great_blue

Along the same lines as a knee tube; have you considered an under-deck bag? Perhaps less storage space than above-deck, but less clutter? Jon

Hold the phone! This baby solves both my problems; I can lash it to my waist so it can serve as the ultimate pfd in terms of buoyancy and comfort, AND it's massive storage can hold all my, uh, beverages for lunch breaks. Jon

I vaguely remember a discussion (on p.net?) about this subject a while ago that generally discredited this "rule" and also showed that there were a number of different interpretations of what the "50's" stood for. One that sticks in my mind was "50 year old". Jon

I've got some: It appears that the Valley logo on the foredeck is reversed in the larger photos. Jon

Excellent news! Congratulations and good luck! Jon

Ain't that the truth! Jon

Joe, I actually own this camera, having the great fortune of receiving it for Father's Day. I've only taken a few token shots and keep forgetting to take it with me on the water, but it seems pretty straight forward, so far. I haven't owned a camera for a while, and my experience is pretty limited to SLR's and compact film cameras, so it'll be a while before I'm really up to speed on the digital features. Jon

I was too cheap to buy the MSR and bought a Kelty Noah's Tarp (the 12, I think?) a few years ago and have used it a couple of times car camping. It seems fairly well made and with many tie-down loops has several pitch options. I believe there 3 or 4 sizes, as well. I've used the 2 pole setup which was OK in lighter winds. The one drawback , as Scott said, is the "droop" in the ridgeline, which makes standing under it difficult but very useful over a picnic table. Jon

I've seen it done a couple of times but never tried it...maybe this is the year! Jon

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience hauling both a canoe and a kayak, and can offer some advice for a friend. He has a 3' X 17' canoe and a squamish (plastic kayak) he wants to put on a minivan. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Jon

I might also suggest watching an instructional video; specifically, The Kayak Roll. I found watching it several times before, and after learning to roll, was helpful in refining my technique. It is nauseatingly detail-laden and repetitious, but it really works. Jon

Oh behave! [sorry, I couldn't resist] Jon

I think you're right about the compromise of the thermoformed boats, and in some ways it's the best of both roto and composite. All are not equal however, although I only know of some early perception boats that had problems. I have an Eddyline nighthawk and it served me well, in the past. I believe Eddyline has made thermoform type kayaks the longest(?) and although their designs may take some getting used to, I think their boats are regarded as pretty solid. The hulls can also be repaired, if damaged, like a composite boat. I hope this helps. Jon

Jason, I think I smell a road trip! http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp?FO...D=1242912815418 Whaddaya say? I'll be your guide to the thrilling world of poutine and biere! Jon

In terms of the effects of hypothermia and it's ability to debilitate rational thought, check out the recent CG report from the survivor of the capsize of the football players' boat in Florida. nbc news story Throwing punches, "seeing" land, taking off PFD's and swimming away.... Certainly an extreme case, but this seems to illustrate the difficulty a potentially hypothermic kayaker might have in deciding what choices to make out at sea. Jon p.S. Hope my link works this time.