If you want to spend less than $50 for a stroller you might look at one of the more simple designs that give you a bare bones model. It may not even have a canopy to keep out the sun or rain, so this is something you will need to consider. If you have two children that you must transport they make a twin toddler stroller that has both seats side by side. There are also double strollers that are configured with one child sitting in front of the other.

You can find a toddler stroller that has four wheels or three. Generally the three wheeled types are great for jogging. The tires are larger but they are amazingly compact in tight spaces. You can find strollers that come with accessories such as drink holders, a tray in the front of the stroller so that your child can have a snack or play as well as storage baskets underneath. You can figure that the more amenities that a stroller has will bring the cost up. High end accommodations for children can reach $400 so it pays to shop around before making a purchase. Look for discount stores, sales or online for the best prices. You will be able to find the right toddler stroller for the right price with a little research.

We therefore are always on the look out for places that offer us good living at costs that allow us to maintain a high standard of living, in a safe environment but without compromising on the ease that modern advances afford us. Malaysia is a very good alternative under its Government initiated Malaysia My Second Home Programme. Easily accessible from most parts of the world with direct international connections by air, Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi cultural country with ultra modern infrastructure framed by the World’s highest Twin towers in the Capital City of Kuala Lumpur. The whole country is very well connected with up-to-date, modern road, rail, air, and sea transportation systems. Public transport by air-condition buses, taxis, trains and planes are comfortable, efficient and relatively low in cost.First classes medical facilities are available are also available at a fraction of the cost most non-Malaysians are used to.

A choice of Hill, beach or City living in accomodations of ones choosing is available at affordable pricing. English is widely spoken. All religions and cultures can be practiced very freely and there is a free intermingling of different cultures.

The country has everything for the family, theme parks, jungle trails/sports, water sports and one of the highest numbers of golf courses – ratio to population.

All the food of the world can be found here at very reasonable cost. You can live very well for less than USD2,000 per month). For example, a 5 star hotel room in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur costs less than USD100 per night and a meal with wine for two an estimated USD60 only. A MacDonald’s Burger costs less than USD1.50 With so many races and cultures living together in harmony, it is understandable that each race has picked up the best of each other’s food and made Malaysia into Asia’s Food Paradise. Similarly the tropical fruits of Malaysia are unique, exotic and available in abundance practically throughout the year. It is a real joy to savour these fruits.

The weather is pleasant, warm and balmy with moderate rain throughout the year, there are also highland residential areas and resorts with permanent spring-like weather throughout the country.

Quality goods from all over the world are imported and are relatively low in price and sold throughout Malaysia Statistics proof that Malaysia is one of the safest countries in the world; its crime rate is relatively low. The rule of law is one of the fundamentals in Malaysia’s constitution.

Everyone is subjected to the law and also equal before the law. Malaysia practises basically the British system of justice with an independent reliable and dependable judiciary.

RETIREMENT TO MALAYSIA IS SO GOOD!

If you’ve never lifted a single weight or never ever run a mile or jogged in your entire life, it may take some time for you to adapt to the changes that you’ll undergo and the diet modifications that you’ll have to endure. But if you are the one who once in a while does cardio but never had consistency then we’ll just have to “wake” the sleeping fat burning machine in you to gain the fastest way to lose 10 pounds. If you are a beginner, run, jog or walk for fifteen to twenty minutes every session with a day or two of rest in between. Adjust your intensity level by adding ten minute per week. This will lead you to faster gains of muscle and ultimately the fastest way to lose 10 pounds.

However if you came from the novice category, you can start out by doing cardio for thirty minutes to an hour per session. Rest for a day or two in between sessions. As a general guideline for the fastest way to lose 10 pounds, maintain your water intake before and after your cardio sessions. This prevents dehydration and will help you refuel your energy as you rest after your exercise.

During your rest days, cut out fatty foods such as sweets and fried foods. Ingest enough fruits and vegetables to facilitate bowel movements, which is not only waste materials in the body, but toxics than can hinder your weight loss efforts. Consume foods high in protein like eggs, chicken breast and beans. These foods repair the torn muscle tissue that you caused while exercising and helps you gain lean muscle in time.

It may also help to include weight lifting exercises three times a week. A study by American researchers proved that cardio, together with weight lifting among obese subjects yield weight loss effectively than subjects who did cardio alone. Either way works too.

Remember that the fastest way to lose 10 pounds takes motivation and discipline which is often forgotten by most people.

One of the things that you need to consider when you are going to purchase umbrella stroller is to consider your needs. You have to look at the size and the age of your baby in order to get the most suitable item. If you like shopping very much, you can choose the item that offers many features such as storage for diapers, toys, or any other feature that can give you a comfort while strolling.

Another thing that you need to concern is about to take a look at the samples of the stroller you are going to purchase. The samples can be found on the best store in your city. While looking at the samples, you can also try to check out about the condition of the item you want to purchase. Do not forget to ask about the price so that you can know how much money you have to spend.

Moreover, if you are on the budget, you can try to look for the store that offers discount so that you will get the item with less expensive price. Also, try to make price comparison among different stores until you find the best price you are wishing for.

I was ten and half when my older brother turned twelve and joined the Boy Scouts. I wanted to join so badly, but I had a year and half to wait. Older brothers get all the breaks.

But, a few months later the rules changed and we could join the Boy Scouts at eleven instead of twelve. I was elated. I was so excited I couldn’t see straight. The next month I was a Boy Scout.

Wow, Mom took me to Sears and an Army Surplus store and I got a Boy Scout shirt, an Army surplus web belt with canteen, a Boy Scout knife and a Boy Scout axe. I was in business.

Our meetings were held in a church across the street from the Junior High School I was still too young to attend. That’s where I met Jimmy and Johnny Peterson. Jimmy and Johnny’s Dad was the Pastor at the church where we had our meetings. They were twin brothers and had a younger brother a year older than me and all three were in our Boy Scout troop.

Jimmy and Johnny were sixteen, good athletes, very good-looking, known and liked by everyone at the school. Guys liked them, girls loved them and I looked up to them as heroes as young boys always look up to and admire older guys. All the younger boys in the Scout troop wanted to be noticed and to hang around with Jimmy and Johnny Peterson.

I was lucky. My older brother was in with them, and so was another older guy, Ted Lind, who was fourteen and lived only a few doors away from my brother and me. He was another popular older guy and I used to hang out with him a lot, tagging along. But, he liked me, so he let me do that.

