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Recent From The Blog
Remove The Headache From Your Vacation Ideas
Touring is a very good way to see new places in possessing a new viewpoint of the entire world. But, numerous folks fail to remember that touring can be costly. Comply with the time-examined suggestions in the is write-up to optimize your travel vacation and reduce the influence on your wallet.
Obtaining https://www.tripadvisor.com/ can save your trip. If you program on traveling to your holiday vacation spot by car, it is vital to be well prepared in case of crisis. At a minimal highway package ought to have initial-support provides, highway flares, water, jumper cables and a flashlight. Obtaining 1 on hand can make dealing with tiny troubles a snap, and could potentially conserve your lifestyle in a significant incident.
Consider along at minimum a single dressy outfit with you when you vacation. The much more formal clothing are, they more difficult they are to pack and treatment for. Even so, making the effort to provide 1 set of classy duds prepares you to consider gain of unplanned possibilities that could occur on your vacation. You will not want to overlook out on a wonderful evening meal invitation simply because you have practically nothing to use but shorts!
Pay focus to your intution when traveling. If a particular shop, individual, or neighborhood gives you “undesirable vibes”, just stroll away. Your intuition may be telling you one thing that you haven’t consciously noticed. Even if you are improper, it’s far better to be protected than sorry when it comes to your basic safety.
Prepare apparel for your excursion so that every thing can be worn together. This reduces the require to pack personal “outfits” and allows you to strategy for the number of days you are going to be touring. If all of your garments match, you don’t have to be concerned about which are thoroughly clean when you might be performing laundry.
Constantly allow an individual know when you are preparing to vacation. While unforeseen journeys and spontaneous vacation may look like a very good idea at the time, it is not so fantastic if some thing goes awry. Letting a good friend, family members member or neighbor know you will be absent and where you are going is constantly a very good concept. Contact that particular person as before long as you achieve your location. Allow them know when you will be coming property. You will be glad you did.
If you are touring with a group, be positive to ebook in progress. Booking in progress will make it far more probably that your group will be seated collectively. If you are touring with youngsters, you surely do not want to leave seating arrangements to opportunity. Guide early and affirm your seating arrangement.
It’s easy to get bored while ready in airports or at bus stations. One of the greatest items you can carry together is a small hand held pc or a wise phone. Prior to the vacation you can pack it with video games and even textbooks so that you will constantly have something to do while waiting around on your trip.
Use these travel ideas for a quick highway journey or an extended holiday to a international region. Discovering new spots and new cultures can be a fantastic expertise, so it’s time to get out and commence traveling!
Top Mountain Themed Video Games
There aren’t too many games with a mountain climbing theme. In fact, there isn’t a mountaineer, or an amateur climbed who hasn’t noticed that. If you are both into climbing and into video games you have surely realised that there aren’t too many games involving mountain climbing and the ones that do include climbing they only feature it as a fringe activity, something that supports the main story.
Top Mountain Themed Games
We’ve been trying to find some mountain climbing games, but it was pretty difficult. There was an Everest game released towards the end of the 1990s, and then for a long time there were no mountain climbing games. Fortunately, that changed in the past few years. There have been a few games involving mountain climbing that have been released.
Let’s have a look at the top two mountain climbing games.
Everest VR
Everest VR – this is a game with virtual reality technology that makes the whole Everest climbing experience a lot more realistic. The game was released in the summer of 2016, but it is still played today. Of course, since it’s a VR game, you will need a VR set like HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. Without such a set you won’t be able to play this game.
In the game you get to relive the Everest experience through five epic scenes, you start at the Basecamp, then you reach the Khumbu icefalls. The whole experience mimics the actual Everest climbing experience until eventually you reach the mountain peak, or the summit.
After you reach the summit, you will unlock the next mode of the game from where you will be able to reach various other spots on the Himalayas. In a way it can be said that that Everest VR isn’t a conventional game. It is more of an experience and a product that will show us the opportunities of VR technology.
Steep
Steep is a more popular mountain climbing game than Everest VR, and to be fair there were a few reasons for that. Firstly, this is a game that was developed by Ubisoft Annecy, a rather famous game development company, a part of Ubisoft. They have also worked on Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Ubisoft Annecy is a French studio but on Steep they worked together with the Kiev and Montpellier studios.
This is a sports game where you can freely explore the Alps and Denali. You can play either in first or in third person and you can switch the perspective as you please.
It’s not just climbing, in Steep you can do a range of other activities, such as paragliding, snowboarding and skiing. You can use binoculars to explore the surrounding area. In the beginning of 2017, a Nintendo Switch version of Steep was released.
We hope that plenty more such games will be released in the upcoming period.
Beginner’s Guide To Mountain Climbing
They don’t call it the great outdoors for no reason, after all, there’s no better way to spend your leisure time than to do an outdoor activity, regardless what type of outdoor activities you prefer.
Not All Mountains Are The Same
Mountain climbing is one of the most difficult and most challenging outdoor activities. Some claim that it is not for everybody and that you should be extremely cautious when you’re climbing a mountain. While we agree that caution is absolutely necessary and required, it is still possible to start climbing mountains, even if you haven’t done it before.
Namely, not every mountain is the same, some are easier to climb than others, so even a beginner can climb a mountain. In fact, you can even do so without breaking a sweat, of course, if you know which mountain is the right choice for your level of readiness.
Start With Hills
Firstly, you should start climbing hills, and when we say hills we mean nothing taller than 600 metres, or if you are climbing a mountain that’s taller don’t try to reach the peak or the summit on your first attempt.
Once you managed to climb a hill, do the same hill again, but this time keep track of your time and then the third time try to do it faster and then again even faster. Once you are done with your first hill, then you can move onto a taller hill, climb it several times and then move onto a third hill, before you finally take up a more serious challenge.
Some Easier Tall Mountains
You need to take into consideration the fact that the height of the respective hill or mountain isn’t thing that matters. Often, a taller mountain can be a lot more difficult to climb compared to a shorter one. It depends on the terrain, the steepness, how many people have climbed the mountain before and so on.
For instance, there are several pretty tall mountains that aren’t considered to be too difficult to climb.
Mount Fiji, a Japanese mountain that stands at 3,776 metres is always listed as one of the tall mountains that are particularly easy to climb. The standard hike route begins somewhere at 2,3000 meters and goes up to the very top. Bear in mind that you can climb this mountain only during the summer, in July and August.
Tofana di Rozes is a mountain located in the Veneto region of Italy. The peak is 3,225 metres with the route beginning somewhere at 2,000 metres. It takes about five hours to reach the peak and it is not considered to be too difficult.
There are few US mountains that are considered to be relatively easy, including Mount Hood which stands at about 3,426 metres.
Survival Food in Nature
This is a very sensitive topic. It is about life or death situations. Hopefully, no one reading this will ever be in that situation while in the outdoors, but we can never completely remove that probability as long as we continue enjoying nature whether as hikers, mountaineers or campers. The disclaimer is still valid – don’t make any moves unless you are 100% certain that you know what you are doing. We are just going to present few plants that are edible which may make the difference of life and death in some unforeseen situations. Before ingesting any of these three plants, you should study them carefully, learn to recognize their leaves, the flowers and the roots. There are plenty of resources online. When you recognize any of the plants while you are outside, use the chance to study them up close.
