Category Archives: Equipment

Quality Outdoor Equipment Tested In The Toughest Terrain

Outdoors enthusiasts, campers, prospectors and adventurers need the best equipment to explore the natural environment, but the cost of this equipment can sometimes be staggering. Even family-targeted camping equipment comes at a cost and when the expense of buying your outdoor equipment goes up the temptation to sacrifice quality can be hard to resist. But what if there was a great way to buy the highest quality outdoor adventure and camping equipment and save money at the same time? At military surplus retailers and online stores you can get the quality you need at prices you can afford.

I’ve been camping and exploring for years. It started with family fishing trips when I was young and now as a father I often take my own children outdoors on the holidays for a little adventure. Like me, my children love getting outside for fishing, hiking and prospecting. It’s a family tradition enjoyed by millions of people across the world, but it can be a costly pastime. The cost of tents, clothing, equipment and hunting and fishing gear is staggering, but since I’ve discovered military surplus I’ve been able to save a lot every year when adding to and updating our equipment.

One of the best purchases I’ve made from military surplus has been sleeping bags, tents and clothing (check out considerations for the best camping tent). The range of clothing and backpacks in particular is exceptional and my kids love to dress up in camouflage and go spotlighting at night. I admit I love the look of camouflage clothing too, but I also appreciate the quality and the durability of the materials, and the fact that I’m not going to have to replace it after every trip. I also love tucking into a warm and dry sleeping bag at night to rest after chasing after the kids all day.

But it’s not just family trips that I’ve been able to enjoy more since discovering surplus. I love hunting, and while it’s not everyone’s favorite activity, for enthusiasts like me it’s important that I can carry the right knives and guns for each outing (check out what to look for in a hunting knife, too). Military surplus is a great source of knives, sheaths and netting. The quality is made for combat so it is sturdy and reliable. The range of rifles are also impressive.

Hunting equipment is a specialized necessity for sporting enthusiasts and while many military guns are not appropriate for sporting activities it’s possible to modify some combat rifles for these purposes. I recently purchased an AR-15 builder instruction manual and have been able to adapt my rifle to suit the exact purposes I’m looking for. You can also buy handguns and collectors weapons from World War I & II.

Whether you are strictly a family camping hobbyist or adventurous outdoor explorer, military surplus stores offer a great range of supplies for any expedition. Tested in harsh environments by our brave soldiers, surplus stock is a fantastic idea for building your store of outdoor gear. Compasses, portable bathrooms, sleeping bags, clothing and more. Military surplus stores stock everything you need at prices you can afford.

Air Bed Reviews–Finding Quality Air Beds

So, you want to try out what people are raving about. Air beds have improved over the years from glorified balloons into ergonomic, adjustable supports. There are many kinds, as well as manufacturers. How then, can you pick the right one for you?

You can go out and try as many kinds as you can. Bigger stores specializing in home furnishings and outdoor centers often have several on display. They also have knowledgeable personnel who can provide assistance. But what about when the air bed that you want is only available online?

Deals through online stores are sometimes too good to pass up. The problem is that you have to rely on product descriptions and pictures to make your buying decision. In the case of buying an air bed, the most crucial attribute is comfort – and you just can’t get an idea how comfortable it is when you’re looking at a picture. Sure, the model is smiling as she’s lying down, but that’s her job.

The next best thing to actually trying out for yourself is through the experience of others. Air bed reviews made by actual users can be really helpful when shopping online. You would want to narrow your search for applications similar to your intended use. Don’t look at the capacity of king size air bed reviews when you are planning to buy a double air bed. Also, reviews of air beds made for indoor use are not going to be helpful if you want to take your air bed camping with you.

Amazon.com is not just an online store. Nowadays, it’s becoming a good source for credible reviews. (Search at the Boneblogger Store and get reviews and products from Amazon). As you bring up search results for the product you are looking for, Amazon.com also allows you to see reviews made by buyers of that product. Critical reviews go alongside ones praising the product so you can see both sides of the story. Again, in looking for air bed deals online, you would have to trust other people’s judgment and if that fails, at least the bigger stores have liberal return policies.

Breville Juicers: A Kitchen Must Have

Fruit and vegetable juices are the healthiest refreshing drinks for everybody. People around the world are getting conscious with their health and the easiest way to have a nutritious and healthy drink is to have a juicing machine.