Apart from my relationship with Ted, I developed a special bond with Jimmy and Johnny Peterson as well. We used to play a game at Scout meetings where all the guys would form a circle facing inward with their hands folded behind their backs. One guy would be it and he would walk around the outside of the circle with a lanyard and would drop that lanyard into the hands of any guy at random, as he walked around the circle.

Then he’d take off running and the guy who now had the lanyard would chase after him and if he could catch up to him, he’d whip the guy’s butt with the lanyard until the first guy reached the empty spot in the circle where the guy chasing had been and the chaser would stop running and walk around until he dropped the lanyard into another guy’s hands. Then off he’d go.

One day Jimmy Peterson dropped that lanyard into my hands. I chased him of course, but couldn’t catch him, I couldn’t hit him with the lanyard. Then I dropped the lanyard into Johnny Peterson’s hands and he chased me, beating my butt the whole way around. That became a tradition of sorts.

I guess the twins respected me for letting them whip me the way they did and they didn’t pull any punches. But, I kept giving them the lanyard anyway and they’d give it back to me a lot so I could try to get even. I never did, though, I wasn’t fast enough.

There were four older guys who always led special hikes and other activities, one other guy who was not so well liked, and Jimmy, Johnny and Ted. All the younger guys wanted to go along on these special hikes, but the older guys got to select the few who could go. I got to go with them every time. So did my brother.

Then one day the Petersons moved away. Their father had gotten an assignment somewhere in the Midwest. It was a very sad event to see them go. Seemed like half the kids from the Junior High School were at the church that day. I would really miss them.

About six months after the Peterson’s moved away we found out that Jimmy and Johnny had both drowned during a storm on the lake where they were out in a canoe. That was one of saddest days I can remember as a kid. Jimmy and Johnny were known to be strong swimmers. That made it ever more unbelievable that they had drowned.

My older brother also became a very strong swimmer. He was a life guard during the summers and had extensive experience in ocean swimming. When we’d go to the beach he’d swim out so far I could barely see his head bobbing and he’d be out there for over an hour.

Thirty six years after Jimmy an Johnny Peterson drowned, when he was forty-nine years old, my brother died in a drowning accident in the ocean on a routine scuba diving check out. Something had gone wrong with his equipment.

My older brother didn’t get a break that day.

It’s good to know how to swim. My brother was a great swimmer, so were the Peterson twins. But, no matter how good you are, you have to use common sense about taking chances. I don’t think my brother was doing anything risky when he drowned, but he took a lot of chances when we were kids. He made everyone nervous when we went to the beach and he swam out so far we couldn’t even see him and stayed out for an hour.

Learn how to swim and learn how to swim well, teach your kids how to swim, but don’t take unnecessary risks. It can cost your life.

Keep in mind these rules for water safety in open water swimming.

1. Currents flowing parallel to the beach are called lateral currents. Not especially dangerous to the average swimmer, lateral currents can pull swimmers into more dangerous rip currents, the main cause of surf accidents. Rip currents can pull even strong swimmers from shallow into deeper water.

If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shoreline in the same direction as the lateral current until you are past the rip stream, when you can turn toward shore

2. Lifeguards can give you information on current or dangerous conditions. Always observe their instructions.

3. Never swim alone

4. Don’t exaggerate your swimming ability. Be realistic, don’t overestimate your skill level, especially in open water swimming.

5. Understand that anyone’s swimming ability is greatly degraded in cold water. Unless you are in a tropical zone, ocean and lake water is typically cold.

6. Never swim when drinking alcohol, you may be intoxicated and not realize it.

7. Do not take out small or unstable boats far from shore in choppy water or stormy weather.

8. And lastly, don’t take risks or show off in dangerous ways.

Maclaren has several lines of buggies. They include: Volo, Triumph, Quest, Techno, Easy Traveler, Twin Triumph and Twin Techno. The Quest line is popular and very stylish. As with all Maclaren buggies, the Quest model has many standard features. They include: Sovereign Lifetime Warranty(TM), Maclaren Recycling Programming+, 5 point harness for added security, removable and washable seat, compact umbrella fold, water resistant hood, durable aluminum frame, mesh basket, either a handle or carry strap for portability purposes and lockable, front swivel wheels.

There are two Maclaren Quest models. The first model, Quest Sport, is lightweight and sporty. It is perfect for the busy mom or dad. The Quest Sport can carry a child up to 15 kg or 55 pounds. It has 4 seat positions and installed UV protective viewing window. The color combinations are vivid and very stylish. Among those color combination includes the charcoal/flame orange or the black/scarlet. The hood goes on and comes off easily.

The second Quest model is the Quest Mod. It also can carry a child up to 15 kg or 55 pounds. The Quest Mod offers 4 seat recline positions, an extendable leg rest, foam insulated handle and reflective accents for night safety. Again, the color combinations are delightful. The choices include coffee/powder pink/raspberry/sunshine or navy/kelly green/sunflower.

Maclaren Quest models offer stylish design, durability and the ultimate in safety for consumers.

Driving up to the Port of Southampton’s Mayflower Terminal and catching first glimpse of the white-and-black hulled Queen Mary 2, the largest, longest, tallest, heaviest, and most expensive ship ever built, evoked considerable excitement and awe. Docked to port at a 50-degree, 54.25′ north latitude and 001-degree, 25.70′ west longitude and facing a 116.4-degree compass heading, the 17-decked leviathan, with a 1,132-foot length and 148-foot width, featured a gross weight of 151,400 tons and towered above the buildings with its balcony-lined façade, eclipsing it with its 236.2-foot height. Its draft extended 33.10 feet beneath the water line. The floating metropolis, complete with its staterooms, restaurants, shopping arcades, libraries, theaters, and planetariums, would bridge, in six days, the European and North American continents, the equivalent in hours to the duration of the aerial crossing by 747-400, itself then the world’s largest commercial airliner. But the oceanic crossing would yield civility, refinement, rejuvenation, emotional repair, and return to the slower, but more elegant era of steam ship travel-a journey, I would soon find out, would lead to a search for the maritime history of the past which had created the technology of the present.

