Inflatable Kayak Blog

My wife and I save all of our wine corks in a decorative vase which sets on a shelf above our wine rack. But there’s a couple of other uses for those old corks other than decor or tossing them out. Of course, the synthetic corks that we’re seeing more and more of won’t work for this fire-starting tip, but the traditional corks will.

Try soaking some old corks in a jar of rubbing alcohol. You can then use a few of them underneath logs and newspapers in your fireplace to get your fire going quickly. You should light them with a long-handled starter for safe use.

Another way to use them is to take them along for your camping or overnight kayaking trip. Soak some corks ahead of time, then wrap them in foil and seal them securely in a zip-lock plastic bag. If you want, you can store them in your dry bag, but be sure they’re well sealed in their own bag first so the odors don’t escape.

(Candace Clayton is an author who’s written novels, poetry and other short stories. She was kind enough to write this fictional adventure story specifically for the Inflatable Kayak Blog about ‘The Traveling Man’, a kayaker who tells us a tale about a youthful adventure with his buddies on the river where he grew up. We hope you enjoy it!)

(When left our hero, he was about to join his buddies to chase off some ‘dad burned females’ from their swimming hole. However, suddenly, in the middle of the river, where the water ran the deepest and coolest, emerged the most beautiful mermaid he had ever seen.)

Water dripped off her and caught the sunlight in millions of sparkly prisms. I was struck nearly blind by her radiance.

I  figured this glorious beauty was part of that annoying group invading our water hole. What to do! If my buddies succeeded in running off that gaggle of chicks, this vision of pure loveliness would leave too. I just couldn’t let that happen, so I did some quick thinking.

My plan was ingenious, or so I thought at the time. I reached out and ducked John under the surface, by way of the fact that he was closest to me and had the loudest voice. That feller come up out of the river spitting and sputtering with blood in his eyes!

I never even saw what was headed my way. I was still in awe of the angel so innocently floating in the river having no idea of the trouble her mere presence was causing. Next thing I knew, John jumped on me and was swinging as fast and as hard as he could. He got me with a quick upper cut and knocked me clean out.

John says, my inner tube, with no regard to my condition, kept floating down river. right past them women folk. And as soon as they saw me they set up a hue and holler fit to bring down the gates of heaven.

My buddies, seeing me floating down river, with no never mind of where I was headed, left off their plan to scare those girls outta’ the river and set up a chase after me. By this time I was getting closer to the next bend in the river.  Devil’s Peak, we locals all called it. I am sure you can prolly guess as to why we called it that.

Devil’s Peak was not big as waterfall’s go. We were in Texas after all… not a lot of hills and such in those parts of the country, but I can guarantee a waterfall can be powerful mean to a body when it has the mind to.

So there I was, floating unaware to what could very well be my last trip down any river. John was hollering at the top of his loud lungs, “Wake up, wake up! You gonna’ go and get yourself killed!”  As I was just comin’ to, naturally, I wasn’t in the mood to take another hit.

I looked up just in time to see the roiling white water. The instant I hit the rapids, my tube flipped and dumped me headfirst into the churning river.

Good thing was I was now wide-awake and aware of my pending doom. Bad thing was, my tube popped.

I could barely see John waving his arms and yelling something at me, but couldn’t understand what he was saying.  Whether this was due to the water rushing around me or the fact that I had been dealt one of the hardest punches I had ever taken in my life, I don’t rightly know.

I went under the water again, but this time when I popped back up, I cold see John at the riverbank ahead of me. He was holding a limb out over the water. I struggled to reach for the tree branch on my way past him. Just when I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to grab the branch, something pushed me up from underneath the water.

As soon as the branch touched my palm, I grabbed on to that bit of bark as tightly as I could while John and the rest of my buddies pulled me to the shore.

I never did see what gave me that shove out of the river and saved my life, but my gut told me it was that golden haired vision I’d snuck a glance at before all the ruckus started. In my opinion, I was saved by a real live mermaid!

I didn’t tell anyone at home the truth of what happened that day. I didn’t have too. John had seen the whole thing. We never spoke of it together, but the look in his eye when he pulled me to shore told me he knew.

That’s how my life of traveling the rivers and oceans came to be. I went back to that river time and time again, but she was gone. So, I packed my camping gear and hitched a ride to the bus depot.

That’s where I ran into John, carrying his backpack.  Seems we were of the same mind. The two of us climbed on that ole bus without looking back and headed out to find that dream.

