Spending time on the water is a great pastime for many people. You don’t have to have a big, fancy boat either. Owning a kayak provides an easy and cheap way to enjoy the water. Inflatable kayaks are just as good. These kayaks are surprisingly durable and they are easy to load, pack, and store. …
How you love the thrill of bouncing through the unpredictable rapids. You never know what the next wave will bring. But you have not decided how to conquer them. You are considering both a packraft and an inflatable kayak. You need to know what the differences are. How does each work? You are curious how…
It can be uncomfortable to be outside in the freezing cold or blazing heat, especially if you’re unprepared. You can shiver yourself into hypothermia or sweat and get burned by the sun. You could also get wet, depending on the weather. Luckily, kayaking is an activity that can be enjoyed regardless if it is hot…
You’re finally going to do it. You’ve spent years dreaming about taking a kayak camping trip, and you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and get out there this weekend. But before you go, you want to make sure you’re prepared. You know you’ll need a lot of gear, and packing it all on your…
If you’re thinking about planning a whitewater outing, you may be considering whether you should use your inflatable kayak or not. Inflatable kayaks are convenient to store and pack, and are often cheaper than traditional kayaks, but are they equipped to manage whitewater? You may be facing several challenges while out on the water, such…
If you are considering taking a boat out on the water, you need to be familiar with all of your state’s laws. Boating laws vary by state, but Pennsylvania is certainly one to pay close attention to. Pennsylvania has many bodies of water that are available to boaters, but it can be tricky to know…
Boating is a fun and popular hobby for many people. Most of us want to go pick up a boat and head straight to the water. Unfortunately, there are some aspects involved that are a bit less fun, such as registering your boat. As a boater, you are responsible for complying with all of your…
Kayaking can be an enjoyable activity, but being out on the water doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to get wet. That’s where kayak spray decks, or spray skirts, lend a helping hand. Kayak spray decks allow your lower body to remain dry and also prevent you from submerging your kayak underwater. In this article,…
Gas station air pumps are convenient resources for motorists. If you do not have a way to put air in your tires at home, you can just pull up to one of these pumps, fill up your tires for a low fee, and drive away on happy tires. Are your tires filled with the proper…
There are plenty of guides that cover how to inflate an inflatable kayak; but what about when it comes time to deflate and pack away your boat? Maybe you’re just getting back from your first time out on the water and you’re wondering what to do next. Or maybe your kayak molded the last time…
Today, your inflatable kayak was hit with water from all sides. You glided over calm water and splashed through rapids. Then the sky turned dark and the rain started tumbling down. You want to clean your inflatable kayak carefully, with a proven step-by-step process. Now that the rain has stopped, you want to dry it…
If you’ve been boating or fishing for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about the different kinds of marine batteries out there. You may have heard that AGM and gel batteries are some of the best types of marine batteries you can buy. But what are AGM and gel batteries? Are they the same…
With the sun shining brightly and your marine battery undercharged, you are yearning to charge your battery and go for a nice boat ride. But you don’t have a traditional battery charger available. You don’t even have a trickle charger. So what should you do? You remember the solar panels that you have in your…
In our world, it often catches us by surprise when the technologies we rely on so heavily fail us. This is especially frustrating when your car tire goes flat: I mean, what are you going to do, drive to the store and get something to fix it? The spare, of course, can only get you…
Your trolling motor has been like a best friend. It gives you full command of your boat. With it, you have out-maneuvered even the smartest of fish. When the fish try to slip away, you have been able to steer your boat in the right direction, all but forcing the fish to gravitate to your…
In 1659, Otto von Guericke invented the first air pump, a vacuum-style mechanism utilizing a simple piston. This machine, with a hand-operated plug and valve, helped give early scientists insight into the physics of a vacuum-like never before. Since then, dozens of advancements improved these original and simplistic air pumps and optimized them for specific…
It’s the night before your little sister’s birthday, and you are supposed to be in charge of decorations. A quick trip to the drug store equips you with a spool of streamers and a bag of balloons, but you can’t find a place to fill them up. Well, the gas station has an air pump,…
No. At least without a little help, they won’t, but luckily there are a few other ways to make balloons float. If a balloon is filled with the same air outside the balloon, the relatively denser external membrane (usually and hereafter referred to as plastic) will bring the entire balloon crashing down. To overcome this…
It’s a beautiful summer day, and you’re out riding the rapids in your trusty inflatable kayak. But suddenly, you come upon rougher waters than you were expecting. Maybe a flash flood comes out of nowhere to take you by surprise, or the rapids suddenly become fiercer than you expected. Maybe a storm blows in, catching…
If you’re into kayaking, you’ve probably heard about skegs. Maybe your inflatable kayak even came with a skeg. But what are these pieces of equipment, exactly, and why should you care? Skegs are similar to rudders in that they can help you with steering and maneuvering, but they serve a different purpose than rudders and…