What's Your "Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Car" ?

My Subaru Forester is my life ! It's my "Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Car", my home away from home, my business essential !

RV-ing Just Got A Whole New Meaning

Recreational vehicles  ( RV, travel trailer, camper, fifth wheel...) offer a great, affordable way to travel, vacation, and live-in. On the downside, RVs have pretty high maintenance and gas expenses, limited storage space, minimum privacy ( if you live in RV park), not to mention the whole "carbon footprint" and " environmental impact " those gas-guzzling monsters leave as they trail through nature.

For those "environmentally conscious " nomads, let me introduce you to ... not exactly sure what to call them : camper bike, bike motorhome, bike trailer house ?

KiteWing - An Awesome Toy For All Board Sports

Kitewing SK8 Ice & Snow Sail

If you've been following this blog, you know that being ExtraHyperActive, I love all types of boards sports : snowboarding, surfing, longboarding, windsurfing, skimboarding... You also know that a few years ago I started doing kiteboarding and kite landboarding. All these boardsports are extremely fun, and offer something for everyone. But I never stop looking for more ways to challenge myself, have fun, and create unforgettable experiences !

Recently I came came across a pretty awesome toy that can be used with any board, and more !





Kitewing (aka Skimbat) is a wing shaped kite. Many people call it “the wing” for short, just because of its shape.

Bucket list Ideas : Volcano Boarding In Nicaragua !

Believe it or not, "volcano tourism" is a popular, and growing travel trend. Every year millions of tourists make active and dormant volcanic areas their preferred destination, either for recreational purposes and sightseeing, or perhaps as an adventure trip involving more extreme activities such as hiking, climbing, camping, taking a hot air balloon trip over volcanic landforms like in Capadoccia, Turkey.

But recently, one activity/adventure has become especially popular - volcano boarding !

Have Trouble Sleeping ? Go Camping !

Modern life disrupts our sleep through exposure to electric light and reduced access to sunlight.

For those who have trouble sleeping, researchers say that one week of camping, without electronics, resets our biological body clock and synchronizes our melatonin hormones with sunrise and sunset. ( this story was originally published by Inside Science News Service.)

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder found that if you live by the sun's schedule, you are more likely to go to bed at least an hour earlier, wake up an hour earlier, and be less groggy, because your internal clock and external reality are more in sync. The sun adjusts your clock to what may be its natural state, undoing the influence of light bulbs.

The disconnect between the outside environment and sleep is one reason why even native Alaskans have problems sleeping in the almost endless days of the Arctic summers, and get depressed during the long nights of winters.

And if camping isn't quite your cup of tea, the team suggests getting as much sunlight as feasibly possible, perhaps even starting your day off with a walk outside.

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Surfing China's Tidal Bore

I already wrote about this unique natural phenomena - tidal bores.
Bores occur in relatively few locations worldwide, and recently surfing/SUPing world was introduced to a few of them: the Turnagain arm of Cook Inlet in Alaska and "The Seven Ghosts" deep in the heart of the Indonesian jungle.

And below is a great video from Silver Dragon Surfing Championships 2011 that took place on the Qiantang River in Haining. The extraordinary tides of the Qiantang River are a world-renowned natural wonder. Millions of tourists from China and overseas are drawn to the city of Haining in Zhejiang province every year to witness one of China's most unusual and spectacular sights - the amazing surging tides of the Qiantang River.

The river features the world's largest tidal bore with waves that travel up to 40 kilometers per hour and up to 9 meters high:

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Why You Should Bring Your Own Snorkeling Gear On Your Next Tropical Vacation

Love traveling, and watersports ? Don't forget to bring your snorkeling gear to your next vacation !

Here is why :

My trip to Mexico was the second time I regretted not bringing my own snorkel gear with me. My fins are old, heavy, all-rubber ones, not really comfortable for tropical diving/snorkeling ( since tropical divers do not always need wetsuit booties, many use long, full-foot light pocket fins while diving in tropical water ). Also, I wanted to travel light, and knew that most dive schools provided all the gear for their trips.

But even if you're not a diver, in places like Mexico ( Hawaii or Florida's Keys ) there are many great places where you can go snorkeling.

