A desert is a landscape region that receives very little precipitation. For a peice of land to be classified as a desert it must receive less than 250 mm of precipitation per year. Because of such a low level of precipitation deserts are known for supporting very little forms of life. With that said though, with a closer look deserts still have a wide variety of life. These desert creatures normally remain hidden, especially true during the daylight hours, to preserver moisture.
Roughly one third of the world’s land surface is desert. Most commonly deserts around the world have similar characteristics. Sand Dunes can often times be present in deserts as the desert soil is mostly comprised of sand. Typically rocky terrain will be exposed in certain regions, which will reveal a sparseness of vegetation, and soil development. Wind driven forces are major factors in what shape desert landscapes.
Some of the largest and most known deserts in the world include:
Sahara
Kalahari
Namib
Judean Desert
Simpson Desert
Great Sandy Desert
Sturt’s Stony Desert
Little Desert
Taklamakan
Rangipo Desert
Often times, deserts contain valuable mineral deposits. These are often regions that were formed in the arid environment or that were exposed by erosion. Deserts are also ideal locations for human artifacts and fossils to be preserved because of their dry climate.
Most of the major deserts of the world are trade wind deserts which means that: dry winds dissipate cloud cover, which in turn allows more sunlight to heat the land. The second largest desert in the world, the Sahara of North Africa, which has seen temperatures as high as 56°C, is a trade wind desert.
Whale watching is the biggest show on earth. With the ocean as their stage, the spellbinding and entertaining whales put on daily star performances for the whale watch cruises visiting their feeding grounds. In this article you’ll discover how to get the most out of your trip.
Picture this… a warm summer afternoon on a boat in a gentle rolling ocean. A cooling breeze softly massages your face where you sit, and you begin to close your eyes and drift away… the sound of the boat’s engine begins to fade and finally stops. The boat, like you, is drifting over the waves and following the breeze. It’s very peaceful and calm and after a stressful week at work you finally feel in harmony with the world.
Then something explodes… out of the water… and only a few feet from your nose! A 30-ton humpback… the length of a large house… it breaches… and in another second is gone. And you’re left in disbelief and wonder. And it’s just the start of your whale watching!
While whales are scattered throughout the world there’s only a handful of accessible locations to view them in their natural environment. The coastal waters of New England and the west coast of North America are prime locations for whale watching. Hawaii and South Africa are also superb locations to spot whales, as are the ocean waters around New Zealand. So if a vacation or trip takes you to any of these areas make sure you book a cruise and take in the biggest show on earth.
Here’s five things to remember to ensure you have an enjoyable whale watch.
PLAN YOUR WHALE WATCHING TRIP
It may seem obvious but book in advance for your trip to avoid long lines or even disappointment. Usually at least one week before the trip is recommended. Whale watching cruises can last anywhere from 3 hours to 41/2 hours, and the length depends on how long it takes to find the whales. If you’re easily bored staring at the open ocean then take along a novel or your iPod, or something to entertain young children if they’re part of your group. While most boats are equipped with a place to buy food and drink they don’t usually mind you taking your own pack lunch or snacks to keep the costs down.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WHALE WATCH CRUISE
I’ve two criteria when I choose a whale watch cruise company. How long have they been in business and does it have whale experts on staff? You can usually uncover this information by checking out their web site or calling them.
Most whale watch boats use sophisticated sonar and communications equipment to find the whales, but as I’m not an expert in equipment I look to see if a company has a history of organizing whale watch trips. Good experience is usually a sign they’re doing something right and a safe bet. I also like to see at least one scientist or naturalist on the crew narrating the tour, as having a knowledgeable authority provides a better understanding of what you’re seeing.
CHECK FOR A WHALE SIGHTING GUARANTEE
It happens occasionally you don’t get to see a whale. These mammals are unpredictable, and while the captain will make every effort to uncover their location, some days they’re nowhere to be found. So make sure you book on a cruise that offers a guarantee sighting or you get to cruise again for free. Offering a guarantee is another good sign of a confident and experienced whale watch company.
