I want your experiences! Product development survey:

**Mjones9200** · 11-07-2014, 03:38 PM

Hi, I'm a new member on the forum but have been reading and researching threads on the site for a while. I hope this is the correct section to post in but please let me know if it is not.

I'm a final year university student in England and as part of my product design degree I have decided to design a product for outdoor survival, based around resourceful and self-sufficient living. This is something that interests me and I have recently come back from a camping trip in the Lake District myself. However I don't consider myself an expert and I found this site to cover most of the areas I have been looking into, so it has been greatly helpful!

I have compiled a questionnaire that I would greatly appreciate if any of you could complete as it will help me develop the product around the specific needs of the user (you!) and hopefully develop into a product with real market viability.

If you wish to add any thoughts about issues or problems you can identify when outside, camping, hiking or during other outdoor activities wherever it may be in the world, please feel free to include them.

Questions:
1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency:
Activity:

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have?

3. How long is the average duration of the trip?

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit?

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences?

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience?

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you?

8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting?

9. What items would you consider essential?

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe?

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify:

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area.

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc.

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip?

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice?

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem?

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for?

As mentioned before if there's any experiences or additional detail you wish to add, please do! Feel free to reply to me via inbox or on this thread.

I could provide an online survey form if you think it would be easier to use.

Thanks a lot!

Michael.

**Mjones9200** · 11-07-2014, 03:39 PM

Also, I will update this thread with progress of the project or the eventual final outcome for those interested!

**hunter63** · 11-07-2014, 03:56 PM

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.

You do know that everyone of those question will have a different answer for everyone that attempts to answer it.
My answers would be much different that everyone else's....who is to say what right...just opinions.

I would guess that maybe picking one prospective product...."Knife" for example and see how that goes.

Good luck.

**Mjones9200** · 11-07-2014, 04:06 PM

Hello, thanks!

Yeah I do understand that and thought it would be interesting to get opinions from people who do a range of outdoor activities, or have varying levels of experience. I was looking to channel the project towards a product that allows people to be self-sufficient in the wild as I have been exploring alternate energy sources, such as thermoelectric generation. At this point of the project I need to identify where the problems lie and there are many experienced people on here who may be able to help identify them further with their own opinions and experiences.

**crashdive123** · 11-07-2014, 05:41 PM

Please do not provide an on-line form to use. That would violate forum spam rules. What you have provided will allow members to participate (or not) as they see fit. I'll play.

Questions:
1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency:1. 50 - 75 days per year. 2. 8 - 15 outings per year. 3. 15 or more times per year.
Activity:1. Day hikes 2. Camping 3. Canoeing/Kyaking

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have?Intermediate in most areas, basic in some, advanced in a few

3. How long is the average duration of the trip?Day hikes - 30 minutes to six hours, Camping - weekend/long weekend, Paddling - half day to full day.

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit?Prefer mountains and cooler weather, but I live in a flat region with warmer weather.

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences?yes

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience?Just my regular stuff - might be "special" to others.

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you?Depends greatly on the type of trip

8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting?no

9. What items would you consider essential?Water, shelter, fire, food

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe?Have a plan, be comfortable with it, know your gear, know your limitations.

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify:Yes. Swarmed by stinging arthropods, fell, tore rotator cuff in fall

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area.Weather, people, dinosaurs.

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc.Nope - it's for pleasure and passion

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip?Depends greatly on the trip. Gourmet food if car or boat camping. Lightweight fare if hiking.

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice?Nope - I bring what I like.

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem?Nope. Rather enjoyable actually

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for?Internet access to find a place further away. On a more serious note - to charge electronics if needed.

As mentioned before if there's any experiences or additional detail you wish to add, please do! Feel free to reply to me via inbox or on this thread.

I could provide an online survey form if you think it would be easier to use.

**wilderness medic** · 11-07-2014, 06:59 PM

1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency: 1-30-75 times a year 2- 50-100 a year 3- 5-10 times a year 4- 1-2 times a year 5- 1-2 times a year
Activity: 1- Spearfishing/Diving 2- day hikes 3- camping/1-3overnight stays 4- 1+ weeks hiking/camping 5- Other country travel outdoors

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have?
Basic in some, Intermediate in most, Advanced in a little

3. How long is the average duration of the trip?
Day hikes 1-4 hours. Camping 1-3 days. Long distance-1-3 weeks

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit?
Coastal forest/Sierras

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences?
Yes

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience?
GoPro/filming equipment

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you?
Day hikes- Small 5.11 MOAB 10, mostly for stuff I find and water. Extended hikes- Large Osprey Atmos 65

8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting?
Nope, minimalist ultralite gear.

9. What items would you consider essential?
Knife/ferro rod, water filter

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe?
Situational awareness. Be aware of where you are and what direction you are heading before getting into trouble. Note simple things like creeks, rivers, upstream downstream, hardball roads in which direction, topography

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify:
Altitude related illnesses HAPE and HACE. Accidental exposure needle stick.

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area.
Injuries making movement difficult. Delayed SAR team activation due to no one knowing you left, or where you went.

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc.
Not enough outdoor remote area left. Can't walk too far without running into someone/thing, or traces thereof.

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip?
Dehydrated precooked meals, high calorie to weight foods, olive oil, peanut butter etc.

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice?
Depends on the trip. Camping with friends? Feast. Long distance hiking, don't care what the food is or tastes like, as long as it gives me energy

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem?
The only problem I found was realizing how much I overuse it.

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for?
Charge camera equipment, if internet, google things i've been curious/had questions about. Something I saw, can't remember etc.

**finallyME** · 11-10-2014, 10:28 AM

Questions:
1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency: Camping....about once a month.
Activity: Camping includes backpacking and car camping (two different activities). Then there is mountain biking and fishing and shooting.

