Recent content by Gamma1214

He was not wrong. I got interested thru the Boy Scouts and learned a lot during my years as an lifeguard / aquatics instructor. The local Scout council also maintained (I think two) trailers full of aluminum canoes that the troops could borrow (maybe rent- I wasn't interested in specifics at...

I may still be doing a similar (but shorter duration) cross-country trip this Sept and, at this point, I'll be taking my Freedom Solo stripper because I am familiar with it, it has proven very reliable on the past two trips and (because I built it and can build another) it's probably more...

Canoe looks great up there! New truck is about the same color as the old IIRC.

Looks like a solid repair to me... nothin' wrong with any of it. One note on the interior texture: Northstar might have gone light on filling the weave to give better traction. I think most stripper builders only do a wet-out coat on the inside for that reason and avoid fill coats completely...

Nice find. An interesting hull for sure and it looks like it's in nice shape.

I'm not sure how pressing the desire for a new boat is but, if you can set the money aside for (almost) a year, the WPASCR is a 10 hour drive (traditionally the 1st full weekend in June but it moved this year). Lots of solos there that you can test paddle and many of them are for sale. Sorry I...

Growing up as I did in SW PA, a trip to Johnstown and the flood museums there were inevitable. Looking at the old photos, I've never been sure which to be more amazed by: the amount of devastation that the city endured or the fact that so many buildings actually survived the 60 foot high, 40...

Wow. Yes, thanks for posting. That's an incredible amount of water in what appeared to be an almost dry streambed. I was compelled to watch the whole thing. The power of moving water never ceases to amaze... I'd be interested in seeing the area after the water recedes.

Welcome to the site John. I'm no help at all with identification but I always appreciate anyone who repairs well-used (or even mistreated) equipment. Please consider posting repair threads so that we can follow along, live vicariously and, perhaps, some future tripper might learn from your...

I'm a huge fan of getting out of your comfort zone & trying something new. Go for it. Even if you lose some money repairing & reselling, you'll have the experience and it's just money...

I'll agree w/ Alan that a lighter boat is more likely to be "durable" in a wilderness setting simply because you're more willing to carry it than you might a heavier hull. While the heaviest of boats might withstand impacts / potential wraps better, a featherweight might get you home unscathed...

How did I (almost) miss "National Disobedience Day"? According to most, I've been pepping for that one my whole life! :)

Went back over this afternoon, removed all of the clamps & scraped the excess epoxy where it squeezed out. I then used the pull saw to cut off the outer gunwales where they had run past the ends (Personally, I think it looks better when the outer gunwales don't end before the boat does) I...

She's cute. I trust that she's, somehow, famous? (edit: dumb question... she's on a "celebrity" thread, duh.) Either way, probably best that tripping partners are along willingly. They're more help on portages and the only thing that gets slaughtered is the goat. (edit: dumb question...

Geez, Glenn, I never thought of handcuffing a tripping companion into the boat. I guess that's one way to get a significant other to go with you... So many questions though... Do you recommend just stuffing her in the trunk for the drive up? How does the border patrol tend look upon that? Are...