When camping with toddlers there are many accidents waiting to happen because little ones seem able to get into trouble without even trying. Here are a few tips to save your sanity and help keep your toddler safe.

Well before you leave, get your toddler used to sleeping in a different place. Buy a portable cot, or try a mattress on the floor – anything to get them used to bedding down in a strange area. Pitch a tent in the back yard and try sleeping out there with them for one night, just to see if they will settle.

Choose a safe spot with lots of level ground and not too close to lakes, rivers or steep gullies. Toddlers love water and can overbalance very quickly. Use a portable play-pen for times when your attention will be distracted from them, like when you are cooking.  Take extra family members to help with watching your toddler. Each person should take it in turns to be with them, so that all can have some time free.

Make sure you pack their favorite toy so they has something familiar to cuddle up to at night. Settle them away from bugs and light, unless they are used to having a nightlight. If this is the case, take a battery-powered light to use, rather than a kerosene lantern that could get knocked over.

Make sure your toddler has plenty of fluids, warm and cool clothing, insect repellent and sunscreen. Take along mild medication like Panadol for emergencies and soothing cream for insect bites. In fact, a special bag for first-aid should be a priority on every camping trip. A sunhat and a warm cap for the evenings will be beneficial. Choose the brightest colored clothing you can find for your toddler to wear. Then if the unthinkable happens and he wanders away, it will be easier to find him.

Don’t worry about keeping your toddler in clean clothes. He will be crawling around on Mother Earth all day; keeping him clean will be impossible. Check the ground at your campsite as soon as you get there for broken glass, sharp rocks and cigarette butts. Make sure there are no ant or wasp nests, stinging nettles or poison ivy close by.

Never move your vehicle unless you can see where your toddler is. Don’t trust that he will stay away from the wheels long enough for you to move the vehicle.

That’s it for our Family Camping article about camping safety for toddlers.

If you’d like more of these tips – visit our website at:

http://familycamping.howto-you.com

where you can purchase our book on family camping, and subscribe to our mailing list for a series of additional tips and ideas.

Episodes 16-20 are a series of ideas and tips for family camping.

No one wants to think their camping trip might be spoiled by bad weather, but it is quite likely that you will run into some eventually. The trick is to be prepared for it, so you can reduce unpleasant results as much as possible. When you go hiking or on a long walk away from the shelter of the camping site, take an extra jacket in case the weather turns cold. Tie it around your waist if it won’t fit into a backpack.

If a storm comes up while you are out in the open, don’t shelter under a tree. Trees are often struck by lightning and strong winds can tear a limb off. If you are in the car, don’t park under a tree. Better for the car to get hail damage than you. Shelter from wind in the lee of a large rock, a hill or low bushy growth. Turning your back to wind will reduce its affect on you. Half close your eyes so that dust and debris won’t blow into them.

If there is thunder and lightning and you are out in flat, open ground, crouch down to lessen the chance of lightning seeking you out. If there is a shallow depression in the ground, crouch in that, but never climb down into a gully. If there is a cloudburst upstream, you could find yourself in swirling floodwaters before you know it.

The wind-chill factor is what makes cold wether unbearable, so stay out of freezing winds wherever possible. If winds are searing hot and dusty, dampen a kerchief and tie it around your mouth and nose, gangster style. This can help when it’s cold too, but in the case of cold wind, don’t dampen the cloth.

Much of the body heat is lost from the head and neck; if possible, keep these two body parts covered when in extremely cold conditions. If the worst comes to the worst and you have to stay out overnight, huddling together will help preserve everyone’s body warmth.

It’s wise to take extra provisions with you even if you’ll only be away from the campsite for one day. Children get extra hungry when they are out in the fresh air, and if the weather suddenly turns nasty, extra food – even chocolate bars – can help the body survive its onslaught. In fact, a small tent doesn’t weigh much, so it would be an idea to take one along with you. Then if you get hit with a storm you can at least stay dry.

That’s it for our Family Camping article about surviving bad weather.

If you’d like more of these tips – visit our website at:

http://familycamping.howto-you.com

where you can purchase our book on family camping, and subscribe to our mailing list for a series of additional tips and ideas.

