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Kanuyak Canoe and Kayak Decal Review
One of the problems with mass produced canoes and kayaks is the lack of personality. Your boat looks just like another one off the same shelf. You can try to personalize things by changing the color of deck line, or you could paint something on the side. Or you could add a little pizazz to your boat with a sticker. Kanuyak makes easy-to-apply canoe and kayak decals. I spent this spring reviewing two versions, a 5-inch sticker and a 8-inch sticker. The stickers I tested come as a set of two, mirror images cut from commercial-grade decal vinyl with the color going all the way through. You apply one sticker…
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Bushbuddy Ultra Wood-burning Stove Review
A guest post by Rick Beaty of a Crooked Blue Line. I’ve always relied on canister fuel. I’ve always been a pocket-rocket-style-stove-type guy. Usually, my kit is made up of only what I can buy from REI or other large outdoor retailers. I never considered cottage industry equipment. The Bushbuddy Ultra wood-burning stove, manufactured in the cottage industry, was the first piece of kit that made me rethink every other piece of gear I hauled in boat and on portage. Other than over coals from campfire, I have never cooked in the backcountry without my “technology”. The Bushbuddy Ultra changed that. Its simple beginnings, in the tradition of homemade Hobo…
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North Water Sea Tec and QR Tow Line Review
North Water Rescue & Paddling Equipment makes some of the best paddling gear. Everything that I’ve tried or owned from them feels high quality and seems well thought out. I may not like all their gear, but some I’ve found that I just can’t live without, such as the Under Deck Bag. North Water likes to give paddlers lots of options, and, boy, do they give a sea kayaker options in tow lines. As of 2011, they offered seven different styles of tow lines in their sea kayak line, plus several lines in their whitewater section that might interest sea kayakers. I’ve used both the Quick Release Rescue Tow Line…
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Terra Nova Bothy Bag Review
Over the last couple of years, I tested and used Terra Nova’s bothy bags, which Terra Nova bills as “Lightweight, compact and inexpensive shelters for emergencies or lunch stops.” Basically, bothy bags are giant stuff sacks designed to hold humans. You get out of your kayak or canoe, pull the bothy out of the stuff sack and pull it over top of you. The bags are just large enough to accommodate you and your friends, but nothing else. The fabric blocks the outside weather and warms up quickly. I own both the Superlite 2 and the Bothy 4, and I’ve used both in a variety of weather and situations. I’ll…
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North Water Under Deck Bag Review
The North Water Under Deck Bag acts like a glove compartment for your kayak. Once glued into place under the front deck, it hangs down between your knees. It’s perfect for the little items, such as sunscreen and snacks, that you need quick access to during the day. I’ve mounted one in almost every kayak I’ve owned and have used them for over seven years. (Plus, I’m quoted in the Spring 2011 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine singing praise about them. Thanks, David!) It only makes sense that I review it. The Under Deck Bag is exactly what it says it is. It’s a bag that attaches under the deck…
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The Best Winter and Cold Water Paddling Gloves
The hardest body part to keep warm during winter paddling is the hands. Because water drips down the paddle shaft and the splashes saturate any gloves or mittens used, they need to be waterproof, or they must be waterproof enough to slow new cold water from penetrating the glove’s interior. I’ve always liked neoprene gloves or mittens to keep my hands warm verse using a poggies, because my hands stay warm when removed from the paddle shaft and I can easily manipulate items without have to touch an icy surface. I have a few favorite gloves. NRS Natural Gloves I used to use NRS Reactor gloves, because they were the…
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Kupilka Cup Review
I’ve always liked the look of a traditional wooden kuksa, a drinking cup made by the Sami people. When I saw the plastic and wood composite Kupilka cups, I fell instantly in love. I always wanted a wooden cup, but didn’t want the maintenance or weight that comes with it. The plastic version seemed like a good substitute. When I first saw the cups, availability was limited to Europe, but I managed to get a Kupilka 21 and a 5 in exchange for a review. The Kupilka 21 is a round cup with a molded handle that extends from the cup’s lip. The cup hold about 8 oz. It has…
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Tarptent Cloudburst 2 Review
