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Big Adventures


Little Bodies…


KNOTTY DEBATE. PHOTO: AARON PETERSON


[ EXPERT TIP ] Tie Game WHEN TO SECURE GEAR IN YOUR CANOE


To tie or not to tie—that is the question. When, why and how to tie your gear into your canoe is a hotly debated topic amongst paddlers. The truth is, your skills, the nature of your route, your support team and whether or not you have a covered canoe should determine your decision to tie in your packs. Some paddlers believe that packs should never be tied into a


canoe, but should be free to float out in the event of a capsize— it’s certainly much easier to right an overturned empty boat than a gear-laden one. Lake country, like the Boundary Waters and Quetico, demands


a no-tie-in approach. Thanks to the many lakes, there’s often a portage every hour. It’s a hassle to tie and untie packs at every stop, even if doing so offers some security afloat as tightly-se- cured, waterproof packs act as giant float bags in an upset. Even on rivers, I don’t always tie in my packs. There’s no need


to tie in gear if you’re traveling in the company of other canoes on a pool-and-drop river—that is, one where rapids are short and there’s a quiet pool below each. If you capsize in a short rapid, packs will float into the pool below where friends can rescue them, or where you can pick them up once you’ve righted your boat. There is also no need to tie in packs if you use a nylon spray


cover on your canoe. A covered canoe usually turns bottom up when it capsizes and the cover ensures the packs remain snug within the canoe. The best place to tie in packs is when canoeing a big, brawny


river with rapids that run for miles. Capsize here and you’ll be lucky to rescue your canoe, let alone your gear. Learn rescues spe- cific to this context, such as the rodeo rescue technique (www. rapidmedia.com/0183), and practice them in drop-and-pool rap- ids with your gear tied in before strapping down to take on con- tinuous whitewater. If you do tie in packs, tie them securely so that they will not


bob out if you swim. Anything that dangles out of an over-turned canoe can catch on obstacles and cause the canoe to wrap. Use quick-release knots on all tie-ins. Cliff Jacobson is a wilderness canoeing and camping consultant and


the author of over a dozen top-selling books on camping and canoeing. He is a recipient of the American Canoe Association’s Legends of Pad- dling award. www.cliff-jacobson.com.


jDIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to get time-tested methods for tying in your gear.


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