Adventure Canoe Forum » Recent Topics

Adventure Canoe Forum » Recent Topics http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Canoe Camping & River Tripping Discussion en-US Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:50:32 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/search.php Loading the boat for a solo trip.... http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/loading-the-boat-for-a-solo-trip#post-1941 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:33:35 +0000 DamnTrue 1941@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ In a couple of weeks I will embark on a solo trip on the Green River in Utah. 7 days, 120mi in a 16' Wenonah Adirondack. I will be paddling "backwards", ie sitting in the front seat facing aft. I weigh 230lbs. I will be bringing 10ga of water (80lbs) in 2.5ga containers and the rest of my gear incl. tent, bag, pack, food/cooking stuff (~60lbs). Should I attempt to load the stuff at the far end of the canoe to offset my weight, or keep it closer to center? Thanks, True Paddle to Haiti, 8 set to paddle the Mississippi http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/paddle-to-haiti-8-set-to-paddle-the-mississippi#post-1942 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:05:25 +0000 paddletohaiti 1942@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Over the past few months I've been helping develop the charity called "Paddle to Haiti."  We hope to raise $50,000 to donate to an affiliated organization, the Lambi Fund of Haiti that has people working hard on the long-term recovery of Haiti's population.  Starting September 3rd (this coming Friday), seven others and myself will be canoeing the entire 2,320 miles of the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico.  We'll be on the river for around two and a half months, and stopping in nearly every city. While we have put a large amount of time into Paddle to Haiti and our crew is strong.  But we welcome any comments, criticisms, ideas, or advice about everything from fundraising to website design to sponsorship to good things to cook while on a canoe trip.  Tell us about your experience.  Connect us with friends or relatives along the way that might be able to give us a place to sleep, an "in" with the local paper, a shower or advice about the river. We can be reached email at <a href="mailto:PaddleToHaiti@gmail.com">PaddleToHaiti@gmail.com</a> Please take a gander at our website: <a href="http://paddletohaiti.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://paddletohaiti.blogspot.com</a> Thanks for the support! Boundary Waters Kelso River Route http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/boundary-waters-kelso-river-route#post-1148 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:28:38 +0000 Bryan Hansel 1148@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Did the Kelso River loop in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last weekend. We were iced in the second day and ended up having to paddle about two miles through patches of ice in the shallow areas. We went in the see the dolmen, which is a large rock perched on three small stones. Some people believe Vikings built the dolmen. My full trip report is at <a href="http://www.nessmuking.com/articles/trip-reports/boundary-waters-route-the-hunt-for-the-viking-dolmen/" target="_blank">The Hunt for the Viking Dolmen</a>. <img src="http://www.nessmuking.com/nessmuking/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/hansel_bryan_091109-24.jpg" alt="www.nessmuking.com" width="337" height="502" /> Mike Galt http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/mike-galt#post-978 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:11:46 +0000 dondford 978@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Does anyone have any idea where the late (great) Mike Galt's plugs are?   Thanks for any help Don small car http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/small-car#post-1907 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:40:45 +0000 watatic 1907@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I am going camping with 3 teenagers in a few weeks. I have a Toyota Yaris with a Thule roof rack. I extended the rack with 2x4's so it can hold two canoes safely. The boards are attached by U-bolts that go through the boards. You unscrew the wingnuts, slide the board along the bar one way, lift the end and slide it the other way, and off it comes. Cut a slight groove in the underside to match the bar and brackets. Works great, have driven on the highway at 70 for 3 hours, no problems. Now I realize, however, I will have 4 passengers plus all our gear for a week-long trip that is a 4-1/2 hour drive from home. (When I go camping alone, the trunk, back seat and passenger seats are chock full of gear as it is-- where am I going to put the kids!!!) I had a brainstorm the other day: put the kids on the roof. (Just kidding... the kids go in the car.) Put the gear under the inverted canoes, tied atop the paddles, which are tied to the bars and thwarts. Put other gear in two large duffel bags on top, wedged between the inverted canoes, tied down. The most awkward or heavy stuff will go in the trunk and the car will only hold the kids' fanny packs with lunch. Despite my optimism, I can see the roof collapsing in the most bizarre canoeing accident on record. Or the car rolling over on a turn near an oxbow and the whole thing floating upside down, pontoon style. So I have to ask first, has anybody actually tried this? Did it work? Any tips or advice? Pitfalls? The car is a standard, but small; not sure if I can add the weight of a trailer to all this. The canoes are 80 lbs. apiece, and I have 160 lbs. of my own gear, not counting the kids' gear. Hello Everyone http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/hello-everyone#post-1929 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 03:51:23 +0000 waynewes 1929@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Hi my name is Wayne and i'm from the UK.  