Before You Build That Backyard Fire Pit

As a homeowner, you no doubt have looked for ways to make your home as comfortable as possible. You may have upgraded appliances and renovated parts of the house, and if you have been interested in outdoor relaxation you might have looked at ways to improve your backyard. Having a fire pit installed for multi-purpose use is one alternative to improving backyard functionality and entertainment opportunities, but before you head to the outdoor recreation shop you ought to give yourself pause and consider a few things.

BEFORE YOU BUILD THAT BACKYARD FIRE PIT

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you make any calls or head to a masonry for the bricks and other construction materials:

1) What type of fire pit should be installed? Fire pits come in a variety of sizes and styles. A simple model may be a large copper or stone bowl for burning the wood that is portable so you can move it from your deck to your yard when the mood strikes. The chiminea, that outdoor fireplace with the bulbous bottom and chimney-shaped top, is also a popular style for outdoor recreation. Also, you have the option of having a stationary pit built – a brick or stone  structure that can be used for outdoor fires or even grilling. Wood and gas might be used in these types of elaborate pits.

2) Should a professional install it, or should I do it myself? If you are interested in an advanced setup that requires installation of a propane tank … Read the rest ...

Eureka! Copper Canyon 1512 Twelve-Person 15-Foot by 12-Foot Family Tent

We live in Seattle and we just came back from a weekend camping trip in Battle Ground Lake in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. I bought my family (wife and two kids) and my brother in law who is also college buddy of mine bought his wife and three kids. I know camping with a big group could be hard but I was kind of confident because I just bought my latest tent, the Eureka! Copper Canyon 12-Person Tent. I know that this is a big and heavy tent but my buddy and I wanted to make the kids safe and comfortable. Since it was a big tent I was glad my buddy Rick was there to help me. It really takes two adults to make sure that the fly is properly set up but other than that, the rest of the setup was a breeze. When the tent was already standing, Rick and I can’t help but admire the tent. We bought in four inflatable air beds and soon the kids were inside the tent excited to be camping the real way!

Eureka

I did not know how comfortable the tent was until it started raining. Although the rain dampened the kid’s spirit because they wanted at first to walk along the shoreline, they soon settled in seeing how warm and inviting the tent looked. The capacity of the tent at 180 square feet was just huge. The kids wanted to sleep in their own room so we just … Read the rest ...