Archery in the schools is nothing new. In fact, there’s a program called “National Archery in the Schools Program,” or NASP, that started in Wisconsin
by a well-known archery manufacturer. They use smaller versions of their safe
bows and arrows to hit paper targets.

But it seems the “Hunger Games” has started a little craze of people thinking the traditional bow and arrow Jennifer Lawrence’s character uses in the movie is cool. So, will that translate into helping the archery industry? Are people signing up for archery classes at the local shop? Are bows
flying off the rack?

Maybe that’s a little far. But the movie and its star has stirred up interest in the outdoor industry. In this article on Petersen’s Hunting site, http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/04/05/hunger-games-star-jennifer-lawrence-spills-squirrell-guts-smashes-peta
Lawrence seems to embrace her outdoorsy roots by saying, “But screw PETA,” when referencing if they really killed squirrels on the set of her 2010 movie,
“Winter’s Bone.” (never heard of that movie)

Of course, Ms. Lawrence is welcome to step on the set with Sportsman Channel anytime.

So it remains to be seen – the outdoor industry is definitely reaping benefits from “Hunger Games” fame, but will that translate into higher sales – or even retention?

But I don’t. And its not without a lack of trying. Just this past weekend I attended a promising (but lame) Bike/Kayak swap meet in St. Louis Park and stopped at Gander Mountain to see if I could use a Cabela’s giftcard to buy a kayak. Alas, no.

If I wanted to pay full retail for a kayak, it would be in garage already. But I don’t like paying full retail for anything  – who does?

To go back to my first post, here’s how I’m going to use the kayak “most” of the time.

1. Overnight trips on the river with my bestie

2. Afternoon tours

3. Races and tri events

The longer the boat, the more stable it is in the water, which means more speed (#3) and less wear & tear on your upper body for paddling (#1).

Therefore, I need a 12 or 14 footer. Anything longer than that is consider a “sea touring” kayak…and is more money.

When beginning your kayak search, figure out your priorities – what are you NOT willing to give up? Mine are:

1. Double dry bulkheads: If you do overnighters, you need two of these. One for firewood and one for your pillow/blanket. The rest of your stuff, including Oreos, can sit on top in a drybag.

2. Comfie seat: For trips any longer than 3 hours, you will wish you spent a couple hundred more for a seat that adjusts in several places.

With all that in mind, following are the ‘yaks I’m most interested in. (All are around $800 to $950 range)

1. Wilderness Systems Pungo 140: 14 feet in length with double bulkheads plus a SUPER comfie seat system. I sat in this for 15 min at Canoeacopia in Madison and didn’t want to leave. I only left becuase people were giving me looks. The seat adjusts in several places and if you kayak for more than 3 or 4 hours in one day, you want adjustments. Wilderness also created a cool “Kayak Konsole,” which offers even more storage and CUP HOLDERS! Yes, the kayak community finally figured out that beverages are a part of any kayak outing. The another great point is the cockpit is OPEN, very wide and very open. Even when you put the Konsole on, you still have a lot of room.

NOTE: The Pungo 120 is, you guessed it, 12 feet in length and less expensive. BUT, you only have ONE dry bulkhead and you lose a little of stability with the shorter version. If you think you are just doing day trips (no overnighters) then this is a great alternative.

2. Perception Carolina - 14 feet with double bulkheads. I didn’t find their seat AS comfie as Wilderness systems, but it also adjusts in several places and would be great on long trips. The cockpit was smaller/tighter, but not as tight as a sea kayak. Its a great hybrid for people who think they might be in rougher water and need the sleekness of a sea kayak with the comfort of a touring ‘yak.

NOTE: They also have a 12 foot version that loses a bulkhead and is less expensive.

I find these two kayaks pretty interchangable, but feel Wilderness edges out Perception with their better seat system and the Kayak Konsole.

ANOTHER NOTE: I know what you are thinking, you’ll just buy Wildnerness’s seat system and put it in your kayak. Sorry, they don’t sell them separately. Boo. But, you can buy that Kayak Konsole separately if you have a kayak with a large cockpit area. Retails for around $70.

