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How to Enjoy Kayaking
One of the most overlooked aspects of enjoying a camping trip is fully exploring the uses and potential of nearby lakes and rivers. If you’ve ever camped on a lake before, you’ve probably felt that the only options available to you are either swimming or fishing. Nothing could be further than the truth – it sounds like you need to kayak!
Kayaking can be a great, peaceful activity that gets your blood moving without exerting you too hard. While some people fully embrace it as a way to build upper body strength and balance, you don’t have to kayak for the physical benefits. Instead, inflating a simple rubber kayak or renting a wooden/metal kayak can be a great way to spend a few hours as daylight dwindles into twilight.
How do you get started with kayaking?
The first thing you’ll need is a kayak, so make sure that you’ve done some exploring to find cheap kayaking options. Local camping sites might have kayaks to rent out, but you could always find a cheap kayak online or an inflatable one. If you purchase an inflatable kayak, make sure there are no leaks by testing it out in shallow waters first. You’ll also want to remember to buy an auto-inflater that uses batteries, as blowing up a kayak by yourself can be quite a chore.
Once you have a kayak or two secured, make sure you have an idea of where to go. On a small lake, you don’t have to worry about getting lost, but large rivers can be a different story. Make sure that you’re capable of getting back to where you started, especially in rougher waters where it can be extremely difficult to control your direction.To spice up your kayak trip, you’ll also want to take a waterproof camera, or at least a well-protected digital camera. Why is this? It won’t only help you remember the trip, but it will provide some snapshots for others to see what you were able to find on your kayak. If you have a companion kayaking with you, you’ll also be able to take some great water-level pictures with extraordinary scenery and backgrounds.
Also, be sure that you don’t overexert yourself on your first kayaking trip. It can be easy to overestimate one’s own endurance, and even though you “feel great” starting out the trip, you might tire easily if it’s your first time. Make sure you don’t stray too far from home base – after you’re confident in your abilities, you can start to venture out farther and continue exploring.
Make sure to wear a life preserver, and you’ll be all set for a safe, secure, and enjoyable kayaking trip – and you can be home just in time for a flame-grilled dinner.
Photo Credits; SergioDJT
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What is the Best Season for Camping?
For many people, the vernal equinox is a signal that it’s time to get ready for warm weather and outdoor activities. For others, going out in the summer is the ideal time – and for others, autumn means it’s time for one last chance! But which is the best time to go out into mother nature and set up camp? Let’s take a look at the individual seasons and see.
Spring
Spring is a beautiful time of the year for many people who live in cooler areas – it means the snow is melting, birds are flying north again, and it will soon be time to turn off those heaters. Leaves are starting to bud and everything is getting greener. But for those who have gone camping too early, spring doesn’t always seem like the ideal time.
Early spring months like March and April can still be muddy and rainy, which doesn’t make for the most pleasant camping experience. Leaves from the previous autumn are still on the ground and grass hasn’t grown enough yet to provide a solid turf. However, people who go camping in spring might be able to take advantage of less traffic in both camp sites and on fishing lakes.Summer
Summer is the most popular time of the year for camping, which can actually be a disadvantage in and of itself: it means you’ll encounter the most crowds. For some, this isn’t so bad, as they enjoy the socializing that comes with going to popular camping sites or heading outdoors, but for others, it makes it harder to re-connect with nature on your own.
Summer often makes for the best weather, particularly in cooler states where summers are mild and not too humid. It’s also the best time to go swimming, as lakes warm up and feel refreshing against the sun throughout months like June, July, and August. Summer also happens to be when kids get out from school, so this is often the option best for families.
Autumn
As the months move on, summer gives way to autumn, which means cooler air, leaves falling, and school back in session. But autumn can be a great time to go camping – mild temperatures can be perfectly comfortable and lakes still need more time to cool back down to winter temperatures. For many people, going out on Labor Day is also a way to kick off the transition to autumn – or the end of summer, depending on how you look at it.
Which is the best season for camping? For many the best season is summer, but it will depend on your own individual perspective.
Photo Credits: gmutt
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Tips for Merging Your Camping and Fishing Trips into One
For those of you with an entire family to please, finding an ideal summer vacation can mean coming up with more questions than answers. Will the kids enjoy camping? What might we do while camping? How can I get some fishing in? Should we go north or south this summer?
The clever vacationer will be able to answer many of these questions with one simple answer: one vacation that includes something for everyone.
Half of the battle of vacationing effectively is filling your time with activities and adventures that truly help you cut loose and relax. On vacation, idle time can often be wasted time. That’s why this article will explain how to merge a camping and fishing trip into one fun, easy vacation.
First, the other half of vacationing effectively is planning.
If you’re going to have a great fishing trip on top of a great camping trip, you’ve absolutely got to scout for the best sites that integrate both. Some great camping sites won’t have any access to good fishing, and some of the best lakes don’t have any camping possibilities whatsoever. You’ll need to search for a camping site, first and foremost, but you’ll also have to make sure it has access to a clean body of water that’s known for good fishing.
Set aside one Saturday well before your vacation simply to do research. Make good use of search engines and their mapping tools to find phone numbers you can call immediately to get a good idea of what camping sites might work best for you. Keep a list of your impressions of each, and whittle down your list to the top three or so candidates.Second, you’ll want to consider how you’ll actually accomplish your fishing once you’re at the site.
Can you do it off the platform? Chances are you’ll want to rent a boat instead, so this should be one question you ask your campsite early in the conversation: are boat rentals available, and how much do they cost?
Don’t be afraid to ask about the local fishing, specifically the types of fish you can expect to catch and how deep the lake might be. These will give you clues as to what bait to bring, and a little more research will help you make the most of your fishing outings once you’re out on the water.
Once you’ve done the planning, much of the vacation will fall into place. Simply bring along the right baits, tackles, and tools you need to catch fish and be ready to enjoy a camping trip that will keep the entire family occupied.
Photo Credits: radcarper
