jason

Warren I found another article for you http://www.garrettcartridges.com/defensive.html

This would be ones (my) normal camping hair care: http://www.dawn-dish.com/us/dawn/product/037000222057 This would be an idea of what's in fashion in AK for clothing: https://www.wisementrading.com/insectprotection/bug_out.htm

Just don't demo the bear spray, it will clear the room out.

Your going to be in bear territory, the bear's will keep the wolfs away. They don't want to be dinner.

If your going to see bald eagles you might go much much closer to home. A couple of years ago I did a paddle with http://cpakayaker.com/ and the bald eagles were more pletifiul than sea gulls around Kelly's on Reverer beach.. It was fun watching them take the fish from the ospray. They didn't seem to fish, but they were good at taking the fish away from other birds. They don't have a lot of tide or currents where I paddled, but it was fun. On the week night paddle/rolling session I joined it was on a reservoir as it was getting near sunset everybody rafted up then wine and cheese appeared out of hatches (with openers, plastic glasses, cutting boards etc).

Nigel Foster shot with flares the ground in front of the bears that were chasing the group. The bears just swatted at the flair and weren't at all deterred. You will only have ~6 shots, if your going to shoot make them count as you might need all 6 to take a bear down. Worth a read: http://www.chuckhawks.com/firearms_defense_bears.htm From the Nigel Foster talk the bears swim at 4kts and they were chased for a full 24 hours... (Might be a bit like a fish tale, getting ever larger). On land they are much faster than we are.

Please feel free to add your own book to the list: 1. http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336

Looks like a very nice one. I thought that you had a preference for one that had a lens that had a protective shutter to keep the water away. Have you found something to apply to the lens or anther trick?

I have already been in touch with John, via John I can have access to P&H boats including the Cetus HV. The Explorer HV is not a good fit. I would rather be cramped into a Cetus classic then be shoe horned into an Explorer HV (I still don't understand how the Knee bumps make it a HV, the fit IMO is the same as an Explorder). WIthout access to boats I was looking at picking up a 20' car trailer and setting it up to bring our boats out. I was going to make a road trip out of it. Having the boat access just requires us to ship a bit of the geer over as I don't expect it all with fit on the plane.

It's been a tentative for 2015 for some time, it's not on the radar for 2014.

With the long AK days that doesn't seem like a lot of on the water time. Are you going to do day trips after you make camp?

Thanks for the company: Hard Shell Kayaks Kayakers may join any trip, however a minimum number of 4 kayakers is required. One of our kayak guides accompanies all trips with kayakers. One really needs a guide raft to take the required gear to be allowed on the water. The chance of getting on the water without a company is remote, before they moved to the weighted lottery system the wait list for a slot was over 150 years (I can't see spending $'s to get on a 150 year wait list, I wouldn't be alive that long).

What company are you going with, will they let you bring your own kayak? The Grand Canyon has been on my bucket list!

Needs to add some RDF's, bulk heads and hatches might not hurt...

My arm been cast recently. They created the casts with fiberglass that has a water activated resin (I had a total of 4 casts as they replaced them). This looks like something of the same ilk.

This is a better link http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2014/02/wandering-in-footsteps-of-polar-bear.html

http://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/churchill-canada/

You might look at other pogies. Mine can move around my paddle. I also tend to toss them in the middle of the paddle at times when my hands get too hot.

Isn't the saying the same in the states?

We can skip the check. It's in all good fun. That said even with the race bow I am sure I can pick it up and drag it over my boat.

Sounds like an easy $5. Don't bring your race boat I don't know how it deal with the stress of being lifted 1/2 out of the water filled with water and person. I thought that you were just in FL? Where are you these days?

Your sliding them over you deck, only the cockpit has water, it's not like all the hatches are full. Dragging boat with a 175 pound person on to my deck doesn't seem like a big challenge. In conditions you can use the conditions to help and you will have plenty to brace with.

I have never had an issue.... Still don't see the "dump" as being a goto rescue.

When I paddle with gloves I have cold hands. The fix for that IMO is pogies. The gloves tend to squeeze the blood out of my hands. (Not sure that they make gloves that are big enough).

Just hope that you don't run into more than one Bear with that plan. (One on each side of the group would be bad.).