Lightly frosted

Gusts at about 50 mph last night forced some snow into the tent and made sleeping very difficult for both Ty and myself. The wind was so loud and constant, I kept thinking to myself, tornadoes don't happen in march right?  My bag stayed dry and toasty even with the snow. I could have used some sort of noise blocking device though!

Home Sweet Home

Spring is in the air folks! Even though we get hit with snow after a 60 degree day, the birds are singing and that smooth spring smell is making each breath that much sweeter!

This week we enjoyed some warmer evenings at the tent. We sat and watched some awesome sunsets, grilled steaks with friends, and slipped in and out of our sleeping bags much easier. 

Although it's warmer, this morning still gave us a dose of frost and snow on the tents. 

I'm loving this Friday and looking forward to this weekend because tonight will be the first time in a month I'll get to sleep in a warm bed!!! 

I am visiting my friends and family this weekend to prepare for a volleyball tourney, play a little golf, and relax indoors. 

Seeing the mountains and a comfy couch made my soul do backflips!!! Can't wait for a great weekend ahead!! Now it's time to enjoy some pizza and basketball with my dad! God bless!

Weekend Freeze

Seeing snow and low temperatures in the forecast can be scary when you live in a tent... That's why I choose not to look at the weekly weather reports. 

I have found if it's going to be bad or dangerous, others will be talking about it or telling you about it pretty quickly and then asking if you really are going to stay in the tent through the storm. My first thought when I hear bad weather is moving in is, "Well, that sounds like good product testing weather!" :)

So far the weather has been great for testing products and testing myself. I'm a skinny distance runner that hates cold and I figure if what I'm using works well for me... Hey! It should work really well for everyone else. I'll give some more product highlights in upcoming posts to show what's been keeping me so toasty on these cold nights. 

Last night I took advantage of the cold and snow and decided to make tenting look cozy by sizzling up some tacos on the stove, curling up by the fire, and watching Captain Phillips on my iPad. 

Doesn't look so bad does it? 

It got down to 9 degrees last night but man when it gets that cold, it seems to make the night sky that much clearer! I stood outside my tent for a bit before bed and just couldn't take my eyes off the stars and how close they seemed to be! Those are precious moments worth taking advantage of. 

One of these nights I'm abandoning the tent and just sleeping underneath the open sky to really get the best seat out of the house... I'll worry about the frostbite later ;)

This morning before church I found my half full Coke bottle from the night before frozen at a perfect slushy consistency - And although I don't drink pop before noon and I'm trying to cut it out all together in preparation for a marathon in 12 weeks, I couldn't say no!

Ah! It was the most refreshing Coke I've ever had at 20 degrees 9 AM on a Sunday morning haha! Don't ask me why it wasn't rock hard frozen but it was awesome! God said let there be perfect slushy Coke and I said thank you! Good way to start my Sunday praising God before church. 

Suunto Core

*Viewers – In full disclosure, Kyle and I both work for Cabela’s. That being said, we will give our honest field testing feedback, hopefully entertain you with some of our own thoughts and experiences using the product, and go from there. If you’d like to know more about a product, comment or follow the link listed for more information.*

The Suunto Core has been an awesome watch to wear! I first started wearing the watch during my adventure test week in early February when temps were -10 or worse with wind-chill. I chose the Core because one of the other options had a thermometer that only measured to 14 degrees and I needed to push it further.

I’ve enjoyed the Core because it’s lightweight, has a comfortable strap that fits well, its durable, waterproof, looks AWESOME, has a built in thermometer, barometer, altimeter, and compass.

One of the coolest and most helpful features in my testing has been the “Storm Alarm” feature that beeps when the barometric pressure drops 4hPa/0.12inHg or more within the last 3-hour period.  So far the alarm has been accurate and alerts me a day or so before the system moves in. WARNING… The alarm can be annoying at work if you are in a meeting and the pressure is on a downward trend and alerts you every so often.

A drawback to the Core and some of the other watches like it with a thermometer is that the thermometer is up against your arm. This means the watch measures the temperature right up against your arm and not the external temp you really want to know. When I want to know the temperature, I take the watch off and expose it to the elements for 5-10 minutes to get a reading. If you don’t want to stand around waiting for a reading, hang it from your pack, your belt, or another external surface to keep it exposed.

Definitely a cool watch with tons of applications. Cabela’s currently isn’t selling my particular version of the Suunto Core but does sell other Suunto watches with similar features and styles. Take a look at the below link…

Suunto Core

B2B Reviews

Hi All - 

While tenting, Kyle and I have the unique opportunity to field test a variety of products for Cabela's. 

We will give our honest feedback and give you the opportunity to go from there. 

Look out for our reviews and please let us know if you'd like to hear more about a particular item or how we used it.

Thanks!

 

Burr!

The weather sure made tenting interesting between Monday night's wind and last night and this morning's cold (temp. felt like 10 degrees or less)!

We had a high wind warning Monday night that made falling asleep seem like an impossible task, as the flaps of the tent snapped and beat. I thought a stake was going to come flying out of the ground and zip right through the tent. Kyle thought the stakes would come out and we would get rolled up like a burrito and fly to work. 

