John Martinsen

Jason, I have the old rubber hatch covers from the Shadow that you are welcome to.

Ditto the surf pads, will quiet it right down.

IMHO topos can come in handy when paddling remote areas without a lot of beta about them. Good for most importantly picking out water sources, but also good for finding flatish areas to camp. Good auxiliary to charts. Or for that truly special area where charts aren't even offered it makes a great reference source.

What model msr is it? Some will come apart but are a bit of a puzzle to reassemble. I would start with a little white gas to try and loosen up the legs, should work to break up whatever is gunking them up. Let it sit for a few minutes so the gas evaporates before trying to fire it up. If it still seems like it needs a little lubricant (not the social kind) I'd use a little coconut oil or olive oil and wipe off any excess. Good luck!

A Snickers bar can work wonders.

I saw a person break a Werner carbon foam core paddle during an extended paddle roll. Quite the testiment to the amount of power generated and how bad form can cost you $400 very quickly.

Wave ski paddlers use an extended paddle roll, and that's in an incredibly dynamic environment on a very small craft (while strapped to it as well) to good effect. Definitely better than a swim, the trick is being able to quickly reorient yourself and the paddle, to be ready for whatever else is coming your way. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..."

It's the Tsunamis I really sweat about.

At least they had life jackets on. A simple cell phone in a water proof case would have done the trick.

Right in your guy's backyard. http://m.gloucestertimes.com/news/young-couple-rescued-off-salvages/article_76efd794-d2a5-5503-9a5a-36c5f469492d.html?mode=jqm

I wouldn't forgo a good hot breakfast, especially if the weather is cooler. Can always make a thermos of hot something the night before, great to have hot beverages before even getting out of the bag. Also easy to have just one person cook while others are packing; whoever is cooking should have their gear already packed, or someone could be kind enough to pack it for them. Helps to sort out breakfast the night before and leave it somewhere handy. Other than that the only real tip I have is as soon as you're ready to get out of your sleeping bag, crack open the air mattress (if you have one) and let your body weight empty the pad. Get dressed and pack up everything and get it out of the tent, leave it in the vestibule if need be. Or make a pile where you think you're going to load the boat. For me it takes a little bit of discipline, but I find it saves time. No need to get back in the tent for anything, and if I avoid the going back into the tent I'm less likely to doddle, and can move on to other things.

I always like to try a bag on, if I have the chance, to make sure it fits. A bag that fits too tight, say around the shoulders, compresses material making it cold and uncomfortable. Something too big can be difficult to warm up, can get cold spots, and be a pain to pack. So it's often good to go to an outdoor store, grab a pad and bag, and jump in. Zip it up, get in your happy sleep position, could you find yourself getting a good night sleep in there? Are the zippers easy to find and open, if it has a hood does it fit well, how easy can you get in and out of it. A good store might actually have a dedicated spot to do all this. Grab a bag liner and try the bag out with that. Worth trying out different pads as well, they have a huge impact on your comfort, wide or standard width? Also worth noting is how they inflat, if at all, by mouth, self inflating or some type of pump? I can't stand having to inflate an air mattress at the end of a long day. How small does it all pack dow? But beyond everything make sure it is comfortable and warm. As others have said nothing worse than sleeping cold, make sure you get a bag that will keep you comfortable temperature wise as well. 20 degrees is a good all arounder.

Used cotton in Baja, would dry out almost instantly down there. Jeans or Carharts are great for beach camping in the desert, hold up well to walking around near thorny brush. Long sleeve shirts, like an old dress shirt, work great for keeping the sun off while keeping cool. Have also used cotton t shirts in Alaska in the summer when the sun was cranking, until another system would come through with days of rain. Never slept in cotton always used silk bag liners. Otherwise I stick to wool baselayers with synthetic on top of that. Have been checking out the Scandinavian waxed cotton blend stuff, still uncertain but works a lot better than I thought it would.

In the same price range, I'd check out a Dagger Alchemy S, a really capable little boat with a skeg. Seems like you should be able to get a lot of decent used plastic sea kayaks for $900, unless weight is an issue.

