Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.”
–John Lubbock
Navigating on the water can be a little tricky for the novice. More than ever before, people rely more heavily on technology to get them from point A to point B. We can easily say, OK Google, take me to Bowman Bay and magically our phone will guide on us on our way. On the water, we usually don’t have the luxury of Google or Siri to navigate for us.
Weather is one of the biggest hazards we face as Sea Kayakers. Sometimes we take for granted the endless stream of weather information at our fingertips. We can get up to the minute observations, forecasts, satellite images, radar images all from our computers and smartphones but what happens when you are on a trip and no longer have access to the Internet, TV, or Radio.
Do you want to take your paddling to a new level and try your hand at kayak camping? Are you intimidated by all the extra gear and wondering how in the heck you’ll fit it all in your boat? I was too: here are some tips on how to get it done in a quick and efficient manner.
Getting knocked out of your boat and back in by yourself is hard enough, but once back in you have to hand pump all the water out, or do you? Having a reliable electric bilge pump to pump that water out will keep both of your hands on your paddle allowing you to brace in the conditions that knocked you over in the first place. It is also a handy toy that you can use to douse your unsuspecting friends with a cold blast of water.
I love cooking over a campfire. When out on a multiday trip in places where campfires are allowed I always pack my Purcell Trench Streamside Voyageurs Grill. It takes up very little room in the hatch as it is just a 1/4" thick and lays flat against the hull. It is aslo made of Stainless Steel so it does not rust. I have been using mine now for 6 years and it is still going strong.