Unlike the proliferation of modern cruise ships with their comparatively lower speeds and greater-volume, square-geometry hulls, the Queen Mary 2 had been designed as a next-generation successor to the 35-year-old Queen Elizabeth 2 and, as such, would have to offer the same year-round, passenger-carrying capabilities, predominately in the rough North Atlantic, with a design which sacrificed revenue-producing volume and lower construction costs of the traditional cruise ship for the required safety, speed, and stability of the ocean liner. Resultantly, it featured the same v-shaped hull configuration characteristic of the long line of its Cunard predecessors, constructed of thicker steel which carried a 40-percent greater cost than those of conventional cruise ships. Designed by Stephen Payne, whose inspirations for the bow had come from the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the brake wall from the Normandie, it was the first quadruple-screw North Atlantic ocean liner since the France of 1962. Payne himself, a naval architect born and raised in London, had been involved with the Carnival Holiday, Carnival Fantasy, and Rotterdam VI projects. The latter, incorporating a modified Statendam hull, had featured a less “boxy” hull shape than the traditional cruise ship, but had still been considerably removed a full liner design.

Intended for the primary Southampton-New York route, it incorporated dimensional restrictions dictated by the United States port, including a funnel height which cleared the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge by only ten feet and an overall length which exceeded the 1,100-foot pier of the Port of New York by 34 feet.

Constructed by Alstom Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, which had also built the Normandie, and designated hull G32 by the shipyard, it had been the first Cunard liner ever constructed outside of the United Kingdom and, like Concorde, the world’s fastest and hitherto only supersonic airliner, became the second British-French collaborative transportation project intended for trans-Atlantic service, although via vastly different, if not opposite, modes.

Its interior offered unparalleled space and comfort. Of the 17 decks, the first four were for machinery, storage, and the 1,254-strong crew; 13 were for the 2,620 passengers; and eight contained balcony staterooms. Notable features included a Grand Lobby, the Royal Court Theatre, the Illuminations Theatre and Planetarium, the ConneXions Internet Center, the Queen’s Ballroom, a Winter Garden, nine major restaurants, 11 bars and lounges, an 8,000-volume library and bookstore, an Oxford University lecture program, performances by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, five swimming pools, sports venues, a Canyon Ranch Spa, a pavilion of shops, and a discotheque. These appointments would constitute my “home” for the next six days.

Symbolically reflected by its smaller QE2 predecessor berthed a considerable distance from its bow at the Queen Elizabeth 2 Terminal, the Queen Mary 2 represented a two-fold gross weight increase over its earlier-generation counterpart and, indeed, traced its lineage back to a long path of Cunard vessels which had spanned a 165-year period. I somehow sensed that the imminent crossing would not only be a journey of distance, but a return in time.

Gently vibrating at its spine, the behemoth laterally separated itself beneath from its berth below the metallic overcast at 1810, local time.

Unlike the conventional engine-propeller shaft technology of older-generation ships, the Queen Mary 2 was powered instead by four aft, hull underside-mounted Rolls Royce Mermaid electric-motor pods, each weighing 260 tons and containing four fixed-pitch, 9,900-pound, stainless steel blades, and collectively producing 115,328 horsepower. The forward, outboard pair was fixed and provided forward and astern propulsion, while the aft, inboard pair featured 360-degree azimuth capability and provided both propulsion and steering, obviating the need for the rudder. The advanced-technology system reduced both complexity and weight and increased internal hull volume by eliminating the traditional engine configuration’s associated equipment.

Three Rolls Royce variable-pitch, transverse-propeller bow thrusters, collectively producing 15,000 horsepower, provided port and starboard bow maneuvering capability at speeds of up to five knots. At eight knots, when their effectiveness had been exceeded, they were covered by 90-degree rotating, fluid-dynamic doors.

Led by dual water-sprout shooting tugboats, the behemoth oceanliner commenced its lumbering movement down the basin. Maintaining an 11.5-knot forward speed in the Solent, it commenced its starboard turn from 140 degrees at Calshots Reach at 1907, poised for the similar maneuver at Brambles.

Compressed into dark gray, the sun projected its glowing orange streaks outward through the thin, unobstructed strip on the western horizon. Assuming a 220-degree heading through the Thorn Channel, the Queen Mary 2 initiated its starboard turn to round the Isle of Wight.

The first dinner on board the elegant, maritime engineering triumph had been served in the 1,351-seat, three-story-high, dual-level Britannia Restaurant which had featured a grand, sweeping staircase, column supports, and a vaulted, back-lit, stained glass ceiling and was reminiscent of and inspired by the grand dining room salons of the 20th century French liners such as the Ile-de-France, the L’Atlantique, and the Normandie. The meal itself, served on Wedgwood bone china and in Waterford crystal, had included white zinfandel wine; cream of mixed mushroom soup with parmesan croutons; crusty rolls and butter; oak leaf and Boston salad with shaved carrots and sherry vinaigrette dressing; rack of pork with wild mushroom ragout, truffle mashed potatoes, morel sauce, and sauerkraut; warm apple strudel with brandy sauce; and coffee.

The thin line of orange lights outlining the coast traced itself behind the stern. Maintaining a 27-knot speed and a 250-degree heading, the rock-steady, 151,000-ton engineering mass plied the black channel and commenced its great circle course, from Bishop’s Rock in the Scilly Isles. Ahead lay the infinite Atlantic-and the path forged by every one of Cunard’s previous transatlantic liners. Tomorrow, I would begin tracing the historical one.

Day Two:

Dawn greeted the lengthy liner as a tunnel of indistinguishable, moist gray. Encased between the morose cloud dome above and the navy sea slate below, which spat periodic white caps, the black-and-red funneled vessel penetrated the moisture-saturated morning, the rain-emitting sky and the swirling, eddying sea merging into seamless, wind-blustery, ship-bombarded drench.

Any undesired movement, however, was quickly, and invisibly, dampened by the two pairs of 15.63-square-meter Brown Bros/Rolls Royce fin stabilizers which were controlled by gyroscopic vertical reference instruments and extended as far as 15 feet from the hull to counteract ship roll.

Plunging into 348-meter-deep waters 98 nautical miles off of Ireland at noon, the Queen Mary 2 had traversed 418 miles since its departure from Southampton yesterday.

Current weather entailed intermittent, light rain with a clockwise movement to the west, predicted to drop to force 4. The present force-5, fresh breeze out of the south, coupled with an 11.2-degree Celsius air temperature, carried a 994-millibar pressure. The sea, with a moderate 4 state, maintained a 10-degree Celsius temperature.

