EDC Flashlights Buying Guide

Whether you are a serious hunter or a weekend hiker, an EDC flashlight should be your first priority for everyday use. Modern EDC is light, strong, water-resistant, and impact-resistant. As a result of its diverse tactical and defensive qualities, EDCs have become a significant tool for outdoor enthusiasts. However, if you're on the hunt for one, there are a few things to consider before making the final purchase.  

How to Choose the Right Pair of Rollerblades for Your Child

 Rollerblading is one of the most exciting activities children can perform. It's best if they start at a young age, preferably between 4-5 years old, so they can gain stability, agility and mobility. It's also a great way to improve their balance and coordination. Oftentimes, parents are scared to put their children on rollerblades because it's considered a bit dangerous, but that's why you have protective pads and helmets. So, don't be afraid, go ahead and teach your child how to ride skates.

Types of Rollerblades

Buying skates for your child can sometimes be confusing. Unlike adults, whose feet stopped growing a long time ago, kids are more complicated because they’re still growing and developing. That's why you need to pay close attention when you buy rollerblades for little girls or young boys. Finding the right size, fit and type of rollerblades is important. Here are some of the most common types on the market:

Fitness Skates

This is the type you can find in every store and online shop. You can use them as recreational or on cycle tracks. The recreational ones are great for beginners. Because of their low speed. The wheel size is 90-84mm and they have an aluminium alloy frame. The fitness type is for experienced rides because they have more speed and a bigger wheel size of 90-100mm. 

They have a higher focus point and good bearings. In both types the textile is soft and they have a higher chimney. The wheels are usually soft and there’s always a brake included. Fitness girls' inline skates provide comfort and good ventilation for the foot, plus you have a lot of choices when it comes to colour and design. The only downside is their slow response and sometimes the quality of the frame.

Freestyle Skates

These skates are made for trick rides such as free jumps, jumps, dancing and slalom. They have a hard shell, and small wheels and the frame is short and solid. The urban-style skates are good for city rides, jumps over barriers, stairs and back rides, and the freestyle ones are great for dancing and slalom. The freestyle skates are made from fibreglass, plastic or carbon and have a wheel size of 76-84mm. Their frame is adjustable and the flex is firm. They provide good support, have a great response and the energy transfer is perfect. They offer acceleration, and resistance and are good for both beginners and experienced riders. The only downside is the missing brake.

Aggressive Skates

The name may sound strange but these skates are made for aggressive riding. They're great for jumps, ramps, rails and skateparks. Because of this, they’re very firm, heavy and have a soleplate. The wheels are usually 55-60mm and have some space between them because of the rails you can ride. They always come without a brake but are very stable, absorbing and have good resistance. Some cons are their weight because they’re heavy, don’t have ventilation and don’t develop much speed.

Speed Skates

These skates are low and solid. They have big wheels for a fast ride, the boot is firm and the padding is minimal. The wheels are hard and usually, around 100-125mm and the frame is adjustable for your own convenience. The bearings are strong and there’s no cuff. They have a good energy transfer and good response, but you won’t be very comfortable in them.

Semi-Race Skates

These skates are a crossover from the speed and fitness type ones. They're great for both long tracks and fast rides. They have a solid boot and big wheels between 100-125mm. Semi-race skates usually come without a bake and can sometimes have heat moulding. The frame is adjustable, they’re fast, firm and have a good energy transfer. Their inertia and response are great but you can sometimes feel numbness and they may not be very comfortable.

Trekking Skates

They have two lines of wheels and are used for recreational purposes such as roller dance, roller derby and jam skating. They can be made from PVC and leather and have a brake on the front. You'll be very stable in them but they can weigh more than the other types.

What to Consider When Buying

Always Get Brakes

When you buy skates for your kid always make sure they feature a brake. This mechanism will be positioned at the back of the foot or in the front. Let the child try them on and see which mechanism works better for them. Some say they like the heel stop and some prefer the toe brake, so make sure the kid knows what they prefer. There is usually one brake installed on the right foot, but you can change this and place it on the left one if it suits the child better. Plus, you can add an extra brake and have them on both feet of the child feels safer this way.

The Right Size Matters

Remember that it’s always better for your child to wear low-quality skates with a great fit, than high-quality ones with the wrong fit. This is a line you need to remember when you’re buying rollerblades for little girls and boys. Smaller sizes can cut circulation, cause discomfort and hurt the child. Some of them can even cause bunions or other deformities. 

