Author Archives: Tom McHugh

Canoeing Tips – Keep Your Trip Fun & Safe

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Canoeing tips for beginners:

canoeing tips

Canoeing tips are better than tipping a canoe

First, know your equipment well. Don’t go into the water without the proper knowledge or without taking the right precautions. A haphazard canoeist can endanger not only himself, but his fellow paddlers as well.

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Inflatable Canoes

If you’re using inflatable canoes and floatation devices, be sure that you inflate them well at the start of the day; inflate them again after spending some time on the water. On spring days, the air bags will appear to deflate after a few minutes on the water. This is because the water in the spring is still cold. Remember that heat expands and cold contracts. the colder water temperature will contract the air inside the inflatable, causing it to deflate somewhat.

In hotter weather, the reverse will occur. When you put the inflated canoe into the water, the air inside it will expand due to the warmer temperature of the lake or river. To avoid bursting or over-inflating your canoe or floatation device it is best that you let some air out over the course of the day.

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Proper Stroke

If you’re handling too large a canoe, you might find that you have trouble reaching over the gunwale. In this situation your strokes will be too far away from the canoe. This will force the canoe to turn, rather than having a forward-driving force. The technique we recommend involves shifting weights.

[important]Canoeing Tips: Bring your knees together and shift your weight to the paddle side while paddling.[/important]

By shifting your body weight, the gunwale is lowered as you make each stroke. If you’re a beginner, don’t be surprised or scared. This position is actually very stable and the chances of capsizing are very slim.

From this position you can reach over the gunwale and keep your paddle in the vertical position. You’ll find it easier and more efficient to propel the canoe forward when you execute your strokes in this fashion.

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Get a Grip

canoeing tips

Finally, paddling a canoe can be easy or hard depending on your grip on the paddles. More often than not, holding a paddle with a relaxed grip will have better results. Holding the paddle too tightly can cause the blades to twist and turn on the water surface, which will affect the movement of the canoe. For more information on paddling technique see: Proper Technique to Paddle a Canoe.

[important]Canoeing Tips: A loose grip improves your feel for the paddle and, more importantly, reduces the tension in your arms and shoulders.[/important]

A loose grip will improve the way you bring the paddle blades over the water surface and will improve the way you steer your canoe.

These are only a few canoeing tips. There are more that will answer specific needs of paddlers. Canoeing is a skill that can be learned and enjoyed more with practice.

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[important]

Are you looking for an easier way to move your kayak or canoe

to and from the water?

Canoe & kayak carts offer a safe and easy way

to walk your craft to the launching site.

Check out this comparison of the top canoe & kayak carts.

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Adirondack Chair Types

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Adirondack Furniture

Adirondack chairs

Adirondack chairs with their simple, sturdy design will enhance your deck, patio or garden. Popular resort-style Adirondack furniture is always functional and fashionable,  yet  relaxed.

Various functions

The Adirondack design lives on and today you can find a huge selection of this style of furniture, loveseats, chaise lounges, children’s furniture and more. Adirondack furniture is the stylish foundation for patios, porches, and cabins, as well as bed and breakfast inns, resorts and retreats.

Adirondack Chair Types

Wood types

Wooden Adirondack chairs come in cypress, pine, mahogany, cedar and other types of wood. Choosing your Adirondack chair is often simply a matter of determining  the type of wood you prefer. Traditionally cedar or pine were used for construction. Cedar being more durable and resistant to the elements, but pine offering a less expensive, though less durable alternative.

Resin Adirondack ChairsSynthetic Chairs

Recently, an increasingly popular addition to Adirondack furniture design is the plastic chair. These chairs are made from incredibly strong and solid recycled plastic polymers. They do not rust, warp, crack or rot, and often the material looks like real wood. Impenetrable to bugs and moisture, recycled plastic Adirondack furniture will not become weakened or moldy, even after many years of use. UV (ultraviolet light) resistant colors include dark teak, white, sandy beige and hunter green.

Enduring Popularity

Adirondack, or Muskoka chairs, are recognized the world over for their comfort and strength. They are mainstays in outdoor furniture and have endured the passing years to become  timeless favorites.

