HOMER, Alaska — Have you ever explored the great outdoors? Meteorologist Kelly Heidbreder packed her bags at took a summer trip to a remote island in Alaska.
Perl Island is a two-and-a-half hour boat ride south of Homer and is featured on the Discovery Channel hit show, "Alaska The Last Frontier."
Heidbreder spent four days on the island without any modern comforts. Her guide, Bill Siering is an Outdoor Survival Expert and coordinated the boat ride and camping excursion. They set up camp near the beach in a small grove of woods surrounded by eagles nests.
After three days in the wild frontier, Siering set up a solar shower.
"Setting up a solar shower can be very simple. Look for a kit at your favorite hunting supply store. Look for a kit with a water bladder that can hold about five gallons of water at a time. Usually, the bladder is black. Once you fill the black bag, set it in the sun. The heat from the sun will warm the water. This may take about 24 hours to heat the water even in mostly direct sun, so set up your solar shower early in your camping experience," Siering said.
You can also add warmed water from your campfire into the solar bag to speed up the process and that is what Kelly did.
"Make sure you find a secure branch or sturdy location to hang the bag of water. It will be above your head, so you want to make sure it doesn't fall. We secured our bag in a pine tree about 6 feet in the air on a solid branch and held it in place with a bungee cord," Siering said.
Most solar showers come with a spout and a tube with a shower head on the end to make it easy for you to wash your hair. You can save water between rinses by turning the spout off and on.
Camping is one of the most popular family activities. According to one study, camping can strengthen relationships with the interplay among community, spirituality, nature and family. In turn, this leads to stronger family bonds, confidence and self-reliance in the outdoors, and a greater sense of adaptability for the individual.
Kelly said her trip was amazing.
"We saw whales throughout the day, every day of the trip. Getting off the grid for a week was a relief and we enjoyed rough camping. We did enjoy one modern-day convenience on Perl," she said.
"The crew of 'Alaska The Last Frontier' set up a weather station for me. We met the Kilcher family and Grady Avant, featured on the show. Grady heard a meteorologist was headed to the island and got us all set for a wonderful trip. We communicate with the Kilchers and Avant often and I'm sure we will be seeing them again on our next trip to Alaska," Kelly said.
Perl Island is located off the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula in the Chugach Islands. It is tucked between Elizabeth and East Chugach Island.
"I can't wait to show you more tricks from our trip," Kelly said.