kayakbrooklyn

Amazon Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:10:00 +0000

I haven't posted in a long time and I have to post off topic, but this is just too important.

A while back I was comparing products on the web and came across a product on Amazon that you wouldn't think would receive a review, but sure enough it did and what a review.

I looked up the reviewers profile and found that he had a lot of other reviews. His earlier reviews were more serious, but most were a fun read.

He reviews items like "Snickers" bars, Wite-out, Crocks, toy swords, ...

His profile on Amazon:
Gr33n4blu3 "La leche se arde."

Exped Wallcreeper 2006

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:26:00 +0000

Expedition Paddle Gear Review - Exped Wallcreeper 200623^oF, Goose Down 90/10 700 fill spring/fall sleeping bag

Picture courtesy Exped

Most camping paddlers tend to avoid down sleeping bags because of the tendency of down to absorb water and paddling tends to be a wet activity. Down looses it's insulation properties when it gets wet. I have experienced my own horror of a wet down sleeping bag and have heard many others as well.

Synthetic sleeping bags don't absorb much water and when damp, they still provide some insulation and dry faster than down.

The problem with synthetic bags is they take up more than twice as much space in the kayak hatch, too much space to consider anything warmer than a 45 degree F USA rated summer bag on a long expedition.

I had always been a big fan of the concept of the down bags with waterproof breathable shells, like the Exped WB series that I had mentioned in an earlier post.
The problem is, these waterproof breathable down bags are out of my price range and often don't breath well so condensation can be a problem. Besides, how waterproof does your sleeping bag need to be when used in a tent? You just need a bag that repels any water that should happen to splash on it in extremely wet conditions. A well designed tent should keep the splash to a minimum.

After spending a couple of cold autumn and spring nights in my summer synthetic sleeping bag, I decided that I had to save up and get something warmer that would not take up much room in a kayak hatch.

One bag that caught my attention was the Exped Wallcreeper series. This design seems about perfect for me and the type camping I do, in particular the 23 degree 700 goose down version should cover me for all the three season camping that I do.

Most people think the design gimmicky, weird looking and a bit silly. I think it is a great multi-use design and I found a place that had the 2006 models on sale so I snapped one up at a very good price:
http://www.moontrail.com

This place is a good source for quality camping gear as they are are a no-hype company and publish their own honest reviews and details of the gear they sell. They carry good gear for serious outdoors people.

What this Wallcreeper apart from other sleeping bags:
1) Water Blocking breathable Pertex Quantum shell - Pertex Quantum is not as waterproof as Gortex, EVent or other waterproof breathable materials, but is more breathable, so helps keep condensation from reducing the insulation factor. It is also soft, very light, durable, airs out better and should be more comfortable in warmer weather.
Pertex Quantum is a popular material for top of the line ultralight sleeping bags, sports windshirts and jackets. It is highly breathable, light weight and repels a light rain.

2) Converts into a rectangular comforter - Means you only need to carry one bag for two people in the summer and sometimes a comforter is all a solo paddler needs.

3) Converts into a warm sleeveless jacket/vest with hood and hand warmer pockets - This means that you don't have to get out of your sleeping bag when you leave the tent for a pee or on cold mornings to make breakfast.
It's also a warm addition on cold nights before you go to bed. Reduces pack size by substituting as a thick down hooded vest when needed.

4) The big storage bag that it comes with is made of light no-see-em mesh - use the storage bag as a bug shelter with or without a tarp, when you really want to cut down on your weight and don't need a tent.

5) It has very good/warm draft tubes and hood. Keeps cold out very well on the neck, sleeve zippers and head. No drafts and that is important when the temperature drops.
Some have complained that there is a slight draft at the foot opening, but I find no issue when the foot opening is tied properly.

My short term tests

I consider it warm down to 30 degrees F, (-1 degree C), warm enough for most three season trips.
On a very windy low 20's night I started to feel a bit cold, but not shivering, but I woke up a few times. I am sort of a warm sleeper. I would compare it to a good USA 30 degree F rating.

I don't do much winter camping, but when I camped in my secret NYC camping spot in December, I combined it with another bag. I used it layered with a light and inexpensive down hood-less Campmor sleeping bag. This allowed me to sleep warm to below 20 degrees F and I'm sure would have been fine down to 0 degree F or lower.

I'm sure the newer model Wallcreepers are even better in some ways, but probably more expensive.

