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Happy Mathematics Day! ❌📐♾️
Good point about the cameras, no pun intended. I have a waterproof point and shoot. I'm happy with it.
I expect the babe is a serious upgrade; one which I could never afford.
ps I mean't upgrade to the camera of course! Not my spousal situation. Which I also can't afford.
I expect the babe is a serious upgrade; one which I could never afford.
ps I mean't upgrade to the camera of course! Not my spousal situation. Which I also can't afford.
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In addition to my life changing magic tarp, after this season I expect to do cartwheels over my new alcohol stove. I've heard of them before, and was pondering making my own cat food can stove, or soda can stove, but procrastinated. Then I read and thoroughly enjoyed (and learned from) Alan's last trip in which he mentions the ease of cooking with an alky in his tent vestibule (is that where he used it?). That sealed the deal for me there and then. The clouds parted and the sky blasted brilliant with sunlight and I heard a booming voice "Brad. Get off your arse and get a stove." So I did. I expect it'll be a big difference to our routine when and if the weather closes in making kitchen conditions miserable. I foresee cozy one pot meals happening under tarp or vestibule.
I'm not much of a gadget guy and it's been years since I've "needed" to buy something, but upgrading my thermarest base camp pad for an Exped inflatable cut down on the bulkiness of my kit.
Point and shoot digital cameras lightened the load compared to taking an SLR 35 mm camera with an extra lens.
Point and shoot digital cameras lightened the load compared to taking an SLR 35 mm camera with an extra lens.
We can make do with or without many gear items we now own. It took a few years to figure out what they ought to be, and then acquire them, and then of course make changes to suit our changing preferences. But in the scheme of things there've been few pieces of equipment that have greatly changed our tripping lives.
1) Silnylon tarp - It is adaptable to many set-ups, and I've experimented with some of them. Basically a tarp adds a comfortable living space to a campsite. It is living room, dining room and kitchen, and has been at times bedroom too. If it weren't for our aversion to bugs and bears I might solely use a tarp for shelter.
2) (merino wool or manmade fibre) Base layers - A 3-season layer of long john comfort that wicks moisture, is light and breathable, easily laundered and fashionable with shorts. They keep their cool on all but the hottest days and take the chill off many of the coldest.
3) Plastic food barrel with harness - A tough and reasonably light alternative to the wannigan and soft sided packs; easily efficient at containing odours and mess. However clean habits are the first line of defence against mammal marauders. A kitchen pantry in a rough and tumble container.
4) Dependable rope and a basic knowledge of knots - There are no adequate alternatives to rope, and knowing how to use it can turn frustrating situations into easy enjoyable ones.
5) A canoe that fits your tripping needs - All our needs and desires might differ, but thankfully there are any number of canoes suited to each and every one of us. Finding the right one for any given trip, purpose and individual can be all important. Or we can all just paddle bathtubs.
6) Light weight sleeping bags - Whether down or Hollofil, we have both, these are a serious upgrade; the first gear improvement we made. They crush small for packability and extend the paddling season comfortably.
1) Silnylon tarp - It is adaptable to many set-ups, and I've experimented with some of them. Basically a tarp adds a comfortable living space to a campsite. It is living room, dining room and kitchen, and has been at times bedroom too. If it weren't for our aversion to bugs and bears I might solely use a tarp for shelter.
2) (merino wool or manmade fibre) Base layers - A 3-season layer of long john comfort that wicks moisture, is light and breathable, easily laundered and fashionable with shorts. They keep their cool on all but the hottest days and take the chill off many of the coldest.
3) Plastic food barrel with harness - A tough and reasonably light alternative to the wannigan and soft sided packs; easily efficient at containing odours and mess. However clean habits are the first line of defence against mammal marauders. A kitchen pantry in a rough and tumble container.
4) Dependable rope and a basic knowledge of knots - There are no adequate alternatives to rope, and knowing how to use it can turn frustrating situations into easy enjoyable ones.
5) A canoe that fits your tripping needs - All our needs and desires might differ, but thankfully there are any number of canoes suited to each and every one of us. Finding the right one for any given trip, purpose and individual can be all important. Or we can all just paddle bathtubs.