Plantago
The Plantago is a leafy plant that can be easily recognized. It grows approximately 3 to 7 cm from the ground and its leaves are in the shape of a spade. There are strings or let’s call them veins that pass through each leaf that remind of a big river’s delta. Usually, there are between three and seven leaves that stem from one plantago bushel.
The leaves of the plant can be eaten raw. If they are big they should be steeped in boiling water, which removes the bitterness, if there is any. The leaves can be stepped in water for tea. The smaller leaves are usually delicious and without any bitterness. The plant has vitamin A, a little bit of vitamin C and calcium.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
This plant is all too common, ranging from East Asia to the coast of California. When it has bloomed the flower is characteristic yellow and when it has dried it turns into small seed-bearing cotton-like things which become wind-borne and thus spread the plant. The Dandelion has many medicinal properties and it can be consumed in its entirety. The flower, when it is bloomed, can be eaten raw. When the leaves are young, although sometimes they come with a bitter taste, can be also eaten raw. The root can be boiled in water and eaten. Dandelion has become an accessory to salads and many merchants bring it to farmer’s markets to sell.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
This is another plant that is ubiquitous in meadows and grasslands. It is easily recognized by its characteristic appearance. Sometimes, but not always, there is one main stem which branches off into many similar stems that bear radiant blue and blue and bright-purple flowers. The stem is a bit woody, meaning when you press it between your thumb and forefinger it will not squish.
The flowers of the plant can be eaten raw or can be boiled in team. The root are also edible after boiled. The stems can also provide nutrients, but they should be stripped of the tiny layer of green bark.
Chicory grows from East Asia to North America and also in Australia
Dealing With Outdoor Activities
There are some outdoor activities which haven’t changed in the last few years, or even in the last few decades. For instance, a game of football will always be a game of football. In the past they used to play on fields and in parks and nobody had special equipment, whereas nowadays we book football fields and each of us carries football shirts and boots.
Equipment gets more sophisticated, we have more comfortable trainers and tracksuits these days, but the core of all outdoor activities and sports remains the same. Mobile phones are often a distraction from our daily tasks, but they can be very helpful too.
There are plenty of apps which can prove to be very useful if you want to engage in various outdoor activities. You are probably familiar with some distance tracking apps, and apps that tell you how much calories you can burn by doing certain activities.
Take Regular Breaks
We would like to suggest something a bit different this time. What if we tell you that you could use links that aren’t directly connected to sports activities to reward yourself after completing a special task, or a milestone. So, let’s say that you’re trying to complete a five-mile run. However, you aren’t ready to complete the whole run at first. Then you can divide it into two runs of two and a half miles each. After completing the first run, you can give yourself a rest and do some fun activity on your smartphone.
Play Games
If you are more into conventional games, then you can download a first-person shooter or a sports game from Google Play or The App Store and play it during your break. The same can be applied on any type of outdoor activity. For instance, if you’re cycling and you’re trying to cycle for 15 miles a day, but you can’t do it in one go, stop after seven or eight miles and do something fun for 15 minutes or half an hour and then continue your cycling session.
If you are swimming it might be a bit trickier, as you’d have to get out of the water, but if you think about that, that will actually enable you to take a rest from swimming and do something else for a while.
Diversity Is the Key
The important thing is to find balance between outdoor activities and virtual activities like gaming. It is not good to force yourself to do more activities than you could handle, but you shouldn’t take too long breaks either.
Working out shouldn’t be a boring routine, you’re not a robot, so you should give yourself a break. In one of our previous articles we have explained that it is best to do more than one activity if you want to work all your muscle groups.
It is also good to do a variety of fun activities, so that you would activate different parts of your brain.
Playing Pokemon Go Has Positive Effects
First of all, Pokemon Go is an interactive game, and it’s a game that makes you stand up and walk around town, hang out with other people, and always be on the move. That’s not a game addiction, and even if someone labels it as that, it’s not that bad of an addiction.
The primary idea of Pokemon Go was that the game won’t last long and it’s a rather silly idea.
Playing Pokemon Go can really improve your life in several different ways. We’ve made a list of four things Pokemon Go improves in its players after playing for some time.
Get Moving, and Improving Mental Health
It is well known that Nature and the outdoors are closely connected to, and provoke mental health benefits, and this is exactly what Pokemon Go promotes as well. If you play a game, you want to be good at it, and in order to be good at Pokemon Go you need to walk outdoors – A lot. There are Pokemons that you can capture all over town and basically everywhere where you walk. There are areas where a group of people needs to stop and fight a larger Pokemon (Called Pokemon Lures). The green areas and waterways are always richer and possess a plethora of Pokemons.
Good for your Business
There are situations where if Pokemon Go Stops or Pokemon Lures are in a really nice location, it can promote your café bar, fast food outlets etc. If it’s near a park, it’s always a good decision to walk in that café, refill after a walk of chasing Pokemons and get a chance to catch even more.
There are countless promotions including discounts for the number of Pokemons that you possess and other promotions all around bigger cities – don’t miss the opportunity.
Meet your Neighbourhood
Not only that you get to hang out in the park more often and take long walks in the waterways, but you will meet people that share the same passion as you do. Older guys, young kids or whatsoever are more likely to be more open to strangers which they share the same passion with.
There are countless of examples on the internet where friendships and relationships are being created on a base of Pokemon Go, building it up a lovelier Neighbourhood and, as we mentioned above, exploring the new parts of it as you go.
Dogs and Pokemon Go
Pokemon Go turned out to be a great application for dogs, and they love it. Not only that they get more than the usual walks around town, but they get to explore new places and mark new territories.
Don’t forget to take care of your dog and clean up afterwards, and don’t stare too much at the screen so you won’t miss him or any of the action happening around you!
Great Activities For Toning Your Body
There are all sorts of different sports and other fitness activities, in fact, the list is so long that it will take you quite a while to read all sports. Some are more popular and watched by millions, even billions if we take football, for instance, whereas other are amateur sports.
Some are only popular in certain regions or countries, whereas others have an international acclaim. There are sports which can be played only until you reach a certain age, but there are also games that can be played by people of all ages.
Today we are going to have a look at few sports activities that will suit you perfectly if you wish to tone your body.
Swimming
This is a quite obvious choice. Swimming is one of the best activities, as it helps you breathe and it activates all muscle groups. It is best to start swimming at an early age and some countries promote swimming through the public education system, but there’s no limit, even if you are middle-aged or elderly you can start swimming at any time, without any risks to your overall health or particular muscles groups.
It is very important to note that swimming injuries are very rare and are mostly limited to an odd cramp here or there. But, if you prepare yourself for every session you can eliminate or minimise them.#
Cycling
Another quite obvious option. Cycling also activates most muscle groups and an hour of cycling a day will sure make you feel more relaxed and energised afterwards. It’s great for toning your leg muscles, but you will also see a range of other benefits as it’s a full body exercise, even if it doesn’t seem so.
Again, it’s best to start while you’re young, but since most of us have learnt to cycle when we were young, and it is something that cannot be forgotten, you can start cycling regardless how old you are. Start with shorter sessions and don’t push yourself too hard at first because your muscles may hurt you.
