Hi Everyone! We’re excited to bring you Week 4 of our Summer Adventure series. This series is meant to inform and equip you with useful resources for making the most of this summer.
As a reminder, our goals for each article are to:
1. Equip & Inspire – Each article will be specifically crafted to outfit you and your vehicle for the given topic.
2. Dive Deeper – Though some of the recommendations will be straightforward, we’ll also include products you’ve never thought of or know much about, but can have an impact on your adventure.
3. Support Local – We’re a local small business and want to support other local small businesses. That said, we also want to give you options, so we’ll include both a local business and an online outlet for you to choose from.
This Week’s Focus: Water Sports
This summer has been a real scorcher. Luckily for Idahoans, we have plenty of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs that provide a cool haven in the summer heat. If you’re looking to get some exercise and enjoy the water, there’s plenty to do from adrenaline pumping white water kayaking to peaceful, meditative paddleboarding.
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a thrill or a chill, the following gear will help outfit your vehicle and yourself, so you can cool off in comfort and style.
Equipping Your Vehicle
1. Waterproof Seat Covers
Price Range: $200-300 // You’ve been so vigilant about keeping your seats clean that you’ve made your family walk home from the lake on recent trips. Investing in some water/stain proof seat covers means you can load up the wet family (and dog) right after pulling out of the water, without getting mud or water on your seats.
2. Truck Bed Cargo Net
Price Range: $25-$150 // After a joyful day out on the water, the last thing you wanna do is send your expensive, beloved water gear sailing down the highway and into the windshields and front bumpers of innocent commuters. Avoid the unnecessary carnage and/or loss of your expensive boating equipment and invest in a mesh cargo net.
3. Canoe/Kayak Rack Attachments
Price Range: $50-$300 // Having a roof rack is great, but throwing a canoe or kayak on your vehicle could result in you scratching your paint or dealing with a damaged watercraft that’s fallen off the rack while driving. These specific rack attachments keep things secure and make loading and unloading your water toys a breeze.
4. Kayak/Canoe Cart
Price Range: $100-$150 // Not a fan of bulged disks? We aren’t either. Our rule of thumb is to avoid debilitating back injuries whenever possible. That’s why we highly recommend picking up a kayak/canoe cart for those days when you’re planning to make a solo trip out on the water. Instead of lugging your vessel from the parking lot to the water, these wheeled contraptions bear the load for you and save you from visiting a chiropractor.
Equipping Your Watercraft
1. Dry Sack
Price Range: $30-$100 // Testing the waterproofing capabilities on your iPhone may sound cool until you remember that you paid over a grand for your pocket computer. Beyond your cell, there’s probably other items you’d like to keep dry, especially if you’re planning a longer trip requiring additional layers of clothing. Dry sacks come in a variety of sizes and can help save you money and the misery of wet, chilly conditions.
2. Anchor Kit
Price Range: $25-$50 // Doing yoga on your paddleboard is a great way to get in touch with your body. Without an anchor to keep you in the same spot on the lake, you could be shaken from the plane of higher consciousness by boaters or protruding rocks. These anchor kits are small enough to be taken on board, yet heavy enough to keep you locked in place long enough to reach nirvana.
3. Bluetooth Speaker
Price Range: $100-$400 // What’s better than the sounds of birds chirping and water lapping against your kayak? Loud pop music! 😉 Don’t be forced to sit with your own thoughts and have to contemplate the meaning of existence on your next outing. Distract yourself with some music played through a waterproof bluetooth speaker.
4. Rod Holder
Price Range: $20-$50 // Unless you specifically purchased a fishing kayak with rod holder, holding a fishing pole and trying to paddle at the same time can result in you hooking yourself and making a special summer trip to the emergency room. These handy rod holders can be clamped to any spot on your water vessel to prevent personal injury while giving you quick access so you can land a real lunker.
5. Waterproof Cooler
Price Range: $10-$100 // Ham and mayonnaise sammies are quite tasty during a day out on the water, but fail to keep them cold and you could end up spending the night hugging porcelain and praying for death. Keep your food and drinks cool with an easily mountable, waterproof cooler. Your body will thank you.
Honorable Mentions
1. Wearable Umbrellas
Price Range: $20-$50 // Are you sensitive to the sun but not sensitive to the jeers of other water goers? Then the wearable umbrella is for you! These things don’t look great and certainly won’t help you with your love life, but they do offer superior upper body protection from the sun’s harmful rays, even if that protection comes at the expense of your dignity.
2. Bull Rider Floaty
Price Range: $120-$150 // Attempting an amateur bull ride in real life is likely to end with some broken ribs or becoming a human shish-kabob. Instead of risking life and limb, take your first bull ride on this inflatable version.
We hope you’ve found this list to be helpful as you plan some epic excursions out on the water. If there are items you love to use and we didn’t include, feel free to shoot us an email or message us on social with your thoughts. We love hearing from you and sharing tips and information with each other.
Next Week: Adventure Apps