When you’re heading for the back country in late fall or early spring, you prepare for the weather by wearing hiking boots that have traction, carrying a warm jacket and bringing a first aid kit.

Do the same thing for the vehicle you take to the trailhead. One of the greatest dangers of driving in those seasons is black ice. Black ice is clear water that’s frozen onto blacktop, making a slick patch that’s hard to see before you hit it. You should be just as prepared for that as you are for the outdoor adventure.

The most treacherous spots are areas that look dry but are darker than surrounding pavement; low-lying areas that may have caught some run-off water; and bridges and underpasses, which tend to freeze before the rest of the highway. Black ice can occur when the temperature drops to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, above freezing. As the temperature drops, the ice spreads.

Make sure your tires have the traction you’ll need; use snow tires if necessary. Winterize your car like you would your clothing. If you have four-wheel drive, use it, but don’t assume it will save you from black ice. Slow down, and don’t tailgate – that’s just asking for an accident. Anticipate traffic lights and exits, and start to gradually slow down before you would in better weather. Keep an emergency kit (think car first aid) in your car, with items like a folding shovel, sand, and a flashlight.

If you hit black ice, slow down but do NOT hit your brakes quickly or hard, or you’ll skid. Take your foot off the accelerator and change gears to neutral. Try to maneuver smoothly, and if your car spins, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the spin. If you skid, turn in the direction you want to go. If you have anti-lock brakes, don’t pump them; the system should kick in and let you slow down and steer.

With some planning, you can survive black ice after your wilderness adventure. Care for your vehicle like you do for yourself.

The fall season is a wonderful time of year for nature-oriented activities. Outdoor fall activities are a great way to stay active and nature can lend a helping hand in many ways. Leaves are changing into wondrous colors and the weather can be just the perfect temperature. Regularly participating in activities such as hiking, rock climbing, nature walks, camping, and other outdoor adventures can be a workout. It’s also fun and a great way to spend time with family and friends. One way to be sure you get these outdoor activities in regularly is to form a nature club.

Decide who you are interested in forming the club with. Will this be strictly for family? Are friends invited to participate in the activities? What are the age groups? There could be separate groups for adults and children or it could be all-inclusive. Some may prefer even to ask around the community and make it a more formal club. Decide also if there will be dues or if everyone will just pay their own way whenever there are any associated costs. Many nature venues, such as state parks are free or low-cost, but there may be equipment and supply costs or a number of other small fees.

Scheduling should be something to think about when making plans. The group can decide together on a schedule that best fits all participants. Think about how many times per week or month is ideal, as well as days and times. Also remember to consider holidays, as well as possible weather conditions. Some activities, such as kite flying, would be good on a windy day.

Some may choose to focus a club on one fall hobby or activity. Others may choose to be more versatile. Whatever option you go with, be sure the chosen activities fit the skill levels of your nature club members. A fun way to keep track of everyone while on nature excursions is to get custom-designed t-shirts and matching shoes. Just be sure the shoes are durable and comfy, as well as appropriate for certain activities. Nature activities can be hard on the feet without proper footwear.

Sources:

http://www.childrenandnature.org/news/detail/texas_parks_and_wildlife_pr...

South Beach is not the only hoppin’ beach in town: Florida’s Gulf Coast responds with its own up and coming party on Clearwater Beach.

After a beautiful Gulf Coast sunset, the lights turn on and the music turns up at Clearwater Beach bars and clubs. And as day turns to night, party-goers trade in their flip-flops for stilettos and bikinis for a short summer dress . But don’t wear yourself out dancing, because you’ll want to be ready to rise and shine the next day.

If you prefer a more low-key celebration, don’t worry, you can keep your flip-flops and head to one of many small bars and family-run restaurants on Clearwater Beach to eat, drink, and wait for the sun to come back up.