More and more these days people are taking to the water in boats to pursue recreational hobbies and have fun with their friends and families.  But boating is a whole new world and if you don’t know the language you are putting yourself and your loved ones at greater risk than necessary. Some boating terms such as aboard and ahead are self-explanatory, since their meanings are the same as in ordinary landlubbers language. However, there are others that are used less frequently, or not at all on land.

For instance, abaft and abeam mean towards the rear or back of the boat and at right angle to the keel respectively. And keel means the center, bottom line of the boat, running from the bow (front) to the stern (back). Aft is towards the stern, while alee is the opposite direction to windward (facing into the wind).

If you are aloft, you’re above the deck; amidships you’re in the center of the boat, but if you’re aground, man, you’re stuck fast on the bottom of the ocean or river.

The bow is the front of the boat, so we know that the bow line is a rope that ties the front of the boat to the dock. However, just to keep you on your toes, remember that a bowline is a special knot used to make a noose in a rope. And while on land a bridle is used to steer a horse, in boating it is a piece of wire or rope tied at both ends to distribute the strain of something.

If you should hear the term boot top when you are around boats, don’t think of footwear; it’s simply a painted line on the boat that tells you where the waterline should be. Chafing gear is not your tube of lip salve, but a piece of tubing or a cloth used to prevent a line from possibly being cut or damaged as it is hauled over an abrasive surface.

A chock is not that piece of wood you jam under the door to stop it banging; it’s a u-shaped fitting lines are fed through, while a cleat is what you tie those lines to – using a knot called a clove-hitch. And a cuddy is nothing to do with lines at all; it’s a small shelter on the boat.

Displacement refers to the boat’s weight, because that is the amount of water that is displaced by the boat. A displacement hull is a type of hull that plows through the water, displacing water equal to its own weight. If you thought a dolphin was a friendly sea creature you’d be only half right, because it is also a group of piles driven in close together and tied up with wire cables so they become one structure.

These are just a few nautical terms. The more boating experience you have, the more you’ll pick up, but it will also pay to make a study of those other terms that you may need to keep you safe.

Just like in any sport or discipline, boating has its own vocabulary and this is just the beginning of understanding it all.

For many more informative tips and facts about boating, please explore our free 5-day e-course and our book “Boating Basics”, which are found at:

http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com

AND – Thank You for joining us in this series on Boating!

When purchasing a boat, you might wonder whether you should go for a new or used one. You may think it is not even safe to buy used, but boats often don’t depreciate the same as cars. Often they are not used very much at all, so you could get an absolute bargain if you buy used.

If you go for a new boat, take no notice of the spiel you find in boating magazines. To boating writers, all boats are fantastic – they have to be to please the boat makers who are paying the magazine to advertise them. Instead, decide ahead of time what kind of boat you need and then go looking for yourself. Deal in facts and figures, not the personal likes of the salesmen and the glamour that is associated with a new boat.

If you don’t have unlimited cash (or credit) then consider buying used. At two years old, a boat is hardly run in and the previous owner will most likely have had the warranty service attended to. They will have fixed any problems they found when they first bought it. A boat generally is not used as much as a car. Unless the boat has been used in a commercial enterprise, the engine may have only done a couple of hundred hours. Buying a used boat is a sensible decision.

Another plus for buying a used boat is that they very often come with the extras such as life-jackets, VHF radio, dock lines and other stuff that the seller won’t be requiring again. And as for condition, well certainly they may have a few dents and scratches, but you are sure to add to the tally and yours won’t be so noticeable amongst the rest, will they?

When buying a used boat, there is a good safeguard. You must have it surveyed and this includes taking it out on the water for a sea-trial to make sure all is well. So if the previous owner was careless and neglected the upkeep, you will know by the survey results.

To find a boat, purchase a copy of the Boat Trader at your local big store or search online. You’ll soon see that comparable boats vary greatly in purchase price – often for no apparent reason. You’ll also see that a new boat of small size in much more expensive than a used boat of over double the size.

Some people who advertise their boat do not genuinely want to sell. Not unless they get an inflated price to purchase something bigger. If you come across a genuine seller who is upgrading, then don’t expect to find many accessories. The best type of seller to buy from is one who must sell due to injury or disability. These boats are mostly well maintained and often come with all accessories.