Rolling a Kayak

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:38:00 +0000

Photo By Tom Klinger

It is pool kayak rolling session time so I thought I'd post a link to some rolling hints that I have gathered. I keep them in google docs format so I can change them and add more as time goes on:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddngx6wc_33fbzfswgc

Custom Made Paddle Gear in the US

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:34:00 +0000

For those that have considered a tuilik or akuilisaq, but have been put off by one thing or another, check out the new kid on the block:
Bug Head Tuiliks

Custom made gear to fit your requirements and size.

As an example, I never liked the tunnel on modern style sprayskirts, they restrict movement and rotation. But, I don't like the way an akuilisaq can implode when launching in surf.

So Bug Head made me an akuilisaq with a modern hard gripping bottom casing, the best of both worlds. It is very well made and more comfy than a sprayskirt.

They also have lighter neoprene tuiliks. Easier to paddle with as you don't have so much weight on your arms and you can hear much better with the hood on than a 3mm Brooks.

They make other items, some you may have not thought of before or some you may have wished somebody made.

Flushing Pool

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Sebago Canoe Club's Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center Pool Sessions
Dec 2008 to April 2009

Photo by Bonnie Aldinger

Sebago Canoe Club will be sponsoring kayak pool sessions again this year
at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center.

They will take place every Sunday from Noon to 2:00PM starting on
December 7th and continuing until the last Sunday in April.

It is open to all paddlers, Sebago CC membership is not required.
This is for ALL skill levels, including beginners.
It is for people who would like to practice kayak and possibly canoe
skills. There will be skilled paddlers to help you work on what ever you
like or work on nothing at all.

You do not have to own a kayak nor have any experience.

We will bring as many kayaks as we can car-top and we will all take
turns. There will mostly be sea kayaks, but white water and
others can be brought as well.

We'll be practicing beginner to advanced skills and/or just have fun
messin' around in boats.

RSVP IS REQUIRED, preferably by email, at the bottom of this page. The earlier the better, we do have a limit.
Also, please notify me if you will be canceling.

The cost is $20 per person. No cost if you just want to watch.

There is an additional ACA insurance fee for those that aren't already ACA members.
Seabgo members are already ACA members.
The ACA is allowing a one time $10 introductory membership good for all ACA activities for the next 6 months. Or you can just pay an individual
fee of $4 for a single event participation.

We'll be washing the boats out thoroughly before they get in the pool. A
hose will be provided.

For those meeting at the Sebago Canoe Club to load boats and car pool,
we will meet at at 10:00 AM. Others meet at the rear of the pool before 11:30AM to help move/prep boats and get ready for our time slot.

Please be on time as it takes away from other peoples pool time if your late.

*Changes this year*

Swim caps will be worn by all this year. There will probably be loaners available courtesy of Phil Giller.

We will usually be limited to 12 people per session and will only have 6 boats in the pool at one time.
So we will all be taking turns.
The diving pool will not be available on most days this year.

Info about the pool:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/parks/flushing_meadows_corona_park_pool_rink.html

For pictures from the first pool session, check out Bonnie's post on the Sebago CC blog:
http://sebagocanoeclub.blogspot.com/2008/03/inaugural-rolling-session-in-queens.html

Directions. Be aware that we enter from the rear:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/parks/flushing_meadows_corona_park_pool_directions.html

A map can be found at this link:
http://brooklynkayak.com/flushingpool/Areal_map.htm

Thanks to Dorothy Lewandowski for this opportunity.

stevie --at-- brooklynkayak.com
(Replace the " --at-- " with "@"

917 496 1523 (If email is not an option)

Anticosti Circumnavigation by Sea Kayak

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Photo by Hugues Simard

Anticosti Circumnavigation by Sea Kayak July-August 2009

An attempt to circumnavigate Anticosti Island by sea kayak.

The Island of Anticosti, situated in the entrance of the N.W. arm of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is approximately 350 miles in circumference. It is sparsely populated, only one town and only dirt and gravel roads. There are several outposts, some with supplies and telephone service.

There is a high concentration of white tailed deer, seals, mosquitoes, black flies, bees and whales, probably ticks, but no bears.

It has a beautiful coastline, lots of fresh water streams to collect water from and lots of dead wood to cook with.

The coastline can be quite shallow with extended reefs, requiring camps to be set up at high tide and paddling a good distance from shore in many places. Anticosti is famous for it's shipwrecks and even sea kayaks get damaged on the reefs.

