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brambor

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Posts posted by brambor

  1. I generally tend to gravitate towards warmer bag. Manufacturers temp recommendations are usually somewhat optimistic.

    If I wanted only 1 bag and didn't plan to do winter camping then I would go with a 20 degree bag. After all, if a bag is too hot then it can be unzipped partially or completely and used as a blanket. Camping in Maine the temperatures can plunge quite low even during summer months.

    ...but I am an old, decrepit hermit and over time I accumulated a number of sleeping bags so I probably have a bag for every season + more weird stuff like top quilts and a bag for 2... :-)

  2. Well, by definition there is need for cotton for the days when the temperatures are too hot. Right?

    And in between too hot and cold is normal. Normal means you can wear cotton and you won't die. Normal means if your cotton garment gets wet or damp then the sun and your body heat will dry it out.

    Once we realize cotton won't kill us we should also focus on how cotton functions on our body during various activities. Lounging around the camp, or casually walking around in cotton tshirt is totally fine. Paddling with a cotton tshirt on might be detrimental as the wet cotton clings to the body and could induce skin wear in most frequented folds.

    Let's talk about benefits of cotton: around a campfire, cotton is much more spark resistant than synthetic garments.

    And what about those pesky Northerners waxing their cotton garments to make them water resistant? :-) They must be onto something.

    And what about those hardy Canadians using Cotton Anoraks camping in temperatures much colder than what we usually get to ?

  3. aww crap. Peter had a new boat and I did not say anything :-) To my defense I've seen him in several boats over time and thought it was just one of those ;-) Here are some additional pictures that might paint our trip:

    Our (Cath, Bob, Chip and I) launch from Cousins Island went without a hitch and soonafter we had a nice break on Bangs Island

    17655952390_4fff05d95d_b.jpg

    Brief break on Stave Island, observing manmade tidal pool draining during outgoing tide

    17843465215_ee86882953_b.jpg

    For those into hammocking, here was my setup for the weekend

    17843918751_a6578acca2_b.jpg

    Our Saturday circumnavigation of Long Island

    17657102469_b860e675a3_b.jpg

    It was great meeting new friends. In this photo, Roger and my paddling buddy Bob

    17840499272_6d2c34df1d_b.jpg

    Warren can't help himself from promoting sea kayaking one smile at a time :-)

    17655526768_a4a7fb5b64_b.jpg

    Return to Jewell, to our campsite beach just in time to have a nice hike around the island

    17816995166_93739455f9_b.jpg

    Cocktail Cove at dusk

    17655685840_54d8536bbb_b.jpg

    17816885866_ec0cd7054d_b.jpg

  4. I have my kokatat tall boots for colder months but I just received a new pair of water shoes today that I will use from June to September. I think they are called Columbia Ventsock. I tried them on today and they feel great. Enough support on the sole to be comfortable on the rocks and pebbles and not too much volume in front to add unnecessary tightness under the deck.

  5. I'd say leaning forward would probably give you the added percentage versus tacking. In addition I also read the waves I'm paddling against and optimize my stroke on the downward slope of the waves, essentially trying to always paddle 'downhill'.

    At some point however paddling into the wind is so annoying that I just deploy my chute and call for a rescue. (JK!)

  6. I would like to add that a broken wooden greenland paddle is awesome to dislodge the crud that builds up between the wheel and the internal fender.

    That is my extended paddle winter technique

    :-)

    ...of far more import is the technique of extended paddle when manipulating your paddle. The BCU, in their wisdom, do not really endorse this technique, which was heartily embraced by His (late) Highness Derek Hutchinson. He was, of course, correct: it makes for far greater leverage and gives better control when "slicing" and "cutting" (as well as bracing and sculling or even rolling)

    However, in this context, let me explain: when you are tackling the snow that has built up on the roof of your car, there is only one instrument that works properly and efficaciously -- and that is a Werner white-water paddle! Carbonfibre is too valuable a tool to risk and fibreglass gives just the right flexibility when you are trying to lift a good-sized chunk of whiteness!

    There must have been four feet of snow atop my car two days ago -- it had drifted up to roughly ten feet, at a guess, against the side of the house -- and the only thing to do the job was my Werner! (Not Maas, either -- although he could probably have done the job for me, without the need of a paddle!)

  7. good thing we all live close to Maine and could utilize our free weekend time to explore. In addition to that my bucket list is more for trips that pretty much require a retirement... ;-) (please make a donation)

    Magdalene islands
    Coast of Maine in one trip
    northern forest water trail
    a week in everglades camping
    one more trip to Mingan NP

  8. We paddled in from Brooksville.

    We actually had somewhat of a hard time finding the campsites on Calderwood but did manage to find them. The northeastern site is good for 2 tents with a nice beach. The spot is marked by dry sea urchins on branches.

    The southern site is quite a ways uphill from the shore, there is a way to camp on the footpath next to the shore there but it's not totally flat.

  9. We were nearby that weekend on Calderwood Island off the coast of North Haven (sort of between IAH and North Haven). The winds on Saturday were strong enough to carry some of our tents off the campsite and to fray a guyline of my tent as it was hitting a rock while vibrating in the wind all day. We decided not to paddle that day.

    It was an anti Quixotic decision ;-)

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