What’s that? Did we ever see the mermaid again? In later years, paddling one of my fancy, new folding kayaks? Well, I ain’t saying we did, and I ain’t saying we didn’t. You’ll have to come visit again sometime for another story and find out.

The author, Candace Clayton, lives in Granbury, Texas with her Husband and family, spending as much time in the outdoors as she can.

(Candace Clayton is an author who’s written novels, poetry and other short stories. She was kind enough to write this fictional adventure story specifically for the Inflatable Kayak Blog about ‘The Traveling Man’, a kayaker who tells us a tale about a youthful adventure with his buddies on the river where he grew up. We hope you enjoy it!)

I’m a traveling man by nature.  I’ve been traveling for pert near my whole life. I‘ve seen some interesting places, met lots of people, and enjoyed experiences I never woulda had chance to enjoy back home. I’ve traveled by horseback across the plains of Texas. Traveled by train across half the good ol US of A. I’ve flown high above the oceans to exotic places like Japan and Egypt. Even traveled down the River Nile by steamboat. Man that was some trip!  Course by far and above, my favorite way to travel is by Kayak.

Ah, Kayaking! I can still feel the wind in my hair and the water splashing back in my face. Man against nature, or more likely, it‘s man working with nature to get past those patches of whitewater. Mother nature always put on a show; fish jumpin’ in the water, cliffs and riverbanks flowing past me as the birds sing and the frogs croak. Course, those skeeters were pesky creatures, but the places I saw were worth a bit of discomfort.

My love of the river started when I was just a youngun. My buddies and I grew up on the good ol Brazos River.  Land sakes, I can’t count the hot summer days we spent floating down the river on our patched up inner tubes, which are a far cry from the inflatable kayaks we know today. Of course, we couldn’t very well afford kayaks back then. Shoot, we didn’t even have an oar! We didn’t care though. To us, those inner tubes that carried us from one bend of the river to the next were better than them golden chariots the angels in heaven use to get around.

We sure had us some good times on those hot summer days.  Days where the heat rises from the ground in waves and there ain’t a breeze to stir the trees. On a day like that, the river is the best place to be. Shoot fire, it’s the only place you can get cooled down at all.

Like I was saying, here we boys were, riding down that river, desperate for a cool breath of air. We’d almost gotten to our favorite swimming hole, just around the next bend where the water ran deep and cool.

Just as we were gettin’ geared up to dive out of our tubes into the water, we heard a horrendous noise.

Sounded like hundreds of birds a twittering and splashing in a birdbath, but when we got closer we realized it was the high-pitched giggling and squealing of a group of folks we had no intentions of sharing our swimming hole with: girls.

Sure enough, our eyes confirmed what our ears hadn’t wanted to believe. There had to be at least ten or so of those annoying creatures splashing around. We couldn’t believe our bad luck. No matter how hard we screwed our eyes shut, those girls wouldn’t go away.

My buddies and I were getting ready to run those dad burned females right off the river; when it happened. All of a sudden, right in the middle of the river, where the water ran the deepest and coolest, emerged the most beautiful mermaid I’d ever seen.

(Is it a real mermaid? Visit the Inflatable Kayak Blog (on Tuesday, 2-23-10) for part 2 of our story. If you’d like, you can set your computer to receive our RSS feed and you’ll be informed automatically when the next part of the story will be posted.)

The author, Candace Clayton, lives in Granbury, Texas with her Husband and family, spending as much time in the outdoors as she can.

In addition to the low prices now being offered on their Float Tubes, Creek Company has added some excellent discounts to their complete line of inflatable pontoons for fishing. All of the ODC XR series pontoons are marked down for a limited time, most likely through April (2010), enabling customers to get ready for the coming fishing season while staying under their budget. For example, the ODC XR-8 is marked down $300 at $599.99 and the top of the line, two person, ODC XR-2 is discounted $600 at $1399.99 currently at PortableKayaks.com where free shipping is included with any inflatable pontoon purchase.

Inflatable Pontoons, also called “belly boats”, are extremely popular for fishing because they are lightweight, portable and very maneuverable, enabling fishermen to oar themselves quietly and easily into secluded fishing areas. Inflatable fishing pontoons also provide an ideal seating position, high above the waterline.

