​Stuff you once took and now do not

[Alan Gage]

Alan, I know you mean well, but you have inadvertently demeaned, diminished and derogated a reputation I have spent decades perfecting: that of the most tool-less, tool-skill-challenged, chore-unmotivated and lazy-slobbish paddler (if not homo sapien) ever.

Now, now, Glenn. I've heard you make similar claims before and then you went and did a really nice job on repairing that splitting gunwale. If I remember right you even splurged on a clamp for that project. Surely you have a little epoxy left over. No need for a miter box to cut the shaft, I've never used one for that purpose. No need for clamps either but since you have one anyway you could probably find a way to make use of it on this project somehow. As for the heat gun take your van for a 15 mile drive and the exhaust should be pretty hot. Use something to hold the throttle at 2500 RPM (in Park of course) and the gas coming out the tail pipe might just be hot enough. As for lack of fiberglass I don't see why you couldn't cut some strips from an old t-shirt for this purpose. Just needs to be something to fill any gaps and soak up some resin to keep it from all running down the inside of the shaft.

So all you have to buy is the hacksaw and that only costs $6: https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-15-8...474689575&sr=1-1&keywords=mini+hacksaw+handle That's less that the postage to send the paddle back to ZRE.

Or maybe you could even use your folding camp saw. It certainly won't be the cleanest cut but you can sand it smooth with some of that sand paper I know you saved from the gunwale project. Wrapping the shaft with tape before cutting would help keep the cut as clean as possible.

I'll expect to see a 30 minute video detailing the process next week.

I haven't paddled in almost two years now. I could, but don't. Boring story. So . . . I don't post much about my former hobby anymore either.

Well at least that's better than wanting to but not being able to. I hope you've still got a hobby or two that's keeping you entertained. I'm glad to see you back and posting some at least. Place isn't the same without you.

Alan

 

[Guest]

On my first ADK solo canoe trip I took a poncho for rain gear and used a double blade paddle. It rained every day, but there was no wind. The poncho worked perfectly paddling with the double with no wind and around camp. I decided I had found the perfect raingear for tripping. The next rainy trip I had graduated to a single blade and the wind blew. the poncho blew over my head and constantly got tangled in my upper arm! NO more ponchos.
Turtle

 

[sweeper]

Ponchos are also a danger if you dump in moving water.

 

[Guest]

Now, now, Glenn. I've heard you make similar claims before and then you went and did a really nice job on repairing that splitting gunwale. If I remember right you even splurged on a clamp for that project. Surely you have a little epoxy left over.

I second Alan’s encouragement. $6 mini-hacksaw, dab of leftover epoxy and you are done.

As far as heating up the end to remove the grip, do you have an old blow drier?

No? How about a halogen lamp or other light that throws some heat to warm up the grip end.

I know you have a pot, stove and the ability to boil water. I would not actually boil the grip, just bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and then submerge the end of the paddle for a few minutes.

Of course I do have heat gun, hacksaw, epoxy, fiberglass, alcohol, and tape, so next time you are headed south feel free to stop by.

 

[Alan Gage]

I second Alan’s encouragement. $6 mini-hacksaw, dab of leftover epoxy and you are done.

As far as heating up the end to remove the grip, do you have an old blow drier?

I know you have a pot, stove and the ability to boil water. I would not actually boil the grip, just bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and then submerge the end of the paddle for a few minutes.

I don't think a hair drier would do it and if using the water trick (which I like) I think it would probably have to be boiling, or at least real close to it. Like I said, one came off real nice. The other two took a lot of heat and still required a good deal of twisting to break it loose.

Alan

 

[Odyssey]

Bacon. It only took a trip or two before I started repackaging everything, especially greasy wet dripping bacon, to fully seal in as much as possible any food odours. There's nothing like a good old fry up of bacon and eggs, although that stuff is not particularly heart healthy. But the messy cleanup afterwards was a chore, and keeping the food residue to a minimum challenging. Mopping up all grease with paper towel and burning; soap and water cleaning of all cutlery/dishes/pots and pans. In bear country keeping a clean site is a must to avoid critter encounters. I haven't experienced any, and over the past few years I've lowered the odds of having one by leaving the messiest smelly foods at home. I miss the good old fry ups of the past, but not enough to bring bacon along.

ps Sitting at the camp fire watching my bannock burn was hard enough to endure, but seeing memequay kicking back slicing slabs of double smoked bacon really shook my "no bacon" resolve. I barely survived that temptation. Not sure how I'll survive a no Spam policy.

