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What types of wood are best for a porch swing?

You can get porch swings made from different types of wood. The most popular are cedar, pine, cypress and alder.

Cedar is the most desirable wood for porch swings because it is very beautiful, naturally resistant to rot, and insect proof. When new, cedar is red in color; it goes brown and eventually silvery gray, as it ages. It is also light-weight. There are two types of cedar used - Northern White Cedar and Western Red Cedar. Western Red Cedar swings are considered to be the best option, because of its beautiful rich red color and its uniform, fine-grained texture, which has a satiny luster. It also has a very pleasant odor.

A cypress patio swing is another option. Cypress is very durable, and it is also naturally resistant to decay and insects because of its oils. Its original color is like pale honey, and as it ages it goes gray.

Pine patio swings are also popular. Pine is the least expensive of all quality woods, and it is light-weight and rot resistant. It looks very attractive, with natural knots present in the wood. On the downside, pine is not the most durable of all woods, and it also requires regular staining to prolong the life of your swing.

Alder is a strong, durable and relatively inexpensive wood. Alder is very practical, but the wood itself doesn’t have any attractive pattern, so it is usually painted.

Different styles of porch swing

Most patio swings have similar seats made of horizontal slats, but what makes the difference is the style of the back. The most traditional is a straight top to bottom back with vertical slats. This style of back offers you a classic look and the most comfort. You can also get backs that are straight at the bottom and then roll backward at the top. Some swing backs also have decorative carvings at the top.

The style you choose is a matter of personal preference. But when you get to the furniture shop, try sitting in the swing that you fancy - something that looks very attractive is not necessarily comfortable or practical.

How much would a good porch swing cost?

You can find quality wood porch swings from 200 to 800 dollars. The cost of your patio swings depends most on the type of wood they are made of. Western Red Cedar is the most beautiful and also most expensive. Cypress, pine and alder swings are a more budget-conscious option, with pine being the least expensive.

The construction of your porch swing also determines its price. Some swings come with a canopy, and these are more expensive. But if you plan to put your swing on a covered veranda, you don’t need a canopy. And of course, additional decorations will always cost you more.

Where to get best deals on porch swings

The first place to look would be your local outdoor furniture stores. You can see what style is most comfortable for you and suitable for your porch. But don’t hurry to purchase your swings in local shops. After you find a general style you like, check online furniture stores and compare prices. There are many sites that sell discounted garden furniture and usually you can get a good deal when you buy your wooden porch swings online.

Visit http://www.allhammocks.info for information and advice on how to find best porch swings and other outdoor funriture at discounted prices.

[tags]hammock, hammock chairs, portable, camping, hammock swings, outdoor furniture, garden, porch, partio[/tags]

I once took a counseling class in college that opened my eyes to something very profound. I was required to write down all of my beliefs. Every belief I had. Then I was to write down why I believed in my belief. What happened? Where was I? How did it come about?

This exercise really helped me understand not only myself, but also to understand where my beliefs came from.

I remember going camping with my friend Jason when we were in junior high. This was my friend’s family annual week long summer camping trip and I was invited to come along.

One night while sitting close to the fire pit, some friends of Jason’s family stopped by. Their friends were staying at a camp near by. Not long after their friend’s arrived I came to meet a man who would later teach me something that I came to highly believe in.

After roasting some marsh mellows over the hot fire, Jason’s father started talking about how important it is to always give a good hand shake. Now at this time in my life, as a young Jr. High student, I never heard about giving a good hand shake. I don’t recall having to shake many hands at that time.

After Jason got it down, they started to show me how to give a good hand shake. Give it there, kid, yelled Jason’s dad. No, like this, as he slightly twisted my hand. There, now give it a good squeeze. You got it, said Jason’s dad, as I began to smile. As the night went on, I felt as though I learned something very important. I believe I did. That night I learned the importance of always giving a good hand shake. From that day forward I believed it was important to always give a good hand shake.