I'll start by saying i'm not actually a big canoe fan as such. The reason I am on here is to gather some advice from canoe experts like yourselves to help people who visit my website find the right communities once they get into the sport.  Let me explain. I'm not sure what its like around the world but in the UK trying to find your nearest providers of adventure activities can be quite difficult so what I have done is searched the internet and compiled a national database of all these providers I can find (and I hope people will help me and add others, as if the site works I hope to take it worldwide). I am also creating blogs on the different adventures for experts to post basic advice to people new to the sport or just trying it out. From there they will be forwarded onto the right communities to get more in depth advice and meet like minded people. For example, if I can get the permission of the Admin, I would like to reprint and use some of the posts on here to create a canoe advice page (which would have links to this site). Are there any objections? Also please tell me what you think of the site, it is very new and I have had very little in the way of feedback from people who aren't my family and friends (so no feedback from people that would tell me if i'm wasting my time) Thanks for your time Wayne  White River,Mo. motorcycles BEWARE do NOT stay at River of Life http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/white-rivermo-motorcycles-beware-do-not-stay-at-river-of-life#post-1928 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:02:55 +0000 heyop_erator 1928@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ We booked a stay at The River of Life this past week with the owner/operators of this campground. They stated that they were located off of a gravel road that had a 1/4 mile hill. This was a huge steep graded mountain road with NO maintainence. There were a lot of wash-outs and loose sandy gravel. They had a past history of many motorcycle crashes from others who tried to descend since there were no turn arounds. They never told any of us this even though they knew we would be coming on motorcycles! We had to trailer the bike out.  BEWARE ! ! If you are pulling any type of trailer or an RV I would advise against staying at this campground. Utica Reservoir, Sierra Nevada Range, CA http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/utica-reservoir-sierra-nevada-range-ca#post-1905 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:15:36 +0000 DamnTrue 1905@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Kathy and I took another trip to the Sierra Range with the canoe this weekend. Different location this time, Utica Reservoir. It's a little less remote than Hell Hole. Hell Hole is probably 35mi off the nearest main road (Wentworth Springs, not even a highway), while Utica is only 6mi off of CA-SR4. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=utica+reservoir,+ca&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Utica+Reservoir&ll=38.436749,-119.999542&spn=0.024136,0.038581&t=h&z=15">http://maps.google.com/maps?q=utica+reservoir,+ca&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Utica+Reservoir&ll=38.436749,-119.999542&spn=0.024136,0.038581&t=h&z=15</a> It's also quite a popular destination for kayaking and canoeing. So there were a lot more people to be seen at the put-in both coming and going. I had a little bit of trepidation about the popularity of the place since I was seeking some serious alone time with Kathy. As it turned out my fears were unfounded, we hardly saw anyone all weekend. Not much story, but here are are a ton of photos. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5665.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5668.jpg"> Our campsite was on a small peninsula at the Northernmost end of the lake. This side was the inlet of the lake that leads to where the largest creek feeds the lake. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5675.jpg"> On the other side was a small lilly pond that made for a nice landing point for the canoe. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5682.jpg"> The pond also made for a easy place to practice some solo paddling. It's a lot harder to solo paddle a tandem than I'd thought. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5686.jpg"> Kathy snapped a pic of me blissed out on silence, wine and chicken kabob. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5692.jpg"> The wind never blew hard, but there was a light breeze from 10-4 each day. Once that calmed down the lake just got right and truly stunning. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5696.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5701.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5694.