Snakeskin Cowboy Boots

by Barry Hooper

Probably the nearest anyone would want to get to a giant python, rattlesnake or cobra is a pair of luxurious snakeskin cowboy boots. Wearing these boots will really make you feel like a million bucks --- cowboy boots were originally designed to protect the cowboys' calf from all kinds of problems found around the arid ranch and desert areas, and of course, this includes poisonous snakes.

But you do not need to be a snake wrangler to get these boots. But be warned, once you put them on, you may never want to take them off. Apart from being sublimely comfortable and soft, (the leather will mould easily to your foot), genuine snakeskin boots will also give your ego a boost, whether you are a weekend cowboy, or an urban cowboy, or a genuine cowboy. They will fit like a glove, and you will receive nothing but compliments.

There are many types of snakeskin boots to choose from. Maybe you prefer rattlesnake or cobra? Or all python? Because of their sublime comfort and stunning good looks, there are many other products, including belts and wallets, made from these leathers. By far the most luxurious and practical are cowboy boots. The epitome of cowboy good looks has got to be a pair of exotic snakeskin cowboy boots teamed up with a matching snakeskin leather belt.

As with many things, cheap imitations abound. Be very careful where you buy your snakeskin cowboy boots, especially if online. Do your homework, and look for a real professional outfit that will treat your order with the greatest of care. The best recommendation is from previous customers, so check that they have plenty of positive comments from fully satisfied customers.

Ideally, they should be able to offer you the full range of cowboy boots, and be happy to answer any and all questions you may have. Make sure you go for someone with a proven track record of excellent customer service, with a top notch delivery service. The best prices and fast shipping are also something to watch out for.

Ideally you are looking for craftsmen who pride themselves on excellent workmanship and great service. Look for a large selection of boot styles and also a wide range of sizes and heel and toe sizes. If you are lucky enough to find someone like this online, then a wise decision would be to investigate the price of handmade boots. If you thought the ready made boots were heavenly to wear, and they are, wait until you try on a pair of handmade snakeskin cowboy boots!

These boots will not be cheap. And if they are, then you can be pretty sure that they are not handmade from these exotic snake leathers. These boots should be viewed as an investment in your image, and in your comfort. With the right care, they will last you for many years to come, and as you wear them, they will become more and more your favorite item of attire.

It is worth investing in the right type of cleaning fluid for your precious boots. Again, a professional service provider should have the full range of exotic leather products needed for taking great care of your investment. You work hard for your dollars, so put in the leg-work finding a first class snakeskin cowboy boot merchant, and wear your American made cowboy boots with pride.

http://www.mybestboots.com

How to Select a Pair of Quality Steel Toe Shoes

by David Z

Many companies produce reports and articles of why their steel toe shoes are perfect, so I will give an unbiased opinion of how to select a pair of quality steel toe shoes.

You should consider the following 5 factors when buying steel toe shoes: Fabric, Durability, Sole, Flexibility, and Additional Features. I will go into more detail on each of these categories below.

Fabric: Different fabrics can make or break a shoe in a matter of months. It can also make you feel uncomfortable if it is not the right fabric. There are gortex like rubber, canvas like fabrics, suede, and leather. Leather has one of the best aspects for steel toe safety aspects in my opinion. They are easily broken in after a few days and then they fit your foot like a glove. Leather will not burn and ignite into flames or melt. If they are burnt or scuffed they can be easily polished and masked away. Thick leather is ideal and looks nice.

Durability: Is the shoe made to last a long time or is it just made to OSHA standards with a shelf life of only six months? What I mean by durability, is whether the shoe will last for two years of wear and tear before you have to replace them. Some shoes may look nice and can take a beating but after a few months the stitches come apart, the metal wears through the padding and digs into your foot, there are many things which can occur if the shoe is not engineered just right. Does the shoe have a steel shank? Is the steel toe area padded well and with lasting material? Will the shoe backing hold? And the sole, how long will that last?