 >>Visit The Adirondack Chair Shop Here<<

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Peaceful Wind Chimes

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Spinners and peaceful wind chimes at The Lake Life Wind Chimes shop

Wind Chimes

For inspiring peaceful meditation or Zen contemplation, there’s nothing like the sound of peaceful wind chimes. At The Lake Life Wind Chimes Shop you can find a variety of peaceful wind chimes for sale made from beautiful and richly sonorous materials.

Aluminum, glass, brass, and bamboo wind chimes accentuate silence through contrast, and create a tranquil atmosphere both inside and outside the home. You can even find outdoor wind chimes tuned to specific tones and based on the medieval scale that makes that era’s music so soothing. Continue reading →

Canoes: Description and Construction

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What is a Canoe?

A canoe is a small narrow boat, usually powered by paddling, although it can sometimes be powered by sails or small motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top.

Photo © by Jeff Dean

The paddler or paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated or kneeling directly upon the hull. Paddling differs from rowing, where the rowers usually face away from the direction of travel and use mounted oars (though some canoes can be fitted with oarlocks and rowed). Paddles can be single-bladed or double-bladed.

The oldest recovered canoe in the world (about 10,000 years old) is the ‘Pesse canoe’ found in the Netherlands. This canoe is exhibited in the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands.

Materials

Wooden Canoes

The earliest canoes were made from wood, often simply hollowed-out tree trunks (known as dugouts). These are still used in some parts of the world. Modern wooden canoes may be wood strip, wood-and-canvas, stitch-and-glue, glued plywood lapstrake, or birchbark.

In North America, white cedar was used for the frame and bark of the Paper Birch for the exterior, with charcoal and fats mixed into the resin. A few modern canoe builders have revived and continued building birchbark canoes.

Aluminum Canoes

Aluminum canoes were first made by the Grumman company after World war II, when demand for airplanes began to decline. Aluminum allowed a lighter and much stronger construction than the wood construction. However, capsized aluminum canoes will sink unless the ends are filled with flotation blocks, and they are noisy.

Modern Composite Canoes

Composites of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber are used in synthetic canoe construction. These materials are light, strong, and maneuverable. Because they can be aasily portaged, these canoes allow experienced paddlers access to remote wilderness areas. Kevlar and Carbon Fiber are generally very expensive, but are usually more durable than other materials. Fiberglass retains the light weight, but cracks easily upon impact. On the plus side, Fiberglass can be very easily repaired, unlike almost all other materials.

Kevlar canoes

ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,  is another synthetic composite material that makes an extremely flexible and durable hull, making it ideal for whitewater canoes. ABS canoes have been known to pop back into their original shape with minimal creasing of the hull after having been wrapped around a rock in strong river currents. Although very unlikely that the hull would be punctured, they are very difficult to repair. Additionally, they must be protected from continual sun exposure to prevent degradation of the plastic by ultraviolet light.

HDP (roto-molded high density polyethylene) is a cheaper and heavier material used for synthetic canoe construction. Its superior abrasion resistance and very low friction make it a popular choice in whitewater canoes. This material can be repaired with a hot air welding process if punctured.

The different constructions have different advantages depending on the intended use of the canoe. The wood-and-canvas canoe is more fragile than an aluminum canoe, therefore not as useful in rough water; but it is much quieter—making it better for observing wildlife. A wilderness canoe trip will require a canoe that is light yet durable.

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Door Chimes

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You want to make a good first impression when visitors enter your home or place of business. Many realtors agree that before you put your home up for sale, you first need to make your front door area warm and inviting. The front door area says a lot about your home or office. Door chimes are a great way to welcome guests when they come to your home. The welcoming chime tells your guests that they are entering a friendly and cheerful place.

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Bird Watching Binoculars Buying Guide

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Binoculars are for the birds

Identifying and observing birds requires, above all, patience, passion, and the ability to maintain a large mental catalog. Beyond that, it requires binoculars. Birding binoculars feature a full nest of features and specs, but they all pale in importance to light-gathering capacity. Magnification is important, yes, but light gathering, light transmittance, and close focus ability should be your primary equipment concerns. Some birders may be willing to sacrifice close focus, as it tends to increase the price substantially, but we find that capturing every fine detail enhances the overall bird watching experience.