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5695.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5711.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5712.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5713.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5711.jpg"> Took a hike up to a tarn to the north of the lake. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5728.jpg"> <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5726.jpg"> A family paddling by while we ate dinner just after sunset. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5721.jpg"> Checking out other campsites on our way back to the put in. Here is a look at the main body of the lake. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5723.jpg"> Kathy didn't know I wasn't paddling. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5724.jpg"> Loaded up and heading home. The VW TDI Jetta got 37mpg on the trip with the canoe on top. Nice. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/Utica/CIMG5730.jpg"> Late start on the river http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/late-start-on-the-river#post-1906 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:13:45 +0000 watatic 1906@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I started canoeing, a little, 20 years ago when we bought a piece of Rubbermaid junk at a yard sale. Then got into Bill Mason's white water videos and taught myself how to go down a river. Two years ago I stumbled on a free Dagger Venture-17 with rotten gunwales, filthy from stem to stern, which I repaired and have run class II and III rapids with, tandem as well as solo, and in which have gone on wilderness trips. The more I learn, the more I want to do. This winter I took a Wilderness Paddling Expedition Planning course, and in May I went to the Maine Canoe Symposium weekend. [I am almost 62. What is the matter with me? :)  ] I have a disability, sort of-- sleep apnea. So I bring a CPAP machine and 75 lb battery with me. It has, actually, led me to canoe camping, because I could never backpack having to carry that much weight and bulk. I am interested in getting my kids (almost all grown) to come with me on a trip. I have been quite unsuccsessful until quite recently, when my 18-year old got the fishing fever, and asked me to take him camping in the canoe. He and his brother and his friend are coming. I couldn't believe it. Maybe my life is just beginning. I would like to do the Allagash, and maybe, just maybe, one of the rivers on the Barrens, before I do finally get old and retire to car camping.   Sealine Pro Pack Preliminary Review http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/sealine-pro-pack-preliminary-review#post-1912 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:07:44 +0000 BWCAJohn 1912@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I just picked up a new <a href="http://www.cascadedesigns.com/sealline/packs-and-duffles/pro-pack/product" target="_blank">Sealine Pro Pack</a> yesterday.  I had previously been using an older version of the Boundary Pack which had come apart where the back pack straps connect to the bag component.   The Pro Pack seems to be heavily beefed up and reinforced so I don't anticipate having the same problem again.  I'll be putting about 100 field days in with this pack over the next 4 months in the Tongas National Forest so we'll see how it holds up to some serious use. Apple Crisp Breakfast http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/apple-crisp-breakfast#post-1914 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:20:43 +0000 BWCAJohn 1914@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ So here is a great easy breakfast that makes ordinary oatmeal a little more interesting... Ingredients: Oatmeal Apples (1/2-1 per person) Brown Sugar Butter Granola Directions: Cook oatmeal first.  While oatmeal is cooking, cut your apples into bite size pieces.  Throw the apples into a frying pan with some butter and brown sugar until they are warmed and the brown sugar has caramelized onto the apples.  Once the oatmeal is done, add the apples and granola and serve.  You can also add more brown sugar or cinnamon to taste.  New Outdoor Pursuits company in Cornwall http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/new-outdoor-pursuits-company-in-cornwall#post-1921 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:22:24 +0000 Aberfal outdoor pursuits 1921@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Hi Guys My name is Sam Lonsdale I own a outdoor pursuits company in Falmouth Cornwall, here's a little bit about us. Based near the Helford River, Falmouth,  Aberfal Outdoor Pursuits offers activity sessions, days and holidays in an area of outstanding natural beauty. our activities are:- Kayaking on the Helford River is a truly eco friendly way of exploring this Area of outstanding Natural Beauty. Aberfal Outdoor Pursuits will take you on a guided kayaking tour to explore some hidden creeks, paddle to spots unreachable by land or motor boat and, peer into the depths of the Helford River though clear blue waters and spy on some of Cornwall’s amazing wildlife. Archery is based in the magical gardens of Cawinion Manor Mawnan Smith, our sessions operate from our great outdoor range. Our instructors will give you the best coaching and are all GNAS registered. We will give you