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Consider me another fan of Opinel folding knives. I prefer the carbon steel blades instead of the stainless ones but both will work. The Opinel was the first knife I gave my oldest grandson when he turned 10. They're well built and will last a lifetime if it's not lost first. For the price...

My first canoe was a beat up, 15' aluminum rental from Bob Lander's campground along the Delaware River in Narrowsburg, NY. I'd saved my funds for a long time to be able to plunk down the $125.00. It was 1968 so, in keeping with the times, my sister painted the hull forest green and then...

Curious as to the weight of the canoe? Also, am I missing something in the photo or is the foot brace gone from the canoe? Thanks for your help. Take care and until next time...be well. snapper

In a canoe it's a split between the Boundary Waters and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. If you'll indulge my old kayaking habit, it would be off the coast of Maui, watching humpback whales breaching on a paddling outing off the coast. That's all for now. Take care and until next...

Actually, he made a pretty persuasive argument. I ended up hunting down his book "Why Read Moby Dick" and found it was a good synopsis of the book and how it still relates to things that are going on today. I still doubt I'll ever read the true novel but I did appreciate reading Philbrick's...

@Pseudonym - I was fortunate enough to meet him this past March. My daughter lives in Bristol and he was speaking at the Herreshoff museum as part of the library's annual "Bookfest." He is my favorite author so when my daughter said he'd be speaking, I horned my way in. His topic was why we...

If it's a totally new area for me, I'll spend enough time with my maps and other information I can gather so I can feel comfortable in the new terrain. That "information" might come from folks already familiar with the region, magazine articles or any one of the numerous YouTube videos that are...

Obviously, my brain fog holds on a bit stronger than I'd like but Glenn posted the correct video for what I was referring to. At 1:30 in the video, the bow paddler is a gentleman by the name of Jim Peters. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times. He is a wealth of knowledge regarding...

While not directly involved, I was able to be around some Abenaki friends as they made their version of a mishoon at at festival a few years ago in MA. The first weekend in August the Potumtuck Festival is held in Turner's Falls along the Connecticut River. They made their canoe using fire but...

Although I reserve the right to change my mind, at the moment it would probably be white cedar. I spend a lot of time at work carving spoons from cedar, I love how the grain curves and bends; making for some interesting handles. And, when I add a coat or two of walnut oil after carving the...

Glenn - Thanks for posting that. I somehow missed it even though I subscribe to the publication. Right now, stored in my barn, is an 1898 guide boat made by H. Dwight Grant. It was #6 of that year according to Grant's tally boards at the Adirondack Museum; the old name...don't remember the...

Having a portage system like that would be sheer luxury in the Adirondacks; tough on the hills though I would think. Thanks for sharing your adventure. Take care and until next time....be well. snapper

Like you, Glenn, years ago all I had was an AM and then AM/FM radio in my vehicle. That pretty much left me at the mercy of wherever I was traveling for what I could listen to. Because of that, I'd usually hear a mixture of Top 10 rock/pop music, lots of religious programming (especially in...

Used to joke with my students that I was 5' 9" when I entered the outdoor ed field but now I'm 5' 7". I told them I'd shrunk due to the many years of carrying heavy aluminum canoes and large packs. Then one day, I started having issues with my neck. Went through a battery of tests and imaging...

We met a very nice woman from Long Island a couple of years ago while on a hiking trip in VT. She went on and on about her new Tesla and how wonderful a vehicle it was. When we returned to the parking lot, we saw her getting into a Jeep. I asked her where her Tesla was and she sheepishly...

I used to have a Nissan "Frontier" with their version of an access cab. If you have a real crew cab, you can definitely run the straps through the vehicle without them ever getting in the way. As for water seepage into your vehicle; unless it was a real downpour, or endless days of rain, the...

I know you're looking for a 2 person tent but honestly, I'd look for a 3 or 4 person tent instead; especially if this is for canoe trips where weight tends to be less critical. I've spent a lot of time in 2 person tents over the years and there's just enough room in most of them for the barest...

OK...I'll go...during the warmer months I usually paddle in shorts that double as a bathing suit so a sewn-in liner is part of the garment. Most of the ones I wear are made of nylon but some are a blend of nylon & polyester. All are quick drying and have plenty of pockets along with a belt to...

Back when I was leading trips I had a roll-up table that I used with adult groups. The legs unscrewed from the tubular aluminum frame and everything rolled up into one package. Easy to carry and stash in a canoe. With student groups I'd usually do the overturned canoe table option. When...

I was on a trip years ago where someone forgot the creamer for our morning coffee. I learned to drink it black (and have done so ever since) but that's the worst inconvenience I can think of. There have been some nasty black fly days in May along the Raquette River but even that just adds to...