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Should You Go Deep-Sea Fishing?
If you’ve gone fishing before and hated it, there’s a chance you’ve never gone deep-sea fishing. Even people who aren’t normally interested in the cast-and-wait strategy involved in lake fishing can be enthralled, and there’s nothing quite like seeing a shark come out of that deep water instead of a bluegill. The problem is that deep-sea fishing can be very expensive. So how can you make your decision?
Additionally, there are some side benefits to deep-sea fishing: first, you’ll learn about the different kind of wildlife that inhabits the waters near your vacation spot. If you never knew what a “bonnethead” shark was, you might be ready to find out. You might also spot some other creatures like stingrays. Of course, if you catch a well-muscled shark, your captain should help you in gutting it and storing the meat to eat for dinner.
First, there are a lot of reasons to go deep-sea fishing. The more people you have in your family, the more reasons you have. It’s not a good idea to take very small children out on the boat – and most deep-sea fisherman won’t let you – but if your children are in adolescence and can follow some basic orders, they should be able to handle it fine. It’s important to consider the kind of experience you want your children to have. Deep-sea fishing can be fun for you, but it can be a life-long memory for your children.There are some downsides to deep-sea fishing, however. The first is the cost – a great experience out on a boat doesn’t come cheap. Usually, you’ll be chartering a boat from the captain, who will be able to do much of the work for you while letting you reel in the big one. You’ll also be out on the water for hours at a time, which means that you’re essentially buying a large portion of the captain’s day.
If you’re not careful, there are some other potential problems – sunburn and dehydration. When you’re surrounded by water, it can sometimes be easy to forget that you need to keep drinking plenty of it (just not the saltwater, of course!). Keep hydrated, fed, and make sure that you keep on plenty of sunscreen.
Is deep-sea fishing for you? It may take a couple of times to really understand if you want to do it again. But if you have the right captain, you should be able to make some great catches and take pictures that can last a lifetime.
Photo Credits: Hello Daly
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How to Hike in the Heat
For many hikers who hate to waste a hot summer Saturday, going hiking can be a thrilling – and exhausting – experience. But with today’s medical technology, we know just how dangerous it can be to become dehydrated and how quickly a slight case of dehydration can turn into heatstroke. But if you don’t have any other time or climate to hike the trail other than when it’s completely hot, how can you avoid the problems of heat? Here are a few tips.
Next, make sure that you wear as much white as you can. White reflects the sun’s light, helping to keep your clothes more cool. White shorts and a white T-shirt will help your cause; wearing dark clothes will absorb more light and more heat, making things more difficult for you.
First, make sure that you’re cleared for hot hiking in the first place. Watch for heat advisories – many times on the radio they will announce these advisories with regularity on the news stations. If your doctor has told you to avoid exercising strenuously, you don’t want to go out in the heat – even simply walking for an extended period of time can be tough on your body.You’ll also want to consider how to exactly replace what you lose when you sweat. Many people drink plenty of water but find that it doesn’t always replenish them in terms of how they feel: that’s because when you sweat, you also lose other electrolytes like salt and potassium. Bring some pretzels and bananas to snack on so that you can help replace these electrolytes. They won’t be able to keep you going forever, but they’ll help you feel satisfied. Don’t overdo it with the salt: remember that salt can have a dehydrating effect. Simply nibble.
Finally, avoiding the heat means trying to get out when the sun is not at its brightest – avoid the lunchtime hours and try to hike in the early morning or late evening if you can. If your hike needs to wait, go in the early evening before the sun starts setting; otherwise, make plans to hike the day before, when you can control how early you wake up.
Heat can be a tough thing to worry about while you’re exercising, but if you’re in good physical shape, it’s not something that can stop you from enjoying your active hobbies.
Photo Credits: Ken Lund
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Five Tips for Safe Desert Hiking
Desert hiking? Yeah, you heard me. When most people think about hiking, they think about thickly-forrested hills with trails cutting gently up the slopes, or canyoneering through northern Arizona with some spectacular views. But some people don’t have access to a whole lot of country side except…desert. And if you’re a desert hiker, that’s just fine by you.
Of course, desert hiking does come with a few risks. If you want to hike safely in the questionable terrain, here are a few tips that should help you on your way.
1. Plan a hike in advance. Don’t just know where you’re leaving on your hike, know where you’re going, what you’re bringing, who’s coming with you, and how to get to your destination. Without a plan, you’ll be far more susceptible to the potential dangers that come with desert hiking. Is every desert hike very dangerous? No, but being prepared will minimize your chances of something bad happening.
2. Remember water and electrolytes. If you’re going on an extended desert hike, you have to remember that water is crucial. Even if you think you can handle a certain amount of exercise, remember that hot air and the sun can also contribute to dehydration – and you often don’t know it until it’s too late.3. Protect your skin as much as you can. Remember to use light white fabrics that wick away sweat and protect your skin from the sun. White reflects more sunlight back to the sun, while black absorbs it. Dress in a lot of white and bring plenty of sunscreen so that the exposed parts of your skin still have some protection. You don’t only want to avoid sunburn, but you want to avoid your skin baking up and losing a lot of hydration.
4. Don’t go alone. It can be tempting to throw caution to the wind and go of adventuring by yourself, but if you bring a hiking partner, you’ll have a lot better chances of finding where you need to go, and making sure that you’ll stay safe.
5. Tell someone else about your plans. If you’re going to be gone a good while – or even going to be gone at all – make sure that someone relatively close to you knows where you headed and when you headed out.
Photo Credits: heatkernel
