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In all the years I've been paddling, I've only capsized once, though it was touch and go a few other times. I figure the chances of me capsizing, on a class I river, are near zero. A strap around the Action Packer removes and chance of the lid coming off. I'm not a class III paddler. On class...

When I bought my first canoe and started putting together my own trips, I often used a Rubbermaid Action Packer in my packing. It, obviously, isn't waterproof, in a capsize situation, but it is rain proof and splash proof and is super convenient for packing things like stoves, pots and pans...

Looks great. Good job. I think you'll find that it paddles as well as it looks.

The SOTO Windmaster and the MSR Deluxe pocket rocket have a burner that curves down rather than up. The cheap Chinese one I mentioned also has this feature. This is supposed to make it better in wind, and it is, but a windshield is still needed on a windy morning. I bought one that fits around...

I have a North Wind solo, and its a great boat, but, if you don't need it for river tripping, I'd suggest either a Wenonah Prism or Encounter. If you need a little more seaworthiness and maneuverability, then I'd be more inclined to go with something like the North Wind, with a little more...

That Encounter looks awful beat up. If you know what you're doing, repair is certainly possible. That's the great thing about composite boats. I had an Encounter and I thought pretty highly of it. But I'm not inclined to get another solo boat that long again. I do most of my tripping on...

I've been wanting a Northstar solo, in IXP, for rivers. Not super light, but lighter than T-Formex. I don't think Northstar says anything about it on their website, but you can get Blacklite with internal skid plates. An added layer(s) where it's needed most. I'm sure it would be possible to...

As I've said before, the Wenonah Encounter is a great boat and holds a ton, but finding a used one isn't going to be any easier. I have a North Wind solo. A solid choice, but maybe not enough of a jump from the Magic. I think the Prism looks good.

I'm not sure I'm following your thinking, carpenter, but let me clarify a few things. I have a lot of experience with double blade paddling. I don't know that you can't kneel and use a double bade, but I've never heard of it. Because you don't kneel, you need the added stability of a lower...

The snowpack, in the Rockies, was pretty poor this year. A lot of rivers are already getting too low to paddle, so check flow data. There are some nice sections of the North Platte, in Southern Wyoming. Flaming Gorge Reservoir is pretty, if you are into that sort of thing. If you go through...

To respond to the last couple posts. Are we talking about racing canoes and paddling with a single blade? I thought we were talking tripping canoes and double blades, but, if we are talking racing canoes, I have a book on Racing Canoes by Peter Heed and Dick Mansfield that recommends lowering...

First off, I'm a big fan of Werner kayak paddles. I own an awful lot of kayak paddles and almost all of them are Werner. I own an Aqua Bound Stingray Carbon, which was a Paddling Magazine paddle of the year last year or the year before, but I prefer Werner. If you look into the high angle vs...

I use a single blade when I paddle tandem, of course, but I'm a double blade convert for solo. There are times when I wish I had a single blade, narrow creek, very shallow water, canoe wants to weathervane, but, most of the time I prefer the double blade. It is just so much easier to keep the...

All the demonstrations I've seen are with empty canoes. I'd like to see one where they are paddling a canoe loaded with 75 lbs. of camping gear. A lot harder to lean a loaded canoe. Voyageurs must have done it. Or did they?

I've been using a cot for the last few years. Very comfortable and helps keep creepy crawlies off me. I consider a roll top table essential camp gear. I always bring a comfy chair. I don't always bring a cooler, but a cold drink on a really hot day is a fantastic luxury.

I haven't found a need for really long paddles. My Werner Shuna, for instance, is 220 cm. My low angle paddles are more like 230 cm. But I have long arms and my solo canoes are fairly narrow at the gunnels. The shorter the shaft you can get by with, the more efficient you are going to be and...

I had an Encounter and I kind of wish I still did. Takes some effort to turn, but stable as heck and pretty darn fast. A really great boat. I took mine down Stillwater canyon, in Utah. Wenonah will do custom seating. Talk to your dealer or to them directly. I think the Wenonah Prism would...

On a recent overnight trip I used a Werner Shuna with my Esquif Echo. Shuna blade area is slightly less than the Camano. My thinking was that shorter, wider blade would be better for shallow water, but I'm not convinced that's true. I do think it's pretty fast on lakes. You can really make...

I usually have two cups and I've thought about working out a system where I could have the second cup in the boat, but most of the trips I go on are in Utah and western Colorado and, by the time we launch, it's usually getting warm already and a hot cup of coffee doesn't sound that appealing...

I'm the sort of guy that's always looking for something better but I've been using the same coffee mug for about 45 years. It's an insulated plastic Dinex (by Thermos). It's basically what hospitals use. I just haven't found a reason to replace it. Very light. Doesn't take up a lot of room...