Survival Expert & Political Analyst Defending Your Unalienable Rights » Dick’s Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Adventure Tour Host Says Goodbye

Brian Brawdy — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:15:27 +0000

For the last 3 years it has been my pleasure hosting the Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Adventure Tour. This past weekend, our final event took place in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It is an unsurpassed professional pleasure working with the team from Dick’s Sporting Goods and Mobile Media; a group of young people dedicated to demystifying outdoor adventure and the gear needed for a challenging, safe and motivating exploration of the wilderness at hand. For the past 33 weekends the Mobile Base Camp has called various Dicks Sporting Goods parking lots “home.”

Chimney Rock Park in Lake Lure, NC is a True Gem

Brian Brawdy — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:38:42 +0000

Hosting the second to last weekend of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Hunting Tour put me in Asheville, North Carolina.

About 1/2 an hour southeast of the store is an amazing park, Chimney Rock. As Parks go, this one has it all. Miles of hiking trails with huge elevation changes, rock climbing, a small cave named Moonshiner’s and even the 404 foot Hickory Nut waterfall. The pamphlet reminds guests that the movie “Last of the Mohicans” was filmed in the park.

The entrance fee of $14 must go to maintain the main roadway, the trails, the wooden staircases; in fact the entire park was well maintained. Additionally, the views of the valley below including the Rocky Broad River and the distant mountains were well worth both the steep price and climb to the top of “Chimney Rock” at 2280 feet above sea level.

Like many of the adventures I’ve had this year so far, Chimney Rock is a bit off the beaten path and a place I could easily have missed if it weren’t for my Garmin GPS unit calling it out to me. That said, like so many of my stops during the 2008 Wonder Explore Believe National Tour, I am glad to have stumbled upon it.

Yet Another Impromptu Adventure for the Mobile Base Camp

Brian Brawdy — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:17:49 +0000

My day started waking to the sound of rain pounding the Lance Camper roof. The Greenwood Campground in Woodford, Vermont was a spectacular place to build a campfire the night before. Thick evergreens directed the wood smoke upward to a small, star-filled opening in the canopy. It is a great benefit being off grid. Never needing to plug into shore power affords one the luxury of parking in some amazing locales and this was sure one of them.

Making my way towards Albany, New York for a Dick’s Sporting Goods Hunting Tour stop, I noticed the temperature inside the truck matching the 58 degree outside temperature. The second thing I noticed was that my heater was blowing cold air. As the ride continued, it only got colder. Thank goodness for the heated seats. I soon realized that the radiator in my Ford F350 Super Duty had sprung a leak. Amazingly, with just 400 miles left in my 3 Year/36,000 mile Ford warranty the radiator was shot. Really? Ford can’t make a radiator last more than 36,000 miles? What is up with that?

Thankfully, I found a Ford Dealership in Albany, Orange Motors, and they hooked me up. I was out in under 3 hours with a new radiator thanks to Vince, Bill and Paul. What a great group of guys.

The good news is that in just about 8 months I’ve visited 41 of the 49 states slated for the 2008 Tour. Things are going great. Less than good news, I’ve a truck that couldn’t make it to all of them without stumbling. Not much Super Duty in that. Oh Well.

Green RV on CBS Saturday The Early Show

Brian Brawdy — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:02:46 +0000

A 4:30 AM call time makes any morning an early one. My first stop of the day was the CBS Saturday Early Show in New York City. This is one of the most professional and passionate crews I’ve worked with. Erica Hill and Chris Wragge took a quick tour of the Mobile Base Camp. We kicked it off inside the Lance Camper talking about the benefits of RVing and ended the segment tossing it to my friend Lonnie Quinn for a quick weather hit. I haven’t had the opportunity to catch up with Lonnie since his days in Miami.

I finished the day Hosting the Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Adventure Hunting Tour in Plattsburgh, NY. Monday morning I get to hang with the crew of WSYR Channel 9 in Syracuse, NY.

UPDATE: Watch the video

Brian Brawdy and KDKA’s Dave Crawley tour the “Green RV” in Pittsburgh

Brian Brawdy — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:18:05 +0000

I had the pleasure today to meet Dave Crawley of KDKA CBS in Pittsburgh and give him a tour of the “green RV.” He recently celebrated his 20 year anniversary at KDKA. In advance of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Adventure Hunting Tour this weekend, just up the road in Butler, I stopped by to hang with him and highlight the Mobile Base Camp and talk about modern day explorers. The rain was heavy at times but we used my Garmin GPS/Nexrad weather display to help us shoot between downpours. On the bright side, I was able to top off the Lance Camper tanks with harvested rainwater.

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, I will be at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Butler hosting the Outdoor Adventure Hunting Tour along with my friends Cindy Garrison and Chuck Deveraux. If you are in the area, please swing over and say hello. As always, the Mobile Base camp will be onsite.

A hat trick of hurricanes (well, almost). Hanna, Ike and Josephine.

Brian Brawdy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:15:34 +0000

On the drive from Death Valley National Park to a Dick’s Sporting Goods Outdoor Adventure Hunting Tour appearance in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the rig was running low on rainwater. With the clouds building into the sunset, I turned on the Nexrad weather radar system on the Garmin GPSmap 5208 inside the Mobile Base Camp, in hopes of finding rainfall.

I was surprised at what I found.

Photo by Brian Brawdy

Though Tropical Storm Hanna is now on land, Josephine is sputtering out and Hurricane Ike is still going strong, (the 5th hurricane this season in the Atlantic) last evening while checking I snapped this picture of the display.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen three Tropical Storms stacked up before, like airplanes preparing to land at a busy airport. I am sure however that I don’t care to see it again. After witnessing the destruction of Hurricane Katrina first hand, I’d be happy if Hurricane Ike is the last this season.