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Theoretically I know that everything in my dry bags that sinks on its own detracts from the flotation my dry bags provide. Realistically I know that there're probably enough interstitial spaces to be more than net buoyant. But when things get dicey, one starts to wonder: is it really net...

The size question is another one.... given that I don't currently run ww above Class II, is it worth getting the bigger bags? I don't really anticipate getting more into whitewater at this point.

Yeah I have to say, I balk at the price of the Fall Line bags as long as I'm not running Class 3 stuff... tho I imagine you get what you pay for, it's hard to imagine I need that when folks used to make do with inner tubes. Personally, I refuse to order anything from Amazon, so sounds like the...

Thanks @recped , @scoutergriz and @Steve in Idaho . I've heard of and considered: inner tubes, pool floaties, exercise balls, and more. It's tempting considering the cost of real bags. Steve your comments are particularly helpful - it's worth considering the hull material as well as the...

I have to say, it paddled nicer than the Rx Morningstar for the few min I was in it. It did have less initial stability when I jumped in to pole it, but it may have been that way before the squeeze too. I'm tempted to do this to my Heron now. I can also say, having seen the woodwork in...

Voile straps are now my go-to for attaching poles to my roofrack (or the inside of the canoe for longer trips) - love em. But, I think they have the same problems at bungees for attaching a pole to a thwart - access is not as quick as I'd like, and then the strap is loose in the boat. If you...

Float bags are a little like PFDs and seat belts - you never know what day you might need them. But, unlike the latter two, I think there are arguably lots of conditions where float bags aren't necessary for open canoes. Paddling my local pond, I'm rarely out of swimming distance from shore...

Nice - good adherence to the KISS rule. I also like that releasing the pole doesn't release the tether from the thwart and risk getting lost, unlike the bungees.

Pre-work paddle on a hazy morning. Now I know the real reason yokes are shaped that way.

Congrats on your recovery Steve! Well done getting back in the saddle - on wait, I don't see a saddle in the Coho. I can certainly attest to this, most recently on a downriver run on the Housatonic last weekend with @Cheeseandbeans . Those boulders sure are good for grabbing a pole out of...

I agree with Al. Both times I took Northwoods stroke clinics at Maine Canoe Symposium, leaning the boat was never mentioned. The clincs were taught tandem. I don't feel like I really have the stroke down yet so take my thoughts with a grain of salt, but to me it feels easier in a loaded boat...

Thank you for those details, that's really helpful. I think I can envision each aspect

@scoutergriz I'd considered running a router with a 1/2 rounderover bit along a 2x4 for new crossbars. Was thinking that's surely not as aerodynamic as factory racks, but perhaps it is. I wonder about rounded over vs a flat bevel/chamfer which it sounds like you went with. 60 deg off...

Has anyone done a direct comparison of fuel mileage on shorter vs longer bars? (same feet and same car) I used to stand boats on edge like eckilson, but I'm on the shorter side and often putting a boat on its side makes the stems difficult to reach, even more so for my shorter paddling...

I thought that's what aluminum canoe poles are for? I was certainly feeling that way when I got caught poling in a thunderstorm last week. Luckily I was on a small creek with a heavily treed shore in easy reach.

No arguments with any of your points, Glenn. I hadn't explicitly considered the interaction between location of correction in the stroke vs location in the boat relative to pivot point before this discussion - very interesting. I was seguing back to differences between the Maine Northwoods...

To your point Glenn, another difference between Kraiker's stroke and the Maine style is the length of stroke. The Mainers advocate a stroke only from knee to hip. Skip to about 0:40.

Another great video from Rolf Kraiker on his version of what I will call this 'family' of strokes. I notice Kraiker sits with shoulders squared to the boat, whereas Conover Bennett recommends sitting facing at an angle relative to the long axis of the boat. I believe Lisa DeHart similarly...

Interesting - I recently saw one of these listed and almost asked the forum about it.

Wild guesses here: either 1) she sometimes sits on the bow seat and so chose her usual position for going from kneeling to sitting or 2) it's a symmetrical hull and it didn't matter (maybe how it happened to be oriented when she got in), or 3) she knows something I don't. It's usually #3 in...