And when the sun does come up, Clearwater Beach doesn’t disappoint. Sure, Clearwater Beach doesn’t have the glitz or glam of South Beach…at least not yet, but it does have sand. Miles of wide, white sandy beaches stretch into the soft warm, waves of the Gulf. Visitors to the beach can lie back and soak in the sun, take a swim in the sandy-bottom waters, or go shopping. Mandalay Avenue is filled with boutique shops, gift shops, and plenty of restaurants.

But as the day comes to an end, you really have to head to the Pier for the nightly Sunsets at the Pier 60 Festival celebration. This can’t-miss family event features artisans, crafters, street performers and live musical entertainment. And after the sun goes down, it’s back to party time at this beautiful beach.

The late summer and early fall months are a great time to head outdoors for your fitness routine. But how do you make sure you’re really getting in a great workout without the help of resistance equipment and mile-counters on the machines? Whether you choose to go swimming or head outside for a long jog, the heat may get to you faster than it would at the gym—which means you don’t always know if you’re pushing yourself hard enough. Here are ways to make the most of your workouts during late summer:

1. Wear the right clothing. Make sure your workout gear is well-suited for the weather or you risk dehydration and discomfort from the heat and humidity. You’ll need lightweight, light-colored clothing made with moisture-wicking fabric so that your skin can breathe.

2. Throw on a visor. Pull your hair back in a ponytail if you have longer hair, and brush it back neatly if you have shorter hair so that you can wear a visor comfortably. A visor will help to block out the powerful sun rays of the late summer months and help you stay focused.

3. Wear sunglasses. Your eyes need to be protected from damaging UV rays, so make sure you’re wearing a pair of well-fitting sunglasses that cover the entire eye area. Wraparound sunglasses and oversized sunglasses that reach your eyebrows are your best bets for an outdoor workout.

4. Carry a pedometer . Keep track of the miles you’ve covered so you’re not pushing yourself beyond your limit. Set a goal and monitor your heart rate at regular intervals throughout the session so you don’t injure yourself in the heat.

5. Don’t forget the water bottle! Nothing will make you tired more quickly than being dehydrated. When you’re working out under the hot sun, you need to prevent dehydration, so take along a large water bottle and keep it topped off from a water fountain whenever possible.

Working out outdoors is a great way to make the most of the nice weather during the late summer months and enjoy a change of scenery. Make sure you’re well-prepared for the climate and protect yourself with these essential tips…and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Discover nature in a whole new way by going canoeing or paddling. Whether you’ve done it before or it’s your first time, there always is a new adventure. Keep safety in mind, wear comfortable boat shoes , and have fun on this great outdoor adventure. The United States has many places that are perfect for canoeing and paddling with a friend or two. Here are a few unique and interesting locations to get you started on your outdoor journey.

Blackstone Valley, RI
Tour the waters on an unforgettable family adventure or let a few friends tag along instead. Blackstone valley has plenty of flexibility in options when it comes to canoeing and paddling tours. Become one with nature while boating through the waters of Blackstone Valley. The plentiful plants and animals you’ll see along the way are a beautiful sight. Fishing and birdwatching are just a couple of the options to explore.

St. Lawrence River in Clayton, NY
Have you ever thought of building and sailing your own canoe on St Lawrence River? Regardless of your answer, you may be interested to find out there’s a place that takes you through it step-by step. The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY offers the plans to do so. There are also boat-building classes available. Not quite ready to build, but still want to ride the waters? They still have you covered. You can even take a guided tour of the museum’s artifacts to get in a history lesson before or after sailing.

Keweenaw Water Trail, MI
Canoeing and paddling the waters of Lake Superior along Michigan’s Keweenaw Water Trail offers breathtaking scenery. Winds can be unpredictable here, so it’s probably not best for beginners. Those lucky enough to embark on this adventure will not soon forget it. Wildlife is abundant and fishing can provide a great meal. Camping is available around the Keweenaw Peninsula. Check with area parks and recreation departments in advance, as some land around the peninsula is privately owned. A note to remember is that because this is a naturally beautiful ecosystem, “No Trace Camping” is most appreciated and preferred.

