Recent content by SouthernKevlar

BlackLite formula: >S x T= <W (S =number of Scratches on canoe, T =Time canoe has been owned, W =amount of Worry about canoe getting new scratches)

For years I've been using cut-down closed-cell "anti-fatigue" mats sold at woodworking/industrial supply shops for my kneeling flatwater canoes. I do not glue them in but they tend to lay well in place, have a "grippy" surface and give a good bit of padding. With either shorts or long pants I...

AI-written, real, physical books. Arrrrrgh! Banish you, AI, back to the dark, electronic world of which you inhabit! I have checked out a couple of new books from our county library that seem to have slipped past the selectors. They looked mildly interesting at first glance, but as I started...

I first paddled the Nanty back in 1982 or '83. It made me decide to buy a wetsuit; that water was cold! The NOC store was THE place to find whitewater gear in western NC back in those days. I paddled the river many times and with many friends over the years, but back in the early 2000's it...

Yes, travel is becoming more difficult and regimented with "wilderness travel" even more so. What else is to be expected when the population of the USA increases by 65.1 million people (nearly 19%) in the 25 years from 2000 to 2025? What percentage have our wilderness and backcountry areas in...

The color turned out beautifully. I think it looks much better than my "basic" carbon black Phoenix, but I do like the weight of the BlackLite. I also have to agree about helpful attitude of the folk at Northstar. Everyone I talked to was very knowledgeable and willing (happy even) to share...

I had a Penobscot 17 for quite a while back in the early 2000's (2001-2011 if my memory is correct). Did some class 1-2 southern Appalachian waters in it, but mostly used it for lake paddling. I ran it on the rivers without bags and remember that it was a bear to handle once it filled with water!

Lazy folk will always find a way to be lazy.

Congratulations on getting the Millbrook Outrage on some nice water. It looks like a nice fun run; did you get any surfing done? I believe that the weight difference between the Composite and the Royalex version should really make the Millbrook shine in speed and quickness. I had not thought...

I have carried a small stone on canoe and backpacking trips. It gave me something to do while sitting in a tent during the rain. A couple of years ago I was given a "different" sharpening tool; a Schrade Old-Timer Honesteel and now carry it. It is not designed to take out major boo-boos, but...

Glad to have been of help. I had never expected to find a River Shorty after Gerber discontinued them years ago.

When I went to Algonquin back in June, I put my Bear Vault in a dry sack and hung it from a high branch on the downhill side of the tree. I guess that's the "belt and suspenders" way of doing it.

My wife doesn't mind my canoe addiction as much since I bought her one of the 10 1/2 foot, 14 pound Hornbeck "Lost Pond" canoes. Maybe one for her would help your cause. Watch the Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I found my wife's Hornbeck for cheap (really!) on Craigslist. Sometimes...

Oh, if only I was closer....

NO FAIR- ROYALEX AND COMPOSITE OUTRAGES! I'm envious. Its even in a cool color/pattern, too.