Now this exercise was not to get the students to change their beliefs, but to know that each student “choose” to believe in their beliefs, and that they could change them. In addition, to realize that each of us take on curtain beliefs without even noticing it. After completing this exercise, most, if not all students, came to realize they had beliefs they were not aware of, and beliefs that were hindering themselves in some way.

Now it is very important to know your own beliefs. The reason it is important to know your beliefs is because what ever your belief is will become your reality. If you believe it is hard to make money, then you will find yourself with no money and hard to get it.

It is like buying a new car. Before you purchased your new car you never saw it on the road, but then after you bought your new car you saw one everywhere you went. What you focus on, you attract, what you believe and focus on you will receive in your life in some form or another, the Law of Attraction is at work all the time.

If someone “believes” that all the opportunities have passed them by, they will continue to see opportunities pass them by, and never see the opportunities that are in front of them. Read the book “Acres of Diamonds”, and you will see what I mean.

Take some time to write down your beliefs. Do the exercise, and then ask yourself if your belief is helping you, or hindering you in some way.

By taking the time to do this exercise now, you will keep from limiting yourself from your full potential. By discovering any limiting beliefs, and changing them by first recognizing them, you will empower yourself to new heights.

Anthony Treas is a Latino Motivational Speaker, Educator, Trainer and Author. Anthony has had my successes in his life and has guided positive personal changes in many young people lives. Visit http://www.latinomotivationalspeaker.com.

[tags]latino, hispanic, speaker, motivational, diversity, inspirational, encouraging, hope, young, life[/tags]

As a child one of my favorite pastimes was exploring the world through my binoculars. They went everywhere with me. I could spy on everything from trees, to birds to tiny insects passing by. I took them with me everywhere I went always looking for the next adventure. We lived on a big farm out in the middle of nowhere, so I had plenty to explore. My binoculars are more than a childhood memory, I still have them. I love to take them out and share them with my son in the hopes he will discover the same joy I remember feeling. It is like looking through to another world.

Today there is so much more to look at. The world has been changing and technology with it. I now enjoy using my digital camera to capture some of those favorite moments in time. The best part of my digital camera is that it is also a binocular. It is called a Digital Camera Binocular. You cannot only look off into the distance spotting your favorite wildlife; you can also take a digital picture of it.

The next time you head out on that hunting trip you don’t want to forget the digital camera binoculars. Then you will have the shot of the 20 inch buck grazing 100 yards in the distance, and should you miss it you will have proof of the one that got away.

Keeping an eye on your children as they play down the street will be a snap to do without interrupting them. You can find those stars in the solar system easily with the more powerful digital camera binoculars and the pictures will amaze you. There are a variety of birds and animals in your own backyard. A trip to the mountains would never be the same again. You can spot things that are so hard to see with the naked eye at a great distance you may have never noticed them before.

There may be many uses for digital camera binoculars and many are recreational. However the next time you go camping or sightseeing in the wild you will be amazed at the beauty all around you. With a digital camera right there photographs may never be the same.

Digital Camera Binoculars vary in price and quality. Before heading to the store look online for the best deals. Then you will be prepared to get the best product for your money. A new experience is waiting around the next corner. You will catch it all with these special binocular/camera hybrid. I enjoy showing my children all the birds and animals just like I found as a child. Have a wonderful adventure with them and don’t forget to share!

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Best Binoculars at http://www.bestbinocularsonline.com

[tags]binoculars, digital binoculars, digital camera binoculars[/tags]

What kind of camping lanterns best fit your outdoor needs? Do you need light weight for backpacking, or is maximum light more important?

Camping lanterns have been around for quite a while, especially fuel lanterns like kerosene and gas lanterns. LED lanterns, rechargeable lanterns or electric lanterns, butane lanterns, propane lanterns, battery lanterns and candle lanterns are newer to the scene though. All of them being different they have advantages and disadvantages…

If you already have a camping stove or other camping equipment that uses fuel consider getting a lantern that uses the same type of fuel so you won’t have to remember to bring both fuels and you’ll use less space too. Although some dual-fuel Coleman lanterns will burn both white gas or unleaded gasoline (check to be sure).

