Month: December 2022

One of the major “perks” of working as a field instructor, guide, or senior staff in the outdoor education and adventure-based programming sector of the outdoor industry used to be an offer of free or low-cost housing. Today, that incentive is more elusive, both for employees at our peer organizations and the staff we hire here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE).

Affordable staff housing — or the lack thereof — tops the list of major financial issues facing those of us who oversee the experiential education programs we run at NCOAE. Our instructors and staff come from around the globe to teach and facilitate our outdoor adventure and education programs. And for us, it has always been important that when they arrive on campus, we attempt to make sure the stress of basic needs does not overshadow the joy of the work.

Carolina Beach, North

An Interview with Outward Bound Alum, Jim Koch: Chairman and founder of Boston Beer Company, and brewer of Sam Adams beer by Daniel Lilienthal 

Going Outward Bound 

Jim Koch is one of the world’s most successful beer brewers, creating Sam Adams beer out of his kitchen in the early 1980s. He’s given hundreds of interviews, mostly about his product and his business, but until recently, had never been interviewed or told the story of his connection to the organization that gave him the confidence and leadership skills to pursue such a bold venture. 

That organization? Outward Bound. 

Born in Ohio, educated in Boston, Jim Koch found his way to Outward Bound in the early 1970s. Dropping out of Harvard as a graduate student, Jim moved out to Colorado to begin a 3-year stint as a student, assistant Instructor, and then full-Instructor at Outward Bound, moving from schools and base camps

If you are looking to make your outdoor living space even better, while also trying to increase the value of your property, then having a pergola or gazebo installed is an excellent idea. Not only are these features incredibly enjoyable for you, but they also increase the value of your property for multiple reasons. Here are three great reasons why a pergola or gazebo will increase the value of your property.

More Outdoor Living Space

One reason why a pergola or gazebo will increase the overall value of your property is because it helps to increase the amount of outdoor living space that you have. This helps your home to appraise for more, which in turn will allow you to then sell it for more money.

It Makes Your Home More Appealing To Buyers

If a potential buyer sees that you have invested in your outdoor living space by installing

Fine Grinds

I’ve had a manual grain grinder for years and it’s worked fine, I’ve had no issues.

But who wouldn’t want an electric grain mill? It’s faster, more powerful and…it’s faster!

Years of dreaming finally became reality after weeks of research, I finally made the plunge and purchased the Wondermill Electric Grain Mill.

I store soft white wheat berries and hard red wheat berries. Both types of wheat berries can produce different types of bread.

1 cup of wheat berries produces 2 cups of flour. Freshly ground flour is not the same as store-bought flour. Store-bought flour has a lot of additives and preservatives in it to keep it from going bad.

Fresh ground flour will go rancid in just a day or so, so you need to use it as soon as it’s ground.

Specs, Per Wondermill:

• Stainless steel milling heads
• BPA Free
• 1250watt

What if you could have a 6-pound gun with a 16-inch barrel to hunt everything from whitetails to Cape buffalo? And imagine it could shoot supersonic or quiet-subsonic hunting ammo. That’s the Q founder, Kevin Brittingham’s, vision for the 8.6 Blackout cartridge. And even though it has started as a wildcat, the new cartridge has already taken big game and factory ammo is becoming available. 

So is this another wonder cartridge that won’t take off? Or is it the .300 Blackout we always wanted? Only time will tell. Until then, here’s more info from Brittingham, who developed the 8.6 Blackout with his team at Q. 

8.6 Blackout Basics

The 8.6 Blackout uses a .338-inch-diameter bullet in a shortened 6.5 Creedmoor case. It can be shot at super and subsonic velocities.

“We settled on shortening up the 6.5 Creedmoor case because it’s a little more efficient than the .308