The skate size usually is the same as the kid’s shoe size, but they can vary depending on the manufacturer. The fit should be snug, not too tight to have crumped toes, or not too loose to have a lot of wiggling space. Always take your child with you so they can try them on with socks. Never buy them a size bigger because they’ll grow, instead, but their skates with adjustable size. This way you won’t have to buy new skates every 2-3 months.

What About Style and Material?

The kid’s ankles should always be protected and supported, and this is the job of the cuffs. There are high-top and mid-top cuffs. The first type does a better job of protecting the ankles and feet. The upper is usually made from synthetic materials combined with mesh so the kid can have more breathability. The boot can also be leather or suede. Suede ones are better for outside skating and leather ones for the inside. They may be hard to break in at first, but when they do, you’ll get perfect comfort and a great fit.

Which Closure System is Better?

When you’re choosing rollerblades for kids make sure they have laces, a power strip and a buckle. This is the best combination of closures that’ll keep your kid safe and secure. The heel will be locked in place, which is important especially for beginners. Some may even have a BOA system that is knob-based and easily customisable. This will make the skates a bit pricier, but if you can afford them, don’t give it a second thought. The right closure system will help your child learn how to put them on faster. 

Make Your Caravan Off-Grid Ready With a Solar Kit

The most obvious reason why people go for solar power as their main source of power is for a better environment. The clean energy you get from the sun may be more difficult to harness sometimes, but it's sure worth it. You don't need to worry about any power outages with solar as long as you have enough charge in your battery. You can also go completely off-grid with a PV system on your caravan.

You won't need to look for shore power or any other hook-up point when on your caravanning trips. Although you can still opt-in to do so, it's not your only option. But connecting to shore power is not always possible. This is where a proper off-grid solar kit can make your caravan truly self-sustainable. At least when it comes to power.

What is in an Off-Grid Solar Kit?

Panels

Source: allbrandcs.com.au

What's at the core of every PV system, no matter if it's off-grid or not, are its panels. Solar panels are what make solar power usable as they convert the photons coming from the sun into electrical charge. All off grid solar kits come with solar panels as they are a mandatory component.  

Controllers

Source: treehugger.com

To help make the electrical charge coming from the panels and into the battery usable by devices and appliances you need a controller. Charge controllers, as they're called, are a sort of a middle man that distributes the charge to where it needs to go. But in order for the charge to be used by any PV component, it needs to go through an inverter.

Inverters

Source: livelywatt.com

What every off grid kit should always come with is a power inverter. In order for you to be able to charge your phone or cook your meal, you need usable electricity. Because the panels generate DC power from the sun's UV rays, you need an inverter to convert that power to AC. Since this is what all the appliances and devices we use on a daily basis rely on.

Batteries

When the charge you have left, generated by the panels and converted by the inverter, is no longer needed you need to store it somewhere. Of course, this is why off grid kits come with batteries to save the day. Without solar batteries, you won't be able to rely on the sun alone since when it sets, there will be no charge to use unless it's stored.

What to Look for in an Off-Grid Solar Kit

Types of Panels

There are many options you can choose from when it comes to the type of panels you want to have on your caravan. The main two panels an off grid kit can come with are mono and polycrystalline. 

Monocrystalline panels have their cells made from a single silicone crystal. This makes them darker and gives them a honeycomb appearance. Although quite expensive, monocrystalline panels are more efficient when it comes to their conversion process.

Source: powersolarphoenix.com

Polycrystalline panels, on the other hand, are made by combining multiple silicone crystals together to create the panel's cells. Because of this, polycrystalline panels have a lighter shade of blue and they are also more affordable.

Charge Controller

Just like there are different types of solar panels, there are also different types of charge controllers. You get to choose between MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controllers and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) units.

PWM charge controllers are the older counterparts and although they are reliable they are not as powerful or as efficient as their more advanced predecessor. PWM controllers are mainly made for small-scale applications.

MPPT controllers, as you already know, are about 20% to 25% more efficient than PWM controllers. MPPT charge controllers are also able to handle larger loads than PWM units, especially when using a lot of panels.

Source: sustainable.co.za

Amp Rating

The amperage rating of your PV system needs to be adequate to that of your everyday needs. The higher the number of devices and appliances you will be using at once, the greater the amperage rating of your system needs to be. The higher this rating is the more electricity can flow through it and supply your appliances and devices.

Installation & Hardware

Although an off grid kit comes with all the components needed to make your caravan independent from the grid it still needs to include all the mounting and connecting hardware. Off grid solar kits that come with everything you need to install an off-grid PV system on your caravan are a better option.

