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If you are planning to take any scuba diving trips this year, a good regulator bag is a must. One of the most popular regulator bags is the Armor Bags Dive Flag Regulator Bag, which has a red, black, white dive flag on the front. There is 5mm closed cell foam padding on all the sides, a flat pocket on the back, and four tie down Velcro straps on the side to organize your hoses.

Armor Bags is well known for making the highest quality diving gear, so you can’t go wrong if you choose one of their bags. If you want a top of the line regulator bag, check out the Armor Bags Deluxe Regulator Bag. This bag offers maximum protection for your diving gear, especially if you have a long hose, a dive computer, or other instruments. This bag also has foam side padding, with one main and two outer compartments. It also features a drain hole, integrated continuous webbing, and a carry handle and shoulder strap. If you want something slightly smaller, Under Armour makes a small regulator duffle. This bag is well constructed with heavy-duty hardware, neoprene handles, tonal jacquard webbing, and custom icon gripper feet. This bag is done in a hexagon ripstop design with a patent roll out mesh pouch. Under Armour also makes a slightly larger regulator duffel in the same design.

If you are looking for a gift for a young, sporty girl, Roxy makes great surf style bags she will love. The Roxy Annika bag blends surf style with sophistication. This black bag is done with silver buckles and studs, so it is quite versatile and can be casual or a bit more dressed up. It has fabric lining, a canvas braided strap, an exterior front zipper pocket and an interior slide pocket and cell phone pocket. This bag is perfect for the fun surf girl.

If you want to get her a backpack style, the Oakley Surf Pack 4.0 is another great gift idea. This bag is slightly sportier, but it is great for the beach! The bottom compartment is waterproof with drain grommets, and there is even a removable changing mat. There also is a pocket to protect your sunglasses, as well as a padded laptop sleeve. The back panel is compression-molded, with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt.

Yet if you are looking for something more feminine and less heavy duty, the Roxy Sabrosa bag is another option. Made of metallic quilted vinyl, this pink bag will not go unnoticed.

A canoe camping trip that combines tent-camping overnights with a canoe as vehicle-of-choice by day is a sure way to pack extra fun, exercise, adventure, relaxation and scenic beauty into any camping vacation.

Why Canoe?

If your dream excursion is a face-to-face, high-sensation encounter with all that nature has to offer, a canoe camping trip is for you. There’s not much better than guiding a 16-foot aluminum canoe down a rushing - or even quietly flowing - stream through a wooded wilderness as the morning sun breaks through the trees.

Canoe camping is beginner-friendly, and astonishingly inexpensive. It requires very few skills and little gear beyond what’s prudent for typical camping trips and equipment. Riverfront or shoreline campsites can be as cheap as nothing at all to $5 or $10 a night. Canoe camping with friends or family makes the adventure livelier and even less expensive.

Transporting your camping gear on a canoe camping trip is so easy, you may never backpack again! The typical two-person aluminum canoe can easily carry close to 500 pounds of “stuff” - although, remember, the more you bring, the more you must haul off-board, pack up and haul back on-board when you break camp in the morning. Just because you can haul more on a canoe camping trip, doesn’t mean you should.

Because you’re traveling relatively slowly, you’ll see much more of the countryside’s scenery and wildlife in a canoe camping trip than you’ll see when using a car, truck, RV or other motor vehicle to transport you from campsite to campsite.

How To Plan Your Canoe Camping Trip

As with any new venture, planning ahead is the key to your enjoyment.

1. If someone in your party (including you!) is new to canoeing, by all means, take a short test run on a nearby stream or small river. Practice paddle-handling, especially turning and banking. Get in and out of the canoe, and load and unload it. If possible, spend at least one night camping on your dry run, to get an idea of what gear and supplies you can leave behind on a longer trip, and what items you absolutely can’t live without.

2. Choose your waterway. Word-of-mouth from other canoeists and campers is the best way to decide on your destination, because they’ll have first-hand experience with all aspects of the waterway, everything from good campsites en route to bad mosquito populations along the way. Camp-gear outfitters, canoe rental sites and local, state and national park Web sites are also great information sources. They can help you match up your prospective canoe route with your detailed vacation plans. Consider: What else are you hoping to do on your trip besides paddle your canoe and set up and strike camp? What’s available on any given waterway varies dramatically from site to site, so check each option carefully.

3. Map your route. Once you’ve decided which watery superhighway you’ll be traveling, treat canoe camping planning as you would any other kind of vacation trip. Will you bring your own canoe or are long-term rentals available, and where are they located? How long will you travel each day and where will you rest each night? Where are the portages and how long will you spend portaging? What’s the off-water terrain like? What side trips do you want to take? Will you stop to fish, swim or eat along the way? Are there locations to stop and seek shelter in case of dangerous weather?

Put it all down on paper. That paper, of course, will find its way to a waterproof dry bag as you’re putting your canoe camping gear together!