I use an extra large anorak windbreaker, the kind LL BEAN sold tons of in the 80s and 90s. Get it a few sizes too big and pull it on when you get out of your paddling clothes. The large size and big front zip make it easy to get on. Also works great to dry out layers underneath because it's so breathable while staying cozy. The long sleeves can be pulled down to cover hands as well. With the hood up and a head net on it works really well. Ironically the one I have is a Kokotat piece.

I have an original Jetboil that I hardly ever use anymore, take an alcohol stove backpacking, white gas stove kayak camping, and a thermos for day paddles. If I was to buy again I'd get the flash with the ignitor, they used to have a titanium jobbie, but probably simplified their product line when Johnson outdoors bought them. I'd be tempted to check out the MSR equivalent now, always liked their stuff, not sure how it compares but looks good online. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/stove-systems/windboiler/product

I have an original Jetboil that I hardly ever use anymore, take an alcohol stove backpacking, white gas stove kayak camping, and a thermos for day paddles. If I was to buy again I'd get the flash with the ignitor, they used to have a titanium jobbie, but probably simplified their product line when Johnson outdoors bought them. I'd be tempted to check out the MSR equivalent now, always liked their stuff, not sure how it compares but looks good online. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/stove-systems/windboiler/product

Sounds like fun. Gordon Brown is going to be there this year.

I'm telling you, trash compactor bags work great inside a non-waterproof compression bag, save the money for some other piece of gear. Put a dry pair of socks, ear plugs, teddy bear, small container of Goldbond powder, clean underwear in there, helps save space in your clothes dry bag. Keeps all your sleeping stuff in one place. Also works great for something like a tent body, put it in a separate stuff sack from the fly and poles. Keeps the tent body dry and let's you pack it down nice and small, find another small stuff sack for the fly.

Meh, I haven't used bug spray for ten years; long sleeves, pants and a head net have always worked fine. Good to see something strong but not poisonous come on to the market, hope it works on ticks, my main concern these days.

I don't trust electronics to bags, only boxes. I really liked Otter boxes, but I'm not sure those are even made anymore. Trash compactor bags are great for waterproofing things. Use them inside a nylon stuff sack, squeeze out excess air, then twist remaining bag into a tail and tuck down the side of the stuff sack. For something critical like a sleeping bag use two. With a folded over sleeping mat and a marker you can also use the compactor bag as a white board. Most of my sil nylon dry bags developed pin hole leaks after a few seasons of hard use, the pvc stuff is still going strong. The stove is probably fine without a bag, not sure how the ignitor will work if wet though, only part I would worry about with the salt.

I think that's operator error...

The plastic painters drop clothes sold at home Depot and the like make good floors. Great to use with a tarp and bivy for back packing. I've used a MSR Hubba with the fly and floor, no body, for a mid September hike on a section of the Long Trail in VT and it worked well. Can't get it setup as taut as a good tarp so if there is wind you'll hear some flapping, but if you don't want to invest in a lightweight tarp nice to have the option. I love the space and flexibility a good tarp provides, and so many great lightweight tarps available nowadays. Mountain Laurel Designs has the trailstar, which is also available in a large size and would be great for a kitchen\gear shed, and the MSR Twing is great as well lots of space with good protection and fairly lightweight. IMO ultralight tents, as mentioned in the article, are so focused on weight that they sacrifice strength and durability, so not sure how much a footprint is going to extend it's service life. Nice to have the option of a bodyless setup though. Also wouldn't want to be in an exposed spot, like a beach during a storm, in an ultralight tent. I don't think they're really built for that.

Looks like bruise city...

I went through a few foam core Werners before getting my first Lendal. The foam core Werners paddle great, but I always seemed to wreck them after a few months. I had a old Lendal Kinetic that lasted years before I finally broke it. Hoping the new xrange will hold up for that long, paddles as well as a Ikelos but hopefully stronger. Tried a carbon Corryvrecken but just not the same. I've only had good interactions with the new Lendal company, I hope they can manage to stay in business, they make some great stuff.