This from yesterday’s New York Times, a (rather tongue in cheek) list of 13 key resources for urbanites equipping themselves to prep for natural or man-made disasters that includes a folding kayak at number 7. With 5 in my current fleet, I guess I’m well prepared:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/style/how-to-survive-the-apocalypse.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
I’m really into paddling, but in the case of an apocalypse, I doubt that heading out for a day on the water would be at the top of my list.
When you live in a metro area nearly surrounded by water, a kayak does become an attractive option if evacuation is pending. Remember the crowded bridges exiting Manhattan during the 9/11 tragedy? And the number of people out in small craft even recently in Texas helping people get out of the flooding? Our local rescue crews have inflatable boats to rescue flood and capsize victims. It’s one of the few items on the satirical list in the Times that is actually practical.
By the way, DD, provoking an(other) unstable national leader with childish insults and precipitous military action is not the way to “stop him.” But if you want to bring up and argue about such things, I suggest you stick to the “Bicker and Banter” section of the forums.
@DrowningDave said:
And you’re judgmental of someone you don’t know.
Well, personally speaking, I was judgemental of your comments which were brief and obviously could never capture your actual personality. Being fellow paddlers and p-net posters with low tolerance for BS, we’d probably get along just fine.
@DrowningDave said:
And you’re judgmental of someone you don’t know.
I think we can properly “judge” that you flung politically provocative poo and now are playing the passive aggressive game of whining because we walked through the door that YOU opened.
Tip: if you can’t handle criticism and “judgement”, don’t invite it by posting snide right-wing comments and “fake news” when somebody shares a benign bit of amusing entertainment fluff.
Speaking of “fake news”: domestic New York Times subscriptions are up 46% since Trump was elected and their overseas subscriptions have grown a whopping 80% compared to the same period last year. Their stock price is healthy and advertising revenues were the strongest in recent years the last quarter. So much for “so many have stopped reading that rag”, huh?
Hey… hard facts have little impact on changing beliefs. When they are counter to our core beliefs and self interest they aren’t processed by the frontal cortex, but the more primitive brain functions of emotion. Brain scans have shown that when facts counter to our interests or beliefs are presented they are not immediately given rational scrutiny, but rather light up the part of our brain that is associated with disgust (tone implied in a certain NY Times response) and conflict resolution.
To quote what I just read in an article about this topic before reading this “The problem with an approach that prioritizes information is that it ignores the core of what makes us human; our motives, our fears, our hopes, our desires, our prior beliefs.” I have made it a point to be aware of this reaction in myself, and stand back and give it some time, and then try and be a rational thinker about the information that caused this reaction.
DD. Every human judges based on the information presented. That is unless you aren’t human. Its sad that p net has gotten involved in politics . Seems to have taken over everyones life… String remarked he has learned much here… I used to too. No more.
Better things to do… like read the Washington Post.
You know that this article also included a parachute and rocket pack.
I have a parachute attacked to my jetpack. I never fly without it.
@DrowningDave said:
The NY Times is junk
122 Pulitzer Prizes and citations for Journalism since 1918 would suggest otherwise.
But if you say it’s junk, that must be true. They do use a lot of big words…
Can we skip the political arguments? Willowleaf posted a link to a humorous article that referenced a kayak… not a political statement on her part.
Given that I bought a folding kayak based on her advice, I am looking forward to saving my neighbors when an asteroid slams into the ocean and creates a massive tidal wave (note: no tinfoil hat here. I just didn’t dare make a joke about climate change)
See you on the water.
Abz
@DrowningDave @carldelo and everyone else in this thread. I deleted the political and scrappy posts. Let’s keep it nice out here. There are plenty of other places to focus on politics, we all much prefer paddling.
Pros and Cons of folding kayaks
Pro:
Very lightweight
Easy to take on vacation
Great conversation starter
Easy to store/less room needed
Cons:
Slightly more expensive
Harder to find on Craigslist
More maintenance required (careful rinsing) after paddling in salt water
Assembly time (~30 minutes) has to be accounted for before paddling
@brian said:
@DrowningDave @carldelo and everyone else in this thread. I deleted the political and scrappy posts. Let’s keep it nice out here. There are plenty of other places to focus on politics, we all much prefer paddling.
Thanks Brian.
@brian said:
@DrowningDave @carldelo and everyone else in this thread. I deleted the political and scrappy posts. Let’s keep it nice out here. There are plenty of other places to focus on politics, we all much prefer paddling.
Fair enough and point taken, yet the initial response to the OP with its political content is still there…
@carldelo said:
Fair enough and point taken, yet the initial response to the OP with its political content is still there…
Must have missed that one. It is gone now. Mainly wanted to let you know that I deleted some of your comments.
@brian said:
@carldelo said:
Fair enough and point taken, yet the initial response to the OP with its political content is still there…Must have missed that one. It is gone now. Mainly wanted to let you know that I deleted some of your comments.
No problem, no worries.
A folding kayak would make a good coffin if you don’t survive the apocalypse.
@string said:
A folding kayak would make a good coffin if you don’t survive the apocalypse.
Good point. Since they don’t have bulkheads, you can stretch out your carcass inside the hull of some. I knew a woman scientist who regularly went on research expeditions around the world, studying coastal ecologies. She would take a Feathercraft Klondike, their single/tandem convertible that had a large open cockpit. She could set it up for sleeping by laying down the seat and lining the hull with an ensolite mat. Also had rigged a tent-like collapsible frame that allowed her to put a rainfly and/or mosquito netting over the cockpit.
