Home Brewing 2012!!!

Home Brewing 2012!!!

I'm very excited to start this new project called "Home Brewing"!!! I've always been curious about the way things are made...especially beer. So this year I wanted to try to make my own brew at home. I had done some research and ask some friends that were brewers. I have seen many different kits, recipes, and smaller versions of this one. I purchased this one from Norther Brewer as advised from a friend, and thanks to my wonderful wife, Amanda, as a birthday present (Jan 13) I now have all this stuff haha. I'm very excited...and so are my friends that I am brewing my own beer...stay tuned!!



Happy Earth Day!!!

Happy Earth Day everyone!!! This is one post that I wanted to do because I love to get dirty and recycle. I have been "going green" for sometime now and I love it. We do recycle at our home and we encourage everyone to do the same. Thankfully the City of Kingsport has a recycling program and you get two large containers to place items in. I didn't realize how much stuff that could be recycled until I started doing it. Then it really hit me when it was trash day and the blue containers lined the streets of my neighborhood and then I saw how much I had in my own. It does make you feel good when you see what all you can recycle like taking the newspapers, phonebooks, magazines, etc to be recycled instead of in a landfill. If your city or town doesn't offer a recycling at home pick up you can make your own containers to collect items and then take them to a recycling center. A compost pile is also a thing that I enjoy doing and using rain barrels instead of watering the yard or flowers with city water. There are so many ways to give back and also we teach our boy's age 2 & 4 to recycle as well. I think that "Earth Day" should be everyday!!! So get out there and see what you can do to make things a little greener :)

Check out http://www.thedailygreen.com/ for awesome tips on "Going Green"





Platypus SoftBottle



This is an awesome new water bottle that I picked up from Platypus. I was looking for something very light weight and that would be easy to store. I came across this at Mahoney's Outfitters in Johnson City, TN by accident and I am so glad that I did. It's made from zero percent BPA and and stores .5 of water and weighs less than any other water bottle. You can also put it in any cup holder, back pocket, backpack, or anywhere. It also have a bit valve that is built in which I think is awesome because if you're used to using a camelbak or hydro-system then this is perfect. They range in different sizes and they also offer an awesome Gravity Works Filtration system that hopefully I will be able to test later on.

http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus

Hike the entire Appalachian trail....in five mins!!!

This is an awesome video of the Appalachian Trail experience from http://www.backpacker.com/. It shows you the journey that normally takes 5-6 months in about five minutes. I have always wanted to hike the entire AT and I have to say it's still on my to-do list. I was excited when I found this video and it was the entire trip shortened down to roughly five mins. I have to say that this will have to do for now along with section hikes.

Video: Hike the Entire Appalachian Trail—in Five Minutes

Video: Hike the Entire Appalachian Trail in Five Mins

Click above link to watch video

Kleen Kanteen 40.oz

I decided to go BPA free a couple of years ago and there is a lot to choose from with water bottles these days. I went with the Kleen Kanteen 40.oz because I drink a lot of water on and off the trail. I did my research and read reviews on the company and products. I was very impressed on what I learned and I wanted to get a stainless steel bottle and this one even comes with  different cap and sleeve options. I have seen other bottles but I don't think they would hold up to the abuse as this one has. I paid $25.95 plus shipping or you can pick up one at your local outdoor center like Mahoney's Outfitters in Johnson City, TN. You can change the cap from a loop to a sport cap for a few bucks and has lots of accessories you can choose from. It is also available in different colors and there is even one for carrying wine on the trail.



Vibram Five Fingers KSO

I had these out on the trail and I have never had so many people ask me what was on my feet and where I got them. I love the way these feel because it's like hiking barefoot with protection. Although it does take while to get used to sticking your toes in the individual pockets. Its like a big pair of flipflops except every toe has a wedge haha. Once you get the hang of putting them on and break them in they're great for hiking or just wear around the house. I picked these up at Mahoney's Outfitters in Johnson City, TN for $79.99 plus tax and they are worth every penny!! There are different designs you can choose from and of course the range in different prices. They also come in different colors for men and woman if you're not into black. The KSO features a thin, abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide and breathable mesh upper that wraps your entire forefoot. They worked great on the trail considering that I was on trail and then around wet rocks off the rivers edge.



http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/barefoot-sports/



Meet Izzy

I got Izzy when she was six weeks old and she is growing like crazy!!! I love yellow labs and I have always had black ones so it was time for a change. She is very energetic and loves to run like crazy as most big dogs do. She is already house broken within about 2 weeks of bringing her home which is awesome. Izzy loves being out on the trail and of course the water haha. She is a very good dog and likes to go pretty much everywhere I go she is with me. I have two boy's and she loves to play with them and then as always she sleeps haha but again very well behaved and smart. I will post more pics to show you how big she is getting later on.