Afternoon tea, held in the Queen’s Room, had been a British tradition and a delightful intermittence between lunch and dinner served on every Cunard crossing, the last personal one of which had been the 2002 eastbound journey on the Queen Elizabeth 2. The Queen’s Room itself, the largest ballroom at sea, featured an arched ceiling, twin crystal chandeliers, a velvet blue and gold curtain over the orchestra stage, a 1,225-square-foot dance floor, a live harpist, and small, round tables seating up to 562. Today’s presentation included egg, ham and cheese, cucumber, tomato, beef, and seafood finger-sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and strawberry cream tarts.

Afternoon tea at sea could trace its lineage back some 165 years. Einstein’s theory of relativity somehow seemed to apply. Suspended between continent, landmass, and population, the ship seemed caught within a void, an arrested warp in which history seemed captured and in which the vessel reconnected with its past, as it once again replayed it, a separation from the present on land and an approach to its past on the sea. It was to this suspension of time, distance, and place that the threads of Cunard’s past indeed led. One man, who had lived some 200 years ago, had made the journey of today possible.

The name of that man, of course, had been the same as that which had graced a long line of ever-advancing Atlantic ocean liners, Samuel Cunard. Born on November 21, 1787 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as the son of Abraham Cunard, himself a carpenter at Halifax’s Royal Naval Dockyard, he had forged a maritime link upon physical entry into the world. His initial venture had entailed a Royal Mail contract award to transport mail over the Boston-Halifax-St. John’s route after cessation of the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, while he later became involved with the first steam-powered vessel project intended for Atlantic crossings. Named the Royal William, the 160-foot-long, 1,370-ton ship had been inaugurated into service in August of 1931 between Quebec and Halifax, requiring 6.5 days for the journey.

The venture which had sparked his ultimate fame, however, occurred at the end of the decade when the British government had announced its intention to subsidize steam-powered mail service between England and the United States. In a formal proposal to fulfill the requirement, submitted on February 11, 1839, Cunard outlined a bimonthly, steam-powered service between England and Halifax operated by 300-hp ships making 48 annual crossings. Awarded a contract by the Admiralty in June for four 206-foot-long, 400-hp, 1,120-ton vessels ultimately to be designated the Acadia, the Caledonia, the Columbia, and the Britannia, he finalized plans to serve the Liverpool-Halifax-Boston route.

The latter ship, the Britannia, had actually been the first to be completed. The 207-foot-long, 34-foot-wide hybrid power ship, constructed of African oak and yellow pine at Robert Duncan’s Shipyard on the River Clyde in Scotland, had featured a clipper bow, three masts with square yards, and two mid-ship-located, black-and-gold paddle boxes which extended almost 12 feet from either side and contained 9-foot-wide, 28-foot-diameter paddles turning at 16 revolutions per minute and operating off of a 403-hp, two-cylinder, side-lever steam engine which burned 40 tons of coal per day exhausted through a single, aft smoke stack. The engine, requiring 70 feet of hull for installation, drew coal from a 640-ton bunker.

Of the four decks, the upper, or main deck, featured the captain and chief officer cabins, the pantry, the galley, the officers’ mess, the crew cabins, the raised, exposed bridge, and the dining saloon, which, at 36 feet long and 14 feet wide, had been the largest enclosed room on the ship. Two aft, circular staircases linked the dining hall with the second deck, which housed the gentlemen’s and ladies’ cabins, each with two bunk beds, a wash basin, a mirror, a day sofa, and a port hole or an oil lamp, with shared toilet facilities, equaling a 124-person capacity, of which 24 had been female. The cargo holds, located on either side of the engine yet another deck lower and capable of accommodating 225 tons, accompanied the sail locker, the mail room, the stores, the steward quarters, and the wine cellar in the stern. Coal had been stored on the fourth, or lowest, deck.

The 1,154-ton Britannia, inaugurated into scheduled service on July 4, 1840 from Liverpool to Boston with an intermediate stop in Halifax, operated the world’s first transatlantic steam ship service, carrying 63 passengers and taking 12 days, ten hours for the 2,534-nautical-mile crossing at an 8.5-knot speed, one third of the journey undertaken by pure-sail. After an eight-hour port suspension in Halifax, it continued to Boston in another 46 hours.

By January 5, 1841, all four Cunard ships had entered the fleet.

The Britannia itself made 40 round-trips before being sold to the Prussian Navy, which had converted it to a pure-sailing ship used for target purposes and renamed it Barbarossa. It was ultimately sunk in 1880. Nevertheless, it paved the way for a long line of Cunard liners to come.

Biting into the angry, dark-blue, white cap-spitting North Atlantic on a 272-degree heading at 1545 with its protruding, bulbous bow, the mighty Queen Mary 2 engineering triumph pitched on its axis at a 23.4-knot speed, the sun’s rays having been powerful enough to tear the singular cloud fabric into a puffy, white mosaic of aerial islands. The ship had reached a 50-degree, 12.036′ north latitude and 14-degree, 26.312′ west longitude coordinate.

That night’s dinner, served in the Britannia Restaurant, had included Merlot wine; smoked halibut mousse and jumbo shrimp on Russian salad; Lollo Rosso and apple salad with caramelized walnuts and cider vinaigrette; filet mignon and lobster tail with young roasted potatoes, polenta cake, and asparagus in hollandaise sauce; chocolate banana tart with mango sauce; coffee; and petit fours.

The Britannia, as a ship design, had been only the beginning, and would pale in comparison to the leviathan Cunard vessels produced in the 20th century.

Day Three:

Continually bowled significant sea swells, the Queen Mary 2 had pitched through the dark blue, star-glittering night at its center of gravity like a seesaw, its bow pounding the mountainous wave troughs and projecting avalanche-white reactions at 45 degrees from its centerline.

Breakfast, eaten in the King’s Court with its multiple stations, had included a ham and pepper omelet, bacon, hashbrowned potatoes, a grilled tomato, white toast, and cranberry juice.

Negotiating 25- to 30-foot seas over the mid-Atlantic ridge, which covers the Continental Divide, the ship had sailed 590 nautical miles in the 24-hour period since 1200 noon yesterday, now pursuing a 263-degree heading, with 2,075 miles remaining to the New York Pilot’s Station.

Light rain showers were forecast to dissipate, with gradual clearing. The force-5 wind, out of the northwest, had produced 9-degree Celsius temperatures, with a 996.5-millibar pressure. The sea, whose moderate state had been registered a “4,” maintained a 12-degree temperature.

