-
An Ode to Beaver Dams
We paddlers don’t give beavers enough credit. When we come to a beaver dam that blocks our way, we know it’s going to be a haul over. Often in remote canoe locations, paddlers will have tried to break the dam to make it easier to paddle through. But, we don’t give beavers enough credit. Despite the slight inconvenience of maybe getting your feet wet as you pull your canoe over a beaver dam, beavers, a keystone species that important for the health of environment, create these wonders of the world and create helpful habitat for all sorts of species. They create wetlands by engineering a dam and raising the water…
-
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Review: The Classic Tent
Review of the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Tent.
-
NRS Pivot Drysuit Review
Since last August, I’ve been using the NRS Pivot Drysuit for kayaking. This is the second NRS drysuit that I’ve used, and my wife owns a NRS Women’s Crux. So, I was familiar with their drysuits before I got this one. Even though my last two drysuits were Kokatat and I loved them, I felt like I needed to give something else a try. The Pivot with its rear entry looked awesome. So, I went for it. With a significant amount of time spent in the Pivot, here’s my NRS Pivot Drysuit Review. NRS Pivot Drysuit Features The NRS Pivot Drysuit’s main standout feature is the TIZIP® MasterSeal zipper on…
-
Reviews of Boat Building Books
Concise reviews of 19, count them, 19 boat building books. This list will get you started building boats of your own. It's easy just check out my building log for my latest kayak.
-
REI Co-op Screeline Pants 2.0 Review
With my REI Annual Membership Dividend in hand, I went on a blow-it-all-at-once shopping spree at REI last month. I had recently ripped a pair of pants in a place where repair wasn’t possible and was looking to replace them. I ran across the REI Co-op Screeline Pants 2.0 online. I’m usually picky about the pants I wear. I usually search for months to find the perfect fitting pair of pants, so I’m often skeptical about fit when shopping online. I like to try clothing on in person, but I needed the pants. With my dividend in hand I figured why not? If they didn’t fit, I could easily return…
-
Top 10 Outdoor Podcasts
In these Uncertain Times, a good podcast can mean… Don’t you hate it when companies lead with “in these uncertain times?” I do. If you’re like the rest of humanity, you’re probably listening to too much news or reading too much news on the internet. You need a break. I need a break. We all need a break. I typically listen to a lot of political podcasts, but right now I’m kinda sick of everything, so my retreat as I shelter at home is to listen to outdoor podcasts and hang out in my garage looking at my canoes and kayaks. What do I listen to? I listen to my…
-
Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes Review
Back in the good old days, I had a sponsorship for an expedition from Action Wipes, which were basically great-smelling, oversized baby wipes originally designed for post-love-making sessions. Since then a number of other companies have come up with something similar, including Sea to Summit Wilderness wipes. Sea to Summit designed the Wilderness Wipes were specifically for the outdoors. The Wilderness Wipes allow you to “shower” when you’re out on a wilderness trip and don’t want to jump in a lake. They’re made from extra thick soft fabric and designed to be gentle on your rugged exterior. You can compost them when you get home. The wipes contain aloe vera…
-
Free Boundary Waters Guidebook
Stuck inside somewhere waiting to be released, dreaming of adventures on the 1000s of lakes in northern Minnesota after they thaw or just someone who loves paddling? Then there’s a new free Boundary Waters guidebook for you. The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness released The Friends’ Guide to the BWCA. The new guidebook is a free ebook available for download on The Friends’ website. If you don’t know the Boundary Waters, then you’re in for a treat. It’s a great treat, because these types of books usually run much more. For example, Exploring the Boundary Waters: A Trip Planner and Guide to the BWCAW runs $16. You can get…
-
Jerry Vandiver Releases The Middle of Somewhere
If you have followed alone for awhile, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Jerry Vandiver. I also consider him a friend. We paddled the Rio Grande together several years ago and have been on several other paddling trips together. He recently put out a new album of paddling-related songs called The Middle of Somewhere. In the past, I’ve interviewed Jerry and you can read that interview here. I’ve also reviewed his Every Scratch Tells A Story album. When you consider all things, I’m not really a music reviewer. I know what I like when it comes to music, and sometimes I can tell you why, but I’m not…
-
When Avoiding COVID-19 Head to the Boundary Waters?
Last weekend Madison, Wisconsin was to hold the world’s largest annual paddlesport expo. Canoecopia, as it is called, was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seemed all but certain that the show would be cancelled, but people were waiting for the decision because just days prior to the show it was reported in Madison’s The Capital Times that the show would go on. On Thursday, Wisconsin Governor Evers gave guidance that gatherings should be restricted to 250 or fewer people and by Friday at 5pm, Evers banned gatherings of over 250 people. Between those two announcements, Canoecopia was cancelled. Had it gone on and caused infections, it might forever…
-
Bear Goes Kayaking
Mike Magee sent me this picture of the model kayak that he built using the Siskiwit SOF drawings. He scaled down the drawings and built a kayak for his teddy bear. We think that President Teddy Roosevelt would be proud. Mike’s next step is to build a full-sized version of the kayak. While PaddlingLight only provides drawings and not building instructions, there are a couple of books out there for those that wish to try that. Robert Morris’ Building Skin-on-Frame Boats is a classic for your library. Fuselage Frame Boats A guide to building skin kayaks and Canoes or the updated More Fuselage Frame Boats by Jeff Horton are more…
-
The Best Boots for Canoeing
My go-to boot for shoulder season day tripping has always been the NRS Boundary Shoe. But, on longer trips, especially those without a dry suit, I’ve found the shoes to be too flexible for portages and not waterproof enough for long days. They weren’t the best boots for canoeing, especially during the shoulder season. I polled my friends and fellow paddlers, some of who have spent years guiding canoe trips and have paddled on expeditions all around the world, about what boots they typically used for this. They recommended the following most often: Xtratufs Legacy, Kamik Bushman and Muck Wetlands. The criteria for the best boots for canoeing was as…
-
Best Gifts for Kayakers and Canoeists
It’s almost Black Friday again (or just the middle of summer and your favorite paddler’s birthday if somehow you googled this up and it wasn’t in November), and it’s time to come up with the latest and greatest and best gifts for kayakers and canoeists. This year has been a good one for paddlers and here are a few ideas AeroPress Go: If you’ve never used an AeroPress to make coffee, you are missing out. The AeroPress uses a pressurized tube to extract an espresso-like shot of java within about a minute of time. You add hot water to your cup and have a smooth cup of Americano. When I…
-
Skeeter Beater Magnetic Vehicle Window Screens Review
I’d hate to admit this but since I bought a Subaru Outback, I tend to sleep inside the car more than I front-country camp anymore. It’s far more convenient unless I’m camping in the same spot for several days. That doesn’t happen as often as it used to. The car gets stuffy without the windows down, so during bug season it’s good to have mosquito netting to cover the windows. This last summer, North Fork Gear sent me a set of Skeeter Beater Magnetic Vehicle Window Screens to review. The Skeeter Beater Magnetic Vehicle Window Screens allow you have open your car’s windows while providing protection from biting bugs. Made…
-
Lightweight Camping Cookware for a Family of Three
When I used to solo canoe trip, it was easy to pick cookware. I’d just go with the lightest cookset that made sense for the time of year and trip. As my family has grown from one to three, I’ve found that it’s a little harder to balance lightweight camping cookware against ease of use and the desires of everyone on the trip. While I’m willing to forego special treats on a solo trip, it might make the night better for my kid if we have pudding after dinner. That means more lightweight camping cookware to haul along. The weight adds up. Still, we have managed to refine our selection…