Sole: This is very important and is more of a sub category of Durability, but merits its own category. First, there are two types of soles, those made to last a year or more and those that are not. I have seen shoes with holes showing in the sole after only a few weeks as the rubber begins to wear away and the hollow honey comb style sole bears forth. Literally dig your finger into the sole in various areas, if it bends easily and you can feel the air, it wont last very long. Although tougher rubber or thicker may not be as comfortable, it will last. One problem with worn soles is that they have a tendency to wear on one side only based on your walking habits. After a while it is dangerous to walk in shoes that are half worn, it can throw your back out, cramps, and more. One more health issue to avoid caused by cheap products.

Flexibility: Will the product bend. If the sole is so thick it barely moves, how well will the contours of your foot feel after an 8 hour day? Some shoes are so heavily reinforced with different materials that the backs never mold to your foot or the steel toe area just continues to dig into your toes? What ever it may be, bend the shoe, try it on. If you feel too much discomfort in a certain area, take the shoe off and inspect it, you might just find that this shoe just wont work for you. This is another key point, some shoes just don't work for everyone.

Features: Are the shoes rated Electrical Hazard, Insulated, Waterproof, etc. There are many things to look at and it will depend on your job.

I hope the above information will help you to be a better consumer and avoid purchasing the wrong steel toe work shoes. Make sure you visit http://www.best-steel-toe-shoes.com for more steel toe shoes or boots related information and products.

About the Author

I hope the steel shoe buying guide will help you to be a better consumer and avoid purchasing the wrong steel toe work shoes. Make sure you visit Best Steel Toe Shoes for more steel toe shoes or boots related information and products.

Bullet Time: We Walk a Mile in the Game’s Cowboy Boots...

Those carefree deer and antelope have it made. But for cowboys, home on the range is one tough place to make a living. Gun keeps you busy with side tasks anytime you decide to take a break from the main story (which itself has about 20 missions). Completing this bonus business pumps up your five skills—gunplay, horsemanship, melee attack, quickdraw, and health—plus earns money you can use to upgrade the weapons you swipe from bosses.
Peace Keepin’
Colton gets deputized later in the game, and that opens a series of
law-enforcing missions, including breaking up an opium ring, killing the town sniper, escorting a snitch, and finding a rapist.
Pony Expressin’
Hey, these copies of Nonelectronic Gambling Monthly aren’t going to deliver themselves. You have to carry the mail—and other vital items come rain, snow, or bandits.
Bounty Huntin’
You’ll find wanted posters featuring notorious cowpokes. Just walk up to the posters to accept the bounty mission, then go hunt down your man.
Herdin’
Ranchers will hire you to round up their cattle or horses, or protect them from rustlers and wild animals. Use your horse to head off strays and keep the herd together. Promised for the sequel: lassoing.
Prospectin'
The old hayseeds are right: There really is gold in d’em thar hills. Neversoft has hidden it throughout Gun’s world. Buy a $5 pickax early in the game and you can mine the deposits for a tidy profit.
Huntin’
Grizzlies, wolves, and other beasts range widely in the West. You’ll earn bounties for the hides of rare and dangerous animals, although at times it’s hard to tell who’s hunting whom.
Rescuin’
The West being insanely brutal and all, innocent pioneers need all the help they can get. So you’ll be sent to rescue trapped miners, rush medicine to outposts, save besieged wagon trains, and more.
Card Sharkin’
Each town has a casino with its own poker tourneys. And yes, you can cheat. The game? Texas Hold ’Em, of course. “No point reeducating the ESPN2 crowd,” says Neversoft’s Jewett.
Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Different Types of Uggboots

Uggboots, the latest fashion trend, are everywhere! It seems you cannot walk by the window display of any clothing or shoe store without seeing in it a pair of these trendy boots. No matter where you are in the world, from Australia to California to all places in between, Ugg boots are there. These boots are hot and they are not just to be worn in cold weather. How many pair of do you own? For many people, one pair is simply not enough.