Gazing out toward the Atlantic’s infinity, I could not help but think that somewhere out there, if not in physical space, then in historical time, had been the first of the “huge” Cunard Atlantic liners which assuredly had passed this way during the beginning of the 20th century.

The design, the Lusitania, had had its origins as early as 1902 when J.P. Morgan had attempted to create a steamship conglomerate called the International Mercantile Marine by buying several existing companies, including the White Star Line. In order to ensure Cunard’s continued autonomy and dissuade its absorption into the ever-expanding corporation, the British Parliament had granted it a 20-year contract and subsidy to build two of the world’s then largest and fastest liners and, in the process, regain the speed record the Germans had captured with three of their twin-screw vessels.

Cunard, seeking tenders for the two ships from four shipyards, specified a 750-foot length, a 76-foot width, and a 59,000-hp capability attained by reciprocating engines driving triple screws. The contract, awarded to John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland, resulted in a 790-foott length and an 88-foot width, eclipsing the 30,000-ton gross weight by 2,500 tons for the first time, and employing turbine engine technology, also for the first time, with a 68,000-hp combined capability, exhausted, in an effort to emulate the Germans, through four funnels.

Construction, commencing in the fall of 1904, produced two of the largest, fastest, and most powerful Atlantic liners ever built with long, sleek designs; straight sterns; rounded bridges; and four raked funnels sporting 787-foot lengths, 87-foot widths, and 31,550-ton gross weights propelled by steam turbines geared to quadruple screws.

Accommodating 563 first class passengers amidships, 464 aft second class passengers, and 1,138 third, or steerage, class passengers in the forward portion of the hull, the first of the two new liners featured opulent appointments. A Georgian-style lounge sported light green colors, a marble fireplace, stained glass panes, and a 20-foot-high dome. The Veranda Café had latticed wall patterns and rattan furniture. The dining room, of dual-deck configuration, had been the first of its kind on a Cunard ship. The main lounge had been decorated with mahogany paneling, while the smoking room featured dark Italian walnut. The second class dining saloon also sported Georgian appointments and the drawing room had been decorated in the Louis XVI style. Featuring electricity for the first time, the Lusitania provided modern conveniences to its passengers, including two elevators.

On its second westbound crossing, the liner beat all speed records, averaging 23.993 knots and covering a 617-mile, single-day distance, although it ultimately broke the 26-knot mark, reaching New York in four days, 20 hours.

Its fate, however, was not to remain so successful. Departing England on its 202nd voyage on May 1, 1915 with 1,257 passengers, 702 crew members, and three stowaways, the ship had approached Great Britain, sailing ten miles off of Old Head of Kinsale when it had been broadsided by a German torpedo, listing forward and to starboard. Slipping oceanward at a 45-degree, bow-first angle, it hit bottom 18 minutes later, exploding and killing 1,201 on board, the result of a deliberate act of war.

Because not an outcrop of land is sighted during the six-day Atlantic crossing, the Queen Mary 2 seemed suspended in a void between two continents, the journey about course, speed, weather, sea state, distance, and interior life, the temporary, although ever-moving civilization atop the sea.

Soldiering on, the ship burned 3.1 tons of heavy fuel oil per hour at a 100-percent load to operate its diesel engines, or 261 tons per day at a 29-knot steam speed, while it used 6 tons of marine gas oil per hour to run its gas turbines, or 237 tons per day, drawing off of a 1,412,977-US gallon tank for the former and a 966,553-gallon tank for the latter.

Its fresh water supply, produced from seawater by 3 Alfa Laval Multi Effect Plate Evaporators, replenished itself at the rate of 630 tons per day, satisfying its 1,100-ton daily consumption. The potable water tank capacity equaled 1,011,779 US gallons.

A German-themed lunch, served in the King’s Court, had included bratwurst, bacon sauerkraut, cheese spaetzel, roasted potatoes, schnitzel, and black forest cake.

Maintaining a 261-degree heading and a 23.1-knot steam speed, the city at sea had reached a 49-degree, 43.705′ north latitude and 28-degree, 25.458′ west longitude position by 1500.

The Queen Mary 2’s Winter Garden, designed after the skylighted verandah cafes of the Mauretania, had featured a 60-by-25-foot trompe l’oeil ceiling depicting a lush, verdant gardens, paneled walls which looked through cast iron gates to rolling hills, and wicker furniture, and had been created to counteract the cold, gray, turbulent winter of the North Atlantic.

The Mauretania itself, the ship which had provided the Winter Garden’s inspiration, had been the second of the two early-20th century Cunard designs after the Lusitania. The nine-decked liner, accommodating 563 first class passengers in 253 cabins, 464 second class passengers in 133 cabins, and 1,138 third class passengers in 278 cabins, had featured its own opulent appointments. The first class smoking room, for example, located in the stern, had featured polished wood wall panels and plaster friezes. The lounge, located on the Boat Deck and measuring 80 by 53 feet, had been adorned with mahogany wall panels, gold moldings, long ceiling beams, gilt bronze, and crystal chandeliers. The library, featuring bay windows, had been decorated with sycamore paneling. The first class dining room, seating 330, had been configured with long, white clothed tables and revolving chairs, and was decorated with polished ash, teak-molded paneling, and arched windows, while the second class dining room, with parquet floors, featured Georgian oak paneling and carved cornices. A grand staircase, installed between the second and third funnels, connected five decks with the public rooms.

Entering service on November 16, 1907 between Liverpool and New York, the Mauretania had been retrofitted with four-bladed propellers two years later, in 1909, at which time it could attain maximum speeds of 26.6 knots. It had been only the first of several modifications. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, for instance, it had been repainted gray and briefly served as a troop ship, reliveried and returned to commercial service five years later in 1919, at which time it operated in company with the Aquitania and Berengaria, offering weekly east- and westbound service on the Southampton-New York route. It remained the fastest of the three.

Yet another modification, necessitated by fire, resulted in conversion to oil-burning engine technology and cabin reconfiguration, reducing both the second and third class passenger capacities.

In its 27 years of operation, during 22 of which it had held the North Atlantic speed record until it had been recaptured by the Bremen in 1929, the Mauretania had sailed some 2.1 million miles in transatlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean service before being usurped by two larger, more advanced Cunard liners. Making its last crossing on September 26, 1934, it was scraped the following year in Scotland.