While watching the coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, it’s hard not to be impressed with the breathtaking views that NBC uses to introduce and transition their coverage segments. The commercial that features Canadian natives such as Michael J. Fox, Steve Nash, Kim Cattrall and Ryan Reynolds inviting us to visit has some pretty nice scenery, too. This type of majestic beauty always draws me in and in the process of searching for places to kayak in British Columbia for my ‘kayaking vacation wish list’, I happened to run across a blog written by a guy who calls himself “paddlesheep” and uses an Innova Sunny kayak, a very versatile inflatable kayak that’s known to track and handle very well. He blogs about a kayaking trip in British Columbia that lasted seven days and took him through the southern gulf islands, starting in Swartz Bay and ending in Ladysmith. There’s some nice pictures, too. It’s simply titled “Inflatable Kayaking in B.C.”

Now, I have to get back to my “wish list!”

I know many of you have been outdoors shoveling more snow than you care to this winter and I got to thinking about a tip for drying out your boots. When I’ve been out hiking or hunting and my boots have gotten wet, I’ll wad up some newspaper and put it inside the boots to absorb the moisture. It really speeds up the drying process. Replace the newspaper every 45 minutes or so till you notice there’s not much moisture buildup. Your boots will be dry for your next day’s hike or shoveling adventure. There’s not a much more uncomfortable feeling than slipping your feet into a pair of day old wet boots or ruining that nice pair you got from The North Face, so a good drying method is an absolute necessity. And I don’t think wearing dry bags on your feet is a practical alternative!

No, they haven’t added “snow kayaking” to the 2010 Winter games, but a couple of PakBoat folding kayaks will be there. During the Winter Olympics, two Puffin models will be on display (and offered for sale) at Lonsdale Quay public market in Vancouver, Canada. The “Dreamcatcher Boats” booth is located under the tent at the Seabus terminal, by the fountain – “you can’t miss it”. Brian Chandler is displaying a Puffin (12) Kayak and a Puffin Swift – both of them offered at very favorable prices. PakBoats worked out a special arrangement with Brian so that they will be able to ship boats directly to customers in foreign countries from the PakBoat warehouse in New Hampshire. Brian will take care of shipments to customers in Canada. This is a great opportunity for the Olympic visitors to get a look at these lightweight folding kayaks, up close and personal. If you happen to be an American visiting the Olympics, check them out and if you like what you see, contact PortableKayaks.com when you get back for free shipping and an excellent price.

Contributed by Sheryl Brennan

OK, fella’s. It’s no secret Valentine’s Day is on Sunday. Your best gal has been throwing out hints for weeks. It doesn’t matter that the holiday falls only a week after the Super Bowl and on the cusp of Spring Training, if you don’t have “something” planned, that little sumpin’, sumpin’ ain’t happening for you and the couch will be a few degrees warmer than your bedroom.

So, to avoid the glaring stares because you simply haven’t made a plan and all the good restaurants are booked, give her a Valentine’s Day to remember at home. You even get to work the grill in freezing cold temperatures. OOO-RAH!

• Step 1- Call the In-Laws and make overnight accommodations for anyone living in your house under the age of 21, then proudly announce to your special someone that you have made arrangements for the kids and she can sleep in on Valentine’s Day.
• Step 2- While your lady-love is sleeping in on Sunday, drop said inhabitants off at In-Laws and make your way to the nearest gourmet grocery store.
• Step 3- Pick up a bouquet of flowers from the floral department, fancy dessert from the bakery, stick candles and holders from the household supply aisle, nice smelling bubble bath from the Health and Beauty section, Bottle of White Wine from the Beer and Wine aisle (or stop by the Liquor Store on Saturday night if you are in a state that doesn’t allow beer and wine sales in the grocery stores), and the ingredients for the following Valentine’s Day Feast of Grilled Tuna with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans.

Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients: 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into quarters. 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste).
Preparation: Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Wrap potatoes in foil leaving the top open for air circulation. Place on top grill rack, over medium-hot fire until golden crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Approximately 30-minutes.

Grilled Tuna
Ingredients: 2 pounds tuna steak. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 tablespoon grilled tuna. 5-spice rub (or freshly ground coarse black pepper, if you prefer).
Preparation: Slice the steak into 6″-long sections. Coat lightly with olive oil and roll it in the grilled tuna rub mixture or pepper. Grill over a medium-hot fire for 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare. Slice into ½” slices, and spread on serving platter.

