Leave No Trace: campfire

Campfires… I have spent many a night watching the flames dance and mingle among the stars on a moonless night.  I have heard many tall tails and ghost-stories become accentuated by the glowing embers and nocturnal sounds emanating from under a blanket of darkness.  I could not imagine not having my son enjoy a campfire.  But times [...]

#5 Expedition Planning: Jeff and Seans’ Gear.

Hello, and Welcome!
This post is to inform everyone of what gear we feel will be needed to make our journey successful and fun, as well as keep us safe and happy at the same time. A quick review of the Mandatory Survival Needs, followed by our gear and why we chose what we are taking. [...]

#4 Expedition Planning : The Menu!

Hey Water Junkies, SORRY this post is long overdue: It has been a stressful time recently & I had computer problems-A WORM! I’ m not talk’n earth worm either! Computer still down but I’ m finally doing this from my home computer- not the infected work computer.

Here it is, the long awaited #4 post in our Expedition [...]

The sine qua non of Greenland Kayaking

I am adding fuel to the fire of debate with this post.

Greenland paddlers like to say we “qajaq”.  We sometimes wear a tulik that make us look like a talking seal.  The paddle we use looks like a thin-down two by four piece of lumber.  We prefer to play between the edge of where air [...]

Leave No Trace: human waste

As the title implies this post is a dirty subject.  I am a backpacker first and a paddler second.  So the practice of handling feces in the outdoors is a natural practice.
Most of the places we paddle are sensitive environments.  And we need to consider using the lowest impact practices when we go number two.  [...]

First Aid for Marine Animal Bites, Stings, Punctures.

Hey Paddlers,
After writing my previous blog on Sea Urchins titled Search’in For Urchin, I promised to write a blog about First Aid for Marine Animal Bites, Stings, and Punctures. But first we need to put up the dreaded DISCLAIMER: By no means is the information here supposed to be considered THE LAW, and is not [...]

Kayaking at night: Gear

Retailers lure us in and then try to brainwash us into purchasing their flashy inventory.  The reality is that we do not need a lot of fancy stuff to stay safe on the water.  To think people created the kayak to hunt on some of the deadliest waters known to man.  And they survived.  Their [...]

Kayaking at night: seeing in the dark

My friends and I have paddled a lot of the water with in a thirty minute drive of my home.  I know these waters well.  I have paddled them on sunny and rainy days, when the tide is in and out.  And I have to say that they are the most unique and mysterious just [...]

Slip-Slop-Slap: Sun Safety

June is UV Safety Month.
In 1981, the Cancer Council Victoria gave birth to a seagull named Sid.  Sid is the popular figure that promotes how to reduce sun exposure in Australia.  I think their campaign to reduce the risk of skin cancer is a good idea and kayakers should rethink how we treat our skin [...]

Preventing Skin Cancer: kayak kit

I paddle in Florida.  And playing outside increases my risks of developing skin cancer.  I do take precautions to protect my skin.  I wear sunblock that is high in a broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF.  And I cover as much skin as possible.  Covering skin with a long sleeve top is the simplest yet most challenging way to [...]