Thee are many more tips about boat-buying and finance in our free 5-day e-course and our informative book “Boating Basics”, both of which are found at:

http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com

Thank You for reading and listening!

If your idea of a good meal on a boating trip consists of a peanut and jelly sandwich shoved into your back pocket then read no further. For those who prefer to remain civilized and relatively well nourished after a hard day at the tiller or oars, then you may just want a few more ideas. A step upwards from the squashed peanut and jelly sandwich would be a picnic hamper lovingly (or hastily) prepared before leaving home.

This hamper would contain such delights as cooked chicken, salads of various kinds, crusty bread and chilled butter, a selection of exotic fruits and cheeses for dessert and maybe the odd bottle of bubbly – or wine, anyway. But firstly, where in your boat can you keep this hamper of yummy things cold?  If the temperatures soar and you have no shade on your boat, expect to get food poisoning from eating the chicken that’s been melting under the picnic cloth for several hours.

An Esky or some kind of cool bag or box is an essential piece of equipment on a boat. You can also use it to keep the fish you caught in good eating condition. If you’ve no room for it or for a small refrigerator, then stick with the peanut butter.

It may be that you intend to go ashore and purchase your meal or have a picnic on the beach. In the latter case, don’t rely on eating your catch of the day. There are those days when all you get on your hook is an old boot. If you plan on purchase, then be sure to take your money with you – and that there are mooring facilities where you intend to go ashore.

Since boating is often hard work, and sea air increases the appetite, be sure to have plenty of provisions with you. Those who have spent a day rowing into headwinds will have burned up a great many more calories than the normal 2,500; think more in terms of 5,000. And while salads are great for the passengers on a luxury yacht who have done no more than admire the scenery slipping by, those who have worked hard will be sure to appreciate a hot meal with lots of calories.

If you can’t have a fire on the beach to cook sausages and steak on, be sure to stock up on canned stew that can be heated up or eaten cold if necessary. Whatever you decide on, take a good deal more than you think you will need, especially if you have children. Take lots of water and other drinks too.

Now you know some good ideas for meals and foods onboard your boat.  For lots of additional ideas and tips, please visit our website:

http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com

where you can subscribe to our free 5-day e-course on boating tips, and purchase our book “Boating Basics”

Thank You for reading and listening!

Flags are an excellent way for people on two boats to communicate with each other if they don’t have radio or cannot use it for some reason. The code is international, which means that even if you cannot understand the language spoken by those on the other boat, you can still both make your messages known.

Flags can be read in two different ways. There is a different flag for each letter of the alphabet, so words can be spelled out. The boat to which the message is directed must reply or acknowledge that they have understood the message, so they use their own flags to signal this. This takes a lot of flags and is a slow process, as each must wait until they are sure the other has actually seen and understood what each set of flags has spelled out. So while it can be useful in certain situations, another way had to be devised for those times when speed was of the essence.

So each flag has also been assigned a certain abbreviated message. Sailors can hoist one; two or three flags and the meaning can be quite lengthy, yet read quickly and easily by others. For instance, those two flags for the letters M and Y when flown together mean “It is dangerous to stop.” This meaning can then be made more specific with the addition of one other flag, that for the letter I, which would then change the meaning to “It is dangerous to remain in present position.”

Some of the flags are rectangles, while others are rectangular with an inverted V cut out of the free end. A solid red pennant like this stands for the letter “B”, but has the designation, “Dangerous Cargo Aboard” if flown on its own.

A rectangular flag in blue with two horizontal, yellow strips above and below means the letter “D”, but its phrase designation is “Keep Clear.” The yellow rectangle with a black dot in the center means, “I am changing to port”, but its letter is “I”.

A plain yellow rectangle has a rather longer phrase meaning “My vessel is ‘healthy’ and I request permission to enter and use a foreign port.” Its letter is “Q”, but just think how many pennants would be needed to spell that phrase out.

In addition, when spelling out a sentence or phrase, if there is a word with a double letter such as the double ‘t’ in ‘letter’, then another pennant is used to indicate that it must be repeated. This is a white triangle with a horizontal, black stripe along the center.

The use of flags is interesting and learning to read them is a handy skill for any boater to learn.

I hope this has been an informative beginning to learning about marine code flags.  There are many sources available to learn all about them and their use.

