Author Archives: olinselot

Sergio Garcia may have taken the most expensive golf shot ever during the World Bridgestone Invitational tournament on Sunday. Garcia was currently leading the tournament going into the third tee shot on the third hole when he took the fateful swing.

His drive not only missed the fairway, but hooked left into the trees. His ball took a lucky bounce and ended up just left of the green in the rough, but that lucky bounce was not so lucky after all. His ball bounced off the diamond engagement ring of a woman standing in the crowd. She was not injured by the ball, but the diamond in her ring was knocked loose and instantly lost in the tall grass.

The television announcer said remarked that, "This could be the most expensive tee shot of all time." Several fans converged on the spot and helped the woman search for her missing diamond. Garcia quickly autographed a golf ball and offered it to her as an act of generosity for the errant drive. Soon after, a spectator found the diamond in the rough and it was returned to the woman.

Although the woman recovered the diamond, Sergio Garcia never recovered the lead. He ended up with a bogey on the hole and finished second place behind Rory McIlroy. Although Sergio Garcia might have to pay to have the woman's ring fixed he still pocketed a $900,000 check for placing second on the day. Lucky for the woman, her diamond was found and the most expensive golf shot ever was narrowly avoided.

All Images credit:YouTube

Get Lost in Nature?

Just a friendly reminder to be safe. Finding yourself in nature by getting lost in nature is a metaphor and not smart reality. Plan ahead an know where you are going. Take an appropriate map, compass, and/or gps device and know how to use them.

Every year there are several thousand people involved in search and rescue operations around the country. Most of them could have been avoided with proper planning, tools, and skills. If you are searching for yourself in the wilderness, keep it as a metaphor - but know where you are.

Not ever compass is created equal. Don't simply grab a compass and assume you know how to use it. Some are more accurate and require a little training to use with a map. Be familiar with the tools you carry and the place you are going.

We at Outersports have scoured through the internet and tried several ideas to find which awesome camping hacks work the best. We've gathered together 8 awesome camping hacks into one place for you to try out.

Burning dry bundles of sage in your campfire, or even spreading some smoke around your tent, will keep mosquito swarms away. Apparently it is one smell that reminds them of a desert fire and they will flee for their lives. This is one of those times you will be happy to let the campfire smoke drift over you to keep yourself from being eaten alive by bugs. Besides, the smell of burning sage is very pleasant. Native American tribes often used soft sage bundles for toilet paper. Our staff have tried both and can vouch for the benefits of sage as a camping hack. Once you have a nearly mosquito free campsite you'll always keep a bundle of sage in your gear.

Scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon is one of the best tasting breakfast meals when you are in the outdoors. Keeping your eggs from cracking inside your cooler can be problematic. Some companies offer fancy plastic carrying cases for eggs to keep them safe, but we've found that simply cracking them down a funnel into an empty plastic water bottle before you leave home is the best option. If you are careful you can still have sunny side up too. The mouth of the bottle works well with the texture of raw eggs, allowing you to squeeze out one egg at a time if you take your time to do it right. Simply crack your eggs into the bottle before you leave home and set the bottle in your cooler for worry free egg transportation.

Anybody who has gone camping for the weekend eventually faces the inevitable squat in the woods. Having toilet paper is great, but it always gets smashed or falls in the dirt and twigs. If that happens at an inconvenient time then it can make a situation more awkward than it has to be. Simply use an empty plastic coffee container for a portable toilet paper carrier. Use your knife and cut a small vertical slit in the side of the tub and it becomes a handy toilet paper dispenser. You can even get fancy with paracord rope to allow you to hang it from limbs if you'd like.

Learning how to roll your clothing into an easily accessible skivvy roll will change the way you pack your clothes forever. You can fit an entire change of clothing into one neatly tucked roll for easy storage and packing if you follow these simple steps. First, place your shirt flat on the floor. Second, place your underwear in the center of the shirt where the neck is. Third, fold the arms of the shirt over the underwear. Fourth, lay your merino wool socks in an overlapping manner so the opening of the socks extends out where the sleeves of the shirt used to be. Fifth, roll the shirt down over the socks from top to bottom into a tight skivvy roll. Now you take one sock at a time and fold it back over the shirt. There you have it! You now have a perfectly rolled change of clothes that will fit in your backpack for quick access.

This awesome camping hack is one that has been used by survivalists and hikers for decades. Even if you have a watch on it can be difficult to guess how much daylight you have before you are left in the dark. Standing and looking at the sun to see how fast it might be moving is a horrible idea. What you should do is simply hold out your hand, palm facing toward you, at arms length. Keep your fingers together and horizontal to the horizon. The width of each finger is roughly 15 minutes. Place your hand so the sun is just above your index finger and count how many finger widths are left before the horizon. If the sun is three fingers above the horizon then you have 45 minutes of daylight left. It's really that simple and it works.