This way you're able to save time searching for the right mounting brackets and bolts or cables and connectors. These off grid kits are especially useful if it's your first time building an off-grid PV system or any kind of PV system for that matter.

Conclusion

Caravanning is a great way to explore beautiful landscapes and enjoy having home comforts at the same time. A PV system is a big part of that and without it, it wouldn't be possible to take on long journeys without the need to charge up.

A Guide to Choosing the Best Outdoor Heaters

A lot of people have an outdoor area that is used only during the summer months. When the temperatures start dropping, they all move inside and leave their patio or backyard empty. But that doesn’t have to happen anymore, now that we have outdoor heaters. You can use your outdoor space throughout the year with this feature. Read a book, have some coffee, entertain your friends and family, or even work from home. An outdoor heater will be a great addition to your neatly designed exterior, and it’ll give you the liberty to enjoy cool nights under the stars with a fresh breeze and a cup of tea.

How to Choose the Right Gas Water Heater for Your Caravan

The same way your home has running hot water your caravan should have it too. It's becoming more of a need for hot water to be present in something mobile. While there are other home comforts you can bring in your caravan, having a hot water heater is one that makes a big difference.

By pumping water from your water tank, a heater is able to bring it to the temperature you need, by heating the tank that stores it before the water comes out of the shower head or faucet. When the water from the hot water tank runs out you need to wait for it to be filled with water and heated up once again. The heating of this tank happens thanks to two power sources with gas being the more tried and true solution.

Advantages of Gas Water Heaters

Reliability

Source: camperism.co

When compared to its more advanced competitor, the electric heater, an RV gas water heater is far more reliable. How so? When travelling, you may not have access to electricity or decide to go off-grid. This can shut down an electric heater. A gas hot water heater will run no matter if there is an electrical charge available or not.

Savings

Although you'll need to refill your caravan's gas tanks, in order to keep the heater running, it still isn't nearly as expensive to run as an electric one. Gas is more affordable than electricity and a gas hot water heater is also more efficient than an electric one. This will help you save a lot especially if you are going on longer trips around the country. 

Environmental Impact

While electric powered appliances are known not to impact our environment in a bad way the same can be said for gas-powered heaters too. While this is not the case with all types of gas heaters, there are some that do not pollute despite running on gas.

Types of Gas Water Heaters

Source: amazon.com

Natural Gas

The type of gas heater that is rising in popularity is one powered by natural gas. Natural gas is actually not bad for the environment and it doesn't need that much energy to create heat. Efficient and environmentally friendly, natural gas has only one downside and that is its availability. Usually, motorhome camping sites do not have natural gas hookups.

Propane

Propane is the more commonly found power source at caravan campsites but it is also one that isn't as efficient as natural gas. Propane hot water heaters are not environmentally friendly but they are easier to set up. You can connect a propane heater up to the existing plumbing in your caravan without much hassle.

What Matters in a Water Heater

Flow Rate

An important aspect of any caravan hot water heater is its water flow rate. This is expressed in LPM or litres per minute. If you're going to be the only one travelling with your caravan then a water heater with 8 LPM is going to be adequate.

But if you're bringing your mates on your caravanning trip then a hot water heater with at least 18 LPM is going to be needed. This way you will have a steady supply of water at a constant temperature.

Size

The size of an RV gas water heater is going to matter quite a bit especially if you don't have much space in your caravan. Before you get any type of gas heater you should first determine the location where your heater will go. Make sure that there is enough space for it to fit otherwise you'll need to either get a different one or do some modifications to the interior of your caravan.

Power Capacity

The capacity that determines how well your RV gas water heater is going to keep water warm is its power capacity. This is represented in either kW or BTU. BTU or British thermal units refer to the overall heating capability of a water heater. This number also tells you a lot about the power requirements of a heater which you can find out by converting BTU to kW.

Advantages of Tankless Heaters

Source: trendhunter.com

Savings

You won't be saving money when it comes to buying a tankless heater since it's not as affordable as most other ones. But when it comes to long term use, tankless hot water heaters are going to help you save quite a bit. With one component less than a regular caravan water heater, there's no need for water to be constantly kept warm and thus less gas is used.

Seamless

With a regular water heater, having hot water constantly available is something that just isn't the case. By adding a tankless water heater you can have one person shower without you having to wait for the heater to warm up some water for you afterwards. Just hop in and enjoy the hot water. You also won't ever get the chills with cold water before getting burned by the excruciating hot water that usually follows.

Durability

Although tankless heaters can be quite pricey they are going to last you a lot longer than a regular caravan water heaters. While more expensive tankless hot water heaters will last you even longer,  if you go for a more affordable one it will still have a long lifespan.