For more info follow this link:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhpnp2cp_200dw9nzfc7

It will be updated from time to time.

My first post on the Long Island Circumnavigation

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:10:00 +0000

Just a quick video post form the "Slowest Kayak Circumnavigation of Long Island, NY".

Ilene, a BCU *4 paddler, gets distracted by what she thinks is another paddler about to go over the top of her. While she is trying to avoid the collision she gets creamed in the dumping surf. Pete in the meantime seems to make an effortless landing.

This video is probably only interesting to the participants and their friends:-)

Another Gear Review

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:56:00 +0000

Kayak camera mount parts

I'm throwing a few short reviews together:

1) Sanyo Xacti waterprood video camera
2 Stickypod camera mount
3) Stohlquist bPod drysuit

Sanyo Xacti Waterproof Video Camcorder
http://us.sanyo.com/entertainment/cameracorder/index.cfm?productID=1625

Small convenient, durable, takes high res photos and home video camcorder quality video.

Likes - Waterproof, durable, 5x optical lens allows you to shoot things farther away than other waterproof cameras. It fits in a PFD/BA/life preserver pocket.

Dislikes - No optical viewfinder, only the LCD screen which can't be viewed in bright light. I found that you can use the top of the camera as a guide for centering the image properly if the LCD is not an option.
The photo shutter button is an a position that makes the camera jump when being pressed causing blurred images. There is a 2 second delay option that helps overcome this.

SrickyPod Camera Mount
http://www.stickypod.com/

I started with the four suction cup version as I though tI'd need the extra security. It ended up being too big for the narrow bow of a kayak so I ended up just using one suction cup, extension and knuckle. It works great and stays put all day long. The safety strap assures that if I do get wrecked in the surf I will still ba able to retrieve my camera.

Stohlquist bPod Drysuit
http://www.stohlquist.com/dyn_prod.php?k=&p=STO56501

I got mine for approx. $100 US less than list price. No other drysuit has the features this has for the price.

Likes - Neck gasket is the most comfortable made. Many people believe that it isn't as waterproof as the standard latex neck gasket. I found it to be just as waterproof. I tested extensively. I did a lot rolling and balance braces and stayed dry inside.
The tunnel helps keep water from leaking past the top of your sprayskirt. This is a really great feature. My previous drysuit didn't have this and I had to pump water a lot in surf and rolling sessions.

The relief zipper is nice.

No dislikes yet.

Below is a video of me doing some tests of the drysuit. I was using the Xacti
camera with the Stickypod mount.
Note, the water wasn't really so cold that I had to wear the scuba hood, but it allows me to do a lot more rolling before vertigo sets in. I tend to get vertigo if I do a lot of rolling in cool water. I rolled without it the first day and only lasted about 20 minutes before I started spinning.
The nose plugs aren't necessary either and I usually try to roll a few times each day without, but if I roll a lot in fresh water, it really starts to irritate the sinuses.

I did about 8 rolling sessions of approx 30 minutes each over two weekends. Enough to show that the neck gasket works well.

The Perfect Paddler Stove, Stand, Windscreen Combination

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:31:00 +0000

I think I have come up with a device that is perfect for expedition paddlers. Even backpackers and other campers may appreciate it.
It is an inexpensive, compact and reliable stove, windscreen and stand combination.

For the details go to my picasa site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/brooklynkayak/UltimateCompactStoveWindscreenPotStandCombination?authkey=N4jLUbkxvJU#

Outdoor Gear Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:57:00 +0000

I stumbled across this outdoor gear review blog that has a sense of humour.
If you want to laugh about real cutting edge outdoor gear, check it out

http://thegoat.backcountry.com/

To Trim Or Not To Trim part #3

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:58:00 +0000

Pictures of people paddling are pretty boring to non-paddlers. Pictures of boat repair/modifications are even more boring.

Some of us enjoy posts about boat mods, so here is part #3 of my modification to a Nordkapp HM, 1980's era.

The unmodified Nordkapp HM hull

And after my first trim job

A pencil line marks where the keel will be trimmed

And the piece that gets cut off. I only had an inch measure handy.

I did all work with a rotary(Dremmel style) tool.
This is the first stage. I will paddle it for a while to get a feel for how it handles and then trim more.

Read part #1 and part #2 to see why.

One thing I found surprising is the fact that I did not touch any resin/fiberglass. This part of the hull is pure gelcoat and it is pretty strong, I know, I've run against my share of rocks.

