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Susie Island Kayaking Trip Report
A great kayak day trip should have interesting landscapes, open-water crossings, nice places for lunch and a chance of surprise. In my book, it should also be remote but easily accessible. On Minnesota’s northshore of Lake Superior, the trip from Grand Portage through the Susie Islands to the Pigeon River includes all those features and more making it the best full-day kayaking trip on Minnesota’s shoreline. Distance: 16 miles Trip Rating: Advanced. Water conditions, especially in late summer or fall, can change quickly creating large waves. Use an experienced kayaking guide if you have doubts. Maps: NOAA Chart #14967, Lake Superior Water Trail Map #4, USGS Pigeon Point and Grand…
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Snow Peak Penta Tarp Review
Snow Peak bills the Penta Tarp as a lightweight, pentagon-shaped shelter for one or two canoeists or kayakers. To help reduce weight, it’s possible to leave the pole behind and set the Penta up with a canoe or kayak paddle and six stakes. The tarp is made from a pleasant mustard-colored 75D Polyester Taffeta with a minimum waterproof coating of 1,800mm and a Teflon water-repellent. Without a pole, it weighs 1.9 pounds. I’ve owned a Penta for over seven years, but have only used it on about 30 days of trips. I found it easy to set up. You insert the paddle into a specially designed sleeve, stake out the…
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Lightweight Paddling Philosophy
Back in 2004, I wrote an article called Nessmuking: A Return to Simple. In it I argued about the need to emphasize skills over equipment in the lightweight movement, because if you have the skills to survive in the wilderness, you can carry less and travel more simply. The argument continued that enjoyment is increased through simplicity and flexibility achieved through skills. I named the philosophy after Nessmuk, the pen name of George Washington Sears, who wrote for Forest and Stream in the late 1800s. His book, Woodcraft and Camping, which despite being over 100 years old remains relevant to today’s wilderness enthusiast, mixes the practice of bushcraft with a…
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Canoeing or Kayaking Menu Plan for 10 days
A kayaking menu plan for a 10-day canoeing or sea kayaking trip must be light, compact and crush resistant. It should also be varied enough to fight off boredom and maintain nutrition. The following menu plan provides about 3500 calories a day, and it’s light, compact, crush resistant and varied. Except for the fresh lunch items, this can be sent through the mail for resupply stops on longer multi-staged trips. I used this menu plan on multiple sea kayaking and canoe camping trips in the past, including trips where I resupplied. Hygiene & Misc Hygiene in this kayaking menu plan is simple. Bring a small supply of Dr. Bronner, which…
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GearPods Survival Pro Review
Background: GearPods are “modular, lightweight adventure and survival gear to help the outdoor enthusiast to prepare for the unexpected.” Their systems combine interconnecting, containers with pre-selected survival gear. Users combine any containers and gear to arrive at a customized kit, something like my emergency ditch kit. I tested GearPods Wilderness system, which includes first-aid, survival gear, a lightweight stove, and the GearPods Shelter. Because the system is modular, I’m reviewing each part separately. The GearPods Survival Pro includes items geared towards helping you survive an emergency in the woods. GearPods claims the kit can handle navigating, emergency signaling, starting a fire, purifying water, fishing and snaring, repairing clothes and equipment,…
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Mishipeshu on Lake Superior in Agawa Bay Trip Report
Lake Superior Provincial Park is home to an impressive set of pictographs, including a painting of the Lake Superior monster, Mishipeshu: The most important underwater being for the OJIBWA is Mishipeshu, which means “the Great Lynx.” This fantastic dragon-like animal resembles a feline with horns, symbols of his power. It has palmed paws that enable him to swim fast, and his back and tail are covered with scales. Mishipeshu lives in the depths of big lakes. Although he has a feline shape and is an amphibian, he is always described as a reptile. He is feared by all Ojibwa because he is the cause of waves, rapids and whirlpools, and…
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Manido Gizhigans, Spirit Little Cedar Tree, the Witch Tree
Manido Gizhigans, which is translated into English as Spirit Little Cedar Tree or commonly known as the Witch Tree, is a white cedar tree seemly growing out of a rock. It’s located on Lake Superior near Grand Portage. It is over 300 years old. Paddlers should leave a pinch of tobacco as an offering to help protect them on long journeys on Lake Superior. One of the stories of the Witch Tree that I’ve read suggests the tree was a woman who had a vision and found her way to Hat Point to serve as a lookout for a change (white man) that was coming via Superior. That story struck…
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Sea Gull Lake Loop Trip Report