6) Light weight sleeping bags - Whether down or Hollofil, we have both, these are a serious upgrade; the first gear improvement we made. They crush small for packability and extend the paddling season comfortably.
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The wife and I updated our bike/back/canoe tripping tent, sleeping bags and sleeping pads to ultralight offerings. Light and compact is always a good thing, our old gear wasn't terrible but it was definitely more MT oriented and less AZ.
I'm having these Wee Lassie urges, I've had a great time doing mini canoe trips on the high country lakes in the White Mountains. and Moggion Rim with my Supernova, but it's kinda porky for the portages and trails involved haha.....or maybe I just want another boat :- ) I'm sorta shopping now, but been too busy to get serious about it. I'm hoping a good used boat will come up for a local buy.
I also finished up outfitting the drift fishing frame for our 16' whitewater cataraft with swivel seats, anchor rig, thigh braces and stripping baskets. My son and a guide friend from MT are coming down in April for a NM, CO and UT two week tailwater fishing road trip.
Right about now my wife is questioning the sanity of incouraging me to break out my flyfishing gear and giving AZ trout fishing a go haha
I'm having these Wee Lassie urges, I've had a great time doing mini canoe trips on the high country lakes in the White Mountains. and Moggion Rim with my Supernova, but it's kinda porky for the portages and trails involved haha.....or maybe I just want another boat :- ) I'm sorta shopping now, but been too busy to get serious about it. I'm hoping a good used boat will come up for a local buy.
I also finished up outfitting the drift fishing frame for our 16' whitewater cataraft with swivel seats, anchor rig, thigh braces and stripping baskets. My son and a guide friend from MT are coming down in April for a NM, CO and UT two week tailwater fishing road trip.
Right about now my wife is questioning the sanity of incouraging me to break out my flyfishing gear and giving AZ trout fishing a go haha
We must think a lot alike. Besides good canoes and poles, I think the carbon bent paddle and the NRS Boundary Boots have been a couple of the most game-changing purchases - along with the drysuit. And I'm still trying to decide on a tent to modernize from my A-frame. The Hennessey Hammock has been my main go-to for the last few years though, so I guess that also fits the list.
oh yeah camera. I had a couple of those waterproof Nikon AW 100 series. Not what I wanted.. lens blurry with fog or water when I didnt want it; I got tired of blurry eagle shots. Now I have a bridge camera that can take awesome wildlife photos with a 1300 mm equivalent ( though the me shake makes 600 mm more practical).( its not waterproof but there are dry bags!) The trouble is the 7D and its army of lenses is also trying to horn in. Those require their own boat.
Sooner or later the Exped mat will blow and we will be off again in search of the latest greatest sleeping mat.
Sooner or later the Exped mat will blow and we will be off again in search of the latest greatest sleeping mat.
At canoecopia a couple of weeks ago I decided that I would find and buy a PDF that I would actually wear. Getting too old and going out too often during the shoulder season to not wear one, plus there are grandkids sometimes now and I wouldn't want to be finding my PDF if something happens and they need help. Anyway, after trying on a whole bunch I ended up with one of those ripcord inflatable ones.
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I agree wholeheartedly about the CCS Tundra Tarp and HOOP’s ridgeline/prussic trick. Being able to quickly and easily erect a tarp, in a variety of configurations, is a huge camp comfort convenience advance.
As is having a sil-nylon tarp that packs down to the size of a shoebox. Our Tundra Tarp is big, 10x14 or 10x16, I forget, but it covers a group of 4 or more with room for chairs, gear and blue barrel. Once you go sil-nylon the old urethane coated tarp or blue poly cheapie seems like driving a Yugo that packs down to the size of a Chevy Biscayne Wagon. Pricey, yes. Worth every penny, also yes.
When solo I sometimes think I want something smaller, a 10x10 or 10x12, until the wind starts to blow or the rain comes in sideways. Then the extra protection is welcome and I just drop one end. Plus I need the width for the day hammock when I hang in a windy camp and read a good book.
I don’t think there is a better constructed, design proven tripping tarp made. Best advice I ever received on a gear purchase was before ordering the Tundra Tarp; if you are vacillating between two sizes, go with the larger. And unless your penchant is for stealth camping opt for bright cheery colors to help lighten the mood (and lighting) on dreary days.