Rather than throw away your empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls you can use them as a fire starting log. When you clean out your dryer lint after doing a load of laundry just stuff the lint into the cardboard tube and keep them for your next camping trip. Set it in the bottom of your kindling and light the lint with a spark or lighter and watch it easily catch fire. It is a great way to reuse something you normally send to the landfill and it works perfectly. Keeping the tubes in a plastic bag will keep the lint off the other items in your pack.

In the snow or raining weather it can be difficult to find dry kindling or grass to start a campfire. Find some dead twigs and small branches and use a simple pencil sharpener to create the perfect fire starting shavings. You might think you can do this with your pocket knife, but it will take you a lot longer than you think to create the perfectly dry shaving that a pencil sharpener can. Simply trim off the tiny limbs and keep them for larger kindling, then shave the twig with the pencil sharpener for perfectly dry and paper thin fire starter shavings. Try it once next time you're camping in the snow and you'll keep one handy from them on.

Save empty prescription bottles, and peel off the label, to reuse them for camping storage containers. Depending on the size of the bottle you can place a variety of helpful items inside to keep them safe and dry in the outdoors. They make great portable first aid kits, fire starting kits, or even spice containers for cooking. The child safety locking lid can come in handy if you have children you want to keep out of the items inside as well.

In the heat of the summer it can be difficult to find ways to cool down without spending money on expensive air conditioning units. We've put together a short list of ideas to help you cool down and beat the summer heat.

Rule number 1 is to always stay hydrated. If you go all day drinking soda, or rely on getting your fluids from the food you eat, then you can seriously dehydrate yourself. If you get too dehydrated then your body will lose its ability to sweat. Without being able to sweat you will lose the ability to regulate body temperature and there can be serious consequences to your health. Stay hydrated with cold clean water. Adults should try to drink around 3 liters of water per day to stay healthy.

Build your own air conditioning system for cheap! The internet is full of designs and ideas to fit your budget when it comes to making a homemade cooling system. Some use liquid cooled copper tubing, other use old coolers and fans, and some just use frozen water bottles and and buckets. Do some searching online for creative ideas to keep cool without breaking the bank this summer. You might be surprised to find you have some of these items already sitting around your house. Here is an instructional video on how to create a bucket air conditioner system:

Pick your fabrics. If you are working in the yard with a wool shirt and cotton jeans on then you are bound to get hot and tired much faster than if you dress for the job. There are plenty of nice looking golf shirts that are designed for walking in the hot sun all day. Ogio, Nike, and many other brands of golf shirts can keep you cool, wick moisture to keep you dry, and keep you looking good no matter how hot it is outside.

To cool down your body temperature more quickly you should know where to place an ice pack. There are specific locations on your body where your arteries are closest to the surface of the skin and will help cool your internal temperature the fastest. Place the ice pack on your forehead, neck, inside of your elbow, wrist, groin, behind your knee, or on your ankles to cool of quickly.

A man went cliff jumping off Sydney Harbor only to plunge straight into a real life horror movie! With a GoPro camera strapped to his head he found himself under the water just a few feet away from the jaws of a great white shark. This video will put you on the edge of your seat as you watch the man swim for safety as the shark makes a second close pass.

toilet paper seedlings

As the old saying goes "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it due or due without." Another well known saying is "Waste not want not." Well, we have put together a list of 6 items to reuse at home or in the garden. Rather than toss them in the garbage we can get creative and reuse these every day objects for something new and useful.

Toilet paper rolls can simply be cut and crimped to be reused as seedling starters. Simply fill them with your favorite potting soil, plant the seeds, and water them in your starting tray. Once the seedling is sprouted you can plant the entire toilet paper roll and all into your garden bed where it will decompose into mulch.

Egg Shell Seedlings

Similar to the toilet paper roll seedlings, half of a used egg shell also works great. Next time you crack an egg put half the shell back into a paper egg carton. Fill the egg shell with potting soil and plant your seeds inside. Use the old egg carton like you would a regular seed tray. Once the seedling has grown enough you can take the egg shell seedling out to your garden and bury it in the soil. Remember to crack up the shell as you place it in the ground so the roots can find their way out. The shell will biodegrade without any problems.

Wine Crate Garden

Old wooden wine crates or milk crates can be used as portable garden boxes. They are not only functional, they also add a level of character and flexibility to your flower beds for that unique look and feel you might be going for. Shuffling and stacking old wooden crates instead of planting pots allows you to get creative with a wood burner, screw them into fence posts, or attach them to the side of your deck.

