How do you chose a crew for longer canoe trips?

[Robin]

I'm probably the person who you would like to avoid when planning a group trip. I used to go with groups, I have been on group trips from Maine to western Ontario. I always got along, had some great experiences, but it gets harder and harder to plan ahead.

My biggest problem is that my wife and I really enjoy our kids and their kids, I would gladly put off a planned trip by a week rather than miss one of their events, no matter how last minute it is. There are just so many of these family events and they come first. So I have learned to go solo and get away when I can, planning a group trip is setting myself and others up for dissapointment.

 

[APPaul]

New to the forum, first post!
For me new tripping partners are only for weekend trips, only in the summer and I have to already know them, even if just casually. They also have to be relatively mellow and have a respect for nature (ie: no loud slobs).

My wife and I (it is very rare I trip without her) will only paddle with other people for short trips. We really like our paddling friends, but when we trip with other people its to be social while in nature, when we trip just the two of us its to be in nature without the fuss of others. To us they are two different flavours of tripping.

One question I always ask people is if they are morning people. We really like paddling early mornings and stopping earlier in the day and taking a nap if need be. On a short trip with friends, sleeping in is alright because we are generally out to chill out, plus while everybody else sleeps I can go for a morning paddle. But most people don't like the idea of being on the water by 6-7am, sometimes even 4-5am if there is a reason, so we keep that for when its just the 2 of us. But someday we'll find a like minded couple!

 

[ppine]

When I was younger taking people on canoe trips always seemed like some sort of bonding. Now people seem set in their ways and get tweaked by lots of things. My best paddling partner is my brother. I am hoping to get my other brother out from Chicago with my nephew next summer. Hunting and paddling with family is some of the best outdoors.

One of the guys I invited on the last trip is now a much closer friend after spending 9 days together.
I had an 18 yo kid in the bow of my boat, but we had no problems. He was respectful, athletic and wanted to learn. By about the fourth day he could paddle and started to learn to read water. My friend's 20 yo had lots of attitude. He was the strongest person on the trip but did not want to do anything. He started to get it at the end. We had one lady on the trip in a kayak and she makes her own rules and I will not paddle with her again.

A solo river trip is logistically challenging and not all that safe. I am thinking about some solo lake travel with my trusty dog, Ruby Begonia.

 

[oldie moldy]

How do I pick? Well, it's pretty straight forward; I ask "how much kibble shall I bring?" If the tail wags, then I count the number of wags; anything over ten wags means we're good to go. Anything under six means we'd better stay home, could be weather or bears or something we're best off away from. With such an infallible oracle, there's no question who to bring.

Rob

 

[Guest]

What do you look for in potential crew members?

Someone or ones whose style and personality and foibles and such mesh well with mine. Not meaning that we are brothers of another mother, sometimes those peculiarities are near polar opposites yet complimentary to each other’s skill and weaknesses.

There are some traits that I simply can not abide while tripping. Self-appointed “leaders” who try to take over a trip and make all of the decisions are high on that list, but the top of the chart is the chatterbox who never stops talking. Constant yammering will quickly ruin the tripping experience for me.

How to find suitable tripping companions? Even if a mutual tripping companion vouches for their bona fides I want to day paddle with them before taking a trip, and to have done a shorter trip with them before subjecting myself to weeks in their company.

I’ve had one trip with an inter-net “expert” that was a complete disaster. Never again.

 

[sweeper]

I like a mixed group of experienced and novice paddlers (when route conditions permit), I think it brings out the best in both. I've only had one bad member that won't be paddling with us again. We now take a few minutes just before putting in to talk about priority of work when making and tearing down camp and since then things have been very smooth.

 

[ppine]

Here is a list of canoe personality types I will avoid in the future, people that "Forget" to put on PFD, people that smoke dope all day, people that refuse to stay with the group, people with lots of ego and little experience, people that don't want to help the group, and worst of all whiners.

Now that I am 64 a lot friends in my age group only "camp" in an RV. They are set in their ways, and do not do well in a group. I am becoming protective of my paddling and backpacking friends and reluctant to go outside the proven group. I am willing to import some friends from out of state. A lifelong friend is retiring and coming out from Florida this summer for a backpacking trip.