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Hi Tom, We all have different styles, expectations, and standards. I did not want to put too much pressure on myself during this first build, so I chose functional/pedestrian. Just keep that in mind lest my approach does not suit your needs. I bought the cedar from a woodlot owner that was...

Light canoes sure are fun to carry. I find that paddling them kind of sucks, though. Perhaps it's just poor technique on my part, but I don't like feeling the vessel slow so abruptly between strokes. Edit: I'm sure Bill Swift is a salt-of-the-earth type of guy and has certainly done lots of...

Dish detergent hasn't contained lye in quite some time - using soap on your seasoned cookware won't hurt it. Ash does contain lye, so although I have no empirical evidence myself, that should actually do more harm. If in your experience you have found it to be harmless, then I certainly wouldn't...

Is it comfy enough to sleep in?

I've used both Epifanes and Pettit, stretching a quart. They both performed well but the Pettit has the advantage of smelling like blueberry pie. Probably not great for the brain cells, though.

I use the stuff stack that came with my Klymit mattress - it has a built-in connector. You don't need "wind" to fill the sack, just open it and the volume of air that occupies the open space is then trapped when you start squishing. It takes about 7 bag-fulls - I don't like it too full...

Regarding the clothing, in hindsight what was brought versus what was used is easy to criticize. The issue is that one doesn't often know the prevailing conditions until one is in them. I am firmly in the "I should not have brought" rather than the "I wish I had brought" camp. I bring 2 stoves...

Stanfield's Merino Top I start and often end with that. If it's a little chilly, I'll throw on a poly blend work shirt like this: Big Bill The thin merino wool is miraculous stuff - wicks sweat (and I sweat a lot), stays comfortable, and doesn't induce retching after day 5. I avoid tripping...

I have a Thermarest Compressible Pillow Cinch in "Fun Guy" livery. Worth well over its weight in gold, in my opinion.

This is how I did it when I had my F150.

If a 3rd is in the cards for me, I'd buy some inexpensive pinking shears to try to mitigate that tangly mess. I had a real hard time with this on the inner stems.

I like it, but my sick mind immediately thought that the "But did you die" sections would have been more efficient as a subroutine.

I am really enjoying this, Erica. I can relate to the loss of solitude in northern QC - we used to fly-in to hunt/fish camp north of St. Michel. Now there are roads and cottages. Edit: And "lost" is a fabrication. One always knows where one is, it's the level of precision that varies. Kahel...

With my wife, we take a Klymit insulated Static V double. One uses the storage bag to inflate it. I make sure to pack a repair kit because - similar to rain gear - if you pack it you'll never need it. For solo I switch to a hammock - packs about the same as a solo tent/sleep system and no...

Bear Mountain Boats has announced that they will be retiring. News here (Facebook - sorry): https://fb.watch/mQOwaTrRBV/

Imagine now that you were in the woods nearby and hadn't seen it and wondering what the heck made that noise.

I used my tablesaw with a Freud Diablo 7 1/4" blade. A point about the table saw method, you need double the space: infeed + outfeed. My wood shop is on the 2nd floor of my garage. I had to move my saw so the blade lined up with my front and rear windows which are thankfully low enough to...

I do this on my tent bottom. I was hesitant to offer the suggestion on an inflatable in case that it may cause issues/weakness on the sometimes delicate material which is often stuffed quite tightly while packed. But then I have a (perhaps misguided) mistrust of lightweight sleeping pads.

I use GaiaGPS for navigating Quebec's forest roads. It also has canoe routes for popular destinations. There is a free version that allows you to see/plan while you have an Internet connection, but you need to pay if you want to use it offline (i.e. download the area(s) you will be visiting and...

I have a pair of Minox 8x43 HG that I use for hunting. I got them from Cameraland NY as "open box" and 50% off. For tripping, binoculars would be the first thing to remove from my list for weight/packing considerations.