If you and your sweetheart love adventure, then a $25 Groupon Dinner Date gift card should be just the ticket. Surprise your Valentine with the gift of 2 pairs of ALTAI™ boots and receive $25 off a spontaneous night out.
Who knows where your Valentine’s Day adventure will lead?
*Offer only good through 2/29/20 on any style and combination. Cannot be used with any other existing offer, discount, gift card, or sale.
This month, we’re spreading holiday cheer with savings for you and a loved one. Through 12/31/19 only, take $30 off 1 pair of boots OR $70 off 2 pair!* So you can Treat Yourself or Share The Love with either of these seasonal deals. Waterproof, breathable, lightweight, super durable… who doesn’t want all that in one gift? ????????
*Offer only good through 12/31/19 on any style and combination. Cannot be used with any other existing offer, discount, gift card, or sale.
Today’s blog post is brought to you by our fabulous blogger and outdoor guru, Katlyn Spade.
Keeping Your Hunting Gear Clean And Bacteria-Free
With the recent warning from the CDC that a hunter may have contracted tuberculosis from a deer, many hunters are paying particular attention to their health and hygiene practices this season. An important part of hunting safety is keeping your clothing and equipment clean, and part of preparing for a hunt is making sure your equipment is cleaned from your previous hunt. Moreover, since many people, including hunters, are growing increasingly concerned about the way their leisure activities might be impacting the environment, it’s important to know how to keep clothing, game bags, and boots clean and free from disease in an environmentally-friendly way.
A Hunter’s Laundry
Taking an eco-friendly approach to your laundry is particularly advantageous to a hunter. Often, the finishes applied to camouflage gear contain UV brighteners for aesthetic reasons, but animals can see the brighteners, as well as smelling the fragrances in laundry detergents, which alerts them to the hunter’s presence. For this reason, it’s a good idea to use detergents that are fragrance-free and don’t contain UV brighteners. Most detergents that are labeled ‘eco-friendly’ don’t contain these, but some do, so check the label before you buy. Additionally, some commercial detergents contain sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which can be absorbed into the bloodstream through contact with your skin, and can cause health problems; most eco-friendly detergents are free of this chemical. Adding a cup of baking soda to the wash can eliminate odors without the need for chemical fragrance, and will also help remove harmful bacteria. Make sure your clothing is washed after every hunt to prevent bacteria build-up, and once it is completely dry, store it in a sealed bag to prevent it from picking up odors.
Cleaning Your Game Bags
A clean game bag is important for ensuring that your catch is safe to eat, and should be free of bacteria before each hunting trip. While being eco-friendly is important, in this instance, using a safe laundry bleach is wise. Rinse the bags after a hunt to remove solid debris, and then wash them thoroughly using an unscented detergent. Add a mild solution of laundry bleach and very hot water during the rinse cycle, and then allow the bags to air dry. If the bags are heavily stained, it may be necessary to soak them in hot water and fabric bleach overnight before washing. Ensure they are thoroughly dry before putting them away, as this will ensure the safest storage of meat for your next hunt.
Cleaning Your Hunting Boots
Cleaning your boots is important for removing harmful bacteria, but it will also keep them in good shape for as long as possible. The good news is that ALTAI™ waterproof hunting boots are particularly easy to clean. Remove solid debris with a brush or a soft, damp cloth, using a toothbrush for the lace hooks. While it’s tempting to clean only the outside of the boots, bacteria can thrive inside the boot, so an occasional deep clean is advisable: use warm water and baking soda, and brush around the inside of the boot with a nylon brush. As well as removing any bacteria present, the baking soda will help remove odors naturally. Allow your boots to air dry completely before putting them away, but be aware that this could take several hours if you’ve also cleaned the inside. Store your boots in a bag with some tea bags or bags of baking soda to absorb any moisture and prevent further bacteria or odor from developing.
Cleaning your gear thoroughly is an important part of the hunt to ensure safety and prevent potential diseases from spreading. By taking an eco-friendly approach as far as possible, the bonus is that you can also up the chances of a good hunt by minimizing artificial smells that alert animals to your presence.
Today’s blog post is brought to you by our fabulous blogger and outdoor guru, Katlyn Spade.
Start The Hunting Season At The Top Of Your Game
Two of the most common areas of the body injured by bowhunters are the rotator cuff and the forearm due to the actions required in bowhunting. During the off-season, many hunters neglect to train these areas, which can cause strain and the increased likelihood of injury when it’s time to pick up the bow again. In order to minimize the risk of putting yourself out of action during hunting season, focus on maintaining cardio fitness and strengthening both the upper and lower body in preparation for your next hunt.
Crank Up The Cardio
When it’s cold and dark outside, it’s tempting to neglect cardio training, but in order to perform at your best come hunting-season, it’s important to maintain your fitness and stamina. You could find yourself walking long distances to find the perfect treestand, and even scouting your catch can take you miles. The most efficient way to maintain your cardio fitness is to practice High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which will increase your lung capacity and improve your heart rate. The principle behind HIIT is to alternate quick bursts of high intensity exercise with periods of moderate intensity activity. If the weather’s on your side, you can do this by running outdoors and increasing your speed for short bursts, but during the winter, you may need to consider indoor workouts. A treadmill is the perfect companion for HIIT – simply adjust the speed of the treadmill so that you can alternate bursts of high and moderate intensity training. For variation, follow HIIT videos online, which will coach you through a range of aerobic exercises.
