We’re Big Fans of Solar Gear

There’s no question that we’re huge fans of what good solar gear brings to the table. Aside from being environmentally friendly and creating gear that functions even without fuel or chargers nearby, some of this gear is just straight up the best out there.

So who are we and how would we know? Jon and I are brothers who love the outdoors, love innovation, and have been thrilled to work with multiple small outdoor companies testing out their solar gear over the years.

You may have seen our work previously at Amazing Outdoor Adventures prior to the website sale, back when it was recognized as a strong up and coming outdoor website.

Here we’re focusing on some of the things that have caught out attention most. Truly amazing lanterns that aren’t just great for at night but good for emergencies (always a concern with weather in the Midwest), battery chargers that can be re-charged in the remotest of hunting camps with a portable solar panel, or even the type of solar gear that can help create a permanent campsite in a private forest.

This just scratches the surface of what we really love about everything solar gear has to offer. This is our place to do much more of a deep dive as we continue to review these products, keep you updated on what’s new, and maybe even give a sneak peak to future projects involving cabins and get-aways built from hand.

Solar powered, of course!

More on Who We Are & Where We Write

Most of the writing here will be done by me: Shane “Big Alaska.” Or “Big Iowa” if you played poker in person against me back in my Alaska days (it’s been a fun eventful life for sure).

Sometimes my brother may stop in to put his two cents in, especially when we hit any fishing or hunting related topics. Safety matters, especially when dealing with the great outdoors, and since I’m big on wilderness survival topics and, to some degree, prepping, it makes sense I’m all about being properly prepared for those worst case scenarios.

When you’re prepared, you’re also freed up more to enjoy what any given wild area has to offer. That’s a pretty good deal, and it’s part of the reason I’m so passionate about a variety of topics that are all related around the ideas of potential “outdoor dangers.”

Otherwise, glad to see ya’ll. I’m a big bearded outdoorsman who bears a striking resembelance to a young Jerry Garcia which is why off and on I’ve answered to the nickname “Jerry” for nearly 20 years.

Hope ya’ll like the website, and if you’re interested in what else I do, please read on. Thanks for stopping by!

Other Websites I Own/Am a Part of

Outdoor Know How

Considering my background no one should be surprised by the idea that I am in love with the outdoors, and this isn’t the only website that reflects that!

Outdoor Know How is a bit of a hodge podge outdoor site. This really isn’t surprising considering I love camping, hiking, wilderness survival, outdoor travel, shooting, archery, and that’s just kind of scratching the surface.

From a lifetime of outdoor living you pick up a lot of great information along the way.

And I was sick of seeing so many websites with trashy, general, incomplete, or straight out wrong information about important outdoor topics.

So Outdoor Know How is my response to that, and my attempt to provide a great site answering all kinds of questions for the naturally curious outdoor enthusiasts.

Visit Outdoor Know How and come say hi!

Northern Pike Fishing Tips

The annual family fishing trip is most often about walleye fishing now, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only fish we go after. My brother and I have been anglers for a very, very long time. Longer than we’d like to admit, to be honest.

We’ve been fishing the boundary waters and even further north into Ontario (and in my case, Alaska, from my years living there) for nearly 30 years now and we’ve picked up a thing or two about fishing for, catching, cleaning, and cooking pike.

There are few fish that put up the fight and the fun that northern pike bring to the table. There’s a reason this fish enjoys the nickname of freshwater wolf.

We talk about everything there is to talk about with northern pike fishing (as well as those in the pike family like muskies and pickerel), and we’re proud of sharing our fishing knowledge from decades of experience bringing in the big northerns and enjoying the mostly boneless fillets from cleaning them right 🙂

Find Northern Pike Fishing Tips here and feel free to share your own!

Assorted Meeples

Part of the gaming group I’m in, we’ve been playing boardgames, video games, and tabletop RPGs. Basically all things gaming and nerdom from a bunch of older games who love getting together, having fun, and going over every type of board game, video game,

Assorted Meeples is the name of that group, and it’s a group/project that I’m very proud of.

We make YouTube shows, play boardgames in person during normal times and digitally during current times. We stream game playthroughs on Twitch, talk trash, get into deep or random conversations, try to crack each other up, and just keep enjoying the friendships we’ve built around a shared hobby and passion.

In other words, it’s a lot of fun and we’d love to have you around if any of this sounds like your type of thing.

Find the Website Here: assortedmeeples.com

Find the YouTube Channel Here: Assorted Meeples YouTube Channel

Plus, you know, with how busy I clearly am I kind of need to create myself an excuse for making time to game, relax, and enjoy myself or it just doesn’t happen.

My Brother’s Sites

Toy Reviews By Dad

My brother’s got an absolutely beautiful family and he’s doing great as a dad. He said one of the things that really surprised him with being a dad was how much fun it was to start playing with all these toys meant for infants, toddlers, and small children.

Seeing the joy in their faces when they grab a toy they love, or just play with that care free feeling so many of us left behind many years or (gasp) decades ago, really awoke a spark in him.

That passion was what inspired him to give a new dad’s point of view on many of the toys for his two young boys. As he likes to say it’s for shopping for your kids or for the parents who have rediscovered the inner child within themselves.

Give Toy Reviews by Dad a visit to get some ideas for your little ones’ next birthdays or upcoming Christmas!

Fishing Net World

I’m no slouch when it comes to fishing. Fly fishing for trout throughout the Rockies, enjoying multiple fishing charters off of Tampa, yearly trips to Ontario for pike fishing, yearly walleye trips to Lake Erie, and fishing for salmon and grayling in Alaska is just a short list of the different types of fishing I’ve really enjoyed.

Jon puts me to shame when it comes to fishing knowledge. I once joked with fishing nets that there were small ones and big ones, right?

He gave me a look that let me know in no uncertain terms how much of an idiot I was in that moment.

There are very few anglers who know more about fishing nets than my brother does. I guess that’s what happens when you lose a few too many trophies due to a net not holding up or someone not doing their part.

Fishingnetworld.com was born and if you want actual information about fishing nets and not poorly spun, poorly re-written corporate copy, then man, Jon’s site is one you should check out.

And That’s the Story of Who We Are…

Otherwise that’s it. That’s who we are and what we do. Two brothers with a lot of interests trying to share our interests, joys, and expertise with the world and build better lives for our families in the process.