WHALE WATCHING IS DONE ON THE OPEN OCEAN.
Experienced whale watch cruise companies do not go out in rough seas, but the whale feeding grounds are normally miles from land in the open ocean. Even at the height of summer the open sea can still be choppy, and so if you suffer with motion sickness then take something about an hour before you board the cruise.
QUICK CHECK OF WHALE WATCHING EQUIPMENT.
Recommended things to bring on your whale watch are a camera and plenty of film or memory cards. Take or borrow a pair of binoculars, as whales many times surface yards from the boat, and having binoculars will provide close up views other passengers just won’t get.
As for clothing, wear sneakers or something rubber-soled for good traction on a wet and slippery deck. And take sunscreen, sunglasses, and if it’s got a tie strap – a hat. Because of the breeze on open water take a sweatshirt just in case of temperature drop, especially for a late afternoon trip. The boats will go out in the rain, so if you’ve got a poncho pack it as well. I put most of my whale watch necessities in a small fanny pack.
Whales are mesmerizing mammals that’ve traveled thousands of miles to feed in their playground coastal waters. They don’t stay for long so go ahead and book your whale watch adventure and prepare for the biggest show on earth.
A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind.
The weather vane must be balanced so that half its weight is on either side of its axis, but also designed so that the areas exposed to the wind are unequal. This unequal area causes the vane to rotate and minimize the force of the wind on its surface. The design of the vane causes the end with the smallest area to turn into the wind, pointing to the source of the wind. Because winds are named from their source direction, the pointer enables the viewer to name the wind easily. Most simple weather vanes have directional markers beneath the pointer, aligned with the geographic directions. The pointer must be able to move freely on its axis.
Weathervanes, especially those with fanciful shapes, do not always show the real direction of a very gentle wind. This is because the figures do not achieve the design balance required in a weather vane. Early weather vanes had very ornamental pointers, but modern wind vanes are usually simple arrows that dispense with the directionals because the instrument is connected to a remote reading station. Also modern wind vanes were mounted with an anemometer, a device that measures wind speed.
To obtain an accurate reading, the weather vane must be located well above the ground and away from buildings, trees, and other objects which interfere with the true wind direction. Changing wind direction can be meaningful when coordinated with other apparent sky conditions, enabling the user to make simple short range forecasts.
Another wind direction device is the windsock. These are used at airports to show wind direction and strength. The wind fills the sock and makes it blow away from the prevailing wind. Strong winds make the sock point almost horizontally, while light airs allow the sock to hang limply. Because of its size, the wind sock can often be seen from the air as well as the ground. Even the most technologically-advanced airports still use windsocks today. Weathervanes are not only a signal of ancient history, but also a knowledgeable weather-reading instrument.
A traditional weathervane comes in two sections. The lower-half of a traditional weathervane is fixed and this is the section where the four points of the compass are aligned to their correct most accurate positions. The upper section of a traditional weathervane is the part of the vane that rotates and indicates the exact wind direction. The upper section can be any ornament as you wish, and the decorations often reflect the building the weathervane is atop. A weathervane ornament not only can display an animal or a gesture, but it can reveal a lot about you as an individual. A weathercock is also a weathervane, it just has a replication of a rooster as its decorations. The only rule with the upper section of a weathervane, is that the greatest amount of mass is to be on one side of the spindle, in other words, the weathervane has to have unequal weights on either side of the spindle. The inequality of the weathervanes weight, causes resistance for the oncoming wind, therefore forces the section with greater mass to the back and forces the pointer (the lighter end) to face the wind. For example, if the weathervane is pointing towards ‘N’, it means that the wind is indeed coming from the northern direction.
Most people wonder if it is possible to hand make a weathervane themselves. There are only two basic rules that must be followed when designing your own weather vane. Number one is that the ornament must have “equal area” on either side of the center. And the other rule is that the ornament must have “unequal mass” on either side of the center. So yes it is possible to create your own weathervane but all in all, it may be extremely hard work.