Since I moved near to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, I’ve spent less time exploring it on extended trips than before I moved here. At first, I tried to continue doing one-week solo Fall trips, a few long distance longer trips, like when I paddled theVoyager’s Route, but most my Boundary Waters trips since moving here have been overnights or day trips. It’s likely my love of Lake Superior and being able to kayak on an ocean-like body of water (or the warm bed nearby) that keeps me away. This year, I wanted to end the summer with a Boundary Water’s trip and Ilena’s vacation matched up with the…
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Lightweight Canister Stoves
Recently, I’ve been preparing for a seven-day two-person canoe trip by reorganizing my cooking gear. I’ve settled on taking a Penny Stove, made from beer cans, but what if I wanted to use a canister stove? There are lots of reasons to bring a canister stove, but I find the most compelling reason is its ability to easily control the flame. Least compelling for me is having to use a non-renewable energy source. Still, from a weight perspective a canister stove makes good sense. My favorite lightweight canister stove is MSR’s Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove. Its simply and light design has few moving parts to break, and it packs up…
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Lightweight Cooking Gear
A great lightweight cooking system should quickly and efficiently boil water, set up easily, and pack up into the system’s largest pot. Lately, because I’m preparing for a seven-day two-person canoe trip, I’ve been looking for cooking gear that meets this criteria. I’ve looked into lightweight commercial cooking gear, like the Caldera Cone and the Jetboil (which I love for solo travel), but everything I’ve looked at seems lacking in some aspect. For example, the Cone doesn’t pack into a pot, and once you add all the accessories to make a Jetboil convenient for two, it ends up weighing significantly more than other options. I also wanted something that used…
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Paddling Weather Lore and Prediction
Paddlers live at the mercy of the weather. On a calm day, we can paddle miles. On a stormy day, a strong headwind makes progress a crawl, and nothing is worse than lightning striking during a long crossing. Having simple tools to help predict the weather during a paddling trip helps with the decision making process. It can help answer the question, “To go or not to go?” In the backcountry, one type of weather prediction available is weather lore, which is a collection of folk sayings that help predict the weather. These sayings can be helpful for paddlers wishing to predict the weather. Here are a few favorite weather…
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Free Canoe Plan: 1898 Passamaquoddy Ocean Canoe
The 1898 Passamaquoody Decorated Ocean Canoe comes from page 82, Figure 74 of Edwin Adney and Howard Chapelle’s The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. The text notes that this is the last known canoe of this style built. Tomah Joseph of Princeton, Maine built the canoe based on a cedar and canvas porpoise-hunting canoe. It has similar pinched ends and rounded tumblehome as the Modern Malecite St. John River Canoe. Length over all: 17ft 4inDesign beam: 36inDesign draft: 0.436inDisplacement: 510lbLength of waterline: 15.8ftWetted surface area: 29.5ft^2Optimum capacity: 300-800lbPounds to immerse an inch: 145lb The linesplans show the profile, plans and station view of this canoe. Free Canoe…
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New 2011 Wenonah Canoes
At the summer Outdoor Retailer show, Wenonah introduced two new canoes. The first is called the 17 Wenonah. The company founder, Mike Cichanowski, originally built this model in his parent’s garage when he was 16. The boat sat on display at the company headquarters until they decided to dust it off and build a mold. It’s now available in all Wenonah’s layups. The second boat is a canoe/kayak hybrid called the Canak. The boat is a decked Prism solo canoe with a kayak seat and a built-in holder for a portage yoke. The large hatches are covered by fabric hatch covers. It’s definately geared towards canoe destinations like the Boundary…
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New 2011 Mad River Canoe Models
At the 2010 Summer Outdoor Retailer show, the yearly pilgrimage for gear obsessed outdoor store owners and buyers, Mad River announced the release of five new canoes. The first two ultralites weigh in at 45 lbs and 43lbs for the Explorer 16 KX Ultralite and the Malecite KX Ultralite, respectively. They range in price from $2,749 to $3,089 depending on the options, like wood gunwales. Both feature resin-infusion w/ something called custom MRC core system. If the MRC core system features a molded-in bunny, like shown in the picture, we hope it doesn’t make it into production boats. Resin-infusion results in a layup with a high fiber/resin ration, which means…
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How to Take Advantage of Gear Warranties
When an expensive piece of equipment breaks during an expedition, you fix it, swallow your losses and then get home. Once home, it sucks having to buy a new piece of gear, especially if you loved the broken one, and it was expensive. Luckily, most outdoor equipment offers some type of warranty and many brands offer lifetime warranties. Before you buy a new piece of gear to replace your old make sure you try and take advantage of the warranty. Recently, I had a small problem. The feathering sticker on my Werner Cyprus’s adjustable ferrule came off. The first solution that popped into my head was to paint dots corresponding…