Of course, you can always rent a snorkeling set ( mask, snorkel and fins ), or even buy a brand new one at a local WallMart. But having you own snorkel gear means you’ll have one less thing to do when you get to your destination. In other words, you’ll be at the beach sooner instead of searching for the rental shop.

I think that if you're a frequent visitor/lover of sunny tropical places ( and love snorkeling/diving/swimming ), investing in a quality snorkel gear set is a must.

As I've mentioned above, full-foot pocket fins are lighter, and sometimes the whole snorkel set will weight about 4 lbs. A set usually comes in a convenient carrying and storage bag, that will easily fit in any suit case.

Also, before I heard people recommend bringing your own snorkel gear because of the hygiene aspect ( Mexico doesn't have the same health & safety rules that you're likely used to at home ). I don't know about you, but for me, there is just something about having your own snorkel in your mouth :) When it comes to masks, aside from the hygiene thing, pink eye can be very nasty.

And finally, the price of the snorkeling set is ( almost ) the same as the price of one (!) "snorkeling tour". So, buying and bringing your own gear will pay off even during a short tropical vacation !!

So, what is the best snorkeling gear out there ?

Should you buy your snorkeling gear from Amazon, Walmart, Costco, or eBay ?

Personally, I always recommend to buy your outdoor gear from Amazon.
Why?

Not only will you have a larger selection of choices, prices, brands, and read the snorkel gear reviews before you buy, but, the most important, after your purchase, and use, you can recommend that gear to your friends, family, and anybody else looking to buy their own snorkeling gear, and MAKE MONEY !

Below, see some of our recommendations, and choose from amongst the choices that we have tried out or from amongst the best sellers from Amazon :




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Parahawking- Flying Like A Bird...With A Bird.

The video below is absolutely beautiful !

When you go parahawking, you are not just flying like a bird - you are flying with one. And there's only one place in the world you can do it: Pokhara, Nepal and doing it is as awesome as it sounds.

If it's too much to digest, let me first explain what parahawking is.

Parahawking is a fusion between Falconry and Paragliding. Falconry is a huntung sport where birds of prey are trained to hunt prey. Parahawking is different, our birds of prey are trained to fly with Paragliders and to guide them to the thermals. Parahawking also gives you a unique opportunity to interact with birds of prey in their own environment.

When parahawking, you soar with trained Egyptian Vultures, which are an exceptionally unique species of bird. Not only are the Egyptian Vultures incredibly intelligent (they're one of two bird species in the world that use tools to source food (they will actually pick up and drop rocks to break into eggs) but they are incredibly energy efficient. The vultures rely on warm pockets of air, called thermals, to achieve lift — allowing them to soar with minimal effort. The higher they soar, the wider their perspective becomes, allowing them to more easily source food. If there are no thermals, the Egyptian Vulture will find a tree to perch on and conserve energy until it's ready to try again.

When The Ski Season Is Over : 8 Snow Activities To Do At Your Local Ski Area

Just because the lifts stopped running, doesn't mean the snow season is over. Well into the spring, there is still plenty of snow in the mountains, crowds are gone, and the weather and the snow conditions are sometimes better than during the winter months.

Below are 8 snow activities that you can do at your local ski area :

Washington Adventures : Take Your Kids Surfing

If you can surf in Washington state, you can surf anywhere !

Surfing in Washington is a pretty miserable experience. Dipping occasionally into the mid-40s but generally hovering around 50 degrees, the ocean water temperature is just one of the "discomforts", along with gale-force winds, massive swells, demonic currents, and razor-sharp rocks.

Freighter Wave Surfing In Seattle

As I wrote in my previous post, I discovered "surfing" right in the heart of Seattle ! Well, almost...

Shilshole Bay Marina in Ballrad  is only 20 minutes from downtown Seattle. Located on Puget Sound, the marina affords direct access to one of the finest salt-water sailing basins in the world. Shilshole's stunning setting and convenient saltwater location make all types of boating fun !

Shilshole Bay has long been popular among sea and recreational kayakers, windsurfers, and now, paddlebaorders.

But it wasn't until recently, the place has become an alternative destination for local paddle surfers who found it frustrating to drive 3 hours to the coast.

