How to Survive Off the Grid

Just came across a new book for all you survivalist out there.  Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Magazine's survivalist blogger, has put together practical tactics for self-reliance in the great outdoors in one book.  You can pick up a copy at WalMart and other book stores like Barnes and Noble.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Rambo Fat Tire Electric Hunting Bikes

What is great about attending the Surf Expo surfing lifestyle trade show it is like a scene from Forest Gump "My mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.'" I never expected to see a booth with fat tire electric hunting bikes on display.

Rambo Motor Bikes were showing off their very popular fat tire electric fat tire bike at Surf Expo.

To bring a buzz to their booth they had two bikini clad swimsuit models riding around the  show floor riding one of the Rambo all black electric fat tire bikes.  That is where I first saw the bike in action.  I later returned to the booth and spoke with Kyle Dillon from the Alliance Outdoor Group (AOG). AOG is a company that owns numerous outdoor brands like Rambo Motor Bikes.  During my conversation with Kyle he gave me the rundown on their fat tire electric hunting bikes.

He explained how the bike could reach speeds of 20 mph depending on the terrain and that a full charges battery could take the rider on a ride of 15-20 miles also depending on the terrain.  I asked about the hill climbing capability of the bike.  Kyle said that being that the company was from Apple Valley, MN, they had field tested in all sorts of hunting and off road environments and the bike performed as exceptionally.  Now knowing they were from the north country, I asked about snow where he said it works great in the snow.  Click HERE for the fat tire motor bike's specifications.
After spending time with the AOG Rambo team, I could see that a motorized fat tire bike could be a great addition to one's garage along with your other hunting and off road gear.

Returning home after the show I did a little research into electric fat tire bikes.  There are numerous brands on the market that offer this kind bicycle.  Some are only for street use and some can be rode in the back country.  When selecting the brand for you be sure that the bike can be peddled.  A dead battery is a long walk home if you cannot peddle the bike.  Also be sure to check out the bike's suspension system if it has one.  Riding off road with a hard tail and not front fork shocks can make for a long day.

So when you are thinking about your outdoor adventures, an electric fat tire bike just may right for you.  Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Adv3nture Hoodie on Kickstarter

Each day I get about 200 emails with many of then about new products. The other day I received one about an amazing hoodie.  This hoodie is called the Adv3nture Hoodie.  It was originally designed in 2014 as a Kickstarter project that was a big hit as a beer drinking jacket with a pocket to hold your beer bottle.  It did not take the designer long to realize that the drinking jacket was the basis of an even better hoodie.  The new Kickstarter Adv3nture Hoodie has 23 pockets with loads of features that make this outdoor garment the go to jacket for you. If you want to know more about the Adv3nture Hoodie and get one for yourself before the price goes up, then click HERE for the Kickstarter Adv3nture Hoodie webpage.

Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Sanuk - Smile...Pass It On at Surf Expo!

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Sanuk - Smile...Pass It On at Surf Expo!: When September arrives the fall Surf Expo is not far behind. I always look forward to see what new Sanuk styles will be on the shelves lat...

Sanuk - Smile...Pass It On at Surf Expo!

When September arrives the fall Surf Expo is not far behind. I always look forward to see what new Sanuk styles will be on the shelves later in the year. This year I was lucky enough to have Amber Gapasin, Key Accounts Sales Specialist, give me the Sanuk new product tour.

Typically as each season rolls around, most of the new products are built around new colors and fabrics rather than new shoe designs.  My favorite new style this year was the Beer Runner.  It is available on the Sanuk web site for $70.00 and comes in black, natural and olive/brown.

At the Surf Expo they had a really cool color of dark blue which is not yet on their website.  Many of the other new styles were variations of the Sanuk classic styles with new materials  If you attended Surf Expo in January, you would have been treated to an after-event Beer Garden on Friday night.  This year Sanuk hosted the Smile...Pass It On happy hour. The music was provided by  SWIMM a LA band with a unique sound.  The happy hour attendees seemed to like the music as they enjoyed their beer. Click HERE for some video clips from the Smile...Pass It On happy hour.

As cooler weather tries to replace the very hot 2016 summer, be sure to check out the fall and winter Sanuk shoe styles to match your winter wardrobe. Sanuk has a lot of cool styles for everyone.

Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

2016 Surf Expo Arrives September 8th at OCCC

 We are just a short three days away from the start of the 2016 Surf Expo, the surf lifestyle trade show where all the new products for next year will be on display.  This is a closed show being that attendance is limited to specialty store and resort  owners, cruise lines, beach rental companies, buyers, media and pro staff team members from across the U.S. and 71 countries.  This is where the Who's Who in the surf industry come to grip and grin, shop and see all the new products.  There will be over 1,000 exhibitors  in 2,500 booths.   One of the big highlights from the show is the after show party that starts at 6:00 PM on Friday night. Last year Sanuk, the famous

footwear purveyor, hosted the after show beer garden where Stone Brewing Company was on tap.  This was a great evening event.  This year Sanuk will be hosting a Happy Hour Party.  I suspect, based on last year's beer garden, that the Happy Hour Party will be a big hit.  Can't wait to attend.