If you aren’t comfortable with cycling on outside for any reason (perhaps you have very cold winters), then get a static bike and cycle at home, or at your local gym. It still counts.
Tennis
It may come as a surprise to you, but tennis is another sport which requires a full-body effort. All muscles are active, you will tone your legs due to the constant sprints and you will feel your body getting toned as you swing the racket to hit the ball. No wonder tennis players are so fit and handsome.
Golf
Many see golf as a laid-back sport for rich people, but in reality, it is great for toning your muscles. In order to swing the club, you must activate various muscle groups and that’s perfect for toning your body. Pick one or two of these activities and start immediately, and whenever you feel like taking a rest.
Triathlon
If you’re 20 or older it is probably late to start a professional athletic career, in fact, if you don’t start doing sports professionally by the time you enter your teens, there’s not much hope that you’ll play in one of the big leagues one day.
And if you haven’t been active in a while, you might find it difficult to take up sports. Just one sport won’t be easy, let alone more than one. Many say that triathlon is among the most difficult disciplines and while they might be right, it is never too late to start, and we would definitely recommend triathlon, as it encompasses three of the best and most beneficial activities – running, swimming and cycling.
Triathlon Practice
There are different lengths in triathlon, but you in most cases you’d need to swim at least 400 or 500 yards, then cycle up to 15 miles or less, and then run about 3 miles. It may sound like too much, but if you’re new to triathlon you can start with less than that and increase the distances each time.
Triathlon is a lot more efficient than weight-lifting and other gym activities, especially since it is done outdoors. Finding a place where you could do your triathlon practice might be a bit trickier, because you will need to find an environment when there’s water, a lake, sea or an ocean, and surface that’s suitable for cycling and running. Plus, it shouldn’t be too crowded.
If you have trouble finding the right location you can always do it in your local gym, although swimming in a pool and running on a treadmill isn’t the same as doing both activities in a natural environment.
If you can’t complete a full triathlon, then start with half distances. Or perhaps, if you are a solid runner, but not a good swimmer, you can decrease only the distance for the swimming part and practice more swimming than running and cycling. Feel free to set your own plan and programme and track your progress.
Equipment
When it comes to equipment, you’ll definitely need to be well equipped in order to be able to do triathlon. First, you’ll need running trainers. Sure, in the beginning you can use just any old pair of trainers, but if you want to feel more comfortable and achieve better results, then you should definitely pick a pair of running trainers.
Cycling cannot be done without bicycle. Again, any old bike will do at first, but you should probably get yourself a more professional bicycle, because you can ride it faster and be more comfortable while riding.
Finally, you’ll need a swimsuit, which you probably already have and again, perhaps also a swimming cap and some other accessories that you might find helpful.
Find Your Best Place to Stargaze
Stargazing is a lost form of entertainment. This experience is as ancient as humankind, but we have disconnected from it and have lost so much from ourselves because of that. Looking at the stars can only be done at night and to millions of people around the world this is not an option because artificial light has become so pervasive that it is hard to find a place without light pollution. If you want to rekindle your true human nature, one step to make is going in deep nature, far away from urban life, to discover your piece of heaven. Doing that requires stepping out of your boundaries of typical movement, but also recognizing this as a form of entertainment.
Tackle Your Lack of Sleep
First, the mechanics of how light interferes with stargazing and why you should do it. Light emission is a major disturbance to the natural order of the night. It affects us in such profound ways that millions upon millions of people around the world have disturbed sleeping patterns, that is, the organism’s circadian rhythm. Sleep deprivation causes genuinely calm people to be irate and sometimes act irrationally. Sleeping under open skies corrects this disturbance and helps the brain to revert back to its natural working patterns. This requires maximum dedication in separating oneself from electronic devices late at night. Sleeping in the open is great and stargazing is the bonus.
Light Pollution
The most important thing here is to find a place that is free of light pollution. How do you go about doing that? Well, it may require of you to make a dedicated effort. First you need to discover a place with the minimum amount of light pollution. Use google maps and look for a rural area that is far away from a city, which is a major source of artificial light. Ideally, the sweet-spot will be tucked behind a hill or even better, it will be nestled between hills, so that the light that is emanated from nearby populated areas is blocked to an extent.
Once you have found your place you need to follow the weather patterns and make sure that the skies are clear when you have ventured out. Even if it will be cloudy, the sleep will do you good, but clear skies will open up a view that you may have not seen before. The sky is filled with stars and there are many levels. Those that seem near appear so because there are layers and layers of stars that are above them. These form a viscous pattern that becomes visible when you have zoned out – or zoned into – the stars.
Relax Your Mind
Stargazing requires a clear mind. Once you have emptied your mind of thoughts, staring in the sky will start to bring you the reward that you deserve. Soon enough you will find out that the sky has “depth” to it and the stars have a property of magnetism to them that locks-in the attention of the experiencer.
Now you have a clue that gazing at the stars is not a thing just for dreamers and ‘strange’ people, that it has a function that is good for the health of the mind and the brain alike. So go on, discover your favorite spot and look at the stars. This may take some time and effort, but consider it your pilgrimage.
Workout – Tips for Beginners
Last week we discussed workout diets, well, not so much a particular diet, more of broader instructions as to what you should and should not eat when you’re working out. Still, it only makes sense to be on a workout diet if you’re actually work out. Therefore, we decided to give you some suggestions on the best possible workouts for people who haven’t been pretty active.
Take It Slow
The first thing that you should know if you’re about to start doing exercise is that you should take it slow. If you exhaust your body too much in the first few days, it won’t be able to the cope with the new level of activities and you’ll burn yourself out. That often leads to quitting altogether. People are always enthusiastic in the first few days, so some feel that it is good to do as much as you can, but experience and practice have shown us that this is not such a good idea after all.
Our bodies generally don’t adapt that well to abrupt changes, be that dieting, working out, or something else. Start with lighter exercises and shorter periods of time. If necessary, you can split your workout routine in few intervals during the day, or do short sessions every day, instead of doing exercise for an hour three times a day.
Lose Weight First!
If you are a bit overweight and you want to start working out because you want to be fitter, it might be wise to lose some weight before you start doing heavier exercise. That’s because if you are doing heavy workout you will need to eat plenty and that way you won’t be able to lose weight.
You should start with a diet and some light exercise until you lose some weight and then you can start a more intense workout programme and build muscle mass.
Always Warm Up!
Even if you start with lighter exercise you should do it properly. First, before you start, make sure that you are warmed up. That way you can avoid getting injured. Every expert and every trainer will tell you that breathing properly is very important when you’re working out. And there is a reason why breathing is mentioned so often, it is really vital.
Start Light
It is best to start doing exercises only using your own weight first. So, for the first week, we would suggest doing push-ups, pull-ups, crunchies and you can also do some running, either on a track, or outdoors. Also, cycling is always a good exercise because it affects all major muscle groups and is one of the most complete workouts that you can do. It won’t help you build too much muscle mass, but it will enable you to get in shape.
Moving forward you can slowly start doing some lighter weightlifting, both bench press and conventional weights. Only when you are properly prepared you can start doing proper exercise. Consult with a professional before, always be cautious.