Electric Longboards For Fun And Commute

Skateboarding has evolved ! Once only the toys of rowdy teenagers, skateboards have grown up alongside their riders. First in length, when longboarding became a popular outdoor activity for people of all ages. And now, in style, and performance when an electric motor was added !

With electric longboards there is no more pushing and kicking on that longboard to get you around. Electric longboard companies are now creating high-quality, technologically savvy boards that are both eco-friendly, easy to ride and feature new state-of-the-art decks, quiet electric motors with a hand remote-control !

Tips On Camping In The Pacific Northwest

Camping Hacks, Tips, and Tricks : When car camping, use a canopy along with your tent when it rains.

First when I saw these pictures, I thought it was pretty dumb. Why would anybody use a canopy along with a tent ?!
 
But this Memorial Day weekend when it was pouring cats and dogs in Washington, I wished I'd thought about that myself before going camping.

Adding a canopy will allow you to cook your food/BBQ, store additional camping gear, and "enjoy" the outdoors while being protected from the rain/wind.

It's portable and sturdy, quick, simple, and easy set up. And if you add a couple of "walls" and led lights, it will protect you from the elements in a myriad of settings and under almost any weather conditions, plus, you can continue your party way into the night.

Remember : The number one enemy of the camper in the PNW is neither bears nor bugs : it is RAIN !

So next time you'll go camping, bring along a canopy, like the one below. Trust me, you won't regret !

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Bucket List Idea : Try Bouldering

If you've ever wanted to try rock climbing, I'd recommend to start with  bouldering. Bouldering is an excellent way to introduce beginners to rock climbing. It requires minimal equipment, it’s safe and there isn’t the distraction of ropework or fear of heights.

Bouldering is climbing without a rope on boulders, cliffs or indoor climbing walls where a fall is unlikely to result in injury.

The definition of bouldering is broad, as bouldering can mean different things to different people. It can be about pushing limits and climbing hard, getting outdoors with friends and having fun, discovering new problems or training for route climbing.

From Spain To Portugal By Zipline

As I previously wrote, I'm not a big fan of ziplining ( or as it's also called zip trekking ). But I believe it's an awesome way to have fun at a new destination.

Many people simply love riding something that gives them a thrill, an element of danger. Since ziplines travel high in the air above the ground, it is a favorite adventure of those who are somewhat “daredevils.” Even though ziplines are ideal for those who enjoy an element of danger, riding a zipline is completely safe.

And some of the ziplines around the world are absolutely unique and amazing !

Take for example Limite Zero zipline that connects Spain and Portugal !

Still Scuba Diving ... At The Age Of 91 !

"Age is no barrier when you’re doing something you enjoy and appreciate!"

This is the case of the 91 year-old Norman Lancefield, who considered to be the oldest scuba diver in the UK.

Hitting 91 has not deterred Norman Lancefield from taking on adventures in life. Despite taking up the hobby relatively late – aged 58 in 1978 – Norman has racked up hundreds of dives. His diving career has taken him all over the world including Mexico, Malta, Turkey, and several times to the Red Sea.

Norman has been a member of his dive club for more than 30 years and still attends training sessions at the same school every week. Russ Phillips, training officer at Barry Sub-Aqua Club said: “We have children as young as eight who learn to snorkel and then go on to learn to dive with us and Norman is a terrific inspiration to them. He is a very positive person and a great character".

Scuba diving is accessible to all ages and Norman is proof that age is no barrier when you’re doing something you enjoy.

Do you think you're too old to dive ? Think again !

According to the Diver’s Alert Network (DAN), older divers are defined as those over the age of 50, and in recent decades, these older divers have constituted an increasingly large percentage of the global dive community.

10 Amazing Places Around The World To Go Ziplining

Don't know about you, but for me, zip-lining is boring. As my favorite TV show characters said : " It was like having the life sucked out of you. That's all it is, sliding down a cable." ( check out the video here, it's hilarious ! ).

Personally, I don't consider zip lining an extreme sport or even an outdoor activity. It's more like a touristy thing to do while visiting a new place. This way, zip lining is a great way to learn about the place you're visiting, while taking in all the beautiful views around you ( and let's face it, a healthy doze of adrenaline hasn't killed anyone yet :)).

My first time trying out zip-lining ( or zip-trekking as they call it in Whistler, BC ) was pretty amazing ! The activity itself ( and being in a tourist group ) did suck the life out of me, but the scenery around was jaw-dropping !