Quality family fun is what every parent looks for. And what better way to spend a relaxing day with your family then near the water. That’s why water parks make a great summer family outing.
Water parks have plenty of entertainment to offer including all kinds of water rides, arcades, outdoor games like miniature golf and go carts, and good food. All you need to do is show up to discover the excitement that awaits you.
There are slides for all levels and ages including water pools for the very youngest family members. So whether you like a real challenge or prefer a ride that’s relaxing, it’s there.
The larger parks have intertwined looping tube slides which are a blast; some starting 6 stories above the park and ending with a splash landing. There are a variety of tubes to choose from, so if 6 stories is too high you can play on one of the smaller ones. And who says a water park is all about the slides?
These days wakeboard and knee ski are growing water sports that many water parks are now offering. The courses are usually about ½ mile long and you can test your skills. Levels start at beginner and go right up to expert. And, if you aren’t ready to give it a try you can watch. It’s a great spectator sport too!
If you prefer to partner up with your buddy, there are usually some great two person water rides to check out. The inner tubes are one of the most fun. Or why not take a ride down a twisting turning slide reaching maximum speeds as you drop from an elevated shoot.
If that’s not your style why not try the Black Hole or the equivalent offered by most parks. Here you’ll jump into a raft and take an exhilarating journey down a twisting tunnel of darkness – whoo-eee fun with a capital F!
And if you’re lucky enough to visit Orlando’s Wet and Wild, be sure to check out The Blast which will have you screaming for more as you get soaked to the core in this stimulating ride complete with sound effects. You’ll twist and turn your way down through waterspouts and burst through pipes. What a ride! If you can’t get to Orlando don’t worry. Other water parks are offering similar rides.
When you need a rest from the water you can soak up some rays on the side. Grab a chair or relax on your beach towel. And then why not take the family for a game of miniature golf?
Don’t forget to enjoy a delicious burger and order of fries with a nice cold drink. And the day won’t be complete without an ice cream.
As November passes quickly, it is time to start thinking about buying Christmas gifts. Here’s a primer on unique Christmas gift ideas for people who like to go camping.
Unique Camping Gifts
Camping enthusiasts love to get away from the rat race and just take in the majesty of Mother Nature. If you’re shopping for a person that likes to go camping, here are a few unique camping gift ideas.
1. National Parks Pass – Some of the best camping locations are in the United States National Parks system. Yosemite, Glacier Park and so on provide simply stunning scenery and absolutely tremendous camping opportunities. The National Park Pass grants admission to all of the National Parks for one year. The National Parks Pass costs $49.99. 80 percent of the proceeds go to the preservation of the parks.
2. Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker – This cool little gadget lets you make ice cream on the fly while camping. In the form of a plastic ball, you simply add rock salt and ice to one end and provided ice cream to the other. Seal it up and start rolling it around like a soccer ball. Before you know it, you’ll have ice cream. This very cool gadget will run you $30.
3. Fold Away Food Covers – While getting back to nature is a blast, insects become annoying. The Fold Away Food Covers act as a little tent you can put over food to keep the little buggers off. The covers fold up and easily stored making them the ideal camping accessories. Coghlan’s covers are the best. You’ll spend $5 or so for the covers, a very small price for keeping food insect free.
4. Nomad Camping Journals – A little self-promotion here. Nomad Camping Journals are compact writing journals that let campers keep notes and a record of their camping trips. Really great for creating a record of who was on the trip, how the trip went, other places to try and so on. The camping journals are great keepsakes for adults and something to do for kids during down times. As the trips add up over the years, you’ll enjoy reading about past trips. You can click the link at the bottom of this article to see them and expect to pay $25 for the journal with case.
