Category Archives: Guest Post

The Smart Way To Buy Sports Watches

There are so many sports watches currently on the market, that choosing the right one is easier said than done! Perhaps the first step in buying the right sports watch for your activity is to consider how you will be using it in everyday life. For instance if you are into running and will be running several times a week, clearly you need to limit your search to running watches that can accommodate these needs. If you are a diver on the other hand, a running watch will be useless, so the first step is to find a watch that matches your favorite activity. Here is a summary of the different types of sports watches.

The classic style analog sports watch is designed as much for looks and image as for functionality. This type of watch can be a nice eye-catching timepiece to wear out on the town, but can also include some basic functions like stopwatch and water resistance.

Running and fitness watches are generally digital watches with a stopwatch feature and sometimes extras like support for a heart rate monitor chest strap device that measures your continual heart rate during a run or race. These are essential for anyone keen on improving their fitness level, but are generally not suited to being worn in a casual setting.

Outdoors watches are watches that are more rugged and robust to stand up to the rigour of an outdoors setting. More advanced versions of an outdoor sports watch often include barometer and altimeter sensors and a built-in compass. Sometimes these watches also include a GPS receiver, allowing you to navigate in the wilderness.

Diving watches are watches specifically designed to withstand the pressures in a deep-sea environment. Authentic diving watches must pass ISO 6424 testing, which is a series of tests under typical pressures experienced on deep-sea dives.

These are just some of the basic watches that are available for different activities. Based on these classes, you should be able to figure out which watches will suit you best. For instance you will know that a Garmin Forerunner and other running watches will be a better match if your aim is to run a marathon and an Invicta pro diver watch a better match for recreational diving. Much more information on the various watches within each of the above categories, can be found on our website by following the links supplied above.

Solar Farms – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Utilizing solar energy is something we should be doing more of since it’s clean and renewable, at least cleaner than biomass energy. That’s the good part about solar energy. Right now we need more infrastructure built up. That’s the bad part. To do so requires a large investment in solar which investors don’t like because they can find better ROI’s elsewhere. That’s the ugly part. This holds true for personal systems and larger scale systems, at least until the solar world becomes more profitable.

There hasn’t exactly been landslide success for solar panel farms. There have been a few successful small scale operations. There are plenty of companies that will fill your personal, or possibly small neighborhood or community needs. If this is all you need and you’re willing to commit the capitol upfront then start making a few calls to find the right developer or installer.

Solar systems are actually pretty simple, especially off-grid connections. Expenses go up when you need to tie into the grid because it normally requires an inverter, special permits, and sometimes certified installers. It all depends on your local, state, and federal laws. Again, total off-grid usually doesn’t require much in the way of permits, and if you can change the battery in your car you can likely do most of it yourself. Always check with local authorities though. You don’t want to build any small solar panel farms and then have to change it, or worse, tear it down.

When it comes to larger investments, there may or may not be great opportunities in solar farms. The field of photovoltaic science is advancing extremely rapidly. Think computers in the early 90’s. Are they going to be a part of everyone’s life, like computers seem to be today? That reality is entirely possible. However, no one seems to have deciphered the right code or formula to bring solar power into the mainstream. Just like on the small scale, solar farming requires a pretty significant upfront cost with a somewhat questionable payback return. Some critics argue that without government incentives and subsidies, it wouldn’t be profitable in the least. However, if we look at computers, the first generations were exorbitantly expensive. So the great questions, and where the inherent risk lies, is whether or not the technology advances will bring the upfront costs down and payback and return on investments up. Someone needs to be the Bill Gates or Steve jobs of solar energy and eventually the cost of solar will decrease to a good level that nearly all can afford, and profit greatly from.

Leatherman Multi Tools for Backpackers

Leatherman Tools makes several different multi tools that serve different purposes. Some of the tools are best for jobs around the house or on the job site while others work well for the outdoors. If you are a backpacker you may be interested in the multi tools that Leatherman makes that are geared toward outdoor enthusiast. It is definitely important to carry a multi tool on you when backpacking and here are some of the best choices you have to choose from.

Leatherman Charge TTI

This multi tool is really the top of the line when it comes to tools. It is one of the more expensive multi tools that Leatherman makes but it is definitely worth the price. It’s a very compact tool that features a wider and stronger blade and knife. This can come in handy for backpackers who may find themselves stranded and needing a knife out in the wilderness. It is also very lightweight which means it won’t weigh your back down while backpacking. If you want a top of the line quality multi tool, this tool is definitely the one for you.