In early 2009, I traded a Tarptent Double Rainbow for a Cloudburst 2. For various reasons, I didn’t like the Double Rainbow, but I wanted to try another Tarptent before I wrote off the category. Tim Smith, the owner and founder of Jack Mountain Bushcraft School, says “It takes four nights to own a shelter.” But, I think it takes slightly longer to really know how a shelter performs. I need to see how it performs in hot humid weather, rain, cold, wind and more before I really know how to rate it. I usually like to spend 30 nights in a tent or under a tarp before I write…
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Cooke Custom Sewing Pioneer Pack Review
The Cooke Custom Sewing Pioneer Pack, part of Cooke’s hybrid portage pack series, combines the shape of a traditional portage pack with the features of a more modern backpacking pack. It has a padded foam back, contoured and padded shoulder straps, a sternum strap, a padded hip belt, four grab loops, load lifter straps and hip stabilizer straps. It is made from a heavy-duty nylon and comes in blue, red, yellow, pink and green. Dan Cooke makes every pack by hand in Minnesota (All the best portage packs are made in Minnesota). The Pioneer Pack is our primary portage pack and sees more use than my Duluth Pack, SealLine Boundary…
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Duluth Pack Northwoods Review
Duluth Pack’s Northwood pack is a burly portage pack made in the Canadian style that canoe-hero Bill Mason used and loved. It’s made from 18-ounce canvas with a double bottom. It has leather shoulder straps that are riveted into the pack. Two 36-inch long leather crossover straps secure the pack and allow the internal flaps to expand when carrying large loads. It has two side pockets big enough for water bottles. The shape is designed to fit into the contour of a canoe and it rides low. The pack comes with a 6 ml poly liner and a tumpline. A waist belt is an upgrade. I’ve owned a Northwood pack…
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Mocke Racer PFD Review
The Mocke Racer is a lightweight personal flotation aid popular in the surfski racing crowd. The Mockes, a husband and wife, are well-known in the surfski racing side of paddlesports; they both boast impressive wins in many races. They designed the Racer to be comfortable, to stay out of the way while paddling and to give a racer enough flotation to help him swim if he ends up in the water. They claim the mesh allows air to flow, which keeps the paddler cool. In the water, the mesh allows for more efficient swimming, and they claim it allows the paddler to dive easily when needed. The vest consists of…
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WaayCool Kayak Fishing Handlines Review
I like catching fish, and I like paddling, but I don’t like to catch fish while paddling if it involves carrying rods, tackle boxes and all sorts of fishing equipment — call me a lazy angler. In trying to combine a low equipment method of fishing with paddling, I decided to try handlines, which are line wrapped around a handle. You clip the rope’s end to your deck lines, connect a lure to the other end, drop it into the water and paddle. It’s simple. The homemade handlines that I’ve seen are usually just thick 20 lb. mono filament line wrapped around a plywood handle. Finding a commercially available handline…
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Kigo Footwear Review
A month or so ago, Kigo Footwear sent me a pair of shoes to test. Since they arrived, I’ve used them for paddling, wading up rivers, rock-hoping, hiking, around town, traveling and for just about every activity that I do. Although, I’m not sold on the style, which looks sort-of like an aqua-sock — I end up wearing these shoes more than any others I own. Why? Because they’re easy to put on and comfy! Kigo bills the Edge as: With unisex slip-on styling, the kigo edge is designed for active men and women. The shoes provide complete foot coverage for a fully protected barefoot stride. Full coverage keeps dirt…
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Sierra Designs Lazer 30 Review
All summer, I used the 2010 Sierra Designs Lazer 30 as my only sleeping bag — for one trip report, check out the Sea Gull Lake loop trip report. I bought it to supplement my excellent Mountain Smith Wisp 800-fill down sleeping bag with a synthetic. Although, I don’t worry about getting a down bag wet on paddling trips, sometimes I just like synthetics, because the smell of down doesn’t always agree with me. I also wanted a sleeping bag that would quickly dry after washing it. The 2010 version of Sierra Designs’ Lazer is an “ultralight” synthetic bag. It features a flexible mid-section, a jacket-style hood, an ergonomically shaped…
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Review of Canoe and Kayak Building Books
If you want to build a kayak or canoe from the free plans found on PaddlingLight, you should buy a couple of canoe or kayak building books. Most use different methods, which you can combine to make your boat uniquely your’s. There are lots of books out there to cover in a review, so I’m going to break them down into different categories and arrange them from the first to buy to the last. I’ll write a quick one-paragraph review. I’m leaving lots of books off this list, because I think these are the best. Cedar Strip Kayak Building Books Most of the plans that I do are designed for…
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