Sunday, July 3, 2011

Guard Alaska Bear Spray is a Reputable, Non-Lethal Approach To Safeguard Your self From Bears Whenever You are In The Wild

By Rezat J Embstun


Camping can be fun and enjoyable but it can also pose a serious threat to one's life. My husband and I were reminded of this recently when we were attacked by a bear. It was a good thing that we had a bear defense spray with us, which spared us from sure harm posed by a raging grizzly bear.

The unpleasant event transpired after we set up camp in Montana. We had spent the whole day trekking so it was no surprise that we dozed off within minutes of pitching our tent. As usual, my spouse had kept the Guard Alaska bear spray in a bag within our reach in the event of a grizzly bear assault. He loves this bear pepper spray like no other and brings it with us every time that we go outdoors.

It was late at night when we heard a loud roar. My husband was awakened by the noise and he, being the experienced camper that he is, readied the bear defense spray for fear that the noise could have been caused by a bear.

As it turned out, his suspicion was right. With a loud shriek emanating from a nearby tent, we knew that the other campers were being attacked by a bear. My other half rushed out of our tent, taking the Guard Alaska bear spray along, and proceeded to the other tent where the commotion was happening.

As the bear drew nearer, my hubby aimed the contents of his bear repellent spray at it. The safety clip was easy to remove and this made it quick to use the bear defense spray on the animal that had gone berserk.

Although the grizzly was about 15 feet away, our bear pepper spray had its effects felt completely. It was obviously affected as it retreated towards the darkness. My mister assured our fellow campers that this defense spray was a non-lethal weapon that would not kill nor hurt permanently. As they had witnessed, it only forced the attacker to move away and prevent it from causing us harm.

As soon as the bear had moved away from our campsite, we all clapped and high-fived each other after averting what could have been a deadly situation. I kissed my husband out of relief and gratitude for his courage and quick thinking in turning to the bear defense spray.

As the rest of the camp expressed their gratitude, we nodded our heads graciously and advised them to make a habit of bringing the Guard Alaska bear spray along whenever they go outdoors.




About the Author:



Saturday, July 2, 2011

Flathead Catfishing Is A Fun Way To Fish

By Doug Taylor


Flathead catfish is a native species to the United States. Although they originally came from the Mississippi Brook and the big brooks that drain off of it, flatheads have been transplanted and can now be found in waters across the nation due to their popularity as a game fish and food.

Flatheads can be discovered in slow-moving water like enormous brooks and streams, and also in lakes and ponds. They like to reside in deep water with objects like fallen logs that provide good hiding places.

Flathead catfish are so named for their long, clearly flattened heads. Their eyes are flat and oval shaped, and their lower jaw sticks out past their upper jaw. They come in shades of mottled browns and yellows.

Forty- to fifty-pound flatheads are typically caught in brooks and lakes. Flathead catfish that are over one-hundred pounds have allegedly also been caught.

After hatching, flathead catfish grow swiftly. They are mature when they're about 15 to nineteen inches long, and can live for over twenty five years. They grow continuously all though their life time. Flatheads will eat just about anything they can get in their large mouths, but they prefer fish. Bream are one of their fave foods.

They also like to eat live perch and sunfish. Flathead catfish can destroy the population of some categories of sunfish, especially in smaller bodies of water, or water where they don't seem to be local. Some smaller streams in Georgia have lost almost all their redbreast sunfish after the arrival of flatheads.

Flatheads have a tendency to feed by sight, and will feed at night as well as during the day -- even though most catfish tend to be more active at night. You can lure flatheads with light. They'll come to feed on the baitfish that are drawn to the light.

Flathead catfish like deep holes with cover on the outside edges of brook bends. Look for enormous logjams, tree stumps, and rocks where they like to hole up. Cast under the sides. Let your bait drift in, and then hang on. If the outside bends are too strong to fish, find some inside bends with less current.

In enormous lakes and reservoirs, look for the big flatheads in areas with lots of cover -- like submerged brush piles. Flatheads frequently travel in old river and creek channels in these lakes and reservoirs. At night, they'll travel these channels and appear at the edge of shallows to feed. Position yourself along these areas and wait for them to arrive.

You'll have better results fishing for flathead catfish in the early morning, early evening, and after dark in the summer months. Although flatheads will take bait during the day, they won't go far to do it.

You'll have to become acquainted with the expanse of water you're fishing in and where flatheads are in order to get the bait sufficiently close to them. Keep your catfish bait on the river or lake bottom. Flathead catfish feed off the bottom most of the time.




About the Author:



Friday, July 1, 2011

Whitewater Kayaking Gear

By David Blake


Beginner's Strategies Whitewater Kayaking Gear

Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling on moving bodies of water, normally rivers. The experience can range from your fun float trips to adrenalin charged challenges. Whitewater kayaking requires the same basic gear employed by all kayakers. Gear specifics vary as a result of conditions and also other variables associated with whitewater kayaking.

Kayaks developed for whitewater kayaking, often called playboats, are frequently manufactured from durable and flexible plastic. Lengths vary from about 6 ft to as long as 12 ft ., maybe longer. More recent designs are inclined to run around 6 ft to 7 feet in length. Personal kayak size and shape are based on the user's height, weight, type of water the kayak is going to be used in and primary kayak use.