3. Dagger Axis 12 – A 12 foot kayak with only one bulkhead BUT it has a skeg. A skeg is essentially a drop down rudder system that you can use when you need it. When down, the skeg helps you track on the water better – especially useful in high winds.

I’m torn on this one. The skeg sounds awesome – but I’m losing out on a bulkhead and two feet of boat. Theory goes I won’t need those two extra feet for tracking ease because I have the skeg. But when discussing this with other kayakers, many said they never even use the skeg.

There are others in the mix, but they don’t fit well with my priorities above. For instance, Old Towne Camden 120 looks like a great kayak as well, but it only has one bulkhead. This version also comes as with a fishing package. The Black Cherry color is to die for – never saw a kayak with that color. This is where I almost bought a ‘yak based on color.

Current Designs is a popular kayak brand, but I find them WAY too far out of my price range. And I don’t see what that extra money is getting me. The Kestral series comes as a 12 and 14 footer in both composite and rotomolded. The composite can run up to $2,000 (ouch!) while the rotomolded sits at $999 for the 14 foot price. For $50 to $100 more than the kayaks above, I don’t see what that’s getting you other than the Current Design name. And Wildnerness still kicks their pants when it comes to the seat design.

My morning ritual now consists of me searching on Craigslist for “kayak” and scouring the outdoorsy places in the Twin Cities for potential sales. My search should have began last fall – but I was moving and not interested in hauling a kayak from Milwaukee to the Cities.

The adventure continues….

Me on the left, Cassie on the right.

My outdoor buddy and general bestie, Cassie, wrangled me into kayaking three years ago. Our first trip together was an overnighter on the Wisconsin River. I rented a kayak from the river outfitter and had a blast. I had double bulkheads for all my gear and firewood was a dream. We’ve since done that that trip two more times and I still rent the darn kayak.

Two years ago I attended Canoeacopia in Madison, Wis. For anyone into paddling sports, this is THE place for you. I sat in kayaks and talked to the company reps about things like chines and rolling. But, I
only walked away with a Yakima bike rack.

This time, I attended the show again with full intentions of buying a Yakima kayak rack and a kayak to go with it. I sat in more kayaks, talked to more reps and stared at more marketing materials. I found the perfect kayak for my needs….but I still didn’t get it. (Note that I asked for help to put the kayak rack I just purchased on my car and they were so swamped at the show, they couldn’t do it. So essentially, they lost a $1000 sale because of that. That’s life.)

So…I’m back to square one. I’m debating which kayak is best for me & my needs and I’m “flip-flopping” on the answers. I’m searching Craigslist in case a used kayak of my top three choices pops up and talking to
local paddling shops about new spring arrivals.

With three years of research and test trials under me, here’s some advice for any kayak-seekers.

1. Know the types of kayaks:

Recreational –
designed for the casual paddler on still lakes and stream. They typically only have one bulkhead open for storage and a it’s a shorter kayak. Some are sit on top – especially the fishing ‘yaks.

Day touring –
They typically have double bulkheads for storage and are a little longer – 12, 14, 16 feet – for increased efficiency and speed. You want your kayak to work with you and not against you if paddling 4-6 hours a day

Sea – They have double bulkheads and super long – 15 feet plus, plus super skinny. These babies are made for taking the waves and rolling easily on bays, lakes and oceasn. Note – these are more costly.

Whitewater – for frolicking on Colorado River in class 5 rapids. These are super short so you can more easily manuever it.

2. You may use your kayak for many things – overnighters, day trips, on the lake, on the Mississippi or
on Lake Superior. But, you have to ask yourself, what will I be doing THE MOST? If, like me, you plan on toodling around Apostle Island just once, then rent a sea kayak from an outfitter. If you are just going out on the local lakes and waterways for half a day, then a recreational kayak will be just fine. But, if like me,
you want storage for those overnighters, then a day touring would be better.