Folks who have any discontent with their current tarp, look no further and pay the piper for a superior piece of gear.
http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/tundratarp.htm
Other absolute agreements in gear that has made a difference.
I don’t use a thwart bag, but a good map case is well worth the cost over time and use. Gaia Noon-Sight map case for me, double-sided windows and sized for quarter folded topos.
I expect I was among the last to leave the old 35mm SLR camera at home, despite eventually realizing that it had far too many disadvantages compared to a WP digital. Film and development cost, camera size & weight, storage disadvantages, especially the last.
In a waterproof box or bag the old Nikon was a time consuming pain to get out and worse to put back away. Because of the retrieval and put away difficulties I wasn’t undertaking those chores often while I was afloat, and even it camp the Nikon wasn’t exactly in my pocket all the time.
With a compact waterproof digital I can slip it out of my PFD/jacket pocket or essentials bag and take all the photographs I want.
Now if I could just figure out why, especially on solo trips, I do not take many (sometimes any) photos I’d be all set. Last outing was 14 days; I took a couple photos on day one and none again until the last day, when I realized I hadn’t touched the camera in weeks.
I’m not sure the digital camera really made a tripping difference in all the photographs I do not take.
I upgraded our sleeping bags a few years ago - what an impact a warmer bag can have on your morale. Also, a $6 reusable coffee filter hung over boiling water made real coffe an option in the morning. Oh, the simple things...
It doesn't go on every trip, but during bug season, I never leave on a trip without my Eureka Parawing VCS 16! Up in northern Ontario where the mosquitoes sound like someone is running a generator, I am so thankful for that thin piece of bug mesh keeping them at bay! [h=1][/h]
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dang you Ratty. And dang Amazon Prime.
The two pocket bellows I ordered just arrived. And I am already in the process of mailing out the spare to a friend who will grok it. Actually I am going to screw with him and insist that he give it to a mutual friend. Bwahahahaha, he’ll have to order his own.
I do not regret placing that order on faith of function. Or maybe I do; I really should have ordered three or four as stocking stuffers or gifts for friends, and will probably order a few more.
Efffing great teensy piece of gear. Folks who use wood/chip stoves might be especially interested.
Many thanks for the heads up.
I have added a few things in the last couple of years ... I went to the Exped Down mattress a few years ago ( they last, are awesome and pack small) ...
- top quilt in place on my sleeping bag ... good to 5C ( I have used it at 2C) and packs to the size of a kleenex box, weight is just silly light
- Tentsile Flite to replace my Exped Hammock and my regular tent ... it is a little high tech, but dam is it cool and about the most comfortable shelter I have ever had
- I have built a few cedar strips in the last couple of years, the Freedom Solo 16 I built is hands down favourite and really changed the way I view the paddling part of my trips .... a wood boat is just a different animal compared to a composite for handling and speed IMO
Brian
- top quilt in place on my sleeping bag ... good to 5C ( I have used it at 2C) and packs to the size of a kleenex box, weight is just silly light
- Tentsile Flite to replace my Exped Hammock and my regular tent ... it is a little high tech, but dam is it cool and about the most comfortable shelter I have ever had
- I have built a few cedar strips in the last couple of years, the Freedom Solo 16 I built is hands down favourite and really changed the way I view the paddling part of my trips .... a wood boat is just a different animal compared to a composite for handling and speed IMO
Brian
Mike,
I went for several years without taking any photos at all... I don't know why exactly, except I was hiking and bushwhacking more than canoeing. In 2012 I read some reviews for waterproof P&Ss and besides the improvements that were being made in picture quality, the way that so much was packed into something so small seemed worth checking out.
Since there's no film cost to agonize over now, I just bang away at something that might eventually look interesting for a photo without putting too much thought into it, and there is some anticipation with how it's all going to look on the screen at home. There's usually some element of surprise in what shows up... this worked, that didn't work, nothing good at all there, lots of good stuff this time. Lots left up to chance and I suppose that's part of the enjoyment, there may be something surprising after the trip's over.