Workout Diet
Last time, in our Short Guide for New Campers, we discussed things that new campers should do, and we went through the menu, i.e. the type of food that you should be carrying with you when you’re going camping. This time, we will also talk about diet and food consumption, or to be more precise, about the types of food that you should be consuming if you have regular physical activities.
A lot of people make the mistake of massively increasing their calories intake when they are doing exercises and are therefore unable to see the desired results and effects. If you want to see results from your workout routine you must eat healthy food and you must stick to few basic rules. It only makes sense to watch how you eat, when you are already putting a lot of effort into your workout.
Eat Carbs before You Start
For most of us, the main goal of working out is to burn calories, but don’t make a common mistake by assuming that you shouldn’t eat before working out in order to burn as much calories as possible. If you work out when you’re hungry you will get tired a lot more quickly and you wouldn’t be able to work as hard as you would if you have eaten something before.
Ideally, you should be consuming simple and healthy carbohydrates like wholegrain bread, brown rice, fruits, or carbohydrate-rich vegetables. So, although you should be consuming carbohydrates, it is best to stay away from puddings, biscuits and white bread. Carbohydrates serve as petrol to your body, if you eat food that’s richer in protein or fat, it will take longer to digest, and you may end up having problems later.
If you don’t have enough time on your hands before starting your exercise, then you could just eat few pieces of fruit, perhaps a banana, a quarter before you start your workout routine. Also, don’t forget about the H2O, you must stay hydrated.
A full Meal afterwards
There’s no need to eat during your workout, although you should drink water in small quantities, but on multiple occasions. If your workout lasts longer than an hour, especially if it lasts over hour and a half, you should perhaps eat a banana, a low-fat yoghurt, or perhaps a handful of nuts or berries.
Once you’re done with your workout, you should eat a full meal. Again, carbohydrates are petrol for your muscles and since you burn a lot of them, you should include them in your meal, but you should also include healthy proteins, and a bit of fat won’t hurt either.
Tuna whole bread sandwiches, grilled chicken with vegetables, and even fish and chips are among the dishes that you can consume after working out. It’s best to avoid fizzy drinks and alcohol, but you may have a cuppa if you feel like it.
Keep Your Focus
It can be a bit difficult to stick to eating healthier stuff nowadays, since food is everywhere, you will alluring images of tasty stuff as soon as you log in to your social media accounts.
Short Guide for New Campers
They usually say that if you are not into camping and haven’t gone at least a few times by the time you are in your first serious job, there is no way that you will get into campaign after that. And while it is a bit more difficult to get adjusted to the whole camper lifestyle once you are older, it is certainly not impossible. In fact, it can be very easy if you follow useful and smart tips, like the ones we provide. And of course, you will need to purchase the right camp equipment, and again, we can help you with that.
Check the Forecast
The key point that you must remember before you go camping is that you must be well prepared, because once you’re at the campsite, there isn’t a lot of room for improvement. So, make sure that you don’t forget anything, especially the things like tent, warm clothes, food and drinks.
First thing to do before you go camping is check the forecast. Ideally, check it before you plan your trip and then again immediately before you get going. If you’re going on a hill, or a somewhere where the weather can surprise you, make sure that you double check. Because if a storm begins once you are already there, you won’t have a lot of options.
Make Sure You Stay Warm
Speaking of the weather, always carry enough clothes. Most new campers tend to underestimate nature and fail to bring enough dry clothes. You must remember that you can’t find a washing machine at the campsite and you won’t even be able to wash your clothes by hand, so it is best to be on the safe side, even if you end up brining more clothes than you’ll actually use.
Socks are very important, as they don’t a lot of space and there’s always the danger of getting your fit wet. Also, nights in the outdoors can get quite cold, so you must keep yourself warm. Bringing coal with you isn’t a bad idea, because sometimes lighting a fire is the only way to keep yourself warm. Not to mention that it is also possible to cook your meals on the fire. If you’re near a wood, you will probably be able to gather enough dry wood and leaves to light a fire, but why risk it when you’re still a camping rookie.
Don’t Forget the Food
One of the worst things that could happen to you on first camping trips is to be out of food. This is no Bear Grylls, and as a rookie you probably won’t be in a position to hunt down small wood animals or find nutritious mushrooms, berries or nuts, without risking getting poisoned. You will probably end up going home hungry and miserable and you will never want to go camping again.
Make sure that you bring sufficient quantities of calorie-rich food. It is better to stick to food that can’t go bad and is nutritional. Canned or dried food is always a good choice, as well as nuts which are high in protein and Omega fatty acids. And nowadays isn’t impossible to get an internet connection when you’re off camping.
How to Start Doing Outdoor Activities
Some people will tell you that outdoor activities are extremely difficult and that you will need to spend a lot of money on equipment. They will also say that it is much easier to do indoors activities which are a lot easier and a lot more entertaining. We can tell you just one thing – Don’t listen to them! Nothing could be further for the truth.
Start Right Now!
Firstly, outdoor activities can only be difficult if you’re not an active person, and if you haven’t spent a lot of time outdoors in the last few months, or worse, years. The more you active you are, the easier it will get. So, the best advice that anybody can give you is to start immediately, or as soon as possible, instead of wasting your time.
As for the second remark, while it is true that some outdoor activities require special equipment and while that equipment can be expensive, we have to say that you don’t need equipment for all outdoor activities and not all equipment is that difficult.
You Probably Have the Equipment
If you want to start hiking you won’t need more than comfortable trainers and shorts and a t-shirt. Of course, if you want to start hiking in the winter you’ll need warmer clothes, but still, it’s not something that you don’t have in your closet.
And once you get more into it and you start planning to go on more difficult and more challenging hiking expeditions, then you can look for extra equipment.
Choosing a Bike
If you want to start riding a bicycle, you won’t need to buy more than a bicycle. And if you’re new to it, or you haven’t been riding a bike in quite a while, you won’t even need to buy an expensive and advanced bike, just go down your basement, or check your old shed, take out one of the old bikes you’ll find there, get in shape and you can start riding it.
It won’t even cost too much. Just remember that bikes require regular maintenance, so make sure that you don’t neglect it, otherwise it’ll cost you more when due repairs are in order. And then once you get into biking a bit more and you get used to travelling greater distances, you can start thinking about a new bike.
Always bear in mind what sort of roads you’re riding on. If ride in urban areas, you will be needing a city bike, otherwise if you plan on going off-road, a mountain bike will be a better option for you.
The Internet Is Your Friend
Plus, don’t forget that you can always order equipment online. They often say that due to the internet, people spend a lot less time outdoors, but the possibility to order stuff online made our lives a lot easier.
And it is not just ordering equipment. Let’s have a look at the online casino industry, where with the introduction of online slots, it became possible for players to play their favourite slots, regardless of where they are.
How to Get Fit Before Becoming a Mountaineer
This is one of the main concerns of those who want to get into long-trail hiking and mountaineering. How to get fit before becoming a mountaineer? This question has many answers, but there are some guidelines that are always high in priority towards building the skill and the endurance to climb mountains and hike trails.