3. Familiarize yourself with the terminology. Chines – how hard, or soft, they are on the hull means how much “play” you’ll have on the water. Do you want to rock around and have fun? Or are you more interested in leaning back and eating Oreos? (That’s me). If the later, then you want a harder chine to help keep you more stable in the water. For some kayakers, that means no fun. For me, it means eating
Oreos and staring at people as I glide past.

4. What will you do in kayak? Yes, I know you are paddling. But are you fishing? Are you relaxing? Are you serious about getting a workout? That will affect how comfortable you are in the open of the kayak. Fishing
kayaks are more ‘sit on top’ and have a wider opening for movement. Some day touring kayaks are super skinny and keep you close to the boat. Again, you have to think how long are you going to be in the cockpit? A couple hours? All day? That seat and cockpit will make a huge difference.

5. Color – don’t let color sway you one way or another. I almost bought a kayak on a whim because the color was so super cool. I would have regretted that decision because it only had one dry hull for storage.

I’ll follow up next time with the top three (or four) kayaks and how I narrowed it down from the hundreds available.

Current magazines by the bedside

I don’t own an e-reader, obviously, or even an iPad. The only advantage I see they would provide me is condensing all my magazines and books for when I travel. Beyond that, I would miss the touch and feel of a magazine in my hands and being able to vividly see the pictures in their truest form.  Plus, I like to rip pages from magazines and bind them in my own art journal – something I started fresh out of college. It is the original Pinterest. (I did join Pinterest and find it fascinating, but it will never replace my journals, which I can flip through without starting up a machine.)

My magazine buying habits changes as I go through stages in life. Nearly 10 years ago it was all wedding magazines and home decorating. When we bought our new home inWisconsin eight years ago, it was all garden & landscaping. When I started P90X and subsequently running 5Ks, it was running and fitness editions. Now, I’ve changed again. I let my subscriptions to “Bicycling” and “Better Homes & Gardens” go and up’d a subscription to “Yoga Journal” and “Where Women Create.” (But I kept my “Harvard Business Review” because I feel way smart when I read it.)

Sometimes I’ll even go wild and buy a French-language edition just so I have to translate it.

Magazines lay everywhere in my house…by my bed, by the couch and on the kitchen table. I keep some

Current magazines in the office

forever or others I’ll just tear out the best ideas and recycle the remainder.

As long as there are creatives like me who admire a magazines feel, colors and inspiration, then the printing business should be okay.

My advice is number two.

So where do you start?

1. LinkedIN - the new age networking tool for people who don’t like talking to people face to face. If you don’t have an account, its easy to sign up at LinkedIN.com. Some groups to join: Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Professionals, Outdoor Business Network and Outdoors Marketing. Note that some groups have criteria to join.

When sending an invite, please don’t take the standard response LinkedIN automatically gives you. Take a few minutes to craft something so the recipent knows you are a human being. Special credit if you can say something like, “I saw you in this….” or “I enjoyed your writing here…”

It also annoys me when people send an invite and say they worked me at a current or past job. No, you didn’t. I know that and you know that, so why put that? You have other options, use them.

2. Reaching out – the real, old-school way. A mentor of mine started “LeAnn’s Networking Thursdays.” It wasn’t a party she threw; instead, it was her way of consistently reaching out to new contacts. Every Thursday, she would dedicate time to network with X amount of people. This was in a variety of ways:

• She would send congrats notes to women in high places who just won a special award.
• She joined her local Chamber of Commerce
• She asked recent contacts if they knew anybody else she should connect with.

 The key here is consistency. Networking isn’t something you do once and you are done. Maybe on your networking Thursdays, you commit to finding three new contacts on LinkedIN, or you connect with the store manager at your favorite hunting store and ask him for three people you should know.

Me with Scott Leysath of "HuntFishCook" on Sportsman Channel. I've worked with Scott since my first days and he's become a great friend and mentor

 3. Find your local TV personality and ask for a few minutes of their time. Most TV hosts and personalities are flattered by adoring fans – so pucker up and ask if you can buy them lunch or coffee. Or better yet – how much is it worth it to you to get that insider info? Would you consider paying them for their time? If its a well-known personality, getting through to them will be difficult. But if you offer a “consulting fee” those closed doors will open.