 

[Guest]

I don't think a hair drier would do it and if using the water trick (which I like) I think it would probably have to be boiling, or at least real close to it. Like I said, one came off real nice. The other two took a lot of heat and still required a good deal of twisting to break it loose.

On a paddle with a carbon grip I think submerging it in boiling water for a few minutes would be fine. On a carbon paddle with a plastic grip I would worry about mis-shaping the grip when applying enough torque to the now softened plastic to break the epoxy bond.

In that regard a heat gun is ideal, concentrating the epoxy softening heat at the grip/shaft joint.

 

[Alan Gage]

with a plastic grip I would worry about mis-shaping the grip when applying enough torque to the now softened plastic to break the epoxy bond.

I once tried to remove a plastic grip from a Zav and it ain't gonna happen without ruining the grip. I spent a lot of time trying to get it as hot as I could without getting it too hot. Finally the grip melted in two and I was left with a plastic plug in the shaft. I honestly don't remember how I got the plug removed but since I wasn't worried about saving anything at that point I don't think it was too bad.

Bacon.

My vegetarianism notwithstanding I agree. I used to take bacon and gave it up on trips long before cutting out meat completely. Like you said, delicious but messy and smelly. I do feel more comfortable in bear country knowing the smelliest thing in my food barrel is dried bananas.

Alan

 

[yellowcanoe]

Just thinking. I think there is a bit of bearanoia. I've brought bacon to bear country. We smoke our own bacon outside in bear country. Haven't had a bruin visit yet
Come to think of it bear hunters here use bear bait. You'd think if smelly food was the key bacon would be in the bait or the fat.
It's not. Donuts are
Now as to fish. That is a part of bear diet. I do worry with fish gut laden sites. Not mine but as bruin is a creature of habit what counts is what the last people did
Our entire neighborhood of 8 in the winter however disposes of bacon fat outside. Bears of course are sleeping usually. ( they don't really hibernate)
We're a little miffed. They won't come beggin for bacon
I don't worry much about bacon
Have had food raided on a guided trip
Grizzly had. 6.5 bagels before being chased off. Perhaps he was unsuccessfully looking for lox

Thinking bears are carb addicts. There was a bear engagement nearby involving granola and another involved Doritos.

 

[Canotrouge]

Regarding bacon, we precook our beacon wrap it in tin foil, and just have to put it on the fire to reheat. no mess, no grease, easy and clean!!

 

[Odyssey]

Bears are opportunistic scavengers, and become habituated because of a steady supply of messy campers, but what attracted them in the first place? Food. I have no bearanoia, just bearawareness. I'm not concerned that I'll attract a bear when I chow down on my bacon and eggs, but am aware that if I accidentally leave a sloppy trace of this around the firepit and kitchen I'll possibly be habituating a bear to good old fry ups in the future. ie The whole point of being careful with my food isn't that a bear fed up with it's Adkins diet will fall off the wagon thanks to me, but that it or any other wild creature will associate a campsite with snack time, likely some time after I've already vacated the site. We all know this, I'm just making it easier for myself to camp cleanly by leaving behind as clean a site as I can. I fully intend to leave a trace when I maintain a fire ring, tent space and cut wood, but I'd like to leave no trace of food. In this regard some foods are easier than others, for me at least.
Tossing out bacon fat in winter to congeal is far less an issue than if you dumped it in summer. Bears have been known to lick clean people's BBQs. Kinda puts the dangers of steel bristle BBQ brushes in perspective, eh?
Tinned sardines make the best bear bait. But donuts are cheaper. I love both. Fresh bagels and lox would be worth it.
Thanks Canot, good idea.

 

[Canotrouge]

Bears are opportunistic scavengers, and become habituated because of a steady supply of messy campers, but what attracted them in the first place? Food. I have no bearanoia, just bearawareness. I'm not concerned that I'll attract a bear when I chow down on my bacon and eggs, but am aware that if I accidentally leave a sloppy trace of this around the firepit and kitchen I'll possibly be habituating a bear to good old fry ups in the future. ie The whole point of being careful with my food isn't that a bear fed up with it's Adkins diet will fall off the wagon thanks to me, but that it or any other wild creature will associate a campsite with snack time, likely some time after I've already vacated the site. We all know this, I'm just making it easier for myself to camp cleanly by leaving behind as clean a site as I can. I fully intend to leave a trace when I maintain a fire ring, tent space and cut wood, but I'd like to leave no trace of food. In this regard some foods are easier than others, for me at least.
Tossing out bacon fat in winter to congeal is far less an issue than if you dumped it in summer. Bears have been known to lick clean people's BBQs. Kinda puts the dangers of steel bristle BBQ brushes in perspective, eh?
Tinned sardines make the best bear bait. But donuts are cheaper. I love both. Fresh bagels and lox would be worth it.
Thanks Canot, good idea.

