Recent content by ErktheRed

Winter projects up here include things like, refurbishing a 40yr old wooden warped/weathered snowboard. Because.. well… It seems normal to me. Every winter I go through my gear and remove, clean or replace what’s needed. I picked up a pair of vintage bikes this past summer (awesome components)...

What the heck, why not?! One of my friends had a quick honeymoon in Sylvania and said it was great. She did comment on the amount of people that go but said it’s still nice

My wife and I went here fall of 23, figured as canoeist and Michiganders, we should at least paddle this once in our lives. Put in off of forest road 2254 and set off on Big Island Lake for a couple of nights. Camped on Coattail and explored over towards Townline and Vance lakes and got in some...

this past year I’ve been in recovery from my cancer treatments, somewhat 5 ish months of remission, so my normal outside of canoeing activities have been altered. I bought a gravel bike and have been riding anywhere from 20-45 miles a session. Multiple times a week, usually to some bakery/coffee...

I can fit all three meals, coffee and snacks for two people for a week long trip in my BV500. Depending on where I’m at and possibly what trees are around me, I’ll hang or stash somewhere. I always forget to use my pans as an alarm system, one day I’ll remember that. I have a unique bear hanging...

The Ski Jumpers by Peter Geye A Minnesota based fiction about a long time ski jumper who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It connects you with his father who was a champion ski jumper way back in the day to present day with his family with reminiscent stories along the way. It was referred...

Been there, sort of. Several years ago when working at a paddling/hiking store, we would offer classes and clinics to the public. One day getting everything packed up, my boss and I were chatting about a particular surf wave in WV, forgetting to strap down one hobie sit on top kayak. As he made...

I’m probably the odd one out here, but I only use canoe paddles. All shapes and materials though. I only use these paddles for kayaking, and I always go straight shaft. Even though bent is comfy, ergonomic and tells you where to put your hands, it’s not hard to achieve the same wrist angle with...

100% yes! With a pad and proper tree spacing, I’ll be sleeping on my side.

I don’t go with many groups, maybe an additional 2+ people with my wife and I. So I went with ok with either seeing as the group size would be relatively small and meals still easy. Hypothetically speaking, if I were with a group of 6 people or more, I think I’d prefer to cook separate meals. I...

Awesome job, looks good!. You did a much better job than I did with mine. Bought an outfitters NW17, it was recoated down to the gunwales but a very uneven coat throughout. I remember the hull was just built up with vinyl ester in most areas, and it would flake off in the thinner areas. I ended...

When I first joined this forum I had just bought or was about to buy an old michigan made canoe, in relatively good shape for its age. I had repaint questions, epoxy, clear coat, and upgrade questions. Then I ended up getting another canoe, a used NWI7 from North Star and had more questions...

Michigan is strong on the transfer of invasive species, at least my area is. Most hiking trails have signs and boot scrubbers. For boats, kayaks, canoes and anything else water related, we have some water cleaning stations to hose your stuff down. The spread of zebra & quagga muscles, and mud...

Our new 3p Nemo tent in Killarney last spring. Worked well especially with the extra room First morning on an early spring trip in LSPP maybe in 2022 Car camping in the Hiawatha Nat Forest in the UP. I’ve been really happy with this tent, I’ve used it for several camping trips and festival...

This reminds me of the plastic mug my dad uses, he picked it up from an Art Van (a Michigan/Midwest furniture store for those unfamiliar) probably before I was born and I’m 39. He’s used it on every car ride or vacation, still to this day I’ll see him using it. His reasoning is that it just...