling. The hats will be provided to attendees at the following events (while supplies last): The Big Paddle in Ridgefield, WA; the 3rd Annual National Trails Day Festival in New Boston, MI; the World Bird Sanctuary’s National Trails Day in Valley Park, MO; the Garden State Council, Boy Scouts of America’s National Trails Day in Pine Hill, NJ; the National Trails Day event at Scott’s Corner Conservation Area in South Brunswick, NJ; Hike it! at Inver Grove Heights, MN; and the Celebration of National Trails Day at Fort Dupont Park in Washington, D.C.
First aid and safety supplies from Adventure Medical Kits were offered to event organizers during the online event registration process at American Hiking Society’s webpage, and many of those organizers took advantage of the opportunity to help their attendees be better prepared for a day in the great outdoors. Items offered by Adventure Medical Kits to the event hosts included: Easy Access Bandages (designed for one-handed application), Ben’s Repellent (containing 30% DEET, which is the minimum concentration recommended to guard against insect-transmitted diseases); Natrapel Repellent (which contains 20% Picaridin, the only formula that consistently shows equal or better performance than DEET); and AfterBurn (which contains Lidocaine and Aloe to treat sunburn, scrapes, and cuts).
Event hosts wanting additional supplies besides the items mentioned above can also obtain National Trails Day kits from American Hiking Society at the bargain price of $79.95. The kits contain a wide variety of hiking gear and supplies with a total retail value of about $250. Kit contents were provided by many of American Hiking Society’s partners, including Adventure Medical Kits, Columbia, Merrell, LED Lenser, Sea to Summit, Osprey, Gear Aid, GU Energy, Nikwax, Wenger, and Backpacker’s Pantry. Event organizers often decide to purchase the kits so that they can use the contents as special rewards for the hardworking volunteers who help with trail maintenance projects on National Trails Day.
Tens of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts will be hitting the trail on June 1 as they celebrate American Hiking Society’s 21st National Trails Day. Event attendees will be hiking, pedaling, horseback riding, and paddling through some of America’s most beautiful areas as part of the celebration. National Trails Day is devoted to appreciating America’s trails and the hard-working individuals who build and maintain them. In honor of this day, thousands of public events will be hosted nationwide, and National Trails Day activities will be available in all 50 states and also the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Join American Hiking Society and thousands of others on Saturday, June 1, for National Trails Day as we come together to explore, learn about, and celebrate America’s trails. Find the nearest National Trails Day event by visiting AmericanHiking.org and clicking on National Trails Day.
About American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day is a nationally recognized trail awareness program that occurs annually on the first Saturday of June and inspires the public to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in outdoor activities, clinics, and trail stewardship projects. National Trails Day®is a registered trademark of American Hiking Society.
About American Hiking Society
Founded in 1976, American Hiking Society is the only national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience. To learn more about American Hiking Society and its mission and programs, visit americanhiking.org or call (301) 565-6704.
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