Work On Your Upper Body Strength
The best way to prevent an injury to the rotator cuff when you’re shooting is to ensure that you maintain your upper body strength. Drawing a bow relies on the muscles in your shoulders, as well as those in your back and stomach. Whether you’re training at home or in the gym, focus your upper body strength training on your shoulders. Bent-over rows are particularly valuable to archers because they target the same muscles you use to draw your bow and ensure full rotation and flexibility. Use cable machines and resistance bands to practice the motions used in drawing your bow and holding a steady shot. Pay attention to strengthening your forearms too by using dumbbells or practicing pull ups.
In addition to regular gym activity, try to find time during the off-season to practice your archery skills. As well as training your upper body, this will help you stay on your game in terms of precision and accuracy, so you’ll be more likely to step into the hunting season at the top of your game. If you don’t have a shooting range nearby, a simulation bow is a good investment.
Don’t Forget Your Lower Body
While upper body strength is the most essential to bowhunting, it’s important to maintain lower body strength too. Your hunt will often involve steep climbs, and having your lower body strength in tip-top shape will make these easier during a hunt. Train your quads and glutes by working squats into your training program, and maintain your mobility and stability by practicing lunges. In the gym, do deadlifts to train all major muscle groups so you’re fully prepared when it’s time to lace up your hunting boots.
It’s tempting to hibernate indoors and wait for the winter to pass, but to ensure you’re at the top of your game when it’s time to pick up your bow again, make sure you train regularly during the off-season. You’ll reduce the risk of sustaining an injury when the season rolls around, and you’ll maximize your chances of a satisfying hunt.
Before we can discover our true selves, we must first take a journey across uneven ground, up steep mountains, and over rocky hills. Only then, will we be able to realize who we are because of the trials that formed us and the choices we made along the way.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked, “how did you end up there?” when I tell people I spent my first two years of college in New York City. Their surprise is understandable given the fact that I have grown up in Montana. “I bet that was a bit of a culture shock,” they would say, and it was. But I was presented with the opportunity to experience something completely different, and I wasn’t about to let that opportunity pass me by.
I will be forever grateful for the experiences New York gave me. My eyes were opened to different cultures, languages, food, and music. I realized how different we all are in some ways and yet how similar we are in others. I was in a place unlike anywhere I have ever been before.
New York started out like a dream to me, but like dreams, I woke up. The bright lights, loud music, and large crowds in Times Square were no longer a sight I had to see and instead, became a place I wanted to avoid at all costs. Street performers that were once an amusement became nothing more than another way for me to lose a dollar. The subway ride was a constant battle of who wins the last seat available and who has to stand for thirty minutes. A friendly face was a rarity and in a city of eight million people, I felt alone.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I only needed to make one decision and I could change my entire life. It sounds simple, but making decisions and taking control can be hard, terrifying even. New York opened my eyes, but they needed to be opened even more for me to see clearly what it was that I truly wanted.
Seventeen hours on a plane, nearly ten thousand miles later, I landed at the Port Elizabeth airport in South Africa, experiencing my first African safari at the age of twenty. I knew that every choice I made led me to this opportunity, and they could have just as easily led me somewhere else. My journey to find myself was not an easy one. I fell many times along the way, got tired and worn out, sometimes the view wasn’t great, but when I finally made it, I could stand up, look back at what I had accomplished, and smile. It was in South Africa that I reached my summit and figured out where I belonged. It was in South Africa that I found the strength in me to make the decision to pack my bags the moment I landed in New York and head out west, back to where I grew up. I didn’t know what school I would end up at, what town I would call home, or if I would know anyone when I got there, but what I did know, was that I was excited to find out.
Life is a journey made up of endless travels. When you finally summit a mountain, take a minute to sit down, grab a drink of water, and enjoy the view. Once you catch your breath, find a new mountain to climb. Don’t worry about how long the hike may take; you have a lifetime.
Written by KT Wolf
August is a busy month for the ALTAI™ team! This weekend, August 17-19, we are headed to the 2018 Game Fair with our partners, Ultimate Waterfowlers Challenge (UWC Adventures), in Anoka, Minnesota. (Right in our backyard!) If you live near the Twin Cities area, you won’t want to miss this family friendly, outdoor sporting event.
Look for us and our boots with Ultimate Waterfowlers Challenge and enjoy exhibits that include: archery, decoys, duck boats, art, dogs, dog accessories, taxidermy, and all the latest in hunting equipment for the outdoor enthusiast.
Check here for detailed information on Game Fair 2018.
When it comes to epic hunting adventures, UWC Adventures is a guaranteed win. If you are a waterfowl hunter or looking to get into hunting birds, these are the folks to turn to. Which is why we are proud to announce that we have teamed up with UWC and are offering up a pair of our boots to be won with purchase of new membership if you sign up before Dec 25th.
For more information, visit UWC Adventures Membership program.
A new season has arrived and we have all new styles to tackle whatever obstacles you face this fall. Whether you’re finishing up the last touches on that remodel, sneaking in those last minute yard projects, or simply extending your summer adventures into fall, any of these styles got you covered.
Side-zip models in both 6″ and 8″ versions are perfect for anyone who needs an exact fit, fast. Our quick lace models are also ideal for those who prefer to fine tune their gear each time they gear up.
Available now at our online store.
“Nature’s ultimate predator wasn’t created to prowl the grocery store.”
Welcome to hunting season. As you clean your guns and set your bows, don’t forget to factor in all the gear you will need for this upcoming season. While making sure that your gun has plenty of ammunition and you’re sights are aligned properly, let’s not forget that if you don’t have proper gear and equipment, you’ll never get a chance to even fire the gun or release that arrow! Read Full Post