Whitewater kayaks for fun float trips do not require the options that kayaks used on dangerous river rapids must have. New kayaks cost from around $600 to thousands of dollars.

Paddles for whitewater kayaking are usually around 6 feet long. Lengthier paddles are fantastic for fun whitewater trips on creeks or rivers while shorter paddles work better where swift movement is necessary.

Playboaters can get optimum power from bigger blades while medium blades are fine for creeks and general rivers. Spoon shaped paddles supply power for playboating. Wing blades were designed to obtain optimum power and need a special paddling technique.

Whitewater kayaking paddles are available in a variety of materials such as fiber composites, fiberglass, carbon, plastic, wood and laminated wood. Just about every material has its own weaknesses and strengths. Boater size and paddling style will change choice of paddle.

Type III Personal floatation devices (PFDs) include models that are specifically for kayaking. The best PFD is one which might be adjusted to fit neatly whether the user is wearing a tee shirt or a wet suit. A lot of knowledgeable whitewater kayakers recommend buying the best whitewater kayaking helmet that the budget permits. Function as well as protection are essential considerations, before style. For serious whitewater kayaking, you will discover helmets that seem to be almost like those found in football. They feature face guards and provide far more coverage and protection than standard kayaking helmets.

Resistant Neoprene is the best whitewater kayaking spray skirt material. UV rays, abrasions and stretching will affect the wear and life-span of the spray skirt. Spray skirts must be simple to remove swiftly in case of emergency.




About the Author:



Repo Boat Auctions Are The Banks Gift To You

By Shelby Steinway


Boats at auction consist primarily of boats from bank repossessions i.e. bank repo boats or motivated / distressed owners, not to mention dealer liquidations. Boats liquidated by Government agencies or Police auctions do occur but I've found not that often.

I continue to discover more boats at all the auction houses scattered here and there across North America. The work you put into visiting those boat liquidators in your region can be time consuming. I've found out first hand that it's a tremendous, time consuming effort to peruse repo boats online without some help. If you're willing to frequent these sites you will soon get a good idea what a good price will be for the type of boat you're interested in.

Before jumping into any type of high ticket auction where you're buying equipment, machinery, vehicles, and especially boats or marine equipment you'll want to get a professional survey or inspection performed especially if you're not a DIY type. Some sales will routinely offer a pre-bid inspection of a few days to anytime which is necessary for those who are shopping for a boat that's in need of a few repairs.

Repossessed boats sold at local and regional boat auction houses are becoming even more attractive as banks become more willing to clean up their books of dead weight i.e. non-performing, unprofitable assets in the form of repossessed mid-sized yachts, fishing boats, cruisers, and other water toys. On the other hand classified sellers still want to get what their boat was worth say a few years back. So banks (unlike many emotional classified sellers) stick to facts and figures and lately have been feeling the heat to move inventory. Bottom line is banks are wonderfully motivated and are willing to make a quick decision.

The reality is that even though the US economy is starting to look up, the surplus of repossessed boats for sale along with other bank collateral continues. Savvy boat buyers who are in the market to buy a new or used boat still have opportunity to save at least an average of 20% on about any type of boat should the elect to purchase through a local repo boats auction.




About the Author:



The Optimum Gold Coast Whale Watching Useful Information

By Cornelia Kenneally


The entire Eastern coastal region of Australia is considered to be an excellent region to participate in whales with a selection of tours provided. Absolutely throughout the Gold Coast region it is carefully recommended to look for Gold Coast tours and providers who are members of the Gold Coast Whale Watching Association. Down the Australian Gold Coast it is normal for groups of whales to be viewed from the shorelines as well as high outlook locations.

Even while there happen to be a variety of reliable locations along the Queensland Australia coastline to experience the majestic magnificence of these monarchs of the oceans, the seas around the Gold Coast have a tendency to encounter them sooner and for a longer time. Granted that the humpback whales pass the Gold Coast when travelling north, and once more when returning south, the zone is undoubtedly lucky enough to enjoy a lengthier than standard whale watching time. Humpback whales can be some of the most stunning creatures that you may view. A mature humpback whale may very well achieve lengths which range between 12 and 16 metres, and then can certainly weigh up close to 36000 kilograms. They are also one of the most frolicsome kinds of whales, and definitely will play in the water, breaching frequently, and slapping the surface area with their particular wide tails. A variety of single humpback whales are very inquisitive and may show up in order to examine the whale watchers that are taking a look at them from a charter boat.

Every year during the months of June and October as many as 10,000 humpback whales and their calf's journey along the Australian Gold Coast hunting for milder environments. When they are initially spotted annually they are undoubtedly going north seeking warmer oceans for the calving time, while later on throughout the season they travel returning to the southern Antarctic oceans, at which the humpbacks will most likely devote the rest of the year feasting on tiny marine life plus krill. It is an intriguing reality that they really don't feed when on their trek to the breeding environments. As soon as they are located inside the tropics and even sub-tropics, the whales survive from the fats that they have pent up. The whales that pass by the Gold Coast frequently travel around twenty-five-thousand kms each and every year.

