“The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad.” ~A.K. Best (Yukon Territory)
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Daily Photo: Are We There Yet?
A four-day kayak trip to B.C.’s Nootka Island was some work and all play for photographer Josianne Masseau and her trip mates, who enjoyed the West Coast’s infamous intertidal mud during a dealer retreat with Mark Hall of Kayak Distribution.
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Light, Luxury Cooking
Part Dutch oven, frying pan and skillet, the Banks Fry-Bake will take care of all your cooking whims in the backcountry.
Used on expeditions as far-flung as the Arctic and the Polynesian Islands, it’s equally appropriate for a weekend trip on a paddle close to home if you have a baker or chef in the group. Made of lightweight anodized aluminum, you can expect years of durability from this mini oven. Pizzas, breads and desserts present no problem for the Fry-Bake. Neither do stir-frys, omelettes and hashbrowns. A stick-resistant coating means you can make quick work of clean ups.
The Banks Fry-Bake was created in 1979 by National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) instructor Pam Banks, who’d grown tired of carrying a cast iron skillet in the backcountry. Since it’s inception, Banks’ Fry-Bakes have accompanied NOLS students on more than 6,500 courses and countless others on personal trips.
I first used the Fry-Bake on a two-week alpine hiking trip. Though not ultra lightweight—the expedition model weighs in at 29 ounces—it was well worth its weight in chocolate-covered almonds. Measuring in at 10.5 inches in diameter and at two inches deep, it was more than up to the challenge to cook big meals for our group. Mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie and gado-gado yielded portions big enough to feed a hungry foursome and have leftovers for lunch the next day. It was easy to pair with our simple alpine model stoves, though baking with only the stove as a heat source certainly proved to be a slower process.
A northern river trip provided the opportunity to try proper baking with the Fry-Bake. Peach cobblers, pineapple cakes and graham-cracker-encrusted chocolate squares were par for the course. To get an even temperature perfect for baking, start a small fire on a gravel bar and, when good and hot, balance the Fry-Bake on top of the coals, transferring some of the hot coals to the lid of the Fry-Bake and lining it evenly. Backcountry cooking never tasted so good.
This article appeared in Paddling Magazine, August 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Daily Photo: Kersploosh
Starting the session with style.
This photo was taken by Flickr user Big Dubya. Think your image could be a Rapid Media Whitewater Daily Photo? Submit it to [email protected].
Daily Photo: Modern Voyageurs
Beautiful colours on the French River. This historic waterway traces the journey of the voyageurs and links Lake Nipissing with Georgian Bay through a 105-kilometre span of interconnecting lakes, gorges and rapids.
This photo was taken by user Chagan 56. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
Daily Photo: Summer Splash
John Bumberger was excited to capture this refreshing splash from his kayak’s bow on a paddle on Pennsylvania’s Upper Delaware River.
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Daily Photo: Scouting
Just because you don’t intend to paddle it, doesn’t mean you can’t scout it. Learn to read a river, and you won’t be able to stop yourself from picking a line. Even if it’s on a rapid like this one, right before the Nahanni’s famous 295-foot Virginia Falls.
This photo was an entry in the 2011 Experience Canadian Heritage Rivers Photo Contest, taken by Josh Doti. Learn more about heritage rivers here.
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Daily Photo: New York City
Julieta Gismondi captured this image of stormy skies and skyscrapers while paddling in the waters of New York City.
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How To Use The River
There’s a good reason why the best boaters make it look easy—they work with the water rather than against it. Develop your river reading skills and place your boat onto the most helpful currents and waves to assist your maneuvers.
When exiting eddies, look for a wave trough that meets the eddyline and angles downstream away from the eddy pool. If a good trough is present, you don’t need much momentum.
Relax, fall onto the trough and let the wave do the work. Remember to fix your angle perpendicular to the trough line, not the eddyline and you won’t have to paddle nearly as hard.
This article originally appeared in Rapid, Spring 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Daily Photo: Stand and Deliver
This photo was taken by Lisa DeHart. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