all the skills to be able to hit the Target and go away feeling extremely satisfied. We promise this will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all. Coasteering come and take part in this adrenalin fuelled outdoor activity, Coasteering is a mixture of swimming, climbing, scrambling, and traversing the rugged but beautiful Falmouth coastline. You will explore areas of the coast that you would never normally see. Coasteering is ideally a group activity that allows you to have fun with friends, family or colleagues. I hope that we can help anyone who is interested in outdoor activities to be able to take part, please check us out on-line at <a href="http://www.aberfaloutdoorpursuits.co.uk" target="_blank">http://www.aberfaloutdoorpursuits.co.uk</a> Thanks for taking the time to read this, we hope to see you out paddling somtime in the future Best Regards Sam Lonsdale (owner) 07968770757 <a href="mailto:info@aberfaloutdoorpursuits.co.uk">info@aberfaloutdoorpursuits.co.uk</a>     Retired with working spouse and kids http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/retired-with-working-spouse-and-kids#post-1893 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:18:04 +0000 MudDuck 1893@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I have canoed and kayaked a good bit in Colorado and Utah.  My wife, kids and I all learned to run III in open canoes, and +III in kayaks. Together we did several multi-day trips.  I retired in '09 and want to do some canoe trips, but the rest of the fam is still at their desks.  I own a 16'  Dagger Legend and a 16' Mad River Explorer, both Royalex.  Both are WW outfitted and have run class III with no problem. I'd rather not paddle solo, but it seems to be coming down to that.  Trips to do:  Deso and Greys, Dolores, San Miguel, Gunnison, Green, Colo.  I'm looking to do multi-day trips. I would love to hear from others in this situation. Trip planning http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/trip-planning#post-1903 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:15:47 +0000 Seeker 1903@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I and a couple of others are planning a trip to the BWCA. My brother-in-law has never been into the BWCA so I want to help him have a great experience, (diverse scenery, good fishing, etc.)  and the rest of us want to see some new country. We plan on  base camping but we are open to loop trips. We are looking for some advice on areas to go. We plan on about 5 days. Thanks for any help. Assault And Batteries http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/assault-batteries#post-1520 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:16 +0000 Dennis 1520@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ <img src="http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/100209_5494.jpg" alt="" />   A while back I had the foolish notion that I would like to test some AA batteries to find out what might work best for my Nikon cameras and flashes. My Nikon digital SLR camera with the battery grip and three Nikon Speedlight flashes use twenty AA batteries right out of the starting blocks. Throw a few radio triggers in the bag to sync the flash units to the camera and that adds six AAA batteries and at least one CR2 battery for the transmitter. That is a whole lot of batteries before even considering the fact that you are likely to need that many again as backup units.   It does not take much creative thinking to arrive at the conclusion that you will soon be bankrupted by using disposable batteries in these large quantities. Besides a bunch of camera equipment you probably also have a lot of other battery powered toys at home. Some people say they can’t be bothered with charging a battery before using it and prefer to go the disposable route. Those people keep spending money on batteries every time they wear out a set of old ones. For occasional, intermittent use or long term storage Lithium batteries can be a cost effective choice for disposable batteries but for people like me who use batteries constantly in power gulping devices like electronic flashes the rechargeable option looks much better.   The good news is that you can now buy several brands of batteries that come pre-charged and they can be used straight out of the box. These batteries are often referred to as hybrids because of the way they combine the benefits of disposable and rechargeable batteries into one convenient package.    One of the stumbling blocks of rechargeable batteries in the past was their characteristic high self-discharge rate. Some people refer to this as “shelf discharge” meaning that the batteries loose power even when they are not in use. The newer hybrid or low self-discharge batteries retain up to eighty percent or more of their charge for six to eight months depending on the brand and the power rating of the battery.    Rechargeable batteries in general and hybrid or low self-discharge batteries in particular do not put out quite as much voltage as a new disposable battery. Most electronic devices have enough tolerance to permit the lower voltage of the rechargeable batteries but you may run into a few voltage sensitive devices where they will not work properly.    