First off, everyone should know
that muscle mass is meaningless in mountaineering, so if you are working up your upper body you should shift the priority to the lower body. In this respect, the workout doesn’t need to be heavy as we are going for precision here. You want to develop your quads and your various biarticular muscles. Building a strong back is vital too because taking long walks while carrying a backpack on puts a lot of pressure on your entire lower body, including your ankles and spine. The spinal muscle group is of huge importance, so doing crunches and push ups is very important to harden those muscles. The lower back muscles can be worked by walking a narrow line, one foot in front of the other. Doing this on an elevated platform or a plank is upgrading the exercise because the balancing act puts more pressure on the lower back. What this does is improve your sense of balance, which may be needed if you need to skim some rocks on a narrow ledge.
Building endurance
is another matter. Jogging is a great way to start building endurance. One great exercise is to jog and do short dashes to put more tension on the muscles. However, climbing up trails demands that your ankles are solid, so finding a good exercise for your ankles is in order. This can be done by climbing many flights of stairs while centering your weight on the front part of your feet. Doing push-ups on your toes is another way to do this. Spinning your ankles in place while laying on your back also does the job. In fact, this is an open-ended exercise that you can tailor according to your needs. There are multiple ways in which you can work your ankles and the gastrocnemius group, which is the below the knee.
Breathing is vital
part to climbing and hiking so breathing exercises should be explored to help you learn how to save your breath and how to do circular breathing cycles. Many mountaineers reach higher altitudes and lose oxygen in the brain because of taking short breaths. Learning to breathe in through the nose and circling the air through the lungs and out of the mouth is crucial. If you reach altitudes of 3000 meters or higher, you ought to know that the air gets thinner and the lungs demand more oxygen.
Many people overlook meditation
as a way to improve health and fitness. Meditation is a boon to hikers and mountaineers. Before setting on a hiking or mountaineering expedition, regardless if it lasts one day or few, spend the day before the trip meditating. This doesn’t need to be full on meditation and the objective is not transcendence. The objective here is to feed your cells and tissues the photons that they crave so dearly. Meditation is also a breathing exercise that calms the brain synapses and cools the head from the pent-up stress from the workweek. Going tired on a trip is a disastrous thing to do, so please, do get rest.
Music, Games and Camping
Going camping is about being outdoors and away from civilization’s auditory and visual influences that are hurled at our senses at all times from various sources. In the past decade there has been a new source – our smart phones, which sub for television, radio and personal computer. Most people bring their phone camping because, most likely, we need our phone to get to the place, whether because we rely on the mapping system or because we have other valuable information on it. But once we are there, do people tuck their phone away and forget about it or do we fail the urge to check our geed or messages? While the two latter urges are understandable, there is also the urge to play music or games while camping. So, what do we think, do music, games and camping go together?
Experience that Fulfills
Going camping is always a fun experience that is meant to fill us with nature’s finest: fresh air, lots of greenery, open skies and silence. This is where we rest our senses because our mind and brain needs it – and deserves it. Having our phones constantly on makes us reach out for our pocket to see if anyone has commented on the new photo or if there is a new message. We can’t live without them, but do we really have to be so dependent? Why can’t we leave our mobile devices alone at least when we go camping?
Louder not Better
Well, that is hard to do for most people because today the temptation is to go camping and maximise the amounts of fun that we have while there. Why not go for it all? Many people nowadays bring along a portable speaker. These speakers vary in size and output – some can be very loud and that is what people want – more bass, more volume, more fun. Is this really why we go camping? Not only do we pollute our own senses and rob ourselves clean from the peace and quiet that we so desperately need, but we also pollute the environment of the animals that populate the area. No one asks the animals what they think about this – of course – but if they could voice their opinion they would speak against loud music blaring from the portable speaker.
Do you Really Need to Play Like That?
The same is with games, although to a lesser extent. While camping, playing games goes to our own detriment. The animals may be annoyed by the glaring light, but it is us who will suffer red eyes and strained capillaries even in the one place where we should be free of this intrusion. Should there be a rule against cell phones and loudspeakers in natural reserve or camp sites? Yes there should be, but that is hard to enforce. People have the right to choose if they want to play music while they are far away from any source of authority. So the only solution besides self-control would be apps that lock the sound or at least block the volume levels for a pre-programmed period of time. That ought to show us.
Workout Apps for the Perfect Body
Regardless whether your ambitions are to look great on the beach or pool, put an accent on those six packs, lose some weight or simply stay fit and in shape as you are, there are many applications online that will help you achieve your goal. Some of them focus on bodybuilding, others on six packs, while the third group also think eating plays an important role in the overall process.
Because of the versatility and plethora of applications on the market, we have narrowed the list down to few applications which are one of the best on the market, so if you are interested in the attractive body, check these out.
Adidas Workout App
An application that will increase your motivation in working out and will help you with meditation. It also tracks your sleep so accordingly, it gives you an idea of how much you should train. It suggests video links to YouTube which are most relevant to the exercise, and also while meditating you can check if there are any Free Spins at Dunder to kickstart your day.
One of the best apps that also tracks your eating habits and suggests meals and the best thing is that it’s absolutely free.
Down Dog: Great Yoga Anywhere
If you are a beginner at yoga, you will find this app lovely. It has vocals that will guide you through the practice and with each workout it has a matching music that goes perfectly with the exercise.
Fitbod Workout Log
For a price of zero, you can get one of the best working out and bodybuilding applications available on the market. A step by step instructions with apps tailored for your body type, weight and shape. Set all the necessary requirements and watch the demo videos before doing the exercise for maximum efficiency.
Pocket WOT
For a £2.99 a month you have CrossFit’s greatest app for android. WOD stands for Work of the Day, and every day there are new posts of the exercises you need to watch. There are videos included on how to do the exercises properly, and because CrossFit is a bit more dangerous, we suggest you don’t skip them.
Aaptiv
Aaptiv is an application that teaches you exercises through audio. Plug in the headphones and listen to how the exercise needs to be done. This is the best for people for running, biking, and basically everything else because you don’t need to pull out your phone from your pocket to watch a tutorial video as it is all in your ears. This app costs £10 a month, but believe me, it’s worth the price.
Runastic Results
A free application that will help you plan 12 weeks of workout and it’s great that you don’t need anything else except your body to perform these exercises. It’s great for beginners in this niche, or for the ones that think pulling weights can harm your body – either way it works perfectly with all the levels that it has.
Online Casinos and the Outdoors
In the past there was a clear and very sharp distinction between indoor activities and outdoor activities. Some people prefer outdoor activities, whereas other tend to spend more time in closed areas and that’s fine. One of the reasons why the internet is such a remarkable discovery is the fact that it can breach the gap between the indoors and the outdoors. How, so you may wonder. Well, the simple fact is that the internet can enable you to participate in the same activities with people who are on the other side of the planet, there’s no need to be in the same room, in the same area, or even in the same country.
All Hail the Internet
Nowadays you can get internet connection practically everywhere, even in the most remote locations, far away from civilisation. That way, you can go camping or hiking and still be connected, be able to communicate with “civilisation” without any interruptions or limitations. That means that you can even do your job remotely and still enjoy the nature and the great outdoors.