Camping lanterns that burn fuel can come with either glass globes or metal mesh globes. The advantage to glass is that it lets more light through, but since it’s glass it is fragile. Metal mesh globes are much tougher than glass but they do block some of the light.

When you buy a camping lantern make sure to get extra mantles, fuel, bulbs, and/or batteries, it’s not much fun needing a lantern part in the middle-of-nowhere and not being able to get it when you need it.

Candle lanterns can be lightweight at 3.7 ounces, but you may not want to use them as a camping lantern as their light output leaves something to be desired at 1 to 1.5 watts. They’re pretty much a candle with a protective sheath to help prevent the flame from blowing out in the wind and keep things a little safer by avoiding an open flame. Another drawback… the sheath enclosure also makes it more difficult to roast marshmallows over your lantern.

I recommend going flameless especially inside your tent. It doesn’t take much to start a fire with a high intensity heat source. Falling asleep and tipping your camping lantern over is all it takes to put your life in serious jeopardy. There are a lot of great battery lanterns, LED lanterns and rechargeable lanterns available. Play it smart.

While great LED lanterns put out a good amount of light I haven’t found one yet that can match the light output of well-designed flame camping lanterns. If you need a lot of light in a local outdoor area have a look at butane, propane, and gas lanterns. Some of these lanterns crank out up to 235 watts of light! That’s more light than most people use to light a room at home. One of the butane lanterns even allows you to focus the light more intensely with reflectors and another is refillable with lighter fluid helping to make it great for…

If you’d like more information on camping lanterns please click here for the whole article. Also you may want to take a look at a related article on how to pick the best camping tent.

Marc Wiltse learned how important good quality hiking equipment and camping gear were after his pup tent flooded with over 3 inches of water forcing him to sleep in the front seat of his 2-seat Honda CRX (translation: research is a good thing). His hiking equipment & camping gear guides & reviews save you time & money. Subscribe to his camping & hiking newsletter & get the most usable information FREE! © Marc Wiltse. Reprint permission if author, copyright, links & this notice are intact.

[tags]camping lanterns, camping lantern, outdoor lanterns, camping, backpacking[/tags]

Have you thought about helping to protect wildlife or wild flowers, but you don’t know how? Or maybe you want to protect your favorite camping site or that cool little stream nobody else knows about? Making a difference in the backcountry is easy for anyone - you don’t have to be Ted Turner. Not every one can fly to the Amazon delta to move bird nests or trek off to the Aleutian Islands to remove crude oil from a pristine beach. But everyone can help right where they are. Follow these 3 easy steps, and you’ll be on your way to giving back to your backcountry and you’ll have a ball doing it.

First step is to take inventory of your backcountry interests. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Is it fishing, rock climbing, bird watching, hiking, camping, canoeing, hunting, skiing, classifying plants, kayaking, horseback riding or something else? Take a few minutes to really understand what excites you about being off the pavement and in the backcountry. Once you have pictured yourself engaging in your favorite outdoor recreation, you’re ready for step two.

The second step towards becoming a backcountry hero is to do a little research. If you love to hike, perhaps spending some time researching the American Hiking Society and some of its projects make sense to you. If bird watching is your thing, BirdLife International may be worth looking into. The easiest way for many to do research is on the internet. But don’t forget about book stores, libraries or sport specific organizations like the ones just mentioned. A more comprehensive list can be found on-line in our Education Center at www.backcountrytoys.com.

As you do your research, keep your eyes open for projects in your area. You’ll be amazed at how you will be able to make a difference right where you live. Only one step to go.

