Planning a Belize Adventure

by Erik Olsen on

I’m not one for resorts, but prefer instead to stay in cheap, local hotels and/or hostels. Or sometimes, if I can find the right beach or camping area, I’ll pitch a tent and hang out for free…or nearly free, as most camping places don’t charge much. But you might be traveling with a significant other or perhaps you’re just fed up with the rat race and are looking for some creature comforts. Good for you. I can certainly appreciate that.

Well, the good folks over at Luxist have posted about a resort in one place I’d very much like to go: Belize. Sad to say, I’ve never been. Belize is actually one of only a few Latin American countries I’ve never visited, but would love to go, as I hear that it is not only remarkably beautiful, but the diving is said to be superb. Well, if Belize is on the horizon for you, you might check out the Kanantik Resort.

The Belize resort offers adventure-minded travelers who also have a bit of the luxury bug to experience eco-minded adventures with a hefty dose of romance. The cabins are plopped down on a private and secluded beach surrounded by a rainforest. They offer a rather impressive-sonding “Romantic Honeymoon” package that includes a six night all-inclusive stay in an air-conditioned beachfront cabana, three guided adventure tours and daily meals with gourmet dinners that can be served by candlelight on the private veranda of your cabana or on the beach. I suppose I could put my tent away for a week and do this. ;-)

Paddler's Journal

by Erik Olsen on

I am committed now that we are moving
into the warmer months to start posting more about paddling. One of my major goals this year is to get out on some
extended paddling trips, perhaps long weekends or a week someplace way outside of the city. I’m thinking about either
the lush, tropical, cerulean joy of the Caribbean, or the icy blue wonder of Greenland. We’ll see. Part of the matter
is who I can talk into going with me. But back to this idea of posting more about paddling. I’d like to bring your
attention to a blog written by a guy whose been getting into the paddling thing pretty hard-core.

Ignacio Wenley Palacios’s paddling journal is a must read.
The blog, titled simply On Kayaks, chronicles his first year (and beyond) getting into the sea kayaking scene and
learning everything he can about equipment, history and the personalities in the sport. I was nicely surprised to see
he listed the book by a friend of mine, Eric Stiller, who runs the Manhattan kayak Company and whose book Keep Australia on Your Left is a
classic in the paddling genre.Stiller is a great guy and if you ever come to paddle in Manhattan, you ought to venture
down the Chelsea piers and check out his store, perhaps take a paddle with him. Anyway, as I say, I enjoyed Palacios’
blog immensely and will probably come back to it later this season.

Woman Solos Prince Edward

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s one I missed this
summer. And too bad, cause it’s a cool story. A schoolteacher from London, Ontario, named Wendy Killoran completed the
first female solo circumnavigation of
Prince Edward Island, and did so in just 15 days. That’s fast. She says she was aided by good conditions and a near
constant tailwind.

The article here in one of my favorite paddling
magazines, Canoe and Kayak talks about the feat and how Kiloran is not at all new to impressive feats. She also
circumnavigated the world’s largest freshwater island, Manitoulin
Island in 2004. Paddling a Current Designs Solstice GTS, she pulled off both epic trips pretty much alone, which is
how she likes it. She also posted an article about the trip here.


Paddling South Georgia

by Erik Olsen on

I just did a quick survey of the stuff we’ve posted about lately and I realized that we…or that is I, since
this is a particular favorite activity of mine….have not posted nearly enough paddling stuff. I lay much of the blame
for this on old man winter. Face it, the last thing you want to do on a blustery day in the city is paddle up the Hudson
River. Wait, scratch that. That doesn’t actually sound so bad. Let me put it this way instead. It has been cold, so
we’ve focused more on winter sports like skiing, and come spring/summer will most certainly start doing more paddling
posts. There.

But that said, let me at least get this one out there. Here is a superb piece in Outside Magazine on
paddling South Georgia.

You know South Georgia right? From history class? South Georgia is the island the
Shackleton and his men landed on after just the first grueling leg of their epic and unimaginably awful trip to the far
south. Well, in the piece here a couple of Kiwis paddled solo around South Georgia Island, a truly massive feat. Read
the Outside piece and then head over to the expedition’s Web site.

Brunton 58 Kayak Deck Compass

by Erik Olsen on

It’s been awhile since I highlighted any kayaking gear, and since I was hanging out down
at Manhattan kayak the other day, I figured I’d mention something. In most places the people paddle, you don’t much need
a compass. You can get around just by looking around you. Oh, there’s downtown Manhattan, yeah, that’s South. But there
are other times when having a compass comes in handy, let alone when it is a means to avoid getting seriously lost.

And so, I discovered (well, didn’t discover per se…I found on the Web) a cool compass called the
Brunton 58 Kayak Deck Compass, which might be considered a serious necessary piece of equipment for any hard-core open
water paddler.  Brunton is the maker of fine gear, and this compass is no exception. It attaches via shock cords
with hooks, and will attach securely to deck lines, straps or strap eyes. It also features 10-degree graduations and
is, of course, completely waterproof. Adding a compass to your kayaking rig is a damn fine idea, and this could be an
excellent addition to your set up.