Your best (favorite?) paddling partner...

[Seeker]

Loaded question, but I'll go.

#1, Cousin Dave... strong as an ox, makes fire in the rain, never complains, always happy, eats what you make, common sense, skilled woodsman, knows funny stories, just a good camping companion. Was my tent mate for years in Scouts.

#2, my daughter... observant, as skilled as I could make her in 20+years, anything she does "wrong" is my fault so I can't complain, happy, good company, seldom complains, eats mostly what you cook, knows enough to shut up in the morning.

#3, my wife... cuz I have to like her. lol. Actually, we've only done 2 trips together, but she's happy, seldom complains, does things pretty much the way you're teaching her, and doesn't require all that much coddling... I liken taking her to taking my daughter when she was about 8... but you want people's early experiences to be all good, so there will be "later" experiences... too many guys push their wives too hard too soon, and they never go camping/canoeing with them again, which is really sad.

 

[Boatman53]

My daughter without a doubt.
Jim

 

[yellowcanoe]

Hubby. We got a canoe as a wedding present. 48 years later we still do tandem. That 117km Bowron trip was not a solo

Remains to be seen whether our upcoming Everglades trip will be in a tandem or solo
We're awaiting damage reports as the park was massively changed by Irma. We already have NOAA imagery of the area around Flamingo and Everglades City

 

[Odyssey]

Her.

 

[Iskweo]

I can count the number of paddling partners on the fingers of one hand. Over the years Karin has become very tuned in and we trip well together most times. She paddles as well as anyone. We dont always get along though. Hence my search for new accomplices. I had a friend who was a really good paddler but was just not all that reliable when it came to going. She was younger and strong as a mule too so that was good.

My forays with teens have been a bust. Its like herding cats. And they tend to be pretty weak. I do have a line on another prospect but it is late in the season for that. It seems I may be soloing more in the future. Or maybe just boat camping with my frieghter and a motor. That works too.

Christy

 

[Mowgli]

My wife, definitely. Unfortunately she now suffers from myalgic encephalomyelitis and can no longer paddle or hike.

 

[JustinH]

My very good friend, and near constant camping companion, Arian. Others join here and there, they come and go but me and him are a constant. We started this hobby together and as such have spent the most time together in the canoe. He’s in the stern, and me at the bow. We don’t even ask each other anymore, it just goes that way.

We’re still amateurs so it’s surely not always the prettiest thing to watch for an outside observer. But we make it work and we get where we need to go.

We don’t always agree - he likes to take it slow keep his fishing line wet while I’m more often looking to keep paddling at a steady pace. But more often than not we’re completely on the same page. Even when we’re quietly contemplating burying each other’s bodies in the woods where no one would find, we always manage to laugh and put the paddle back in the water and keep moving as a team. He’s a good man and I trust my life with him in the boat and out of it.

Hopefully my son will supplement that role in another season or two which is why my goal this winter is to get the tandem back into top shape and ready for next year (needs new rails).

 

[Bob B.]

Cool post.

My Number 1 answer is my dog Jake, without question. My number 2 is my buddy Skip, aka on this board Hogan. We have combed a lot of back country together in Northern Wisconsin, the BWCA and Canada - he is a great guy to trip with.

Bob.

 

[gumpus]

For sure my black lab Jessie was my best paddling partner. She was never the slightest burden and always happy to lay in front of me with her chin on the gunnel for hours on end, even in rain and snow. My buddy said she had more time on the water than the entire local paddling club in Ann Arbor. I also have at least 2 awesome human partners. The key feature seems to be total contentment when we get out into nature although it's also nice to paddle with people with lots of paddling experience.

 

[Pringles]

My Dad. He didn't always have a lot of patience, but he bought the canoe, registered it, hauled it around, let me sit in the bow and paddle, and later sit in the stern and steer. I "steered" him into logs and bushes and the bank and anything else that was around that I wasn't supposed to steer into, but accidentally did. Maybe he did have a lot of patience and I tested all of it. Hmm. I'd love to canoe with him just one more time.