Up to this point you’ve identified a subject, you’ve research it and now it’s time to get moving and this is most critical step. I doesn’t take much time or effort to take action. In fact, there are organizations all around the world looking for you to volunteer and they all have active lists of projects that could use your talents. If you have a hiking vacation planned, why not incorporate a small project into your trip? Maybe a letter needs to be written to your legislator or perhaps you could pick up trash along a local lake shore. There’s lots to be done.

Spending time in the backcountry doing the things you love to do is made sweeter when you help to protect, conserve and enhance your activity. We have great trail systems and great river and lake systems and all because of people like us, who take the time to improve those things we love so much. With just a little action, you will be an outdoor hero. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time.

Get Outdoors!

Chuck Fitzgerald is the President of Arizona based BackCountry Toys, an online store providing backcountry specialty gear and educational information for outdoor enthusiasts. Visit http://www.BackCountryToys.com to receive the free e-newsletter “FreshAir” or call (800) 316-9055.

[tags]backcountry,camping,hiking,recreation[/tags]

As a general rule, people do not think of furniture as a good housewarming gift. Of course, that is, unless the person receiving the gift are younger and just starting out on their own. Although this is a reasonable group to gift furniture like folding chairs and a table, many established families also would appreciate a flexible way to increase the seating capacity of their home or backyard.

Giving a gift to a friend, relative, or loved one is a very kind gesture but can be difficult to the right item. Finding the prefect gift to give often takes a lot of time and money. If you are in need of a gift for an individual who loves the outdoors then you should consider purchasing a folding chair set for their yard. Many of these sets are collapsible and allow for easy storage when the outside season is over.

Folding chair sets were first developed to allow for flexible use during informal get togethers. The original name for these sets were “card” tables. This was no doubt due to the popular use of folding tables to double as a card table when friends would come over for a visit. Today, a folding chair and table set are often considered a valuable and important piece of furniture if only because of the great flexibility and ease of use.

Before selecting a folding chair set, the actual use should be considered. If it’s to be used outside or in weather, a longer lasting. more outdoor type of finish should be considered. If the gift is for campers, then a smaller stow away type is in order. Camping chairs are usually multi-foldable to shrink the overall footprint size making it much easier to carry. If the intent is to give something that can be set up and left in a room, consider the esthetics of the design. Many folding chair and table sets now use some high quality finished and are quite acceptable doubling as full time game or homework areas.

Folding chairs are generally made using a steel frame with a semi-rigid back and bottom for comfort. The better quality chairs have a powder coat finish that is hard and will last several years without difficulty. Be prepared that as with almost anything, you get what you pay for. Be certain to try out the chairs for comfort. The better quality ones have more back support and more cushioning on the seat.

Once you have made the decision to give a folding chair set as a gift you will need to find an a store who sells them. Since folding chairs are typically a lower cost item, discount stores are a good bet along with larger furniture stores. Another option is online. With the rapid growth of online commerce, you will probably be able to find a higher quality chair set at a lower cost on line. The trade off of course is that you cannot touch or use the chair to check for quality.

Overall, a good quality folding chair set is not only a good investment but can be a great gift for almost anyone.

Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subject which include family, education, home, business, and health. For more information on folding chairs click and find out now.

[tags]folding chairs,patio furniture,camping,chair,outdoor furniture,outdoor chair,house warming gift,gift[/tags]

One protruding curl adorned her head till two,
Uncaringly, she waddled with her swaying blonde lock,
A baby girl too busy with dolls and cradles
to be held hostage by curls.

Four years later she received twenty-four homemade ringlets by mom,
But its then she noticed…
Her friends had long, straight, shiny locks of perfection
She wanted that, but hers curled !!
So began the days of scotched taped bangs and blow dryers.
It was time to straighten her life out.

Other girls had bouncing hair without a single wrinkle, without a zig, without effort.
But her hair became a masterpiece canvass of trial and error.
However, the magic words, “How To Straighten Your Hair”
written in a Blow-Dryer-Manual-To-Idealism,
would become her ticket to conformity.

