Posts from — December 2007

Yesterday, we spent the day brewing beer at our friends the Brewer’s. No kidding, that’s their name. Talk about hitting the genealogical jackpot. Curt Brewer started brewing beer about 12 yrs ago and knows what he’s doing. I’ve had good and bad home brews in the past, but Curt’s have consistently been great. We jumped on his offer to show us how it’s done.

I’ve been around friends who were brewing beer before, but never actually paid attention to what they were doing. The only questions I ever asked were “what kind is it?” and “when can we drink it?” Yesterday I was there to learn. [Read more →]

Sorry, I had to.

Our dog, Rudy, has a fetch fetish. She’ll chase down toys, balls, blankets, sticks and rocks. She’s a working dog and is under the impression that tossing things at your feet (or worse, in your lap) is her sole purpose in life.

The trouble is, everything she picks up turns nasty. She can make brand new tennis ball look like a swedish meatball in 3 seconds flat. As much as I want to see her happy. . . I don’t want to touch that crap! Enter the ‘Chuck it’. A cheap plastic ball launcher that keeps your dog happy and your hands clean. [Read more →]

We’ve just started our own UpaDowna Flickr Group. Flickr is an awesome online community of photo lovers. If you like taking pictures and haven’t joined, you’re missing out. Don’t worry it’s free.

Anyway, the UpaDowna Group is for sharing photos of your favorite campsites, hiking trails, beer festivals, gear shops, happy hour spot or whatever.

Flickr also has a great geotagging feature, which lets you drag your photos onto a map, so everyone can see where they were taken. We only ask that all photos submitted to the group pool be geotagged so they show up on the UpaDowna Map. That way others who want to find the same spot can easily do so.

So go nuckin futz and upload your favorite spots. We want to see where you’ve been!

Chances are if you are checking out this blog or any of the other outdoor blogs, you have at one time or another run across Man Vs. Wild, Survivorman, or one of the many other survivor shows shown on t.v. these days. While these shows may be eye-catching and exciting they also breed a new generation of mock survivalists. This new breed is fed by the countless products labeled “survival”, a prime example is the survival knife.

These Rambo type knives are pretty useless for true survival needs, so keep that in mind when you go to build your own kit. If you are truly interested in learning true survival techniques. Learn the basic skills and practice, practice, practice!!! Find references, learn techniques and build upon your knowledge base.

These productions should not be your sole bases of survival information. Survival, by definition, is a serious thing, so take the time and research. Simply be aware that these are shows, meant to sell. I admit I have seen a lot of them and will continue to watch them when I get the opportunity, after all they are entertaining. However, I realize that the shows are not necessarily geared towards the needs of the lost. Remember these hosts have an out, whether it be a camera crew or satellite radio, knowing that there is rescue a mere call away diminishes the fear a bit. And fear is the ultimate undoer in survival situations.