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  1. scratchypants

    First time builder Ashes Solo Trip

    This habitual bumbler would lose a removable yoke if it wasn't tied around my neck. I'd want to add a tether of some-sort. Looks great, though!
  2. scratchypants

    Budget Stripper or Wood/Canvas Builds: How to Save Costs

    The biggest hurdle for me was fear of failure. I spent a long time wondering whether or not building a cedar strip was something I would be capable of doing. I've given up on a lot of pursuits because I just didn't find them interesting/rewarding enough to justify the effort (learning guitar...
  3. scratchypants

    My first build - Bob Special

    On the hull, as I went. The only care I took was to make sure to alternate the location of the joints from row to row - offset by one form at least. Feel free with the questions - we are here to help. Edit: A miter box with a back saw was always close at hand during the stripping process.
  4. scratchypants

    My first build - Bob Special

    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...
  5. scratchypants

    Swift with new "UV shield" and Heat cured Epoxy resin built boats new for 2024

    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...
  6. scratchypants

    Care & feeding of cold handle frying pans

    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...
  7. scratchypants

    Now I’m in Deep

    Is it comfy enough to sleep in?
  8. scratchypants

    First time builder Ashes Solo Trip

    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.
  9. scratchypants

    How do you inflate your air mattress?

    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...
  10. scratchypants

    Stuff you don't need or hardly ever use, but you bring anyway

    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...
  11. scratchypants

    Shirts for canoeing and canoe camping

    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...
  12. scratchypants

    Pillows

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

    How to carry canoe on F150 Supercrew short bed with trailer?

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

    First time builder Ashes Solo Trip

    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.
  15. scratchypants

    What is an adventure?

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

    Cree River Summer 2023

    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...
  17. scratchypants

    Sleeping pad?

    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...
  18. scratchypants

    Bear Mountain - a well-deserved retirement

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

    Birds in tree, then nothing

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

    Proper blade for cutting your own strips for stripper canoe?

    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...
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