It worked.
Wow, her curls transformed into streaming stands of shining fullness
Farah hair, incredible Farah hair.
Now the lioness of straightness was Queen.
Except when it rained.
Perfect hair was a task only for the willing.
Swimming became a chronically planned de-curling event.
“The bad hair weekend”, also known as “Camping”, was
a militaristic regiment of self nurturing for the hair flawed.

She could not show her corkscrewed inadequacy in its nakedness. Not Ever.
Campfire sing songs by angelic girls and their bouncing mounds of straight,
flat, free-swaying weather resistant quaffs of silk
made her project of fulfillment a mission for the mentally trained.
Ready to securely paste her frizz mountain to her head, she always came
equipped with camping’s mandatory primary tools, “elastic bands”.

Backpacking through Europe was no match for the disciplined straightener.
Dual powered blow dryers, multi-colored elastics, back-up cream-rinse, and
lastly the most coveted travel tool known to mankind, the electrical adaptor.
You see, she was the General Extraordinaire of Straight Hair and she knew it.

Nothing, not one single thing could prevent The Straight Hair Plan from being executed.
The births of four sons required carefully packed hospital bags.
Days of one hundred percent humidity, also known as ‘Mission-Prevent-Insanity’,
were only a challenge for the bald.
She witnessed others with defective hair
holding a secret desire to straighten out there lives too.
She knew, Straight Hair was at the root of all problems.

And then it happened.
The unthinkable.
The event that could not be forecast.
The most unpredictable moment in her history.
After 46 years of never failing herself,
she had forgotten to elasticize her mound of glitches after swimming.
Side tracked like she had never been, her hair dried:
On its own. without any tools of chore.
As her husband approached, mouth hanging open like a feeding trout,
he blurted, “Your Hair Hon!, I like it, it looks great”

The Hair General was weak kneed. Ready to fall.
Eyes tightly closed, she courageously headed towards her reflection,
Before plunging into truth,
she cautiously peeked through the corner of her right eye,
With her mouth hanging open like a feeding trout,
her brain processed what must have been,
1000 twisted zags of reality.

This wasn’t for the faint of heart, but the General could do it. She knew it.
She forced both eyes open into a stare that lasted 46 years for one second.
She gently touched her sheep head, feeling each kink, for the very first time.
Her swirls had never been left to their own devices. Never.
She was witnessing a first.

Now you can look in the top left hand side of her dresser,
Among her keepsakes sits a dusty blow dryer and a perfectly good flat iron.
From time to time she reflectively looks in on them.
She even ponders their use again someday.
But she has discovered something so cutting edge it holds her back:
She cannot go back to who she is not.
Her individuality, her confidence, her smile, her soul,
her giving nature is what makes her beautiful.
She is her own person, and she appreciates, for the first time in her life,
that Curls don’t make or break the girl.

Today she rinses, repeats, applies leave in conditioner, muffles her curlicues,
looks into the mirror and knows who she is:
A grown woman, the lioness of curly, the embracer of self,
too busy to be held hostage by curls.

Wishing you well, Barb

Find your peace and find your place in this world
Smile even when it hurts
Complete your lifes plan
See the beauty around you, it’s plentiful
You’ll find it in the smallest things
and always remember, you are loved
www.drageda.com

[tags]curly hair,curly hair poem,poem about hair,hair poem,hair poetry,curls,curls poem,poem about curls,[/tags]

There was a time when shopping was considered a girly past time. It was too girly, some would say, that a guy wouldn’t be caught dead standing behind a register, sifting through his purchases for the day. Accompanying a girlfriend do her shopping was the conventional excuse. But it wont work if caught alone, or worst, by the girlfriend and her friends. Just the sheer thought of it still send shivers down my spine. In this day and age, however, when everything is practically bordering on universal acceptance, men who seriously take the time to go out and buy clothes that would look good on them may be called metrosexual. And you know what that means: once it has a name, you can’t hide from it.