If you are interested in looking for the very best juicer offered in the market today, you should consider Breville Juicers and their many models available in all appliance stores. All their juicers have very strong motors and large food chutes. Fruits and vegetables are extracted fast and easy and the refreshing juices come out in just 5 seconds. Breville juicers feature high-speed motors to customize juicing speed for any particular fruit or veggies. They reduce your time in cutting and slicing fruits as the wide chutes can accommodate whole fruits and vegetables. They do the whole process of peeling, cutting, and extracting, so that not even a small amount of juice is wasted. In some of their featured model juicers have overload protection to alert you when the juicer is getting overload. This is a protection to insure the juicer’s non-stop operation and longer life.

Breville fruit and orange juicers are so simple and easy to clean. The parts are safe to dismantle and reassemble after washing. A cleaning brush is provided in all Breville juicer models so all food traps are eliminated. Recipe books are included in the box to give you juice ideas and on how to make use of the extracted pulps. They can still be mixed in your other cooking like soups, cakes, and cookies.

People are very particular with their food intake and everybody knows that fruits and vegetables are a must-have for our daily consumption. Take the best juicers that would make you satisfied for having one. Choose among the simple yet elegant models of Breville Juicers. They promise durable and excellent juicing performance.

Maintaining the Horse Trailer

If you’ve ever owned a horse trailer then you know just what type of maintenance is needed to keep it in working order and safe for your equine friends to ride in. However, I have found many people who really don’t understand the necessity of routine maintenance. Horrible trailering accidents can easily be prevented with simple routine upkeep of the horse trailer. Hinges can break causing the door to swing open, possibly letting the horse fall out into traffic. I’ve seen accidents caused by flooring giving way or tires blowing out. While accidents can happen at any time, lowering the odds with proper maintenance is really easy to do. One of the best horse gifts that you can give to give your horse is a safe trailer to ride in.

If you’re not mechanically inclined there are many trailer servicing places in most metro areas that you can take your trailer into for a good once over. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy garage. In fact, one of the best places around here is a little Mom and Pop garage just past the place that always has the cheap draft horses for sale. There are some really basic things to have checked out. Checking that the wiring and trailer brakes are working properly is a must. Having the floor boards checked out is also a must. Most places are very good at getting the mats back in place correctly. They can also check the brake bearings and the tire tread and pressure. A good garage will check for rust and will offer to repair it for an extra fee. They will go over all the hinges and lube them if needed or repair them if they’re damaged. Checking the welds and outer shells for breaks, rust, or damage is often included in the basic service, though fixing such problems might entail an extra fee. Whatever garage you use, getting the routine yearly maintenance checks can end up saving your horse’s life.

Portable Fridges – Outside And In

A portable fridge is a very popular appliance with many consumers.  Their main appeal is that they allow the ability to refrigerate away from the kitchen and out on the road.

There are several different kinds of portable fridge: the 12V car fridge; the 3-way camping fridge; and a generic compact fridge intended for household use – such as a dorm fridge.

For those in the market for a car fridge, one of the best buys is probably a 12V Engel fridge freezer.  These units are very expensive – in the $800 dollar range – but provide a very energy efficient, highly rugged and reliable solution for buyers looking for a 12V car fridge freezer.

Unlike cheaper and less efficient competitors they can freeze reliably, and can be ran from a vehicle’s car battery for quite some time without draining it to a dangerous level.  Be sure to look specifically for a compressor type 12v refrigerator, in preference to the inferior absorption technology models.

12V fridge freezers are very popular amongst off-grid types who crave energy independence.  Their high efficiency makes them a good choice for those attempting to power their refrigerator from alternate energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines.

Portable camping fridges are usually of the 3-way type.  Three way fridges have the flexibility of being powered by three potential power sources.  Dometic and Waeco are well regarded brands. House current, used at home or when tapped into the grid is the most reliable option.  LPG (propane gas) can be used in remote locations such as hunting cabins, or within RVs, and can provide extended refrigeration for weeks on an average size tank.  Finally they can also draw power from a 12v DC system, though admittedly this is not their strong point.

For remote locations that do not have grid power available these are a good solution for portable refrigeration provided that a ready source of propane – and refills – is available.

The final common type of portable fridge is the type frequently found around the home.  These are normal refrigerators or fridge freezers – they use house power – but are simply compact versions.

Regular portable fridges are very popular for use as second refrigerators.  Small fridges are frequently used as mini bar fridges in home entertainment areas or media rooms.  Mini fridges like these are also very popular choices for use as college dorm fridges.

A grid powered small fridge like this is also often found in workplace break rooms and can also make a great beverage fridge for your home office or study.

Clearly, when purchasing a portable fridge, you must carefully consider how you will be utilizing the appliance – and then buy the appropriate model of portable refrigerator from the wide selection that is available.

As with most major purchases you will get what you pay for.  So plan to spend a little extra and purchase a quality model.  This could potentially save you a lot of the heartache – and in the long term money – that can result from choosing the cheapest options.