Pin Loaded Machines 101

Source: legendfitness.com

One of the most popular exercising machines for both home and commercial gyms are commercial cable machine. Pin loaded machines are large, but will offer you various workouts that won't compromise your safety and can help you achieve the muscles you want to gain (or lose weight. If you're looking to buy this type of equipment, here's what you need to know.

What are Cable Machines?

Cable machines are gym equipment that can be used for functional, strength and weight training. They're quite popular and can be found in any gym (both home and commercial gyms). The cable machines are great for motion versatility especially when it comes to weight training. This way it'll help people to focus on targeting specific groups of muscles with every repetition and move.

What to Consider

Source: fitnessator.com

Estimate Your Ground Space

The first factor to consider is the ground space you have where you plan to accommodate your equipment. Setting up a gym demands a lot of planning; you'll need a separate non-exercise area where you will place the machines until you get them to the actual gym area.  Did you know that fitness centres use more than 50% of space for their cardio machines, weights, cable machines and other similar equipment? The rest of the space is used for lockers, reception desks, shower rooms and other non-exercise areas. This means that your gym room will have to have enough room for your pin loaded machines.

Size

Of course, the available space you have will determine the size of the machines you will buy for your gym. The size should fit not only your needs but also the space; make sure it's approachable from at least three sides.

Safety

If used properly, pin-loaded cable machines are very efficient. However, if the user lacks a base level of strength they are risking an injury. Even if the person is strong, they might overestimate themselves so they might try to lift a heavier load than they actually can.

Machines offer a much lower risk of injuries than let's say overloading a barrel. However, it's best to start slow or work out with a personal trainer instead of trying to challenge yourself.

Make a List

Create a list of the essential equipment you want before getting all the items. It's easy to lose control when shopping and surpass your budget. Having a list will help you stick to the things you truly need (and the things that can actually fit in your gym).  Make sure to get only the things you know you need and will use for your workout sessions.

Make a Floor Plan

Making a floor plan will help you know where will the equipment stand. Home gyms are far smaller than regular ones, therefore you will have to have a precise floor plan. If you have larger machines you can put them in one area, so the rest of the space can remain organized and free. Each zone needs to have a clear pathway so you can move around. The floor space should be designed for efficient use with minimum obstacles.

Low-quality Equipment Is Not Good

Commercial fitness equipment isn't the same as that used in home gyms. This equipment is made with the demands of the customers in mind; they won't be used by one or two people, but rather tens or hundreds of people and much more frequently. However, even if you’re getting cable machines for your home gym, make sure to invest in quality pieces that will last for a long time and won’t harm you anyhow.

Of course, you can always find cut-price equipment and save some money in the long run, but equipment with poor quality will cost you more. You'll have to invest money in repairments or even get new equipment after a while.

Benefits of Weight Machines

Source: gymmarine.com

The primary feature of machines is that they use pulleys and cams to put the biggest amount of resistance where certain muscles are in their strongest position (this way the muscles will build to their fullest potential). If your main goal is to create a workout program and create big and well-defined muscles, the machine training will help you achieve that outcome.

Controlling Mechanical Overload and Direction of Motion

Mechanical overload is the amount of physical force put on a muscle and is crucial for stimulating muscle growth. When you do exercises with commercial cable machines, you need optimal range of motion of a number of joints. If the joints don't work properly, you can easily injure yourself. But, with these workout machines, the control of the motions is safe and controlled, so the injuries are almost impossible.

Metabolic Overload

Metabolic overload happens when a muscle is needed to work to a point of momentary fatigue and doesn't have the energy to develop another contraction. Muscle growth happens as a result of mechanical or metabolic overload. It's a long-time bodybuilding secret that if you want to achieve rapid muscle growth you should use drop sets. This involves doing an exercise to the point of short fatigue, immediately lowering the weight, and then resuming to the next point of exhaustion. Machines give you the safest and most time-efficient activity to perform drop sets to the point of complete fatigue, which ensures that all fibres in a certain muscle are engaged.

Hiking Essentials: Clothing and Footwear Gear Guide for Staying Safe in the Wild

Source: smartertravel.com

Hiking can take you to some of the most beautiful areas in the world. It can give you a feeling of freedom and rejuvenation. However, you must be equipped with the proper clothing for your chosen terrain and environment. There are many different types of hiking equipment that it can be overwhelming when deciding what's important to bring, and what's not necessary. For example, being too hot is just as bad as being too cold if you plan on hiking all day. So, how do you begin to figure out what will work best for your trip?