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What To Do If You Get Lost Hiking

The most important thing to consider before you set off on your journey is the possibility of getting lost and what you should do if this happens. Getting lost while hiking, especially when you are exploring somewhere new you are not familiar with, can be very serious and even fatal if you don’t manage the situation correctly. Follow our steps below to make sure you will know what to do if this happens to you.

Before you go

• Plan your journey. Where are you going to go? How long will this take? Make sure you are familiar with your map and you have a compass that you know how to use. Don’t just study your route- have a look at the surrounding area so you will know which direction is best to head in if you get lost.

• Tell a friend where you are going and what time you expect to be back. If you are not back at this time or shortly afterwards, they will know to raise the alarm. It is also a good idea to leave a copy of your planned route with your friend so that mountain rescue will know where to start looking for you.

• Make sure you have a fully charged mobile phone with you. Up in the mountains, it is likely you will have no network reception but keep it with you anyway and keep it turned off to conserve the battery. If you follow our steps below, you might be able to make your way to somewhere that does have reception.

During your hike

Remember prevention is better than cure! There are a few things you can do on your way to make sure you don’t get lost in the first place.

• Leave markers. You can create markers from sticks and stones in the shape of an arrow etc. This way you can just go back the way you came if you are unsure of your forward route.

• Observe your surroundings as you go. Are there any natural sounds that stand out along the way like a noisy fast-flowing river? Maybe there is a funny shaped tree or other distinctive natural feature you can keep in mind.

• Take pictures. If you have a camera, you can easily just look back and take a picture of the way you came. You can also include your hand pointing in the right direction in the photo.

So you forgot to leave markers and now you’re lost. What next?

• Stop and assess the situation. Get your map and compass out and look around for any big landmarks or anything that will help you find your bearings.

• Stay calm and maintain a positive mental attitude. This is the most important thing to remember. If you panic, you won’t be able to think straight. If you can't think straight, you won't be able to help yourself.

• Orient yourself. If you have no map or compass (or are so far gone that you can’t possibly figure out how to use it effectively), you can still get a general idea of your location by looking at the position of the sun. Remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Remember studying the surrounding area on the map before you left? This is how you can determine where to go next.

• If you still can't find the trail, look around for a nearby river or stream. Follow it downstream. This will eventually lead you to civilization.

• If nightfall approaches and you don't know where you are, it is usually wiser to stay put and try to find your way home in the daylight. By this stage there will probably be someone looking for you anyway. Look for shelter somewhere that will keep you dry and reasonably warm. Leave something out that will attract attention if someone is looking for you like a brightly coloured bandana or scarf.

• If you have a whistle, blow it. The sound may attract help. The sound from a whistle travels much farther and is more easily located than the sound of a shout.

How do I Reproof my Waterproof Coat?

We've enjoyed a good summer and a mild autumn.  Thankfully, we have not needed our rain mac or overcoat for quite a while.  It's been packed away unused for many months, and finally the rain hits, and we root about to find our trusty coat, dust it off and... get wet!

What should you do?  Buy a new Target Dry waterproof coat of-course!

But we understand that people can get very attached to their jacket or coat.  After all, you have been through a lot together!  So how can you get an extra season of staying dry out of your BJF (Best Jacket Forever)?

Remember that all Target Dry products are machine washable at 30° (Find out more about how to wash your waterproof coat).  And while there are many wash & re-proof products on the market, we recommend using the NikWax Two-Stage Treatment.

This is a cleaning and re-proofing sequence that aims at restoring the original performance of your coat or jacket.  Coming in a twin-pack, remember that "Green is for Clean & Purple is for Proof".  Now we are all set!

 Stage 1 - Wash Your Jacket / Coat with NikWax Tech Wash

NikWax Tech Wash is a soap based cleaner that can be used on all sorts of outdoor equipment, including clothing, tents, awnings, rucksacks etc.  Just washing your Target Dry jacket or coat can help the breathability (it cleans out dirt in the fabric), and revitalises the waterproof finish.

1. Before washing please make sure to clean the detergent dispenser of the washing machine, as detergent residue will impair the effectiveness of the wash, as will that used tissue hiding at the bottom of the pocket! (Hate that!)

2. Place up to 2 items in the washing machine.  Trying to wash too many items at once, will impair the effectiveness of the wash.

3. Use 3 full caps (150ml) for areas of medium / hard water.  Use 2 full caps (100ml) for areas of soft water.

4. Wash with a delicate 30° wash as per wash instructions sewn into our garments

 Stage 2 - Reproof Your Jacket / Coat with NikWax TX Wash-In

There is no need to dry your items before moving to the next stage of reproofing.  The steps below closely follow the previous stage but remember to use the right product - NikWax TX-Direct -  "Purple is for Proofing"!

1. Before reproofing remove any detergent build up in the detergent dispenser.

2. Place a maximum of 2 clean items in the washing machine.

3. Use 2 full caps (100ml) per garment.

4. Wash with a delicate 30° wash on a slow spin as per wash instructions sewn into our garments

5. Allow to dry in an airing cupboard, warm room or (weather permitting) outside in the sunshine!  This will help the reproofing agent to bond well to the fabric, and ensure that it is fully activated.

There you have it - You should now have a reproofed waterproof coat!