I'm with you on all you said, up here we sure are in bear country, big bears, like really big. And I would say that clean camp site goes a long way. That is why we use a firebox 90% of the time so when and if stuff drips, it drips in the fire box and plus the fire box doesn't require fire rings....

 

[Jim Dodd]

Thanks for the camp etiquette education ! Well thought out reasoning ! I've heard of bears chewing up a canoe, that a duck hunter left in the woods. No doubt a little duck blood enticed him.

Now for something I DO take along, that others probably don't. An Umbrella ! Quick rain protection. Wind shield while cooking. Sun shade, walking stick. Maybe a sail, but I haven't tried that one. Maybe even a Bear deterent ?

Sorry Mike !

Jim

 

[Canotrouge]

Thanks for the camp etiquette education ! Well thought out reasoning ! I've heard of bears chewing up a canoe, that a duck hunter left in the woods. No doubt a little duck blood enticed him.

Now for something I DO take along, that others probably don't. An Umbrella ! Quick rain protection. Wind shield while cooking. Sun shade, walking stick. Maybe a sail, but I haven't tried that one. Maybe even a Bear deterent ?

Sorry Mike !

Jim

We never leave w/o one!! Use it mainly as a sail, we buy the gust busters umbrella for golfers... They are great!

 

[yellowcanoe]

I'm not for baconing a campsite . That's a bit different from what you do in your yard when there is a selection of bear friendly acorns and beech nuts and berries.
This year was worrisome and we took suet feeders down as drought affected berry and mast crops and many bird feeders turned to bear feeders
The other variable is. Hunting. We hunt bear
Some parks prohibit hunting
Our bears associate us with gun. We are allowed to shoot them if they maraud but I don't think that's right as my house was their home first
I'm way more afraid of moose yes have been confronted with an angry hungry one at home

 

[Odyssey]

I bought a golf umbrella this summer based on trippers suggesting them. I don't golf. I'll try it next trip, next year.
I didn't mean to educate anyone Jim, sorry for the lecture. I'm just saying what works for me. No doubt you are all cleaner smarter trippers than me, I'm just trying to eat well, and reduce my camp cleanup at the same time. Pre-cooking bacon sounds good. A couple years ago someone mentioned buying pre-cooked bacon so I went in search of it. It was double the price (here) of regular raw bacon. And even that is going up in price all the time. We saw another tripper preparing breakfast one year slicing a pre-cooked smoked boneless ham, and I then heard angels sing. Haven't taken bacon since, but take along a small lean ham! Last year I wiped it with vinegar before leaving home in hopes of extending shelf life.
We are always juggling food decisions and recipes for our trips. Compromising between weight/space and recipe/taste.
I still have much to learn.

 

[forest runes]

No danger with that last piece of bacon as the bear will have to fight me over it, and he better watch out I might beat him with my umbrella!

 

[yellowcanoe]

Go down the Green Brad. That golf umbrella will be handy. !

Bacon. I just made and smoked my own! Seriously good. Only took nine days!!!!! To make with the brining etc
One to eat. Cause it's flavored with maple syrup

 

[Guest]

Now for something I DO take along, that others probably don't. An Umbrella ! Quick rain protection. Wind shield while cooking. Sun shade, walking stick. Maybe a sail, but I haven't tried that one. Maybe even a Bear deterent ?

Sorry Mike !

We never leave w/o one!! Use it mainly as a sail, we buy the gust busters umbrella for golfers... They are great!

So need for sorries for this Mike. I also bring a golf umbrella on near every trip. In a tandem canoe they are great as a cheap folding downwind sail in the hands of a bowman. Handy for a rainy visit to the thunderbox. Nice for when I need to make a dash between the tarp and tent and don’t want to put on a full rain suit.

And then there is the specialized chair. High back extension for wind block. Thermarest seat pad for cold butt days. Sun-brella for desert sitting.



Just remember to stick the barrel in the chair before wandering off, lest your chair end up in the next county.



Finest piece of multi-functional gear you can buy at WalMart for $10.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Odyssey
​ No I APPRECIATE the bear info !!!

I do feel better about others bringing an umbrella ! I thought I might be laughed at for the suggestion.
Thanks !

Jim