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I bought an REI compression sack a couple years ago to tame the size of my -25 Western Mountaineering Puma down bag. A few years back I bought a new lighter winter pack, 3.5 lbs. vs. my 8 lb Dana Designs Terraplane. The new pack didn't have quite as much room down at the bottom where the...

I gave up on using a bivy long ago. My biggest problem is with the condensation that builds up between the bag and the sack, but it can be managed successfully. We used to use a vapor barrier with a bivy in the winter to keep the sleeping bag dry. For summer use, I did make a breathable bivy and...

Very strange that some of you can't find these hash browns. All the grocery stores I've been in out west have them. They are usually located with all the other instant potatoes. The amount in the small pint sized cardboard container makes a good breakfast for 2. I add dried onions to the box...

This is a 23' Wenonah MN4 on an older subaru, but I have aftermarket thule racks that I got for less than $100 used. If you plan to use your car for carrying canoes often I would get something better than the factory bars. I have carried larger and heavier canoes than this one on the stock...

An opposing opinion on Wiggys just because I'm feeling that way today. These are heavy and bulky synthetic bags that are somewhat inexpensive. I suppose they are probably just as warm as anything else in the same class. Lots of unsubstantiated marketing claims on the website bordering on...

I posted this before, but here is my latest/best solution for sanding the inside bilge area. I don't claim to have thought this up myself, I probably saw it on here somewhere. I used some of a minicell yoga block and hot glued it to an old 1/4 sheet sander. It's a bit messy because dust...

A number of years ago, while packing up to leave camp, my friend slipped on some grass and fell with all his weight on a dry bag he had tucked under one arm. He cracked a bunch of ribs and could hardly breath, but he was able to paddle his Kruger on one side only all the way out from the south...

I've only ever carried a gun when I was actually hunting something, and that was many years ago. People carrying guns for protection generally make me nervous whether or not they're on my team. I live and play in grizzly country here in Montana and before that when I was growing up in Alaska...

Looking good Mike. Good job on finding good end caps for that canoe. What are you going to do about the sun faded hull?

I only gave socks last year. Try grip6.com socks, made in Utah. They are merino grown and made in the rocky mountains and have the full lifetime warranty. I used the heck out of them this summer and they seem to be wearing well.

Saw this unfold near our campsite last month.

Looking forward to seeing this one on the water. Great work! Mark

Hmm? I must be in a different position when kneeling. It sounds like you have your back arched when kneeling. When I'm kneeling and paddling I am reaching out further in front with the paddle and my lower back is rounded, or in flexion. That is what opens up the passages where the sciatic nerves...

I kneel about half the time because it takes all the pressure off my lower back. If anyone has compressed discs or problems with sciatica, then kneeling is the perfect solution. My ability to be in a boat for a long time is a function of being able to change position frequently. Whenever I kneel...

No problem Clint, there’s a lot to learn about people’s actual experience with all these different resins. I hope you got an answer to your questions. Mark

I build all my canoes with the slots or scuppers. They don't serve any real purpose in my opinion other than weight reduction. I have never tied anything to mine, but i occasionally jam a stick in one to hold my fishing rod while trolling. If the gunwales are going to be hard wood, you might...

Thanks Deerfly. These boats are skin coat, not gelcoat. It got confused up above when someone asked about gelcoat boats, but hopefully your comments will help them out. The skincoat boats are essentially just fabric and resin with no other coating. The resin erodes over time due to UV and normal...

Ha! From the title I was expecting him to light that stick stove inside the tent, but I see now the tent is called the campfire. It turned out much better this way. Mark

Mike, the gelcoat boats aren't mine, I was just answering a question from Clint. I agree though, I wouldn't consider removing gelcoat. SG - I'm only doing small repairs and laminating new glass to small areas. The entire boats might get a coat of resin to seal the kevlar, but that's up to the...

Just talked to Susan at Wenonah for a while, who was extremely knowledgeable about the construction, repair and everything else about their skin coat boats. She said they are/were made with either vinyl ester or polyester resin. Wenonah uses polyester resin and fiberglass exclusively for all...