If you’re a guy, you are either one or you aren’t. By living a metrosexual lifestyle, you acknowledge the need to be fashionable. Otherwise, you stick with the plain and the moldy hiking boots, or simply don’t care. But no matter how hard people pray that their male loved ones would transform from clueless caterpillars into designer-savvy, pink-embracing, pattern-intoxicated He-butterflies, sometimes it just can’t be done. Strapping lads have a tendency to be couture-deviant. The less coordinated the wardrobe is, the more of a man’s man we end up to be. However, there is a hefty line that exists between braced rawness and having an open mind to fashion; a gray area of self-preservation intertwined with the desire to please one’s wife, girlfriend, and/or mother. It can actually be good, if you just allow it to happen. And the first step in embracing masculine fabulousness is online shopping.

It might have not hit some people yet but buying couture is, indeed, just a mouse-click away. It’s shopping made easy, really. Shopping in the privacy of your own home or office can actually start you off in expanding your wardrobe. For uncomplicated shopping, you may want to visit sites such as www.urbanoutfitters.com. They have a pretty good collection of metrosexual essentials with branded apparel and updated cuts. For instance, they have the very classic BDg Bootccut Vintage Jeans marked at only $49 a pair. But looking into other options could also broaden your horizons. As soon as you’ve picked out the kind of jeans that you want, the site would also suggest shirts and accessories that would go well with your choice of trousers. After clicking on the BDg Bootccut Vintage Jeans, for example, it prompted me to check out the Fink Vintage Contrast Stripe Polo ($34 each), the Supalife Stripe Hoodie ($58 each), and the *Diesel Jeans* Canvas Messenger Bag ($130 each). And all of them have the potential to make the outfit work.

Some might think buying goods online is just financial suicide, but that isn’t always the case. The idea of shopping online excites me more when I don’t have to dole out that much money to buy what I want. This is where discount shopping comes in. I, for one, do most of my online shopping at www.mysimon.com where you can find almost anything on sale; from electronics to baby clothes. I find it very efficient especially when I am working around a tight budget. Under every category, you would be able to find an item that belongs to a specific price range. Once you click on an item, it will automatically direct you to the online store that sells it and you can place your order right then and there. For shirts and tops, for example, you can view bargains that cost only $10 or lower, like a long-sleeved dress shirts at $9.99 a pop and silk neckties to match ($9.95 each). Who said shopping online was only for the loaded? Other price ranges include $10-$20, $20-$30, and so on.

You can do all of these without even getting up from your chair and therein lies the beauty of it. All you need is a decent computer, a credit card with no outstanding debt, and a little faith for you to enjoy a liberating make-over frenzy. Discount shopping online is more than convenient and cost-efficient; it’s the perfect solution to all your shopping woes.

For more valuable information on discount hotel, discount travel, please visit http://www.shoppersdiscount.com

[tags]discount hotel, discount travel[/tags]

Many designers of women’s fashion boots don’t always appear to make boots for their public. I notice that the simple elegant lines of the Isaac Mizrahi Saxton boot make it impossible to keep in stock. The only way to explain why the primitive looking short classic Ugg Australia boot can be difficult to find in many women’s sizes must be its unencumbered look greatly appeals to people. Time and time again it’s not the ornate boot designs that sell out to the masses. You can get those in all sizes at any online boot dealer. It’s the basic models that disappear so quickly. So why do boot designers continue to offer the public so many models covered in belts, buckles, fringe, odd toes or little pieces of fur? Why detract from a perfectly good boot by choking the design? Do these styles actually sell? Well I believe I learned the truth in a round about way.

I once worked for a surf-clothing manufacturer. And while we didn’t make boots, the experience made me realize the factors of why some products sell out and others do not.