So next time you're traveling and visiting a new place, give zip-lining another chance. It will still suck, but I guarantee  the views will be different !

Below, check out some of the most amazing pictures of places to go zip-lining around the world :

Snowbiking At Hoodoo Ski Resort In Oregon

Move aside skiing and snowboarding, a new and exciting winter sport is coming to the ski slopes around the country  - snowbiking !

When I heard about snowbiking at Hoodoo Ski area in Oregon, I knew I'd have to give it a try ! It just looked so much fun ! It's like mountain biking in winter. And even though Hoodoo ski area is just a few hours away from Seattle, I just couldn't find time to make it down there. And my first introduction to snowbiking ( or ski-biking as it's sometimes called )  happend at Vail resort in Colorado.

Spooky abandoned places around US

I don't believe in ghosts, spirits and the paranormal, but certain places don't have to be haunted to feel scary. What could be spookier than an abandoned house, mental hospital, creepy cemetery, prison, or even an amusement park ? Who knows what used to happen inside those rotting old places.

Rochester, New York: Built in the early 1800s, Mt. Hope Cemetery was the first munipical cemetery in the United States with graves older than the official graveyard itself.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Western Penitentiary is over a century old and was finally abandoned a few years back, only to be reopened a few months ago. The site was, in a way, one of the world’s most temporary abandonments, left in pristine condition during its period of disuse and lending itself to the surreal experience of a recently working prison for visitors. Originally used in the 1800s to house Confederate Army war prisoners, it is now used for medium to low security containment of inmates requiring drug and alcohol treatment.

Long Island, New York is home to one of many now-abandoned institutions for the mentally ill. The Kings Park Lunatic Asylum was established in 1885 and grew from a few wooden buildings into a vast complex of over 150 stone and brick structures housing over 9,000 patients.

Torresdale, Pennsylvania: Eden Hall was once a proud French Gothic Revival church developed in the mid-1800s as part of an early boarding school complex including classrooms, dormitories, a library and a gymnasium – most of which were destroyed in a fire in the late 1970s.

Augusta, Virginia: Founded at the end of the Confederacy in 1865, the Augusta Military Academy (originally the Augusta Male Academy) remained open for nearly one hundred years before closing its doors forever in 1954. The building remains relatively intact and was even used for an episode of Fear on MTV though the name of the school was changed to deter ghost hunters and urban explorers.

North Brother Island, New York: This abandoned 20-acre island sits amazingly close to the bustling center of New York City yet is completely unused. It was home to a hospital in the 19th Century, then housed veterans after World War II before becoming one of the first drug treatment centers for teens in the 1950s. Corruption and failure caused the facility to close and the island has since been off limits to the public, though some urban explorers have made their way onto it anyway. The island was also the site of an infamous shipwreck in 1904 in which over 1,000 people drowned or burned to death.

Baltimore, Maryland has a number of interesting abandonments, but none so sizable and prominent as Fort Carroll. Over a century old, this for was constructed in the middle of the 19th century though it never saw war. In WWII it was briefly used as a firing range for the Army and a checkpoint for ships, but has been abandoned ever since. Developers have failed to find uses for it and it has since become a habitat for numerous animals and the site of occasional urban explorations.

Houston, Texas was one of numerous locations where the Malibu Grand Prix entertainment company set up a theme park a few decades ago. The complex included mini-golf, boat and go-kart racing as well as video games and other entertainment. Two Grand Prix locations in close proximity were abandoned quite recently in part due to a scandal which erupted when three employees of were accused of murder (two of whom received the death penalty) and these photos do not do the locations justice.

Introduce Your Kids To The Joy Of Skiing

Who doesn't want to see his child happy ? We all want the same things for our kids. We want them to grow up to love and be loved, to follow their dreams, to find success. Mostly, though, we want them to be happy.

For me, there is no better reward than watching my kid's eyes shining from the joy of skiing ! Skiing is a great sport that requires confidence, skills, desire, lessons, practice and proper judgement.

We all know first impressions count and nowhere is that more important than on the snowfield. If your child's first memory of skiing is being wet, cold, lonely and miserable, it will leave an indelible impression and could turn them off the sport for life.