Uggboots are available in a multitude of sizes, colors, styles and fabric options. And it is no longer necessary to know someone living “down under” in Australia who can hook you up with a pair. Retailers nationwide and around the globe are stocking these best-sellers. It is even possible for you to own a pair without even having to leave the comfort of your own home. There are countless Internet web sites selling this hot item. Of course, once you receive your brand new pair of Ugg boots, you will want to get out of the house and show them off!
Uggboots are made in sizes that will fit every member of the family – infants, children, women and men. Full sizes, half sizes, and all sizes in between are available, if you are willing to spend the time looking. But don’t worry; it will not take long to find the perfect size. What may be difficult is picking out the perfect color.
Chestnut, black, lilac, blue, pink, brown and natural sand are just a few of the many different color options that you can find for Uggboots. In fact, these trendy boots are so fashionable that you will want to purchase several pairs in different colors. Imagine owning different colored Uggboots to wear to match your different moods. Red is sure to be an attention-getter. Natural colors give the wearer that casual look. Pink is perfect for that flirty, girly look. And classic black is a color that is sure to go with everything. Uggboots are available in a variety of fashionable styles. You can purchase tall Uggboots or short. If you are unable to decide between tall or short, you can split the difference and get the three-quarter boot length. And if wearing the popular boot by day is not enough for you, they are even available in a slipper style. The latest style to hit the market is a clog style. And more styles are arriving every day.
And there are more. The tall Uggboot style can be found with additional fleece detail on the outside , making this style the ultimate in femininity. When practicality is more important than looks, Uggboots are available with a tough molded sole and additional reinforcement in the heel and toe area. This style is great for wearing in slippery areas where traction and resistance can help the wearer avoid potentially dangerous falls.
And the exterior look does not end with color or with sheepskin. These boots are also available in your choice of suede or leather on the outside. A high-quality Uggboot will be lined with pure Australian merino sheepskin, but imitation fabrics abound. Zippers and straps and elasticized sides are just a few of the other options that will change the look of this must-have boot.
Big, clunky soles or smooth soles, tumbled leather or milky-smooth leather, real sheepskin or an imitation, short, tall, or somewhere in between, Uggboots are the “in” thing to have in your closet this season. And you’re sure to find a pair that fits your budget.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Fonghttp://www.Sheep-Skin-Boots-Guide.comUggboots are available in a variety of fashionable styles. You can purchase tall Uggboots or short. The latest style to hit the market is a clog style. And there are more ...