Sources:
http://kwta.org/
http://www.paddleblackstone.com/
http://www.abm.org/canoe-sailing.asp

If you visited our website today, you may have noticed something new on the front page. We recently started using some of our own team members to showcase various brands that we carry on Zappos.com. Today a few Zapponians are showing off items from our Outdoor performance categories, from clothing and backpacks to footwear. In today’s blog, we give you a behind the scenes look at what really happens when you get a few Zapponians together to take some pictures.

A serious fall when you’re miles from a medical facility is one of the biggest dangers of back country sports. The worst injury, the one that’s impossible to treat where the fall occurs, is a spinal cord injury. As recently as 50 years ago, spinal injuries were almost always fatal, and in the back country they still can be.

Symptoms of spinal cord injuries include pain or a stinging feeling somewhere along the spine; loss of movement of extremities; numbness and/or loss of the ability to feel heat, cold, or touch on a body part; muscle or limb spasms; and difficulty in breathing or coughing. The uninjured individuals may see that the head or another part of the spine is at an unnatural angle.

The first thing you can do is the “ABCD” of emergency medicine: check that the airway is open and the injured person is breathing; check the pulse (circulation), and check for disability (ask if the injured person can move, if he can feel his legs, what hurts, if he knows where he is and who you are, etc.).

If you suspect an injury to any part of the spinal cord, it’s absolutely critical that you do not move the injured person at all. Keep his head and spine where they are, and use T-shirts or towels or whatever you have in your packs, or even rocks, to ensure his head and spine can’t and don’t move. If the individual is conscious, keep talking to him and keep him talking. Put a sleeping bag over him to keep him warm and prevent shock.

If you’re able to call out on a cell phone or satellite phone, call for an emergency medical helicopter to fly in for the injured person. If not, then send someone in your group to where the cell phone works, or the nearest medical facility, as quickly as possible, and have them send the chopper. Someone else should stay with him. Don’t try to move him; at best, he could be paralyzed for life; at worst, you’ll kill him. Stay safe out there.

To start their new lives together, many newlywed couples travel to beautiful, exotic locations for their honeymoon, one of the most popular destinations being the Hawaiian Islands. Normally, the scariest thing one might see in this tropical paradise is Greg, Marcia and the rest of “The Brady Bunch,” but during “A Perfect Getaway,” a honeymoon takes a deadly turn.

Cliff (*Steve Zahn*) and Cydney (*Milla Jovovich*) fly to Hawaii after their wedding to hike on the more challenging trails and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, while they are making their way to paradise, they hear about a young couple that was murdered on one of the other Hawaiian Islands.

Despite this horrific news, Cliff and Cydney keep moving forward, eventually hooking up with another couple named Nick (*Timothy Olyphant*) and Gina (*Kiele Sanchez*). These two attractive, interesting people have plenty of stories to tell, and Gina also demonstrates the meat-cutting skills she learned back in high school when she worked for a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Cliff and Cydney aren’t quite sure if their new friends are on the level or if they have a more sinister agenda.

Besides the serial killer subplot, “A Perfect Getaway” is like a video guide to hiking through the Hawaiian Islands. Cliff and Cydney start their adventure on a helicopter tour of the islands, and Cliff literally hangs out of the copter to get some high-definition video footage of the places they want to go.

Later on, Cliff shells out nearly $500 for freeze-dried food and other supplies to carry in his rucksack. When he and his wife reach a point in the trail that gets pretty steep and slippery, Cliff comments that he’s walking around with about 40 pounds of gear strapped to his back. During a moment of male bonding, Cliff and Nick even take some time out to go kayaking into some gorgeous water caves.

All things considered, “A Perfect Getaway” is a fairly decent outdoor thriller, but the indescribably beautiful Hawaiian backdrop makes this film well worth the price of admission.