I also added some closed cell foam in the thigh/knee area. There wasn too much space, making it harder to control and rolling/bracing more difficult and painful.

I will be testing these mods out over the next few weeks and post comments.

Thousand Islands Trip Report

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:57:00 +0000

I put together a quick trip report of the Thousand Islands Expedition.

http://picasaweb.google.com/brooklynkayak/ThousandIslands2008

Concert Review?

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:52:00 +0000

OK, I haven't posted anything in a while, it's been a busy summer.

Adele and I took a little trip out to Utah and Nevada to visit family and friends.
We did some amazing camping and had many scenic drives.

We spent a lot of time in Draper, UT where my parents live.
When I lived in Salt Lake City, Draper was a little farm town, rural with 95% farm land. Now it is mostly sprawling suburbs. It is located in the foothills of the Salt Lake Valley and has a nice view of mountains and valley.

The town was able to raise enough money to put on a concert starring Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits as well as other bands at the local park so we thought it would be fun to check it out.

I had many 7" vinyl Herman's Hermits records as a child so I thought it would be interesting.

Well the show turned out to be much better than we'd expected. It was very entertaining.
Peter was constantly making fun of Draper, other 60's artists and Herman's Hermits. They played most, if not all of their hits, played them very well and changed the words around on some to add to the entertainment factor.

They also did some funny covers such as "Draper Prison Blues"(Folsom Prison Blues) for the prison that resides on the outskirts of Draper and even did a short version of "Vacant" by the "Sex Pistols", among other funny parodies.

One of the many funny moments for me was when Peter was talking about how when he was little, his mother's favorite band was the Monkeys and they were a big influence on him. Then the band would break off and do a Monkeys song.
This joke would only be funny to the older generation who knew that the Monkeys were kind of a stupid television kids show heavily influenced by "Herman's Hermits".

While at the concert, we were trying out a new waterproof video camera that we recently purchased. Adele was walking up to get closer to the stage while they were starting the "Draper Prison Blues" parody/song and she just happened to turn the camera on and by a weird coincidence got this on video. It is unedited and is in Quicktime format:

They have a good web site:
http://www.peternoone.com/

Every paddlers dream

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:28:00 +0000

I know we all dream of kicking the sh*t out of a group of 5 year olds.
Well there is a site that helps you find out how many you could take on.

Maybe some day:-)

31

Created by OnePlusYou

Tuilit, Tuilit, Everywhere Tuilit

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:53:00 +0000

A picture of me in a Tuilik doing a balance brace(Taking a nap on the water)

It's hard to post in the summertime as most of my time is either spent at work or paddling.

I wanted to post some of my pictures of the Hudson River Greenland Festival.

We actually took a lot of video and I am sending it all to Jack so he can edit it into a movie.

For more info check out Bonnie's blog.

My photo link

And here some more photo links:

http://community.webshots.com/album/563963707xrAxxT
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=14811214912339261/l=382417207/g=79921015/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
http://www.flickr.com/photos/findkam/sets/72157605958773220/

Here's some Tuilik(Tuilit) shots:

Alan getting ready to do some rolling

Steve being helped by Jack with Turner in the foreground

Tuilit at rest

Suiting up

To Trim or Not to Trim Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:38:00 +0000

If you read Part one, you'll know I'm looking for opinions about trimming the stern skeg on a Nordkapp HM.
René Van Der Zwan returned his opinions and included pictures. See one above.

It looks like about the same amount I was thinking about. He feels it is a good compromise.

Any more opinions before I start hacking?

To Trim Or Not To Trim

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:56:00 +0000

I recently acquired a Nordkapp HM. I love almost everything about this boat, ocean cockpit, narrow roundish hull and fast.

The only thing I don't like is the way the hull has this little skeg thing at the stern. It was added to the HM model to reduce the weathercocking and make it go straight. The thing is, it reduces it's maneuverability and can leecock in some conditions. I feel that I can deal with the weathercocking and would really like a more maneuverable kayak.

The question is, should I trim it down to more like the HS model and how much?

René of http://www.zeekajaks.info/blog/r_weblog.php
Has one that was trimmed down. I emailed him for opinions.

What's yours?

My Future Camera

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:24:00 +0000

I currently don't have a decent waterproof camera, but have been saving up.
I've been shopping for a long time and have decided on a SANYO Xacti E1 camcorder.

This is not a popular camera for paddlers and in fact I don't know any paddlers that own one.

This is primarily a Camcorder that takes high res snapshots as opposed to a camera that takes videos.

