Flatland Training Part 2

Note from the writer: This is part 2 of a 5-part series about how to stay active in the outdoors through flatland training--essentially, training for the mountains without actually being in the mountains.

Last week we looked at training on loose sand at the beach, this week we're going to incorporate some water. If you're going to be trekking in the mountains, but aren't able to train in the mountains, swimming would be a great way to prepare.

How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting

When most people go to the beach they're concerned about running into a shark. No one really pays attention to the little jellyfish lurking in the water. If you've ever been stung by one of these fellas you know it's not pleasant, and if you haven't been stung, congratulations. The stinging sensation is painful and lasts for quite a long time, so what do you do?

Rivers vs. Lakes

The start of summer means it's time to splash down and cool off. Where's the best place to go to take a nice dip to cool off and relax? You can read why a lake is a better swimming choice than a pool on Eagles Nest Outfitters' (ENO) blog. But what about a river or the ocean?

Over the next 3 weeks I'll talk about 3 different scenarios and which swimming destination is the best. For this week here's 5 reasons why I'd pick a river over a lake to go swimming. Before I go any further, I'd like to put a disclaimer that when I'm talking about a river, I'm talking about the kind where there's no boats allowed. That just wouldn't be smart swimming in the middle of a river where boats are flying down the river as well.

Do What You Love

We've all heard the saying "Do what you love and the money will follow" (if that's you're first time hearing it, you're welcome). So what happens when that day comes, but the money actually gets in the way? What do you do? Would you say "yes" to the money and in turn hav a miserable time or would you turn down the money, the sweet gig, and keep living your life the way you want?

For those who don't know, Andy Lewis was faced with that question almost two years ago.

Andy Lewis at the Slackline World Cup

Flatland Training Part 1

Note from the writer: This is part 1 of a 5-part series about how to stay active in the outdoors through flatland training--essentially, training for the mountains without actually being in the mountains.

Training is an essential aspect of any sport. You can't simply go outside and run a marathon without ever having trained for one in your life. Your body doesn't know how to react and you have to develop the mental toughness to take on that long of a run.

The same goes for any other sport like hiking, mountain biking, climbing, etc. you need to train "outside" your sport. However, if you live in Florida (like yours truly), but want to spend some time in the mountains, you're going to be in for a fitness shock. Something Florida and a lot of other states across the country aren't known for are having mountains. So how can you build up the strength and endurance to do some physical activities in the mountains if your state doesn't allow for you to train in the mountains?

You make up your own training regiment to fit that style.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Slackline

Ever since the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show, the slackline community has started to gain more recognition. While walking on some sort of wire, rope, etc. has been going on for centuries, slacklining wasn't actually brought to the limelight until 1979 when two climbers, Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington, who were going to school at The Evergreen State College, started walking around on loose chains and cables they found on campus. They quickly got the idea to string up 1" wide climbing webbing to walk on. This gave them more dynamic ability to jump and do tricks and walk with more than one person on the line. It was a great in-between class activity that started to attract crowds right away.

Since then, slacklining has progressed, with a lot of help coming from Andy "Sketchy Andy" Lewis. We now have 1"-2" wide webbing and different types of webbing. For instance: some webbing is great for only 1 person to walk on, another works best for more dynamic aerial tricks, and another works out well if you want to have more than 1 person on the line at a time. When you go to a climbing spot, you're almost destined to see some climbers on a slackline to keep them occupied on their rest day. Likewise, if you're in a surf town, you've got a really good shot at seeing some surf bums on a slackline on a flat day.

Should an Outdoorsman Grow a Beard?

This year is turning out to be "The Year of The Beard." While I wish I could grow a beard like Drew Holcomb or one like the boys from Duck Dynasty, I'm not sure that I would. It's not because I think girls like a clean shaven man, personally my girlfriend wishes I would grow one. For me, it comes down to functionality.

Drew Holcomb

Digital vs. Vinyl

Record players and vinyl records have started to emerge again, thanks to the presence of hipsters. Not many folks have them, but they were actually a hot commodity back in the day. I own a record player, have started my own record collection, and personally think vinyl is better than digital.

Photo Credit: Adam Fricke

Camping and Day Trips at Foster Falls

Stu getting tangled up by a dog
Photo Credit: Jessica Purvis

Tucked away in the Southeast corner of Tennessee, about 40 minutes Northwest of Chattanooga, you'll find Foster Falls in the little town of Sequatchie. Foster Falls makes for a great day trip or weekend camping trip if you're not into climbing (more on that in a later post). It's dog friendly, which means you don't have to bring a dog or own a dog for that matter, you can just play with other peoples dogs, which is what my friends and I do.

New Beginnings in a Sunrise

I took the picture below one early Saturday morning from the balcony at my parents beach condo in New Smyrna Beach, FL. I love it, not just for its beauty, but for what it represents. The sunrise, to me, represents the start of something new.