Anyone who has ever camped knows that there is always something missing and that you always need additional camping equipment. It is so easy and convenient to be able to order new equipment while you’re still on a camping trip. That way you will never forget about the new equipment that you need to order, and it will be delivered to your door before you leave for your next trip.
Playing Slots Outdoors
They say that you can’t get bored when you’re outdoors, but unfortunately our modern-day style of life made us dependant on our computers and smartphones so much that we can’t even imagine our lives without them. After all, the little phone that fits your pocket has so many options and offers so many opportunities that it would be a shame not to make good use of it.
There are plenty of hobbies that are available on any newer smartphone, that it can be difficult to determine what to do next. Nowadays it is even possible to play online casino games on your mobile phone. And the number and range of games is even more astonishing.
Slot developers don’t limit themselves when it comes to game themes, anything can be an inspiration for a new game. There are slots with an outdoors theme, where you can see mountains, deserts, savannahs and seas, with a lot of interesting features and amusing symbols.
Caution Advised
Few years ago, one online casino took a deposit from a player who was at a mountain peak which marked a key moment in the history of online casino gaming. It won’t be long before people are able to play slots and other casino games in space. And just like you need to take extra measures of precaution when you’re in the wilderness, the same applies to online casinos, you must always take care of your bankroll.
Five Best Outdoor Apps
The list of Five Best Outdоor Apps comprises free apps for both Android and iOS devices that can help you during your camping, hiking, or biking trips. Smartphones have become such powerful everyday tools, that they can help you even when you are in distress. Don’t play with your life leaving your home without your smartphone. If you want to play, visit some slots site like www.slotswise.com instead.
Komoot
(Android, iOS: Free)
Komoot (Android, iOS) is one of those apps that are intended for hikers, cyclists and mountain bikers. The app can help you plan routes that are best for your trip. You can easily lay down routes, view such information as distance and elevation, surface conditions, and difficulty. Komoot app also provides you with turn-by-turn navigation, even on various outdoor trails. The app comes with offline map support, and users can download one detailed map region of their choice for free forever.
Ramblr
(Android, iOS: Free)
People who like to document everything when they are outdoors should check out Ramblr (Android, iOS). This mobile journaling app is designed for hiking and mountaineering trips. It allows users to record many elements from their route, including average speed, highest point, and distance travelled. Users can also record geotagged text, pictures, video and audio, making it easy for you to recreate and relive the trip in the future. Additional Ramblr features include the ability to upload and share your trips with friends or check out where other fellow Ramblrs have gone to.
Yonder
(Android, iOS: Free)
Yonder (Android, iOS) is another excellent app that allows users to easily share their outdoor experiences with a global network of fellow outdoor lovers. You can browse or search through the Yonder database of over 200,000 destinations, explore locations near you, or follow other users and view their activity streams. The app is great for finding out nearby trails and routes, as well as for the opportunity to network with same-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
Strava
(Android, iOS: Free)
One of the best fitness tracker app available on the market today is Strava Running and Cycling (Android, iOS). Strava is a top-notch fitness tracker intended for both runners and riders. Strava gives the opportunity to record your running speed, the distance travelled, time and course taken for both useful metrics and tracking. It combines all this with leaderboards, challenges, and achievements as you compete against your friends. Besides Android Wear and Apple Watch, Strava app supports different running trackers.
Cairn
(iOS: Free)
Cairn is one of the outdoors safety app that is designed to do two things. First, it gives you information on a map about where you can receive mobile signal (and also logs your location). Second, it allows you to leave your trip plan with your friends to let them know your whereabouts. If you are ever late coming back from your trip, your contacts will be alerted and given the map of the location where you were last tracked to. The app allows you to plan areas on the trail with mobile coverage in advance.
Outdoor Video Games
All four games on our Outdoor Video Games list have been based on certain outdoor activity practised by many people. Whenever the weather doesn’t allow you to go out and enjoy your favourite outdoor activity, you can enjoy the warmth of your home playing these excellent outdoor video games.
Downhill Domination (2003)
Developer: Incognito Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 2
Downhill Domination is a sports racing video game released for the PlayStation 2 platform by Sony Computers Entertainment. The gameplay of Downhill Domination is very different from the standard bike-racing games. Players have their character riding downhill almost exclusively, following the downhill tracks and conquering all obstacles. The main menu offers options for single player, multiplayer, as well as an options menu that allows players to modify certain gameplay elements. Besides racing, players can also use certain buttons to attack other racers. These attacks can be upgraded for performing better tricks, collecting power-ups, and taking out opponents.
Downhill Domination received excellent reviews from various rating sites holding 79 aggregate scores out of 100 on Metacritic, 79.24% aggregate scores on GameRankings, and 8.0 aggregate scores on IGT.
No Fear Downhill Mountain Biking (1999, 2001)
Developer: Unique Development Studios
Publisher: Codemasters
Platform: PlayStation, Game Boy Color
No Fear Downhill Mountain Biking (also known under the name of No Fear Downhill Mountain Biking Racing) is a MTB video game released for the PlayStation platform by Unique Development Studios in 1999, and 2001 for the Game Boy Color. Being an extreme sports game, No Fear Downhill Mountain Biking consists of riding various mountain tracks from circuits all over the world of various difficulties. The game offers mode for one and two players who can choose for a selection of eight different riders and certain number of tracks to descend.
Kayak Extreme (2002)
Developer: Small Rockets
Publisher: Global Star Software
Platform: PC
Kayak Extreme is a water-sport game that was released for PC in 2002 by Global Star Software. In this water-sport game, you are given the double-bladed paddle to show your kayaking abilities. You are racing against the clock in this test of strength, endurance, and guts. The action in the game takes place in white-waters around the world, from the tropical rapids in South Africa to the freezing glacial flows of Alaska.
The game lets players choose from a selection of kayakers and courses including narrow mountain gorges, hidden rocks and huge waterfalls. You can also upgrade your kayaks and paddles to stay competitive and be prepared for anything that comes your way. Paddling your kayak, you need to do everything that’s in your power to line yourself up for the next gate. The game also features authentic racing elements, such as buoyancy manoeuvres, reverse gates, and detailed time models.
Fishin’ Frenzy (2014)
Developer: Reel Time Gaming
Platform: Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Fishin’ Frenzy is an online video slot that takes you on a fishing trip into the deep blue sea. Reel Time Gaming have designed the game as a five-reel, 10 payline slot with a fantastic aquatic theme. The reels of the game are packed with on-theme symbols including fishing tackle boxes, fishing reels, lifebuoys and more.
Six Essentials for a MTB Ride
Whether you are out for a daily ride on the tracks or on an exciting weekend at some bike park, you should always carry certain essential accessories that could come handy. To help you decide what to take on your ride, we have prepared a list of Six Essentials for a MTB Ride. The list goes as follows:
Multi-tool
A trusty multi-tool is probably one of the most essential accessories when it comes to trail-side maintenance. They’ve been created to carry out most crucial bike repairs when out riding, saving your ride ending too early. The tools that a multi-tool should definitely include are the following:
- Allen keys – The most important tools. The more your multi-tool packs, the better.
- Screwdriver – With classic flat head and Philips screws remaining the standard on most bikes, screwdrivers remain essential.
