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Here’s Why Your Backyard Needs a Wood-Fired Oven

If you live in a house and are lucky to have a backyard it would be a pity not to use it. These areas are perfect for entertaining and relaxing with friends and family, which is why a lot of people try to bring the indoors outdoors. From having the perfect bar area with comfortable bar stools to having an alfresco kitchen and wood fired ovens, you can easily turn this part of your home into a sanctuary.
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Military Gifts Guide That Will Make His Day

Every year on the 25th of April we celebrate Anzac Day, one of the most important days on the Australian calendar. It’s a day of commemoration that marks the first major military battle fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Anzac Day is a significant occasion on both sides of the Tasman Sea and commemorates the sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand military personnel who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Anzac Day reminds us to cherish a piece of our proud heritage and honour military members every day. The most important thing is to show them how proud you are to have them in your life and make them feel loved and appreciated.

If you want to choose a gift for a military person in your life, it may get a bit challenging, but don’t give up. There is a variety of military supplies you can choose from, whether you’re looking for a birthday gift, Christmas or Father’s Day gift, an anniversary or any other special occasion.

Beautiful and Practical Gift Ideas for a Military Member

Whether they are going into the military or are a veteran now, showing them love and support with a carefully chosen gift is always a good idea. You can find awesome gifts for any stage of their military career by choosing from a wide range of military supplies. Here are a few ideas that can help you select a gift that meets both their style and needs.

Military Going Away Gift Ideas

Boots and Socks

When in the military, for the most part, your service member will wear the same pair of combat boots every day. Consider getting them a second pair of boots, but make sure you ask what type of boots they wear as different branches have different regulations for what boots their service members are allowed to wear.

Choose high-quality combat boots, specifically designed to boost foot and ankle stability, which can help cushion the knees and ensure comfort and stability as they spend a lot of time on their feet when deployed. To make sure your military man feels comfortable in his shoes, get him a quick-drying pair of socks to keep his feet clean and blister-free.

Watch

Men love good watches, but when in the army, being on time is very important. Choose a durable, good quality watch that is shock-, magnetic- and water-resistant, with long battery life, LED light and other useful features.

Sunglasses

Eye protection is taken very seriously in the military, so investing in a pair of sunglasses is not a bad idea. You can look for sunglasses with interchangeable lenses, so they can be used when on and off the range.

Water Bottle

Hydration is key to a healthy body. For military members, keeping their bodies in optimal condition means they can serve more effectively. A reusable water bottle is a great idea to help him stay hydrated and complete his military duties successfully.

Multipurpose Tools

A multitool features nearly everything, from wire strippers, pliers to knives, in a single and easy-to-hold accessory. It’s a useful time and a great gift idea for any service member. A military tactical flashlight can be a nice addition to complete his field gear.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

Military members are very often on-the-go, and giving them a GPS device is a nice way to show them how much you care and want to keep them safe.

Military “Up the Ranks” Gift Ideas

Military Ring

A military ring is a perfect gift for a special soldier in your life. It’s a way of showing gratitude and support for his service through a gift that will last for a lifetime. Military rings are available in sterling silver and white, yellow or rose gold, with the Army logo engraved, or an Army unit, branch and crest. They are a symbol of building solidarity with other soldiers and commemorating military achievements.

Ranger Up Apparel

Whether you’re looking for apparel for a member of the Australian Army, the Air Force or the Royal Australian Navy, you can select from a variety of uniform accessories and hats, berets, beanies, hoodies, shorts, pants, jackets, shirts, ties…

Military Coin Display Case

Many military members collect coins. Throughout their time in the military, they will receive challenge coins for their accomplishments. The collection can quickly grow, so make sure you give them a coin display case on time, so they can place it on a shelf or table at home or in the office.

Mug

Choose a beautiful and durable coffee mug to give the gift of much-needed energy to your military member. You can choose a mug with the logo of the Army, the Air Force or the Navy or the Remembrance Poppy.

Military Retirement Gift Ideas

Assignment/Deployment Map

This is a great gift for someone who has been stationed all over the world. It’s a great way to commemorate a successful military career.

Flag Display Case

This is a classic and traditional gift, perfect for veterans, military retirees or those about to retire to display the flag and honour their service.

Framed Military Photo

This is a sentimental gift, which he can hang on the wall in his home and keep a beautiful memory of the army time throughout his retirement days.

Mental Health Guide: Relieve Stress with Rescue Remedy Spray

What Are Bach Flower Remedies?

Bach flower remedies are a complementary treatment used for stress and emotional problems. These remedies have been created by Edward Bach, a medical doctor and homeopath, and have been around for close to a hundred years. In addition, homeopathy is the belief that the body can cure itself. Bach’s idea is similar to homeopathy, but these flower essences don’t work directly on physical symptoms, but rather on the emotions. Bach flower essences are small amounts of natural substances like plants and minerals which are used to treat the body and mind. His system contains 38 remedies and different flower essences have a different purpose. Additionally, there is a combination remedy that contains a few different flowers. The most popular out of all Bach remedies is the Rescue Remedy spray. Read More →

A Simple Guide to Caravan Awnings: Advice & Tips

The perfect time to relax and make memories that you won’t ever forget is during a holiday. One perfect example of a holiday that allows you to bond with family and friends and create wonderful memories together is a caravan holiday. Caravanning, whether you’re going camping or travelling across the country, is an affordable way to take your family on an adventure and bond. Read More →

A Simple Guide to Christmas Gifts For Gin Lovers

Christmas is just around the corner. This year is slowly coming to an end and most people couldn’t be happier about it. Although the world currently faces one of the biggest challenges in the past decades, we shouldn’t give up on our holidays. Maybe this year everything is different and we will delay our parties for some better days, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget about gifts. Giving thoughtful Christmas gifts can be a great way to wrap up this year in a bit more positive light.

