If you have enough rope, time and patience, you can strap a touring canoe to just about any vehicle and get it from place to place. But the best way to transport a canoe safely is with some sort of dependable rack system.

The little-known stretch of the Rio Grande just downriver from Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, showcases the riverine glories of the desert Southwest: twisting slot canyons, fortresslike bluffs, hot springs, and sporty rapids. Better still, expeditioners here can often paddle for a week to ten days without encountering another party.

Camping near the water's edge requires special skills. The ecosystems paddlers travel through are often fragile and easily damaged. Learn and practice low-impact camping skills to minimize your effects on the land and the water.

When it comes to managing your canoe camping gear, keeping it protected from the water is only part of the battle. The other part is keeping it organized so things are easy to find.

The most important rule to follow when paddling in a group is to stick together. You must be responsible for yourself out on the water, but having other paddlers within communication range increases the overall safety of any group.

Begin the gear collection process by preparing a written gear list, one that includes all of the items you'll need for paddling, camping, and wilderness survival. This written list will come in handy before your trip (to make sure you've packed everything), during your trip (to remember what you brought), and after your trip (to make sure you didn't leave anything behind).

Just about any canoe can be used for canoe camping, as long as it can safely carry you and your equipment from one place to another. However, some styles are better suited to the sport than others.

The clothing you bring with you on a canoe camping trip has to keep you comfortable and protected both on shore and on the water. Base your wardrobe on the activities you have planned and the weather conditions you expect.

The reservations were made ages ago, and now that long-awaited weekend of wild whitewater adventure is just around the corner. As a professional whitewater river guide, I can guarantee you'll have the time of your life. I can also tell you horror stories of unprepared clients who didn't anticipate just how truly cold you can be in a raft-even on days that are sunny and warm.

The action, adventure, and adrenaline that whitewater rafting provides is about as much bang for the buck as you'll find in any outdoor sport. What other activity gives you a workout, delivers a rush, and cools you down periodically, all while sitting down?

There are other white-water trips with this much adrenaline. And other river trips traverse hallowed American landscapes. But nothing can compare to rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon - the nation's quintessential adventure! Read this great story about a group of 19 gay men and women as they raft down this beautiful river.

Gclub is a Texas-based, all Volunteer club. Gclub Members Host trips for the community, including: Kayak, Canoeing, Hiking, Walking, Biking, Cruises, Mountain climbing , Rock climbing, Backpacking, Nature tours , Scuba , Snow skiing and River float and Whitewater rafting trips.

Day-long canoe or sea kayak trail through cypress strands, mangrove swamps, and coastal marsh to Chokoloskee Bay.

These bottomland hardwood forests and warm delta waters are wintering grounds for countless migratory waterfowl from the Mississippi Flyway.