The catch is that disposable batteries loose power as you use them so they are not always functioning at the full 1.5 volts either. Even though the rechargeable batteries start out at a slightly lower voltage they tend to use the power at a more consistent rate as the battery is discharged. The way a battery consumes power has a lot to do with how you use the batteries, which is one reason why it is difficult to do a head to head comparison between battery types or brands. Testing may only give you an idea of how the batteries perform within the parameters of the testing method and not how it will perform for different uses.   One battery may do well in a device that draws power continuously such as a flashlight that is left on for an extended period of time until the batteries are completely drained. Other batteries are better at delivering large bursts of energy at random intervals in devices like cameras with built in flash units. The problem is that you may use batteries in a way that is completely different from the way they were tested, making the test results slightly misleading.    After doing a some investigation I came to the realization that I would need to test a lot of batteries in order to gather enough data to be meaningful. Testing four brand A batteries against four brand B batteries is not going to provide much useful information because of the small sample size. One bad battery can skew the test results in such a small sampling. I have also discovered that there is a lot of debate about how a battery should be tested to begin with. There is no simple battery test that will tell you if one brand is significantly better than another but the tests do give some indication of how the batteries perform in general. You can probably use a voltmeter to weed out a bad apple in a bushel of batteries but actual battery testing is a bit more complicated because you have to devise a test that shows how the battery will perform in actual use.   There are a couple of very good “smart” battery chargers out there (a whole subject in itself) and I was ready to rush out and buy one so I could get a handle on what my batteries were doing. Then I found out that the charger I was planning to buy seemed to have developed the habit of going haywire, overcharging batteries and melting the plastic battery charger housing. Another brand of charger I looked at required about forty keystrokes to program in the functions to charge and test the batteries. No thanks.    There are two basic types of battery chargers; slow chargers (it’s hard to make a bad slow charger) and fast chargers that tend to fry your batteries and kill them prematurely. The more complex smart chargers can do things like recondition your batteries by going through several charge and discharge cycles, which sounds like obedience training for batteries. That process can take quite a long time, maybe a couple of days but may be able to restore function to some batteries. A good battery charger will charge the batteries on separate channels or circuits so that one bad battery does not affect the whole lot.    There are many sources for battery tests including the battery manufacturer’s websites which can teach you a lot about batteries (and marketing). You might also want to check out user reviews on retail sites like <a href="http://www.amazon.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.amazon.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com</a></a> it’s not a perfect way to make a decision but it may be helpful (or a minor relief) to know you are not the only one contemplating a particular brand of battery to sink your hard earned cash into. User reviews are what made me rethink my battery charger decision, at least for the moment.   I have quite a few Energizer AA batteries and chargers that I have been using for about a year now. They had a sale on the chargers with batteries at my local grocery store that came along at just the right time when I needed to buy a bunch of batteries. I bought two sets and then bought another and another each time I went back to the store to buy groceries. Of course I’m a defect magnet so I ended up taking back one charger and set of batteries, which was not that big of a deal since I have to eat all the time and I go to the grocery store just about every week. Since I started using the     So far I’ve only had one defective battery problem while I was out working and that was while I was out of town and of course it was the one time that I did not bring along any spares. That meant I could not use my battery grip but I still got to lug it and eight batteries around all day. With the Energizers, I can buy replacements in just about any city in the US so it’s not a deal breaker. I got by without using the battery grip that day and kept on working.   So for me the first round was won (by default) based on price, availability and dumb luck. Now I am looking into batteries which can hold their charge for days, weeks or months before being used. A lot of people have put a great amount of time and effort into testing various brands and types of batteries so the challenge is not to replicate that work but to use it to determine which batteries will perform best for the applications I have in mind. As I stated earlier, how you use and maintain your batteries has a lot to do with how well they perform.    