I was always shocked that our main designer would design what I considered daffy styles that had little hope of selling. And many of them didn’t. It made no sense to me because time and time again our best sellers were basic but elegant styles. Our biggest selling surf trunk was an all black nylon trunk. It had classic lines and killer triple stitching but it wasn’t amazing. The public sure loved it though. We sold thousands of them. I was in charge of inventory so I saw what sold.

In another example, at one point we couldn’t move very many hats. I remember suggesting the designer also design a simple black hat with a small white logo on it. He fought against my idea. “It’s boring,” he said but finally relented. The hat became our biggest seller.

So why do designers and manufacturers defiantly continue to try to produce what does not sell? I believe there are several factors that enter into this.

One reason I feel this happens is partly due to ego. Many artists have this trait and designers of boots, shoes and clothing are no different. Especially in the expensive high-end women’s fashion boots. Boot designers like most creative people just want to do what they want to do without so much regard to the business end of things. It’s about their art and being fabulous. It’s about topping themselves season after season. It’s not about what the public likes until the designer loses his job for being out of touch with what the public wants. Then things change.

It’s an old argument between artists and business people. For a fine example of what often happens when art and business butt heads, look at Isaac Mizrahi. He mainly designed fabulous clothing, shoes and fashion boots for his friends and models. Each 6 months he would try to top his previous line with something more wild and crazy. Then when his company would hit a style the public continued to clamor for, he’s stop producing it because he got bored designing it. In the end he and his company lost steam. (Happily he is now reinvigorated with a new deal he signed with Target and appears to see the business light. Now he designs for the masses and enjoys the strong sale numbers of simple well designed products.)

So while ego is likely one reason in some cases, the rest has to do with merchandising, marketing, branding and retail store buying. The general idea for boot and shoe manufacturers is to get as many styles out on the market that they can. They want to offer lots of different looks to hopefully get more merchandise in the stores. Designers are just creating as much stuff as they can to see what sticks. But ultimately the store buyers will pick out what they think the public will buy and they stock those styles. The funny thing is no one really knows what will sell. They think they know but mostly they guess. So if the store buyers guess wrong, those styles sit on the racks. Hence a lot of ugly women’s boots are still available or soon going on sale.

Now of course the crazy designs can get press and are sometimes designed just for that reason. At the surf clothing company I worked we offered a surf trunk that retailed for $100. This was the first of its kind since most surf trunks retailed around $45. No one had ever done this before. It was outlandish. The trunk had tons of bells and whistles on it including numerous pockets, a stay dry container and a compass. The designer and marketing director actually designed it together thinking it wouldn’t sell more than 30 units. It was more about garnering press for our little company than anything else. Funny thing happened was it actually sold several hundred units and we were forced to make a production run of it. Who knew that would happen? In the process we did get tons of press and became known for this extravagant trunk as well as our basic best sellers. Mission accomplished.

This is the very reason I believe Harley Davidson puts out so many men and women’s motorcycle boots that are adorned in crap. No other boot manufacturer has more variations of the bizarre and wild motorcycle boot than Harley does. Their boots are known for this, which continues to build their brand recognition. I can’t imagine they sell some of those gaudy models. Harley also brands their products louder than all other boot makers by placing huge logos on nearly every style. Again it seems funny to me that many of the more outlandish models are easy to find but try to find a plain Harley Davidson engineer boot and you’ll be hard pressed.

So from all this we can deduce that while ego plays a small part in the reason why more simpler women’s fashion boot designs aren’t available on the market, more of the reason lies in merchandising, marketing, and branding practices of boot manufacturers as well as the buying efforts on the part of retail store buyers.

Jim Rubel is a successful author and publisher of http://www.boots-4u.com a source for information on such items as: discount cowboy boots, men’s dress boots, best hiking boots, cold weather hunting boots, military-combat boots, motorcycle-riding boots, ugg classic short boots, women’s leather dress boots, and men’s steel toed work boots.

[tags]women’s fashion boots, Isaac Mizrahi Saxton boot, short classic Ugg Australia boot[/tags]

Hiking and backpacking have long been two of my greatest passions in life.

