Recent content by Idiot Savant

I usually have two cups and I've thought about working out a system where I could have the second cup in the boat, but most of the trips I go on are in Utah and western Colorado and, by the time we launch, it's usually getting warm already and a hot cup of coffee doesn't sound that appealing...

I'm the sort of guy that's always looking for something better but I've been using the same coffee mug for about 45 years. It's an insulated plastic Dinex (by Thermos). It's basically what hospitals use. I just haven't found a reason to replace it. Very light. Doesn't take up a lot of room...

My local grocery store carries foil wrapped slices of Spam, for about $2. I'd forgotten how good fried Spam is! That put me on a search for a small, light griddle or fry pan. I found several small, steel griddles, On Amazon, that would probably be fine for canoe camping, but I ended up getting a...

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...

I guess I'm coming into this conversation a bit late. I have a couple Fishell paddles that are versions of an otter tail. There isn't a lot of opportunity to use them in my neck of the woods because they require deep water, but I did get to try them out on a local lake and have to say I'm pretty...

I can't think of anything that would be more rewarding than winning or, at least, placing well, in a race in a boat I designed and built. But, having designed and built a boat myself, I don't envy the task you have ahead. How do the racing rules differentiate between a canoe and a kayak, or...

Dang! I'm always getting that spelling wrong. It was an overnight and class I. Some riffles, some gravel bars, but pretty mellow other than that. The trip was originally planned to be longer but, at the water level we had, there was a rock garden at the end that the leader decided to avoid...

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 can understand that, but there is another advantage to kayak braces that I find helpful. You can stretch your legs out between the braces. You can't do that with a bar and I do that quite a bit. I like to sit cross legged quite a bit too. Don't even use the braces, most of the time.

I use kayak style foot braces on my solo canoes. I've converted both to pack style. Kayak braces allow me to use the space between my legs for a long, skinny dry bag. Maybe you could still use that space, with a bar type brace, but it would have to be a shorter bag.

All the things that guy says about why he has a rudder on his 16.8 would also apply to a retractable skeg and why I proposed it as a possible option on canoes, like it is on kayaks.

I noticed that REI no longer has canoes on its website. Most of the canoe accessories are gone too. At the local lake, where I do all my fitness paddles, SUPs outnumber kayaks and kayaks outnumber canoes. I very seldom see canoes. Most of the kayaks are inflatable and the majority of hardshell...

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...

The people to ask are/is Tex's Riverways. I don't see why it would be a problem. I've almost reached a point where I think a campfire is more trouble than it's worth. There are lots of food options that don't involve grilling.