Airsoft Or Paintball?

This question is bound to stir debate and controversy amongst the most ardent of airsoft or paintball fans.

Both airsoft and paintball are both hobbies based on replica firearms and wargames. Is this unhealthy? That depends moreso on the person themselves rather than the hobby. An interest in pursuing a hobby that involves weaponry only becomes unhealthy if taken to extremes - which is true of most things in life. Paintball and airsoft are not morbid hobbies and only run the risk of being dangerous when participated in by dangerous people.

Paintball itself is a more mobile sport. It requires a certain level of physical fitness, mobility and skill - if you paintball then you gotta be able to move fast. The weapons themselves are functional and are only designed to serve the purpose of the sport as opposed to looking good. Paintball rifles are designed to take a real beating when it comes to their use. Paintball fans fall into the 'extreme sport' category and enjoy the pure adrenaline of each paintball match and are driven by the desire to win.

Airsoft is a somewhat different sport. The guns used in airsoft are both conversation pieces and are also functional sports 'weapons'. Airsoft rifles and pistols are capable of firing both small plastic pellets and paint filled pellets so are useful both in the sport itself and also for backyard target practice.

The major difference is the power of the guns themselves. Paintball guns are driven by high powered gas cylinders whereas airsoft guns fire projectiles either through springs, electronic firing mechanisms or with compressed gas. The issue is that most airsoft guns lack the range and accuracy of the larger paintball guns simply because they were never designed with long range fire in mind.

Conversely airsoft guns are available in a huge range of styles and models. Everything from a Glock handgun to a sniper rifle to a CAR15 assault rifle. Airsoft guns are equally at home hanging in your livingroom or at use on the airsoft playing field. You can even go as far as buying an airsoft minigun. Many airsoft fans simply collect the guns and never get involved in airsoft wargames at all. This is the much the same as many sword collectors - they display the weapons at home but don't go running around waving them at people.

The truth is that neither airsoft nor paintball is superior. They're both a case of personal preference. If you're the extreme sports type then paintball will suit you more. If you're more of a collector then airsoft will be more you thing.

Regardless of whether you're a paintball fan or an airsoft fan it's essential to take proper safety precautions when using these guns. Proper eye protection in the form of safety goggles should always be worn and suitable protective clothing to cover your neck and upper torso should also be worn. Even though some people see these as guns as toys they are capable of causing injury either through accident or even deliberate malice.

Ice Climbing? Preserve Your Experiences

Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent ice climbing experience. What sticks out in your mind besides the fact it was cold? Did you climb a waterfall? Now think about the first time you ever went ice climbing. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, particular ice climbing routes and spectacular views. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you keep an ice climbing journal, this won’t be the case.

There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your ice climbing experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.

A good ice climbing journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don’t have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from the elements and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went ice climbing with,
2. The nature and quality of the ice,
3. Who you met and contact information for them,
4. The geographic and weather conditions, and
5. Any unique things that occurred while ice climbing.
6. The routes you took up the ice and alternatives.
7. Any inside information provided by experienced locals. 

At the end of the ice climbing trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal:

1. Contact information for other climbers you met,
2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you climb the location a second time.
3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and
4. Something to pass on to your friends, children and grandchildren.

To get the most out of your ice climbing journal, you should write in it just before you climb, as you summit and when you return. Doing so will give you an accurate picture of your thoughts throughout the climb.

Extremely Worth It?

If you do extreme sports - record it - You might not believe yourself later ;)

Extreme sports like street luging, skateboarding on rails and ramps, and snow boarding off nearly impossible jumps are hotter today than they have ever been before. The athletes who pursue these challenging activities often become as dedicated as Olympians and spend hours every day practicing and improving their technique in order to be able to enjoy the thrill that only making the perfect ollie or dropping a hill on a buttboard can bring. Extreme athletes often refer to the adrenaline rush of competing as being “amped,” and many say that there is no other feeling in the world that is as satisfying. For most of these rough and tumble athletes, part of the appeal of extreme sports is the danger.

