Welcome to my blog. Here, you’ll find the inside scoop on my events, projects, videos, thoughts, and anything else that I want to share. I have many different interests, which you’ll see reflected in my posts. Happy exploring!
Winter Carnival at White Pass Ski Area
In late winter/early spring, White Pass ski area, which is located just outside of Packwood, Washington, hosts a family-friendly snow festival called “Winter Carnival.” The weekend-long
How to Stay Healthy Between Thanksgiving & Christmas
It’s official, the holidays are here! Every year, during this season, millions of people around the globe get to hang out with their loved ones and
3 Simple Storage Ideas for DIY Camper Vans
Most new vans don’t come with a lot of extra storage space. While you can design and build various closets, drawers, hampers, and baskets for your
Sprinter Van Conversion 1.0 vs. DIY Van Build 2.0
Sprinter Van Build 1.0 In September of 2016 I published a YouTube video on my channel called “SPRINTER VAN CONVERSION: My DIY Setup for Less than $1,200.” The
Sauna Trailer Movie & eBook
I’m stoked to announce the launch of my newest project called “Sauna Trailer.” Get it? “Stoked,” because the topic of the film is saunas… Total dad
How to Make A Tasty Salad Every Time
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of Caesar salads, Greek salads, House salads, and every other type of common salad recipe that restaurants and
How to Improve Your Self-esteem in 4 Easy Steps
For years people have repeatedly told me “Sergei, you should love yourself–this is imperative for happiness.” I’ve also read articles and self-help books about the positive
Van Life Hack #13: Buy a Van Via Your Business and Get a Massive Tax Credit with Section 179
In the United States, there’s a section of the IRS tax code that’s extremely pertinent to van life: Section 179. Section 179 was created by the US government to help stimulate the economy and motivate businesses to invest in themselves.
Learn How to Forage for 25 Tasty Wild Edible Plants
In this virtual foraging walk, Sergei Boutenko demonstrates how to find, identify, and eat 25 common weeds and wild edible plants. Wild crafting can be done safely and responsibly! Watch this video and learn how. For extra bonus points, watch this video on your mobile device while you look for these same plants in your backyard!
How To Make A Tasty Green Smoothie Every Time
Consistency & Texture The most important component of making a tasty green smoothie is ensuring it has an even consistency and a smooth texture. To attain
Easy Video File Management Workflow
Logging photo and video files isn’t very fun, but it sure is helpful down the road! In years past, I didn’t have a good file naming
The Best Winter Snow Tires For Trucks & Vans – Bridgestone Blizzak
In December of 2016, I made a video called “Winter Sprinter” in which I discussed some practical tips for improving how two-wheel drive vehicles, specifically Sprinter
Green Smoothie Book vs. eBook?
Dear Readers, I need your help! I would love to get your input about where to take green smoothies in 2019. In March of last year,
Van Boom: Why Are Vans Trending & Is Van Life The New American Dream?
405,000 new vans hit the road in the United States every year. Sprinter vans, Ford Transit vans, and Dodge Promasters are literally everywhere with some media
Two Ideal Gifts For Photo / Video Geeks (LitraTorch & LitraPro)
Photo and video enthusiasts are hard to buy gifts for. This is especially true if you’re a shopper who’s unfamiliar with the photography/videography realm. How do
A Beginner’s Guide To Renewable Solar Power For Van Life
Whether you live in your van fulltime or use your vehicle as a weekender, having a reliable power source on hand is a must to ensure
Nature Green Smoothie | Effort = Happiness!
Last September, while doing the 30-day green smoothie challenge, yet again, I started thinking about effort and it’s relationship to happiness. In life I’ve repeatedly noticed that
#GreenSmoothieChallenge2018
The green smoothie challenge starts now! I’ve partnered with Vitamix on an online smoothie challenge to encourage people to improve their health. For the month of September (1-30),
The History of Aluminess
When Aluminess founder Dave Hoskins first decided to perfect the off-road truck bumper, he was laughed at by the automotive industry. At the time, aftermarket bumpers
Sportsmobile West Tour With Alan Feld
Camper vans, van life, and adventure vehicles as we know them today, would not exist without Sportsmobile. Since 1965, owner Alan Feld and crew have been
Decked Truck Bed Storage Review
Sprinter van life has it’s own set of challenges. Until recently, I was completely clueless about how to manage / secure free-floating van junk (i.e. camping gear,
Green Smoothie 101: Don’t Fear Fruit Sugar
One of the most popular criticisms directed at green smoothies is that smoothies are loaded with sugar from blended fruit and thus should be consumed sparingly.
FAA Part 107 Drone Test: How I passed with a 93% score with minimal effort
The FAA Part 107 Drone test is hard. Don’t take it without studying because you will fail. That being said, it’s not rocket science. You can
Cattail Harvesting With Sergei
Cattails have one major advantage over other wild edibles; they are high in calories relative to other foraged foods. If you ever find yourself in need of
Morel Mushrooms 101: How to safely locate, harvest, and eat morels
Morel mushrooms are delicious! If you’ve never tried them, you’re missing out. So quit missing out and go mushroom hunting. This blog post will teach you
Backyard Foraging For Wild Edibles
Foraging for wild edibles doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be as easy as stepping outside into your own backyard. Believe it or not, most
How To Build DIY Garden Beds With 2X6’s and Pallets
If you don’t know how to occupy your time this coming weekend, I’d like to pitch you a suggestion: make a few DIY raised garden beds
Van Boom: A documentary that investigates the van life trend
Why is van life trending? Nobody knows. Last month I received an email from Mercedes-Benz asking me to comment on this subject. As it turns out,
Sprinter Van Accessories Tour
Want to turn your Sprinter van into the ultimate adventure mobile? These five external van accessories will help you level up. The Road Shower gets you comfortably
Sprinter Van Conversion (my DIY setup for less Than $1,200)
When I looked into what it would cost to deck out my Mercedes Benz Sprinter van through a customer outfitter, the price I was quoted made
30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge
Drinking green smoothies regularly can help you lose weight, improve energy levels, reduce craving for bad food, and make you feel awesome! The new and improved
What I Eat In A Day
Over the last couple months, I’ve been asked by a number of people to make a video about what I eat in a day. I heard
Hulu and Netflix are cool, but Food Matters TV is AWESOME!
If you like watching meaningful films, but you’ve never heard of Food Matters TV, I’ve got great news for you! Food Matters TV is the Netflix
I Want Abs: A Documentary For Regular People Who Want To Get In Shape, But Don’t Know How To Do It
I’ve always craved a toned body and high level of fitness! After looking at countless before and after photos on the web, I became curious to
Common Weeds And Wild Edibles Of The World
I enjoy foraging for free food. Especially when I know that said food is delicious and full of all sorts of micronutrients that benefit my body.
Wild Edibles 101: What is a “search image” and how can it benefit foragers?
Your brain catalogs everything you see in images. According to Samuel Thayer, author of Nature’s Garden, our eyes capture billions of pictures over the course of our
Powered By Green Smoothies
Can a green smoothie positively influence sports endurance? I decided to find out firsthand. In 2013, I conducted a six-week pilot study to see if regular
Simple Rules For Foraging Wild Edibles
Happy springtime! As wild edibles harvesting season approaches, I want to offer some important / straightforward advice that will keep you safe and happy and ensure
My wild edibles book is out!
My wild edibles book is out! WAHOOOOOO! And what’s more, Amazon selected it as the best cookbook of July! In this field guide to foraging wild
Green Smoothie Hustla
Guess what? I produced another rap song. This one is all about drinking green smoothies. It took me nearly a month to film the video clip