Recent content by PaddlingPika

My beater solo is a 46 lb Mohawk Odyssey 14 in R84. These days I mostly paddle lighter weight kevlar or carbon-kevlar solos but the Odyssey is a stable, roomy, easy to maneuver river solo that would be good for what you describe. Good luck finding one though.

Canoes listed as symmetrical sometimes list different bow depth and stern depth. If the bow is taller that might make a view from above look asymmetrical even if the only difference was that the sides extended a little higher up in the bow. I'm certainly not an expert on canoe design...

Here's my current vehicle with newest addition to the fleet.

Finally found and scanned a picture my father took showing the family with our new 1968 OTCA-17 atop our 1955 Rambler station wagon. I'm on the left with my mother and two brothers. Eight years after that picture was taken my parents gave me the Rambler which was the first car I owned...

If I were going to try to shorten your new paddle I'd attempt to remove the top grip, maybe with cautious application of heat, and cut the shaft at the top then reattach the grip rather than doing anything at the shaft joint. The grip came loose accidentally on one of my old Mohawk paddles so...

Northern is certainly relative. When I first read the title of this thread I pictured it being about paddling in the northern states (e.g. BWCA or ADK) compared to southern US creeks and swamps.

Several companies make "All Person Fit" PFDs that fasten with front buckles rather than a zipper such as the MTI APF and the Stohlquist Fit. Outfitters often use a basic version of a one size fits all front buckle style.

Shipping charges for paddles seems to vary a lot. I'd thought about buying a paddle from Wenonah when they had a major sale awhile back but they listed a substantial oversize shipping charge for paddles. This year when REI had one of their a 20% off of one item for members sales I bought a...

Maybe you could try removing the staples from one end of a strap and see if you can pull it tighter then restaple it, one strap at a time. This thread has a helpful discussion about installing seat webbing: https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/re-webbing-canoe-seats.127199/ The one time I...

Lost a set of house keys a couple of years ago while shuttling. Three of us were doing an exploratory day trip which turned out to have many downed trees to go over and around so we didn't get to the take-out until after dark. The guys I was paddling with are kayakers and I wasn't sure how the...

That is the way the Swift yoke is set up.

One particularly memorable paddling experience was a few years ago at Chicot State Park when I had set out for an afternoon paddle but ended up not getting back to the landing before sunset. I usually have at least one light with me when paddling but this time I didn't and in the dark ended up...

I have an assortment of aluminum slat roll-top tables but after seeing someone else using it, this is what I bring on most trips these days: ALPS sidekick. It is a small stool/table that is much quicker to set up and take down than the roll-top tables. Besides making a good side table for...

Somewhere I ran across a recommendation for the Coop travel pillow which is filled with shredded memory foam and decided to try it. It is heavier and less compact than the camping pillows that others have mentioned but I really like the comfort of the Coop pillow for side sleeping. According...

Bob's Red Mill brand has potato flakes that are just potatoes with no additives. I like those reconstituted with boiling water, a little powdered milk and bacon bits and sharp cheddar cheese mixed in.