That evening’s dinner, served in the Queen Mary 2’s Britannia Restaurant, had featured white zinfandel wine; baby shrimp thermidor on walnut brioche; cob salad with smoked chicken and bleu cheese dressing; roasted seabass with Mediterranean vegetables and olive tapenade; banana foster flambee with rum raisin ice cream and whipped cream; and coffee.

The Lusitania and Mauretania replacements, although larger, would prove a motley pair: although one had been the third in the series, it had been slower, while the other had been transferred from the fleet of the enemy, the Germans.

Day Four:

Suspended in the middle of the Atlantic, the black-hulled leviathan pursed its Great Circle course on a 249-degree heading, eating the gray and foamy-white ocean with its bow with a 21.7-knot appetite. Four hundred seventy miles off the coast of Newfoundland, the ship negotiated 3,549-meter-deep waters, having covered 607 nautical miles in the 24-hour period since yesterday, now 1,615 miles from Southampton. At a current 47-degree, 34.066′ north latitude and 042-degree, 00.754′ west longitude position, it was 1,468 miles from its destination.

External conditions were mild: the air temperature, at 14 degrees Celsius, had been coupled with a force-4 moderate breeze out of the southwest and low level cloud, with a 989-millibar air pressure. The sea, whose state had been slight, had a 12.7-degree Celsius temperature.

If the triplet of early 20th-century Cunard liners could have sailed past the Queen Mary 2 in chronological order, the Aquitania would have trailed both the Lusitania and the Mauretania, the third of the long, sleek, quad-funneled vessels constructed by John, Brown and Company of Clydebank.

The 45,647-ton ship, with a 901-foot length and a 97-foot width, had been both larger and heavier than its two predecessors, resulting in a 3,200-passenger capacity. Launched on April 21, 1913, it had commenced trial runs 13 months later, achieving a 24-knot maximum speed, and entered commercial service on May 30, 1914 on the Liverpool-New York route.

Opulently appointed, it featured a long gallery which connected the main lounge with the smoking room decorated with a series of garden lounges; a carpeted, Louis XVI-style first class restaurant; a columned Palladian lounge, which spanned two decks; and the first pool ever installed on a Cunard ship.

Late to the North Atlantic, the Aquitania had sailed on the fringes of World War I and had been requisitioned by the government for military service as an armed merchant cruiser in August of 1914; but, because of its excessive size, had been recommissioned as a troop ship the following year. Reconfigured for ocean liner service after the war, the ship resumed its civil role in August of 1920, amending its capacity six years later, in 1916, when a major reconfiguration decreased the first class passenger complement from 618 to 610, increased the second class capacity from 614 to 950, and dramatically decreased the third class complement by some three-forths, from 1,998 to 640, in order to more accurately match passenger class demand.

Once again reconfigured to a 7,724-person troop ship during World War II, the Aquitania provided eight years of military service during which it had sailed 500,000 miles and carried more than 300,000 troops.

Arriving in Southampton on December 1, 1949, the multiple-role vessel ended 35 years of service, having sailed some 3 million miles on 443 voyages. It had been Cunard’s last quad-funneled design.

Lunch, back in the present on the Queen Mary 2, had been served in The Carvery, itself one of the King’s Court stations, and had included beef tikka masala, white rice, cauliflower in cheese sauce, and double chocolate fudge cake.

Although the Aquitania’s very long, mulitple-role, and fruitful career had ended in 1949, it had, for the most part, continued to operate in tandem, as originally conceived, with two other Cunard transatlantic liners, despite the fact that the Lusitania had been destroyed almost immediately after entering service. The third ship, however, emanated not from a Cunard blueprint given life by a ship builder on the Clyde, but instead by the very enemy which had necessitated its replacement.

Endeavoring to compete with the Cunard and White Star Line designs which now regularly plied the Atlantic, the Hamburg-America Line had laid the keel of a new breed of transatlantic liners on June 18, 1910, intended to be the largest-capacity, highest gross weight passenger ship ever built. The specifications were, for the time, staggering: measuring 919 feet long and 98 feet wide, the elongated, tri-funneled, 52,117-ton ship, designated the Imperator, had been powered by steam engines geared to four-bladed propellers feeding off of 8,500-tons of coal nourishing two 69- and 95-foot-long engine rooms, respectively. Accommodating 908 first class, 972 second class, 942 third class, and 1,772 steerage class passengers, the behemoth, steered by a 90-ton rudder, was christened on May 23, 1912 and entered commercial service 13 months later, on June 10, from Cuxhaven to New York with an intermediate stop in Southampton.

The Imperator featured a First Class winter garden with potted palm trees and a dual-deck indoor swimming pool.

Because initial service had demonstrated top-heavy conditions, its three funnels were shortened by nine feet during an autumn retrofit.

Ultimately banned from sailing because of World War I German atrocities, the ship had been moored in Hamburg for four years until a war reparation agreement resulted in its transfer to Cunard in 1919 as compensation for the German-sunk Lusitania. Rebased in Southampton two years later, in April of 1921, it had been subjected to an initial retrofit during which its coal-burning engine technology had been replaced with oil and it had been reconfigured with 972, 630, 606, and 515 first, second, third, and tourist passengers, respectively. Redesignated Berengaria, the ship joined the Mauretania and Aquitania, operating Cunard’s weekly transatlantic service. Although it had been originally planned to continue operating it until 1940, its antiquated wiring system, which resulted in persistent on-board fires, had precluded its anticipated service longevity, temporarily leaving only the Mauretania and Aquitania until a new breed of Cunard liners, to offer double the tonnage of the existing designs, could enter service. That ship, of course, bore the name of the current one: Queen Mary.

Dinner, served in La Piazza Restaurant on board the (present-day) Queen Mary 2, had included a mixed green salad with ranch dressing; artichoke hearts; vegetable moussaka; pasta with onions, mushrooms, black olives, garlic, and red tomato sauce; tiramisu; and coffee.

Dusk could be more accurately gauged by looking beyond the wooden deck with its Queen Mary I-reminiscent line of deck chairs and down toward the sea, rather than up toward the sky. The former, a reflection of the latter, had appeared a deep blue, mirroring the temporary brightness of the sky during the early-evening when the mountainous white cumulous formations had parted, creating a blue rift. It then rapidly metamorphosed into a dark blue and, momentarily, a cold, morose, winter gray, the prevalent environmental conditions of so many earlier transatlantic crossings, as the dark, billowing clouds reassembled into a tight, cohesive quilt, hindering even a momentary glimpse of the sun. Merging dimensionally with the ocean, the amorphous, referenceless void cacooned the floating city until visibility extended no further than ten feet from either of its sides. Two souls, well dressed, braved the fierce, blustering wind as they attempted, buttressed by the force, to circle the deck. Thus was life on a transatlantic crossing.