 

As technology advances, more and more features become accessible to the average birder, and today’s binoculars reflect that. Our highest-rated birding binoculars feature dialectic prism coatings and multi-coated optics for the bird watcher who thrives on detail, or focus-free operation for the one who can’t stand to miss a wing. Bird watching binoculars come in all shapes and sizes – literally. Many birders carry multiple pairs and accessories on every trip – compact birding binoculars to catch a thrush flushed from the brush, or full-size birding binoculars to put an eye on an eyrie in the distance.

Brand matters

The most important thing when choosing a pair of bird watching binoculars is to start with a trusted brand. You’ll consider several factors as you scan the skies- objective lens size, comfort, magnification, and exit pupil size – but if you start with a list of reliable brands, it’ll help narrow things down.

The collections of well-known brands like Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss, Zhumell, Nikon, and Bushnell are all excellent places to start looking for bird watching binoculars. These brands use high-quality glass, advanced coatings, and the latest binocular designs to transmit a very high percentage of the light they gather to your eyes. But of course, if you don’t land on a brand you know, trust us – we know bird watching and we know binoculars. You’ll find something for every budget and experience level here.

Sizes, specs, and special equipment

 

As a bird watcher, you spend a lot of time tracking and walking, so it helps to be able to see where you’re going. For the best long-distance birding experience, look for larger binoculars or spotting scopes. These will help you scout birds, landscapes, and vantage points before you make the trek. Big binocs and spotting scopes are best used with a tripod, so consider your needs and gear capacity before taking them along.

We’ve talked about light gathering, but magnification is an important in consideration for bird watching binoculars. It’s not a telescope, though- bigger isn’t always better. We recommend around an 8x magnification with objective lenses around 42mm. The larger lens increases the field of view, in case the bird takes flight, and increases image brightness and clarity. Speaking of field of view, for best results, bird watching binoculars shouldn’t go below 300 feet at 1,000 yards.

Zeiss 8x42 Terra ED Binoculars

Best Rated Birding Binoculars

Best Rated Birding Binoculars

 

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Marine Binoculars Buying Guide

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Water You Looking At?

Ahoy! Before taking your maiden voyage with a pair of marine binoculars, it’s important to be sure you’re getting the right pair. Combining optics and the open water creates a unique set of challenges – namely, the movement of the water makes a steady image difficult to maintain, and potential water damage is a major concern. And since distance is much more difficult to gauge on water, you’ll want to check out the unique range-finding features often found in marine binoculars.

As always, it’s important to give well-known binocular brands top-tier consideration. Marine binoculars from Bushnell,Steiner, and Canon are always a safe bet, though any listed on our marine binoculars page are well-suited for the water. Read on for details about what makes them special.

The Marine Scene

If your main, or only, pair of binoculars is going to be used on water, we suggest getting specially designed marine binoculars. This is especially true if your chosen body of water is large or has the potential for big waves. For example, many standard land binoculars advertise water resistance, but quality marine binoculars are nitrogen-purged and o-ring sealed, making them totally waterproof to prevent fogging and any water infiltration.

Marine binoculars are predominantly in the 7×50 range to allow an ample amount of light transmission through the exit pupil, a good field of view, and adequate magnification. Since the function is less geared toward sightseeing and more toward finding landmarks on the shore and horizon, a wider field of view is essential. Some choose binoculars with smaller objective lenses, but these will be much less useful if you find yourself on the water on a cloudy day when you need them the most. Many of our highest-rated marine binoculars fit all of these characteristics, and are right at home on your boat or dock.

Image-Stabilized Binoculars, Reticles, and More

Image-stabilized binoculars are indispensable on the water. As the rolling tide moves you up and down, the mechanics of these marine binoculars keep your image steady and your head from getting seasick. Of course, standard binoculars can still be suitable for marine use, but after choosing magnification and objective lens size, image stabilization is what will really make the difference. Note – a set of marine binoculars with an extra-wide enough field of view won’t necessarily need image stabilization.

Some marine binoculars go the extra nautical mile and provide a built-in rangefinder, compass, and/or reticle. These features can help you find magnetic north, and properly judge object size and distance. Using these features properly may take a bit of practice, but once you do, you can decrease the number of gadgets packed before each marine journey. Check out our wide selection of rangefinder marine binoculars and judge your distance to optical perfection.


>>Visit The Binoculars Shop Here<<

 

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