I went for several years without taking any photos at all... I don't know why exactly, except I was hiking and bushwhacking more than canoeing. In 2012 I read some reviews for waterproof P&Ss and besides the improvements that were being made in picture quality, the way that so much was packed into something so small seemed worth checking out.
Since there's no film cost to agonize over now, I just bang away at something that might eventually look interesting for a photo without putting too much thought into it, and there is some anticipation with how it's all going to look on the screen at home. There's usually some element of surprise in what shows up... this worked, that didn't work, nothing good at all there, lots of good stuff this time. Lots left up to chance and I suppose that's part of the enjoyment, there may be something surprising after the trip's over.
I'd take a shoebox of grainy yellowed prints from our trips over no photos at all. It didn't occur to us to take photos for the first couple trips, and then because we didn't own a camera in the pre-digital age started taking a disposable one. And between forgetting cameras at home and mishaps when we remembered one, we've been left with very few photos to show for our family trips. But no regrets. We couldn't have captured the most memorable moments anyway even if we'd been a family of Henri Cartier-Bressons and Ansel Adams'. The memories are still with us.
My own failure with regards to trip photography, besides my inability to take a good picture, is my myopic focus on trees and sky, water and rocks, blah blah blah, rather than recording the actual trip itself. You know, like people and canoes, campsites and portages, that stuff. Sometimes though, I just sit back and drink it all in, trying to commit it all to memory. No wonder there's no shoebox of trip photos at home.
My own failure with regards to trip photography, besides my inability to take a good picture, is my myopic focus on trees and sky, water and rocks, blah blah blah, rather than recording the actual trip itself. You know, like people and canoes, campsites and portages, that stuff. Sometimes though, I just sit back and drink it all in, trying to commit it all to memory. No wonder there's no shoebox of trip photos at home.
The best thing about those tarps is you don't have to paddle across a 2 mile lake to see if a campsite is taken...
My best piece of gear is my GoPro camera. Most of my trips are solo which makes it easy to waste time setting up shots. If I'm in the mood I like to just film away and edit when I get home. I carry6 GoPro batteries and two cards.
Sometimes I'll have the camera running for 10 minutes and use 10 seconds later but I get to see the trip again and that's a real big plus
I set up all sorts of shots and some just are bad some ok and some make it to a video. Bagging miles is a thing of the past for me, I'm content just exploring one big northern lake if need be and the GoPro is always ready to catch some memories for me.
Editing at home has it's issues, but as I have gotten used to Movie Maker I find it more enjoyable.
I find it less fun when I'm with a group, I try to respect others feelings so it's tough to film much.
Just today I pieced together a short video to get thru another cold dreary wet spring day. I had fun doing it and I am now pumped up again to go for a two day ride and visit Memaquay Land.
Sometimes I'll have the camera running for 10 minutes and use 10 seconds later but I get to see the trip again and that's a real big plus
I set up all sorts of shots and some just are bad some ok and some make it to a video. Bagging miles is a thing of the past for me, I'm content just exploring one big northern lake if need be and the GoPro is always ready to catch some memories for me.
Editing at home has it's issues, but as I have gotten used to Movie Maker I find it more enjoyable.
I find it less fun when I'm with a group, I try to respect others feelings so it's tough to film much.
Just today I pieced together a short video to get thru another cold dreary wet spring day. I had fun doing it and I am now pumped up again to go for a two day ride and visit Memaquay Land.
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The best thing about those tarps is you don't have to paddle across a 2 mile lake to see if a campsite is taken...
Robin, funny thing is that bright beacon of a tarp was set up at one of my favorite Assateague sites; it is deep in the loblolly and bayberry and invisible from the water. It would be easier to walk in from the ocean side to catch a glimpse.
I had an unfortunate occurrence once with a green stealth camp set up in the deep green woods. I could not located my camp after a long wander afoot and was approaching panicky when I caught a glimmer of something white.
“White-ish”; saved thanks to dirty U-trou hung on a branch to air out. Worship at the BVD’s. That may also explain my penchant for reflective tape.
Doug’s barrel packing thread reminded me of another piece of gear that has made a real difference.
Blue barrels or other hard sided waterproof containers were a game changer.
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