There is a very good battery comparison at <a href="http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79302" target="_blank"><a href="http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79302" rel="nofollow">http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79302</a></a> where you can compare the discharge rates of many different batteries. My Energizer 2500 batteries made the top ten when the list was last updated.    There is also a pretty good discussion of low self discharge batteries at <a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814" target="_blank"><a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814" rel="nofollow">http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814</a></a>    An interesting result of all this testing is that the performance of the low self-discharge batteries seems pretty consistent between the top brands. What this means in practical terms is that you can choose the lowest cost battery option that is readily available where you live and by purchasing the batteries locally you can always pick up spares as needed. I was able to offset some of the cost of my initial rechargeable battery purchase by surfing local sales and using discount coupons.   Normal rechargeable batteries usually have higher total capacity than the low self-discharge type so if you can remember to charge them the day before you are going to use them that is not a bad way to go either. I’m interested in the low self-discharge batteries for camping trips, travel and other applications where I may not use the batteries for a couple of weeks and do not have convenient access to electric power to recharge batteries along the way.    Here is an interesting test between the Sanyo Eneloops vs the PowerEx Imedion batteries using a Nikon flash to simulate real world stress conditions. <a href="http://www.photomalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74823" rel="nofollow">http://www.photomalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74823</a>   The Imedion manages to take the most shots because of its higher power rating but the Eneloop seems to recycle the flash faster for a fewer number of total shots. Recycle rates mean everything to photographers so the Eneloops would seem to be the preferred choice for fast action flash photography.   So it’s not just about which battery has the most power but also how the power is delivered in real world situations.   You may also find out that rechargeable batteries are larger in diameter than some disposable batteries so you should check to see if they will fit correctly in all your devices. I can’t get the Energizer batteries to go in my Mini Mag Light flashlights but alkaline or lithium cells may be a better choice for those because they are not in use all the time and sit in a drawer for months at a time.     I ran across a lot of good resources and information on the internet that are worth sharing so here are a few in no particular order.   <a href="http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/power/rechbattinfo.htm" target="_blank">http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/power/rechbattinfo.htm</a> This is a very good eco-friendly site put out by the state of California with loads of great information on batteries. Watch out, they may convince you that you don’t even need batteries.   <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_self-discharge_NiMH_battery" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_self-discharge_NiMH_battery</a> A short article on the basics of how a low self-discharge battery works.   <a href="http://climber.org/gear/batteries.html" target="_blank">http://climber.org/gear/batteries.html</a> Battery wisdom from on high! Several mountaineers tell you everything they have learned the hard way about using batteries in cold and demanding environments.    <a href="http://www.rechargeable-battery-review.com" target="_blank">http://www.rechargeable-battery-review.com</a>/ All about rechargeable batteries and battery reviews. Do You Use or Are You Planning To Buy Rechargeable Batteries?   <a href="http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/" target="_blank">http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/</a> A good battery guide and comparison. If you have no idea what to choose this guy will tell you. It’s a good plain talking guide about the good, the bad and the ugly battery.   One of the most consistently recommended sources for purchasing batteries and chargers online is Thomas Distributing. <a href="http://www.thomasdistributing.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.thomasdistributing.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.thomasdistributing.com</a></a>/    For some of the world’s most powerful low self-discharge batteries you will ever see... as in, “Do you feel lucky punk?” go to <a href="http://www.horizonbattery.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.horizonbattery.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.horizonbattery.com</a></a>  where you can buy the Ansmann Max E 2500 mah AA batteries directly from the manufacturer.   I like also to use Amazon.com for the service, convenience and customer reviews. <a href="http://www.amazon.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.amazon.