As the day bordered the midnight demarcation line, the ship crossed from the Newfoundland Basin to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and, effectively, reached the North American continent. Two days of steaming remained before it arrived at its terminus, the Port of New York.

A baby stroller can be a big help on a trip that will entail a good deal of walking or transporting a young child. However, be sure to remember to check out whether or not your destination will be stroller-friendly along the way.

Here are 10 tips for flying with a baby stroller.

1. Make an educated decision about bringing a baby stroller. First check with your airline for their policies on bringing along a baby stroller. This may determine whether or not you will consider it a hassle or an asset for your trip.

2. Know the area you will be walking around. Consider the terrain, the width of the aisles and doorways as well as the amount of stairs you may be subject to climb. Pushing a stroller on a bumpy stone path or transporting it between subway rides may well be more difficult than simply carrying your child.

3. Before you even get to the airport be sure to properly label your stroller (on the handle bar or side bars) with a permanent marker or paper label. Write down your contact information, destination and flight information. You will be given a tag when you check your stroller but it is better to use BOTH to insure you get your stroller back once you have landed.

4. Have a Plan B for those times when you will need to leave your stroller outside or in the trunk. For babies that weigh no more than 20/30 lbs. keeping a baby carrier, sling or backpack is a good second option. For older children who can walk themselves, consider a harness to keep them tied to you in crowds and strange places. If you do not like the idea of a harness for your child just be sure to start explaining to them a little each day about the importance of staying next to you or other caregivers when you are in a different place. They should understand who it is safe to talk to and give them something that has your contact information to wear when you are out in public.

O.K. Now you are ready to head to the airport!

5. It will be easiest to employ your stroller throughout the airport and just check it at the gate of the plane. Most airlines will let you stroll right on up to the gate of the plane before having to check it in.

6. If you would like to count your stroller with your luggage at check-in be sure to find out if you will be charged an extra fee. Some airlines do not count a baby stroller as a part of the luggage you are allowed to bring on and may have a rate that you do not want to pay.

7. If you are loading at the gate you will be asked to remove your child yourself and fold the stroller down to be stored. (It is nice to have a helping hand available to hold your child(ren) during this part.) Bringing duct tape is a good idea if your stroller isn’t compact enough to store in the overhead compartment on the plane. Simply tape the sides of the stroller shut tightly or wrap the stroller entirely around it’s center. This will help to keep it closed while it is being loaded and unloaded into the cargo area therefore minimizing possible damage.

8. Your stroller will then be tagged and given a corresponding receipt that you will need to hold on to, in order to retrieve your stroller once you land.

9. Be sure to confirm with the attendant at the gate check where you will pick up your stroller upon landing. Most airlines will return your stroller at the gate as you exit but it could be sent along with the other luggage to the baggage claim.

10. Upon your exit present your receipt to claim your stroller or head to the baggage claim to retrieve it there. Remember to take advantage of your stroller and load it down with whatever baggage you can to alleviate the strain on your arms and shoulders.

It is important to note that if you are bringing a light umbrella stroller that can be folded compactly enough to fit into your overhead carrier (find out the dimensions from the airline) you will not need to gate check your stroller. Simply fold it and carry it to your seat. There are certain things you may want to consider before choosing between your lightweight,.standard stroller and your heavier, fancier stroller. Here is a list of pro’s and con’s for both.

Basic Umbrella Stroller- Between 10-13 lbs.

Pro’s:

Compact, easy to fold and store. Lightweight and easier to carry if you have to. Can likely be stored in overhead of airplane so there is less opportunity for damage during the flight. Cheaper to replace should you have any damage. Easier fit through standard doorways, aisles, sidewalks and stairs.

Con’s:

Not much storage to hold bags, or toys or anything acquired during an outing. Not as easily maneuvered on rocky or difficult roads or terrain.

The BIG Stroller- The One With All the Fixin’s!

Pro’s:

Good amount of storage for diaper bags, purses and shopping bags. Usually has a canopy and plenty of accessories to entertain and protect from the sun or rain. Much easier to maneuver due to the bigger wheels and design. May be compatible with the car seat you are using or renting, therefore making a complete travel system.

Con’s:

Takes up more space in trunks on sidewalks or buses. Heavier to carry. Needs to be stored with luggage on plane.

Based on this list you should pick the stroller that you feel will serve you and your child the best. There is nothing like having a stroller to help out when it comes to toting your children. A stroller is the next most important item to the crib when it comes to having a baby.

Their first car was built in 1915 and was referred to as the Coal Scuttle.

More cars were not built until 1920.

Three more prototype cars were built, chassis number A3 was the third Aston Martin ever built and is the oldest in existence with a 1.5 litre 11 hp four cylinder side valve. In 1923 it was able to lap Brooklands at 84.5 mph.

Two Grand Prix Team cars (TT1 and TT2) were built for Count Zborowski to compete in the 1922 Isle of Man TT (although they were not ready in time) Originally featuring a engine with twin camshafts and 16 valves, the cars were then fitted with the Benson Twin Cam engines. This was designed by The Hon. John Benson as a new power unit for the cars just before Bamford and Martin called in the receivers in 1925. A total of approx 61 cars were built during this era, insufficient to save the company.

1929, The Aston Martin International was another successful racer and was followed by the Le Mans and the Ulster.

1936, The company which was now owned by Sir Arthur Sutherland, decided to concentrate on road cars.

The advent of World War II halted work, and the company languished throughout the war’s duration.

1947, David Brown Ltd bought Aston Martin and Lagonda which resulted in the initials DB being used for the new models.

1948 – 1950, Aston Martin DB1.

Only 14 of these handsome convertibles were ever produced. Retrospectively known as the DB1

This Two Litre Sports was powered by a 1970cc, pushrod four cylinder engine, producing 90bhp. The car had independent front suspension and featured spare wheel compartments in the front wings. This attractive sports car was replaced in 1950 by the more successful DB2

1950 – 1953, DB2.