Pallet Garden Idea

Old pallets can be re purposed to perfectly divide rows, keep down weeds, and give you a dry surface to walk across in the garden. The creativity and flexibility that pallet gardens can offer are almost endless when you begin to research ideas. They can even be stood on their side to create a vertical garden for strawberries, radishes, or other small plants and herbs if you want to save ground space.

Plastic Bottle Sprinkler

Empty plastic bottles can be reused as sprinklers for your yard or even just for your kids to run through on a hot day. You can poke holes in the plastic with a needle or thumb tack and then simply put it on the end of your hose and turn it on. Next time your sprinkler breaks you won't have to rush out to buy a new one, get creative and try an old plastic bottle instead.

Coffee Can Herb Garden

Old coffee cans can be reused for many different things. Nail them to fence posts around your garden to keep your favorite herbs or flowers separate and free of weeds. They can be pained to look however you want and are conveniently portable if you need to move them somewhere new. The idea is to get creative and stop wasting thing by throwing them into a landfill. You might surprise yourself with what is possible.

At Outersports.com we have an extensive lineup of summer clothing and workwear to keep you comfortable at home or in the garden.

This rock climbing baby is too cute.

How early should you start letting kids explore their rock climbing skills? Most parents, at some point, will have a child that loves to climb everything in the house. The truth is, children are born to climb and it is a natural way for them to stay active and begin to develop strength and dexterity - so long as it's not the cookie jar they are climbing to!

Toddlers naturally know how to rock climb

In home rock climbing walls can be a fun addition to any home. Crash pads can be placed at on the floor in case your rock climbing kids happen to take a fall, but ideally you should only place hand holds at a height that your child can safely climb without getting hurt. Supervision is not only a must it is a great way to bond with your children and develop relationships of trust. Plus, diaper climbing toddlers are just too cute!

This rock climbing little girl has a bright healthy future

If you safely let your children climb you will be shocked and inspired at how fearless and skilled they can be. You can give them a new hobby and positively impact their life, health, and love of the outdoors. Whether it is a climbing wall in the garage, or a local rock climbing hot spot, always put safety first and keep a smile on your face.

As the seasons change the springtime months ahead can bring unpredictable weather. A frost covered morning can lead to a bright and sunny day that can unexpectedly shift to gusts of wind and rain. However changing the weather can be, it's time for spring cleanup. Whether you work outdoors for a living, or simply need to get some yard work done, you'll need comfortable workwear that helps you get the job done. Just like if you are hiking, camping, or hunting; workwear is all about having the proper layers.

If you are working outside for an extended period of time you should start with the best. The best thermal underwear today is merino wool. Merino wool thermal underwear provides all around comfort and warmth in a variety of options. Unlike coarse grade wool products, merino wool is soft to the touch and doesn't smell because it is made from the highest grade of wool available. It provides moisture wicking to keep you dry and is available in thermal underwear, socks, jackets, hats, and balaclavas.

100% cotton Long Johns are hard to beat when it comes to being comfortable around the yard. Full body Long Johns won't come untucked as you bend over or reach above your head. The 100% cotton has all the comfort and warmth you'd expect from good old fashioned Long Johns. If you want to keep extra warm you can even get Military Heavyweight tops and bottoms. Long Johns come in white or red and other 100% cotton thermal underwear is available in black as well.

For working outside, the Cornerstone duck cloth jacket is hard to beat. It is made with triple needle stitching so it won't wear out even job after job. This is a favorite workwear jacket among carpenters, construction workers, landscapers, and most outdoor workers who need a comfortable jacket to keep warm. While not as heavy or bulky as a winter jacket, the Cornerstone duck cloth jacket comes in a variety of colors and styles.

A number of high visibility jackets and vests are also available in our new workwear product category.

Whether you are a survivalist, hiker, or camper you need to plan for hydration. It's not always convenient to pack in your own water in with you. Sometimes your water supply might run out or get contaminated. If that happens, you should know how to filter your water and purify it for drinking.

There are micro bacteria, fungi, and all sorts of nasty things that might be in the water which you cannot see. Even if it looks clear, smells fine, and tastes good, it could make you very sick if not done properly.

The basic concept of water filtration is to pass the water through layers of filtration, not just one simple screen. The most reliable and safest way to filter your water is to bring a proven water filtration tool with you. Depending on your specific excursion you may have room for a pump system or you might need to cut weight and simply bring a filtration straw.