If you enjoy these articles about boat ownership, and would like lots more, go to this site:

http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com

right now and register for our free 5-day e-course and also consider purchasing our book ‘Boating Basics.”

Thanx for reading and listening!

If you are drooling with envy at other people who own boats but think you really cannot afford one, it may be time to get serious about looking for a loan. Boat loans are not the same as car loans. With a boat loan, you can get much better repayment options in terms of repayment time.

In fact, it’s easier to qualify for a boat loan than a car loan, and the repayments can be spread over up to fifteen years, making this type of loan one of the easiest to pay back – and that’s with a nominal deposit and affordable interest rates.

The only thing to watch is that many lending institutions require a minimum amount of from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. So if you want a six thousand dollar boat you may not qualify. There’s only one thing for it – you’ll have to force yourself to buy a more expensive one!

The best lender to get a boat loan from could be the one you have already worked with. At least they know your history and have done credit checks in the past. Just remember that no matter where you get it from – bank, credit or building union or boat dealer or broker – they are looking to help themselves first. Once you let them know that you have other options, they may be more interested in getting a loan together that really suits you.

Most of the same types of loans that apply to homes, also apply to boats. That is, there are fixed rate, simple interest, variable interest rate and balloon payment boat loans.

In fact, if you get a boat with a head and galley – bathroom and kitchen – you may be able to take the interest off your tax, since it can be legally considered a second residence. It may also be that you can get a refund on the gas you use. To fund road maintenance the government uses a portion of the excise tax on your boat fuel, and since your boat is not damaging roads while in the water, you may be eligible for a refund or credit. It’s certainly worthwhile checking that out.

Another way of getting a boat without paying out too much is to share the cost. This would have to be looked at carefully and a proper time-share agreement drawn up, so that all would get fair use of the boat. But if several people went in shares with buying a boat, both the initial outlay and the cost of upkeep would be considerably lowered.

We hope you’ll enjoy this 5-day series of podcasts on boating!  If you’d like a quick-read book of additional boating ideas and tips, please visit us at:

http://boatingbasics.howto-you.com

Thank you!

Wine can be enjoyed from a coffee mug if necessary, but somehow that look would leave a bit to be desired at your dinner party. The shape of wine glasses does actually enhance the aroma and taste of wine, thus increasing your whole wine drinking experience. Therefore it is important to know which kind of glass, or stemware, to serve which kind of wine in.

Manufacturers insist that fine crystal stemware is the ideal choice from which to enjoy your wine. You should choose a plain glass. Gold and silver goblets were fine for the olden days, but part of the enjoyment of drinking wine is the look of it. We like to observe the color, intensity and clarity. This will clue you in on certain important factors about your wine like texture, age and quality.

The size of the glass is important too. You need to be able to swirl the wine about the glass to release its bouquet and to aerate it, thus enhancing the flavor. You need to be able to get your nose close enough to inhale the fruity aromas wafting up. But you don’t want those aromas to disappear too quickly into the surrounding air; this is where the shape of the glass comes in.

Did you ever wonder why most wine glasses have a larger bowl that curves in to a narrower rim? The large bowl releases the aroma, while the narrower rim stops it dissipating before you’ve had a chance to inhale. The different shapes of the glasses also change the position of your head when you are taking a mouthful, so that the wine spreads over all your taste buds; it doesn’t just stream down the center of your tongue. Since different areas of our tongue support different tastes, this is important. We could miss some of the sweet flavor if the wine misses the tip of our tongue.

So if you have a nice red wine, choose a tulip-shaped glass. For Bordeaux you’ll need a tall glass with wide bowl. This directs the wine to the back of the mouth and also will allow the wine to breathe. Burgundy will need a similarly shaped glass only with a bigger bowl.

For white wine the glasses will need to be small to keep the wine at its cooler temperature. Chardonnay glasses will be taller, the bowl less pronounced that red wine glasses. Champagne glasses are really tall and thin so you can see the bubbles rising. This shape also concentrates the delicate aroma.

Experts recommend that wine glasses be washed in plain water only. Otherwise, soap can build up in the bowl and ruin the delicate flavor of the wine.
I’m ever hopeful that you enjoy our daily featured articles, and thanks for reading!
Before you go, would you be interested in a whole short course about being a wine connoisseur that will get you started with your expertise – FAST?
If so, go to this site right now:

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Thanks again for reading and have a great day!”