The thing I don't like about the common cameras that paddlers use, is that they are limited to a 3X zoom. This is not good enough for about 90% of the shots you would take while sitting in a kayak.
The Xacti has a 5X zoom, which is an improvement.

I will tend to take a lot more video than most paddlers. This should help in coaching. It could be fun putting together video magazines of skills as well as travel flicks.

I have seen some picture and videos that people have taken with this camera and the quality, though not pro, is good enough for what I need.

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:01:00 +0000

I Failed my Roll

A few of us were having a kayak Wrigle Game (also known as the Wiggle Game or English Gates) competition on Saturday. It incorporates a lot of boat control skills and if you repeat it and do it fast, it can really wear you out. We were doing the version incorporating rolls into the maneuvers. I was on my third or fourth set when on the last roll before the finish, I developed the mother of all leg cramps. Not just the "ouch that hurts" kind of cramp, but the "please shoot me now" kind, and right in middle of the roll. The roll failed so I'm hanging upside down trying to roll, but each attempt increased and spread the pain. I tried to lay on my back and side scull up, but the cramp wouldn't allow me to rotate. I eventually gave up on rolling and popped the skirt and slowly scooted out of the cockpit. Even that was very painful. I am one of these people who believes a wet exit is not an option and here I am bobbing next my boat in that cold water trying to figure out what I was going to do next. The leg cramp wasn't going to let me re-enter and roll so I attempted to do a scramble recover. That proved to be impossible. The cramp got in the way of that as well. In the end I had to ask one of the other paddlers to stabilise my boat while I crawl back in without using my legs. It was a humbling experience and brought home the need to always have paddling partners. Cramps like this are quite common with paddlers, but they go away after a while and wouldn't be considered a dangerous situation if I had been alone. Bu there are common paddle injuries that don't go away so easy. Shoulder dislocation are common paddle injury and I've experienced a few myself. I always had a paddle partner and getting to shore or back in the boat wasn't an issue. But a dislocated shoulder while on a solo expedition could be fatal. One thing,even if you can get back in the cockpit, the injured arm is of no use, even if you were able to reset it, the arm is useless for several days after the injury. How are you going to battle wind and waves with only one working arm. I have personally reset my own shoulder within a few seconds of dislocating it, using the surfers technique, but found it impossible to get back in the boat after without help. A one armed re-enter and roll would work, but pumping out a boat full of water in conditions with one arm would have been futile. One scenario: Say you had to paddle a mile from shore to avoid a reef, and get caught off guard by a rogue wave. Being that you were caught off guard your paddle was not in a good position for bracing and you dislocate your shoulder trying. Rolling is very difficult with a dislocated arm and scrambling is almost impossible.So now you are a mile from shore and the wind is carrying you out to sea. If you are in a remote area, your VHF will probably be out of range because you are so low in the water. So you set off your EPIRB. Now you could be in the water for several hours. Do you have enough insulation under that drysuit to keep you alive until help arrives. What if your drysuit has a very slow leak somewhere, a leak that normally wouldn't be a problem, accept now. Maybe it was too warm for a drysuit and the water is warm enough for a half hour swim, but not for the hours it can take for for the search team to find you. Anyway, you get the idea. The book "Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble" is a must read for all paddlers.

New Swag and Open House

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:57:00 +0000

Sebago Canoe Club here in Brooklyn will be having an open house on May 24th. If you can be in Brooklyn that weekend, stop on by.

We also have some new and excellent swag, good quality rash guards and hats. I tried on some of the rash guards last weekend and it is good stuff and at a good price.

The money from sales and collected from the Anniversary Splash will be used to go toward replacing the old dock that doesn't have many more years left on it.

For info about the club go to Sebago Canoe Club

For info about the merchandise click here

To download the open house flyer click here

Thousand Islands

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:26:00 +0000

Some of us are spending ten days paddling the Thousand Island area.
A few will do the 100 Mile length stopping and camping on various islands along the way.

> Click here for details <

On GORP

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:24:00 +0000

Bonnie, Marcus and I have had a few discussions about sports nutrition when it comes to long distance paddling.

GORP, as Bonnie pointed out stands for "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts".

Most sports nutritionists say to stay away from simple sugars when active.
I guess the theory is that complex carbs can sustain your energy level longer and more evenly.

Most GORP recipes I've seen include lots of dry fruit, M&Ms and other things high in simple sugars.