The Katadyn Dual Microfiltration Vario water filter is the top of the line when it comes to pump style filtration systems. It is designed for fast use and high flow filtering and each cartridge can filter up to 530 gallons before you need to replace it. If you are going out in a group, or not taking any water at all, this is our recommendation. It weighs only 15 ounces, which to some may seem heavy, but compared to packing in gallons of water it is a big advantage. You can pack in a gallon of water from home, or carry a 15 ounce filtration pump that provides 530 gallons along the way.

If you simply need a backup, or emergency, water filtration method for yourself then an Aquamira Frontier Straw is the way to go. I weighs less than 1 ounce and can filter up to 30 gallons of water. They can be purchased in a Two Pack for the same price as other straw type filters on the market. You are practically getting two for the price of one - and they remove 99.9 of Cryptosporidium and Giardia just like the other brands.

But what if you are in a real pinch and didn't bring your own filtration system?

Although they aren't as trusted and safe, you can make your own water filtration system out of things you typically have with you. Creating a Do it yourself Water Filtration system is easier than you might think. Here is what you will need:

*Empty bottle, jug, or bucket

*Charcoal (campfire coals work fine)

*Sand

*Small gravel

*Piece of cloth (bandana, shirt sleeve, etc)

*Knife or sharp cutting tool

All of the items on the list should be with you, close by, or easy to find in the wilderness. For this example we will use an empty bottle as our filtration container, but any sort of container that you can put a hole in will work.

1) Make sure your container is completely clean. Any oil or chemical residue can make you sick.

2) Turn the bottle with the lid facing down and cut the bottom (now facing up) off near the base.

3) Put a piece of cloth down on the lid like a screen, or you can cut the top of the lid off - leaving the threads in tact - and thread the cloth onto the bottle so there is a screen where the top of the lid used to be.

4) Pour charcoal into the bottle first, filling the bottom 1/3 of the bottle.

5) Pour sand on top of the charcoal filling the next 1/3 of the bottle.

6) Pour gravel on top of the sand until the bottle is almost full.

Now that you have the filtration bottle put together, be careful not to tip it over. Don't shake the bottle and mix up the layers. You want the water to pass through the layers in the proper order to remove the debris.

Hold you newly made water filter over the bucket, or bottle you wish to catch the filtered water in, and carefully pour your unfiltered water into your water filter system. Be very careful not to drip or spill the dirty water down into the clean water container below!

The first time you pour water through the filter it will come out with some sediment and discoloration - usually a milky or dirty color. Simply pour it back through the filter as many times as needed until it comes through clear and clean.

Just because water is filtered doesn't mean it is purified! If it is spring water or glacial water you are probably okay, but if it came from a pond, creek, or river you should absolutely boil the water first. After boiling the water, if you have any iodine or bleach, you should drop in 5-8 drops per gallon and mix it thoroughly before drinking to kill any remaining micro bacteria that might have got through.

This do it yourself water filtration method can be applied to any container. It i also scalable - meaning you can create a large scale system out of a fifty gallon barrel if you planned on staying put for a while. Large scale filtration systems can be built as a rain catch at your home or cabin in the woods, providing filtered drinking water when you need it.

Now your water should be much cleaner and safe to drink!

Around the year 3300 BC, a primitive man now known as Otzi, or the "Iceman", lived among the mountains near Italy. In 1991 the preserved body of Otzi was discovered mostly frozen in a high ice form. What was most exciting was that most of his clothing and survival gear were still intact.

Otzi wore a fur hat made of bear hide, a cloak of woven grass reeds, a belt of calf leather, bear skin shoes, and most importantly - long underwear made of goat skin wool. Long before recorded history, early humans lived and thrived based upon their ability to endure the environment. The tools they created and and materials they formed into their clothing were a serious matter.

One of the most enlightening parts of Otzi's attire was his long underwear. Made from goat skin, the woolen hide provided him insulation from the snow and wind. In modern times we have the advantage of high performance synthetic thermals and time tested merino wool long underwear. We can learn from the ancient wisdom of primitive man and combine it with modern technical advancements.

Premium Performance long underwear has been crafted from a blend of 85% polyester and 15% spandex. Designed to cut through the cold and wind, Premium Performance long underwear provides maximum comfort and mobility. It also benefits from antimicrobial odor control; a benefit that probably would have been greatly appreciated by Otzi's friends.

If you are more keen on natural and renewable materials, then premium merino wool long underwear is for you. If Otzi had premium grade merino wool thermals he would have been able to stay dry, keep warm, move faster, and smell better. Ancient wisdom still applies when you are venturing into the outdoors. Learn from the lessons of the past and clothe yourselves to thrive.