Overlanding shortly defined involves travelling in small groups and by a specific route to remote territories – places that are off the beaten track. This is what makes these trips al that exciting, as not many people have the opportunity to visit such areas. These trips are definitely not ordinary. They are for the fun loving, excited and adventurous at heart.
Tours can last anything between 4 days to 6 months and usually includes visiting more than one country. Group sizes are small varying from 10 to 25.
Overlanding is a very budget style of travel and accommodation, transport, National Park entry fees and most meals are included in prices. The idea behind an overlanding trip is to escape the busy City life and just become part of nature.
These trips are nothing boring; as it includes all levels of adventurous activities and is suitable for all persons with average to good fitness and good health. Tours are carefully planned so that each tour has its own optional activities. These activities can range anything from extreme adventure – like bungee jumping – to more fun adventure activities like elephant back safaris, scuba diving, white water rafting, fishing, horse riding …and the list just continues.
The great thing about optional activities is that you do not have to pay for anything you cannot afford or wouldn’t like to do.
You will however be expected to participate in limited amount of general duties on tour like washing your dishes, keeping the vehicle clean, setting up your camp and getting all muddy should the truck get stuck. This ensures that everything on tour runs as smoothly as possible and mostly so that there’s not a dull moment. All the more excitement!
Overlanding vehicles are generally specially designed trucks suited for the roads travelled on and can range anything from “rough-it overlanding” trucks to more luxury spacious trucks with comfortable seats.
The accommodation on tour can range anything from plain camping to budget National Park style bungalows or safari tents.
Local payments may be levied from tour participants in certain African countries. This is a very common on overlanding tours. Local Payments are essential in order to transfer the foreign currencies of the countries visited in order to operate the tours.
Your tour itinerary should state if a local payment will be necessary for the countries you will visit.
A good tip is to always carry US$ cash on you when on tour as US dollars are widely accepted throughout Africa.
Air fares to Africa are usually excluded in the tour price, but overlanding companies or booking agents are mostly able to arrange it on your behalf.
Travel insurance is very important and compulsory on overlanding trips. You must ensure that you take out adequate travel insurance to cover the type of activities you may be interested in. Certain overlanding booking agents or companies will even be able to arrange travel insurance for you.
What makes an overlanding tour so unique is that you meet great people, you experience so much about other cultures, and because you travel in a group, you have experienced guides by your side who will be able to explain all the inns and outs on tour – wherever you are off to.
So, my advice to you, if you are looking for an experience of a lifetime, pack your bag of enthusiasm, excitement and sense of humour and you are ready to head off to an African overlanding adventure of a lifetime.
As an outdoor enthusiast you will at some point make a decision to learn how to navigate in the backcountry. Whether you use a map, compass, GPS receiver or all three, there are several things you should know about successful navigation. Your safety and the safety of your companions depend upon it.
Backcountry activities such as hiking, orienteering, hunting, climbing, geocaching, fishing, four-wheeling and camping are all loads of fun – until you get lost. That’s why you should know how to navigate. But navigation doesn’t start when you find yourself hopelessly lost. Navigation begins BEFORE your adventure begins so that you don’t place yourself in harm’s way. Let’s take a look at the top tips for successful off road navigation.
The first three tips pertain to getting ready to go:
* Prepare your body. I cannot overstate the necessity for proper preparation. If you are not in good physical condition when you begin your adventure, you are placing yourself in danger. No matter what your current physical conditioning is – improve it before you start. An exhausted body will negate any acquired navigational skills.
* Prepare your mind. If you are using tools, and you should be, such as a map, a compass or a GPS Unit make sure you know how to use them. In order of priority: Maps are most important to understand and use, proper use of a magnetic needle compass is next and finally a GPS unit. Do not rely solely on your GPS. GPS’s only work well when you’re moving and they don’t work at all with dead batteries. Take a class on using your compass with a map. It is not only interesting, it is also a required life skill for the outdoor enthusiast.
* Have a plan and tell someone about it. Whenever you go into the vast backcountry, be sure to tell someone back home where you plan on going, how you plan on getting there and when you’ll be back. If you break your leg, it would be nice if help could find you.