10 winter camping rules to live by

My buddy Mike Langlois joined me on a frozen Wisconsin River island above Tomahawk for our first winter camping trip. Starting out it was 35°F, so for gear we had summer sleeping bags and a canvas pup tent. What did we know? We were just 12. That night a norther’ blew in from the Arctic dropping temps into the minus digits. Had Mike and I geared for –30°, we could have slept all night rather than jogging inside flimsy sleeping bags trying to keep our blood solid. Luckily, this experience did not turn me off winter camping. But it did teach me a valuable lesson. First rule of winter camping: Plan for the coldest possible temperatures in your area.Whether it starts in October or ends in April, winter can be brutal. The most important thing about winter camping is planning. In the summer, make a mistake like getting wet and you can survive. But get soaked at 20°, and you’re in trouble. Through trial, error and study, I’ve found camping at –10°F can be comfortable with the right gear. And what’s not to like about winter? No bugs and no need for food refrigeration – just the challenge of surviving the elements. Second rule: Winter camping begins with a good night’s rest.Camping, as opposed to day-tripping,means sleeping outdoors. Proper gear and proper preparation dictates the difference between jogging in the bag or snoozing until sun-up.I’ve now got a sleeping bag rated for –30°. The fill is synthetic – if it gets wet it will still provide some warmth, unlike goosedown. If there’s snow on the ground or in the forecast, that bag goes with me. No snow, and I can get along fine with my 20° bag. Underneath me, I leave the snow. If there’s no snow, I gather up dry leaves or grass. Atop this goes a vapor barrier. I use two, one a large 8’x10’ plastic sheet and the other a 5’x7’ plastic/aluminized blanket. These foil blankets, which can be purchased at most sporting goods stores or through outdoor catalogs, reflect warmth toward you and cold away from you. I generally take two and sometimes three of these foil blankets with me on every cold weather trip. Folding the foil blanket in half with one aluminum side down and the other up, I tuck my self-inflating camp mat (commonly known as a “Thermarest”) between the fold. Third rule: To tent or not to tent? Your decision.Most any kind of tent will generally keep the winter camper 10 to 20 degrees warmer than going without one. They hold some body heat, prevent wind from stealing precious warmth and keep snow off bags and gear. A number of manufacturers make four-season tents. They are pricier than summer tents because they are made out of stronger materials and have special air ventilation systems to prevent frost build-up. If you plan to buy a winter tent, get the next size larger. So for two people, get the four-person model. You’ll need the extra space. Winter sleeping bags are bigger and you’re wearing more clothes. With a sleeping bag to match conditions, however, tents are not necessary in the winter. My coldest trip of –40° was on a plastic mat with nothing but the stars above. Had it snowed we would have pulled a piece of nylon over the top of us. Fourth rule: Liquid intake is critical in winter camping. It’s a white desert out there! Dry winter air saps internal water reserves – especially while cross-country skiing, fishing, or hiking. Drinking liquids will help keep you warm. If your urine turns dark or if your body feels cold, you may not be drinking enough. Unless I am away from base camp, I keep hot water on the fire. Hot tea with a dried orange drink is my favorite refresher.On expeditions away from camp, I carry water in either a wineskin-type bota or a plastic bottle. I place these under my jacket in a pocket or on a shoulder strap where body warmth will keep it from freezing. Fifth rule: A good night’s rest depends on more than just a sleeping bag. In the sleeping bag before shut-eye, I eat a candy bar. The fat energy released keeps the body warmer and allows me to sleep better.Take off all clothes except long johns and socks and put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag or stuff them in a sack and use for a pillow. Shove your leather boots and water bottle under your sleeping pad to keep them from freezing. I wear my mukluk or pac-boot liners to bed. Body warmth inside the bag will dry the felt.Two twelve-hour chemical hand warmers placed in the sleeping bag before going to bed warm it up, and once I get in the bag, I move one to underneath my back and the other to my feet. I don a wool cap and wool gloves and zip myself in. Winter’s elements are now outside. Sixth rule: The hardest thing about winter camping is getting out of bed. Mornings will generally be the coldest time of the day. Be it 10° or –20°, it’s hard to face the reality of leaving a warm nest. While still in the bag, I drink from my water bottle, eat another candy bar, stretch in place and start putting on all my clothes. When my hands get cold, I grab the hand warmers.With a warm coat on, I swing from the bag and put on my boots. The night before, I readied a pile of wood for the first fire of the morning. I light it and enjoy my first cup of hot coffee or cocoa while preparing breakfast.Seventh rule: Prepare nearly all your food at home and make twice as much as you normally eat.Regardless of how much I eat on winter trips I always lose weight. Plan easy-to-fix foods in disposable lightweight