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have? Average

3. How long is the average duration of the trip? From overnight to week long

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit? High Alpine

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences? Yes

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience? Yes

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you? For week long backpacking, about 60L. For car camping....a lot more.

8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting? I limit the weight and size of the items myself when backpacking. With car camping, it just has to fit in the vehicle.

9. What items would you consider essential? Sleeping bag, shelter, fire kit, clothes for the season.

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe? level head.

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify: People in my group have. Sprained ankle, and minor cuts.

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area. Yes

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc. Yes

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip? For backpacking, it is normally dehydrated or freeze dried. For car camping it is stuff I REALLY like, usually meat.

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice? For backpacking I am limited to dehydrated or freeze dried.

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem? Bloody NO.

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for? shocking people.

I go camping to get away from electricity.

As an Engineer, I am interested in what you come up with.

**wilderness medic** · 11-10-2014, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by finallyME

Questions:

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for? shocking people.

I go camping to get away from electricity.

**hunter63** · 11-10-2014, 01:36 PM

Quote>
17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for? shocking people. I go camping to get away from electricity.
<quote

Bhohahahaha

**Mjones9200** · 11-10-2014, 07:54 PM

Thanks everyone for your responses! As I mentioned, ill update this thread with concepts and development, it would be quite helpful if people could provide feedback on my designs as to whether you think they'd be viable/useful. But i'm not quite at that stage of the project yet, however I soon will be.

**Tokwan** · 11-10-2014, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Mjones9200

Hi, I'm a new member on the forum but have been reading and researching threads on the site for a while. I hope this is the correct section to post in but please let me know if it is not.

I'm a final year university student in England and as part of my product design degree I have decided to design a product for outdoor survival, based around resourceful and self-sufficient living. This is something that interests me and I have recently come back from a camping trip in the Lake District myself. However I don't consider myself an expert and I found this site to cover most of the areas I have been looking into, so it has been greatly helpful!

I have compiled a questionnaire that I would greatly appreciate if any of you could complete as it will help me develop the product around the specific needs of the user (you!) and hopefully develop into a product with real market viability.

If you wish to add any thoughts about issues or problems you can identify when outside, camping, hiking or during other outdoor activities wherever it may be in the world, please feel free to include them.

Questions:
1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency:Almost every 2 months
Activity:Camping and horning survival skills or teach.

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have? Experienced..and I am considered an expert on surviving the Rainforest in my country..Malaysia.

3. How long is the average duration of the trip? soemtimes 2 or 3 days, sometimes a week.

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit? Alaska, coniferous forest a 4 season country.

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences? Of course

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience? My survival kit.

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you? 35 liter or 55 liter
8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting? Sometimes, but my experience have taught me well to be sufficient with the least.

9. What items would you consider essential? Tarp/Cover, Rain poncho, hat, first aid kit, parang/knife, fire making kit, cordage and compass. (This is as where I am).

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe? Alert, mental strength, calm and utilize your knowledge.

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify:Yep, got cut and stitched myself on the middle finger. 5 stitches. I also was riding my dirt bike and a bamboo hit my face..have to stitch myself too.

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area. There are too many threats as I am in Malaysia, in a Equatorial Rainforest.

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc.Yes.

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip?Dehydrated food, dried food, army rations (MREs) and quick to cook food.

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice? No, But I do bring pots and stove.

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem? No.

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for? Light maybe,

As mentioned before if there's any experiences or additional detail you wish to add, please do! Feel free to reply to me via inbox or on this thread.

I could provide an online survey form if you think it would be easier to use.

Thanks a lot!

Michael.

Replied as best that I can.

**shackwater** · 11-11-2014, 02:19 PM

Questions:
1. How often do you participate in outdoor activities each year, such as camping?
Frequency: Sept – Apr: monthly
May – Aug: 2-3 times
Activity: Sept – Apr: Camping with Boy Scout Troop – some backpacking, mostly camping
May – Aug: backpacking/hiking with sons

2. What level of experience do you consider yourself to have?
Intermediate level

3. How long is the average duration of the trip?
2-3 days

4. What sort of environment or location do you prefer to visit?
Adirondack Mountains of New York State

5. Do you intend to go on trips in the future following your previous experiences?
Yes

6. Is there any specialist items you bring with you in order to improve the experience?
Hammock. I’ve given up my tent for a hammock in order to lessen the impact on my “bad” back.

7. What size bag would you normally bring with you?
Internal frame packback (unsure of CC/in2 size)

8. Do you find the overall size and weight of the items you bring with you to be limiting?
Yes

9. What items would you consider essential?
Sleeping bag, hammock, sleeping pad, food, cookset, compass, map, flashlight/headlamp, rain gear.

10. What would you consider one of the main precautions to remain safe?
Planning, letting others know your plans, go with someone.

11. Have you experienced injuries whilst on a outdoor trips? If so please specify:
Yes, very minor. Blisters, aggravated pre-injured knee, cuts & scrapes.

12. Can you identify any threats whilst on trips outdoors? An example being not being able to contact anyone if stranded in a remote area.
Weather, wildlife.

13. Are you able to identify a main draw back or limitation of activities such as camping or outdoor exploration? This could include the limitations of bag space etc.
Expense of proper lightweight gear. The most advantageous gear is always out of the common man’s price range.

14. What types of food do you normally take with you on a trip?
Dehydrated meals, soups, pasta.

15. Do you find the choices of food limiting whilst on a camping trip for example or do you bring cooking devices to help broaden the choice?
No

16. Is not having immediate access to electricity something you found to be a problem?
No

17. If you could have access to electricity, what would you most likely use it for?
Nothing. The bush is no place for electricity. I retreat there in order to escape the devices that run on it.