Now that you are a prepared navigator, you’re ready to go. Here are the remaining tips:
* Trust your compass. Many people get lost by trusting their “instincts” instead of their compass.
* Always orient your map to the landscape. The best way to do this is to orient North on the map with the North bearing on your compass. I also face north when making directional decisions off of a map. A miss-oriented map can easily lead to confusion.
* Be sure of your Declination. The difference between True North and magnetic north is called your declination. This is critical for accurate compass use. If you don’t understand declination, you weren’t paying attention in your map/compass class. If your map is fairly new, use the declination value on the map and adjust your compass as required. If your map is older than 5 years…you’re not very well prepared. Most modern GPS Units calculate the declination value for you. This value should match the value on your map.
* Always measure for yourself. You’ve prepared for your trip, now you should use what you learned. Bearing (direction of travel) and distance (number of steps or lapsed time) are the two most important measurements to you when traveling in the backcountry. Always measure for yourself, do not rely on anyone else for this. If your partner comes up with something different, sort it out. If you come up with the same thing as your partner, then move on in confidence.
* Never travel at night. Although a star lit sky can offer accurate navigational data, traveling at night is risky. Only experienced travelers should travel after dark. The major risk of traveling at night is injury. It is difficult to judge “footfall” distances and terrain in the dark.
* Keep a log book. If you are traveling from station to station (map feature to map feature) keep a written log of the bearing and distance decisions you’ve made. This will aid you in recovering from navigational errors and will also aid you in returning to a known location.
* If you think you’re lost S.T.O.P. Oftentimes admitting you are lost is the toughest thing to do. It is also the most important thing you can do. Once you’re lost, Sit, Think, Observe and Plan. S.T.O.P. will save you.
Some final thoughts:
* It’s OK to write on your map.
* You should know how many steps you take to travel 100 yards. Write this number down on your map and in your log book.
* When a new land feature presents itself to you, compare it to your map.
* Keep your compass hanging around your neck, not in your pack.
* Never use your compass on the hood of your car or truck. Compass accuracy is adversely effected by metal objects.
* Always travel with extra batteries for your GPS.
* Pay attention to natural and manmade features such as fence lines, power lines, railroad tracks, ridges, valleys and rivers.
Backcountry activities are fun…until you get lost. That’s why you should know how to navigate. Take a map reading class, read an orienteering book and practice. Like most life skills, navigating in the backcountry is easy to learn.
Camping grounds can be found in Alberta camping. You will need a camping stove if you are camping in Alberta. The southern part of the province has some really good camp grounds.
Camping ah the coffee always taste better from a tin pot brewed on a open fire. The bedtime snacks always taste better when roasted over the camp fire. You will find many different camp grounds in Alberta. Some site are well treed and spacious and some sites are in the Alberta bad lands. You can even find camp grounds in the mountains with spectacular lakes and mountains as backdrops.
Camp grounds inn t he smaller towns can cost you only cost 10 dollars per night and this is a site with hook ups and hot showers.
Alberta has 5 national parks which include back country and front country sites. Alberta has 68 provincial parks and 200 hundred recreational areas which also provide over night stays.
Alberta campgrounds offer top notch ,and nature based adventures in the campgrounds. You will find highly developed sites which offer power hook ups, shower, and flush toilets to rustic minimal amenities such as pump water and out houses. If you purchase a Wilderness Pass it will allow you unlimited back country travel and camping for 1 year. For you folks who only want to stay a few nights the wilderness Pass can be purchased at any park gate from 8 dollars to 30 dollars per person depending on the park you will be staying in.
You will see some bears on your out door activities so here are some basic rules to follow.
Bears are attracted to the smell of food. Do not invite a bear into your camp site keep it clean. Store your food in the trunk of your campmoble. Preferably in a air tight container and away from your sleeping area. Never store food in your tent or tent trailer where you are sleeping.