As a student in Baltimore, a buddy of mine and I made a ritual of spending our entire spring break hiking the Appalachian Trail, which runs the entire length of the east coast.

Our spring break was a week and, in that time, we would traverse an average of forty miles or so of it, covering a stretch of it that went from Pennsylvania down into Shenandoah, by the time we graduated. It was, without a doubt, some of the finest times of my life and we saw some great historic Civil War sites such as Harper’s Ferry.

After graduation, I kept my hobby up, next taking on the Grand Canyon with another friend.

A year or so back, I joined up with a hiking club, based here in southern California. In the brief time that I have been with this club, I have tackled a number of local mountain peaks; Mt. Baldy, San Gregornio, Cucamonga Peak and Black Rock, to name a few.

Prior to all this, as a boy, I hiked the hills and mountains of the San Gabriels quite a bit, as I grew up in southern California and only went to college back east.
These mountains were my back yard. The same is true, I suppose, of a great many people who go up into these mountains on a regular basis, so it’s easy to understand that the change in hiking conditions, during certain times of the year, could catch people by surprise.

During the last five years or so, from about the end of October through about March, I’d say, conditions in these mountains are not just snowy but also icy. This ice shows up in un-expected places as large, hard packed sheets that literally form ice chutes that stretch down the side of a mountain.

I had first hand experience with this a few years back;

I had decided to take a solo hike up to the IceHouse Saddle. The IceHouse Saddle is a ridge that you pass through on the way to Mt. Baldy or some of the other peaks in this area. I took the IceHouse Canyon Trail that begins just outside of Mt. Baldy Village.

This is a picturesque trail that runs by a stream with small waterfalls and large pine trees. You ascend through a canyon, so all around you are the beautiful mountain peaks covered with fur trees and the deep blue sky above.

I knew that the Saddle was much cooler than the base of the climb and that there would likely be patchy snow. I made it there for lunch and to enjoy the excellent view.

It was windy and cold, with patches of snow around just as I had anticipated.

Just before one reaches the Saddle, there is a fork in the trail where another trail takes you back to the same trail head at Mt. Baldy Village but via a route that travels the upper ridge of the mountains and then descends during the last bit, into the trail head where you started.
I elected to take this ‘upper’ trail back. Things were fine until I came to a huge sheet of ice! Fortunately, I recognized the danger before I attempted to trudge across.

Luckily, I had a walking stick with me, so I used it to carve footholds in the ice. This was, by no means, a flat walking surface you understand, but a steeply slanted plane of solid ice, probably a hundred yards or more wide!

It took me more than an hour to cross, slowly digging out holes to step in, knowing that if I made one misstep, I would go shooting down the mountain slope like a human bobsled until I smashed into a tree or a rock. It was very stressful and not fun at all.

I was lucky to make it back and, by then, it was getting dark. I was so stressed-out and exhausted that I tripped and fell on my face just before getting back to the parking lot!

At least I didn’t go sliding down the mountain and I landed on the hardest part of my body; my head, so I wasn’t hurt substantially.

Obviously, some factors took me by surprise, but obviously as well, I did a few dumb things, one of which was hiking alone.

Joining a hiking club has remedied this. It’s good to have the judgment of other experienced hikers no matter how experienced you yourself are. With all those people around you are not likely to get hurt or lost and there’s always someone there who has been there or experienced certain conditions before.

Besides that, hiking with others is much more fun and I have made many new friends.

We don’t go up into the San Gabriels during the winter months, by the way.

Brian Beshore is webmaster for the Adventurer’s Mountain Club, a southern California based hiking group. If you would like to see some really beautiful photos from their past hikes and learn more about this club, drop by our website at; http://www.hikingclub.us

[tags]Hiking,mountaineering,clubs,sports,recreation,nature,outdoors,climbing,backpacking,wilderness[/tags]