4. Join organizations AND attend their conferences/monthly meetings: I’m talking about Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America and other, professional, organizations for your field. I’m a member of Public Relations Society of America and have gained great network contacts just by attending the local monthly lunches.

I just returned from SHOT (Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas where the average guest walks an estimated 5 miles a day for four days. Not to mention you lose your voice, your face hurts from smiling so much and your body has officially decided it will no longer carry that 10 pound computer bag.

Taken in our booth looking out on the crowded show floor

So the 40,000 of us who attend the trade show must really like our jobs/careers – or we are suckers for pain.

I have a very gifted graphic/web designer friend seeking a job and it made me think, she would be in heaven at an Adobe graphics show.  So much so she probably wouldn’t even notice sore feet or tired shoulders.

My version of super-fun convention was a Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking show I attended in Iowa with my mom and sister. I could have taken class after class and spent all my money very happily there.

I also think a travel-related convention would be exciting to work in/attend.

My husband’s trade show heaven would probably be the PGA show in Orlando.

My point is – all of us are seeking that perfect mix of a job you love that doesn’t feel like a job. If you can happily stand a 4-day trade show and leave ENERGIZED saying,  “Man, I can’t wait for next year.” Then I think you found your calling.

But what inspired this post is the opening paragraph: “Whether it was due to political sensitivity, a lack of interest in shooting sports, or because producers couldn’t figure out how to make shows about guns appeal to a broad audience, things have changed. At one time the only shows that covered any shooting sports were typically hunting-focused and only available on select networks.” (Wow – what a generalization.)

When I scrolled down to read about the author, I discovered she’s not from our industry and typically writes about education. When I googled her name, I found articles on obesity in college kids, embracing social media in schools, and coping with ADD in college. I did not find an article about guns, outdoor TV and anything related to TV whatsoever.

The remainder of this skeleton article simply regurgitates show summaries and where that show is found. She does not talk about any new gun shows that aired on traditional outdoor networks in 2011. 

Which, by the way, Sportsman Channel debuted three new shooting shows in 2011, including

Patrick Flanigan photo courtesy of Sportsman Channel

Ultimate Shot and Tac TV. And four shooting shows returned in 2011 including Modern Rifle Adventures and the iconic Guns & Ammo TV.  We also have a brand new shooting show debuting next week with world record holder Patrick Flanigan with Shell Shocked!

Okay – my point of this post is to WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. Stick to one genre and do that genre well. Become an expert and people will seek YOU out. It is your brand. Don’t muddy the waters of your brand and write about something so completely out of your circle, it will confuse your readers and editors.

And if you stray from your usual topics – ask an expert to get an understanding before writing incorrect, or even damaging, articles. A simple google search will turn up the answers you need. Or visit Outdoor Blogger Network to find experts of all sorts of genres in the outdoors.

Larry Vickers being B.A. Photo courtesy of Sportsman Channel

I need to correct this writer – there is no “lack of interest in shooting sports.”  National Shooting Sports Foundation will be able to give you plenty of stats to show the INCREASE in shooting sports participation. And did you catch this recent article in the Wall Street Journal about more women taking up shooting? Huh.

If you are seeking an expert in the gun field – call on our friend, Larry Vickers, or perhaps one of the gents from the 50 year-old-brand, Guns & Ammo. They know a thing or two about shooting sports and personal defense.  Or reach out to me at Sportsman Channel. I can connect you with more than 100 experts in their respective genres.

But I think a lot of people write posts about observations. How many blogs do you know have the word “musings” in their title or subtitle? Like, “This Blog is John’s Musings.” And its all about John’s observations into his life. I guess that’s truly what an online weblog, or blog, is really about.

Don’t we want more than that? Don’t we want real substance? We have too many emails flooding our inbox as it is and don’t we want the ones in there to be something that will enlighten us, teach us, make us laugh?

Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself. This is, afterall, just a blog.

Lately, I’ve come to write odd, little posts on my local Patch.com website. There, no one knows me and feel freer. This blog is attached to my company (though not endorsed by my employer, anything I say in here can be used against me – so that’s always good to have over your head).

So should I keep this up? And how do I find focus for this blog? Or should I just write about whatever the heck I want?

Society tells us to find what we love and then we will perform that task with gusto and greatness. So if you absolutely love being a cop, you probably take pride in your job and you actually WANT to be the best darn cop on the streets. And precincts from all around will want YOU to be a cop in their area because you are so good at your job. 

How do you find that one person who is not only great at their job, but loves it to? (Because we all know of people who are good at what they do, but really hate their job – Wall Street comes to mind.)

And how can you become a person who both loves their job and is good at it?

Make a plan - then follow it. Photo credit: jojo nicdao

Pray on it. And ask Oprah.

But seriously. Those of us in the outdoors aren’t here for the multimillion dollar companies and the benefits they provide. We are here because we absolutely love the outdoors and this is where we want to stake our claim.

You don’t make beaucoup bucks being a “star” on outdoor TV. (Hopefully I didn’t burst anyone’s bubble there.) I think production companies assume that just picking you for the job is pay enough. I mean, hey, you are on TV after all.

If you are on TV, you obviously love your job and you are probably pretty good at it. Society tells us money will follow.

And I believe that. Because people will notice how much you enjoy your job, they will want to be around you – and by that I mean they will want to hire you. So while your first step into a job you love may not pay – I truly believe it will lead to bigger and better things. Should you allow that. (Self-sabatage is a whole ‘nother blog topic.)

If you want to be in the outdoor industry – find any way in. Work at Cabela’s. Intern for a producer. Carry someone’s camera around for awhile just to “learn the ropes.” I don’t care if you are 18 or 58. If you need a step in, that’s how you do it. Then you network like crazy. You talk to everyone you can. You attend trade shows and show how much you love your crazy job. Potential hiring managers will see that enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge.

You may not earn big money right away, but it will come.

It has to, right?

The clock read 7:57

She stared at the building entrance and watched her coworkers drudge through the snow to begin their day. The clock turned 7:58

She glared at the clock, daring it to turn to 7:59.

It flipped to 7:59 and then she counted 59 seconds before getting out of the car and walking in.

“This isn’t right. This isn’t normal,” she told herself. And she knew she had to do SOMETHING, but wasn’t sure what that “something” was just yet.

This true story is from Sunny Anderson, host of Cooking for Real on Food Network.  She recently spoke at a Women in Cable Telecommunications event where she was one of several inspiring women who spoke about their experiences climbing the corporate ranks.

Sunny spoke more about her stumbles and trials of finding her perfect job. She actually started out in the military, being a military brat herself, and leaned toward radio broadcasting. “Like Good Morning Vietnam,” she recounted to us.

The above story is when she took a radio DJ job inDetroitand loved the job at first, but it eventually headed south.

She stuck with it for awhile thinking the feeling would move on, or the job would improve or whatever we tell ourselves to get through the day.

photo credit: emohannink

It didn’t, of course. I can’t remember exactly what pushed her onward, but it had to do with asking for more money & responsibility, which was denied.

She eventually did move on to a bigger, better radio station, but the “7:59:59” bug returned again. This time she moved quicker to land her next happy place.

Are you in a 7:59:59 place? When I heard Sunny recount that she actually waited for the clock to hit 59 seconds before heading into the office, I thought she was crazy. It was as if her subconscious was screaming at her, “You hate this job! You are better than this! Get out!”

It took her a bit before she listened to what her “inner voice” was telling her. Once she started listening, she eventually landed the gig on Food Network. 

Are Sunday nights filled with anxiety, fear and hopelessness because Monday looms so close? It is very difficult to do, but seeing these little clues, like sitting in a cold car until the last possible second to head inside, are the keys to our happiness.