Recent content by yknpdlr

A fellow Yukon River team racer is a hospital worker. He managed to get ahold of a 1" thick bed size gel pad that was being discarded by the hospital. He cut it into smaller seat size pads for the seven bench seats in our Yukon voyageur canoe. It was extremely comfortable to sit upon for our...

One reason why I got into Subarus was their VIP pricing program. If you are a member of any one of several outdoor focused organizations, they offer a significant discount, as much as $3000 from stjcker, including options. At one time it was 2% below "invoice", whatever that was. It is...

What is wrong with another Subaru? My wife an I have owned a total of six Ssubarus since 2000 and have been happy with all. I currently have a Wilderness Forester. The only thinng I do not like, compared to others is the dang bulky oversize key fob and in general a push button start. But I...

Old Time scouters I have known would simply pour a can of peaches, pineapple or similar can of fruit along with all of the canned juice into a greased Dutch oven. then simply dump a dry biscuit or cake mix on top and place in hot coals with some on top to cook it. The flour soaks up the juice...

I always bring a bunch of plain flour tortillas when guiding sccuts. Sometimes I got lucky during berry season. Having an army of berry pickers with me, I would make a berry pie with sugar, flour and butter using layered tortillas as crust in a fry-baker covered pan with campfire coals on...

Bannock biscuits, of course, to be made by cooking in a fry pan with a touch from a bottle of liquid squeeze margarine (travels well). I premix and prepackage all ingredients in my own recipe (including the shortening) at home and only need to add water to make the dough by hand at camp. I have...

"Fresh" baked muffins in various flavors are always stacked near the entry of the local (the only) grocery market in my town (TOPS). $7.99 for a 4 pack is a little steep for the belly bombs, but I often fall for them when they go on sale for $4.99, sometimes at buy one, get on free. I like to...

i have no idea what was just said. During the power paddle phase, there is at least a moderate amount of torso and upper body rotation as shoulders follow the paddle until the end of clean power and the paddle then cleanly exits the water for in air recovery to the next catch. A torso rotation...

When paddling single stroke single side in my lighter canoes (22 pound PB Shadow, or 19 pound SR Blackwater), I notice during the recovery process of unwinding from torso rotation, it creates a torque that partially compensates in a small but noticeable amount to correct yaw drift. Combine that...

Many remote Adirondack ponds will have an old beater leaky canoe (or rowboat), well hidden somewhere not far from shore. Usuallly there is no paddle found with it, but there may one be hidden someplace else far away if you are lucky to find. There is also no PFD available, which technicallly...

As I have heard AF fighter pilots often say.... "a MIG at your 6 is better than no MIG at all"

Don't believe the severely outdated topo map. Even the old main river channel has changed much since it was surveyed and printed. I've race paddled there five times from 2008-2017, and there were always points of major changes from year to year that could get you into dead end sloughs. The...

I have always preferred leather hiking boots to any synthetics. Properly treated with Limmer grease, I can hike a damp day in my Limmer boots with an occasional "one stepper" to cross a creek without getting wet feet. My Asolo boots don't last quite as long if it is raining, but they do well...

I used candle lanterns years ago. the light is dim, but it provides ambiance. Never had any problem or concern about using one in as tent, as long as the first few inches of hanger was wire. In a hammck is a different story. During a -30F Adirondack winter overnight, I spent the night in a...

I have often heard Charlie say that heeling presents a "banana" shape of the hull to the water, opposing the paddle yaw with an offside heel. I find most of my solo canoes respond to a turn better with an outside heel in the turn with proper trim. In some I can hear the stern "break lock" as it...