A Simple Guide to Picking Stylish Clothing for Boys

Every mother wants the best for their little loves, from making the home a kid’s paradise to dressing their kids in cute outfits. It’s a common opinion that when it comes to clothing, girls’ attire choices are much wider compared to boys’. Choosing the right clothes for boys may be more complex as they damage them faster. However, having a few staples that you can mix and match with the everyday pieces might be a smart choice for dressing up your boy in style. With some careful consideration when picking the right material and design, your little boy may end up looking very cute and charming. Read More →

A Simple Guide to Buying and Installing Marine Battery Monitors

How do you know if the batteries on your boat are getting enough charge? Are the wind turbine or solar panels sufficient to power every appliance you need? These are all questions worth asking if you have a boat, and in order to find the answer, you need a marine battery monitor. These devices display the net amps that go in and out of your boat’s battery and the net amp-hours since the last charge. Most marine battery monitors also show things like the percentage of full charge and the battery’s voltage, the battery’s temperature and a few other things, depending on the type of unit you got.

As a general rule of thumb, you don’t want to use more than half of your boat’s battery, simply because it shortens its lifespan. In fact, some battery experts recommend using the battery only down to about 60-70% before recharging. For that reason, knowing your battery’s total capacity in amp-hours, and how much you’re down at any given time allows you to preserve the life of your battery. The amps in/amps out metric are also worth knowing as it helps you figure out which appliances on your boat are spending energy. You can test how much every power every appliance spends by plugging it in and turning it on.

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A boat battery monitor can monitor a single battery, or they can also show the voltage on a second battery (starting battery, for instance). You can also wire up relays that automatically start a generator (if you have one on board) if the battery’ charge state gets to a certain point. Some monitors also allow you to control the shore charger and inverter. Installing marine battery monitors is pretty straightforward, and most people can do it themselves. However, if you want to wire the relays for charger, inverter or generator, you should consider hiring a professional to do the job for you.

There are quite a few companies that make marine battery monitors, the most popular of which are Victron, Xantrex and Blue Seas. All of these brands feature similarly priced monitors. Victron monitors come with everything you need to install them, whereas Xantrex ones require a separate installation kit. Victron monitors are also easier to install – almost plug-and-play – whereas installing a Xantrex monitor is slightly more complex. Victron monitors work with just about any type of battery, including AGM, gel, Li-Ion and wet cell.

Source: faroutride.com

Before you install a boat battery monitor, make sure you clean up the previous wiring, if any. If you didn’t know, battery monitors operate with the help of a shunt that’s installed between the load (devices) and the negative post of the battery. If you want to properly track the amps in/out, you shouldn’t connect anything directly to the negative side of the battery beside the shunt. If you connect anything directly, it won’t be tracked. The easiest way to hook everything up is with the help of a bus bar. The negative wire will then go from the battery to the shunt, from the shunt to the bus bar, and then from the bus bar to every appliance.

I personally use a Victron battery monitor, the main reason being is that it’s too easy to install. It took me about a dozen hours to install it, but a fair portion of that time was making space to mount the monitor, and since I’m not a handy carpenter it took longer than it should. Where you decide to mount the monitor is completely up to personal preference, although that place should be easy and convenient to access so you can check the battery status whenever you want. The Victron battery monitor comes with a long cable, so you can place it almost anywhere on the boat, away from the battery itself. The Victron battery monitor is connected to the shunt with a phone cord, which makes it easy to run the wires and connect them properly.

Source: inutec-int.com

Lastly, you need to install the shunt and run the wires to it. You can use a negative cable to run from the shunt to the bus bar. The shunt features large posts, which are 3/8″, so you might have to place a new end on the negative cable. In order to do this, you might need wire cutters, crimpers and strippers that can be used on large wires. You’ll also need to buy and place the ends on a short jumper from the battery to the shunt. Lastly, you’ll need to connect the positive wire to the shunt so that the monitor is powered. Victron battery monitors come with either a single ring terminal on one end or a straight crimp and power wire on the other. There’s a fuse in between which you may need to remove while performing the connections.

A Simple Guide to Choosing Your Personal Locator Beacon

We could all benefit from spending more time in nature. The chaos of our daily lives can easily make us want a digital break. As enjoyable camping and hiking can be, you need to plan your trip ahead and make sure you stay safe at all times. How far you take your outdoor adventure depends on you knowing your abilities and limits.

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A Simple Guide to Using Essential Oils to Fight the Flu

When it comes to essential oils, we instantly associate them with aromatherapy and relaxation. This kind of therapy is one of the most commonly used in spas because it’s been proven to be great in reducing stress and anxiety and calming the mind. And luckily today, you don’t need to go to the spa to enjoy the restorative effects of aromatherapy. With the help of a diffuser and the right type of essential oils, you’ll be able to give yourself the needed time of relaxation without leaving the comfort of your bedroom. Read More →