“How To” do anything…
When venturing outdoors this spring and summer for a hike, swim, overnight camping, or even just a short nature walk, here are six essential tips that could possibly save your life.
As we start going outside more, so do North America’s black bears. When the weather warms up, black bears wake up from their deep sleep very hungry! After all, it has been a few months since they have eaten. When bears first come out of the den in early spring, there is not as much natural food for them as late spring, summer and fall, so they scrounge for it anywhere. Bears can smell food from up to five miles away! Bears are also very curious, but also naturally wary of humans. Attacks on humans are rare. However, experts report that bear and human encounters are on the rise. Do you know what to do if you encounter a bear?
Practicing under various weather conditions does more than allow me to practice the fundamentals under adverse conditions. It also allows me to better understand how my gear works when wet, cold, and muddy. If I’m going to have a piece of equipment fail, I’d much rather have that failure occur while at the range instead of out at a competition or while watching that trophy elk dissolve into a misty tree line. The fall and winter hunting season have one thing in common with the spring, and that’s cold and often wet weather. The deer and elk I pursue are out in the elements, and if I want to get to them I have to brave the elements as well. It’s important to me to know that my gear performs well on the range and how to overcome the problems that foul weather presents.
People panic when the weather gets bad and buy up all the staples. However, if you anticipate what could happen, you would not have to scramble to get the essentials. For those of you already anticipating the possibilities and are ready for what could happen, do not mind bugging in for a few days because of bad weather. Even if you do lose power, you have enough fuel and food to keep you comfortable. Sounds practical right? If you think hard enough about it, I’m sure you can come with a few benefits of storing some food, water and other essential “survival” gear and not because zombies are coming. Stocking up on supplies might make you feel a little “crazy cat lady,” but don’t worry; here is a list of 15 really good reasons to be practical.
FEMA describes a safe room as a room that offers “near-absolute protection” from winds up to 250 miles per hour, remaining intact, even if the rest of your house or office is destroyed. A safe room can be an already-existing room such as a closet or bathroom reinforced to protect against severe winds due to tornados and hurricanes, or a room build inside the house specifically to be a safe room. Since new construction might be cost-prohibitive for you and your family, you can also designate one room in the house or office as the “safe room.” The main objective is to put as many walls between you and the severe weather event as possible. Read this article to learn how to prepare.
In the past, the expert writers at Cheaper Than Dirt! have written extensively on severe spring and summer weather—including an airman who served in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. From first-hand encounters during a lightning storm to quick tips and infographics, I have even asked, “Can you outrun a tornado?” Following is the top ten blog posts to help you stock up, plan and prepare for spring and summer severe weather.
So, you want to start collecting military surplus gear or maybe you have compared prices with modern hunting and camping equipment prices to surplus prices. Whatever your reason, your curiosity has piqued an interest in purchasing military surplus items. Maybe you have questions and concerns about quality and condition—totally understandable. It can be difficult to judge via a picture online and information can be equally as difficult to find. There are a limited number of resources when you attempt to research a particular piece—especially when it comes to foreign military surplus. Not sure where to start? I hope this quick-start guide will be a good starting point to start your collection.
A NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) severe winter weather alert states that much of the South and Southeast United States is under a winter weather warning. Remember, a warning means the weather event is already happening or will happen in the near future and residents should prepare now for bad weather. Through the rest of the week, a winter storm is blowing through most of the United States including the Northwest, Great Lakes and moving to the Eastern Seaboard, affecting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, as well. Freezing rain and heavy snowfall is predicted for the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies. Instead of relying on a government that might not be able to rescue you, be as prepared as you can for the following weeks as severe winter weather still befalls us.
There is a right way, and a wrong way, to speedload a revolver. Read this post to learn how to speedload your revolver the right way and make a bigger impact.
America is experiencing some of the worst winter weather it has had in four years, affecting millions of people from the Midwest to the East Coast. Hundreds of thousands of families have been without power for up to a week. Ice storms can be devastating, causing enough dangerous conditions to shut down entire cities. An ice storm is categorized by the accumulation of 0.25 inches of freezing rain—just enough to add 500 pounds of extra weight to power lines. Due to the extreme weight of ice, power lines, large trees, tree branches and utility poles can snap, causing blackouts that can last for weeks. Since road travel can be extremely treacherous during severe winter storms, it is best to prepare and stock up now before old man winter hits.