We Like Nite Bike Ride
December 12, 2011 - [UPDATE from 11/24/11. I finally made a picture of a memorable scene I saw when I looked back down the trail during our night ride. Nobody had a camera, so I had to make an oldschool to provide some art.]
We've been having a local neighborhood Tuesday Nite mtbike trail ride this fall. But last night I wandered an hour away and hooked up with a ... > Read Article
OYB has an eBay Store!
March 07, 2011 - I've launched an eBay store for OYB.
I've had the Outyourbackdoor username there for a few years, which I've used to sell luggage, books, magazines and other goodies. Heck, Martha and I have been eBaying since it started and we together have 1000+ sales with a 100% rating since, like, 1994.
But I've ramped things up there, with over 100 items... > Read Article
Donate! Help the OYB cause...
March 06, 2011 - I've had several people recently ask how they can support the OYB cause. I've been relying on my offerings of great books'n'goodies that you can't hardly get anywhere else as being the best way. "Money for stuff" is the only way I can understand making a living.
But I can accept that OYB *stuff* isn't right for everyone. Also, I don't want to ... > Read Article
Let's See Your Comments!
December 01, 2010 - Each of our OYB articles is now followed by a brand new, easy to use "Reader Comments" section, hosted by the 3rd party provider, Disqus. If you have a reaction to the story or had a similar experience or a tip to pass on, please do! (No more tricky registering via my Forum.)
The OYB Forum is probably disabled right now, but really you should fe... > Read Article
OYB Wall Calendars?
November 30, 2010 - What if each year I started offering Wall Calendars in the various main OYB themes?
That is, diverse, candid, indie presentations of...
*outdoor activities (w/ XC ski come winter!)
*DIY fun in Michigan
*bike culture
*traditional seasonal outdoor subsistence sport (hunt, fish, trap, bow, gun, dog, snare, atlatl, flint, osage, net)
*XC ski ... > Read Article
OYB 10---Print Window to Modern Folkways
September 02, 2010 - [$6 postpaid.] This biggest-ever issue of OYB is a great way to get a full-figured view of the OYB scene! (I thought I was out of stock, but I just found a couple dozen. What fun! First come, first served...)
The OYB "catazeen" has to be the only magazine of authentic, informal, do-it-yourself, indy adventure and outdoor culture. It also gives d... > More Info > Purchase
Welcome to the HQ for Indie Michigan News, Stories, & Good Things to Buy!
April 27, 2010 - UpNorth is about the independent culture and adventure scenes in Michigan. 100% of your purchases goes to fund this outreach.
It's a hard-to-find books/media shop, but it also actively promotes the indie Michigan scene.
Hi! I'm Jeff Potter and I run this place. UpNorth is the love-child of the national local culture media empire, OYB (Out You... > Read Article
Should OYB & Company go Non-Profit?
April 23, 2010 - That's what I'm wondering. This is an educational cause, after all. Sure, I sell some things, but that's to support the Indie Outdoor culture and heritage outreach. I've always thought to just keep the whole thing simple, but maybe going Non-Profit would make the OYB mission clearer to the public. ? I've always thought that folks knew when they bou... > Read Article
How About an American Drilling? (What's a Drilling, you ask?)
February 03, 2012 - "One gun to rule them all."
A perennial hook'n'bullet campfire discussion is "If you could only have one gun..." I admit I'm happy to go there. And, like many, there are Swiss Army Knife influences on my gun interests. Versatility is something one can easily pine for. Most hunting is actually quite specialized, however; but the idea of a... > Read
Article
Marbles Reissues Classic "Game Getter" Pack-Gun!
February 03, 2012 - I just found out that Marbles has re-issued their classic combi-gun, the Game-Getter. I've been posting and harping about this gun for years. I can't believe I missed this new item. Maybe I overlooked it because it's pricey and the barrel is too long, but whatever, it seems clearly like news.
The Game-Getter has always been "illegal" in modern t... > Read
Article
Water Tribe Small Boat Everglades Challenge, March 3
February 03, 2012 - Mark it on your calendar to go to the site and follow the news and action online via the Spots and report-in's.
300 miles self-supported around the Florida peninsula by canoe, kayak, small sailboat.
It seems to take the winners and hard-chargers a few days to a week.
But then there was the year with the strong beam-reach wind when the c... > Read
Article | Go to Website
The Moveable Feast: Flexible Ski Events Go Where There's Snow
February 02, 2012 - It almost seems like the structured-event approach to skiing should change (to a degree). The answer seems to be for folks to just drive to where there's snow as need be. Any trail with snow on it, groomed or not, can handle hundreds of fun-hogs. Like, we have no snow in SE MI, but I heard Marquette was just pounded. So let's just head north and ca... > Read
Article
Skiing the Gatineau Big Loop! -- 95km in a Day!
January 31, 2012 - OK, they call it the "Grande Boucle" up there.
It's an idea that has only been accomplished a few times.
Here's a link to a report about a posse' of young'uns who ski-skated all around the whole Gatineau trail system a few springs ago. It was a sunny warm spring crust skiing sort of day.
But I'll let them tell the rest...
http://www.x... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Frank Allison Documentary: Funnest Michigan Band
January 29, 2012 - I've posted stuff about Frank here before, but it was with a post about Goober, so here he is on his own now, sheesh.
Frank Allison and the Odd Sox was the funnest band ever. They were based out of Ann Arbor in the 1990's and they drew weekly crowds for about a decade, until Frank's vocal cords got injured (same as Diane Rehm's, as I recall).
... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Weird Fun Music, Michigan-Style
January 29, 2012 - If you like weird Michigan music (synonymous?) you gotta check out the YouTubes (and CDs) that I've linked to here before.
No, Michigan isn't weird, it's special. Bold and distinctive. Doesn't mind being funny.
I won't link to 'em again because I see they're still there down below, but here's a quick runthrough of some basics...
(Feel fr... > Read
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