containers. Aluminum foil makes cooking easy. At home, I’ll wrap ham-and-cheese bagels or bacon in foil to cook on the coals or over the grill. And for dinner, my favorite meal is bacon, meat, onions, green pepper and spices wrapped in foil. Ziploc bags also make preparing ahead easy. For breakfast, just add hot water to a bag of cereal and dry milk. Or for dinner, drop a zipped bag of frozen spaghetti into boiling water until thawed.Make sure to take along plenty of snacks such as candy bars and trail mix to munch on for quick energy throughout the day.Eighth rule: Keeping warm during the day depends on your clothing. Technology has provided today’s winter camper with more and better choices than cotton and wool. Polypropylene, a synthetic fabric, holds little moisture and actually moves body dampness away from the skin into outer clothes. I start with polypropylene underwear tops and bottoms. Next comes a wool or polyfleece shirt and pants. Synthetic fleece has many of the same qualities as wool but must be carefully used around a fire since it melts. Wool and fleece are great insulators but fail to stop wind from reaching the skin, so the next layer needed is a lightweight wind jacket and pants. I recommend nylon or a Gore-Tex type material which allows body moisture to escape while preventing snow and rain from reaching the skin. The last layer may be the most important. That’s the parka or heavy coat. I recommend a synthetically filled winter coat that goes to the waist or slightly below since a longer coat keeps warmth in the body core where it is needed most. All these layers trap body heat and moisture. They function best when dry. Allow body moisture to escape by shedding layers when physical activity demands. One final note about clothing: Raingear goes on every trip with me regardless of the forecast. Moisture robs heat, a loss one cannot afford in the winter. Ninth rule: Take care of your extremities with the proper hats, gloves and boots.Seventy percent of heat loss can come from your head, so a good hat must provide warmth and wick moisture. I believe in being prepared and take a musher’s hat, wool watch cap, fleece headband and fleece balaclava. By taking three pair of wool-fingered gloves, I ensure there’s always a dry pair. Chopper mitts with fleece mitten inserts are used for extreme conditions and collecting firewood. Footwear is as important as headgear. If your feet freeze you’ll have a rough time getting home. Purchase the warmest and lightest boots available. Buy them big enough for at least two pair of heavy socks with room enough to wiggle your toes. I take two pair of boots on every winter trip. One is a lightweight mukluk good for –30°. Should these get wet, I can switch to a pair of more waterproof pac boots with felt liners. I carry an extra set of liners that can either go into the mukluk or the pac boot. On several trips I’ve submersed one pair of boots in water and had to switch.Buy the best quality wool socks on the market. In fact buy four pair and bring them with you. Wear two pair and keep two in reserve. Wear them to bed, as they’ll dry out on your feet while sleeping.Tenth rule: Have fun!Lest you think winter camping is all work and no play… What’s there to do for fun on a winter camping trip? Plenty! Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking the backcountry and ice-fishing to name just a few.Ever play tennis ball golf? Get a few old golf clubs and some new red tennis balls. On a wind-swept lake, plot out holes with sticks or rocks. Hit the balls toward the holes. Make your own rules.My son and his gang of Boy Scouts shoveled off a hockey rink every winter outing we ever went on. Kids without sticks used snow shovels. They played from sun-up to sundown. We scoutmasters put our ice fishing tip-ups a distance from the field of play and refereed from the sidelines until a flag popped. One final word.Getting all this gear to a backwoods camp may seem like a daunting task fit for only the most rugged expeditionists. You do have to be in good physical shape to face the rigors of winter camping. Unless you’re going to a drive-in site, you may be hauling this gear several miles. I use a plastic children’s toboggan that’s about four feet long and a foot wide. I pile the heaviest gear on the bottom, cover it all with a tarp and fasten it with bungee cords. And of course, always let a friend know where you are going and your expected time of return. Properly planned for, winter camping can be one of the finest ways to enjoy the beautiful landscape here in Wisconsin.------------------------------------------------------------------------Comfort camping in the coldWriter and outdoorsman James Bishop prefers the rugged approach to winter camping, sometimes even sleeping under the stars without a tent. He takes two or three foil blankets along on every trip. For those a little more fond of their creature comforts, Carl and John’s Paddlin’ in Madison rents tents and wood stoves suitable for winter camping.Space All Weather Blanket5’x7’ blanket; 12 oz. radiates 80% of body heat back to you $11.95 at REI608-833-6680www.rei.com 8’x10’ Snowtrekker tent suitable for two people3-day rental, $50Carl & John’s Paddlin’800-386-1299www.paddlin.comFour Dog wood stovefor heating and cooking3-day rental, $35Carl & John’s Paddlin’800-386-1299www.paddlin.comFor more on Where to go & What to do in Wisconsin, check out http://www.WisconsinGuide.com