Never cook or eat near or in your tent. Do not bury food scraps. Do not litter, Place all garbage in the suitable containers provided in the campgrounds. If no containers are available take it out with you when you leave.
Only clean any fish you catch at a designated fish cleaning station if no station is available use a garbage container. If moving around the camp grounds at night always use a flashlight. Move cautiously at night do not run around blindly.
If camping with a dog keep it on a leash not more than 10 feet long. If you have a loss dog it may irritate a bear and bring it back to your camp site. Keep young children close to you at all times. Never let them out of your sight even for a minute. More kids have been lost because the parents turned their back only for a minute.
The bears are attracted to berry patches avoid them if possible a bear encounter is not want you want let the bear have the berries. Buy your at the store.
Purchase a can of bear spray and read the instructions be for you go camping. Keep the can handy and in your tent at night.
For the avid back country camper be sure all attractants like food supplies for both your and your pet , or scented toiletries are stored so the bears can not get them when you are away from your camp spot.
If no storage unit is around you can hang them from a tree at least 4 meters off the ground, and at least 1.5 meter from another tree. Be sure the food stuff is stored at least 100 meters from the tents or sleeping area.
Remember you are the intruder not the bear this is his domain. Do not deliberately confront a bear in the end you will lose.
Are you, your family, your friends, or your romantic partner planning to take a hiking adventure soon? As you likely already know, hiking can be fun and exciting, but it can be dangerous at the same time. Of course, there are a number of different steps that you can take to protect yourself on your next hiking adventure and a few of those steps are outlined below.
If you have yet to choose your hiking trail, you will want to do so soon. The sooner that you choose your hiking trail, the easier it will be to familiarize yourself with where you will be hiking. When choosing a hiking trail, it is advised that you take the difficulty level into consideration. For instance, you can find hiking trails in the United States that are designed for beginners, as well as those that have advanced hiking experience.
Once you have decided which hiking trial you would like to hike on, you will want to take the time to fully familiarize yourself with the trail. If you are able to acquire a map of the hiking trial in question, you will want to closely examine it. You will want to know exactly where you are at all times, as well as how to get out of the area, in the event of an emergency. If you do acquire a map of the hiking trial that you plan on hiking, you will want to make sure that you bring a copy of the map with you. This will also assist you in the event of an emergency.
You will want to think about familiarizing yourself with the security of the hiking trial or park in question; get their contact information so you can contact them in the event of an emergency. Speaking of contacting security guards, you will want to make sure that you bring a cell phone with you. A cell phone will allow you to call for help if you or someone in your hiking party has an accident or wanders off the trail. If you do not own a cell phone, you may want to think about buying a cheap prepaid one or borrowing the cell phone of someone that you know.
Although it is important that you bring a cell phone with you on your next hiking adventure, a cell phone is not all that you will want to bring. Even if you are only planning on hiking for a day or two, you will want to make sure that you have enough food and drinks, just incase something went wrong. Many hikers are urged to prepare for the worst, just incase. For that reason, you may want to think about packing a number of extra snacks and drinks.
Another great way that you can stay safe on your next hiking adventure is by making sure that you have all of the right hiking equipment or hiking supplies. In this aspect, you will want to make sure that you are dressed for the hike. Hiking should involve sneakers at the least, but you may want to think about buying a set of hiking boots. You will also want to review the weather before leaving. Even if it will be bright and sunny, you may still want to think about bringing a light coat with you, incase of rain or incase you become stranded on the hiking trail overnight.
Perhaps, the best way that you can go about staying safe on your next hiking adventure is by letting your friends and family members know where you are going, when you will be leaving, and when you will return. Should you not return on time, those that you know should be able to find you, or at least have a generalized idea of where you are. You may also want to think about writing down the same information and leaving it at a safe place at home.
The above outlined hiking safety tips are just a few of the many that you may want to think about practicing. As a reminder, hiking can be fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous as well.