Last night I couldn't get into my sleeping bag quick enough and this morning I couldn't get out slow enough. 

Putting on cold pants has to be some type of torture technique and it doesn't help when your shoes are frozen to the floor! 

I'm at work now and drinking from a perfect slushy water bottle that thawed out from last night. It's nice being in a warm office!

Leaving the mountains

Leaving the mountains this morning. Had a great weekend of skiing and snowboarding. I got to sleep in a bed one night and used a 10 or so year old cabelas mummy bag for warmth, was kind of awesome. I am really looking forward to being outside again tonight though, just feels good to be in the fresh air and nature. Haven't talked to Ty yet this morning, hopefully he wasn't too lonely without me!

Tenting Weather

Wow it got windy last night!!! The tent stayed strong but the force was enough to loosen the lines and pull this stake from the ground. 

Now it's snowing and blowing. Time for a hot fire!

Snowboarding

Out snowboarding and skiing for the day with some friends from Wisconsin and my girlfriend Shari. Lots of wipeouts for me so far! Haha better get back out there and score a few more. 

Week 2: Not all Fun and Fishing

Week two started off with another great weekend! Kyle and I decided to bass fish near Southerland, NE on another beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Although fish were jumping, fish weren’t biting too frequently. Kyle, being the master fisherman, caught two bass while I managed to trick a small, dumb, Large Mouth into taking the bait.

We enjoyed the day being out and about and even had a good conversation with the security guy taking a survey.

The crazy thing about this week was that it started off very similar to the week before... Our first week of tenting we enjoyed an awesome weekend in the mountains, followed by a crazy Monday morning where my car’s timing belt snapped and barely crawled to the mechanic.

Week two... a great weekend... lots of fun... Monday morning... my replacement car doesn’t start L As it turns out, I was able to make it to the gym to shower but that really didn’t help because I then had to run from the gym to work! Talk about a crazy morning.

No one said I smelled bad, so thanks to my coworkers who may have endured more than they had to this last Monday morning.

As my video points out, maybe Mondays need to be “bike to work days.” Just in case this becomes a trend.

 

Mobile Device Donations

Hey! Just a heads up if you are viewing the blog on a mobile platform and would like to donate to the B2B cause... Please scroll to the bottom, select the "view web version" button and find the link and steps in the left column. Thanks! I'll try to fix this when I leave the tent in the morning. 

Week 1: Mountain Adventure

Week 1:

March 1st was day one of week one living out of a tent. To kick the adventure off, Kyle and I (Ty) decided to laugh in the face of winters cold and run up to the mountains near Estes Park, CO with my Dad and buddy Danny.

We decided a weekend in the mountains winter camping and searching for coyotes would be a fun way to launch a new idea and it turns out we were right! That afternoon, we hiked up behind my family's cabin with full packs, rifles, and excitement.

Although we didn't have any luck with coyotes on the first night, we did enjoy a chilly night on the mountainside next to the campfire.

 

The next morning we waited five minutes in a pasture and sure enough, a coyote came sprinting in - giving me my first shot and successful hunt in a long time. It was a beautiful coyote, taken on a beautiful day, with Longs Peak standing over us in the background.

 

The video below gives a brief glimpse into our first weekend of tent living, and let me tell you... I couldn't have asked for a better start!

 

Meet Kyle

Hey I'm Kyle! Check out the video below to learn a bit about me and my interest in getting Back2Basics...

Meet Ty

My name is Ty, glad you are checking out Back2Basics! Check out my intro. and I'll tell you a bit about myself, my reasoning for this adventure, and my vision.

Warm it up!

After a beautiful day out fishing, it was nice coming home to a Cabela's Ultimate Alaknak w/ stove. Even though it's only 34 degrees out, it was relaxing drinking a cup of hot chocolate with my friends Mike and Trent. 

Hopefully March brings a few more winter storms to really put this gear to the test. 

Basic Guitar

On the fourth night of tenting, Kyle broke out the guitar and tried teaching me a few chords. I tried despite the cold and already TERRIBLE dexterity! This video is Kyle jamming "I'm Yours."

Basic Beginnings

Hi all! Welcome to Back2Basics. My name is Ty and I'll be taking you on this adventure. 

What's the point of this blog? Well I needed adventure and at the same time, God put it on my heart to begin a renovation project in the small town of Sidney, NE. 

Sidney is known for The World's Foremost Outfitter - Cabela's. A company with humble beginnings that has grown into an industry leader. 

As Cabela's and Sidney have grown, more young adults and families with kids have moved in. This growth in young adults and youth inspired me to renovate a local meeting space to better meet the needs of these groups as well as the community. 

My big plan for raising the money... Live out of a tent for an extended period of time and hope others would see this extreme action as a call to take an action of their own and donate to the cause. 

Ya I'm asking for money :) I'm asking for donations, volunteers, prayers, help getting the word out, etc. 

So please enjoy the content of this blog, spread the word, and consider how you might help support my fundraising effort. 

More information on giving and details behind the effort will be given as the blog develops. Enjoy and please feel free to share your ideas for a more entertaining blog :) Thanks!!