Recent content by NikonF5user

You know - if I had your boat, I would get this PFD without a moment's thought:

I usually use a normal 1-piece or 2-piece rod, similarly tying them inside the canoe for portages (and even for the drive as well). But in '27 we're planning a fly-in trip and may ship equipment to ourselves in Alaska before heading out, so I am not sure how I can make it work. A two piece...

In prep for a future fly-in trip(s) where space and weight will be at a premium, I am debating getting a travel fishing rod that breaks down small enough to ship (and/or fit in duffel bag for travel). I know there are many options, so I am curious to hear from the experiences of others. Has...

To avoid doing work I was just reading some of these older posts - that Old Town is fascinating! Is it a Pathfinder with a Swift seat mounted for solo paddling? Do you love it?

When I got my Merlin I was having a near hourly debate between Merlin (which is now being built again by RedFeather), Kee15, Peregrine, and Northwind Solo - all DY boats with a shared heritage. I do love the Merlin, but I have been surprised at how much more stable the Keewaydin feels in...

It's fun to realize how much movement there has been since I first posted on this thread a couple of years ago! Current solo fleet: Swift WildFIRE in Expedition Kevlar - just picked it up last week - freaking LOVE this boat!!! Redfeather RockSTAR in what's now called RFX - she and I have had...

Mountain Hardwear Vision 2 on a gravel bar downstream of Fort Selkirk on the Yukon, pinned down by a wildfire. July of 2024. Same tent in Algonquin Park in 2023 - Merchant Lake if memory serves:

That must have been AMAZING - guessing that can only be done fly-in / fly-out? And clearly in polar bear country, at least near the mouth. How long did it take to go 365?!?

Sacrilegious to say this I know, but I wish I could get an SRT with metal (or molded kevlar/carbon) gunwales - I would LOVE to have an SRT some day, but I am not good with wood...

Curious if anyone can post photos of Placid WildFIREs and Placid Rapidfires set up with a traditional seat? I have heard they exist, but I have seen neither. Would love to see some!

I am going to add my vote on the Bell Northstar / Northstar Polaris (and now the RedFeather Ursa Minor). They are often equipped with a kneeling thwart, and are narrow enough to be a decent solo boat but are also a sleek efficient tripping boat. Also, since you have Royalex boats already, this...

Among the common oaks up there were chestnut oaks - and they have very large acorns, they can most certainly put a dent in one's head when hiking through piedmont forests! May or may not be speaking for experience...

Longshot I know - but looking for creekin' locations in central Maryland that will not destroy my boat. I have paddled portions of the Gunpowder, Patapsco, Bush, and Patuxent Rivers in addition to Deer, Northeast, and Elk Creeks, but all of them on the piedmont are quite rocky and can do a...

This strikes me as a case of putting the emFASis on the wrong sillABble.

I have been thinking for some time that Esquif has been missing the boat (pun intended) a bit by not having a 14' Prospecteur solo - this boat will end up being essentially that with its added depth. With exactly zero evidence to support this claim, as I floated above I could see the main...