1 of 1
| Equipment » Family of 4....what's your canoe/paddling set up? » 9/09/2018 8:30 am |
Thanks for the detailed post Marko. You make a very compelling case for the 18.5ft'er. Your points are more or less what I expected the 18.5ft'er would offer. My wife also doesn't think that we're quite ready to split into two canoes just yet, despite how our tripping friends are able to pull it off with their boys ages 5 and 9.
Your loading shots provide a tremendous insight into one my questions about this boat and just how much gear it can handle. I know that we have some gear trimming to do to get everyone and everything in one canoe and to the point that we can improve our portaging efficiency. Tho with the 3yr old, we're more realistically looking at double carries at best, which is still an improvement from what we had to endure this summer on our 10d trip where we nearly quad-carried.
Lastly, funny you recommended Killarney Outfitters for a SR 18.5. I've already been in touch with them since June about possibly acquiring one, hopefully in the next month or so.
Thanks again.
| Fishing » Stand-up fishing...anyone else doing it? » 9/07/2018 7:15 am |
Over the past couple of years, I've started to do my fishing standing up in our canoe. This all started after I bought myself a stand-up paddleboard. I have to admit that since I started doing it, I've not gone back to fishing sitting down. This obviously applies only to casting. I've done it solo or as a tandem. While staying balanced might seem daunting, it's actually not especially if you're solo and are set up mid-boat. I find it much easier to cast and more comfortable to be standing up as I have more freedom to move. I also find that my casting is more accurate since my range of motion is not restricted. There is of course the benefit of keeping your core muscles engaged while doing this too. Win-win!!!
I highly recommend it if you've not tried it before.
| Equipment » Family of 4....what's your canoe/paddling set up? » 9/07/2018 6:54 am |
Thanks for the replies so far. The second tandem is a strong case and one that I can certainly justify more than an 18.5fter. Though, part of me is really curious about an 18.5fter and the advantage of keeping our family unit together. I do agree that it would only be a temporary solution (for maybe another 5-7yrs?) but that might just be long enough to justify owning one.
Ideally, we end up renting a SR Quetico 18.5ft to try out, which we might do if we can squeeze in another trip this Fall. I'll have to see which outfitters carry them as I don't think it's a popular boat in rental fleets.
| Equipment » Family of 4....what's your canoe/paddling set up? » 9/06/2018 7:15 am |
So our growing family (w two kids aged 3 and 9) is looking like we might need to upgrade our current set-up of just a single 16.5fter. For the past couple years, we've transitioned back to doing interior/backcountry trips with our kids and it's becoming obvious that we are outgrowing our old tandem set up with two kids and extra gear. This summer, we did a 10d trip in the park and we quickly learned that our current set up with our 16.5ft plus a solo pelican sit on top kayak is no longer enough.
We're at a crossroads now knowing that the inevitable of needing to get a 2nd boat is looming. I'm somewhat torn if it's possible to make do with an 18.5ft (ie Souris River Quetico) to keep our family in one canoe. I worry that with gear and food that even an 18.5fter won't be big enough for longer trips (5+days). Alternatively, we could just go straight into getting a 2nd canoe and split our kids. Cargo space would then not be an issue. Our friends with similarly aged kids have been paddling with two boats for the past couple of years and it's working great for them.
I'm curious if there are other young families that dealt with this before. I'd love to learn more about your tripping set up.
Thanks.
| Skills » Driving with a canoe on long trips » 6/01/2017 7:56 am |
Tonnes of great feedback. Just a couple things to add from how we do things.
- We use straps with a camlock. To avoid slippage, tie 2-3 overhand knots of the "free" end immediately around the camlock will prevent any slippage.
- To avoid buzzing, add several twists to the strap that goes over hull. This causes the airflow to go over the strap (ie more aerodynamic).
- For overnight security, we've always used robust cable bike locks that are then tied around the yoke/thwart and the crossbar of our roof-rack. More recently, we invested into lockable camlock straps with embedded steel cables. We got these since we started travelling more to the US for added security on other gear that's on our rack.
| Equipment » Hot tenting - pool in tent » 1/31/2017 11:01 am |
I highly recommend raising your stove. I incorporated legs into my DIY stove so I could raise it roughly 1.5ft off the ground (I did the same with another sheet metal stove that I built). I place a heat-shield on the ground and stack a few logs below the stove. This set-up is great for the following reasons:
- Significantly reduces melting the ground. You won't stop it 100% but def no issues of pooling. I usually need to repack new snow in the tent every other day depending how hard we work the stove.