- Chain tool – If you get a broken chain during your ride, you’ll have to remove the broken link. A chain tool is a must tool for this.
- Torx 25 – The number of screws with Torx heads on your bike keeps increasing, so the Torx 25 has become a standard.
Tire levers, patch kit, tubes, and pump
To repair a flat tire during your ride, you’ll need the following minimum:
- Pump – A mini-pump which fits the valves of your inner tube or tubeless tire is most convenient to carry.
- Tire levers – Usually come in pair with hooked ends on one side for hooking onto a spoke.
- Patch kit – A decent patch kit should contain patches, rubber cement for the patches, and a small piece of sandpaper.
- Tubes – If your inner tube is beyond repair, what remains is to replace it with a new one. That is why you should always carry a spare one.
- Hydration
Dehydration is one of the worst things that could happen during your ride, so always pack some hydration accessory. Either you pack a water bottle or a hydration sleeve in your trail pack, it doesn’t matter as long as you keep yourself hydrated. Most trail backpacks manufacturers offer their own water bladders, but third-party bladders are also available and sometimes can offer more features.
Energy
Although not that crucial as your hydration, packing some energy bars or trail mix is a good thing if you are out for longer rides. You can choose from a huge range of products available, from gels, chews, and jellies to classic protein and granola bars. If you want, you can always prepare your own trail mix of dried fruits and nuts.
First Aid Pack
Whatever your riding skills and abilities, there’s always the chance of some minor injury happening to you or your riding buddies. So, you should always play some space for a first aid kit in your pack.
Rain Jacket
When on the trails, there is always a chance of rain, so packing a lightweight weather-proof jacket is always a good thing. You could either go for a waterproof or windproof but not both. However, fabric tech has improved in recent years and you can choose from a vide range of products.
Best Game Apps to Kill Time
Are you are waiting for your bus to arrive? Feeling bored while stuck in a queue at your bank? Running out of shampoos to read while in the toilet? You can always turn to your smartphone for some entertainment. To help you, we have prepared a list of Best Game Apps to Kill Time.
Both Android users and iOS users can browse the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for these great apps to help them pass the time. Here are 7 of the best iPhone games and other apps that you can download and play on your smartphone. To top it off, they’re all free. Download and enjoy them today and thank us later!
WordBubbles
WorldBubbles is a digital take of the old school word search game with a certain modern twist. You are given a set of letters, and all you need to do is to slide your finger along the letter bubbles to spell the correct words. The app has over 400 levels that get harder as you progress, as well as daily challenges.
Peak
Peak is one of those brain-training app developed in collaboration between neuroscientists and gaming experts to help you build up and train your cognitive skills. You can play over 30 quick games with in-depth statistics to help you track your progress. The game difficulty goes hand in hand with your in-game skills, so you are always challenged.
Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector
Neko Atsume is the purr-fect game app for every cat lover out there. All you need to do in this game is to set toys and food out in your virtual backyard. When you turn on the app later, you can find your screen full of cats of different sizes, shapes, and colours. You can aim to attract rare felines to your home and then take photos of the visiting cats.
Timberman
Timeberman is a lumberjack-themed retro arcade-style game that’s both simple and infuriating. As the eponymous woodcutter, you need to fell down trees moving from one side of the trunk to the other avoid falling branches. As you progress, you are given the opportunity to unlock certain special characters like The Hulk. This game app will have you playing more than just one level!
2048
The second brain-training app on our list can give your brain the much-needed workout. All you need to do is just keep swiping the tiles in an effort to reach the number 2048 and try not to end the game too soon.
Bubble Wrap
If you are one of those people that just can’t get enough of popping bubble wrap, then this is the ideal app for you. The app has different ways of popping the bubbles.
StumbleUpon
If discovering new content is your thing, then you’ll definitely get addicted to this app. It can help you discover entertaining articles, videos, photos, news, quotes, art, travel tips and much more from the entire web with a single click of a button.
New Camping Tech 2019
If you are looking forward to enjoying a good share of 2019 close to nature, you are bound to spend some time camping outdoors. Making the most out of your camping experience involves not just picking the right spot but also having the right equipment for maximizing the level of enjoyment. Here we have few items that should be standard inventory of every serious nature enthusiast: check out new camping tech for 2019.
BioLite Wood Burning Camp Stove
Whether you are spending one or few nights off the grid, you will eventually need two things: power and heat. This camping tech invention provides both. You can feed the BioLite Stove twigs and keep a fire going to cook a warm meal. Taking pictures and shooting video of your trip will surely exhaust your battery, so why not plug in your phone to charge right into the stove’s usb port. This tool does two things and does them well. One obvious “deficiency” is that the stove can absorb only a small volume of fuel, so you will have to feed it nearly all the time, which is but a small inconvenience compared to the on-demand electric power that you are getting. With the new version of the BioLite stove, the power generator is actually the power bank, so you no longer have to charge your phone as you are burning sticks – you can simply use the power bank to charge whatever device you want, away from the heat.
Demiawaking Solar Spark Lighter
This is a cheap little tool that is as essential for the camping enthusiast as fire. It is a no-brainer to pack one of these on your camping trip because it light and doesn’t take a lot of space. The Solar Spark Lighter can give the spark that you might need to fire up the hearth without having to rely on matches or a regular lighter. With the Spark Lighter you can just place some tinder in the coil and tilt the dish so it receives some of the sun’s rays. There is another great use for this tool. In case of emergency you can use the reflective dish as a signaling mirror. You can either tie it on a piece of rope and spin it to mark your place, or you can tie it on a tree to act as additional attention grabber besides makeshift bright-colored X-marks.
Lifesaver Water Bottles
The company has a number of different bottle water with one common property: they can save your life. Whether you have gone on a major exploration hike or you are doing the Appalachian Trail, you need one of these bottles to give you a piece of mind when it comes to keeping hydrated. As we know, hydration is essential to your outdoors experience, especially if you are on the go. The Lifesaver Water Bottle acts as a water purifier if you have run out of water and you want to avoid getting some nasty stomach bug from the pond or rivulet you’ve found along the way. The bottle removes 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and cysts, says the company. So this is another one on our short list of essential items to pack on your outdoors experience.
Tips on Staying Safe While Exploring Nature
Nature enthusiasts are hooked on the anticipation of new, amazing sights and the experience of feeling lost in the wild. We invite you to learn few tips on staying safe while exploring nature.
To explore nature is part of human nature. After all, we evolved traversing the earth’s great frontiers and most people are curious about what lies behind the green wall. But today things are a little bit different. We live in urban areas that keep us out of tune with the environment found in a specific ecosystem. So for every novice or even intermediate hiker or explorer, planning and precaution must be the first things on the list when preparing.
Here are few tips that we want to share on how to stay safe when going on a hike through a wood or nature reserve.
Go if you know, not if you dare
Unless you are traveling with an expert guide who knows well the area, do not go alone to a place that is tucked away far from civilization. Sometimes trails are not marked well and hikers get sidetracked. Some choose to follow their instinct and break their own trail or wander off to a beckoning pocket of greenery.
