Recent content by Conk

I have a single wall 10 oz. titanium cup with a ridged, rim-wrapping wire handle, I like that it is light and comfortable in hand, but my coffee is quick to cool on cold mornings. When it is cold, or when I want to coddle something hot for an extended period, I have a slip-on cozy made from...

It’s the first syllable of my last name. A high school coach was the first to use it on me but I have a long list of cousins and uncles who go by the same moniker. Most of my paddling buddies call me Conk, so I use it here.

I am not a gregarious person and ill at ease in most social settings. Meeting Harold for the first time was anything but uncomfortable. Paired in the same vehicle on a river shuttle, I found we had a lot in common, both in upbringing and in interests. Harold was a good listener and never spoke...

The first attempt at quenching the "Boy, I sure wish I had a boat." fantasy was in my early youth. Backpacking 15-miles into a remote pond with friends, we each had a secret treasure buried in our ridiculously heavy packs. Wes pulled out a liter of bourbon, Doug carried a collection of...

IMO it is important for a removable yoke to have a few inches of adjustment fore and aft of the balance point. The sweet spot can move if items carried in the canoe vary. For example, most of the time, I carry a single carbon paddle but sometimes will want two wooden paddles strapped inside...

My biggest fear while out in the wilderness is people. While I have met many extraordinary folks that I have enjoyed sharing time with, I've also come across some sketchy characters. No one has ever wanted me to squeal like a pig, but I've had encounters where moving on was a high priority. In...

I was burning 26 32-watt fluorescent tubes combined with a dozen 15-watt compact fluorescent screw-in bulbs at a cost of .12 cents an hour. Switching to 12.5w and 9w LED's in the same fixtures reduced my wattage by more than 50%. With a conservative estimate of 1500 hours of shop time annually...

One of the best improvements I have made to my shop has been converting to LED lighting. I kept my existing two pin 4' fixtures and retrofitted to accommodate LED tubes. I would highly recommend bypassing the ballast should you elect to take that route. No reason to maintain them with direct...

Like Jack Crabb, I have had many periods in my life, they typically last about 7 years before waning. Each new period draws something from the previous. The goal is to make it through all of them intact and improved, its what makes us human beings. I'm waiting on my Mrs. Pendrake/Lulu sponge...

I'm no metallurgist but I too have experienced stainless steel products that are attracted by a magnet. Another thing I've learned is that stainless steel doesn't seem to make a very good spring. I make this claim because all of the SS lock washers I've ever used, loose most of their springiness...

Paul is trying to simplify, and in that, canoe building has never been his primary business he has decided to suspend the operations of Colden Canoe.

I remember well your obsession with the stainless steel tampon dispenser, which is why I made careful note of its location. I have a camp within an easy drive of the reservoir and believed I would one day mount a retrieval expedition. I even worked out the details of a late night delivery to...

In my mind, the idea of a checker pattern using two colors seemed like a cool idea. Having done it a few times, I now think differently. A good deal of one strap color will be visible on the rails and struts, that uninterrupted swath of color detracts from the coolness to my eye. If the number...