- Lots of space below the stove to dry wood or keep things warm.
- Loading the stove is much more comfortable at this height.
- Best benefit of all, the radiant heat disperses at a much more useful/practical level.
As for around the stove, def consider using foil trays all around the stove (ie walls). 
| Trip Reports » pics from smugmug? » 9/07/2016 7:32 am |
anyone know how to share pics from smugmug? i tried writing up a repor with pics to share but the pics were not coming up.
| Trip Planning » 4d route suggestion w/ a 7yr old with a hike in option? » 8/04/2016 8:24 am |
I guess the route would dictate how many days we'd travel. I'm technically planning for 8d, 5d of "tripping" and 3d of "base-camping".
I was thinking that we could move around on days 1 to 4. By day 5, my daughter and I should be arriving and setting up at our base-camp site before picking up my wife and toddler. Our exit day should ideally be a very short paddle out.
My daughter and I can certainly lay over within the first 5d if the lake we're at is worth it.
Hope this helps.
| Trip Planning » 4d route suggestion w/ a 7yr old with a hike in option? » 8/04/2016 6:36 am |
Hi Everyone,
I'm looking for route suggestions for a trip that I'll be doing with my daughter during the 3rd week of Aug. While I'm a seasoned canoe-tripper, this trip is my first with my 7yr daughter without her mom (from a paddling standpoint, I'm effectively solo). It's also our first attempt at a non-base-camp interior trip, where I'd like to move to a different campsite each day so she can experience what a true canoe trip is like. She has been to the interior numerous times. In the past, we've only done half-day paddles/portaging to set up base-camp for 3-4days.
So far, I've thought of these options:
Kiosk access and explore Mink, Club, Mouse and Whitebirch lakes
Rain access and explore Sawyer, Jubilee and beyond?
Barron River access and explore Opalescent and Cork lakes
Ideally, and please feel free to recommend others, these are my requirements for our trip:
- Half day travel only. Lunch can be on the trail but I'd like for us to set up camp by mid-afternoon.
- Less than 1km portages since I'll be double carrying. I also don't want to overwhelm her with portaging. My plan is to only set her up with a couple of sub-10lb packs to carry.
- Excellent bass fishing. She enjoys fishing and loves to eat them as well. I'd like for us to have fish nearly every dinner.
- Possible hiking nearby
- Great swimming
- Interesting sites to explore. Well, as interesting as things can be for a 7yr old.
The only other consideration is that my wife and 1.5yr old are meeting us on day 5. While not necessary, I'm hoping for a route that can offer a hike-in option in case our toddler doesn't tolerate the long paddle or if the conditions are not ideal. From day 5 to day 7, I would expect us to just camp on the access lake or maybe another lake in to make our last travel day short.
Thanks in advance.
| Trip Reports » Three Days - Kioshkokwi, White Birch, Waterclear, Club, Mink » 8/04/2016 6:16 am |
Great post!!! Thanks for sharing. I think that despite the challenges you had, this trip is one for the books and can only make a positive impact in your son's life. I do agree with your timing comment and that late July can still be a frustrating time to be out due to bugs. With kids, we don't generally venture into the Algonquin interior until late Aug.
I'm actually looking to do this route in a few weeks. I'm hoping that you can chime in on my post.
| Fitness » Toronto Paddling Partner » 4/21/2016 8:40 am |
If you're ever venturing the Grimsby/Beamsville area, let me know and I'd be glad to join you/give you a tour. Lots of creek paddling here as well as the big O.
| Campsite Cooking » drops vs crystals - water flavouring » 4/21/2016 8:36 am |
Drops are far more convenient to use imo. Filter your water, add a few drops for flavouring and you're done. The containers that they come in are generally pretty robust and don't leak. If you are concerned about leakage, throw them in ziploc. With drink crystals, you need to worry about the packets staying dry and not damaging them during transport. Plus, the tiny packets are annoying to have to worry about when you have to discard them.
I do extensively use the individualized packets for sports, but that's because I'm using electrolye-based mixes.
As for what brands are best, it's hard to go wrong with any of them. There are so many out there. It's best to try out for yourself. Do know that flavouring mixes are not the same as the electrolyte-loaded mixes. The latter costs significantly more....
| Equipment » Kelly Kettle Basecamp » 4/14/2016 9:13 am |
Btw, shameless pimp here. If any of you are interested in a Kelly Kettle Trekker, I'd be willing to part with mine. It was great when we were just two but with a growing family, I find that I don't use it as much.
Open to all offers. I'm in the Niagara area but I am willing to ship.
1 of 1
