Topic: 101 Tips And Techniques For Living Comfortably In Or Out Of A Canoe — Adventure Canoe

Tagged: lightweight canoeing tips, mishap, paddle up to a log, wrapped the canoe around the log

This topic has 10 voices, contains 62 replies, and was last updated by Dennis 717 days ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 63 total)

← 1 … 3 4 5 →

Author	Posts
Author	Posts
November 16, 2009 at 8:04 am #31980
crow	Whatever floats your boat. Do they have good river access?
November 16, 2009 at 10:31 am #31981
Dennis	17) Know What Floats Your Boat. You need to know what floats your boat and what to do when it doesn’t. The obvious answer is water and you should get to know all about water and how to read it. Inexperienced canoeists assume that all water floats all boats when in fact some water does just the opposite and tries to push you to the bottom of the river bed. Water can be you best friend or your worst enemy because like people there is good water and bad water or maybe just water combined with bad influences. You can argue about whether or not water can be good or bad but what we are really interested in are the ways it interacts with the terrain it is moving through. Learn to read the water and recognize the potential river hazards and you will have a happy safe trip.
November 16, 2009 at 1:23 pm #31982
crow	Nice segue, Dennis!
November 16, 2009 at 1:34 pm #31983
Bryan Hansel	18) Take a wilderness first aid, advanced first aid, or wilderness first responder class. Not only are these classes fun–you play the part of a rescue worker fixing up the injuries of your classmates–they also prepare you for a medical emergency when it happens in the woods. Plus, unless you know how to use it, a first aid kit is worthless.
November 18, 2009 at 7:31 pm #31984
Dennis	19) Learn something about the area you are traveling through. There is always something new to discover but you may not be aware of it unless you take the time to find out about it in advance. Pick a subject in advance and then arm yourself with some information that will help you identify the native plants and animals. I’m always wondering if those mushrooms I found are edible or what kind of snake that was that I almost stepped on. If it’s wildflower season then invest in a guidebook so you can identify those plants and learn which ones may be useful for something besides looking at. You don’t have to be an expert on every subject but you will enjoy the trip more with a little sprinkle of knowledge to flavor it.
November 21, 2009 at 10:05 am #31985
Dennis	20) Don’t forget the spice kit when it’s thyme to go canoeing. The only thing I like better than paddling a canoe on a clear stretch of water is eating good food outdoors. I know everyone packs the salt and pepper but consider adding a few other staple spices to the kit to extend the variety of your meals. Red pepper flakes add punch to pasta and rice. Marjoram is great for any sort of meal with chicken or rice and it always tastes better when you crush in your palm right before adding it. You don’t have to limit yourself to dried spices either. Tiny fresh thyme leaves are great in scrambled eggs and fresh rosemary is a favorite seasoning for anything cooked over a fire. Herbs and spices don’t add much weight to your kit and will increase your enjoyment a lot. It’s an easy way to impress your traveling companions as well.
November 25, 2009 at 4:50 pm #31986
crow	21) Take the right company with you Choose your companions wisely. Don’t take absolute beginners on a tough, long, hard trip. But more important than ability is attitude. A good group consists of people who can get on together, even in adversity. A sense of humour is vital. A bit of optimism and enthusiasm also helps. Smaller groups tend to gel better than big ones. But paddlers do tend to be good people ,by and large, so you should be ok most of the time.
November 29, 2009 at 6:16 pm #31987
Dennis	22) Decorate your canoe for the holidays. There is usually some sort of holiday going on all year long and we should be celebrating those with our canoes. Be sure to use environmentally safe ornaments when you decorate your canoe for the holidays and dispose of them properly when you are done. Natural materials are preferred whenever possible and all other ornaments should be shatter-proof and not present a danger to wildlife. Be especially careful when decorating with candles and lanterns. I’m looking forward to seeing photos of your decorated canoes.
December 4, 2009 at 8:18 am #31988
ewokman1956	23) Bring onion sacks to use as anchors. When I go to the Bwcaw I am doing a lot of backpacking as well as canoeing and one thing you don’t want is weight in your pack. I bring along at least two onion sacks. One to use as an anchor while fishing. Put rocks in it, tie to a rope….bingo, instant anchor. The other one I use to put dishes in after cleaning. Hang them from a tree and the dry very quickly.
December 4, 2009 at 9:46 pm #31989
Dennis	We use those a lot for collecting trash on the rivers here in the Midwest. You can also use them to cool your canned beverages by sinking them in the river near (but not in) a spring.
January 17, 2010 at 8:50 pm #31990
Dennis	24) Don’t forget the dessicant (silica gel). Just because you brought that nifty waterproof case for your camera, phone, mp3 player and other electronics it doesn’t mean they won’t get damaged if you forget to put something else inside the case to suck up any stray moisture that may be on the surfaces or even in the air. Add sunshine along with high temperatures and you may very well end up with an electronic clam bake going on inside your watertight marvel. There are a number of online resources for silica gel packs if you can’t find them locally.
January 30, 2010 at 7:24 pm #31991
The Edrinaline Expedition	Dennis – 2 months ago » 17) Know What Floats Your Boat. You need to know what floats your boat and what to do when it doesn’t. The obvious answer is water and you should get to know all about water and how to read it. Inexperienced canoeists assume that all water floats all boats when in fact some water does just the opposite and tries to push you to the bottom of the river bed. Water can be you best friend or your worst enemy because like people there is good water and bad water or maybe just water combined with bad influences. You can argue about whether or not water can be good or bad but what we are really interested in are the ways it interacts with the terrain it is moving through. Learn to read the water and recognize the potential river hazards and you will have a happy safe trip. “Inexperienced canoeists assume that all water floats all boats” A friend of mine and I decided to paddle up to a log in the Des Moines a few years back in a Pelican Canoe… The river was moving a bit faster than we were thinking and the water came in and wrapped the canoe around the log… Right down the middle; folded it backwards in half… “The wise man learns from other poeples mistakes…”
January 30, 2010 at 9:18 pm #31992
Dennis	Thanks for sharing that one. So far I have managed to avoid wrapping a canoe but I have come close to loosing one in a partially submerged tree in fast moving water.
January 30, 2010 at 9:36 pm #31993
Dennis	25) When the water turns from a liquid to a solid, try migrating to a warmer climate. James and Cathy decided to take their paddling adventures south for a long winter weekend and are currently living it up at Miami Beach in Florida. Meanwhile at home the dogs are enjoying the live-in babysitter, who is enjoying the big screen TV and the cable connection. Just because it’s cold at home doesn’t mean you can’t escape to paddle in warmer waters. Those of us who find ourselves short on travel funds will have to get by with a good book about paddling adventures. You could also try to find an indoor pool somewhere in order to stretch those idle paddling muscles back into shape while getting wet.
February 2, 2010 at 4:35 am #31994
crow	I’m emigrating to Brazil!