The first series of cars to be sold with the famous “DB” initials. The car was powered by the Twin-cam, W.O. Bentley designed Lagonda engine, developing 116bhp in standard form and 125bhp in “Vantage” guise.

A distinctive design offered in both two seater Coupe and Drophead Coupe form. Only 411 cars produced in total.

T

he Aston Martin DB3 and later DB3S were racing cars, although, they used some DB2 parts, they were quite different, being designed especially for racing.

1951 – 1953, DB3.

The DB3 was introduced with a 133 hp 2.6 L straight six engine, from the DB2 Vantage. A larger 2.9 L engine, producing 163 hp (122 kW), was introduced in 1952.

1953 – 1957, DB3S.

The DB3S was a lighter version of the DB3, two coupe versions were built.The DB3S was replaced in 1956 by the famed racing DBR1.

1957 – 1959, DB Mark III.

This was an evolution of the DB2/4 model it replaced, using the same 2.9 L (2922 cc) engine. Changes included a grille like that on the DB3S, a new instrument panel, and available Girling disc brakes. A hydraulic clutch was new as well, and optional overdrive or automatic transmission were available. Engine output was 162 hp, though an optional dual-exhaust system raised this to 178 hp. The regular car could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and hit 120 mph (193 km/h).

1958 – 1963, DB4.

Featured elegant coachwork designed by Touring of Milan, Italy. The handmade, aluminum bodywork panels were mounted on a steel tube frame, using the Superleggera (meaning: super light) method of construction. All round disc brakes fitted, made first by Dunlop and later on by Girling.

There were five series of the DB4, each series introduced changes and improvements to the original series one cars. Early cars have a mesh grille and simpler bumper design. Later cars are longer and consequently heavier than early cars, some late series five cars had DB5 style headlamp covers.

All DB4s were powered by a new six cylinder, all aluminum, 3670cc engine designed by Tadek Mereck, developing around 240bhp.

The DB4 offered excellent performance for the time, 140mph top speed and 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Overdrive transmission on most cars, the gearbox was produced by Astons’ owner, David Brown. A Vantage engine was also available, offering even higher power outputs.

1963 – 1965, DB5.

A total of 1021 cars were built. The bodywork is similar to the series five DB4 Saloons, although due to extra equipment the weight had risen dramatically.

The straight six, Tadek Mereck designed engine now displaced some 3995cc. All but the first DB5s had a new ZF five speed gearbox and other luxuries such as adjustable, Selectaride type Armstrong Dampers and electric windows. Standard engined cars had 282bhp, with Vantage engined cars having 314bhp, enough extra power to compensate for the cars heavier kerb weight.

As well as being produced in saloon form the DB5 was also available as a convertible, in a similar style to the DB4 Convertible. A more unusual DB5 derivative was the conversion by coachbuilder Harold Radford, the DB5 Shooting Brake, only 12 cars were produced.

1965 – 1970, DB6.

The DB6 bodywork had a new tail design, offering improved aerodynamics and also had a revised rear 1/4 windows and a higher rear roof line. Options now included power steering (on MK1 cars), air conditioning, automatic transmission, limited slip differential and a 325bhp Vantage engine option.

A convertible body style was also offered, as was the normal Aston tradition, although now called “Volante”, a name still used by the company today. Early (1965-1966) DB6 Volantes had a “short chassis” body, only 37 were produced and are distinguished by a shorter tail. A handful of “Shooting Brakes” were also produced by British coachbuilder Harold Radford.

1967 – 1972, DBS and the DBS V8 Vantage.

The DBS featured an all new body, designed by William Towns (who later designed the AM Lagonda in 1976) which featured a distinctive four headlamp grille and a much squarer, more transatlantic shape than seen before on the other DB cars.

Originally designed to accept an all new V8 engine, unfortunately this was not ready in time for the cars launch, so it had to make do with the tried and tested DB6 engine. Due to the increased weight of the DBS body, performance dropped resulting in a 140mph top speed and a 0-60 time of 8 seconds. The DBS was eventually replaced by the DBS V8, although confusingly a single headlamp car known simply as a Vantage, was also produced alongside the AMV8 but featuring the straight six DBS engine.

Skyjacker knows one thing: people always enjoy trekking out into the great outdoors to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday living. Adventure is in our DNA, and Skyjacker crafts suspension accessories that fuel this natural urge to press ever farther along the unknown road ahead. To these intrepid explorers, Skyjacker is the name you can trust to get you out into the darkest corners and back again.

The history of Skyjacker shows a clear dedication to off-roading, and that’s why they use only innovative designs, advanced engineering, and the toughest materials for their parts. Ask any sunburned dune surfer, rock crawler or mud bogger, and they’ll raise up hosannas on behalf of Skyjacker. For all of your Skyjacker needs, online parts and accessories stores will likely have all that you are searching for. Not only do we have an extensive selection, but our everyday low prices and 1-year low price guarantee ensure that you get the best deals on Skyjacker accessories right here.

Here are some SkyJacker product and brand reviews that I found on the web:

“Good product. Greatly improved bump steer problems on 1995 Jeep Wrangler with 4″ lift and 12.5″ x 33″ tires”

“I am really pleased with the skyjacker steering stabilizer, It really has helped with keeping my jeep steady and between the lines.”

“This is the second pair of skyjacker leaf springs I have ordered, and have yet to be dissappointed. The springs were shipped exceptionally fast. I have used skyjackers in all of my trucks and have had no problems. I will be ordering a third set to finish out my 81 Toyota truck, and it’ll be ready for the trails!”

“I was really impressed in the timely manner in which the add-a-leafs where shipped and arrived to me. Installation was a bit tricky. On Chevy Silverados, the gas tank sits in the way of removing the front driver side spring eye bolt. Instead of taking the leafsprings out I had to drop the axel. Make sure you disconnect the brake line brackets so you have enough room to lift the frame up. I also found it easy to reinstall the springs by putting tape around the leafs before lifting them up to join them the spring with the eye bolts. C clamps are a must. Over all it is a pretty simple installation. The add-a-leaf is exactly what I was looking for to get rid of the sagging in the rear end.”

“I am very satisfied with both the appearance and performance of these springs. I added 1.5 inch lift to the rear and 2 inches to the front and it looks and drives “right on”.”

“I ordered the skyjacker add a leafs for my 2001 dodge ram 1500 to raise the rear 2 inches. It did what I wanted and didn’t stiffen up my springs that much. Im very happy with them and would use them on other vehicles too, Thanks.”