Leatherman Squirt PS4

If you don’t want to spend that much money but you still want a quality Leatherman multi tool, then I recommend the Leatherman Squirt PS4. This is a miniature multi-tool that you can buy for under $25. This multi tool actually has a keychain attachment that can go right on your backpack or even on your set of keys. With this tool you get just about every tool you would need but it comes in a much smaller and convenient package.

If you want something more top of the line that is the utmost in quality then go with the Charge TTI but if you want something a little less expensive but still of good quality try the Squirt PS4. You really can’t go wrong with a Leatherman multi tool.

Geographic Insights about Big Bear Lake

Most visitors to Big Bear Lake come from the urban sprawl of Southern California, city dwellers at heart. Few have a real appreciation of the underlying geology or geography that circumscribes the place they visit for the rest and recreation found at Big Bear. They are exquisitely well positioned to appreciate the built environment, from the lakeside marinas to the range of lodging at Big Bear Lake. But the natural environment is not well understood.

There’s something really special about Big Bear and its environs. Nestled in the mountains, this 7 mile long alpine lake, which originally existed as a shallow lake and marsh (before the dam made it deeper), drains a watershed stretching from the high desert on the northwest (see California Tourist Guide for maps and info about Deserts and Inland Empire) to the Santa Ana river watershed to the east. It’s located at a high elevation (6,750 feet at lake level), which means that it stays cool/cold year round and thus explains the extended skiing season available for 6 months a year, even though it is near to balmy Los Angeles.

In fact, the elevation explains the heavy precipitation, too. Big Bear receives about 5 feet of snow a year, and some years can be almost double that. While that’s great for skiing, the principal value is feeding the fresh water of the lake itself, sustaining the fish population in the lake and the verdant flora along the entire watershed.

The fauna of the region have been distorted by human development so that what exists now is hardly what existed for so many years. While one can find the occasional coyote, you would be hard pressed to find a bear … and the original European settlers named the valley for a reason: in pursuit of some cattle thieves, Benjamin Wilson, an early pioneer, took 22 pairs of men into the canyon … and they came out with 22 bear hides. Needless to say, the population of California brown bears and grizzly bears has been severely reduce

The other feature of the natural environment worth mentioning is mining. After the gold rush in Northern California, several efforts were made to look for gold in the San Bernadino Mountains, starting in 1859. Bear Valley delivered some bear meat for the prospectors (those poor bears!), but the gold strike was found in Holcomb Valley, 5 miles to the north, not in Big Bear (Lucerne) Valley. That was probably best in the long run, as no significant ecological destruction occurred in Bear Valley, unless you count the extirpation of the Grizzly Bear in the early 1900s.

Gearing Up with Hunting Safety Vests

The onset of spring probably doesn’t strike you as the premier time for making sure that your hunting gear is up to snuff for the late Fall hunting season. However, the earlier you ensure that you have everything you need for a good and safe hunt, the more fun you’re going to have. You’re also going to be able to concentrate better as you track and hunt the white tails or black bears or turkeys.

There are three excellent reasons that your hunting preparations should include procuring and using high visibility vests or any other type of reflective clothing. All three of them have to do with your safety, not to mention the safety of those who are sharing the fields and forests with you.

First and foremost, even though it doesn’t happen very often, one of your goals is not be confused with an animal. That is, you don’t want an overexcited hunter to confuse your for a ten-point buck as it works its way through the brush. Wearing hunter’s orange – whether we’re talking about a hunting safety vest or a jacket or something as simple as a hat or cap – is the number one way to be sure that other hunters see you for what you are – a fellow hunter.

Second, these days your safety clothing will also protect you from cold temperatures and precipitation. And you need that – just because it’s sleeting or below zero doesn’t mean the deer aren’t out there. Most manufacturers of quality hunting clothes cater to this fact. When you buy a jacket that’s bright and reflective, it’s also going to be able to ward off the worst of any inclement weather you might face.

Last but not least, should you get hurt or lost, a high visibility piece of clothing will make it a lot easier to find you. You don’t want to dwell on it, but should you need rescuing, the people in search of you are going to be looking for that orange on your clothing. You really want to maximize your capacity to help them do their job.

So  yes – even though it’s not quite the season to hit the woods, you still want to take care of all your safety gear needs.