Unlike sports that are regulated by official certified judges and require the athletes to wear protective gear and perform with ship shape equipment, extreme sports competitions sometimes include relatively unprotected athletes competing on somewhat ramshackle paraphernalia, like luge boards made out of skateboards with plywood additions. These conditions lead to greater thrills for many of the participants, because the more dangerous a situation is the more adrenaline the body produces, leading to the feeling of being “amped.” However, the long term damage that results from the kinds of injuries that many extreme athletes endure often leaves these enthusiastic men and women feeling less than thrilled. Whether or not the excitement of extreme sports is worth the danger is something that nobody can decide but the athlete who is putting his or her body on the line. However, if you or somebody in your life is thinking about joining the hardcore world of extreme sports, it is a good idea to do some research into what common injuries are, and how they can be prevented.

Often, wearing a helmet or certain kinds of padding can make the difference between ending up in the hospital after a wipe-out and walking away with a few pesky bruises. The hazards of every sport are unique, so the kinds of kneepads that a skateboarder favors might not be very much help to a street luger. The only protective gear that will really help an athlete is the gear that is specifically appropriate to his or her sport, so before you put any money into protective gear, read as much as you can about the hazards you are likely to face, and try to get some firsthand advice from experienced athletes in the field you want to be a part of. Many extreme athletes don’t bother with the kind of protective gear that they should be wearing, in part because they worry that kneepads or elbow pads will decrease their cool factor. However, taking care of your body is as important for an extreme athlete as it is for any athlete, if not more so. Even if chucking bales might not seem as exciting with a helmet as it is without one, if you protect yourself you can always be sure that you will have the chance to take another crack at your favorite extreme challenge.

Don't Quit!

Perhaps one of the biggest stumbling blocks in becoming successful is past regrets. Too many times we become so obsessed with all of the times in the past when we were unable to achieve our goals that we believe we are doomed to fail at anything we do.

What actually happens is that we "program" ourselves to fail. We are still living in the past, unable to break away from the "failure chain" that links us to our past selves. So we doom ourselves to repeating the same old mistakes over and over again.

In order to do things differently, we must learn to be different. Our thoughts, actions and attitudes must all be different than they were in the past. And one big way to be different is in the way we percieve our mistakes.

There is no room in the life of a successful person for regret. Regret is a waste. It does nothing to enhance who you are, and, in reality, all it does is feed on you. Regret will bleed you dry emotionally, physically and spiritually.

If you want to be free to achieve your dreams and goals and live your life to it's fullest potential, you must not allow regret to keep you chained to the past in a prison of "should of's" and "could of's".

One of the best ways to loosen the power that regret has on you is to accept your past mistakes. Allow yourself to be human and realize that, as a human, you will make mistakes, and that's okay, because that is how you learn.

But now, let's take it one step further. Not only should you accept your past mistakes - you should embrace them. That's right, be grateful that you are aware of your mistakes.

Why in the world should you do that? Because if you are aware that you have made a mistake, then you are also aware that you need to do something different next time around to be successful.

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So you can look at what you did in the past to achieve the wrong results - and use that as your blueprint for what you need to do to achieve the right results.

So when those past mistakes come to mind, don't get stuck in regret and allow yourself to follow the same path that caused the mistakes in the first place. Instead, embrace those mistakes and use them as a valuable learning tool - the roadmap to success that they actually are.

Fixing Your Portable Generator

So, you've brought your generator out of storage, filled the tank, pulled the cord, and nothing.  Hopefully, you are finding this out BEFORE the power outage or camping trip.  This article will help you fix some common problems you may encounter.  Before attempting any repair, remove the spark plug to prevent accidental starting while you are working on the unit.

If the generator will not start or won't stay started, check the muffler exhaust for an foreign debris.  Once that is clean, check the gas and oil to make sure you have appropriate levels of both.  Finally, make sure the spark plug has a good connection.

If the alternator fails to excite, it may be running at too low of a speed.  Adjust the rpm.  This can also result from a faulty capacitor or windings, which must be replaced and tightened.

If the voltage is running high with no load on the generator, you may need to adjust the rpms to a lower speed or replace the capacitor.  Conversely, if the voltage is running low under no load, you may need to adjust the rpms to a higher speed or replace the capacitor with one with a higher rating.  In addition, for low voltage, you should check your winding resistance and replace your rotary diodes, if needed.

If your voltage is ok with no load, but drops when you add a small load, you may need to increase your rpms or remove some of the load.  You could also need to replace your rotary diodes.

If the voltage drops when you add a high load, you probably need to adjust the rpms or remove some of the load.

Finally, if the voltage fluctuates, it may be the result of loose or dirty connections.  You may also need to regulate the rpms to solve this problem.