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Paddling Articles by Kevin Callan

Kevin Callan is the author of several books and guides about canoeing and camping. The folks at paddling.net have a collection of his articles that will appeal to canoeist's and campers alike.

From "Storm Proofing Your Tent"

• First things first, you need a good tent. A three-season with minimum waterproof rating of 600 mm for the flysheet and 1000 mm for the floor.
• The more ventilation systems the tent has the better it will keep condensation out and your sleeping bag dry.
• Slab on generous amount of seam sealer on a new tent, prior to your trip.
• A tent's weakest link is the door's zipper. Position the tent door away from the prevailing winds to reduce the chance of water seepage.
• Place a plastic tarp inside on the tent floor, not outside. Having it outside will just help collect the water. When the water begins to soak through, and it eventually will, having the tarp inside guarantees a protective layer between your sleeping pad and the soggy tent floor.
• Nylon guy lines loosen when wet. Attach shock cord loops to each one. This will guarantee they keep taunt and absorb any stress placed on the tent fly when the gale force winds begin to howl.
• Sew on extra stake loops to the sides of the tent. Most tents only come with three of four; that's not enough to stop the fly from flapping in the wind.
• Tie two three foot lengths of parachute cord at the front and back of the tent, attached to the poles and not the fabric. Double stake each one.
• When packing up, stuff your tent into its storage bag rather then rolling it. Not only is it less harsh on the fabric, it also reduces the bulk in your pack.
• The moment you get home pitch the tent in your backyard to properly dry it out. The moment mold and mildew set in, your tent will never hold up against wind and rain again.

Kevin Callan's books at Amazon

Canoe Paddling - Canadian Style

No Canoe Can Hold Me

Had a fantastic week canoeing in Canada last month. I had to laugh when I saw this article in The Onion. Thankfully Dennis wasn't with us.

No Canoe Can Hold Me
By Dennis Puttkamer

The Onion March 29, 2006 | Issue 42•13        

Care to take a relaxing, uneventful canoe trip down the lazy river, the sights and sounds of nature soothing you? Want the warm midday sun to bronze your shoulders as you calmly drift across the water?

Well, you'd better call someone else to join you. Because when Dennis Puttkamer steps into a canoe, there's going to be trouble.

They have yet to build a canoe that can contain Dennis Puttkamer, Canoe Tipper Extraordinaire. No matter the brand or make—Grumman Double-Ender, Michi-Craft T-17, Pelican Dare Devil—give me enough time, and I'll find a way out of it. Whether I'm recklessly standing up to scout for potential dangers ahead, or throwing all my weight unexpectedly over to one side after seeing what I believe to be a beaver, I will upset the canoe's delicate balance.

Not even the Alcatraz of canoes, the impregnable Old Town, can hold me within. I am a modern-day Harry Houdini when it comes to canoes.

For instance, I've been known to decide, mid-voyage, that I'm feeling a little "seasick," and need, urgently, to switch places in the canoe. Using my patented "Not- Thinking-Things-Through" technique, I will then begin stumbling toward the bow before you have a chance to react, toppling us both into the freezing river water below. You won't know what hit you, although if past experience is any indication, it will probably be my paddle.

Critical Judgement II

CRITICAL JUDGMENT II Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities from The American Canoe Association is an analysis of the 500 plus fatal canoe and kayak accidents reported to the United States Coast Guard between 1996 and 2002:

Among fatalities who had been paddling canoes at the time of death, 85% were not wearing a PFD. The odds that individuals who were paddling kayaks when they died were wearing a properly worn PFD was over six times that of their counterparts in canoes. However, nearly half of the fatalities among kayaks were also not wearing PFDs.

Approximately 50 % of victims categorized as canoeing and kayaking fatalities were fishing when the accident occurred.
Approximately 40% of canoeing fatalities for which information is available were in aluminum canoes at the time of the accident.

While the conclusions of the study are not all that surprising they confirm that common sense instruction is the best antidote to accidents in canoes or kayaks. Anyone leading canoe trips will benefit from reading this report.

CRITICAL JUDGMENT II PDF file

Tundra Tarps

Normal camping tarps have some weaknesses; grommets may tear out in heavy wind, there are never enough points to tie onto and while most people use a center pole to hold the tarp up it typically falls down when the wind picks up.

Cooke Custom Sewing's Tundra Tarps solve these problems and incorporate several other valuable improvements in coated 1.9 oz. nylon or 1.1 oz (a 10x14' tarp weighs 24 ounces) silconized nylon-

•     Nylon tape tie loops every two feet or so along the edges and center seams
•     An ingenious method of securing the center pole.
•     Pockets in each corner for tie down lines.
•     Four or six (!) different colors of cloth so he tarps are visible from miles across a lake.

Cooke also makes canoe packs, canoe accessories and some traditional shelters from extraordinarily lightweight cloth.

Related Posts
Sil-Nylon Tarp
Philmont Dining Fly
Rigging Tarps

Wanigans

Wanigan is an Ojibwa term for storage pit that became associated with a box carried in a canoe that usually holds kitchen gear. I use a three gallon plastic bucket that fits nicely in a portage pack. A set of pots, utensils, cleaning supplies, and sundry cooking gear nests inside. The bucket serves as a handy way to haul water, wash dishes and makes a decent seat around the fire.

There are many adaptations, both homemade and manufactured:

LL Bean York Pack is a multipurpose dry box used by guides and outfiters.

Kitchen Kit

Wanigan

Plastic Wanigan

Build a wanigan

Algonquin Outfitters

For the past two years I have led a group of Venture Scouts for a week of canoeing in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario Canada. For both trips we used services provided by Algonquin Outfitters in nearby Brent.
The folks at Algonquin provide equipment, advice and great Swift canoes at a very reasonable price. Algonquin Outfitters staff was well informed and helpful making every possible accommodation for our needs.

Our total individual costs (including outfitting, transportation, and incidentals) equaled what we would have paid on the ground once we arrived at a BSA high adventure base.

Algonquin Outfitters

Photo Diary of this year's trip

Make a Canoe Paddle

I actually made a canoe paddle, and plan on making some more. My new paddle served me admirably on an extended trip. This is as complete a treatment of the subject as one could hope to find. Making a paddle is a reasonably complex process but the authors explain every step with well-illustrated clarity.

Making Canoe Paddles at Amazon

Expedition Canoeing

Anyone planning a canoe trip of a few days or a few weeks will benefit from studying the advice given in this book. As a person who has spent some time in the wilderness I appreciate Jacobson's careful treatment of the subject: he offers solid, tested techniques and then points out the many ways things could go wrong. He uses stories form his considerable experience to illustrate how important it is to plan carefully, not to compound mistakes and thereby opens up the possibilities of canoeing in some incredibly wonderful places.

There is a section devoted to accounts of expeditions by different authors that serve to inspire and inform planning. A very engaging and thorough book, the premier one on the subject.

Expedition Canoeing at Amazon