Recent content by PaddlingPika

Somewhere I ran across a recommendation for the Coop travel pillow which is filled with shredded memory foam and decided to try it. It is heavier and less compact than the camping pillows that others have mentioned but I really like the comfort of the Coop pillow for side sleeping. According...

Bob's Red Mill brand has potato flakes that are just potatoes with no additives. I like those reconstituted with boiling water, a little powdered milk and bacon bits and sharp cheddar cheese mixed in.

Nylon or poly/nylon long sleeve shirts, most with mesh venting. I use these for sun protection rather than smearing sunscreen all along my arms. Most shirts have sleeves that are a bit too short to fully cover my top arm reaching out at the beginning of a paddle stroke. I can understand...

Somewhere some time ago, maybe on paddling.net, I saw comments from someone who had noted cracking of the interior vinyl on vintage Old Town royalex canoes. There was a recommendation to carefully dremel the vinyl layer along the crack and fill with plexus to stop growth of the crack. My 1979...

Maybe install the seat at a sitting height but high enough so that in kneeling feet would not get stuck, then use thick seat cushion(s) to raise the height to a comfortable kneeling height? The challenge would be to be able to keep the cushion in place on the go.

For some Cajun country flavor, the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail might be a possibility. I think there are a few B&Bs along the Teche, but I'm not sure and don't see any listings on the paddle trail website: Bayou Teche Paddle Trail. The individual parish tourism bureaus may have more information...

Thank you for that record Benson! The information definitely fits the family canoe I have and also my memory of us going to San Francisco to get it. I think my dad had checked with several Old Town dealers in northern California to find one that had a 17 ft OTCA in stock rather than placing an...

If you paddle during the heat of the summer, do you bring your dog, and if so how do you keep the dog from overheating? The local clubs here in south Louisiana tend to have fewer trips in summer months due to the heat, but we do have some paddling during the summer. About 6 years ago I...

Stohlquist Flo. Reasonably comfortable, tolerable to wear in hot weather. The pockets on the older version I have are almost useless though. Looks like the style has been updated with different pockets now.

Thin liner socks and Chaco's in the summer. Preferable to smearing sunscreen on top of feet and ankles.

Thank you for that link. I've never paddled in north Alabama. Years ago at Easter break several of us from south Louisiana met at a campground in north Alabama with plans to paddle the Locust Fork. At the same time however, a cold front came through; the high on our first day there was around...

It is #180086. I would love to see the build record for my family's canoe if you have it - thank you!

In 1968 my dad bought a new OTCA 17 for around $400, saying he had always wanted to own a wood and canvas canoe. He liked the traditional look of the upswept ends on the OTCA. IIRC, we drove from Sacramento to San Francisco to pick it up from a dealer there. We didn't end up paddling it all...

Have you considered small wheels for rolling the canoe rather than sliding? I store a canoe under a shed by rolling it gunnels down on a couple of 2 or 3 inch diameter wheels. They are hardware store wheels with brackets which I attached to a board. I strap the board across the gunnels...