This year I will be attending the show on Friday  and Saturday.  I plan to take a ton of photos and video clips.  I always come back from the show with enough material

to do many articles on all the new surf lifestyle products coming out next year.  So stay tuned.

Click HERE for the Surf Expo webpage.

So until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Surf Expo 2016 January Show Recap

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Surf Expo 2016 January Show Recap:  With the 2016 September Surf Expo just a few short days away, here are some of the photos I took at January's show.  This year's ...

Surf Expo 2016 January Show Recap

 With the 2016 September Surf Expo just a few short days away, here are some of the photos I took at January's show.  This year's show looks to be a big and better than ever.  Hope to see you there.

Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: American Tap Craft Beer Festival

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: American Tap Craft Beer Festival: Having a passion for the great outdoors comes with a lot of perks.  One of which is kicking back after a great day in the great outdoors t...

American Tap Craft Beer Festival

Having a passion for the great outdoors comes with a lot of perks.  One of which is kicking back after a great day in the great outdoors to a a chilled glass of ice cold craft beer.

Beer did someone say beer?   Yes I did.  Beer, beer and more beer.  Especially craft beer.  American is going through a Craft Beer Reconnaissance so to speak.  Craft breweries of all sizes are popping up all over America.  It has gotten so popular that the big beer corporations like AB InBev and  SABMiller have been gobbling up smaller craft brewers right an left.  Not satisfied with buying up small brewers, AB InBev is trying to merge with SABMiller, the home of  Carona, Miller, Coors, Fosters and a list of international beers that you have never drank.  As of last month AB InBev sweetened their offer of SABMiller by  increasing the share price in their 100 Billion Dollar deal.  If and when this merger goes through, it does the beer industry real harm because the real power is the distribution of beer not the brewing.  Distributors typically control what beers go into the market place where shelf space is controlled like gold.  With so many beers in control by so few, it is hard to tell when buying beer what you might be lining the pockets of the big corporation not helping a local brewer expand their market.

Because I love beer and the fact that may beer fests are outside, it just made good sense that I should cover these festivals.  For the past few years I have attended the Craft Beer Fest in New Smyrna Beach and the annual Brewmaster's Invitational  Craft Beer Festival held in Port Canaveral, Florida.  Both of these events are loads of fun.

If you are a beer lover like me and you like to sample craft beer from some of America's finest brewers, then do not miss out on the American On Tap Authentic Beer Festivals' event at the Kissimmee On Tap coming this October 22nd at 2 pm at the Osceola Heritage Park on Highway 192 in Kissimmee, Florida.  There are two levels of tickets which is standard at most beer festivals.  There is the standard ticket where you enter the festival at 2 pm and have three hours to sample beer. With this ticket you get a souvenir glass and live music.  The other ticket is the VIP ticket. With this ticket you get four hours of sampling with entry at 1 pm, souvenir glass, baseball hat, food voucher and the live music.  The ticket prices vary as to when you purchase your ticket.  The standard ticket starts at $35.00. It increases to $55.00 at the gate the day of the show. The VIP ticket is $60.00. Click HERE for the Kissimmee On Tap webpage for full event pricing and location where you can purchase your ticket. This looks like it is going to be a great beer festival.

 One last thought.  When I attended my first beer festival I saw all these beer lovers wearing pretzel necklaces.  I felt out of place. So the next time I attended a festival I had mine on.  You use pretzels to clear your palate between beer samples.  You might want to keep a squeeze bottle of beer mustard in you pocket just in case up want to spice up your pretzels.

Hope to see you there. Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Outdoor Nation Outdoor Challenge

Outdoor Recreation In Orlando: Outdoor Nation Outdoor Challenge: Starting tomorrow 88 colleges and universities from all across America will compete for bragging rights and the National Outdoor Champion ...

Outdoor Nation Outdoor Challenge

Starting tomorrow 88 colleges and universities from all across America will compete for bragging rights and the National Outdoor Champion title.  This event is an in initiative of the Outdoor Foundation.  During six weeks of competition, facility, students and the communities surrounding the 88 campuses, will do their best to get the most people outdoors.  The winner will be the college or university that does that.  In addition to the championship title, the person who logs the most time out doors will be crowned the "Outsider of the Year" and the person at each campus that logs the most time will be the "Most Outdoorsy Person".  So if you live in these 88 communities, get out doors and help your college or university win.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great time in the great outdoors.