This can be both dangerous to the hiker and harmful to the ecosystem, so you should always stay on the trail and follow the markings of the same color or sign. Also, don’t take up a difficult challenge, such as a long track or a climb that oscillates up and down, unless you truly prepared for it.
Bear essentials instead of bare essentials
You need to bring adequate clothing and extra layers. If it is a one-day hike in the warm season, bring an extra shirt or two, and an extra pair of socks. If it is the cold season, bring warm clothing and extra pairs of socks.
And be informed about the possible variation in temperature. Some ecosystems, like the desert, are extremely hot by day but are know for dropping below the freezing point by night.
Also make sure you bring enough water and enough food – but most importantly, water! A compass can serve you well only if you use it in combination with a topographic map of the place. Carrying a knife, rope, water purification tablets and other items is a must for those who are new to the outdoors.
Don’t just disappear
Even if you are going to the nearby woodland, make sure you tell someone, be it in passing. Many accidents occur due to unforeseen, unintended events. A twisted ankle can slow you down immensely. A broken ankle can have you immobilized until help arrives. So make sure you tell someone and mention the name of the wood or park.
Having your cell-phone charged is very important and carrying a power bank is a must. Who could resist taking photos and videos while exploring nature? This uses up the charge and can leave you in the red before you know it so a power bank is smart investment.
Build up your skills gradually
If you want to become a hiker, mountaineer or simply enjoy big parks and reserves you should, by all means, pursue your intentions but develop your skills and knowledge gradually. You may get an impulse to shoot up a hillock to see what’s behind it. That is all right, but consider for a moment even these sorts of harmless moves as well. After all, the most important thing is staying safe while exploring nature
The first time around you will know how much time it will take so that you are back on the trail in time. It could mean that you wouldn’t be able to finish your hike but that is all right, you will do it next time. Also, a great way to enter this sport is by first exploring a single wood, park or reserve multiple times before finding a new challenge.
We are glad we could help you with these tips on staying safe while exploring nature.
MTB Wheel Sizes
What MTB wheel sizes are best for your bike? The good old 26-inch wheel, the larger 29-inch wheel, or the in-between 27.5-inch wheel? This one is a never-ending debate with supporters of each of the three wheel-sizes sticking to their own guns.
26-INCH WHEELS
Not so long ago, 26-inch wheels were the only MTB option. Riders from cross country to downhill were all using 26-inch wheels on their bikes. The reason? When mountain biking was started, the 26-inch wheel became the standard by accident and the size stuck.
However, there have been many debates between MTB designers in recent years whether this size is the ideal one, and the outcome was the new wheel sizes.
But 26-inch wheels shouldn’t be dismissed right away since they have many advantages over the remaining sizes. Having smaller diameter and shorter spokes, a 26-inch wheel will always be stronger than a 27.5-inch wheel or a 29-inch wheel, as well as the lightest.
However, due to their small size, 26-inch wheels tend to roll less smoothly over obstacles than the other two wheel-sizes.
27.5-INCH WHEELS
Although they came after the 29-inch wheels, we’ll put the 27.5-inch wheels, also known as 650b, between the 26-ers and 29-ers because they promise to deliver the best of both 26-inch wheels and 29-inch wheels. In a very short period, they have become largely accepted by both the MTB industry and MTB riders.
When compared to the 26-inch design, 27.5-inch wheels hit obstacles at a shallower angle, so they tend to have a better rollover resistance, but not better than the 29ers. Compared with 29-ers, 27.5-inch wheels are lighter and stronger, with better acceleration and sharper handling.
29-INCH WHEELS
Due to their larger circumference, 29-inch wheels hit obstacles at a milder angle than 26-inch wheels, so they have better rollover resistance. Another advantage of 29-ers is their longer contact patch which helps them to have a better grip than the 26-inch wheels.
However, many riders have reported that bikes with 29-inch wheels have a different feel to those with 26-inch wheels with the earlier designs feeling slow to turn and less nimble than 26-inch bikes. The extra weight of 29-inch wheels is considered another downside because they take more effort to accelerate.
The Best MTB Wheel Sizes?
It all comes down to the type of rider and the terrain that you want to ride.
The 26-inch wheels are still in use, especially in the downhill discipline. Downhill bikes use long-travel suspension and their wheels must be as tough as possible, so the 26-inch wheels are still the best option.
For the XC discipline, the 29-inch wheels are ideal since they are the fastest when less technical riding is in question.
But if general trail riding is your thing, then the new generation of 27.5-inch wheels should be your choice, since they combine strength, traction, and agility in one package.
What is Canoe Slalom?
What is Canoe Slalom?
If you have ever wondered about what is Canoe Slalom, you are in the right place. Canoe Slalom is a competitive sport on water. The main goal in this sport, formerly known as Whitewater Slalom, is for the athlete to navigate the canoe or kayak in whitewater river rapids in the fastest time that it is possible. This navigation requires the athlete to navigate its kayak or canoe through a series of gates, with the help of paddles. During this sport, the athletes are faced with harsh conditions, which make canoe slalom one of the hardest sports ever.
History
This extreme sport dates back from the 1640’s and it became an official sport in the Olympic Games in 1992. Since the beginnings, the International Canoe Federation has governed the sport of canoe slalom.
Types
As we previously said, the goal in this sport is to navigate the kayak or canoe, in order to finish the route, in the fastest possible time. There are five distinct types of canoe slalom: Men’s C – 1, Men’s C – 2, Men’s K – 1, Women’s K – 1 and Women’s C – 1. So, let’s get into detail.
Men’s C – 1 = One man navigates one canoe in a whitewater river rapids.
Men’s K – 1 = One man navigates one kayak in a whitewater river rapids.
Women’s C – 1 = One woman navigates one canoe in a whitewater river rapids.
Women’s K – 1 = One woman navigates one kayak in a whitewater river rapids.
Men’s C – 2 = Two men navigate a double canoe in a whitewater river rapids.
Rules
Here is some more information about the rules of this sport including the scores, winning, tiebreaks and penalties.
Scores
This sport doesn’t have any scores, the fastest athlete wins the game.
Winning
Before a player is announced as a winner, he/she must first progress through the two qualification rounds, which are also known as heats. If an athlete completes these heats, then he/she can progress to the semi-finals. And as you know, those that successfully complete the semi-finals can move on to the finals. The three fastest athletes receive a golden, silver or bronze medal, depending on their speed.
Tiebreaks
If two athletes complete the qualification rounds, semi-finals or finals together, both of them progress to the next level together, or both of them will share the same medal.
Penalties
Even though there aren’t any scoring in canoe slalom there are two types of penalties.
If an athlete touches a gate pole with the boat or with a paddle, he/she will be penalized for two seconds.
If an athlete has missed the game, has displaced the gate for more than 45 degrees, or goes through the gate upside down, he/she will be penalized for 50 seconds.
Kayak and Canoe Dimensions
C – 1 Boat: 8kg minimum weight, 0.6m minimum width and 3.50m minimum length.
K – 1 Boat: 8kg minimum weight, 0.6m minimum width and 3.50m minimum length.
C – 2 Boat: 13kg minimum weight, 0.75m minimum width and 4.10m minimum length.
We hope that this article provided you with a helpful insight and answered your question about what is canoe slalom?