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I guess my first question is, do you do any paddling specific training? Do you make an effort to keep your paddling muscles strong through the winter and, in better weather, do you go out paddling with the main purpose being to get stronger? If you do train, what do you do? At 71, I don't feel...

I had a friend that hiked the Continental Divide Trail. I followed his progress on an online journal. Occasionally, there was an attempt at a scenic, but most of his photos were of things like the ice cream cone he had when he reached a town, or the disgusting water source he had to pump his...

As I've said before, I always take binoculars along on canoe trips. I use them for more than just wildlife viewing. But I'm reluctant to take an expensive pair, especially on trips in Utah, where the fine sand get's into everything. I'm happy to tell you that you can get a pretty darn good pair...

Anybody know what the Isabella River is like? Possible put-ins at entry points 84, 75 and 34. If I put in at 84, it looks like I'd need to use the Snake River to get to Isabella. How's that? If I put in at 75 it looks like I'd need to use the Little Isabella to get to Isabella. How's that? If...

The grocery store, where I shop, just moved to a much larger building, meaning selection has increased. A few things I found, that might work on a canoe trip: Starkist Smart Bowls- meals in a pouch. A little small. One pouch probably won't be enough for a hungry man. But cheap and don't take...

On many of the rivers of the Colorado Plateau and beyond, it is common practice, in fact necessary, to carry all the water you will need on the trip. This includes water for meal preparation. So, theoretically, eating canned food shouldn't be much of a weight or volume penalty, if you reduce the...

I can still see my floor in a couple places, so I recently ordered an arborist throw bag. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=weaver+arborist+throw+bag&crid=178OZO4EDBGN3&sprefix=%2Caps%2C1257&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent The idea being that I would use this for hanging the food bag. There might be...

On Sunday, I went paddling, in my crossover kayak, for the first time. I know this is a canoe forum, but bear with me for a minute. I've known for a while now that the boat with the highest top speed isn't necessarily the boat that takes the least amount of effort to maintain an easy cruising...

I'm not sure who started it, maybe Ted Bell, maybe John Winters, Maybe David Yost. Excluding variations of the Prospector, which seems like it will always be around and popular, most modern composite touring canoes are Swede form with asymmetrical rocker. If they are solo, their widest point is...

I've been thinking a little about getting a Rob Roy from Northstar. Might be a good compromise between a canoe and touring kayak. A little concerned about the size. I'm skeptical it could carry a river toilette and five days worth of food, water, and gear. A local dealer has a Loon, but it's...

Over a year ago I bought a Miramichi 18. I've only had it out of my garage once. It's just too big and heavy for me to handle by myself. Even on the water it's a bit much. Esquif has come out with a new model, the Huron 17, made out of T-Formex lite. Basically, they took their Prospecteur 17...

My club, and some rivers I paddle, require you take a repair kit on overnight trips. There are a couple really good, extra wide, waterproof tapes, put out by the Flex Seal and Gorilla Glue people. I can't imagine ever needing more than that to repair a damaged hull, but I'm not running rocky...

Last year (2023) I bought a Werner Bandit. A whitewater paddle with carbon shaft and curved fiberglass blade. I don't do serious whitewater, but I thought it might come in handy. I used it once, didn't like it and never used it again. Last trip of the year, one of the other guys paddling stern...

I was looking for something to read while riding my exercise bike and came across this. https://www.bearmountainboats.com/blogs/news/anatomy-of-a-canoe-essentials-of-good-design-canoecraft-excerpt Good info for anyone looking for a new canoe.

I finally got around to taking a few photos of my Esquif Echo that I converted to a pack style canoe. I'm defining a pack style canoe as a solo canoe set-up to be paddled kayak style. The photos aren't too good. Sorry. I'm losing my touch. I used parts I ordered from Northstar. I added an...

As a canoe increases in speed, relative to the water it is passing through, the bow tends to rise and the stern squat. This is more pronounced the shallower the water. To counteract this, racing canoes and performance lake tripping canoes are Swede form, meaning their widest point is aft of...

I own a North Wind 17 and a North Wind solo. I got to take both on river trips in 2023 and here's what I think about them. With the North Wind series, Northstar decided to sacrifice some speed in favor of seaworthiness. I knew this when I bought them but I expected them to be faster than they...

You could buy a 16' Prospector tandem and never have to buy another canoe. You and your wife/girlfriend can take it down that class II+ river one weekend, paddle Labyrinth Canyon, the following week, and paddle it solo by paddling backwards from the bow seat, the weekend after that. Sometimes I...

You can argue the pros and cons of paddling solo with a single bladed paddle vs. a double bladed paddle all day long. I've made my choice. I'm not a suffering is good for the soul kind of guy. I can go faster with less concentration and frustration with a double bladed paddle. Most solo canoes...

I've had several solo canoes. The first one I owned was a Wenonah Encounter in Tough Weave. https://wenonah.com/Canoes.aspx?id=129 Not very light, and doesn't turn very well, but otherwise I really liked that boat. Super stable, reasonably fast, tracks well, holds a ton of gear, sliding tractor...