So maybe reduce the dried fruit/candy and replace with grain or potato products.

Here's some modern GORP recipes to try. Less simple sugar and more complex carbs:

1) Cornbread and Cheese - Overcook or dry cornbread(biscuits and breads will do as well). Crumble and combine with sliced Parmesan or other dried cheese. Some dried scallions or chives, cranberries and chili powder for flavor.

2) Cold sesame noodles - Leftover from the Chinese fast food or make your own variation.

3) Broken up crackers and mixed nuts, chunked hard salami and/or beef jerky.

4) Oatmeal with nuts, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin seeds.

5) Peanut butter sandwich with a tiny bit of jam or dried fruit.

... You come up with your own. If it tastes too sweet it probably isn't good for a long paddle.

Photo leeched form answers.com "http://www.answers.com/topic/gorp-jpg-1"

Hori-Hori

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Most North American campers travel with a combination of a Hatchet and Trowel. The hatchet cuts wood and hammers in tent pegs among other things. The trowel for digging duties.

In most other areas of the world, variations of the Machete provides both functions. I'll probably go the Machete route on my next expedition as I find it the more versatile.

A lighter smaller option could be the Hori-Hori (Japanese for dig-dig). It is a gardener's tool that excels at digging and cutting. It has one sharp edge for cutting/splitting and one serrated edge for sawing. It has a concave shape, perfect for digging. Seems that this would be a good flexible tool for campers that don't want the weight of a machete or hatchet Although it wouldn't be so good at chopping, it could save a lot of weight and space. You can usually find fuel without doing much chopping in most places. Use the hori-hori for splitting, whittling, sawing and digging. It is a little less than half the size and weight of a Machete. About the size of a Bowie Knife

Make sure you remember to pack a sharpening stone and sharpen your tools regularly. Maybe a two sided one with coarse and medium side. You can use a leather belt for fine sharpening your cook knife.

Sharpen your tools before you go camping. Dull tools are aggravating and can be dangerous.
Note, cheap knifes, hatchets and axes can perform as good as the expensive ones if you take the time to do a proper sharpening and sharpen them regularly. One of my favorite fillet knives was created by grinding and sharpening a broken hacksaw blade and adding a wood block handle. I sharpened it regularly and I could shave with it.

Pasta as camp food

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:05:00 +0000

Pasta is a very good source of carbohydrates. Where many consider rice or flour their main source of carbs for an extended trip, I'm thinking angel hair pasta.
I'm considering bringing at least 1/3 of my carbohydrates in the form of pasta.

Straight, solid pastas, like spaghetti, linguine, angel hair and the various Asian types, pack more carbs into a smaller area than rice or flour.

Pasta can be used a lot without getting boring.

Angel hair pasta cooks faster than rice so is good food when there is a shortage of fuel or time to cook. Pack a variety, whole grain, spinach, rice flour, buckwheat, ...

Some examples:

1) A simple linguine with garlic, oil and parmesan for quick lunch.

2) Spaghetti, tomato sauce, meat and/or cheese, garlic, oregano, ...

3) Angel hair pasta makes a great breakfast cereal. Boiled until mushy, add dried fruit and nuts. Similar to Bulgar in flavor.

4) Any cooked pasta combined with peanut butter, chives or onions, chili and sesame seeds make a great cold sesame noodle snack.

5) Add pasta to soups and stews.

6) Stir fry angle hair or Asian noodles with a variety of meat, vegetables, egg, shrimp, coconut, curry powder, ... For a Chinese, Singapore or Thai style noodle dish.

7) Mix reconstituted vegetables, with pasta, garlic and olive oil to go with fresh caught fish or other meat.

8) Combined with lentils and cheese for camp chili mac.

9) Linguine, with dried ham, onion and/or other vegetables in a béchamel (white) sauce

Prescription Bottle as Expedition Container

noreply@blogger.com (kayakbrooklyn) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:23:00 +0000

I have gathered lots of prescription bottles over the years. Most of these are watertight and have the childproof feature.

The problem with most small containers is that screw-on lids (like the containers you get from camping supply stores) can come partially unscrewed or snap on lids (like film canisters) can pop off, if they get jostled around too much from packing and unpacking in tight quarters.

If you use childproof prescription containers, this won't happen.
Great for those small quantity items like spices, baking powder, matches, medicine, ...

They are usually easy to get for free. If you don't have enough, ask your friends and family. Almost everyone has one or two that they would probably like to get rid of.