We hope that this short guide helps you get more wear out of your outdoor waterproof gear.  But if you're ready for a change and a new coat for a new season, check out our Target Dry collection!

How to Wash Your Waterproof Coat

The more you wear your waterproof coat, the more dirt you will find building up on it. This can lessen the effectiveness of the waterproof coating as well as the breathability of the coat. We’ve put together a guide on how to wash your Target Dry coat as this is a good question we are frequently asked.

Just follow these steps to make your waterproof coat feel like new again:

• Before you put it in the machine, try and brush off as much loose mud or dirt as possible. Be sure to do up any zips, buttons or Velcro tabs as these can get caught in the washing machine.

• Make sure there is no extra washing powder lurking in the detergent drawer of your machine from previous washes. Normal washing powder can damage and deface the waterproof coating on your coat, making it less waterproof and more susceptible to leaks.

• We recommend using pure soap suds to wash your coat. Dri-Pak Soap Flakes are a good choice. Follow the instructions on the packet for the correct directions and amount to use. Do not use fabric softeners on our waterproof products as these can also be very harmful.

• Place your waterproof coat in the machine. It is best to wash your Target Dry coat on its own or with only one or two other similarly coloured garments.

• Wash at 30 degrees (on a delicate setting if the machine provides this option) and allow the machine to complete a full wash and spin cycle.

• When the wash is complete, waterproof garments are best left to dry out naturally, but they may be dried in a tumble drier at a low or medium heat if the care instructions allow (most of our waterproof products do not allow tumble drying so be sure to pay attention to the label).

If you notice that the fabric of your jacket is beginning to absorb water rather than repel it, you may also need to reproof your garment. This is not necessary every time you wash it, but we would recommend that you do it periodically when you think it needs it.

Keep an eye out for our next blog post- we will be explaining the best way to reproof your waterproof coat!

Sizing Guides: Hints & Tips

Ah, the wonder of online shopping. Just browse, click, buy and it arrives at your door in a couple of days without so much as having to leave your seat on the sofa. What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, as wonderful as the concept of online shopping is, nothing is perfect and with every good thing comes a down side. We all know how annoying it is to buy something online and then have to go to the bother of sending it back if it doesn’t fit. That’s why we have made a special effort to ensure it is as easy as possible to decide which size is best for you.

Each product on our website has its own individual sizing chart. If you are a regular shopper with us, you will have noticed that our sizing charts are not the standard generic charts you will find elsewhere. Instead of using person measurements, we show the measurements of the actual garment. This is so that you can measure the coat against one you already have that fits well and compare the measurements to see which size will be best for you.

Just in case you need a little extra guidance, we have included some generic sizing charts below to give a good idea of which size would suit you best.

How Waterproof is my Coat: What Does 5000mm Mean?

If you are buying yourself a new waterproof coat and you’re not too well versed in the ins and outs of modern day waterproofing technology, you may find yourself coming across a few rather confusing terms. What on earth does 5000mm mean? And 5000gsm? What’s the difference? These are just a few of the questions that will be running through your mind.

Not to worry, our guide to waterproof technology is here to help.

Number, numbers, numbers. But what do they all mean?

A waterproof garment is measured with two numbers. The first one measures how waterproof the coat is. This is measured in millimetres. You will see numbers from 2,000mm up to 8,000mm across our collection to describe to the consumer how dry the coat will keep you. But what does it mean? For example, if a coat were 5,000mm waterproof, a test is conducted where a long tube is placed over the fabric and the tube is then filled with water. 5,000mm or 5 metres (16.4 ft) is how far you could fill the tube before it would start to leak through the fabric. So in theory, you could stand out in the rain until 5,000mm of rain fell before you would start getting wet.

The second number relates to how breathable the coat is. It is expressed in terms of how many grams (g) of water vapor can pass through a square meter (m²) of the fabric from the inside to the outside in a 24 hour period. The larger the number, the more breathable the fabric. For example, if a coat were 5000gsm breathable, 5000 grams of water would be able to pass through a square meter of the fabric in 24 hours.

Waterproof Technology Explained

So what's the composition of the fabric? Keeping in mind that some of our coats are designed slightly differently, we have constructed a basic diagram to show a general example of the different layers of our coats. This applies mostly to our Xtreme Series and Outdoor Leisure collections. Just click the link below to view.

View Waterproof Technology Diagram

Behind the lining inside, there may or may not (depending on the season of the collection) be a layer of insulation to keep your body heat in. Next comes a waterproof membrane which is fixed to the inside of the outer layer of material. The outer layer of material is then sprayed with a Teflon coating which helps the outer fabric to bead off as much rain as possible before it seeps down to the waterproof membrane. All of the seams of our coats are fully taped which means that no water can get in through the stitching.

Which one is best for me?

If you are buying a waterproof coat for walking about town or dropping the kids to school, a waterproof rating of 2,000-5,000mm will be more than enough. If you were planning a weekend in the mountains, we would advise a rating of 5,000-8,000mm as the conditions can be much harsher. A high breathability level would not be required for the school run, but if you have hiking in mind, we would recommend a breathability rating of at least 5,000gsm.

If you are still having problems choosing what is best for you, please just send us a message through our social media, or email us at shop@targetdry.com.

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