Jim’s Hunting and Camping

Good Morning;

Inflatable kayaks have so many uses in many different situations, if you are a duck hunter looking to get out into the water, or fishing in your favorite lake or stream or flying down some white water rapids they will do the job and give you a lot of enjoyment at the same time.  They are one of the most versatile water craft you can own that will fit into a small place in the car or truck.  If you like to fish and float down the river you should try the Pine River in Western Michigan as well as the Muskegon River both will give you plenty of fun and of course the Manistee River which has some world class Brown Trout in it.  Plus there are plenty of campgrounds close to the rivers for the whole family to enjoy.  Come on up North in Michigan for some great times.  Please be safe in the New Year.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim

Good Morning;

It is December 30th and we have all but ended 2009.  So if you are like us we are thinking about camping in 2010 and where we want to go camping.  We have reservations at Mitchell State Park in Cadillac, Mi. for Memorial week-end and we are wondering where else we want to go camping this summer.  We are looking at Otsego State Park and Platte River National Park over in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore, and there are lots of activities for kids and adults alike.  Swimming, hiking, biking, canoeing, and tubing.   Grab your tent and go for it.  And if your tent needs to be replaced be sure to get one that is of great quality so that you will get years of use from your investment.  Have a great day and Happy New Year.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim

Good Morning;

For being such a simple device, there sure are a lot of choices when it comes to binoculars. There have been some recent technological advances in binoculars that include electronic image stabilization and digital image capturing. That means those simple binoculars do more than just magnify, they can now keep the image steady and even take a digital picture of what you are spotting in your binoculars. But for the most part the main job of binoculars is simply to magnify. So how should you choose and what should you consider when reading binocular comparisons or ratings of binoculars?

The first feature you should look at is the binoculars’ power measurements. The power is listed by a pair of number such as 10×25, pronounced “ten-by-twenty five”. The first number is the amount of magnification. In this case the image would be magnified by a power of 10, or in other words would appear 10 times closer than without the binoculars. The second number listed is the size of the lens in millimeters. In this case the lens is 25 mm in diameter. So the larger the first number, the closer your subject will appear to be. But what about the second number? The lens size determines how much light enters the binoculars. The more light, the sharper and brighter the image will be. So at first glance it would seem you would want binoculars with the highest power measurements as possible. But you must consider that larger lenses mean larger and heavier binoculars, and in most cases, more expensive too. So it is best to first consider what you plan to use your new binoculars for.  If you are just starting out and want to play around with the binoculars than a less expensive pair will do, but if you are going to be  hunting in all types of weather you should consider a water proof pair.  So please do consider your uses before purchaseing new binoculars.

Have a great day and Happy New Year.   Jim

Parts of this article by Blake Mead of ezinearticles.

Good Morning;

When you are hunting and you see your prey but you don’t know weather to shoot or not because you don’t know how far the shot is, with a good rangefinder you will take the guess work out of the shot.  It could mean the difference between getting the game or not.  Shooting a deer that is a long ways away can be done with a good rangefinder.  Every hunter knows that knowing just where to set your sites for a long shot means the difference between being successful and not being successful.  What ever you do be safe.

Thanks for stopping by.   Jim

Good Morning;

If you are a fisherperson there is a story in our local newspaper, the week-end edition of the Cadillac News that will be of interest to you.  On September 9th of 2009 Tom Healy of Rockford, Mi. caught a world record German Brown Trout out of the Manistee River.  The giant brown weighed in at 41 lb.and 7 ounces and has been certified by The International Game Fish Association, as well as The Fresh Water Fishing Hall Of Fame.  Michigan also has several other great fishing rivers in the area, The Pine River, The Muskegon River and the Au Sable River and they all will provide you with some very good fishing.  The Pine and Muskegon will allow you to float down the river and an inflatable kayak will allow you room in your car or truck to carry all of your gear.  So if you are going trout fishing in the spring and need a boat fit to glide down the river consider an inflatable kayak.  What ever you do be safe.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim

Good Morning;

When you are looking for an economical way to light up your path, under a kitchen sink, in a dark corner of your garage maybe you might want to look at a headlamp.  Headlamps allow you to be hands free while you are working, playing or searching.  There are a multitude of uses, say you are an early morning  jogger, or late evening  jogger, work second shift in a lumber yard, anywhere there is poor lighting a headlamp will light up your way.  LED headlamps have taken over in a lot of places because of their bright light and provide a measure of safety as well by keeping your hands free.  What ever you do be safe and have a great holiday.

Thanks for stopping by.. Jim

Hi Everyone;

When you are traveling, hunting, or camping and you need to find your way to your destination having a GPS system is a great way to do just that.   A hand held GPS that can go on a hike with you or a drive across country is an easy way to find a campground or gas station.  Looking forward to finding a new campground is what I’m doing.  Whatever you do be safe and have a great and Merry Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim

Hi Everyone;

When you are out camping cooking a meal sometimes can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.  A compact stove and grill can be just the ticket for making eggs and bacon for breakfast and hamburgers  for supper.  Cooking in the outdoors is one of the greatest experiences ever.  Everything tastes better than when you are home, plus the smell of food cooking outdoors is better, I don’t know why but it is.  Here in Michigan we are in the midst of winter, it was 6 degrees below zero yesterday morning and not a lot better today but dreaming of camping in summer brings a warm feeling to us and we look forward to that time and if you are some where in the country where you can camp year around I am jealous.  Be safe and have a Merry Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by.   Jim

Hi Everyone;

Yesterday we talked about purchasing a new tent for your camping pleasure, today I would like to have you think about what you want in a sleeping bag.  If you are going to invest in a new sleeping bag you also want to do a little research, what kind of weather are you going to be camping in, just the summer or are you going to be winter camping?  Winter camping will take a much warmer sleeping bag, one with a hood is best for winter and one that is rated to 40 below zero and one for summer camping doesn’t need a hood or to be rated much less than 20 above zero.  So take into account what type of weather you will be camping in and purchase accordingly.  Again you will want to look at quality more than price because of the durability for years to come as opposed to one that will last 3 summers and be worn out.  Do your research to find what is the best sleeping bag for your needs.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim

Good Morning;

It’s not to early to start thinking about summer and camping in your favorite park.  My wife and I have got reservations for Memorial week-end with our friends and we are already talking about how nice it is going to be.  So just remember how great it is when you are camping and how warm summer nights are just great.  So now you want to get a new tent.  There are all kinds of tents but, before you purchase one you want to do a little research.  Make sure you invest in a quality tent, one made by a well known manufacture who will stand behind their product.  After all you are investing in your future happiness and durability is a great thing to have.  What kind of tenting are you going to be doing, spring, summer, fall, winter, or a combination of all of them, so purchase for the most severe weather you will be camping in.  Remember price is not always what you want to rely on when it comes to quality.

Thanks for stopping by.  Jim