Green Beans
Ingredients: 1 package of microwave steam-in-bag Green Beans
Preparation: Follow product directions

• Step 4- Upon your return to the home front, make lots of noise putting away your supplies and setting the table in preparation for your Valentine’s surprise. Make sure to put the flowers in water in the center of the table and set up the candles far enough away so that her hair doesn’t catch fire or the flowers.
• Step 5- Start the grill, then prepare a bubble bath for your significant other with the good smelling stuff you picked out, turn on her favorite CD, and tell her to go relax. When she is engaged in aromatherapy, crack open a nice cold beer for yourself and take a moment to revel in the confused, dazed, yet pleased look on her face.
• Step 6- Begin preparing your meal. When said lovely lady emerges from her Calgon induced coma, hand her the remote with instructions to pick out a “chic-flick” from pay-per-view while you finish dinner.
• Step 7- Open the bottle of wine, pour her a glass, then give it to her along with a nice big smooch and a sexy wink.
• Step 8- Plate your meal, light the candles, turn down the lights, and escort the woman of your heart to the table. Don’t forget to pull her chair and propose a toast to the two of you.
• Step 9- Bask in the adoration she is sure to give you throughout the meal.
• Step 10- When dinner is done, tell her to leave the dishes and join you in the bedroom for dessert. Clothing is optional.

Happy Valentine’s Day you lucky son-of-a-gun!

Sheryl Brennan is the author of Celtic Sacrifice, single mother of three rambunctious pre-teen girls, and an avid outdoors woman. Read more about Sheryl at www.sherylbrennan.com.

Most of the United States are currently experiencing some really bad winter weather. Not the best kayaking conditions, to say the least. That’s simply disappointing for most of us, but this type of dreary weather can have a seriously detrimental effect on others. About one in ten million Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). “SAD” is a prophetic acronym. The folks who suffer from it often experience feelings of depression, lack of energy, increased need to sleep, craving for sweets, weight gain and a weakened immune system. Symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the fall and winter seasons progress. It’s not easily diagnosed, but if you notice these symptoms, you might want to talk to your doctor about it. Only in the most severe cases will doctors prescribe anti-depressant drugs. Phototherapy – the use of light boxes and dawn simulators may also be used. This involves sitting in front of a specialized light box that exposes you very bright light. It’s easy to use and has relatively few side effects.

The best treatments for SAD, though, are the natural solutions you can do on your own like making your home sunnier and brighter by opening up blinds and trimming tree branches that may block the light. Get outdoors on sunny days, even in winter. Outdoor light, even when the sky is overcast, provides as much or more light than phototherapy. Take long walks. Studies show that symptoms improved when individuals took a one-hour walk outside daily. Regular exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms. Get enough rest, eat a balanced diet and take time to relax. Most of these ‘treatments’ sound like a good way to stay fit and healthy, too, so it’s a win-win solution, even for those who don’t have SAD but may have a strong case of ‘cabin fever’. And … if all else fails, take a trip to a sunny location with your inflatable or folding kayak and enjoy the sunshine! That could be the best cure of all!

Contributed by Sheryl Brennan

In a blog post yesterday, we focused on some upper body stretches to help with flexibility for kayakers and to build some stamina during the off-season. Now that we’ve given that upper body some attention, let’s not neglect that lower body. Hamstrings, hips, groin, and glutes need sufficient attention to achieve optimum form, as well. Try these simple stretches to keep that lower half lithe:

Lunging Stretch: Keep the knee directly over the heel, and breathe deeply while pressing hips down toward the ground. You should feel this stretch in the hips, glutes and front thighs.

Sitting Twist: Sit on the ground with your right leg crossed over the left and left hand resting on the ground. Use your right elbow to gently press against the right knee. Hold for about 30 seconds, and repeat for the other leg. This helps to stretch the buttocks and spinal rotator muscles.

Cat Stretch: On hands and knees and with feet together, press the center of your back upward and hold for 30 seconds, breathing deeply. Follow this with the back arch.

Back Arch: Maintaining initial cat stretch position, press your mid to upper abdomen toward the ground and hold comfortably for 30 seconds while breathing deeply. Go ahead, let out a M-E-O-W. No one is listening!

There now. Feel better? Regular stretching can also reduce stress, resulting in a better night’s sleep. And by increasing flexibility, extension, and range of motion you’ll be better prepared for the water sport season.  And by the time you put your traditional or inflatable kayak in the water, you’ll find you can paddle further forward and draw through a greater range.

Sheryl Brennan is the author of Celtic Sacrifice, single mother of three rambunctious pre-teen girls, and an avid outdoors woman. Read more about Sheryl at www.sherylbrennan.com.