Recent content by Steve in Idaho

Might have been a good thing to have last week. A family with kids appeared from around the point just as a squall got really dangerous. It would have been a really good time for them to find our campsite empty, but they turned and went back out of sight before we could communicate with them...

@Alan Gage if I had more time in Ely, I could have paddled a Magic too. I wanted to, but the impending Independence Day celebration and crowds complicated things and I needed to get on the road. I have little doubt that I would like it more than the Prism, but I am reaching the conclusion that...

On that's note - @Canoe 1885 , what can you tell me about your Merlin II's handling in wind general with a tripping load? I got to spend about an hour in a Redfeather Merlin III which I am told is essentially the same boat, but of course other than me it was empty. I was shocked to see it took...

Now that I've spent a few days paddling a Prism in the wind (a story for another thread), I have a little more to go on. It was interesting to me that I had less trouble going downwind in the Prism than I do in the Solitude. The Prism is definitely more work going upwind. But here's a rub. I...

Read a story years ago about a guy who used goats to carry his backpacking load. He said they demanded to come in the tent when it rained. Also said they were useful if he ran out of food. Might have been some element of revenge in that.

I just expect those cane seats to rip the first time out when I get an aged canoe, and I'm not disappointed. On several of them, I cut the cane away, gave the frame a couple coats of spar varnish, and did a Belgian chair weave with dacron cord. On the Moccasin, I just took it as an excuse to buy...

Revisiting this thread since it was revived. This seems to be the pattern. Here in Idaho, one of our more famous (or notorious) individuals got into some legal trouble after shooting a wolf that was after his dog. The dog was, of course, running for its life - back to its master. Claim was...

Good points worth repeating. I only use mine locally for related reasons. And in the US, it's also only legal if you're wearing it. Thanks for contributing that.

It's nice on a hot day when odds of swimming are low but consequences are high. The thing is, how does one know it's going to work as needed unless you test it? Then you have to re-arm it. Besides that, I also blow it up manually to inspect before using. It's not something I use a lot, for...

That makes sense. The SUP users around my area are diverse. There's the river boarders who all tend to wear PFD and no leash (once they get clued in), there's the flat water fitness paddlers who wear leash and no PFD. Neither of those groups are the target as far as I can tell. It's the SUP...

I don't think it's an Android thing yet. I will be leaving my phone behind.

When I'm standing in the canoe, the PFD is mostly important for the padding. ;)

I carved (cut on the bandsaw, actually) my last set of U shaped kneeling pads from minicell yoga blocks.

I don't think we have to read between the lines to guess this is aimed at SUP paddlers and river tubers. It's rare to see any of them wearing any kind of flotation. I don't expect this to change anything for the vast majority. They'll still buy a cheapo level 70 and bungie it to the deck or sit...

I'm thinking the blocks aren't original. How are they fastened? I would give them some Watco Teak Oil if they're going to stay. The spider cracks are of no consequence.