What To Take Canoe Camping

It’s helpful to prepare your packing list in two columns: what you need for canoeing, and what you’ll need for camping. Since canoe campers are typically experienced car, RV or backpack campers first, the focus here is on what you’ll need specific to canoeing.

1. First and foremost you’ll need a canoe! A 16-foot canoe about 34 inches across and 12 inches deep is the ideal vehicle for a two-person canoe camp trip.

2. Equip your canoe with one paddle for each occupant, plus an extra paddle for caution. Lifejackets for each occupant are also a must and really should be worn when the canoe is in the water.

3. A cooler to keep each day’s prepared foods and drinks cold in the hot sun.

4. Water jugs filled with fresh water. Paddling can be thirsty work. Drink water while you canoe. Bring at least 2.5 liters per person per day. A few packets of water purification tablets can’t hurt (packed in a waterproof bag.)

5. A bright heavy-duty flashlight for the canoe. If for some reason, you’re stuck paddling in twilight or darkness, you’ll want to see as much as you can of the waterway, and you’ll want others to see you as well!

6. Rope or towline. Invaluable for tying up at night, but also necessary in the event the canoe overturns and paddles are lost.

7. Emergency supplies: Compass, Swiss Army Knife, waterproof matches, first aid kit, whistle, aloe, lip balm, sun block, aspirin, disinfectant. Some canoeists won’t leave home without a weather radio. Many pack a hand-held mirror to enable them to signal shore or other canoes in a pinch.

8. Canoeing clothes. Check the gear outfitters for super-comfortable quick-dry shorts that can be worn over a bathing suit if you’re planning to swim along the way. Tee-tops are fine most of the time, but you’ll want a shirt with sleeves and possibly quick-dry long pants for morning and evening paddling when the mosquitoes are out and about. Also, don’t forget rain ponchos. Wear skid-resistant boat shoes at all times and never canoe without protection for your head. A wide-brimmed sun hat is ideal and works to keep rain off, too.

9. Supply of trash bags and dry bags. Your dry bags will be watertight and will contain items such as your map, wallets and personal identification, cell phones, cameras, extra batteries and flashlight lamps, and anything you need to protect from the inevitable spray and wet-tracking that comes with canoeing. Plastic trash bags work fine for extra clothing, extra food, camping needs, and, of course, trash. Don’t dispose of anything in the waterways. Always place your trash in proper receptacles.

Some items that you normally would pack away for camping, you may want to leave out in the canoe, such as your camp chair or plastic-covered cushion. Hours of sitting on a plain un-cushioned canoe seat can be tough on the bottom. Keep your fishing gear handy if you’re planning to fish along the way. Binoculars, camera, notepad and extra pens should also be kept within reach.

After you’ve got your canoeing gear lined up, simply pack your camping gear, complete your other typical trip preparations, leave your trip plan with a friend or family member, and you are ready to hit the trail. All that’s left to do is enjoy yourself!

Article by Kate Sheridan from AssociatedContent.com

Waterproof duffels make for the perfect bag to cart your things back and forth from home to the gym. The large main compartment is ideal for bringing a change of clothes, towel and even another pair of shoes if you like. The best part is that when you stuff your sweaty clothing inside after a good workout you won’t be doing the bag any damage, and it will be ready to go again for the next time.

These duffels are also great for those who love swimming, providing a way to transport wet bathing suits and towels from the health club or even the beach. Waterproof material also means that if it gets caked with sand or even dirt, you can just wipe it off and it will be good as new.

Campers also enjoy these bags, as there has been known to be a rainstorm or two outdoors from time to time! One has a far better chance of having a dry change of clothing if everything is protected from the moisture. The waterproof duffel is also a great bag for those who travel with children. Kids have a tendency to spill stuff and get a little bit sticky, and the durable waterproof material cleans up easy and helps protect the items inside.

Whether you want to keep the water out of the bag or make sure that something wet doesn’t soak your car seat or carpet, the waterproof duffel is a great choice. You can probably think of other great uses for this type of a bag; after all, the only limit is your imagination!

Did you ever go to the beach and wind up getting something wet that shouldn’t get water anywhere near it? It isn’t a good feeling and can be pretty expensive too, depending on the item. If you are looking for good snorkeling bags, or just some that will keep your other gear dry while you get wet, here are some kinds to consider:

• Waterproof cell phone bags. Made of heavy duty clear materials, these handy bags close up tight, protecting your cell phone from water and sand. Some come with adjustable neck lanyards for easy transport. Certain designs also allow you to talk on the phone through the bag — how cool is that? There are similar options for PDAs and GPS devices too.
• Waterproof camera bags. These handy bags are typically made to fit a 35mm camera or a regular sized digital camera. Protecting your photos is important around the water and this does the trick.
• Wet/dry bags. There are a variety of these bags made, and they come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. The essential feature is the separate areas for wet and dry clothes and gear, allowing you to go into the water, change clothes and put the wet stuff away. Some of the better bags include drainage or ventilation for the wet clothing.