Offline
Two paddles, or not two paddles: that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to solo
With one paddle for weight saving fortunes
And potentially find yourself on a sea of troubles,
And by opposing redundancy? To die: to sleep;
No, more paddles; two, and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
One might have been heir to, ‘tis a consummation
of the thought. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
So that's the question. Taking a solo trip this week. I will cross the river David, which could potentially require some poling through in a spot or two. From there to Rosebary over a loooong carry. From there the mighty Tim River, fraught with beaver damnits (I'm going to count!). Then uphill to Queer, and out via Ralph Bice.
I have always carried an extra paddle on canoe trips, my previous two solos or any of the trips I've taken over the years, a little piece of mind but also a little pain in the backside. I'm wondering what anybody else does with this particular redundancy. I have never broken a paddle, but of course if you do the big snap, that's a pretty big deal. I broke a piece off the grip of a paddle on my first canoe trip, and then there was Dougie E. who, when we were scouts racing each other to our campsite, and somebody yelled out (just for fun), "Look! There's a naked woman on the beach!", Dougie dug down a extra hard on the next stroke, the boat surged incredibly, then the blade snapped right off his paddle, and came scooting out of the water past the bow of the canoe. It was hilarious. Even under like circumstances I'm pretty sure I could not do that to a paddle, but Dougie was a linebacker.
Of course, if everybody tells me "I never take a spare", and I snap my paddle, I'm blaming all of you for my misfortune.
Offline
The only time I've taken an extra paddle was my first solo trip, I brought a double-blade kayak paddle because I wasn't sure what paddling solo would be like once it got windy. Since then I've already just brought a single wooden paddle. I do consider myself a strong paddler though and I don't tire easily.
The two real concerns are breaking the paddle and having extremely strong winds. For the first, there's always the handy duct tape that I keep in my day pack. Obviously not a proper fix, but in that worst case scenario it should at least make it usable to get me back home, even if it takes twice as long. And for the winds, the only winds I find would hold me back would be the ones that could potentially roll the boat if I face them sideways, in which case I shouldn't be on the water regardless of my paddle. Either that or wait for the winds to calm, or stay close to shore, etc.
If I was planning on paddling Ope solo, then maybe I'd bring a double blade... but I've done lots of the larger lakes late in the afternoon with no issue.
After re-reading your post I just noticed you said you're going this week, and winds are definitely more threatening as it gets later in the season like now, so maybe bringing the double blade wouldn't be a terrible idea. Look at the wind forecasts... personally, if it's calling for anything 35km/h or above, on days that you'll be on large open water, probably worth taking a double blade. As of now the forecasts look pretty good though in terms of wind.
Offline
In hundreds of tripping days, group, tandem and solo, I have never tripped without a spare paddle. And I have needed that spare on two occasions. One time on a solo trip my brand new Bending Branches Explorer split in half vertically along the laminations. Another time on a tandem trip my dad stepped on his Grey Owl bent shaft paddle at a portage take out and snapped the blade off. The weight of a spare paddle is nothing compared to the pain in the ass if you don't have that spare paddle.
Offline
"The weight of a spare paddle is nothing compared to the pain in the ass if you don't have that spare paddle."
Martin, that really should be on a t-shirt.
Thread StarterOffline
I nearly always take a spare - even for short jaunts. One thing that helps me see value in it is that I take two paddles that are substantially different from one another and use them both. This way I don't feel like I'm carrying something fruitlessly, rather, I'm carrying an item of utility.
Offline
We never used to bring a spare. Then, one trip with 3 people in 1 tandem and one solo we had a spare because we had a double blade and a single blade for the solo boat. That was the trip where a misjudged toss of a log broke a paddle blade.
I think we used up all our paddle luck on that trip and now bring a spare.
Offline
Solo trips I have tried a few things but I think I have finally landed on what works for me.
2 paddles every time not only for a back up but also because I bring 2 very different types, just like PA states and I do use them both.
1- Double blade which I use for the bulk of my travel time. No they are not as enjoyable as a single blade but I just can't get passed the time savings and the ability to get further in faster..Don't think I will ever give it up now.
2- Single bent shaft. - For traveling when I'm not in much of a hurry, some day trips, narrow rivers etc and for fishing.
