Outdoor gear manufacturer Kelty is getting in on the Haitian relief efforts too and has sent nearly 300 tents to the earthquake zone since January. In one case, some of the Kelty tents were used to house 750 children left without parents after the disaster.

Recovering from a natural disaster like the quake in Haiti can place millions of people into a survival situation that looks and feels a lot like an indefinite camping trip. Water must be purified, shelter needs to be found, and fresh food can be difficult to prepare. It’s great to see outdoor companies like Kelty and Hi Tec recognizing the needs of the survivors and are willing to offer items to make the recovery a little more comfortable!

This is a pretty cool item that didn’t get a lot of press (which actually makes it even cooler): last month Hi-Tec donated 900 pairs of hiking boots to Haitian earthquake victims. The company gave the boots to Souls4Souls.org which will distribute them to men, women, and children in Haiti. Not ones to toot their own horns, Hi-Tec makes no mention of the donation on their website - all I was able to find was this short press release on another site:

Hi-Tec has donated 900 pairs of men’s, women’s and children’s boots and shoes to soles4souls.org for distribution to victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

“Our hearts go out to our Haitian neighbors as we struggle to comprehend the magnitude of this disaster, and we cannot forget how important basic necessities – such as shoes – will be in the ongoing rescue and rebuilding efforts,” said Bill Berta, CEO of Hi—Tec USA. “We deeply appreciate the work of Soles 4 Souls and encourage everyone to look into their own closets in support of this tragedy.”

And as you can see from the image at the top of this post, Hi-Tec also supports our National Parks and other great causes. Kinda makes us feel good to see outdoor companies stepping up and helping out…