Wine is formed when grapes are crushed and the juice ferments. It ferments due to the naturally occurring yeast on the skins of the grapes. Of course there is a great deal more involved in the making of a good wine. It starts really with the planting of the vineyard – or even before that with all the planning and preparation that goes into it first. Some grapes are more suited to making wine than others, so this has to be taken into consideration as well.

 

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Once the grapes are successfully growing on the vine, it’s important to choose the correct time for harvest. Sugar levels of the ripe grapes must be at a maximum. An expert in the field, chewing on the seeds and skins and sampling the sweetness of the grape juice, discerns this. Once it is decided that the grapes are at the perfect stage for harvesting, workers commence cutting the bunches as quickly as possible. Every delay means that the grapes will be over-ripe and thus unfit for making wine. The bunches of grapes are dropped into bins and transported to the winery.

In the old days, harvested grapes were crushed by means of people treading on them with their bare feet. These days they are crushed by machine– a rather more hygienic way – and the fermenting process is carried out in stainless steel vats. Although yeast occurs naturally on the skins of the grapes, the wine-maker will add more yeast of a special culture for winemaking. During fermentation, the yeast that is present in the mixture will begin to digest the sugars that are present. When all the sugar has been digested, the yeast then gradually drops to the bottom of the liquid. This is then poured off into barrels to complete the aging process. These barrels are traditionally made of oak and play an important part in the process of wine making. During the aging process, the wine is moved from full to empty barrels several times, with the solids in the bottom of the barrel removed, and the barrel used again. This process is called racking.

After several months in barrels, the wine is poured into bottles where the aging process is continued. Eventually the wine will reach the consumer in top condition, ready to help him celebrate life – or mourn death. Most wines are made from grapes, however wine can also be made from other fruits and even from the flower of the dandelion.

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s featured article, and thanks for reading!
Before you go, would you be interested in a whole short course about being a wine connoisseur that will get you started with your expertise – FAST?
If so, go to this site right now:

http://wineconnoisseur.howto-you.com

Thanks again for reading and have a great day!

What does that first swirl and sniff mean? Is it just a ritual or is there a reason for it? According to wine experts there’s an important reason. The sense of smell is one of the strongest senses we have. It is not only directly connected to the brain, but to the memory as well. Thus the sense of smell may immediately make us remember a scene from our childhood or a holiday we enjoyed. If we sucked the nectar from honeysuckle as a child, then the smell of it as an adult will transport us back to those days immediately.

 

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We’ll remember the hot sun on our back, the wind in the nearby trees, the dog barking. So you see how important our sense of smell is.

When we use our sense of smell to explore wine, we can often smell things that are familiar to us. It might be a whiff of blackberry, blueberry, cigar smoke or any number of other aromas. We know of these scents from our experience of the world and so they become a reference point. To smell them in a wine increases our sensory enjoyment and makes the drinking of wine an even more pleasurable experience.

The shape of the glass is important to the sniffing of wine. A larger bowl and small rim keep the bouquet from dissipating before we can enjoy its fragrance. Swirling the wine around the bottom of the glass helps to release the aroma. The first sniff should be small and light to catch the most delicate hints of fruit or whatever is offered from the type of wine we have.

The second sniff should be heartier and be done with the mouth slightly open, so that the aroma can wash over mouth, throat and olfactory senses. So what does wine actually smell like? According to Roy Cadman of the English Wine Society, most white wines have the aroma of tropical fruit. Wines that have aged for some time in oak barrels absorb a number of interesting aromas from the wood, while those that have been fermented in stainless steel tanks have a pleasing fruit flavor more true to the grape than others.

There are many reasons why people sniff wine. Firstly, it increases their enjoyment of the whole process of drinking wine. It also educates their senses to understand their wines. The experts do it when trying to tell where the wine came from and what vintage it is. But perhaps the most important reason of all is the simplest. It’s great fun!

I hope you enjoyed today’s featured article, and thanks for reading!

Before you go, would you be interested in a whole short course about being a wine connoisseur that will get you started with your expertise – FAST?
If so, go to this site right now:

http://wineconnoisseur.howto-you.com

Thanks again for reading and have a great day!”