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How to pick a Northstar Solo Canoe
So here’s a challenge – when Northstar already makes a bunch of really great solo canoes, and then keeps adding new ones, how do you pick a Northstar Solo canoe that is perfect for you? Two things are key – figuring out your “paddling profile” and understanding what characteristics makes a particular Northstar a good match for that profile. Back in 2008, PaddlingLight published How to pick a Bell Solo canoe. I really liked the Q&A format devised to help paddlers build their paddling profile and the scorecard that mapped the answers to a recommended Bell Canoe. What’s the connection between Bell and Northstar? Ted Bell sold Bell Canoes in…
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How to Choose a Dry Suit for Kayaking
How do you choose a drysuit for kayaking on cold water? When do you use it? What brand – always Kokatat? How do you get one to fit right? Do you get used to the feeling of claustrophobia with the tight gasket around the neck? How do you care for it? How long can you expect the gaskets to last? These were all questions posed on Paddlinglight’s Facebook page when I recently asked for article ideas. These are all great questions to get answers for when you’re preparing to buy what might be the most expensive piece of kayaking gear that you buy after your kayak. What are my options…
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Wetsuit vs. Drysuit for Kayaking
When it’s cold out and the water temperature starts dropping, dressing for immersion might mean the difference between surviving a swim and succumbing to cold shock, cold incapacitation and eventually hypothermia. At a base level, paddlers should dress to survive a swim of any length and still function in the canoe or kayak afterward. This means dressing in a wetsuit or drysuit when the water gets cold. The ultimate question: what’s the difference between a wetsuit vs. drysuit for kayaking? Defining Cold Water Paddling There’s no commonly accepted threshold at which water changes to cold water, so various organizations use different guidelines. Some of the commonly used guidelines are those…
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Forward Paddling in a Kayak
Forward paddling seems easy, but there is room for improvement. Forward paddling is probably the most under-appreciated and under-practiced kayaking move. However, as you might imagine, this is the most important move that you can learn. Depending on where you’re going to be kayaking, and how long of a kayak tour you intend to go on, good forward paddling may end up saving you a lot of time, effort, and muscle strain. The most important thing to remember about your forward paddling, however is that you should only work on improving it if you feel that you can’t do everything that you want to be able to do while you’re…
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How to Choose A Canoe
In the Canoe & Kayak Magazine 2006 Buyer's Guide, over 90 canoe manufacturers were listed, and this doesn't include many of the smaller companies that build only a few canoes a year. Quickly scanning the listings, it easy to conclude that the magazine lists over 900 models of canoes. That's a lot of canoes and that makes choosing a canoe one of the most complicated buying decisions out of any outdoor sport. Combing the number of models with the average canoe cost of around $1000 US, this can make the first-time canoe buyer nervous about their canoe purchase. It doesn't have to be that way though.
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How to Choose a Tent
A tent is your home away from home. It needs to be waterproof, durable, but most of all it has to be easy to set up. There are many types of tents and which one is right for you depend on many factors. Will you be backpacking, bike touring, or family camping? How many people will be using it? Do you need to use it in winter or will you camp in windy and exposed conditions? By considering a few factors you pick select the perfect tent for your needs.
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How to Choose a Sleeping Bag
With the multitudes of sleeping bags hanging off of the racks, the many choices of insulation, prices ranging from $17.99 on up, and different shapes and sizes, it is difficult to make a choice. By considering just a few factors you will have the perfect sleeping bags for your needs. Temperature Range The perfect temperature for your bag depends on where and when you will be using it. If you plan on taking a trip to Alaska in winter, you will need a different bag than one you would take on the RAGRAI bike ride in Iowa in summer. One bag can’t do it all. Also, you need to determine…
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Avoid the Beaver and Save the Weight: How to Choose a Water Filter
It hit me about halfway up the mountain. It hit with that instant urge. It was coming and now, so I ran into the woods, didn’t have time to dig a hole, dropped my pants around my ankles, and that was the start of a six month bout of beaver fever. About halfway up the mountain, she started to have the runs. It just so happened that there was a road and visitor center at the top of the mountain, so she kept on walking. About every ten minutes, she had to go. We feed her all our water, but by the top of the mountain, she was completely dehydrated.…
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How to Pick a Bell Solo Canoe
How to pick a Bell solo canoe.
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