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It could be that this axe head has two different types of metal. The working edge would be a higher carbon steel that could be hardened and tempered. The body of the head could be a lower carbon steel, or even wrought iron. The two types of metal would be forge welded together...

Always looking to save a buck, I just stumbled upon an extensive series of free maps put out by the WV DNR. These are georeferenced PDF files and can be used with the Avenza mapping app on your smart device. They are good resources for paddling, hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping. There...

Guys, you are right about the unfortunate situation with private land ownership. $76 does not match my definition of "primitive camping." Would we were as enlightened as Scotland, where there is a "right to roam" law. On the South Fork of the Shenandoah, much of the land on river left between...

Greetings, MKH. Mine hurt, too, from paddling on Saturday. That's why I'm up at 4.30 AM applying Ben Gay. Where are you in VA? There's plenty of good canoeing here. I paddled the Maury River near Lexington on Saturday, Class I-II. You just missed the spring gathering of the Coastal...

Glenn, don't be dissin' my good ol' Norse paddle shovel!

Kokatat Women's Hydrus 3.0 Stoke Dry Top, size M. Brand new, never worn. Wife does not like neck gasket (never trimmed). (Photo from Internet) $250. Located Shenandoah Valley, VA. "The Women's Kokatat Hydrus 3.0 Stoke Dry Top has an action-cut design for maximum mobility and the...

I had the Prospecteur Sport out on Sunday, paddling tandem on a Class II river. I concur that it is an excellent hull design. It is maneuverable yet behaves well in wind. It is dry in standing waves and does not pound. It should do a good job serving its intended purpose as a weekend camp...

I named a previous canoe "Pinato," so one of my current ones should become "Pinato II." Why? In 1689 my great x 7 grandfather was a witness in a land dispute case in the Accomack County, VA court. He testified that, along with several other English colonists and "an Indian named Pinato," he...

I work in spurts. With the sheer strakes in place, it's time to fit the outer stem. To match the inner and outer stems as closely as possible, I used a technique from Sam Rabl's Boatbuilding in Your Own Back Yard. I attached the outer stem loosely, and then ran a Japanese saw between the two...

I'm glad that stump didn't turn out to be a gator.

Brad Dimock, Sunk Without a Sound: The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde. In 1928, recently married Glen and Bessie Hyde set out on a trip down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Their boat was a crudely constructed wooden scow, with sweep oars bow and stern. Glen had...

Kokatat Bahia Tour. This model may have been discontinued, but there are several other Bahia PFDs. 17 lb floatation in Large size. Partial mesh back to accommodate kayak seats (not important to open canoeists). Big mesh pockets to carry lots of stuff, including a dedicated pocket for a radio...

I have a Prospecteur Sport and like it as an all around canoe, with a bias toward rivers. The Canyon is a whitewater tripper, and I think you would be disappointed using it as an all around family boat. If you are really planning to carry the entire family, including the 80 lb dog...

Mem, my wife, a retired RN, reminds everyone to make sure the patient and the rescuers are out of the water before using the AED.

Glenn, the boundary between canoeing first aid and street first aid is fluid. We might encounter an OD patient while driving home from a canoe trip, or even on the river bank. Maybe it's unlikely that a person with a substance use disorder would come on our trips, but we can't vet all the...

It won't be on the shelf at your local pharmacy next week, but a major regulatory hurdle has been cleared. FDA Panel Gives Unanimous Thumbs Up to OTC Naloxone In the wake of an escalating opioid crisis, members of a joint Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee gave the green...

They can climb the side of a house as well; I've seen a 6 foot black rat snake slither right up my kitchen wall (on the exterior). I have a very old and very porous house and can't keep them out. There are lots of shed snake skins in my attic and basement. Only one has ever come inside the...

Canoe rentals in this area run $65-80 per day. For that, you get an Old Town Discovery 158 which paddles like a barge. In most cases use is restricted to the outfitter's home river. A brand new $1800 Esquif used only 10 times per year pays for itself in three years. It provides a much...

It's just an ordinary hall closet, containing coats, hats, and boots. PFDs are in two duffle bags in a shed, along with paddles, bailers, Grumman sailing rig leeboards, anchors*, fenders, and rope. There's also a stack of marine plywood and assorted lumber. Tents, backpacks, dry bags, and...

Tom Lehrer's "The Elements," to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan's "I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General."