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com</a></a>/    You can use the Amazon.com link on my blog <a href="http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com</a></a>/    <img src="http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/100209_5501.jpg" alt="" />   <img src="http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/100209_5505.jpg" alt="" /> Mad River Explorer 16' http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/mad-river-explorer-16#post-43 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:41:36 +0000 James 43@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ The classic Mad River Explorer excels in versatility with a modular gunwale system and resilient hull, making it the ultimate all-purpose canoe. <ul> <li>Royalex® is moderate in weight, creating a boat that's easy to handle on or off the water and virtually maintenance free</li> <li> Royalex hull flexes slightly when the canoe is in the water, providing stability and the ability to ease over rocks</li> <li> Symmetrical, shallow-V hull offers excellent tracking on flat water and stability on moving water and waves</li> <li> High-volume hull with gently rockered ends provides secondary stability and maneuverability in fast currents and choppy lakes</li> <li> A solid choice for moving water and quiet water on family day cruises—also nimble and easy to handle for a solo paddler</li> <li> Features ash-framed cane seats with truss for added rigidity, and sculpted ash portage yoke for a comfortable carrying alternative</li> <li> IQ2 modular gunwale system allows easy customization of accessories (sold separately) that can be added for various paddling conditions</li> <li> Molded-in graphics can't peel or scratch off like decals can</li> </ul> Hot!!! fashion shoes and clothes with good price! http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/hot-fashion-shoes-and-clothes-with-good-price#post-1890 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:32:14 +0000 HASUFGA 1890@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Dear  friend We are professional and honest wholesaler of all kinds of brand sneaks and apparel. such as fashion brand sports shoes hoodies/jeans/ handbag/t-shirts and others , The payment we accept Western Union and money gram.Palpal , TT …. .if you want to know about the particular,welcome to view our website : <a href="http://www" rel="nofollow">http://www</a>.shoesgoing.com Hi friend,fashion shoes and clothes with good quality pric http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/hi-friendfashion-shoes-and-clothes-with-good-quality-pric#post-1888 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:29:41 +0000 HASUFGA 1888@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Dear  friend We are professional and honest wholesaler of all kinds of brand sneaks and apparel. such as fashion brand sports shoes hoodies/jeans/ handbag/t-shirts and others , The payment we accept Western Union and money gram.Palpal , TT …. .if you want to know about the particular,welcome to view our website : <a href="http://www" rel="nofollow">http://www</a>.shoesgoing.com Wenonah Adirondack tweaks http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/wenonah-adirondack-tweaks#post-1864 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:21:17 +0000 DamnTrue 1864@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ As I mentioned before I have a 16' Wenonah Adirondack. It's not in great shape, but all the important bits seem to be there and it keeps the water out. Paddles nicely too during those rare moments when my wife and I are working together well. It came to my attention when I was cleaning it up after our last outing that the aluminum brackets supporting the front seat were cracked. The Aluminum was bent in the right plane, it just looked to be a bit of abuse from the previous owner. Couldn't have been my wife, she only weighs about 110lbs. I decided to fabricate new brackets and do so in a way that would enhance the solo capability of the boat. At 220lbs I find that the trim is quite off while seated. I can make it better by knealing up near the yoke, but that puts me at the widest part of the canoe. No bueno. I figure that if I can move the seat a bit aft I can compensate for the remaining out of trim condition with a water filled dry bag in the opposite end of the boat. Anyway, here are the brackets I made and installed. I used a touch heavier material and extended the bracket an additional ~8" aft of the OE seat position. With the seat in the fwd position <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/canoe/seatfwd.jpg">   Seat in the aft position <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/canoe/seataft.jpg">   Seat fully installed and screwed in place. <img src="http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr262/damn_true/canoe/seat1.jpg">   Sorry for the lousy iPhone photos.     Need advice on river float http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/need-advice-on-river-float#post-1874 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:08:14 +0000 tdgstl 1874@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Looking for some advice on a river float week of 7/12.  Novice paddlers, 4 adults, 2 kids (8 & 11), 1 big dog.  Day trip from STL.  Maybe a little fishing but mainly just playing and relaxing.  Looking for really clear water, little to no dragging, and to see as many critters as possible.  We'll go on a weekday specifically to avoid crowds. Considering Black, Huzzah, or Courtois.  Any others?  Current is just too far for a day trip. Any advice on specific rivers, trips, outfitters, raft or canoe, etc. Thanks!