In terms of weight I keep it lower by using carbon paddles. Both paddles together weigh about 33 ozs.
Offline
Take 2. We have broken a paddle on a trip, in Paddle Snapping Swift heading into Wolf Lake on the Chiniguchi. I don't think that name shows up on the map yet, but I'm still hoping.
Safety is the first priority on any backcountry trip. It becomes an even higher priority when traveling solo. If you break a paddle in a convenient place, then you could always splice it with some sticks and rope/guylines/duct tape. Of course you aren't likely to break a paddle in a convenient place. It will far more likely be in a spot or fast water where you need to make the take out or in the middle of a bigger lake while paddling uphill into the wind. In either situation the question isn't how do you put together a makeshift paddle to get you home but rather how do you get to shore safely now that you;re left holding a bladeless paddle shaft and the blade is already too far out of reach to catch.
Offline
I have always brought one. Initially, I thought is was a requirement but have always continued to do so because on one of those early trips I snapped one using it as a yoke. Duct tape would not have helped. They can be easily fastened to the canoe if you find them a nuisance to carry and there are so many ways to break one (as illustrated by the previous comments) or lose one.
Offline
My vote is for the double blade paddle. No matter where it breaks you still have a paddle.
And make sure to eat your Wheaties on the day of the Tim to Queer portage!
Last edited by Treater (10/01/2018 1:04 pm)
Offline
I never carried an extra paddle. If I broke one then I could always paddle with my axe. Given a bit of time I could fashion a makeshift paddle using my axe. There are many things that could break and it is not always practical to bring spares. I would say its a judgement call on how critical a certain piece of equipment will be for the trip you are planning.
Offline
Thanks everybody for the responses. The kayak paddle solution is a good one, but one I don't have one, and two....I dunno, that's getting a little close to a kayak right there.
I'll be taking the extra paddle with me, as ever, but strapped in by bungee dealee bobs (my cool camping gear purchase this year). My first night, the low temp will be around 3 Celsius, and day two the high will be around 9. After that it "warms up". I'm going to have my hands full just maintaining warmth without trying to work out a makeshift paddle.
Treater - ugh. I'm worried about missing the turn on the 3400 from David to Rosebary, and I'm worried about getting across the creek on that carry. But every time I mention the 1400 from Tim to Queer, those who comment tell me the forecast calls for pain. It doesn't look like there will be many people around, so I should be able to swear and, more importantly, cry, as much as I want.
Thread StarterOffline
Breaking a paddle is likely rare, but we had another scenario almost unfold one spring. Windy evening, one of us dropped a paddle overboard in the process of landing a nice trout, which was OK, until the other one dropped over too, and in that wind they'd have disappeared fast. Luckily we grabbed the 2nd, and had no trouble tracking down the first. Sure I should have never left one across the gunnels, but trout can mess with your brain at times! I like the 2 different paddles idea for soloing, I now travel with a square blade and an otter tail, and often pick and choose accordingly.
Offline
I've never tripped solo without a spare paddle. I've dropped them overboard while fishing enough times to appreciate the back-up. I did recently overcome my fear of jinxing myself by tripping without my deluxe water-absorbing rescue-rope-in-a-throwbag which weighs at least 2 lbs. soaking wet, and it always gets wet. Of course the time when you finally give in and leave the thing behind will be precisely that trip where you'll need it...
Offline
solos wrote:
I never carried an extra paddle. If I broke one then I could always paddle with my axe.
Now, the axe you can leave at home, IMO. But we already did that thread!
Offline
People disrespecting the park is a sad reality that we have all seen. Perhaps the right mix of enforcement, education, and peer pressure will work together to reduce abuse in the future.
PS. Perhaps I can pole along with my tent poles if needed?
Last edited by solos (10/03/2018 2:11 pm)
Offline
I always bring a spare on my solos. I've never broken a paddle but I did once have a paddle get yanked out of my hands as I pushed off from shore and the blade got stuck between the rocks. Of course we had just portaged around some rapids and my paddle immediately shot back down the rapids. In that case I was traveling tandem and my friend paddled back to shore and we quickly carried the boat back over the portage and chased it down the stream. I couldn't imagine what I'd have done if that was the only paddle in the boat -- I probably would have been sucked back into the rapids myself.
1