In the Pack Danuu ‘Cover Me’ Canoe Covers
Afew years ago I asked a friend if I could borrow his canoe. He sent me up on top of his flattop garage where the canoe had long baked in the sun. While lowering it down, I wondered what toll the sun’s rays had exacted during years of exposure. I was no longer curious two weeks later when I returned his newly crum- pled and patched hull. Plastic boats are particularly susceptible to damage from ultraviolet radiation, but any canoe will fare better when not exposed to the elements. At Danuu they know we don’t all have indoor storage for our canoes. Simply drape these covers over a canoe, snug up the straps and you’ve got a protected package. No more of that lingering, “I really should cover up that canoe” guilt. It’s a little known fact that The Boss was singing on behalf of neglected canoes everywhere when he sang, “Come on baby, cover me.” Models fit canoes from 14 to 18.5 feet. $299 to $369 Cdn, $190 to $230 US
www.danuu.com.—IM
Watershed Westwater Canoe Pack
As a kid at camp the only thing separating my down sleeping bag from the waters of Lake Mazinaw was a green garbage bag and a worn canvas canoe pack. Suffice to say I didn’t always sleep well. Since then all manner of waterproof packs have been developed. Most notable of these is the Westwater. It’s like your average hole-ridden, rotting- strapped, broken-buckled canvas pack, except it’s waterproof, the shoulder straps are padded and it has a waist strap. What you lose in rustic appeal you get back in helpful features. Watershed’s beefy freezer bag–like seal locks in the freshness of my sleeping bag and keeps water out like the more cumbersome canoe barrels, yet retains the comfort and packability of soft packs. If you think it’s at all possible that your new camera gear might, say, “leap out” of your canoe and find its own route down Rollway Rapids on the Petawawa River, you’ll want it to be nes- tled safely behind a Watershed seal. Just ask our editor-in-chief. $129.00 US.
www.drybags.com. —IM
Martin Backpacker Guitar Sawyer Do-it-Yourself Paddle Kit
If you get misty-eyed with pride at memories of accept- ing your Boy Scout woodworking merit badge, then Sawyer has a paddle for you. For this do-it-yourself kit, they provide three pre- shaped wood pieces (T-grip, shaft, blade). You provide the tools (sandpaper, jigsaw, clamps), materials (varnish, wood glue or epoxy, decorative paint) and labour (four hours for basic assembly and shaping of the blade and any number of hours spent on finish work and impart- ing artistic flair).
Could it be that Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the master scout himself, was in fact talking about this kit when he said, “Not only is it fascinating to every true boy, but it is also a study of God’s work, and you can’t do bet- ter than that.” $20 US.
www.paddlesandoars.com.—BM
MEC Mantis Tarp
Mountain Equipment Co-op has furthered canoe tripping’s march toward civility with this comfort-inducing cross between a tarp and tent. Though it has no floor, its pole-supported roof and mesh front make this a rugged barrier to the ele- ments, whether they are of the wet, windy or blood-sucking variety. At 2.4 kilograms (5.3 lbs), the tarp packs down to the size of a three- person tent. Abeefy arched pole anchors
60
www.canoeroots.ca
two corners and props the tent up to provide a maximum headroom of just less than two metres. Support the front with two paddles lashed together or a line running between trees. With ample anchor points and a low-angle profile it withstands a stiff blow when facing downwind. It’s capable of accommodating up to six reclin- ing adults, meaning your party won’t have to make an antisocial retreat to distant tents if being out of doors becomes out of the question. $215 Cdn.
www.mec.ca.—IM
The Martin Backpacker Guitar has been played in an orbiting space shuttle and on top of Mount Everest. Though it strikes us that an air guitar might have been a better instrument for these ven- ues, it’s nice to know that the Backpacker can go wherever you want to take it. With a reduced head- stock and shortened body that tapers smoothly into the neck, the
Backpacker is easy to stuff in, well,
a backpack. Despite its economic design, it has a standard fret- board. Though the small soundbox doesn’t produce as rich a tone as a full guitar, the solid spruce top and famed Martin workmanship mean you will have few excuses for missed notes. It’s available in steel string or classical, and fits in a canoe far better than a tuba. $289 US.
www.martinguitar.com. —IM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68