Bryde's Whale, Fin Whale, Sei Whale not to mention Humpback whales are included as members of the Rorqual group. Amongst all these whales, and even several other members of the Rorqual group they have a couple of common characteristics including dorsal fins located on their backs and ventral pleats starting at their lower jaw and extending to their navels. Their main diet is Krill. Their particular baleen plates act to sift their catch. It is exciting to take note White humpback whales have been identified along the Gold Coast, like one of the globe's most widely known whales, an absolutely white humpback whale.

A tour by charter boat will ordinarily take roughly three hours, and quite a number of charters offer both morning and mid-day tours. Price tags will vary, but a half-day excursion will commonly cost roughly $85 to $96 per adult or about $55 per little one. A variety of tours depart at the Marina Mirage at Main Beach, but generally there are also a certain amount of additional points where it is plausible to be a part of an excursion. If you don't have any kind of time demands then hold out to experience your Gold Coast Whale watching tour once the seas are serene. Not merely is it better to sight the whales when the weather conditions are calm, but it can also be much more comfy on the boat.




About the Author:



Florida Keys Map A Useful Tool For Visitors To The Area

By Christie Sellers


The Florida Keys is a complex archipelago extending over 120 miles (190 kilometers) into the Gulf of Mexico from the southern tip of the Florida panhandle. The chain is comprised of over 4,500 islands and cays surrounded by the azure waters of the gulf. Visitors to the area are strongly advised to carry a Florida Keys map because the geography is fiendishly complicated.

Many of the islands are fringed by long sections of stunning coral reefs. The area is a veritable marine paradise. It attracts keen anglers, boaters, scuba divers and snorkelers, and water sport enthusiasts. There is a continuous flow of visitors to the region throughout the year, summer and winter.

The Keys are home to about 80,000 people. The best known islands in the group are Key Largo in the north (made famous by the Humphrey Bogart movie of the same name) and Key West in the south (the home of Ernest Hemingway). One-third of the permanent population in the region lives on Key West.

The islands divide the Gulf of Mexico to the west from the Atlantic Ocean to the east. They lie in waters known as the Florida Straits. Their total land area is small at 137 square miles (356 square kilometers). Their total population is about 80,000 people, one third of this figure located on Key West.

It was well-placed for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas. It was also on the main trade route to and from New Orleans. As improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, during the late nineteenth century, its fortunes waned. Key West remains one of the most visited of the islands and is a constant host to large ocean cruise ships.

Vessels with shallow draft travel to the islands from Miami via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). From Biscayne Bay, the ICW runs through Card Sound and Barnes Sound into Florida Bay. Passage along this route is possible by boats with a draft of no more than five feet. Larger vessels requiring greater draft take the ocean route through Hawk Channel. This route is marked by permanent buoys and is flanked by the outer-most reefs on the east and the islands on the west.

A Florida Keys map is an invaluable piece of equipment when moving about the islands given their great number and complicated pattern. They offer visitors much to explore and do. The map helps tourists get the most enjoyment out of their stay. Read more about: florida keys map




About the Author:



An Overview About Nautical Charts In Florida

By Stacie Allison


Navigational maps are very useful in maritime transportation and marine voyage. Nautical charts Florida have the best products of up-to date maps drawn by expert cartographers. Navigational maps must be drawn with thorough precision to guide ship captains in navigating cruise ships, cargo and commercial vessels, and so on.

Navigational maps is a graphical representation of adjacent coastal regions and the wide maritime area. The map shows a scale, depths and heights of water and land, descriptions of natural seabed, locations of coastlines and hazards, location of the man-made structures such as buildings, harbors and bridges, complete information of water currents and tides, Earth's magnetic field and more.

These navigational charts are developed and pattern on hydrographic surveys. Maps are categorized into two, the traditional and the digital. Electronic maps use computers to project systematic illustrations and figures. However, when the electronic map fails because of unwanted problems, navigational maps must be utilized.

It is very important to buy the most reliable maps because most maps in the market have several errors and using them might endanger your life. Some maps have imperfect graphic drawings and you might lose the right destination. Searching for the best navigational maps might be difficult and you have to consider important matters before you purchase a map and start your voyage.

Take into account that maps should be updated regularly especially the details of land areas and water. Go to marine and navigation authorities who can update your chart to make sure that you will have a safe maritime travel and avoid unpredictable and unsafe waters.

There are plenty of benefits if you opt to buy for larger maps because it is equipped with lots of information compared to smaller maps. Larger maps can provide with great details and better guidance in navigation. There will be less sea complications and troubles. That is why, learning the companies that sell top notch maps is important.

These maps use definite symbols in order to provide the positions of lighthouses, buoys, shipwrecks, landmarks, sea marks, and pilotage information. Better go online to search for the best brands of navigational maps. There are several web sites that have photographs of their products, descriptions, prices, and other details. Compare the prices from one service provider to another.

With the best and quality nautical charts Florida, sea navigation will be more safe and will offer you confidence and peace of mind in navigating. Remember that maritime navigation is risky and unpredictable. Read more about: nautical charts florida




About the Author: