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I don't live in an area where you can paddle year-round and I'm not inclined to watch football and drink beer all winter and expect to be ready for paddling in the spring. Last winter, I trained my arse off and had less than fantastic results. I'm making some minor changes. I use my Total Gym a...

I don't remember exactly what I was searching for, but I came across a bunch of videos, by some British guy, about paddling Gumotex inflatables. Turns out that Gumotex is the largest manufacturer of inflatables in the world and hugely popular in the EU. They make both inflatable kayaks and...

I'm probably repeating myself, but here goes. For the last few years, during paddling season, I've been going to a local lake, to paddle my IK, two or three times a week. Most of the time I use a Werner Skagit CF. I have other Werner paddles that I use on trips and club paddles. A couple...

This year's foray into video was accidental. I meant to have the camera take stills at an interval of my choosing. But I've decided to make a more serious effort at videography, next season I got an offer for 40% off Corel Video Studio Ultimate and took it. But what should I do with a video...

Many years ago, my club did a trip on the Rio Grande, through Big Bend. I was shooting slides back then, but I recently bought an inexpensive slide scanner. It's easy to use, but the image quality isn't that great. I'm guessing that not a lot of you have done this trip, unless you live in Texas.

I might still be able to do an easy route in the Boundary Waters, but assuming my portaging days are over, I was looking for suggestions for some good campgrounds from which to do basecamp paddling. I would be willing to change basecamp a time or two during a multiday trip. I'd like to avoid...

Prior to my last paddling trip, an ad for an inexpensive action camera showed up on my internet feed. It claimed it was highly rated. Curious, but skeptical, I checked it out on Amazon. It was the AKASO EK7000. The reviews were very favorable, so I ordered one and rigged a mount on my kayak...

At the time of my last trip, in late September, I had two solo canoes, two rec kayaks, two touring kayaks, and a sea kayak. I wasn't sure either of my two solo canoes was appropriate for this trip and I've been wanting to do a river trip in one of my touring kayaks, so I went with my Old Town...

Like a number of other things, I have way too many knives, I'm guessing around three dozen, and that doesn't include kitchen knives. This is especially weird since I'm more of a scissors guy than a knife guy. At home, about the only thing I use a knife for is opening boxes and cutting meat...

Seems like interest in double bladed paddling is increasing. That's good. I'm sold on it. I first started experimenting with paddling my Wenonah Encounter, with a double blade, back in the mid 1990s. I currently own two solo canoes that have been converted to pack style and I have over a dozed...

When I bought my first canoe and started putting together my own trips, I often used a Rubbermaid Action Packer in my packing. It, obviously, isn't waterproof, in a capsize situation, but it is rain proof and splash proof and is super convenient for packing things like stoves, pots and pans...

A number of years ago, I bought a Soto Windmaster on the advice of a thru hiker friend. It is a highly regarded stove, and rightly so. MSR came out with a more expensive copy, the Pocket Rocket Deluxe, which doesn't seem to be any better. I recently found a stove, that is a copy of both, on...

Just did an overnight trip down a class I section of the Rio Grande, below Alamosa, CO. Very nice. Lucked out on weather and water level. High dessert country. River meanders among hills with huge snowcapped peaks as a backdrop.

I'm planning on going on a weekend canoe trip in early May. I've decided that my Esquif Echo is the best tool for the job. Last fall, I loaned it to a fellow club member who took it on two pretty major trips. First, about seven days on the Upper Missouri and then ten days going through...

A while back I ordered two books, from Amazon, on canoe history. Canoes, a natural history in North America and The Canoe, an illustrated History. Both are good books. Canoes, a natural history in North America is the much larger of the two and has tons of historical photos and artwork. I...

I'm thinking of doing something a little crazy. I'm thinking of mounting a removeable skeg on my Esquif Echo solo canoe. In the world of kayaks, retractable skegs are pretty common and, in my opinion, the greatest thing since sliced bread. So why don't they have them on canoes? They would have...

I guess my first question is, do you do any paddling specific training? Do you make an effort to keep your paddling muscles strong through the winter and, in better weather, do you go out paddling with the main purpose being to get stronger? If you do train, what do you do? At 71, I don't feel...

I had a friend that hiked the Continental Divide Trail. I followed his progress on an online journal. Occasionally, there was an attempt at a scenic, but most of his photos were of things like the ice cream cone he had when he reached a town, or the disgusting water source he had to pump his...

As I've said before, I always take binoculars along on canoe trips. I use them for more than just wildlife viewing. But I'm reluctant to take an expensive pair, especially on trips in Utah, where the fine sand get's into everything. I'm happy to tell you that you can get a pretty darn good pair...

Anybody know what the Isabella River is like? Possible put-ins at entry points 84, 75 and 34. If I put in at 84, it looks like I'd need to use the Snake River to get to Isabella. How's that? If I put in at 75 it looks like I'd need to use the Little Isabella to get to Isabella. How's that? If...